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© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is increasingly recognised as being responsible for a substantial proportion of the global burden of disease. Neurosurgical interventions are an important aspect of care for patients with TBI, but there is little epidemiological data available on this patient population. We aimed to characterise differences in casemix, management, and mortality of patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for TBI across different levels of human development. Methods: We did a prospective observational cohort study of consecutive patients with TBI undergoing emergency neurosurgery, in a convenience sample of hospitals identified by open invitation, through international and regional scientific societies and meetings, individual contacts, and social media. Patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for TBI in each hospital's 30-day study period were all eligible for inclusion, with the exception of patients undergoing insertion of an intracranial pressure monitor only, ventriculostomy placement only, or a procedure for drainage of a chronic subdural haematoma. The primary outcome was mortality at 14 days postoperatively (or last point of observation if the patient was discharged before this time point). Countries were stratified according to their Human Development Index (HDI)—a composite of life expectancy, education, and income measures—into very high HDI, high HDI, medium HDI, and low HDI tiers. Mixed effects logistic regression was used to examine the effect of HDI on mortality while accounting for and quantifying between-hospital and between-country variation. Findings: Our study included 1635 records from 159 hospitals in 57 countries, collected between Nov 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2020. 328 (20%) records were from countries in the very high HDI tier, 539 (33%) from countries in the high HDI tier, 614 (38%) from countries in the medium HDI tier, and 154 (9%) from countries in the low HDI tier. The median age was 35 years (IQR 24–51), with the oldest patients in the very high HDI tier (median 54 years, IQR 34–69) and the youngest in the low HDI tier (median 28 years, IQR 20–38). The most common procedures were elevation of a depressed skull fracture in the low HDI tier (69 [45%]), evacuation of a supratentorial extradural haematoma in the medium HDI tier (189 [31%]) and high HDI tier (173 [32%]), and evacuation of a supratentorial acute subdural haematoma in the very high HDI tier (155 [47%]). Median time from injury to surgery was 13 h (IQR 6–32). Overall mortality was 18% (299 of 1635). After adjustment for casemix, the odds of mortality were greater in the medium HDI tier (odds ratio [OR] 2·84, 95% CI 1·55–5·2) and high HDI tier (2·26, 1·23–4·15), but not the low HDI tier (1·66, 0·61–4·46), relative to the very high HDI tier. There was significant between-hospital variation in mortality (median OR 2·04, 95% CI 1·17–2·49). Interpretation: Patients receiving emergency neurosurgery for TBI differed considerably in their admission characteristics and management across human development settings. Level of human development was associated with mortality. Substantial opportunities to improve care globally were identified, including reducing delays to surgery. Between-hospital variation in mortality suggests changes at an institutional level could influence outcome and comparative effectiveness research could identify best practices. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Group.

Characterization of agricultural soils using geophysical techniques makes it possible to study the heterogeneity of a soil and the preferential pathways of water flows without causing disturbances to soil and plants. Increased knowledge of soil heterogeneity allows the most optimal management of the water resource in terms of crop, yield and sustainability. In this study, time lapse monitoring, using electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), is proposed as a reliable and non-invasive technique to quantify the movement of water flows during the irrigation process.ERT surveys were conducted in melon cultivated land in southern Tuscany (Italy). Four survey campaigns were carried out between June and August 2022, in which ERT data were collected by taking measurements, before, during, and after the irrigation phase. The investigation was conducted with a 3-D grid in which the 72 electrodes were spaced 0.3 m apart and arranged in three parallel lines, 0.3 m apart and 6.9 m long, for a total of 24 electrodes in each line. The plants were located above a ridge having a height of 20 cm with respect to the ground level and the electrodes were positioned to incorporate 5 melon plants in the configuration. A dipole-dipole configuration was adopted for the acquisition of electrical resistivity data. Commercial ViewLab 3D software was used to process the geoelectrical data.The interpretation of the ERT results provided information on the spatial and temporal distribution of water flows in the soil and in the root zone of melons during the irrigation phases. The investigation made it possible to identify the preferential ways of infiltration of the irrigation water, the points where the water is absorbed by the roots, and the points where the water instead follows a preferential way distributing itself entirely below the area of root growth. During the investigations, the irrigation time underwent changes dictated by the climatic conditions, therefore the irrigation time and frequency were increased. This manifested itself in the ERT sections with an increase in the conductivity below the roots, i.e., at a depth of about 35 - 40 cm with respect to the ground level. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact that over time the water has developed a greater preferential path, completely bypassed the root system and collected below it, in the zone delimiting the worked soil with the unworked soil.In the present case study, the ERT technique proved to be a valid survey and monitoring method for mapping the preferential paths of water flows in agricultural land. The ERT sections made it possible to study the distribution of water along the soil profile, highlighting the presence of preferential paths that produce an accumulation of water below the root zone and therefore in an area that is not very usable for cultivation. This technique can therefore be used in this context to study a better irrigation system and an optimal management of the water resource, avoiding preferential paths of the flows which lead to a lower availability of water for the plant.

Tumours of the anterior visual pathways are challenging to operate because of the crucial balance between extent of resection and sight preservation. Sodium Fluoresceine (SF) has already been reported in maximizing brain tumour resection but not when the optic-chiasmatic region is involved. The role of Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs) in optic-chiasmatic tumours is still debated. The simultaneous use of both technique in this setting has not been reported so far. The aim of our work is to analyse the intraoperative combination of the use of SF and VEPs in the anterior visual pathway tumour surgery.Clinical and Intra-operative data from six surgical procedures on four patients affected by optic-chiasmatic tumours with preoperative visual deficits were retrospectively analysed.In 5 procedures VEPs remained intraoperatively stable and no postoperative worsening of visual function was reported. In 1 case an intraoperative VEPs deterioration was predictive of a postoperative visual worsening. In all cases, tumour was fluorescent, and SF was intraoperatively helpful in guiding resection. The pattern of fluorescence was different according to the lesion histology.Based on our preliminary experience, the simultaneous combination of SF and VEPs in surgery of the optic pathway tumours seems helpful to maximize tumour resection and predict postoperative functional outcome. Since we presented a small series, larger studies are needed to confirm our data.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a herbaceous C3 crop that has demonstrated resilience in regions concurrently affected by climate change and food insecurity, such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The photosynthetic rate and productivity of C3 crops are enhanced under increasing CO2 concentrations. We looked at future climate trends in SSA to estimate their impacts on quinoa yields in Burkina Faso. Climate projections show a temperature increase of 1.67-4.90°C under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5, respectively by the end of the century. We demonstrate that any further climate disturbances can either be beneficial or harmful for quinoa, and modulating climate risks will depend on the decisions made at the farm level (e.g. planting date and crop choice). Crop modelling supports the identification of the most suitable transplanting dates based on future climate conditions (RCP 4.5 and 8.5), agroclimatic zones (Sahel, Soudano-Sahelian and Soudanian) and time-horizons (2020, 2025, 2050 and 2075). We show that quinoa yields can improve—when grown under irrigated conditions and transplanted in November—by about 14-20% under RCP 4.5 and by 24-33% under RCP 8.5 by 2075 across the Sahel and Soudanian agroclimatic zones, respectively. For the Soudano-Sahelian zone, the highest yield improvements (19%) are obtained when transplanting is assumed in December under RCP 8.5 by 2075. Overall, the findings of this work encourage policymakers and agricultural extension officers to further promote climate-resilient and highly nutritious crops. Such possibilities are of much interest in SSA, thought to be highly vulnerable to climate change impacts where millions of people are already experiencing food insecurity.

