Shifting networks and mixing metals: Changing metal trade routes to Scandinavia correlate with Neolithic and Bronze Age transformations.

Based on 550 metal analyses, this study sheds decisive light on how the Nordic Bronze Age was founded on metal imports from shifting ore sources associated with altered trade routes. On-and-off presence of copper characterised the Neolithic. At 2100-2000 BC, a continuous rise in the flow of metals to southern Scandinavia begins. First to arrive via the central German Únetician hubs was high-impurity metal from the Austrian Inn Valley and Slovakia; this was complemented by high-tin British metal, enabling early local production of tin bronzes. Increased metal use locally fuelled the leadership competitions visible in the metal-led material culture. The Únetice downfall c.1600 BC resulted for a short period in a raw materials shortage, visible in the reuse of existing stocks, but stimulated direct Nordic access to the Carpathian basin. This new access expedited innovations in metalwork with reliance on chalcopyrite from Slovakia, as well as opening new sources in the eastern Alps, along an eastern route that also conveyed Baltic amber as far as the Aegean. British metal plays a central role during this period. Finally, from c.1500 BC, when British copper imports ceased, the predominance of novel northern Italian copper coincides with the full establishment of the NBA and highlights a western route, connecting the NBA with the southern German Tumulus culture and the first transalpine amber traffic.

Simple and Cost-effective "Turn-on" Fluorescence Sensor for the Determination of Xanthine.

A simple and selective 'turn-on' fluorescence sensor have been developed for the determination of xanthine (XA) based on glutathione (GSH) capped copper nanoclusters (CuNCs) as the fluorescent probe. The proposed sensor possess several advantages such as sensitivity, short analysis time and requires no sample pretreatment. The conditions for the performances of the sensor have been optimized and good linear relationship was obtained between concentration and relative fluorescence intensity in the concentration range 9.0[Formula: see text]10-3 M to 8.0[Formula: see text]10-5 M with a detection limit 6.0[Formula: see text]10-6 M. The mechanism behind the fluorescence enhancement may be ascribed to the binding of XA on the surface of GSH CuNCs. The sensor have been successfully applied to determine XA in spiked physiological samples.

Applicability of Low-Cost Binders for the Quantitative Elemental Analysis of Urinary Stones Using EDXRF Based on Fundamental Parameter Approach.

The pressed powder sample is a common method for elemental analysis using X-ray fluorescence analysis whereas suitable light hydrocarbon materials should be added to the sample as a binder. The present study demonstrates the applicability of using different commercial binders for elemental analysis of urinary stone samples. In order to confirm the obtained results, a comparison with pure chemical grade binders was presented. Different commercial and pure binders were tested for quantitative elemental analysis of urinary stones, namely, cellulose, starch, wax, and urea. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) was used for elemental analysis. Differential thermal analysis was used to estimate the loss on ignition (LOI) in the urinary stone samples. The signal to background ratios (I/IB) of the different detected elements in the commercial and pure binders were calculated, compared, and studied at eight different photon energies starting from 2.5 up to 37 keV. Standard-less quantitative analysis method based on the fundamental parameter approach was applied for elemental analysis of selected urinary stones. The commercial and low-cost binders could be an excellent alternative binder for urinary stone analysis using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence. The commercial binders could provide an advantage as pure chemical grade binders or even better especially at photon energy higher than 10 keV. The best commercial binder candidate was found to be the wax. The quantitative analysis results using commercial and pure chemical grade binders give good agreement results, which indicate the applicability of commercial binders for quantitative elemental analysis of urinary stones in the form of pressed powder samples.

Economic and toxicological aspects of copper industry in Katanga, DR Congo.

The Katanga province is well known for its copper and cobalt reserves. During the early 2000s a boom of mining projects in Katanga brought again hope for better future to Congolese people. The paper aims to evaluate the impact of recent production recovery on economy and environment. We collected primary and secondary sources on copper industry for economic analysis. We use results of laboratory analysis conducted at the Congolese Office of Control by provincial division of environment for toxicological analysis. The comparison of heavy metal concentration to standards shows that mining industry is the main source of environmental pollution in Katanga. Copper industry generates income for economic growth of the region.

Economic booms and risky sexual behavior: evidence from Zambian copper mining cities.

Existing studies suggest that individual and household level economic shocks affect the demand for and supply of risky sex. However, little evidence exists on the effects of an aggregate shock on equilibrium risky sexual behavior. This paper examines the effects of the early twenty-first century copper boom on risky sexual behavior in Zambian copper mining cities. The results suggest that the copper boom substantially reduced rates of transactional sex and multiple partnerships in copper mining cities. These effects were partly concentrated among young adults and copper boom induced in-migration to mining cities appears to have contributed to these reductions.

Natural products alone or with copper vs. grape downy mildew: efficacy, costs, Cu impact.

In organic farming copper is one of the few fungicides that can be used and the only effective against downy mildew. Due to the problems of environmental impact associated with the use of this heavy metal, the European Union decided to restrict its use (Annex II Regulation EC n. 889/2008). In order to assess the possibility of replacing the copper or reduce the quantities used, we tested natural products and low rate copper formulations in field trials. The anti-downy mildew activity of these formulations has been studied in an organic vineyard. During the two years of activity we also estimated the economic cost of use of the products to assess their possible use in agricultural practice.

Material availability and the supply chain: risks, effects, and responses.

Many authors suggest that market forces are inadequate to successfully manage the problems of resource availability and use. The fundamental question is whether these inadequacies are intrinsic to the market or if they arise from a failure of firms to detect and respond to subtle market signals. This paper explores the latter by describing (1) mechanisms that can limit materials availability, (2) effects of such limits on the firm, (3) preliminary metrics to diagnose these risks, and (4) strategies to reduce a firm's risk exposure. Case analyses of two materials systems are used to suggestthat private firm interests, when properly informed, can motivate strategies that drive toward sustainable materials use. These strategies include (1) improving production efficiency, (2) developing technology to use more sustainable substitute materials, and (3) facilitating a more effective materials recycling infrastructure.

Metal stocks and sustainability.

The relative proportions of metal residing in ore in the lithosphere, in use in products providing services, and in waste deposits measure our progress from exclusive use of virgin ore toward full dependence on sustained use of recycled metal. In the U.S. at present, the copper contents of these three repositories are roughly equivalent, but metal in service continues to increase. Providing today's developed-country level of services for copper worldwide (as well as for zinc and, perhaps, platinum) would appear to require conversion of essentially all of the ore in the lithosphere to stock-in-use plus near-complete recycling of the metals from that point forward.

The influence of metal source uncertainty on cost-effective allocation of mine water pollution abatement in catchments.

In mine water pollution abatement, it is commonly assumed that known mine waste sites are the major pollution sources, thus neglecting the possibility of significant contribution from other old and diffuse sources within a catchment. We investigate the influence of different types of pollution source uncertainty on cost-effective allocation of abatement measures for mine water pollution. A catchment-scale cost-minimization model is developed and applied to the catchment of the river Dalälven, Sweden, in order to exemplify important effects of such source uncertainty. Results indicate that, if the pollution distribution between point and diffuse sources is partly unknown, downstream abatement measures, such as constructed wetlands, at given compliance boundaries are often cost-effective. If downstream abatement measures are not practically feasible, the pollution source distribution between point and diffuse mine water sources is critical for cost-effective solutions to abatement measure allocation in catchments. In contrast, cost-effective solutions are relatively insensitive to uncertainty in total pollutant discharge from mine water sources.