Abruzzo Region Research Articles

Water Balance and Forest Productivity in Mediterranean Mountain Environments

The availability of water resources is one of the major drivers affecting forest and agricultural productivity. The sensitivity of Mediterranean forest species to water shortage is becoming even more relevant in relation to climate changes, that for Southern Europe could lead to an increase in temperature of 2 to 3 °C, paralleled by a decrease of 5 to 15% of summer rainfall. It is then important to study the relationship between water balance and productivity of important forest tree species such as beech and mountain pines that represent the upper limit of forest vegetation in almost all the Apennines range. In the present paper, the measurements of water balance, evapotranspiration, carbon exchange and productivity in beech and pine forests of central-southern Italy (Abruzzo and Calabria regions) are reported. The results are obtained in the course of several years of experimentation with innovative techniques and integrated at the canopy level.

Caratterizzazione idrogeochimica delle acque sotterranee abruzzesi e relative anomalie

The geological and stratigraphical sequence of the Abruzzo region (Central Italy, fig. 1) is dominated by the Jurassic to Oligocene succession, constituted mainly by limestone, marley limestones, calcareous sandstones, calcareous marls, marls and clayey marls along the Apennines, hilly areas and shoreline. The Miocene sequence, outcropping along the Apennines front, is constituted of limestones, marley limestones, calcareous marls and marls. The top of the succession, in the central and northern areas, is constituted by Messinian deposits of the marley-arenaceous turbidite formation, while, in the southern area delimited by Pescara river at north, by the evaporitic terrigeneous succession. The Pliocene-Pleistocene sequence represents the greater part of the hill domain, mainly constituted by marley clays and clayey marls surrounding arenaceous and conglomerate bodies. A gravity flow (Oligocene-Miocene Molisan sequence) originated from the Apennines is located at south of Maiella within the Pliocene-Pleistocene sequence; it is mainly constituted by clays and marls, with smaller proportions of limestones, calcareous sandstones, calcareous marls, Cretaceous and Miocene reworked marls and chalks, with maximum thicknesses up to approximately 2000 m. Lacustrian deposits are found in the intra-mountain basins, while Quaternary alluvial deposits lay on top of the marine deposits along main rivers and streams. The alluvial domain is mainly constituted by continental terraced deposits in the fluvial plains, while intramountain basins by fluvial-lacustrian deposits, continental head deposits and in a lesser extent by Pliocene-Pleistocene sandstones and conglomerates (fig. 1). Aquifers, mainly recharged by rainfall river contribution; groundwater flow is significantly influenced by paleo-river bodies and bedrock geometries (Desiderio et alii , 1999). These mostly non-confined aquifers, mainly constituted by gravelly-sandy deposits, are locally multilayered and semi-confined, especially in the intra-mountain and coastal zones. Exchange between surface waters and groundwater can be significant. The Abruzzo main aquifers are located in the Appennine carbonate domain (Celico, 1983; Boni et alii , 1986; Conese et alii , 2001; Petitta & Tallini, 2002; Nanni & Rusi, 2003; Desiderio et alii , 2002). The major springs (Q > 50 l/s) are located at the border of the carbonate hydro-structures along the contact with less permeable deposits that constitute the aquiclude (Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene terrigenous deposits) or aquitards (continental Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits). Minor springs (Q < 20 l/s) are controlled by local factors as head deposits, impermeable layers within the lithological sequence and tectonic discontinuities. Perennial springs are seldom found in the Appennines fore-areas and hilly areas, constituted by calcareous sandstones, marls, clays, sandstones and chalks originated from the alloctonous units, Miocene turbidite and evaporitic successions, including clayey marls and clays from Pliocene and Pleistocene pelagic successions. The few springs are related to aquifers within the more permeable deposits, mainly recharged by rainfall. Surface and buried bituminous and evaporitic sediments sometimes increase the spring waters salinity (Desiderio & Rusi, 2004). Groundwater classification of the four hydrogeological domains has been accomplished within this study on the basis of 690 chemical analysies of 325 monitoring points. Piper diagram heighlights that spring waters from the Apennine carbonate domain are classified as calcium bicarbonate facies (fig. 2); groundwaters from the intra-mountain domain are slightly shifted (fig. 5), while those from springs and wells in the hilly domain (fig. 6), thus originating from terrigenous deposits, show a greater dispersion with a slight prevalence of alkaline earth-bicarbonate and sulphate-chloride-alkaline earth waters. Alluvial domain groundwaters (fig. 7) are even more disperse with a prevalence of calcium bicarbonate facies. The mother groundwaters in the Apennine carbonate domain undergo a first mixing within the intra-mountain basins with waters flowing in the alkali rich mainly lacustrian continental deposits. More significant mixing occurs when the Apennine groundwater flow into the alluvial domain. Greater residence times and alluvial lithological heterogeneity imply greater groundwater salinity with a significant increase in alkali elements, sulphates and chlorides. Saline intrusion in coastal areas are related to groundwater withdrawals causing significant variations of original facies. Groundwater flowing within the terrigenous domain do not undergo mixing due to aquifer geometries and small discharges. The hydrochemical facies dispersion is related to the extreme lithological heterogeneity of this domain. A modest circulation of mineralised waters originates from groundwater flow within the Adriatic Pliocene-Pleistocene foredeep, allochthonous deposits and Miocene evaporites (figs. 9, 10 and 12). The hydrochemical facies are sodium-chloride, sodium-chloride-sulphate, sodium-bicarbonate, sodium-sulphate and without dominant ions; these groundwaters undergo different degrees of mixing with those of the main domains, thus modifying their characteristics (fig. 13).

