Organic vs conventional stockless arable systems: a multidisciplinary approach to soil quality evaluation

Soil quality in Mediterranean conventional and organic stockless arable systems was assessed by a multidisciplinary approach. At the end of the first cycle of a 5-year crop rotation (2002–2006) in the Mediterranean Arable Systems Comparison Trial (MASCOT) long-term experiment, the effects of organic and conventional management systems were evaluated by using soil chemical, biochemical and biological parameters. Chemical and biochemical parameters linked to soil C cycle, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and microarthropod communities were analysed according to a comparative approach. Results suggested a higher soil carbon sequestration in the organic respect to the conventional system, as shown by the values of total organic C (9.5 and 7.8 g kg1, for organic and conventional system, respectively) and potentially mineralisable C (277 and 254 mg kg1, for organic and conventional system, respectively). AMF population, AMF root colonisation and diversity of microarthropod population were slightly influenced by management system. On the other hand, mites/collembolans ratio was higher in conventionally than in organically managed soil (2.67 and 1.30, respectively), indicating as organic managed soils were more disturbed than conventional ones, probably as the consequence of the more frequent soil tillage performed for mechanical weeds control. The overall results demonstrated that, even in the short-term, the implementation of organically managed stockless systems in Mediterranean areas determined significant changes of some attributes for soil quality evaluation

An overview on the natural enemies of Rhynchophorus palm weevils, with focus on R. ferrugineus.

Rhynchophorus palm weevils are large insects belonging to the family Dryophthoridae. All Rhynchophorus species are polyphagous and have a similar life history but some are major pests because of the serious economic damage they cause, in particular to several species of the family Arecaceae. Here we review the natural enemies of Rhynchophorus species in both their native and introduced regions of the world, to assess the possibility of biological control of this taxon. Moreover, particular attention is paid to the well-studied and harmful species Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, about which more information is available, and to its natural enemies in the Mediterranean region, because the impact of this pest in this recently colonized area is particularly remarkable and also the recent trend in species management is looking for indigenous natural enemies. More than 50 natural enemies have been reported to attack Rhynchophorus species, even if most of them are associated to R. ferrugineus (Olivier), highlighting the lack of information on the other species of the genus. Pros and cons of all the biological control agents are then discussed: among the considered organisms, fungi are noteworthy to be considered for inclusion in integrated pest management programs. Overall, our overview underlines the need to increase knowledge on natural enemies of all the species of the genus Rhynchophorus, to isolate more virulent strains and to determine the optimum conditions for the actions of the biocontrol agents

“Tecnical aspects and functioning principles of Tecar ® system”

TheTecartherapy,introducedinItalyforseveralyears,isthelatestresultofresearchinphysiotherapy.Appliedinosteoarticulardiseasesandmusculoskeletalrehabilitation,reducesrecoverytimeandpain.Itstimulatesenergyintotissues,triggeringearlynaturalanti-inflammatoryandrepairprocessesthroughamechanismofhightechnologythatcreatesastrongstimulationatthecellularlevel,increasestheinternaltemperatureandactivatescirculation.Thesefeatures,whichgaveverysatisfactoryresultsintrauma,ledtheresearchinotherareas,includinggnathology,inwhichtheTecar®systemisusedascomplementarytherapyinthetreatmentofsomeTMDs DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Theideaof transferringpowertothedamagedtissueiscommontomanyphysicaltherapytreatmentsthatarebasedonenergyradiation.Modeofenergytransfer,bytheway,distinguishestheTecartherapy:nomoreenergyradiationfromoutside,butuseofendogenousenergy,whichisrealizedthroughtherecall,inareatobetreated,ofelectricalchargeslocatedintissuesintheformofions.Thismechanismcreatesastrongstimulationatthecellularlevel,activatescirculation,increasestheinternaltemperatureandtriggersearlyphysiologicalmechanisms.Theflowofchargesinvolvesincreasedmicrocirulation,vasodilationinthetreateddistrictandlocaltemperatureincreasing.Thevasodilationcausesincreasedexchangesofsubstances,increaseddrainageofinflamedsite,removalofwasteanddebris,improvinglocaltissueperfusionandincreasedinfluìofcellsinvolvedinhealingprocess. Tecartherapyshows,therefore,innovativefeaturessucas: •Transferofbiocompatibileenergy,activeonthethresholdofthecellularandsubcellularmetabolism; •Specificactionbasedonthetypeoftissue(muscleorfibroconnettivale)connectedtothedualcapacitiveorresisitivemodeofuse; •Therapeuticeffectonusuallyunresponsivetissuestotheirfibroticnature. Tecar®UnibellHCR 701 withcapacitive and resistive electrodes Capacitive and resisitivemode ofenergytransfe

