South Sardinia Research Articles

A New Mosaic Workshop in South Sardinia?

Up to now, two workshops have been identified in South Sardinia, at Nora, but the recent discovery in the surroundings of Cagliari of two late polychrome mosaics, one at Sarroch, the other at Settimo San Pietro, yielded new data, increasing our knowledge. Both of them present the same patterns - a chevrons rainbow style pattern and an orthogonal pattern of adjacent imbricated scales - and strong similarities in the style, while nothing similar has been found in the whole Sardinia; an unknown, common workshop can therefore be assumed.But the floor at Settimo San Pietro includes a third panel which shows a geometric mosaic “à trame végétalisée”, exactly alike to other two which were found in Carthage and Maiorca, and we can assume a Carthagi-nian origin of this pattern. So, can we think to only one workshop for the three floors, even for the panel with chevrons and adjacent imbricated scales, and for the mosaic at Sarroch too? And responsible for these mosaics could be African itinerant workers or Sardinian craftsmen, with African models at their disposal? Literary, documentary and archaeological sources witness for the existence of cartoons and pattern books in the ancient world, but we know for sure that itinerant craftsmen too existed. The present study will debate and analize the different working hypotheses, but the answer is not yet possible, and we have to wait for more archaeological data and findings.

Consumer perceptions towards sustainable supply chain practices in the hospitality industry

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the impacts of economic, social and environmental sustainability practices of companies in the hospitality supply chain on consumers’ satisfaction, loyalty and willingness to pay higher prices. Utilizing data collected from 288 tourists visiting south Sardinia, the study indicates that while economic sustainability practices have positive impacts on consumers’ satisfaction, loyalty and willingness to pay a premium, sustainability practices related to environmental and social dimensions have a direct positive impact on satisfaction and an indirect positive impact on consumer loyalty and willingness to pay a premium. Additionally, findings reveal that satisfaction is likely to mediate the impact of environmental and social sustainability practices on the loyalty of consumers. The theoretical and managerial implications of the study are provided.

An Assessment of the Implementation of the European Tourism Indicator System for Sustainable Destinations in Italy

The European Tourism Indicators System (ETIS) is a product of the European Union (EU) Sustainable Development Strategy, which was formulated with the objectives of promoting economic prosperity, social equity, cohesion, and environmental protection. In this paper, we present an analysis of the results of the implementation of the ETIS during the period 2013–2016, in the Italian tourist destination of South Sardinia. While the implementation of ETIS constitutes a significant advancement in Italy, and more widely in Europe, our findings reveal that an adaptive management approach is necessary for achieving the anticipated objectives and adapting these standardized indicators to different territorial contexts. Difficulties were encountered in both data collection and stakeholders’ involvement in the implementation process. Insufficient knowledge, and familiarity with the complex technical aspects of the indicator toolkit among primary stakeholders, was another constraint associated with its implementation. We believe that the findings of this analysis can provide guidelines and inputs for other European countries and tourist destinations that are currently in the process of implementing the ETIS toolkit or similar methodologies. In particular, the pioneering sustainable tourism performance measurement system (STPMS) can be adapted to meet local needs.

Pathways of inorganic and organic contaminants from land to deep sea: The case study of the Gulf of Cagliari (W Tyrrhenian Sea)

In continental margins, canyons appear to act as natural conduits of sediments and organic matter from the shelf to deep basins, providing an efficient physical pathway for transport and accumulation of particles with their associated land-produced contaminants. However, these mechanisms have not been yet sufficiently explored by geochemical markers. The continental slope of the south Sardinia has been used as a natural laboratory for investigating mechanisms and times of transfer dynamics of contaminants from land to sea and from shelf to deep sea through an articulated system of submarine canyons. Here, dynamics of contaminants have been investigated in a pilot area of the central Mediterranean basin (Gulf of Cagliari, S Sardinia) where important industrial plants are sited since beginning of the last century. Five sediment cores dated by 210Pb and 137Cs reveal: i) a complex dynamics of organic and inorganic contaminants from point source areas on land to the deep sea and ii) a crucial role played by canyons and bottom morphology as primary pathway conveying sediments and associated contaminants from sources to very far deep sea environments. In particular, this study provides new integrated tools to properly understand mechanisms of connection between coastal sectors and deep sea. This is challenging mostly in regions where coastal pollution could represent critical threats for larger areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

