Empirical site-specific response-spectra correction factors for the Gubbio basin (central Italy)

Providing quantitative microzonation results that can be taken into account in urban land-use plans is a challenging task that requires collaborative efforts between the seismological and engineering communities. In this study, starting from the results obtained by extensive geophysical and seismological investigations, we propose and apply an approach to the Gubbio basin (Italy) that can be easily implemented for cases of moderate-to-low ground motion and that takes into account not only simple 1D, but also more complicated 3D effects. With this method, the sites inside the basin are classified by their fundamental resonance frequencies, estimated from the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio applied to noise recordings (HVNSR). The correspondence between estimates of the fundamental frequency from this method and those derived from earthquake recordings was verified at several calibration sites. The amplification factors used to correct the response spectra are computed by the ratio between the response spectra at sites within the basin and the response spectra at a hard-rock site using data from two seismic transects. Empirical amplification functions are then assigned to the fundamental frequencies after applying an interpolation technique. The suitability of the estimated site-specific correction factors for response spectra was verified by computing synthetic response spectra for stations within the basin, starting from the synthetic recording at a nearby rock station, and comparing them with observed ones

Water-Soluble Ruthenium(III)-Dimethyl Sulfoxide Complexes: Chemical Behaviour and Pharmaceutical Properties

In this paper we report a review of the results obtained in the last few years by our group in the development of ruthenium(III) complexes characterized by the presence of sulfoxide ligands and endowed with antitumor properties. In particular, we will focus on ruthenates of general formula Na[trans-RuCl4(R1R2SO)(L)], where R1R2SO = dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) or tetramethylenesulfoxide (TMSO) and L = nitrogen donor ligand. The chemical behavior of these complexes has been studied by means of spectroscopic techniques both in slightly acidic distilled water and in phosphate buffered solution at physiological pH. The influence of biological reductants on the chemical behavior is also described. The antitumor properties have been investigated on a number of experimental tumors. Out of the effects observed, notheworthy appears the capability of the tested ruthenates to control the metastatic dissemination of solid metastasizing tumors. The analysis of the antimetastatic action, made in particular on the MCa mammary carcinoma of CBA mouse, has demonstrated a therapeutic value for these complexes which are able to significantly prolong the survival time of the treated animals. The antimetastatic effect is not attributable to a specific cytotoxicity for metastatic tumor cells although in vitro experiments on pBR322 double stranded DNA has shown that the test ruthenates bind to the macromolecule, causing breaks corresponding to almost all bases, except than thymine, and are able to cause interstrand bonds, depending on the nature of the complex being tested, some of which results active as cisplatin itself

ITACA (ITalian ACcelerometric Archive): a Web Portal for the Dissemination of the Italian Strong Motion Data

The Italian strong-motion database contains 2182 three component waveforms generated by 1004 earthquakes with a maximum magnitude of 6.9 (1980 Irpinia earthquake) covering the period range from 1972 to 2004. The database is devoted to serving the seismological and engineering communities. The database can be accessed on-line at the site http://itaca.mi.ingv.it, where a wide range of search tools enables the user to interactively search events, recording stations and retrieve waveforms with particular characteristics, whose parameters can be specified, as needed, through a graphical user interface. A range of display options allows users to view data in different contexts, extract and download time series and spectral data. The database was created during a joint project between Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV, Italian institute for geophysics and vulcanology) and Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (DPC, Italian civil protection). The aim of the project was the collection, homogenization and distribution of data acquired over the time period 1972-2004 in Italy by different Italian institutions, namely Ente Nazionale per l’Energia Elettrica (ENEL, Italian electricity company), Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l’Energia e l’Ambiente (ENEA, Italian energy and environment organization) and DPC. The project had multiple purposes, such as permanent strong motion monitoring and temporary monitoring during seismic sequences or before permanent installation. This database brings up to date the ENEA strong motion data collection which ended in 1993 and the European database where the most recent Italian data pertain to the Umbria-Marche sequence of 1997-1998 (Ambraseys at al., 2002). In addition effort was spent reviewing strong motion metadata and data processing to increase data quality and reliability. This article describes the steps that led to the completion of the project and provides an overview of the search capabilities available at the database interface website

Efficacy of 5-FU Combined to Na[trans-RuCl4(DMSO)Im], A Novel Selective Antimetastatic Agent, on the Survival Time of Mice With P388 Leukemia, P388/DDP subline and MCa Mammary Carcinoma

