Progetto e Realizzazione di una Libreria Grafica per Applicazioni Didattiche

La Tesi Tratta la Progettazione e la Realizzazione di uno Strumento Didattico per l'Apprendimento sia Teorico che Pratico di come si Costruiscono le Interfacce Grafiche

Surrogate Modeling of Buckling Analysis in Support of Composite Structure Optimization

Abstract: Problem of aircraft structural components (wing, fuselage, tail

The government policy related to sugar-sweetened beverages in Indonesia

-There are several options to enforce reduction in the use of sugary drinks such as strengthening regulations, taxation on the products and food labeling. Aims & Objectives: 1) Identify the policy in Indonesia that regulates the quantity and the use of sugar in a beverage product; 2) Describe the sugar content in sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and its impact on human health. Material & Methods: Literature search on sugar use and tax policies on SSB was conducted and 6 relevant documents were found. A total of 91 SSB products were selected systematically by randomly selecting 5 beverages per day for 20 days. Beverages chosen were certified Halal by Majelis Ulama Indonesia, having product labeling, and certified by BPOM. Results: Indonesia has no policy related to restriction of sugar use. The contribution of sugar to energy of SSB products is quite high (75.68%). SSB intake may increase the risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases. Conclusion: The absence of tax policy and rules for regulating the use of sugar in a product can cause an increase in sugar consumption per day. It could potentially lead to non-communicable diseases and could have enormous consequences in health financing. The government needs to create policies for preventing the widespread impact of sugar consumption. Advocacy efforts to encourage the establishment of SSB taxation should be done

Divergent Responses in Growth and Nutritional Quality of Coastal Macroalgae to the Combination of Increased pCO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e and Nutrients

Coastal ecosystems are subjected to global and local environmental stressors, including increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) (and subsequent ocean acidification) and nutrient loading. Here, we tested how two common macroalgal species in the Northwest Atlantic (Ulva spp. and Fucus vesiculosus Linneaus) respond to the combination of increased CO2 and nutrient loading. We utilized two levels of pCO2 with two levels of nutrients in a full factorial design, testing the growth rates and tissue quality of Ulva and Fucus grown for 21 days in monoculture and biculture. We found that the opportunistic, fast-growing Ulva exhibited increased growth rates under high pCO2 and high nutrients, with growth rates increasing three-fold above Ulva grown in ambient pCO2 and ambient nutrients. By contrast, Fucus growth rates were not impacted by either environmental factor. Both species exhibited a decline in carbon to nitrogen ratios (C:N) with elevated nutrients, but pCO2 concentration did not alter tissue quality in either species. Species grown in biculture exhibited similar growth rates to those in monoculture conditions, but Fucus C:N increased significantly when grown with Ulva, indicating an effect of the presence of Ulva on Fucus. Our results suggest that the combination of ocean acidification and nutrients will enhance abundance of opportunistic algal species in coastal systems and will likely drive macroalgal community shifts, based on species-specific responses to future conditions

Impact of multiple disturbances and stress on the temporal trajectories and resilience of benthic intertidal communities

Coastal ecosystems face severe environmental change and anthropogenic pressures that affect both the structure and functioning of communities. Understanding the response and resilience of communities that face multiple simultaneous disturbances and stresses becomes essential. We observed the recovery of a rocky intertidal subarctic macrobenthic community dominated by a macroalgal canopy (Fucus spp.), a habitat-forming species, over a period of 14 months. Using 0.25-m(2) plots, we ran an in situ one-pulse experiment (removal of all materials to bare rock and then burning of the surface) followed by a full orthogonal factorial design of three press-type disturbances or stresses: grazer reduction, canopy removal, and nutrient enrichment. We evaluated the single and interactive effects of the three disturbances and stresses on species diversity and abundance structure. Of all the main effects, canopy removal has the most severe impact, resulting in decreased biomass, richness, and diversity, as well as an altered community structure. Canopy-removed plots had fewer invertebrates and more ephemeral algae; beyond this, however, there was minimal effect from grazer reduction and nutrient enrichment acting individually. We categorized the interaction types of all significant interaction effects: Canopy removal had a dominant effect over grazer reduction on richness, and it also dominated over nutrient enrichment on diversity and evenness. Nutrient enrichment and canopy removal had a negative synergistic interaction effect on richness at the end of the experiment. Without stressors, 11 months were required to achieve full recovery. The three stressors affected recovery time differently, depending on the identity and the number of stressors. Three stressors generally increased the time of recovery or even prevented recovery from being fully attained. Moreover, community structure and composition of plots subjected to the triple-stressor treatment had not fully recovered by the end of the study. Our results suggest that multiple stressors may interact on community indices and structure and that their interaction cannot be predicted from the outcome of single stressor studies. The inclusion of multiple disturbances and stresses in field experiments provides a better understanding of the mechanisms that shape community structure and their functioning following various forms of disturbance

