Search results for " Structural"

Landscape structure, resilience and ecogeographic relations between agro-forestry and forestry landscapes of Sicily: quantitative approaches

2014

Landscape ecology provides a wide spectrum of useful techniques for quantitative analysis of the land-mosaic patterns, on the basis of areal, linear and punctual parameters. According to the scale of analysis, data collection can be costly and time-consuming; this is especially true in areas with a very heterogeneous land-mosaic patterns and landscape-types for environmental variability and cultural reasons. Aims of this work are: 1) to assess the land-mosaic complexity of the traditional agricultural and agro-forestry landscapes (PAfT) of Sicily; 2) to highlight interfaces and structural gradients between main forest areas and closed PAfTs. These aims have the main purpose to pinpoint agri…

CR1 allelic distribution in healthy italians and SLE patients

2010

Complement receptor type 1 (CR1; CD35), the receptor for C3b/C4b, has a molecular weight polymorphism involving four co-dominantly expressed alleles CR1*1, CR1*2, CR1*3 and CR1*4. The most common allotype in the Caucasian population is CR1*1. Previous studies on the frequency of the CR1 allele in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) patients reported conflicting results. Recently an increased frequency of the CR1*2 allele was reported in Caucasian SLE patients. The aim of our study is to assess the frequency of CR1 structural alleles in a sample of the Italian population and in a cohort of Italian SLE patients equally distributed nationwide. We found that the most common phenotype was CR1*1.1…

Sturctural disorder and silanol groups content in amorphous SiO2

2009

We present a study on the features of the Urbach edge in amorphous silicon dioxide a-SiO2 . The effects of temperature on the absorption edge in the range from 4 to 300 K were studied in both materials having negligible dry, 1017 cm−3 and significant wet, 1019 cm−3 silanol groups contents. Remarkable differences in the values and in the temperature dependence of the Urbach energy in the dry and wet samples were observed. These differences are interpreted as a consequence of a drastic reduction in the degree of disorder in wet materials, which turn out to be characterized by an electronic structure more similar to that of crystalline quartz. Furthermore, our results indicate that silanol gro…

Structural architecture and active deformation pattern in the northern sector of the Aeolian-Tindari-Letojanni fault system (SE Tyrrhenian Sea-NE Sic…

2017

Framed in the current geodynamics of the central Mediterranean, the Aeolian-Tindari-Letojanni fault system is part of a wider NW-SE oriented right-lateral wrench zone which accommodates diverging motion between regional-scale blocks located at the southern edge of the Calabrian Arc. In order to investigate the structural architecture and the active deformation pattern of the northern sector of this tectonic feature, structural observations on-land, high and very-high resolution seismic reflection data, swath bathymetry data and seismological and geodetic data were merged from the Lipari-Vulcano volcanic complex (central sector of the Aeolian Islands) to the Peloritani Mountains across the G…

Extensive field mapping in Sicily in the frame of the CARG Project

2008

Rilievi geologici finalizzati alla compilazione di carte geologiche in Sicilia nord-occidentale (Progetto CARG) Vengono descritti i risultati del rilevamento di numerosi fogli geologici a scala 1:50.000 ubicati nella Sicilia settentrionale (dalle Isole Egadi fino ai Monti delle Madonie), eseguito nel quadro del Progetto CARG. I rilievi sul terreno sono stati integrati con i dati di sottosuolo provenienti da profili sismici a riflessione e perforazioni profonde. I risultati ottenuti offrono un quadro a scala regionale dell’assetto stratigrafico-strutturale di uno dei settori più complessi della Catena Siciliano-Maghrebide. Sono state ricostruite le successioni stratigrafiche dei paleodomini …

From compression to exstension during the Sicily chain building

2009

Climate Change in the Mediterranean Basin (Part I): Induced Alterations on Climate Forcings and Hydrological Processes

2022

In the last years, the Mediterranean basin has been widely recognized as one of the most vulnerable areas in the world to climate change; because of its high concentration of urban and industrial settlements, it is one of the most impacted areas of the world in terms of water scarcity. The present paper aims at reviewing the main observed and predicted effects of climate change on hydrological processes directly related to water availability in the Mediterranean Basin, mainly focusing on the last ten years of research. While an in-depth discussion about possible future water scarcity problem in the Mediterranean area and the sources of uncertainty affecting future climate projections and im…

Mechanical and environmental performance comparisons of improved asphalt pavement wearing courses with high quality aggregates, steel slags, and poly…

2023

The use of waste materials in the construction of hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements is an important opportunity for environmental sustainability. When properly designed, the alternative mixtures may also guarantee excellent mechanical performance. In this study, the results of an experimental analysis carried out on dense-graded HMAs are presented. In particular, the performance of a "traditional" surface mixture with limestone aggregate (designed with neat bitumen or a polymer-modified bitumen within the typical acceptance requirements for intended use in wearing courses) was compared with two alternative mixtures. The research investigated a surface mixture including coarse basaltic aggrega…

Rheological investigation on the ageing performance of bio-recycled asphalt binders and mixtures

2023

The current need to move towards more sustainable technologies in the construction sector has promoted the investigation of using alternative materials in asphalt mixtures for pavements. Biomaterials, used as biobinders, have shown their potential as partial replacement of bitumen in asphalt mixtures as solution to decreasing the demand for fossil-fuel-based binders as well as CO2 emissions. However, more research is needed to increase the replacement of bitumen in asphalt mixtures. In this investigation,biobinders are used as full replacement of virgin bitumen and as recycling agent within asphalt mixtures with high Reclaimed Asphalt (RA) content. Blends of biobinders and RA binders, and b…

Rubberised stone mastic asphalt mixtures: a performance-related evaluation

2022

The binder content of rubberised asphalt mixtures is usually increased compared to that used in conventional asphalt. This increase is deemed important to compensate for the reduction in the actual bitumen due to the existence of rubber particles. This study presents the results of performance evaluation conducted on different rubberised Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) mixtures produced using different types and contents of rubberised bitumen. The energy ratio (ER) computed from Superpave Indirect Tensile (IDT) tests was used to evaluate the cracking resistance of asphalt mixtures while the rutting behaviour was evaluated using the Repeated Load Axial Test (RLAT). The indirect tensile stiffness …