Analysis of uniparental markers reveals a complex pattern of migration within Sardinia

Background: From the genetic viewpoint, Sardinia is well differentiated from other surrounding populations. In spite of a common ancestral origin, substantial genetic heterogeneity is observed within the island. Matrimonial pattern, as well as past migration movements, may account for the complex genetic structure of Sardinia.Aim: To compare data from uniparental markers in order to highlight the migration pattern of male and female lineages and check their congruence with the demographic data.Subjects and methods: Genomic DNA was obtained from 279 unrelated males selected from three isolated villages and from three open populations representative of North, Central and South Sardinia. The hypervariable region 1 of mtDNA was sequenced and 17 Y-chromosome loci were genotyped. Parameters of within and among populations diversity were calculated and analysis of migration was performed.Results: When analysed as a whole population, demographic data show a balanced movement of males and females in Sardinia, unlike other Italian and European populations. Remarkably, when the island is divided into geographic areas, different migration patterns are clearly recognisable. Whereas North and Central Sardinia populations show a stronger male migration rate, the South Sardinia population shows a stronger female migration rate.Conclusion: Distinct migration patterns of male and female lineages affect the areas investigated differently. These past migration movements are major contributors to the complex genetic structure currently observed in the Sardinian population.

Minor Structures for the Improvement of Wave Disturbance in a Small Harbor

A very important aspect in the planning, design, and maintenance of a harbor is to determine the response of the harbor basin to incident waves. The Saras harbor in South Sardinia (Italy) has been experiencing significant wave disturbance that affects the safety of mooring and operational activities. In the framework of a large research, this paper summarises a comprehensive description of new energy absorbing structures that can be seen as an efficient alternative to more traditional structures when limited by economic or technical constraints. Specifically, the paper presents the results of a graphical preliminary approach and a numerical modelling that solves the enhanced Boussinesq equations in two horizontal dimensions.

Communicating Actions for Sustainable Tourism Development. The Implementation of the European Tourism Indicator System for Sustainable Destinations in South Sardinia

Sustainability communication plays an essential role in informing tourists about the availability of sustainable products and in addressing them to choosing eco-friendly experiences, as well as in sharing awareness and responsibility within tourist operators about the urgent need to improve the sustainability of tourism offers. The European Tourism Indicator System for sustainable destinations (ETIS) looks a tool able to provide a holistic approach to improve the sustainable management of European tourism destinations, by encouraging stakeholder engagement and monitoring processes. Moving from the conceptual framework of the sustainable tourism, this qualitative study investigates the role of communication as a key strategy related to the ETIS’ implementation in the South of Sardinia, Italy, among the various stakeholders involved in it. Considering that research in sustainability communication and the ETIS outcomes are scarce, this study aims to contribute to filling this gap. The findings show clear weaknesses in the ETIS communication and stakeholders’ engagement, particularly at local level, and in the appropriation of the results. The study suggests to improving communication as a strategic lever to involve tourism operators and tourists while implementing sustainable actions like the ETIS, and to share the knowledgecreated, both at local and international level.

Mineralogical, petrographic and chemical analysis of geomaterials used in the mortars of Roman Nora theatre (south Sardinia, Italy)

