Comparison of the trace element content in transplants of the lichen Evernia prunastri and in bulk atmospheric deposition: a case study from a low polluted environment (C Italy)

Biologia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Loppi ◽  
Luca Paoli
Keyword(s):  
Trace Element Content ◽  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Bulk Deposition ◽  
Remote Site ◽  
Evernia Prunastri ◽  
Icp Ms ◽  
Bulk Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
The One ◽  
The University

AbstractThis study investigated whether lichen samples transplanted and retrieved monthly for six months reflect bulk deposition under conditions of relatively low air pollution. The study investigated also whether samples exposed for six months provide data consistent with the one-month transplants. The lichen Evernia prunastri was collected from a remote site and exposed at a study site (the Botanical Garden of the University of Siena, Italy), along with an atmospheric bulk deposition collector. Lichens and bulk deposition were analysed by ICP-MS for the content of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti and Zn. The results showed significant correlations between lichen content and bulk deposition for Al, As, Cu, Fe, Hg, Sb and Ti, suggesting that in one month the equilibrium is reached for these elements between the lichen and the atmosphere. The above elements (but Sb) in lichen and bulk deposition are related to soil-particulates, while traffic is the source for Sb deposition. In addition, samples exposed for 6 months showed results consistent with the one-month transplants for As, Cu and Hg, suggesting that for these elements in the study site the equilibrium is maintained also for longer periods.

scholarly journals Exergy As a Measure of Sustainable Retrofitting of Buildings

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Fernández Bandera ◽  
Ana Muñoz Mardones ◽  
Hu Du ◽  
Juan Echevarría Trueba ◽  
Germán Ramos Ruiz
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Exergy Analysis ◽  
Local Contexts ◽  
Primary Selection ◽  
Optimization Methodology ◽  
The One ◽  
Reference Environment ◽  
Architectural Characteristics ◽  
The University

This study presents a novel optimization methodology for choosing optimal building retrofitting strategies based on the concept of exergy analysis. The study demonstrates that the building exergy analysis may open new opportunities in the design of an optimal retrofit solution despite being a theoretical approach based on the high performance of a Carnot reverse cycle. This exergy-based solution is different from the one selected through traditional efficient retrofits where minimizing energy consumption is the primary selection criteria. The new solution connects the building with the reference environment, which acts as “an unlimited sink or unlimited sources of energy”, and it adapts the building to maximize the intake of energy resources from the reference environment. The building hosting the School of Architecture at the University of Navarra has been chosen as the case study building. The unique architectural appearance and bespoke architectural characteristics of the building limit the choices of retrofitting solutions; therefore, retrofitting solutions on the façade, roof, roof skylight and windows are considered in multi-objective optimization using the jEPlus package. It is remarkable that different retrofitting solutions have been obtained for energy-driven and exergy-driven optimization, respectively. Considering the local contexts and all possible reference environments for the building, three “unlimited sinks or unlimited sources of energy” are selected for the case study building to explore exergy-driven optimization: the external air, the ground in the surrounding area and the nearby river. The evidence shows that no matter which reference environment is chosen, an identical envelope retrofitting solution has been obtained.

scholarly journals “What’s in a Name?”

Ad Americam ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 31-48
Author(s):  
Diana Benea
Keyword(s):  
American Literature ◽  
American Studies ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Communist Regime ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The One ◽  
New Research ◽  
The University

The present article sets out to analyze the emergence and institutionalization of American Studies as an academic discipline in Romania, with a focus on the specific contexts and factors that influenced this process, and the ways in which its practitioners defined, constructed, and focused their endeavors. Taking the University of Bucharest as a case study and adding insights from other Romanian universities, the paper seeks to give an account of: 1) the ways in which the several decades-long tradition of teaching American literature in the Communist period (sporadically until the 1960s, but ever more substantially in the following decades) prepared the ground for the institutionalization of American Studies programs; 2) the “conditions of possibility” that enabled this institutionalization after the collapse of the Communist regime in 1989, with an emphasis on the restructuring of the Romanian higher education system, on the one hand, and the specific renegotiations of the field of American Studies, on the other; 3) American Studies curriculum development and its impact on Romanian academia as an example of curricular reform in the spirit of interdisciplinarity; 4) the situated contributions that Romanian Americanists have made to international scholarship in American Studies by bringing new research agendas to the fore.

scholarly journals One Health Evaluation: A Case Study at the University of Bologna

