Analysis of fragmented piezometric levels records: the ARTE (Antecedent Recharge Temporal Effectiveness) approach

In contrast to climatic data, piezometric records are often fragmented both in time and space continuity, despite their crucial importance in groundwater studies. This work presents a new method for analysis of groundwater level vs. recharge processes relation from fragmented piezometric data, called Antecedent Recharge Temporal Effectiveness (ARTE). The ARTE method was tested on 5 year-long (2016-2020) water table level datasets measured by three automatic piezometers located in the Lucca plain (Tuscany, Italy). For each piezometric level time series, measurements were extracted every 30, 60, and 120 days, and randomly, obtaining fragmented records inlcuding less than 3% of the complete time series. As for recharge processes of the monitored aquifer, rainfall and riverbed infiltration were selected. Hence, daily rainfall and daily mean river stage time series were acquired from different automatic raingauges and hydrometers respectively. The relationship between these recharge processes and the variation of the piezometric level from the artificially fragmented datasets were evaluated with the ARTE method. The ARTE method was potentially able to identify maximum correlation time intervals, for which the recharge processes are most likely to influence the groundwater level. Based on the analysis conducted on the fragmented piezometric datasets, the reconstruction of each piezometric time series was attempted for the study period. The simulated daily groundwater level records have RMSE values between 0.21 m and 0.73 m and NRMSE values between 0.08 and 0.16, which are satisfactory results when compared with other more complex simulation procedures, in which the training datasets are increasingly larger

Trichoderma and its secondary metabolites improve yield and quality of grapes

Trichoderma is one of the most studied and applied fungal biocontrol agents. The benefits of these microorganisms to the plant include: suppression of pathogens, growth promotion, enhanced nutrient availability and induction of resistance. The biological activity is related to the variety of metabolites that they produce. These metabolites have been found to directly inhibit the pathogens, increase disease resistance and enhance plant growth. In this study, we have examined the effect of two Trichoderma strains and their secondary metabolites on Vitis vinifera in terms of induction of disease resistance, plant growth promotion and increase of polyphenols or antioxidant activity in the grapes. Applications of T. harzianum M10 or T. atroviride P1, as well as their respective major secondary metabolites, harzianic acid (HA) and 6-pentyl-a-pyrone (6PP), have been conducted in greenhouse by foliar spray or drenching. The treatments suppressed the development of powdery mildew caused by Uncinula necator. In a field experiment, a spore suspension of T. harzianum strain T22 or a 6PP solution was applied until fruit harvest. The results indicated that both T. harzianum T22 and 6PP are able to improve crop yield and increase the total amount of polyphenols and antioxidant activity in the grapes. The effects of the isolated natural compounds were comparable with those obtained by using the living fungus

