102,270 research outputs found
Development of an hydrological landslide model at regional scale. Applications in the central part of Calabria region (southern Italy)
No full textIn the last years, many hydrogeological emergencies,
induced by persistent and widespread rainfall events,
concerned Calabria region (southern Italy), in particular during
the winter season. Flood and landslide events undermined the
safety of tens of thousands of people. These events, related to
the period 2008-2010, are comparable, or even worse, with
those occurred in the 50’s and in the early 70’s.
The proposed study regards the analysis of triggering
conditions for landslides induced by rainfall. For this topic,
many models are reported in the technical literature, which
allow the definition of instability conditions for a slope,
through an accurate investigation. (MONTGOMERY & DIETRICH,
1994; IVERSON, 2000; GUZZETTI, 2008; CEPEDA et al., 2010).
In particular, this work describes an hydrological approach
for the trigger modeling of landslides, and the applications
related to the provinces of Catanzaro, Vibo Valentia and
Crotone.
For each investigated province, a lot of landslide events
have been documented, characterized by different kinematic,
lithological and morphological conditions, but the same
triggering factor, the rainfall.
The analysis was carried out by using the hydrological
model named FLaIR (Forecasting of Landslides Induced by
Rainfalls, SIRANGELO & VERSACE, 1992), for which some
improvements were realized in the last years.
Each landslide area was investigated, and then
regionalization techniques were developed, aimed at the
definition of transfer functions, parameters and rainfall
thresholds representative of each province.
The obtained results allow to apply the FLaIR model also in
areas characterized by a lack of information for the past
mobilization events
How Does the Mind Do Literary Work?
No full textLiterary linguistics assumes the forms of literature emerge from the human capacity for language. In this view, the regularities and peculiarities of literary form can be captured by the machinery of linguistic theory. This paper argues against this assumption, considering evidence from literary forms that do not generalise to the formalisms of linguistic theory. Instead, we argue that literary forms are related to, but distinct from, the linguistic system, and that their diversity requires a clear-cut distinction between the different domains.
To understand how literary forms may require specific systems, we first discuss a number of mismatches between metrical and linguistic form (here, mainly phonological and semantic form). In our proposal, they all constitute evidence for the domain specificity of meter. Following Fabb & Halle (2008), we then show that metricality is best captured by form-specific computations, rather than by regular phonological processes. The empirical advantages of this theory are finally shown by the scansion of loose meters, which the extra-linguistic metrical system explain in a way that strictly phonological systems cannot (Fabb 2008).
We then consider whether syntax may be given a similar explanation. The syntax of poetic texts can be highly unusual, often contrived to meet the demands of formal characteristics like metricality or parallelism. As with meter, these literary forms are often analysed as products of a `poetic syntax' (Fowler 1966; Austin 1984; Fitzgerald 2007), a variation on the standard syntax; however, we show that these systems cannot generate the variety of syntactic forms found in literary texts. Instead we demonstrate that these forms are generated by a separate mental system which obeys general principles of mental computation. This system is shown to be removed from syntax just like the metrical system is removed from phonology.
To conclude, we consider the possible relationship between these two extralinguistic mental systems. The evidence discussed provides a clear indication that literary linguistics need not assume that the forms of literature are a natural outgrowth of linguistic systems. The variety of forms in literature indicate an ontologically radical theory of how the mind processes literature has significant advantages, both empirically, in accounting for a greater range of forms, and theoretically, in opening the way towards a more coherent theory of literary form. We finally propose that a theory of literary cognition must develop into a modular approach to forms.
References
Austin, T., 1984. "Language crafted: a linguistic theory of poetic syntax."
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Fabb, N., 2008. "What is a line of verse?." Paper delivered at ESSE 2008, Aarhus.
Fabb, N., M. Halle, 2008. "Meter in poetry: a new theory". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Fitzgerald, C., 2007. "An optimality treatment of syntactic inversions in English verse", Language Sciences Vol. 29, pp. 203-217.
Fowler, R., 1966. "Essays on style and language: linguistic and critical approaches to literary style". London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Hanson, Kristin & Paul Kiparsky. 1996. "A parametric theory of poetic meter", Language 72, 2: 287-335.
Hayes Bruce. 1989. "The Prosodic Hierarchy in Meter". In Paul Kiparsky and Gilbert Youmans, eds., Rhythm and Meter, Orlando, FL: Academic Press, pp. 201-260.
