EVALUATION OF EWE COLOSTRUM QUALITY BY ESTIMATION OF ENZYME ACTIVITY LEVELS

The objective of this study was to assess the potential use of colostral enzymes for the determination of colostrum quality in ewe. The enzymes gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in the colostrum from 11 ewes, milked within six hours after birth, by a dry chemistry system and spectrophotometrically. The quality of colostrum, given by the content of gamma globulines (IgG), was measured by electrophoresis separation of colostrum proteins. The highest activity was found for GGT, followed by LDH and ALP. A very high correlation (r = 0.83, P < 0.001) between GGT and IgG concentration was shown, suggesting this enzyme can be a good marker for the evaluation of colostrum quality in ewe

RING and ReCal GPS networks: two Italian geodetic infrastructures and their data management, sharing and dissemination

Geographic data sharing and collection are becoming key activities among geological and geophysical studies worldwide, and the recent increase of infrastructures is demanding to scientific and civil community an effort to manage and disseminate their products as efficiently as possible. With this effort in mind, INGV began some years ago to collaborate with civilian and commercial subjects in order to promote the integration and sharing of data from GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) networks existing in Italy. Since 2004, INGV deployed a permanent, integrated and real-time monitoring CGPS network (RING, Rete Integrata Nazionale GPS, http://ring.gm.ingv.it), which is now constituted by about 170 stations all over Italy (Selvaggi et al., 2006; Avallone et al, 2010). All stations have high quality GPS monuments (D’Ambrosio, 2007; Minichiello et al., 2010) and most of them are co-located with broadband or very broadband seismometers and strong motion sensors. This scientific network is aimed to monitor crustal deformation in Italy in order to study earthquake deformation processes, from interseismic strain accumulation to rupture processes, and is giving an effective contribute to Italian Civil Protection for seismic hazard monitoring. Moreover, in the last years, local Authorities, nation-wide industries and other scientific institutions started to establish GPS/GNSS networks all over the Italian territory mainly for cartographic and positioning purposes. More than 500 CGPS stations are actually operating in Italy. The INGV acquire and analyze most of these networks, promoting at the same time actions to integrate the RING with the ones managed by regional and national data providers (D’Anastasio et al., 2010). The Regione Calabria in 2009 planned and established a network of 17 CGPS stations for cartographic and civil protection purposes covering the Calabria region (hereafter ReCal network). The CGPS stations are good quality monument connected in real time and, in the next future, will start to furnish to the civil community a positioning service. In order to share the RING and ReCal data and relative products, a synergy between the CNT-INGV (Centro Nazionale Terremoti) and the Regione Calabria started in 2011. An official agreement between the two institutions state the sharing of CGPS data, the collaboration between CNT-INGV and Regione Calabria to test the efficiency and the positioning service of ReCal network, and the contribution of ReCal network to scientific monitoring of Calabria, one of the most seismically active region in Italy. Moreover, this agreement included also the commissioning of the ReCal network and of its positioning services performed by CNT-INGV. Figure 1 shows the GPS and GNSS stations currently operating in Italy. In the inset it could be noticed how the RING and ReCal networks are integrated in order to have the best spatial coverage of the Calabrian territory. We will present the first results of the agreement between INGV-CNT and Regione Calabria, and of the commissioning of ReCal network. Moreover, we will focus on the infrastructure already existing and developed by CNT-INGV to manage data acquisition, storage, distribution and access (Cecere, 2007; Cardinale et al., 2010; Falco, 2006; 2008; Memmolo et al., 2010; Pignone et al., 2009). INGV developed dedicated facilities including new softwares for data acquisition and a web-based collaborative environment for management of data and metadata. These facilities are used to manage data coming from the RING as well as from agreements with ReCal and other CGPS networks in Italy. We believe that this infrastructure represents an important reality in the framework of GNSS data sharing development in Italy

The effect of hydrogel and silicone hydrogel contact lenses on the measurement of intraocular pressure with rebound tonometry

Purpose: To assess the accuracy of intraocular pressure(IOP) measurements using rebound tonometry over disposable hydrogel (etafilcon A) and silicone hydrogel (senofilcon A) contact lenses (CLs) of different powers. Methods: The experimental group comprised 36 subjects (19 male, 17 female). IOP measurements were undertaken on the subject’s right eyes in random order using a rebound tonometer (ICare). The CLs had powers of +2.00D, −2.00D and−6.00D. Six measurements were taken over each contact lens and also before and after the CLs had been worn. Results: A good correlation was found between IOP measurements with and without CLs (all r≥0.80; p < 0.05). Bland Altman plots did not show any significant trend in the difference in IOP readings with and without CLs as a function of IOP value. A two-way ANOVA revealed a significant effect of material and power (p < 0.01) but no interaction. All the comparisons between the measurements without CLs and with hydrogel CLs were significant (p < 0.01). The comparisons with silicone hydrogel CLs were not significant. Conclusions: Rebound tonometry can be reliably performed over silicone hydrogel CLs. With hydrogel CLs, the measurements were lower than those without CLs. However, despite the fact that these differences were statistically significant, their clinical significance was minimal

A new integrated seismic and GPS mobile network – (test site: ”Montereale, Aquila – Italy”)

INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia) is currently using different communication systems for the acquisition of seismic and GPS data from remote stations. The heterogeneity of these connection systems provides strength and redundancy for national seismic monitoring. Nowadays almost all seismic and gps stations use a remote IP connection for data transmission. A more simplified, mature and reliable access to this type of connection is now possible thanks to recent developments occurred in telecommunications. The implementation of an IP connection is possible using the existing similar telephone and networks (ADSL) system, through the creation of an ad-hoc networks for data exchange, as for RUPA (Unified Network of Public Administration) , or through links to recent satellite-using suppliers, as Nanometrics, Astra2Connect etc. The wireless mesh network, developed at INGV, integrates all the currently used transmission and acquisition seismic and GPS data systems referring to the well know Internet Protocol (IP). The “mesh networks” as the Internet access points, are able to talk to each other and have all routing functions. They are able to forward packets to another node, each one is needed to be connected to the wired network to extend coverage. The various nodes of the network, previously configured, can automatically interconnect with each other node without any topological constraint and without requiring configuration assistance. The operator will simply proceed the optical antenna pointing it toward the nearest node (or to multiple nodes to achieve redundancy of links) to allow the station to "engage" the network infrastructure. In this work we will show: • planning, development and installation of network; • the network infrastructure; • the contribution of the Wi-Fi mesh network at the INGV National Seismic Network (RSN).INGVPublishedVienna, Austria1.1. TTC - Monitoraggio sismico del territorio nazionaleope