Multi-year N and P removal of a 10-year-old surface flow constructed wetland treating agricultural drainage waters

Surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCWs) can be e\u21b5ectively used to treat agricultural drainage waters, reducing N and P surface water pollution. In the Venice Lagoon drainage basin (northeastern Italy), an SFCW was monitored during 2007\u20132013 to assess its performance in reducing water, N, and P loads more than 10 years after its creation. Nitrogen concentrations showed peaks during winter due to intense leaching from surrounding fields. Phosphorus concentrations were higher after prolonged periods with no discharge, likely due to mobilization of P of the decomposing litter inside the basin. Over the entire period, N removal eciency was 83% for NO3\u2013N and 79% for total N; P removal eciency was 48% for PO4\u2013P and 67% for total P. Values were higher than in several other studies, likely due to the fluctuating hydroperiod that produced discontinuous and reduced outflows. Nitrogen outlet concentrations were reduced by the SFCW, and N removal ratios decreased with increasing hydraulic loading, while no strong correlations were found in the case of P. The SFCW was shown to be an e\u21b5ective long-term strategy to increase water storage and reduce N and P loads in the Venice Lagoon drainage basin

Soil properties zoning of agricultural fields based on a climate-driven spatial clustering of remote sensing time series data

The identification of zones within an agricultural field that respond differently to environmental factors and agronomic management is a key requirement for the adoption of more precise and sustainable agricultural practices. Several approaches based on spatial clustering methods applied to different data sources, e.g. yield maps, proximal sensors and soil surveys, have been proposed in the last decades. The current availability of a huge amount of free remote sensing data allows to apply these approaches to agricultural areas where ground or proximal data are not available. However, in order to provide useful agronomic management information, it is essential that the zoning obtained by clustering is linked to the underlying spatial variability of soil properties. In this work we explore the hypothesis that the response of crop vigor to temporal climate variability, assessed by remote sensing data time series, selected to correspond to specific growth phases and seasonal climate patterns, provides indications on the variability of soil properties within agricultural fields, for both herbaceous and tree crops. NDVI time-series for 38 years (1984–2021) were obtained for fourteen non-irrigated herbaceous and tree crop fields in Central Italy, from multispectral satellites data (Landsat 5/7/8, Sentinel 2). The Standardized Precipitation-Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was used to classify time series into three climatic classes (dry/normal/wet) for five different periods of the growth season, covering the main phenological phases. K-means clustering was used to identify patterns of crop growth from climatically classified image sets, as well as for all the bulked images for comparison (bulk clustering). Clustering results were compared with soil maps obtained from spatialized ground data, for soil texture (clay, silt and sand), soil organic matter and available soil water (ASW). The agreement between the different clustering results and soil maps was assessed by the Adjusted Rand Index. Agreement with soil maps varied depending on the field, the phenological phase considered and the soil property considered. Climate driven clustering from long, late growth season periods best matched soil properties, both for herbaceous and tree crops, despite being based on a limited number of images. The clustering from images spanning a longer growth period for dry years systematically outpaced the bulk clustering for silt, sand and ASW, while the clustering for normal climatic conditions was the best for organic matter. The performance of the matching between clustering and soil maps increased with soil variability significantly more (P < 0.05) than in the bulk clustering (mean slopes respectively 0.468 ± 0.167; 0.113 ± 0.270). The integration of the SPEI climatic index into the clustering procedure systematically improved the identification of zones with homogeneous soil properties, highlighting that a greater attention should be posed to the climate-crop-field interactions when using remotely sensed images

PROVE DI CORROSIONE AD ALTA PRESSIONE DI CO2 PER I POZZI DI STOCCAGGIO

Nell’ambito del progetto ENI “GreenHouse Gases” è stata effettuata una attività sperimentale volta alla scelta materiali per i pozzi di stoccaggio. Utilizzando un sistema esperto per la scelta dei materiali dei pozzi è stata preparata una tabella che possa servire da guida per la selezione dei materiali per pozzi in funzione delle impurezze contenute nella CO2 e dei parametri di processo. I risultati forniti dal sistema esperto sono stati validati mediante prove sperimentali. Le prove svolte sono state: test di corrosione in autoclave, prove meccaniche, analisi chimica, indagini metallografiche

Analysis of Sentinel Node Biopsy and Clinicopathologic Features as Prognostic Factors in Patients With Atypical Melanocytic Tumors.