Tecar: principi di funzionamento e protocolli terapeutici poster

LaTecarterapia,introdottainItaliadaalcunianni,èl’ultimofruttodellaricercainfisioterapia.LaTecarterapiafunzionanell’ambitodelleradiofrequenzeaondelunghea0,5MHz,inferioridunqueallefrequenzeusateindiatermiaadondecorteesuperioriallefrequenzechedeterminanocontrazionimuscolari.Essasfruttaunaformadiinterazioneelettromagneticachefariferimentoalmodellofisicodelcondensatore:ilcontattocapacitivoe/oresistivo.Talesistema,graziealprincipiodifunzionamentocheutilizzailtessutobiologicocomepartediuncondensatore,consentediinteressareinmanieraomogeneaglistratisiasuperficialicheprofondideltessutostesso.Iltrasferimentoenergeticofunzioneconduemodalità:capacitivaeresistiva.DISCUSSIONEECONCLUSIONI:L’ideaditrasferireenergiaaitessutilesiècomuneamolteterapiefisioterapichechesifondanosull’irradiazionedienergia.CiòchedifferenziaperòlaTecarterapiaèlamodalitàditrasferimentoenergetico:nonpiùirradiazionedienergiaesternamautilizzodienergiaendogena,chesirealizzaattraversoilrichiamonell’areadatrattaredicaricheelettrichepresentineitessutisottoformadiioni.Questomeccanismocreaunafortestimolazionealivellocellulare,riattivalacircolazione,incrementalatemperaturainternaeinnescaprecocementeimeccanismifisiologici.Ilflussodicarichecomportaaumentodelmicrocircolo,vasodilatazionedeldistrettotrattatoeincrementodellatemperaturalocale.Lavasodilatazioneprovocaaumentodegliscambidisostanze,incrementodeldrenaggiodelsitoinfiammato,allontanamentodiscorieedetriti,miglioramentodellaperfusionetissutaleeaumentodell’afflussolocaledicelluledeputateaiprocessiriparativi.AllaTecarterapiavannodunquericonosciutecaratteristicheinnovativequali: Cessionedienergiabiocompatibile,attivasullesogliedelmetabolismocellulareesubcellulare; -Specificitàd’azioneinbaseallatipologiaditessuto(muscolareofibroconnettivale)connessaalladuplicemodalitàdiutilizzocapacitivaoresistiva; Efficaciaterapeuticaanchesutessutipocoreattiviperlaloronaturafibrotic

Therapeutic protocols with Tecar® System in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders

Inthetreatmentofdisordersofthecranio-cervical-mandibularsystemtherearedifferentpathologicalprocesses,intra-andextra-articular,capsular-tendonandmuscular,whichareparticularlyresistanttotreatmentwithmedication,manualphysiotherapyandbite.TheaimofthisstudyistopresentaninitialclinicalevaluationofusingTecar®systemasacomplementarytherapytorecoversomeacuteandchronicdisordersofthetemporomandibularjoint.Thistherapyisstillapartofcomprehensivedental-gnathologicaltherapy(bite)andphysiotherapy(manualtherapy). MATERIALSANDMETHODS: ThemachineusedinthispreliminarystudyistheTecar®UnibellHCR701.Fourteenpatientsweretreated: •6,withpainandfunctionallimitations,hadanamnesticallyclenchingandbruxism; •5withacutemonolateralTMD,including3acutedockingand2withrecent(lessthanamonth)mutualclick; •3withchronicdockinganamnesticallypresentforoverayear. Theprotocolusedisdifferentforthethreeclinicalsituationsset. RESULTS: Thetherapeuticactiondependsbothontheendothermiceffectandrisingenergypotentialofcellmembranes.Dependingonthepowerused,threephasescanbeobserved,characterizedbywell-definedbiologicaleffects:cellbio-stimulation,analgesia,increasedbloodflowandlymphaticdrainage.Tecartherapycanbeusedforthetreatmentofacuteandchronicjointdiseasesusingtwospecificprogramsthatcanproduceheatingoroperateinathery.InourpreliminaryresultsTecartherapywaseffectiveintreatingthefollowingdisorders:patientswithextra-articularchronicalmuscle-typediseases;patientswithacutetraumaandlossofarticulardisc;patientswithintraarticularchronicdiseaseandpermanentlossofthearticulardisc.Thesepatientswerefollowedfortherestwithnormaldentaltreatmentprotocols(bite)andphysiotherapy(Rocabadotecnique). CONCLUSIONS: Theobtainedresults,becauseofrapidresolutionoftheclinicalsymptoms,allowtoindicateTecartherapyasaneffectiveinstrumentinthecomplementarytreatmentofmuscularandosteoarticularTMD.However,thetrialisstillongoing,andrequiresanextensionoftheseriesandlongerfollow-up

“TECAR® : terapia complementare nelle disfunzioni dell’atm” .

LaTECAR®(terapiaaTrasferimentoEnergeticoCapacitivoeResistivo),introdottainItaliadaalcunianni,è una apparecchiaturasempre piùdiffusanellariabilitazionedilesioniosteoartic olariemuscolarisiaacutechecroniche.Lasuautilitàèriconosciutaecertificatadadiversistudi1-5:abbreviaitempidirecuperoriabilitativoeriduceildolore6,7;stimolaenergiadall’internodeitessuti,attraversol’incrementodellatemperaturainternaelariattivazionedellacircolazione,stimolandoinaturaliprocessiriparativieantinfiammatori8-11. LaTecar®sfruttaunaformadiinterazioneelettromagnetica,chefariferimentoalmodellofisicodelcondensatore,conuncontattocapacitivoe/oresistivo9-,10. Nellaterapiadelledisfunzionidelsistemacranio-cervico-mandibolarealcuniprocessipatologici, intraedextraarticolari,risultanoparticolarmenteresistentialtrattamentoconfarmaci,biteefisioterapiamanuale. L’obiettivo di questo studio è quellodiillustrareilsistemaTECAR®,iprincipidifunzionamentoelecaratteristichegiàconosciutenellariabilitazionedeitraumimuscolotendinei12-15edipresentareunaprimavalutazioneclinicadelsuoutilizzocometerapiacomplementareperilrecuperodialcuniquadridelledisfunzioniacutecronichedell’ATM.Taleterapiaèd’appoggioallaterapiaglobaleodontoiatricagnatologica(bite)efisioterapica(terapiamanuale)