Rino Gubiani

Foliar deposition and pesticide losses from three air-assisted sprayers in a hedgerow vineyard

Abstract Three commercial air-assisted sprayers were tested in a hedgerow vineyard, at full vegetative development (end of July; leaf area index = 1.94), using a water-soluble food dye as a tracer. The spraying equipment used was (1) a high-volume (1355 l ha−1) axial-fan sprayer; (2) a low-volume (246 1 ha−1) compressed-air sprayer (3) a sprayer fitted with deflectable air outlets, allowing an adjustment of the output angle, relative to the row direction, from 90 ° to 118 °. All application techniques appeared to be capable of delivering more than 64% of the sprayed material onto the leaves and grapes. The high-volume sprayer provided the most uniform distribution over the foliage. The change of the output angle from 90 ° to 118 ° did not significantly affect total leaf deposition, but increased the overall variability of the deposits.

Neck injury patterns resulting from the use of petrol and electric chainsaws in suicides. Report on two cases

Suicides due to neck injuries caused by chainsaws are uncommon events. The cutting elements of petrol and electric chainsaws produce different features in lethal neck injuries. The accurate evaluation of the death scene, of the power and mechanical characteristics of the chainsaw and of wound morphology are all essential in distinguishing a case of suicide.

Air analysis in the assessment of fumonisin contamination risk in maize

BACKGROUND In maize-growing areas where fumonisin contamination is endemic, there is an urgent need for novel methods to assess the quality of grain lots before their delivery to common drying and storage collection centres. Aerobiological samples of fungal spores released during harvest were analysed to establish a relationship between fumonisin contamination and the abundance of pathogen propagules collected in the combine harvester using a cyclone and membrane filters. Filter-captured propagules were analysed by direct plating, immunoenzymatic assay of specific Fusarium extracellular polysaccharides and real time polymerase chain reaction of the extracted DNA using fum1, a gene involved in the biosynthesis of fumonisin, as a target. RESULTS The results showed that time of harvest and environmental conditions strongly influenced the efficiency and performance of the collection system. The data obtained were informative in comparing individual samples collected under similar conditions. The immunoenzymatic assay provided the most reliable data, which improved the ability of a neural network to predict the fumonisin content of lots, when added to agronomic, environmental and phytosanitary data. CONCLUSION This is the first attempt to evaluate the Fusarium propagules dispersed during harvesting as a predictive means to assess maize quality. A method based on cyclone/filter capture and immunological detection has been shown to be feasible and to have the potential for the development of a continuous monitoring system, but the prediction capabilities in the present implementation were limited.

Characterization of Biomass Emissions and Potential Reduction in Small-Scale Pellet Boiler

In recent years it has been proved that residential biomass combustion has a direct influence on ambient air quality, especially in the case of cereals. The aim of this study is the characterization of the emissions in small-scale fixed-bed pellet boiler (heat output of 25 kW) of beech and corn, and of its potential reduction to an addition of calcium dihydroxide. In the biomass combustion test 7 fuel mixtures were investigated with regard to the particulate content (PM10), gaseous emissions and combustion chamber deposit.

Medicolegal Investigations Into Deaths Due to Crush Asphyxia After Tractor Side Rollovers

Farm tractors are large, heavy, powerful vehicles with a high center of gravity. When driven carelessly on sloping, irregular, or slippery ground, tractors can overturn sideways and cause the death by crush asphyxia of the driver or passengers, especially if appropriate safety equipment is not fitted or used. The aim of this review is to focus on the diagnostic difficulties with which coroners and forensic pathologists have to cope when a confirmation of crush asphyxia after tractor side rollover is required by judicial authorities. Forensic investigations in such cases must involve the meticulous analysis of the death scene and the mechanical characteristics of the vehicle together with accurate postmortem and toxicological examination.