Molecular detection of parasites (Trematoda, Digenea: Bucephalidae and Monorchiidae) in the European flat oyster Ostrea edulis (Mollusca: Bivalvia)

Members of the globally distributed bivalve family Ostreidae (oysters) have a significant role in marine ecosystems and include species of high economic importance. In this work, we report the occurrence of digenean parasites of the families Bucephalidae (Prosorhynchoides sp.) and Monorchiidae (Postmonorchis sp.) in Mediterranean native populations of Ostrea edulis (but not in the introduced Magallana gigas). Molecular detection was based on DNA sequencing of the ribosomal intergenic spacer 2 (ITS2) marker. The importance of detecting the presence of overlooked digenean parasites in Mediterranean oysters is discussed. © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Effects of natural compounds on microbial safety and sensory quality of Fior di Latte cheese, a typical Italian cheese.

This work presents a preliminary study to assess the efficiency of plant essential oils as natural food preservatives in Fior di Latte cheese. Selected compounds were directly dissolved into Fior di Latte brine. Packaged Fior di Latte samples were stored at 10 degrees C for about 6 d. The cell loads of spoilage and useful microorganisms were monitored to calculate the microbial acceptability limit. Results show that some tested compounds were not acceptable by the panel from a sensorial point of view. Most compounds did not affect the microbial acceptability limit value to a great extent, and only a few such as lemon, sage, and thyme markedly prolonged the microbial acceptability limit of the investigated fresh cheese. Moreover, the above active agents exerted an inhibitory effect on the microorganisms responsible for spoilage without affecting the dairy microflora

The Frascati Beam Test Facility

From 2004 the Frascati Beam Test Facility (BTF) in the DAFNE accelerator complex provides to the external user up to 1E10 electrons per bunch or up to 10E9 positrons per bunch to develop their detectors. After an upgrade program terminated in 2020 of the beam test facility a description of the status and available beam lines will be done.Comment: Talk presented at the International Workshop on Future Linear Colliders (LCWS 2023), 15-19 May 2023. C23-05-15.

Network Sensitivity of Systemic Risk

A growing body of studies on systemic risk in financial markets has emphasized the key importance of taking into consideration the complex interconnections among financial institutions. Much effort has been put in modeling the contagion dynamics of financial shocks, and to assess the resilience of specific financial markets - either using real network data, reconstruction techniques or simple toy networks. Here we address the more general problem of how shock propagation dynamics depends on the topological details of the underlying network. To this end we consider different realistic network topologies, all consistent with balance sheets information obtained from real data on financial institutions. In particular, we consider networks of varying density and with different block structures, and diversify as well in the details of the shock propagation dynamics. We confirm that the systemic risk properties of a financial network are extremely sensitive to its network features. Our results can aid in the design of regulatory policies to improve the robustness of financial markets

Assessment of ground-motion amplification in the Fucino Basin (Central Italy) through seismic data

The Fucino basin (Central Italy) is one of the largest intermountain alluvial plain in the Appennines range. It has a tectonic origin related to the presence of important systems of faults located in its northern and eastern edges. Some of these faults are still active and capable of generating strong seismic events as the January 13th 1915 Ms 7.0 Avezzano earthquake (about 30000 casualties). Site effects related to the soft soils filling the basin can be very important also taking into account the presence of historical villages located at the edges of the basin and new settlements developed in the area. In this paper we show the preliminary results of a seismic network installed in the Fucino area in order to collect information about site amplification effects and geometry of the basin. A lake occupied the Fucino basin for many thousands of years and it was completely drained at the end of the 19th century. We analyze ambient seismic vibrations and recordings of about 150 local earthquakes mainly related to the seismic sequence of the April 6th 2009 Mw 6.3 L’Aquila event. Moreover the strongest events of L’Aquila sequence were analyzed at the three strong-motion permanent stations operating in the area. Using standard spectral techniques we investigate the variation of resonance frequencies within the basin. The ground motion recorded in the Fucino plain is mainly characterized by strong energy at low-frequencies (f < 1 Hz) affecting both horizontal and vertical components. This is particularly evident for stations deployed in correspondence of very thick deposits of sedimentary filling, where a significant increase of ground-motion amplitude and duration is caused by locally generated surface waves. The amplification at low-frequencies (< 1 Hz) on the horizontal components can reach up a factor of 10 in comparison to nearby stiff sites. However, we found evidences of seismic amplification phenomena also for stiff sites surrounding the basin, including stations of the Italian strong motion network. The independent geological information, the shallow shear-velocity profiles available for the basin can be combined with resonance frequencies of the sites for deriving representative geological sections to be used as base for future numerical 2D-3D modeling of the seismic wave propagation in the basin. Seismic modeling can be important to reduce the seismic hazard in the area