Trichoderma-based products and their widespread use in agriculture

Governing bodies throughout the world, particularly in Europe, are now implementing legislative mandates with the objective of decreasing dependence on pesticides in agriculture to increase consumer and environmental safety. In order to reduce the risks associated with pesticide applications and reduce dependency on their use, Directives will promote low pesticide-input by implementing integrated pest management (IPM), and provide the means to establish the necessary conditions and measures to employ these practices, as well as to ensure security of commercial products. One approach includes the use of biological control agents and their products as alternatives to synthetic agro-chemicals. Trichoderma spp. are widely studied fungi and are among the most commonly used microbial biological control agents (MBCAs) in agriculture. They are presently marketed as bio-pesticides, biofertilizers, growth enhancers and stimulants of natural resistance. The efficacy of this fungus can be attributed to their ability to protect plants, enhance vegetative growth and contain pathogen populations under numerous agricultural conditions, as well as to act as soil amendments/inoculants for improvement of nutrient ability, decomposition and biodegradation. The living fungal spores (active substance) are incorporated in various formulations, both traditional and innovative, for applications as foliar sprays, pre-planting applications to seed or propagation material, post-pruning treatments, incorporation in the soil during seeding or transplant, watering by irrigation or applied as a root drench or dip. Trichoderma-based preparations are marketed worldwide and used for crop protection of various plant pathogens or increase the plant growth and productivity in diverse cultivated environments such as fields, greenhouses, nurseries; in the production of a variety of horticultural, fruits, trees and ornamental crops. A survey was conducted of Trichoderma-containing products found on the international market to obtain an overall perspective of the: 1) geographical distribution, 2) product composition and identity of Trichoderma species selected, 3) contents combined with Trichoderma in the products - other microbial species or substances in the mix, 4) number of products available globally and geographically, 5) number of products registered or having use specifications, 6) product formulations and applications, 7) manufacturer claims - target use, target pests, product type and effects of applications. The largest distribution of Trichoderma bioproducts is found in Asia, succeeded by Europe, South- Central America and North America. The majority of the labels indicated fungicidal properties, but only 38% of the marketed merchandise are registered. Ten Trichoderma species are specifically indicated, but many labels indicate a generic Trichoderma sp. or spp. mix in the list of ingredients. The most common formulation is a wettable powder, followed by granules. Generally, Trichoderma are applied to the seed or propagation material at the time of planting, then the secondary use is during plant development. On the whole, the target use is for the control of soilborne fungal pathogens such as Rhizoctonia, Pythium and Sclerotinia, and a few foliar pathogens such as Botrytis and Alternaria; whereas the minor use indication is for plant growth promotion. The use of Trichoderma-based biological products will have an important role in agricultural production of the future, in light of changing worldwide perspectives by consumers and governing bodies

Layered Double Hydroxide-Based Gas Sensors for VOC Detection at Room Temperature

Miniaturized low-cost sensors for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have the potentiality to become a fundamental tool for indoor and outdoor air quality monitoring, to significantly improve everyday life. Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) belong to the class of anionic clays and are largely employed for NOx detection, while few results are reported on VOCs. In this work, a novel LDH coprecipitation method is proposed. For the first time, a study comparing four LDHs (ZnAl−Cl, ZnFe−Cl, ZnAl−NO3, and MgAl−NO3) is carried out to investigate the sensing performances. As explored through several microscopy and spectroscopy analyses, LDHs show a morphology characterized by a large surface area and a three-dimensional hierarchical flowerlike architecture with micro- and nanopores that induce a fast diffusion and highly effective surface interaction of the target gases. The fabricated sensors, operating at room temperature, are able to reversibly and selectively detect acetone, ethanol, ammonia, and chlorine vapors, reaching significant sensing response values up to 6% at 21 °C. The results demonstrate that by changing the LDHs’ composition, it is possible to modulate the sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor, helping the discrimination of different analytes, and the consequent integration on a sensor array paves the way for electronic nose development

Trichoderma secondary metabolites active on plants and fungal pathogens

Beneficial microbes typically produce bioactive molecules that can affect the interactions of plants with their pathogens. Many secondary metabolites may also have antibiotic properties, which enable the producing microbe to inhibit and/or kill other microorganisms i.e. competing for a nutritional niche. Indeed, some of these compounds have been found to play an important role in the biocontrol of plant diseases by various beneficial microbes used world-wide for crop protection and bio-fertilization. In addition to direct toxic activity against plant pathogens, biocontrol-related metabolites may also increase disease resistance by triggering systemic plant defence activity, and/or enhance root and shoot growth. Fungi belonging to the Trichoderma genus are well known producers of secondary metabolites with a direct activity against phytopathogens and compounds that substantially affect the metabolism of the plant. The widescale application of selected metabolites to induce host resistance and/or to promote crop yield may become a reality in the near future and represents a powerful tool for the implementation of IPM strategies