Study of resistance to carbapenems and third-genetation cephalosporins in dairy cattle

La resistenza antimicrobica è uno dei principali problemi di salute pubblica del ventunesimo secolo. In particolare, la resistenza ai carbapenemi si osserva prettamente tra batteri Gram-negativi quali Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli e Acinetobacter spp. ed è caratterizzata da un meccanismo di tipo acquisito, responsabile della diffusione di geni di resistenza, codificanti per le cosiddette carbapenemasi, tra le differenti specie batteriche. È un fenomeno diffuso in tutti i continenti, con significative prevalenze anche tra i diversi paesi europei. Nonostante la somministrazione di carbapenemi sia bandita in ambito veterinario, sono stati segnalati microrganismi resistenti anche nelle specie animali da reddito, probabilmente come conseguenza della diffusione ambientale di batteri resistenti ai carbapenemi di origine umana. A fianco di tale fenomeno non va tralasciata la diffusione di batteri produttori di β-lattamasi a spettro esteso (ESBL), che conferiscono resistenza a diversi beta-lattamici, comprese le cefalosporine di terza generazione, ampiamente utilizzate sia in medicina umana che veterinaria. Il presente lavoro di tesi è stato condotto presso l’Unità Operativa di Ispezione degli Alimenti di Origine Animale del Dipartimento di Scienze Medico-Veterinarie dell’Università degli Studi di Parma. Da Dicembre 2018 a Giugno 2019 sono stati prelevati 200 campioni di feci da altrettanti bovini macellati, al fine di valutare la prevalenza di batteri resistenti nei confronti dei carbapenemi e di batteri ESBL. Mediante il Kirby-Bauer test sono stati identificati 13 ceppi batterici resistenti al meropenem e 15 intermedi, di cui solo 2 isolati sono risultati di resistenza intermedia secondo il metodo della microdiluizione. Lo studio relativo alle cefalosporine ha messo in evidenza 39 ceppi resistenti a cefotaxime e a ceftazidime (cefalosporine di terza generazione) e positivi al test di sinergia con acido clavulanico. È ben chiaro come il fenomeno della resistenza agli antibiotici, in particolare i cosiddetti Critically Important Antimicrobials (CIA), sia un problema in grado di coinvolgere in maniera sempre crescente anche il settore veterinario, motivo per cui è necessario un continuo monitoraggio in tutte le specie d’allevamento destinate al consumo umano, al fine di prevenire la trasmissione di batteri zoonosici antibiotico-resistenti dagli animali all’uomo tramite la catena alimentare.Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health problems of the twenty-first century. In particular, resistance to carbapenems is observed purely among Gram-negative bacteria such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Acinetobacter spp. and is characterized by an acquired type of mechanism, responsible for the diffusion of resistance genes, coding for the so-called carbapenemases, among the different bacterial species. It is a widespread phenomenon affecting all continents, with significant prevalence even among the different European countries. Although the administration of carbapenems is banned in the veterinary setting, resistant microorganisms have also been reported in livestock species, probably as a consequence of the environmental spread of bacteria resistant to carbapenems of human origin. Alongside this phenomenon, the diffusion of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing bacteria (ESBL), which confer resistance to various beta-lactams, including third-generation cephalosporins, widely used both in human and veterinary medicine, should not be overlooked. The present thesis was conducted at the Unit of Inspection of Food of Animal Origin of the Department of Veterinary Science of the University of Parma. From December 2018 to June 2019, 200 stool samples were collected from as many slaughtered cattle, in order to assess the prevalence of resistant bacteria against carbapenems and ESBL bacteria. Using the Kirby-Bauer test, 13 bacterial strains resistant to meropenem and 15 intermediates were identified. Among the isolates only 2 strains were classified as intermediate resistant according to the microdilution method. In addition, 39 strains resistant to cefotaxime and ceftazidime (third-generation cephalosporins) and positive to the synergy test with clavulanic acid were detected. In conclusion, the phenomenon of antimicrobial resistance against the so-called Critically Important Antimicrobials (CIA) is increasingly involving the veterinary sector. For this reason, it seems to be necessary to continuously monitor all breeding species intended for human consumption, in order to prevent the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant zoonotic bacteria from animals to humans through the food chai

