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The main demonstration event of the OliPHA technology
No full textThe local TV covered the main demonstration event of the OliPHA project that was held in AFT, Bibbona on May 14. They took the chance to interview the main Italian partners in the project who reviewed the high relevance of the OliPHA development for the olive waste water treatment and derived bioproducts. (more info on the event : http://www.olipha.eu/2015/05/20/great-attendance-in-the-final-events-the-olipha-project/
An Introduction to the Project BLASCO - Blending LAboratory and Satellite techniques for detecting CyanObacteria
Get PDFAlgal blooms can have an impact on health care costs, on the costs associated with the treatment of water intended for human consumption and on the tourism industry. The implementation of early warning systems would reduce these costs and the efforts needed to face and control the harmful effects of an algal bloom. A system for monitoring the quality of the waters, which operates on a large scale and at high frequency, would allow to keep under control the evolution of a bloom. The observation by satellite allows such a monitoring: in particular, the project is focused on the development of techniques for the analysis of satellite images, in order to detect the specific phytoplankton species potentially responsible for bloom formation in lakes. To reach this goal, it is necessary to analyse the spectral response characteristic of cyanobacteria and to develop algorithms to be applied to the analysis of satellite images. New calibration algorithms for the interpretation of satellite images will be obtained in lab experiments, using algal cultures. The developed algorithms will be tested through the analysis of remote sensing images, with particular attention to the bloom events occurring in the lakes of Lombardy and Piedmont. Field data on water optical properties and phytoplankton samples will be also collected. Moreover, different approaches will be applied and compared to quantify the amount of cyanobacteria (HPLC, counting, in vivo fluorimetry, spectroradiometry). Among the main results there will be the creation of a dataset of spectral signatures of some cyanobacteria taxa, as well as the development of calibration curves for the qualitative and quantitative estimation of the blooms. In general, we expect that it will be possible to distinguish, in natural conditions, the spectral signatures of cyanobacteria, even at low concentrations and within mixed populations of phytoplankton
A macro-ecological approach to the study of the vulnerability of aquatic environments to nonindigenous species: a case study by the Virtual Research Infrastructure LifeWatch Italy
Get PDFLifeWatch, the European Virtual Biodiversity Research Infrastructure, is a reference point for researchers, policy makers, public authorities and enterprises operating in the field of protection, management and the sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems. LifeWatch Italy has proposed a European-level case study designed to assess the vulnerability of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems to the arrival of non-indigenous species (NIS), in order to demonstrate the functionality of the e-infrastructure and its potential. Here we present the results of a first analysis conducted, on a national scale, on NIS presence in various typologies of aquatic environments (freshwater, transitional and marine), aimed at verifying the link between vulnerability to NIS and human activities. Each of these environments is diversely affected by the NIS problem, which is of great interest both at national and international level, showing different rates of biodiversity alteration. To understand the mechanisms that cause the NIS success and to find adequate means of prevention, the LifeWatch community proposes a macro-ecological approach. It analyzes the drivers of NIS occurrence and the role played by climate change in facilitating their spread, so as to provide solutions that will lead to their reduction by applying effective measures for biodiversity conservation. The data used refer to a 30-year time span and include several taxonomic groups. All analyses were performed using dedicated R packages, which are one of the services provided by LifeWatch on the web
Mechanisms underlying recovery of zooplankton in Lake Orta after liming
