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In Italy, most of the traditional sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) orchards are still non-irrigated since they are located in mountain-hill areas with climate conditions that used to be optimal to sustain the vegetative and reproductive growth of this nut tree species. Nowadays, the increase of summer temperatures and the decrease of rainfall (due to climate change) are affecting negatively chestnut physiological performances. The aim of this experiment was to study sweet chestnut burr growth in two seasons, one warm/dry and one mild/rainy (2017 and 2018, respectively). The study was carried out in a traditional rainfed chestnut orchard. The seasonal burr growth was measured weekly from 30 days after full bloom (DAFB) to the beginning of burr valves opening. Air temperature and daily precipitation were measured at a nearby weather station. The results of this study highlighted that chestnut burr growth seems to be affected by seasonal weather conditions. Indeed, in 2017, the high summer temperatures and the moderate rainfall in summer (227 mm) and winter-spring (385 mm) appeared to affect negatively burr absolute growth rate (AGR; 0.31 mm day-1 ) and consequently final burr size (46.2 mm). The mild and rainy weather conditions that occurred in 2018 (663 and 340 mm of winter-spring and summer precipitation, respectively) positively influenced burr AGR (0.54 mm day-1 ) and therefore its final size (60.8 mm). These preliminary results suggest that the introduction of irrigation as a common management practice for chestnut orchards may promote their resilience to climate change with a positive effect on their productivity and fruit quality.

Among human and animal diseases agents, parasites are those that show, with very few exceptions, an environmental resistance far superior with respect other pathogens [1]. This is due to the complex structure of the wall of their infective stages, that makes them particularly resistant to almost all physical and chemical agents. In this work, a novel technique to inactivate coccidian parasites in liquid environment has been investigated and implemented. A Petri dish filled with 20 ml of water contaminated by Eimeria spp. oocysts has been placed within a plasma reactor constituted by a lower HV exposed electrode and an upper grounded copper strip electrode covered by a ceramic slab (Fig. 1). The reactor has been supplied with sinusoidal and nanosecond-pulsed voltage waveforms varying the application time. In both cases an atmospheric pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) has been ignited in the air gap above the liquid surface and in contact with it [2]. The temperature of the solution and its pH level were not significantly changed by plasma treatment. The concentration of ozone and hydrogen peroxide increase by increasing treatment time [2]. Plasma treatment efficacy has been detected considering a representative population of 100 oocysts. For both discharges, treatment efficacy has been found to be dose dependent (Fig. 2). After an energy dose treatment of about 100 kJ/l, the number of sporulated oocytes are roughly halved with respect the control sample. Results are statistically significant with a p

The seasonal and daily growth of sweet chestnut (C. sativa Mill.) husks have been studied in a commercial orchard in Monterenzio (Bologna, Italy). The seasonal growth pattern in the maximum and minimum diameter of 20 husks were measured every 7 days from 30 days after full bloom (DAFB) - corresponding at the beginning of June - to a week before harvest (120 DAFB). The absolute and relative growth rate (AGR, RGR) have also been calculated. Growth of 6 husks was monitored from the 4th to the 11th of August 2017 through very precise fruit gauges, connected to a custom-built, Arduino-based data logger, which was monitored through a wireless network (AWSN). The 6 husks were selected on 3 trees (2 husks per tree) and their diameters were recorded every 15 minutes for the entire week. Temperature (0C) and daily precipitation (mm/day) were sourced from a close (2 km) meteorological station belonging to ARPAE (Regional agency for environmental control). The husk exhibited a seasonal diameter growth pattern resembling a double sigmoid. AGR responded positively to rainfalls, as no irrigation was provided. Interestingly, daily husk growth started mid-morning and continued till dark (from 10:00 to 21:00), followed by shrinkage during night-time. This pattern of growth appears opposite if compared to other fruit species as Prunus persica L. or Malus domestica Bork., which exhibit growth during the last part of the day/night and shrinkage/no growth during the day. Our data show a quick increase (within the following 24 hours) in husk growth rate after a rainfall event. These preliminary data show the need for further studies on C. sativa physiology and their potential impact on improving irrigation practices for this intriguing crop.

