The effects of decoupling on Italian COP sector: an ex-post evaluation

One of the main objectives of the 2003 CAP reform was that to enhance farm competitiveness and make farmers able to catch market signals and adjust their production level and specialization accordingly. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the effects of decoupling in Italy COP sector comparing the estimated results of some structural and economic indicators of a sample of farms before and after the 2003 reform using data from the Italian Institute of Statistics and of the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The analysis shows an improvement of income in farms that kept COP production specialization through the years under study. At the same time, farms that opted for a different specialisation in the post reform period improved their economic performance. All this suggests that coupled support had become a constraint rather than an opportunity and that the 2003 reform, decoupling farm support from production, has contributed to a more efficient and market-oriented COP sector in Italy.CAP, decoupling, Italian FADN, COP sector, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q18,

Long term hydrological change, the El Niño/Southern Oscillation and biomass burning in the tropics

Rapidly rising levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and methane since the industrial revolution have drawn scientific attention to the importance of the global carbon cycle to the climate (Cubasch et al., 2013). Tropical peatlands, the majority of which are located in the Indonesian region, are a major source of uncertainty in the carbon cycle as the relationships between carbon accumulation and hydrological changes remain poorly understood (Hergoualc’h & Verchot, 2011, Page et al., 2011). An important driver of carbon emissions in tropical peatlands is fire, which in the Indonesian region is strongly influenced on interannual timescales by the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, it is not clear how ENSO and fire have varied at decadal to centennial scales over the past two millennia. This thesis explores long term tropical hydrological variability and ENSO-like climate change from palaeorecords and their interactions with fire. Using a wide range of instrumental, proxy and model datasets and a novel reconstruction method, two separate reconstructions of long-term ENSO-like climate change are produced based on precipitation and temperature data. These show no evidence of a difference between the ENSO-like behaviour of precipitation and temperature. There is limited evidence for a difference in long-term ENSO-like state between the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age. Reconstructions of hydrological variability and biomass burning in the Indonesian region suggest that precipitation and fire have been positively correlated over the past 2,000 years, which is contrary to the modern-day relationship on ENSO timescales. This throws up questions of long-term versus short-term interactions and feedbacks between fire, climate and vegetation. It is likely that anthropogenic activity in the Indonesian region has significantly altered the stability of the fire regime. Further research combining proxy data, climate and fire models, and using more robust statistical analysis is necessary to untangle the natural and anthropogenic driving factors at different time resolutions.University of Exeter Climate Change and Sustainable Futures (CCSF

A comparative assessment of building sustainability schemes in Norway

Various schemes are established to evaluate the sustainability of buildings during their life cycle. These schemes introduce a range of evaluation criteria and indicators and are periodically revised to align with current sustainability trends. This study reviews leading schemes in Norway, and compares their scope, similarities, limitations, and advantages. The review is carried out against a proposed office building in Oslo, Norway. The paper evaluates how the schemes comply with the EU taxonomy and Norwegian building regulations. The schemes are assessed through a literature review and interviews with programme operators. Common sustainability criteria are identified and reviewed. In addition, a comparison of how the schemes address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is conducted. The comparative assessment provides a valuable and practical reference and decision support for project owners in Norway to select the appropriate scheme for their construction project.publishedVersio

Focus on emotion as a catalyst of memory updating during reconsolidation

We share the idea of Lane et al. that successful psychotherapy exerts its effects through memory reconsolidation. To support it, we add further evidence that a behavioral interference may trigger memory update during reconsolidation. Furthermore, we propose that-in addition to replacing maladaptive emotions-new emotions experienced in the therapeutic process catalyze reconsolidation of the updated memory structur

Waste free construction site - A buzzword, nice to have or more

The building and construction industry is responsible for up to 25% of the total waste generated globally. Most construction sites in Norway on average generate 40–60 kg waste per gross floor area built and the average material recovery rate is ca. 46%. Existing requirements focus on waste sorting as a measure to increase material recovery rates. There are on-going national activities with an ambition to achieve waste free construction sites. However, there is lack of a common definition, standard and transparent data collection, and reporting system. This study presents a method for the evaluation and follow-up of construction waste and the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The methodology was tested using the actual construction waste data collected from 36 Norwegian building cases to evaluate the quantity of construction waste, waste-related GHG emissions per building typology, sorting grade and waste recycling rate. The buildings in total generated ca. 7800 tonnes of waste and ca.12900 tonnes CO2eq and on average ca. 51 kg/m2 waste and 88kgCO2eq/m2. The building projects had a high average sorting grade (89%) and a low average recycling rate (32%). Gypsum, mixed wood, clean wood, and mixed waste are the top waste fractions representing ca. 56% of the total waste volume. This highlights there is still a long way to go to achieve waste free construction sites ambitions. The results also suggest the need for using transparent data collection and communication methods, collaboration in the value chain, stricter regulations, and incentives for encouraging the development of new and existing waste prevention solutions and technologies.publishedVersio

