Cause, conseguenze e strategie di mitigazione Proponiamo il primo di una serie di articoli in cui affronteremo l’attuale problema dei mutamenti climatici. Presentiamo il documento redatto, votato e pubblicato dall’Ipcc - Comitato intergovernativo sui cambiamenti climatici - che illustra la sintesi delle ricerche svolte su questo tema rilevante.

/pdf/climate-change-2007-the-physical-science-basis-1x93ttz9jt.pdf

Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.

Climate change 2014 - Synthesis Report

Beginning with Emlen (1966) and MacArthur and Pianka (1966) and extending through the last ten years, several authors have sought to predict the foraging behavior of animals by means of mathematical models. These models are very similar,in that they all assume that the fitness of a foraging animal is a function of the efficiency of foraging measured in terms of some "currency" (Schoener, 1971) -usually energy- and that natural selection has resulted in animals that forage so as to maximize this fitness. As a result of these similarities, the models have become known as "optimal foraging models"; and the theory that embodies them, "optimal foraging theory." The situations to which optimal foraging theory has been applied, with the exception of a few recent studies, can be divided into the following four categories: (1) choice by an animal of which food types to eat (i.e., optimal diet); (2) choice of which patch type to feed in (i.e., optimal patch choice); (3) optimal allocation of time to different patches; and (4) optimal patterns and speed of movements. In this review we discuss each of these categories separately, dealing with both the theoretical developments and the data that permit tests of the predictions. The review is selective in the sense that we emphasize studies that either develop testable predictions or that attempt to test predictions in a precise quantitative manner. We also discuss what we see to be some of the future developments in the area of optimal foraging theory and how this theory can be related to other areas of biology. Our general conclusion is that the simple models so far formulated are supported are supported reasonably well by available data and that we are optimistic about the value both now and in the future of optimal foraging theory. We argue, however, that these simple models will requre much modification, espicially to deal with situations that either cannot easily be put into one or another of the above four categories or entail currencies more complicated that just energy.

Citation classic - optimal foraging - a selective review of theory and tests

Anaerobic digestion of energy crops, residues, and wastes is of increasing interest in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions and to facilitate a sustainable development of energy supply. Production of biogas provides a versatile carrier of renewable energy, as methane can be used for replacement of fossil fuels in both heat and power generation and as a vehicle fuel. For biogas production, various process types are applied which can be classified in wet and dry fermentation systems. Most often applied are wet digester systems using vertical stirred tank digester with different stirrer types dependent on the origin of the feedstock. Biogas is mainly utilized in engine-based combined heat and power plants, whereas microgas turbines and fuel cells are expensive alternatives which need further development work for reducing the costs and increasing their reliability. Gas upgrading and utilization as renewable vehicle fuel or injection into the natural gas grid is of increasing interest because the gas can be used in a more efficient way. The digestate from anaerobic fermentation is a valuable fertilizer due to the increased availability of nitrogen and the better short-term fertilization effect. Anaerobic treatment minimizes the survival of pathogens which is important for using the digested residue as fertilizer. This paper reviews the current state and perspectives of biogas production, including the biochemical parameters and feedstocks which influence the efficiency and reliability of the microbial conversion and gas yield.

Biogas production: current state and perspectives

Framework Convention on Climate Change

Effect of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) treated wheat straw and a recombinant fibrolytic enzyme added to lamb diets on nutrient digestibility and growth performance

Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) is expressed in bovine ruminal epithelium, making it possible that dietary components or commensal microbes may influence gastrointestinal ANGPTL4 production via interactions at the mucosal surface. Therefore, we conducted 3 experiments to evaluate the effects of dietary concentrate level and VFA infusions on ANGPTL4 abundance in ruminal tissue. In Exp. 1, we assigned 12 nonlactating Holstein cows to either 8% or 64% concentrate diets; diets were fed 28 d before euthanasia and ruminal tissue collection. Ruminal tissue and plasma ANGPTL4 protein abundance were unaltered by treatment. In Exp. 2, we assigned 8 continental crossbred heifers to either a 45% or 90% concentrate diet; diets were fed for 75 d before euthanasia and ruminal tissue collection. Compared with the 45% concentrate diet, the 90% concentrate diet decreased (P 0.10) mRNA or protein abundance of ANGPTL4 in ruminal papillae. Ruminal papillae ANGPTL4 abundance was, however, negatively correlated with (P = 0.01) ruminal VFA concentrations. ANGPTL4 abundance in ruminal tissue decreases in response to very high dietary concentrate and is inversely correlated with ruminal total VFA concentrations.

High-grain diets suppress ruminal tissue abundance of angiopoietin-like protein 4 in cattle.

1188 A novel method for collecting gas produced from the in vitro ANKOM gas production system

A study was conducted to evaluate whether encapsulated active dried yeast (EDY), compared with non-protected active dried yeast (ADY) or antibiotics (ANT), improved immune response and blood metabo...

/pdf/effect-of-non-encapsulated-and-encapsulated-active-dried-3353gqz2ud.pdf

Effect of non-encapsulated and encapsulated active dried yeast on blood cell count, blood metabolites, and immune response of finishing beef heifers

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effects of media pH and mixtures (SCEF) of live yeast [Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC)] and lactic acid bacteria [Enterococcus faecium (EF)] on gas produc...

/pdf/effect-of-mixed-live-yeast-and-lactic-acid-bacteria-on-in-171gcn55gr.pdf

Karen A. Beauchemin

Papers

Effect of ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) treated wheat straw and a recombinant fibrolytic enzyme added to lamb diets on nutrient digestibility and growth performance

High-grain diets suppress ruminal tissue abundance of angiopoietin-like protein 4 in cattle.

1188 A novel method for collecting gas produced from the in vitro ANKOM gas production system

Effect of non-encapsulated and encapsulated active dried yeast on blood cell count, blood metabolites, and immune response of finishing beef heifers

Effect of mixed live yeast and lactic acid bacteria on in vitro fermentation with varying media pH using a high-grain or high-forage diet