Search results for " DEGRADATION"
showing 10 items of 510 documents
A statistical design of experiments for optimizing the MALDI-TOF-MS sample preparation of polymers. An application in the assessment of the thermo-me…
2011
[EN] The sample preparation procedure for MALDI-TOF MS of polymers is addressed in this study by the application of a statistical Design of Experiments (DoE). Industrial poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was chosen as model polymer. Different experimental settings (levels) for matrixes, analyte/matrix proportions and concentrations of cationization agent were considered. The quality parameters used for the analysis were signal-to-noise ratio and resolution. A closer inspection of the statistical results provided the study not only with the best combination of factors for the MALDI sample preparation, but also with a better understanding of the influence of the different factors, individua…
Influence of substrate and temperature on the biodegradation of polyester-based materials: Polylactide and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoa…
2020
[EN] The extended use of polymers from renewable resources such as aliphatic polyesters or polyhydroxyalkanoates boosted the necessity to understand their behaviour in an end-of-life scenario. Although they can be degraded in reasonable shorter times than traditional polymers, understanding the degradation mechanisms under dissimilar conditions will contribute to further developments in this field. This work aimed to study the effect of temperature and substrate in the degradation of polylactide (PLA) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH) in a simulated laboratory scale to ascertain their contribution, separately or in combination. For this purpose, nine parallel degradat…
Assessing the MALDI-TOF MS sample preparation procedure to analyze the influence of thermo-oxidative ageing and thermo-mechanical degradation on poly…
2011
[EN] Multiple processing by means of successive injection cycles was used to simulate the thermo-mechanical degradation effects on the oligomeric distribution of PLA under mechanical recycling. Likewise, an accelerated thermal ageing over PLA glass transition was performed in order to simulate its service life. MALDI-TOF MS was used for the analysis and the sample preparation procedure was assessed by means of a statistical Design of Experiments (DoE). The quality effects in use for the analysis were signal-to-noise ratio and Resolution. Different matrixes, analyte/matrix proportions and the use of NaTFA as cationization agent were considered. A deep inspection of the statistical results pr…
Water absorption and hydrothermal performance of PHBV/sisal biocomposites
2014
[EN] The performance of biocomposites of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate) (PHBV) and sisal fibre subjected to hydrothermal tests at different temperatures above the glass transition of PHBV (TH ¿ 26, 36 and 46 C) was evaluated in this study. The influences of both the fibre content and presence of coupling agent were focused. The water absorption capability and water diffusion rate were considered for a statistical factorial analysis. Afterwards, the physico-chemical properties of water-saturated biocomposites were assessed by Fourier-Transform Infrared Analysis, Size Exclusion Chromatography, Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Scanning Electron Microscopy. It was found that the water d…
mRNAStab—a web application for mRNA stability analysis
2013
Abstract Eukaryotic gene expression is regulated both at the transcription and the mRNA degradation levels. The implementation of functional genomics methods that allow the simultaneous measurement of transcription (TR) and degradation (DR) rates for thousands of mRNAs is a huge improvement in this field. One of the best established methods for mRNA stability determination is genomic run-on (GRO). It allows the measurement of DR, TR and mRNA levels during cell dynamic responses. Here, we offer a software package that provides improved algorithms for determination of mRNA stability during dynamic GRO experiments. Availability and implementation: The program mRNAStab is freely accessible at h…
Rethinking Monetary Policy in the Framework of Inclusive and Sustainable Growth
2021
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development places equality and sustainability at the centre of policy agendas. Nowadays, socially inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic growth is a central priority of public policy for most governments worldwide. Based on the theoretical and conceptual frameworks of inclusive growth and sustainable growth, we focus on monetary policy as a powerful macroeconomic policy tool connected with distributional and environmental issues. We deal with how high levels in income and wealth inequality, on the one hand, and shocks related to environmental degradation and climate change, on the other hand, it might have substantial implications for the conduct…
Soil Erosion as an Environmental Concern ... for Everyone?
2020
Nowadays, the scientific community is aware of the negative environmental impacts of soil erosion on ecosystem services. Soil erosion is one of the most important causes of land degradation because of its immediate influence of the most fertile topsoil parts. It is well-known that questions related to who, what, why, where and when soil erosion causes negative impacts must be considered by stakeholders and policymakers. However, why do the Sustainable Development Goals tell anything about soil erosion? In this keynote, we will try to show the importance to develop tools which can be used to assess soil erosion to obtain convincing results for stakeholders and policymakers. According to this…
Soil Mapping and Processes Modeling for Sustainable Land Management
2017
Soil maps and models are indispensable tools in sustainable land management. The sustainable land use of our territory is fundamental to providing long-term socio-economic and environmental benefits. The risk of land degradation and corresponding declines in ecosystem services depends on the type of land use. Soil restoration can be extremely expensive, more than the implementation of sustainable land use practices. This is especially important in the context of climate change and the increasing pressure that a growing population places on soil resources, which is a global phenomenon. The objective of this chapter is to show the advantages of using soil mapping and modeling in sustainable l…
Critical range of soil organic carbon in southern Europe lands under desertification risk.
2021
Soil quality is fundamental for ecosystem long term functionality, productivity and resilience to current climatic changes. Despite its importance, soil is lost and degraded at dramatic rates worldwide. In Europe, the Mediterranean areas are a hotspot for soil erosion and land degradation due to a combination of climatic conditions, soils, geomorphology and anthropic pressure. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is considered a key indicator of soil quality as it relates to other fundamental soil functions supporting crucial ecosystem services. In the present study, the functional relationships among SOC and other important soil properties were investigated in the topsoil of 38 sites under different …
Soil Quality Characterization of Mediterranean Areas under Desertification Risk for the Implementation of Management Schemes Aimed at Land Degradatio…
2020
Soil is a key component of ecosystems as it provides fundamental ecosystem functions and services, first of all supporting primary productivity, by physical, chemical and biological interaction with plants. However, soil loss and degradation are at present two of the most critical environmental issues. This phenomenon is particularly critical in Mediterranean areas, where inappropriate land management, in combination with the increasingly harshening of climatic conditions due to Climate Change, is leading to significant land degradation and desertification and is expected to worsen in the future, leading to economic and social crisis. In such areas, it is of fundamental importance to apply …