Eutrophication-like response to climate warming: an analysis of Lago Maggiore (N. Italy) zooplankton in contrasting years

Global mean surface temperatures are increasing. All ecosystems are likely to be affected and there is much interest at present in predicting the effects. In freshwater environments, we expect to observe, among other things, effects similar to those observed under eutrophication, such as increases in zooplankton population density and biomass as a result of enhanced population growth rates. Lago Maggiore underwent rapid eutrophication during the 60s and 70s, with a return to oligotrophy during the 80s and the 90s. Thus, it provides a case study to test the hypothesized eutrophication-like effects of recent climate warming. More specifically, we compare zooplankton biomass and density during the exceptionally warm years of the recent oligotrophic phase with values during the non-warm years of oligotrophy, and during years of the mesotrophic phase. This permits an analysis of zooplankton biomass and density with respect to temperature increase compared with the effects of eutrophication. Zooplankton population density and biomass sharply increased in 2003, the warmest year of the last century, as a result of Cladocera, particularly Daphnia, attaining values typical of the mesotrophic phase. These values were exceptional compared to typical values and were strongly different from those attained during cooler years since re-oligotrophication. Mean annual values of zooplankton density and biomass recorded in 2003 were fully comparable to typical values during the mesotrophic period. This observation confirms the hypothesis of an overall eutrophication-like effect of climate warming. Seasonal trends, characterized by an earlier start of population growth, are consistent with the effects of an increase in water temperature, as observed in laboratory experiments on the reproductive and growth strategies of Daphni

The Internet of Things for Natural Risk Management (Inte.Ri.M.)

This chapter deals with the development of a management system, which integrates the use of IoT in natural risk detection, revention, and management with economic evaluation of each stage. In the introductory part, recent data are presented that document the importance that natural disasters have for the environment and for the Italian economy. Section 2 presents the Inte.Ri.M. project—the Internet of Things for Natural Risk Management—its purpose, activity plan, and bodies involved. Technical aspects are treated in Section 3 with the choice of hardware and software components and the solutions for collecting and transmitting data. Section 4 is about the economic aspects considering the stages of prevention, intervention, and restoration and the relation between the intensity of human activity and environment to define a range of situations. These scenarios call for different economic methodologies useful to estimate economic implications of each stage in the short, medium, and long term. Section 5 describes the structure of the Inte.Ri.M. management system and the foreseen functionalities. In the conclusion, the critical points are discussed, and the steps for the transposition of the work carried out on the territory are outlined, according to the provisions of the work program

Only Hope remains in the PANDORA\u27s .jar - Pervasive use of planning in a training environment

This paper shortly introduces features of a software system called PANDORA-BOX. It shows a novel use of timeline-based planning as the core element in a dynamic training environment for crisis managers. A trainer is provided with a combination of planning and execution functionalities that allow him to maintain and adapt a "lesson plan" as the basis for the interaction between him and the involved trainees. The training session is based on the concept of Scenario, a set of events and connected possibilities that shape an abstract plan proposed to trainees through a timeline-based system. The PANDORA architecture provides a continuous reactive loop around trainees, and, additionally allows the trainer to directly intervene in the ongoing session giving him a complete, general and advanced view about the evolution of the Scenario

An updated ground thermal properties database for GSHP applications

Abstract When a new ground source heat exchanger field is planned, underground thermal properties input data are necessary for the correct sizing of the geo-exchange system. To support the design, the EU founded Cheap-GSHPs project developed a Decision Support System, that comprises a new database of thermal properties for both rocks and unconsolidated sediments. The thermal properties database has been developed by integrating and comparing data (1) provided by the most important international guidelines, (2) acquired from a wide literature review and (3) obtained from more than 400 direct measurements. The data are mainly thermal conductivity data, hence the convective contribution provided by groundwater flow to heat transfer is not included. This paper presents and analyses the collected database

A genetic platform to model sarcomagenesis from primary adult mesenchymal stem cells

The regulatory factors governing adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) physiology and their tumorigenic potential are still largely unknown, which substantially delays the identification of effective therapeutic approaches for the treatment of aggressive and lethal form of MSC-derived mesenchymal tumors, such as undifferentiated sarcomas. Here we have developed a novel platform to screen and quickly identify genes and pathways responsible for adult MSCs transformation, modeled undifferentiated sarcoma in vivo, and, ultimately, tested the efficacy of targeting the identified oncopathways. Importantly, by taking advantage of this new platform, we demonstrate the key role of an aberrant LRF-DLK1-SOX9 pathway in the pathogenesis of undifferentiated sarcoma with important therapeutic implications

two software tools for facilitating the choice of ground source heat pumps by stakeholders and designers

