211 research outputs found
Recensione a M.G. Eccheli, C. Cavallo (a cura di) “Il progetto nei borghi abbandonati”
No full textTra arditi declivi rocciosi e nella misteriosa penombra di spazi arcani conduce la lettura di questo volume dedicato al «progetto nei borghi abbandonati». Ma senza cedere a romantici manierismi, Maria Grazia Eccheli e Claudia Cavallo si avventurano lungo sentieri impervi, decise a interrogare le rovine di luoghi fermi nel tempo, laddove muri sbrecciati, recinti interrotti e scheletri di pietra appaiono come segni calcificati di geografie tormentate e storie lontane
Recensione a M.G. Eccheli, C. Cavallo (a cura di) “Il progetto nei borghi abbandonati”
No full textTra arditi declivi rocciosi e nella misteriosa penombra di spazi arcani conduce la lettura di questo volume dedicato al «progetto nei borghi abbandonati». Ma senza cedere a romantici manierismi, Maria Grazia Eccheli e Claudia Cavallo si avventurano lungo sentieri impervi, decise a interrogare le rovine di luoghi fermi nel tempo, laddove muri sbrecciati, recinti interrotti e scheletri di pietra appaiono come segni calcificati di geografie tormentate e storie lontane
Sveti Grgur. I segni dell'Acqua
No full textIl volume è l'esito del laboratorio progettuale intensivo tenuto nell'ambito dei Workshop Internazionali di Architettura di Venezia: W.A.Ve. 2021 / ISLANDS. ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPES OF WATER / Università Iuav di Venezia (28 giugno – 16 luglio 2021)
Preserving air pollution forest archives accessible through dendrochemistry
No full textPlants are continuously exposed to human air pollution, absorbing pollutants in their tissues. Trees can store pollutants in wood, in the annual growth rings, retaining traces of pollutants in the environment. Information on past pollution events are archived by trees, which dendrochemistry, a dendrochronological science combined with chemistry, is able to access. Many authors have suggested that trees could complement the conventional environmental monitoring: a forest archive of pollution events. However, the implications of trees occurrence in polluted areas on planning and management have not yet been discussed. In this article, we investigate whether forest archives exist and whether they should be integrated into the network of existing monitoring stations. We use a case study, the Veneto region of Italy, one of the most polluted areas in Europe, to examine the occurrence of trees around 28 industrial plants retrieved from a European pollution register. We propose planning actions to develop the latent potential of these forest archives for environmental monitoring, which society may benefit. We follow three steps: (a) assessing the cover and composition of tree canopies around the industrial plants, (b) inventorying the existing artificial air monitoring stations in order to discover whether pollutants around the industrial plants are already monitored, (c) assessing land use patterns in order to identify which are the receptors of air pollution and enhance the forest archive in the future. These spatial analyses are conducted in a 1-km radius buffer with the industrial plant as the centre. Results show that forest archives are available, with cover and composition suitable for dendrochemistry studies. Artificial monitoring stations are too far from industrial plants or have been installed recently, unable to provide historical data. Trees are an alternative source of pollution data. Receptors of air pollution include a diversity of urban, rural and agricultural lands, where forest archives can be managed and conserved through a variety of actions. Environmental protection agencies should value these trees, preserving them and accessing the records held in this forest archive. Similar inventories must be promoted in other industrialised regions of the world even at larger scales. Studies like this one should also be incorporated into landscape or urban planning processes
Could cattle ranching and soybean cultivation be sustainable? A systematic review and a meta-analysis for the Amazon
