Estimating soil erosion in Natura 2000 areas located on three semi-arid Mediterranean Islands.

A major initiative in Europe is the protection of its biodiversity. To accomplish this, specific areas from all countries of the European Union are protected by the establishment of the "Natura 2000" network. One of the major threats to these areas and in general to ecosystems is soil erosion.

Assessing riparian conservation land management practice impacts on gully erosion in Iowa.

Well-established perennial vegetation in riparian areas of agricultural lands can stabilize the end points of gullies and reduce their overall erosion. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of riparian land management on gully erosion. A field survey documented the number of gullies and cattle access points in riparian forest buffers, grass filters, annual row-cropped fields, pastures in which the cattle were fenced out of the stream, and continuously, rotationally and intensive rotationally grazed pastures in three regions of Iowa.

Characterization by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of diterpenoid resinous materials in Roman-age amphorae from northern Greece.

A combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry approach has been used for the characterization of two lumps of resin and 17 adsorbed residues on Roman-age vessels, mainly amphorae, from northern Greece. The data show that a diterpenic resin from plants of the Pinacae family is the main component of the tarry material associated with the analyzed archaeological samples. The identification and mass spectrometric fragmentation of several characteristic diterpenoid biomarkers is discussed.

The comparison of four neutron sources for Prompt Gamma Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) in vivo detections of boron.

A Prompt Gamma Ray Neutron Activation Analysis (PGNAA) system, incorporating an isotopic neutron source has been simulated using the MCNPX Monte Carlo code. In order to improve the signal to noise ratio different collimators and a filter were placed between the neutron source and the object. The effect of the positioning of the neutron beam and the detector relative to the object has been studied.

Optimization of cotton seed biodiesel quality (critical properties) through modification of its FAME composition by highly selective homogeneous hydrogenation.

The catalytic (homogeneous) hydrogenation of biodiesel's polyunsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), synthesized by transesterification of vegetable (cotton seed) oil, selectively to monounsaturated FAME, could upgrade the final quality of biodiesel. The final fuel can be optimized to have a higher cetane number and improved oxidative stability. The low-temperature performance after hydrogenation (CFPP) might be worst, but this, could be further improved through selective wintering and/or blending.