Analysis of Herbicide Treatment Effectiveness on Common Reed (Phragmites australis) of Delaware Bay Salt Marshes

Management of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., or common reed, an invasive species within the Delaware Bay, U.S. has been ongoing since 1994 as part of the Estuary Enhancement Program (EEP) for Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG). Phragmites is known to alter the habitat by creating a monoculture, increasing sediment trapping, and decreasing water circulation resulting in decreased biodiversity. Herbicide treatment at EEP Phragmites-dominated sites began as a means to mitigate for loss of nekton species resulting from operations of the Hope Creek-Salem Generating Station once-through cooling system. Using ArcGIS, effectiveness of herbicide treatment was compared at two of EEP’s Phragmites-dominated sites in the Delaware Bay. The goal of this research was to assess effectiveness of aerial application of glyphosate-based herbicide by comparative analysis of mapped vegetation communities. Inundation frequency was incorporated into the analysis to assess if location on the marsh plain has an effect on treatment effectiveness. The results of this research demonstrated that vegetation cover changed significantly as a result of the herbicide treatment with more desirable {Spartina spp., etc.) and less undesirable (Phragmites australis) plants. Areas that did not receive any treatment, tended to produce an undesirable outcome (more Phragmites). No significant difference was observed among treatments of one, two or three applications during the study period. Unvegetated areas did not significantly differ throughout the various treatments over the study period. The results suggest that inundation did not significantly influence effectiveness of treatment. Any frequency of herbicide treatment used for restoration in a salt marsh will reduce Phragmites cover; however, depending on restoration goals and timeline the use of additional applications should be considered

Improving Outcome After Cardiac Arrest: New Pharmacological And Electrophysiological Approaches During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Cardiac arrest (CA) represents a leading cause of death in the western world. CA is a dramatic clinical event that can occur suddenly and often without premonitory signs. This condition is characterized by sudden loss of consciousness caused by the lack of cerebral blood flow, which occurs when the heart ceases to pump. Chest compressions (CCs) and early defibrillation (DF) are the cornerstones of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in CA, while the only definitive treatment for ventricular fibrillation (VF) remains prompt DF. The present thesis includes both experimental and clinical studies directed to evaluate new pharmacological and electrophysiological approaches that have a potential benefit in the outcome of patients affected from CA. In order to achieve such aims, we performed two separate studies concurrently. The first study was directed to investigate experimentally the role of β1-blockade during CPR, while the second series of study evaluated prospectively the feasibility of a real time VF waveform analysis, in particular Amplitude Spectrum Area (AMSA), to guide interventions during resuscitation and to potentially diagnose underlying cardiac ischemia. Both the studies therefore concurred to the same goal of identify new tools to improve the outcome of CA and are presented together in this thesis as a single study with an introduction, methods, results, and discussion section. Nevertheless, in order to help the readers going throughout the work, each section is divided into sub-sections presenting separately the studies

Energy Retrofit in European Building Portfolios: A Review of Five Key Aspects

The research about energy efficiency in buildings has exponentially increased during the last few years. Nevertheless, both research and practice still cannot rely on complete methodologies tailored for building portfolios as a whole, because the attention has always been drawn to individual premises. Yet, energy efficiency analyses need to go beyond the single building perspective and incorporate strategic district approaches to optimize the retrofit investment. For this purpose, several aspects should be considered simultaneously, and new methodologies should also be promoted. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss energy retrofit campaigns in building portfolios, drawing an exhaustive and updated review about the challenge of jumping from the single-building perspective to a stock-based analysis. This research discusses the publications available on the topic from five key aspects that are all essential steps in achieving a complete and reliable study of energy efficiency at a portfolio level. They are energy modelling and assessment, energy retrofit design, decision-making criteria assessment, optimal allocation of (financial) resources and risk valuation. This review, therefore, advocates for joint consideration of the problem as a basis on which to structure further disciplinary developments. Research gaps are highlighted, and new directions for future research are suggested

I sistemi di garanzia partecipata (PGS) come strumento di sviluppo locale rurale: l’impatto dell’inclusione della comunità e dei valori sociali nella certificazione biologica

