IoT technologies for wine supply chain traceability: Potential application in the Southern Apulia Region (Italy)

The high value and volume of Italian wine production determines a strong stimulus for counterfeiting, which generates negative consequences for grape growers, winemakers and consumers. In this context, IoT technologies and the blockchain can serve as tools to ensure traceability, transparency and efficiency along the whole wine supply chain. Using primary data collected through interviews to the main grape growers and wineries involved in the wine supply chain in the Southern Apulia Region and secondary data, acquired from previous scientific literature, the study proposes a framework for the traceability and efficiency of the wine supply chain based on a combination of blockchain, Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) and Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, Serial Shipping Container Codes (SSCC) and Quick Response (QR) codes. The developed framework allows for the systematic storage of information about commodities and processes throughout the supply chain, from grape growers to wine consumption and packaging disposal and/or reuse (forward and reverse flows). In addition, it ensures the transparency, safety, and security of all processes involved within the wine supply chain, serving as a quality information management tool. The information collected along the wine supply chain is entered into the management system by farmers, winemakers and bottlers and is accessible to all of them, while the distributors, consumers and the bottle reverse logistics operators, can only consult all of the information stored on the blockchain in order to know the origin, the quality, the processing and the authenticity of wines, without being able to enter data and/or modify the existent information

Agricultural Insurance in the DOCG Area of Conegliano—Valdobbiadene: An Assessment of Policy Measures

Agricultural insurance stands prominant in the protection of crop products. In Italy, the increasing occurrence of extreme weather events has had an important impact on the crop insurance market’s dynamics by lowering insurance companies propensity to take on climate risks. In this context, the main aim of the study is to focus on an economic assessment of the demand for insurance in the Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin (DOCG) area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene, exploiting the economic effects of public contributions for the three main subjects involved in the market: winegrowers, public stakeholders, and insurance companies. The results showed that the more favorable conditions laid down in the Omnibus Regulation in favor of producers do not appear justified in the area investigated. As regards the goodness of public intervention, the overall positivity of the Indicator Efficiency Subsidies (IES) underlines the relative efficiency of the subsidized contribution. As for the insurance companies, the financial equilibrium appears precarious, closed between falling tariffs and increasing quotas in consideration of the feared climate change

UNDERGROUND HERITAGE DOCUMENTATION: THE CASE STUDY OF GROTTA ZINZULUSA IN CASTRO (LECCE-ITALY)

3D documentation of the Underground Built Heritage (UBH) is always fundamental for knowledge, management, conservation, and enhancement of cultural heritage, but the challenges involved in documenting this kind of site are many and various, With the aim of providing an accurate and reliable representation of the surveyed area without employing time-consuming processes, Mobile Mapping Systems (MMSs) based on SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) technology have now the potential to overcome these challenges, proving to be a useful alternative to traditional surveying techniques. The underground site of Grotta Zinzulusa in Castro (LE), Italy, is an anchialine cave system difficult to access and document due to its narrow passages, large rooms, and poor illumination. Within this case study, the effectiveness of using an MMS approach, employing the STONEX® X120GO SLAM Laser Scanner system, to document the cave system and integrates the data with those obtained from other traditional geomatics techniques, such as UAS (Uncrewed Aerial System) and TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) surveys, has been proved. The study aims to define the best practices and operational methodologies for enhancing the speediness, usability, and cost-effectiveness of using MMSs in underground settings for 3D documentation of heritage sites to provide metrically correct and accurate products for researchers, scientists, and the wider public

Molecular and Biological Analysis on Ommastrephes caroli Findings in the Central Western Mediterranean Sea (Sardinian Waters) Including First Age Investigation Using Eye Lenses and Beaks

Molecular identifications based on two mitochondrial markers (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I -COI- and 16S ribosomal RNA gene -16S-) have been implemented to confirm the morphological identification of eight specimens collected in the Central western Mediterranean. Molecular data show they belonged to a recently resurrected species of the genus Ommastrephes, i.e., O. caroli, known to be distributed in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Despite this, molecular analyses of COI sequences evidenced the presence of potential genetic differentiation between Mediterranean and Atlantic samples, highlighting the need for further studies, with more individuals to investigate the connectivity between individuals living in the two areas. Furthermore, morphological, biometric and reproductive features here reported, could be useful in evaluating possible distinctive biological features between the Mediterranean and Atlantic individuals. Female mature size was larger than the male. The relationships obtained between the beak measurements and body sizes (DML; TW) were better described by a power model. Asynchronous oocytes development with relatively small oocytes (0.05–1.10 mm) and a protracted intermittent spawning with active feeding were observed. This study also reported for the specie O. caroli the first data on the potential fecundity estimated (840061 oocytes), the oviducal load (90000 ripe oocytes) as well as the number of seminal receptacles and the size and morphology of the spermatangia found in the buccal mass of all mated females. Even if on a low sample size, beaks and eye lenses were used for the first time in O. caroli for age estimation. The statistically significant relationship found between increments counted in eye lenses and beaks highlighted the reliability of the lenses to estimate age in O. caroli, even if further studies will be needed for its validation. Assuming a daily increment for both structures, a mean life span of about 12–13 months was estimated for both sexes, which is consistent with the sexual maturity condition observed in all the samples and the semelparity known for cephalopods coleoids

