An original Arduino-controlled anaerobic bioreactor packed with biochar as a porous filter media

Bioreactors are commonly used apparatuses generally equipped with several built-in specifications for the investigation of biological treatment studies. Each bioreactor test may require different types of specialty such as heating, agitation, re-circulation and some further technologies like online sensoring. Even thought, there are many ready-to-use fabricated bioreactors available in the market with a cost usually over than 1000 €, it is often not possible to access those advanced (but inflexible) systems for many students, young-researchers or small-scale private R&D companies. In this work, a new low cost (≈100€) packed-bed anaerobic bioreactor was developed, and all methodological details including open-source coding and 3D design files are shared with informative descriptions. Some preliminary tests were conducted to verify the developed bioreactor system's credibility in terms of leak-tightness, accurate gas monitoring, temperature controlling, and mass balance (COD-eq) coverage, which all have shown a very promising performance. • A consistent model bioreactor that will be called as “tetrapod” was developed for anaerobic treatment of challenging substrates such as pyrolytic liquids. • Coarse biochar grains were used as an organic packing material to stimulate the microbial bioconversion by increasing the active surface area for the attached-growth anaerobic mixed microbial culture (MMC). • An open-source Arduino based digital gasometer was developed for online monitoring of biogas change in the lab-scale system. Arduino was also used as a digital controller for maintaining pulse-mode liquid recirculation of the bioreactor

Sexual violence against women: a multidisciplinary integrated care model

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Comparison of predictive and descriptive models in order to plan the monitoring and research on the rock partridge (Alectoris graeca) in the North Eastern Alps

Within the implementation of the Management Plan for the Alpi Carniche region (SPA IT3321001, SCI IT3320001, SCI IT3320002, SCI IT3320003, SCI IT3320004) and the realization of the monitoring plan referred to art. 8 of RL No. 7/2008 (Friuli Venezia Giulia) some predictive and descriptive models for the presence and abundance of rock partridge Alectoris graeca saxatilis have been developed and tested. During 2010 the monitoring plan has been carried out during the spring (play-back censuses) and the summer (pointing dog censuses) in 10 sample areas to assess the presence, abundance and reproductive success of the species. These areas have been identified through expert knowledge and predictive models developed by the superimposition on regional UTM 1x1 kilometer grid quadrants of some CORINE Biotopes habitat parameters (open vegetation coverage >50% and open + transitional vegetation coverage >80%) and slope (>10%) and elevation (1000-2200 m above sea level), subsequently ranked from 0 to 4 for a suitability index. The census results related to UTM quadrants (n = 46, 40% with the presence of partridges) and buffer areas (100 meters of radius) created from the locations of the observed animals and the transect points of the censuses (n = 89) have been described by linear selection models that contain habitat classes from the Habitat Map of Friuli Venezia Giulia (Map of the Nature at the scale 1:50.000, ISPRA 2009) and morphological characteristics such as slope, elevation and aspect. The descriptive models have selected different variables according to the season (reproductive and post-reproductive), identifying the presence of Eastern Alpine calcicolous larch with moorland as one of the most important variables to define habitat suitability. Moreover, the descriptive models that use the lesser spatial scale (100 m buffer) seemed to describe better the presence and abundance of this species. The predictive models however were inappropriate to describe the presence of this species and should be used with caution to plan the monitoring activities. The research was supported by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomous Region

Approaching the seismogenic source of the Calabria 8 September 1905 earthquake: New geophysical, geological and biochemical data from the S. Eufemia Gulf (S Italy)

Recognizing the seismogenic source of major historical earthquakes, particularly when these have occurred offshore, is a long-standing issue across the Mediterranean Sea and elsewhere. The destructive earthquake (M ~7) that struck western Calabria (southern Italy) on the night of 8 September 1905 is one such case. having various authors proposed a seismogenic source, with apparently diverse hypotheses and without achieving a unique solution. To gain novel insight into the crustal volume where the 1905 earthquake took place and to seek a more robust solution for the seismogenic source associated with this destructive event, we carried out a well-targeted multidisciplinary survey within the Gulf of S. Eufemia (SE Tyrrhenian Sea), collecting geophysical data, oceanographic measurements, and biological, chemical and sedimentary samples. We identified three main tectonic features affecting the sedimentary basin in the Gulf of S. Eufemia: 1) a NE-SW striking, ca. 13-km-long, normal fault, here named S. Eufemia Fault; 2) a WNW-striking polyphased fault system; and 3) a likely E-W trending lineament. Among these, the normal fault shows evidence of activity witnessed by the deformed recent sediments and by its seabed rupture along which, locally, fluid leakage occurs. Features in agreement with the anomalous distribution of prokaryotic abundance and biopolymeric C content, resulted from the shallow sediments analyses. The numerous seismogenic sources proposed in the literature during the past 15 years make up a composite framework of this sector of western Calabria, that we tested against a) the geological evidence from the newly acquired dataset, and b) the regional seismotectonic models. Such assessment allows us to propose the NE-SW striking normal fault as the most probable candidate for the seismogenic source of the 1905 earthquake. Re-appraising a major historical earthquake as the 1905 one enhances the seismotectonic picture of western Calabria. Further understanding of the region and better constraining the location of the seismogenic source may be attained through integrated interpretation of our data together with a) on-land field evidence, and b) seismological modeling

