Soil water availability in rainfed cultivation affects more than cultivar some nutraceutical components and the sensory profile of virgin olive oil

This research considered the varieties 'Frantoio' and 'Moraiolo' growing in rainfed olive trees (Olea europaea) and took place in Tuscany, central Italy. Soil moisture was monitored during the very meteorologically contrasting years 2002 and 2003 in two nearby olive groves. The plots had the same morphological and climatic conditions, but different soil types. Monocultivar oil samples were analyzed to determine fatty acids, minor polar compounds, and tocopherols content and were submitted to organoleptic analysis by a panel of trained tasters. The results highlighted that soil water regimen affects some nutraceutical components and the sensory evaluation of olive oil. Cultivar also affected yield components, polyphenols, and tocopherols content, but less than soil water availability. The plants on the soil inducing a relatively more intense and longer water deficit during summer (a Skeleti Calcaric Regosol) had an early ripening and gave the best results in terms of phenolic compounds and, consequently, antioxidant properties of the olive oil. The sensorial properties of the oil obtained from both cultivars on the Regosol were superior in both years of the trial.     

Inappropriate feeding practice favors the transmission of Trichinella papuae from wild pigs to saltwater crocodiles in Papua New Guinea

The recent discovery of Trichinella zimbabwensis in farmed crocodiles (Crocodilus niloticus) of Zimbabwe and its ability to infect mammals, and the development of both T. zimbabwensis and Trichinella papuae in experimentally infected reptiles led to an investigation of Trichinella infection in saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) and in wild pigs (Sus scrofa) of Papua New Guinea, to see if T. papuae also, is present in both cold- and warm-blooded animals. Of 222 crocodiles examined, 47 animals (21.2%), all from Kikori, Gulf Province, were positive for non-encapsulated larvae in the muscles. The greatest number of larvae was found usually in the biceps, with an average of 7 larvae/g. One isolate from a crocodile infected successfully both laboratory rats and mice. Of 81 wild pigs examined, 9 from Bensbach river area (Western Province) and 1 from Kikori area (Gulf Province) were positive for non-encapsulated larvae in the muscles. Trichinella larvae from both saltwater crocodiles and wild pigs have been identified by multiplex-PCR analysis as T. papuae. The sequence analysis of the region within the large subunit ribosomal DNA, known as the expansion segment V, has shown the presence of a molecular marker distinguishing T. papuae isolates of Bensbach river area from those of Kikori area. This marker could be useful to trace back the geographical origin of the infected animal. The epidemiological investigation carried out in the Kikori area has shown that local people catch young crocodiles in the wild and keep them in holding pens for several months, before sending them to the crocodile farm in Lae (Morobe Province). They feed the crocodiles primarily with wild pig meat bought at the local market and also with fish. These results stress the importance of using artificial digestion for routinely screening of swine and crocodiles, and of adopting measures for preventing the spread of infection, such as the proper disposal of carcasses and the adequate freezing of meat.     

Genetic analysis of Trichinella populations by 'cold' single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis

A non-isotopic single-strand conformation polymorphism ('cold' SSCP) technique has been assessed for the analysis of sequence variability in the expansion segment 5 (ES5) of domain IV and the D3 domain of nuclear ribosomal DNA within and/or among isolates and individual muscle (first-stage) larvae representing all currently recognized species/genotypes of Trichinella. Data are consistent with the ability of cold SSCP to identify intra-specific as well as inter-specific variability among Trichinella genotypes. The cold SSCP approach should be applicable to a range of other genetic markers for comparative studies of Trichinella populations globally.     

Multifaceted Approach for Characterization of Solid Residues from Sludge Incineration

The Italian Water Research Institute (IRSA) carried out sludge incineration tests on a demonstrative plant equipped with a circulating fluidized bed furnace. Aim of this paper is to present the potential applicability of non-conventional techniques for solid residues characterization. Results of five tests performed under different operating conditions are discussed. Incineration solid residues were sampled from the cyclone, downstream the furnace (cyclone ash, CA), and from the bag filter (filter ash, FA). Different techniques were used by the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department of the Roma TRE University, which cooperated with IRSA in the research project, to characterize incineration products and to correlate with process parameters. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) technique was used to estimate the amount of sand, lost from the furnace, in CA and FA samples. Particle size distribution was measured using Low Angle Laser Light Scattering (LALLS). Scanning Electron Microscopy associated with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) was used to correlate size and shape of individual particles with chemical composition.This multifaceted approach to characterize incineration residues appears promising, providing additional and complementary information to the traditional chemical characterization.     

A flexible unmanned aerial vehicle for precision agriculture

An unmanned aerial vehicle (??VIPtero??) was assembled and tested with the aim of developing a flexible and powerful tool for site-specific vineyard management. The system comprised a six-rotor aerial platform capable of flying autonomously to a predetermined point in space, and of a pitch and roll compensated multi-spectral camera for vegetation canopy reflectance recording. Before the flight campaign, the camera accuracy was evaluated against high resolution ground-based measurements, made with a field spectrometer. Then, ??VIPtero?? performed the flight in an experimental vineyard in Central Italy, acquiring 63 multi-spectral images during 10?min of flight completed almost autonomously. Images were analysed and classified vigour maps were produced based on normalized difference vegetation index. The resulting vigour maps showed clearly crop heterogeneity conditions, in good agreement with ground-based observations. The system provided very promising results that encourage its development as a tool for precision agriculture application in small crops.     