Modelling and Simulation of Asynchronous Real-Time Systems using Timed Rebeca

In this paper we propose an extension of the Rebeca language that can be used to model distributed and asynchronous systems with timing constraints. We provide the formal semantics of the language using Structural Operational Semantics, and show its expressiveness by means of examples. We developed a tool for automated translation from timed Rebeca to the Erlang language, which provides a first implementation of timed Rebeca. We can use the tool to set the parameters of timed Rebeca models, which represent the environment and component variables, and use McErlang to run multiple simulations for different settings. Timed Rebeca restricts the modeller to a pure asynchronous actor-based paradigm, where the structure of the model represents the service oriented architecture, while the computational model matches the network infrastructure. Simulation is shown to be an effective analysis support, specially where model checking faces almost immediate state explosion in an asynchronous setting.Comment: In Proceedings FOCLASA 2011, arXiv:1107.584

Molecular Genetic Evidence for the Independent Origin of Multifocal Papillary Tumors in Patients with Papillary Renal Cell Carcinomas

Abstract Purpose: In patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma, it is not uncommon to find two or more anatomically distinct and histologically similar tumors at radical nephrectomy. Whether these multiple papillary lesions result from intrarenal metastasis or arise independently is unknown. Previous studies have shown that multifocal clear cell renal cell carcinomas express identical allelic loss and shift patterns in the different tumors within the same kidney, consistent with a clonal origin. However, similar clonality assays for multifocal papillary renal cell neoplasia have not been done. Molecular analysis of microsatellite and chromosome alterations and X-chromosome inactivation status in separate tumors in the same patient can be used to study the genetic relationships among the coexisting multiple tumors. Experimental Design: We examined specimens from 21 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. All patients had multiple separate papillary lesions (ranging from 2 to 5). Eighteen patients had multiple papillary renal cell carcinomas. Seven had one or more papillary renal cell carcinomas with coexisting papillary adenomas. Genomic DNA samples were prepared from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections using laser-capture microdissection. Loss of heterozygosity assays were done for six microsatellite polymorphic markers for putative tumor suppressor genes on chromosomes 3p14 (D3S1285), 7q31 (D7S522), 9p21 (D9S171), 16q23 (D16S507), 17q21 (D17S1795), and 17p13 (TP53). X-chromosome inactivation analyses were done on the papillary kidney tumors from three female patients. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis was done on the tumors of selected patients showing allelic loss at loci on chromosome 7 and/or chromosome 17. Results: Twenty of 21 (95%) cases showed allelic loss in one or more of the papillary lesions in at least one of the six polymorphic markers analyzed. A concordant allelic loss pattern between each coexisting kidney tumor was seen in only 1 of 21 (5%) cases. A concordant pattern of nonrandom X-chromosome inactivation in the coexisting multiple papillary lesions was seen in two of three female patients. A discordant pattern of X-chromosome inactivation was seen in the tumors of the other female patient. Fluorescence in situ hybridization showed that the majority of tumors analyzed had gains of chromosomes 7 and 17. Two patients had one tumor with chromosomal gain and another separate tumor that did not. Conclusion: Our data suggest that, unlike multifocal clear cell renal cell carcinomas, the multiple tumors in patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma arise independently. Thus, intrarenal metastasis does not seem to play an important role in the spread of papillary renal cell carcinoma, a finding that has surgical, therapeutic, and prognostic implications

Acute shock efficacy of the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator according to the implantation technique

Background: The traditional technique for subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator (S-ICD) implantation involves three incisions and a subcutaneous (SC) pocket. An intermuscular (IM) 2-incision technique has been recently adopted. Aims: We assessed acute defibrillation efficacy (DE) of S-ICD (DE ≤65 J) according to the implantation technique. Methods: We analyzed consecutive patients who underwent S-ICD implantation and DE testing at 53 Italian centers. Regression analysis was used to determine the association between DFT and implantation technique. Results: A total of 805 patients were enrolled. Four groups were assessed: IM + 2 incisions (n = 546), SC + 2 incisions (n = 133), SC + 3 incisions (n = 111), and IM + 3 incisions (n = 15). DE was ≤65 J in 782 (97.1%) patients. Patients with DE ≤65 J showed a trend towards lower body mass index (25.1 vs. 26.5; p = .12), were less frequently on antiarrhythmic drugs (13% vs. 26%; p = .06) and more commonly underwent implantation with the 2-incision technique (85% vs. 70%; p = .04). The IM + 2-incision technique showed the lowest defibrillation failure rate (2.2%) and shock impedance (66 Ohm, interquartile range: 57-77). On multivariate analysis, the 2-incision technique was associated with a lower incidence of shock failure (hazard ratio: 0.305; 95% confidence interval: 0.102-0.907; p = .033). Shock impedance was lower with the IM than with the SC approach (66 vs. 70 Ohm p = .002) and with the 2-incision than the 3-incision technique (67 vs. 72 Ohm; p = .006). Conclusions: In a large population of S-ICD patients, we observed a high defibrillation success rate. The IM + 2-incision technique provides lower shock impedance and a higher likelihood of successful defibrillation