The potato is the fourth major food crop in the world. Its cultivation can encounter problems, resulting in poor growth and reduced yield. Plant microbiota has shown an ability to increase growth and resistance. However, in the development of effective microbiota manipulation strategies, it is essential to know the effect of environmental variables on microbiota composition and function. Here, we aimed to identify the differential impact of the site of cultivation and plant growth stage on potato rhizosphere microbiota. We performed a 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing analysis of rhizospheric soil collected from potato plants grown at four sites in central Italy during two phenological stages. Rhizomicrobiota was mainly composed of members of phyla Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, Chloroflexi, and Proteobacteria and was affected by both the site of cultivation and the plant stages. However, cultivation sites overcome the effect of plant phenological stages. The PiCRUST analysis suggested a high abundance of functions related to the biosynthesis of the siderophore enterobactin. The presence of site-specific taxa and functional profiling of the microbiota could be further exploited in long-term studies to evaluate the possibility of developing biomarkers for traceability of the products and to exploit plant growth-promoting abilities in the native potato microbiota.

Background 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) fluorescence can maximize perirolandic glioblastoma (GBM) resection with low rates of postoperative sequelae. Our purpose was to present the outcomes of our experience and compare them with other literature reports to investigate the potential influence of different intraoperative monitoring strategies and to evaluate the role of intraoperative data on neurological and radiological outcomes in our series. Methods We retrospectively analyzed our prospectively collected database of GBM involving the motor pathways. Each patient underwent tumor exeresis with intraoperative 5-ALA fluorescence visualization. Our monitoring strategy was based on direct stimulation (DS), combined with cortical or transcranial MEPs. The radiological outcome was evaluated with CRET vs. residual tumor, and the neurological outcome as improved, unchanged, or worsened. We also performed a literature review to compare our results with state-of-the-art on the subject. Results Sixty-five patients were included. CRET was 63.1%, permanent postoperative impairment was 1.5%, and DS’s lowest motor threshold was 5 mA. In the literature, CRET was 25–73%, permanent postoperative impairment 3–16%, and DS lowest motor threshold was 1–3 mA. Our monitoring strategy identified a motor pathway in 60% of cases in faint fluorescent tissue, and its location in bright/faint fluorescence was predictive of CRET (p p p Conclusions Based on the data presented and the current literature, distinct monitoring strategies can achieve different onco-functional outcomes in 5-ALA-guided resection of a glioblastoma (GBM) motor pathway. Intraoperatively, functional and fluorescence data close to a bright/vague interface could be helpful to predict onco-functional outcomes.

The aim of this study is to evaluate human thermal comfort in different green area settings in the city of Florence by using the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI). Field measurements of air temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity, wind speed and black globe thermometer were collected during hot summer days in various parts of Cascine Park, the biggest urban park in Florence (Italy). UTCI was evaluated over different surfaces (asphalt, gravel and grass) completely exposed to the sun or shaded by a large lime tree (Tilia × europaea). The results showed strong differences in UTCI values depending on the exposure to tree shade, while no significant difference was found among ground-cover materials when all surfaces were equally exposed to solar radiation. Future studies are needed to investigate the microclimatic effects of different tree species on UTCI.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is capable of adapting to multiple environments and tolerating abiotic stresses including saline, drought and frost stress conditions. However, the introduction of quinoa into new environments has disclosed adaptation challenges. The principle factor affecting crop pollination is heat stress at flowering, which leads to sterile plants. To investigate the effect of high temperatures during the sensitive phenological phases, flowering and seed germination, a Danish-bred cultivar (cv. Titicaca) was grown in climatic chambers. Selection of the cv. Titicaca was based on the fact that it is the most extensively used cultivar in the Sahel and Middle East and North African region. The results of this research demonstrated that temperatures exceeding 38 °C hindered seed germination and pollination, and therefore, seed yield at harvest. At 38 °C, seed yield losses were 30%, whilst seed germination percentage declined below 50%. In addition, the results of the present research were compared with field observations from Burkina Faso in order to determine the spatiotemporal suitability of this crop with respect to temperature stress. Although many other abiotic stresses need to be considered when defining crop calendars (e.g. heavy precipitation in July and August), this research proposes the following growing periods to avoid heat-stress conditions at flowering: Sahel (July–September and November–February), Soudano–Sahel (June–February) and Soudanian zone (all year round).

Reliable and sufficient knowledge on environmental conditions delivered from micrometeorological and microclimatological data plays a central role in assessing and modelling trends and effects of climate change and adverse weather on the environment. Enormous efforts have already been made to centralise data from ground-based and satellite measurements and to make them available for public use. However, beyond specific initiatives, they are still missing one very important component – micrometeorological data, i.e. data addressing meteorological conditions of microenvironment that is open and available for various application potentials and user groups.Micrometeorological data are usually collected as part of scientific projects and observational networks developed for different purposes, but they often “languish” in reports and institutional data storages. To address this shortfall, FAIRNESS Cost Action will establish micrometeorological knowledge share platform (Micromet_KSP) to communicate: a) compiled inventory of available and quality proven micrometeorological in situ data sets on the European level and beyond, b) measurement and data management recommendations designed to meet FAIR principles and avoid temporal and spatial gaps, c) examples of rural and urban FAIR data sets and d) Q&A exchanged between Action members, stakeholders, specialised user groups and general public.FAIRNESS targets are, primarily, networks of Automated Weather Stations installed in urban, sub-urban and rural areas which are in charge of dedicated projects, specialised agencies, regional or national government offices for specific applications in the sectors of urban-, forest-, and environmental meteorology and agrometeorology. Addressing identified challenges requires an effective transboundary network of researchers, stakeholders, and civil society to identify and fill knowledge gaps, standardize, optimize, and promote new environmental-tailored measurement and control procedures, enhance research effectiveness and improve dissemination.FAIRNESS consortium includes 65 partners from 28 countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, and invites interested stakeholders and/or data contributors to join the project during its realization (2021-2025).

