scholarly journals Interactions between organisms and parent materials of a constructed Technosol shape its hydrostructural properties

SOIL ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maha Deeb ◽  
Michel Grimaldi ◽  
Thomas Z. Lerch ◽  
Anne Pando ◽  
Agnès Gigon ◽  
...  

Abstract. There is no information on how organisms influence hydrostructural properties of constructed Technosols and how such influence will be affected by the parent-material composition factor. In a laboratory experiment, parent materials, which were excavated deep horizons of soils and green waste compost (GWC), were mixed at six levels of GWC (from 0 to 50 %). Each mixture was set up in the presence/absence of plants and/or earthworms, in a full factorial design (n  =  96). After 21 weeks, hydrostructural properties of constructed Technosols were characterized by soil shrinkage curves. Organisms explained the variance of hydrostructural characteristics (19 %) a little better than parent-material composition (14 %). The interaction between the effects of organisms and parent-material composition explained the variance far better (39 %) than each single factor. To summarize, compost and plants played a positive role in increasing available water in macropores and micropores; plants were extending the positive effect of compost up to 40 and 50 % GWC. Earthworms affected the void ratio for mixtures from 0 to 30 % GWC and available water in micropores, but not in macropores. Earthworms also acted synergistically with plants by increasing their root biomass, resulting in positive effects on available water in macropores. Organisms and their interaction with parent materials positively affected the hydrostructural properties of constructed Technosols, with potential positive consequences on resistance to drought or compaction. Considering organisms when creating Technosols could be a promising approach to improve their fertility.

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1309-1344 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Deeb ◽  
M. Grimaldi ◽  
T. Z. Lerch ◽  
A. Pando ◽  
A. Gigon ◽  
...  

Abstract. Constructed Technosols provide an opportunity to recycle urban waste, and are an alternative to the uptake of topsoil from the countryside. Despite potential problems of erosion, compaction or water holding capacity, their physical properties and the resulting water regulation services are poorly documented. In a laboratory experiment, excavated deep horizons of soils and green waste compost (GWC) were mixed at six levels of GWC (from 0 to 50 %). Each mixture was set up in the presence/absence of plants and/or earthworms, in a full factorial design (n = 96). After 21 weeks, hydrostructural properties of constructed Technosols were characterized by soil shrinkage curves. Organisms explained the variance of hydrostructural characteristics (19 %) a little better than parent-material composition (14 %). The interaction between the effects of organisms and parent-material composition explained the variance far better (39 %) than each single factor. To summarize, compost and plants played a positive role in increasing available water in macropores and micropores; plants were extending the positive effect of compost up to 40 and 50 % GWC. Earthworms affected the void ratio for mixtures from 0 to 30 % GWC and available water in micropores, not in macropores. Earthworms also acted synergistically with plants by increasing their root biomass and the resulting positive effects on available water in macropores. Organisms and their interaction with parent materials thus positively affected the hydro-structural properties of constructed Technosols, with potential positive consequences on resistance to drought or compaction. Considering organisms when creating Technosols could be a promising approach to improve their fertility.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Hee Yeong Kim ◽  
Gi Un Kim

The purpose of this study is to analyze whether self-directedness in learning has positive effects on employment readiness of undergraduates. The subject of this study has little precedent research and we generated a research model. This study shows the following results: First, intrinsic motivation factor of self-directedness in learning has a positive effect on employment readiness directly. Task-solving abilities in self-directedness in learning indirectly have positive effects on employment readiness through the mediating effect of intrinsic motivation. Second, the higher the achievment orientation undergraduates have, the more negatively affected the employment readiness of undergraduates is. It means that higher achievement orientation may encourage them to explore new career paths such as graduate school or youth startup not normal employment of companies. Third, this study has the following significance: We set up and proved the relationship between subordinate variables in self-directedness in learning of undergraduates and subordinate varibles in employment readiness. We proved that the intrinsic motivation of self-directedness in learning is the most important factor to have a positive effect on the employment readiness of undergraduates.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 194008291987896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Shi ◽  
Tian Weiteng ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Qian Zhou

