Analysis of the seismic site effects along the ancient Via Laurentina (Rome)

This paper presents an evaluation of the Local Seismic Response (LSR) along the route of the ancient Roman road Via Laurentina, which has been exposed in several areas of southwest Rome over the last decade during the construction of new buildings and infrastructures. It is an example of LSR analysis applied to ancient and archaeological sites located in alluvial valleys with some methodological inferences for the design of infrastructure and urban planning. Since the ancient road does not cross the alluvial valley (namely the Fosso di Vallerano Valley) normal to its sides, it was not possible to directly perform 2D numerical modelling to evaluate the LSR along the road route. Therefore, outputs of 2D numerical models, obtained along three cross sections that were normal oriented respect to the valley, were projected along the route of the Via Laurentina within a reliable buffer attributed according to an available high-resolution geological model of the local subsoil. The modelled amplification functions consider physical effects due to both the 2D shape of the valley and the heterogeneities of the alluvial deposits. The 1D and 2D amplification functions were compared to output that non-negligible effects are related to the narrow shape of the fluvial valley and the lateral contacts between the lithotecnical units composing the alluvial fill. The here experienced methodology is suitable for applications to the numerical modelling of seismic response in case of linear infrastructures (i.e., roads, bridges, railways) that do not cross the natural system along physically characteristic directions (i.e. longitudinally or transversally)

The potential of Antheraea pernyi silk for spinal cord repair

This work was supported by the Institute of Medical Sciences of the University of Aberdeen, Scottish Rugby Union and RS McDonald Charitable Trust. We are grateful to Mr Nicholas Hawkins from Oxford University and Ms Annette Raffan from the University of Aberdeen for assistance with tensile testing. We thank Ms Michelle Gniβ for her help with the microglial response experiments. We also thank Mr Gianluca Limodio for assisting with the MATLAB script for automation of tensile testing’s data analysis.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

HRM Practices Sustaining PSM: When Values Congruency Matters

Abstract: This study aims at identifying the organisational antecedents of public service motivation (PSM). It focuses on human resources management (HRM) practices as one category of organisational factors that impact on PSM. Concretely, this research questions how intrinsic and extrinsic HRM practices are related to PSM and whether these relationships are direct or mediated by person-organisation (P-O) fit. The empirical findings are based on a survey of 6,885 civil servants working in Switzerland. Regression analyses highlight that intrinsic HRM practices are positively related to PSM, whereas extrinsic ones are negatively related to PSM. Furthermore, mediation tests shows that only the intrinsic HRM practices are mediated by PO fit. Thus, civil servants who value intrinsic work incentives maintain a high PSM level when they perceive congruence between their individual expectations and the values of their organisation

Hacia un modelo de análisis de políticas públicas operativ : Un enfoque basado en los actores, sus recursos y las instituciones

Towards an operative analysis of public policies: An approach focused on actors, resources and institutions. This article develops an analytical model which is centred on the individual and collective behaviour of actors involved during different stages of public policy. We postulate that the content and institutional characteristics of public action (dependent variable) are the result of interactions between political-administrative authorities, on the one hand, and, on the other, social groups which cause or suffer the negative effects of a collective problem which public action attempts to resolve (independent variables). The 'game' of the actors depends not only on their particular interests, but also on their resources (money, time, consensus, organization, rights, infrastructure, information, personnel, strength, political support) which they are able to exploit to defend their positions, as well as on the institutional rules which frame these policy games

Posthumous sperm retrieval: A procreative revolution

Aim Postmortem sperm retrieval with consequent artificial insemination has become a technically possible option for future use in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The authors have set out to discuss the social and ethical significance of posthumous sperm retrieval, and the laws currently in force in Italy, the United States and elsewhere. Methods International literature from 1997 to 2020 has been reviewed from Pubmed database, Google Scholar and Scopus, drawn upon American, Italian and international sources (an ethically acceptable solution can only be achieved through an over-haul of the laws currently in effect). One of the most contentious issues was about donor consent. In Italy, a donor's will to retrieve his sperm in the event of premature disappearance can be proven according to the Law 219/2017, through advance health care directives. Results A substantial increase, both in requests and protocols, was documented in the United States. In Italy, over the last two years, three rulings were issued concerning posthumous insemination. However, no official standardized protocols, guidelines or targeted legislation exist at the national level to regulate medical activity in that realm, whereas established laws often set implicit limitations. Conclusion Current legal frameworks appear to be inadequate, because in most cases they were conceived under conditions that have radically changed. The need for newly-updated regulatory frameworks to promptly bridge that gap is increasingly clear, if current social needs related to reproductive rights are to be met in the foreseeable future

Effect of powder recycling on inclusion content and distribution in AISI 316L produced by L-PBF technique

AISI 316 L stainless steel is widely used as material to produce components by means of additive manufacturing. To increase the circular economy, the powders are collected and re-used after the printing process, thus the effect of powder recycling on microstructure and properties of printed components is of the utmost importance. This work focused the attention on non-metallic inclusions by examining virgin and recycled powders, and products printed by using both types of powders in a laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process. Recycled powders exhibit an irregular shape due to fragmentation, spatters and satellites and, compared to the virgin ones, have a higher gas (O, H and C) content. Both powders contain non-metallic inclusions with a larger quantity in the recycled ones. The printed samples have a similar microstructure, however those produced by using recycled powders exhibit voids of larger size and a little greater amount of inclusions. XRD and EDS examinations of inclusions extracted from the metallic matrix showed that they consist of a mix of amorphous and crystalline silica. Large part of these particles are already present in virgin powders and only a minor part forms during repeated printing operations. Accordingly, the quality of virgin powders is the factor that mainly affects the inclusion content of printed products indicating that the powder production process is the most critical stage of the whole manufacturing process