Element concentrations in the forest moss Hylocomium splendens: variation associated with altitude, net primary production and soil chemistry.

Net primary production (NPP) of the forest moss Hylocomium splendens increased significantly along an elevational gradient in the southern Alps of Italy. Extracellularly bound metals (Al, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Ni, Mo, Ni, Pb) showed declining concentrations in moss tissue with increasing altitude, presumably because the amount of exchange sites on the cell wall increases less than total biomass. Concentrations of intracellular elements did not vary (Cd, Cu, Mg, Na, Zn), or even increased (K) with altitude. The observed patterns were always independent of precipitation amount and soil concentrations of exchangeable elements. A higher soil nutrient status only enhanced K uptake by the moss. We concluded that variations in moss NPP, associated with elevational gradients, may significantly affect estimates of atmospheric deposition based on moss analysis in mountainous regions.     

Extraction of anthropogenic heavy metals from reduced sediments: Indeterminations due to authigenic sulphides and clay minerals

A mineralogical and micro‐chemical study was performed by X‐ray diffraction and SEM/EDS techniques in a reduced sediment sample from the Venice Lagoon to investigate selectivity and significance of two widely used acid extractions (cold IN HCl and hot 8N HNO₃) for the evaluation of anthropogenic metal concentrations. Hydrochloric acid determines an incomplete and variable solubilization of authigenic iron sulphides, yielding a partial extraction of the associated metals (Hg, Mn, Zn and less Ni and Cu). Nitric acid is effective in solubilizing all sulphides, however, it leads to an overestimate of the anthropogenic metal content since it partially dissolves the lattice of some clay‐minerals, particularly chlorites. When these acid extractions are used to asses metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems, the possible over or under‐estimate of the anthropogenic concentration must be taken into account, considering the mineralogical composition of the sediment.     

Vitellogenesis in the deep-sea shark Centroscymnus coelolepis

At present, information on the reproductive physiology of Centroscymnus coelolepis, which is one of most important and widespread deep-sea shark species, is completely lacking. In this study, we investigated vitellogenesis, a key step in the reproduction biology of fishes. Specimens of C. coelolepis were collected at 2850 m depth in the Western Mediterranean Sea. The size of the collected sharks (range: 35.5–65.0 cm TL) was much lower than those typically reported for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The marked distinctiveness of Mediterranean and Atlantic/Pacific populations was reflected by the achievement of sexual maturity at a smaller size in Mediterranean specimens. The examination of cytoplasmatic components of oocytes indicated that vitellogenin uptake in the ovary started when oocytes reached 14 mm in diameter. Only reproductive females displayed a significant relationship between plasmatic vitellogenin and gonadal development, suggesting that vitellogenesis in C. coelolepis is a discontinuous process. Oestradiol levels were tightly coupled with gonadal development, underlining the importance of this hormone in controlling vitellogenesis. All these findings suggest that vitellogenesis in this yolk-sac viviparous shark might occur with similar mechanisms of oviparous vertebrates.     

Perceptions of industrial risk and emergency management procedures in Hazmat Logistics: A qualitative mental model approach

In the industrial risk field, Hazmat Logistics research is growing as a sector of special relevance. The road transport of these substances is an activity with an elevated risk, involving drivers, logistics systems, industries, infrastructures, urban areas, etc.In the study of risk and safety of the logistics of hazardous materials there is a special relevance for new and complex elements, as human factors and mental models involved in managing critical incidents ‘‘on the road”. Moreover, the ‘‘emergency management training” of human resources in this field is often limited, and this represents another factor of vulnerability.In collaboration with SBG (one of the leading European Hazmat Logistics corporations), we developed a quali-quantitative study on cognitive representations and semantic perceptions of risk and emergency management procedures in tanker drivers. The main innovation of the study, with the direct involvement of the stakeholder and 47 drivers, is represented by the construction and use of ‘‘ad hoc” psychometrical and knowledge-elicitation, allowing a deeper analysis of workers’ mental models.The application of PCP tools of adapted RepGrid and Landfield Laddering Procedures allows to analyze some of the main qualitative structures of mental models held by drivers about Hazmat Logistics. Through the analysis of these mental models, it could become possible to set up efficient preventive actions for this type of industrial risk. We are going to discuss the consequences of these findings and methodological approaches for the industrial risk-and-safety field.     

Recursive Operability Analysis as a decision support tool for Risk-Based Maintenance

This work was developed with the support of MEMC, one of the most important producers of ultra-pure silicon wafers for electronic applications throughout the world. The availability of ultra-pure water is of prime importance in the silicon production process. In order to maximize the availability of UP water, MEMC has developed a preventive maintenance program and a detailed record of each maintenance intervention is recorded. This has allowed a complete failure rate data bank to be developed. In order to optimize the maintenance intervention, a Recursive Operability Analysis (ROA) has been used as a decision support tool. The results of the ROA, coupled with the failure rates, have made it possible to calculate the expected number of events (ENE) of various top events (TEs). The magnitude of each TE has been estimated on the basis of the monetary losses provoked by each event. The risk then has been calculated and the events ranked on this basis. Maintenance policies have been optimized with the aim of reducing the risk of the top ranked events.     

