Chemical, biochemical and microbiological indicators to assess soil quality in temperate agro-ecosystems

Soil is a critically important component of the earth’s biosphere. Developing agricultural production systems able to conserve soil quality is essential to guarantee the current and future capacity of soil to provide goods and services. This study investigates the potential of microbial and biochemical parameters to be used as early and sensitive soil quality indicators. Their ability to differentiate plots under contrasting fertilization regimes is evaluated based also on their sensitivity to seasonal fluctuations of environmental conditions and on their relationship with soil chemical parameters. Further, the study addresses some of the critical methodological aspects of microplate-based fluorimetric enzyme assays, in order to optimize assay conditions and evaluate their suitability to be used as a toll to asses soil quality. The study was based on a long-term field experiment established in 1966 in the Po valley (Italy). The soil was cropped with maize (Z. mays L.) and winter wheat (T. aestivum L.) and received no organic fertilization, crop residue or manure, in combination with increasing levels of mineral N fertilizer. The soil microbiota responded to manure amendment increasing it biomass and activity and changing its community composition. Crop residue effect was much more limited. Mineral N fertilization stimulated crop residue mineralization, shifted microbial community composition and influenced N and P cycling enzyme activities. Seasonal fluctuations of environmental factors affected the soil microbiota. However microbial and biochemical parameters seasonality did not hamper the identification of fertilization-induced effects. Soil microbial community abundance, function and composition appeared to be strongly related to soil organic matter content and composition, confirming the close link existing between these soil quality indicators. Microplate-based fluorimetric enzyme assays showed potential to be used as fast and throughput toll to asses soil quality, but required proper optimization of the assay conditions for a precise estimation of enzymes maximum potential activity.

Management and routing algorithms for ad-hoc and sensor networks

Large scale wireless adhoc networks of computers, sensors, PDAs etc. (i.e. nodes) are revolutionizing connectivity and leading to a paradigm shift from centralized systems to highly distributed and dynamic environments. An example of adhoc networks are sensor networks, which are usually composed by small units able to sense and transmit to a sink elementary data which are successively processed by an external machine. Recent improvements in the memory and computational power of sensors, together with the reduction of energy consumptions, are rapidly changing the potential of such systems, moving the attention towards datacentric sensor networks. A plethora of routing and data management algorithms have been proposed for the network path discovery ranging from broadcasting/floodingbased approaches to those using global positioning systems (GPS). We studied WGrid, a novel decentralized infrastructure that organizes wireless devices in an adhoc manner, where each node has one or more virtual coordinates through which both message routing and data management occur without reliance on either flooding/broadcasting operations or GPS. The resulting adhoc network does not suffer from the deadend problem, which happens in geographicbased routing when a node is unable to locate a neighbor closer to the destination than itself. WGrid allow multidimensional data management capability since nodes' virtual coordinates can act as a distributed database without needing neither special implementation or reorganization. Any kind of data (both single and multidimensional) can be distributed, stored and managed. We will show how a location service can be easily implemented so that any search is reduced to a simple query, like for any other data type. WGrid has then been extended by adopting a replication methodology. We called the resulting algorithm WRGrid. Just like WGrid, WRGrid acts as a distributed database without needing neither special implementation nor reorganization and any kind of data can be distributed, stored and managed. We have evaluated the benefits of replication on data management, finding out, from experimental results, that it can halve the average number of hops in the network. The direct consequence of this fact are a significant improvement on energy consumption and a workload balancing among sensors (number of messages routed by each node). Finally, thanks to the replications, whose number can be arbitrarily chosen, the resulting sensor network can face sensors disconnections/connections, due to failures of sensors, without data loss. Another extension to {WGrid} is {W*Grid} which extends it by strongly improving network recovery performance from link and/or device failures that may happen due to crashes or battery exhaustion of devices or to temporary obstacles. W*Grid guarantees, by construction, at least two disjoint paths between each couple of nodes. This implies that the recovery in W*Grid occurs without broadcasting transmissions and guaranteeing robustness while drastically reducing the energy consumption. An extensive number of simulations shows the efficiency, robustness and traffic road of resulting networks under several scenarios of device density and of number of coordinates. Performance analysis have been compared to existent algorithms in order to validate the results.

