111,972 research outputs found
Assessment of site effects in the Kathmandu valley, Nepal, during the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake sequence using 1D and 2D numerical modelling
No full textThe paper reports on the results of 1D and 2D site response analyses carried out in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, in order to investigate how site effects influenced the seismic response during the 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake sequence. The mainshock and a Mw 6.6 aftershock, for which recordings at both rock and soil sites are available, were considered. First, 1D analyses were carried out for the Pulchowk soft soil site, where a borehole was drilled. The shear wave velocity profile was defined using several 2D seismic array surveys carried out in the valley and constrained by noise measurements at Pulchowk site; the nonlinear soil behavior was characterized by means of cyclic simple shear tests carried out on undisturbed soil samples. Both equivalent and nonlinear approaches were adopted in the 1D analyses. Overall, the 1D model was capable to capture some relevant features shown by mainshock recordings such as the de-amplification of medium-to-high frequencies. On the contrary, the unusual high spectral amplification at long periods (3–6 s) recorded during the mainshock was better captured by the 2D finite element analyses carried out on a 20 km-large cross section of the entire valley, thus supporting the hypothesis of the occurrence of basin effects. The paper contributes to the understanding of site effects in Kathmandu Valley for the implementation of seismic risk mitigation strategies in the area
Prevalence of Balantidium coli (Malmsten, 1857) infection in swine reared in South Italy: A widespread neglected zoonosis
No full textBackground and Aim: Balantidiasis, caused by Balantidium coli (syn. Neobalantidium coli or B. coli), represents a neglected parasitic infection of zoonotic significance affecting a variety of hosts, including domestic pigs that are the main reservoir. B. coli has a direct life cycle with a fecal-oral route transmission that occurs mainly by the ingestion of food and water contaminated with cysts. The ingestion of meat contaminated during inappropriate slaughtering processes may represent a new potential route of transmission. Only a few studies have investigated the prevalence of B. coli in domestic pigs in Italy, despite its high prevalence and zoonotic significance. This study aimed to improve the knowledge on B. coli prevalence in domestic swine reared both in intensive and "en plein air" breeding systems in the south of Italy. Materials and Methods: The infection rate of B. coli in pigs bred in 15 different pig farms and regularly slaughtered in South Italy, in the Calabria region, was investigated. From 2017 to 2019, 177 terminal parts of the rectums of pigs, of which 91 commercial hybrids and 86 autochthonous (Nero Calabrese), reared, respectively, in intensive and "en plein air" breeding system, were tested for parasite detection. After the slaughtering, the terminal part of the rectum was sampled and transported to the laboratories and immediately processed. For the detection of trophozoites, fresh smears of feces were examined at light microscopy. Moreover, flotation was performed using a sodium chloride solution, then smears of feces were dispersed on microscope slides and examined at light microscopy. The observed parasites were identified at the species level using morphological characteristics. Results: B. coli was detected in a total of 83 (i.e., 46.89%) pigs, with a significantly higher prevalence (p<0.0001) found in commercial hybrid (i.e., 59/91-64.84%) pigs rather than in autochthonous ones (i.e., 24/86-27.91%). It follows that the infection was more common in pigs reared in the intensive breeding system than in "en plein air" ones (p<0.0001). The infection prevalence was higher in males than in females and lower in elder animals than in younger ones (p=0.012 and p<0.0001, respectively). Conclusion: The breeding system is likely the main discriminant for the parasite spread as well as the hygienic condition of the farms. Good manufacturing and hygiene practices along the food production chain are crucial in preventing human balantidiasis transmission by meat consumption. The high B. coli prevalence, the wide spectrum of host species, and its zoonotic significance push toward a greater public interest
Ville e villeggiature. Narrazioni intorno a nuove ricerche
No full textQuando, nella seconda metà del Settecento, Carlo Goldoni pubblica la sua “trilogia della villeggiatura” introduce un tema che, subito, pone in stretta relazione il villeggiare con il luogo, segnando il progressivo definirsi di un genius loci destinato a diventare elemento identitario di paesaggi, spazi e fabbriche poi simbolo dell’arco alpino. In Piemonte, le Valli di Lanzo divengono montagna scelta per la villeggiatura soprattutto tra Ottocento e Novecento quando una nuova società costruisce le proprie residenze interpretando modelli attenti all’evolversi della cultura architettonica europea degli anni dell’Eclettismo.
