Downscaling Climate Change Impacts, Socio-Economic Implications and Alternative Adaptation Pathways for Islands and Outermost Regions

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the future scenarios of climate change and management concerns associated with climate change impacts on the blue economy of European islands and outermost regions. The publication collects major findings of the SOCLIMPACT project’s research outcomes, aiming to raise social awareness among policy-makers and industry about climate change consequences at local level, and provide knowledge-based information to support policy design, from local to national level. This comprehensive book will also assist students, scholars and practitioners to understand, conceptualize and effectively and responsibly manage climate change information and applied research. This book provides invaluable material for Blue Growth Management, theory and application, at all levels. This first edition includes up-to-date data, statistics, references, case material and figures of the 12 islands case studies. ¨Downscaling climate change impacts, socio-economic implications and alternative adaptation pathways for Islands and Outermost Regions¨ is a must-read book, given the accessible style and breadth and depth with which the topic is dealt. The book is an up-to-date synthesis of key knowledge on this area, written by a multidisciplinary group of experts on climate and economic modelling, and policy design

A palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of the Middle Jurassic of Sardinia (Italy) based on integrated palaeobotanical, palynological and lithofacies data assessment

During the Jurassic, Sardinia was close to continental Europe. Emerged lands started from a single island forming in time a progressively sinking archipelago. This complex palaeogeographic situation gave origin to a diverse landscape with a variety of habitats. Collection- and literature-based palaeobotanical, palynological and lithofacies studies were carried out on the Genna Selole Formation for palaeoenvironmental interpretations. They evidence a generally warm and humid climate, affected occasionally by drier periods. Several distinct ecosystems can be discerned in this climate, including alluvial fans with braided streams (Laconi-Gadoni lithofacies), paralic swamps and coasts (Nurri-Escalaplano lithofacies), and lagoons and shallow marine environments (Ussassai-Perdasdefogu lithofacies). The non-marine environments were covered by extensive lowland and a reduced coastal and tidally influenced environment. Both the river and the upland/hinterland environments are of limited impact for the reconstruction. The difference between the composition of the palynological and palaeobotanical associations evidence the discrepancies obtained using only one of those proxies. The macroremains reflect the local palaeoenvironments better, although subjected to a transport bias (e.g. missing upland elements and delicate organs), whereas the palynomorphs permit to reconstruct the regional palaeoclimate. Considering that the flora of Sardinia is the southernmost of all Middle Jurassic European floras, this multidisciplinary study increases our understanding of the terrestrial environments during that period of time

CCQM-K28: tributyltin in sediment

Key comparison CCQM K-28 was undertaken to assess the measurement capabilities for quantitation of (C4H9)3Sn+ (TBT) in a prepared marine sediment by National Metrology Institutes (NMIs), which are members of the Comit\ue9 Consultatif pour la Quantit\ue9 de Mati\ue8re (CCQM). It follows a previous pilot study, CCQM-P18. [1, 2] This exercise was sanctioned by the 8th CCQM meeting, 18\u201319 April 2002, as an activity of the Inorganic Analysis Working Group and was jointly coordinated by the Institute for National Measurement Standards of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and LGC, UK. Eight NMIs initially indicated their interest, with seven ultimately submitting their results. All NMIs relied on isotope dilution mass spectrometry using a species-specific 117Sn-enriched TBT standard, which was supplied by LGC. No analytical methodology was prescribed for this study. As a result, a variety of extraction approaches was adopted by the participants, including mechanical shaking, sonication, accelerated solvent extraction, microwave assisted extraction and heating in combination with ethylation and direct sampling. Detection techniques included ICP-MS (coupled to GC or HPLC for the separation of Sn species) and GC-MS.NRC publication: Ye

CCQM-K28: tributyltin in sediment

Key comparison CCQM K-28 was undertaken to assess the measurement capabilities for quantitation of (C4H9)3Sn+ (TBT) in a prepared marine sediment by National Metrology Institutes (NMIs), which are members of the Comit\ue9 Consultatif pour la Quantit\ue9 de Mati\ue8re (CCQM). It follows a previous pilot study, CCQM-P18. [1, 2] This exercise was sanctioned by the 8th CCQM meeting, 18\u201319 April 2002, as an activity of the Inorganic Analysis Working Group and was jointly coordinated by the Institute for National Measurement Standards of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and LGC, UK. Eight NMIs initially indicated their interest, with seven ultimately submitting their results. All NMIs relied on isotope dilution mass spectrometry using a species-specific 117Sn-enriched TBT standard, which was supplied by LGC. No analytical methodology was prescribed for this study. As a result, a variety of extraction approaches was adopted by the participants, including mechanical shaking, sonication, accelerated solvent extraction, microwave assisted extraction and heating in combination with ethylation and direct sampling. Detection techniques included ICP-MS (coupled to GC or HPLC for the separation of Sn species) and GC-MS.NRC publication: Ye

