Green roofs represent a growing technology that is spreading increasingly and rapidly throughout the building sector. The latest national and international regulations are promoting their application ...for refurbishments and new buildings to increase the energy efficiency of the building stock. In recent years, vegetative coverings have been studied to demonstrate their multiple benefits, such as the reduction of the urban heat island phenomenon and the increase in the albedo of cities. On the contrary, this study aims to verify the actual benefit of applying a green roof on a sloped cover compared with installing a highly insulated tiled roof. The EnergyPlus tool has been used to perform dynamic analyses, which has allowed to understand the behavior of two different stratigraphies in accordance with weather conditions, rain, and irrigation profiles. Results have shown that the installation of a green roof cannot always be considered the best solution for reducing building energy consumption, especially if compared with a classic highly insulated clay tile roof. In terms of summer air conditioning, the maximum saving is 0.72 kWh/m2. The presence of water in the soil has also been proven a crucial factor.
In the cultivation of extensive green roofs (EGRs), substrate composition is a key aspect together with the evaluation of suitable recycled materials. Recycling materials as amendments can improve ...the establishment of a self-sustainable EGR, thus providing ecosystem services and benefits from a circular economy and climate change perspective. This study investigates the effects of compost and paper sludge on water retention, substrate temperature attenuation and plant diversity in an EGR experiment. The substrates were composed of tephra (V), compost (C) and paper sludge (P) as follows: VC, as control, VPC and VP. Herbaceous species with different ecological functionality (succulents, annuals, perennials, legumes, geophytes) were sown and/or transplanted with no cultivation inputs. Plant community composition -abundance- and diversity-richness-, substrate water retention and temperature were analyzed. The VPC and VC had the same average substrate temperature, with values lower than VP. The water retention capacity was higher in VC, thanks to the presence of compost. The substrate with paper sludge (VPC and VP) showed the highest species diversity. The VPC substrate was the best compromise for EGR temperature mitigation and plant diversity improvement. Plant functional types in EGRs can be increased, and thus the biodiversity, by modulating the quality and percentage of amendments. The substrate composition can also affect water retention and substrate temperature. In addition, the use of recycling paper sludge in growing media is a winning strategy to reduce waste.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked neuromuscular childhood disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. A lack of dystrophin in DMD leads to inflammatory ...response, autophagic dysregulation, and oxidative stress in skeletal muscle fibers that play a key role in the progression of the pathology. β-glucans can modulate immune function by modifying the phagocytic activity of immunocompetent cells, notably macrophages. Mitochondrial function is also involved in an important mechanism of the innate and adaptive immune responses, owing to high need for energy of immune cells. In the present study, the effects of 1,3-1,6 β-glucans on five-day-old non-dystrophic and dystrophic (sapje) zebrafish larvae were investigated. The effects of the sonication of β-glucans and the dechorionation of embryos were also evaluated. The results showed that the incidence of dystrophic phenotypes was reduced when dystrophic embryos were exposed to 2 and 4 mg L−1 of 1,3-1,6 β-glucans. Moreover, when the dystrophic larvae underwent 8 mg L−1 treatment, an improvement of the locomotor performances and mitochondrial respiration were observed. In conclusion, the observed results demonstrated that 1,3-1,6 β-glucans improve locomotor performances and mitochondrial function in dystrophic zebrafish. Therefore, for ameliorating their life quality, 1,3-1,6 β-glucans look like a promising diet supplement for DMD patients, even though further investigations are required.
While the production of fish from aquaculture has grown steadily over the years worldwide, some environmental concerns have emerged. In this study, the environmental impacts and main hotspots of a ...typical Italian sea bass and sea bream offshore farm were analysed. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied with a “cradle to farm gate” perspective and 1 ton of fish at harvest size as the functional unit. The results confirm that feed is the main hotspot and contributes across impact categories always at least 60%, with the exception of marine eutrophication driven instead by nutrient emissions. In some impact categories, infrastructure and farm operations also have a relevant impact (about 30%). The impacts of this case study are slightly lower than those found in the literature, and this is mainly due to prior attention of the company to feed formulation. An alternative scenario was also explored, by reducing the amount of uningested feed, showing a reduction in the Global Warming Potential by 6% and in marine eutrophication by up to 10%. The application and evaluation of new technologies (e.g., automated feed dispenser, use of alternative cage materials) could be explored in future research.
