University of Ljubljana

About: University of Ljubljana is a education organization based out in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Liquid crystal. The organization has 17210 authors who have published 47013 publications receiving 1082684 citations. The organization is also known as: Univerza v Ljubljani.

Mineral magnetic variation of the Jiaodao Chinese loess/paleosol sequence and its bearing on long-term climatic variability

Abstract: [1] To retrieve reliable long-term paleoclimatic signals from the Chinese loess/paleosol sequences deposited over the past 2.6 Myr, multiparameter mineral magnetic investigations have been conducted on the Jiaodao section on the Chinese central Loess Plateau. First, the lithogenic magnetic components and the pedogenic overprinting were chemically separated by the citrate-bicarbonate-dithionite (CBD) method. The magnetic properties of the least pedogenically altered loess units and post-CBD loess/paleosols are dominated by coarse-grained lithogenic magnetite. Increasing degree of pedogenesis increases both the concentration and grain size of pedogenic magnetite/maghemite. Long-term changes of the pre-CBD magnetic properties suggest a long-term decrease in summer monsoon intensity and a long-term increase in winter monsoon intensity from the late Pliocene to the late Pleistocene. Long-term variations of the post-CBD magnetic properties suggest an increase in both concentration and grain size of coarse-grained lithogenic PSD/MD magnetite grains, and hence indicate a long-term increase in winter monsoon intensity over that period. The coercivity decrease of the lithogenic component for the loess unit L15 may be related to the accelerated uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent regions during the period of L15 deposition. From paleosol S5 to loess L1, higher values of coercivity of the lithogenic component occur in typical loess and paleosols, and lower values are found at the loess/paleosol transition. These coercivity variations are thought to be related to significant changes in the source region as well as dust deposition in the Loess Plateau caused by changes in ice/snow or vegetational cover. These new results lead to a better understanding of the relationships between the effects of tectonic, paleoclimatic, and paleoenvironmental processes in northwestern China.

The nature of biodiversity in hypogean waters and how it is endangered

Abstract: The specialised aquatic hypogean, i.e. stygobiotic, fauna has been recognised in some regions moderately rich. Slovenia, the broader Dinaric region, and Europe are particularly rich with about 7-8% of all Metazoa and about 40% of Crustacea species being stygobionts. The hypogean biotic diversity is in general predominantly a crustacean diversity. The high number of stygobiont Crustacea-Malacostraca species can be explained by the near absence of Insecta as well as by their high endemicity and some- times additional specialisation, i.e. the spatial and ecological partition of the environment by the species. Although one cave system may exceptionally shelter up to 40 stygobiont species, they are distributed there into separate associations. Among more than 2000 described stygobiontic Malacostraca species, which include close to 950 Amphipoda, the species numbers within some genera are very high (e.g. Niphargus with 275 spp.). With 10 orders represented the higher taxonomic diversity of stygobiont Malacostraca matches that of fresh waters or the sea. Comparison of some faunas shows that the limiting factors for biodiversity might be the lower ecological diversity of habitats and restricted food resources underground, both brought about to a high degree by the darkness and absence of plants. Being K-strategists, stygobionts are endangered by any sudden changes in their environment. In the case of an increased food input by modest organic pollution, they can be outcompeted by energetically demanding but competitively stronger recent immigrants from surface.

Tourism Destination Brand Equity Dimensions Renewal versus Repeat Market

Abstract: This article investigates the concept of customer-based brand equity for a tourism destination, which has been introduced into the tourism literature only a few years ago. Specifically, it investigates whether differences between renewal and repeat tourists exist in their evaluation of a tourism destination. A theoretically proposed model, encompassing the dimensions of awareness, image, quality, and loyalty, was empirically verified for the European tourism destination Slovenia from the perspective of German tourists. The results imply that the dimensions of image and quality play the most important role in tourists’ evaluation of a destination, regardless of whether they are first-time visitors or repeaters. Results also reveal differences in importance for the dimensions of awareness and loyalty between renewal and repeat tourists. Drawing on the results, the article offers some implications for tourism organizations in developing and implementing destination marketing strategies in foreign markets.

On the Interpretation of Measured Impedance Spectra of Insertion Cathodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract: In the literature, the interpretation of electrochemical impedance spectra measured on insertion cathode materials is far from being unique. In most cases, various arbitrarily selected equivalent circuits have been used for analysis of spectra whereby the criterion of merit has mainly been the quality of fit. Herein, we propose a different approach. We try to explain the main features such as the high and medium frequency arcs and the low frequency diffusional tail using convenient (simplified) equivalent circuits derived from a quite general description of impedance due to a particulate (porous) system. The proposed models have a clear physical background. The meaning of selected circuit parameters is experimentally verified using carefully modeled experiments on LiFeP0 4 and LiCoO 2 materials. In particular, we discuss the effects of state of charge, external pressure, electrode mass (thickness), and electrolyte concentration on the measured and simulated equivalent circuits. In the last part, we discuss in certain depth the complications arising from poor electronic or ionic contacting (wiring) between different phases constituting electrodes.