A New Orbiting Deployable System for Small Satellite Observations for Ecology and Earth Observation

In this paper, we present several study cases focused on marine, oceanographic, and atmospheric environments, which would greatly benefit from the use of a deployable system for small satellite observations. As opposed to the large standard ones, small satellites have become an effective and affordable alternative access to space, owing to their lower costs, innovative design and technology, and higher revisiting times, when launched in a constellation configuration. One of the biggest challenges is created by the small satellite instrumentation working in the visible (VIS), infrared (IR), and microwave (MW) spectral ranges, for which the resolution of the acquired data depends on the physical dimension of the telescope and the antenna collecting the signal. In this respect, a deployable payload, fitting the limited size and mass imposed by the small satellite architecture, once unfolded in space, can reach performances similar to those of larger satellites. In this study, we show how ecology and Earth Observations can benefit from data acquired by small satellites, and how they can be further improved thanks to deployable payloads. We focus on DORA—Deployable Optics for Remote sensing Applications—in the VIS to TIR spectral range, and on a planned application in the MW spectral range, and we carry out a radiometric analysis to verify its performances for Earth Observation studies

Fattori di controllo della fungistasi: il ruolo della sostanza organica e della microflora tellurica

Soilborne plant pathogens are among the most important limiting factors for the productivity of agro-ecosystems. Identifying reliable and effective control methods is crucial for efficient biological control. Soil fungistasis is the capability of soils to inhibit the germination and growth of soil-borne fungi in presence of optimal abiotic conditions. The first aim of this PhD thesis was to clarify the relationships between soil amendments with plant residues spanning a wide range of biochemical quality with soil fungistasis. Microcosms experiments were performed with 42 different plant residues and the effect on soil fungistasis was assessed by using four different fungi (Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Pyrenochaeta lycoperici and Trichoderma harzianum). We measured soil respiration and soil enzymatic activity and compared classic litter proximate chemical analysis with 13C-CPMAS NMR spectroscopy to define plant residues biochemistry. Results showed that the quality of organic amendments is a major controlling factor of soil fungistasis. The dramatic relief of soil fungistasis when soil was amended with lignin poor, but labile carbon rich, substrates gives strong support to the competition-based hypothesis. The positive correlation between soil respiration and fungal growth further supports the competition hypothesis. Finally, 13C-CPMAS NMR results showed clear-cut relationships between soil fungistasis and the biochemical quality of plant residues, and provided a quantitative assessment of the time required for fungistasis restoration after organic materials application. The second aim of this work was to assess the effects of different soil amendment histories, in terms of amendment types and amounts, on fungistasis. The few studies concerning the history of soil amendment pointed out its effect on basic soil functions such as respiration, enzymatic activities, carbon and nitrogen mineralization. Previous studies demonstrated that soils with a long-term (i.e. months to years) application history of organic amendments, compared with unamended soils, have a higher and more active microbial biomass and enhanced enzymatic activities. It is not know however, because of the lack of experimental evidences, whether and how a story of organic amendments affects fungistasis. The aforementioned considerations about basic soil processes and soil amendment history drove the hypothesis to us that training a soil with organic carbon, by stimulating the activity of the resident microbial community can positively affect soil fungistasis. With this background, aim of this study was to assess the effects of different soil amendment histories on fungistasis in terms of amendment types and amounts. For this purpose microcosm experiments were performed by training a soil with different amounts and types of organic sources covering a wide range of biochemical qualities (glucose, alfalfa and wheat straw). Thereafter, the fungistasis response was assessed by using four different fungi (Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea, Pyrenochaeta lycoperici and Trichoderma harzianum). Trained soils were characterized for microbial activity (respiration) and functional diversity by the BIOLOG EcoPlates™ method. Results showed that, irrespectively of fungal species and amendment types, frequent supplies of organic C reduce fungistasis relief (i.e. increase fungistasis resistance to organic matter pulse) as well as the time required for fungistasis restoration (i.e. increase fungistasis resilience). Moreover, the frequent addition of organic carbon as a result of the continuous supply of easily decomposable organic compounds enhance soil respiration and its specific catabolic capabilities. In conclusion, organic amendment applications create a soil functionally distinct from its not amended counterpart, with greatly enhanced fungistasis resistance and resilience. Finally, the third aim of this work was to provide the first monitor of soil fungistasis in the Campania Region. Soil quality, especially in the presence of reduced organic inputs, degrades in a few years with the following negative effects: the increased incidence of soil-borne pathogens, the traditional chemical methods loses its effectiveness for the development of strains resistant to fungicides, the efficiency of the fertilizer use is lowered, and the soil food webs become simplified. In order to mitigate these effects is necessary to test innovative farming techniques. In both biological and conventional agriculture, to the recovery of the quality of the soils, it has been proposed to use organic amendments. In this context, the aim of this work was to assess the level of fungistasis in different soils sampled in the Campania Region, from both agro-ecosystems and natural ecosystems. In general, we wanted to assess the combined effect of soil type and a different management on fungistasis. To this end, the analysis included a wide spectrum of types of soils to better understand the relationships between physico - chemical-microbiological characteristics of soils and their fungistatic activity. Since the quality of the soil depends on multiple factors, and the same fungistasis is dependent on several processes and properties of the soil system, in order to evaluate the power fungistatic of soils sampled and to differentiate them according to their ability to induce or less fungistasis and thus inhibit or slow the development of soil-borne fungi, it is necessary to measure a variety of parameters, chemical, physical, biological and microbiological processes. In this multidisciplinary study were compared 12 different soils from different ecosystems and collected in different geographical areas of the Campania Region. Each soil has been subjected to chemical, physical, microbiological, enzymatic analysis, fungistasis assessment with three fungi (Aspergillus niger, Botrytis cinerea and Trichoderma harzianum). The hypothesis to be tested was that soils with higher organic matter content and higher microbial activity showed higher levels of fungistasis. Contrary to the initial hypothesis there was no evidence correlation between microbial biomass and fungistasis, but for the metabolic profile of the telluric microorganisms. The monitoring showed that there are significant differences in the fungistatic power of the different soils, it allows us to classify soils on the basis of their ability to inhibit or slow the development of soil-borne fungi