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a major non-communicable disease that affects the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients. AR is significantly related to asthma also affecting HRQoL. However, data on HRQoL and symptom control in AR patients with comorbid asthma are lacking. Objective: To assess the differences of symptom control and HRQoL in AR patients with and without comorbid asthma. Methods: In this multicentre, cross-sectional study, patients with AR were screened and administered questionnaires of demographic characteristics and health conditions (symptoms/diagnosis of AR and asthma, disease severity level, and allergic conditions). HRQoL was assessed using a modified version of the RHINASTHMA questionnaire and symptom control was evaluated by a modified version of the Control of Allergic Rhinitis/Asthma Test (CARAT). Results: Out of 643 patients with AR, 500 (78%) had asthma as a comorbidity, and 54% had moderate-severe intermittent AR, followed by moderate-severe persistent AR (34%). Patients with both AR and asthma had significantly higher RHINASTHMA scores than the patients with AR alone (e.g., median RHINASTHMA-total score 84 vs. 48.5, respectively). Conversely, CARAT scores were significantly lower in AR with comorbid asthma than in the patients with AR alone (median CARAT-total score 16.5 vs. 23, respectively). Upon stratifying asthma based on severity, AR patients with severe persistent asthma had worse HRQoL and control than AR patients with mild persistent asthma. Conclusions: Our observation of poorer HRQoL and symptoms control in AR patients with comorbid asthma supports the importance of a comprehensive approach for the management of AR in case of a comorbid allergic condition.

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a life-saving procedure conducted to treat refractory intracranial hypertension. Although DC reduces mortality of severe Acquired Brain Injury (sABI) survivors, it has been associated with severe long-term disability. This observational study compares functional outcomes at discharge from an Intensive Rehabilitative Unit (IRU) between sABI patients with and without DC. sABI patients undergoing DC before entering the Don Gnocchi Foundation IRU were compared with a group of sABI patients who did not undergo DC (No-DC group), after matching it by age, sex, aetiology, time post-onset, and clinical status. Inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of sABI, age 18+, time from the event p < 0.001). No significant differences were also found at discharge. DC group presented a significantly longer length-of-stay than No-DC group (p < 0.001) and a longer time to tracheostomy removal (p = 0.036). DC was not found to influence outcomes as consciousness improvement, tracheostomy removal, oral intake and functional independence. sABI patients with DC improved after rehabilitation as much as No-DC patients did but they required a longer stay.Implications for RehabilitationDecompressive craniectomy (DC) is practiced during the acute phase after hemorrhagic, ischemic, traumatic severe brain injury as a life-saving procedure to treat refractory intracranial hypertensionDC has been associated with follow-up severe long-term disability, but no study yet addressed whether DC may affect intensive rehabilitation outcomes.Undergoing a DC is not a negative prognostic factor for achieving rehabilitation goals after a severe acquired brain injuryDC must be taken into account when customizing rehabilitation pathway especially because these patients required a longer time to reach the outcomes. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is practiced during the acute phase after hemorrhagic, ischemic, traumatic severe brain injury as a life-saving procedure to treat refractory intracranial hypertension DC has been associated with follow-up severe long-term disability, but no study yet addressed whether DC may affect intensive rehabilitation outcomes. Undergoing a DC is not a negative prognostic factor for achieving rehabilitation goals after a severe acquired brain injury DC must be taken into account when customizing rehabilitation pathway especially because these patients required a longer time to reach the outcomes.

The issue of salinity in agricultural soils is a growing problem. Soil with a high sodium content in the root growth zone compromises plant health and growth. Irrigation is one of the main techniques used to reclaim high-salt soils, as water dilutes the sodium concentration. In this study, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) is proposed as a reliable non-invasive technique to quantify sault movement during the irrigation process. The first step was to identify the best set up of electrodes for this type of investigation. 3D-ERT measurements were carried out in two different campaigns to identify the most suitable electrode distribution. The study area is a segment of land, located in Barbaruta (GR, Italy) and used for the cultivation of melons. The investigation site is characterised by irrigated soils in which an accumulation of sodium has occurred over time. To detect the movement of salt during the irrigation phases, ERT surveys were carried out before, during, and after the irrigation phases.Considering the objective of the experiment, the measurement carried out during the first campaign (July 2021) was performed by creating a 3D grid in which the 72 electrodes were spaced 0.2 m apart and arranged in 5 parallel lines, spaced 0.2 m apart, two of which (lines 1 and 5) were 2.8 m long, for a total of 15 electrodes, and three of which (lines 2, 3 and 4) were 2.6 m long, for a total of 14 electrodes. This configuration made it possible to include two melon plants.The survey carried out in the second campaign (August 2021) was carried out with a 3D grid in which the 72 electrodes were spaced 0.3 m apart and arranged in three parallel lines, 0.3 m apart and 6.9 m long, for a total of 24 electrodes in each line. This configuration allowed five melon plants to be incorporated. A Dipole-Dipole configuration was adopted for all the acquisition of electrical resistivity data. The commercial software ViewLab 3D was used to process the geoelectric data.Data analysis showed that the range of conductivity values increases from dry to wet soil conditions, and conductivity increases with depth. The ERTs sections, carried out after the irrigation phase, showed areas where conductivity decreases over time during irrigation, this can be explained by the leaching of salts because of water input. While other areas show higher conductivity after irrigation, and this may mean not only an increase in water content but also a displacement of salts with water input. For this reason, further analysis is required, including the use of Induced Polarisation (IP).The test showed that the best configuration is the one with the electrodes arranged in three lines, as it allows more plants to be incorporated.The test also led to the need to avoid stressing the plants during the measurement phase. This made it necessary to create a special set of electrodes to be installed during the transplanting phase, so as not to disturb the plants during the growth phas.

Radiomics defines a set of techniques for extraction and quantification of digital medical data in an automated and reproducible way. Its goal is to detect features potentially related to a clinical task, like classification, diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment, going beyond the intrinsic limits of operator-dependency and qualitative description of conventional radiological evaluation on a mesoscopic scale. In the field of neuro-oncology, researchers have tried to create prognostic models for a better tumor diagnosis, histological and biomolecular classification, prediction of response to treatment, and identification of disease relapse. Concerning glioma surgery, the most significant aid that radiomics can give to surgery is to improve tumor extension detection and identify areas that are more prone to recurrence to increase the extent of tumor resection, thereby ameliorating the patients' prognosis. This chapter aims to review the fundamentals of radiomics models' creation, the latest advance of radiomics in neuro-oncology, and possible radiomic features associated with the extent of resection in the brain gliomas.

Radiomics defines a set of techniques for extraction and quantification of digital medical data in an automated and reproducible way. Its goal is to detect features potentially related to a clinical task, like classification, diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment, going beyond the intrinsic limits of operator-dependency and qualitative description of conventional radiological evaluation on a mesoscopic scale. In the field of neuro-oncology, researchers have tried to create prognostic models for a better tumor diagnosis, histological and biomolecular classification, prediction of response to treatment, and identification of disease relapse. Concerning glioma surgery, the most significant aid that radiomics can give to surgery is to improve tumor extension detection and identify areas that are more prone to recurrence to increase the extent of tumor resection, thereby ameliorating the patients' prognosis. This chapter aims to review the fundamentals of radiomics models' creation, the latest advance of radiomics in neuro-oncology, and possible radiomic features associated with the extent of resection in the brain gliomas.