Structure of genetic diversity in Olea europaea L. cultivars from central Italy

The olive is considered one of the most important fruit crops of the Mediterranean basin where it shows a wide range of variability, with about 2,000 cultivars. Italy, with about 500 cultivars, plays a fundamental role. The ability to discriminate olive cultivars and estimate genetic variability are important factors in better management of genetic resources and in helping to understand how genetic diversity is partitioned among cultivars. The two main objectives of the present investigation were to evaluate the identity of cultivars grown in Abruzzo region, central Italy, and to study their genetic structure. We applied amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) methodology on 84 genotypes belonging to the most relevant and oldest varieties cultivated in Abruzzo and on six unknown genotypes. The information content of data was evaluated using the Marker Ratio index and the Polymorphic Index Content. Moreover, STRUCTURE software was used to investigate the genetic population structure. The analysis enabled us to clearly distinguish eight cultivars within seven clusters. Additionally, one cluster was found to have various minor cultivars and showed a relatively high level of diversity. The partitioning of genetic diversity showed that the largest amount of molecular variance was within groups. Our data suggest that both sexual and clonal propagation have played an important role in the evolution of olive cultivars. In our hypothesis, some ancestral population spread in central Italy with a relevant role of seed propagation, followed by a selection of superior clones from which more traditional varieties originated. In a few cases, hybridization should be taken into consideration to explain the diffusion of recently developed cultivars.

The earthquake lights (EQL) of the 6 April 2009 Aquila earthquake, in Central Italy

Abstract. A seven-month collection of testimonials about the 6 April 2009 earthquake in Aquila, Abruzzo region, Italy, was compiled into a catalogue of non-seismic phenomena. Luminous phenomena were often reported starting about nine months before the strong shock and continued until about five months after the shock. A summary and list of the characteristics of these sightings was made according to 20th century classifications and a comparison was made with the Galli outcomes. These sightings were distributed over a large area around the city of Aquila, with a major extension to the north, up to 50 km. Various earthquake lights were correlated with several landscape characteristics and the source and dynamic of the earthquake. Some preliminary considerations on the location of the sightings suggest a correlation between electrical discharges and asperities, while flames were mostly seen along the Aterno Valley.

Geological, geomechanical and geostatistical assessment of rockfall hazard in San Quirico Village (Abruzzo, Italy)

This paper describes the results of a rockfall hazard assessment for the village of San Quirico (Abruzzo region, Italy) based on an engineering-geological model. After the collection of geological, geomechanical, and geomorphological data, the rockfall hazard assessment was performed based on two separate approaches: i) simulation of detachment of rock blocks and their downhill movement using a GIS; and ii) application of geostatistical techniques to the analysis of georeferenced observations of previously fallen blocks, in order to assess the probability of arrival of blocks due to potential future collapses. The results show that the trajectographic analysis is significantly influenced by the input parameters, with particular reference to the coefficients of restitution values. In order to solve this problem, the model was calibrated based on repeated field observations. The geostatistical approach is useful because it gives the best estimation of point-source phenomena such as rockfalls; however, the sensitivity of results to basic assumptions, e.g. assessment of variograms and choice of a threshold value, may be problematic. Consequently, interpolations derived from different variograms have been used and compared among them; hence, those showing the lowest errors were adopted. The data sets which were statistically analysed are relevant to both kinetic energy and surveyed rock blocks in the accumulation area. The obtained maps highlight areas susceptible to rock block arrivals, and show that the area accommodating the new settlement of S. Quirico Village has the highest level of hazard according to both probabilistic and deterministic methods.

