PM emissions from a BR basin and impact assessment on air quality

The article deals with the emission of fugitive dust from a major BR (Bauxite Residue) basin located in the south-west of Sardinia, where the prospect of a change in the storage practices is likely to cause the increase of PM (Particulate Matter) pollution in the surrounding region. In fact, other natural and anthropic sources already provide a variable contribution in terms of airborne dust concentration in the same territory. In accordance with the procedures established by the Directive 2011/92 (EIA Directive - Environmental Impact Assessment), the data recorded by a monitoring network located in the SulcisIglesiente sub-region has been taken into consideration in order to define the ante-operam condition of the potential impact area. The additional contribution of the red mud basin has been simulated with the atmospheric dispersion model proposed by US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). The expected whole concentration of the PM10, which includes both the pre-existing sources and the additional contribution of the red mud basin, has been estimated and compared with the limit values established by the Directive 2008/50/EC (Ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe)

Mitigation of fugitive dust impact arising from BR dry disposal

The development of international policies about environmental defense has enforced some major modifications in the management of industrial tailings. As regards the disposal of the residue deriving from the bauxite processing (BR) in the alumina industry, national and international regulations have encouraged the evolution from wet to dry disposal techniques. However, such a change in the storage practices poses a major concern due to the potential increase of the atmospheric impact in the surrounding areas, due to the emissions of Particulate Matter (PM) generated both by the BR disposal activities and by the wind erosion over the dried surfaces of the landfill. The article analyses the effect of the impact mitigation measures typically adopted to control PM emissions with reference to a major red mud basin located in the southwest of Sardinia (Italy). The PM dispersion models performed with the CALPUFF code (US EPA) allowed, for the case study under consideration, the estimate of the improvement provided by moistening the dry surfaces and reducing the total length travelled par year by the machinery involved in material handling, transportation and disposal

Who Provides Information Matters: The Role of Source Credibility on US Consumers' Beef Brand Choices

Labels, certifications and endorsements signaling the quality of food have an impact on the purchasing choices of multiple segments of US consumers. At the same time, not much is known about the relationships between the sources providing information through these quality signals and consumer choices. In this paper, we explore 1) whether the credibility of an information source has an impact on US consumersâ¿¿ beef brand choices; 2) which labels, certifications and endorsements are chosen by US consumers among a range of eight brands with pre-selected sources of information; 3) which consumer segments have different perceptions on information sources and beef brand choices. Data are collected through an on-line survey on a representative sample of 460 US consumers and analyzed through structural equation modeling. The results show that credibility - although it has a positive impact on consumersâ¿¿ brand choice - is a complex concept which needs to be dissected in more specific variables, namely perceived knowledgeability, perceived absence of vested interests, perceived absence of mistakes in the past and trust. In particular, perceived knowledgeability and perceived absence of vested interests of the information source are inversely proportiona

Brand Coopetition with Geographical Indications: Which Information Does Lead to Brand Differentiation?

Farmers and managers marketing food products with Geographical Indications (GIs) have to play a brand coopetition game: they cooperate with each other to develop a collective GI equity, yet they compete to build their individual brand and to establish market channels. Based on an online experiment on olive oil from "Riviera Ligure" (a region in North-Western Italy) through a convenient sample, this study tests a path model to 1) analyze which types and which sources of GI information differentiate an individual brand with GI from the others; and 2) explore which psychological and demographic variables play a role on the impact of GI information on brand differentiation. The tested path model combines elements of economic consumer theory (Lancaster, 1966) and theory of attitude formation (Fishbein, 1967; Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). Results cannot be generalized outside the observed product and sample, yet the method is applicable by the GI food industry as a consumer research tool to set up marketing communication strategies

High dietary fat consumption impairs axonal mitochondrial function in vivo

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is the most common complication of prediabetes and diabetes. PN causes severe morbidity for Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prediabetes patients, including limb pain followed by numbness resulting from peripheral nerve damage. PN in T2D and prediabetes is associated with dyslipidemia and elevated circulating lipids; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying PN development in prediabetes and T2D are unknown. Peripheral nerve sensory neurons rely on axonal mitochondria to provide energy for nerve impulse conduction under homeostatic conditions. Models of dyslipidemia in vitro demonstrate mitochondrial dysfunction in sensory neurons exposed to elevated levels of exogenous fatty acids. Herein, we evaluated the effect of dyslipidemia on mitochondrial function and dynamics in sensory axons of the saphenous nerve of a male high-fat diet (HFD)-fed murine model of prediabetes to identify mitochondrial alterations that correlate with PN pathogenesis in vivo. We found that the HFD decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) in axonal mitochondria and reduced the ability of sensory neurons to conduct at physiological frequencies. Unlike mitochondria in control axons, which dissipated their MMP in response to increased impulse frequency (from 1 to 50 Hz), HFD mitochondria dissipated less MMP in response to axonal energy demand, suggesting a lack of reserve capacity. The HFD also decreased sensory axonal Ca^{2+} levels and increased mitochondrial lengthening and expression of PGC1α, a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis. Together, these results suggest that mitochondrial dysfunction underlies an imbalance of axonal energy and Ca^{2+} levels and impairs impulse conduction within the saphenous nerve in prediabetic PN

Harnessing Wicked Problems in Multi-stakeholder Partnerships

Despite the burgeoning literature on the governance and impact of cross-sector partnerships in the past two decades, the debate on how and when these collaborative arrangements address globally relevant problems and contribute to systemic change remains open. Building upon the notion of wicked problems and the literature on governing such wicked problems, this paper defines harnessing problems in multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) as the approach of taking into account the nature of the problem and of organizing governance processes accordingly. The paper develops an innovative analytical framework that conceptualizes MSPs in terms of three governance processes (deliberation, decision-making and enforce-ment) harnessing three key dimensions of wicked problems (knowledge uncertainty, value conflict and dynamic complexity). The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil provides an illustrative case study on how this analytical framework describes and explains organizational change in partnerships from a problem-based perspective. The framework can be used to better understand and predict the complex relationships between MSP governance processes, systemic change and societal problems, but also as a guiding tool in (re-)organizing governance processes to continuously re-assess the problems over time and address them accordingly