Unimodal pattern of soil hydrophobicity along an altitudinal gradient encompassing Mediterranean, temperate, and alpine ecosystems

Background and Aims: Soil water repellency (SWR, i.e. the reduced affinity for water due to the presence of hydrophobic coatings on soil particles) has relevant hydrological implications on the rate of water infiltration, surface runoff, and overland flow. Here, we test how SWR varies along a 2490 m altitudinal gradient encompassing six ecosystems including Mediterranean, Temperate, and Alpine vegetation types. Methods: Water repellency, measured by the Molarity of an Ethanol Droplet (MED) test, was quantified in 80 soil samples collected for 16 different elevations. Soil quality was assessed by measuring soil texture, pH, organic carbon, salinity, and nutrient availability. Results: SWR showed a unimodal pattern along the 2490 m transect, peaking at intermediate elevations. Unexpectedly, SWR was the highest under broad-leaf deciduous forests, and the lowest under evergreen, sclerophyllous Mediterranean vegetation types. The soil organic carbon content, and the pH were the main determinants of water repellency, showing respectively a positive, and a negative correlation with the SWR. In contrast, soil texture and salinity resulted unrelated to the SWR. Conclusions: With this study we demonstrated a linkage between SWR, vegetation type and soil pH and organic carbon content along the elevation gradient. Further studies are needed to explicitly evaluate the impact SRW on erosion risk at catchment scale in the context of climatic change

Soil fertility promotes decomposition rate of nutrient poor, but not nutrient rich litter through nitrogen transfer

