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12 vineyards were surveyed during one year to assess root VA infection and spare population in the soil. 9 fungal species were present; 3 of them were more common and could be reinoculated successfully on grapevine. Other crops, in sites close to the vineyard sampled, often contained a different population of species. More species were present in soils of pH > 7.5. Spores were most abundant in autumn, their number decreasing in spring. Soils with least P and higher pH contained more spores. Root infection was unrelated to spare frequency or soil characters. Infectivity of the soil on grapevine plants, assessed by means of the MPN method, was weil related to the number of spores present in the soil at the same time, if roots were removed. lt is concluded that spore numbers can express the ability of the soil to infect plants, thus showing where artificial inoculation could be potentially more effective., VITIS - Journal of Grapevine Research, Vol. 24 No. 2 (1985): VITIS

Vingt-deux cépages à saveur musquée à baie colorée cultivés dans une collection au Piédmont (Nord Quest d'Italie) ont été étudiés d'un point de vue ampélographique et biochimique. Des observations descriptives ont été effectuées sur les souches ainsi que l'analyse des terpénols libres et glycosylés du jus et des polyphénols de la pellicule des baies à maturité. Les données analytiques et ampélographiques ont été soumises à l'analyse statistique multidimensionelle (analyse des clusters et analyse des composantes principales). Les résultats obtenus ont permis de bien caractériser les 22 cépages examinés. Les observations déscriptives ont indiqué que certains cépages pouvaient être groupés selon leur profil morphologique (groupes de "Muscat à petits grains", de "Hambourg", etc.). L'analyse quali-quantitative des anthocyanidols et des esters hydroxycinnamoyltartriques du raisin a permis de former des groupes de cépages, différents aussi pour la couleur de la baie qui allait du rose clair, au rose foncé, au rouge, au violet et au bleunoir. De rélations entre des poliphenols de la pellicule et des composés terpeniques du jus, en plus, ont été mise en évidence: onl a observé par example que les raisins ou la cyanidine monoglucoside était l'anthocyanidol prédominant (couleur de la baie rose très claire) avaient le jus le plus riche en linalol. Morphological and biochemical characterisation of coloured berry-muscat grapevine cultivars Twenty-two grapevine cultivars with muscat flavour and coloured berries grown in a collection vineyard in Piedmont (Northwest Italy) have been investigated by ampelographic and biochemical methods. Morphological and ampelographic observations have been carried out on the vines. Free and bound terpenes of the juice and berry skin phenolic compounds at maturity have also been analysed. The data were processed by multivariate statistical procedures (cluster and principal component analysis). The results allowed the successful characterisation of the cultivars. The ampelographic descriptive observations indicated that the cultivars could be grouped according to their morphological characteristics, viz. as similar to ''Muscat a petits grains'' or similar to ''Muscat of Hamburg'' etc.). Furthermore, the determination of berry skin anthocyanins together with hydroxycinnamoyl tartaric acids allowed to group according to the berry skin colour which varied from light rose to dark rose, red, violet and blue-black. Some juice terpenes showed relationships with some berry polyphenols: the cultivars richest in cyanidin (skin of light pink colour) were also the richest in linalool., VITIS - Journal of Grapevine Research, Vol. 33 No. 2 (1994): Vitis

This study aimed to compare two different classifications of the risk of fracture/osteoporosis (OP) based on quantitative ultrasound (QUS). Analyses were based on data from the Epidemiological Study on the Prevalence of Osteoporosis, a cross-sectional study conducted in 2000 aimed at assessing the risk of OP in a representative sample of the Italian population. Subjects were classified into 5 groups considering the cross-classification found in previous studies; logistic regression models were defined separately for women and men to study the fracture risk attributable to groups defined by the cross-classification, adjusting for traditional risk factors. Eight-thousand six-hundred eighty-one subjects were considered in the analyses. Logistic regression models revealed that the two classifications seem to be able to identify a common core of individuals at low and at high risk of fractures, and the importance of a multidimensional assessment in older patients to evaluate clinical risk factors together with a simple, inexpensive, radiation-free device such as QUS.