La Previsione dei Consumi Elettrici nel Mercato Energetico Italiano : un nuovo modello empirico con struttura triangolare

L'obiettivo principale della tesi è lo sviluppo di un modello empirico previsivo di breve periodo che sia in grado di offrire previsioni precise ed affidabili dei consumi di energia elettrica su base oraria del mercato italiano. Questo modello riassume le conoscenze acquisite e l'esperienza fatta durante la mia attuale attività lavorativa presso il Romagna Energia S.C.p.A., uno dei maggiori player italiani del mercato energetico. Durante l'ultimo ventennio vi sono stati drastici cambiamenti alla struttura del mercato elettrico in tutto il mondo. Nella maggior parte dei paesi industrializzati il settore dell'energia elettrica ha modificato la sua originale conformazione di monopolio in mercato competitivo liberalizzato, dove i consumatori hanno la libertà di scegliere il proprio fornitore. La modellazione e la previsione della serie storica dei consumi di energia elettrica hanno quindi assunto un ruolo molto importante nel mercato, sia per i policy makers che per gli operatori. Basandosi sulla letteratura già esistente, sfruttando le conoscenze acquisite 'sul campo' ed alcune intuizioni, si è analizzata e sviluppata una struttura modellistica di tipo triangolare, del tutto innovativa in questo ambito di ricerca, suggerita proprio dal meccanismo fisico attraverso il quale l'energia elettrica viene prodotta e consumata nell'arco delle 24 ore. Questo schema triangolare può essere visto come un particolare modello VARMA e possiede una duplice utilità, dal punto di vista interpretativo del fenomeno da una parte, e previsivo dall'altra. Vengono inoltre introdotti nuovi leading indicators legati a fattori meteorologici, con l'intento di migliorare le performance previsive dello stesso. Utilizzando quindi la serie storica dei consumi di energia elettrica italiana, dall'1 Marzo 2010 al 30 Marzo 2012, sono stati stimati i parametri del modello dello schema previsivo proposto e valutati i risultati previsivi per il periodo dall'1 Aprile 2012 al 30 Aprile 2012, confrontandoli con quelli forniti da fonti ufficiali.

Using national FADN database to describe Italian farms and arable fields. A comparison of sustainability level between organic versus conventional regimes.

The study defines a new farm classification and identifies the arable land management. These aspects and several indicators are taken into account to estimate the sustainability level of farms, for organic and conventional regimes. The data source is Italian Farm Account Data Network (RICA) for years 2007-2011, which samples structural and economical information. An environmental data has been added to the previous one to better describe the farm context. The new farm classification describes holding by general informations and farm structure. The general information are: adopted regime and farm location in terms of administrative region, slope and phyto-climatic zone. The farm structures describe the presence of main productive processes and land covers, which are recorded by FADN database. The farms, grouped by homogeneous farm structure or farm typology, are evaluated in terms of sustainability. The farm model MAD has been used to estimate a list of indicators. They describe especially environmental and economical areas of sustainability. Finally arable lands are taken into account to identify arable land managements and crop rotations. Each arable land has been classified by crop pattern. Then crop rotation management has been analysed by spatial and temporal approaches. The analysis reports a high variability inside regimes. The farm structure influences indicators level more than regimes, and it is not always possible to compare the two regimes. However some differences between organic and conventional agriculture have been found. Organic farm structures report different frequency and geographical location than conventional ones. Also different connections among arable lands and farm structures have been identified.

