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Compositional data analysis and hydrogeochemistry of the Continental Intercalaire aquifer (northwestern Africa): A regional synthesis
No full textThe Continental Intercalaire (CI) aquifer, spanning Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, is analyzed using piezometry, major ions,
and stable isotopes (δ2H, δ18O) to track flow paths from recharge to discharge areas. A new piezometric map was generated
for the CI from the interpolation of extensive datasets from the three countries (measured in 2008). A hydrochemical study
was conducted on data compiled from previous investigations (n = 248 samples) and compared to new samples from this
study (n = 10 samples). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to hydrochemical
data transformed using the centered log ratio method. The piezometric map, created using a nested model (spherical
and Gaussian variograms), achieved high accuracy (ME = 0.09 m; RMSE = 26.62 m). Variography revealed the lateral
continuity of the CI aquifer over ~ 600 km, in agreement with previous studies on flow paths and recharge characteristics.
Depth to groundwater is shallowest in coastal areas (~ 20 m) and deepest in the Sahara (440 m). The hydrochemistry data
show that there is a progression towards the NaCl–SO4 water type along flow paths. Compositional data analysis (CoDA)
successfully differentiates similar water types, providing additional insights into CI aquifer geochemistry. Isotopes proved
essential in interpreting both paleo-recharge and modern-recharge compositions, considering depletion and enrichment in
δ2H and δ18O compared to the global meteoric water line (GMWL) and the paleowater line (PWL). These results are vital
for sustainable water management and environmental planning
Review of top quark mass measurements in CMS
No full textThe top quark mass is one of the most intriguing parameters of the standard model (SM). Its value indicates a Yukawa coupling close to unity, and the resulting strong ties to Higgs physics make the top quark mass a crucial ingredient for understanding essential aspects of the electroweak sector of the SM. This review offers the first comprehensive overview of the top quark mass measurements performed by the CMS Collaboration using the data collected at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV. Moreover, a detailed description of the top quark event reconstruction is provided and dedicated studies of the dominant uncertainties in the modelling of the signal processes are discussed. The interpretation of the experimental results on the top quark mass in terms of the SM Lagrangian parameter is challenging and is a focus of an ongoing discussion in the theory community. The CMS Collaboration has performed two main types of top quark mass measurements, addressing this challenge from different perspectives: highly precise ‘direct’ measurements, based on reconstructed top quark decay products and relying exclusively on Monte-Carlo simulations, as well as ‘indirect’ measurements, where the simulations are employed to determine parton-level cross sections that are compared to fixed-order perturbative calculations. Recent mass extractions using Lorentz-boosted top quarks open a new avenue of measurements based on top quark decay products contained in a single particle jet, with promising prospects for accurate theoretical interpretations
Feed-grade hempseed as alternative protein source in organic broilers diet: Growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality
No full textThis study investigated the feasibility of integrating feed-grade hempseed (FG-HS), an emerging by-product of
the oil industry, into organic poultry production, focusing on its impact on growth performance, slaughter yield,
and quality traits of meat in medium-growing chickens. Soybean expeller cake (SBE) was used for comparison.
One hundred and twenty 21-day-old chickens were assigned to three dietary groups, each consisting of two
replicates of twenty chickens. Treatments included a control diet containing 30 % SBE and two experimental
diets with FG-HS replacing SBE at 50 % (H15) or 100 % (H30). Trial lasted 14 weeks. At the end of the
experimental period, birds were sacrificed for carcass evaluation, including welfare-related traits. Rheological,
nutritional, and sensory properties of breast meat were also evaluated. Birds fed the H30 diet showed a trend
toward lower incidence of footpad dermatitis (P = 0.06), cleaner plumage (P < 0.03), higher final live weight (P
< 0.05), and heavier viscera (P < 0.05) compared to the SBE and H15 groups. No effects of diet were found for
eviscerated carcass weights, commercial cut yield or meat quality traits such as composition, amino acid profile,
water holding capacity, and Warner-Bratzler shear force. Notably, FG-HS inclusion significantly reduced saturated
fatty acid levels (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 for H30 and H15 diets, respectively), while increasing polyunsaturated
fatty acids (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05). The H30 diet enhanced overall flavor intensity (P < 0.01) and
significantly reduced (P < 0.01) fibrousness, gumminess, and mouth residue. Results suggest that FG-HS can be
successfully integrated into broiler diets at inclusion rates up to 30 % without compromising bird growth performance,
carcass and meat traits. Moreover, FG-HS at the highest inclusion level shows potential for enhancing
breast meat quality in terms of fatty acid profile and sensory characteristics
Designing with invisible hands Digital product passports and AI in the new Made in Italy
Get PDFThe book explores how Digital Product Passports and AI are redefining a New Made in Italy within the EU Green Deal, bridging the gap between tradition and innovation through transparency, sustainability, and digitisation.