The composition and the origin of raw materials used in the ancient mortars and concrete of the Nora theatre (first century AD) have been analysed to define their provenance and construction technologies of the Roman period.The use of geomaterials in the binder / aggregate mixtures of the mortars vary according to their function in the different sectors (i.e., structure-wall, tribunalia vaults, wall of external niches, foundation of cavea tiers, stage inner wall) but also according to different construction phases of the theatre or the work-steps. The mortars with structural function are mainly hydraulic (e.g., concrete of vaults, jointing and foundation mortars of cavea ashlars), while the lime mortars were used mainly for plasters, and rarely as bedding mortars. As recommended by Vitruvius, in the hydraulic mortars were mainly used volcanic rocks, as coarse and fine pozzolanic aggregate (pulvis puteolanus), and quartz-feldspar sands (present as crystal-clasts with an almost constant ratio of about 2:1, respectively). The cocciopesto is anomalously rare or absent. In the mortars local dacitic volcanic rock were also used, especially in the concrete as caementia.The grey-black volcanic rocks are glasses with characteristics more near to obsidian and less to natural pozzolan normally used in the Roman period. To identify the provenance of these glasses, a geochemical comparison between the samples taken from the theatre mortars and the volcanic outcrops of some probable Sardinian source areas is made by XRF and SEM-EDS / WDS analysis.To verify the quality of the pozzolan (by its chemical reaction with the binder), the edges and inside of volcanic glasses were analysed with an SEM-EDS microprobe, while the compositional characteristics and the hydraulic degree of the binder was analysed with XRPD and TG/DSC methods, respectively.The use of this kind of pozzolanic glass, without local origins, is a novelty because it has never been found in the mortars of the archaeological site of Nora. Given the wide use of Sardinian obsidian in the Neolithic or Calcolithic periods for production of tools and instruments, some considerations about its use, origin and trade are made.

Do Mining Activities Significantly Affect Feeding Behavior of Freshwater Benthic Macroinvertebrates? A Case Study in South Sardinia (Italy)

We investigated the cascading effects of chemical contaminants on alder leaf detritus quality and the exploitation of this feeding resource by benthic macroinvertebrates (isopods, gastropods, and mayfly nymphs). Trophic behavior and energetics of benthic macroinvertebrates were used to evaluate the effects of contaminants on detritus exploitation. A two-way factorial nested experimental design was used to statistically quantify how leaf detritus origin (polluted and unpolluted streams) and the pollution level of the site selected for microbial conditioning of the detritus could affect the feeding resource quality for aquatic benthic macroinvertebrates, as measured by their trophic behavior (i.e. food selection) and exploitation (i.e. food ingestion). Alder leaves collected from a polluted stream in a former mining area (South-Sardinia, Italy) had Cd, Pb, and Zn concentrations up to 10 times that of leaves collected from an unpolluted stream. When benthic macroinvertebrates were given the option to choose, they all selected leaves from the unpolluted stream and/or those conditioned in the unpolluted stream. Ingestion rates were also significantly affected by both considered factors: leaf origin and conditioning. In addition, synergistic effects strongly increased the chemical contaminant stress on the leaf detritus quality. These results show that the terrestrial component of land–water ecotones affected by mining can be a relevant indirect pathway of chemical stress to benthic macroinvertebrate species.

Extreme wave analysis methods in the gulf of Cagliari (South Sardinia, Italy)

The aim of the present paper is to compare the results of the most commonly used extreme wave analysis methods applied to a 20 year (1994–2013) wave hindcast record at a grid point in the Gulf of Cagliari (South Sardinia, Italy). This analysis is a part of a large activity to support design, maintenance and repair of the jetty of the SARAS oil terminal in the inner part of the gulf. The paper shows some merits and hindrances of these methods. While conventional distributions recommended by Goda (e.g. the Gumbel and Weibull distribution) represent nowadays the most common methods in those engineering applications, accurate results in the paper indicate that the coastal engineering community should consider the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) as one of the most performing credible candidates. Particular attention should be paid to the large uncertainty in the return level of extreme significant wave height when predicting a reference value for structures operating in a severe marine environment.

