The Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW) for a Local Authority: A Case Study in Italy

The Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW) has been calculated for many countries, but rarely at the local level. This paper shows how the index has been calculated for the Province of Siena, Central Italy. The whole procedure is illustrated step by step, including the search for the most suitable and precise methods to obtain reliable values for each item composing the index. Application of ISEW at a very local level was found to be feasible. The most general difficulty encountered was the lack of an adequate institutionalised source of statistical information to support the construction of indicators other than purely economic or demographic ones. The availability of data depends on the interest in implementing projects of sustainable management of natural resources and land on the part of local authorities and their consequent willingness to invest money and human resources on such projects. The ISEW is a good tool for local environmental policy, because it gives a more realistic representation of the well-being of the population than GDP, since it includes environmental and social items not considered in conventional national accounting. Furthermore, in Italy, the principle of administrative decentralization has been implemented in recent years to such an extent that the central government devolved part of its power to Regions, Provinces and Municipalities. Arguably, local authorities should therefore allocate more resources to pursue their policies towards sustainability, an issue which modern electoral campaigns are often based on. The results for the Province of Siena show that there is a large gap between local GDP and ISEW (about 37% of GDP).Local level, economic welfare, sustainability, ISEW, economic policy

Progettazione e realizzazione di un prototipo di simulatore di specifiche di sistemi peer to peer

La tesi descrive la progettazione e la realizzazione (in C#) di un prototipo di simulatore in grado di visualizzare i possibili comportamenti di specifiche di sistemi peer to peer

Valutazione microbiologica della colonizzazione batterica implantoprotesica: studio clinico.

I sistemi implantari dentali presenti al momento sul mercato sono costituiti principalmente da due componenti: il corpo implantare propriamente detto (inserito all’interno dell’osso alveolare) e il pilastro protesico o abutment (il quale servirà da supporto al manufatto protesico). La connessione tra queste due componenti sembra essere un punto cruciale per il successo implantare. Essenzialmente, al di là di possibili considerazioni da un punto di vista meccanico, la presenza di uno spazio seppur microscopico tra queste due parti potrebbe consentire una proliferazione batterica con conseguente infiammazione e, in ultima analisi, una possibile perimplantite con perdita di osso perimplantare. L’obiettivo del presente studio è quello di evidenziare un’eventuale colonizzazione batterica delle superfici interne di impianti protesizzati tramite protesi avvitata oppure tramite protesi cementata, e di analizzare in seguito le eventuali differenze

quantitative mapping of clay minerals using airborne imaging spectroscopy new data on mugello italy from sim ga prototypal sensor

AbstractThe possibility of using high spectral and spatial resolution remote sensing technologies is becoming increasingly important in the monitoring of soil degradation processes. A high spatial resolution hyperspectral dataset was acquired with the airborne Hyper SIM-GA sensor from Selex Galileo, simultaneously with ground soil spectral signatures and samples collection. A complete mapping procedure was developed using the 2000–2450 nm spectral region, demonstrating that the 2200 absorption band allows the obtainment of reliable maps of the clay content. The correlation achieved between the observed and the predicted values is encouraging for the extensive application of this technique in soil conservation planning and protection actions

Analisi di Vulnerabilita Sismica sulla scuola elementare "A.Ciancia" in Francavilla in Sinni (PZ)

La presente tesi si basa sulla valutazione della vulnerabilità sismica della Scuola Elementare “A.Ciancia” di Francavilla in Sinni (PZ). La struttura è in muratura portante, composta da due piani fuori terra ed è stata realizzata alla fine degli anni ’50: la sua forma è a “C” con dimensioni massime in pianta di 20X36m. Gli orizzontamenti sono realizzati in laterocemento, mentre la copertura è stata realizzata in legno. La valutazione della vulnerabilità, nel rispetto dell’attuale D.M. 14/01/2008, è stata effettuata per definire le tipologie di intervento adottabili per il miglioramento sismico della struttura. L’ analisi dinamica modale è stata attuata mediante l’utilizzo del programma Midas-Gen, per lo studio del comportamento globale. Ad ogni livello della struttura sono state effettuate le verifiche di sicurezza, sia nel piano che fuori piano. A completamento della valutazione di vulnerabilità, è stata effettuata l’analisi statica non lineare (push-over) che ha permesso di studiare l’evoluzione in campo plastico della muratura e di valutare l’indice di rischio. Le analisi statiche non lineari sono state effettuate e confrontate nell’ipotesi di diversi livelli di conoscenza della struttura, valutando come muta il comportamento globale della struttura al variare del fattore di confidenza e quindi delle caratteristiche meccaniche dei materiali. Dalle vulnerabilità emerse, sono stati studiati interventi appositi, volti ad incrementare la sicurezza dell’edificio

