Revamping of the Mantova Chemical District as short-chain lignocellulosic biorefinery

The Mantova Chemical District is a Site of National (and European) Interest (SIN). It comprises an oil refinery specialized in gasoline owned by Mol and Ies societies, a petrochemical plant (olefins) owned by Eni Versalis, an air separation unit and a reformer plant owned by Sapio and a series of industries working in the area of chipboard. Nowadays the oil refinery is off and the industrial network is deeply suffering from it; authorities at all levels (town, province, region, and ministry) are moving fast to convert the old facility into a biorefinery. This paper illustrates the studies and partial results of the funded project BioMAN for the conversion of the old refinery into a lignocellulosic biorefinery. A process framework was proposed for the establishment of an integrated biorefinery based on stablished and emerging technologies. In future works, a further elaboration of such scheme will allow determining optimal operating conditions through optimization algorithms. A preliminary economical assessment of methanol production showed potential for revenue production: accumulated net income was 61 mi £ in five years. Methanol production was 50 kt per year; the yearly amount of biomass required, approximately 160 kt, is in agreement with current reports of local availability

Cryobiology of cephalopod (Illex coindetii) spermatophores

P. 288-294Cephalopod culture is expected to increase in the near future and sperm cryopreservation would be a valuable tool to guarantee sperm availability throughout the year and to improve artificial insemination programs. We have studied the tolerance of spermatophores from the oceanic squid Illex coindetii to several cryoprotectants, in two toxicity experiments and a cryopreservation test. Five permeating cryoprotectants were tested: Dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO), methanol, glycerol, propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. In the first experiment, spermatophores were exposed to the five cryoprotectants at 5% (v/v) and 15% (v/v) at 4 °C for 5 min. In the second experiment, spermatophores were exposed to the cryoprotectants at 15% using different exposure times: 5, 15 and 30 min. In a third experiment, we tested two cryopreservation protocols: LN2 vapor or −80 °C freezer, using a 15% cryoprotectant and 15 or 30 min of exposure. Viability and mitochondrial activity were assessed using Mitotracker deep red, YOPRO1 and Hoechst 33342, by flow cytometry. Spermatozoa in this species remain viable after cryoprotectant exposure but their quality decreased considerably after cryopreservation, only 5–10% of spermatozoa being motile. Flow cytometry demonstrated that Me2SO may be the most appropriate cryoprotectant for I. coindetii spermatozoa, and shows a first approach on cephalopod sperm cryopreservation, opening new possibilities for the research and culture of this group of molluscs

