Transport in porous media with nonlinear flow condition

We investigate local aspects and heterogeneities of porous medium morphology and relate them to the relevant mechanisms of momentum transfer. In the inertial flow range, there are very few experimental data that allow to recognize the effects of porous structure on the flow and transport through porous media. An experimental analysis was performed in order to understand above processes at different Reynolds numbers in randomly structured porous media. The objective of the analysis is to explore the effects of porous media particle size on inertial and viscous forces and determine range of the Reynolds numbers in which the inertial flow predominantly contributes in dispersive processes. Transport characteristics of the randomly structured porous media and the influence of inertial force on longitudinal and transverse dispersion coefficients were studied

Assessment of Hydrological Processes in an Ungauged Catchment in Eritrea

This study investigates the surface processes taking place in an ungauged catchment in the Foro region in Eritrea (East Africa). We focus on estimating river discharge, sediment transport, and surface runoff to characterize hydrological fluxes in the area and provide a preliminary quantification of sediment transport and erosion. In this context, an overarching objective of the research is the study of the catchment associated with the Foro Dam. The latter comprises a silted reservoir formerly employed for agricultural water supply. The main traits associated with the system behavior across the watershed are assessed for a variety of combinations of the parameters governing the hydrological model selected. A detailed sensitivity analysis is performed to quantify the effects of the hydrological parameters on the estimated results. Numerical analyses are then performed to obtain an appraisal of expected water and sediment fluxes. Outputs of interest are largely dominated by the curve number parameter

Animal tumour registry of two provinces in northern Italy: incidence of spontaneous tumours in dogs and cats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cancer is a major cause of death in domestic animals. Furthermore, many forms of pet neoplasm resemble that of their human counterparts in biologic behaviour, pathologic expression, and recognised risk factors.</p> <p>In April 2005, a pilot project was activated so as to establish a dog and cat tumour registry living in the Venice and Vicenza provinces (Veneto Region, north-eastern Italy), with the aim of estimating the incidence of spontaneous tumours.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Through a telephone survey, the estimates of canine and feline populations of the catchment area turned out to be of 296,318 (CI +/- 30,201) and 214,683 (CI +/- 21,755) subjects, respectively. During the first three years, overall 2,509 canine and 494 feline cases of neoplasia were diagnosed. In dogs, the estimated annual incidence rate (IR) per 100,000 dogs for all tumours was 282 in all the catchment area, whereas in cats the IR was much lower (IR = 77). Malignant and benign tumours were equally distributed in male and female dogs, whereas cats had a 4.6-fold higher incidence of malignant tumours than benign. In both dogs and cats, purebreds had an almost 2-fold higher incidence of malignant tumours than mixed breeds. Tumour incidence increased with age in both dog and cat populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has provided estimates of incidence of spontaneous neoplasm in companion animals. Further attempts will be made to increase the accuracy in the population size assessment and to ascertain the real gap with the official regional canine demographic registry. Veterinary practitioners may also benefit from the tumour registry insofar they may obtain data for specific breeds, age groups or geographical areas.</p

Histology as a Valid Tool To Differentiate Fresh from Frozen-Thawed Marinated Fish.

European Commission Regulation (EU) 1276/2011 requires that fishery products intended for raw consumption be frozen at -20°C for not less than 24 h or at -35°C for at least 15 h in order to kill viable parasites other than trematodes. But because marinating processes are not always effective in destroying nematode larvae, raw marinated fish preparations should be frozen before consumption. This study evaluated the performance of a standardized histological method to distinguish between fresh and frozen-thawed raw marinated fish. Sixty anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) fillets were sampled: 30 were marinated at +4°C for 24 h, and 30 were frozen at -20°C for 24 h before being marinated for 24 h. All 60 samples were fixed in formalin, processed for paraffin embedding, cut, and stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The slide preparations were examined microscopically by three independent histopathologists and classified as frozen-thawed or negative according to standard operating procedure criteria in use at our laboratory. Performance evaluation of the method showed 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI], 88.4 to 100%) and 100% specificity (95% CI, 88.4 to 100%), and the interrater agreement (Cohen's kappa) was 1 (95% CI, 0.85 to 1). Histology proved a valid and reliable tool to distinguish fresh from frozen-thawed marinated fish. It can be applied to deliver safe raw fishery products to consumers in order to minimize the risk of anisakidosis