Clear and accessible, it addresses both professionals and non-specialists, aiming to foster widespread awareness around ecological transition. It includes a research-based glossary with AI-generated images, providing readers
with conceptual and visual tools to understand the new lexicon of circular economy and emerging paradigms of contemporary design
Combining plant-based sensing and mechanistic modelling to quantify hydraulic resistance and capacitance for real-time irrigation in Mediterranean yellow-fleshed kiwifruit orchards
Get PDFClimate change and increasing water scarcity, especially in the Mediterranean region, are major challenges for modern agriculture, requiring the implementation of real-time irrigation management methods to improve whole-plant water use efficiency. In the present study, two plant-based measurements (trunk sap flow and trunk water potential, ψtrunk) were used in combination with a dynamic water flow model to estimate hydraulic capacitance (C) and hydraulic resistance (R) along the water transport pathway in yellow-fleshed kiwifruit vines grown in a Mediterranean environment under both well-watered and drought conditions. A sensitivity analysis of the model was performed to select a subset of identifiable parameters, accounting for most of the variability in model predictions of ψtrunk. Based on the identifiable parameters, two model calibrations were performed: (1) model calibration of C and R; (2) model calibration of C, R and the initial amount of water stored in the stem compartment. These parameters were recalibrated daily based on a 1-day moving window. The best model performance under soil water limiting conditions was achieved when all three parameters were used for calibration. C and R parameters strongly correlated with ψtrunk, revealing the hydraulic behavior and drought response of kiwifruit vines. In particular, C was found to decrease with more negative ψtrunk values, whereas R showed an increase. In addition, C and R varied within a narrow range of ψtrunk fluctuations, as occurred in well-watered vines. While the proposed modelling approach requires investments in sensor technologies and a data management and modelling platform, it offers the potential to quantify and visualize daily dynamics in plant hydraulic parameters and provide farmers with valuable tools to improve real-time management of irrigation in the era of precision agriculture
Physicochemical and Biological Properties of Quercetin-Loaded Low-Molecular-Weight Chitosan Nanoparticles Derived from Hermetia illucens Larvae and Crustacean Sources: A Comparative Study
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Pseudorapidity distributions of charged hadrons in lead-lead collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 5.36 TeV
No full textThe pseudorapidity (η) distributions of charged hadrons are measured using data collected at the highest ever nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of sjavax.xml.bind.JAXBElement@6012c435=5.36TeV for collisions of lead-lead ions. The data were recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC in 2022 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 0.30±0.03μb−1. Using the CMS silicon pixel detector, the yields of primary charged hadrons produced in the range |η|<2.6 are reported. The evolution of the midrapidity particle density as a function of collision centrality is also reported. In the 5% most central collisions, the charged-hadron η density in the range |η|<0.5 is found to be 2032±91(syst), with negligible statistical uncertainty. This result is consistent with an extrapolation from nucleus-nucleus collision data at lower center-of-mass energies. Comparisons are made to various Monte Carlo event generators and to previous measurements of lead-lead and xenon-xenon collisions at similar collision energies. These new data detail the dependence of particle production on the collision energy, initial collision geometry, and the size of the colliding nuclei
La valorizzazione degli scarti provenienti dalla coltivazione dei funghi come fonte di molecole bioattive e di enzimi
No full textIl crescente incremento della produzione mondiale di funghi eduli coltivati, stimata per il 2026 in più di 20 milioni di tonnellate, ha
posto sempre più in evidenza il problema dello smaltimento dei prodotti di scarto derivanti dalla loro coltivazione, costituiti per la
maggior parte dal substrato esausto (Spent Mushroom Substrate, SMS). Mediamente per ogni Kg di funghi prodotti si ottengono
circa 5 kg di SMS. Ogni anno vengono prodotte circa 60 milioni di tonnellate di SMS, si stima che questa cifra potrebbe aumentare
fino a 100 milioni di tonnellate nel 2026.
Il substrato di funghi esausto è costituito prevalentemente da sostanze lignocellulosiche come segatura, paglia, fieno, semi di
cotone, bucce di semi e pannocchie di mais. La ricerca degli ultimi ha evidenziato il potenziale valore degli SMS, attualmente
trovano applicazione in agricoltura come fertilizzanti, vengono riutilizzati per nuove coltivazioni di funghi, per la preparazione di
mangimi, nella produzione di energia (biogas, etanolo e bioidrogeno), nel biorisanamento (rimozione di metalli pesanti e inquinanti
organici) e nell’estrazione di bioprodotti come polisaccaridi, acidi organici, composti fenolici e enzimi.
Relativamente a quest’ultimi, i funghi secernono nel substrato di crescita enzimi per degradare polimeri come cellulosa, emicellulosa,
lignina, proteine e lipidi in composti a basso peso molecolare che vengono assimilati per la loro crescita. La decomposizione
dei materiali lignocellulosici è ottenuta mediante l’azione sinergica di enzimi idrolitici coinvolti nella degradazione della cellulosa
(endoglucanasi, cellobioidrolasi e β-1,4-glucosidasi) e dell’emicellulosa (xilanasi, β-xilosidasi, α-glucuronidasi, β-mannosidasi e
α-arabinofuranosidasi), e di enzimi ossidativi coinvolti nella degrazione della lignina (laccasi e diverse perossidasi).
Oltre agli enzimi lignocellulosici sono presenti in misura minore proteasi, lipasi e diversi altri. Gli enzimi prodotti dai funghi presentano
caratteristiche, quali attività in un ampio intervallo di temperatura e pH, stabilità termica ed elevata attività catalitica, che
li rendono molto adatti per diverse applicazioni biotecnologiche