130,548 research outputs found
“Le nazioni cattoliche non muoiono”. Intorno alle origini del nazionalismo cattolico (1808-1849)
No full textRimboschimenti e uso energetico della biomassa forestale nei Monti Sicani (Sicilia occidentale)
No full textNell’ottica di un utilizzo energetico sostenibile delle biomasse provenienti dalle utilizzazioni forestali è di fondamentale importanza conoscere la consistenza e le esigenze ecologiche delle formazioni forestali che caratterizzano il territorio regionale.
In questo lavoro è illustrato uno studio sulla consistenza e sulle caratteristiche ecologiche e strutturali dei rimboschimenti presenti nel territorio dei Monti Sicani. L’analisi è finalizzata a quantificare la disponibilità di biomassa forestale residuale ottenibile dalla gestione sostenibile di tali popolamenti e valutare il possibile uso energetico.
L’analisi è stata condotta sulla base dei dati disponibili per l’area di studio presso il Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali dell’Università di Palermo.
La stima della biomassa disponibile (ramaglia e fusti) si è basata sulla pianificazione di un diradamento da realizzare nelle aree a selvicoltura attiva in funzione della densità/grado di copertura e della pendenza.
I risultati dell’analisi confermano che i quantitativi di biomassa ricavabili dalla gestione sostenibile dei rimboschimenti dei Monti Sicani risultano adeguati per ipotizzare la realizzazione di piccoli impianti di cogenerazione a scala di territorio comunale.The paper describes the reasons that led the Regional Department of Rural and Territorial Development to take part in the PROFORBIOMED Project. They can be summarized by the need to dispose of a tool for the sustainable management of all the state-owned forests of the Region.
As a matter of fact, the Project aims at developing a model of sustainable forest management, through the recovery and reuse of wood scraps from ordinary silvicultural operations, to be used for the production of power and heat inside of a process adopting natural renewable energy sources.
The main actions taken and the methodologies adopted are described, as well as the principles and instruments required for the setting up and execution of the work. Some of the most relevant are: the drafting of “Forest Management Plans”, the “Short Supply Chain” and the “Biomass Traceability Protocol”, together with the application of “Best Practices” of Management and the “Monitoring of impacts” caused by the woody biomass extraction procedures.
The “forest – wood – energy” chain developed and proposed is exclusively related to the territory pertaining to one municipality, and with CHP plants fed with biomass exclusively produced within the territory of each municipality, in strict compliance with the “sustainable forest management” principles, as well as with the fundamental principle of “short supply chain”. For these reasons the CHP plans proposed shall be sized according to the biomass available in each municipality, with the possibility of integrating residual forest biomass with other waste wood resources potentially available in the territory and coming from
prunings in agricultural activities.
Therefore, the replicable model prepared and proposed by PROFORBIOMED aims at appraising from the economic point of view a waste product, such is currently considered the residual forest biomass from the forests of Sicily, and at the same time significantly improving the natural environment, thanks to the reduction in oil consumption
Effetti dei diradamenti sulle caratteristiche ecologiche e selvicolturali dei rimboschimenti di pino d’Aleppo nei Monti Sicani (Sicilia occidentale)
No full textI rimboschimenti di conifere mediterranee sono, in Sicilia, una delle tipologie forestali più rappresentative, sia per la superficie che occupano sia per l’eterogeneità ambientale dei contesti territoriali dove sono stati realizzati.
Scopo principale della presente indagine è stato quello di effettuare una valutazione degli impatti dei diradamenti sulle caratteristiche ecologiche e selvicolturali dei rimboschimenti di pino d’Aleppo. L’indagine è stata condotta in tre differenti siti localizzati nell’area dei Monti Sicani caratterizzati dalla stessa tipologia forestale (Pineta a pino d’Aleppo) e da simili caratteristiche stazionali. Inoltre, tutti e tre i siti sono stati interessati da interventi di diradamento nell’arco di un decennio. L’approccio seguito ha permesso di valutare gli effetti dell’intervento sulle principali componenti ecologiche dell’ecosistema nel breve, medio e lungo periodo attraverso la valutazione di indicatori di tipo quantitativo e qualitativo. La valutazione degli indicatori di impatto ha dimostrato innanzitutto che gli interventi, eseguiti con un basso indice di meccanizzazione, hanno prodotto impatti negativi trascurabili, mentre sono stati evidenziati effetti positivi dell’intervento su gran parte degli indicatori nel medio e lungo periodo, specialmente nei confronti dello strato successionale.