The combinational treatment between the selective antimetastatic agent, sodium-trans-rutheniumtetrachloridedimethylsulfoxideimidazole, Na[trans-RuCl4(DMSO)Im], and the cytotoxic drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on primary tumor growth and on the survival time of experimental tumors results in an effect significantly greater than that of each single agent used alone either with the solid metastasizing MCa mammary carcinoma of the CBA mouse or with the lymphocytic leukemia P388 and its platinum resistant P388/DDP subline. Thus the inorganic compound Na[trans-RuCl4(DMSO)Im], known for its potent and selective antimetastatic effects, positively interacts with the antitumor action of an organic anticancer agent such as 5-FU on both a solid metastasizing tumor and a tumor of lymphoproliferative type. In particular, the effects of the combinational treatment on the survival time of tumor bearing mice seem to be related to the selective antimetastatic activity of the ruthenium complex that joins the potent cytotoxicity of 5-FU for the tumor. Moreover, these data show that Na[trans-RuCl4(DMSO)Im] is almost as effective on the subline of P388 made resistant to cisplatin as it was on the parental line

Effetti di sito osservati nel bacino di Gubbio (Italia Centrale)

Uno dei principali obiettivi degli studi di pericolosità sismica è la quantificazione della risposta di sito, che può modificare in maniera significativa il moto registrato in superficie durante un terremoto rispetto al moto osservato su sito rigido. In questo lavoro si presentano i risultati di uno studio finalizzato alla determinazione della risposta sismica del bacino di Gubbio, ottenuti nell’ambito del Progetto INGV-DPC S3 (2005-2007) “Scenari di scuotimento sismico in aree strategiche e/o prioritarie”. In tale area, infatti, recenti studi, basati sull’analisi di registrazioni della stazione accelerometrica GBP, installata nella piana e della stazione vicina GBB, localizzata su sito rigido, hanno evidenziato la presenza di effetti locali legati al bacino alluvionale. Nella piana sono state programmate e svolte molteplici indagini sperimentali sia di sismica attiva che passiva, finalizzate alla determinazione di un modello di riferimento del bacino ed alla stima della risposta di sito. In particolare è stata svolta un’attività di monitoraggio con l’installazione di 4 transetti temporanei di stazioni sismometriche, che hanno operato da Giugno 2005 fino a Maggio 2006. Due transetti sono stati posizionati in direzione trasversale all’asse della piana, uno in direzione longitudinale e l’ultimo presso il centro storico di Gubbio. Durante l’esperimento, grazie all’intensa attività sismica della zona, sono stati registrati più di 300 terremoti locali e regionali, con una magnitudo massima pari a M 4.7. Con un data set selezionato, sono state valutate le funzioni di amplificazione empiriche utilizzando diverse tecniche spettrali. In particolare sono stati applicati il metodo SSR basato sul rapporto spettrale delle componenti orizzontali o verticali rispetto ad un sito di riferimento e la tecnica di inversione generalizzata GIT. Inoltre è stata utilizzata la tecnica H/V, consistente nel rapporto spettrale tra la componente orizzontale e verticale registrata da una singola stazione, per la stima delle frequenze di risonanza. I risultati hanno mostrato che i metodi basati sui rapporti spettrali rispetto ad una stazione di riferimento su roccia (SSR) evidenziano impressionanti effetti di bacino 2D-3D, mentre i rapporti spettrali H/V forniscono utili indicazioni sulla risposta 1D del bacino. Le risposte di sito ottenute nella piana con il GIT e la tecnica SSR sono infatti caratterizzate da elevatissime amplificazioni con ampiezze fra 5 e 20 in una ampia banda di frequenze compresa fra 0.2-0.3Hz fino a 3–4 Hz, in accordo con il contenuto spettrale delle onde di superficie generate localmente. Viceversa, dal picco principale del rapporto H/V, è possibile stimare solo la frequenza fondamentale di risonanza dei siti e, congiuntamente ad altre informazioni sulle velocità delle onde S, gli spessori dei sedimenti

What can we learn from the January 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes?