Judges and Mass Litigation - a (Behavioural) Law and Economics Perspective

Judicial duties have for decades extended far beyond the scope of traditional adjudication, judges being progressively called upon to occupy the role of social engineers. Meanwhile, contexts in which judges evolve have transformed: mass damage nowadays tends to multiply and create new challenges not only for legal actors, but also for society at large. In spring 2011, the replies received by the European Commission to its public consultation on collective redress indicated European stakeholders’ strong interest in seeing judiciaries play prominent and leading roles in the supervision and monitoring of procedures which enable groups of claimants to seek together compensation for damage caused by mass events. Judges are thus expected to be neutral and robust agents while assuming heavy responsibilities under a considerable burden. Insights from social sciences however invite us to revisit policymakers expectations and may shed new light on current debates about mass litigation.

Structural and kinetic characterization of DNA polymerases I and III from Escherichia coli

DNA elongation is performed by Pol III α subunit in E. coli, stimulated by the association with ε and θ subunits. These three subunits define the DNA Pol III catalytic core. There is controversy about the DNA Pol III assembly for the simultaneous control of lagging and leading strands replication, since some Authors propose a dimeric model with two cores, whereas others have assembled in vitro a trimeric DNA Pol III with a third catalytic core, which increases the efficiency of DNA replication. Moreover, the function of the PHP domain, located at the N-terminus of α subunit, is still unknown. Previous studies hypothesized a possible pyrophosphatase activity, not confirmed yet. The present Thesis highlights by the first time the production in vivo of a trimeric E. coli DNA Pol III by co-expressing α, τ, ε and θ subunits. This trimeric complex has been enzymatically characterized and a molecular model has been proposed, with 2 α subunits sustaining the lagging-strand replication whereas the third core replicates the leading strand. In addition, the pyrophosphatase activity of the PHP domain has been confirmed. This activity involves, at least, the H12 and the D19 residues, whereas the D201 regulates phosphate release. On the other hand, an artificial polymerase (HoLaMa), designed by deleting the exonuclease domain of Klenow Fragment, has been expressed, purified and characterized for a better understanding of bacterial polymerases mechanism. The absence of exonuclease domain impaired enzyme processivity, since this domain is involved in DNA binding. Finally, Klenow enzyme, HoLaMa, α subunit and DNA Pol III αεθ have been characterized at the single-molecule level by FRET analysis, combining ALEX and TIRF microscopy. Fluorescently-labeled DNA molecules were immobilized, and changes in FRET efficiency enabled us to study polymerase binding and DNA polymerization.

Water, sediment and soil physicochemical interactions in freshwater, brackish and saline systems

The physicochemical interactions between water, sediment and soil deeply influence the formation and development of the ecosystem. In this research, different freshwater, brackish and saline subaqueous environments of Northern Italy were chosen as study area to investigate the physicochemical processes which occur at the interface between water and sediments, as well as the effects of soil submergence on ecosystem development. In the freshwater system of the Reno river basin, the main purpose was to define the heavy metals hazard in water and sediments of natural and artificial water courses. Heavy metals partitioning and speciation allowed to assess the environmental risk linked to the critical action of dredging canal sediments, for the maintenance of the hydraulic safety of plain lands. In addition, some bioremediation techniques were experimented for protecting sediments from heavy metals contamination, and for giving an answer to the problem of sediments management. In the brackish system of S. Vitale park, the development of hydromorphic and subaqueous soils was investigated. The study of soil profiles highlighted the presence of a soil continuum among pedons subjected to different saturation degrees. This investigation allowed to the identification of both morphological and physicochemical indicators, which characterize the formation of subaqueous soils and describe the soil hydromorphism in transitional soil systems. In the saline system of Grado lagoon, an ecosystem approach was used to define the role of water oscillation in soil characterization and plants colonization. This study highlighted the close relationship and the mutual influence of soil submergence and aeration, tide oscillation and vegetation cover, on the soil development. In view of climate change, this study contribute to understand and suppose how soil and landscape could evolve. However, a complete evaluation of hydromorphic soil functionality will be achieved only involving physiological and biochemical expertise in these kind of studies.

Immunoconiugati contenenti tossine vegetali o siRNA per la deplezione selettiva di cellule leucemiche. Preparazione, citotossicità e studi di mutagenesi sito-specifica.