The response of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to the application of different rates of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on different agro-climatic zones (ACZs) has not been well studied in Afghanistan. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the impact of soil and climate on the responses of wheat to N and P fertilization, (2) quantify the specific N and P response of winter wheat for different ACZs, and (3) determine the economical application rates of N and P for farmers for each considered ACZs. This paper evaluates the effects of nitrogen levels (NL) at 35.28, 65, 95, and 120 kg N ha−1 and phosphorus levels (PL) at 0, 50, 70, and 90 kg P2O5 ha−1, respectively, in four locations (L) for two growing seasons (GS), on both yield and quality characteristics of winter wheat. Soil pH was the main environmental parameter affecting straw yield (SY), grain yield (GY), protein content (PC), and protein yield (PY). Winter wheat SY, GY, PC, and PY increased significantly (p < 0.05) with PL rates up to 50 kg P2O5 ha−1 and with NL rates up to 120 kg N ha−1. NL was the most important parameter in determining PC, thus showing potential for further improvement in N management. The highest marginal rate of return was used as an index for the farmers to accept site-specific N and P fertilizer recommendations.

Precision fertilization is a promising mitigation strategy to reduce environmental impacts of N-fertilization, but the effective benefits of variable-rate fertilization have not yet been fully demonstrated. We evaluated the short-term response (23 days) of GHGs emissions following variable-rate fertilization on barley. Yields, biomass (grains + straw) and different N-use indicators (N uptake, grain protein concentration, recovery efficiency, physiological efficiency, partial factor productivity of applied nutrient, agronomic efficiency and N surplus) were compared. Four N fertilization treatments were performed: (i) conventional– 150 kg ha−1; (ii) variable with granular fertilizer; (iii) variable with foliar liquid supplement; (iv) no fertilization. According to proximal sensing analysis (Greenseeker Handheld) and crop needs, both variable-rate treatments accounted for 35 kg N ha−1. Cumulative GHGs emissions were not significantly different, leading to the conclusion that the sensor-based N application might not be a GHGs mitigation strategy in current experimental conditions. Results showed that both site-specific fertilizations ensured the maintenance of high yields with a significant N rate reduction (approximately by 75%) and a N use improvement. Variable-rate N fertilization, due to similar yields (~6 tons ha−1) than conventional fertilization and higher protein content in foliar treatment (14%), confirms its effectiveness to manage N during the later phases of growing season.

Lead (Pb) contamination risks to crops grown in urban and peri-urban soils is a great concern that should be better evaluated to define the Pb maximum levels in soils for safe cultivation and to identify suitable strategies to remediate Pb polluted urban soils. The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential risk for human health from the ingestion of the edible portions of barley, castor bean, common bean, Indian mustard, sorghum, spinach, and tomato grown in an unpolluted soil (initial Pb content 32.6 mg kg−1) spiked with 0, 300, 650, 1000 mg Pb kg−1, respectively. The potential possibility of using these plants to phyto-remediate the soil of Pb was also assessed. Pot trials were conducted for two years (2008 and 2009). Results highlighted that all the investigated species were able to attain growth to maturity in high Pb spiked soil, although Pb influenced dry matter accumulation. Even in soils with low Pb concentrations, Pb accumulated the edible parts. Noteworthy, even in untreated control soils, all tested species revealed a Pb concentration in the edible parts that was higher than the safe limit set by FAO/WHO. None of the investigated species were considered Pb hyperaccumulators, but all were shown to be potentially suitable for phyto-stabilization.

A UV exclusion experiment was conducted on durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf. var. Claudio) grown in pots. Plants were grown under three different radiative treatments in greenhouses covered with plastic filters: Teflon, transparent to the entire region of natural UV-visible sunlight (TEF); polyester, transparent above 312 nm (MYL, excluding UVB) and Lee, transparent above 400 nm (LEE, excluding both UVA and UVB). Analyses have been carried out to determine the concentration of photosynthetic pigments in leaves, UV-absorbing compounds, nitrogen and carbon in leaves, culms and spikes and proteins and gluten in grains. In particular, plants grown under UV exclusion showed a reduction in protein and dry gluten content (consequently without variation in the ratio dry gluten/protein), but at the same time, a significant increase of gluten index, which is a parameter to define the quality of gluten, was observed. The results highlighted the influence played by UV radiation on some biochemical parameters, mainly UV-absorbing compounds, leaf nitrogen and grain protein characteristics of durum wheat cultivated under Mediterranean conditions. In particular, natural level of UV in the Mediterranean improves the characteristics of durum wheat flour important for pasta production (high dry gluten level), while the UV exclusion could improve characteristics of flour important for bread production (high gluten index).

Copper (Cu) is among the main contaminant of agricultural soil. The reclamation of Cu polluted soils can be achieved with phytoextraction even if, in general, plants are Cu-excluders and uncommon are Cu-accumulators. The research objectives were to establish the Cu removal capacity by arable and vegetable crops and to investigate the distribution of Cu in their roots, stems and leaves, and fruits. Pot trials were conducted for two subsequent years in Tuscany (Italy). Cu was added into soil in four levels (0, 200, 400, 600 mg kg−1 of Cu). At harvesting, the crops roots, stems and leaves, and fruits or seeds were separately collected, oven dried, weighted, milled and separately analyzed. The results show that the GDUs value to reach the physiological maturity for barley, common bean, Indian mustard, and ricinus was significantly positively correlated with Cu concentration in soil in contrast with observed in sorghum, spinach, and tomato. Leaves and stems of spinach and ricinus have a good storage capacity in contrast with common bean, tomato, Indian mustard sorghum and barley. Tomato storage Cu mainly in fruits and roots which show a remarkable concentration of Cu that increases progressively with the increase of Cu concentration in the soil. In addition, the roots of common bean and ricinus showed a very high concentration of Cu. All species can be considered Cu-excluders because of their low capacity to uptake high quantity of Cu. Indian mustard can be considered a plant able to translocate the metal from root to epigeal tissue.

Urban soil pollution by heavy metals (HMs) is a pressing problem in the development of urban agriculture (UA). In this context, the use of amendments, such as biochar, and phytoremediation are considered potentially cost-effective alternatives to conventional methods, and can be also combined to improve the remediation of soils from HMs. A pot experiment was performed to investigate the combined effect of berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum, L.) and biochar amendment in remediating a sandy soil collected near a shooting range area co-contaminated with Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The biochar, obtained from a wood-chip gasifier fed with a mix of Douglas (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Mirb.) and Black Pine (Pinus nigra, J.F.Arnold) wood, was applied at two rates (0.8% and 1.6%, w/w). Eighteen weeks after sowing, all plants were harvested. The roots and aboveground tissues of the crops were separately collected and analyzed. The tested biochar effectively adsorbed the HMs (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) from the soil. Biochar increased DW production of aboveground and root tissues. Moreover, biochar significantly reduced the concentration of Cr, Cu, Ni, and Pb in the aboveground tissues of berseem clover, although a significant reduction was not detected for Cd and Zn. Results indicated that berseem clover was a Cr, Ni and Pb excluder. However, this species can be considered suitable for Cu phytoextraction and Cd and Zn phytostabilization of slightly polluted urban soil. Only the Cu levels in the aerial biomass were below the acceptable limit for use as fodder.