I risultati di questa studio dimostrano che la produzione di biomassa a fini energetici, ottenuta dagli interventi di diradamento, è compatibile con la realizzazione di piccoli impianti di cogenerazione a livello comunale e può significativamente contribuire a coprire i costi dei lavori forestali.The reforestations of Mediterranean conifers are, in Sicily, one of the most representative forest types, both for their extension and for the environmental heterogeneity of their local contexts.
The main purpose of this survey was to make an assessment of the impacts of forest biomass production in the context of renaturalization operations within Aleppo pine reforestations.
The survey was conducted in three different sites located in the Sicani Mountains characterized by the same forest type (Aleppo pine stand) and similar environmental features. In addition, all three sites were affected by thinning interventions in a decade. The approach adopted has allowed to evaluate the effects of the forest operations on the main ecological components of the ecosystem in the short, medium and long term through the evaluation of quantitative and qualitative indicators. The assessment of impact indicators showed that the operations, performed with a low rate of mechanization, produced negligible negative impacts, while positive effects of the operations have been evidenced on most indicators in the medium and long term, especially against the successional layer.
The results of this study demonstrate that biomass production for energy purposes, obtained by thinning interventions, is compatible with the realization of small cogeneration plants at municipal level and can significantly contribute to cover the costs of forestry operations
Analysis, assessment and quantification of the climate changes impact: the resilience silvicultural indicators
No full textSicilian forests can be considered at high decay risk because of more and more frequent wildfires and, even more, because of climate change effects, like floods, draught, heat waves, snow and wind storms. They are worrying processes, contributing at making ecosystems weaker and intensifying the potential desertification risk in Sicily, one of the most threatened of Italian regions by this form of soil degradation. The most effective approach to mitigate the effects of the climate change has been developed through the following action: analysis, assessment and quantification of the climate change impact: the silvicoltural resilience indicators
Il piano di gestione dei boschi demaniali del Comune di Bivona (Provincia di Agrigento)
No full textL’area dei Monti Sicani costituisce uno dei comprensori in cui è stata realizzata la maggiore estensione di rimboschimenti di conifere della Sicilia occidentale, nell’ambito della politica di salvaguardia del territorio dal dissesto idrogeologico intrapresa dallo Stato e continuata dalla Regione. Lo stato qualitativo di queste formazioni è carente a causa di diverse ragioni: frequenti incendi, pascolo eccessivo, elevata frammentazione degli habitat naturali, mancanza di adeguati interventi selvicolturali. Da queste considerazioni emerge la necessità di conoscere e gestire più adeguatamente tali boschi attraverso la realizzazione di Piani di Gestione Forestale, strumento operativo-applicativo per eccellenza della pianificazione che permette di analizzare il territorio forestale in tutte le sue componenti e suddividerlo secondo criteri oggettivi in unità colturali (particelle) per ognuna delle quali sono definiti specifici interventi di gestione.
Il presente contributo descrive i risultati della realizzazione di un piano di gestione della biomassa forestale dei boschi demaniali del comune di Bivona (AG), realizzato nell’ambito del progetto europeo PROFORBIOMED. Gli obiettivi del piano possono essere riassunti in due punti fondamentali: la rinaturalizzazione dei rimboschimenti e la stima della biomassa, da destinare a fini energetici, presente e prelevabile dalla realizzazione degli interventi selvicolturali previsti nel piano. Tali interventi riguardano in gran parte la realizzazione di diradamenti a carico dei soprassuoli artificiali di conifere al fine di aumentare la loro stabilità strutturale e favorire l’affermazione e lo sviluppo della rinnovazione naturale.
