The (Evolving) vineyard\u2019s age structure in the valencian community, Spain. A new demographic approach for rural development and landscape analysis

Vineyards have assumed a key role as rural landmarks in recent decades. Investigating vineyard dynamics and contexts may reveal various economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of rural landscapes, which can be linked to land-use changes and major soil degradation processes, including soil erosion. As a contribution to rural landscape studies, the purpose of this work is to investigate the spatial distribution of vineyard plots in the Valencian community, located in the eastern area of the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the final product, the type of vineyard and how long each vineyard has been settled over time. The work provides a comprehensive analysis of a wine-growing landscape, considering strategic (spatial) assets in present and past times. Vineyards were interpreted as a distinctive landmarks that give value to local economies, basic knowledge of how long different types of wine plots have been present in the Valencian community is useful when estimating their degree of sustainability and formulating suggestions, policies, and strategies to prevent processes of landscape degradation at various spatial scales

Towards local forms of sprawl: A brief reflection on mediterranean urbanization

Urban sprawl is a complex phenomenon that requires a comprehensive reflection on the most significant patterns and underlying processes. While the "sprawl" notion parallels hegemonic concepts such as economic competitiveness, social cohesion, and polycentric development, an integrated analysis of sprawl patterns and processes in paradigmatic socioeconomic contexts is increasingly required to reconcile dierent disciplinary visions, contributing to a holistic interpretation of metropolitan change. At the same time, sprawl is an increasingly evident product of local socioeconomic contexts all over the world. A comprehensive investigation of multifaceted, form-function relationships underlying sprawl-based on a quali-quantitative analysis of representative cases-is a crucial pre-requisite of both monitoring and policy actions at multiple spatial scales, from urban/regional to national/continental levels. The present contribution proposes a contextualization of the sprawl notion in Southern Europe-a socioeconomic context characterized by compact and continuous urbanization for a long time. An integrated approach based on a visual analysis of urban and peri-urban landscapes-integrated with an extended literature survey-allows for a definition of a specific sprawl model in Southern Europe, sharing some features with the United States ideal type of sprawl and showing peculiarities with respect to common models of urban dispersion typical of Northern and Western Europe. Policies aimed at containing urban dispersion may definitely benefit from a local-based definition of sprawl, considering the specificity of form-function relationships and the underlying socioeconomic context

First trimester PAPP-A serum levels and long-term metabolic outcome of mothers and their offspring

Low maternal serum levels of pregnancy associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) are known to be associated with the development of pregnancy-related complications like small for gestational age infants, intrauterine fetal demise, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. The study aims to find possible long-term correlations with the development of metabolic and cardiovascular complications in the mothers and their progeny in later life. This is a retrospective cohort study conducted on consecutive unselected women screened for chromosomal anomalies in the first trimester of pregnancy between 2004 and 2010. PAPP-A values as well as clinical data collected at childbirth were considered. A maternal and neonatal follow-up was performed through a telephone interview with the mother during 2015. The body-mass-index and the presence of cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidaemia and diabetes mellitus were evaluated. The analysis included 988 patients. The median time of follow-up was 7 years (IQR 6\u20139). Lower first trimester maternal blood PAPP-A quartiles were associated with small stature of the offspring (z-score 1st-2nd quartile 0.37 IQR 120.42 and 1.17 vs 3rd-4th quartile 0.67 IQR 120.17 and 1.36, p < 0.05). Furthermore, low first trimester PAPP-A in pregnancy without other gestations following the index one, in Kaplan-Meier analysis was associated to a significant increase of hypoglycemic agents use at 7 and 10 years (respectively 1.12% CI.95 0\u20132.38% and 5.45% CI.95 0\u201310.82%) compared to the control group of high first trimester PAPP-A values (0% CI.95 0\u20130%) (p < 0.05). Low PAPP-A serum levels in the first trimester of pregnancy are associated with short stature in offspring and de-novo development of maternal diabetes mellitus in later life

Characterization of biomass emissions and potential reduction insmall-scale pellet boiler

6noIn recent years it has been proved that residential biomass combustion has a direct influence on ambient air quality, especially in the case of cereals. The aim of this study is the characterization of the emissions in small-scale fixed-bed pellet boiler (heat output of 25 kW) of beech and corn, and of its potential reduction to an addition of calcium dihydroxide. In the biomass combustion test 7 fuel mixtures were investigated with regard to the particulate content (PM10), gaseous emissions and combustion chamber deposit. The corn kernels tanned with calcium dihydroxide determined a decrease in particulate emissions (54±13 mg MJ− 1) in comparison to corn, whereas in the combustion of corn pellet with 1% calcium dihydroxide high emissions were observed (193±21 mg MJ− 1). With regard to SO2 emissions, the combustion of corn with the additives make a reduction in comparison to additive-free corn.openopenDELL'ANTONIA D.;Pergher G;Cividino SRS;Gubiani R;Cecchini M;Marucci ADell'Antonia, D.; Pergher, G; Cividino, Srs; Gubiani, R; Cecchini, M; Marucci,

Photovoltaic Pumps: Technical and Practical Aspects for Applications in Agriculture

The paper deals with a series of tests conducted on a PV-DC pump in Viterbo (42°24′ North, 12°06′ East). The tests lasted from January 2003 up to November 2004 and involved measurements of solar radiation, on both a horizontal surface and the tilted module surface, flow rates, volumes, and total dynamic heads. In total, up to 3000 data were collected every day whose analysis allowed us to find empirical relationships among system efficiencies, solar radiations, and total dynamic heads. In the second part of the paper we develop a simple method that allows both the assessment of performances of the whole system when installed in a different site from that in which the tests were performed and the optimal inclination angle of the panel to be determined in relation to annual or seasonal use (see irrigation)