Search results for " DEGRADATION"

Accelerated Light-Induced Defect Transformation Study of Elkem Solar Grade Silicon

2012

AbstractSolar cells made of silicon feedstock from a metallurgical route must qualify not only the initial efficiency, but must also be comparable to the solar cells made from reference polysilicon on the spectral response after light induced degradation. A detailed comparative study of light induced defects and its impact on cell performance is necessary for both materials. We have studied accelerated light induced degradation (ALID) defect transformation for Elkem Solar Silicon and polysilicon solar cells by selecting wafers from different positions from respective silicon bricks. Active boron-oxygen complexes and iron ions in multicrystalline silicon solar cells have been analyzed, and t…

Comparing the monitoring and evaluation systems of watershed management related development projects in Amhara, Ethiopia

2012

Natural resource degradation is both a cause and a result of poverty in Ethiopia. Therefore it is important to include watershed management into efforts to reduce poverty and food insecurity in the country. In order to see if different interventions are effective in restoring the degraded environment, it is important to have a functioning monitoring and evaluation system that includes natural resource degradation and other environmental factors. This study compares the monitoring and evaluation systems used by five different projects involved in watershed management in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. The objective is to find out whether these systems are providing adequate and scientifically v…

Tillage Versus No-Tillage. Soil Properties and Hydrology in an Organic Persimmon Farm in Eastern Iberian Peninsula

2020

There is an urgent need to implement environmentally friendly agriculture management practices to achieve the Sustainable Goals for Development (SDGs) of the United Nations by 2030. Mediterranean agriculture is characterized by intense and millennia-old tillage management and as a consequence degraded soil. No-Tillage has been widely examined as a solution for soil degradation but No-Tillage relies more on the application of herbicides that reduce plant cover, which in turn enhances soil erosion. However, No-Tillage with weed cover should be researched to promote organic farming and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, we compare Tillage against No-Tillage using weed cover as an alternative …

New Insight on Archaeological Metal Finds, Nails and Lead Sheathings of the Punic Ship from Battle of the Egadi Islands

2023

The wreck of the Punic ship exhibited at the Archaeological Park of Lilybaeum (Marsala, Italy) is a unique example in the world. In this paper, the investigation of some metal finds (30 nails and 3 fragments of sheathings) belonging to the wreck of the Punic ship is reported. Portable X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy allowed us to identify the elements and compounds constituting them and make some deductions about their composition. X-ray diffractometry, polarised optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of the collected micro-samples allowed us to explain the degradation that occurred in the underwater environment.

Failure Load and Collapse Mode of an RC Beam in a Large Collapsed Roof

2021

The present work focused on the determination of the collapse load and of the failure mode of a collapsed framed structure constructed in the South of Italy and failed in 2004 under its self-weight. Information available was the results on extensive experimental test campaign, for the determination of mechanical properties of concrete and steel bars of beams, floors and columns involved in the failure. Moreover, draws of original design with construction details and design rules valid in Italy at the time of construction were found. A simple monodimensional beam model for prediction of load-deflection curve, able to include degradation of constituent materials (concrete, steel and bond) was…

Data from: Recolonization after habitat restoration leads to decreased genetic variation in populations of a terrestrial orchid

2012

Colonization is crucial to habitat restoration projects that rely on the spontaneous regeneration of the original vegetation. However, as a previously declining plant species spreads again, the likelihood of founder effects increases through recurrent population founding and associated serial bottlenecks. We related AFLP genetic variation and fitness of all extant populations of the outcrossing terrestrial orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata in an isolated coastal dune complex to colonization history. Around 1970, D. incarnata suffered a severe bottleneck yet eventually persisted and gradually spread throughout the spatially segregated dune slacks, aided by the restoration of an open vegetation. …

Inhibition of cAMP Degradation Improves Regulatory T Cell-Mediated Suppression of Allergic Airway Disease.

2009

Isolation of Central Nervous System (CNS) Infiltrating Cells

2014

Leukocyte infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS) occurs under certain pathogenic conditions and most often results in severe disorders. Therefore, the isolation and analysis of such infiltrating cell populations is necessary for elucidating the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Here we describe a simple and straightforward protocol for cell isolation from the inflamed CNS, which combines mechanical dissociation and enzymatic degradation of the tissue. Additionally, purification by Percoll gradient centrifugation provides a great yield of the infiltrating material. The isolated cells can be further used for downstream applications such as cell sorting, cellular or molecular analysi…

Laboratory testing in the emergency department: an Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology (SIBioC) and Academy of Em…

2018

Abstract Background: The mainstay of patient-oriented laboratory testing in emergency settings entails selecting a number and the type of tests according to valid criteria of appropriateness. Since the pattern of urgent tests requesting is variable across different institutions, we designed a joined survey between the Academy of Emergency Medicine and Care (AcEMC) and the Italian Society of Clinical Biochemistry and Clinical Molecular Biology (SIBioC) for reaching tentative consensus about the most informative diagnostic tests in emergency settings. Methods: A survey, containing the most commonly ordered urgent laboratory tests and the relative clinical indications, was disseminated to eigh…

D-dimer testing: advantages and limitations in emergency medicine for managing acute venous thromboembolism

2007

Patients with suspected deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) are frequently admitted to an Emergency Department (ED) for initial evaluation. However, management of patients with suspicion of acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) in this clinical setting can be difficult; in fact symptoms and signs of DVT are non-specific and can be found in a broad spectrum of non-thrombotic disorders. An accurate and timely objective diagnosis is necessary for immediate and correct identification of patients with acute VTE, while avoiding the bleeding risk associated with unnecessary anticoagulant therapy in patients where DVT or PE have been ruled out. The diagnostic approach to patients wit…