Search results for "Concentration."
showing 10 items of 1849 documents
Managing the Liberalization of Italy’s Retail Electricity Market: A Policy Proposal
2018
Italy will phase electricity retail price regulation by July 1st, 2020. This is the last step in the process of electricity market liberalization, that started in 1999. Until then, residential customers and small businesses who do not choose their supplier, will be supplied under a transitional, regulated service named “maggior tutela” (greater protection), which is supplied by the local distributor at a price set by the regulator. This paper reviews the literature on electricity retail competition – with particular regard to its expected effects on prices, innovation and customer engagement – and the condition under which its benefits may be delivered. Then a Structure-Conduct-Performance …
Antibacterial activity of Borago officinalis and Brassica juncea aqueous extracts evaluated in vitro and in situ using different food model systems
2014
The present study was undertaken to characterize the antibacterial activity of the aqueous extracts (AEs) obtained from the leaves of Borago officinalis L. and Brassica juncea L. The antagonistic activity was evaluated against several bacteria (42 strains of Listeria monocytogenes, 35 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, 38 strains of Enterobacter spp. and 18 strains of Salmonella enterica) commonly associated with foodborne diseases by paper disc diffusion method. The susceptibility to the plant extracts was strain specific. Thirty-five strains (7 L. monocytogenes, 11 S. aureus, 1 S. Enteritidis, 1 S. Veneziana, 7 Enterobacter hormaechei, 5 Enterobacter cloacae, 1 Enterobacter sakazakii and 2…
Preliminary results on antimicrobial activity of Rhynchophorous ferrugineus hemolymph
2011
Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), known as the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) and accidentally introduced in the Mediterranean areas, is considered a quarantine pest for tree palms especially in the urban environment. In order to understand the relationship among potential pathogens and RPW several studies were carried out on RPW immune system. Here we report the results of a preliminary study undertaken to investigate the effect of naturally occurring antimicrobial activities present both in the cell free hemolymph and in hemocytes lysate supernatant of RPW. The hemolymph was extracted from the older larvae sampled from infested palm trees. The protein fractions were extracted …
Biocide
2022
Biodeterioration represents a revealing problem for the conservation of cultural heritage. It can be identified as a complex interaction within the ecosystem of a microbial community and its substrate and involves physical and chemical alterations resulting from biological and metabolic activity. Designing a diagnostic approach for evaluating the extent of the damage, identifying the biological community, and opting for an efficient methodology aimed at eliminating deteriogens is equally complicated. The correct approach would require understanding the nature of the biodeterioration and implementing methodologies respectful of human health which, however, avoid the indiscriminate killing of…
The duality of ocean acidification as a resource and a stressor
2018
Ecologically dominant species often define ecosystem states, but as human disturbances intensify, their subordinate counterparts increasingly displace them. We consider the duality of disturbance by examining how environmental drivers can simultaneously act as a stressor to dominant species and as a resource to subordinates. Using a model ecosystem, we demonstrate that CO2-driven interactions between species can account for such reversals in dominance; i.e., the displacement of dominants (kelp forests) by subordinates (turf algae). We established that CO2 enrichment had a direct positive effect on productivity of turfs, but a negligible effect on kelp. CO2 enrichment further suppressed the …
Are control of extracellular acid-base balance and regulation of skeleton genes linked to resistance to ocean acidification in adult sea urchins?
2020
SCOPUS: ar.j
Inorganic carbon physiology underpins macroalgal responses to elevated CO2
2017
Beneficial effects of CO2 on photosynthetic organisms will be a key driver of ecosystem change under ocean acidification. Predicting the responses of macroalgal species to ocean acidification is complex, but we demonstrate that the response of assemblages to elevated CO2 are correlated with inorganic carbon physiology. We assessed abundance patterns and a proxy for CO2:HCO3− use (δ13C values) of macroalgae along a gradient of CO2 at a volcanic seep, and examined how shifts in species abundance at other Mediterranean seeps are related to macroalgal inorganic carbon physiology. Five macroalgal species capable of using both HCO3− and CO2 had greater CO2 use as concentrations increased. These s…
Fission Product Activity Measurements in Air Particulate Filters Collected after Fukushima Accident at Palermo, Italy
2012
In the framework of routine operation of AGN-201 COSTANZA Nuclear research reactor, measurements of radionuclide air concentration are periodically performed by filtering an high volume of air through paper filters and by using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. After Fukushima accident, a series of samplings was carried out with a daily frequency so to detect the possible arrival of air radioactive contamination and to follow its evolution. Particulate collection was performed by suction of atmospheric air through 45cm × 45cm Sofiltra-Poelman HYN-75 (Bleu type) cellulose filter paper using a high-volume air sampler located on the roof of our department 20 m above ground-level. The sampling time …
Analysis of 7Be and 210Pb concentration and 7Be/210Pb activity ratio in ground level air in Palermo (Italy).
2019
Recently a renewed interest has been put on the use of radioactive tracers to study transport and mixing processes in the atmosphere. Among the most commonly used radioactive tracers in the atmosphere, 7Be and 210Pb have assumed an ever-increasing importance. Beryllium-7 is the product of the interaction of cosmic rays with Nitrogen and Oxygen nuclei. Its cosmogenic origin makes the measured concentrations strongly dependent on the geographical position and seasonal cycles. It emits 478 keV gamma photons and has a half-life of about 53 days.
A brine evaporative cooler/concentrator for autonomous thermal desalination units
2011
In recent years growing attention has been paid to the problem of brine disposal due to the raising awareness of significant environmental issues related to the use of desalination processes for fresh water production. This is particularly relevant when desalination units are located in remote sites, characterised by major complexity in the construction and management of intake and outfall structures. In the present work a novel device, named brine evaporative cooler/concentrator (BECC, patent pending), has been developed for coupling with small-scale thermal desalination plants in order to reduce the problem of brine disposal. Such device fulfils two different functions: i) cooling of the …