Background and aims Litter decomposition is a critical process in terrestrial ecosystems and understanding the effects of soil fertility on the litter decay rate is of great ecological relevance. Here we test the hypothesis that N transfer from soil to litter will promote the decay rate of N poor but not N rich litter types. Methods Ten organic substrates, encompassing a wide range of biochemical quality in terms of C/N and lignin/N ratios, were decomposed in microcosms over three soil types with different N content, but inoculated with the same microbiome. Organic substrates were characterized for mass loss, C and N content to assess N transfer from soil to litter. Results The decay rate response to soil fertility was related to their initial N content: positive for substrates with little initial N content and not significant for N rich plant residues. A significant N transfer, generally larger from N rich soil to N poor substrates, was found. Litter C/N and lignin/N ratios showed variable relationships with the litter decay according with the soil fertility gradient, with positive and negative correlations in N rich and N poor soils, respectively. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that the decomposition of N rich litter proceeded irrespective of soil fertility while the decay rate of N poor substrates, either lignin poor or rich, was controlled by soil fertility likely as a result of N transfer. Litter C/N and lignin/N ratios were reliable indicators of litter quality to predict their decay rate in N poor soil, but not in N rich soils

Combined application of photo-selective mulching films and beneficial microbes affects crop yield and irrigation water productivity in intensive farming systems

Cultivation of vegetables under plastic tunnels is a steadily growing farming system, nevertheless there are concerns about its environmental sustainability. This work tests a new cultivation system based on the application of photo-selective mulching films to the soil combined with beneficial microbes to improve crop yield, save irrigation water and enhance crop irrigation water productivity. A two-year project was carried out in three farms of southern Italy that practice cultivation in greenhouses with different soil characteristics. Photo-selective mulching films (PS) were used alone or in combination with microbial consortia (M) containing beneficial microbes (i.e. antagonistic fungi of the genus Trichoderma, mycorrhizal fungi of the genus Glomus and the plant growth promoting bacterium Bacillus subtilis) and compared with black plastic mulching (B). Soil temperature, soil water content, and irrigation water volumes were continuously monitored for eight cropping cycles including tomato, sweet pepper, lettuce, melon, and kohlrabi. Crop yields were assessed at the end of each cycle. PS films in combination with M significantly increased crop yields with respect to control, with the most positive effects on winter crops. Soil temperature under PS was consistently lower than that under B mulch. All mulching films allowed the saving of irrigation water compared with untreated control, but no difference was detected between PS and B. However, PS increases crop irrigation water productivity (CIWP) compared with B film in 25% of the experimental cases. In conclusion, our results indicate that combining PS films with beneficial microbes in cultivation under plastic tunnel greenhouses promotes crop yield and increases CIWP compared with control in 87.5% and 75% of the study cases, respectivel

Tocilizumab for patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. The single-arm TOCIVID-19 prospective trial

BackgroundTocilizumab blocks pro-inflammatory activity of interleukin-6 (IL-6), involved in pathogenesis of pneumonia the most frequent cause of death in COVID-19 patients.MethodsA multicenter, single-arm, hypothesis-driven trial was planned, according to a phase 2 design, to study the effect of tocilizumab on lethality rates at 14 and 30 days (co-primary endpoints, a priori expected rates being 20 and 35%, respectively). A further prospective cohort of patients, consecutively enrolled after the first cohort was accomplished, was used as a secondary validation dataset. The two cohorts were evaluated jointly in an exploratory multivariable logistic regression model to assess prognostic variables on survival.ResultsIn the primary intention-to-treat (ITT) phase 2 population, 180/301 (59.8%) subjects received tocilizumab, and 67 deaths were observed overall. Lethality rates were equal to 18.4% (97.5% CI: 13.6-24.0, P=0.52) and 22.4% (97.5% CI: 17.2-28.3, P<0.001) at 14 and 30 days, respectively. Lethality rates were lower in the validation dataset, that included 920 patients. No signal of specific drug toxicity was reported. In the exploratory multivariable logistic regression analysis, older age and lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio negatively affected survival, while the concurrent use of steroids was associated with greater survival. A statistically significant interaction was found between tocilizumab and respiratory support, suggesting that tocilizumab might be more effective in patients not requiring mechanical respiratory support at baseline.ConclusionsTocilizumab reduced lethality rate at 30 days compared with null hypothesis, without significant toxicity. Possibly, this effect could be limited to patients not requiring mechanical respiratory support at baseline.Registration EudraCT (2020-001110-38); clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04317092)