CCQM-P43: tributyltin and dibutyltin in sediment

The pilot study CCQM P43 was undertaken to allow the assessment of the current capabilities of interested National Metrology Institutes (NIMs) (those which are members of the CCQM) and selected outside 'expert' laboratories for quantification of (C4H9)2Sn+ (DBT) and (C4H9)3Sn+ (TBT) in a prepared marine sediment. It was organised in parallel to the key comparison CCQM-K28, in which only NMIs determined TBT. This exercise was sanctioned by the 8th CCQM meeting, 18\u201319 April 2002, as an activity of the Inorganic Analysis Working Group and was jointly coordinated by the Institute for National Measurement Standards of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and LGC, UK. A total of 13 laboratories initially indicated interest (nine NMIs and four external laboratories). Only one external laboratory utilised a standard calibration approach based on natural abundance TBT and DBT standards, whereas all NMIs relied on isotope dilution mass spectrometry for quantitation (one NMI used ID-MS and an internal standard approach for the analysis of DBT). For this purpose, species specific 117Sn-enriched TBT and DBT standards were supplied by LGC. No sample preparation methodology was prescribed by the coordinating laboratories and, as a consequence, a variety of approaches was adopted by the participants, including mechanical shaking, sonication, accelerated solvent extraction, microwave assisted extraction and heating in combination with Grignard derivatization, ethylation and direct sampling. Detection techniques included ICP-MS (coupled to GC or HPLC), GC-MS and GC-AED.NRC publication: Ye

Hydrophobic functionalization of cotton-based textile fabrics through a non-fluorinated sol-gel route

International audienceThe hydrophobic functionalization of cotton-based fabrics has been achieved through a non-fluorinated sol-gel route. This functionalization is based on the dilution of a hexadecyl-modified (C16) alkoxide within a sol-gel derived crystalline suspension (CS) of titanium oxide in liquid solution. This latter suspension exhibits excellent stability, which allows the preparation of mixed C16-TiO(2) sols using a same CS over a long period of time. Mixed sols can then be impregnated on various kinds of substrates, including textile fabrics. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, as well as optical, atomic force, and scanning electron microscopy, have been used to study chemical and morphological features arising from such sols. Wettability measurement are then presented and discussed in relation to chemical and morphological features. It is shown that this sol-gel route flexibly yields a marked hydrophobic behavior on cotton-based textile fabrics

Mechanisms involved in the platinization of sol-gel-derived TiO2 thin films.

International audienc

Relationship of Glycaemic Index with Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Analysis of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey for People Aged 65 and Older

Objective: To identify associations between dietary glycaemic index (GI) and weight, body mass index and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) – waist-tohip ratio (WHR), lipoprotein fractions, triacylglycerols (TAG) and blood pressure (BP) – in an older British population. Design: Cross-sectional dietary, anthropometric and biochemical data from the National Diet and Nutritional Survey for adults aged over 65 years were reanalysed using a hierarchical regression model. Associations between body weight, CVD risk factors, and dietary factors including GI and fibre intakes were explored among 1152 healthy older people living in the UK between 1994 and 1995. Results: In the unadjusted model, GI was significantly and directly associated with TAG (b ¼ 0.008 ^ 0.003) and diastolic BP (b ¼ 0.325 ^ 0.164) in males. These relationships were attenuated and non-significant after adjustment for potential confounding factors. WHR (b ¼ 0.003 ^ 0.001) and TAG (b ¼ 0.005 ^ 0.002) were significantly predicted by GI in males and females combined. The association with WHR was attenuated by adjustment for sex, age, region and social class; the relationship with TAG was non-significant after adjustment for other potential dietary confounders. Conclusion: After controlling for potential confounders, no clear links were detected between GI and body weight or other CVD risk factors. This study provides little evidence for advising the consumption of a low-GI diet in the elderly to prevent weight gain or improve other CVD risk factors

Elaboration of an Ag°/TiO2 platform for DNA detection by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy

International audienceThe promising potential of a new platform for the label-free DNA detection by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is reported. This platform is composed of silver nanoparticles distributed over the surface of a TiO2 (anatase) film. DNA molecules are immobilized on the platform using a simple grafting procedure. The elaboration and biomodification of the platform involve wet chemistry routes and benefit from specific properties of its components. First, the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 films is used for the photoreduction of Ag salts leading to the Ag degrees nanoparticle deposition. Second, the grafting and surface distribution of DNA benefit from both the photo-induced hydrophilicity of TiO2 films and the chemical affinity between metallic silver and amine ligands. Despite a broad size distribution of the Ag degrees nanoparticles which affects the reproducibility of DNA Raman spectra, specific changes of DNA Raman line intensities observed in single strand and hybridized DNA attest that hybridization can reliably be detected and that a spatially addressed DNA detection is possible. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved