scholarly journals Recycling and Reuse of Sediments in Agriculture: Where Is the Problem?

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1648
Author(s):  
Giancarlo Renella
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Fine Sediments ◽  
Sediment Fraction ◽  
Biodegradation Process ◽  
Component Material ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Clay Sediment ◽  
International Conventions

Though suggested by international conventions for a long time, there are still several technical and legislative limitations to a complete reuse and recycling of dredged sediments. In particular, reuse of unpolluted sediments can be practiced, whereas sediment recycling is still affected by several downsides, and a significant proportion of the recycled fine sediments has no practical use and must be landfilled. However, the silty clayey fraction of the recycled sediments is rich in organic matter and macro- and micronutrients useful for plant growth. Nevertheless, sediment recycling in agriculture is not possible, even in non-food agricultural sectors, due to the lack of a permissive legislation and of consolidated supply chains. In addition to plant nutrients, the silty-clay sediment fraction may also accumulate organic and inorganic pollutants, and while the organic pollutants can be effectively biodegraded, metals and metalloids may concentrate at concentrations higher than the limits set by the environmental and agricultural legislations. In this paper, I briefly summarize the scientific evidence on the potential reuse and recycling of sediments in agriculture, and I discuss the main reasons for hindrance of sediment recycling in agriculture. I also present evidence from a real industrial biodegradation process that produces bioremediated fine sediment fractions with suitable properties as a mineral ingredient for plant-growing media. I propose that nutrient-rich recycled sediments could be reconsidered as a component material category in the new EU regulation on fertilizers.

scholarly journals A First Review to Explore the Association of Air Pollution (PM and NO2) on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Copat ◽  
Antonio Cristaldi ◽  
Maria Fiore ◽  
Alfina Grasso ◽  
Pietro Zuccarello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Great Effort ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Long Time

A new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) have determined a pneumonia outbreak in China (Wuhan and Hubei) on December 2019. While pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical intervention strategies are strengthened worldwide, the scientific community has been studying the risk factors associated with SARS-Cov-2, to enrich epidemiological information. For a long time, before the industrialized era, air pollution has been a real and big health concern and it is today a very serious environmental risk for many diseases and anticipated deaths in the world. It has long been known that air pollutants increasing the invasiveness of pathogens for humans by acting as a carrier and making people more sensitive to pathogens through a negative influence on the immune system. Based on scientific evidences, the hypothesis that air pollution, resulting from a combination of factors such as meteorological data, level of industrialization as well as regional topography, can acts both as an infection carrier as a harmful factor of the health outcomes of COVID-19 disease has been raised recently. This hypothesis is turning in scientific evidence, thanks to the numerous studies that have been launched all over the world.With this review, we want to provide a first unique view of all the first epidemiological studies relating the association between air pollution and SARS-CoV-2. The Authors, who first investigated this association, although with great effort and rapidity of analysis dictated by a global emergency, often used different research methods or not all include confounding factors whenever possible. In addition, to date incidence data are underestimated in all countries, and to a lesser extent also mortality data. For this reason, the cases included in the considered studies cannot be considered real. Although it determines important limitations for direct comparison of results, and more studies are needed to strengthen scientific evidences and support firm conclusions, major findings are consistent, highlighting the important contribution of PM2.5 and NO2 on the COVID-19 spread and with a less extent also PM10.

scholarly journals Revisiting international administrative law as a legal discipline

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 1237-1258
Author(s):  
Jakub Handrlica
Keyword(s):  
Administrative Law ◽  
The Other ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
Legal Scholarship ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Long Time ◽  
International Conventions ◽  
Administrative Competencies

