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The beating sound of passive degassing at an open-vent volcano captured by combined infrasonic and SO2 flux observations
No full textVolcanic degassing is a key manifestation of volcanic activity, and offers crucial insights into the subtle changes in volcano behavior during unrest and prior to eruption. However, accurately assessing gas emission rates remains difficult, and the implementation of gas flux sensing techniques is one of the most pressing challenges in modern volcanology. Here, we present two years of continuous measurements (April 2017–March 2019) of the
SO2 flux and infrasound associated with volcanic degassing at Stromboli volcano (Italy). We show that degassing can be tracked in space and time following changes in infrasonic activity during persistent Strombolian activity.
By modeling gas expansion within the conduit, we convert ~10 million infrasonic signals into equivalent gas fluxes associated with puffing and spattering activity. Our results and calculations from both methodologies indicate a total magmatic gas emission rate ranging between 10 and 100 m3/s. We find this volumetric rate to be almost entirely accounted for by the acoustically-derived gas flux, both in terms of total volume released and the
spatial distribution of the degassing sources. Our results open new avenues to interpreting passive degassing at open-vent volcanoes, and demonstrate the potential of infrasound as a valuable tool for quantifying gas emissions in such systems
Privacy-Preserving Auditable Hygiene Compliance Using Hyperledger Fabric in Hospital Environments
No full textThis research introduces a novel decentralized system de-
signed to improve hand hygiene protocols in clinical environments, aim-
ing to lower the incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Moni-
toring techniques often fail to verify adherence or maintain secure, ver-
ifiable records, leading to audit challenges and increased infection risks.
The proposed solution integrates a custom-trained YOLOv8 model to
detect hand hygiene-related behaviors from real-time image and video
streams, enhancing hygiene alerts for healthcare workers more accurate
with a comprehensive tracking and tracing mechanism. Detected events
are cryptographically anonymized and stored on a Hyperledger Fab-
ric blockchain, ensuring immutable and transparent compliance records.
Compared to traditional monitoring methods, recorded events are more
accurate and practical for compliance checks and audit purposes to main-
tain hand hygiene practices. The proposed system ensures data integrity,
preserves user privacy, and provides transparent audit trails
Fire Load Effects on Concrete Bridges with External Post-Tensioning: Modeling and Analysis
No full textThe fire performance of existing reinforced concrete (RC) bridge decks strengthened by external prestressing systems is investigated, with particular attention to the vulnerability of externally applied tendons under realistic fire scenarios. Fire exposure represents a critical condition for such retrofitted structures, as the structural response is strongly influenced by load level, prestressing effectiveness, and thermal degradation of the strengthening system. A comprehensive assessment framework is proposed, combining thermal and mechanical analyses applied to representative highway overpass bridges. The thermal input adopted for the analyses is first validated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, aimed at evaluating temperature development in typical RC beam-girder grillage decks subjected to fire from below. The CFD study considers variations in clearance height and span length and confirms that, in the case of hydrocarbon tanker accidents with fuel spilled on the roadway, conventional fire curves commonly adopted in the literature provide a reliable and conservative representation of both the temperature levels reached and their rate of increase within structural elements, thus supporting their use for rapid and simplified assessments. The validated thermal input is then employed in an analytical fire safety procedure applied to several realistic bridge case-studies. A parametric investigation is carried out by varying deck geometry, span length, reinforcement layout, and the presence of external prestressing retrofit, allowing the evaluation of the reduction in bending capacity and the time-dependent degradation of mechanical properties under fire exposure. The results highlight the critical role of external prestressing in fire scenarios, showing that significant loss of prestressing effectiveness may occur within the first minutes of fire, potentially leading to critical conditions even at service load levels. Finally, a multi-hazard assessment is performed by combining fire effects with pre-existing aging-related deterioration, such as reinforcement corrosion and long-term prestressing losses, demonstrating a marked increase in failure risk and, in the most severe cases, the possibility of premature collapse under dead loads
Meandering Around Fuzziness
No full textthe present volume we have collected a few papers which discuss the use and application of fuzzy notions in what can be said a “conceptual” way. That is, concerning
the primitive, innovative idea put forward at the beginning of the fuzzy explosio
A Novel, Eco-Friendly, and Cost-Effective Calcium Hydroxide Treatment for Sustainable Sisal Fiber-Reinforced Geopolymers
No full textThis paper explores a new, sustainable, and economical approach to increase the compatibility between natural fibers and geopolymeric matrices by using a calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 solution. Untreated and treated sisal fibers have been used as reinforcement in geopolymers, replacing 2 wt% of the river sand aggregate. To assess the effect of treatment duration on the properties of the resulting geopolymer composites, sisal fibers have been specifically soaked in an aqueous solution (2 g/L) of calcium hydroxide for 24, 48, and 72 h. The tensile properties and the thermal resistance of sisal fibers were investigated, together with their chemical composition and morphological features. The workability of fresh geopolymer materials was indirectly evaluated in this study by determining the initial and final setting times via needle penetration testing. Binary optical photographs were processed with image analysis software to quantify the porosity content of geopolymers. Quasi-static flexural, compression, and Brazilian (indirect tensile) tests were conducted on all geopolymer composites and the neat geopolymeric matrix. Experimental results demonstrated that, although slightly reducing fiber tensile properties, the proposed alkaline treatment improved the mechanical response of the resulting composites due to enhanced fiber-matrix compatibility, particularly toughness and post-peak behavior, regardless of loading configuration. Notably, the most favorable outcomes were achieved by treating sisal fiber in calcium hydroxide solution for 24 h