This note focuses on the ground motion recorded during the recent moderate earthquakes occurred in the central part of Northern Italy (panel 1), a region characterized by low seismicity. For this area the Italian seismic hazard map (Stucchi et al., 2011) assigns a maximum horizontal acceleration (rock site) up to 0.2 g (10% probability of exceedance in 50 yrs). In the last 4 years, the region was struck by 9 earthquakes in the magnitude range 4≤Mw≤5.0, with the three largest located in the Northern Apennines (Mw 4.9 and 5.0 Parma events, December 2008 and January 2012) and in the Po plain (Mw 4.9 Reggio Emila event of January 2012). We analyze the strongmotion data (distance < 300 km) from these events recorded by stations belonging to the INGV (RAIS, http://rais.mi.ingv.it; RSNC http://iside.rm.ingv.it) and DPC (RAN, www.protezionecivile.it; http://itaca.mi.ingv.it). The 2008 and 2012 Parma events, both characterized by reverse focal mechanisms (http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/), have depths of 27 and 60 km respectively. The deep event produced a maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 97 cm/s2 at Novellara (NVL, EC8 C class) station (70 km from the epicenter). The 25th January 2012 event (depth of 34 km) produced a maximum PGA of 114 cm/s2 at Sorbolo (SRP) station (7 km from the epicenter). Preliminary analyses show: 1) a peculiar ground-motion attenuation of the deep Parma event with respect to the shallow one. In panel 2, the PGAs for the two Parma events are plotted as a function of hypocentral distance and compared to the global ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) calibrated by Cauzzi and Faccioli (2008) using events with depth < 30 km. The different distance-decay of PGA for the deep event (blue for A class of EC8 and red for B and C classes, CEN 2003) is evident, in particular for distance up to 100 km. On the other hand, the PGAs of the 2008 Parma crustal event (grey) are well explained by this GMPE. In panel 3, the PGAs for the deep 2012 event, grouped for EC8 classes, are compared to the national GMPE calibrated by Bindi et al. (2011) using crustal events and epicentral distance. Also in this case, the GMPE underestimates the PGAs up to 200 km. Although most of the class C sites (red) show the largest PGAs, the underestimation cannot be completely ascribed to site effects. The large PGAs from the Parma deep event, with respect to the shallow one, could be explained in terms of source effects (e.g. large stress drop values enhancing the high-frequency radiation). In addition, as explained by Castro et al. (2008), the different attenuation in the lower and upper crust could explain the large PGAs recorded for the 2012 deep event. 2) seismic amplification at Po Plain sites: In panel 4, the PGAs of the January 25th, Mw 4.9, Reggio Emilia event are plotted as a function of the epicentral distance, together with the Bindi et al. (2011) GMPE. In general, the largest amplitudes occur at the Po plain sites (red), suggesting possible peculiar site response. An overall increase of the PGAs is observed around 100km, in agreement with the results of Bragato et al. (2011) that studied the regional influence of Moho S-wave reflections in the area. An example of site response is shown in panel 5, considering TREG (class C) and ZEN8 (class A) stations (panel 5a), located at 88 km from the Reggio Emila epicentre. The rotational standard spectral ratio (panel 5b) for 10 s of S wave shows polarized amplifications around 2 Hz, detected also at others Po plain sites (not reported), as well as amplification on the vertical component. The points discussed above should to be interpreted as a warning for future applications dealing with ground motion estimation in the aftermath of an earthquake in this area (e.g. ShakeMap calculation): currently used GMPEs, based on different events and sites characteristics could lead to significant bias in the final results

Comparison of topical tacrolimus 0.1 % in pectin ointment with clobetasol 0.5% ointment in adults with moderate to severe desquamative gingivitis: A 4-week, randomized, double-blind clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Desquamative gingivitis (DG) is a clinical condition characterized by red, painful, glazed, and friable gingiva, which might be a manifestation of some autoimmune mucocutaneous diseases. The time from the development of initial signs of DG to diagnosis can vary from months to years. Based on a literature search, no data concerning patients with DG without signs of autoimmune disease were available. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this trial was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of monotherapy with topical tacrolimus 0.1% in pectin ointment versus clobetasol propionate 0.5% ointment in adults affected by DG. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted at the Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Universita di Verona, Verona, Italy. Patients aged > or =18 years were selected using the department's electronic medical records based on a clinical diagnosis of moderate to severe DG. After a 2-week washout period, patients were randomly assigned to receive 2 mL of tacrolimus 0.1% in pectin (equivalent to 0.2 mg of tacrolimus) or 2 mL of clobetasol propionate 0.5% ointment (equivalent to 1 mg of clobetasol) QD for 4 weeks. Evaluations were performed before treatment (baseline), after the treatment period (week 4), and at 2 follow-up visits at weeks 6 and 8. The signs of DG (ie, erythema [atrophy] and desquamation [erosions/ulceration]) were quantified by a blinded investigator using a calculated score based on their surface extension, using a drawing in which the areas of various zones of the mouth were indicated as a percentage of the whole oral mucosa. Severity of erythema and desquamation was rated on a 4-point scale (0 = absent; 1 = involvement of 15% [severe]). The primary end point was the number of patients who achieved remission (severity score of 0) in either sign; the secondary end point was the proportions of patients achieving improvement (severity score of 0 or 1) in either sign. Before and after treatment, we measured the serum concentrations of tacrolimus and its metabolites with an immunoenzymatic assay kit. Tolerability was assessed using hematology, biochemistry, urinalysis, measurements of systolic/diastolic blood pressure and heart rate, patient interview, and spontaneous reporting. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients (18 women, 6 men; all white of Italian origin; age range, 21-65 years; 12 patients per treatment group) were enrolled in the study. In the tacrolimus group, 11 (91.7%) patients achieved remission of erythema and/or desquamation at weeks 4 and 6; at week 8, these rates were 9 (75.0%) and 8 (66.7%), respectively; none of the patients in the clobetasol group achieved remission of either sign at any time point (all, P < 0.001). At weeks 4, 6, and 8, significantly greater proportions of patients treated with tacrolimus had improved erythema and desquamation compared with those treated with clobetasol (all, P < 0.001). At week 4, all patients had undetectable serum tacrolimus concentrations (<1.5 microg/L). Six (50.0%) patients in the tacrolimus group reported a mild oral burning sensation, and 6 (50.0%) patients in the clobetasol group reported mild mouth dryness. No other adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this small study suggest that topical tacrolimus 0.1 % in pectin was more effective compared with clobetasol propionate 0.5% ointment in the treatment of DG. Both treatments were generally well tolerated in the population studied