Rainfall thresholds for the possible occurrence of landslides in Italy

Abstract. In Italy, rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides that frequently cause fatalities and large economic damage. Using a variety of information sources, we have compiled a catalogue listing 753 rainfall events that have resulted in landslides in Italy. For each event in the catalogue, the exact or approximate location of the landslide and the time or period of initiation of the slope failure is known, together with information on the rainfall duration D, and the rainfall mean intensity I, that have resulted in the slope failure. The catalogue represents the single largest collection of information on rainfall-induced landslides in Italy, and was exploited to determine the minimum rainfall conditions necessary for landslide occurrence in Italy, and in the Abruzzo Region, central Italy. For the purpose, new national rainfall thresholds for Italy and new regional rainfall thresholds for the Abruzzo Region were established, using two independent statistical methods, including a Bayesian inference method and a new Frequentist approach. The two methods proved complementary, with the Bayesian method more suited to analyze small data sets, and the Frequentist method performing better when applied to large data sets. The new regional thresholds for the Abruzzo Region are lower than the new national thresholds for Italy, and lower than the regional thresholds proposed in the literature for the Piedmont and Lombardy Regions in northern Italy, and for the Campania Region in southern Italy. This is important, because it shows that landslides in Italy can be triggered by less severe rainfall conditions than previously recognized. The Frequentist method experimented in this work allows for the definition of multiple minimum rainfall thresholds, each based on a different exceedance probability level. This makes the thresholds suited for the design of probabilistic schemes for the prediction of rainfall-induced landslides. A scheme based on four probabilistic thresholds is proposed. The four thresholds separate five fields, each characterized by different rainfall intensity-duration conditions, and corresponding different probability of possible landslide occurrence. The scheme can be implemented in landslide warning systems that operate on rainfall thresholds, and on precipitation measurements or forecasts.

A new station for monitoring electromagnetic fields in Duronia (Italy): experimental setup and first results

Since the end of 2007 a new electromagnetic field monitoring station has been in operation in Central Italy in the area of a village called Duronia. The station was created in the framework of the MEM (Magnetic and Electric fields Monitoring) Project composed of a team headed by the Abruzzo region. The main target of the MEM Project is to create in the Adriatic Area a network of observatories to monitor the environmental electromagnetic signals in the frequency band from 0.001Hz to 100kHz (ULF-ELF-VLF). The peculiarity of the Duronia installation is the low electromagnetic background noise of the site and the low noise of the instrumentation. Here we show the experimental setup, with a brief discussion on the installed instrumentation and on the preliminaresults obtained in the first months of operation. The research activity is mainly focused on the analysis of the spectral structure of the Schumann Resonance in the range of frequencies [5.0-35.0]Hz, and the Ionospheric Alfven Resonator in the range of frequencies [0.1-7.0]Hz and their evolution in time. Another target concerns the long-term monitoring of local magnetic field anomalies possiblelated to the local geodynamical processes.

Chemical Composition and Inhibitory Activity Against Helicobacter pylori of the Essential Oil of Apium nodiflorum (Apiaceae)

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from Apium nodiflorum (L.) Lag. (Family Apiaceae), a plant used in the ethnomedical traditions of the Abruzzo region (Central Italy) as a culinary herb, as a diuretic, and to cure stomachache, was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and 14 components were identified. Limonene (27.72 %), p-cymene (23.06%), myristicine (18.51%), and beta-pinene (6.62%) were the main components. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil was assayed in vitro against Helicobacter pylori (strain DSMZ 4867), resulting in a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 12.5 microg/mL.