INTRODUCTION. Although many studies on the frequency of endoparasites in dogs and cats in Canada have been reported (Joffe et al., 2011, Can. Vet. J. 52:1323-1328), seasonal and/or annual patterns are often not extimated, furthermore very few and aged papers have been written about owned dogs and cats in Canada. MATERIALS AND METHODS. The frequency of endoparasitc infections from samples of cats (2,391) and dogs (15,016) submitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital (VHT) of the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island-Canada was determined, using univariate and multivariate analysis. Predictors of endoparasitism, such as sex, age, geographical origin and seasonality, were also investigated through the calculation of odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. Overall thirteen parasite genuses were detected, cats showed a higher frequency, with this species difference being statistically significant (χ2=15.494; P

INTRODUCTION. The use of plasma for sanitization purpose is of increasing interest. Annular plasma synthetic jet actuators (PSJAs) had demonstrated their ability to produce and induced tubular flow (Neretti et al., 2017, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 015210, 9pp) normal to the surface where the dielectric barrier discharge is ignited. This typology of reactor enhances the transport of reactive species toward the treated samples (Taglioli et al., 2016, Plasma sources Sci. Technol., 25 06LT01-5pp.). Long life charged particles are generated within the plasma region and then can be advected together with the induced flow. In this work the effect of free charges into induced flow have been tested against Candida guilliermondii both in agar plates and in water suspension. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Eighty ml suspension of C. guiliiermondii in saline solution (0.5 Mcfarland opacity) was prepared. The CFU of untreated suspension was determined performing multiple dilution that were plated on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) petri dishes that were incubated at 26°C for 48 hours. Aliquots of 100 μl of suspension were spread on the surface of 6 SDA plates (9 cm diameter); aliquots of 20 ml of suspension were put into six 9 cm plates. Agar plates were subjected to induced flow for 30 sec, 2 and 5 minutes and suspension plates for 5, 10 and 15 minutes, both with and without blocking the charges by a grounded metallic mesh. After treating, from each suspension CFU was calculated as previous described, while in the agar plates the colonies were directly counted after incubation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. The untreated yeast suspension contained 5.21 x 105 CFU/100 μl. In treated samples, the reduction of the CFU of the yeast was related to the treatment time and to presence/absence of free charges. The effect was greater on agar plate than on suspension: at the same time of treatment (5 minutes), only 1-log reduction of CFU were observed on suspension, while 4-log reduction was observed in agar plates. Additional 1-log reduction was observed when free charges have been allowed to reach the sample. On suspension, longer treatment time (15 min) was needed to obtain 2-log reduction without free charges and 4-log reduction with free charges.

Mentre molto si è fatto e si va facendo per approfondire le conoscenze sui parassiti dei cani da compagnia, ben poco conosciamo della situazione dei cani da pastore. Questa lacuna appare particolarmente grave perché sono questi ultimi che possono albergare e diffondere un parassita, Echinococcus granulosus, dal potenziale zoonotico di primaria importanza, soprattutto nel Bacino del Mediterraneo laddove l’allevamento ovi-caprino per la produzione del latte ha avuto le sue origini sin dal V° millennio a.C. Quando l’interesse economico prevale sulla Sanità Pubblica, le logiche commerciali che sottendono l’interesse per i parassiti del cane non considerano questa categoria di animali. Anche in questo campo Homo economicus prevale su H. sapiens. Non dobbiamo inoltre dimenticare che mentre si registra una notevole evoluzione tecnologica anche all’interno dell’allevamento ovi-caprino, molte aziende operano ancora a livello tradizionale e quindi sono tendenzialmente isolate dal contesto sociale e più restie ad interfacciarsi con la comunità scientifica. In queste realtà, mentre l’interesse per i parassiti degli ovini è abbastanza sviluppato in quanto soggiace a logiche economiche, quello per i parassiti del cane, che rimane un elemento essenziale nell’ambito della gestione aziendale, è del tutto trascurato, Per colmare questa lacuna abbiamo intrapreso un’indagine coprologica che non poteva prescindere da una serie di informazioni epidemiologiche ottenute con una scheda di acquisizione dati, all’uopo creata.

INTRODUCTION. The Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) is the only veterinary medicine faculty in Atlantic Canada. AVC was born in 1986 and also has a state-of-the-art teaching hospital. The parasitology diagnostic laboratory started a user-friendly data system that goes from January, 2000 to November, 2017. Really few surveys are present in literature like that (Raue et al., 2011, Parasitol. Res. 116:3315–3330). MATERIALS AND METHODS. The objective of this study was to summarize the parasitology laboratory exam results. Descriptive analysis was carried out with the Stata statistical software package, version 15.1. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS. A total of 35,513 samples were tested, belonging to exotic animals, wildlife, livestock and pets mostly from the eastern and Atlantic provinces of Canada. There was a mean of 1972.94 samples (525.05 SD) per year, and the range showed a minimum of 1365 and a maximum of 2954 per year. There were eight performed tests including: Baermann technique, Direct Smear, Egg counts, Sedimentation and Fecal flotation, Canine Heartworm Antigen Test, Neospora caninum Antibody Test, and Skin scraping. The kinds of specimens tested were feces, blood samples, sera and skin. The animal species represented in our study population were: dogs (19,570), bovine (4,797), cats (3,358), sheep (3,051), horses (2,312) and other (1,114), such as birds, foxes, goats, lynx, pigs and raccoons. Overall, out of 35,513 samples, 10,026 (28.2%) were positive for parasites. Protozoa were in 4068 (40.5%) of the 10,026 samples. Gastro-Intestinal Nematodes were found in 3658 samples (36%). Trichostrongyle eggs occupied approximately a third of the samples (40.9/). Cestoda were in 306 (3%) samples, of which Moniezia spp. played the greatest role (55.9%). Lungworms and Capillaridae were in 598 (6%) and 178 (2%) samples, respectively, where the most common species recovered was Crenosoma vulpis. Ascarididae were present in 803 (8%) samples, of which Toxocara spp. was the most frequent. Trematoda were found in 44 (0.43%) specimens. Mites were recovered in 28 of 97 (28.9%) skin scraping, and ten of those were identified as Demodex spp. Interesting results were 33 Alaria spp. cases, three in foxes and thirty in dogs. Also interesting was the detection of 21 cases of cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis in dog. Increasing surveillance of this vector-borne disease agent would be important as the climate, vector range, and habitat continues to change throughout Canada.

