114 research outputs found
Contento Recycling: The Evolution of Sustainability
No full textabstract: While the term sustainability is commonly used in 2019, in 1950, it was sparsely uttered. To understand how Contento Recycling LLC became Central New York’s leader in sustainable development, you must go back to Gerald Contento Sr, and the year 1950. This was the year my grandfather started our family’s vehicle dismantling and scrap metal recycling business. Over the course of the next 70 years, Contento’s and now, Contento Recycling, has evolved into a leader in recycling and environmental work in Central New York. To see how I created a sustainable business enterprise, you must analyze my family’s past. My family’s history provides a roadmap to a more sustainable future.
When I established Contento Recycling LLC in 2017, it was poised to be Central New York’s first ever construction and demolition debris recycling business. I was tasked with the challenge that many sustainability professionals are tasked with and that was to show the community why they should stop taking their construction debris to the landfill, and instead bring it to my recycling center for processing, recycling, and landfill diversion. Over the last several years I applied for state grant funding, spread awareness about my new business, designed and constructed a material recovery facility, outfitted equipment, and trained staff. I now have a facility that accepts about 40 tons of mixed C&D debris per day, and diverts about 20% of that from the landfill.
On a more personal level, I learned a tremendous amount about dealing with change management. I’ve learned a lot about business development, and some keys to success when building a business. I’ve figured out how to help my employees and customers grow. I’ve learned to be more patient and flexible with my business endeavors. I have a much clearer vision of what I want for my business and for myself. I have developed a rousing optimism on the impact that my business, and myself can have on the sustainable development of Central New York. I will be a leader in environmental stewardship and partner with other people and organizations who want to work towards a more sustainable future
Clinical Features, Prognosis, and Long-Term Response to Ranibizumab of Macular CNVs in Pattern Dystrophies Spectrum: A Pilot Study
No full textIntroduction. To analyze the morphological and functional features of choroidal neovascularizations (CNVs) in eyes affected by pattern dystrophies (PD), evaluating their long-term response to intravitreal ranibizumab, and comparing them with CNVs in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The mean goal is to identify possible disease biomarkers and to evaluate the long-term prognosis of CNVs in PD. Materials and Methods. A retrospective study of 42 patients with naïve CNV (26 PD and 16 AMD), for a total of 47 eyes (29 eyes in the PD group and 18 eyes in the AMD group). Each patient received a loading dose of ranibizumab (one monthly for three months) followed by pro re nata (PRN) reinjection protocol for a period of at least three years. Morphological OCT parameters (CRT, central retinal thickness; SRF, subretinal fluid; IRF, intraretinal fluid; SHRM, subretinal hyperreflective material; HRF, hyperreflective foci; HCD, hyperreflective crystalline deposits; cCT, central choroidal thickness; slCT, sublesional choroidal thickness; EZd, ellipsoid zone disruption; and best corrected visual acuity (BCVA in logMAR scale)) were reported at baseline and last follow-up. Results. At baseline, no significant differences were found between the two groups, except for choroidal thickness parameters that were significantly greater in the PD group (p = 0.009). Longitudinal PD analysis demonstrated reduction in BCVA (p = 0.009), decrease in CRT (p = 0.046), resolution of SRF in 61.6% of cases (p = 0.004) and SHRM in 30% (p = 0.034), and choroidal thinning both centrally (p = 0.004) and sublesional (p = 0.011) compared to baseline. At 3 years, the PD group received significantly more injections than the AMD (p = 0.011) and showed significantly thicker choroid (p = 0.033) and more frequent HRF (p = 0.006). Regarding the PD group, we found a negative correlation between age and choroidal thicknesses at baseline and at 3 years (p < 0.05); significant positive correlations were found between baseline BCVA and at 3 years (p < 0.001), BCVA at 3 years and IRF (p = 0.003) and SHRM at 3 years (p = 0.003); CRT baseline and CRT 3 years (p = 0.017); HCD at 3 years was associated with greater CRT (p = 0.04) and IRF at 3 years (p = 0.019). Conclusions. Early and long-term morphofunctional features of CNVs in PD and in AMD are overlapping. CNVs in PD have poorer long-term response to ranibizumab and higher choroidal thickness suggesting different pathogenetic and evolutionary mechanisms
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP): the role of oxidative stress in the degenerative process progression