Characteristics of the strong ground motions from the 6 April 2009 L’Aquila earthquake, Italy

An M w 6.25 earthquake occurred on April 6, 2009 at 03:33 a.m. local time, in the Abruzzo region (Central Italy), close to the city of L’Aquila. The earthquake ruptured a North-West (NW)–South-East (SE) oriented normal fault dipping toward the South-West (SW), with the city of L’Aquila lying a few kilometers away on the hanging wall. The main shock has been recorded by fifty-eight accelerometric stations: the highest number of digital recordings ever obtained in Italy for a single earthquake, one of the best-recorded earthquakes with a normal fault mechanism. Very high values of peak ground acceleration (0.3–0.65 g) were observed close to the center of L’Aquila (6 stations at zero JB distance from the fault). The earthquake caused severe loss of lives (299 victims and 1500 injured) and damage (about 18000 unusable buildings) in the epicentral area. In this study we analyze the ground motion characteristics of both the main shock in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), and pseudo-acceleration response spectra (5% of damping ratio). In particular, we compare the pseudo-acceleration response spectra for horizontal directions with the EC8 design spectrum and the new Italian building code (NTC08). In order to understand the characteristics of the ground motions induced by L’Aquila earthquake, we also study the source-related effects and site response of the strong motion stations that recorded the seismic sequence. A novel method is used for the analysis of inter-station and site-specific H/V spectral ratios for the main event and for 12 aftershocks.

Autochthonous foci of canine and feline infections by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in central Italy

This survey was conducted to investigate the presence of Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in native dogs and cats living in an area of Italy where animal and human dirofilarioses have been sporadically reported in the past few years. From May 2008 to March 2009 individual blood samples were collected from 300 native cats and 300 native dogs in the Abruzzo region of central Italy. All 600 samples were subjected to a Knott modified method, to a test for the detection of circulating D. immitis antigen and to two species-specific PCR-coupled sequencing protocols. Epidemiological data were collected and then correlated with the filarial prevalence by univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. Twenty-five dogs (8.3%) and six cats (2%) were positive for filariae in at least one diagnostic test, with an overall prevalence rate for D. immitis and D. repens of 2.3% and 5.6% in dogs and 0.3% and 1.6% in cats, respectively. Male and large sized dogs resulted more likely to be infected by Dirofilaria spp., possibly due to the fact that animals living outdoor and of large size are more exposed to mosquito bites. However these factors were not confirmed as convincing risk factors by multivariate analysis. The results are discussed, together with the origin of these new autochthonous foci in central Italy and the present expansion southward of canine and feline filariae in Italy.

E-learning for accountability in nonprofit organizations A networked collaborative learning experience for managers of Blood Donors’ organizations

This paper would like to investigate how nonprofit organizations interpret and use tools of accountability to benefit management. We would like to propose a specific model of financial and social reporting. This model was tested in a Networked Collaborative Learning “experiment” conducted on blood donors’ organizations in the Abruzzo Region (Italy). The managers of these organizations have interacted in a virtual learning environment using the digital format of Social Report created with Adobe LiveCycle Designer and they have cooperated in network through the use of different e-learning tools.

Statistical and mathematical models for the analysis of educational processes in the intercultural school

Lately sociology of education has had to deal with complex challenges and the rise of new social phenomenon: the impact of migration processes and global fluxes in the different contexts of instruction, the strategies for social inclusion, the demand of citizenship expressed by the “new generations”.Citizenship is in the current context multiform meaning on the social and individual and is tied both to the matter of the formation of the citizen in the rights and duties, and on the matter of the right to education and of recognizing the full dignity of everyone, the right of difference and diversity. The essential knot of citizenship is given by “equal opportunities”.The contribution suggest the results of a research carried out - with the administration of a questionnaire - to Italian preadolescents and foreigners attending secondary schools of first degree in the Abruzzo Region (Italy). Different aspects concerning scholastic success, creation of social relations and building of citizenship and living together were taken into consideration.The data obtained from the answers to the questionnaire are analyzed with the tools of the multivariate statistics in order to have information on the latent sociological trends of the multi-cultural society in Italy.

The Mw 6.3 Abruzzo (Italy) earthquake of April 6th, 2009

On April 6th, 2009, at 3:32 am local time, a Mw 6.3 earthquake struck the Abruzzo region in Italy. This earthquake killed 305 people, with a further 1,500 people injured and approximately 15,000 buildings damaged. Many buildings of significant historical and architectural value were destroyed and several modern buildings were also severely damaged with some having fully collapsed.&#x0D; The authors visited the disaster zone one month after the earthquake. The most badly affected areas in L’Aquila historical centre and three other villages – San Gregorio, Pagánica and Onna – were inspected.&#x0D; The main observations made during this reconnaissance trip are briefly presented, highlighting the relevant lessons for engineering practice in New Zealand and Australia.

