Hydrodynamics and growth laws in lamellar ordering

Ordering of lamellar phases described by a free-energy functional with short-range interactions is numerically investigated in two dimensions by means of a pseudo-spectral method. The ordering process is found to depend on the fluid viscosity: it is arrested for large viscosity values and proceeds as a power law for small ones, with a crossover regime for intermediate values. At varying the free energy parameters, strong evidence has been found that the ordering law, unlike binary mixtures, is not unique. Copyright c (c) EPLA, 2007

Levers and Obstacles of Effective Research and Innovation for Organic Food and Farming in Italy

The objectives of this paper are to present the dynamic of organic food and farming (OFF) research and innovation, to outline challenges in deploying programs and accessing funding, and to define key actions to foster the development of tailored quality research on organic farming in Italy. The baseline starts from the main outcomes that emerged during the World Caf\ue9 held in the frame of the Salone Internazionale del biologico e del naturale (SANA Expo) in 2018, where the Italian OFF research community met to build a convergence on scope and modus operandi in the research endeavor. These outcomes were examined in the light of the key features of the research and innovation projects funded in Italy in the last 10 years, respectively by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and the regional administrations through the innovation support instruments in the Rural Development Plan programming periods. In the period 2009\u20132018, 70 research projects for a total funding of 21.081 million \ubf (<0.1% of the value of the sector) were launched, addressing nine dierent topic areas. Over a similar period (2007\u20132019), 53 regional innovation projects addressing organic farming were activated for a total budget of 14.299 million \ubf (<10% of the entire available funding). The implementation of interventions in the research and the innovation areas were often scattered in terms of the topics, disciplines, and types of supply chain/network addressed. The relatively high share of multi/interdisciplinary research and innovation projects aswell as the acknowledgement of the multi-actor approach as a fundamental step toward co-research and co-innovation were upshots that emerged from our analysis. The outcomes of this study can be used by competent national and the regional authorities to design their future research and innovation policies and interventions

MRI analysis for Hippocampus segmentation on a distributed infrastructure

Medical image computing raises new challenges due to the scale and the complexity of the required analyses. Medical image databases are currently available to supply clinical diagnosis. For instance, it is possible to provide diagnostic information based on an imaging biomarker comparing a single case to the reference group (controls or patients with disease). At the same time many sophisticated and computationally intensive algorithms have been implemented to extract useful information from medical images. Many applications would take great advantage by using scientific workflow technology due to its design, rapid implementation and reuse. However this technology requires a distributed computing infrastructure (such as Grid or Cloud) to be executed efficiently. One of the most used workflow manager for medical image processing is the LONI pipeline (LP), a graphical workbench developed by the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (http://pipeline.loni.usc.edu). In this article we present a general approach to submit and monitor workflows on distributed infrastructures using LONI Pipeline, including European Grid Infrastructure (EGI) and Torque-based batch farm. In this paper we implemented a complete segmentation pipeline in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It requires time-consuming and data-intensive processing and for which reducing the computing time is crucial to meet clinical practice constraints. The developed approach is based on web services and can be used for any medical imaging application

Innovazioni di processo per la produzione di compost di qualità idonei alla conservazione del suolo e alla sostenibilità in agricoltura biologica

