Arsenic, antimony and selenium in urban soils: potential risks for human health in urban gardening

The benefits of urban agriculture are many and well documented, ranging from health improvement to community betterment, more sustainable urban development and environment protection. On the negative side, urban soils are commonly enriched in toxic trace elements that have accumulated over time through the deposition of atmospheric particles (generated by automotive traffic, heating systems, historical industrial activities and resuspended street dust), and the uncontrolled disposal of domestic, commercial and industrial wastes. This in turn has given rise to concerns about the level of exposure of urban farmers to these elements and the potential health hazards associated with this exposure. Research efforts in this field have started relatively recently and have almost systematically omitted the influence of Sb and Se, and to a lesser extent of As, although all three have proven toxic effects.

News in engineering education in Spain effective from 2010 in presence of external changes and mixed crisis, looking mostly to agro and civil engineers.

The engineering careers models were diverse in Europe, and are adopting now in Spain the Bolonia process for European Universities. Separated from older Universities, that are in part technically active, Civil Engineering (Caminos, Canales y Puertos) started at end of 18th century in Spain adopting the French models of Upper Schools for state civil servants with exam at entry. After 1800 intense wars, to conserve forest regions Ingenieros de Montes appeared as Upper School, and in 1855 also the Ingenieros Agr��nomos to push up related techniques and practices. Other Engineers appeared as Upper Schools but more towards private factories. These ES got all adapted Lower Schools of Ingeniero Tecnico. Recently both grew much in number and evolved, linked also to recognized Professions. Spanish society, into European Community, evolved across year 2000, in part highly well, but with severe discordances, that caused severe youth unemployment with 2008-2011 crisis. With Bolonia process high formal changes step in from 2010-11, accepted with intense adaptation. The Lower Schools are changing towards the Upper Schools, and both that have shifted since 2010-11 various 4-years careers (Grado), some included into the precedent Professions, and diverse Masters. Acceptation of them to get students has started relatively well, and will evolve, and acceptation of new grades for employment in Spain, Europe or outside will be essential. Each Grado has now quite rigid curricula and programs, MOODLE was introduced to connect pupils, some specific uses of Personal Computers are taught in each subject. Escuela de Agronomos centre, reorganized with its old name in its precedent buildings at entrance of Campus Moncloa, offers Grados of Agronomic Engineering and Science for various public and private activities for agriculture, Alimentary Engineering for alimentary activities and control, Agro-Environmental Engineering more related to environment activities, and in part Biotechnology also in laboratories in Campus Monte-Gancedo for Biotechnology of Plants and Computational Biotechnology. Curricula include Basics, Engineering, Practices, Visits, English, ?project of end of career?, Stays. Some masters will conduce to specific professional diploma, list includes now Agro-Engineering, Agro-Forestal Biotechnology, Agro and Natural Resources Economy, Complex Physical Systems, Gardening and Landscaping, Rural Genie, Phytogenetic Resources, Plant Genetic Resources, Environmental Technology for Sustainable Agriculture, Technology for Human Development and Cooperation.

Los tratados y el jard��n renacentista en Italia. Principios, metodolog��as y t��cnicas