Indagini Stratigrafiche e Sistemi Informativi Architettonici: il GIS della chiesa di S. Maria in Valle Porclaneta

The church of Santa Maria in Valle Porclaneta and its accessories are what remains of an ancient Benedictine monastery, built in the heart of Abruzzo region (Magliano dei Marsi, L’Aquila) at the end of the XII century. Even if literature, starting from the end of XIX century, has been often interested in this architectural manufactured, the process of historical-critical knowledge of the complex revealed itself difficult due to the absence of archaeological data, the shortage of the documents and, above all, the numerous interventions of restoration that, followed during all last century, have deeply modified the original compages of it. Due to the difficulties met, the overlap between the few documental data and the data derived from the direct investigation of the structures, performed with the aid of an Architectural Informative System, made possible to hypothesize a chronological reconstruction of the principal phases of life of the monastic complex.

Geodetic deformation Across the Central Apennines from GPS Data in the time span 1999-2003

Abstract During the time span 1999-2003 was set up and repeatedly surveyed a not permanent GPS network located across one of the highest seismic areas of the central Apennines (Italy). The Central Apennine Geodetic Network (CA-GeoNet), extends across Umbria, Abruzzo, Marche and Lazio regions, in an area of ?180x130 km, from Tyrrhenian to the Adriatic sea. It consists in 125 GPS stations distributed at 3-5 km average grid and includes 7 permanent GPS stations operated by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica and Vulcanologia (INGV). With the aim to estimate the active strain rate across this part of the chain, the GPS sites have been located on the main geological units of the area and across the typical basin and range structures, related with the main seismogenic faults. In this paper we show the network and the first results obtained for a subset of 23 stations that have been occupied at least during three repeated campaigns, in the time span 1999-2003. Data analysis, performed by Bernese 4.2 software, shows an extensional rate normal to the chain, in agreement with geological and seismic data. The strain rates in the inner chain are ranging from 12x10-9±11yr-1 to 16x10-9±11yr-1 and from -14x10-9±11yr-1 to -3x10-9±11yr-1. This result provides an improved estimation of the ongoing deformation of this area with respect to previous studies and is in agreement with the style of deformation inferred from seismicity and with the features of the main seismogenic sources from recent geological and seismological investigations.

Comparison of three different extraction methods and HPLC determination of the anthraquinones aloe‐emodine, emodine, rheine, chrysophanol and physcione in the bark of Rhamnus alpinus L. (Rhamnaceae)

Rhamnus alpinus L. (Rhamnaceae), a traditional plants in the flora of the Abruzzo region, is known to contain active anthraquinone secondary metabolites. However, the content of anthraquinones varies among R. alpinus samples depending on collection season and site. Thus, using simple, reliable and accurate analytical methods for the determination of anthraquinones in R. alpinus extracts allows comparative study of different methods of extraction. After a partial validation of an HPLC method for the simultaneous determination of five anthraquinones, aloe-emodine, rheine, emodine, chrysophanol and physcione, in the bark of R. alpinus, we compared three different methods of extraction. Anthraquinones were extracted from the bark of R. alpinus using different techniques (methanol maceration, ultrasonic and supercritical CO(2) extraction). Separation and quantification of anthraquinones were accomplished using a reversed-phase C(18) column with the mobile phase of H(2)O-methanol (40 : 60, v/v, 1% formic acid) at a wavelength of 254 nm. The qualitative analyses were also achieved at wavelength of 435 nm. All calibration curves were linear over the concentration range tested (10-200 mM) with the determination coefficients >or=0.991. The detection limits (S/N = 3) were 5 mM for each analytes. All five anthraquinones were found in the samples tested at concentrations reported in experimental data. The described HPLC method and optimised extraction procedure are simple, accurate and selective for separation and quantification of anthraquinones in the bark of R. alpinus and allow evaluation of the best extraction procedure between the tested assays.

Yeast microbiota associated with spontaneous sourdough fermentations in the production of traditional wheat sourdough breads of the Abruzzo region (Italy)

The aims of this study were to describe the yeast community of 20 sourdoughs collected from central Italy and to characterize the sourdoughs based on chemical properties. A polyphasic approach consisting of traditional culture-based tests (spore-forming and physiological tests) and molecular techniques (PCR-RFLP, RAPD-PCR, PCR-DGGE) and chemical analysis (total acidity, acids, and sugar contents), was utilized to describe the yeast population and to investigate the chemical composition of the doughs. PCR-RFLP analysis identified 85% of the isolates as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with the other dominant species being Candida milleri (11%), Candida krusei (2.5%), and Torulaspora delbrueckii (1%). RAPD-PCR analysis, performed with primers M13 and LA1, highlighted intraspecific polymorphism among the S. cerevisiae strains. The diversity of the sourdoughs from the Abruzzo region is reflected in the chemical composition, yeast species, and strain polymorphism. Our approach using a combination of phenotypic and genotypic methods identified the yeast species in the 20 sourdough samples and provided a complete overview of the yeast populations found in sourdoughs from the Abruzzo region.