Impacts of altered physical and biotic conditions in rocky intertidal systems: implications for the structure and functioning of complex macroalgal assemblages

Complex biogenic habitats created by large canopy-forming macroalgae on intertidal and shallow subtidal rocky reefs worldwide are increasingly affected by degraded environmental conditions at local scales and global climate-driven changes. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the impacts of complex suites of anthropogenic stressors on algal forests is essential for the conservation and restoration of these habitats and of their ecological, economic and social values. This thesis tests physical and biological mechanisms underlying the impacts of different forms of natural and human-related disturbance on macroalgal assemblages dominated by fucoid canopies along the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. A field removal experiment was initially set up to test assemblage responses to mechanical perturbations of increasing severity, simulating the impacts of disturbance agents affecting intertidal habitats such as storms and human trampling. Different combinations of assemblage components (i.e., canopy, mid-canopy and basal layer) were selectively removed, from the thinning of the canopy to the destruction of the entire assemblage. The recovery of the canopy-forming fucoids Hormosira banksii and Cystophora torulosa was affected by the intensity of the disturbance. For both species, even a 50% thinning had impacts lasting at least eighteen months, and recovery trajectories were longer following more intense perturbations. Independently of assemblage diversity and composition at different sites and shore heights, the recovery of the canopy relied entirely on the increase in abundance of these dominant fucoids in response to disturbance, indicating that functional redundancy is limited in this system. Minor understory fucoids, which could have provided functional replacement for the dominant habitat formers, had reduced rates of growth or recruitment when the overlying canopy was disturbed. I then used a combination of field and laboratory experiments to test the impacts of physical and biotic stress sources on the dominant fucoids H. banksii and C. torulosa. The large fucoid Durvillaea antarctica was also included in one of the laboratory investigations. I assessed how altered physical and biotic conditions affect these important habitat formers, both separately and in combination. Physical stressors included increased sedimentation, nutrient enrichment and warmer water temperatures. Biotic stress originated from interspecific competition with turfs of articulated coralline algae and ephemeral, fast-growing green and brown algae. Sediment deposition severely reduced the survival and growth of recently settled H. banksii, C. torulosa and D. antarctica germlings in laboratory experiments. In the field, the recruitment of H. banksii on unoccupied substrates was significantly higher than in treatments in which sediments or mats of turf-forming coralline algae covered the substrate. This shows that sediment deposition and space pre-emption by algal turfs can synergistically affect the development of fucoid beds. Further impacts of sediment accumulation in the benthic environment were investigated using in situ and laboratory photorespirometry techniques to assess the contribution of coralline algae to assemblage net primary productivity (NPP), both in the presence and absence of sediment. The NPP of articulated corallines was reduced by sediment. Sediment accumulation among the thalli limited the access of the corallines to the light and induced photoinhibitive mechanisms. In the absence of sediment, however, coralline algae enhanced the NPP of assemblages with a fucoid canopy, showing the importance of synergistic interactions among the components of multi-layered assemblages in optimizing light use. Nutrient enrichment had a less pervasive influence on the dominant fucoids H. banksii and C. torulosa than sedimentation. In laboratory experiments, nutrients stimulated the growth of H. banksii and C. torulosa germlings. However, negative impacts of high nutrient levels were observed for the early life stages of D. antarctica. The abundance of opportunistic, fast-growing algae rapidly increased in response to nutrient enrichment both in the laboratory and in the field. Impacts of ephemeral species on fucoid early life stages were only evident in laboratory contexts, where green algae of the genus Ulva impaired both the settlement of H. banksii zygotes and the growth of its germlings. Fucoid recruitment in the field was not affected by increased covers of ephemeral algae caused by enhanced nutrient regimes, indicating that H. banksii and C. torulosa may be resistant to short-term (one year) nutrient pollution. In the laboratory, increased temperatures within the range predicted for the end of the 21st century caused increased mortality in the H. banksii, C. torulosa and D. antarctica germlings. In a separate experiment, a combination of warmer water temperatures and nutrient enrichment enhanced the growth of ephemeral green algae. These results suggest that opposite responses to altered climate conditions may contribute to shifts from complex biogenic habitats dominated by macroalgal canopies to simplified systems monopolized by a limited number of stress-tolerant species. This research contributes to a clearer mechanistic understanding of biotic and physical mechanisms shaping the structure of coastal marine hard bottom communities under increasingly stressful conditions worldwide. These findings may provide insights for other studies investigating the complex mosaic of challenges facing marine coastal ecosystems