Abbecedario del postumanismo

Il postumanismo è molte cose. È una corrente filosofica che mette in discussione le radici umanistiche del pensiero occidentale. È una riflessione ad ampio spettro sul rapporto tra techne e realtà, sull'evoluzione delle forme umane, sull'Antropocene. È una metamorfosi del nostro modo di interfacciarci col mondo, una via per riscoprire Gaia e le molteplici alterità che la popolano. Ogni cambiamento rende necessario un nuovo vocabolario. E i concetti sono in continua rielaborazione in un'officina del pensiero come quella postumanista, che non pone limiti, non ricerca sintesi, ma si fa nomade tra pluriversi. Se il postumanismo ascrive e rielabora i termini in funzione di un diverso modo di rispondere al presente, allora quest'opera ha il compito di raccontarli. E lo fa chiamando a raccolta i più importanti nomi postumanisti italiani ed europei, che da anni animano questa corrente filosofica, allo scopo di fornire una bussola con cui orientarsi nel complesso dibattito sul futuro della nostra specie.2021-2

A relevant long-term impact of the circulation of a potentially contaminated vaccine on the distribution of scrapie in Italy. Results from a retrospective cohort study

A sudden increase in the incidence of scrapie in Italy in 1997 was subsequently linked to the use of a potentially infected vaccine against contagious agalactia. The relative risk for the exposed farms ranged between 6 and 40. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term impact of exposure to the potentially scrapie-contaminated vaccine on the Italian classical scrapie epidemic. We carried out a retrospective cohort study, fitting mixed-effects Poisson regression models, dividing national geographic areas into exposure categories on the basis of the vaccine circulation levels. We took into account the sensitivity of the surveillance system applied in the different areas. The population attributable fraction (PAF) was used to assess the impact on the total population of farms associated with the effect of circulation of the vaccine. The provinces where the vaccine was more often sold were noted to have a higher level of disease when compared to those provinces where the vaccine was sold less often (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 2.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1-6.5). The population attributable fraction was high (68.4%). Standardization techniques allowed to account for the potential of geographical variability in the sensitivity of the Italian surveillance system. Although the number of the directly exposed farms was limited, an important long-term impact of the vaccine circulation could be quantified in terms of secondary outbreaks likely due to the exchange of animals from directly exposed flocks

Arcobacter spp. in raw milk from vending machines in Piedmont and occurrence of virulence genes in isolates

Arcobacter spp. has been recognized as an emerging foodborne pathogen and a hazard to human health. In the dairy chain, it has been isolated from different sources, nevertheless data on Arcobacter occurrence in raw milk provided by vending machines are few. This study aimed to identify potentially pathogenic Arcobacter spp. in raw milk intended for human consumption sold through vending machines located in Piedmont. In an 8-month period, 37 raw milk samples were collected from 24 dairy farms: 12 (32,4%) were collected directly in farm from bulk tank milk and 25 (67,6%) from vending machines. Eight (21,6%) out of the 37 milk samples and 7 (29,2%) out of the 24 dairy farms were positive for Arcobacter spp. by culture examination. Four (16%) out of the 25 samples from vending machines and 4 (33,3%) out of the 12 samples from bulk tank milk were positive. All 8 isolates were identified as A. butzleri both by MALDI-TOF MS and multiplex end-point PCR. According to the detection of virulence genes, a total of four Patho-types were highlighted: 5 isolates in P-type 1 and only one isolate for each of the P-types 2-3-4. A. butzleri isolates carrying encoding virulence factors genes were isolated from raw milk intended for human consumption: these findings strengthen the compulsory consumption after boiling as required by current legislation and suggest the need of enlarging the analytical investigations to other microorganisms not yet included in the food safety criteria