MicroGeo had the opportunity to experiment with the ZEB Horizon instrument to acquire a piezometric well in 3D. The scenario is not the easiest to detect. This type of wells, in fact, extends in depth for several tens of meters and with traditional scanning systems it is practically impossible to obtain a complete 3D acquisition of the subject. With the ZEB Horizon Mobile Mapping System it was possible to acquire the well. The subject presents itself as a 30 m deep piezometric well with a diameter of 3.6 m, with a high difficulty of acquisition: the extremely regular surfaces of the well have made the survey activity with the SLAM technique very complex, the algorithm that generates the 3D point cloud model must be extremely powerful in order to be able to generate a correct data even in a condition of extreme surface homogeneity.

Where the ancient parish church of S. Giovanni in Campagna now stands, there was previously a pagan sanctuary. The Templar complex is located in the Municipality of Bovolone, in the province of Verona, and annexed to the Church there is an external octagonal baptistery which indicates the possible Lombard link of the San Giovanni complex. Of the primitive complex today only the left apsidiole remain. some parts of the perimeter walls of the apse and some areas of the baptistery. The building seems to have been destroyed during an earthquake in 1117, which caused serious damage throughout the Verona area. Following this event, the church was entirely rebuilt, using partly material recovered from the previous structure, and partly new material for the abbey complex. In the first quarter of 1500, the San Giovanni complex was affected by substantial maintenance and renovation works. The roof of the church was rebuilt, the main arch of the nave was built, the bell tower was rebuilt and a new entrance was opened for the baptistery, which was in turn covered and richly decorated inside with sixteenth-century frescoes reproducing the life and martyrdom of St. John. At the end of the 18th century, the Baptistery was enlarged by converting it into an Oratory, but it was also decided to downgrade the church, reducing it to a simple agricultural building. A new building was then added to the oratory, intended for the functions of presbytery, choir and small sacristy; while the church was renovated and transformed partly into a barn and partly into a living space. The conclusion of the last phase of restoration of the Pieve di San Giovanni dates back to June 2002, following a campaign promoted by the Archaeological Superintendence of Veneto which reconfirmed its archaeological importance. The archaeological excavations carried out led to the discovery of the ancient immersion baptismal font under the eighteenth-century flooring. A discovery of considerable value, unique in all of northern Italy and probably also in Italy of a testimony in an extra-urban environment.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) needs to increase food productivity to alleviate food insecurity exacerbated by climate variability and increasing food demand. Balancing macronutrient inputs is essential for sustaining yields, increasing farmer’s income and minimizing environmental costs deriving from fertilizer misuse. The present study calculates the nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) mass balances and estimates macronutrient inputs and outputs of a quinoa field cultivated under full and deficit irrigation conditions (100 and 50% crop evapotranspiration - ETc), in either the presence or absence of N fertilizer (100 and 0 kg ha–1 of N). The emerging findings show that to produce one ton of quinoa biomass (including seeds, stems and leaves) 12.7, 1.6 and 35.5 kg ha–1 of N, P and K, respectively, need to be added into the soil. While N and K are required at medium to fairly high amounts, P is needed in lower amounts. Hence, fertilizers in the form of potassium nitrate (KNO3) are more suitable than those with higher phosphorus concentrations, for example phosphate (PO43–). Overall, evidences from field experimentations are necessary for integrating farming input recommendations on crop agronomic guidelines, driven by national agricultural research institutions, and for promoting sustainable agriculture in SSA. Highlights - 12.7, 1.6 and 35.5 kg ha–1 of N, P and K, respectively, are required to produce 1 ton of quinoa biomass.- Seed yields of 1380 kg ha–1 can be attainded under full irrigation and 100 kg ha–1 of N. - MAPE values of –7.5, +4.3 and +3.3 between N, P, K mass balance calculations and observed values in the field.

The resilience of quinoa to drought stress conditions makes the crop suitable for the Sahel region. It can support grain production during the dry season and be considered an alternative crop for alleviating food insecurity within the region. Given the importance of this crop outside the indigenous cultivation area, there is a requisite for the development of crop models to facilitate further expansion of quinoa along the Sahel region. Crop water models are of interest due to increasing pressure on water resources, and the portrayal of irrigation scheduling as the best option for water optimisation. The AquaCrop model was selected, as this model simulates crop development and derives both optimal frequencies and net applications of irrigation. Due to limited water resources in the region, different irrigation regimes [full irrigation, progressive drought (PD), deficit irrigation and extreme deficit irrigation] were proposed for analysing yield and biomass responses to water stress conditions. Results suggest that yields were stabilised at around 1.0 Mg ha–1 under PD, thereby prioritising maximum water productivity rather than maximum yields. Water optimisation was attained by watering less at a suggested 310 mm, but with more frequent irrigation events, 28 rather than 20. Highlights - 13% yield losses when comparing progressive drought with full irrigated treatments. - 25% water savings when comparing progressive drought with full irrigated treatments. - Calibrated and validated NRMSE values of 10.0% and 13.3% for biomass, respectively.- Calibrated and validated NRMSE values of 19.2% and 7.3% for yield, respectively.

A preliminary study was conducted to analyze the sustainability of barley production through: (i) investigating sensor-based nitrogen (N) application on barley performance, compared with conventional N management (CT), (ii) assessing the potential of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) at different growth stages for within-season predictions of crop parameters, and (iii) evaluating sensor-based fertilization benefits in the form of greenhouse gasses mitigation. Barley was grown under CT, sensor-based management (RF) and with no N fertilization (Control). NDVI measurements and RF fertilization were performed using a GreenSeeker&trade, 505 hand-held optical sensor. Gas emissions were measured using a static chamber method with a portable gas analyzer. Results showed that barley yield was not statistically different under RF and CF, while they both differed significantly from Control. Highly significant positive correlations were observed between NDVI and production parameters at harvesting from the middle of stem elongation to the medium milk stage across treatments. Our findings suggest that RF is able to decrease CO2 emission in comparison with CF. The relationship between N fertilization and CH4 emission showed high variability. These preliminary results provide an indication of the benefits achieved using a simple proximal sensing methodology to support N fertilization.

The Sahel region is considered a hotspot for climate change hazards and vulnerability of weather reliant sectors, including agriculture. Farmers in Burkina Faso have a long history of adapting their farming activities to frequent changes in climate. Using 150 in-person surveys, this study assesses farmers&rsquo, perceptions of climate change based on multiple climate variables, and reviews adaptation practices, including soil and water conservation strategies, in the Soudanian, Soudano-Sahelian, and Sahelian agroclimatic zones of Burkina Faso. In general, farmers are aware of changing climatic conditions, including increased temperatures, greater rainfall variability, heavier precipitation events, delayed onset, and premature offset of the rainy season. However, farmers perceive shifts in climate differently depending on their location and agroclimatic zone. As a result, different adaption strategies are implemented by farmers according to the climatic, societal, and economic context. Survey results show that in the Sahel, climate adaptation strategies rely on traditional knowledge and experimental approaches, whereas in the Soudanian zone, where weather conditions are more favorable for agriculture, adaptation practices are market oriented. These regional differences are important for targeting advisory services, planning processes, and decision-making to support the effective provision of weather and climate information services to the last mile.

