Urban solar photovoltaics potential: An inventory and modelling study applied to the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles

Procedures for analyzing the potential of solar photovoltaic collectors to meet energy requirements in a metropolitan region are described and a modeling effort is applied to the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. The procedure involves a series of steps designed to produce maps and tabulations revealing the amount of rooftop area available for establishing solar collectors and the proportion of energy requirement that could be potentially supplied by solar photovoltaics within each of the 533 mainline feeder service areas in the study area. For the sixty five square mile study area, the results showed that, with half the available flat and south facing roofs used and assuming the availability of energy storage, 52.7 percent of the actual kWh energy requirements could have been met in 1978 using photovoltaic collectors. Hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly fluctuations in potential supply and actual loads and recommendations of avenues for further research are discussed. Some further potential applications of the modeling technique are suggested

Macro-habitat preferences by the African manatee and crocodiles – ecological and conservation implications

African manatees (<i>Trichechus senegalensis</i>) and crocodiles are threatened species in parts of their range. In West Africa, crocodiles may constitute the main predators for manatees apart from humans. Here, we explore the macro-habitat selection of manatees and two species of crocodiles (West African crocodiles <i>Crocodylus suchus</i> and dwarf crocodile <i>Osteolaemus tetraspis</i>) in the Niger Delta (Nigeria), testing the hypotheses that (i) manatees may avoid crocodiles in order to minimize risks of predation, and (ii) the two crocodile species do compete. The study was carried out between 1994 and 2010 with a suite of different field techniques. We observed that the main macro-habitat types were freshwater rivers and coastal lagoons for manatees, mangroves for West African crocodiles, and rivers and creeks for dwarf crocodiles, with (i) the three species differing significantly in terms of their macro-habitat type selection, and (ii) significant seasonal influence on habitat selection of each species. Null models for niche overlap showed a significantly lower overlap in macro-habitat type use between manatee and crocodiles, whereas the two crocodiles were relatively similar. Null model analyses did not indicate any competitive interactions between crocodiles. On the other hand, manatees avoided macro-habitats where crocodiles, and especially West African crocodiles, are abundant

Total Synthesis of Asparenydiol by Two Sonogashira Cross-Coupling Reactions Promoted by Supported Pd and Cu Catalysts

Asparenydiol, which is an important natural compound with potential pharmacological activities, was synthesized through two Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by supported Pd and Cu catalysts and by a Mitsunobu etherification. The optimization of the Sonogashira couplings allowed the use of catalysts supported on different matrices with good results in terms of catalytic efficiency and yields

Macro-habitat preferences by the African manatee and crocodiles – ecological and conservation implications

Abstract. African manatees (Trichechus senegalensis) and crocodiles are threatened species in parts of their range. In West Africa, crocodiles may constitute the main predators for manatees apart from humans. Here, we explore the macro-habitat selection of manatees and two species of crocodiles (West African crocodiles Crocodylus suchus and dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis) in the Niger Delta (Nigeria), testing the hypotheses that (i) manatees may avoid crocodiles in order to minimize risks of predation, and (ii) the two crocodile species do compete. The study was carried out between 1994 and 2010 with a suite of different field techniques. We observed that the main macro-habitat types were freshwater rivers and coastal lagoons for manatees, mangroves for West African crocodiles, and rivers and creeks for dwarf crocodiles, with (i) the three species differing significantly in terms of their macro-habitat type selection, and (ii) significant seasonal influence on habitat selection of each species. Null models for niche overlap showed a significantly lower overlap in macro-habitat type use between manatee and crocodiles, whereas the two crocodiles were relatively similar. Null model analyses did not indicate any competitive interactions between crocodiles. On the other hand, manatees avoided macro-habitats where crocodiles, and especially West African crocodiles, are abundant

"Thermoluminescence dating laboratory improvements tested on an archaeological rescue site in Trino, Vercelli province, Italy"

Thermoluminescence (TL) is a reliable radiation-based technique for the dating and authentication of ceramic objects, allowing the evaluation of the time elapsed since their last exposure to high temperatures (e.g. firing in kiln or later fire events). The TL laboratory developed in the last decade at the Physics Department of the University of Torino, currently operating within the INFN (National Institute of Nuclear Physics) CHNet network, is presented. The 10-years-long experience in the field resulted in the enhancement of the procedures, with the development of customised α and β irradiation systems and the optimisation of sampling approach and chemical pre-treatment. In collaboration with TecnArt S.r.l., the improved procedures were employed for dating two structures from a rescue archaeological site in the Vercelli province (Italy)

Developing a questionnaire evaluating knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on audit & feedback among general practitioners. A mixed methods study