PREPARO DE PADRÃO SECUNDÁRIO PARA IDENTIFICAÇÃO DE CLORIDRATO DE TRAMADOL

RESUMO: O medicamento cloridrato de tramadol, apresenta diversos problemas sociais devido a sua possível toxicidade e potencial de abuso quando utilizado por períodos longos. Desta maneira, para a detecção dessa substância em líquidos biológicos os laboratórios necessitam utilizar padrões de identificação. Muitas vezes esses padrões apresentam um custo elevado e são de difícil obtenção. Em vista a essas dificuldades, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um padrão secundário a partir de um medicamento doado ao laboratório de Toxicologia da UFPR. Para o desenvolvimento, a substância cloridrato de tramadol foi extraída a partir de 8 comprimidos de Tramal Retard® de 100 mg (Pfizer). Como resultado da extração, obteve-se um rendimento de 89,37%. A substância extraída apresentou um pico de absorção característico no espectro de absorção ultravioleta em 275nm. A análise por CLAE-FLD mostrou apenas um pico único nas condições analíticas utilizadas.  O teor determinado por titulação com ácido perclórico foi de 94,39%. O padrão secundário obtido foi aplicado em uma análise qualitativa por cromatografia em camada delgada frente a uma urina sabidamente positiva para uso de tramadol e apresentou Rf de 0,77, comparável ao tramadol encontrado na urina. Por fim, conclui-se que o padrão desenvolvido está apto para ser utilizado na rotina para métodos de triagem na identificação do cloridrato de tramadol em aulas práticas de Toxicologia

Diagnóstico Ambiental do Corede norte, RS: Mapeamento do uso da Terra na Região Alto Uruguai e obtenção de Banco de dados Relacional de Fragmentos de Vegetação Arbórea

Technological developments enabled the development of fieldequipment and laboratory that facilitate the production and analysis ofenvironmental data with a spatial accuracy increasing. Thus, the mappinginformation on the use and occupation of the land, among other things,has become an important tool to study the dynamics of the landscape Thisstudy was conducted in the region called Alto Uruguai Gaucho, covering31 citys belonging to this geographical space. Objective was to analyze andcharacterize the environmentally study area through the preparation ofthematic maps and letters and the structuring of a relational database, as acontribution to the organization of local environmental plans, and seek toidentify areas of native forest for the biodiversity of conservation. Themethodology involved the positioning system to field, relational mappingof hypsometry, clinografia, delineation and codification of watershed riverbasins by of Otto Pfafstetter method, classification soil according to thereport 30 of the State Department of Agriculture, mapping the areas ofpreservation and conservation, use classification and land tenure and, finally,the mapping of areas where use conflicts. As a result we obtained on aregional and municipal level, the thematic mapping multipurpose scale1:50.000. Getting the new relational database corrected hydrography andmunicipal boundaries and updated the road network.The fragments mapof arboreal vegetation presents the region as characterized by an agriculturalmatrix with a significant number of fragments that have a rate of (itypical)and have an average area of 3.86 hectares. The availability of informationobtained for both municipalities and municipal and state agencies and for the development contributes effectively involved in planning for municipalenvironmental management and municipal and regional articulated.O uso da informática na obtenção de dados e a evolução de equipamentos de campo e laboratório vêm possibilitando análises de dados ambientais com uma precisão espacial cada vez maior. Assim, o mapeamento de informações de uso da terra tem se tornado uma importante ferramenta no estudo da dinâmica da paisagem. Pensando em estratégias voltadas ao planejamento de uma paisagem regional determinada pelo COREDE-Norte, que recebe a denominação de Região Alto Uruguai (RAU), em 2004 por meio de verba regional obtida pela Consulta Popular iniciou-se a estruturação de um banco de dados relacional para os 31 municípios integrantes deste espaço geográfico. Como resultado obteve-se em escala regional e municipal o mapeamento temático multifinalitário em escala 1:50.000. A obtenção de um novo banco de dados relacional corrigiu a hidrografia e os limites municipais e atualizou a malha viária. A metodologia envolveu o sistema de posicionamento a campo, mapeamento relacional de hipsometria, clinografia, estruturação de bacias hidrográficas pelo método de Otto, classificação dos solos de acordo com o boletim 30 da Secretaria Estadual da Agricultura, mapeamento das áreas de preservação e conservação, classificação e ajuste dos usos da terra e, por fim, o mapeamento de áreas em conflitos de uso da terra. De posse deste banco de dados estruturados, partiu-se para a etapa de análises das informações. Obtiveram-se dados provenientes de análises estatísticas aplicadas com operadores de contexto ao se trabalhar com fragmentação florestal e com a aplicação de métricas para a identificação de distribuição, índice de forma, tamanho, número de fragmentos por bacia hidrográfica e por município. Os resultados obtidos estão relacionados aos fatores que interferem na estrutura dos fragmentos mapeados, além da apresentação das melhores características de integridade para o desenvolvimento de outros projetos. Palavras-Chave: Mapeamentos temáticos, Região Alto Uruguai (RAU), Uso da Terra

En utslippsfri anleggsprosess i Rogaland

Forord Denne rapporten gir et kunnskapsgrunnlag for å stille krav til entreprenører og leverandører for utslippsfrie anleggsplasser i Rogaland og simulere energi- og effektbehov for en planlagt helelektrisk anleggsplass i Rogaland. Videre gis det anbefalinger til energi- og effekt-planlegging av elektriske anleggsplasser og vi har kartlagt energiressursene som er tilgjengelig på og i nærheten av en planlagt helelektrisk anleggsplass i Rogaland. Rapporten er finansiert av Regionale Forskningsfond Rogaland gjennom forprosjektet ut-slippsfri anleggsprosess i Rogaland sammen med RISA, Rental.one og Rogaland fylkes-kommune.publishedVersio