Design of a Sustainable Blockchain-Oriented Software for Building Workers Management

The building workers sector is one of the most challenging sectors for Human Resources (HR) management. In this work, we propose a solution relying on Blockchain technology and present the design of a Blockchain-Oriented Software system conceived for managing the building workers sector with a focus on workers' safety, and it is guided by sustainable and Agile Methodologies in software design. The proposed approach takes advantage of different features of the Blockchain technology and provides transparency for labor inspectors, grants data integrity and immutability, relies on tamper-proof time stamps for any recorded activity, allows the implementation of Smart Contracts where clauses are automatically respected without the need of a trusted control authority, acknowledges the legal requirements in the field, including the possibility of creating an Operational Safety Plans, which construction companies have to provide, and finally implements the creation of vacant job positions that workers can find and apply to. In order to achieve these goals, we adopt the Blockchain-Oriented Software Engineering (BOSE) methodology to design Blockchain software applications and apply an Agile methodology centered on Blockchain Software development (called ABCDE) for the design and development of the decentralized application. Such a methodology allows us to center the software development around the actors of the system in the specific domain, such as Building Workers, Construction Companies, Labor Inspectors, and so on. In addition, we rely on the software sustainability analysis, based on the five dimensions of sustainability, to evaluate the approach and to avoid mistakes in the system development. We design system elements with specific diagrams, and we divided our system in the on-chain and the out-of-chain components. The implementation of the system, done by using Ethereum and the ERC721 standard, allows us to improve some aspect of the design, to know the deployment and usage costs, and to evaluate the effect of the user interface. Finally, we discuss the effects of our system and its sustainability, and we provide a comparison of our system with a similar per aims but centralized system

Carignan Grape Cultivar Salt Tolerance during the Germination Phase across the Mediterranean Basin

Carignan is a black grape cultivar widely planted throughout the western Mediterranean Basin. The grape faces significant viticultural hazards such as soil salinization, which affects about 6% of the world’s total land area. The search for salt tolerance genotypes to be introduced in crossbreeding programs and obtaining new cultivars is a key factor. The seed germination and salt tolerance of Carignan were studied from different coastal vineyards across the Mediterranean Basin, and as well as whether the distance from the sea affected germination and salt tolerance. Carignan seeds, independently of the temperature and distance from the sea, germinated more than 50% under 125 mM NaCl concentrations. Seed recovery was elevated, including the capacity of gemination after high salt exposure (500 mM NaCl). The results on germination behavior related to the distance from the sea showed that all tested vineyards, except for the one farthest from the sea, had similar germination responses. The optimum germination condition to select salt-tolerant accessions is alternating temperatures 25/10 °C and 125 mM NaCl. Thanks to the ability of the Carignan to germinate in a saline substrate and their capacity for recovery, it could be useful to crossbreeding programs, for integrating as rootstock selection or for the improvement of cultivars through sexual reproduction

Unearthing Grape Heritage: Morphological Relationships between Late Bronze–Iron Age Grape Pips and Modern Cultivars

The grapevine was one of the earliest domesticated fruit crops and has been cultivated since ancient times. It is considered one of the most important fruit crops worldwide for wine and table grape production. The current grape varieties are the outcome of prolonged selection initiated during the domestication process of their wild relative. Recent genetic studies have shed light on the origins of the modern domestic grapevine in western Europe, suggesting that its origin stems from the introgression between eastern domestic grapes and western wild grapes. However, the origin of ancient grapevines remains largely unexplored. In this study, we conducted an extensive analysis of 2228 well-preserved waterlogged archaeological grape pips from two sites in Sardinia (Italy), dated to the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1300-1100 BC) and the Iron Age (4th and 3rd centuries BC). Using morphometrics and linear discriminant analyses, we compared the archaeological grape pips with modern reference collections to differentiate between wild and domestic grape types and to investigate similarities with 330 modern cultivars. Grape pips from the Late Bronze Age displayed a high percentage of similarity with domesticated grapevines, with a small percentage assigned to wild ones, while the majority of grape pips from the Iron Age were classified as domestic. Discriminant analyses revealed that both white and red grape varieties were cultivated during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, suggesting a high level of diversification in grape cultivation. Furthermore, a high percentage of archaeological grape pips from both periods showed strong similarities with modern cultivars from the Caucasus and Balkans. This suggests that the great diversity of grapevines present in Sardinia could result from interbreeding between western Asian cultivars and local grapevines that began in the Late Bronze Age. Additionally, a substantial proportion of archaeological grape pips exhibited similar morphometric characteristics to two important Mediterranean grape cultivars: "Muscat à petits grains blancs" and "Garnacha"

Domestic grape germination behaviour: the ‘Chardonnay’ and ‘Syrah’international cultivars’s study case