La creciente problemática frente al tratamiento de aguas residuales y su posible reuso, ha planteado sistemas biológicos que remuevan los contaminantes manteniendo el ecosistema y disminuyendo costos. Este trabajo consiste en un ensayo de biorremediación, evaluando la tasa de crecimiento de Scenedesmus quadricauda cultivada en efluentes domiciliarios de la ciudad de Trelew, Chubut, Argentina. Diariamente se determina conductividad, pH y densidad celular. Al inicio y al final del ensayo se obtienen valores para fosfato, fósforo total, sulfuro, amoníaco, nitrito, nitrato, detergentes, DBO5, DQO y número más probable de coliformes totales y fecales. Se observa una disminución en amoníaco, fósforo, fósforo total, DBO5 y DQO, lo que confirma la efectividad en la remoción de nutrientes en aguas residuales de naturaleza orgánica. Por ello, S. quadricauda se plantea como una posible alternativa de bajo costo para la descontaminación de aguas residuales urbanas. The growing problem against the waste water treatment and its possible reuse has raised biological systems that remove the polluting agents preserving the ecosystem and diminishing costs. This work consists of a bioremediation test evaluating the growth rate of Scenedesmus quadricauda cultivated in Municipal Wastewater of Trelew city, Chubut, Argentina. Conductivity, pH and cellular density are determined daily. Values for phosphate, total phosphorus, sulfide, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, detergents, DBO5, DQO and more probable number of total and faecal coliforms are obtained at the beginning and the end of the test. A diminution is observed in ammonia, phosphorus, total phosphorus, DBO5 and DQO which confirms its effectiveness in nutrient removal of organic nature waste water. So, S. quadricauda is presented as a possible alternative of low cost for urban water residual decontamination. Published Argentina, Scenedesmus quadricauda, waste water, purification.

El hombre, en el afán de una agricultura más eficiente, permanentemente procura desarrollar productos plaguicidas, sin tener en cuenta que su uso indiscriminado provoca adaptaciones en plagas, tornándolas más resistentes. En el Valle Inferior del Río Chubut (VIRCH), provincia del Chubut, Argentina, los agricultores utilizan herbicidas organofosforados como el glifosato (sal isopropilamina del N-fosfonometil glicina), para el control de malezas en diversos cultivos, asumiendo el riesgo que implican las filtraciones en la calidad higiénico-sanitaria de sus aguas. Dado que las microalgas responden rápidamente a cambios ambientales debido a sus tiempos cortos de generación y a su papel como productores primarios en los ecosistemas acuáticos, se usan en ensayos de 72-96 h proporcionando información sobre los efectos ecológicos de algunos contaminantes. En este trabajo se evaluó la sensibilidad de Chlamydomonas sp. al glifosato comparando los porcentajes de inhibición respecto a un control, utilizando metodologías estándar para la valoración de los ensayos. Se encontró que la CE50 fue de 68,57 mg/L, el NOEC de 40,0 mg/L y el LOEC de 20,0 mg/L. Se concluyó que Chlamydomonas sp. es efectiva como indicadora de ecotoxicidad, por lo que se recomienda evaluar su comportamiento con otros plaguicidas, como así también experimentar con otras cepas nativas aisladas de cuerpos de aguas locales. The man in the desire for more efficient agriculture, constantly seeks to develop pesticide products without regarding that indiscriminate use causes pest adaptations, making them more resistant. In Chubut River Valley (VIRCH), province of Chubut, Argentina, farmers use organophosphate herbicides such as glyphosate (isopropylamine salt of N-phosphonomethyl glycine) for weed control in various crops, assuming the risk that leaks involve on health and hygiene quality of its waters. Since microalgae quickly respond to environmental changes due to their short generation times and their role as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems, they are used in 72-96 h tests to provide information on some pollutants ecological effects. In this study, the sensitivity of Chlamydomonas sp to glyphosate was evaluated comparing the inhibition percentages to a control, using standard methodologies for the assessment of the essays. It was found that the EC50 was 68,57 mg/L, the NOEC was 40,0 mg/L and the LOEC was 20,0 mg/L. It was concluded that Chlamydomonas sp. is effective as an ecotoxicity indicator, so it is recommended to evaluate its performance with other pesticides along with other native strains isolated from local water bodies. Published Chlamydomonas sp., glyphosate, bioassay, organophosphate, ecotoxicity