For promoting the diffusion of GSHP and making the technology more accessible to the general public, in the H2020 research project "CHeap and Efficient APplication of reliable Ground Source Heat exchangers and PumpS" (acronym Cheap-GSHPs) a tool for sizing these systems has been developed, as well as a Decision Support System (DSS) able to assist the user in the preliminary design of the most suitable configuration. For all these tools a common platform has been carried out considering climatic conditions, energy demand of buildings, ground thermal properties, heat pump solutions repository, as well as renewable energy database to use in synergy with the GSHPs. Since the aims of the tools are different, there are different approaches. The design tool is mainly addressed to designers. The calculation may be done in two ways: with a simplified method based on the ASHRAE approach and with a detailed calculation based on the numerical tool CaRM (Capacity-Resistance method). The DSS final aim is to support decision-making, by providing the stakeholders at all the level with a series of scenario. The Cheap-GSHPs project has developed a DSS tool aimed at accelerating the decision-making process of designers and building owners as well as increasing market share of the Cheap-GSHPs technologies. Hence the DSS generates different possible solutions based on a defined general problem, identifying the optimal solution. Both tools are presented in the paper, showing the potentialities provided by both software

Receiver design for the REACH global 21-cm signal experiment

We detail the the REACH radiometric system designed to enable measurements of the 21-cm neutral hydrogen line. Included is the radiometer architecture and end-to-end system simulations as well as a discussion of the challenges intrinsic to highly-calibratable system development. Following this, we share laboratory results based on the calculation of noise wave parameters utilising an over-constrained least squares approach demonstrating a calibration RMSE of 80 mK for five hours of integration on a custom-made source with comparable impedance to that of the antenna used in the field. This paper therefore documents the state of the calibrator and data analysis in December 2022 in Cambridge before shipping to South Africa.Comment: 30 pages, 19 figure

Overview on electrical issues faced during the SPIDER experimental campaigns

SPIDER is the full-scale prototype of the ion source of the ITER Heating Neutral Beam Injector, where negative ions of Hydrogen or Deuterium are produced by a RF generated plasma and accelerated with a set of grids up to ~100 keV. The Power Supply System is composed of high voltage dc power supplies capable of handling frequent grid breakdowns, high current dc generators for the magnetic filter field and RF generators for the plasma generation. During the first 3 years of SPIDER operation different electrical issues were discovered, understood and addressed thanks to deep analyses of the experimental results supported by modelling activities. The paper gives an overview on the observed phenomena and relevant analyses to understand them, on the effectiveness of the short-term modifications provided to SPIDER to face the encountered issues and on the design principle of long-term solutions to be introduced during the currently ongoing long shutdown.Comment: 8 pages, 12 figures. Presented at SOFT 202

A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL

Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25–7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allow us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of 10–100 part per million (ppm) relative to the star and, given the bright nature of targets, also allows more sophisticated techniques, such as eclipse mapping, to give a deeper insight into the nature of the atmosphere. These types of observations require a stable payload and satellite platform with broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The wavelength range proposed covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4 NH3, HCN, H2S through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species. Simulations of ARIEL performance in conducting exoplanet surveys have been performed – using conservative estimates of mission performance and a full model of all significant noise sources in the measurement – using a list of potential ARIEL targets that incorporates the latest available exoplanet statistics. The conclusion at the end of the Phase A study, is that ARIEL – in line with the stated mission objectives – will be able to observe about 1000 exoplanets depending on the details of the adopted survey strategy, thus confirming the feasibility of the main science objectives.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Molecular Cytogenetic Analysis of the European Hake Merluccius merluccius (Merlucciidae, Gadiformes): U1 and U2 snRNA Gene Clusters Map to the Same Location

The European hake (Merluccius merluccius) is a highly valuable and intensely fished species in which a long-term alive stock has been established in captivity for aquaculture purposes. Due to their huge economic importance, genetic studies on hakes were mostly focused on phylogenetic and phylogeographic aspects; however chromosome numbers are still not described for any of the fifteen species in the genus Merluccius. In this work we report a chromosome number of 2n = 42 and a karyotype composed of three meta/submetacentric and 18 subtelo/telocentric chromosome pairs. Telomeric sequences appear exclusively at both ends of every single chromosome. Concerning rRNA genes, this species show a single 45S rDNA cluster at an intercalary location on the long arm of subtelocentric chromosome pair 12; the single 5S rDNA cluster is also intercalary to the long arm of chromosome pair 4. While U2 snRNA gene clusters map to a single subcentromeric position on chromosome pair 13, U1 snRNA gene clusters seem to appear on almost all chromosome pairs, but showing bigger clusters on pairs 5, 13, 16, 17 and 19. The brightest signals on pair 13 are coincident with the single U2 snRNA gene cluster signals. Therefore, the use of these probes allows the unequivocal identification of at least 7 of the chromosome pairs that compose the karyotype of Merluccius merluccius thus opening the way to integrate molecular genetics and cytological data on the study of the genome of this important species.Versión del editor4,411