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Aragrande ◽  
Massimo Canali ◽  
Mariana Roccaro ◽  
Elisabetta Ferraro ◽  
Alessandra Bonoli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
One Health ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Human Interface ◽  
Quantitative Metrics ◽  
Health Initiatives ◽  
The One ◽  
The University

The level of One Health (OH), or “One Health-ness,” of health interventions has been defined as the capacity to operate according to six dimensions concerning OH operations and OH infrastructures, respectively (thinking, planning, and working; and information sharing, reciprocal learning, and systemic organization). Although health initiatives and research increasingly claim their orientation toward OH, such a capacity is rarely assessed. The objective of this study is to evaluate the One Health-ness of the academic team of the University of Bologna (UNIBO Team) working in the “ELEPHANT” project (Empowering universities' Learning and rEsearch caPacities in the one Health Approach for the maNagement of animals at the wildlife, livestock and human interface in SouTh Africa). This project involves universities, six from South Africa and two from Europe, and aims at embedding OH in research and learning to enable the control of diseases at the human, animal, and environmental interface, and to emphasize the interests of local African communities with wildlife conservation. The methodology adopts the NEOH method, developed in 2018 by the EU-COST Action, “Network for the Evaluation of One Health.” The approach is based on questionnaires delivered to participants, which focus on the six OH dimensions, and then translate answers into quantitative metrics through the OH Index (OHI) and the OH Ratio (OHR). The following two evaluation levels are foreseen: the whole project and the single partner institutions. The evaluations are carried on in parallel, with preliminary, mid-term, and final assessments, to monitor the efficacy of the project actions. The preliminary evaluation of the UNIBO Team resulted in the OHI of 0.23 and the OHR of 1.69 which indicate a low degree of OH-ness and an imbalance between OH operation and OH infrastructure. The UNIBO case study will be the baseline for the evaluation of the other partner institutions involved in the ELEPHANT project. This type of evaluation can support the implementation of OH practices inside a project and underpin the strategies that allow to achieving more effective results. Any improvement in the OH-ness of each single academic team can be also considered as a result of the ELEPHANT project, thus showing its multiplier effect in the context.

scholarly journals Virtual Learning Environments as a Remedy for Universities Against the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 3/2021 (93) ◽  
pp. 122-137
Author(s):  
Tomasz Eisenbardt ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Organizational Changes ◽  
Common Features ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The One ◽  
The University ◽  
Short Time

Purpose: The aim of the paper is to assess the level of interest in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) during and before the pandemic, as well as to identify and compare solutions implemented at selected Polish universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research methodology: The preliminary study was based on bibliometric analysis. The frequency of the VLE notion in the scientific literature was verified. Then a case study was applied. Six universities in Poland were analyzed, which had to make radical organizational changes in a short time, allowing them to conduct classes with students almost exclusively remotely. Findings: The conducted analysis led to the identification of significant similarities in the procedures undertaken and organizational changes of the universities described. Some variation has been observed in terms of the software used that builds the university’s VLE. Research limitations: Only cases of universities in Poland have been described. The choice of the university was intentional. Value: The value of the paper is to draw attention to: on the one hand, the versatility of the VLE, and on the other, certain common features that university VLEs should have in order to ensure the work of the university (and other institutions dealing with education) in a crisis situation.

scholarly journals Creating Successful Student Learning Outcomes: The Case of Trinity University’s Quality Enhancement Plan Entitled “Starting Strong”

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 8197
Author(s):  
John R. Hermann
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Quality Enhancement ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Successful Student ◽  
Quality Enhancement Plan ◽  
The One ◽  
The University

Using Starting Strong as a case study, this article examines how four successful Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) emerged and one was eliminated during the Quality Enhancement Plan’s (QEP’s) development process. In comparison to the one that was purged, the four successful SLO’s had five commonalities: 1. Virtually unanimous support from the administration; 2. Wide acceptance of the SLO from the faculty and staff members working on the QEP; 3. A shared conception between the administration and faculty/staff of what is an appropriate SLO; 4. The SLO’s could be clearly conceptualized and measured; And, 5., the SLO’s are financially feasible for the university to implement. The study hopes that this article may provide guidance for other universities undertaking and developing SLO’s and QEP’s.

scholarly journals Accumulation and Release of Mercury in the Lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach

Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1198
Author(s):  
Andrea Vannini ◽  
Muhammad Bilal Jamal ◽  
Margherita Gramigni ◽  
Riccardo Fedeli ◽  
Stefania Ancora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Exposure Concentration ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Evernia Prunastri ◽  
Pollution Episode ◽  
The University ◽  
Over Time

