Low environmental impact of alternatively supplied cars. Results of an investigation carried out in the North-East of Italy

The transport of both goods and passengers notably influences air quality. If strong decisions by the governments will not be taken, oil consumption for transport will be nearly doubled in 2030 if compared with 2000, thus considerably increasing the atmospheric presence of greenhouse gases. To boost the purchase of alternatively supplied cars would avoid serious, if not catastrophic, climatic changes. Our investigation shows what the situation is concerning new cars sold by SINA, an official concessionary firm of ten brands in the province of Pordenone, in the North East of Italy, covering about 40% of the local market. The supply types and the brands of the new cars sold in the branch offices of the firm from 2011 to August 2015 have been taken into consideration. The most sold cars are still petrol and diesel supplied, whereas alternatively supplied cars (liquefied oil gases, methane and electric) represent nowadays only 7.51% of the total in this territory. Processing of the data that have been put at our disposal by the firm allowed to compare the situation of the province of Pordenone with the Italian one, and to put in light the critical aspects still hindering the purchase of alternatively supplied cars

Assessment of the sustainability of wild rocket (Diplotaxis tenuifolia) production: Application of a multi-criteria method to different farming systems in the province of Udine

Evaluating the economic, social and environmental impacts of different cultivation systems is an essential issue for the introduction of management practices that aim at both achieving more sustainable forms of land use and improving social well-being. A number of studies compared and assessed organic and conventional farms in relation to their multifunctional effects. However, to our knowledge there is no literature which took into account at the same time the multifunctional role of a greater number of different farming methods. In this paper an attempt is made to employ the multi-criteria method in order to conduct quantitative assessment of the degree of multi-functionality on three different farming methods, namely, conventional, organic and biodynamic. A species of leaf vegetable was considered, that is, wild rocket. The three farms taken into examination are all located in the province of Udine, Italy, with a maximum distance of about 20 km one from another. In all the three farms, greenhouses equipped with the same type of roofing were employed. The research was carried on for two consecutive years, that is, 2012 and 2013; spring, summer and autumn productions were considered. In this way we minimized the influence of some parameters (climatic conditions, luminosity, growing period), but the specific techniques adopted in the three farms were not optimized. The producers continued to utilize the methods usually employed in their farms, in order to obtain results showing the productive situation of the territory. The obtained information was used as input data for the multi-attribute model. Attributes and utility functions were organized under three major groups: economic, social and environmental parameters. Findings may be regarded simply as the results of a pilot study, as they were obtained on a small sample of farms, but suggest that the degree of multi-functionality is the most explicit in the case of the biodynamic farm, that has a better property and social structure

The EMAS Registration of the Livenza Furniture District in the Province of Pordenone (Italy)

Abstract: One of the most important manufacturing areas of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region is the territory close to Pordenone, the Livenza furniture district. This industrial district, consisting of industries of wood, wood and cork products, furniture, straw articles, and weave materials, located in 11 municipalities of that area, was the \ufb01rst Italian district to obtain the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Registration in 2006. Data and information from a questionnaire compiled by more than 100 \ufb01rms and 11 municipalities of the district were used to draw up the territorial environmental analysis (TEA). For the EMAS registration renewal, obtained in 2016, the TEA was updated by reviewing the methodology of the environmental impact evaluation: the ecological footprint(EF)wascomparedwiththecarryingcapacity(CC)ofthatarea. Theresultsputinlightthat theEFwasgreaterthantheCC.Severalactionsforreducingtheenvironmentalimpactsofthedistrict activities were highlighted

The EMAS Recognition of the Livenza Furniture District in the Province of Pordenone (Italy)

The EC Regulation No 761/2001, known as EMAS II, provided the possibility of obtaining the EMAS recognition also by industrial districts. As a consequence, the Livenza furniture district obtained the EMAS recognition in 2006 as the first industrial district in Italy. The Livenza district includes several manufacturing enterprises which carry out their activity in 11 municipalities of the province of Pordenone, Italy. Industries of wood, wood and cork products, straw articles, weave materials and furniture take part in the district. A Territorial Environmental Analysis was drawn up to obtain the recognition, by collecting data and information from questionnaires compiled by more than 100 firms and by the 11 municipalities of the district. For the EMAS registration renewal, obtained by the district in 2016, the Territorial Environmental Analysis was updated by revising in particular the methodology of evaluation of environmental impacts. More specifically, Ecological Footprint (EF) (that is, the quantitative evaluation of consumption of raw materials and energy and of waste production) was compared with Carrying Capacity (CC) (that is, the quantitative evaluation of the area able to assure the availability of the resources required and to absorb waste produced). In this way, it was possible to put in light that the EF of the district is much greater than the corresponding CC. The main actions which might be chosen to reduce EF have been pinpointed, with the aim of warranting a better sustainability of the district activities

Apoptose de neutrófilos na Sepse e na Síndrome da Angústia Respiratória Aguda secundária à Sepse

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Are they in or out? The elusive interaction between Qtracker(\uae)800 vascular labels and brain endothelial cells

AIM:Qtracker\uae800 Vascular labels (Qtracker\uae800) are promising biomedical tools for high-resolution vasculature imaging; their effects on mouse and human endothelia, however, are still unknown.MATERIALS & METHODS:Qtracker\uae800 were injected in Balb/c mice, and brain endothelium uptake was investigated by transmission electron microscopy 3-h post injection. We then investigated, in vitro, the effects of Qtracker\uae800 exposure on mouse and human endothelial cells by calcium imaging.RESULTS:Transmission electron microscopy images showed nanoparticle accumulation in mouse brain endothelia. A subset of mouse and human endothelial cells generated intracellular calcium transients in response to Qtracker\uae800.CONCLUSION:Qtracker\uae800 nanoparticles elicit endothelial functional responses, which prompts biomedical safety evaluations and may bias the interpretation of experimental studies involving vascular imaging

La vetrificazione delle ceneri e il processo WBRM

Fly and bottom ashes, produced by incineration plants and/or as by-products of coal combustion in thermal power plants, include, even if in different amounts, heavy metals, dioxins and furans, as well as a considerable amount of SiO 2, that is the main component of glass: therefore these wastes can be utilized as raw materials for the production of composite materials. Vitrification is a method that: i) allows to immobilize the dangerous materials if present in the ashes; ii) produces materials that are inert towards a lot of chemical compounds and iii) allows to notably reduce waste volumes. The WBRM process, one of the most studied vitrification projects in the last years, substained by the European Union, foresees glass fiber production by utilizing fly ashes coming from municipal solid wastes and other special waste combustion, properly mixed with specific different correctors according to their possible subsequent applications. The fibers obtained show physical and mechanical characteristics analogue to the glass fibers of the type E, at present used in the production of clothes, textiles, plastic materials and bituminous coverings, and are more resistent to the attack of alkaline compounds in respect of the glass fibers of the type E. The WBRM process, by using and thermically treating fly ashes, gives full value to these types of wastes, representing a useful alternative to landfills