The 6 April 2009 Mw 6.3 L'Aquila (Central Italy) Earthquake: Strong-motion Observations

On 6 April 2009, 01:32:40 UTC, an Mw 6.3 earthquake occurred in the Abruzzo region (central Italy), close to L'Aquila, a town of 68,500 inhabitants. About 300 people died because of the collapse of many residential and public buildings, and damage was widespread in L'Aquila and its neighboring municipalities. The earthquake occurred at 9.5 km depth along a NW-SW normal fault with SW dip, located below the city of L'Aquila (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia [INGV] 2009a). The maximum observed intensity is IX–X in the MCS scale and the most relevant damages are distributed in the NW-SE direction, with evident predominance toward the southeast (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia 2009b). This event represents the third largest earthquake recorded by strong-motion instruments in Italy, after the 1980 Mw 6.9 Irpinia and the 1976 Mw 6.4 Friuli earthquakes (Luzi et al. 2008). The mainshock was followed by seven aftershocks of moment magnitude larger than or equal to 5, the two strongest of which occurred on April 7 ( Mw = 5.6) and April 9 ( Mw = 5.4). The mainshock and its aftershocks have been recorded by several digital stations of the Italian strong-motion network (Rete Accelerometrica Nazionale, RAN), operated by the Italian Department of Civil Protection (DPC); by the Italian seismometric network (Rete Sismometrica Nazionale, operated by INGV-Centro Nazionale Terremoti (CNT); http://cnt.rm.ingv.it); and by a temporary strong-motion array installed by the INGV Sezione di Milano-Pavia (MI-PV; http://www.mi.ingv.it). A total of 56 three-component strong-motion recordings were obtained within 280 km for the mainshock, with 23 being within 100 km of the epicenter. Horizontal peak ground motions in the near-fault region range from 327 to 646 cm/sec2, the latter representing one of the highest values recorded in Italy. This strong-motion data set, consisting of …

Influence of chemical composition of olive oil on the development of volatile compounds during frying

In this study, 15 virgin olive oils from an industrial oil plant in the Abruzzo region were analyzed in terms of the volatile compounds responsible for the characteristic odor and olfactory perception of virgin olive oils and its modification upon frying (up to 60 min of heat treatment). Dynamic headspace–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis was used to evaluate the volatile profile before and after each frying step and examine correlations with qualitative characteristic of oil (fatty acid composition, total phenolic compound content, tocopherols and pigments). The chemometric approach (genetic algorithms–partial least squares/multiple linear regression) developed for this study is a novel model for data treatment to select important variables in olive oil composition and understand their influence on spoilage during frying. An inverse correlation between oleic acid content and formation of toxic volatiles such as acrolein and crotonal during frying was demonstrated. Moreover, it was also observed that pigments such as chlorophylls, pheophytins, and carotenoids may prevent the formation of some aldehydes during frying.

A pre seismic radio anomaly revealed in the area where the Abruzzo earthquake (&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;M&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;=6.3) occurred on 6 April 2009

Abstract. On 6 April 2009 a strong (Mw=6.3) earthquake occurred in the Abruzzo region (central Italy). Since 1996, the intensity of CLT (f=189 kHz, Sicily, Italy), MCO (f=216 kHz, France) and CZE (f=270 kHz, Czech Republic) broadcast signals has been collected with a ten minutes sampling rate by a receiver operating in a place located about 13 km far from the epicenter. During March 2009, the old receiver was substituted with a new one able to measure, with one minute sampling rate, the intensity of five VLF signals and five LF signals radiated by transmitters located in different zones of Europe. The MCO and CZE transmitters mentioned above are included among them. From 31 March to 1 April the intensity of the MCO radio signal dropped and this drop was observed only in this signal. The possibility that the drop was connected to problems in the transmitter or in the receiver was investigated and excluded. So, the drop indicates a defocusing of the radiated signal. Since no particular meteorological situation along the path transmitter-receiver happened, the defocusing must be related to other causes, and a possibility is presented that it is a precursor of the Abruzzo earthquake.