Employment and life satisfaction among refugees and asylum seekers in Italy: evidence from the ItRAS Survey
No full textEmployment plays a crucial role in promoting integration by providing autonomy and stability – factors especially critical for forcibly displaced individuals. It is also positively linked to overall life satisfaction. This study, drawing on data from the first Italian Refugees and Asylum seekers Survey, explores their life satisfaction, examining its relationship with employment outcomes and their structural barriers and socio-economic supports through a mediation model. The analysis reveals that employment outcomes are significantly and positively associated with life satisfaction. In contrast, poor health, low Italian language proficiency, and a lack of local social support networks are negatively associated with well-being, while the presence of a family network in Italy and receiving subsidies are positively related. Moreover, employment outcomes mediate the effects of most barriers and facilitators on life satisfaction. These results provide a contextualization of the Italian territory of refugees and asylum seekers’ life satisfaction
Effect of physiotherapy on clinical outcomes in patients with acute brain injury: A post–hoc analysis of the ENIO study
No full textBackground: Patients with Acute Brain Injury often require prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stays and physiotherapy. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency and types of physiotherapy used in acute brain injury patients, identify predictors for its initiation, and assess its effects on clinical outcomes, including extubation failure, ICU and hospital mortality, and ICU length of stay. Methods: This post-hoc analysis of the ENIO study included 1012 patients with available physiotherapy data. Clinical outcomes were assessed using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Results: Among the patients included, 75.9 % received physiotherapy, with 19.4 % undergoing curative interventions and 80.6 % receiving prophylactic measures. Patients who received physiotherapy were older, more frequently had traumatic brain injuries, and were more likely to require an intracranial probe and external ventricular drainage compared to those who did not. After IPTW adjustment, no significant differences were observed between groups in terms of extubation failure (21.5 % vs. 20.1 %; OR = 0.96, 95 %CI = 0.71-1.30), ICU-mortality (3.0 % vs. 4.5 %; OR = 0.83, 95 %CI = 0.41-1.67), hospital-mortality (8.3 % vs. 7.5 %; OR = 1.21, 95 %CI = 0.76-1.95), or ICU-length of stay (mean 17.3 vs. 13.1 days, p = 0.21). Factors associated with physiotherapy initiation included ventilator-associated pneumonia and the presence of an intracranial probe, while a lower Glasgow Coma Scale score was associated with a reduced likelihood of treatment. Conclusions: Physiotherapy was frequently applied in patients with acute brain injury, but no significant association was observed with extubation failure, mortality, or ICU stay. These findings underscore the need for prospective studies addressing timing, intensity, and modality of physiotherapy in this population
Sul rapporto di teoria e prassi nella filosofia trascendentale kantiana
No full textDespite the well-known Kantian distinction, the relationship between theory and praxis turns out to be much richer than it might appear at first. This is not only because the definition in the Critique of Pure Reason leaves a space open for further determinations, but also because the further developments of Kant's criticism, in particular the Third Critique, seem to converge towards the conjunction of these two poles: towards the principle of the unity of speculative and practical reason. The aim of this essay is to expose the problematic nature of the Kantian distinction by showing its partiality, in order to offer a broad perspective on a reason that, as a whole, realizes itself in the world
Measurement method of rainfall energetic characteristics using the Weibull drop size distribution
No full textRainfall kinetic energy is a critical variable in assessing rainfall erosivity, that is the capability of rainfall to erode
soil. Accurate measurements of rainfall erosivity are essential for predicting soil loss and refining soil erosion
models. Currently, rainfall energy is derived from measurements of raindrop size distribution (DSD) and raindrop
terminal velocity. However, traditional disdrometers, which measure DSD, face limitations related to both the
produced large datasets and the high costs associated with their deployment, especially over large areas, limiting
their use to experimental installations for scientific research. Recent advancements have introduced a patented
method to measure rainfall energy, relying on the simultaneous detection of rainfall intensity and the number of
raindrops impacting a surface within a specific time interval. This paper presents advances in the theoretical
measurement method of rainfall kinetic power and momentum by using Weibull distribution and rainfall momentum
distribution. The developed theoretical analysis aimed at enhancing the reliability of this innovative
approach for measuring rainfall kinetic power and momentum, by the detection of the rainfall intensity, number
of the raindrops and the mean raindrop diameter calculated by the raindrop momentum distribution. This
analysis developed by using measured DSDs demonstrates that the proposed approach provides accurate estimates
of rainfall kinetic power and momentum, but also of the shape and the scale parameters of the DSD.
