Fungi and Bacteria in Indoor Cultural Heritage Environments: Microbial-related Risks for Artworks and Human Health

Cultural heritage constitutive materials can provide excellent substrates for microbial colonization, highly influenced by thermo-hygrometric parameters. In cultural heritage-related environments, a detrimental microbial load may be present both on manufacts surface and in the aerosol. In this study, bacterial and fungal colonisation has been investigated in three Sicilian confined environments (archive, cave and hypogea), each with peculiar structures and different thermo-hygrometric parameters. Particular attention has been paid to microorganisms able to induce artifacts biodeterioration and to release biological particles in the aerosol (spores, cellular debrides, toxins and allergens) p…

Messa a punto di un protocollo di misura e analisi per la certificazione ambientale dei beni di interesse storico ed artistico

Noise climate after the transformation of an important junction in Palermo Italy

INFLUENCE OF EVENTS UPON NOISE AND ARMOSPHERIC POLLUTION

Acoustic study of an urban district. Urban layout and noise climate

I rilasci di biogas della discarica di “Bellolampo” e gli effetti sulla qualità dell’aria urbana di Palermo

MONITORAGGIO DINAMICO DEI CAMPI ELETTROMAGNETICI NELLE AREE URBANE: PROBLEMATICHE E CASI STUDIO

The impact of landfills on the air quality of towns: A simple heuristic model for the city of Palermo

In this study, the landfill of Palermo, is investigated as a potential source of the unusual methane concentrations found in the urban context. The source for these pollution episodes is identified by means of a simple heuristic method. A cross-correlation analysis between wind data and methane concentration levels is also used to confirm the hypotheses formulated. Doppler Sound Detection And Ranging (SODAR) measurements are used to investigate the air masses dynamics at the landfill, in order to better support the adopted assumptions. This interpretative method can be adopted in the first assessment stages of the environmental site performance in order to single out the candidate pollution…

ACOUSTICAL QUALITY OF INDOOR SPACES. ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF DESIGN AND BUILDING MATERIALS

Acoustic zoning and characterization of the urban area of Sciacca (Italy)

Tecniche GPS per il monitoraggio di campi elettromagnetici

Setting up of a technical economic index of priority scales for urban noise control

Correct application of the criteria contained in rules and/or recommendations allows verifying the exposure standards and provides technical directions for actions of protection along acoustically similar areas. Taking into account the compulsory value of the rule and the budget demands, in relation to the complexity of the concerned environmental system (noise sources, physical configuration, exposed people, etc.), an effective implementation of noise control measures can benefit by a procedure for fixing the optimum sequence. This paper we first analyse some priority criteria proposed by some of the authors. A further tool is available using the TEI Technical Economic Index, by the author…

Traffic and noise in the seaport of Palermo. Measure and evaluation

Noise in a hospital area. Measure and evaluation

The territory of Sciacca has been acoustically subdivided into homogeneous areas by the authors. In the present job, our attention is focused on the zones in class I that includes particularly sensitive areas as schools and hospitals. The acoustic climate inside and outside the hospital of Sciacca is carried out. The hospital was built on a hillock. Around the hillock two roads, an urban and a main highway are present, both with high traffic. With a campaign of measures, in proximity of the roads, in the hospital square, in the parking, and finally inside the hospital, the equivalent level and the patients exposure was calculated as Ld, Ln and DNL. Both the impact due to the roads (consider…

IL MONITORAGGIO DEI MULTISITI RADIO TV URBANI E PERIURBANI DELLA SICILIA CON TECNICHE DI RILEVAMENTO DINAMICO GEOREFENZIATO

Shilling, Squeezing, Sniping. A further explanation for late bidding in online second-price auctions

Abstract Several studies provide empirical evidence for sniping (i.e., waiting until the last few seconds to bid) in second-price internet auctions, particularly in auctions at eBay . This evidence was regarded as puzzling and an anomaly for an extended period: How could sniping be consistent with rational behaviour in second-price auctions, where theory predicts that bids’ timing plays no role and there is no incentive to bid less than one’s private value. An essential contribution to this puzzling issue has been the insight by Bose and Daripa (2017) that late bidding is itself a response to the shilling. Their paper explains well late bidding for repeating auctions. However, late bidding …

Comparison between dynamic and static measurements of RF electromagnetic fields

In this paper the electromagnetic fields measured in dynamic way and static way are compared. The experimental tests are been carried out using a car, and over that a GPS antenna and a EMC receiver is been installed, equipped with a data treatment software; 6-minutes static measurements and dynamic ones is been carried out. In the selected area for the measurements (called Monte Pellegrino (PA)) there are many radio-TV antennas. The results of experimental tests are thematic charts, automatically generated, of EMC field measured in dynamic way, compared with static measurements of EMC fields. A statistic analysis of measured data in both ways (static and dynamic) has been done, and there is…

Studio Acustico del Santuario di Altavilla Milicia (PA)

Monitoring the urban environment: developing a mixed (fix and mobile) observatory on the urban quality control

An integrated network of monitoring was developed by the authors from 2002. A wide knowledge of the space and time distribution of the environmental data can be acquired integrating the network of fixed stations (were each environmental parameter is collected) with a number of sensors installed on public transport means (were, at the present time, only some parameters are collected). All citizens of the involved local governments will benefit from an increased awareness of environmental quality and their effects on health. The system could be considered as a decision support system and a tool of knowledge dissemination. The aims of the system is to define a standard protocol for monitoring …

Inpact of the vehicular traffic in the acoustic-atmospheric climate of the Perreira district in Sciacca

La salvaguardia dei beni artistici e culturali. Un caso studio: la sede del Rettorato dell'Università di Palermo

Reforming a complicated income tax system: The political economy perspective

Abstract In this paper we analyze the political economy of revenue-neutral income tax reforms when a government aims at cutting back deduction possibilities in exchange for lower tax rates (“tax-cut-cum-base-broadening”). We show that the individual decision whether to support or reject a reform proposal depends on how strongly the voter is affected by all available exemptions, even if the cut of only one single exemption is at stake. The voting outcome in the society depends on the joint distribution of the deductible characteristics. Due to implicit logrolling there are cases where only symmetrical tax reforms are possible, whereas for other properties of the joint distribution only asymm…

Messa a punto di una procedura teorico-sperimentale per la misura dell'impatto vibrazionale dovuto al traffico veicolare sugli edifici di interesse storico-artistico.