Evaluation of subsidence induced by long-lasting buildings load using InSAR technique and geotechnical data: The case study of a Freight Terminal (Tuscany, Italy)

This paper shows the results of the comparison between Multi-temporal Synthetic Aperture Radar (MTInSAR) products derived from different sensors (C-band ERS 1/2, Envisat, Sentinel-1 and X-band COSMO-SkyMed) and geotechnical data to investigate the driving factors of subsidence which affect a freight terminal located along the a coastal plain of Tuscany (central Italy). MTInSAR data have been acquired in a very long period, between 1992 and 2018 and were analyzed in terms of subsidence rates and deformation time series at building scale. The obtained results show that the oldest buildings are still affected by a deformation rate close to −5 mm/yr, whereas recent buildings register rates around −40 mm/yr. Time series of deformation suggest that the deformation rates decrease over time following time-dependent trend that approximates the typical consolidation curve for compressible soils. The geotechnical and stratigraphical analysis of the subsurface data (boreholes, cone penetration tests and dilatometer tests) highlights the presence of a 15 m thick layer formed of clay characterized by poor geotechnical characteristics. The comparison among InSAR data, subsurface geological framework and geotechnical reconstruction suggests a possible evaluation of the timing of the primary and secondary consolidation processes

PSInSAR Analysis in the Pisa Urban Area (Italy): A Case Study of Subsidence Related to Stratigraphical Factors and Urbanization

Permanent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) has been used to detect and characterize the subsidence of the Pisa urban area, which extends for 33 km2 within the Arno coastal plain (Tuscany, Italy). Two SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) datasets, covering the time period from 1992 to 2010, were used to quantify the ground subsidence and its temporal evolution. A geotechnical borehole database was also used to make a correspondence with the detected displacements. Finally, the results of the SAR data analysis were contrasted with the urban development of the eastern part of the city in the time period from 1978 to 2013. ERS 1/2 (European Remote-Sensing Satellite) and Envisat SAR data, processed with the PSInSAR (Permanent Scatterer InSAR) algorithm, show that the investigated area is divided in two main sectors: the southwestern part, with null or very small subsidence rates (<2 mm/year), and the eastern portion which shows a general lowering with maximum deformation rates of 5 mm/year. This second area includes deformation rates higher than 15 mm/year, corresponding to small groups of buildings. The case studies in the eastern sector of the urban area have demonstrated the direct correlation between the age of construction of buildings and the registered subsidence rates, showing the importance of urbanization as an accelerating factor for the ground consolidation process

The effectiveness of high-resolution LiDAR data combined with PSInSAR data in landslide study

The spatial resolution of digital elevation models (DEMs) is an important factor for reliable landslide studies. Multi-interferometric techniques such as persistent scatterer interferometric synthetic aperture radar (PSInSAR) are used to evaluate the landslide state of activity and its ground deformation velocity, which is commonly measured along the satellite line of sight (LOS). In order to compare velocities measured by different satellites in different periods, their values can be projected along the steepest slope direction, which is the most probable direction of real movement. In order to achieve this result, DEM-derived products are needed. In this paper, the effectiveness of different DEM resolutions was evaluated in order to project ground deformation velocities measured by means of PSInSAR technique in two different case studies in the Messina Province (Sicily, southern Italy): San Fratello and Giampilieri. Three DEMs were used: (i) a 20-m resolution DEM of the Italian Military Geographic Institute (IGM), (ii) a 2-m resolution DEM derived from airborne laser scanning (ALS) light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data for the San Fratello 2010 landslide, and (iii) a 1-m resolution DEM derived from ALS LiDAR data for the area of Giampilieri. The evaluation of the applied method effectiveness was performed by comparing the DEMs elevation with those of each single permanent scatterer (PS) and projecting the measured velocities along the steepest slope direction. Results highlight that the higher DEM resolution is more suitable for this type of analysis; in particular, the PS located nearby the watershed divides is affected by geometrical problems when their velocities are projected along the steepest slope