No full textPurpose: Retinitis Pigmentosa is a term that includes a group of inherited bilateral and progressive retinal degenerations, with the involvement of rod photoreceptors, which frequently leads to blindness; oxidative stress may be involved in the degeneration progression as proposed by several recent studies. The goal of this study is to evaluate whether circulating free radicals taken from capillary blood are related to one of the most important features of Retinitis pigmentosa that can affect frequently patients: cystoid macular oedema (CME). Materials: A total of 186 patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa (range: 25–69 years) were enrolled; all patients completed an ophthalmologic examination and SD-OCT at baseline and were divided into three subgroups according to the SD-OCT features. ROS blood levels were determined using FORT with monitoring of free oxygen radicals. Results: Test levels of free oxygen radicals were significantly increased, almost twice, in RP patients showing cystoid macular oedema and significantly increased compared to the control group. (p < 0.001). Discussion: Our findings suggest that oxidative stress may speed cone photoreceptors’ morphological damage (CMT); because long lasting oxidative stress in the RP may cause oxidative damage, with animal models of RP suggesting this is a micromolecular mechanism of photoreceptors’ (cone) death, it can be similar to cone damage in human RP eyes. The limitations of this paper are the relatively small sample, the horizontal design of the study, and the lack of data about the levels of ROS in the vitreous body. View Full-Tex
Panza llena, corazón contento
No full textFil: Villarreal, Mario. Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Martinez, Maria Celeste, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Moscato, Maria Virginia, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Pedro, Carmen, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Molina Jaime, Florencia, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Auil, Yamila, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Peñaloza, Mariana, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: De León, Soledad, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Lordi, Luciana, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Sanchez Boni, Andrea, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Zampar, Florencia, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Silva, Paula, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Edreira, Florencia, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Torres, Pablo, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Andrizzi, Natalia, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Fala, Constanza, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Oliva, Laura, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Villarreal, Karen, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Lema Mundini, Rodrigo, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina.Fil: Vitorelli, Valeria, . Universidad Nacional de Villa María; Argentina
A high resolution wind&wave forecast model chain for the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea
No full textDHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute) and HyMOLab (Hydrodynamics and Met-Ocean Laboratory of the Dept. of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Trieste) have undertaken a joint applied research project with the aim to develop a state-of-art wind-wave forecast service at mid resolution for the Mediterranean Sea and at very high resolution for the Adriatic Sea. Weather routing, civil protection, coastal engineering, oil&gas and renewable energy fields, the planning of operations at sea, ... are just few among the multiple potential applications of this service. The meteorological model used in this study is WRF-ARW, one of the most widely used state-of-the-art open-source non-hydrostatic model. Global Forecast System (GFS) dataset
provides the boundary and initial conditions. MIKE21-Spectral Waves is used as wave model with resolution ranging from 0.1 to 0.03 approximately. The use of a local area meteorological model guarantees higher levels of resolution and accuracy in an area such as the Mediterranean Sea where the complex orography and coastline induce short-time/small-space weather scales. The model chain runs daily (or twice a day on demand)
on the High Performance Computing (HPC) infrastructure of HyMOLab. The validation of the entire model chain and specifically the forecast data obtained for the sea state is continuously updated according to new available data from satellites and buoys. Anyway, a major verification of the performance of the model chain against historic data (hindcast) is almost mandatory. For this aim, we performed a multi-decade test obtaining
very good statistical parameters for the entire model chain performance. In this context the hindcast dataset developed by DHI and HyMOLab consists of 35 years of hourly data for the period 1979-2013, with the same model chain. The CFSR d093.0 hourly dataset with a spatial resolution of 0.5 provides the boundary and initial conditions. The atmospheric and wave models performance is checked against six satellite datasets, missions
Envisat, ERS-2, Geosat FO, Jason-1, Jason-2, Topex-Poseidon, using a moving window technique procedure.
