1,721,005 research outputs found
Proactive Risk Management and integrated knowledge for governance of urban systems: Urban Vulnerability in the case of Gran Santo Domingo
No full textThe paper is part of the final outcomes of the the EU research project “Estudio de la Amenaza Sísmica y Vulnerabilidad Física del Gran Santo Domingo”, as produced by the Italian partenership (Istituto di Ricerca su Innovazione e Servizi per lo Sviluppo, CNR-IRISS). The paper discusses the application of the multi-criteria approach to identify urban vulnerability with respect to seismic risk. Starting from the case study of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the Italian research team provided a GIS-based design approach aimed at managing vulnerability as whole (whether physical, morphological, or social, and functional). The study depiscts and tests a wide range of indicators aimed at mapping seiemic vulnerabilty at urban district scale, according to both the probability of seismic event (the Haiti earthquake of 2010), and the site-specific vulnerability of the city. The research has been carried out with the specialistic supports of the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières -BRGM (Fr), and with the Istituto Geologico y Minero de Espana (IGME), who produced the seiemic micro-zoning mapping of the city. The GIS-based design approach, as well as the multi-criteria analysis made by the CNR research team, was here tested as innovative risk reduction planning method able at prevent and prepare to severe hazards
Identification of Marginal Landscapes as Support for Sustainable Development: GIS-Based Analysis and Landscape Metrics Assessment in Southern Italy Areas
No full textLandscape is increasingly characterized by a multifaced nature. In scientific literature and landscape governance, new landscape definitions are often coined to explain new meanings and to define specific intervention strategies and tools. The present study purposes a framework for the identification of hybrid landscapes as support for land-use planners, which aim to guarantee development opportunities as well as natural heritage preservation and valorization. “Marginal lands” were identified starting from EU Directives and scientific approaches, by means of multicriteria analysis. Different scenarios were built: (1) no-change; (2) energy crops; (3) green infrastructures. An ecosystem services approach, via landscape metrics analysis, was used to compare the possible effects of scenarios. About 20% of the study area, an internal area of the southern Apennines, was identified as suitable for land-use change in a medium-short time, and scenarios of land-use changes show a better condition, in terms of fragmentation, than as a current asset. Results showed the strategic role and potentialities of marginal lands, as a trade-off between nature conservation and development issues, suggesting new opportunities for green infrastructures and a renewable energies chain. The study allowed for deepening the close connection among landscape planning approaches, land use change scenarios building and environmental assessment, focused on the ex-ante evaluation stage
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Using historical maps to analyze two hundred years of land cover changes: case study of Sorrento peninsula (south Italy)
Full text linkHistorical maps are effective sources of geographical information and useful for historical and territorial research. In this study, the examination of landscape dynamics on the basis of historical maps over a period of more than 200 years was conducted. The study area is Sorrento peninsula and part of the near Sarno river basin in South Italy. This study provides a general framework for the assessment of the overall quality and accuracy of historical maps. The application of the methodology used in this specific case study can contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics of the landscape in the long term. The derived knowledge can be applied in the planning of the landscape in order to implement correct conservation strategies. The comparison was made on four maps 1817, 1875, 1960, and 2006. Geodetic accuracy of the sheet maps of 1817 and 1875 offer a right basis for a macro analysis of land cover dynamics, evaluating conversion from one land cover category to another. Main transformation, identified in the period between 1875 and 1960, was the disappearance of vineyards, which covered 25% of the total study area in 1875. Agricultural areas increased in this period to cover 57% of the total area
Gas Concentrations and THI Monitoring in a Naturally Ventilated Buffalo Farm: First Results with Advanced Multi-Sensor Node
No full textGas emissions from the livestock sector represent a significant environmental challenge. Moreover, gases high concentrations in the buildings can also impact the health of reared animals. This study monitored NH3, CO2 and H2S concentrations and THI in a typical naturally ventilated buffalo barn in Mediterranean climate in Campania region. Environmental parameters and gases were measured using advanced multi-sensor nodes. The results indicate that CO2 levels, while within safe limits, show periodic peaks; NH3 levels often approach or exceed the safe threshold for animal health, highlighting ventilation problems; and H2S concentrations have also occasionally exceeded safe limits, underscoring the need for improved manure management. THI values suggest that during some days of the monitoring period, the animals probably experienced heat stress. The study highlights the importance of continuous monitoring and targeted mitigation strategies to maintain optimal air quality
GIS-based analysis to assess biogas energy potential as support for manure management in Southern Italy
Full text linkAnaerobic digestion can provide a valuable aid to manure management while producing renewable energy. Biogas production is highly dependent on the size and composition of livestock farms, and the availability of fresh manure can vary throughout the year, limiting reliable assessment of potential production. The aim of this study is to develop an affordable GIS-based analysis to support manure management, based on a highly detailed livestock farm database. Databases refer to the years 2013 and 2019 and report the herd consistency and the age of each class head. Kernel density (KD) was used to identify emerging hotspot areas with potentially high concentrations of nitrogen applied to the field. Three KD classification methods were compared: defined interval (DI) into 3 classes (0-170, 170-340, > 340 kg N/ha), quantile (Q) and natural break (NB). The results show that the DI and NB areas correspond to 40 % and 84 % of the total N of buffalo origin in the Campania region, with a N surplus in the hotspot areas localized in nitrate vulnerable zones of 55 and 6 % respectively. The biogas produced from 50 % of the buffalo manure in these areas generates sufficient energy to allow the removal of the N surplus
Use of 3-D hydrologic modelling and UAV-photogrammetry to characterize the phytoextraction efficiency of poplar trees in a cadmium contaminated agricultural field.
No full textThe accumulation of non-essential heavy metals in agricultural soils and consequent environmental contamination raises concerns over their potential toxic effects on human health. Unfortunately, over the past years, the Campania Region (Southern Italy) has been subjected to illegal dumping of industrial or household waste. Particular attention is devoted toward the National Interest Priority Site (NIPS) Domitian Coast Flegreo and Agro Aversano because it is characterized by a patchy distribution of anthropogenic and geogenic pollutants. Contrary to other heavy metals, Cadmium (Cd) is of considerable environmental concern. Industrial and agricultural applications of cadmium include the production of batteries, alloys, and pigments and chemical fertilizer and pesticides[1]. Poplar is suitable to absorb and accumulate Cd in its roots and is usually used for phytoremediation of contaminated soils [1]. Nevertheless, direct determination of Cd in poplars roots is an expensive, time-consuming and destructive activity. To circumvent the drawbacks of conventional direct approach, scenario-based strategies obtained by using advanced hydrological modelling tools, like the HydroGeosphere (HGS) model, have been developed to examine both contaminants transport in groundwater and solute surficial distribution in a 3D environment. HGS model accuracy is strongly influenced by detailed information on surface topography, commonly described by a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). A high resolution DEM was generated by applying Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)that allows to set the flight quotas by adapting the aerial photos resolution to the object under investigation, and to acquire images in flexible date [2]. All in all, UAVs reduce also time and costs in retrieving aerial data [2]. In the present work, the assessment of Cd removal made by phytoextraction of poplars is evaluated by combining the HGS model with a fine resolution DEM, generated by UAV – photogrammetry. To achieve this aim, two different scenarios have been compared: the former is characterized by bare soil (BS), while the latter considers poplar plantation (PP)
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