GIS procedure to evaluate the relationship between the period of construction and the outcomes of compliance with building safety standards. The case of the earthquake in L’Aquila (2009)

The earthquake (Ml=5.8; Mw=6.3) that shook L’Aquila (Abruzzo region, Italy) on 6 April 2009 and caused huge widespread damage in the other 56 municipalities of the seismic crater has also provided important input to reflect proactively on the need to avoid the repetition of similar tragedies, learning from the calamities that have occurred. In fact, L’Aquila and the other municipalities hit by the earthquake represent an open-air analysis laboratory to reveal and directly see the weak points of the different buildings on the field which did not adequately resist the shocks. In order to provide important data for social utility, in this paper we illustrate the steps which constitute a GIS procedure that we have thought in order to evaluate the relationship between the period of construction and the outcomes of compliance with building safety standards. Through sequential activities which have enabled us to also produce three-dimensional scenarios – of immediate communicative impact and able to show details for interdisciplinary analysis and strategical planning – we have portrayed the urban evolution of L’Aquila per period of construction and mapped the level of damage to the buildings. The relational analysis and quantitative data have permitted us to show that in the case of L’Aquila the major percentages of “unusable buildings”, and also these together with “condemned buildings due to external risks” concern the structures erected until 1955 and then in the 1956- 1975 period, followed by the ones constructed in the periods of 1976-1988 and 1989-1994. Similar results, in conjunction with other specific information, can offer the possibility to define and apply the consolidation measures necessary to tackle future earthquakes in an appropriate way, without a passive sense of resignation and with a deeper awareness of seismic risk

A comparison of active learning and direct instruction on college students enrolled in two classes of introductory photography

The purpose of this study was to learn about teaching methods and their effects on achievement and skill. The problem was to investigate the effects of both active learning and direct instruction (lecture/demonstration) on students\u27 ability to produce a continuous tone, ten step gray scale, black and white photographic print. The researcher arranged for a college instructor of photography to teach two intact classes of General Photography using the two instructional methods. The objectives for both classes were the same. Each student in both groups completed eight photographic assignments. After twelve (12) weeks of instruction and studio/lab work, each student in both groups was then asked to produce one criterion print. Those prints were rated by two photography experts using a five point Likert scale. Each photograph was evaluated by both judges and each print was assigned a score from one to five for range of tone. The data were organized into a one dimensional design for differences. A t-test for independent samples was used to determine the mean difference between experimental and control groups. There was no statistically significant difference found for type of instruction

Prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococci isolated from different biological samples at Policlinico Umberto I of Rome: correlation with vancomycin susceptibility

The methicillin-resistance is increasing all over the world in the last decade. It is more frequent among coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS); infact the 52% of S. epidermidis strains results to be resistant to methicillin.The methicillin-resistant strains also show a reduced sensitivity towards the first-line agents such as glycopeptides and other antibiotics commonly used in therapy such as trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, imipenem, gentamycin, fosfomycin and chlarytromicin. Unlike MRSA (Methicillin-resistant S. aureus), MRCoNS resistance to glycopeptides generally concerns teicoplanin. Although vancomycin resistance is rare in Staphylococcus isolates, the detected shift towards higher values of MICs might affect patient's clinical outcome

Corpi, strumenti, narrazioni

The volume aims to provide an updated overview of School Geography as an inclusive knowledge. As teachers and citizens, we daily deal with the differences we meet. Working and living with a group of students implies, in fact, working and living in contact with the difference, defined by its dimensions: gender, physical ability, cultural heritage, social or economic backgrounds. Following this perspective, the “Officine didattiche” are thought of as a powerful opportunity in fostering the integration between methodological frameworks and educational practices. Inspired by the experience of the “Officine didattiche”, organized during the 59° Convegno Nazionale AIIG (held from September 29th to October 3rd, 2016 at the Facoltà di Lettere e Filosofia – Università La Sapienza), the book has been set as an operative tool for teachers. The authors of the contributions integrated theoretical reflections with the didactic relevance emerged from their training experiences. The main aim of this volume is to provide methodological and practical supports and to act as an operative source in planning and conducting training courses for teachers. The contributions are organized in three parts: "Corpi", "Strumenti" and "Narrazioni", re-proposing the guiding themes of the “Officine” set in Rome. Furthermore, these three “parts” work as thematic axes connecting the book to the contemporary debate on school and children Geographies

Gene expression profiling of mouse aborted uterus induced by lipopolysac charide

To identify genes that participate in the abortion process, normal pregnant uteri were compared to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced abortion uteri. At day 6 of pregnancy, mice were treated with LPS at various time points to induce an abortion. Total RNAs were applied to a cDNA microarray to analyze genes with altered expression. At the early stage (2 hours) of LPS-induced abortion, upregulated genes were mainly composed of immune responsive genes, including Ccl4, Ccl2, Cxcl13, Gbp3, Gbp2, Mx2, H2-Eb1, Irf1 and Ifi203. Genes related to toll-like receptor signaling were also overexpressed. At late stages of abortion (12-24 hours), many genes were suppressed rather than activated, and these were mainly related to the extracellular matrix, cytoskeleton, and anti-apoptosis. Altered expression of several selected genes was confirmed by real time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The results demonstrated that many known genes were altered in the LPS-treated pregnant uterus, implying that the molecular mechanisms of the genes involved in LPS-induced abortion are complicated. Further analysis of this expression profile will help our understanding of the pathophysiological basis for abortion

Chemical ear peeling: a simple technique for the treatment of chronic external otitis: how we do it

[NFew conditions encountered by otolaryngologists are as frustrating as chronic otitis externa and recurrent exacerbation presents a special challenge for the attending physician. The disease may be extremely therapy-resistant: a great many patients report chronic suffering from otitis externa with inadequate and inefficacious treatment attempts.1 Current medical treatment is based on topical application of steroids, antibiotics and external auditory canal cleansing.2 Moreover, there are no long-term outcome data on medical management.3 In this study we present, showing the short- and longterm clinical outcomes, a new, safe and simple therapeutic technique for the management of chronic otitis externa: chemical ear peeling (CEP).o abstract available

Power Flow Management by Active Nodes: A Case Study in Real Operating Conditions

The role of distributor system operators is experiencing a gradual but relevant change to include enhanced ancillary and energy dispatch services needed to manage the increased power provided by intermittent distributed generations in medium voltage networks. In this context, the paper proposes the insertion, in strategic points of the network, of specific power electronic systems, denoted as active nodes, which permit the remote controllability of the active and reactive power flow. Such capabilities, as a further benefit, enable the distributor system operators to provide ancillary network services without requiring any procurement with distributed generation systems owners. In particular, the paper highlights the benefits of active nodes, demonstrating their capabilities in reducing the inverse power flow issues from medium to high voltage lines focusing on a network cluster including renewable energy resources. As a further novelty, this study has accounted for a real cluster operated by the Italian distributor system operator Areti. A specific simulation model of the electrical lines has been implemented in DigSilent PowerFactory (DIgSILENT GmbH–Germany) software using real operating data obtained during a 1-year measurement campaign. A detailed cost-benefit analysis has been provided, accounting for different load flow scenarios. The results have demonstrated that the inclusion of active nodes can significantly reduce the drawbacks related to the reverse power flow