Tanti studi hanno già a lungo indagato il fenomeno lasciando aperti, tuttavia, percorsi di ricerca che aprono narrazioni ancora non consegnate alle stampe. Appoggiandosi a lavori consolidati, è quindi possibile discutere il territorio, le sue letture, la sua storia, gli usi e le interpretazioni, focalizzando l’attenzione su ville e alberghi. Espressioni concrete della villeggiatura, gli interessanti fabbricati si leggono pure come esito della prosecuzione del tracciato della linea ferroviaria Ciriè-Lanzo fino a Ceres, nonché del conseguente insediarsi di insediamenti produttivi che animano la vita delle Valli non solo nelle stagioni, estive e invernali, della villeggiatura. Di qui, con uno sguardo alla stretta contemporaneità e al domani, deriva il dibattitto intorno ai progetti e alle prospettive di tutela che si possono leggere in dialogo con iniziative di sviluppo locale capaci di innescare e promuovere inediti processi di condivisione culturale
Retrofit of Gerber saddles in RC bridges: review and application of post-tension techniques
No full textNumerous reinforced concrete road bridges have adopted the Gerber scheme due to their inherent advantages, featuring Gerber saddles (or half-joints) as critical structural components. Despite these benefits, this type of bridge faces certain drawbacks, primarily related to Gerber saddles deterioration, which leads to issues like reinforcement corrosion, concrete cracking and spalling. As a result, ensuring necessary safety standards may require the implementation of specific retrofit interventions for many bridges over time. The paper initially outlines retrofit techniques reported in the literature. Subsequently, numerical simulations assess the efficacy of a particular technique employing post-tensioning intervention, chosen for its practicality. Advanced nonlinear finite element models analyse the effects of post-tensioning on the load-bearing capacity of a selected Gerber saddle. This analysis includes simulated chloride-induced corrosion scenarios to determine optimal prestress levels for desired performance enhancements
author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 – Supplemental material for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct
No full textSupplemental material, author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct by George Wood, Daria Roithmayr and Andrew V. Papachristos in Socius</p
Seismic response analyses of historical towns rising on rock slabs overlying a clayey substratum
No full textTwo case histories are presented which refer to the historical towns of Orvieto and Bisaccia, both located on top of rock buttes overlying a more deformable clayey substratum. The comparison of the two case histories indicates that apparently similar geological conditions do not lead to the same type of seismic response. In fact, the specific physical and dynamic properties of the substratum and the overlying slab can determine different seismic behaviour at the hill top and at the rock-clay interface. In particular, at Bisaccia a deamplification of the seismic motion at the hill top was predicted, as well as the development of excess pore pressures in the clay deposit underneath the conglomerate. On the other hand, at Orvieto significant amplification of surface motion is expected, due to the impedance contrast between the different pyroclastic materials of the rock slab and to the topography effect at the slab edge as well
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe 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
No full text“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
The recording stations of the Italian strong motion network: Geological information and site classification
No full textOne of the main objectives of the ITACA (ITalian ACcelerometric Archive) strong motion database, promoted by the Italian Department of Civil Protection, was to improve the characterization of the recording sites from a geological and geophysical point of view and to provide their seismic classification according to the seismic norms pertinent to Italy, namely the Eurocode 8 and the National Technical Norms for Constructions. A standard format to summarize the available information for the recording stations was first produced, in terms of a technical report dynamically linked to the database, i. e., some of the relevant information is automatically updated when the corresponding fields of the database are modified. Then, an important activity of collection, qualification and synthesis of available data was carried out, especially for stations that recorded the strongest earthquakes in Italy in the last 40 years, and for which a relevant number of studies have been published. In spite of this activity, among the more than 700 strong motion stations present in the ITACA database, only a limited number of them could be characterized by quantitative information on subsurface soil properties. For this reason, a dual seismic site classification criterion was implemented, either based on the standard Vs,30 scheme, or, in the absence of such information, based on an expert opinion supported by shallow geology maps, mostly at 1:100,000 scale, and when available on the H/V ratios calculated on recordings. Owing to the relevance in the Italian geographic and morphological context, a special care was also given to the topographic classification of stations, based on suitable criteria developed within a GIS environment. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V
Pantelleria island (Strait of Sicily): volcanic history and geomorphological landscape
No full textPantelleria is a volcanic island located in the Strait of Sicily, 95 km far from the Sicilian
coastline and 67 km from Cape Bon (Tunisia). The volcanological history of the island
begins approximately 324 ka BP and the last eruptive event was a submarine eruption that
occurred on 1891 A.D. Eruptive activity was characterized by seven very intense explosive
events, the latest being the Green Tuff (44 ka). They have all produced ignimbrite sheets
that covered large sectors of the island. The landscape of the island mirrors the variety of
the eruptive styles and their interplay with volcano-tectonics. The most evident
geomorphological features are represented by: (i) the mantle-like distribution of the Green
Tuff ignimbrite; (ii) the arcuate remnants of the two large caldera collapses, and (iii) the
intracalderic scoria cones, lava domes and lava fields. A very dense distribution of dry
walls, built since Roman times, perfectly integrate the volcanic landscape, preventing from
erosion and rock falls
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