L'articolo presenta il confronto dei risultati ottenuti su un edificio in muratura da analisi statiche nonlineari utilizzando diversi software, disponibili anche a livello professionale, che operano nell'ambito di vari approcci di modellazione. La struttura esaminata è ispirata ad un edificio reale, la scuola "P. Capuzi" di Visso (MC), gravemente danneggiata a seguito degli eventi sismici che hanno interessato il Centro Italia nel 2016/2017. L'attività descritta si inquadra in un più ampio programma di ricerca svolto in sinergia da varie unità coinvolte nel progetto ReLUIS 2017/2108 - Linea Strutture in Muratura e avente come oggetto l'analisi di strutture benchmark per la valutazione dell'affidabilità di codici di calcolo. Obiettivi più generali dell'attività sono quelli di sensibilizzare i professionisti ad un uso più consapevole dei software e fornire loro strumenti utili ad analizzare criticamente qualità e correttezza delle soluzioni ottenute. I dati di input e alcune scelte di modellazione sono stati condivisi al fine di limitare la potenziale dispersione dei risultati e renderne meno problematico il confronto. Quest'ultima finalità è guidata dalla volontà di ottimizzare la fase di controllo dei risultati, per la quale sono state individuate precise modalità operative. Il confronto delle analisi è stato svolto in relazione a parametri: globali (inerenti le proprietà dinamiche, le curve di capacità globale e le relative curve bilineari equivalenti), sintetici della sicurezza strutturale (quale, ad esempio, l'accelerazione massima compatibile con lo stato limite di salvaguardia della vita) e interpretativi della risposta complessiva (relativi al quadro di danno simulato). I risultati presentati consentono di eseguire delle riflessioni sull'utilizzo dei software, sulla dispersione dei risultati ottenibili e sulle potenziali ricadute in ambito professionale.

Modern development of electronic control systems for agricultural tractors relies on model-based design of the control software and extensive virtual testing in simulation environments, before the final field tests on the actual machines. After the definition of requirements and specifications, each step of the typical development and validation flow, which includes model-, software- and hardware-in-the-loop (MIL, SIL, HIL) simulations, addresses different specific levels of detail in the control system while sharing the same top-level requirements in terms of desired machine behavior, thus making toolchain modularity and reusability paramount to optimize the whole development effort. A further level of complexity is added by distributed architectures, where multiple electronic units (ECUs) coordinate their operation via communication over a vehicle network, requiring proper verification of the exchange of signals conveying requests, feedbacks and status information. The present work focuses on a two-unit subsystem controlling the driveline in a class of tractors equipped with a CVT transmission, connected via CAN bus network. Dedicated verification modules have been implemented in the Matlab/Simulink/Stateflow environment, which monitor the relevant physical variables in the system (e.g. clutch pressures) and the message exchange between the two units (e.g. gear request and feedback). The CAN Watcher module internally implements a "reverse control logic", directly derived from the design requirements (i.e. independently of the actual control code implementation, for proper development-validation separation) to check that the overall system behavior be coherent with the maneuver being executed; CVT Performer instead dynamically tests the compliance to performance requirements (e.g. vehicle velocity profile). Each module can seamlessly be deployed as an independent software component in MIL, SIL and HIL environments and on a (dedicated) ECU for on-field online diagnostic.

International audience; What explains governing choices managing river restoration, including the choice not to restore the river? One answer to this question is to say that the policy and social dimension is a critical factor. However, this category is very broad, offering little specific guidance for research. In response, our aim in this chapter is to propose a new way of un-packing this dimension into a set of research questions paying greater attention to 'interdependency' in restoration governing practice. Three main types of interdependencies are highlighted: regulatory interdependencies, territorial interdependencies and knowledge interdependencies. In order to illustrate our argument, we have re-read the main results of a number of published case studies through the lens of our 'interdependency' framework. We have also provided a blueprint for a case study on the politics of interdependencies governing restoration of the Ciron river in France. We conclude by inviting reflection upon a number of points in relation to river restoration which emerge logically from our 'interdependency' framework.

