•A concept of a novel solar façade system for building energy retrofit is proposed.•A UST collector as component of a façade system by merging different technologies.•Selection of buildings suitable ...for the solar façade system.•Investigation of thermal behaviour of thermal active elements integrated in façade.•Investigation of energy potentiality of a combisystem through dynamic simulation.
In the perspective of the Net Zero Energy Buildings as specified in the EPBD 2010/31/EU, we propose the concept and design of a modular unglazed solar thermal (UST) façade component for facilitating the installation of active solar façades. The renovation of existing buildings offers an opportunity to improve the energy efficiency when using such a system and a novel design methodology tackled via a parametric approach is here proposed. We analysed a variety of building typologies as potential application targets of the UST collector, properly sizing the collector field for each typology to match the heat loads profile. We investigated the thermal behaviour of the novel thermal façade component and the energy potentiality in covering the heat demand using the TRNSYS software’s model of the UST collector field as a part of a combisystem. We concluded with the definition of rules of thumb for early design stage. The work here presented demonstrates that the low-cost, the versatile modularity and the easy installation make this active solar façade an innovative and promising technology for the building stock transformation, despite of the low quality of the produced energy due to the low outcome temperature of the unglazed collector.
Phytoplasmas associated with Flavescence dorée (FDp) grapevine disease are quarantine pathogens controlled through mandatory measures including the prompt eradication and destruction of diseased ...plants, and the insecticide treatments against the insect vector, the ampelophagous leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus. In the present study, a multidisciplinary approach has been applied to investigate the FDp ecological cycle in a test vineyard agro‐ecosystem in Canton Ticino, south Switzerland. Despite the scarce population density of S. titanus, a regular trend of new infections (3.4% of the total vines) through the years was observed. The leafhopper Orientus ishidae was found as the most abundant among the captured insect species known as phytoplasma vectors (245 out of 315 specimens). The population of O. ishidae was evidenced prevalently (167 specimens) in the south‐western side of the vineyard and within the neighbouring forest constituted mainly by hazel (Corylus avellana) and willow (Salix spp.). These plant species were found infected by FDp related strains (30% of analysed trees) for the first time in this study. Interestingly, O. ishidae was found to harbour FDp related strains in high percentage (26% of the analysed pools). In addition, 16SrV phytoplasma group was detected for the first time in the insect Hyalesthes obsoletus and a FDp related strain in Thamnotettix dilutior, present in low populations within the test vineyard. Molecular characterisation and phylogenetic analyses of methionine aminopeptidase (map) gene sequences of FDp and related strains, here identified, revealed the great prevalence of the map‐type FD2 in grapevines (97%) and in O. ishidae pools (72%). Such a map‐type was found also in hazel and in T. dilutior, but not in S. titanus. Moreover, map‐types FD1 and FD3 were identified for the first time in Switzerland in several host plants and phytoplasma vectors, including grapevine (FD1), S. titanus (FD1) and O. ishidae (FD1 and FD3). Based on the data obtained in this study, it is reasonable to hypothesise that the ecological cycle of FDp could be related not exclusively to the grapevine‐specific feeding diet of S. titanus, but it could include other insect vector(s) and/or plant host(s). Further studies will be needed to prove the role of O. ishidae as vector able to transmit FDp from wild plants (e.g. hazel) to grapevine.
Summary
Streptococcosis caused by Lactococcus garvieae is currently the bacterial disease causing the highest mortality in Italian rainbow trout farming. Since 1991, when it first appeared, the ...disease continued to spread, mainly in the northern regions. In the worst cases, mortality reached nearly 50%; the outbreaks occur during the summer, when the water temperatures are higher than 15°C. Chances to effectively control the disease are very limited because of the lack of useful and legally approved drugs. Fish suffering the disease are usually close to market size and farmers are unable to treat the disease unless they risk considerably delaying marketing in order to comply with withdrawal periods. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to develop vaccination programmes. In the present study, two normally reared groups of rainbow trout were vaccinated by intraperitoneal injection with a formalin‐killed vaccine. The first trial was conducted between May and October with fish weighing at mean 1.360 kg. The mortality in the vaccinated group was reduced to 16.7% compared with 40.4% in the control group. Moreover, the unvaccinated group had to be treated five times with antibiotics. The second trial was carried out between April and September with fish weighing on average 6.370 kg. A certain degree of resistance against the disease was noticed in the vaccinated group (mortality 18.6%).
Summary
During in vitro cultivation of bacteria, the pathogenetic factors may change in amount and quality. Knowledge of this variability is important in vaccine production. The pathogenic ...variability of Pasteurella piscicida broth culture (BC), extracellular products (ECPs) and whole cells (WC) was investigated in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) 2–3 g wet weight, inoculated intra‐peritoneally. Ten Pasteurella piscicida field strains isolated from fish affected by different outbreaks which occurred in Italian fish farms were used. When BC and ECPs were intraperitoneally injected, no variability in virulence was observed between strains of different geographical origin and no attenuation was registered between strains of different in vitro passages. The electrophoretic (SDS‐PAGE) analysis of ECP showed evidence of only quantitative differences inside the panel of strains and between the same strain collected at different in vitro cultivation times. ECPs produced from a BC incubated for 18–60 h were highly toxic. This ability was heat labile and not active when ECPs were administered by immersion. No toxic capacity was observed with WC where infection was greater with a 18–60 h incubation broth culture. Results seems to indicate that the toxic activity of Pasteurella piscicida is mostly due to ECP and not bounded to the cell.
Brownfield sites are the objects of wide debates, from a political and an academic point of view, at a local as well as at international scale, about the opportunity of the regeneration of these ...pieces of land to improve urban sustainability. Brownfield development, nevertheless, may often achieve this goal with relatively modest expenses: they are, in fact, more easily transformed and the creation of high quality, spatially integrated, well-connected, mixed-use (for pedestrians, cyclists and cars) high value environments is possible at a low global cost. In this paper a case study, "La Goccia di Bovisa", is presented. This urban wide area, located in Milano, accounts for about 85 hectares, and it has been recently included in the list of the most important Italian National Interest Sites (NISs). The study focuses on the comparison of different construction systems for the construction of a modular residential building located in the area. The aim was to define which is able to meet the best performance in terms of carbon emissions and energy consumption in a life cycle perspective. For each option, four different energy targets were evaluated and for each of those the total amount of primary energy (PE) and carbon emission calculated.
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