This article is devoted to study the coordination coupling relationship between economic development and ecological environment in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia to reflect the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of the coordination in different regions. Using the entropy method and Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression model, we empirically analyze 14 tropical and subtropical countries in Asia from 2003 to 2016. The empirical results show that most of the tropical and subtropical sample countries in Asia are at an intermediate coordination coupling level between economic development and ecological environment; the economic development lag type is the main one, and the ecological development lag type is less. At the same time, the positive effects between economic development and ecological environment in most sample countries are more obvious. Spatially, the ecological environment in the north of the Asian tropical and subtropical countries has a positive effect on economic development rather than that in the south and tends to be positive. The positive effect of economic development on ecological environment in the faster economic development areas is better than that in the slower economic development areas, and more areas tend to play negative effects. The research in this article provides a basis for strengthening ecological environment protection in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, promoting the coordinated development of economic and ecological environment. Further, we put forward some corresponding policy recommendations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 209-222
Author(s):  
Philipp K. Görs ◽  
Henning Hummert ◽  
Anne Traum ◽  
Friedemann W. Nerdinger

Digitalization is a megatrend, but there is relatively little knowledge about its consequences for service work in general and specifically in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). We studied the impact of digitalization on psychological consequences for employees in tax consultancies as a special case of KIBS. We compare two tax consulting jobs with very different job demands, those of tax consultants (TCs) and assistant tax consultants (ATCs). The results show that the extent of digitalization at the workplace level for ATCs correlates significantly positively with their job satisfaction. For TCs, the same variable correlates positively with their work engagement. These positive effects of digitalization are mediated in the case of ATCs by the impact on important job characteristics. In the case of TCs, which already have very good working conditions, the impact is mediated by the positive effect on self-efficacy. Theoretical and practical consequences of these results are discussed.


1989 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 1785-1794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vlastimil Kubáň ◽  
Josef Komárek ◽  
Zbyněk Zdráhal

A FIA-FAAS apparatus containing a six-channel sorption equipment with five 3 x 26 mm microcolumns packed with Spheron Oxin 1 000, Ostsorb Oxin and Ostsorb DTTA was set up. Combined with sorption from 0.002M acetate buffer at pH 4.2 and desorption with 2M-HCl, copper can be determined at concentrations up to 100, 150 and 200 μg l-1, respectively. For sample and eluent flow rates of 5.0 and 4.0 ml min-1, respectively, and a sample injection time of 5 min, the limit of copper determination is LQ = 0.3 μg l-1, repeatability sr is better than 2% and recovery is R = 100 ± 2%. The enrichment factor is on the order of 102 and is a linear function of time (volume) of sample injection up to 5 min and of the sample injection flow rate up to 11 ml min-1 for Spheron Oxin 1 000 and Ostsorb DTTA. For times of sorption of 60 and 300 s, the sampling frequency is 70 and 35 samples/h, respectively. The parameters of the FIA-FAAS determination (acetylene-air flame) are comparable to or better than those achieved by ETA AAS. The method was applied to the determination of traces of copper in high-purity water.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8633
Author(s):  
Yuhan Ge ◽  
Qing Yuan ◽  
Yaxi Wang ◽  
Keunsoo Park

In today’s increasingly competitive coffee industry, the point of running a good coffee shop is no longer to run a coffee and beverage shop simply, but to focus on the quality of service and the value that customers feel as a result. Previous studies have mainly discussed the customer satisfaction and behavioral intention of restaurants, while few studies have explored the influencing factors of customer satisfaction and behavioral intention of chain coffee shops. Given that the perceived service quality theory and DINESERV model can effectively predict customer satisfaction and behavioral intention, this study took 385 consumers in the first Starbucks Reserve flagship store in China as survey objects. SmartPLS 3.0 software was used to explore the relationship among respondents’ perceived service quality, customer perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. The results show that service quality has a partially significant positive effect on perceived value. Perceived service quality and customers’ perceived value both have significant positive effects on satisfaction. Customers’ satisfaction has a significant positive effect on their behavioral intention. These results indicate that enterprises should strengthen the emotional bond between consumers and enterprises and improve the reliability, assurance, and empathy of perceived service quality to create a better emotional resonance between consumers and the Starbucks brand to improve customer satisfaction. At the same time, it should also promote the symbolic perceived value of Chinese consumers to Starbucks to realize the sustainable development of coffee-shop operation and consumer repurchase. This study expands the research on the service quality, perceived value, and behavioral intention of coffee chain enterprises in the context of non-habitual coffee-drinking countries. Moreover, it provides case support for the operation and research of regional cultural consumption habits of international catering chain enterprises.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 579
Author(s):  
Caroline Reimann ◽  
Fernando Carvalho ◽  
Marcelo Duarte

