Analytical Solutions for Lateral Bearing Capacity of Piles in Nonhomogeneous Soil

In routine design, the lateral bearing capacity of a single pile is commonly evaluated using analytical expressions which are derived under the hypothesis of rigid-plastic behavior of both the foundation soil and the pile cross section. Existing solutions are available for a limited number of lateral soil resistance distributions, namely constant and linearly increasing variations with depth. However, in real-world applications the profiles for the ultimate soil reaction can be significantly different from available idealized distributions. This study provides a design tool for a wide range of geotechnical scenarios encountered in engineering practice. Analytical solutions were developed for the lateral bearing capacity of piles for two types of generalized distributions of soil resistance with depth, extending those already available in literature. Furthermore, the new developments provide insight into the soil resistance mechanism occurring along the pile, and its effect on the bearing capacity considering pertinent failure modes. A rational manner to apply the solutions in routine engineering is also proposed. The predictions were validated against results obtained from available full-scale pile tests

Real-Life Experience with Tildrakizumab in Plaque Psoriasis with Palmoplantar Involvement: A Multi-Center Retrospective Italian Study

Introduction: Palmoplantar psoriasis (PPp) has a profound negative impact on patients’ quality of life, and it represents a therapeutic challenge, as palms and soles are difficult to treat area. Although the efficacy profile of tildrakizumab has been well evaluated in the literature, data on its use for PPp are still limited. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tildrakizumab on moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis with involvement of the palmoplantar area. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, real-life study was performed enrolling patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis involving the palmoplantar area undergoing treatment with tildrakizumab with a follow-up of at least 52 weeks. At baseline, demographic and clinical data were assessed. Psoriasis severity was evaluated by using Psoriasis Activity Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA), Psoriasis Global Assessment (PGA), Pruritus-Numerical Rating Scale (P-NRS) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Palmoplantar PASI (ppPASI) was used to evaluate psoriasis severity in the palmoplantar region. Clinical improvement was evaluated at each follow-up visit [week (W) 4, 16, 52]. Results: A total of 99 patients were enrolled. A reduction in PASI, BSA, PGA, P-NRS and DLQI was observed at each time point. Mean ppPASI at baseline was 16.9 ± 13.2, which started to improve at W4 (8.9 ± 9.1) and continued to decrease at W16 (2.1 ± 3.1) and W52 (0.5 ± 1.0). Moreover, a sub-analysis showed that the probability of achieving ppPASI50 at W4 increased in case of nail psoriasis (p < 0.05) and decreased in bio-experienced patients (p < 0.001). Similarly, the probability of achieving ppPASI75 at W4 decreased in the case of prior biologic exposure (p < 0.05). Finally, patients with nail psoriasis showed a higher probability of reaching ppPASI75 at W16 (p < 0.05), whereas patients previously treated with systemic therapies for psoriasis reported a reduced probability of ppPASI75 achievement at this time point (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Tildrakizumab was shown to be a fast and effective treatment for patients with PPp, being able to achieve significant results already after only 4 weeks of treatment. Moreover, the identification of potential clinical factors predictive of response may improve the selection of the best treatment in patients with PPp

La trascrizione tempestiva

Il contributo analizza la trascrizione tempestiva del matrimonio canonico nei registri dello stato civile