The term “international administrative law” is understood in two separate ways. On one hand, the authors (diritto internazionale amministrativo) used this term regarding the administrative competencies of various international administrative unions, as provided by applicable international conventions. On the other hand, other authors (e.g. Karl Neumeyer, Paul Négulescu, Giuseppe Biscottini) used the term to exclusively refer to the norms of national law (diritto amministrativo internazionale, droit administratif international, internationales Verwaltungsrecht), which address certain foreign elements. This article follows the second understanding of the term “international administrative law.” For a long time, these norms had been quite rare in administrative law and, consequently, the legal scholarship did not pay much attention to the discipline of international administrative law. However, most recently, the sources of EU law increasingly require reflection of certain foreign elements in the norms of administrative law. In this respect, this article argues that international administrative law represents a legal discipline that is fully capable of addressing those problems arising by the application of these norms in administrative law.

scholarly journals A szexuális nevelésről orvosi szemmel a hazai adatok és a nemzetközi irányelvek tükrében

2019 ◽  
Vol 160 (13) ◽  
pp. 494-501
Author(s):  
Andrea Varga-Tóth ◽  
Gábor Németh ◽  
Edit Paulik
Keyword(s):  
Sex Education ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Sexual Education ◽  
Sexual Life ◽  
Adult Age ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Interactive Education ◽  
Gynaecological Examination ◽  
Reproductive Life

Abstract: Introduction: The prevention of early sexual life and its unwanted consequences is a worldwide problem. National and international surveys have shown that adolescents have their first sexual intercourse at a younger age. Aim: The study aimed to determine the way of sexual education of young people provided by physicians – general practitioners, paediatricians, obstetricians, gynaecologists etc. – in accordance with the results of a questionnaire-based study, the experiences gained during the interactive education and the suggestions of international guidelines dealing with sexual education. Method: Self-administered questionnaire-based study was performed among 13–18-year-old girls attending primary or secondary school (N = 868) between 2009 and 2016. The sexual activity of adolescent girls, their knowledge related to contraception and sexually transmitted infectious diseases, gynaecological (e.g., cancer screening) experiences were measured before sexual education performed by a gynaecologist. Results: Every 4th girl had the first sexual act at the age of 14 or before, but at the same time their sexual knowledge was incomplete and there was a significant proportion of those who already have had sex but have never had a gynaecological examination. Conclusion: The results highlighted the educational deficiencies of reproductive life, which is a complex task to solve, to address the changing approach of national healthcare and education systems, to adopt and follow scientific evidence-based guidelines. All health-care workers who are in contact with adolescents during their work must be involved in the sexual education. It is essential to continue incorporating sex education into education from early childhood to young adult age. Orv Hetil. 2019; 160(13): 494–501.

scholarly journals Psychological and biological background of the interaction between psoriasis and stress

2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (24) ◽  
pp. 939-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. János Kálmán ◽  
Xénia Gonda ◽  
Lajos Kemény ◽  
Zoltán Rihmer ◽  
Zoltán Janka
Keyword(s):  
Neurogenic Inflammation ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Stress Perception ◽  
Exact Role ◽  
New Techniques ◽  
The Past ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Interventions ◽  
Objective Evidence ◽  
Long Time

Stress is considered as a major contributor to the development and exacerbation of psoriasis by a significant proportion of patients and dermatologists. As both stressor and its effects are subject-dependent, thus extremely difficult to measure, our understanding of the exact role of stress in disease development was limited for a long time. In the past decade several new studies were carried out which expanded our knowledge on the pathophysiologic processes linking stress to psoriasis via with their objective measurements and the applied new techniques. The authors review the current literature of both psychological (alexithymia, personality, affect) and biological (cortisol, epinephrine, neurogenic inflammation) factors influencing stress perception and response in psoriasis. Results of recent investigations support previous reports about the interaction between stress and psoriasis with objective evidence. Knowing how effective stress-reducing psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions are in the treatment of psoriasis the authors hope that this review contributes to a wider acceptance of the psychosomatic attitude in everyday dermatologic practice. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(24), 939–948.

