Mobile Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution: A New Perspective for the Moss-Bag Approach

In this work the potential of moving moss-bags, fixed to bicycles, to intercept particulate matter (PM) and linked metal(loid)s was tested for the first time. Seven volunteers carried three moss-bags for fifty days while commuting by bicycle in the urban area of Antwerp, Belgium. Moreover, one bike, equipped with mobile PM samplers, travelled along four routes: urban, industrial, green route and the total path, carrying three moss-bags at each route. The saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM) signal and chemical composition (assessed by HR-ICP-MS) of the moss samples indicated that the industrial route was the most polluted. Element fluxes (i.e., the ratio between element daily uptake and the specific leaf area) could discriminate among land uses; particularly, they were significantly higher in the industrial route for Ag, As, Cd and Pb; significantly lowest in the green route for As and Pb; and comparable for all accumulated elements along most urban routes. A comparison with a previous experiment carried out in the same study area using similar moss-bags at static exposure points, showed that the element fluxes were significantly higher in the mobile system. Finally, PM2.5 and PM10 masses measured along the four routes were consistent with element fluxes.

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Competition of Verb Aspects and Its Resolution as a Creative Act (Based on the Material of Aspects Variants in the Texts by F. M. Dostoevsky)

Russian language at school ◽

10.30515/0131-6141-2020-81-2-56-63 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 81 (2) ◽

pp. 56-63

Author(s):

S. A. Karpukhin

Keyword(s):

Traditional Method ◽

Contextual Analysis ◽

Verb Aspect ◽

Component Theory ◽

Two Component ◽

Artistic Interpretation ◽

New Perspective ◽

First Time ◽

Selection Of ◽

Aspectual Meaning

The article considers the competition of verbal aspects from a new perspective. Instead of employing the traditional method of demonstrating this phenomenon — an empirical replacement of the aspect of a verb in a phrase with the opposite — the author examines Dostoevsky’s choice between the variants found in different manuscripts of the same text. For the first time, based on a two-component theory of the semantic invariant of a verb type, the aspectual meaning of the selection of a verb aspect is revealed and, as a result of contextual analysis, an artistic interpretation of the selected type is proposed.

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Sicily Before the Greeks. The Interaction with Aegean and the Levant in the Pre-colonial Era

Open Archaeology ◽

10.1515/opar-2020-0107 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 172-205

Author(s):

Davide Tanasi

Keyword(s):

Material Culture ◽

Complex Dynamics ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Colonial Era ◽

Local Material ◽

Gradual Process ◽

Multiple Variables ◽

New Perspective ◽

First Time ◽

The Relationship

AbstractThe relationship between Sicily and the eastern Mediterranean – namely Aegean, Cyprus and the Levant – represents one of the most intriguing facets of the prehistory of the island. The frequent and periodical contact with foreign cultures were a trigger for a gradual process of socio-political evolution of the indigenous community. Such relationship, already in inception during the Neolithic and the Copper Age, grew into a cultural phenomenon ruled by complex dynamics and multiple variables that ranged from the Mid-3rd to the end of the 2nd millennium BCE. In over 1,500 years, a very large quantity of Aegean and Levantine type materials have been identified in Sicily alongside with example of unusual local material culture traditionally interpreted as resulting from external influence. To summarize all the evidence during such long period and critically address it in order to attempt historical reconstructions is a Herculean labor.Twenty years after Sebastiano Tusa embraced this challenge for the first time, this paper takes stock on two decades of new discoveries and research reassessing a vast amount of literature, mostly published in Italian and in regional journals, while also address the outcomes of new archaeometric studies. The in-depth survey offers a new perspective of general trends in this East-West relationship which conditioned the subsequent events of the Greek and Phoenician colonization of Sicily.

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Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Ultramafic Rocks from Rachoni Magnesite Mine, Gerakini (Chalkidiki, Northern Greece)

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min10110934 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 934

Author(s):

Evangelos Tzamos ◽

Micol Bussolesi ◽

Giovanni Grieco ◽

Pietro Marescotti ◽

Laura Crispini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Raw Materials ◽

Mining Area ◽

Ultramafic Rocks ◽

Northern Greece ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Time In Literature ◽

History Of ◽

First Time ◽

The Eu

The importance of magnesite for the EU economy and industry is very high, making the understanding of their genesis for the exploration for new deposits a priority for the raw materials scientific community. In this direction, the study of the magnesite-hosting ultramafic rocks can be proved very useful. For the present study, ultramafic rock samples were collected from the magnesite ore-hosting ophiolite of the Gerakini mining area (Chalkidiki, Greece) to investigate the consecutive alteration events of the rocks which led to the metallogenesis of the significant magnesite ores of the area. All samples were subjected to a series of analytical methods for the determination of their mineralogical and geochemical characteristics: optical microscopy, XRD, SEM, EMPA, ICP–MS/OES and CIPW normalization. The results of these analyses revealed that the ultramafic rocks of the area have not only all been subjected to serpentinization, but these rocks have also undergone carbonation, silification and clay alteration. The latter events are attributed to the circulation of CO2-rich fluids responsible for the formation of the magnesite ores and locally, the further alteration of the serpentinites into listvenites. The current mineralogy of these rocks was found to be linked to one or more alteration event that took place, thus a significant contribution to the metallo- and petrogenetic history of the Gerakini ophiolite has been made. Furthermore, for the first time in literature, Fe inclusions in olivines from Greece were reported.