Hayes, Bruce. 2000. "Faithfulness and Componentiality in Metrics". To appear in The nature of the word: Essays in honor of Paul Kiparsky, ed. by Kristin Hanson and Sharon Inkelas. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Nespor, M., I. Vogel. 1986 "Prosodic Phonology". Dordrecht, Foris
TXT-tool 2.039-4.1: Flair model (forecasting of landslides induced by rainfalls)
No full textMathematical models for landslide forecasting constitute an important component for Early Warning Systems. This teaching tool focuses on the empirical model named FLaIR (Forecasting of Landslides Induced by Rainfalls), developed at Laboratory of Environmental Carthography and Hydraulic and Geological Modelling (CAMILab) of University of Calabria (Italy). FLaIR is a general framework for many empirical models proposed in technical literature: in particular, it reproduces as particular cases all the ID (Intensity-Duration) schemes (Capparelli and Versace 2011). From the website www.camilab.unical.it it is possible to download the software FLaIR.exe, together with a user guide
Performance of I–D thresholds and flair model for recent landslide events in calabria region (southern Italy)
No full textDuring the period 2008–2010 heavy and persistent rainfall events induced thousands of shallow landslides and hundreds of deep-seated landslides in Calabria Region (Southern Italy), with more than 2,000 crisis points and damages related to about 94 % of the municipalities. These events are comparable, or even worse, with those occurred in the 50’s and in the early 70’s. In this context, the performance of mathematical models, which are used for the Early Warning System of Calabria Region, is evaluated. In details, Intensity–Duration (I–D) thresholds for several temporal aggregations (hourly and multi daily) of rainfall heights and the hydrological model named FLaIR (Forecasting of Landslides Induced by Rainfall, Sirangelo and Versace 1996) are considered. Moreover, the use of a regional approach for these models was also tested, which is particularly useful when it is necessary to predict the triggering of landslide movements in vast areas where there are concerns not only about the reactivation of pre-existing movements, but also activation of new movements whose exact location is unforeseeable and for which there is no available past information. The obtained results highlight a good model performance, in particular for FLaIR, which can be considered as a general case of I–D rainfall thresholds (Capparelli et al. 2009) and it is characterized by a more flexibility, as it takes into account the real pattern of rainfall heights along the time, and not average values of temporal intensity
"...es sind die furchtbaren Zaesuren..." 21 marzo 1959 : Una lettera di Paul Celan a Walter Jens
No full textIl contributo fornisce una trascrizione, una fotocopia anastatica, e una traduzione di una lettera inedita di Paul Celan a Walter Jens. Il testo è anche corredato di un'introduzione e di note al testo ad opera dell'autore del contributo
A functional polymorphism influencing the promoter activity of alpaca α-lactalbumin gene (LALBA)
No full textAlpha-lactalbumin (α-La), encoded by LALBA gene, is a Ca2+
binding whey-protein whose key function is to facilitate lactose
synthesis by the galactosyltransferase component, serving as a
regulatory subunit. Other biological functions have been demonstrated
including immune modulation, cell growth regulation,
antimicrobial activity, etc. Gene promoters have transcription
factor (TF) binding sites necessary for gene expression regulation.
Mutations in the promoters may modify the transcription
rates or the mRNA stability, thus affecting the protein yield.
This study aims to sequence the LALBA promoter in alpacas,
identify putative TFs and detect genetic diversity affecting gene
expression.
A DNA fragment (800 bp) spanning the gene promoter until the
exon 1 was amplified and sequenced for 20 alpacas. Multiple
alignments and SNP discovery were accomplished by DNAsis
software, whereas Transfact 7.0 was used for the TF sites search.
Three independent gene reporter assays were achieved by pGL3
specific contructs to test luciferase expression in HEK 293T cells.
Data elaboration was performed using JASP software (p < 0.05,
students’s t-test).
TF binding sites analysis evidenced 16 putative consensus
sequences, including 3 C/EBPα, 3 Sp1, one NF-1, etc. Seven polymorphic
sites were found. Taking as reference the first nucleotide
of the exon 1, one SNP (g.15C > G) was found in the signal peptide,
but it is a silent mutation. The other 6 SNPs were detected
in the promoter (g.-553A > G, g.-428C > T, g.-308C > G, g.-236A > T,
g.-73C > G, g.-51A > G). The SNP g.-553A > G creates a putative
binding site of the TF Sp1. This motif is a well-known enhancer
element for the basal expression of many genes, including milk
proteins.
To assess the SNP effect on the LALBA promoter, we amplified
and cloned a DNA region of 178bp in the pGL3-basic vector from
four homozygous individuals (two g.-553AA and two g.-553GG).