The E.U.'s Definition of Terrorism: The Council Framework Decision on Combating Terrorism

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 585-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugenia Dumitriu
Keyword(s):  
United Nations ◽  
International Law ◽  
International Community ◽  
Framework Decision ◽  
Freedom Fighters ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Multiple Resolutions ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Terrorist Acts ◽  
International Conventions

Terrorist acts have, for a long time, constituted a major concern for the international community. Yet the definition of terrorism has represented an area of international law where the divergence of views between States was significant. For some, the protection of the State and of the democratic values of the society laid at the heart of the debate, whereas others were more concerned with the risk of an unjustified repression of “freedom fighters.” These approaches, although apparently complementary, have proved to be irreconcilable in practice. At the United Nations’ level, this division of the international community prevented the emergence of a consensus over a horizontal definition of terrorism. This situation,-paradoxically did not impede the adoption of several international conventions dealing with specific aspects or forms of terrorism as well as of multiple resolutions on this issue.

Analysis of Turkish groundwater legislation and policy regarding international principles and conventions

2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (10) ◽  
pp. 2155-2165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osman Devrim Elvan ◽  
Y. Ozhan Turker
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
European Union ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Surface Waters ◽  
Eu Membership ◽  
Long Time ◽  
International Conventions

Water resources have shaped the destinies of societies and affected settlement choice of civilizations for centuries. Demand for them is constantly increasing and this surge has become an important threat for water resources due to those excessive demands and variety of usage types; at the same time, balancing the protection and use of ground and surface waters has become more difficult. The progress in legal and corporate structures for water management has been too slow for a long time. In this study, principles of international conventions on groundwater are compared with the relevant Turkish groundwater legislation, which is in the process of harmonization with European Union (EU) acquis under the scope of Turkey's nomination for EU membership. The purpose of this study is to measure the compliance of Turkish legislation on groundwater with the relevant international principles and conventions, and also to analyze legal loopholes in Turkish legislation in accordance with the international principles and conventions to be determined.

scholarly journals Improving the quantitative estimation of trawling impacts from sidescan-sonar and underwater-video imagery

2007 ◽  
Vol 64 (9) ◽  
pp. 1692-1701 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. Smith ◽  
A. C. Banks ◽  
K-N. Papadopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Estimation ◽  
Rapid Assessment ◽  
The Other ◽  
Sidescan Sonar ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Underwater Video ◽  
Data Usage ◽  
Video Imagery ◽  
Assessment Techniques ◽  
Clay Sediment

Abstract Smith, C. J., Banks, A. C., and Papadopoulou, K.-N. 2007. Improving the quantitative estimation of trawling impacts from sidescan-sonar and underwater-video imagery. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 1692–1701. The techniques of sidescan sonar and towed, underwater-video sled were assessed as rapid-assessment methodologies for investigating trawl impacts on the substratum. Sidescan sonar is able to image a swathe of ∼200 m with a resolution of ∼20 cm at a speed of 2–3 knots, and marks of trawl doors could be observed. The towed video system imaged a swathe of 1–2 m with a resolution of 1–2 cm at a speed of ∼1 knot, and trawl-door marks, scrape marks, local bioturbation features, and fauna could be observed. Multiple tows using both methodologies were carried out in two areas in Heraklion Bay, Crete. One area, experimentally trawled, was 80–90 m deep and characterized by mixed, maerly sediments; the other was a commercial trawl lane ∼200 m deep characterized by silty-clay sediment. Descriptions of the types of trawling feature and impacts caused by trawling were made for both areas. Images were analysed from the commercial deeper trawling ground for area assessment. For sidescan-sonar records, direction of trawling and trawl-mark density by category were estimated at periodic intervals along the track. For video, categories for trawl-mark density and level of bioturbation were estimated, along with the density of the crinoid Leptometra phalangium. Using geo-referenced positioning for each data point, area maps were constructed for each of the parameters, and correlations were tested between the different datasets. The use of the assessment techniques (characteristics, data usage, mapping, complementarity) in relation to trawling-impact studies is discussed, as well as possibilities for the use of the resulting data for management.