Zoos are an ex-situ form of conservation were animals are breed in confined areas for recreational exhibition, educational or research and conservation purposes. Parasites and infectious diseases have become a major concern in conservation of endangered species as they can lead to mortality, dramatic population declines and even contribute to local extinction events. Some studies have showed that gastrointestinal parasites of wild animals in captivity included zoonotic species and rise public health concerns. According to Italian law (D.Lgs 73/2005), zoos housing domestic, wild and exotic animals are required to address both animal health and welfare. The last two words are suggestive for parasites control mainly in a more extensive space where many animals of different species share the same environment as in safari park. The study was carried out to know the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites of captive animals at Zoo Safari Ravenna in the Emilia-Romagna region. Fecal samples were collected in the biennium 2014/2016. The first year were recovered 94 samples, the second one 99. The seemingly low number of samples is due to the difficulties of getting the fecal material by a well known individual subject. In fact, we considered of little interest to analyze a fecal pool, much easier to get but poorly indicative; in this safari park many animals are not confined to a specific area but are free to move throughout the park area. The totality of fecal samples were screened using classical qualitative and quantitative analyzes. The species were grouped by theriological affinity in 3 groups: poligastric (18 species) and monogastric (4 species) herbivores and carnivores (2 species). In the first year, out of 94 fecal samples examined, 70 were positive for parasitic eggs/oocysts of different species indicating an overall prevalence of 74.5%, of which 4/17 carnivores 23.5%, 54/59 (91.5%) poligastric and 12/18 (66.6%) monogastric herbivores. The second year, out of 99 samples 56 were positive with a prevalence of 56.6% for gastrointestinal parasites, 6/16 (37.5%) among carnivores, 40/65 (61.5%) ruminants and finally 10/18 (55.5%) monogastric herbivores. Parasites recovered were: coccidia; Toxascaris leonina and Parascaris equorum; gastrointestinal strongyles and Nematodirus spp.; Capillaria spp. and Trichuris spp. McMaster examination showed an aggregate distribution (high proportion of parasite is concentrated in a few host individuals) of parasitic fauna inside the area. The Chi-square test revealed a significant difference (χ2=6.05; P

Light is the primary driver of orchard productivity and yields increase as light interception by orchards becomes higher. However, in some high light climates there may be an excess of light energy for optimum plant performance. Although tree responses to light appear to be linked to the amount of light intercepted, light quality also plays an important role. A better understanding of the effects of the light spectrum and the energy load that leaves experience because of their illumination might provide a further opportunity for increasing orchard sustainability while maintaining high yields of excellent quality fruit. In this study we present examples of apple and peach studies that have shown the negative effects of excessive light on photoinhibition and leaf photosynthesis, as well as the beneficial effects of shading and the use of photo selective nets to modulate and condition the orchard light microclimate.

Multilocus enzyme electrophoresis is the tool most frequently used to classify Leishmania spp., although it is time consuming and, sometimes, a not enough discriminative method. In the present study a kinetoplast DNA polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to characterize 16 zymodeme MON-1 Leishmania infantum strains: 15 were from dogs housed in public kennels of 7 geographical areas in the Emilia-Romagna region, Northern Italy, 1 was the L. infantum reference strain MHOM/TN/1980/IPT1. Six enzymatic patterns were observed. Kinetoplast DNA RFLP-PCR confirmed to have a good discriminatory power within the same zymodeme and proved to be useful for comparing few strains or discriminating between relapse and reinfection in the same host. We therefore recommend it use for discriminating between relapse and reinfection in the same host rather than supporting large-scale epidemiological studies.

A scaled-model of an HATCT (Horizontal Axis Tidal Current Turbine) was tested in the CNRINSEAN CirculatingWater Channel.Two different analyseswere performed during the experiments: preliminary investigation of the performances of the turbine in different working conditions and LDV (Laser Doppler Velocimetry) measurements in the near wake. Velocity measurements are performed in phase locking to the rotor, in order to resolve the blade wake structure at different working regimes. Indeed, the knowledge of all three velocity components (tangential, axial, radial) allows to evaluate through energy balance concerns, the transfer of inflow kinetic energy into mechanical work of the rotor and into different energy contributions in the wake. The LDV analysis of the near wake also contributes to understand some of the most important fluid dynamics aspects related to the design of the rotor and to the different working conditions, and can be used as a preliminary study for understanding the wake evolution and the interaction between two or more turbines in a farm.