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Antimony and Nickel Impurities in Blue and Green Copper Pigments

Minerals ◽

10.3390/min11111236 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 1236

Author(s):

Sylwia Svorová Pawełkowicz ◽

Barbara Wagner ◽

Jakub Kotowski ◽

Grażyna Zofia Żukowska ◽

Bożena Gołębiowska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Ore Deposits ◽

Copper Ore ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Parish Church ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽

Quantitative Analyses ◽

First Time

Impurities in paint layers executed with green and blue copper pigments, although relatively common, have been studied only little to date. Yet, their proper identification is a powerful tool for classification of paintings, and, potentially, for future provenance studies. In this paper, we present analyses of copper pigments layers from wall paintings situated in the vicinity of copper ore deposits (the palace in Kielce, the palace in Ciechanowice, and the parish church in Chotków) located within the contemporary borders of Poland. We compare the results with the analyses of copper minerals from three deposits, two local, and one historically important for the supply of copper in Europe, i.e., Miedzianka in the Holy Cross Mountains, Miedzianka in the Sudetes, and, as a reference, Špania Dolina in the Slovakian Low Tatra. Optical (OM) and electron microscopy (SEM-EDS), Raman spectroscopy, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) have been used for a detailed investigation of the minute grains. Special attention has been devoted to antimony and nickel phases, as more unusual than the commonly described iron oxides. Analyses of minerals from the deposits helped to interpret the results obtained from the paint samples. For the first time, quantitative analyses of copper pigments’ impurities have been described.

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Antimicrobial Synergy of Silver-Platinum Nanohybrids With Antibiotics

Frontiers in Microbiology ◽

10.3389/fmicb.2020.610968 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Bansi Ranpariya ◽

Gayatri Salunke ◽

Srikanta Karmakar ◽

Kaushik Babiya ◽

Santosh Sutar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biofilm Formation ◽

Bacterial Infections ◽

Bacterial Biofilm ◽

Antimicrobial Drugs ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Green Route ◽

Antimicrobial Synergy ◽

First Time ◽

Tuber Extract ◽

Powerful Strategy

Various bacterial pathogens are responsible for nosocomial infections resulting in critical pathophysiological conditions, mortality, and morbidity. Most of the bacterial infections are associated with biofilm formation, which is resistant to the available antimicrobial drugs. As a result, novel bactericidal agents need to be fabricated, which can effectively combat the biofilm-associated bacterial infections. Herein, for the first time we report the antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of silver-platinum nanohybrids (AgPtNHs), silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), and platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The AgPtNHs were synthesized by a green route using Dioscorea bulbifera tuber extract at 100°C for 5 h. The AgPtNHs ranged in size from 20 to 80 nm, with an average of ∼59 nm. AgNPs, PtNPs, and AgPtNHs showed a zeta potential of −14.46, −1.09, and −11.39 mV, respectively. High antimicrobial activity was observed against P. aeruginosa and S. aureus and AgPtNHs exhibited potent antimicrobial synergy in combination with antibiotics such as streptomycin, rifampicin, chloramphenicol, novobiocin, and ampicillin up to variable degrees. Interestingly, AgPtNHs could inhibit bacterial biofilm formation significantly. Hence, co-administration of AgPtNHs and antibiotics may serve as a powerful strategy to treat bacterial infections.

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Detection and monitoring of insect traces in bioaerosols

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.10862 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e10862

Author(s):

Panyapon Pumkaeo ◽

Junko Takahashi ◽

Hitoshi Iwahashi

Keyword(s):

Aerosol Particles ◽

Illumina Miseq ◽

Identification Accuracy ◽

Insect Community ◽

Cytochrome C Oxidase I ◽

True Bugs ◽

Illumina Miseq Platform ◽

Miseq Platform ◽

Pm2.5 And Pm10 ◽

First Time

Studies on bioaerosols have primarily focused on their chemical and biological compositions and their impact on public health and the ecosystem. However, most bioaerosol studies have only focused on viruses, bacteria, fungi, and pollen. To assess the diversity and composition of airborne insect material in particulate matter (PM) for the first time, we attempted to detect DNA traces of insect origin in dust samples collected over a two-year period. These samples were systematically collected at one-month intervals and categorized into two groups, PM2.5 and PM10, based on the aerodynamic diameter of the aerosol particles. Cytochrome-c oxidase I (COI) was the barcoding region used to identify the origins of the extracted DNA. The airborne insect community in these samples was analyzed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. The most abundant insect sequences belonged to the order Hemiptera (true bugs), whereas order Diptera were also detected in both PM2.5 and PM10 samples. Additionally, we inferred the presence of particulates of insect origin, such as brochosomes and integument particles, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This provided additional confirmation of the molecular results. In this study, we demonstrated the benefits of detection and monitoring of insect information in bioaerosols for understanding the source and composition. Our results suggest that the PM2.5 and PM10 groups are rich in insect diversity. Lastly, the development of databases can improve the identification accuracy of the analytical results.