Background: Audit and Feedback (A&F) is one of the most common strategies used to improve quality in healthcare. However, there is still lack of awareness regarding the enabling factors and barriers that could influence its effectiveness. The aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire to measure the knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of general practitioners (GPs) regarding A&F. The study was performed in the context of the EASY-NET program (project code NET-2016-02364191). Methods: The survey was developed according to two steps. Firstly, a scoping review was performed in order to map the literature on the existing similar instruments with the aim of identifying the sub-domains and possible items to include in a preliminary version of the questionnaire. In the second phase, the questionnaire was reviewed by a multidisciplinary group of experts and administrated to a convenience sample in a pilot survey. Results: Ten papers were included in the scoping review. The survey target and development methodology were heterogenous among the studies. The knowledge, attitudes and behaviors domains were assessed in six, nine and seven studies, respectively. In the first step, 126 pertinent items were extracted and categorized as follows: 8 investigated knowledge, 93 investigated attitudes, and 25 investigated behaviors. Then, 2 sub-domains were identified for knowledge, 14 for attitudes and 7 for behavior. Based on these results, a first version of the survey was developed via consensus among two authors and then revised by the multidisciplinary group of experts in the field of A&F. The final version of the survey included 36 items: 8 in the knowledge domain, 19 in the attitudes domain and 9 in the behaviors domain. The results of the pilot study among 15 GPs suggested a good acceptability and item relevance and accuracy, with positive answers totaling 100% and 93.3% in the proposed questions. Conclusions: The methodology used has shown to be a good strategy for the development of the survey. The survey will be administrated before and after the implementation of an A&F intervention to assess both baseline characteristics and changes after the intervention

Direct comparison of B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and amino-terminal proBNP in a large population of patients with chronic and symptomatic heart failure: the Valsartan Heart Failure (Val-HeFT) data

Background: The B-type or brain natriuretic peptides (BNP) and the amino-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are good markers of prognosis and diagnosis in chronic heart failure (HF). It is unclear, however, whether differences in their biological characteristics modify their clinical correlates and prognostic performance in HF. This work aimed to provide a direct comparison of the prognostic value of BNP and NTproBNP in patients with chronic and stable HF. Methods: We measured BNP and NT-proBNP at baseline in 3916 patients enrolled in the Valsartan Heart Failure Trial. To identify the variables associated with both peptides, we conducted simple and multivariable linear regression analyses. We used Cox multivariable regression models to evaluate the independent prognostic value for all-cause mortality, mortality and morbidity, and hospitalization for HF. Prognostic performance was assessed by pairwise comparisons of the area under the curve of receiver-operator characteristic curves. Results: NT-proBNP and BNP had similar relationships with age, left ventrical ejection fraction, and internal diameter and creatinine clearance. Either peptide ranked as the first independent predictor of outcome after adjustment for major confounding clinical characteristics. ROC curves were almost superimposable for all-cause mortality (area under the curve (SE): BNP 0.665 (0.011) vs NT-proBNP 0.679 (0.011); P 0.0734), but NT-proBNP was superior to BNP for predicting mortality and morbidity (P 0.032) or hospitalization for HF (P 0.0143). Overall sensitivity and specificity ranged from 0.590 to 0.696. Conclusions: The natriuretic peptides BNP and NTproBNP showed subtle differences in their relation to clinical characteristics and prognostic performance in a large population of patients with chronic and stable HF. They were the most powerful independent markers of outcome in HF

Mammals of Italy: An annotated checklist

Checklists represent a basic tool for conservation and management of regional faunas. However, our knowledge on species composition in a territory changes over time due to species movements across borders, extinctions, introductions, as well as to new taxonomic evidence. We aimed to provide the most updated data on native and non-native species of mammals occurring, or that used to occur until recently, on the Italian political territory and seas. The checklist only includes species whose taxonomic status was explicitly agreed in the most recent peer-reviewed literature and based on the most updated taxonomic approaches. For each species, we provided the following information: scientific and common name, global and Italian range, relevant information for management and conservation (e.g. whether it is endemic, allochthonous, or listed in international regulations and red list assessments), as well as remarks on taxonomy and distribution. This new check list of Italian mammal fauna includes nine marine and 114 terrestrial species, belonging to seven orders (Erinaceomorpha, Soricomorpha, Chiroptera, Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, Rodentia, Lagomorpha), and 28 families. Vespertilionidae represents the richest family (n=27 species), followed by Cricetidae (n=12) and Soricidae (n=11). The list includes 15–16 allocthonous species. Considering the relative small size of the country, Italy is confirmed as a hotspot of mammal diversity in Europe, hosting the highest species richness in relation to the total area