Qui INGV

L’INGV, a partire dal 2006, ha iniziato una fase di potenziamento del monitoraggio accelerometrico, installando nelle aree centrali della pianura padana 22 sensori strong-motion (Rete Accelerometrica Italia Settentrionale, RAIS, http://rais.mi.ingv.it/). Dal 2008, sensori accelerometrici sono stati via via installati in 105 siti a Rete Sismica Nazionale (RSN), gestita dal Centro Nazionale Terremoti (CNT). Nel complesso le 127 stazioni accelerometriche presenti sul territorio nazionale costituiscono a tutti gli effetti la rete accelerometrica nazionale INGV. I dati acquisiti da tutte le stazioni accelerometriche sono attualmente distribuiti in tempo reale tramite il portale EIDA (European Integrated Data Archive; http://eida.rm.ingv.it/) e sono principalmente utilizzati per il calcolo delle Shakemaps a scala nazionale. Attualmente, l’INGV sta realizzando un portale web per la distribuzione dei dati accelerometrici registrati dalle stazioni INGV, composto da 2 moduli distinti: il primo, denominato ISMD, ha lo scopo di archiviaziare e distribuire in tempo quasi reale (poche ore dopo l’evento) le forme d’onda accelerometriche in formato non corretto ed i relativi metadati ottenuti a seguito di una procedura di processamento automatico; il secondo, denominato DYNA, è una banca dati relazionale, contenente le forme d’onda di accelerazione, velocità e spostamento e gli spettri di risposta di accelerazione, ottenuti attraverso il processamento manuale dei segnali non corretti, oltre ai relativi metadati associati agli eventi sismici ed alle stazioni di registrazione Il prototipo del portale dei dati accelerometrici INGV (Figura 1) è stato pubblicato lo scorso maggio, a seguito della sequenza sismica Emiliana

Strong-motion parameters of the Mw=6.3 Abruzzo (Central Italy) earthquake

INGVPublished1.1. TTC - Monitoraggio sismico del territorio nazionaleope

Overview of the Italian strong Motion database ITACA 1.0

The Italian Strong Motion Database, ITACA, was developed within projects 2 S6 and S4, funded in the framework of the agreements between the Italian Department of 3 Civil Protection (Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, DPC) and the Istituto Nazionale di 4 Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), starting from 2005. The alpha version of the database 5 was released in 2007 and subsequently upgraded to version 1.0 after: (i) including the most 6 recent strongmotion data (from2005 to 2007) recorded in Italy, in addition to the 2008 Parma 7 earthquake, M 5.4, and the M 4.0, 2009 Abruzzo seismic events; (ii) processing the raw 8 strong motion data using an updated procedure; (iii) increasing the number of stations with a 9 measured shear wave velocity profile; (iv) improving the utilities to retrieve time series and 10 ground motion parameters; (v) implementing a tool for selecting time series in agreement 11 with design-response spectra; (vi) compiling detailed station reports containing miscella12 neous information such as photo, maps and site parameters; (vii) developing procedures for 13 the automatic generation of station reports and for the updating of the header files. After such 14 improvements, ITACA 1.0 was published at the web site http://itaca.mi.ingv.it, in 2010. It 15 presently contains 3,955 three-component waveforms, comprising the most complete cata16 logue of the Italian accelerometric records in the period 1972–2007 (3,562 records) and the 17 strongest events in the period 2008–2009. Records were mainly acquired by DPC through its 18 Accelerometric National Network (RAN) and, in few cases, by local networks and temporary 19 stations or networks. This paper introduces the published version of the Italian StrongMotion 20 database (ITACA version 1.0) together with main improvements and new functionalities