1,721,022 research outputs found
A NEW MODEL FOR POLLUTED SOIL RISK ASSESSMENT
No full textIn this paper, we discuss the most important theoretical aspects of polluted soil Risk Assessment Methodologies, whichhave been developed in order to evaluate the risk, for the exposed people, connected with the residual contaminantconcentration in polluted soil, and we make a short presentation of the major different kinds of risk assessmentmethodologies. We also underline the relevant role played, in this kind of analysis, by the pollutant transport models. Wealso describe a new and innovative model, based on the general framework of the so-called Cellular Automata (CA),initially developed in the UE-Esprit Project COLOMBO for the simulation of bioremediation processes. These kinds ofmodels, for their intrinsic ‘‘finite and discrete’’ characteristics, seem to be very well suited for a detailed analysis of theshape of the pollutant sources, the contaminant fates and the evaluation of target in the risk assessment evaluation.In particular, we will describe the future research activities we are going to develop in the area of a strict integrationbetween pollutant fate and transport models and Risk Analysis Methodologies
Assessment of the radiological impacts of a zircon sand processing plant
No full textThe paper presents the results of a study on radiological impacts resulting from a zircon sand processing plant located in the North-Eastern part of Italy.
Activity concentrations of radionuclides found in materials associated with this industrial process are presented as well as the results of the assessment of the annual effective doses to the workers and the members of the public.
Gamma-spectrometric analyses were performed on “raw” sands, end-products, and soils sampled near the plant. Thermoluminescent dosimeters, electric pumps and electret ion chambers were used to measure the external irradiation, the indoor dust concentrations and the radon concentrations, respectively.
The ground-level air concentration of radioactive particulate near the plant and the deposition of particulate matter were estimated by a Gaussian model (ISCLT3).
Finally, the annual effective doses, calculated as provided for by Directive 96/29/Euratom, were estimated to be 1.7 mSv y-1 for workers and 4.4 uSv y-1 for members of the public
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
Protestare e argomentare : le campagne dei comitati di cittadini contro il traffico in quattro città italiane
No full textCitizens’ committees have become an increasingly frequent, relevant phenomenon in Italian local politics and policy over the last decade or so. This article examines protest campaigns concerning traffic policies in four medium-size cities in which such committees have played a pivotal role. Though the ability of such actors to successfully impose their preferences on the policy agenda appears to be at the very least uncertain, an analysis of these campaigns reveals some of the factors that can increase their chances of exerting influence on policy decisions. Such factors include the resources these campaigns can mobilize – namely various forms of human, social and political capital –, their political opportuneness and their ability to structure public discourse within a global framework that fosters the building of coalitions supporting their claims
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
A benchmark of two different simulation models for the air quality evaluation in a complex industrial area
No full textIn this work, we present the results of the application of two Gaussian simulation models for the air quality evaluation. We used Industrial Source Complex (ISC) and WinDimula models for the estimation of the concentration of industrial pollutants in a wide area near an important Italian industrial complex. The climatic and orographic features of the site require particular attention as to the evaluation of the effects of typical meteorological situations which can be critical in the use of Gaussian-type models. In this work we make a comparison between the results of the two models and between the models results versus data collected by the air quality network of the local Environmental Agency. The comparison shows that the two models produce results in good mutual agreement. As far as the comparison of the simulation results versus monitored data is concerned, some attention has to be put in the analysis of the background concentration and of the effects of the meteorological changes during transport time. Anyway, the Gaussian models results present an acceptable agreement with respect to air quality network data, in particular as to the air quality environmental norms purposes
- …
