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Forested Infiltration Areas as a Natural Solution for Nitrate Mitigation in Contaminated Water
No full textA Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) approach is being utilized through a Forested Infiltration Area (FIA) to mitigate nitrate contamination in an aquifer situated within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone. This innovative technique is deployed at a pilot site where the groundwater nitrate contents is higher than the threshold of regulatory limits defined by the EU Directive 91/676/EEC. Drainage water, sourced from a nearby dewatering pumping station and containing an average nitrate concentration of 70 mg L−1, is channeled into the area. The infiltration process occurs through six recharge trenches, totaling 300 m in length and one meter in depth, filled with a mixture of eucalyptus wood chips (50% by volume), inert material, clay and iron oxides. This blend termed the “Passive Treatment System” (PTS), enhances the activity of denitrifying bacteria that transform nitrate (NO3−) into nitrogen gas (N2). The objective is to lower nitrate levels in the drainage water entering the trenches and subsequently use this treated water to recharge and dilute the polluted underlying aquifer. Hydrogeochemical monitoring results indicate a notable decrease in NO3− in the infiltrated water, demonstrating that the FIA method can be an effective Nature-Based Solution for the remediation of nitrate-contaminated water
Integration of biodiversity into urban development: adaptive façades for climate resilience
No full textThe contemporary climate and biodiversity crises necessitate a reconfiguration of the built environment, positioning adaptive façades as critical infrastructures for resilience, decarbonisation, and ecologica regeneration. This paper investigates the architectural and technological potential of façades conceived
according to circular and biodiversity-oriented principles, integrating ecosystem functions into building envelopes. A systematic literature review, combined with a typological–functional analysis of biointegrated systems either commercially available or under development, highlights opportunities to establish new paradigms of façade adaptivity that move beyond conventional active–passive classifications. Emerging material systems are examined, with particular focus on microalgae photobioreactors, self-healing and bioreceptive concretes, mycelium-based composites, and cyanobacteria-derived structures, each assessed in relation to environmental impacts and scalability. The research advances a methodological framework that integrates multiobjective simulations, digital traceability, and IoT-based monitoring within a multicriteria evaluation matrix anchored to ISO/EN standards, addressing urban heat-island mitigation, biodiversity enhancement, and material circularity. Findings underscore both the potential and limitations of current prototypes: while photobioreactors demonstrate feasibility at pilot scale, other bioactive materials remain experimental, preventing reliable extrapolation to large-scale applications. The study concludes by framing adaptive façades as socio-ecological infrastructures that couple mitigation with adaptation, align architectural innovation with regenerative design, and contribute to European objectives for 2030 and 2050 in urban biodiversity restoration
Antimicrobial Resistance in Chicken Meat: Comparing Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus from Conventional and Antibiotic-Free Productions
No full textChicken meat production is a critical component of the global protein supply, significantly influenced by rearing advancements, including the use of antimicrobial agents. However, the pervasive use of antibiotics has raised concerns regarding the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study examined the prevalence and AMR profiles of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus spp. in chicken meat from conventional and antibiotic-free (ABF) production chains. A total of 284 samples were analyzed for Salmonella spp. and E. coli, while 164 samples were tested for Enterococcus spp. From that, 143 were from conventional production chains and 141 were from ABF chains. The results indicated a 10.9% prevalence of Salmonella spp., 22.1% for E. coli, and 93.9% for Enterococcus spp. Regarding production chains, the conventional chain had 18.2% of the isolates for Salmonella spp., 20.3% for E. coli, and 91.6% for Enterococcus spp., while the ABF chain had 3.5% of the isolates for Salmonella spp., 24.1% for E. coli, and 96.3% for Enterococcus spp. In terms of AMR, 86.1% of the Salmonella spp. isolates that underwent the disk diffusion test were resistant to at least one antibiotic tested, 95.1% of E. coli, and 88.4% of Enterococcus spp. Notably, carbapenem resistance was detected in Salmonella spp., with 2.3% of isolates being resistant to imipenem, while resistance to vancomycin and linezolid was detected in Enterococcus spp., all of which are critically important antimicrobials. Comparisons between these production chains revealed significant differences in antibiotic resistance patterns in Salmonella spp. for two antibiotics, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid and nitrofurantoin, while no differences were observed in E. coli. For Enterococcus spp., resistance varied for three antibiotics: streptomycin, penicillin, and tetracycline. For all other antibiotics tested, the resistance profiles were consistent across both conventional and ABF production chains. Multidrug resistance (MDR) was observed in 90.7% of Salmonella spp. isolates, 42.9% of E. coli isolates, and 12.0% of Enterococcus spp. isolates. Statistically significant differences were noted in MDR prevalence between production chains, with conventional production systems exhibiting higher levels of MDR isolates compared to ABF systems. These findings underscore the need for targeted AMR control strategies that consider the complexity of resistance dynamics across production systems
Associations of intraoperative end–tidal CO2 levels with postoperative outcome–secondary analysis of a worldwide observational study
No full textBackground: Patients receiving intraoperative ventilation during general anesthesia often have low end–tidal CO2
(etCO2). We examined the association of intraoperative etCO2 levels with the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary
complications (PPCs) in a conveniently–sized international, prospective study named ‘Local ASsessment
of Ventilatory management during General Anesthesia for Surgery’ (LAS VEGAS).
Methods: Patients at high risk of PPCs were categorized as ‘low etCO2’ or ‘normal to high etCO2’ patients, using a
cut–off of 35 mmHg. The primary endpoint was a composite of previously defined PPCs; the individual PPCs
served as secondary endpoints. The need for unplanned oxygen was defined as mild PPCs and severe PPCs
included pneumonia, respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, barotrauma, and new invasive
ventilation. We performed propensity score matching and LOESS regression to evaluate the relationship between
the lowest etCO2 and PPCs.
Results: The analysis included 1843 (74 %) ‘low etCO2’ patients and 648 (26 %) ‘normal to high etCO2’ patients.
There was no difference in the occurrence of PPCs between ‘low etCO2’ and ‘normal to high etCO2’ patients (20
% vs. 19 %; RR 1.00 [95 %–confidence interval 0.94 to 1.06]; P = 0.84). The proportion of severe PPCs among
total occurring PPCs, were higher in ‘low etCO2’ patients compared to ‘normal to high etCO2’ patients (35 % vs.
18 %; RR 1.16 [1.08 to 1.25]; P < 0.001). Propensity score matching did not change these findings. LOESS plot
showed an inverse relationship of intraoperative etCO2 levels with the occurrence of PPCs.
Conclusions: In this cohort of patients at high risk of PPCs, the overall occurrence of PPCs was not different
between ‘low etCO2’ patients and ‘normal to high etCO2’ patients, but severe PPCs occurred more often in ‘low
etCO2’, with an inverse dose–dependent relationship between intraoperative etCO2 levels and PPCs
La scoperta dell’ara di Bubastis a Turris Libisonis
No full textIl contributo si propone di ricordare il ruolo che Ercole Contu ebbe nella scoperta e nella valorizzazione delle
antichità della Sardegna non solo preistoriche e protostoriche ma anche, come in questo caso, romane. Il
rinvenimento dell’ara di Bubastis, divinità di origine egizia, rappresenta infatti un momento fondamentale
per lo studio dei culti isiaci nell’isola. Rinvenuta nel 1967 nell’area delle Terme centrali dell’antica Turris
Libisonis, l’ara ha continuato nel tempo ad attrarre l’attenzione degli studiosi che a più riprese si sono cimentati nell’analisi dei vari aspetti storici, archeologici e religiosi che la riguardano. Anche pochi anni fa un
nuovo dettaglio rimasto ‘nascosto’ per quasi mezzo secolo è stato (ri)scoperto
Adozione del maggiorenne e dissenso dei figli tra sindacabilità giudiziale e questioni di costituzionalità
No full textDalla gestione delle risorse naturali alla razionalizzazione di un assetto territoriale preesistente. Il caso della Sardegna romana.
No full textIn Sardinia, various attempts to analyze and reconstruct the settlement principles of the Roman era have often faced the objective difficulty of recognizing the most common and known traces attributable to land management practices. It is certain that after the conquest of the island, its productive contexts were declared “public land of the Roman People”. Understanding the means through which this characteristic was structured is more challenging. The few findings of boundary stones do not resolve the issue, and the ambiguity generated by sources, the low population density, and a presence that seems to concentrate predominantly on the coastal front, add to the difficulties in recognizing traces of centuriation. In general, overall conditions seem to emerge that suggest an impression of a mixed organization: on the one hand, anchored to the main river and marsh systems of the island; on the other, through a process of territorial delimitation that might have been achieved through a selective reuse of already existing places and structures which, in some cases, seem capable of spanning particularly long phases of occupatio
Incidence of hospital-acquired infections due to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in critically ill patients in Italy: a multicentre prospective cohort study
No full textBackground: Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria, including Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) and Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CRPA), are common causes of infections in intensive care units (ICUs) in Italy. Objective: This prospective observational study evaluated the epidemiology, management, microbiological characterization, and outcomes of hospital-acquired CRE or CRPA infections treated in selected ICUs in Italy. Methods: The study included patients with hospital-acquired infections due to CRE and CRPA treated in 20 ICUs from June 2021 to February 2023. The primary endpoint was the 1-year incidence of CRE/CRPA infections. Secondary endpoints included the rate of CRE/CRPA infections, mortality in ICU, infection outcome, and microbiological characterization. Results: Among 13,088 patients admitted over the 12-month study period across each of the 20 ICUs, 283 had CRE infections, and 138 had CRPA infections. The incidence of CRE and CRPA infections was 3.57 per 1000 patient days and 1.74 per 1000 patient days, respectively. The proportion of CRE and CRPA infections over the total number of infections due to Enterobacterales and Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 19.2% and 26.8%, respectively. Among 158 patients included in the full analysis, 98 (62%) had CRE infections and 60 (38%) had CRPA infections. Ventilator-associated pneumonia and bloodstream infections were the most common infections, occurring in 53.8 and 34.2% of cases. Empirical therapy targeting gram-negative pathogens resulted inappropriate in 59.2% of analysed patients (77/130). The overall crude mortality in ICU rate was 30.4%, with a higher rate in CRE patients (36.7%) than in CRPA patients (20.0%). Clinical success, including microbiological eradication, was achieved in 50.6% of cases. Klebsiella pneumoniae was observed as the predominant CRE species, and all CRE isolates, including metallo-β-lactamases-producing CRE (MBL-CRE), were susceptible to Aztreonam-Avibactam. Conclusions: These results highlight the high prevalence of CRE/CRPA infections in Italian ICUs and emphasize the need for enhanced prevention and surveillance strategies
Studi francesi
No full textVolume su intelligenza artificiale e studio di manoscritti danneggiati dal fuoc