Scenario Optimisation of Pumping Schedules in a Complex Water Supply System Considering a Cost–Risk Balancing Approach

The optimisation of water pumping plant activation schedules is a significant issue when managing emergency and costly water transfer under a drought risk. This problem needs specific optimisation tools to deal with complex multi-reservoir supply systems and to consider different alternative scenarios. The effectiveness of emergency transfers alleviating droughts requires early warning and activation; on the other hand, the high operating costs of pump stations require system managers to take a robust approach that defines activation rules. The proposed optimisation procedure combines scenario optimisation analysis with a cost-risk balancing approach. The model searches for the identification of optimal decision rules by balancing the risk of water shortages and the operating costs of pumping stations. Scenario optimisation provides ‘barycentric’ values that define the activation threshold by comparing hydrological synthetic series results. A multi-objective approach is also required in order to balance energy cost minimisation requirements and a reduction of damage needs that can be caused by water shortages. Consequently, a scenario optimisation has been developed considering the multi-objective and cost-risk balancing problem. A model application has been developed optimising water management and energy costs in a real water system with shortage risks in the South Sardinia (Italy) region.

Fluid flow in complex porous media: Experimental data and IFU model predictions for water vapour permeability

In this research work, an Intermingled Fractal Units' model (IFU's model) has been proposed with the aim of predicting water vapour permeability characteristics of porous rock, normally studied in gas reservoir field. IFU modelling approach commences with the reproduction of experimental pore size distribution with the help of diverse fractal base units mixed together. This procedure allows simulating the porous microstructure in terms of pore cumulative curve or pore size distribution. An analytical procedure is used for obtaining the permeability values. The studied rocks include limestone from South Sardinia quarries and have similar characteristics of those studied in gas reservoir field. They have been taken from four different parts (systems A, B, C and D) of the quarry for the assessment of the heterogeneity of this rock. From the experimental tests, the average water vapour permeability values are equal to 7.22 ± 1.22, 4.21 ± 1.51, 10.09 ± 1.11 and 10.12 ± 2.4210−12 kg m−1 s−1 Pa−1 respectively for systems A, B, C and D, whereas predictions by IFU are respectively equal to 7.15 ± 1.55, 4.25 ± 1.45, 10.12 ± 1.22 and 9.98 ± 2.1810−12 kg m−1 s−1 Pa−1. The comparison shows a good capacity of IFU procedure to predict water vapour permeability values.

Sea level changes and past vegetation in the Punic period (5th–4th century BC): Archaeological, geomorphological and palaeobotanical indicators (South Sardinia – West Mediterranean Sea)

The ancient shorelines and main differences in the vegetational landscape of S Sardinia during the Punic period (5th–4th century BC) have been recognized by an interdisciplinary archaeological, paleobotanical and geomorphological approach. Sixteen trading amphoras and one olla of Punic manufacture brought to light during underwater exploration in Santa Gilla Lagoon (S Sardinia, W Mediterranean) provide data on relative sea level changes. The infilling mud of each retrieved amphora is representative of the ages lasting for about 200–300 years. The macro-archaebotanical contents document the use of seeds and fruits of Vitis, Sorbus, Ficus, Olea and Prunus during Punic trading and suggest the occurrence of agro-pastoral practices in the surrounding plains or the area behind the lagoon system.The palynological analysis documents the presence of holm and cork oak forests, a widespread Mediterranean forest with Juniper and Pinus, and a developed stagnant coastal system, and reveals a climate-induced past vegetation change that is likely to have been emphasized by anthropogenic pressure and agriculture activity during the 4th century BC.The GPS localization of the amphoras shows a distribution according to curved alignments that probably correspond to the shorelines (5th-4th century BC) at – 1.95 ± 10 m and −1.70 ± 10 m. Geomorphological data reveal a sea level rise of about 25 cm during a century, corresponding to 300 m of shoreline regression towards the alluvial plain. With these rapid processes of drowning of the coastal plain, the presence of Punic settlements along the lagoon borders documents the reorganization of commercial and economic activities. This shows the great adaptability of the ancient population to the sea level rise (SLR) and fast-flooding processes of the coastline in a lagoonal area vulnerable to subsidence phenomena.