I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato la possibilità di realizzare una filiera corta per l’uso energetico della biomassa residuale che permetterebbe la valorizzazione economica di una risorsa che non potrebbe avere destinazioni più remunerative date le scarse qualità tecnologiche del materiale legnoso dalle specie presenti. La realizzazione di un sistema di valorizzazione della biomassa avrebbe ovviamente delle ricadute sociali ed economiche importanti per le comunità locali, oltre agli inestimabili vantaggi sugli ecosistemi forestali. Il modello sviluppato per il territorio di Bivona potrebbe essere preso come riferimento per la redazione di altri piani di gestione e di ipotesi di filiere locali corte in altri contesti territoriali siciliani e mediterranei.The area of the Sicani Mountains is one of the districts in which the greater extension of conifer reforestations of western Sicily has been realized, as part of the policy for territorial safeguard against hydrogeological instability launched by the State and continued by the Region. The qualitative situation of these stands is poor due to several reasons: frequent fires, excessive grazing, great fragmentation of natural habitats, lack of adequate forestry. These considerations clearly show the need of more adequately knowing and managing these forests through the realization of Forest Management Plans, the operational – practical planning tool par excellence, that allows to analyse the forest area in all its components and to divide it into cultural units (parcel) according to some objective criteria. For each parcel specific management prescription are defined.
This paper describes the results of the implementation of a forestry biomass management plan for the state-owned forests of the municipality of Bivona (AG), realized within the scope of the European PROFORBIOMED project. The goals of this plan were mainly two: the renaturalization of reforestations and the estimation of biomass to be destined to power production, available and obtainable from the silvicultural operations envisaged in the plan. These interventions mainly consist in thinning cuts carried out on the artificial conifer forests in order to increase their structural stability and favour the affirmation and development of natural regeneration.
The results obtained have highlighted the possibility to implement a short supply chain for the use of residual woody biomass for power production, allowing for the economic promotion of a resource that cannot have a more profitable use, given the poor technological qualities of the wood. The implementation of a biomass exploitation system would obviously have some important social and economic consequences for the local communities, apart from the invaluable advantages for the forest ecosystems. The model developed for the territory of Bivona could be taken as a reference for drafting other management plans and possible short local chains in other Sicilian and Mediterranean territorial contexts
Il mito di Pio IX. Realtà e rappresentazioni di un papa liberale e nazionale in Italia e in Francia (1846-1849)
No full textThis dissertation offers a study of the «liberal» and «national» nature attributed to John-Mary Mastai Ferretti, the pope Pius IX, during his first three years of pontificate. Exploiting an heterogeneous mass of sources (archival items, typing and handwritten papers, pamphlets, posters, newspapers, popular engravings and etchings, private letters, journals), this study retraces the origins of the phenomenon since the papal amnisty of 1846; its mixed transformations which come across papal policy, the status of images and devotional practices in 19th century, political as well as religious propaganda, and conspiracy theory besides; finally, its partial dissolution after the revolutions of 1848.
Facing the concept of «myth» – a tool uncritically used for a long time to interpret the phenomenon –this study proceeds on questioning this category and it attains to the most operational concept of «emotional investment»: hence the figure of a «liberal» and «national» pope would be the product of a collective work – to whom Pius himself was not extraneous – which was a matter for the theologico-political worries of post-revolutional european society: namely to solve the religious and political dylemmas of modern age, in order to appeasing some ideas which are not logically (and apparently) compatible, such as freedom and order, nationalism and catholic theology. The method choised to investigate this phenomenon is the comparative one: in retracing a plural context (that is a network of sources) between the two sides of Alps, it will be possible to have a more deep knowledge of a great living utopia in the middle of 19th century.Ce travail propose une étude du caractère «libéral» et «national» accordé à Jean-Marie Mastaï Ferretti, le pape Pie IX, pendant ses trois premières années de pontificat. Par les biais d'une documentation hétérogène (sources d'archives, pamphlets, tracts, journaux, lithographies populaires, correspondances privées, mémoires et journaux intimes), l'étude fournie une reconstruction de la naissance de ce caractère avec l'amnistie pontificale de 1846; des ses métamorphoses complexes qui croisent la politique papale, le statut des images et des dévotions aux XIX siècle et la propagande politique et religieuse, aussi que l'imagerie du complot; et de sa partielle dissolution après les révolutions de 1848.