The two different constructs (g.553A and g.-553G), with the pGL3
vector as a control were used to transiently transfect HEK293T
cells. After 48 h, the reporter activity of the variants was measured
using the luciferase assay system. The G variant of this SNP
enhances the promoter activity of the alpaca LALBA (p < 0.01).
Therefore, we suppose an effective role of this binding site in the expression of the α-La in alpaca milk that, consequently, may
affect the functional roles of the protein
Early warning of rainfall-induced landslides based on empirical mobility function predictor
No full textA stochastic real time predictor of rainfall-induced landslides has been developed. It couples
the empirical slope stability model FLaIR with a point rainfall stochastic model. FLaIR model
introduces a slope mobility function which links the occurrence of a slide movement to the
characteristics of antecedent rainfall. Point rainfall external intermittence, namely the alternation of
storms and dry periods, is modelled as an alternating renewal process (ARP). The properties of the
ARP allow to assume that, during a storm, the future evolution of the mobility function depends only, in
stochastic sense, on the hyetograph observed after the beginning of the ongoing storm (internal
intermittence). Thus, the expected value of the mobility function is empirically evaluated by selecting,
from the historical data set, only the storms with characteristics similar to the ongoing one. The
predictor has been calibrated and validated on the basis of a nearly 48 years long hourly rainfall data
record, collected by the rain gauge of Lanzo, in Northern Italy, close to the slope of Pessinetto, where
six earth flows occurred during the observation period. The obtained results show that the proposed
model provides reliable real time predictions of the slope mobility function up to a lead time of six
hours. The proposed predictor has been also tested as a part of an early warning system against earth
flows to be operated at the slope of Pessinetto, by defining two threshold values of the mobility
function, corresponding to alert and alarm level, respectively. The obtained results show that, by
properly setting the levels of probability of exceeding the two thresholds, at which the corresponding
messages are launched by the system, it is possible, with a low number of false and missing messages,
to gain some hours for effectively activating risk mitigation procedures
Rainfall height stochastic modeling as a support tool for floods and flowslides early warning
No full textSequencing and Characterization of αs2-Casein Gene (CSN1S2) in the Old-World Camels Have Proven Genetic Variations Useful for the Understanding of Species Diversification
No full textThe CSN1S2 gene encodes αs2-casein, the third most abundant protein in camel milk. Despite its importance in foals, human nutrition, and dairy processing, the CSN1S2 gene in camels has received little attention. This study presents the first complete characterization of the CSN1S2 gene sequence in Old-World camels (Camelus bactrianus and Camelus dromedarius). Additionally, the gene promoter, consisting of 752 bp upstream of exon 1, was analyzed. The entire gene comprises 17 exons, ranging in length from 24 bp (exons 4, 8, 11, and 13) to 280 bp (exon 17). Interesting was the identification of the exon 12 in both species. The promoter analysis revealed 24 putative binding sites in the Bactrian camel and 22 in dromedary camel. Most of these sites were typical elements associated with milk protein, such as C/EBP-α, C/EBP-β, Oct-1, and AP1. The SNP discovery showed relatively high genetic diversity compared to other camel casein genes (CSN1S1, CSN2, and CSN3), with a total of 34 polymorphic sites across the two species. Particularly noteworthy is the transition g.311G>A in the CSN1S2 promoter, creating a new putative consensus binding site for a C/EBP-β in the Bactrian camel. At the exon level, two novel variants were found. One was detected in exon 6 of the Bactrian camel (g.3639C>G), resulting in an amino acid replacement, p.36Ile>Met. The second variant was found in noncoding exon 17 of dromedary CSN1S2 (g.1511G>T). Although this mutation occurs in the 3'-UnTranslated Region, it represents the first example of exonic polymorphism in the CSN1S2 for this species. This SNP also affects the binding sites of different microRNAs, including the seed sequence of the miRNA 4662a-3p, highlighting its role as a regulatory factor for CSN1S2 gene. A PCR-RFLP was set up for genotyping a dromedary Tunisian population (n = 157), and the minor allele frequency was found to be 0.27 for the G allele, indicating a potential yield improvement margin. The interspersed elements (INEs) analysis revealed 10 INEs covering 7.34% and 8.14% of the CSN1S2 sequence in the Bactrian and dromedary camels, respectively. Furthermore, six elements (A, B, F, H, I, and L) are shared among cattle and camels and are partially found in other ruminants, suggesting a common ancestral origin of these retrotransposons. Conversely, elements C, D, E, and G are specific to camels
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