Comparative brain anatomy of lamniform sharks (Elasmobranchii: Lamniformes) and its implications to function, behavioral ecology, and evolution

Understanding the diversity of brain morphology is important to understand the evolution of cognitive ability and how ecology and phylogeny have influenced the variation in brain complexity. I examined the morphological variation of the brain in the shark order Lamniformes based on museum specimens and literature. Where I illustrate a wide range of morphological diversity in lamniform brains, my study shows that there is a strong positive correlation between brain size and body size that sharks with a larger brain tend to have a more foliated cerebellum, but that the body weight over brain weight did not correlate with cerebellar complexity. In addition, the brain size is found to be affected by ontogeny where younger individuals tend to have larger brains than older conspecific individuals. I also demonstrate that different sizes of different parts of the brain with different functions reflect different lifestyles. Some ecological specializations are reflected in the brain anatomy of certain lamniforms, such as adaptations to deep-water (Mitsukurina), filter feeding (Megachasma), tail-based prey hunting (Alopias), and thunniform swimming (Lamnidae). My study also shows that more derived lamniform taxa (e.g., Alopiidae, Cetorhinidae, and Lamnidae) have highly foliated cerebellum, where limited foliation is regarded as plesiomorphic. Lamnids have relatively small brain, whereas alopiids have a large brain, where a mid-sized brain can be interpreted as plesiomorphic. My study represents the first investigation into the morphological variation and diversity of the brain focusing on lamniforms and demonstrates how ecological factors such as habitat, diet, and behavior drive brain evolution

Some analysis on visibility from driver seat

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Italian land cadastral cartographic representation of public waters for a contribution to territorial governance: learning from history

The process of formation and conservation of cadastral cartography for cadastral land system has always been an unavoidable defense of knowledge of the territories, albeit oriented to the imposition control. Also the hydrographic network, as well as, the road network and toponymy of streets and paths, have constituted in the cadastral representation frame elements for the geometrical-particle metric, articulating, with connotations also of civilistic nature , the juridical-ownership structures of the waters, both in terms of “domination” and of possible uses for a wide area technical reproduction support by cadastral representation. Finally, cadastral representation of public waters and road network allows diachronic analysis for prevention & control and risk assessment (danger scenarios). This cross sectional survey article is directly cured by author as CePSU provincial wide areas coordinator by so called “Crossing Borders Narrative”

Pericolosita pluviometrica: soglie critiche per l'innesco dei fenomeni franosi nel bacino del torrente Piazza in relazione alla sicurezza dell'abitato di Nicastro (CZ).

L’area oggetto di studio si trova nell’Appennino Calabro e ricade all’interno del bacino idrografico del T. Piazza, localizzata nei fogli Nicastro 241 I NO sezione A, Platania 236 II SO sezione B e Cerrisi II SE sezione C della carta d’Italia (scala 1:10˙000). Sotto il profilo geologico l’area è compresa nell’arco Calabro-Peloritano e le unità affioranti fanno parte della Macrozona della Catena Costiera-Sila originatasi a partire dal Plio-Pleistocene. La giurisdizione amministrativa compete ai comuni di Lamezia Terme e di Platania. I dati tecnici utilizzati in questo lavoro di tesi sono stati forniti da: ARPACAL; Centro Cartografico Regionale della Calabria; PAI Calabria; ABR Calabria; Ufficio Tecnico Comunale di Lamezia Terme. I dati storici sono stati acquisiti presso la Biblioteca e l’Archivio di Stato di Lamezia Terme. Alla ricerca storica degli eventi idrogeologici che in passato hanno interessato l’area, è seguita l’elaborazione dei dati termo-pluviometrici per la definizione del clima e degli eventi pluviometrici recenti che hanno innescato i movimenti di versante, la redazione del carte tematiche: inventario delle frane, delle acclività, della carta litotecnica, dell’uso del suolo, e dell’esposizione dei versanti. L’elaborazione dei dati di pioggia è avvenuta secondo un modello matematico- statistico rivolto alla ricerca delle soglie critiche per l’innesco di fenomeni franosi applicato alla stazione di Nicastro-Bella, situata a poca distanza dalla frana in località Casturi nel comune di Lamezia Terme. L’obiettivo della tesi è quello di verificare l’applicabilità, all’area suddetta, di tale modello matematico-statistico in linea con quanto stabilito dalla Direttiva del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri 27 Febbraio 2004 avente per oggetto: "Indirizzi operativi per la gestione organizzativa e funzionale del sistema di allertamento nazionale e regionale per il rischio idrogeologico ed idraulico ai fini di protezione civile". In conclusione si può affermare che il modello di ricerca delle soglie qui utilizzato, come risulta dalle elaborazioni statistiche e grafiche, è pienamente applicabile al bacino del torrente Piazza, poiché gli eventi studiati che hanno superato le soglie di attenzione e di criticità ( > +1 per i movimenti superficiali e > +1,5 per i movimenti più profondi) sono stati seguiti da movimenti di versante. Si ritiene che la metodologia proposta possa costituire un valido aiuto per la previsione delle condizioni pluviometriche di innesco delle frane, tanto da essere adeguata anche per la previsione in tempo reale della pericolosità pluviometrica, come previsto dalle procedure attuali dei Centri Funzionali regionali

