Search results for "TRADE"

THE MEDITERRANEAN'S GOLD: WHICH COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS FOR THE THUNNUS THYNNUS IN ITALY?

2019

By taking into consideration the relevant role, in the international trade of Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus), played by Italy, aim of this work is assess the change in the Italian competitive advantage in the international market over the last decade (2008/2017), as a consequence of the Total Allowable Catch system together with size limits set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Investigating the main changes occurred in the Italian international trade balance, by focusing the attention on the relations with the main commercial partners operating in this industry, is of relevant importance to make available updated data to policy makers, managers…

THE DIAGNOSIS OF ROAD SURFACE DISTRESSES THROUGH IMAGE-BASED MODELING TECHNIQUES. EXPERIMENTAL SURVEY ON LABORATORY-RUTTED SAMPLES

2015

In the past few years, there has been a drastic increase in the use of image-based modeling (IBM) techniques to create high quality, reality-based 3D models. The low costs of these techniques, as well as their attractive visual quality, have led many researchers and professionals to invest their energy and resources in several tests. IBM is rarely used in the field of road surface distresses as diagnosis is usually performed using other techniques and devices. Road safety statistics reveal that about a half of the total number of accidents occur mainly due to the deterioration of the pavement. The goal of effective road network management is often incompatible with economic resources design…

IMAGE ANALYSIS FOR DETECTING THE TRANSVERSE PROFILE OF WORN-OUT RAILS

2012

Abstract — Over its useful life a railway track is subject to many mechanical and environmental stresses which gradually lead to its deterioration. Monitoring the wear condition of the railway superstructure is one of the key points to guarantee an adequate safety level of the railway transport system; in this field, the use of high-efficiency laser techniques has become consolidated and implemented in diagnostic trains (e.g. the “Archimede train” and the “Talete train” ) which allow to detect the track geometric parameters (gauge, alignment, longitudinal level, cross level, superelevation defect, etc.) and the state of rail wear (vertical, horizontal, 45-degree etc.) with very high accurac…

Image analysis for detecting aggregate gradation in asphalt mixture from planar images

2012

Abstract The mechanical properties of bituminous mixture strongly depend on the gradation of the aggregate that represents the mineral skeleton of the mixture, since for open and gap-graded mixtures, stresses due to vehicles in movement on the pavement are mainly transmitted through their contacts. Internal structure of bituminous mixture is, therefore, of great interest for road and infrastructure engineering and it is appropriate to study it with recently developed image analysis method. The purpose of this study was to finalize an effective analysis of asphalt section image for automatically extracting aggregate gradation without the need of separation of the bitumen from the aggregate. …

Food-mediated modulation of immunity in a phytophagous insect: An effect of nutrition rather than parasitic contamination.

2015

7 pages; International audience; Inherent to the cost of immunity, the immune system itself can exhibit tradeoffs between its arms. Phytophagous insects face a wide range of microbial and eukaryotic parasites, each activating different immune pathways that could compromise the activity of the others. Feeding larvae are primarily exposed to microbes, which growth is controlled by antibiotic secondary metabolites produced by the host plant. The resulting variation in abundance of microbes on plants is expected to differentially stimulate the insect antimicrobial immune defenses. Under the above tradeoff hypothesis, stimulation of the insect antimicrobial defenses is expected to compromise imm…

Valuing the effects of urban road-network projects: a methodological proposal

2006

This paper proposes a methodology for the valuation of the urban environment. It tries to answer questions and problems that derive from new road installations, or functional requalifications in existing road infrastructures, in accordance with specific practices already well-known as Urban Impact Assessment (UIA). More generally, the objective of the urban impact assessment consists of valuing the possibilities to localize urban installations, also considering both their economic and social effects, as well as identifying potential dangers to the environment, intended in a general sense. This kind of valuation distinguishes from the traditional environmental impact valuation (e.g., applied…

L'applicazione della CITES in Europa

2008

Modeling the influence of alternative forest management scenarios on wood production and carbon storage: A case study in the Mediterranean region

2016

Forest ecosystems are fundamental for the terrestrial biosphere as they deliver multiple essential ecosystem services (ES). In environmental management, understanding ES distribution and interactions and assessing the economic value of forest ES represent future challenges. In this study, we developed a spatially explicit method based on a multi-scale approach (MiMoSe-Multiscale Mapping of ecosystem services) to assess the current and future potential of a given forest area to provide ES. To do this we modified and improved the InVEST model in order to adapt input data and simulations to the context of Mediterranean forest ecosystems. Specifically, we integrated a GIS-based model, scenario …

Incheon, vitrine de la Corée du Sud et masque de Séoul

2007

National audience; The present South Korean government's ambition is to give the port of Incheon the new aspect of a global city thanks to a gigantic free trade zone. The constraints met at different scales lead to wonder about the possibility for Incheon to gain a real international influence. Despite the extent of current improvements which also aim at reducing the size of Seoul, Incheon cannot claim to go beyond its role as a gateway to the capital city whose global functions are deeply rooted in the Korean urban system; Le gouvernement sud-coréen actuel a pour ambition de donner à la ville portuaire d'Incheon un nouveau visage, celui d'une ville globale, grâce à une gigantesque zone fra…

ASSESSMENT OF CORRUPTION EFFECT ON FOREIGN INVESTMENT FLOWS

2011

The purpose of the present paper is to investigate the impact of corruption on foreign direct investment (FDI) flows. Using data from the International Monetary Fund, Transparency International and United Nations conference about commerce and development data bases a cross-section econometric model was estimated to evaluate in which way and how strong corruption influence FDI inflows. Econometric modelling covers the period from year 2000 to 2007 and the data about 82 world countries that constitute more than 500 records. The main conclusion of the paper is that corruption has a negative and significant impact on the foreign direct investment inflows. Thus, changes in the level of corruptio…