Principali patogeni e difesa

Olive as other woody perennial crops can be affected by several systemic pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and several vector-borne viruses. The most important olive diseases, caused by different pathogens, are described in this text. Pathogen biology, diagnostic technique and control strategies are reported for each disease. The main and widespread bacterial disease, caused by Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi, is the olive knot. As concerns the most important and widespread fungal diseases, in this text are described the olive leaf spot, Verticillum wilt, cercosporiosis, anthracnose, fruit rot, parasitic brusca, root rot, sooty mold and wood rot. Infections caused by viruses are generally symptomless and do not result in diseased plants. Although, viruses do not cause detrimental disease on olive varieties, the infected olive trees represent a reservoir of virus inoculum for other crops, where these viruses are known to cause severe disease. Detection of these viruses represent an important critical step in the sanitary improvement of this crop. Recently, molecularbased assays have been effectively implemented to detect at least 8 of the 15 viruses known to infect this crop. Sanitation program using in vitro culture of shoot tip and thermotherapy have been recently described to recover virus-free plantlets.Realizzato nell'ambito del progetto "Ricerca ed Innovazione per l'Olivicoltura Meridionale", finanziato dal MiPAAFMiPAAF - Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestal

Design of devices for integrated systems based on optical and microwave technologies for 5G

In this PhD thesis, innovative microwave and optical devices for Fiber-Wireless (FiWi) networks in 5G and Internet of Things (IoT) scenarios have been designed, optimized and characterized. They find different applications in communications, industrial, medical, and environmental monitoring applications, with the aim to provide wide bandwidth and low latency. In particular, the thesis reports: i) the design and optimization of a multilayer air-filled SIW array antenna, operating at f=60 GHz, which will be constructed and characterized at the Institut d’Electronique et des Technologies du numéRique (IETR) in Rennes (France); ii) the design, fabrication and characterization of microwave applicators for industrial monitoring and thermal ablation of cancer; iii) the design and optimization of continuous wave (CW) and pulsed laser emitting at λ_s=3.92 μm in the mid-infrared (Mid-IR) wavelength range, as optical sources in FiWi hybrid networks. Part of the obtained results have been published in the Proceedings of National and International Conferences or on International Journals, as listed at the end of the thesis

Algorithmic Journalism and Ideological Polarization: An Experimental Work Around ChatGPT and the Production of Politically Oriented Information

Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the emerging technologies that is developing with ever greater intensity and in an ever-increasing number of domains, often overturning the features of these domains. In the domain of journalism, generative AI has become a tool used to write texts and articles with potential implications on ethics and on the issue of transparency (Diakopoulos, Koliska, 2017) together with a possible reconfiguration of the perimeter and of the foundations of making information, with the oscillation between different options and positions (Schapals, Porlezza, 2020). The scientific literature on the subject is expanding and the discussion among decision makers is becoming more intense (most recently with the AI Act of the European Parliament). Actually, journalism has represented one of the professions most characterized by the relationship with technology, and most significantly modified by it in its production processes and business models (Pavlik, 2000). Natural Language Generation (NLG) software based on AI algorithms has contributed particularly significantly to spreading the perception of a “paradigm shift” among insiders and information operators. In fact, various theses and arguments have been developed around such software, which can include political-ideological and ethical-philosophical evaluations. Therefore, in this work we propose an experimental work, based on a mixed-method methodology, which starts from the following research question: is there a prevalent political orientation of AI-based generative software? Or, better yet, can we arrive, on certain topics, to verify a propensity of the machine to generate “polarized” articles classifiable along the right-left axis in relation to the subject of the discussion? And, therefore, can “automated” journalism also lead to the necessary production of articles with a predefined orientation and thesis? To verify this research hypothesis, we intend to have an AI-based NLG platform (e.g., ChatGPT) generate some articles on three selected topics with reference to the most recent Italian and international political debate, also investigating the effect of the cheat sheet indications on the polarization of the articles: a. immigration management policies; b. minimum wage; c. adoption of children by homoparental couples. That is, topics usually treated in a highly polarized way in the contemporary transitional post-public sphere (Schlesinger, 2020), so as to empirically test whether the automation in the production of articles is free from political evaluations or whether it turns out to be influenced by a dominant (or mostly distributed) political orientation/thought within the vast dataset of document sources that form the basis of the AI system's training

UV lighting in horticulture: A sustainable tool for improving production quality and food safety

Ultraviolet (UV) is a component of solar radiation that can be divided into three types defined by waveband: UV-A (315-400 nm), UV-B (280-315 nm), and UV-C (<280 nm). UV light can influence the physiological responses of plants. Wavelength, intensity, and exposure have a great impact on plant growth and quality. Interaction between plants and UV light is regulated by photoreceptors such as UV Resistance Locus 8 (UVR8) that enables acclimation to UV-B stress. Although UV in high doses is known to damage quality and production parameters, some studies show that UV in low doses may stimulate biomass accumulation and the synthesis of healthy compounds that mainly absorb UV. UV exposure is known to induce variations in plant architecture, important in ornamental crops, increasing their economic value. Abiotic stress induced by UV exposure increases resistance to insects and pathogens, and reduce postharvest quality depletion. This review highlights the role that UV may play in plant growth, quality, photomorphogenesis, and abiotic/biotic stress resistance

Pitch-Luminance Crossmodal Correspondence in the Baby Chick: An Investigation on Predisposed and Learned Processes.