Genomic diversity and ecology of human-associated Akkermansia species in the gut microbiome revealed by extensive metagenomic assembly

Background Akkermansia muciniphila is a human gut microbe with a key role in the physiology of the intestinal mucus layer and reported associations with decreased body mass and increased gut barrier function and health. Despite its biomedical relevance, the genomic diversity of A. muciniphila remains understudied and that of closely related species, except for A. glycaniphila, unexplored. Results We present a large-scale population genomics analysis of the Akkermansia genus using 188 isolate genomes and 2226 genomes assembled from 18,600 metagenomes from humans and other animals. While we do not detect A. glycaniphila, the Akkermansia strains in the human gut can be grouped into five distinct candidate species, including A. muciniphila, that show remarkable whole-genome divergence despite surprisingly similar 16S rRNA gene sequences. These candidate species are likely human-specific, as they are detected in mice and non-human primates almost exclusively when kept in captivity. In humans, Akkermansia candidate species display ecological co-exclusion, diversified functional capabilities, and distinct patterns of associations with host body mass. Analysis of CRISPR-Cas loci reveals new variants and spacers targeting newly discovered putative bacteriophages. Remarkably, we observe an increased relative abundance of Akkermansia when cognate predicted bacteriophages are present, suggesting ecological interactions. A. muciniphila further exhibits subspecies-level genetic stratification with associated functional differences such as a putative exo/lipopolysaccharide operon. Conclusions We uncover a large phylogenetic and functional diversity of the Akkermansia genus in humans. This variability should be considered in the ongoing experimental and metagenomic efforts to characterize the health-associated properties of A. muciniphila and related bacteria.Peer reviewe

Physical activity measured by implanted devices predicts atrial arrhythmias and patient outcome: Results of IMPLANTED (Italian Multicentre Observational Registry on Patients With Implantable Devices Remotely Monitored)

Background--To determine whether daily physical activity (PA), as measured by implanted devices (through accelerometer sensor), was related to the risk of developing atrial arrhythmias during long-term follow-up in a population of heart failure (HF) patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Methods and Results--The study population was divided into 2 equally sized groups (PA cutoff point: 3.5 h/d) according to their mean daily PA recorded by the device during the 30- to 60-day period post-ICD implantation. Propensity score matching was used to compare 2 equally sized cohorts with similar characteristics between lower and higher activity patients. The primary end point was time free from the first atrial high-rate episode (AHRE) of duration 656 minutes. Secondary end points were: first AHRE 656 hours, first AHRE 6548 hours, and a combined end point of death or HF hospitalization. Data from 770 patients (65\ub115 years; 66% men; left ventricular ejection fraction 35\ub112%) remotely monitored for a median of 25 months were analyzed. A PA =3.5 h/d was associated with a 38% relative reduction in the risk of AHRE 656 minutes (72-month cumulative survival: 75.0% versus 68.1%; log rank P=0.025), and with a reduction in the risk of AHRE 656 hours, AHRE 6548 hours, and the combined end point of death or HF hospitalization (all P < 0.05). Conclusions--In HF patients with ICD, a low level of daily PA was associated with a higher risk of atrial arrhythmias, regardless of the patients' baseline characteristics. In addition, a lower daily PA predicted death or HF hospitalization