The acoustic monitoring of urban territory. Influence of particular conditions upon noise levels

Urban transportation: Predicting acoustic and atmospheric pollution by means on neural networks.

The prediction of the atmospheric pollution produced by transportation in urban areas is one of the main issues in which researchers are engaged worldwide since a long time. A lot of models have been introduced, ranging from simplified ones (that utilize literature data and phenomenological approaches), to very sophisticated methods (referring to complex mathematical techniques for solving the fluid dynamics algorithms). As matter of facts, passengers and freight vehicles are also responsible of acoustic pollution, that is particularly impacting in urban contexts. What it is new in this work is the consideration that both pollution phenomena occur in the same time and exert a double pressur…

Control of Acoustical Quality of Indoor Spaces: Thorough Analysis of the Influence of Façade Typologies

Building shape is of prime importance with regard to the acoustic aspects of achieving adequate indoor environmental quality. This paper presents experimental results obtained in a measurement programme carried out at CSTB, using reduced-scale models. The objectives were to identify the architectural forms of façades' best for noise mitigation, and to address the influence of façade architecture on indoor acoustic quality. Many façade typologies have been assessed in different situations involving combinations of structural and architectural elements, such as balustrades, balconies, loggias, etc. A systematic simulation of real configurations (buildings in front of one another, stacked or …

ACOUSTIC CORRECTION OF A SPORT CENTRE IN SICILY

Studio del comfort globale negli ambienti indoor. Applicazione alla Facoltà di Ingegneria dell'Università di Palermo

Ergonomics and cultural heritage: the Palatina chapel in Palermo, Italy

The present article presents results of a study that aims at the assessment of ergonomic safety conditions inside the Palatina chapel of Palermo. To reach this object, an informative questionnaire was established so as to collect visitors’ subjective judgments regarding overall ergonomic conditions in terms of accessibility, availability, safety or else environmental conditions (thermo-hygrometry; air, sound and visual quality); this stage was carried out, bearing in mind the Museum Visitors’ Rights Card that is currently under creation by the "Legambiente" group. An automatic instrument was bought to daily count the numbers of visitors; the latter element shall then be related to indoor en…

Il progetto Salvalarte respira pulito: uno strumento operativo multidisciplinare per la conservazione e la fruizione dei Beni Culturali nella Regione Sicilia

The present work concerns the description of the contents and of the methods of the project “SALVALARTE respira pulito” (“SAVE ART and breathe clean air”) promoted by Legambiente, ARPA and the Regional Center for the Project and the Restoration of the Region Sicily, in cooperation with the University of Palermo. The goal of the project was to analyze and collect information on the condition of the cultural heritage in Sicily. The purpose of the goal was both to provide guidelines for the safeguard, the promotion and the correct use of cultural sites, adopting a more scientific approach of the problem which would be divided in three phases: detection and cataloging of the cultural heritage a…

Aspirin for preventing the recurrence of venous thromboembolism

An integrated package for modelling and mapping urban traffic emissions and air and acoustic quality

Urban activities and traffic movements have an important impact on the acoustic level and air pollution. The aim of the present paper is to assess the improvement of an environmental territorial information system, developed in 2003, useful as a decision support for town-planning and territorial management. The system born as a data base and as a tools of management for environmental problems is now improved and is able to calculate the noise levels and the correlate CO values. Since an urban area could be analyzed at a macro-scale level also the evaluation is at a macro scale level. Thanks to its flexibility, the modular system allows to meet the demands of a wide range of applications.

Design of an acoustical decision support system for town and traffic planning

The town planning and the traffic urban planning studies of our modern cities lead us to emphasize the impact that urban activities and movements have on the acoustic level and annoyance. In Italy the enforced rules and laws on noise pollution provide us with an optimal procedure for the measurement, valuation and noise control across the urban territory. The control of the acoustic climate of a city depends on the acoustic zoning of the urban territory which fixes restrictive limits of exposition for each area. The aim of the present paper is to assess acoustic tools of calculation and the territorial information system, useful as a decision support system for town-planning and territorial…

Messa a punto di un sistema integrato per la valutazione e gestione della qualità dell'aria nelle aree metropolitane della Regione Sicilia. Caso studio: Area a rischio del Comprensorio del Mela.

Setting up of a protocol of environmental research for preservation and right exploitation of the cultural heritage

The research aims at collecting information on the state of preservation of the cultural heritage in Palermo, and deals more precisely with Vittorio Emanuele avenue, itself bounded by two city gates called Porta Felice (northern gate facing the Mediterranean sea) and Porta Nuova (southern gate) that both give access to the historic centre of the city. Another important purpose is the assessment of livability level, be it for workers, residents, cultural operators, or else visitors, with a particular interest in traffic noise. The research has been conducted by means of miscellaneous scientific duties; however we shall only refer here to two types of practice : the monitoring of environmenta…

Noise evaluation of a hystorical centre. Noise mapping by interpolation routine