Evaluation of ELISA and Western Blot Analysis using three antigens to detect anti-Trichinella IgG in horses

We assessed a serological method for detecting Trichinella infection in horses, specifically, an ELISA using three antigens to detect anti-Trichinella IgG (i.e. a synthetic tyvelose glycan-BSA (stg-BSA) antigen, an excretory/secretory (ES) antigen, and a crude worm extract (CWE) antigen). Serum samples were collected from 2502 horses (433 live horses from Romania and 2069 horses slaughtered in Italy and originating from Italy, Poland, Romania, and Serbia). Serum samples were also taken from horses experimentally infected with different doses of T. spiralis and T. murrelli larvae, as controls. The cut-off value of ELISA was determined on serum samples from 330 horses from Trichinella-free regions of Italy, which were also examined by artificial digestion of preferential-muscle samples. In the experimentally infected horses, the stg-BSA and ES antigens were less sensitive than the CWE antigen. Trichinella spiralis showed a higher immunogenicity than T. murrelli, and the IgG immunoresponse was dose-dependent. The kinetics of anti-Trichinella IgG were similar among all experimentally infected horses. No circulating antibodies were detected 4-5 months after experimental infection, although these horses still harbored infective larvae. Depending on the antigen used, for 4-7 of the 330 horses from Trichinella-free areas, the optical density (OD) of the serum sample was higher than the cut-off value, yet these samples were negative when subjected to Western Blot. Similar results were obtained for the 1739 horses slaughtered in Italy (originating from Italy, Poland, Romania, and Serbia) and the 433 live Romanian horses. Of the 4 horses with muscle larvae, only one was positive by ELISA and Western Blot. Because the anti-Trichinella IgG remain circulating for only a short period of time, whereas the larvae remain infective for longer periods, serology cannot be used for either diagnosing Trichinella infection in horses or estimating the prevalence of infection. Artificial digestion of at least 5 g of preferential-muscle tissue continues to be the method of choice at the slaughterhouse for preventing equine-borne trichinellosis in humans.     

Pedostratigraphy of Terra Rossa and Quaternary geological evolution of a lacustrine limestone plateau in central Italy

Pedostratigraphic levels (PLs) are typical assemblages of soil‐genetic horizons, formed by materials having the same degree of weathering. The pedostratigraphic approach can be very useful to comprehend the formation of the Quaternary soil cover, the environmental evolution of a territory, and to estimate the age of paleosols. A pedostratigraphic study of a Terra Rossa was carried out to understand the soil–parent material origin and to estimate the time of the beginning of pedogenesis. Besides soil and geomorphological survey, the Terra Rossa was analyzed for Fe forms, geochemistry, clay mineralogy, micromorphology, and with scanning electron microscope. Optical dating was applied to obtain age estimates for the deposition of the parent material of soil formation. The insoluble residue of limestone was obtained and analyzed for geochemistry and clay mineralogy. The bedrock is constituted by Quaternary lacustrine limestone, showing pronounced karst landforms. The soil profile is situated in a little dissolution doline and was divided into three PLs: PL1 (0–110 cm) is constituted by cambic and ochric horizons, formed during Holocene in a mixture of colluvial soil sediments and fresh limestone, with aeolian components; PL2 (110–290 cm) includes two argic horizons, which began to form during Late‐Middle Pleistocene in colluvial soil sediments, with few aeolian additions; PL3 (290–330 cm) is constituted by a red argic horizon, with nitic properties, which developed from the insoluble residue of the limestone. The age of PL3 was calculated through a mass balance and an estimation of the limestone‐dissolution rate during the Quaternary, which led to an approximate age of Middle Pleistocene, between 250 and 500 ky BP. The time of the beginning of pedogenesis on limestone can be used as a reference for the tectonic uplifting of the area and emersion of the plateau.     

Size and dispersion of urticating setae in three species of processionary moths

Larvae of the processionary moths of the Palaearctic region bear urticating setae that are released against vertebrate predators, especially insectivorous birds. A few species are pests of forest and urban trees and, consequently, may threaten human and animal health during outbreaks, causing dermatitis, conjunctivitis and respiratory distress. Although some studies provide detailed information about the setae, particularly those of the pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa, there is little knowledge on the morphological traits of the setae and their release by the larvae. In the present study we identify major traits of the setae of 3 species of processionary moth, T. pityocampa, T. pinivora and T. processionea, which are potentially helpful in the understanding of setae dynamics in the environment: (i) diameter and length of setae and (ii) analysis of dynamical properties of the setae in the airborne state. Setae are highly variable in size, with bimodal distribution in T. pityocampa and T. pinivora; in these 2 species, short and long setae are interspersed within the integument fields where they occur. The difference in the seta size has important consequences in dispersion, as smaller setae can spread 5 times further than their bigger counterparts. This information is relevant for a full understanding of the defensive importance of larval setae against natural enemies of the processionary moths, as well for elucidating the importance of the processionary setae as air pollutants, both close to the infested trees and at longer distances.