A Comparison of Geomorphic Settings, Sediment Facies and Benthic Habitats of Two Carbonate Systems of Western Mediterranean Sea and South Western Australia: Implications for Coastal Management

ABSTRACT Tecchiato, S., Buosi C., Ibba, A., Ryan, D.A., and De Muro, S., 2016. A Comparison of Geomorphic Settings, Sediment Facies and Benthic Habitats of Two Carbonate Systems of Western Mediterranean Sea and South Western Australia: Implications for Coastal Management. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 562–566. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. A similarity exists between the coastal areas of South Western Australia and South Sardinia (Italy-Western Mediterranean Sea), as temperate water carbonate sedimentation dominates the inner shelf at these locations. The seagrass carbonate factory regulates the deposition of modern bioclasts, and the distribution of seagrass meadows and accumulation of bioclasts is controlled by similar processes at the study sites. These biogenic components are mixed to quartz-feldspar sands producin...

Field Observations, Video Monitoring and Numerical Modeling at Poetto Beach, Italy

ABSTRACT Brambilla, W.; van Rooijen, A.; Simeone, S.; Ibba, a.; DeMuro, S., 2016. Field observations, coastal video monitoring and numerical modeling of coastal processes at Poetto Beach, Italy. In: Vila-Concejo, A.; Bruce, E.; Kennedy, D.M., and McCarroll, R.J. (eds.), Proceedings of the 14th International Coastal Symposium (Sydney, Australia). Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 75, pp. 825–829. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This work presents an analysis of hydrodynamics and morphological evolution during one year at Poetto Beach (South Sardinia, Gulf of Cagliari - Italy). The results, in the form of a numerical model, Delft3D, were validated using data obtained from a very reproducible low-cost video monitoring system. Subsequently, the model was used to study local hydrodynamics (Delft3D) during wave events. Poetto Beach is a wave-dominated urban beach system characterized by an inner shelf with Posidonia oceanica meadows. Bathymetric and topographic surveys were carried out ev...

A Human Occupation Cave During theBronzeAge: Archaeological and Palynological Applications of a Case Study inSardinia (WesternMediterranean)

Investigation of a prehistoric settlement in the south‐westernSardinia area attests to human occupation by the Nuragic civilization in a cave during the Early andMiddleBronzeAge. An occasional human presence is recorded from the EarlyBronzeAge and a continued one relating to rural (cultivation, storage) and domestic (ceramic, metallurgy) activities is documented in theMiddleBronzeAge. These distinct settlement phases have been radiocarbon‐dated and palynologically recognized. In addition, pollen analysis suggests that a degraded forest was present during theMiddleBronzeAge in southSardinia prior to centralSardinia, which is probably related to a hot climate and a regime of low annual precipitation. The data reveal a climate‐induced deforestation phase that is likely to be emphasized by anthropogenic pressure.

Sailing can improve quality of life of people with severe mental disorders: results of a cross over randomized controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a sailing rehabilitation program on the quality of life (QoL) in a sample of patients with severe mental disorders. The study adopted a randomized, crossover, waiting-list controlled design. The participants enrolled in the study were outpatients diagnosed with severe chronic mental disorders. The participants (N=40) exposed to rehabilitation with sailing took part in a series of supervised cruises near the gulf of Cagliari, South Sardinia, and showed a statistically significant improvement of their quality of life compared to the control group. This improvement was comparable to the improvement in psychopathologic status and social functioning as shown in a previous report of the same research project. The improvement was maintained at follow-up only during the trial and for a few months later: after 12 months, patients returned to their baseline values and their quality of life showed a worsening trend. This is the first study to show that rehabilitation with sailing may improve the quality of life of people with severe chronic mental disorders. In all likelihood, a program grounded on learning how to manage a sailing vessel - during which patients perform cruises that emphasize the exploration of the marine environment by sailing - might be interesting enough and capture the attention of the patients so as to favour greater effectiveness of standard rehabilitation protocols, but this should be specifically tested.

Sailing for rehabilitation of patients with severe mental disorders: results of a cross over randomized controlled trial.