No full textTropical forests are being destroyed to make space for agricultural activities with the assumption that they are required to feed the growing global population. Consequently, more sustainable practices are needed to guarantee food security and environmental protection of highly threatened natural biodiversity hotspots like the Amazon rainforest. Cattle ranching and soybean cultivation are by far the greater drivers of land use change and deforestation in the Amazon region. We performed a systematic review of papers related to these two main drivers and a meta-analysis on the effects of sustainable practices on different ecosystem services. The results of the review highlight a large concern about the negative impacts of cattle ranching and soybean crops on the ecosystem dynamics and functionality of the Amazon biome, in addition to the clear relationship with deforestation. Another relevant finding is the large gap in empirical research concerning the effects of sustainable practices on different ecosystem services. Such a gap is evident since only 13 studies from the initial database met the requirements for a meta-analysis. Of the 171 comparisons between the ecosystem services provided in conventional land-uses and those adopting sustainable practices, the overall model indicated a non-significant effect, although the results were heterogeneous. Crop yield and herbage biomass were negatively affected, while livestock productivity, soil organic carbon, soil fertility and woody biomass were positively affected. Also, the six sustainable practices evaluated showed different outcomes, from a predominance of positive effects in silvopastoral systems, to a predominance of negative effects on agrosilvicultural systems. Our systematic review and meta-analysis indicate that cattle ranching and soybean cultivation can indeed be conducted in a more sustainable way, enhancing the provision of ecosystem services while avoiding deforestation. In turn, our results also highlight the lack of empirical data and the need to standardize the methodologies used to deeply assess the effects of such practices. In conclusion, we suggest a way to advance research into the real effects of sustainable practices aimed at reducing the negative impacts of cattle ranching and soybean crops in the Amazon
Integration of ecological indicators to assess a multitemporal impact of cement industries
No full textThe present study evaluated an integrated biomonitoring approach based on three different bioindicators: tree rings, lichens,
and beetles in a complex environment (urban-industrial-forest). In Central Italy, four sampling sites were selected to assess
the anthropogenic impact of cement plants taking into account (1) long-term exposure (1988–2020) through the analysis
of trace elements in tree rings of Quercus pubescens; (2) medium-term exposure (2020–2021) through the analysis of trace
elements in thalli (outermost portions) of the lichen Xanthoria parietina; (3) short-term exposure in spring 2021 through
the bioaccumulation and evaluation of sample vitality in transplants of the lichen Evernia prunastri and a periodic survey
of entomological biodiversity carried out during spring and summer 2021. Trace elements of industrial origin were found in
tree rings, with different levels of accumulation between 1988 and 2020 and a maximum in 2012. Native thalli of the lichen
X. parietina showed an overall low bioaccumulation of trace elements except for Cr, probably reflecting the influence of
national lockdown measures. The transplants of E. prunastri showed a weak stress response in the industrial and urban sites,
but not in the forest, and identified Tl and V as the main elements contributing to atmospheric contamination, with peaks at
the industrial sites. Concerning the beetles, a significantly lower number of species was found at the Semonte industrial site
Systemic administration of imiquimod as an adjuvant improves immunogenicity of a tumor-lysate vaccine inducing the rejection of a highly aggressive T-cell lymphoma
No full textT-cell lymphomas include diverse malignancies. They are rare, some have low survival rates and they lack curative therapies. The aim of this work was to assess whether employing the TLR7 agonist imiquimod and the T-cell costimulatory molecule CD40 or the combination of both as adjuvants of a cell lysate vaccine could enhance the antitumor immune response using a murine T-cell lymphoma model.