Proximal optical sensors (POSs) are effective devices for monitoring the development of crops and the nitrogen (N) status of plants. POSs are both useful and necessary in facilitating the reduction of N losses into the environment and in attaining higher nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). To date, no comparison of these instruments has been made on quinoa. A field experiment conducted in Tuscany, Italy, with different POSs, has assessed the development of quinoa with respect to N status. Three sets of POSs were used (SPAD-502, GreenSeeker, and Canopeo App.) to monitor quinoa development and growth under different types of fertilizers (digestate and urea) and levels of N fertilization (100, 50, and 0 kg N ha−1). The present findings showed that in-season predictions of crop biomass at harvest by SPAD-502 and GreenSeeker optical sensors were successful in terms of the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.68 and 0.82, respectively) and statistical significance (p < 0.05), while the Canopeo App. was suitable for monitoring the plant´s canopy expansion and senescence. The relative error (RE%) showed a remarkably high performance between observed and predicted values, 5.80% and 4.12% for GreenSeeker and SPAD-502, respectively. Overall, the POSs were effective devices for monitoring quinoa development during the growing season and for predicting dry biomass at harvest. However, abiotic stresses (e.g., heat-stress conditions at flowering) were shown to reduce POSs’ accuracy when estimating seed yields at harvest, and this problem will likely be overcome by advancing the sowing date.

Soil contamination by trace elements (TEs) is a major concern for sustainable land management. One potential source of excessive inputs of TEs into agricultural soils are organic amendments. Here, we use dynamic simulations carried out with the IDMM-ag model to describe observed trends of topsoil Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd concentrations in a long-term crop trial in Switzerland, where soils plots have been treated with differing organic amendments, particularly farmyard manure, sewage sludge and compost. IDMM-ag requires the definition of a parsimonious set of boundary conditions. The model adequately reproduced the metal EDTA-extractable concentrations in ZOFE when site-specific soil lateral mixing, due to mechanically ploughing of small plots, was introduced. Calibration of an additional metal input flux was necessary to fit the measured data, indicating that knowledge gaps in quantifying historical metal inputs can affect field-scale simulations even in a well-characterized field. Projections of soil metal content in the long-term showed that, under stable organic amendment application rates, Zn and Cu labile concentrations might pose toxicological hazard for the soil ecosystem, particularly in the sewage sludge-amended plots. The sewage sludge topsoil was characterized by some variability in the organic matter composition, potentially due to the applied sewage sludge quality, which might affect the metal lability: this effect should be accounted for in models. This study takes a step forward in assessing potential and limitations of the IDMM-ag model to predict TEs long-term dynamics in agricultural fields, paving the way to quantitative applications of TEs modelling at field and larger scales.

Agricultural intensification and soil mismanagement have been recognized among the main causes of soil erosion in Mediterranean climate areas such as the Arbia stream basin (Tuscany, Italy). This study aims at predicting soil loss from agricultural fields as it is essential for providing reliable information for prioritizing soil conservation measures. Thus, measured soil loss from 243 agricultural fields within the Arbia stream basin during the period 2007&ndash, 2010 were used to calibrate and validate the ArcSWAT 2012 model at hydrological response units (HRU) scale. Analysis of variance with post-hoc Tukey honest significant test was used to assess significant measured soil loss differences between slope steepness classes and land covers. Soil loss estimation was always &ldquo, very good&rdquo, for irrigated field crops, olive groves, and vineyards, &ldquo, good&rdquo, for unirrigated field crops, and &ldquo, unsatisfactory&rdquo, for broad-leaved forest. The model succeeded in the quantitative assessment of erosive processes at HRU scales. Its application to the whole Arbia stream basin estimated that 31% of the total surface is subjected to higher erosion levels. This approach might help facilitate the identification of priority areas that need the implementation of conservation measures.

GPS collars for wildlife provide a large amount of spatio-temporal location data and are frequently equipped with sensors that record the animal-level environmental temperature at a schedulable sampling frequency. The simultaneous collection of environmental temperature and animal location may contribute not only to deepen the understanding of animal behavior in different climatic conditions, but also to increase the knowledge of climate features in inaccessible areas. The measurement of environmental temperature provided by the sensors, however, can be biased by several factors (e.g., surface temperature of the animal, direct solar radiation, precipitation), so in-depth studies are required to verify the correlation. The aim of this study was to identify an equation for correcting the collar-recorded temperature data, allowing to improve and refine the results obtained by the analysis of spatial data and to highlight the environmental factors having the greatest impact on the accuracy of the measures. Temperature data from GPS collars were obtained within a research on spatial behavior on 11 hinds while spatialized temperature data were obtained from LAMMA-IBIMET dataset. These data showed high correlation and an identical trend, although the GPS collar temperature data was always higher. This model could represent a tool to obtain an accurate measurement of temperatures in complex geographical areas with wild animals but low density of weather stations. The availability of corrected temperature data, recorded simultaneously with the animal location, could be useful for a more accurate comprehension of animal behavior in free-ranging conditions, both in case of forthcoming studies and to valorize existing datasets.

More than half of the world population lives nowadays in urban areas and that's the reason why the quality of the urban environment has become a key issue for human health. In this context, it is important to estimate and document any action that contributes to improving thermal comfort and air quality. The aim of this paper is to present a system for the design of urban spaces developed in the framework of the SMARTUrban project. Such a system aims at giving a strategic tool to administrators and design professionals for sustainable management and urban planning. SMARTUrban is a prototype of an urban space design software that estimates the effect of design modification or of new design on thermal comfort, carbon sequestration and air pollutant removal.

The high nutritional properties of quinoa have resulted in a production increase worldwide. The resistance to environmental stresses renders this crop suitable for sustainable farming systems. Few studies have examined the impact of different agricultural management strategies and its contribution to climate change. In this work, we quantify soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in terms of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), and crop productivity (yields and biomass) under conventional (urea) and organic (digestate) fertilization. Significant differences (p < 0.05) in N2O cumulative emissions are reported between digestate (50–100 kg N ha−1), urea (50–100 kg N ha−1) and the control (0 kg N ha−1). Higher cumulative GHG emissions are observed under 100 kg N ha−1 of digestate (337.8 kg C ha−1 CO2 and 0.23 kg N ha−1 for N2O) compared to treatments with lower nitrogen (N) inputs. However, yield and biomass production do not show significant differences (p > 0.05) with increasing nutrient application. Hence, this study opens the discussion about the pros and cons of increasing fertilization to improve yields besides providing agricultural extension workers with additional information to promote sustainable quinoa production worldwide.