Our senses are constantly reached by a multitude of stimuli from all different sensory modalities. To create a coherent representation of the environment, we must integrate the various unimodal inputs that refer to the same object into a single multimodal representation. In some cases, however, we tend to bind certain properties of the stimuli without any apparent reason, which is a phenomenon named crossmodal correspondence. For instance, we match a spiky or a rounded shape with the sound "Kiki" or "Bouba", respectively. Similarly, we associate the left hemispace with low luminance and the right one with high luminance. Instances of crossmodal correspondences were described also in other mammals, and recently, a case of space-luminance crossmodal correspondence was reported in birds (i.e., domestic chicks). Here, we investigate the presence of pitch-luminance crossmodal correspondence in three-day-old chicks, employing experimental methods that exploit either predisposed or learned processes. While failing to report evidence for this phenomenon, we discuss the difference between statistical and structural crossmodal correspondences and the possible role of environmental factors in determining their emergence. Moreover, we discuss the importance of the different experimental methodologies to investigate distinct aspects of this perceptual phenomenon to reach a deeper understanding and unveil the role of innate vs. learned mechanisms

Centrality dependence of the expansion dynamics in Pb-Pb collisions at 158 A GeV/c

Two-particle correlation functions of negatively charged hadrons from Pb-Pb collisions at 158 GeV/c per nucleon have been measured by the WA97 experiment at the CERN SPS. A Coulomb correction procedure that assumes an expanding source has been implemented. Within the framework of an expanding thermalized source model the size and dynamical state of the collision fireball at freeze-out have been reconstructed as a function of the centrality of the collision. Less central collisions exhibit a different dynamics than central ones: both transverse and longitudinal expansion velocities are slower, the expansion duration is shorter and the system freezes out showing smaller dimensions and higher temperature.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, Te

Image Analysis of Adventitious Root Quality in Wild Sage and Glossy Abelia Cuttings after Application of Different Indole-3-Butyric Acid Concentrations

Adventitious root (AR) formation is a key step in stem cutting propagation of economi-cally important woody ornamentals. Inadequate environmental and hormonal conditions can lead to the production of an insufficient or modest number of ARs in stem cutting, with a consequent decrease in quality. The aim of this research was to optimize wild sage and glossy abelia autumn stem cutting propagation protocols, using image analysis to assess the effects of different IBA concentrations and cultivars on AR quality. For both taxa, the treatments were: four IBA concentrations: 0, 1250, 2500 and 5000 mg L−1 and two cultivars: ‘Little Lucky’ (cv1) and ‘Yellow’ (cv2) from Lantana, and ‘Canyon Creek’ (cv1) and ‘Eduard Goucher’ (cv2) from Abelia. Results show that IBA application is not needed to enhance rooting ability; however, IBA concentration is an important factor determining the best overall AR quality in both taxa. In wild sage applying 5000 mg L−1 IBA improved AR quality in ‘Little Lucky’, increasing the root number, total length, surface area and number of forks and crossings, but decreased quality in ‘Yellow’. In glossy abelia ‘Edouard Goucher’, 5000 mg L−1 IBA increased the root number, but 1250 mg L−1 IBA improved AR quality; ‘Canyon Creek’ did not perform as well as cv2 at these concentrations. This study confirms that sensitivity to IBA dosage varies among species and their cultivars. Findings may help the commercial nursery industry produce higher quality cuttings

Alchimicorum periti operantur sicut periti medicorum. Albert the Great’s Account on Alchemical Transmutation

This article deals with the most relevant philosophical side of Albert the Great’s analysis of alchemy, aimed at clarifying what alchemical transmutation consists in and whether this process can ultimately be accomplished by men. The Dominican master handles the problem differently in the earlier commentary on Lombardus’ Libri Sententiarum and in works like the De mineralibus, in which a more mature idea of the connection between art and nature is developed. In this respect, Albert’s interpretation intersects with Avicenna’s De congelatione, a fundamental text for the Latin medieval debate on alchemy, whose reception has shaped his understanding of the alchemical art. The Dominican master gradually assumes a more lenient position towards the claims of the alchemical process of transmutation, which he explains by resorting to the similitudes between alchemy and medicine and the comparison of artificial transmutation with natural processes such as the generatio ex putrefactione and the natural formation of minerals

Response to 'No evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection by polymerase chain reaction or serology in children with pseudo-chilblain'. Reply from the authors

Dear Editor, Recalcati et al. conclude that chilblain-like lesions (CLLs) are part of the spectrum of COVID-19 based on reports of SARS-CoV-2 in endothelial cells of skin biopsies assessed by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy (EM).1 Nevertheless, the conclusion does not seem to be adequately supported by the data. Recalcati et al. expand their previously reported case series to include 32 patients with CLLs. In 21 of 32 cases, no nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) was tested for SARS-CoV-2. Two of 11 patients subjected to molecular testing were positive for SARS-CoV-2, but no serological test was performed to verify the seroconversion. Three patients tested positive for IgM and negative for IgG antibodies without any confirmation of infection through NPS