The domestic grape germination eco-physiology is a little studied aspect since reproduction occurs predominantly agamically, despite the sexual reproduction remains the main form for the selection of new cultivars. In this study, two international cultivars grown all over the world-Chardonnay and Syrah-were chosen as models of the domestic grape for the experiments in the eco-physiology of germination. The experimental design consisted of chemical, mechanical pre-treatments and combination of them as the bird ingestion pre-treatment that simulates the transit through the digestive tract of birds. Furthermore, seeds were submitted to different periods of cold stratification -0, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days -to simulate the winter effect. Seeds were placed to germinate at different incubation temperatures, to find the optimal germination protocol. The results showed that domestic grapes retain the need for cold stratification, and the best germination temperature is represented by the fluctuating temperature that simulates spring conditions. Our results help to understand what the best germination conditions of domestic grapes are and offer a contribution to extend the knowledge on how the process of domestication may have affected the biology of Vitis vinifera L. subsp. vinifera

Contribution to a new vascular flora of Sardinia (Italy): I (1-30)

In the context of creating a new, updated, and revised vascular flora of Sardinia, this work contributes new data on the distribution of various taxa in the island. These include both native and alien taxa, which are characterized by their rarity, limited recognition, hytogeographical significance, potential issues, or novelty to Sardinia. These updates mostly result from floristic research primarily conducted in north Sardinia, with several discoveries in other sectors of the island. The first report of Convolvulus sabatius subsp. mauritanicus, Cyperus brevifolioides (naturalized) and Brachychiton populneus (casual alien) in Sardinia is documented here. Moreover, this study includes new distributional data for 27 taxa, some of which required confirmation. Notably, Trifolium clusii, previously considered doubtful in recent years, along with Fuirena pubescens and Silene inaperta, which were indicated for the southern part of Sardinia over thirty years ago and have not been reported elsewhere since. For others, an expansion or a better definition of their distribution range within the island is documented, as in the case of Chloris gayana, Digitaria ciliaris, Eragrostis curvula, Paraserianthes lophantha, Sporobolus indicus (naturalized alien species), Asparagus asparagoides, Cenchrus setaceus, Eclipta prostrata, Halophila stipulacea (invasive alien species), Allium sardoum, A. savii, Anthyllis barba-jovis, Asplenium marinum, Bellevalia romana, Butomus umbellatus, Cladium mariscus, Dianthus sardous, Dysphania botrys, Jacobaea maritima subsp. maritima, Leersia oryzoides, Nepeta foliosa, Nuphar lutea, Spirodela polyrrhiza, Utricularia australis (rare native)

Phenotypic Identification of Landraces of Phaseolus lunatus L. from the Northeastern Region of Brazil Using Morpho-Colorimetric Analysis of Seeds

Phaseolus lunatus L. is a species of landrace bean widely cultivated in Northeast Brazil. The integration of new technologies in the agricultural sector has highlighted the significance of seed images analysis as a valuable asset in the characterization process. The objective was to assess the morphology of 18 P. lunatus varieties gathered from four states in the Brazilian Northeast. To achieve this, 100 seeds from each variety were utilized, and their images were acquired using a flatbed scanner with a digital resolution of 400 dpi. Subsequently, the images were processed using the ImageJ software package for analyzing seed size, shape and color characteristics. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software applying stepwise Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA). The overall accuracy rate for correct identification was 80.5%. Among the varieties, the lowest classification percentage was attributed to the ‘Coquinho Vermelha’ variety (39%), while the highest rates were observed for ‘Fava Roxa’ and ‘Fava de Moita’ (98%). The morpho-colorimetric classification system successfully discriminated the varieties of P. lunatus produced in the northeastern region of Brazil, highlighting the -+*/high degree of diversity within them. In particular, seeds with uniform coloring or clearly defined secondary color patterns were easier to classify. The varieties showed low correlation, forming distinct groups based on background color, secondary color, or seed size

Helichrysum microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum, Its Root-Associated Microorganisms, and Wood Chips Represent an Integrated Green Technology for the Remediation of Petroleum Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils

Phytoremediation and the use of suitable amendments are well-known technologies for the mitigation of petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) contaminations in terrestrial ecosystems. Our study is aimed at combining these two approaches to maximize their favorable effects. To this purpose, Helichrysum microphyllum subsp. tyrrhenicum, a Mediterranean shrub growing on sandy and semiarid soils, was selected. The weathered PHC-polluted matrix (3.3 ± 0.8 g kg−1 dry weight) from a disused industrial site was employed as the cultivation substrate with (WCAM) or without (UNAM) the addition and mixing of wood chips. Under the greenhouse conditions, the species showed a survival rate higher than 90% in the UNAM while the amendment administration restored the totality of the plant survival. At the end of the greenhouse test (nine months), the treatment with the wood chips significantly increased the moisture, dehydrogenase activity and abundance of the microbial populations of the PHC degraders in the substrate. Cogently, the residual amount of PHCs was significantly lower in the UNAM (3–92% of the initial quantity) than in the WCAM (3–14% of the initial quantity). Moreover, the crown diameter was significantly higher in the WCAM plants. Overall, the results establish the combined technology as a novel approach for landscaping and the bioremediation of sites chronically injured by PHC-weathered contaminations

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 17

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records and status changes from casual to naturalized for Italy or for Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Callianthe, Chamaecyparis, Chamaeiris, Cotoneaster, Erigeron, Freesia, Hemerocallis, Juglans, Kalanchoë, Ludwigia, Nassella, Paulownia, Physocarpus, Pistia, Saccharum, Setaria, and Vachellia. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as supplementary material

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 12

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 11

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates published elsewhere are provided as Suppl. material 1