Search results for " Efficiency"

Water balance and pollutant removal efficiency when considering evapotranspiration in a pilot-scale horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland in…

2016

Abstract In constructed wetland systems (CWs) for wastewater treatment, the performance of the system is affected by evapotranspiration (ET). This study shows the results of a series of water balance and pollutant removal efficiency analyses taken from a pilot horizontal-subsurface flow system (HSSFs) in the West of Sicily (Italy). The system comprised three separate units, one planted with Cyperus alternifolius L., one planted with Typha latifolia L. and an unplanted unit. The system was fed with urban wastewater from an activated-sludge wastewater treatment plant. The aims of the study were to determine water balance and pollutant removal rates when considering evapotranspiration in two r…

Mycelium Growth and Biological Efficiency of Ganoderma lucidum on Substrate Supplemented with Different Organic Additives

2015

Evaluating the effect of organization and context on technical efficiency: a second-stage DEA analysis of Italian hospitals

2022

Objective: the purpose of this study was to compare the technical efficiency of Italian hospitals at a regional level and to examine if differences could be explained by organisational and contextual factors. Technical efficiency was defined as the ability of the operating units evaluated to use optimal resource levels for their level of output.Methods: the effect of external factors was explored through a second stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Efficiency scores were calculated for each hospital using the DEA method (Stage I). Through Tobit regression analysis, the estimated efficiency scores were regressed against a set of organisational and contextual characteristics beyond manager…

Ecklonia maxima-derivate seaweed extract supply as mitigation strategy to alleviate drought stress in chicory plants

2023

Extreme climatic conditions have a severe repercussion on agriculture and on food availability. Ecological means to overcome drought are important to improve agroecosystems sustainability and resilience. The use of an Ecklonia maxima-derivate seaweed extract (SwE) as a tool to mitigate drought constrain in chicory plants grown in greenhouse was evaluated. Plants were cultivated in plastic pots filled with peat and subjected to drought stress by retaining moisture range at 90–100% of water holding capacity (WHC) [well-watered (WW)], 60–70% WHC [moderate drought stress (MDS)] or 30–40% WHC [severe drought stress (SDS)]. Drought stress decreased plant growth traits and yield. However, in plant…

Azobenzene Containing Low-Molecular Weight Organic Glasses for Optical Recording

2013

Abstract In this work photoinduced processes and holographic surface relief formation in azobenzene containing low- molecular weight organic glasses were studied. The molecular glasses due to trans-cis isomerisation and photo- orientation of molecules possess high sensitivity to the light irradiation and therefore they are promising media for holographic recording. Electric field of linearly polarized light causes an alignment of molecule dipoles perpendicularly to the electric field vector and this process is accompanied by an appearance of photoinduced optical anisotropy in organic glasses. The photoinduced birefringence and dichroism induced by 532 nm light was studied. Holographic recor…

Emergence of statistically validated financial intraday lead-lag relationships

2014

According to the leading models in modern finance, the presence of intraday lead-lag relationships between financial assets is negligible in efficient markets. With the advance of technology, however, markets have become more sophisticated. To determine whether this has resulted in an improved market efficiency, we investigate whether statistically significant lagged correlation relationships exist in financial markets. We introduce a numerical method to statistically validate links in correlation-based networks, and employ our method to study lagged correlation networks of equity returns in financial markets. Crucially, our statistical validation of lead-lag relationships accounts for mult…

The Role of Local Administrations in the Energy Retrofit of Public Buildings: a Case Study

2022

Recent regulations, and related incentives, concerning urban sustainability issued at European and national level place particular attention on improving the energy and environmental performance of buildings. In this sense, a particular focus has been placed on public buildings (offices, schools, hospitals, etc..), being these centers of gravitation of social life. Among the EU strategies on this matter is an initiative called Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP), through which local administrators, based on the knowledge of their territory, are called to establish appropriate energy strategies and commit to achieving their targets within the timeframe set by the EU. The prese…

The European Standards for Energy Efficiency in Buildings: an analysis of the Evolution with Reference to a Case Study

2019

The improvement of the energy efficiency of building stocks represents an important contribution for the reduction of the energy consumption in the European Union (EU), along with the decrease of greenhouse gases emissions. In this aim both the public administrations and the technical experts need reliable calculation methodology to assess buildings’ energy performance. In this framework, despite the recent publication of the Standard EN ISO 52016, that deeply modifies the approach to the energy building simulation by introducing a new hourly dynamic calculation model, the current normative framework (EN ISO 13790) will maintain its validity until the incorporation of the new Standard in th…

Sexes in gynodioeciousGeranium sylvaticumdo not differ in their isotopic signature or photosynthetic capacity

2017

• In gynodioecious plants, females are expected to produce more or better seeds than hermaphrodites in order to be maintained within the same population. Even though rarely measured, higher seed production can be achieved through differences in physiology. • In this work, we measured sexual dimorphism in several physiological traits in the gynodioecious plant Geranium sylvaticum. Photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductivity, transpiration rate, water use efficiency and isotopic signatures were measured in plants growing in two habitats differing in light availability. • Females have been reported to produce more seeds than hermaphrodites. However, we did not observe any significant difference…

Full-scale validation of bio-recycled asphalt mixtures for road pavements

2019

Abstract Recycling of asphalt has become a well-established practice in many countries, however the road pavement industry remains a bulk consumer of extracted raw materials. Novel solutions that find root in circular economy concepts and life-cycle approaches are needed in order to enable optimisation of infrastructure resource efficiency, starting from the design stage and spanning the whole value chain in the construction sector. Itis within this framework that the present study presents a full-scale validation of asphalt mixtures specifically designed to ensure durability of flexible road pavements and at the same time enabling the reuse of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) through the i…