Sistemi silvoarabili mediterranei: nuove esperienze in campo al Centro di Ricerche Agro-ambientali“Enrico Avanzi” di Pisa

L’agroselvicoltura, ovvero la deliberata associazione di colture arboree, erbacee e/o animali nel medesimo appez- zamento, è stata proposta come “nuovo sistema colturale” in grado di coniugare l’aumento di produtività dell’agricoltura in un’otica di maggiore eco-suficienza. Tra i diversi modelli colturali ascrivibili ai sistemi agro- silvopastorali o agrosilvicoli, i sistemi silvoarabili, che prevedono la coltivazione di colture erbacee di pieno cam- po in consociazione con colture arboree, garantiscono una serie di benefici direti: (i) la diversificazione delle col - ture, (ii) la riduzione del rischio di erosione del suolo dall’acqua e dal vento, (iii) l’aumento della percentuale di sostanza organica nel suolo, e (iv) la riduzione del rischio di lisciviazione dei nitrati. D’altro canto, la consociazio - ne di colture erbacee e alberi fuori-foresta determina la riduzione della superficie arabile complessiva e la compe- tizione per le risorse (nutrienti, luce ed acqua) tra alberi e strato erbaceo. Al fine di approfondire le conoscenze su questi particolari sistemi colturali, presso il Centro di Ricerche Agro-ambientali “Enrico Avanzi” dell’Universi - tà di Pisa sono in corso di implementazione due sperimentazioni di pineo campo. La prima prova è un sistema agro-silvo-pastorale che prevede la coltivazione di specie erbacee da granella (cereali autunno-vernini e legumi- nose) e prati-pascolo in rotazione, nel tempo e nello spazio, in consociazione con filari policiclici di pioppi ( Popu- lus spp.) e farnie (Qercus robur L.). I sistemi verranno implementati con due diverse densità di impianto: i) 60 piante per etaro, in cui i filari verranno posti in prossimità dell’afossatura di ogni appezzamento, e ii) 100 piante per etaro, in cui i filari di soli pioppi verranno ripetuti anche lungo la bisetrice del campo. La prova prevede il confronto dei servizi ecosistemici generati dai due sistemi silvoarabili con: i) un sistema arabile privo di alberatu- re, e ii) un sistema di arboricoltura ad alta densità. Nella seconda prova un campo parcellare silvoarabile, compo - sto da: erba mazzolina (Dactylis glomerata L.), erba medica (Medicago sativa L.), panico (Panicum virgatum L.) e sulla (Hedysarum coronarium L.) in consociazione con filari di pioppo a taglio ravvicinato, short-rotation coppice (SRC), a bassa densità (0.5 m di distanza tra gli alberi e 13.5 metri tra le file), verrà messo a confronto con: (i) una prova parcellare di SRC con impianto 0.5 m × 2.7 m, e (ii) un campo parcellare con le medesime colture erbacee prive di copertura arborea. L’obietivo della prova è valutare il grado di produtività e sostenibilità dei diversi si- stemi con particolare atenzione al ciclo del carbonio e al ciclo dei nutrienti

Technical Design Report for the PANDA Solenoid and Dipole Spectrometer Magnets

This document is the Technical Design Report covering the two large spectrometer magnets of the PANDA detector set-up. It shows the conceptual design of the magnets and their anticipated performance. It precedes the tender and procurement of the magnets and, hence, is subject to possible modifications arising during this process.Comment: 10 pages, 14MB, accepted by FAIR STI in May 2009, editors: Inti Lehmann (chair), Andrea Bersani, Yuri Lobanov, Jost Luehning, Jerzy Smyrski, Technical Coordiantor: Lars Schmitt, Bernd Lewandowski (deputy), Spokespersons: Ulrich Wiedner, Paola Gianotti (deputy

Feasibility studies of time-like proton electromagnetic form factors at PANDA at FAIR

Simulation results for future measurements of electromagnetic proton form factors at \PANDA (FAIR) within the PandaRoot software framework are reported. The statistical precision with which the proton form factors can be determined is estimated. The signal channel $\bar p p \to e^+ e^-$ is studied on the basis of two different but consistent procedures. The suppression of the main background channel, $\textit{i.e.}$ $\bar p p \to \pi^+ \pi^-$, is studied. Furthermore, the background versus signal efficiency, statistical and systematical uncertainties on the extracted proton form factors are evaluated using two different procedures. The results are consistent with those of a previous simulation study using an older, simplified framework. However, a slightly better precision is achieved in the PandaRoot study in a large range of momentum transfer, assuming the nominal beam conditions and detector performance

Physics Performance Report for PANDA: Strong Interaction Studies with Antiprotons

To study fundamental questions of hadron and nuclear physics in interactions of antiprotons with nucleons and nuclei, the universal PANDA detector will be built. Gluonic excitations, the physics of strange and charm quarks and nucleon structure studies will be performed with unprecedented accuracy thereby allowing high-precision tests of the strong interaction. The proposed PANDA detector is a state-of-the art internal target detector at the HESR at FAIR allowing the detection and identification of neutral and charged particles generated within the relevant angular and energy range. This report presents a summary of the physics accessible at PANDA and what performance can be expected.Comment: 216 page

Technical Design Report for the: PANDA Micro Vertex Detector

This document illustrates the technical layout and the expected performance of the Micro Vertex Detector (MVD) of the PANDA experiment. The MVD will detect charged particles as close as possible to the interaction zone. Design criteria and the optimisation process as well as the technical solutions chosen are discussed and the results of this process are subjected to extensive Monte Carlo physics studies. The route towards realisation of the detector is outlined.Comment: 189 pages, 225 figures, 41 table

Study of doubly strange systems using stored antiprotons

Bound nuclear systems with two units of strangeness are still poorly known despite their importance for many strong interaction phenomena. Stored antiprotons beams in the GeV range represent an unparalleled factory for various hyperon-antihyperon pairs. Their outstanding large production probability in antiproton collisions will open the floodgates for a series of new studies of systems which contain two or even more units of strangeness at the P‾ANDA experiment at FAIR. For the first time, high resolution γ-spectroscopy of doubly strange ΛΛ-hypernuclei will be performed, thus complementing measurements of ground state decays of ΛΛ-hypernuclei at J-PARC or possible decays of particle unstable hypernuclei in heavy ion reactions. High resolution spectroscopy of multistrange Ξ−-atoms will be feasible and even the production of Ω−-atoms will be within reach. The latter might open the door to the |S|=3 world in strangeness nuclear physics, by the study of the hadronic Ω−-nucleus interaction. For the first time it will be possible to study the behavior of Ξ‾+ in nuclear systems under well controlled conditions

Biochemical and mass spectrometric characterization of soluble ecto-5'-nucleotidase from bull seminal plasma.

Ecto-5'-nucleotidase (ecto-5'-NT) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane-bound protein that is ubiquitous in mammalian tissues. It is a target for a number of therapeutic drugs since increased levels of the enzyme correlate with various disease states. In this investigation, we describe the properties of a soluble ecto-5'-NT derived from bull seminal plasma. The protein was highly heterogeneous as demonstrated by chromatofocusing and two-dimensional PAGE. Sequencing analyses revealed a truncated polypeptide lacking the glycosylphospatidylinositol attachment site, suggesting that it is produced post-translationally by cleavage at Gln(547) and/or Phe(548). Heterogeneity was largely due to differential glycosylation, especially in the oligosaccharides linked to Asn(403). Significant differences in substrate specificity were observed between isoforms and, on the basis of molecular-modelling studies, were interpreted in terms of variable glycosylation causing steric hindrance of the substrate-binding site. Thus the soluble forms of ecto-5'-NT found in bull seminal plasma are unique both biochemically and structurally, and have a putative role in signalling interactions with spermatozoa following ejaculation and capacitation in the female reproductive tract