Furthermore, the results suggest that the momentum distribution-based estimates of rainfall momentum are more
accurate than those of kinetic power, due its reduced sensitivity to uncertainties in terminal velocity calculations.
Implementing direct measurements of rainfall erosivity, this method could significantly improve the accuracy of
erosion models and contribute to more effective large-scale monitoring of soil erosion risk
Beyond Appearances: A Multidimensional Investigation of Slut-Shaming Experiences in Adolescence and Early Adulthood
No full textLa presente tesi indaga il fenomeno dello slut-shaming durante l’adolescenza e la prima età adulta attraverso un approccio multilivello e interdisciplinare, che integra analisi teorica e ricerca empirica, avvalendosi di metodologie sia qualitative sia quantitative. Il primo capitolo definisce il quadro teorico di riferimento, delineando le principali lenti interpretative adottate per affrontare il fenomeno: la teoria femminista, la psicologia dinamica e dello sviluppo e i media studies. In particolare, viene analizzato lo slut-shaming come forma di regolazione morale di genere, radicata in norme socioculturali e rafforzata attraverso le interazioni tra pari e le pratiche digitali.Il secondo capitolo presenta una revisione sistematica della letteratura internazionale sugli antecedenti psicosociali dello slut-shaming, con particolare attenzione alle norme di genere, alle dinamiche tra pari e all’identità digitale. Il terzo capitolo espone i risultati di uno studio qualitativo volto a esplorare le rappresentazioni soggettive dello slut-shaming in adolescenza, mettendo in luce le tensioni tra agency sessuale e rispettabilità nei discorsi tra pari. A tal fine, è stata adottata la Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2014), al fine di comprendere le modalità attraverso cui i giovani adulti affrontano lo slut-shaming e di analizzare i fattori socioculturali coinvolti nelle sue dinamiche.Il quarto capitolo è dedicato alla costruzione e alla validazione preliminare di un nuovo strumento psicometrico, denominato Adolescent Girls’ Slut-Shaming Experiences Scale (AG-SSES), sviluppato per misurare le esperienze multidimensionali di slut-shaming nelle adolescenti italiane. Attraverso analisi fattoriali esplorative e confermative, la scala mostra una solida consistenza interna e una struttura a cinque fattori.Infine, il quinto capitolo analizza il processo di interiorizzazione di costrutti stereotipici in un campione di giovani donne inglesi e italiane, utilizzando l’intelligenza artificiale (IA) per sviluppare immagini in grado di rappresentare in modo realistico le rappresentazioni interiori e gli stereotipi che le donne proiettano su altre figure femminili.This thesis investigates the phenomenon of slut-shaming in adolescence and emerging adulthood through a multi-level and interdisciplinary approach, combining theoretical analysis, empirical research, and both qualitative and quantitative methods. The first chapter provides the theoretical framework, outlining the key interpretative lenses used to address the phenomenon: feminist theory, dynamic and developmental psychology, and digital media studies. It explores how slut-shaming operates as a form of gendered moral regulation rooted in socio-cultural norms and reinforced through peer interactions and digital practices. The second chapter is a systematic review of the international literature on the psychosocial antecedents of slut-shaming, with particular attention to gender norms, peer dynamics, and digital identity. The third chapter presents the results of a qualitative study aimed at capturing adolescents’ subjective representations of slut-shaming, highlighting the tensions between sexual agency and respectability in peer discourse. Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2014) was employed to understand how young adults deal with slut-shaming and analyse sociocultural factors involved in slut-shaming dynamics. The fourth chapter is dedicated to the construction and preliminary validation of a new psychometric tool named “Adolescent Girls’ Slut-Shaming Experiences Scale” (AG-SSES) developed to measure the multifaceted experiences of slut-shaming among Italian teenage girls. Through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the scale demonstrates solid internal consistency and a five-factor structure. Finally, the fifth chapter investigates the process of internalizing stereotypical constructs in a sample of young English and Italian women, using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to develop images realistically capturing the inner representations and stereotypes that women project onto other female figures