Agri-Food Wastes for Bioplastics: European Prospective on Possible Applications in Their Second Life for a Circular Economy

Agri-food wastes (such as brewer’s spent grain, olive pomace, residual pulp from fruit juice production, etc.) are produced annually in very high quantities posing a serious problem, both environmentally and economically. These wastes can be used as secondary starting materials to produce value-added goods within the principles of the circular economy. In this context, this review focuses on the use of agri-food wastes either to produce building blocks for bioplastics manufacturing or biofillers to be mixed with other bioplastics. The pros and cons of the literature analysis have been highlighted, together with the main aspects related to the production of bioplastics, their use and recycling. The high number of European Union (EU)-funded projects for the valorisation of agri-food waste with the best European practices for this industrial sector confirm a growing interest in safeguarding our planet from environmental pollution. However, problems such as the correct labelling and separation of bioplastics from fossil ones remain open and to be optimised, with the possibility of reuse before final composting and selective recovery of biomass

Procedure operative per la produzione di inerte artificiale in luogo di scoria nera

Gli studi tecnico-giuridici e la sperimentazione condotta dall’Acciaieria Arvedi S.p.A. nell’ultimo decenniohanno consentito di intervenire nelle diverse fasi del processo produttivo dell’acciaio per apportare procedureed accorgimenti tecnici che hanno consentito di arrivare ad una “produzione” di inerte controllata nelle suecaratteristiche chimiche e fisiche in tutti i momenti, trasformando, di fatto, la produzione della scoria in unprocesso produttivo parallelo a quello della produzione dell’acciaio

Effects of conventional and high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on driving abilities: A tDCS-driving simulator study

Due to the multitasking nature of driving, drivers are physiologically distracted by both relevant and irrelevant environmental stimuli. The ability to select relevant stimuli and suppress irrelevant distractors during driving are two relevant factors for safety. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that the frontal eye field (FEF) plays an important role in target selection and distractors suppression, as well as in attentional mechanisms crucial for safety driving performance. Taking these two points into account, this study was designed to examine the effects of different transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) montages over right FEF to determine whether stimulation of FEF could improve attentional mechanisms in a simulated driving environment. Twenty-seven adult participants took part in the study. A specific driving simulator task was developed in which participants had to respond to brake light events of a preceding car in front of them while driving. The second distracting task consisted of road signs of countries and cities that appeared together with braking lights or alone. Participants were required to respond to one of the two categories with their right hand. These two tasks could be performed alone or in a combined condition. Each participant completed three sessions comparing the effects of different tDCS montages, i.e. conventional, focal 4*1 ring high-definition (HD-tDCS) and sham stimulations over the right FEF. Results indicated an overall better performance under the focal HD-tDCS condition. In particular, participants improved their performance both in braking light RTs and in the second distracting task. Taken together these results are interesting from a theoretical and methodological point of view, by demonstrating a direct effect of anodal focal HD-tDCS on FEF in attentional response during an ecological driving task

Cytomegalovirus Prophylaxis versus Pre-emptive Strategy: Different CD4(+) and CD8(+) T Cell Reconstitution after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Reconstitution of T cells after transplantation is a determinant of the long-term success of the procedure, and the correlation with T cell recovery and cytomegalovirus reactivation and disease is well known. We evaluated 110 patients who underwent transplantation: 55 received pre-emptive antiviral treatment, and in the other 55 patients, prophylaxis with letermovir was employed. A progressive statistically significant difference in T cell reconstitution between the 2 groups was observed, starting from day +60 with faster recovery in the pre-emptive group. Moreover, a higher incidence of cytomegalovirus reactivation was observed in prophylactic group after discontinuation of letermovir, and subsequent antiviral treatment has been necessary. Our findings confirm, as previously reported, that cytomegalovirus reactivation is a potent stimulator of T cell function

Favorable Trend of Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Service Life in a Large Single-Nation Population: Insights From 10-Year Analysis of the Italian Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Registry

Background: Implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) are widely employed for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. Despite technological improvements, patients often need to undergo generator replacement, which entails the risk of periprocedural complications. Our aim was to estimate the service life of ICDs over a 10-year interval and to assess the main causes of replacement on the basis of data from the National ICD Registry of the Italian Society of Arrhythmology and Cardiac Pacing (AIAC). Methods and Results: The registry includes data from over 400 hospitals in Italy. We included all patients who underwent device replacement from calendar years 2007 to 2016. The median service life of the ICDs and its trend over the years was estimated across the 3 types of devices (single-chamber, dual-chamber, cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator) and the indication to implantation. The causes of replacement were also analyzed. We included 29 158 records from 27 676 patients (80.9% men; mean age at device replacement 65.8±12.0 years). The median service life was 57.3 months (interquartile range 27.8 months). Over the years, service life showed an increasing trend. The majority of patients underwent elective replacement because of battery end of life, and over the years there was a significant reduction of replacement for recalls, erosion/infections, and cardiac resynchronization therapy upgrading. Conclusions: Our data from a large single-nation population showed that the trend of ICD service life, independently from ICD type, indication, and settings, significantly improved over time. Moreover, there was a striking reduction of interventions for upgrading and infection/erosion. This favorable trend has important clinical, organizational, and financial implications