The taxonomic assemblage and functions of the plant bacterial community are strongly influenced by soil and host plant genotype. Crop breeding, especially after the massive use of nitrogen fertilizers which led to varieties responding better to nitrogen fertilization, has implicitly modified the ability of the plant root to recruit an effective bacterial community. Among the priorities for harnessing the plant bacterial community, plant genotype-by-microbiome interactions are stirring attention. Here, we analyzed the effect of plant variety and fertilization on the rhizosphere bacterial community. In particular, we clarified the presence in the bacterial community of a varietal effect of N and P fertilization treatment. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequence analysis of rhizospheric soil, collected from four wheat varieties grown under four N-P fertilization regimes, and quantification of functional bacterial genes involved in the nitrogen cycle (nifH; amoA; nirK and nosZ) were performed. Results showed that variety played the most important role and that treatments did not affect either bacterial community diversity or bacterial phyla abundance. Variety-specific response of rhizosphere bacterial community was detected, both in relation to taxa (Nitrospira) and metabolic functions. In particular, the changes related to amino acid and aerobic metabolism and abundance of genes involved in the nitrogen cycle (amoA and nosZ), suggested that plant variety may lead to functional changes in the cycling of the plant-assimilable nitrogen.

The spatial prediction of growing stock volume is one of the most frequent application of remote sensing for supporting the sustainable management of forest ecosystems. For such a purpose data from active or passive sensors are used as predictor variables in combination with measures taken in the field in sampling plots. The Sentinel-2 (S2) satellites are equipped with a Multi Spectral Instrument (MSI) capable of acquiring 13 bands in the visible and infrared domains with a spatial resolution varying between 10 and 60 m. The present study aimed at evaluating the performance of the S2-MSI imagery for estimating the growing stock volume of forest ecosystems. To do so we used 240 plots measured in two study areas in Italy. The imputation was carried out with eight k-Nearest Neighbours (k-NN) methods available in the open source YaImpute R package. In order to evaluate the S2-MSI performance we repeated the experimental protocol also with two other sets of images acquired by two well-known satellites equipped with multi spectral instruments: Landsat 8 OLI and RapidEye scanner. We found that S2 worked better than Landsat in 37.5% of the cases and in 62.5% of the cases better than RapidEye. In one study area the best performance was obtained with Landsat OLI (RMSD = 6.84%) and in the other with S2 (RMSD = 22.94%), both with the k-NN system based on a distance matrix calculated with the Random Forest algorithm. The results confirmed that S2 images are suitable for predicting growing stock volume obtaining good performances (average RMSD for both the test areas of less than 19%).

Numerous epidemiological studies have highlighted the positive effects on health of wholegrain bakery products made from ‘old’ common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties. However, ‘old’ common wheat varieties display poor rheological properties, and there is limited information on its free asparagine (ASN) content, the main precursor to acrylamide during the baking process. This paper evaluates the effects of two seeding density levels (SD: 200 and 350 seed m−2), three nitrogen levels (NL: 35, 80 and 135 kg N ha−1), and two sulfur levels (SL: 0 and 6.4 kg S ha−1) towards improving the grain yield (GY), rheological characteristics, and ASN content of 14 ‘old’ common wheat varieties. SL and SD treatments significantly increased GY without decreasing the protein content (PC), while NL significantly increased the PC without affecting GY. The dough strength (W) increased significantly with increasing SL and NL but was significantly reduced with increasing SD. ASN significantly increased by 111% as NL increased from 35 to 135 kg ha−1, while ASN significantly decreased by 85.1% with the SL treatment. The findings show that 135 kg N ha−1 combined with 6.4 kg S ha−1 can improve the technical performance of ‘old’ wheat wholegrain flours while maintaining the ASN as low as possible.

Outdoor workers are particularly exposed to climate conditions, and in particular, the increase of environmental temperature directly affects their health and productivity. For these reasons, in recent years, heat-health warning systems have been developed for workers generally using heat stress indicators obtained by the combination of meteorological parameters to describe the thermal stress induced by the outdoor environment on the human body. There are several studies on the verification of the parameters predicted by meteorological models, but very few relating to the validation of heat stress indicators. This study aims to verify the performance of two limited area models, with different spatial resolution, potentially applicable in the occupational heat health warning system developed within the WORKLIMATE project for the Italian territory. A comparison between the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature predicted by the models and that obtained by data from 28 weather stations was carried out over about three summer seasons in different daily time slots, using the most common skill of performance. The two meteorological models were overall comparable for much of the Italian explored territory, while major limits have emerged in areas with complex topography. This study demonstrated the applicability of limited area models in occupational heat health warning systems.

During the past sixty years, the social and economic development causes a change of traditional activities and a movement of the population towards urbanized areas in different regions of Italy. The replacement of vegetated land surface with impervious surface areas changed the hydrologic fluxes of a drainage basin with important consequences on the basin resilience to rainfall events. The main objective of this paper is to present the methodology and the results of a study for quantifying and analysing the hydrological responses to land use and climate changes by means of ArcSWAT model. The case study was the runoff dynamic of the Elsa river basin which was analysed by climate and land use change along more than fifty years (1954–2007). Results showed that, the model was effective in simulating daily base, peak and total runoff, scoring a very good performance. Analysis indicated that given the same climatic conditions, changes in land use played a considerable role since in peak and total runoff formation that were increased with the increase of artificial surfaces and specialised agriculture. This type of analysis proved to be effective in analysing past and future hydrological dynamics of the basin. Our findings suggest that such an approach could help policymakers involved in the land use planning in taking into account land use change, since it can amplify the effects of climate and demographic changes on basin hydrodynamics.

Soil erosion is among the major processes that threaten agricultural soils, causing soil and organic matter losses, loss of inherent fertility, and water contamination. In this context, vineyards are the most erosion-prone lands in the Mediterranean region. The adoption of alternative soil management practices, such as the use of permanent grass, can reduce runoff and erosion. Based on an 8-years field study in Tuscany (Central Italy), this research aimed to assess the long-term consequences of permanent grass cover in vineyard plots in terms of both runoff and soil and nutrient losses, and to investigate their relationships with rainfall characteristics. The results showed that permanent grass cover reduced significantly the average yearly runoff (by about 11.7%), in particular during copious and intense rainfalls. Also, grass covered parcels lost on average 68.5% less soil than the inter-rows with harrowed soil. Up to 4.5 and 12.5 kg ha −1 year −1 of N and up to 6.2 and 5 kg ha −1 year −1 of P were lost in grassed and harrowed parcels, respectively. Under both soil management practices, the total soil and nutrient losses caused by runoff were significantly correlated with rainfall height and rainfall erosivity.

Leaf wetness (LW) is a key environmental variable for the development of foliar fungal diseases of citrus. However, little information of LW duration (LWD) in Mediterranean citrus-growing areas is available. LWD in six canopy positions and two leaf sides was studied with visual observations and Spectrum LW sensors in a citrus orchard in Spain. The performance of Spectrum and Hobo LW sensors, and CART/SLD and RH LW models was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The dynamics of LWD in three citrus orchards with flood irrigation and three with drip irrigation were evaluated using time-series models. LWD data from all experiments and recordings in 14 commercial citrus orchards illustrated the high frequency of LW periods, particularly those associated with dew. No substantial differences in LWD were detected among citrus canopy positions and leaf sides. An optimal dry/wet threshold of 2.85 for the Spectrum LW sensor, 75.88 for the Hobo LW sensor, 15.99 for the CART/SLD model, and 87.45% for the RH model was selected by ROC curve analysis. All the sensors and models evaluated showed a substantial strength of agreement with visual observations of LW, with area under the ROC curve of 0.89–0.93 and Cohen’s Kappa index of 0.61–0.77. The RH model was recommended because of easier implementation in citrus orchards in Spain. Time-series models did not detect any significant increase in LWD associated with flood irrigation, but only after some rain events. High mesoclimatic relative humidity in the study area outweighed possible microclimatic changes induced by flood irrigation. Thus, negligible effects of flood irrigation in the infection of foliar fungal pathogens would be expected, but longer LWD in the lower canopy as well as potential effects on inoculum dynamics in the leaf litter cannot be excluded.

