Strength and ductility of confined concrete columns under axial load and biaxial bending

The behaviour of prismatic reinforced concrete columns under increasing eccentric compression load was experimentally investigated and analytically modelled. Columns with distributed longitudinal reinforcement and closely spaced transverse reinforcement were tested up to failure, considering different values and directions of eccentricity. Preliminary tests were carried out under concentric compression in order to validate the choice of the stress-strain laws adopted for the confined concrete and the longitudinal steel bars in compression. In the paper, closed form expressions able to approximate the experimental results in the case of uniaxial bending are presented. Finally, a fibre numeri…

Surveillance of Municipal drinking-water supply after a Norovirus outbreak in Italy

BACKGROUND Norovirus (NoV), in the family Caliciviridae, is the major causative agent of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis, whose possible routes of transmission include drinking water. During March 2011 an outbreak of gastroenteritis was identified by the local public health service in S. Stefano di Quisquina, Sicily, Italy. Over two weeks, 156 cases were identified and NoV genotype GII.4 v2010 was detected in stool samples from eleven out of twelve patients. The finding of identical genomic sequences between patients suggested a common infection source and an epidemiological investigation indicated a possible correlation to municipal drinking water consumption. One of the wells supplyin…

Genetic assessment as preliminary action for conservation of endangered species: preliminary data on Alectoris (Sicilian rock partridge) population in Sicily

Modelling steel jacketed RC columns: Remarks by experimental-numerical comparisons

The recent large use of nonlinear seismic assessment techniques requires the definition of highly reliable computational models. The retrofitting or strengthening of RC columns by steel angles and battens is a commonly adopted technique, used to improve strength and deformation capacity of existing RC buildings. In the case of steel angles not directly loaded, the numerical definition of the cross-section model has to be handled carefully since it is affected by more uncertainties. The vertical load carried by the angles is a function of the lateral confinement pressure, the cohesion and the friction coefficient between the materials, parameters which are not always easy to predict. The pap…

UTILIZZO DEL LATTODINAMOGRAFO PER LA VALUTAZIONE DELL’ATTIVITA’ COAGULANTE DI CAGLI IN PASTA ARTIGIANALI.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of Formagraph to determine the milk clotting activity of animal Sicilian rennet pastes. Clotting time (r), curd firming time (k20) and curd firmness (a30) were measured during coagulation tests carried out with pasteurized cows’ milk. The rennet paste samples were collected in 11 dairy factories located throughout western Sicily. The factories produce two different pasta-filata cheese typologies, Caciocavallo Palermitano and PDO Vastedda della valle del Belìce, made with cows raw milk and ewe raw milk, respectively. Commercial liquid calf rennet Naturen and two industrial rennet pastes prepared from kid and lamb abomasums were used for compariso…

On the definition of seismic vulnerability maps in cross-border Mediterranean areas

The chance to locate and quantify the major risks associated to natural catastrophic events on a territory allows to plan adequate strategies and interventions by civil protection bodies involved in local and international emergencies. The seismic risk depends most of all by the vulnerability of buildings belonging to the urban areas. For this reason the definition, by a deep analysis of the territory, of instruments identifying and locating vulnerability, largely favours the activities of institutions appointed to safeguard the safety of citizens. Seismic and hydro-geological risks constitute the major component of the activities involving assistance actions carried out by civil protection…

BATTERI LATTICI CON ATTIVITA’ ANTIBATTERICA ISOLATI DA FORMAGGI TRADIZIONALI SICILIANI

The study was conducted on typical Sicilian cheeses made from raw cow milk (Caciocavallo Palermitano) and sheep milk (Vastedda della valle del Belice PDO e Pecorino PDO). Genotypic identification of the LAB isolates was carried out by 16S/23S rRNA sequencing. a total of 400 bacteria strains were isolated and genotypically identified as Lactobacillus spp., Lactoccoccus spp., Pediococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp., Enterococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. Evaluation of bacteriocin-producing LAB was investigated in vitro using the “spot on the lawn” method (2) aganist Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli. Results showed a predominance of LAB sh…

PRELIMINARY DATA ON HYDROLYTIC ACTIVITY OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA ON ß-LACTOGLOBULIN IN MILK

β-Lactoglobulin (β-lg) is the major whey milk protein and it represents the main allergen in cow and sheep milk (1). Microbial fermentation produces some proteolytic enzymes and leads to the degradation of milk protein allergens. In this study, the results of a screening on the ability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from typical Sicilian cheeses to reduce the β-lg are shown. This screening was carried out through an indirect competitive ELISA. The lactic acid fermentation was found to be suitable for decreasing milk immunoreactivity. Twenty three strains of cheese LAB, belonging to six genera (Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Pediococcus and Streptococcus), wer…