CD33 is a myeloid cell surface marker absent on normal hematopoietic stem cells and normal tissues but present on leukemic blasts in 90% of adult and paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) cases. By virtue of its expression pattern and its ability to be rapidly internalized after antibody binding, CD33 has become an attractive target for new immunotherapeutic approaches to treat AML. In this study two immunoconjugates were constructed to contain a humanised single-chain fragment variable antibody (scFv) against CD33 in order to create new antibody-derived therapeutics for AML. The first immunoconjugate was developed to provide targeted delivery of siRNAs as death effectors into leukemic cells. To this purpose, a CD33-specific scFv, modified to include a Cys residue at its C-terminal end (scFvCD33-Cys), was coupled through a disulphide bridge to a nona-d-arginine (9R) peptide carrying a free Cys to the N-terminal. The scFvCD33-9R was able to completely bind siRNAs at a protein to nucleic acid ratio of about 10:1, as confirmed by electrophoretic gel mobility-shift assay. The conjugate was unable to efficiently transduce cytotoxic siRNA (siTox) into the human myeloid cell line U937. We observed slight reductions in cell viability, with a reduction of 25% in comparison to the control group only at high concentration of siTox (300 nM). The second immunoconjugate was constructed by coupling the scFvCD33-Cys to the type 1 ribosome inactivating protein Dianthin 30 (DIA30) through a chemical linking The resulting immunotoxin scFvCD33-DIA30 caused the rapid arrest of protein synthesis, inducing apoptosis and leading ultimately to cell death. In vitro dose-dependent cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that scFvCD33-DIA30 was specifically toxic to CD33-positive cell U937. The concentration needed to reach 50 % of maximum killing efficiency (EC50) was approximately 0.3 nM. The pronounced antigen-restricted cytotoxicity of this novel agent makes it a candidate for further evaluation of its therapeutic potential.

Sviluppo e validazione di indicatori di qualità dell’assistenza nell’ambito della salute mentale in Emilia-Romagna

In Italia, il processo di de-istituzionalizzazione e di implementazione di modelli di assistenza per la salute mentale sono caratterizzati da carenza di valutazione. In particolare, non sono state intraprese iniziative per monitorare le attività relative all’assistenza dei pazienti con disturbi psichiatrici. Pertanto, l’obiettivo della tesi è effettuare una valutazione comparativa dei percorsi di cura nell’ambito della salute mentale nei Dipartimenti di Salute Mentale e Dipendenze Patologiche della regione Emilia-Romagna utilizzando indicatori ottenuti dai flussi amministrativi correnti.. I dati necessari alla costruzione degli indicatori sono stati ottenuti attraverso un data linkage dei flussi amministrativi correnti regionali delle schede di dimissione ospedaliera, delle attività territoriali dei Centri di Salute Mentale e delle prescrizioni farmaceutiche, con riferimento all’anno 2010. Gli indicatori sono stati predisposti per tutti i pazienti con diagnosi principale psichiatrica e poi suddivisi per categoria diagnostica in base al ICD9-CM. . Il set di indicatori esaminato comprende i tassi di prevalenza trattata e di incidenza dei disturbi mentali, i tassi di ospedalizzazione, la ri-ospedalizzazione a 7 e 30 giorni dalla dimissione dai reparti psichiatrici, la continuità assistenziale ospedale-territorio, l’adesione ai trattamenti ed il consumo e appropriatezza prescrittiva di farmaci. Sono state rilevate alcune problematiche nella ricostruzione della continuità assistenziale ospedale-territorio ed alcuni limiti degli indicatori relativi alle prescrizioni dei farmaci. Il calcolo degli indicatori basato sui flussi amministrativi correnti si presenta fattibile, pur con i limiti legati alla qualità, completezza ed accuratezza dei dati presenti. L’implementazione di questi indicatori su larga scala (regionale e nazionale) e su base regolare può essere una opportunità per impostare un sistema di sorveglianza, monitoraggio e valutazione dell’assistenza psichiatrica nei DSM.