This study investigated the dynamics of the accumulation and release of Hg2+ in lichens, using Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. as a model species. Thalli were incubated with solutions containing 1, 10, and 100 µM Hg2+ and then exposed for 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months at the Botanical Garden of the University of Siena (a location free from local Hg sources). Lichen samples accumulated Hg proportionally to the exposure concentration, and after the exposure, reductions over time were evident, already starting from 1–2 months. After 24 months, samples released 72–74 (healthy thalli) to 94% (unhealthy thalli) of the accumulated Hg, but control values of untreated samples were never reached. Depending on the Hg content after the exposure, stable decreased concentrations were reached after 6–24 months. The results of this study highlight the ability of the lichen E. prunastri to reflect rapidly increasing environmental Hg concentrations, as well as to indicate an ameliorated situation (e.g., the closure of an Hg source). However, we have found evidence that an acute pollution episode can influence the content of Hg in lichens for several years.

scholarly journals University English: Issues and directions for curriculum development

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 01
Author(s):  
Richard Kiely
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Development ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Public University ◽  
English Curriculum ◽  
English Major ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The One ◽  
The University

This paper examines University English as a TESOL curriculum context. It outlines three approaches to university English: English as L1, where the focus is primarily on linguistics and literature; English as L2, where there is an advanced language learning component as well as a focus on linguistics and literature; and English for non-English majors, where the focus is on functional language use skills. The paper is in three sections: the first section takes stock of recent developments in the university sector with particular attention to English as a feature of the globalisation of higher education. The second section sets out a typology for English Major programmes, using a curriculum benchmark framework for the study of English on the one hand, and the study of languages on the other. The third section presents a case study of curriculum development in a public university in Bangladesh, showing how the three types of university English establish a baseline for understanding the curriculum and developing strategies to improve it. The ways in which the University English curriculum might be developed and researched further are discussed at the end of the paper. Keywords: English, curriculum, TESOL, L2.

A marginal man and his central contributions: The creative spaces of William (‘Wild Bill’) Bunge and American geography

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (8) ◽  
pp. 1697-1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor J Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Inner City ◽  
Abstract Space ◽  
History Of ◽  
Urban Rebellion ◽  
The One ◽  
The University ◽  
Academic Geography ◽  
American Geography ◽  
American Academic

The aim of the paper is to develop a geographical account of creativity by drawing on Arthur Koestler’s work. For Koestler creativity is sparked by the clash of two incompatible frames of meaning, and resolved by a new act of creation. Missing from Koestler’s account is geography, however. To show how geography might be brought into Koestler’s scheme the paper works through a detailed case study within the recent history of geography: the writing and publication of two very different but equally creative books by the well-known American geographer, William Bunge (1928–2013). In the late 1950s at the University of Washington, Seattle, Bunge wrote Theoretical Geography (1962), a meticulously executed hymn to the mathematics of abstract space, and which helped transform the discipline of geography into spatial science. Then during the late 1960s in inner-city Detroit Bunge wrote Fitzgerald: Geography of a Revolution (1971), and quite a different hymn. It was a paean to urban rebellion, to grassroots neighbourhood insurrection. It focussed not on abstract space, but a very concrete place: the one mile square that formed the Detroit inner city neighbourhood of Fitzgerald. In this case, Bunge’s book was a forerunner to radical geography. Catalytic to both of Bunge’s acts of creation, the paper argues, were the marginal spaces in which he wrote, marginal in the sense that they were distant from mainstream American academic geography. Incorporating them provides not only an explanation creativity within geography, but also geography’s own geography.

scholarly journals DO YOU SPEAK GREEK? A CASE STUDY OF L2 SERBIAN LEARNERS OF GREEK

TEME ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 251
Author(s):  
Vojkan Stojičić ◽  
Martha Lampropoulou
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Error Analysis ◽  
Greek Language ◽  
Learning Situation ◽  
Modern Greek ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
The One ◽  
The University

The current study focuses on presenting the learning situation and the development of productive skills, namely, speaking and writing in a sample of second year students of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Belgrade. More specifically, the study consists of two parts. Initially, the paper presents the foreign language approach of teaching Greek at the B1 level as a foreign language and the teaching materials used within a specific Greek language course – Praktikum. Secondly, two tasks are administered to the subjects of the study in order to examine their productive skills and perform an error analysis of their output, followed by a questionnaire where they evaluate themselves and also the teaching process. The aim of the research is twofold: on the one hand, to show whether each student applies the same strategies in speaking and in writing, and to present the different dynamics that affect productive skills.

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