BACKGROUND: Atypical melanocytic tumors (AMTs) include a wide spectrum of melanocytic neoplasms that represent a challenge for clinicians due to the lack of a definitive diagnosis and the related uncertainty about their management. This study analyzed clinicopathologic features and sentinel node status as potential prognostic factors in patients with AMTs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinicopathologic and follow-up data of 238 children, adolescents, and adults with histologically proved AMTs consecutively treated at 12 European centers from 2000 through 2010 were retrieved from prospectively maintained databases. The binary association between all investigated covariates was studied by evaluating the Spearman correlation coefficients, and the association between progression-free survival and all investigated covariates was evaluated using univariable Cox models. The overall survival and progression-free survival curves were established using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 126 months (interquartile range, 104-157 months). All patients received an initial diagnostic biopsy followed by wide (1 cm) excision. Sentinel node biopsy was performed in 139 patients (58.4%), 37 (26.6%) of whom had sentinel node positivity. There were 4 local recurrences, 43 regional relapses, and 8 distant metastases as first events. Six patients (2.5%) died of disease progression. Five patients who were sentinel node-negative and 3 patients who were sentinel node-positive developed distant metastases. Ten-year overall and progression-free survival rates were 97% (95% CI, 94.9%-99.2%) and 82.2% (95% CI, 77.3%-87.3%), respectively. Age, mitotic rate/mm2, mitoses at the base of the lesion, lymphovascular invasion, and 9p21 loss were factors affecting prognosis in the whole series and the sentinel node biopsy subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: Age >20 years, mitotic rate >4/mm2, mitoses at the base of the lesion, lymphovascular invasion, and 9p21 loss proved to be worse prognostic factors in patients with ATMs. Sentinel node status was not a clear prognostic predictor

Current status and trends of biological invasions in the Lagoon of Venice, a hotspot of marine NIS introductions in the Mediterranean Sea

This paper provides an updated account of the occurrence and abundance of non-indigenous species (NIS) in an area of high risk of introduction: the Lagoon of Venice (Italy). This site is a known hotspot of NIS introductions within the Mediterranean Sea, hosting all the most important vectors of introduction of marine NIS—shipping, recreational boating, shellfish culture and live seafood trade. The recent literature demonstrates that the number of NIS in Venice is continuously changing, because new species are being introduced or identified, and new evidence shows either an exotic origin of species previously believed to be native, or a native origin of formerly believed ‘‘aliens’’, or demonstrates the cryptogenic nature of others. The number of NIS introduced in the Venetian lagoon currently totals 71, out of which 55 are established. This number exceeds those displayed by some nations like Finland, Portugal or Libya. Macroalgae are the taxonomic group with the highest number of introduced species (41 % of NIS): the most likely vector for their introduction is shellfish culture. The source region of NIS introduced to Venice is mainly represented by other Mediterranean or European sites (76 %). The Lagoon of Venice represents a sink but also a source of NIS in the Mediterranean Sea, as it is the site of first record of several NIS, which have since further spread elsewhere.This paper provides an updated account of the occurrence and abundance of non-indigenous species (NIS) in an area of high risk of introduction: the Lagoon of Venice (Italy). This site is a known hotspot of NIS introductions within the Mediterranean Sea, hosting all the most important vectors of introduction of marine NIS-shipping, recreational boating, shellfish culture and live seafood trade. The recent literature demonstrates that the number of NIS in Venice is continuously changing, because new species are being introduced or identified, and new evidence shows either an exotic origin of species previously believed to be native, or a native origin of formerly believed "aliens", or demonstrates the cryptogenic nature of others. The number of NIS introduced in the Venetian lagoon currently totals 71, out of which 55 are established. This number exceeds those displayed by some nations like Finland, Portugal or Libya. Macroalgae are the taxonomic group with the highest number of introduced species (41 % of NIS): the most likely vector for their introduction is shellfish culture. The source region of NIS introduced to Venice is mainly represented by other Mediterranean or European sites (76 %). The Lagoon of Venice represents a sink but also a source of NIS in the Mediterranean Sea, as it is the site of first record of several NIS, which have since further spread elsewhere