scholarly journals Risk of Human-to-Wildlife Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Gryseels ◽  
Luc De Bruyn ◽  
Ralf Gyselings ◽  
Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer ◽  
Fabian Leendertz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Evolutionary Origins ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The World ◽  
Zoo Animals ◽  
Long Time ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Wildlife Reservoir ◽  
Endangered Animals

It has been a long time since the world has experienced a pandemic with such a rapid devastating impact as the current COVID-19 pandemic. The causative agent, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is further unusual in that it appears capable of infecting many different mammal species. As a significant proportion of people worldwide are infected with SARS-CoV-2 and may spread the infection unknowingly before symptoms occur or without any symptoms ever occurring, there is a non-negligible risk of humans spreading SARS-CoV-2 to wildlife, in particular mammals. Because of SARS-CoV-2’s evolutionary origins in bats and reports of humans transmitting the virus to pets and zoo animals, regulations for prevention of human-to-animal transmission have so far focused mostly on these animal groups. Here, we summarize recent studies and reports that show that a wide range of distantly related mammals are likely susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 and that susceptibility or resistance to the virus is in general not predictable, or only to some extent, by phylogenetic proximity to known susceptible or resistant hosts. In the absence of solid evidence on the SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility/resistance for each of the >5,500 mammal species, we argue that sanitary precautions should be taken when interacting with any mammal species in the wild. Preventing human-to-wildlife SARS-CoV-2 transmission is important for protecting these (sometimes endangered) animals from disease, but also to avoid establishment of novel SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs in wild animals. The risk of repeated re-infection of humans from such a wildlife reservoir could severely hamper SARS-CoV-2 control efforts. For wildlife fieldworkers interacting directly or indirectly with mammals, we recommend sanitary precautions such as physical distancing, wearing face masks and gloves, and frequent decontamination, which are very similar to regulations currently imposed to prevent transmission among humans.

scholarly journals LIMITED STAGE FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA: THE ROLE OF RADIATION THERAPY.

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 2016041 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Riccardo Filippi
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Systemic Therapy ◽  
Historical Data ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Limited Stage ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Local Disease Control

Radiation therapy (RT) alone has been considered for a long time as the standard therapeutic option for limited stage FL, due to its high efficacy in terms of local disease control with a quite significant proportion of “cured” patients (without further relapses at 10-15 years). Multiple therapeutic choices are now accepted for the management of early stage FL at diagnosis, and better staging procedures as well as better systemic therapy partially modified the role of RT in this setting. RT has also changed in terms of prescribed dose as well as treatment volumes. In this review, we present and discuss the current role of RT for limited stage FL in light of the historical data, the modern RT approach and the best combination with systemic therapy.

Fieldwork at EI Merj (Ancient Barca): A First Report on the 1992 Season

1993 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
pp. 117-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Dore ◽  
J. S. Rowan ◽  
J. P. Davison
Keyword(s):  
Contextual Information ◽  
Central Area ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Flood Events ◽  
Terra Rossa ◽  
Archaeological Evidence ◽  
Depositional History ◽  
High Magnitude ◽  
Clay Sediment

AbstractThe principal aim of this season's investigations was to obtain contextual information on the geological, geo-morphological and hydrological processes operating within the environs of El Merj, to complement existing archaeological evidence. Provisional conclusions show that broad similarities exist between profiles obtained at two points on the site suggesting that the central area of the site has undergone a similar depositional history. The site seems to have been subject to regular inundation by flood events, occurring 1–2 times per year, which deposited significant quantities of silty-clay sediment eroded from terra rossa soils of the Jebel Akhdar. Less frequently, coarse-grained gravel and cobble deposits were introduced to the profiles, indicative of the effects of much rarer high magnitude floods.

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