Search results for "T2* value"
showing 10 items of 126 documents
Long-term modelling of weed control strategies: analysis of threshold-based options for weed species with contrasted competitive abilities
2002
A simple life-cycle-based demography model was adapted for two contrasting weed species (Alopecurus myosuroides and Poa annual. This model included a seed production function that accounted for population self-regulation through weed:weed interactions. The A. myosuroides version of the model was tested with field data. Long-term simulations of population demography were then performed to investigate the relationship between weed control strategies based on density thresholds and both the frequency of herbicide use and the long-term economic profitability. This study confirms that threshold-based weed management strategies are more cost-effective than spraying every year and may allow import…
Economic feasibility of stationary electrochemical storages for electric bill management applications: The Italian scenario
2016
Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are expected to become a fundamental element of the electricity infrastructure, thanks to their ability to decouple generation and demand over time. BESSs can also be used to store electricity during low-price hours, when the demand is low, and to meet the demand during peak hours, thus leading to savings for the consumer. This work focuses on the economic viability of BESS from the point of view of the electricity customer. The analysis refers to a lithium-ion (Li-ion), an advanced lead-acid, a zinc-based, a sodium-sulphur (NaS) and a flow battery. The total investment and replacement costs are estimated in order to calculate the cumulated cash flow, …
Economic assessment based on scenario analysis for the production of a new functional pasta
2018
Abstract Nowadays functional foods are becoming more popular due to their capacity to prevent and/or reduce the risk of certain diseases. Functional foods improve health and give physiological benefits providing nutrients beyond the simple nutritional value. The market for functional foods is growing rapidly and the consumers are willing to pay a premium price for these products. In this context, the production of pasta comprising Opuntia may represent an opportunity to combine the widespread consumption of pasta in the traditional Mediterranean Diet and the beneficial characteristics of the Opuntia, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial and neuroprotective p…
Assessing the burden of viral co-infections in acute gastroenteritis in children: An eleven-year-long investigation.
2020
Abstract Background Acute gastroenteritis is an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality worldwide. A number of pathogens are responsible for human acute gastroenteritis. The recent introduction of syndromic assays for the diagnosis of enteric infections, including a wide panel of enteric pathogens, has unveiled the frequency of mixed infections. This study was carried out to assess the burden of viral co-infections and the genetic diversity of the viruses detected in children hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis in Italy. Methods A total of 4161 stool samples collected from diarrheic children over 11 years, from January 2008 to December 2018, were investigated for the presen…
Converting Retirement Benefit into a Life Care Annuity with Graded Benefits: How Costly Would it Actually Be?
2016
This paper deals with life care annuities, i.e. bundled products comprising a life annuity and long-term care insurance. It aims to assess the cost of converting retirement benefit into a life care annuity with graded benefits using a pre-existing public pay-as-you-go pension scheme. With this objective in mind, we present an actuarial method based on array calculus for valuing this type of life care annuity. The health dynamics of the annuitant rely on a reversible illness-death multistate framework. The paper contains a numerical example in which mortality and disability assumptions are based on data from the USA and Australia, although this should be viewed simply as an illustration. In …
Intellectual Capital and Company Value
2014
AbstractThe bulk of traditional corporate valuation methods reflect historical performance, while it is necessary to also take into consideration the value which is off-balance-sheet and possible growth. Large differences exist between company market and book value, and a part of this can be explained by intellectual capital. The aim of the study is to make an empirical investigation of the impact of intellectual capital on company value. Empirical results show that one can find mixed results regarding relationship between value added intellectual coefficient VAICTM and company value.
Acute effects on the human EEG after an external exposure to 200 ppm methanol
2001
Objectives: Even low concentrations of organic solvents may cause acute effects on the human central nervous system. The German MAK (threshold limit value) of methanol is 200 ppm. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acute exposure to 200 ppm methanol causes adverse effects, measured by EEG, and moreover, whether it is possible to differentiate between sedative and excitatory effects with this method. Methods: Twelve healthy subjects were exposed for 4 h to 200 ppm and to 20 ppm (control) in an exposure chamber in a cross-over design. The EEG was recorded before (reference) and at the end of each exposure with, the subject's eyes closed and opened and during a choice reaction te…
Mechanical–biological waste treatment and the associated occupational hygiene in Finland
2004
A special feature of waste management in Finland has been the emphasis on the source separation of kitchen biowaste (catering waste); more than two-thirds of the Finnish population participates in this separation. Source-separated biowaste is usually treated by composting. The biowaste of about 5% of the population is handled by mechanical-biological treatment. A waste treatment plant at Mustasaari is the only plant in Finland using digestion for kitchen biowaste. For the protection of their employees, the plant owners commissioned a study on environmental factors and occupational hygiene in the plant area. During 1998-2000 the concentrations of dust, microbes and endotoxins and noise level…
Occupational exposure to metal-rich particulate matter modifies the expression of repair genes in foundry workers
2021
Foundry workers are exposed to numerous occupational health hazards, which may result in increased risk of cancer, respiratory disease, and other diseases. Oxidative stress is known to be involved in the pathogenesis of such diseases. The present study aimed to investigate the association between multiple occupational exposures in foundry workers and expression of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair genes as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage. The study sample comprised 17 foundry workers and 27 matched control subjects. Expression of 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1), inosine triphosphate pyrophosphate (ITPA), and MutT homolog 1 (MTH1) in peripheral blood was examined using the real-t…
Effects on Heat Stress of a Flame-Retardant Ensemble for Aluminum Smelters
2000
A common belief is that a flame-retardant clothing ensemble will increase the level of heat stress over ordinary cotton work clothes. This is supported by bench tests on fabrics that indicate higher insulation and vapor resistance values for flame-retardant clothing. This research compared a flame-retardant clothing ensemble for an aluminum smelter (Zirpo wool shirt and FR8 denim pants) with typical cotton work clothing. Four young men walked on a treadmill at two work levels inside a climatic chamber under controlled conditions of heat stress. During each test, heart rate, core temperature, and skin temperatures were continuously monitored and recorded every 5 min. After a physiological st…