Wave data close to coast are compared with available data from more than 20 buoys. The paper describes the validation procedure adopted for the hindcasted data. Furthermore the forecast service is described too, with specific emphasis to the very high resolution adopted in the Adriatic Sea
LAURA ELIZABETH D'ANGELO Soprano MASTER'S RECITAL Tuesday, April 21, 1998 8:00 p.m. Lillian H. Duncan Recital Hall
No full textRecording of performance is incomplete.Program: Ich folge der gleichfalls from Johannes-Passion; Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben from Matthaeus-Passion / Johann Sebastian Bach -- Sogno d'infanzia; Ma rendi pur contento; L'abbandono / Vincenzo Bellini -- Du meines Herzens Kroenelein; Schoen sind, doch kalt; Ich trage meine Minne / Richard Strauss -- La diva de l'empire; Je te veux / Erik Satie -- Les cigales / Emmanuel Chabrier -- Under the Greenwood Tree; Weep You No More; The Faithless Shepherdess; By a Fountainside; Fair House of Joy / Roger QuilterThis recital is given in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Music degree
A state-of-the-art met-ocean model chain for wind&wave hindcast over the Mediterranean and Black Seas: Implementation, Tuning and Validation Against Field Data
No full textThis work is currently being carried out at the Met-Ocean Laboratory (MOLab) of the Dept. of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Trieste [1] and at Danish Hydraulic Institute-Italia (DHI) with the aim to develop and validate a state-of-the-art model chain for medium resolution (0.10° approximately) wind and wave hindcast simulations over the Mediterranean and Black Seas, consisting of 30 years long hourly data, ready to be used for engineering and environmental applications or even to be used as input for local nested higher resolution simulations (of order of few kilometers or less).
The meteorological model used is WRF-ARW [2,3,4], (one of) the most widely used state-of-the-art open-source non-hydrostatic model. The CFSR d093.0 dataset [5,6], hourly data with a spatial resolution of 0.5°, is used as boundary and initial conditions. WWIII [7] and MIKE21 [8] are used as wave models with resolution ranging from 0.1° to 0.03° approximately. The paper will show the results of the preliminary validation tests, both wind and wave, carried out over an entire year, comparing the data of several field stations
The consumers’ decision-making process in the local food system: An empirical research in Sicily
No full textThe objective of this study is to investigate how
“local” food is understood within the consumer-producer
relationship. The first aim is to identify psychological
and social factors influencing consumers’
perception of local food and its impact on food
purchase decision-making. The second aim is to
examine the agribusiness entrepreneurs’ communication
role in the implementation of local food consumption.
The explorative study, conducted in
Sicily, is based on focus groups (72 consumers) and
face-to-face interviews (70 agro-food producers).
The confirmatory quantitative study applied the
ETPB (Ajizen, 1991; Bissonnette et Contento 2001) to ascertain cognitive, affective and values
influencing consumer decision-making (Shaw et
al., 2005) and involved 800 consumers of local
Sicilian food. Despite the trend in consumer values
and attitudes, there are still different barriers to the
diffusion of the locally-oriented food consumption
style and behaviour. In the progression toward a
consumer-orientated agricultural production system,
there is a lack of awareness and competence amongst
agribusiness entrepreneurs in Sicily. The Sicilian
local food is made of up intangible variables, all of
which are shaped by goods and people into and out
of a particular locality. The results allow the evaluation
of the psychosocial variables effect in the
choice of local food and the of the communication
effect of local agribusiness entrepreneurs
Supply chain finance : an integrated supply-chain oriented credit rating framework
No full textLAUREA MAGISTRAL
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