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A group of 33 sportsmen and 43 sportswomen and a group of 488 subjects (less than 30 years old) selected from a sample of 816 subjects representative of the general Italian population were compared using the factor scores and total scores on the Italian version of the Buss and Durkee questionnaire. Analysis suggests a positive correlation between aggressiveness and sport and are compatible with the hypothesis that sporting activities serve as a means of controlling aggressiveness of women and help the individual psychosocial development of men. The decision to practice sports would seem to be connected with the needs to conform to cultural stereotypes, which portray the man as aggressive and the woman as gentle and submissive.

In many geothermal areas, an abatement of hydrochloric acid present in the steam is essential in order to produce energy before turbine expansion. In fact, concentrations of acid higher than 5 ppm risk seriously corroding the turbine, significantly increasing the costs of this energy source. In 2018, Enel Green Power decided to support a research project, called Georockwash, and aimed at identifying a new process for the abatement of HCl in geothermal steam with the collaboration of Magona Technological Pole, as a centre specialized in the experimentation of industrial processes on a pilot scale. The project has developed a new abatement process based on the use of dry CaCO3, as agent for the neutralization of acid. The process has been tested initially on a laboratory scale and then on a pilot scale with the construction of a 500 kg/h steam plant, skid mounted and transportable. The experimentation campaign on the pilot plant was conducted first at the facilities of the Magona Pole and then at an Enel Green Power geothermal power plant. In the experimentation the effects of the main operating parameters on the abatement efficiency were evaluated and correlated with a semi-empirical equation. Finally, the experimentation showed abatement efficiencies often higher than 95%, confirming the suitability of the new process for geothermal use with low investment and operating costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal energy is a key renewable energy for Italy, with an annual electric production of 6.18 TWh. The future of geothermal energy is concerned with clarity over the CO2 emissions from power plants and geological contexts where CO2 is produced naturally. The Mt. Amiata volcanic–geothermal area (AVGA) is a formidable natural laboratory for investigating the relative roles of natural degassing of CO2 and CO2 emissions from geothermal power plants (GPPs). This research is based on measuring the soil gas flux in the AVGA and comparing the diffuse volcanic soil gas emissions with the emissions from geothermal fields in operation. The natural flux of soil gas is high, independently from the occurrence of GPPs in the area, and the budget for natural diffuse gas flux is high with respect to power plant gas emissions. Furthermore, the CO2 emitted from power plants seems to reduce the amount of natural emissions because of the gas flow operated by power plants. During the GPPs' life cycle, CO2 emissions in the atmosphere are reduced further because of the reinjection of gas-free aqueous fluids in geothermal reservoirs. Therefore, the currently operating GPPs in the AVGA produce energy at a zero-emission level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rubidium and lithium ions are known to have opposite effects on a wide range of biochemical and behavioral parameters in experimental animals. Based on the proven effectiveness of lithium as an antimanic agent, several trials have been conducted with rubidium in the acute treatment of the depressive phase of bipolar illness. The results to date are promising. However, the 30- to 60-day biologic half-life of rubidium has mandated careful studies of potential toxicity before engaging in long-term administration of this ion to depressive subjects. One area of potential concern is the possibility of renal toxicity, which could be expressed as unexpectedly increased retention of rubidium. The data in this paper show that after 15 days of rubidium administration, there are no changes beyond the normal range in a variety of kidney function tests, including in four enzymes which are specific markers of tubule cell function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]