555 research outputs found
The contribution of hyperspectral remote sensing to identify vegetation characteristics necessary to assess the fate of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the environment
During recent years hyperspectral remote sensing data were successfully used to characterise the state and properties
of vegetation. The information on vegetation cover and status is useful for a range of environmental modelling
studies. Recent works devoted to the understanding of the fate of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the environment
showed that forests and vegetation in general act as a «sponge» for chemicals present in air and the intensity
of this «capture» effect depends on some vegetation parameters such as surface area, leaf composition, turnover
etc. In the framework of the DARFEM experiment conducted in late June 2001, different airborne hyperspectral
images were acquired and analysed to derive some vegetation parameters of relevance for multimedia models, such
as the spatial distribution of plant species and their relative foliage biomass. The study area, south west of Milan,
encompasses a range of land cover types typical of Northern Italy, including intensive poplar plantations and natural
broad-leaf forest. An intensive field campaign was accomplished during the aerial survey to collect vegetation
parameters and radiometric measurements. Results obtained from the analysis of hyperspectral images, map of vegetation
species, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and foliage biomass are presented and discussed
Entrepreneurial intention studies: A hybrid bibliometric method to identify new directions for theory and research
Fragmentation is the main obstacle to scientific progress on entrepreneurial intention. To address this issue, we systematise the current literature with a hybrid bibliometric method that combines co-citation and bibliographic coupling analysis for the first time in entrepreneurial intention studies to show the field's knowledge base and research fronts and to examine how divergent perspectives have challenged the core knowledge of the field. We highlight three recurring dimensions of entrepreneurial intention studies: (1) personal factors, (2) social factors and (3) investigational settings. In addition to introducing new constructs, divergent perspectives have emphasised the interplay between these components and challenged the mechanisms connecting them. Based on these findings, we extend previous classifications in the literature by providing a framework that integrates divergent perspectives with the field's knowledge base, helping establish future research avenues and improving the theorising process of entrepreneurial intention
Arsenic movement and fractionation in agricultural soils which received wastewater from an adjacent industrial site for 50 years
Arsenic (As) is an element with important environmental and human health implications due to its toxic properties. It is naturally occurring since it is contained in minerals, but it can also be enriched and distributed in the environment by anthropogenic activities. This paper reports on the historic As contamination of agricultural soils in one of the most important national relevance site for contamination in Italy, the so-called SIN Brescia-Caffaro, in the city of Brescia, northern Italy. These agricultural areas received As through the use of irrigation waters from wastewater coming from a factory of As-based pesticides (lead and calcium arsenates, sodium arsenite). Pesticide production started in 1920 and ended in the '70. Concentrations in the areas are generally beyond the legal threshold values for different soil uses and are up to >200 mg/kg. Arsenic contamination was studied to assess the long-time trend and the dynamics related to the vertical movement of As down to 1 m depth and its horizontal diffusion with surface irrigation in the entire field. Arsenic fractionation analysis (solid phase speciation by sequential extraction procedure) was also performed on samples collected from these areas and employed in greenhouse experiments with several plant species to evaluate the long-term contamination and the role of plant species in modifying As availability in soil. The results of this work can help in the evaluation of the conditions controlling the vertical transfer of As towards surface aquifers, the bioaccumulation likelihood in the agricultural food chain and the selection of sustainable remediation techniques such as phytoextraction
A real-time RT-PCR assay for molecular identification and quantitation of feline morbillivirus RNA from biological specimens.
The aim of this study was to develop a real-time RT-PCR to detect and quantitate feline
morbillivirus (FeMV) RNA in biological samples. Primers and probe were targeted on a conserved
region of FeMV P/V/C gene. To validate the assay with field samples, a total number of specimens
of cats have been recruited including 264 urine and blood samples and compared with a generic
RT-PCR targeting the L protein encoding gene of morbilliviruses. In addition, 385 tissue samples
from 35 carcasses of cats have been also employed. RNA titres were low in all tested samples.
