Ornamental Stones of Piemonte (NW Italy): an updated geo-lithological map

The 'Ornamental Stones of Piemonte Region' geo-lithological map at 1:250,000 scale aims at reviewing the ornamental stone heritage of Piemonte at the regional scale. The map derives from a thorough revision of the available literature, integrated with some unpublished original data. The map shows the location of the main quarries of ornamental stones of the region, selected on the basis of their historical, cultural and architectonic relevance. A geo-lithological basemap was produced, deriving it from a basic Geological Map of Piemonte, available at the same scale. The large varieties of lithotypes of Piemonte have been resumed, in the new map, into 21 classes, which all the ornamental stones have been assigned to. The Main Map is enriched by some significant examples of using the ornamental stones in historical buildings, and it is supported by a supplementary data base containing essential information about the quarry sites and the quarried material

Black pine (Pinus nigra) barks: A critical evaluation of some sampling and analysis parameters for mercury biomonitoring purposes

Abstract Tree barks are increasingly used as biomonitors of airborne pollutants. However, many authors stress the poor comparability of the results achieved in different studies. This drawback is mainly caused by a poor understanding of the critical sampling parameters to be considered. To minimize the biases that could be introduced during sampling, in this study the barks of Pinus nigra J.F. Arnold from thirteen sites were investigated in the abandoned Mt. Amiata mercury (Hg) mining district (Southern Tuscany, Italy) and surroundings. The influence of some sampling and analyzing parameters on Hg content was critically assessed. At each site, a total of eight bark samples were taken from a single tree at two heights (70 cm and 150 cm from soil) and at four different sides of the trunk, corresponding to the four cardinal directions; a composite soil sample was also collected. Mercury contents in barks range from 0.1 to 28.8 mg/kg, and are correlated with soil Hg contents (1–480 mg/kg), indicating that barks record both gaseous Hg concentrations in air, and wind-transported Hg-bearing particulate. For each tree, samples at 70 cm and 150 cm show Hg contents of the same order of magnitude, even if values for 150 cm are slightly less dispersed, possibly because barks at 70 cm are more influenced by random soil particles. There is no statistically significant dependence of Hg content on direction and tree age. Simulated rain events cause a negligible loss of Hg from barks. Results suggest that a convenient sampling practice for Pinus nigra is to collect a bark slice (typically 1–2 mm) within the outermost 1.5 cm layer

Dimensi Rasa Ingin Tahu Siswa Melalui Pendekatan Saintifik Berbantuan Alat Perga Penjernihan Air

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui dimensi Rasa Ingin Tahu siswa melalui pendekatan saintifik berbantuan alat peraga penjernihan air. Rasa ingin tahu merupakan salah satu dimensi dari sikap ilmiah yang terbagi menjadi beberapa indikator, diantaranya yaitu: antusias mencari jawaban, perhatian pada obyek yang diamati, antusias pada proyek sains dan menanyakan setiap langkah kegiatan. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan yaitu penelitian mixed method yang menggunakan metode pengumpulan data secara kualitatif dan kuantitatif. Instrumen dalam penelitian ini yaitu tes, lembar observasi dan lembar angket. Kesimpulan yang diperoleh yaitu pembelajaran IPA melalui pendekatan saintifik berbantuan alat peraga penjernihan air dapat diketahui sikap ilmiah pada dimensi rasa ingin tahu siswa meningkat

LAPACK-Based Software for Subspace Identification

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