L'evoluzione del digital banking. Luci ed ombre del FinTech

Con il termine FinTech (“Financial Technology”, tecnologia finanziaria o tecnofinanza) viene generalmente indicata l’innovazione finanziaria resa possibile dallo sviluppo tecnologico, che può tradursi in nuovi modelli di business, processi o prodotti. Progetti basati su tecnologie di Intelligenza Artificiale e machine learning stanno entrando in modo sempre più strutturale nei piani industriali delle banche, affiancandosi alle diverse iniziative di trasformazione già in corso o programmate. Così come l’applicazione della blockchain alla DLT potrà efficientare in modo significativo molte aree di processo core della banca. In questo scenario è fondamentale fare innovazione all’insegna della sostenibilità dei modelli di business, in modo che non vengano disperse risorse economiche, ottimizzando gli investimenti e creando soluzioni agili e facilmente integrabili. Con le soluzioni di digital banking, le banche stanno attraversando una fase di trasformazione in risposta ai cambiamenti del mercato, i cui principali fattori sono l’evoluzione del quadro normativo, l’impatto delle innovazioni tecnologiche, il cambiamento delle esigenze dei clienti, sempre più desiderosi di avere un servizio efficiente, sia in termini di qualità che di tempo. Con uno sguardo internazionale e puntuali riferimenti nazionali, il volume delinea una panoramica tangibile e concreta dell’ecosistema del FinTech. Un testo illuminante per i professionisti del settore bancario e finanziario e del FinTech, ma anche per aziende, consulenti e studenti interessati a cogliere i riflessi strategici, organizzativi e commerciali dell’evoluzione digitale del sistema finanziario. Un manuale denso, ricco di date e di dati, attuale; la cui stesura è stata mossa da una forza imbattibile: la curiosità del futuro del sistema bancario

Development of a Numerical Methodology Able to Simulate the Unstable Mixed Mode Delamination Growth in Stiffened Composite Panels Under Cyclic Loading Conditions

Aeronautical structures, often, experience impacts with foreign objects in service and during maintenance operations. Foreign Objects Impacts (FOI) can lead to critical damages and can compromise the overall performances of structural components. Indeed, among the others, composite components can exhibit various interacting post impacts damage mechanisms, including fiber breakage, matrix fracture, and interlaminar damages, such as delamination between different layers of the laminates. Delamination represents the most critical failure mechanisms, as it is, often, undetectable by visual inspections and it may, unstably and silently, develop within the component. This Phenomenon may be amplified under cyclic loading conditions, as the residual strength and stiffness can decrease rapidly after a certain number of cycles, potentially leading to structural collapse [1]. Unstable propagation of delaminations is particularly critical, since it, actually, can take place without the need of increasing the load acting on the structure. This phenomenon, which is very dangerous for the structural integrity of components, can be very challenging to be predicted, under fatigue loading conditions, by the standard geometrically non-linear Finite Elements Methodologies (FEM) which use a sequence of simulations under force control to mimic the fatigue behaviour of composite materials. Actually, FEM simulations under controlled force levels lead to convergence issues when predicting the highly dynamic behaviour of the unstable growth of delaminations under fatigue loading conditions. The research activity, presented in this paper, is aimed to develop an alternative efficient methodology able to mimic the unstable delamination propagation under cyclic loading conditions in composite structures by non-linear static analyses. This new methodology has been demonstrated to be able to correctly consider the fast variation of delamination size associated to decrease in loading during the unstable growth phenomenon under cyclic loading conditions. To achieve this objective, the Paris Law [2, 3] approach has been implemented in the ANSYS FEM code together with an enhanced Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) based method

Optimization of a Fenton-based process as a tertiary treatment of tannery wastewater through response surface methodology

Nowadays, the implementation of effective advanced oxidation systems in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as tertiary treatment represents an urgent need and current topic of interest in the literature. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal operating conditions of an electrochemical peroxidation (ECP) process to maximize COD and color removals from tannery secondary effluents at neutral pH, as well as improve the cost-effectiveness of the ECP process by avoiding the addition of chemicals commonly used in conventional electro-Fenton process, which can increase the overall concentration of chlorides and sulphates in high-salinity effluent. To the best of our knowledge, no study in the literature has focused on the optimization of the ECP process for tannery wastewater treatment. Therefore, the influence of the independent variables (current density, electrolysis time and H2O2 concentration) and best parameter setting were investigated through a central composite design combined with response surface methodology (CCD-RSM). Under optimal conditions (36 mA/cm2, 19.7 min and 9.9 g/L of H2O2), 74 % of COD and 96 % of color were removed by ECP. The optimized conditions for the ECP treatment were verified and tested on photo-electrochemical peroxidation (PECP) and photolysis processes. The irradiation with UV-C light in PECP and photolysis processes did not significantly improve the removal efficiency, while increasing the energy demand. This study provides a new engineering approach for the removal of recalcitrant COD, addressing key factors that limit the application of the conventional electro-Fenton process in WWTPs. Future research should improve the sustainability of the process for full-scale application