La tutela della risorsa suolo è tra gli aspetti fondamentali del metodo di produzione biologico. L’applicazione di compost di qualità coniuga la necessità del recupero di materia da scarti organici con l’esigenza di reintegrare il contenuto di sostanza organica dei suoli. Tali premesse sono la base di una ricerca finalizzata alla produzione di compost tramite un sistema innovativo, alla caratterizzazione del prodotto finito e alla realizzazione di prove sperimentali in ambiente confinato e in pieno campo, idonee ad individuare un codice di buona pratica agricola per l’utilizzo del compost in agricoltura biologica. Il protocollo sperimentale ha previsto la produzione di 4 tipi di compost (C1, C2, C3, C4) ottenuti da una miscela di partenza contenente: sansa umida denocciolata (sn), stallatico (st) e residui ligneocellulosici triturati (lc). I compost C1 (C/N=30) e C3 (C/N=45) sono stati ottenuti dalla miscelazione di sn :st: lc nel rapporto 7:1:5 (p/p) e 1:5:5 (p/p). C2 e C4 derivano rispettivamente da C1 e C3 per essiccazione all’aria in strato sottile alla fine della fase di biossidazione accelerata (BA). L’essiccazione è stata effettuata al fine di rallentare le attività microbiche ed i processi di evoluzione della sostanza organica ottenendo matrici a due stadi di maturazione. I parametri di processo monitorati sono stati: umidità, temperatura, pH, e solidi volatili. Ad inizio processo (T0), alla fine della fase di BA (T1) e alla fine della fase di curing (T2), sono stati prelevati campioni rappresentativi dai cumuli per la misurazione dell’indice respirometrico dinamico (IRD). I 4 compost, prodotti presso l’impianto di compostaggio sperimentale IAMB, sono stati applicati su una rotazione biennale farro - cece da granella e su una coltivazione di spinacio, entrambi condotti con metodo di produzione biologico. La fase di BA, della durata di 35 gg per C1 e C2 e 18 gg per C3 e C4, è stata condotta in cassone areato non movimentato. La fase di curing (86 gg per C1 e 65 gg per C3) è stata condotta in cumulo statico. L’umidità è stata controllata settimanalmente e corretta al fine di garantire valori di processo tra 50 e 60%, la temperatura massima raggiunta è stata di 72 °C per C1 e 76 °C per C3. L’IRD, partendo da valori compatibili con i dati di letteratura nella miscela iniziale (T0: 4.171 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C1 e C2; 5.955 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C3 e C4), ha raggiunto livelli di piena stabilità per tutti i materiali già alla fine della fase di BA (T1: 424 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C1e C2 e 789 mgO2 gSV-1 h-1 per C3 e C4). I diversi rapporti C/N e i contributi della matrice sn nelle due miscelazioni hanno comportato differenze nei tempi di processo e negli andamenti dei picchi di temperatura giornalieri, risultando più brevi per C3-C4 rispetto a C1-C2. In attesa dei risultati finali relativi all’applicazione in pieno campo, si ipotizza che il prolungarsi del processo in C1-C3 rispetto a C2-C4 comporterà una diversa disponibilità di elementi nutritivi nelle relative tesi sperimentali per effetto del procedere dei processi di biossidazione ed evoluzione della sostanza organica

Analisi di fitotossicità e impiego di sansa umida denocciolata in una rotazione farro-cece in regime di agricoltura biologica