La valutazione della ricerca scientifica: Uno studio empirico nelle Scienze umane

Nel corso degli ultimi anni si è assistito ad un ampio dibattito sull’uso della valutazione della ricerca nelle università e nelle strutture di ricerca. Nell’ambito di tale dibattito, nella presente tesi, vengono analizzate le più importanti metodologie per la valutazione della ricerca presenti a livello internazionale, i principali strumenti qualitativi di valutazione della ricerca (in particolare la peer review), gli strumenti quantitativi, quali la bibliometria, e le caratteristiche dei più importanti archivi bibliografici citazionali (es. Scopus, Web of Science), approfondendo i principali indicatori citazionali utilizzati nelle scienze umane e sociali (es. Indice H). Inoltre la tesi affronta il tema dell’impatto socio-economico della ricerca e le principali criticità di questo innovativo strumento, attraverso uno studio di caso realizzato nel Regno Unito. Una successiva analisi empirica riguarda le principali liste di riviste realizzate a livello internazionale e nazionale, nel settore scientifico di Storia e Filosofia della scienza. I risultati degli studi mostrano che le liste internazionali di riviste possono rappresentare, un punto di partenza a cui devono necessariamente essere affiancati altri strumenti di valutazione (peer review, analisi citazionali, etc); mentre le liste nazionali rischiano, invece, di essere uno strumento poco utile ed in alcuni casi inadeguato al fine di una corretta valutazione della ricerca, a causa della scarsa internazionalizzazione dei repertori e dei giudizi generalmente troppo elevati attribuiti alle riviste. Un ulteriore risultato raggiunto nella presente tesi riguarda la valutazione della ricerca nelle diverse discipline scientifiche: nelle Scienze umane e sociali risulta esserci uno scarso grado di presenza di pubblicazioni scientifiche nei principali archivi bibliografici e citazionali internazionali. Questa situazione limita fortemente l’attendibilità delle analisi statistiche basate su indici e indicatori quantitativi, per valutare la produttività scientifica di un ricercatore, oppure di una istituzione di ricerca.

Dal Bes ad Urbes: I piani di performance e di trasparenza nelle citta'

Obiettivo del lavoro è quello di legare tra di loro due aspetti che storicamente sono sempre stati scollegati. Il primo è il lungo dibattito sul tema “oltre il PIL”, che prosegue ininterrottamente da circa mezzo secolo. Il secondo riguarda l’utilizzo dei sistemi di misurazione e valutazione della performance nel settore pubblico italiano. Si illustra l’evoluzione del dibattito sul PIL facendo un excursus storico del pensiero critico che si è sviluppato nel corso di circa cinquanta anni analizzando le ragioni assunte dagli studiosi per confutare l’utilizzo del PIL quale misura universale del benessere. Cogliendo questa suggestione l’Istat, in collaborazione con il CNEL, ha avviato un progetto per individuare nuovi indicatori da affiancare al PIL, in grado di misurare il livello non solo della crescita economica, ma anche del benessere sociale e sostenibile, con l’analisi degli indicatori riferiti a 12 domini di benessere individuati. Al progetto Istat-CNEL si è affiancato il progetto UrBES, promosso dall’Istat e dal Coordinamento dei sindaci metropolitani dell’ANCI, che hanno costituito una rete di città metropolitane per sperimentare la misurazione e il confronto sulla base di indicatori di benessere urbano equo e sostenibile, facendo proprio un progetto del Comune di Bologna e di Laboratorio Urbano (Centro di documentazione, ricerca e proposta sulle città), che ha sottoposto a differenti target un questionario on line, i cui risultati, con riferimento alle risposte fornite alle domande aperte, sono stati elaborati attraverso l’utilizzo di Taltac, un software per l’analisi dei testi, al fine di individuare i “profili” dei rispondenti, associando i risultati dell’elaborazione alle variabili strutturali del questionario. Nell’ultima parte i servizi e progetti erogati dal comune di Bologna sono stati associati alle dimensioni UrBES, per valutare l’impatto delle politiche pubbliche sulla qualità della vita e sul benessere dei cittadini, indicando le criticità legate alla mancanza di dati adeguati.