Immunization with LBC-lysate and imiquimod protected almost all vaccinated animals. A specific humoral and a Th1-type cellular immunity were induced in mice that rejected the lymphoma, characterized by an elevated number of CD4 + T-cells and secretion of IFN-γ, locally and systemically. In contrast, CD40 alone or in combination with imiquimod did not improve the protective response obtained with LBC-lysate and imiquimod. Systemic administration of imiquimod proved to have high potential to serve as a vaccine adjuvant for the treatment of T-cell lymphomas and was effective in this immunotherapy model.Instituto de BiotecnologíaFil: Di Sciullo, Maria Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Menay, Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Cocozza, Federico. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Gravisaco, María José. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Waldner, Claudia Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; ArgentinaFil: Mongini, Claudia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Virología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos; Argentin
Unlocking the environmental impact of rail traffic: insight and remediation potential of black locust linear systems
No full textRailway networks constitute a vast and intricate infrastructure system that connects various environments, exerting a significant impact on them. Nonetheless, our comprehension of railway ecology remains limited, encompassing issues such as habitat loss, surrogates and connectivity, and the effects of pollution (Barrientos et al. 2019). Studies have drawn attention to elevated soil contamination levels along railway infrastructure, demonstrating a wide spatial reach of influence, extending up to 50 meters from the tracks (Burkhardt et al. 2008; Wilkomirski et al. 2012; Mętrak et al. 2015; Brtnický et al. 2022). As time progresses, this pollution accumulates, presenting a plausible long-term ecological threat (Jiasheng et al. 2020). To address this concern, buffers, as permanent vegetation strips, assume a pivotal role in mitigating the mobilization and transportation of pollutants towards fields through natural processes, filtering and reducing water runoff, and reducing bank erosion (Dosskey 2001). Regrettably, the potential and actual environmental pressures stemming from rail traffic is overlooked in landscape planning. Agroforestry, a practice that reintegrates tree planting or spontaneous tree growth into agricultural systems, offers a balanced approach to addressing environmental challenges while considering both productivity and protection(Smith et al. 2013). The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), a widespread non-native invasive tree in Europe found alongside railway tracks (Cierjacks et al. 2013; Pfeiffenschneider and Ries 2014; Sitzia et al. 2016), has been widely planted along railways and gained attention in agroforestry systems for biomass and honey production. Consequently, there is a pressing need for further research into its remediation capabilities.
The project seeks to accomplish two primary goals: first, to advance our understanding of soil contamination resulting from rail traffic; second, to investigate the remediation potential of black locust linear systems as farmland or riparian buffer strips by examining their functional and structural characteristics in relation to soil contamination levels alongside railway infrastructures.
Exploratory analyses were conducted in the north-eastern Po plain to investigate the influence of rail traffic on the quality and quantity of heavy metals. We selected two railway lines characterized by differing traffic intensities for our study. Each line had two transects perpendicular to the tracks, and we collected soil samples at various distances from the tracks (at 3, 8, 13, 18, 25, and 40 m) at two different depths (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm). The selection criteria for the study areas were designed to minimize variables, except for track distance, ensuring homogeneity in topsoil and the absence of recent earthmoving activities, among other factors. The concentrations of total Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Tl, V, Zn, As, Hg, Sb, and Sn were determined using inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy.
Subsequently, a characterization of black locust linear systems was conducted alongside electrified railway infrastructures. Forty-two sampling units were chosen along various railway lines with differing traffic intensities and functional segments. The sampling units were defined with a fixed length of 10 meters along the tree linear system, running parallel to the rail track. The width of each area varied according to the width of the tree system's crown projections. Within each unit, data on general attributes, tree size, and understory composition were collected. Soil and black locust leaves were sampled for the analysis of heavy metal concentrations using the same method as mentioned earlier.
The analyses conducted along the distance gradient from the railway infrastructure revealed a significant increase in heavy metal content near the tracks, followed by a rapid decline in metal content beyond distances of 8 to 13 meters from the tracks. When comparing data collected from different train lines characterized by varying levels of rail traffic, it becomes evident that there is a correlation between contaminant levels and the intensity of traffic.
The investigation concerning the black locust linear systems and their relative contamination levels highlighted a wide range of heavy metal content across various sampling units. The metal with the highest concentration was copper often exceeding the Italian environmental regulatory threshold for industrial sites, and lead, zinc, nickel, and tin, which surpass the regulatory thresholds for green areas. Preliminary analyses confirmed existing evidences that black locust tree systems do not appear to be negatively influenced by the level of soil contamination (Sitzia et al. 2016).
The preliminary findings of the study underscore a significant level of contamination along the railway infrastructure, with high concentrations of heavy metals in the soil frequently exceeding regulatory threshold values. Interestingly, the analysis of the black locust linear systems appears to support the notion that these systems exhibit a high degree of tolerance to soil contamination. Further research is warranted to compare the distribution gradient of heavy metals at increasing distances from the tracks under various conditions, including: i) with and without the presence of tree linear systems, ii) with different types of tree linear systems, and iii) across different land-use types and farmland areas
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