•Environmental analysis of an offshore fish farm in Italy.•Mass balance for the estimation of waste by fish metabolism.•Feed is a driver of results in all impact categories, except marine eutrophication.•Sea bream has a lower impact than sea bass thanks to better growing performances.•Sensitivity analysis on uningested feed.
Different pathotypes of Escherichia coli can cause severe diseases in animals and humans. Wildlife may contribute to the circulation of pathogenic pathotypes, including enteropathogenic E. coli ...(EPEC), Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). This study analyzed 109 DNA samples previously extracted from fecal specimens collected from red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) to detect E. coli virulence genes eaeA, hlyA, stx1, and stx2, that characterize the EPEC, STEC, and EHEC strains. Thirty-one (28.4%) samples were positive for at least one investigated virulence gene: eaeA gene was detected in 21 (19.2%) samples, hlyA in 10 (9.1%), stx1 in 6 (5.5%), and stx2 in 4 (3.6%). Nine DNA samples resulted positive for two or three virulence genes: five (4.6%) samples were positive for eaeA and hlyA genes, two (1.8%) for eaeA and stx1, one (0.9%) for hlyA and stx1, one (0.9%) for eaeA, hlyA and stx2. Red foxes seem to be involved in the epidemiology of these infections and their role could be relevant because they may be source of pathogenic E. coli for other wild animals, as well as domestic animals and humans.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The Western Honeybee is a key pollinator for natural as well as agricultural ecosystems. In the last decade massive honeybee colony losses have been observed worldwide, the result of a complex ...syndrome triggered by multiple stress factors, with the RNA virus Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and the mite Varroa destructor playing crucial roles. The mite supports replication of DWV to high titers, which exert an immunosuppressive action and correlate with the onset of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 1,3-1,6 β-glucan, a natural innate immune system modulator, on honeybee response to low-titer natural and high-titer experimental DWV infection. As the effects exerted by ß-glucans can be remarkably different, depending on the target organism and the dose administered, two parallel experiments were performed, where 1,3-1,6 ß-glucan at a concentration of 0.5% and 2% respectively, was added to the diet of three cohorts of newly emerged honeybees, which were sampled from a Varroa-free apiary and harboured a low endogenous DWV viral titer. Each cohort was subjected to one of the following experimental treatments: no injection, injection of a high-copy number DWV suspension into the haemocel (experimental DWV infection) or injection of PBS into the haemocoel (physical injury). Control bees fed a ß-glucan-free diet were subjected to the same treatments. Viral load, survival rate, haemocyte populations and phenoloxidase activity of each experimental group were measured and compared. The results indicated that oral administration of 0.5% ß-glucan to naturally infected honeybees was associated with a significantly decrease of the number of infected bees and viral load they carried, and with a significant increase of the survival rate, suggesting that this natural immune modulator molecule might contribute to increase honeybee resistance to viral infection.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The European Construction Sector Observatory outlined that green building envelopes as green roofs and walls contribute to the reduction of energy demand and CO2 emissions due to the air conditioning ...in summer periods, and the mitigation of heat islands in urban areas. For this reason, the understanding about the contribution of urban greening infrastructures on buildings to sustainable energy use for air conditioning is urgent. This paper focuses on the analysis of a vertical surface provided with a Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planch., a winter deciduous species, as green cover of a building, assessing the reduction of the solar radiation energy absorbed by the façade and, consequently, the heat flux (HF) transmitted into the internal ambient. This research shows that, in July, surface temperatures (STs) on the vegetated façade were up to 13 °C lower than on the unvegetated (bare) façade. Under the climate and environmental conditions of the green wall located at ENEA Casaccia Research Center, a saving of 2.22 and 1.94 kWhe/m2, respectively in 2019 and 2020, for the summer cooling electricity load, was achieved. These energy reductions also allowed the saving of 985 and 862 g CO2/m2 emissions, respectively, in 2019 and 2020. Ultimately, a green factor named Kv* was also elaborated to evaluate the influence of vegetation on the STs as well as on HFs transmitted into the indoor ambient and adapted to the case of a detached vertical green cover. Measurements of Kv* factor lasting three years showed the suitability of this index for defining the shading capacity of the vegetation on the building façade surfaces, which can be used to predict thermal gains and effects in a building endowed of a vertical green system.