Results also indicated the absence of cross-reaction with related morbilliviruses and existing
pathogens of cats. However, in tissues with low levels of FeMV RNA, the presence of viral antigen
was confirmed by immunohistochemistry targeting the N viral protein. This newly described assay
allows for a rapid, accurate and reliable quantitative detection of FeMV RNA that can be applied
for diagnostics and research studies
Modelling micropollutant cycle in Lake Como in a winter scenario: Implications for water use and reuse, ecosystem services, and the EU zero pollution action plan
The fate and effects of 42 pharmaceuticals was studied in Lake Como (Italy), in wastewater treatment plants delivering water to the lake, in two rivers and in potable water obtained from lake water. Lake Como is one of the deepest and largest lakes in Northern Italy, serving important ecosystem services (i.e., drinking water, recreational, industrial, irrigation uses), some of which are currently at risk giving the current water scarcity and climate change scenarios. The highest concentrations measured in lake water were those of diclofenac, followed by carbamazepine, its metabolite, and clarithromycin. The data measured allowed to calibrate and run a fugacity-based lake model, which showed that the most important chemical load generally comes from the advective water from the north of the lake, rather than from the direct wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharges. This indicates that only an important reduction of chemical discharge (reduced use or extensive treatment) at a drainage basin level could significantly reduce concentrations in water. This has strong implications on how to implement the EU zero pollution action plan to significantly improve water ecosystem and human health protection
The contribution of hyperspectral remote sensing to identify vegetation characteristics necessary to assess the fate of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the environment
During recent years hyperspectral remote sensing data were successfully used to characterise the state and properties of vegetation. The information on vegetation cover and status is useful for a range of environmental modelling studies. Recent works devoted to the understanding of the fate of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) in the environment showed that forests and vegetation in general act as a «sponge» for chemicals present in air and the intensity of this «capture» effect depends on some vegetation parameters such as surface area, leaf composition, turnover etc. In the framework of the DARFEM experiment conducted in late June 2001, different airborne hyperspectral images were acquired and analysed to derive some vegetation parameters of relevance for multimedia models, such as the spatial distribution of plant species and their relative foliage biomass. The study area, south west of Milan, encompasses a range of land cover types typical of Northern Italy, including intensive poplar plantations and natural broad-leaf forest. An intensive field campaign was accomplished during the aerial survey to collect vegetation parameters and radiometric measurements. Results obtained from the analysis of hyperspectral images, map of vegetation species, Leaf Area Index (LAI) and foliage biomass are presented and discussed
Morbilliviruses in aquatic mammals: report on round table discussion.
A workshop was organised to ascertain the current situation with regard to morbillivirus infections in aquatic animals. The great interest generated by the discovery of these new virus infections in 1988 has to some extent abated but much high quality research has continued in this field as the workshop showed. There is some serological evidence that the viruses have continued to circulate in most areas since the initial epizootics. As to their origin, it appears that the most likely source of the European seal morbillivirus (PDV-1) is the North Atlantic and Artic seal populations. As to the origin of the Mediterranean dolphin morbillivirus and the morbilliviruses isolated from porpoises, there is serological evidence that the viruses are widespread in many cetacean species in the Atlantic and 93% of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) which mass stranded between 1982 and 1993 were morbillivirus seropositive. The epizootic in freshwater seals in Lake Baikal was unrelated to events in the European marine mammal populations. The virus which infected these animals (PDV-2) is indistinguishable from canine distemper field strains. Serological and molecular biological studies provided evidence for the presence of the virus in the seals, at least as late as the Summer of 1992 when the animals were last sampled
Investigation of biologically active zeolite: role of colonization in the removal of 14C-labelled sulfamethoxazole in wastewater
Up-to-date approaches to remove micropollutants in wastewater treatment are based on adsorbing materials like activated carbon. These fossil-based materials can also provide a surface for microbial colonization, which could further improve the removal of MPs. As zeolite filters have shown interesting performance in the removal of MPs in previous works, this study aimed to investigate the effect of microbial colonization on such filters on the elimination of 14C-labelled sulfamethoxazole (SMX), an antibiotic from the class of sulfonamides. Lab scale removal tests were set in 100 mL reactors and monitored for 150 days at room temperature. Taxa known to be linked to organic pollutant degradation (Caulobacterales, Rhizobiales, Burkholderiales) were found among the microbial community attached to the zeolite. Bacterial colonization of zeolite filters improved the removal of 14C-sulfamethoxazole by 35 % compared to the control. An analysis of the microbial community dynamics over time revealed the increased abundance of the Vicinamibacterales taxon after 50 days of contact with SMX. This order abundance, linked to degradation of sulfonamides, went from 0 to 17 %; and Shannon diversity ranged from 1.51 to 1.99. Data showed that zeolite filters as adsorbing material in wastewater treatment plants can improve MPs removal by supporting bacterial colonization, making it an interesting support that could synergize with biological activated carbon
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