RECOVER Issue 4

Welcome to the Recover newsletter Issue 4 from the Marine Ecology Research Group (MERG) of the University of Canterbury. Recover is designed to keep you updated on our MBIE-funded earthquake recovery project called RECOVER (Reef Ecology, Coastal Values & Earthquake Recovery). This 4th instalment covers recent work on seaweed recovery in the subtidal zone, ecological engineering in Waikoau / Lyell Creek, and a sneak preview of drone survey results

Patterns of spatial variability in the abundance of exotic algal species in shallow subtidal assemblages exposed to different levels of anthropogenic stress

Habitat degradation and biological invasions are two widespread and closely linked components of global environmental change, with serious ecological and economic consequences. There is a vast literature documenting a positive relationship between invasibility and disturbance, mainly for terrestrial systems. In particular, stressed environments are generally less resistant to invasions. Many studies have, in fact, shown that introduced species tend to take advantage of environmental alterations and successfully spread within communities altered by human perturbations. The primary aim of this study is to assess whether the abundance of the exotic macrophytes, Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea, Codium fragile spp. Tomentosoides and Asparagopsis taxiformis, varies among coastal environments exposed to different levels of anthropogenic disturbance. According to the theory predicting that anthropogenic stress provides opportunities for invasion to introduced specie, we expected communities more exposed to human pressure to be more heavily invaded. To test this hypothesis, we carried out an observational study, along the coast between the urban centers of Livorno and Rosignano Solvay (about 25 km), between July and September 2008. In both localities, on the basis of distance from urban centers, we qualitatively identified a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance, consisting of three different conditions: Urban (high disturbance), Extra-urban (medium disturbance) and off-shore Shoal (low disturbance). we then built a hierarchical sampling design, including, for each condition, a spatial replication across four scales, ranging from a few centimeters to a maximum of about 25 km. The percentage cover and presence/absence of C. racemosa, C. fragile and A. taxiformis, were chosen as response variables, running both linear and logistic regressions. We also created a further dichotomic variable, named Invasive, grouping together the three exotic species. This sampling design allowed us to test the disturbance-invasibility hypothesis, as well as to assess the spatial variability in the abundance of C. racemosa, C. fragile and A. taxiformis. Investigation of spatial variations in the distribution of invasive species is a key issue in invasion biology, as it represents the first step towards the comprehension of the mechanisms generating the observed patterns. Furthermore, in order to identify the factors driving the spatial distribution of the exotic algae, we investigated various physical and biological attributes of the recipient systems, which we considered as influential in regulating their invasibility. A number of biotic (composition and spatial configuration of benthic habitats, abundance and diversity of organisms belonging to different trophic levels) and abiotic (depth, seabed topographic complexity at two different scales) variables were registered. Including these variables as covariates into the analysis, we estimated their relative contribution to the observed spatial variability in the abundance of C. racemosa, C. fragile and A. taxiformis. Data analysis, performed by means of hierarchical linear regression models (HLM), did not reveal any significant difference between the three levels of anthropogenic stress for none of the response variables. Spatial variability in the distribution of exotic species was mostly concentrated at intermediate spatial scale (few hundreds of meters). Covariate inclusion produced different results, depending on the response variable. They contributed to explain the spatial variability in the percentage cover of C. racemosa and in the probability of occurrence of C. racemosa and Invasive. These results show that the process of invasion of resident subtidal assemblages by C. racemosa could have reached an advanced phase. The alga is well established along the coastline of Livorno and was present in great abundance at all study sites, regardless of environmental conditions. C. fragile and A. taxiformis, on the contrary, despite being commonly acknowledged as highly invasive species, were recorded in low abundance (only at Livorno, in Urban and Extra-urban areas) and displayed an irregular patchy distribution in our study system. However, no significant difference was found among levels of anthropogenic impact, probably because of the limited number of observations for these two species. Such contrasting distribution patterns, suggest that invasions are context-specific processes, depending on both properties of recipient system and traits of the invaders. Moreover, our results highlight the importance of distinguishing among introduced species characterized by different morphological and functional traits. The present study also represents a first important step towards the comprehension of factors and processes driving the distribution of C. racemosa, C. fragile and A. taxiformis in temperate shallow subtidal assemblages. After identifying the spatial scales where variability in the abundance of these species occurs, we selected biotic and abiotic variables able to explain the observed spatial patterns of distribution. Basing on the results here reported, further analysis of this dataset may show the importance and the direction of the effect of each of these variables on the abundance of C. racemosa, C. fragile and A. taxiformis. Thus, this work can be considered as a starting point for future investigations, aiming at providing new insights into prevention and management of invasions in coastal habitats