Controlled drainage and crop production in a long-term experiment in North-Eastern Italy

Crop productivity under controlled drainage was studied in long-term field experiment with shallow fluctuating water table in North-Eastern Italy. Fourteen years of hydrological and yield data, including winter wheat, su- garbeet, soybean and maize, were collected over two monitoring periods (1995\u20132002 and 2006\u20132013). Controlled drainage (CD) and free drainage (FD) were tested in combination with open ditches (O) and sub- surface pipes (P) systems. CD reduced outflow waters by 69%, respect to FD. Wheat produced on average 4.9 t ha 121. P system was more productive (up to 14.2%) in drier years characterized by sparse and more intense spring rainfalls, due to reduced runoff and increased infiltration. O system was more productive (up to 27.9%) in wet years with frequent rainfalls after sowing, as water was removed faster from soil surface avoiding water- logging. Soybean produced on average 3.2 t ha 121, with higher yield (5.7% more) in P, probably due to better and more uniform topsoil moisture conditions. Sugarbeet sucrose production showed no univocal response to CD, as a great variety of factors were involved in determining root growth and sucrose concentration. Maize yield had great variability among the years, depending on weather. However, the best results were always obtained with CD (up to 14.5 t ha 121 of grain), showing a definite increase in productivity (on average, with CD grain maize produced 27.3% more, and silage maize 4.0% more). The benefits of CD on maize yield were more pronounced in years with wet springs followed by summer droughts. Subirrigation in CD helped to achieve higher yields when soil moisture content was declining due to prolonged dry periods. In our environment, CD proved to be extremely helpful in reducing water outflows and increasing maize yield, mitigating drought stress

Low- and high-frequency irrigation of ‘Rosso di Treviso’ Radicchio

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus L., group rubifolium) is a plant widely cultivated in Italy to sell the leafy heads. Veneto is one of the Italian regions with the largest share of Radicchio cultivation. Radicchio ‘Rosso di Treviso’ is one of the more cultivated varieties, but scientific knowledge about the most appropriate irrigation management is still limited. The study focuses on the effect of two irrigation scheduling criteria on Radicchio yield and on the number of marketable plants, in a field experiment carried out from 2013 to 2017 in a commercial farm in Veneto (northeast Italy). Mini-sprinkler system was set to provide water from the transplanting for most of the cropping period, with a low-frequency schedule, and a high-frequency schedule that doubled the number of interventions but halved the water volumes applied each time. The total volumes of water applied each year were the same in both treatments. At harvest, 7 sample areas were randomly harvested and (i) marketable yield, (ii) average head weight, and (iii) number of marketable plants were measured. Overall, the high-frequency schedule produced 26.5 t ha‑1 of marketable Radicchio heads, while the low-frequency schedule 23.6 t ha‑1, significant variability was found between years. The greater productivity was mainly the result of a greater number of marketable plants, while the average head weight was not significantly different between the treatments. This suggests that a greater irrigation interval can create less favorable conditions for radicchio yield, increasing the number of underweight, rotten and missing plants. Farmers should take into account the possibility to increase irrigation frequency if the eventual higher management cost does not offset the gain in radicchio productivity