Search results for "ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT"
showing 10 items of 301 documents
Design of a telescopic tower for wind energy production with reduced environmental impact
2019
A prototype of a telescopic pole for wind energy production with low environmental impact and its lifting system for a 60 to 250 kW turbine and a height of 30 m have been designed and manufactured. A telescopic tower, which is raised and lowered by automation or by remote control, allows to differentiate the presence of the generator within the landscape over time. The technology currently available for lifting and lowering wind turbines is made up of telescopic poles of heights of less than 10 meters and with tilting posts of height below 30 m. Without a state of the art to refer to, the telescopic pole and its lifting system have been designed starting from scratch and solving with innova…
Effects of exposure to gadolinium on the development of geographically and phylogenetically distant sea urchins species.
2016
Gadolinium (Gd), a metal of the lanthanide series used as contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging, is released into the aquatic environment. We investigated the effects of Gd on the development of four sea urchin species: two from Europe, Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula, and two from Australia, Heliocidaris tuberculata and Centrostephanus rodgersii. Exposure to Gd from fertilization resulted in inhibition or alteration of skeleton growth in the plutei. The similar morphological response to Gd in the four species indicates a similar mechanism underlying abnormal skeletogenesis. Sensitivity to Gd greatly varied, with the EC50 ranging from 56 nM to 132 μM across the four species…
Induction of skeletal abnormalities and autophagy in Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin embryos exposed to gadolinium.
2017
Abstract Gadolinium (Gd) concentration is constantly increasing in the aquatic environment, becoming an emergent environmental pollutant. We investigated the effects of Gd on Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin embryos, focusing on skeletogenesis and autophagy. We observed a delay of biomineral deposition at 24 hours post fertilization (hpf), and a strong impairment of skeleton growth at 48 hpf, frequently displayed by an asymmetrical pattern. Skeleton growth was found partially resumed in recovery experiments. The mesodermal cells designated to biomineralization were found correctly migrated at 24 hpf, but not at 48 hpf. Western blot analysis showed an increase of the LC3-II autophagic marker…
How online reviews of destination responsibility influence tourists’ evaluations: an exploratory study of mountain tourism
2019
This study examines how online reviews of the economic, sociocultural and environmental dimensions of tourism destination responsibility (TDR) influence tourists’ evaluations. The effects of these ...
Social environmental impact of Covid-19 and erectile dysfunction: an explorative review
2021
Background-\ud \ud To date, no attempt has been made to collate literature on the relationship between the social environmental impact of COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction. The aim of this explorative review was to assess and compare the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in male healthcare workers and males during the COVID-19 pandemic.\ud \ud Methods-\ud \ud A systematic review of major databases from inception to February 2021 was conducted. Prevalence data were extracted, and a random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken.\ud \ud Outcomes-\ud \ud The pooled prevalence of ED amongst healthcare workers working in COVID-19 specific environments, and non-healthcare during the COVID-19 p…
Evaluating hazardous waste generation in for-profit outpatient haemodialysis centres
2015
SUMMARYBackground “Green” haemodialysis management to reduce the environmental impact of haemodialysis is growing. Objectives Dealing with hazardous waste production could heighten healthcare professionals’ awareness of this problem, and improve their healthcare involvement in environmental sustainability and environmental-friendliness. Design and Measurements A list of for-profit outpatient haemodialysis centres in the Valencian Community (E Spain) was compiled. Data on their hazardous waste production from 2008 to 2012 through the annual waste reports issued by official organisations competent in environmental issues were collected. Results There are 22 for-profit dialysis centres, that m…
A bottom-up harmonized energy-environmental models for europe (BOHEEME): A case study on the thermal insulation of the EU-28 building stock
2021
Abstract The paper presents a methodological approach, called “BOttom-up Harmonized Energy-Environmental Models for Europe” (BOHEEME), that combines bottom-up modeling, energy dynamic simulation, and life cycle assessment for evaluating and comparing the energy and environmental effects of different renovation strategies of the residential EU building stocks, from micro to the macro level. The study defines 672 building models representative of the residential EU-28 building stocks built before 2010, called archetypes, and the improvement of their envelope, applying different insulation materials from a traditional one to bio-based materials and studying their environmental effects via LCA.…
Energy and environmental assessment of heritage building retrofit
2020
In the transition to a low-energy economy, the building stock renovation should address the reduction of the environmental impacts, by means of suitable energy retrofits oriented to meet current energy efficiency regulations, construction guidelines, and standards on comfort and operation. With regard to the historic segment of the building stock, suitable refurbishment policies are needed to avoid the loss of their heritage values, even if this is a complex issue requiring interdisciplinary approaches, dedicated diagnostic procedures, and specific tools. In this paper a suitable method for energy and environmental assessment specifically devoted to historical building retrofit, following a…
Environmentally Assessing Buildings Characterized by Complex Shape and Innovative Materials
2013
This paper addresses the emerging problem consisting in a correct energy and environmental evaluation of buildings belonging to the new architectural tendency. In fact, innovative buildings are often characterized by new materials that, not rarely, are not contemplated in current environmental databases. Moreover, unconventional shapes of these buildings could require further manufacturing processes that involve additional energy consumption not included in the commercial environmental database. Through the work a spotlighting of the problem is presented with reference to a real innovative building.
Artificial Neural Networks to assess energy and environmental performance of buildings: An Italian case study
2019
Abstract Approximately 40% of the European energy consumption and a large proportion of environmental impacts are related to the building sector. However, the selection of adequate and correct designs can provide considerable energy savings and reduce environmental impacts. To achieve this objective, a simultaneous energy and environmental assessment of a building's life cycle is necessary. To date, the resolution of this complex problem is entrusted to numerous software and calculation algorithms that are often complex to use. They involve long diagnosis phases and are characterised by the lack of a common language. Despite the efforts by the scientific community in the building sector, th…