Shelf life of Stracciatella cheese under modified-atmosphere packaging

The aim of this work is to evaluate the shelf life of Stracciatella cheese packaged in a protective atmosphere, using 4 different CO(2):N(2):O(2) gas mixtures [50:50:0 (M1), 95:5:0 (M2), 75:25:0 (M3), and 30:65:5 (M4) vol/vol] and stored at 8 degrees C. Cheese in traditional tubs and under vacuum were used as the controls. Results showed that the modified-atmosphere packaging, in particular M1 and M2, delayed microbial growth of spoilage bacteria, without affecting the dairy microflora, and prolonged the sensorial acceptability limit

ICTs for Accessing, Understanding and Safeguarding Cultural Heritage: The Experience of INCEPTION and ROCK H2020 Projects

Today digital technologies offer great opportunities in the field of Cultural Heritage (CH). After a general overview of the European policy documents on CH digitisation, the paper aims to reflect on tools, procedures and methodologies in the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a new way of visualization, application and data collection towards accessing, understanding and safeguarding our historic built environment. The focus will be on two ongoing H2020 projects, INCEPTION and ROCK, selected to address the problem of CH digitisation and the access to the corresponding digitized resources in relation to historic buildings and urban districts. Therefore, they are presented as inspiring good practices for tackling this issue considering its impacts both at the architectural and urban scale. Stressing the potentials of enabling technologies, such as 3D laser surveys, environment and climate sensors, large crowd monitoring tools and CH analytic, they are also able to orient future research beyond 2020

Assessment of ground-motion amplification in the Fucino Basin (Central Italy) through seismic data

The Fucino basin (Central Italy) is one of the largest intermountain alluvial plain in the Appennines range. It has a tectonic origin related to the presence of important systems of faults located in its northern and eastern edges. Some of these faults are still active and capable of generating strong seismic events as the January 13th 1915 Ms 7.0 Avezzano earthquake (about 30000 casualties). Site effects related to the soft soils filling the basin can be very important also taking into account the presence of historical villages located at the edges of the basin and new settlements developed in the area. In this paper we show the preliminary results of a seismic network installed in the Fucino area in order to collect information about site amplification effects and geometry of the basin. A lake occupied the Fucino basin for many thousands of years and it was completely drained at the end of the 19th century. We analyze ambient seismic vibrations and recordings of about 150 local earthquakes mainly related to the seismic sequence of the April 6th 2009 Mw 6.3 L’Aquila event. Moreover the strongest events of L’Aquila sequence were analyzed at the three strong-motion permanent stations operating in the area. Using standard spectral techniques we investigate the variation of resonance frequencies within the basin. The ground motion recorded in the Fucino plain is mainly characterized by strong energy at low-frequencies (f < 1 Hz) affecting both horizontal and vertical components. This is particularly evident for stations deployed in correspondence of very thick deposits of sedimentary filling, where a significant increase of ground-motion amplitude and duration is caused by locally generated surface waves. The amplification at low-frequencies (< 1 Hz) on the horizontal components can reach up a factor of 10 in comparison to nearby stiff sites. However, we found evidences of seismic amplification phenomena also for stiff sites surrounding the basin, including stations of the Italian strong motion network. The independent geological information, the shallow shear-velocity profiles available for the basin can be combined with resonance frequencies of the sites for deriving representative geological sections to be used as base for future numerical 2D-3D modeling of the seismic wave propagation in the basin. Seismic modeling can be important to reduce the seismic hazard in the area

Geopolymer Materials for Low-Pressure Injections in Coarse Grained Soil: Multiscale Approach to the Study of the Mechanical Behaviour and Environmental Impact

The term soil improvement is commonly referred to the modification of soil structure in order to obtain a material with better physical and mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness or permeability. With this purpose, one of the most commonly used applications, particularly in coarse-grained soils, is the low pressure injection of cementitious mixtures. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for solutions with limited environmental impact and limited CO2 emissions and, in this regard, the cement present in the injected grout is evidently the weak point of traditional solutions. In this work, the experimental study of geopolymer materials as a substitute of cement mixture for low-pressure injection for coarse-grained soils improvement is presented. The study started with a focus on the geopolymer fresh mixture properties (density, viscosity, horizontal ellipsis ) and the evolution over the time of the mechanical properties (compression and tensile strength and stiffness) comparing three different mix designs at three different monitoring temperatures. The same evaluations were repeated on sand samples injected with the different types of mixtures previously analyzed. For a selected mix design, a permeation test was carried out under controlled conditions to test the pumpability and effectiveness of geopolymer injection. Finally, to deepen the chemical interaction between the injected mixture and interstitial water, an injection test was carried out using a scaled model of a real injection system. The experimental study carried out was aimed both at the analysis of the characteristics of the geopolymer material and at its physical interaction with coarse-grained soil, passing through the measurement of the mechanical characteristics of the geopolymer material and of the solid sand skeleton mixed with geopolymers. Finally, the possible chemical interaction of the mixtures with groundwater was also evaluated in order to highlight any environmental issues. The results shown provide a preliminary but sufficiently broad picture of the behavior of geopolymer mixtures for low-pressure injection for coarse-grained soil improvement purposes both from physical-mechanical and chemical points of view