产业联盟透视 关于中外产业联盟问题的10个答问

国内外产业联盟的形成和发展,原因在于经济全球化、高新技术特别是信息技术的快速发展。联盟按照自愿、平等、互利原则建立,这种组织形式有利于成员间的资源整合,有利于新技术的研发、统一标准、开拓全球市场,使联盟成员在市场竞争中获得更多的优势。联盟的发展需要有明确的定位,坚持战略性、市场化、互利性原则。目前安防行业成立的产业联盟,本质上是企业联盟。在企业家探索、实践产业联盟之际,我们对产业联盟的来龙去脉、对联盟的定位和功能进行了梳理,目的是抛砖引玉,希望大家对产业联盟、企业联盟有一个相对全面、直观的解读。     

Sprawl matters: the evolution of fringe land,natural amenities and disposable income in a Mediterranean urban area

We investigate the relationship between land-use changes (1987–2007) and the spatial distribution of the average declared income of resident population in a southern European metropolitan region (Athens, Greece) as a contribution to the analysis of suburbanization processes in the Mediterranean region. To demonstrate that urban expansion is accompanied with multiple modifications in the use of the surrounding non-urban land, we developed a computational approach based on spatial indexes of landscape configuration and proximity as a result of changes in the local socio-spatial structure. Diversity in the use of land surrounding built-up parcels in the Athens’ metropolitan region increased significantly between 1987 and 2007, reflecting a progressive fragmentation of the exurban landscape. The percentage of forests and (high-quality) natural land surrounding built-up parcels increased from 8.1 to 9.4 % between 1987 and 2007. The reverse pattern was observed for (low-quality) sparsely vegetated areas, declining from 65 to 47 %. Large built-up parcels were surrounded by a higher percentage of natural land than small parcels. The largest increase over time in forest and natural land surrounding built-up parcels was observed in municipalities with high per capita declared income, and the reverse pattern was observed for sparse vegetation. Our results demonstrate that scattered urban expansion determines a polarization in suburban areas with high-quality and low-quality natural amenities. Sprawl increases economic inequality and socio-spatial disparities contributing to a spatially unbalanced distribution of natural amenities with higher consumption of high-quality land.     

Treatment of industrial landfill leachate by means of evaporation and reverse osmosis

In this paper a process for the treatment of landfill leachate involving evaporation and reverse osmosis was proposed. Experimental tests were performed on an industrial landfill leachate. The leachate was subjected to evaporation so as to obtain a distillate containing a small amount of organic material and a substantial amount of inorganic substances (consisting primarily of metals and ammonium salts). The distillate of the evaporation treatment was then subjected to reverse osmosis. The reverie osmosis tests were performed using two different membranes: the AD membrane (thin two-ply film of polyamide) and the SC membrane (thin three-ply film of polyamide). Tests carried out at different values of pH showed a reduction of organic content of about 88% when AD membranes were used and about 80% with SC membranes independently of pH. As regards ammonium, comparable reductions of over 97% were registered for both types of membrane in the optimal conditions of pH = 6.4 (97.1% for AD membranes and 97.7% for SC).     

Polychlorinated biphenyls in two salt marsh sediments of the Venice Lagoon

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in two dated salt marsh cores of the Venice Lagoon to assess their input chronology and to evaluate the importance of atmospheric deposition as a source. Sampling sites were chosen in order to evidence the differences between areas located leeward and windward with respect to inputs originating in both the city of Venice and the industrial area. Concentrations of PCB indicators (0.13-15.6 ng g?1) increased gradually from the 1930s, reached maxima from the 1950s to the late 1970s, and then decreased. PCB loadings to marshes are driven by both the atmospheric deposition and the resuspension of subtidal sediments, this latter being more important for heavier congeners. The downwind marsh recorded higher fluxes (0.06-9.72 ng cm?2 year?1) than the upwind one (0.01-0.53 ng cm?2 year?1). Recent fluxes are rather consistent with bulk deposition measurements. A higher contribution of CB-101 and CB-118 was detected in the intermediate layers of the downwind site, suggesting a different PCB source for the corresponding time interval. In the other marsh, PCBs showed a rather constant composition at all levels (mostly CB-153, CB-138 and CB-180), accounting for a regional influence. Deep layers showed an enrichment of higher chlorinated congeners at both sites, whereas recent samples conserve the patterns typical of surficial and subsurficial subtidal sediments. The scientific approach adopted in this research can be considered as a sort of methodological procedure for the determination of fluxes and pathways of PCBs through the study of marsh cores.