The Air Microwave Yield (AMY) experiment - A laboratory measurement of the microwave emission from extensive air showers

The AMY experiment aims to measure the microwave bremsstrahlung radiation (MBR) emitted by air-showers secondary electrons accelerating in collisions with neutral molecules of the atmosphere. The measurements are performed using a beam of 510 MeV electrons at the Beam Test Facility (BTF) of Frascati INFN National Laboratories. The goal of the AMY experiment is to measure in laboratory conditions the yield and the spectrum of the GHz emission in the frequency range between 1 and 20 GHz. The final purpose is to characterise the process to be used in a next generation detectors of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. A description of the experimental setup and the first results are presented.Comment: 3 pages -- EPS-HEP'13 European Physical Society Conference on High Energy Physics (July, 18-24, 2013) at Stockholm, Swede

Ruthenium polypyridyl complexes and their modes of interaction with DNA : is there a correlation between these interactions and the antitumor activity of the compounds?

Various interaction modes between a group of six ruthenium polypyridyl complexes and DNA have been studied using a number of spectroscopic techniques. Five mononuclear species were selected with formula [Ru(tpy) L1L2](2-n)?, and one closely related dinuclear cation of formula [{Ru(apy)(tpy)}2{l-H2N(CH2)6NH2}]4?. The ligand tpy is 2,20:60,200-terpyridine and the ligand L1 is a bidentate ligand, namely, apy (2,20-azobispyridine), 2-phenylazopyridine, or 2-phenylpyridinylmethylene amine. The ligand L2 is a labile monodentate ligand, being Cl-, H2O, or CH3CN. All six species containing a labile L2 were found to be able to coordinate to the DNA model base 9-ethylguanine by 1H NMR and mass spectrometry. The dinuclear cationic species, which has no positions available for coordination to a DNA base, was studied for comparison purposes. The interactions between a selection of four representative complexes and calf-thymus DNA were studied by circular and linear dichroism. To explore a possible relation between DNA-binding ability and toxicity, all compounds were screened for anticancer activity in a variety of cancer cell lines, showing in some cases an activity which is comparable to that of cisplatin. Comparison of the details of the compound structures, their DNA binding, and their toxicity allows the exploration of structure–activity relationships that might be used to guide optimization of the activity of agents of this class of compounds

Water Chemisorption and Reconstruction of the MgO Surface

The observed reactivity of MgO with water is in apparent conflict with theoretical calculations which show that molecular dissociation does not occur on a perfect (001) surface. We have performed ab-initio total energy calculations which show that a chemisorption reaction involving a reconstruction to form a (111) hydroxyl surface is strongly preferred with Delta E = -90.2kJ/mol. We conclude that protonation stabilizes the otherwise unstable (111) surface and that this, not the bare (001), is the most stable surface of MgO under ambient conditions.Comment: RevTeX, 4 pages, 1 Encapsulated Postscript Figur

Highlights from the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is the world's largest cosmic ray observatory. Our current exposure reaches nearly 40,000 km$^2$ str and provides us with an unprecedented quality data set. The performance and stability of the detectors and their enhancements are described. Data analyses have led to a number of major breakthroughs. Among these we discuss the energy spectrum and the searches for large-scale anisotropies. We present analyses of our X$_{max}$ data and show how it can be interpreted in terms of mass composition. We also describe some new analyses that extract mass sensitive parameters from the 100% duty cycle SD data. A coherent interpretation of all these recent results opens new directions. The consequences regarding the cosmic ray composition and the properties of UHECR sources are briefly discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 12 figures, talk given at the 33rd International Cosmic Ray Conference, Rio de Janeiro 201

A search for point sources of EeV photons

Measurements of air showers made using the hybrid technique developed with the fluorescence and surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory allow a sensitive search for point sources of EeV photons anywhere in the exposed sky. A multivariate analysis reduces the background of hadronic cosmic rays. The search is sensitive to a declination band from -85{\deg} to +20{\deg}, in an energy range from 10^17.3 eV to 10^18.5 eV. No photon point source has been detected. An upper limit on the photon flux has been derived for every direction. The mean value of the energy flux limit that results from this, assuming a photon spectral index of -2, is 0.06 eV cm^-2 s^-1, and no celestial direction exceeds 0.25 eV cm^-2 s^-1. These upper limits constrain scenarios in which EeV cosmic ray protons are emitted by non-transient sources in the Galaxy.Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa