Search results for " variability"

Long-term characterization of trihalomethane levels in drinking water

2010

Water chlorination leads to the formation of trihalomethanes (THM). In this case study, the levels of THM during the chlorination process of the drinking water in Valencia (Spain) were determined over a 12-year period. Different control areas and points were strategically sampled and samples were analyzed by gas chromatography. Temporal tendencies, as well as spatial and seasonal variations, were established. The individual distribution of THM was also evaluated. Factors such as distances from chlorination points and inter-month seasonal distribution, including ambient temperature effect, were assessed. The range of total THM concentrations measured in the water network goes from 4 to 184 µ…

Experimental approach for testing the uncoupling between cardiovascular variability series

2002

In cardiovascular variability analysis, the significance of the coupling between two series is commonly assessed by defining a zero level on the magnitude-squared coherence (MSC). Although the use of the conventional value of 0.5 does not consider the dependence of MSC estimates on the analysis parameters, a theoretical threshold Tt is available only for the weighted covariance (WC) estimator. In this study, an experimental threshold for zero coherence Te was derived by a statistical test from the sampling distribution of MSC estimated on completely uncoupled time series. MSC was estimated by the WC method (Parzen window, spectral bandwidth B = 0.015, 0.02, 0.025, 0.03 Hz) and by the parame…

Genetic Variability and Antigenic Diversity of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus

1990

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is an acute systemic disease of cloven-hooved animals, including cattle, swine, sheep, and goats. Despite mortality rates being generally below 5%, FMD severely decreases livestock productivity and trade. It is considered the economically most important disease of farm animals. Near two thousand million doses of vaccine are used annually to try to control FMD, which, nevertheless, is enzootic in most South American and African countries, parts of Asia, the Middle East, and the south of Europe. The causative agent, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), is an aphthovirus of the family Picornaviridae, a historically important virus as it was the first recognized vir…

Genetic population structure of Epinephelus marginatus (Pisces, Serranidae) revealed by two molecular markers

2006

In this paper, data are presented regarding the population structure of dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) which was sampled in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean using two different molecular markers, ND2 RFLP and cytochrome b (cyt b) sequence analysis. The main objective of the study is to analyse the genetic variability of E. marginatus in the Mediterranean Sea to define how the biological characteristics of the species, such as the dispersal capability of pelagic larvae and the benthonic-sedentary life style, can affect the genetic population structure or maintaining the gene flow or determining genetic differences. Furthermore, we considered an Atlantic sample to establish th…

Cardiac autonomic function reveals adaptation to military training

2011

Abstract The last 4 weeks of basic military training are very stressful. We tested the hypothesis that changes in cardiac autonomic function during this period are associated with changes in maximal oxygen uptake and/or serum hormonal concentrations in male conscripts (n=22). Cardiac vagal autonomic function was assessed by measuring the high-frequency (0.15–0.4 Hz) spectral power of R–R intervals. Maximal oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O2max) and basal serum testosterone concentration were measured at the beginning and end of the period. Individual changes in vagally mediated high-frequency power (range −15% to +25%) correlated (r=0.73, P=0.001) with changes in [Vdot]O2max (range −9% to +6%) and cha…

Anthocyanin variation in individual 'Shiraz' berries as affected by exposure and position on the rachis

2015

This study was done on 'Shiraz'/Richter 99 grapes with the intention to define the variation of skin anthocyanin content in a single berry. The effects of berry position (on the rachis), berry exposure, berry weight category, part of the skin of a single berry, and their interactions, were analysed. The anthocyanin concentration of externally facing berries decreased and that of the internally facing berries increased from the apical part to the basal part of the bunch. Highest values were recorded in internally facing berries and lowest values in the externally facing (exposed) berries, of the basal rachis area. Anthocyanin values of small berries seemed to decrease from the apical part of…

MANUAL AND MECHANICAL LEAF REMOVAL IN THE BUNCH ZONE (VITIS VINIFERA L. 'NERO D'AVOLA'): EFFECTS ON PLANT PHYSIOLOGY, VEGETATIVE PARAMETERS, YIELD AN…

2013

Mechanical and manual leaf removal of Nero d Avola vines were carried out in a commercial vineyard in Sclafani Bagni area, Sicily (South Italy), in the 2007 growing season. Rows were North East-South West oriented and vines were spur pruned and non-irrigated. The aim was to investigate the effects of two different ways of defoliation on plant physiology, vegetative parameters, yield and grape quality in a warm temperature area. Fruit zone defoliation consisted of mechanical (MLR) and hand leaf removal (HLR), applied either to both sides of the canopy (Northweast and Southeast). These treatments were applied when the berries had reached pea size and compared to a non-defoliated treatment (co…

ULTERIORI APPROFONDIMENTI DEGLI EFFETTI DELLA DIMENSIONE DEGLI ACINI SULLA QUALITA’ DELL’UVA NELLA CV CABERNET SAUVIGNON

2012

In this study we reported the results of a second year of study conducted during 2008 season on irrigated Cabernet Sauvignon\ 1103 P vineyard. We addressed the study of whether differences in berry size (within a population of berries from different bunches) would lead to differences in qualitative parameters and whether flowering process can influence berries variability and qualitative parameters. Berries were classified at pea size into two categories according to their equatorial diameter: ≤ 7 mm as small and ≥ 9 mm as large berries. Development of the two berry categories was evaluated from “pea size” (12th June) to harvest (16th September) in terms of berry mass, equatorial berry diam…

Citrus tristeza virus: ten years of investigation in Sicily

2010

Complete sequence, genotyping and comparative analysis of Pepino mosaic virus discovered isolates from Italy

2011

Pepino mosaic virus (PepMV) causes economic damage to the tomato industry worldwide. In Italy, the virus is endemic in Sicily, an important tomato-production region, and a new outbreak has been recorded in Sardinia after the first PepMV appearance in 2001. Italian PepMV isolates from these two geographically distant regions were molecularly characterized and the complete nucleotide sequence of four isolates was determined by walking primer strategy. The complete nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences were analyzed and compared with published PepMV sequences. Italian isolates belong to the PepMV-Ch2 strain and had 97.2% to 98.5% identity with those of the reference PepMV-Ch2 deposited i…