Flour from old varieties are usually considered very weak flours, and thus difficult to use in breadmaking especially when processed as Italian &ldquo, Tipo 2&rdquo, flour. Hence, the aim of our study was to understand if agronomic treatments can be used to improve flour processability and the quality of three old wheat varieties. An experimental strip-plot scheme was used: three old wheat varieties (Andriolo, Sieve, Verna), two seeding densities, three levels of nitrogen fertilization (N35, N80, and N135), and two levels of foliar sulfur fertilization. Analyzed parameters related to kernel composition, dough rheology and bread quality. Sulfur and nitrogen treatments significantly affected protein composition and dough alveograph strength, which increased by about 34% with nitrogen fertilization, and by about 14% with the sulfur treatment. However, only nitrogen fertilization affected bread characteristics. Crumb density significantly decreased from N35 to N135, while springiness and cohesiveness increased. On the other hand, sulfur did not improve breads. This highlight the importance of performing breadmaking tests in addition to the rheological determinations. The poor technological performance of old wheat flours can be improved with agronomical treatments designed to obtain higher-quality bread.

Background Shunt-dependent hydrocephalus significantly complicates subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and reliable prognosis methods have been sought in recent years to reduce morbidity and costs associated with delayed treatment or neglected onset. Machine learning (ML) defines modern data analysis techniques allowing accurate subject-based risk stratifications. We aimed at developing and testing different ML models to predict shunt-dependent hydrocephalus after aneurysmal SAH. Methods We consulted electronic records of patients with aneurysmal SAH treated at our institution between January 2013 and March 2019. We selected variables for the models according to the results of the previous works on this topic. We trained and tested four ML algorithms on three datasets: one containing binary variables, one considering variables associated with shunt-dependency after an explorative analysis, and one including all variables. For each model, we calculated AUROC, specificity, sensitivity, accuracy, PPV, and also, on the validation set, the NPV and the Matthews correlation coefficient (ϕ). Results Three hundred eighty-six patients were included. Fifty patients (12.9%) developed shunt-dependency after a mean follow-up of 19.7 (± 12.6) months. Complete information was retrieved for 32 variables, used to train the models. The best models were selected based on the performances on the validation set and were achieved with a distributed random forest model considering 21 variables, with a ϕ = 0.59, AUC = 0.88; sensitivity and specificity of 0.73 (C.I.: 0.39–0.94) and 0.92 (C.I.: 0.84–0.97), respectively; PPV = 0.59 (0.38–0.77); and NPV = 0.96 (0.90–0.98). Accuracy was 0.90 (0.82–0.95). Conclusions Machine learning prognostic models allow accurate predictions with a large number of variables and a more subject-oriented prognosis. We identified a single best distributed random forest model, with an excellent prognostic capacity (ϕ = 0.58), which could be especially helpful in identifying low-risk patients for shunt-dependency.

In recent years digital sensors have been successfully integrated on board Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to assess crop vigour, vegetation coverage, and to quantify the ‘greenness’ of foliage as indirect measurements of crop nitrogen status. The classical approach of precision agriculture has involved the use of multispectral sensors onboard UAV and the development of numerous vegetation indices associated with vegetation parameters, such as the mostly used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). However, the main negative issue when dealing with multi and hyperspectral reflectance measuring tools is their high cost and complexity from the operational point of view. As a low-cost alternative, vegetation indices derived from Red Green Blue (RGB) cameras have been employed for remote-sensing assessment, providing data on different stress conditions and species. Digital images record information as amounts of RGB light emitted for each pixel of the image; however, the intensity of red and blue will often alter how green an image appears. To simplify the interpretation of digital colour data, recent studies have suggested converting RGB values to the more intuitive Hue, Saturation, and Brightness (HSB) colour spectrum, and then into a single measure of dark green colour, the Dark Green Color Index (DGCI). In this study, NDVI acquired by a ground-based handheld crop sensor and by a multispectral camera mounted on board a UAV has been compared with DGCI calculated from images taken with a commercial digital camera on board a UAV, trying to quantify the colour of turfgrass that had received different nitrogen (N) rates. The objectives of the trial were to study an affordable easy-to-use tool evaluating the relationship among NDVI, DGCI and leaf nitrogen content on turfgrass.

Agricultural land set up systems comprise those agronomic structures able to preserve the soil fertility from water erosion, such as: ditching, contouring, earth-riser and stonewall terracing, draining, and channelization, etc.. However, in the past 60 years, agricultural mechanization has led to an expansion of the field size and reduction in land set up system intensity to make machine operation more feasible and cheaper. As a consequence, these transformations have made sloping fields less resilient to the storms and accelerated the soil erosion processes. Based on an 8- year field study in ‘Chianti Classico’ area (Tuscany, Central Italy), this research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the land set up systems such as diversion ditch, earth-riser and stonewall terracing on reducing water erosion from field crops, olive orchards, and vineyards. The results showed that diversion ditches were effective on herbaceous crop fields with slope steepness lower than 9%. While, for higher slopes, diversion ditches were not sufficient to contain the soil loss within OECD 2008 tolerable limits in none of the considered land uses. On the opposite, in steep slopes, earth-riser terraces and stonewall terraces have shown their value as land set up system capable of reducing the erosive process. Their greatest drawback is the reduction of the cultivable surface deriving from the presence of the riser and the walls. However, their added value as a precious element characterizing the local landscape was of considerable importance for the local economy linked to tourism. Highlights - Diversion ditches reduce soil erosion on herbaceous crop fields with slope lower than 9%. - Diversion ditches did not contain the soil loss within acceptable limits on steep slopes. - Earth-riser terraces and stonewall terraces reduced soil losses within acceptable limits. - Terraces reduced soil loss by 4.7-12.3 times with respect to diversion ditches. - The analysis was performed on measured average annual soil loss data from 695 fields.

Nitrogen (N) fertilization is a key factor in turfgrass management. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is positively correlated with turfgrass health and quality and it is affected by species and fertilization rates. With the aim to test the sensitivity of remote NDVI reading methods in detecting N variation in coolseason and warmseason turfgrass species, data obtained by Satellite and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) with a multispectral camera on board and by a ground-based instrument were related and evaluated. The relationship between NDVI value from ground-based instrument and UAV resulted very high for bermudagrass (r=0.96), knotgrass (r=0.91) and tall fescue (r=0.99). Satellite data do not allow an accurate assessment of N plant status of tall fescue (r=0.50). UAV can be used to fill the gap between ground-based measurement and remotely sensed imagery from Satellite platform.