1,720,987 research outputs found
Study of the diffusion of human’s volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in avalanche snow: a potential chemical tool to improve training of avalanche dogs
Full text linkRecent years have seen a rapid improvement in the techniques for the localization of people buried in avalanches through the use of radio transmitters (transceivers). However, when the avalanche victims are not equipped with transmitter equipment, the use of rescue dogs remains the most effective method for locating them. Although the level of training of rescue dogs is generally good, there remains a considerable margin of improvement. Such an improvement could be achieved through innovative training methods based on the analysis of the dogs performance in a multi-disciplinary context. Among the problems that make this kind of study difficult, there is our lack of knowledge of the chemical and physical variables that govern the diffusion of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds rising from the buried body to the snow surface. Moreover, we still lack a study of a dog’s olfactory ability to discriminate among the different classes of molecules emitted by the human body (sweat, breath, clothes, etc.) and how these molecules reach the surface after moving through the snow mass. One of the ultimate goals of this study is to select specific olfactory targets that can be used for training avalanche dogs
PALEOMIGRAZIONI E TRACCIATI CLIMATICI
No full textNeolithic’s migrations are useful tools to understand the human influence on the environment in all continents of the planet. During this period, especially in Asia, man began to cultivate the land and to raise animals, and this may have had a pre-industrial impact on Earth's climate. Traces left by humans in the environment do not consist only in historical and archaeological finds but also in biological and chemical indicators that accumulated in soils and sediments over the past millennia. Collecting and radiodating these environmental matrices and analyzing samples in the labs, the partial reconstruction of past human activities in the studied area is possible. Then, the comparison with historical and archeological data is needed, and with this multidisciplinary approach we aim to have a global view of the matter
Study of the diffusion of human's volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in avalanche snow: a potential chemical tool to improve training of avalanche dogs
Full text linkRecent years have seen a rapid improvement in the techniques for the localization of people buried in avalanches through the use of radio transmitters (transceivers). However, when the avalanche victims are not equipped with transmitter equipment, the use of rescue dogs remains the most effective method for locating them. Although the level of training of rescue dogs is generally good, there remains a considerable margin of improvement. Such an improvement could be achieved through innovative training methods based on the analysis of the dogs performance in a multi-disciplinary context. Among the problems that make this kind of study difficult, there is our lack of knowledge of the chemical and physical variables that govern the diffusion of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds rising from the buried body to the snow surface. Moreover, we still lack a study of a dog’s olfactory ability to discriminate
among the different classes of molecules emitted by the human body (sweat, breath, clothes, etc.) and how these molecules reach the surface after moving through the snow mass. One of the ultimate goals of this study is to select specific olfactory targets that can be used for training avalanche dogs
Which human odor cues do avalanche search dogs perceive?
No full textSince the early 1960s, dogs have been trained for supporting mountain rescue teams in recovering climbers buried in av- alanches. Over the years, what had started as a little more than an amatorial activity has become an increasingly important resource so that, nowadays, the use of handler-dog units has become essential for finding missing people lost on surface, avalanche, or under rubble. Despite decades of experience and passion dedicated by search dog handlers in training their dogs, there are still several problems that negatively affect their effectiveness in pinpoint a disperse victim. In particular, it is still not clear how scent trails are perceived and used by dogs for searching human beings. In fact, contrary to what occurs in drugs and explosives search, human odor cues are very different and not easily identifiable or standardizable. A collaborative project has been undertaken with the ultimate goal of identifying the classes of chemical compounds emitted by an avalanche buried person and how some psy- chophysical parameters, such as hypoxia, hypothermia, fa- tigue, stress, panic, injuries, and death, might influence them. A deeper knowledge in this area would be essential for further exploring the ability of perception of avalanche search dogs of these odors and for investigating how this is affected by the environmental conditions in which they usually operate
Evaluation of the volatile organic compound emissions in modern and naturally aged Japanese paper
Full text linkVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) can have a strong effect on cellulose degradation, contributing in decreasing the lifetime expectancy of the paper materials, widely employed in the field of conservation. In this work, we investigated several industrial and homemade Japanese papers, as well as fibers, evaluating VOCs emission by using solid-phase micro extraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS). Acetic acid and 1-butanol were highly detected in industrial and homemade papers rather than fibers, suggesting that the emission of these compounds is influenced by the production process more than by the raw material itself. Conversely, N-N dimethyl formammide was peculiar of industrial processes. Ketones, aldehydes and heavier alcohols were preferentially emitted by fibers and homemade papers. The higher emission of furfural from fibers rather than on papers place new questions about the use of this compound to evaluate the degradation state of the paper material that should be carefully evaluated
Lichens as monitors of the atmospheric deposition of potentially toxic elements in high elevation Mediterranean ecosystems
No full textIn this study we used a terricolous lichen (Cetraria islandica) as bioaccumulator of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) to explore spatial patterns of air pollutant deposition along elevational gradients in the Majella Massif (Italy). Samples of C. islandica were collected at 200 m intervals along 6 transects from 1600 to 2600 m, both along the eastern and the western slope of the Majella massif, and analyzed for their PTE content. The results supported the hypothesis that the deposition of PTEs to the Majella massif is largely influenced by elevation and slope. Two main patterns emerged connected either with local soil erosion and long-range atmospheric transport. For some PTEs, namely Al, Cr, Li, Mg, in the absence of any other data, it is supposed that the anthropogenic input is very small compared to the natural input from weathering processes. In contrast, the group of air pollutants subjected to long-range transport, as in the case of Cd, Hg, and Pb, has very limited local input and the main sources responsible for the higher concentrations on the eastern slope are probably to be searched in the Balkan area
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