Gran parte degli agricoltori tradizionali di fatto producono biologico, ma non hanno abbastanza soldi per sostenere i costi degli input biologici certificati e della certificazione e si limitano a coltivare secondo le conoscenze indigene tradizionali. Questo impedisce loro l’accesso al mercato del biologico, nazionale e internazionale dove viene riconosciuto un premio di prezzo alla qualità biologica, e limita la crescita del biologico come settore produttivo a livello nazionale e mondiale. I Sistemi di Garanzia Partecipativa (PGS) sono sistemi di garanzia operanti su base locale, che hanno reinventato la certificazione del biologico. Certificano i produttori basandosi sulla partecipazione attiva di produttori e consumatori in primo luogo, insieme a tutti gli stakeholder coinvolti e si fondano sulla fiducia, sulle reti sociali e sullo scambio di conoscenza. I PGS sono legati strettamente alla dimensione locale e ad approcci alternativi di produzione e commercializzazione: filiera corta e vendita diretta, economie locali. La tesi indaga sull’effettività e l’impatto dell’ inclusione della comunità e dei valori sociali nella certificazione biologica, e vuole capire se i PGS possano essere considerati uno strumento di sviluppo locale rurale efficace. Dopo aver presentato i principali contributi e studi di caso sui PGS, viene descritta la ricerca realizzata, che mira ad includere tutte le realtà di Garanzia Partecipata in uno studio mirato a capire se i risultati emersi dai casi studio siano riscontrabili anche nel complesso dei PGS. I Sistemi di Garanzia Partecipata sono infatti una realtà molto variegata e in forte diffusione, e appare necessario capire se i buoni risultati riscontrati nei casi studio sono allargabili all'intero movimento dei PGS. Si descrive quindi l’elaborazione e la somministrazione del questionario e i risultati ottenuti: informazioni e caratteristiche dei PGS (numerosità, standard biologici utilizzati, bisogni cui il PGS si indirizza, difficoltà incontrate...), informazioni sugli agricoltori coinvolti nei PGS (età, livello di istruzione, dimensione degli appezzamenti, canali di mercato utilizzati) e infine le percezioni sull'impatto dei PGS punto di vista ambientale, sulla sicurezza alimentare, sul reddito agricolo, sulla partecipazione e sulla comunità. In coda vengono esposti i risultati di un confronto su diversi sistemi (PGS, biologico, fair trade, NGOs projects...) in base alla capacità di valorizzare le economie locali rurali

Sensorimotor skills impact on temporal expectation: Evidence from swimmers

Aim of this study was to assess whether the ability to predict the temporal outcome of a sport action was influenced by the sensorimotor skills previously acquired during a specific sport training. Four groups, each of 30 subjects, were enrolled in this study; subjects of three groups practiced different sports disciplines (i.e., swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and water polo) at competitive level whilst the fourth group consisted of control subjects. Subjects were asked to observe a video showing a swimmer doing two laps in crawl style. This video was shown 36 times, and was occluded after variable intervals, randomized across trials, by a dark window that started 3, 6, and 12 s before the swimmer touched the poolside. During the occluded interval, subjects were asked to indicate when the swimmer touched the edge of the pool by clicking on any button of the laptop keyboard. We found that swimmers were more accurate than subjects performing other sports in temporally predicting the final outcome of the swimming task. Particularly, we observed a significant difference in absolute timing error that was lower in swimmers compared to other groups when they were asked to make a temporal prediction with the occluded interval of short duration (i.e., 3 s). Our findings demonstrate that the ability to extract temporal patterns of a motor action depends largely on the subjective expertise, suggesting that sport-acquired sensorimotor skills impact on the temporal representation of the previously observed action, allowing subjects to predict the time course of the action in absence of visual information

Spontaneous movement tempo can be influenced by combining action observation and somatosensory stimulation

Spontaneous movement tempo (SMT) was a popular field of study of the Gestalt psychologists It can be determined from subjects freely tapping out a rhythm with their finger, and it has been found to average about 2 Hz. A previous study showed that SMT changed after the observation of rhythmical movements performed at frequency different from the SMT. This effect was long-lasting only when movement execution immediately followed action observation (AO). We recently demonstrated that only when AO was combined with peripheral nerve stimulation (AO-PNS) was it possible to induce plastic changes in the excitability of the motor cortex, whereas AO and PNS alone did not evoke any changes. Here we investigated whether the observation of rhythmical actions at a frequency higher than the SMT combined with PNS induced lasting changes in SMT even in absence of immediate movement execution. Forty-eight participants were assigned to four groups. In AO-PNS group they observed a video showing a right hand performing a finger opposition movement sequence at 3 Hz and contemporarily received an electrical stimulation at the median nerve; in AO group and PNS group participants either observed the same video or received the same electrical stimulation of the AO-PNS group, respectively; in LANDSCAPE group subjects observed a neutral video. Participants performed a finger opposition movement sequence at spontaneous movement rate before and 30 min after the conditioning protocols. Results showed that SMT significantly changed only after AO-PNS. This result suggested that the AO-PNS protocol was able to induce lasting changes in SMT due to neuroplasticity mechanisms, indicating possible application of AO-PNS in rehabilitative treatments

Evaluation of handwriting movement kinematics: From an ecological to a magnetic resonance environment

Writing is a means of communication which requires complex motor, perceptual, and cognitive skills. If one of these abilities gets lost following traumatic events or due to neurological diseases, handwriting could deteriorate. Occupational therapy practitioners provide rehabilitation services for people with impaired handwriting. However, to determine the effectiveness of handwriting interventions no studies assessed whether the proposed treatments improved the kinematics of writing movement or had an effect at the level of the central nervous system. There is need to find new quantitative methodologies able to describe the behavioral and the neural outcomes of the rehabilitative interventions for handwriting. In the present study we proposed a combined approach that allowed evaluating the kinematic parameters of handwriting movements, acquired by means of a magnetic resonance-compatible tablet, and their neural correlates obtained simultaneously from a functional magnetic resonance imaging examination. Results showed that the system was reliable in term of reproducibility of the kinematic data during a test/re-test procedure. Further, despite the modifications with respect to an ecological writing movement condition, the kinematic parameters acquired inside the MR-environment were descriptive of individuals\u2019 movement features. At last, the imaging protocol succeeded to show the activation of the cerebral regions associated with the production of writing movement in healthy people. From these findings, this methodology seems to be promising to evaluate the handwriting movement deficits and the potential alterations in the neural activity in those individuals who have handwriting difficulties. Finally, it would provide a mean to quantitatively assess the effect of a rehabilitative treatment