The present investigation aims study the sustainability of the business model of the Portuguese SMEs operating in the B2B International market analyzing the influence of dynamic marketing capabilities and adaptive marketing capabilities in their international marketing performance. It will also analyze the moderating effects of Competitive Intensity within this international scenario. A quantitative study was developed, using a questionnaire as a research method. In total, 335 valid responses were collected from Portuguese SMEs in June 2020. To test the hypotheses, multiple hierarchical regressions were performed. As for the analyzes involving Competitive Intensity environments, namely low and high intensity, dummies were developed to evaluate the different effects produced by the capacities in the International Marketing Performance. This study shows the positive impact of the dynamic marketing capabilities and adaptive marketing capabilities on the international marketing performance of the surveyed companies, essentially from the product development management, supply chain management, vigilant market learning and open marketing. when in a low competitive intensity environment only dynamic marketing capabilities had a positive effect on performance, but in a high, competitive, intensity environment both dynamic marketing capabilities and adaptive marketing capabilities showed positive effects in relation to performance. This study innovates by bringing international marketing, through two marketing capacities, from the perspective of SMEs that perform B2B activities.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1132
Author(s):  
Sarah Schwarzkopf ◽  
Asako Kinoshita ◽  
Jeannette Kluess ◽  
Susanne Kersten ◽  
Ulrich Meyer ◽  
...  

Development of calves depends on prenatal and postnatal conditions. Primiparous cows were still maturing during pregnancy, which can lead to negative intrauterine conditions and affect the calf’s metabolism. It is hypothesized that weaning calves at higher maturity has positive effects due to reduced metabolic stress. We aimed to evaluate effects of mothers’ parity and calves’ weaning age on growth performance and blood metabolites. Fifty-nine female Holstein calves (38.8 ± 5.3 kg birth weight, about 8 days old) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment with factors weaning age (7 vs. 17 weeks) and parity of mother (primiparous vs. multiparous cows). Calves were randomly assigned one of these four groups. Live weight, live weight gain and morphometry increased over time and were greater in calves weaned later. Metabolic indicators except total protein were interactively affected by time and weaning age. Leptin remained low in early-weaned calves born to primiparous cows, while it increased in the other groups. The results suggest that weaning more mature calves has a positive effect on body growth, and calves born to primiparous cows particularly benefit from this weaning regimen. It also enables a smooth transition from liquid to solid feed, which might reduce the associated stress of weaning.


1988 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Wheeler ◽  
Linzi Waiters

The Kemtek 1000 Sample Processor has been evaluated for precision, accuracy, speed and reliability. Precision was better than 1.0% at all volumes tested and accuracy within ±5%. A l00-tube assay could be set up within 15 min when patient specimens plus two reagents were sampled using a two probe system. Carry-over could be reduced to <0.01% by using a sufficient number of wash steps, the latter being related to the assay requirements. Evidence was found for adsorption of protein to the probe tubing but inaccuracies due to this could be reduced by introducing wash steps between samples. Problems over 12 months have been minor and quickly resolved. The authors were pleased with the way the processor performed and their staffhave confidence in leaving it to set up their assays.


2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 381-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Cattapan ◽  
Mariacarmela Passarelli ◽  
Michele Petrone

This paper contributes to the literature on innovation brokerage by analysing the effects of brokerage activities on the innovation and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors provide a detailed description of the Technology Transfer Service (TTS), credited as a European best-practice innovation broker, at Area Science Park in Italy. They then carry out an exploratory econometric analysis, the results of which show that the support provided by the TTS enables research–industry collaboration and has positive effects on product and process innovation in SMEs, but it appears not to affect the generation of new patents in SMEs. The results also suggest that the growth in innovation enabled by the support of TTS has a positive effect on the SMEs' revenue growth and job creation. However the innovation broker is more effective in relation to larger firms than it is for micro-enterprises.


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