Asociaciones de peces profundos en el Mediterráneo

[EN] Data collected during the DESEAS survey carried out in three areas of the Mediterranean Sea (Balearic Sea, western and eastern Ionian Sea) were used to describe the structure and spatial distribution of the fish assemblages at depths between 600 and 4000 m. A total of 55 species (8 chondrichthyes and 47 teleost fish) were sampled, 38 of them in the Balearic Sea, 30 in the western Ionian and 37 in the eastern Ionian. Multivariate analysis showed a clear pattern of zonation with depth and geographic area. Three main assemblages were identified across the vertical gradient investigated: on the upper slope around a depth of 600 m, on the middle slope between 800 and 1300 m, and on the lower slope below 1300 m. The geographic characterisation of the ichthyofauna structure was mainly observed on the upper and middle slope. The highest abundance and biomass values were found at depths of 1000-1200 m due to the presence of larger species with high energy requirements, such as Alepocephalusrostratus, Mora moro and Galeus melastomus. On the middle slope, significant differences in the abundance, biomass and mean fish weight were detected between the three areas. Significant differences for these parameters were also shown between the middle and lower slope assemblages. A significant decrease in species richness and diversity was shown with increasing depth, indicating an impoverishment of the megafauna with depth and a higher similarity between the Balearic Sea and the Ionian Sea with regard to the greatest depths. The dominant species on the deepest bottoms were Bathypteroismediterraneus, Chalinura mediterranea and Coryphaenoides guentheri. On the lower slope, the shark Centroscymnuscoelolepis was also found to be relatively abundant off the Balearic Islands, Etmopterusspinax in the eastern Ionian Sea and the teleost fish Cataetyx laticeps throughout the three study areas. The deepest bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea shelter an ichthyofauna dominated by small-medium species living in a food scarce environment in which some large mobile fishes are widespread. The results are discussed in relation to previous studies mostly carried out in the Atlantic and western Mediterranean[ES] A partir de datos recolectados durante la campaña DESEAS, llevada a cabo en tres áreas del mar Mediterráneo (Mar Balear y Iónico occidental y oriental), se describe la estructura y la distribución espacial de las asociaciones de peces entre 600 y 4000 m de profundidad. Se obtuvieron un total de 55 especies (8 condrictrios y 47 peces teleósteos), 38 de los cuales procedían del mar Balear, 30 del Iónico occidental y 37 del oriental. El análisis multivariante de los datos nos muestra un claro patrón en zonación tanto en profundidad como por área geográfica. Se identificaron tres asociaciones principales a través del gradiente batimétrico estudiado: en el talud superior a profundidades alrededor de los 600 m, en el talud medio entre 800 y 1300 m, y en el talud inferior por debajo de los 1300 m. La caracterización geográfica de la estructura de la ictiofauna se observó principalmente en el talud superior y medio. A profundidades comprendidas entre 1000 y 1200 m fue donde se encontraron los mayores valores de biomasa, debido a la presencia de especies más grandes y con mayores requerimientos energéticos como Alepocephalus rostratus, Mora moro y Galeus melastomus. En el talud medio se detectaron diferencias significativas en abundancia, biomasa y peso medio de los peces entre las tres áreas. También se encontraron en las asociaciones de peces diferencias significativas en estos parámetros en el talud superior e inferior. Con el aumento de profundidad se detecta una disminución de la riqueza específica y la diversidad, indicando un empobrecimiento de la magafauna con la profundidad. Sin embargo se observa alta similaridad entre las áreas de estudio y en las máximas profundidades alcanzadas. Las especies dominantes en los fondos más profundos fueron: Bathypterois mediterraneus, Chalinura mediterranea y Coryphaenoides guentheri. En el talud inferior del mar Balear, el tiburón Centroscymnus coelolepis fue también relativamente abundante. Etmopterus spinax en el Iónico oriental y el teleosteo Cataetyx laticeps en las tres áreas de estudio. Los fondos más profundos del Mediterráneo son refugio para una ictiofauna dominada por pequeñas y medianas especies que habitan en en un ambiente escaso de alimento, en el cual solo algunos grandes peces móviles pueden extenderse. Los resultados se discuten en relación a estudios previos llevados a cabo mayoritariamente en el Atlántico y Mediterráneo occidentalThis work was supported by the Directorate General of Fisheries of the European Commission as part of the project DESEAS (Exploratory survey to collect data of the exploited and virgin stocks of deep-sea shrimp A. antennatus, of interest to the CFP - Study Contract nº 2000/39, DGXIV)Peer reviewe

Multidisciplinary Study of Seismic Wave Amplification in the Historical Center of Rome, Italy

Assessment of potential strong ground motion within the city of Rome is crucial to preserve its millenary monumental heritage and protect its large urban settlements. Rome is located at a distance of some tens of kilometers from the central Apennines seismogenic zone, where earthquakes of tectonic origin and of a magnitude of up to 7.0 are expected. The geological bedrock is mainly represented by high - consistency fine grained marine sedimentary deposits Pliocene to lower Pleistocene aged and named Monte Vaticano Unit. An upper Pleistocene – Holocene succession of fluvial deposits partially fill the paleo-valley of the Tiber river and of its tributaries formed during the last glacial period (22-18 kyr) carving the seismic bedrock. This alluvial body is composed by an heterogeneous fining-upward succession up to 60m thick. To better quantify the expected ground shaking within the city of Rome, a multidisciplinary research activity has being carried out and: i) a detailed 3D engineering-geology model of the Tiber River alluvia was obtained based on new data from the metro lines under construction; ii) 1D and 2D numerical modeling were performed; iii) effects due to the nonlinear behavior of soil have also been taken into account. The preliminary results show that the heterogeneity of the alluvial fill mainly controls the local seismic response. In addition, an interesting result is the fact that 1D amplification estimates are pervasively higher than the 2D ones

Multidisciplinary Study of Seismic Wave Amplification in the Historical Center of Rome, Italy

Assessment of potential strong ground motion within the city of Rome is crucial to preserve its millenary monumental heritage and protect its large urban settlements. Rome is located at a distance of some tens of kilometers from the central Apennines seismogenic zone, where earthquakes of tectonic origin and of a magnitude of up to 7.0 are expected. The geological bedrock is mainly represented by high - consistency fine grained marine sedimentary deposits Pliocene to lower Pleistocene aged and named Monte Vaticano Unit. An upper Pleistocene – Holocene succession of fluvial deposits partially fill the paleo-valley of the Tiber river and of its tributaries formed during the last glacial period (22-18 kyr) carving the seismic bedrock. This alluvial body is composed by an heterogeneous fining-upward succession up to 60m thick. To better quantify the expected ground shaking within the city of Rome, a multidisciplinary research activity has being carried out and: i) a detailed 3D engineering-geology model of the Tiber River alluvia was obtained based on new data from the metro lines under construction; ii) 1D and 2D numerical modeling were performed; iii) effects due to the nonlinear behavior of soil have also been taken into account. The preliminary results show that the heterogeneity of the alluvial fill mainly controls the local seismic response. In addition, an interesting result is the fact that 1D amplification estimates are pervasively higher than the 2D ones