La tesis destaca la influencia que ejerci�� la teor��a, las t��cnicas y la metodolog��a de proyecto de los principales tratados de la ��poca renacentista en la concepci��n, dise��o y realizaci��n de algunos de los m��s importantes jardines de la ��poca. Los tratados de Vitruvio, Alberti, Filarete, Di Giorgio, Serlio, Palladio, Colonna y Del Riccio establecen una nueva est��tica y una nueva visi��n del mundo, basadas en la geometr��a elemental y en los n��meros simples. En la Grecia antigua, Plat��n y Pit��goras intuyeron la necesidad existencial del hombre de apoyarse en unas leyes seguras de orden superior. Sus teor��as sobre las leyes del Universo son retomadas y aplicadas en el arte y en el jard��n por Vitruvio y por los tratadistas del Renacimiento. Seg��n los tratadistas, la est��tica es el n��cleo generador del que se activan la informaci��n y las leyes hacia todos los campos del conocimiento y de la vida social y, por lo tanto, la finalidad de los tratados es buscar, a trav��s de un procedimiento cient��fico y racional, las reglas de la belleza. Las leyes est��ticas formuladas por los tratadistas examinados se aplican con el mismo rigor y respeto ya sea al paisaje que al jard��n, exaltando el elemento natural al igual que el construido (la ciudad y la arquitectura). De los tratados renacentistas se han extra��dos t��rminos y conceptos que ayudan a revalorizar, reinterpretar e integrar en el debate los temas del paisaje y del jard��n. La tesis sostiene que: 1) una idea moderna de jard��n se tiene que fundar en la historia; 2) que la historia es indispensable incluso para enfrentar el problema del mantenimiento y de la restauraci��n de los jardines hist��ricos; 3) que la teor��a y las ideas que tienen valor, as�� como nos ense��a Alberti, producen obras que tambi��n tienen valor; 4) la influencia de la est��tica de los tratadistas se encuentra incluso en algunos importantes jardines de ��poca moderna y contempor��nea. El cap��tulo 1 contiene la definici��n de tratado y la concepci��n est��tica del Renacimiento, analizada por medio de: a) la idea de ciencia y b) a trav��s de las pinturas. Los cap��tulos 2 y 3 contienen respectivamente los principios te��ricos de los tratados y el dise��o, la metodolog��a, las t��cnicas constructivas y los m��todos de representaci��n del proyecto seg��n los tratadistas. Estos cap��tulos resultan proped��uticos de los cap��tulos siguientes por proporcionar el instrumento de lectura e interpretaci��n de los jardines renacentistas y modernos. El cap��tulo 4 destaca la gran influencia de los tratados sobre las villas y jardines renacentistas y describe sus elementos. El ��ltimo cap��tulo, el quinto, contiene un an��lisis de algunos jardines modernos. Entre ellos: Chiswick, la Villa ���I Tatti���, Sutton Place, y la Villa ���Il Roseto��� que renuevan y prosiguen, en nuestra opini��n, la lecci��n de los tratadistas. El primer anexo contiene la propuesta de l��neas de investigaci��n que surgen a la luz de la tesis, y el segundo anexo contiene las noticias biogr��ficas de los tratadistas examinados. ABSTRACT The thesis investigates the influence exercised by the theory, techniques and project methodology contained in the most relevant essays on art and architecture of the Renaissance on the concept, design and making of some of the most important gardens of that time. The essays of Vitruvius, Alberti, Filarete, Di Giorgio, Serlio, Palladio, Colonna y Del Riccio established a new concept of aesthetics and a vision of the world based on basic geometry and simple numbers. In ancient Greece, Plato and Pythagoras understood that humans needed ���superior laws��� to anchor their existences. Their theories on laws of the Universe were adopted and applied in art and gardening by Vitruvius and Renaissance essays authors. According to the authors of these essays, aesthetics represents the core generating information and laws that branch out toward all the fields of knowledge and social life. Therefore, the purpose of art and architecture essays consists in exploring, through a scientific and rational process, the rules of beauty. The laws of aesthetics proposed by the authors apply to landscaping and gardening with the same rigor and exalt the natural component as much as the artificial one (city and architecture). Several terms and concepts are also extracted that, despite their age, still help us to understand and enrich the contemporary debate revolving around landscaping and gardening. The thesis argues that: 1) the modern idea of gardening must be based on history; 2) history is fundamental even to address the topics of maintenance and restoration of historical gardens; 3) like Leon Battista Alberti maintains, valid theory and ideas produce valuable works; 4) the influence played by aesthetics on authors can be found in many important modern and contemporary gardens. Chapter 1 contains the definition of essay and of the Renaissance concept of aesthetics, analyzed by: a) the idea of science and 2) the analysis of some paintings of the period. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss respectively the theoretical principles of the essays and the design, methodology, construction techniques and the methods of representation of the project according to the authors. These chapters are preparatory toward the following chapters and provide us with the keys necessary to read and interpret Renaissance and modern gardens. Chapter 4 highlights the great influence exercised by those authors on the planning of important villas and gardens from the Renaissance while describing their elements. The 5th and final chapter analyzes some modern gardens among which Chiswick, Villa ���I Tatti���, Sutton Place, Villa ���Il Roseto���. These villas renew and in our opinion carry on the lesson of the essays written in the Renaissance. The first addendum suggests future lines of research derived from the thesis, while the second addendum contains biographical information regarding the authors examined.

Bioaccessibility of heavy metals and risk assessment in urban gardens of Madrid

Human health problems and solutions. Urban gardening has spread worldwide in recent years as it enhances food security and selfsupply and promotes community integration. However urban soils are significantly enriched in trace elements relative to background levels. Exposure to the soil in urban gardens may therefore result in adverse health effects depending on the degree of contact during gardening, infant recreational activities and ingestion of vegetables grown in them. In order to evaluate this potential risk, 36 composite samples were collected from the top 20 cm of the soil of 6 urban gardens in Madrid. The aqua regia (pseudototal) and glycine-extractable (bioaccessible) concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Additionally, pH, texture, Fe, Ca, and Mn concentrations, and organic matter and calcium carbonate contents were determined in all urban gardens and their influence on trace element bioaccessibility was analyzed.