A deployable and inflatable robotic arm concept for aerospace applications

The interest in soft systems for space missions represents a growing trend in recent years. The development of inflatable robots, combined with the improvement of deployment mechanisms, allows to build novel lightweight and deployable robotic manipulators. In several space applications, the use of soft robots could minimize bulk and mass, reducing space mission costs. The main challenges in soft robotics are the control of the system and the exertion of high forces. In this manuscript, the concept of an inflatable manipulator with two inflatable links and three degrees of freedom is proposed. After a review about the possible materials to be used for the inflatable parts, the robot mechanical structure, the deploying strategy and the pneumatic line are presented. Then, an elastostatic approach is proposed to model the robot with the aim of developing its control. The last section shows preliminary experimental tests performed on the link prototype with the purpose to evaluate a static characterization in relation to the supplied pressure. Results suggest the validity of the adopted approach to model the system and clarify the pressure influence about the system performances. The study puts the basis for the development of the first prototype of the robotic system

Pattern of antibiotic consumption in two Italian production chains differing by the endemic status for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome

The aim of this case study was to quantify antibiotic (AB) use in Italian weaning (W) and fattening (F) units differentiated for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) occurrence. Farms were classified as either PRRS negative (–) or PRRS positive (+) based on the circulation of the virus among the animals. In all the farms, the modified live PRRS virus (PRRSV) vaccine was provided to all the animals. In the PRRS– farms, the level of circulating antibodies was low, and the disease, in its clinical form, did not occur. In the PRRS+ farms, the level of circulating antibodies against the virus was high, and the disease was recurrent. Data regarding AB consumption were collected from 2017 to 2020, and the active compounds (ACs) were expressed as milligrams of AC/total kilogram of body weight (BW) produced. Each AC was classified into one of four categories according to the EuropeanMedicines Agency classification of ABs for prudent and responsible use in animals: Avoid, Restrict, Caution, and Prudence. Data regarding the ACs in each category were analyzed using a linear model that included production phase, PRRS status, and their interaction as factors. Performance parameters, average age of the pigs at the end of each phase, daily live weight gain, feed-to-gain ratio, total losses, cost index, and medication costs were significantly influenced by the PRRS chain. The use of class B ABs was not affected by production phase or PRRS status. Conversely, for class C ABs, interaction between the two factors (p = 0.02) was observed; W/PRRS+ and F/PRRS+ showed the greatest AB use for this class (p = 0.003). For class D ABs, the interaction was significant (p = 0.01); class C and D ABs were used more in the weaning (p = 0.07) than in the fattening phase (p = 0.003). For the weaning phase, the use of class C and D ABs was greater in the PRRS+ than in the PRRS– chain (p < 0.01). In conclusion, PRRS status affected the growth of pigs and economic performance. Moreover, PRRS status significantly influenced the use of ABs during all the growing periods with the greatest impact being on the weaning phase

Burden of pediatrics hospitalizations associated with Rotavirus gastroenteritis in Lombardy (Northern Italy) before immunization program

Aim. Rotavirus is recognized as the main cause of acute gastroenteritis in children under 5 years old, representing a considerable public health problem with a great impact on social and public health costs in developed countries. This study aims to assess the frequency and the epidemiological aspect of the hospitalization associated with Rotavirusgastroenteritis  in Lombardy, Northern Italy, from 2005 to 2011. Methods. The Lombardy Hospital Discharge Database was inquired from the official data of the Italian Ministry of Health and investigated for acute gastroenteritis (ICD9-CM code for bacteria, parasitic, viral and undetermined etiologic diarrhea) in primaryn and secondary diagnosis in children ≤ 5 years, between 2005 and 2011. Results. Out of the 32 944 acute-gastroenteritis hospitalizations reported in Lombardy, the 50.8% was caused by Rotavirus infection; of these, the 65.5% were reported in primary diagnosis. The peak of Rotavirus-gastroenteritis hospitalization was observed in February-March in children < 2 years old, with a cumulative prevalence of 64.5%. Patients admitted to hospital with diarrhea of undetermined etiology (about 14% of overall acute-gastroenteritis) showed epidemiological characteristics similar to the Rotavirusgastroenteritis, suggesting that the virus infection could also be involved in at least some of these. Conclusion. Our data confirm that Rotavirus are the most important agents involving in acute gastroenteritis hospitalizations. The use of Hospital Discharge Database had proved to be a simple tool to estimate the burden and to describe the epidemiological characteristics of Rotavirus gastroenteritis and could be used as a surveillance activity before and after the introduction of mass vaccination at national and regional level in Italy