Characterization of amyloid-\u3b2 deposits in bovine brains

Amyloid-\u3b2 (A\u3b2) deposits are seen in aged individuals of many mammalian species that possess the same aminoacid sequence as humans. This study describes A\u3b2 deposition in 102 clinically characterized cattle brains from animals aged 0 to 20 years. Extracellular and intracellular A\u3b2 deposition was detected with 4G8 antibody in the cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum. X-34 staining failed to stain A\u3b2 deposits, indicating the non \u3b2-pleated nature of these deposits. Western blot analysis and surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (SELDI-TOF) mass spectrometry revealed in Tris, Triton, and formic acid fractions the presence of different A\u3b2 peptides, characterized mainly by C-terminally truncated forms. Exploration of the genetic variability of APOE, PSEN1, and PSEN2 genes involved in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis revealed several previously unreported polymorphisms. This study demonstrates certain similarities between A\u3b2 deposition patterns exhibited in cattle brains and those in the human brain in early stages of aging. Furthermore, the identification of the same A\u3b2 peptides reported in humans, but unable to form aggregates, supports the hypothesis that cattle may be protected against amyloid plaque formation

Feasibility Study of a Table Prototype Made of High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

The challenging and innovative idea of realizing a table totally made of fiber-reinforced concrete is explored through an interdisciplinary research activity, where contributions coming from different fields (design, material science, experimental testing, numerical modeling) are combined. The paper describes the different phases of the study, starting from the design of the table, moving through the development of a purpose-made high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete and the mechanical characterization via experimental testing, and concluding with numerical modeling. Numerical results are determined by implementing a damage plasticity constitutive model in a finite element code. The mechanical response of the table has been analyzed for different loading and boundary conditions, and an exhaustive and complete picture of the possible failure mechanisms has been drawn. Simulations have clearly described the different stress-softening processes of damage evolution and plastic strains localization, pointing out the vulnerable parts of the table. Finally, strategies for improving the table mechanical performances are discussed

Narrazioni animali: come la questione cinghiale viene trattata ne Il Centro. Quotidiano D\u2019Abruzzo

Introduzione: Nata dalla sollecitazione di un professore dell\u2019Universit\ue0 di Teramo, questa tesi analizza criticamente come la relazione tra umani e cinghiali viene narrata sul sito web di un giornale locale. Lo fa prendendo in esame 326 articoli pubblicati online fra il 2016 e il 2019 da Il Centro. Quotidiano d\u2019Abruzzo. I tre aspetti fondamentali considerati per analizzare il fenomeno (chi \ue8 coinvolto, cosa dice, come lo dice) sono stati indagati attraverso tecniche che appartengono all\u2019analisi quantitativa, integrate da analisi di tipo qualitativo. Nell\u2019esaminare la questione si \ue8 fatto riferimento all\u2019ampio campo di studi denominato human-wildlife conflict, che indaga la competizione diretta tra animali umani e non umani competono per risorse e spazio . Il ricorso alla parola \u2018conflitto\u2019 \ue8 1 dovuto alla maggiore attenzione riservata alle interazioni che provocano danni alle attivit\ue0 umane. La stessa comunit\ue0 scientifica, per\uf2, ha incominciato ad interrogarsi sull\u2019appropriatezza di questa classificazione che, non solo adombra le altre forme di coesistenza, ma cela, dietro una controversia interspecifica, questioni e dibattiti che appartengono esclusivamente alla sfera antropica2. Per ragioni di spazio e di tempo, questo lavoro non propone un esame critico dell\u2019uso del termine conflitto. Tuttavia, dove possibile, ha preferito sostituirlo con parole pi\uf9 neutre, quali \u2018interazione\u2019, 'coesistenza\u2019, \u2018relazione\u2019 e simili; a incominciare dal tramutare l\u2019espressione \u2018human-wildlife conflict\u2019 in \u2018human-wildlife interaction\u2019. Pi\uf9 in generale, gli human-wildlife interacion s\u2019interessano sia della dimensione ecologica delle interazioni (impatti, biologia delle specie coinvolte, entit\ue0 dei danni nel tempo e nello spazio) sia di quella socio-antropologica. All\u2019interno di quest\u2019ultima si pu\uf2 distinguere tra indagini che riguardano il merito, ossia i casi specifici di policy making e di gestione della fauna, e analisi che attengono alla narrazione delle interazioni nei media specialistici, scientifici o generali. Questa tesi fa riferimento a quest\u2019ultimo gruppo. Nel soffermarsi sul punto di vista di un giornale, sono stati presi a riferimento due testi: per la parte legata alla conservazione della fauna, lo studio di Thomas J. Webb and Dave Raffaelli Conversations in conservation: revealing and dealing with language differences in environmental conflicts (2008); per la parte giornalistica, il libro Studiare giornalismo di Carlo Sorrentino ed Enrico Bianda (2019)..