The mechanization of marble cutting operations thrusts the enlargement of quarry exploitations. This trend makes necessary the geomechanical control and computations of the static condition both at the exploitation workplaces and of the residual rock structures (HOEK & BRAY, 1981, HOEK & BROWN, 1982, BRADY & BROWN, 1985, BIENIAWSKI, 1989). Planning of the investigations is driven by the specific geostructural and mechanical rock mass characteristics of the quarry sites in respect to the natural morphology and the excavation geometries (CRAVERO et al., 2003). For instance in open pit quarrying, the monitoring of the structurally controlled deformation of high excavated rock faces is relevant for safety and planning of further quarry developments. The paper reports an experience of monitoring and computations at an open pit quarry. The quarry site belongs to the Alpi Apuane marble basin (Carrara marble), where past exploitation operations left in place a parallelepiped marble spur ?90m high, horizontal section ?30mx20m and hosting old drifts (Fig. 1). This residual rock structure is intersected by different rock joints and a sub-vertical large fault located on the back side of the spur. Evident joint traces appear on the excavation and drift surfaces, and a monitoring plan was defined which allows to detect the influence of rock fractures on the deformation behaviour of the marble spur. Groups of different measuring devices (1D or 3D crack gages, MPBX extensometers, load cells and piezometer) were arranged on the surface and in the old drifts (Fig. 2) while a wireless transmission system conveys the measured data to the quarry technical office (DUNNICLIFF, 1993). Hydraulic fracturing was furthermore applied in two vertical boreholes located on the two opposite sides of the big fault to detect the stress condition (HAIMSON, 1993, AMADEI & STEPHANSSON, 1997). Computations were made to estimate the influence of the rock mass structure and of the environmental condition on the static behaviour of the rock spur. The Block Theory (BT) technique (GOODMAN & SHI, 1985). was applied to detect potentially unstable rock blocks defined by rock joint intersections in the marble spur (Fig. 3). FEM modelling, made by using the commercial software Phase, allowed to clarify the possible role played by the fault and by different stress or water load conditions on the deformation mechanism shown by the spur (Fig. 4). The experimental control along with the analysis of unwanted deformation and rock block instabilities was motivated not only by the need of controlling the evolution of the displacements, but also suggested setting up remediation countermeasures against a possible unstable trend of the marble spur.

Los bioensayos con microalgas como bioindicadores de ecotoxicidad son útiles para evaluar el impacto ambiental provocado por las descargas de productos químicos y el vertido de efluentes. Siendo el fitoplancton el primer eslabón de la cadena trófica en los ecosistemas acuáticos, cualquier alteración de la composición de la comunidad microalgal, producto de estrés toxicológico, modifica la estructura y la función de todo el sistema. El Río Chubut, en Argentina, abastece de agua a varias localidades; se utiliza para el riego de superficies cultivadas y la generación de energía eléctrica. Su curso puede recibir filtraciones, impactando en la calidad higiénico-sanitaria de sus aguas. En el Valle Inferior del río Chubut (VIRCH) se utilizan diversos pesticidas organofosforados entre ellos el glifosato. El glifosato, (sal isopropilamina del N-fosfonometil glicina), es un herbicida organofosforado de acción sistémica usado por los agricultores del VIRCH para el control de malezas en diversos cultivos, como papa y remolacha. Existen investigaciones que reportan efectos potencialmente dañinos para la salud humana derivados de su uso, atribuibles al principio activo y al surfactante, (toxicidad aguda y crónica consistente en efectos cancerígenos y reproductivos, acción mutagénica y contaminación de alimentos). El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar el efecto del herbicida glifosato sobre el crecimiento de la microalga Chlamydomonas sp. mediante un ensayo de toxicidad crónico. The bioassays with microalgae as ecotoxicity bioindicators are useful to evaluate the environmental impact caused by chemicals discharge and effluent disposal. As phytoplankton is the the food chain first link in aquatic ecosystems, any alteration of the microalgal community composition, due to toxicological stress, modifies the structure and function of the whole system. In Argentine, the Chubut River supplies 1 water to several cities, and it is used to irrigate cultivated areas and to generate electricitiy. Its course can get filtrations, impacting on health and hygiene quality of its water. Several organophosphate pesticides like glyphosate are used in the lower valley of the Chubut River (LVCR). Glyphosate (isopropylamine salt of N-phosphonomethyl glycine) is a systemic acting organophosphate herbicide used by (LVCR) farmers for weed control in various crops such as potatoes and beets. Investigations report harmful potential effects to human health from its use, attributable to the active principle and the surfactant (acute and chronic toxicity consisting of carcinogenic and reproductive effects, mutagenic action and food contamination). The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of glyphosate herbicide on the microalgae Chlamydomonas sp growth by a chronic toxicity test. Chlamydomonas sp, glyphosate, organophosphate, ecotoxicity