Fertilizers stand at the base of current agricultural practices, providing the nutrient sustainment required for growing plants. Most fertilizers are synthetic chemicals, whose exploitation at very ...high levels poses a risk to cultivated land and the whole environment. They have several drawbacks including soil degradation, water pollution, and human food safety. Currently, the urgent need to counterbalance these negative environmental impacts has opened the way for the use of natural and renewable products that may help to restore soil structure, microorganism communities, nutrient elements, and, in some cases, to positively enhance carbon soil sequestration. Here, we endeavor to reinforce the vision that effective strategies designed to mitigate negative anthropic and climate change impacts should combine, in appropriate proportions, solutions addressed to a lower and less energy intensive production of chemicals and to a more inclusive exploitation of renewable natural products as biological soil amendments. After drawing an overview of the agricultural energy demand and consumption of fertilizers in Europe in the last few years (with a particular focus on Italy), this narrative review will deal with the current and prospective use of compost, biochar, and neem cake, which are suitable natural products with well-known potential and still-to-be-discovered features, to benefit sustainable agriculture and be adopted as circular economic solutions.
For improving aquafeed sustainability, insect meal is currently considered the most promising alternative to fishmeal. However, in this regard, more data are still necessary to avoid possible ...negative impacts on fish growth performance, metabolism, and welfare. The present study investigated the effects of increasing the inclusion of Hermetia illucens meal (0%, 17%, 33% and 50% of the feed, equating to 0%, 34%, 66% and 100% fishmeal replacement) on fish mortality, growth performance, intestine morphology, and gene expression of intestinal carriers. The results showed no adverse effects on fish mortality, feed intake and body weight and a positive effect on feed conversion ratio. Body weight gain was higher when 17% and 50% of Black soldier fly meals’ feed included (34% and 100% fishmeal replacement, respectively). Gut morphology was not affected by the dietary treatments except for the area of PAS-positive goblet cells that was higher in the treatment fed 33% of insect meal. The mRNA expression of intestinal epithelium functionality-specific marker genes, such as slc15a1 (alias pept1, alias slc15a1b), gata4 and nfkb1b, confirmed that the insect meal-based diets might replace fishmeal-based diets without negative effects. Overall, the results of the present study suggest that using Hermetia illucens larvae meal as a replacement for fishmeal in aquafeeds might help to enhance sustainability while assuring favorable fish growth performance and gut health.
Fishmeal (FM) is still the most important protein source in aquafeeds. However, due to the reduction of wild fish stocks used for FM production, its manufacturing it is now unsustainable. Insect meal ...represents a valid alternative to FM, due to the low carbon footprint of its production and its high nutritional value. The aim of this study was to investigate the potentials of replacing FM with black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) meal (HIM) in aquafeeds, using zebrafish as the animal model. Four diets were formulated with increasing HIM/FM replacement rate (the control diet contained 20% FM). Mortality rates, growth performances, and feed consumptions were measured, and fish intestine samples were collected for histological and enzymatic analysis. After 49 days, all groups almost tripled their initial body weight (cumulative body weight gain ranged between 143.9 and 155.2 mg), and no statistically significant differences among treatments were observed in relation to growth performances and histological traits. Contrarily, trypsin, alkaline phosphatases, and alpha amylase–glucoamylase activities were significantly reduced when the FM replacement rate was increased. In conclusion, HIM may represent an alternative to FM, since no adverse effects were observed when it was included up to 20% in the zebrafish diet, even when replacing 100% of the FM.
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