Italian land cadastral cartographic representation of public waters for a contribution to territorial governance: learning from history

The process of formation and conservation of cadastral cartography for cadastral land system has always been an unavoidable defense of knowledge of the territories, albeit oriented to the imposition control. Also the hydrographic network, as well as, the road network and toponymy of streets and paths, have constituted in the cadastral representation frame elements for the geometrical-particle metric, articulating, with connotations also of civilistic nature , the juridical-ownership structures of the waters, both in terms of “domination” and of possible uses for a wide area technical reproduction support by cadastral representation. Finally, cadastral representation of public waters and road network allows diachronic analysis for prevention & control and risk assessment (danger scenarios). This cross sectional survey article is directly cured by author as CePSU provincial wide areas coordinator by so called “Crossing Borders Narrative”

Application of 2d-wave spectra time series for pipelaying vessel stinger structural assessment

In the recent years offshore oil and gas field development activities are moving towards deeper and more remote regions for which high performing installation spread is requested. In those conditions, the offshore pipeline installation in S-lay mode, that is generally preferred being more fast and efficient, presents many challenges in pipeline overbend section and requests a longer curved stinger section to support the pipeline weight during installation. The present paper is focused on stinger structure design and verification and describes the methodology followed to perform advanced global combined hydrodynamic and structural analysis through application of hindcasted 2D wave time series. The analysis is carried out in frequency domain, the vessel motion inducing stinger loads are calculated through application of vessel RAOs and a more realistic description of directional wave energy distribution through 2D sea spectra. Within the proposed methodology a more realistic estimation of dynamic forces vessel motion induced is achieved permitting an higher optimization in material utilization. The practical consequence is that the vessel operational limits can be extended but a more careful management of the offshore operation during execution phase is requested

Vitamin D and Osteogenesis Imperfecta in Pediatrics

Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a heterogeneous group of inherited skeletal dysplasias characterized by bone fragility. The study of bone metabolism, in these disease, is problematic in terms of clinical and genetic variability. The aims of our study were to evaluate the importance of Vitamin D levels in OI bone metabolism, reviewing studies performed on this topic and providing advice reflecting our experience using vitamin D supplementation. A comprehensive review on all English-language articles was conducted in order to analyze the influence of vitamin D in OI bone metabolism in pediatric patients. Reviewing the studies, contradictory data were found on the relationship between 25OH vitamin D levels and bone parameters in OI, and in several studies the baseline levels of 25OH D were below the threshold value of 75 nmol/L. In conclusion, according to the literature and to our experience, we highlight the importance of adequate vitamin D supplementation in children with OI

Multiple satellites in materials with complex plasmon spectra: From graphite to graphene

International audienceThe photoemission spectrum of graphite is still debated. To help resolve this issue, we present photoemission measurements at high photon energy and analyze the results using a Green's function approach that takes into account the full complexity of the loss spectrum. Our measured data show multiple satellite replicas. We demonstrate that these satellites are of intrinsic origin, enhanced by extrinsic losses. The dominating satellite is due to the π+σ plasmon of graphite, whereas the π plasmon creates a tail on the high-binding energy side of the quasiparticle peak. The interplay between the two plasmons leads to energy shifts, broadening, and additional peaks in the satellite spectrum. We also predict the spectral changes in the transition from graphite towards graphene

Constraining Non-Standard Interactions of the Neutrino with Borexino

We use the Borexino 153.6 ton.year data to place constraints on non-standard neutrino-electron interactions, taking into account the uncertainty in the 7Be solar neutrino flux, and backgrounds due to 85Kr and 210Bi beta-decay. We find that the bounds are comparable to existing bounds from all other experiments. Further improvement can be expected in Phase II of Borexino due to the reduction in the 85Kr background.Comment: 21 pages, 16 pdf figures, 2 tables. Analysis updated including the uncertainty in sin^2\theta_{23}. Accepted in JHE