This study set out to evaluate the effectiveness of a sailing and learning-to-sail rehabilitation protocol in a sample of patients diagnosed with severe mental disorders. The study was a randomized, crossover, waiting-list controlled trial, following recruitment in the Departments of Mental Health of South Sardinia. Participants were outpatients diagnosed with severe mental disorders, recruited through announcements to the directors of the Departments of Mental Health of South Sardinia. Out of the 40 patients enrolled in the study, those exposed to rehabilitation with sailing during a series of guided and supervised sea expeditions near the beach of Cagliari (Sardinia), where the aim to explore the marine environment while sailing was emphasized, showed a statistically significant improvement of their clinical status (measured by BPRS) and, as well, of their general functioning (measured by HoNOS Scale) against the control group. The improvement was maintained at follow-up for some months only: after 12 months, the patients returned to their baseline values on the measures of psychopathology and showed a worsening trend of their quality of life. Sailing can represent a substitute of important experiences that the patients with severe mental disorders miss because of their illness.

Use of PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis for identification of yeast species isolated from bovine intramammary infection

This study reports a rapid PCR-based technique using a one-enzyme RFLP for discrimination of yeasts isolated from bovine clinical and subclinical mastitis milk samples. We analyzed a total of 1,486 milk samples collected over 1 yr in south Sardinia and northern Italy, and 142 yeast strains were preliminarily grouped based on their cultural morphology and physiological characteristics. Assimilation tests were conducted using the identification kit API ID 32C and APILAB Plus software (bioMérieux, Marcy l’Etoile, France). For PCR-RFLP analysis, the 18S-ITS1-5.8S ribosomal(r)DNA region was amplified and then digested with HaeIII, and dendrogram analysis of RFLP fragments was carried out. Furthermore, within each of the groups identified by the API or PCR-RFLP methods, the identification of isolates was confirmed by sequencing of the D1/D2 region using an ABI Prism 310 automatic sequencer (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA). The combined phenotypic and molecular approach enabled the identification of 17 yeast species belonging to the genera Candida (47.9%), Cryptococcus (21.1%), Trichosporon (19.7%), Geotrichum (7.1%), and Rhodotorula (4.2%). All Candida species were correctly identified by the API test and their identification confirmed by sequencing. All strains identified with the API system as Geotrichum candidum, Cryptococcus uniguttulatus, and Rhodotorula glutinis also produced characteristic restriction patterns and were confirmed as Galactomyces geotrichum (a teleomorph of G. candidum), Filobasidium uniguttulatum (teleomorph of Crypt. uniguttulatus), and R. glutinis, respectively, by D1/D2 rDNA sequencing. With regard to the genus Trichosporon, preliminary identification by API was problematic, whereas the RFLP technique used in this study gave characteristic restriction profiles for each species. Moreover, sequencing of the D1/D2 region allowed not only successful identification of Trichosporon gracile where API could not, but also correct identification of misidentified isolates. In conclusion, the 18S-ITS1-5.8S region appears to be useful in detecting genetic variability among yeast species, which is valuable for taxonomic purposes and for species identification. We have established an RFLP database for yeast species identified in milk samples using the software GelCompar II and the RFLP database constitutes an initial method for veterinary yeast identification.

A palynological investigation of funerary urn contents from the Roman Imperial age necropolis in Sardinia, Italy

This article presents the findings obtained from a palynological analysis of ashes contained in mortuary urns excavated in a necropolis in south Sardinia, Cagliari, Italy that dates back to the Roman Imperial age (1st century BC–4th century AD). The pollen content in the urns is mainly referable to the natural environment of the burning site and suggests that local vegetation was from a clearing characterised by dry saline soils. Data suggest that burning rituals were carried out near wet and saline environments, since chenopods (Salsola and Arthrocnemum) are constant elements in the mortuary ashes examined. Cremations would have occurred far away from the settlement areas, probably in local places in the marshy area located to the west and east of the necropolis and the Roman urban settlement. In general, the pollen content of the flowering plants retrieved points to the season when the funeral ceremonies occurred. The presence of charred conifer pollen grains, and the absence of suitable pieces of charred wood, suggests that the funeral pyres were probably built using conifer wood. Through this research, a complementary methodology of investigation in the field of environmental archaeology was tested.