L'enquête, toute en se confrontant avec le concept de «mythe» – outil avec lequel le phénomène a été souvent interprété – procède par une mise en question de cette catégorie et parvient à la remplacer par le concept plus opératoire d'«investissement émotif»: la figure d'un pape «libéral» et «national» serait alors le produit d'un travail culturel collectif – auquel Pie IX lui-même n'a pas été étranger – qui relève des préoccupations théologico-politiques de la société post-révolutionnaire européenne: résoudre les dilemmes de l'époque, en conciliant des concepts logiquement (et apparemment) incompatibles comme liberté et ordre, nationalité et théologie catholique. La méthode choisie est celle de l'histoire comparée: il s'agit en effet de reconstruire un contexte pluriel, relevant d'un entrelacement de sources, de deux côté des Alpes, afin de parvenir à une connaissance plus pointue d'une grande utopie vécue à la moitié du XIX siècle
Application of 3D lumped parameter model in MHD generator design
No full textMagnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy conversion consists of electrical energy generation directly from high enthalpy of ionized gas. MHD generators are devices having a channel in which ionized gas (plasma) is blown, where a high magnetic field is present. The interaction between the conductive gas and the magnetic field makes the conversion. To describe and to design the MHD plants, circuital models of MHD generators are advantageous for an easier investigation approach to the interface between generators and power plants; they become extremely useful when a 3-D analysis is necessary for easier computation taking into account 3-D effects due to spatial distribution of electromagnetic fields. In this paper we describe some design applications of the three-dimensional (3-D) lumped parameter model for MHD generators
“Four stones make a tomb”. Funerary models between Malta and Sicily during the Early Bronze Age
No full textThe first half of the 2nd millennium BC is characterized by notable changes and cultural innovations in the entire Mediterranean basin. The increase of maritime interaction during the Early Bronze Age stimulated contacts among insular communities and boosted the circulation of cultural elements on an interregional scale. In the framework of the Mediterranean phenomenon of Megalithism, the similar evidence emerging from Malta and Sicily has always been considered the result of a one-way transmission of architectural models. The megalithic features of Sicilian funerary architecture have been traditionally interpreted as being derived from the Maltese architecture of the Temple Period. This contribution focuses on the dolmens, the only funerary typology for the Early Bronze Age which seems to occur simultaneously in the two islands. During the Castelluccio phase (2200-1600 BC) the predominant mortuary practice in Sicily was inhumation in rock-cut tombs and, in some exceptional cases, in small, sometimes isolated, cist-type and dolmen structures. At the same time, during the Tarxien Cemetery phase (2200-1500 BC), the principal and widespread funerary practice in Malta was incineration with human ashes kept in funerary urns, as documented by the stratigraphic sequence at Tarxien, above the Temple period structures. Beside this evidence, the funerary landscape of Malta and Gozo at beginning of the Bronze Age is characterized by the appearance of a new type of structure, the dolmen. Pottery fragments found by John D. Evans underneath some of these monuments allowed to hypothesize a funerary function, probably related to the cremation ritual. The recent analysis of these structures, together with the review of the Sicilian dolmens, led to the identification of the model in the Maltese monuments, showing the sharing of specific architectural elements. On the contrary, the choice of the ritual in Sicily appears more deeply-rooted on the local long lasting tradition, the inhumation. More specifically, the Maltese evidence of Ta ‘Ħammut and Wied Moqbol - with Tarxien Cemetery materials found within the structures - confirms the sole example of synchronous mutation of a funeral typology for the Sicilian cases. The ongoing review and new study of the pottery assemblages coming from these two Maltese dolmens will shed light on the funerary and ritual practices related to the tombs, suggesting the need for a review of the unpublished material (human bones and castelluccian pottery) succinctly reported in the vicinity or within of some Sicilian monuments. Furthermore, the development of this research, integrated by a systematic territorial study, will provide a more detailed comparison between Sicily and Malta, in view of the similar chronological extension of the Castelluccio and Tarxien Cemetery phases
MeSH term explosion and author rank improve expert recommendations
No full textInformation overload is an often-cited phenomenon that reduces the productivity, efficiency and efficacy of scientists. One challenge for scientists is to find appropriate collaborators in their research. The literature describes various solutions to the problem of expertise location, but most current approaches do not appear to be very suitable for expert recommendations in biomedical research. In this study, we present the development and initial evaluation of a vector space model-based algorithm to calculate researcher similarity using four inputs: 1) MeSH terms of publications; 2) MeSH terms and author rank; 3) exploded MeSH terms; and 4) exploded MeSH terms and author rank. We developed and evaluated the algorithm using a data set of 17,525 authors and their 22,542 papers. On average, our algorithms correctly predicted 2.5 of the top 5/10 coauthors of individual scientists. Exploded MeSH and author rank outperformed all other algorithms in accuracy, followed closely by MeSH and author rank. Our results show that the accuracy of MeSH term-based matching can be enhanced with other metadata such as author rank
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
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