Pratiche di agricoltura intensiva hanno condotto alla degradazione della risorsa suolo, vale a dire ne hanno diminuito la qualità. Più precisamente, la degradazione riguarda la riduzione della sostanza organica, della stabilità strutturale e della disponibilità di nutrienti nel suolo, con conseguente decremento della produttività. All’interno di un progetto di ricerca in corso, relativo a produzione e impiego di compost in agricoltura biologica, sono previste analisi di fitotossicità su sansa umida denocciolata (SD) poi impiegata in una rotazione farro-cece. L’obiettivo della ricerca è quello di verificare come l’incorporazione al suolo di matrici organiche (M), anche tal quali, può concorrere a mantenere o incrementare la fertilità del suolo ed a sostenere i livelli produttivi delle colture. Nelle analisi di fitotossicità su SD, effettuate con specie test Lepidium sativum L., sono state saggiate oltre alle consuete concentrazioni dell’estratto (50% e 75%), indicate nelle metodiche ufficiali, anche una diluizione maggiore pari al 25% e SD tal quale (100%) centrifugata e filtrata. In una rotazione biennale cece da granella - farro, effettuata a Foggia (campo sperimentale del CRA-SCA) nell’annata agraria 2007-2008, sono stati posti a confronto per ciascuna coltura i seguenti trattamenti: SD tal quale; fertilizzante organo-minerale (OM) ammesso in biologico; controllo non fertilizzato (C). I risultati dei saggi di fitotossicità indicano che la M in esame è risultata fitotossica essendo stato riscontrato un indice di germinazione (Ig) del 44,4%. Dall’esame degli indici calcolati per ciascuna diluizione, inoltre, si è evidenziato come al diminuire della stessa (25%>50%>75%>100%) aumenta l’inibizione all’emergenza e alla crescita radicale (Ig: 66,2%>55,2%>46,9%>9,2%), fino al valore minimo di Ig riscontrato per SD tal quale. Infine, è emerso che la tossicità si esercita a livello di percorsi metabolici diversi, con una netta prevalenza degli effetti sulla lunghezza radicale piuttosto che sul numero di semi germinati. I risultati ottenuti nella prova agronomica hanno evidenziato per il cece una maggiore produzione di granella con OM (2,5 t ha-1) rispetto al trattamento SD (2,1 t ha-1), mentre i valori rilevati per i residui sono paragonabili tra le tre tesi. Le produzioni di granella ottenute per il farro risultano confrontabili, mentre la produzione di paglia è stata maggiore con OM (3,4 e 2,9 t ha-1 rispettivamente per OM e per SD). Da questa attività di ricerca è emerso che SD è una matrice particolare relativamente agli effetti sulle colture, che dovrebbe essere stabilizzata e maturare grazie ad attività di biodegradazione (e quindi compostata in miscela con altre matrici) per poter influenzare positivamente la fertilità del suolo e la produttività delle colture

Stedina ta’ tfajjel

Ġabra ta’ poeżiji u proża li tinkludi: “Fruili” Mejju 1976 ta’ Jane Cortis – Lilek Ranċisa! ta’ Wallace Ph. Gulia – Papà ġdid ta’ Ġużè Diacono – Priżma ta’ Victor Apap – Leħen is-sewwa ta’ A. M. – Dik ix-xagħra! ta’ Emmanwel F. Attard – Bewsa ta’ Mario F. Bezzina – Stedina ta’ tfajjel ta’ Albert M. Cassola.peer-reviewe

Composition, potential emissions and agricultural value of pig slurry from Spanish commercial farms

[EN] Pig slurry is a valuable fertilizer for crop production but at the same time its management may pose environmental risks. Slurry samples were collected from 77 commercial farms of four animal categories (gestating and lactating sows, nursery piglets and growing pigs) and analyzed for macronutrients, micronutrients, heavy metals and volatile fatty acids. Emissions of ammonia (NH3) and biochemical methane potential (BMP) were quantified. Slurry electrical conductivity, pH, dry matter content and ash content were also determined. Data analysis included an analysis of correlations among variables, the development of predictionmodels for gaseousemissions and the analysis of nutritional content of slurries for crop production. Descriptive information is provided in this work and shows a wide range of variability in all studied variables. Animal category affected some physicochemical parameters, probably as a consequence of different slurry management and use of cleaning water. Slurries from gestating sows and growing pigs tended to be more concentrated in nutrients, whereas the slurry from lactating sows and nursery piglets tended to be more diluted. Relevant relationships were found among slurry characteristics expressed in fresh basis and gas emissions. Predictivemodels using on-farmmeasurable parameterswere obtained forNH3 (R2 = 0.51) andCH4 (R2 = 0.76), which suggests that BMP may be estimated in commercial farms from easily determined slurry characteristics. Finally, slurry nutrient composition was highly variable. Therefore, complete analyses of slurries should be performed for an effective and environmental friendly land application.This project was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AGL2011-30023) and the Valencian Government (ACOMP/2013/118). We thank the BABEL Project, Building Academic Bonds between Europe and Latin America. Erasmus Mundus Programme Action 2 for PhD fellowships. 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