Get PDFThe goal of this study was to improve the understanding of the large-scale mechanisms underlying the recovery of the zooplankton of Lake Orta from historical contamination following the liming intervention (1989/90). ). The pollution has been severe and long-lasting (1929-1990). Previous analysis of subfossil Cladocera remains and rotifer resting stages in sedimentary archives, coupled with long-term monitoring data of planktonic pelagic population has indicated both the extinction of many taxa than the attempt of recolonization by rotifers. Our results highlighted that the most number of new taxa recorded by countings belonged to Rotifers, and that, Calanoids and big Cladocera predators (Bythotrephes and Leptodora) living in the nearby Lake Maggiore, 17 years after liming, were still absent. We assessed, also, the annual persistence of Crustacea and Rotifer taxa (P) as an estimator of whether introduced propagules that survived, also thrived. We found that the rate of introduction of zooplankton colonists and their persistence in the water column of Lake Orta have changed over time (1971-2007). New rotifers taxa attempted to colonize the lake after middle \u2780, when the discharge of toxic substances decreased, but their persistence was low (P < 0.5) until the beginning of 2000s. The unexpected high values of Crustacea persistence recorded in Lake Orta in 2001 and 2007, in comparison to other environments (Sudbury lakes), could be related to the lack of zooplanktivorous fish in the pelagic waters
Lake water as reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes constitutively present within the natural microbial community
Get PDFThe fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in environmental microbial community is largely unknown although ARGs can constitute a threat for human health. In order to understand the dynamics and the relations of ARGs with biotic and abiotic factors in aquatic environment, we sampled water for 1.5 year in four stations of Lake Maggiore; for one of them (Ghiffa), we also sampled water from the whole water column. Moreover, for Ghiffa station, limnological parameters and prokaryotic cell abundance were determined. Each water sample was filtered and processed for the presence of twelve ARGs by PCR and, for the positive ARGs, qPCR protocols were developed. In order to investigate the relations between ARGs profiles and microbial community composition, we also sampled water every day for one week in Pallanza station. The DNA recovered during both the 18 months\u27 (long term) and the week (short term) monitoring were analyzed for the presence and abundance of ARGs and for the microbial community composition by 16SrDNA Illumina sequencing. Four ARGs were detectable in all stations during the whole sampling campaign, for instance tet(A) and sulII genes resulted quantifiable in more than half of the samples, and their abundance was positively correlated to oxygen and negatively to chlorophyll a, while str(B) and blaCTXM were present but rarely quantifiable. The composition of the microbial community was stable during the week while a seasonality was observed during 1.5 year of analysis. Moreover a potential relation between the presence of blaCTXM and the abundance of Flavobacteria was observed. All together, these results suggest the Lake as reservoir of ARGs fixed within the natural microbial community, thus it can constitute a hazardous hotspot for the transmission of antibiotic resistance to human pathogens
Antibiotics and pathogens, when the natural bacterial community resists!
Get PDFThe spread and persistence of antibiotic resistances (AR) in waters is a major threat for the environmental management, with direct risks for human health. Although antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) are found everywhere, their ecological success is related to anthropic impact, and to disturbed natural communities. In the same waters where AR can be a problem, other disturbances promoted by human activities can interfere with natural communities, e.g. the input of allochthonous (and potentially pathogenic) bacteria. The concomitant impact of those disturbances can have dramatic effects on the persistence and resistance of natural communities. With an experimental system on continuous cultures, we tested the impact on the microbial community from anthropized Lake Maggiore of enhanced tetracycline concentrations and of a subsequent invasion by a mixed population of E. coli. We measured the response in terms of bacterial and eukaryotic abundances, phenotypical distribution, bacterial community composition, spread and persistence of tetracycline resistance genes, and the fate of E. coli strains, by applying a number of techniques including flow-cytometry, microscopy, qPCR, and Illumina sequencing. We observed the preservation of AR genes, even when antibiotics were not in the system, suggesting a relatively small cost of maintenance of these genes, or their involvement in other genetic pathways. However, we did not see a general increase of e.g. tetA resistance genes, following the addition of antibiotics. In fact, it rather seemed that resistance to tetracycline was rather acquired by morphological changes and species interactions; we observed many more aggregated cells when the antibiotic was added. On the other hand, the invasion with E.coli seemed to generally promote the overall productivity of the systems without and with little antibiotic. Our results demonstrate that despite the heavy disturbance the natural microbial communities can develop a number of mechanisms of resistance in order to reduce the impact (e.g. aggregation), complicating the system modelling, thus reducing our forecasting possibilities
A proposito di acqua: la newsletter del CNR Istituto per lo Studio degli Ecosistemi di Verbania Pallanza
Get PDFNo abstract availableIl progetto SAILING: ricerca in barca a vela sul Lago Maggiore L\u27ultima Piena in pillole Uniti per studiare l\u27oro blu del Nepa
Nascita e sviluppi della limnologia alpina
No full textNot availableLa nascita della limnologia si fa risalire convenzionalmente alla pubblicazione del trattato di Fran?ois Alphonse Forel sul Lago Lemano, tra il 1892 e il 1904. Tuttavia, ? evidente che una nuova disciplina scientifica non nasce per lo sforzo di un solo ricercatore, ma per l\u27attivit? comune di un gruppo di pionieri. Infatti, alla fine del 1800 erano attivi in tutta Europa diversi ricercatori che, adattando alle acque dolci le tecniche sviluppate per lo studio pionieristico del mare, contribuirono alla nascita della limnologia
Presentazione
No full textIn this paper is presented the studies included in a special issue of the journal Rivista Italiana di Educazione Familiare on Centres for Children and Parents in Italy, France and Japan. The studies included were issued within the projects TOGETHER and INSIEME coordinated by the HDS group of ISTC-CNR.Presentazione del numero monografico della Rivista di educazione familiare dedicato ai Centri per Bambini e Famiglie. Il fascicolo raccoglie contributi nazionali e internazionali elaborati nell\u27ambito della ricerca TOGETHER, e della sua estensione italiana INSIEME, mettendo a fuoco alcuni temi chiave che emergono dallo studio della quotidianit? in questi servizi e che possono aiutare a evidenziare potenzialit? e limiti di questi servizi e a ri-orientare su queste basi le scelte pedagogico-politiche
Implicazioni neurobiologiche del trauma e dell\u27EMDR: Nuove evidenze da uno studio di hdEEG sul processamento neurale delle emozioni nei bambini con trauma complesso
No full textTheoretical background: Neuroimaging research has extensively investigated neurobiological correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Findings from these studies have identified hyper-reactivity of the amygdalae with acquisition of fear responses, and impairment of the medial prefrontal cortex in properly regulating fear extinction, that could account for increased trauma-related symptoms with traumatic reminders., As diagnosis for adult onset trauma, PTSD is often applied to traumatized children as well. Nevertheless, PTSD diagnosis fails to account for the complex symptomatology that emerges following early chronic interpersonal traumatization, that occurs primarily within the caregiving system and whose consequences are instead more fully described by the diagnostic construct of "complex trauma". Early traumatization exerts a deleterious impact on children\u27s abilities to recognize facial emotions and regulate inner emotional states. Neuroscience research has provided compelling evidence for the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in restoring affective regulation in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients. However, the effectiveness of EMDR on emotion processing of children with complex trauma has yet to be explored. Aim: The present contribution aims at illustrating the recent findings from neuroscience research on PTSD and EMDR, shedding new light on the efficacy of EMDR on neural processing of emotions in children with complex trauma. Methodology: After presenting the limitations of DSM-IV-TR criteria in the diagnosis of PTSD in childhood, we will introduce the diagnostic construct of "complex trauma", particularly considering its effects on children\u27s emotional regulation. We will then provide an overview of scientific literature on neurobiological correlates of PTSD and EMDR, and present a high-density Electroencephalography (hdEEG) study where we investigated the effects of EMDR on brain responses to adult emotions in children with histories of early maltreatment. Critical discussion and conclusions: Trauma exerts a deleterious impact on the anatomy and functionality of specific cerebral areas associated with the emotional response to traumatic reminders as well as to the onset of psychopathological outcomes. Traumatic experiences have clinical relevance especially during childhood, since they al-ter trajectories of brain development, decreasing the functionality of cerebral regions related to emotion processing. Findings from our hdEEG study provide evidence for the effectiveness of EMDR in restoring affect regulation in children, promoting the cognitive processing of emotional stimuli that resemble traumatic events