Search results for "2300"
showing 10 items of 92 documents
Explaining the relationship between socially responsible products and the operations of the firm: The case of equine assisted therapy
2018
Abstract Although there is a growing interest in social responsibility in research as well as in practice, the majority of studies on corporate social responsibility do not explicitly investigate operations management issues when adopting socially responsible practices under the “people” pillar of sustainability. This paper, dealing with the theme of social responsibility in operations management, aims at clarifying the complex relationship between socially responsible product/service and the operations of the company. The empirical context of the study is the sport industry, where the attention to social issues is well established. We used a mixed theoretical-empirical approach to develop …
Rare earth elements distribution in seawater and suspended particulate of the Central Mediterranean Sea
2004
Rare earth element (REE) content in suspended and dissolved phases from the Strait of Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea) has been measured. Vertical profiles of several dissolved REEs along the water column reflect the 3-D oceanographic features of the studied area and identifies the different water masses present there. Shale-normalized REE distribution patterns and derived parameters calculated for the suspended particulate show different atmospheric dust-surface inputs and their interactions with seawater. Finally, combined information from [La/Yb]N, ratios, REE/La ratios and Eu anomalies measured in the suspended particulate suggest an important contribution of volcanic materials from t…
Ceria-based electrolytes prepared by solution combustion synthesis: The role of fuel on the materials properties
2016
Ce0.8Sm0.2O2 â xpowders were synthesized by solution combustion synthesis using citric acid, cellulose and sucrose as single, or intimately mixed, fuels. The powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, N2sorption at â196 °C, H2-temperature programmed reduction and thermogravimetric analyses. Textural properties of the powders were shaped by the peculiar employed fuel. The study of reducibility revealed that oxygen vacancies formation is mainly influenced by both parameters, specific surface area and total pore volume. The different tendency toward reduction played a key role in sintering under reducing atmosphe…
In situ ATR-IR studies in aqueous phase reforming of hydroxyacetone on Pt/ZrO2 and Pt/AlO(OH) catalysts: The role of aldol condensation
2018
Abstract In situ Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy was used to study Aqueous Phase Reforming of hydroxyacetone on Pt/AlO(OH) and Pt/ZrO2 catalysts at 230 °C/ 30 bar. Formation of strongly adsorbed aldol condensation products was observed on the surface of Pt/ZrO2 and ZrO2 in contrast to Pt/AlO(OH) and AlO(OH). Peak assignments were supported by DFT calculations of the IR spectra of the condensation products in vacuum and in the presence of water. Aldol condensation of hydroxyacetone leading to compounds with high molecular weight with unsaturated bonds was suggested as a first step in coke formation. Carbonaceous deposits on the surface of the ZrO2 support are oxyge…
The role of higher education institutions in sustainability initiatives at the local level
2019
FNEGE 2, HCERES B, ABS 2; International audience; Universities are central players and important economic actors in many regions, and many of them are, in general, nationally and internationally active in respect of matters related to sustainable development. But there is a paucity of research which examines their contributions towards sustainability efforts at the local level, i.e. in the places they are situated. This paper addresses this need, by reporting on a qualitative study deploying a Matrix, which allows an analysis and reporting of regional sustainable development initiatives of a set of 22 universities in industrialised and developing countries. Recommendations to enhance their …
Long-term cropping systems and tillage management effects on soil organic carbon stocks and steady state level of C sequestration rates in a semiarid…
2010
A calcareous and clayey xeric Chromic Haploxerept of a long-term experimental site in Sicily (Italy) was sampled (0–15 cm depth) under different land use management and cropping systems (CSs) to study their effect on soil aggregate stability and organic carbon (SOC). The experimental site had three tillage managements (no till [NT], dual-layer [DL] and conventional tillage [CT]) and two CSs (durum wheat monocropping [W] and durum wheat/faba bean rotation [WB]). The annually sequestered SOC with W was 2·75-times higher than with WB. SOC concentrations were also higher. Both NT and CT management systems were the most effective in SOC sequestration whereas with DL system no C was sequestered. …
Hillslope degradation in representative Italian areas. Just soil erosion risk or opportunity for development?
2018
In recent years, much research have dealt with the impact of human and climate change on the morpho-evolution of Mediterranean catchments characterized by high ecological and cultural value. In this paper, we speculated how humans can influence hillslope degradation by reviewing the relationships between denudation processes and land use changes in some representative areas located in different Italian regions (i.e., Liguria, Tuscany, Basilicata, and Sicily). The selected study cases are characterized by different climatic and geological features, land use, and land management and can be considered indicative of the hillslope degradation issues that affected the Apennines during the last ce…
Natural acidification changes the timing and rate of succession, alters community structure, and increases homogeneity in marine biofouling communiti…
2017
Ocean acidification may have far-reaching consequences for marine community and ecosystem dynamics, but its full impacts remain poorly understood due to the difficulty of manipulating pCO2 at the ecosystem level to mimic realistic fluctuations that occur on a number of different timescales. It is especially unclear how quickly communities at various stages of development respond to intermediate-scale pCO2 change and, if high pCO2 is relieved mid-succession, whether past acidification effects persist, are reversed by alleviation of pCO2 stress, or are worsened by departures from prior high pCO2 conditions to which organisms had acclimatized. Here, we used reciprocal transplant experiments al…
Serological and molecular identification of Legionella spp. isolated from water and surrounding air samples in Italian healthcare facilities
2016
Abstract Background Legionella is an intracellular microorganism living in natural and artificial aquatic environments. Although its transmission to humans is linked to the inhalation of contaminated aerosols, there is no validated air sampling method for the control and prevention of the disease. The aim of the present study was to provide more information on the distribution of Legionella spp. in indoor environments and to determine whether the same Legionella strains are isolated from air and water samples. Methods Ten healthcare facilities located in seven regions of Italy were enrolled. The serological typing of Legionella spp. from water samples and the surrounding air by active and p…
Study engagement and burnout profiles among Finnish higher education students
2017
A person-oriented approach was applied to identify profiles of study engagement and burnout (i.e., exhaustion, cynicism, inadequacy) in higher education in a large and representative sample of 12,394 higher education students at different phases of their studies in universities and polytechnics in Finland. Four profiles were identified: Engaged (44%), engaged-exhausted (30%) inefficacious (19%) and burned-out (7%). The engaged students had the most positive engagement accompanied with the least burnout symptoms compared to other groups. The engaged-exhausted students experienced emotional exhaustion simultaneously with academic engagement. The inefficacious group had heightened experience o…