The proposed paper is aimed at analysing a rock slope failure that occurred in a sector of an open pit quarry. The failed rock volume was not large, it had a significant impact on the mining operations and the safety of the district road which runs very close to the quarry site. An evaluation of the possible failure mechanisms is given, which was based on a structural description of the rock mass, a mechanical laboratory characterisation of the rock and of rock joints, and on the environmental and exploitation condition. The analysis referred to schemes that could explain the degree of instability of the rock slope. Kinematical analyses, block theory and limit equilibrium were applied and evaluations were also obtained by using DEM models to estimate the static behavior and possible effects induced by quarry blasts of the rock slope.

The paper reports a geomechanical monitoring and measurements experience at an open pit quarry. The quarry site belongs to an Alpi Apuane white marble basin (Carrara marble), where intensive quarry exploitations (both open pit and underground) have been developed. The high level of mechanization and new marble cutting technology have favoured an increase in these exploitations making an experimental evaluation of the static condition, both at the exploitation workplaces and of the permanent residual rock structures, necessary. Planning of the ground control was driven by the specific geostructural and mechanical rock mass characteristics of the site in consideration of the particular geometry of the residual rock face. This control activity plays an important role on the safety and planning of further quarry deepening. The potential of rock block instabilities was estimated on the basis of a geostructural rock mass characterization and the block theory. A monitoring program of the structurally controlled deformation of the excavated rock face was set up and it allowed a displacement progression to be detected at some locations on the rock face. Hydraulic fracturing stress measurements were also carried out at different locations and depths on quarry floor of the quarry and they showed a high horizontal stress level at a shallow depth.

The paper examines and compares different schemes proposed for the evaluation of the equivalent continuum hydraulic properties of rock masses. With reference to simple 2D arrangements of two orthogonal joint sets, the equivalent permeability and compressibility parameters are assessed for anisotropic jointed rock mass conditions.

Nel lavoro si presenta un esempio di caratterizzazione e controllo geomeccanico in un cantiere per l'estrazione del marmo, ubicato nelle Alpi Apuane. La cava, già sfruttata a giorno, attualmente si sviluppa anche in sotterraneo in condizioni di parietalità. La caratterizzazione della massa rocciosa ha compreso oltre a saggi meccanici di laboratorio sul materiale oggetto di coltivazione la definizione dei principali sistemi di fratture naturali e la valutazione sperimentale dello stato di sollecitazione mediante la tecnica della fatturazione idraulica. La valutazione del regime tensionale agente al contorno degli scavi è stata condotta mediante modellazione numerica 3D, cosi da porre in relazione lo stato di sollecitazione misurato con quello risultante dal calcolo. E' stata inoltre suggerita una stima della possibile influenza delle discontinuità sulla stabilità del cantiere sotterraneo.