Persistence of Unintegrated HIV DNA Associates With Ongoing NK Cell Activation and CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ Precursor Turnover in Vertically Infected Patients Despite Successful Antiretroviral Treatment

none11noThe quantification of proviral DNA is raising interest in view of clinical management and functional HIV eradication. Measures of all unintegrated HIV DNA (uDNA) forms in infected reservoir cells provides information on recent replication events that is not found from other proviral DNA assays. To evaluate its actual relevance in a cohort of perinatally-infected adult HIV patients (PHIV), we studied how peripheral blood mononuclear cell uDNA levels correlated with total HIV DNA (tDNA) and with overall replication or innate immune control parameters including NK cell activation/exhaustion and lymphoid turnover. Twenty-two PHIV were included, with successfully controlled HIV (HIV RNA <50 copies/mL) on combined antiretroviral therapy for mean of 8.7 ± 3.9 years. uDNA accounted for 16 [5.2-83.5] copies/µg and was strongly correlated with tDNA (ρ=0.700, p=0.001). Flow cytometric analysis of peripheral NK cells showed that CD69 expression was directly correlated uDNA (p=0.0412), but not with tDNA. Interestingly, CD56-CD16+NK cells which include newly described inflammatory precursors and terminally differentiated cells were directly correlated with uDNA levels (p<0.001), but not with tDNA, and an inverse association was observed between the proportion of NKG2D+ NK cells and uDNA (ρ=-0.548, p=0.015). In addition, CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ inflammatory precursor frequency correlated directly with uDNA levels (ρ=0.579, p=0.0075). The frequencies of CD56-CD16+ and CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+ cells maintained association with uDNA levels in a multivariable analysis (p=0.045 and p=0.168, respectively). Thus, control of HIV-1 reservoir in aviremic patients on ART is an active process associated with continuous NK cell intervention and turnover, even after many years of treatment. Quantification of linear and circular uDNA provides relevant information on the requirement for ongoing innate immune control in addition to ART, on recent replication history and may help stratify patients for functional HIV eradication protocols with targeted options.openTaramasso, Lucia; Bozzano, Federica; Casabianca, Anna; Orlandi, Chiara; Bovis, Francesca; Mora, Sara; Giacomini, Mauro; Moretta, Lorenzo; Magnani, Mauro; Di Biagio, Antonio; De Maria, AndreaTaramasso, Lucia; Bozzano, Federica; Casabianca, Anna; Orlandi, Chiara; Bovis, Francesca; Mora, Sara; Giacomini, Mauro; Moretta, Lorenzo; Magnani, Mauro; Di Biagio, Antonio; De Maria, Andre

Forest genetic resources strategy for Europe

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Constraining the Oceanic Uptake and Fluxes of Greenhouse Gases by Building an Ocean Network of Certified Stations: The Ocean Component of the Integrated Carbon Observation System, ICOS-Oceans

The European Research Infrastructure Consortium “Integrated Carbon Observation System” (ICOS) aims at delivering high quality greenhouse gas (GHG) observations and derived data products (e.g., regional GHG-flux maps) for constraining the GHG balance on a European level, on a sustained long-term basis. The marine domain (ICOS-Oceans) currently consists of 11 Ship of Opportunity lines (SOOP – Ship of Opportunity Program) and 10 Fixed Ocean Stations (FOSs) spread across European waters, including the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans and the Barents, North, Baltic, and Mediterranean Seas. The stations operate in a harmonized and standardized way based on community-proven protocols and methods for ocean GHG observations, improving operational conformity as well as quality control and assurance of the data. This enables the network to focus on long term research into the marine carbon cycle and the anthropogenic carbon sink, while preparing the network to include other GHG fluxes. ICOS data are processed on a near real-time basis and will be published on the ICOS Carbon Portal (CP), allowing monthly estimates of CO2 air-sea exchange to be quantified for European waters. ICOS establishes transparent operational data management routines following the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) guiding principles allowing amongst others reproducibility, interoperability, and traceability. The ICOS-Oceans network is actively integrating with the atmospheric (e.g., improved atmospheric measurements onboard SOOP lines) and ecosystem (e.g., oceanic direct gas flux measurements) domains of ICOS, and utilizes techniques developed by the ICOS Central Facilities and the CP. There is a strong interaction with the international ocean carbon cycle community to enhance interoperability and harmonize data flow. The future vision of ICOS-Oceans includes ship-based ocean survey sections to obtain a three-dimensional understanding of marine carbon cycle processes and optimize the existing network design