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The Handbook of Language Assessment Across Modalities

10.1093/oso/9780190885052.001.0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Language Assessment ◽

Spoken Language ◽

Assessment Literacy ◽

Signed Language ◽

Key Issues ◽

Relevant Field ◽

The Common ◽

New Perspective ◽

First Time

In Language Assessment Across Modalities: Paired-Papers on Signed and Spoken Language Assessment, volume editors Tobias Haug, Wolfgang Mann, and Ute Knoch bring together—for the first time—researchers, clinicians, and practitioners from two different fields: signed language and spoken language. The volume examines theoretical and practical issues related to 12 topics ranging from test development and language assessment of bi-/multilingual learners to construct issues of second-language assessment (including the Common European Framework of Reference [CEFR]) and language assessment literacy in second-language assessment contexts. Each topic is addressed separately for spoken and signed language by experts from the relevant field. This is followed by a joint discussion in which the chapter authors highlight key issues in each field and their possible implications for the other field. What makes this volume unique is that it is the first of its kind to bring experts from signed and spoken language assessment to the same table. The dialogues that result from this collaboration not only help to establish a shared appreciation and understanding of challenges experienced in the new field of signed language assessment but also breathes new life into and provides a new perspective on some of the issues that have occupied the field of spoken language assessment for decades. It is hoped that this will open the door to new and exciting cross-disciplinary collaborations.

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A Material History of the Bible, England 1200-1553

10.5871/bacad/9780197266717.001.0001 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Eyal Poleg

Keyword(s):

Careful Analysis ◽

Late Medieval ◽

Religious Transformation ◽

The Bible ◽

Lay Women ◽

History Of ◽

Material History ◽

New Perspective ◽

Political Turmoil ◽

First Time

This book examines the production and use of Bibles in late medieval and early modern England. The analysis of hundreds of biblical manuscripts and prints reveals how scribes, printers, readers, and patrons have reacted to religious and political turmoil. Looking at the modification of biblical manuscripts, or the changes introduced into subsequent printed editions, reveals the ways in which commerce and devotions joined to shape biblical access. The book explores the period from c.1200 to 1553, which saw the advent of moveable-type print as well as the Reformation. The book’s long-view places both technological and religious transformation in a new perspective. The book progresses chronologically, starting with the mass-produced innovative Late Medieval Bible, which has often been linked to the emerging universities and book-trade of the thirteenth century. The second chapter explores Wycliffite Bibles, arguing against their common affiliation with groups outside Church orthodoxy. Rather, it demonstrates how surviving manuscripts are linked to licit worship, performed in smaller monastic houses, by nuns and devout lay women and men. The third chapter explores the creation and use of the first Bible printed in England as evidence for the uncertain course of reform at the end of Henry VIII’s reign. Henry VIII’s Great Bible is studied in the following chapter. Rather than a monument to reform, a careful analysis of its materiality and use reveals it to have been a mostly useless book. The final chapter presents the short reign of Edward VI as a period of rapid transformation in Bible and worship, when some of the innovations introduced more than three hundred years earlier began, for the first time, to make sense.

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Japanese and the mainland dialects

The Oxford Guide to the Transeurasian Languages ◽

10.1093/oso/9780198804628.003.0013 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 163-195

Author(s):

Masayoshi Shibatani

Keyword(s):

Case Particles ◽

Old Japanese ◽

Eastern Old Japanese ◽

Salient Features ◽

New Perspective ◽

First Time

After a brief discussion on the relationships between modern mainland dialects with the two varieties of Old Japanese, Central Old Japanese and Eastern Old Japanese, the salient features of Standard Japanese are described from the new perspective of grammatical nominalizations. Then cross-dialectal studies are presented on selected topics, centering on case particles and the conclusive/adnominal verbal patterns. Also presented for the first time in English is a reasonably detailed description of the isolated dialect of Hachijō Island, which, like Ryūkyūan, retains many archaic features of Old Japanese.

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Detection of microplastics using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) operated in single-event mode

Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry ◽

10.1039/c9ja00379g ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 455-460 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez ◽

Ana Rua-Ibarz ◽

Milica Velimirovic ◽

Kristof Tirez ◽

Frank Vanhaecke

Keyword(s):

Mass Spectrometry ◽

Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽

Single Event ◽

Inductively Coupled ◽

Icp Ms ◽

Plasma Mass Spectrometry ◽

First Time

The occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in the environment is a matter of increasing concern. In this work, it has been shown for the first time that ICP-MS operated in single-event mode can be used for the characterization of MPs relying on their C content.

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