Neapolitan volcanic area Tide Gauge Network (Southern Italy): Ground Displacements and Sea-Level Oscillations

Abstract. In this study, we investigate the oscillations of relative sea level through the analysis of tide gauge records about 10-year long collected in the Gulfs of Pozzuoli and Napoli (Southern Italy). The main goal of this study is to provide a suitable resolution model of the sea tides including low frequency (seiches), tidal bands and non-linear tides. The spectral analyses of the tide gauge records lead us to identify a number of seiche periods some of them already known from the literature and some other unknown. Furthermore, we target a non-conventional purpose of the tidal analysis, namely extracting from the tide gauge records the volcano-tectonic signal (vertical ground displacement) in the resurgent Campi Flegrei caldera. We suggest a method to filter out the volcano-tectonic signal (bradyseism) from the tide gauge records by deconvolving it from two records, one collected in the active volcanic area (Pozzuoli) and the other one collected in a tectonically stable station (Napoli), located beyond the caldera rim. Finally, we retrieve the relative mean sea level change in the Gulf of Naples and compare it with the trend found in five tide gauges spread along the Italian coast

Existence results for a contact problem with varying friction coefficient and nonlinear forces

We consider the rate-independent problem of a particle moving in a three - dimensional half space subject to a time-dependent nonlinear restoring force having a convex potential and to Coulomb friction along the flat boundary of the half space, where the friction coefficient may vary along the boundary. Our existence result allows for solutions that may switch arbitrarily often between unconstrained motion in the interior and contact where the solutions may switch between sticking and frictional sliding. However, our existence result is local and guarantees continuous solutions only as long as the convexity of the potential is strong enough to compensate the variation of the friction coefficient times the contact pressure. By simple examples we show that our sufficient conditions are also necessary. Our method is based on the energetic formulation of rate-independent systems as developed by Mielke and co-workers. We generalize the time-incremental minimization procedure of Mielke and Rossi for the present situation of a non-associative flow rule

DEFORMAZIONI DEL SUOLO MEDIANTE ANALISI DEI DATI MAREOGRAFICI NELL’AREA VULCANICA NAPOLETANA NEL PERIODO 1999-2006

Osservatorio Vesuviano, department of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, is in charge of the surveillance monitoring of the Campanian volcanic areas, to promptly recognize any variation of the physical-chemical parameters helpful as precursors of eruption. The ground deformations in the Vesuvius and Phlegrean area are monitored by means of classical technique (like optical leveling and tiltmetry) and satellite technique (like global positioning system). Moreover, due to the vicinity of a coastline for both the volcanic system, the ground deformations are also monitored by the continuous recording of the sea level, using suitable tide gauge stations. Tide gauge data are also used to analyze the local characteristics of the sea wave even in presence of extreme phenomena. The Vesuvius Observatory tide gauge network, used in this paper, is operating since 1970 and reached, in the eighties, the consistency of 6 stations, Napoli, Nisida, Pozzuoli, Miseno,Castellamare di Stabia and Torre del Greco. Data since 1999 are retrieved and a database have been organized, corrected and validated up today, spanning over 8 years, using were necessary statistical gap filling technique. Data have been analyzed in the frequency domain and the local astronomical components have been defined by harmonic analysis, inferring amplitude and phase for the main diurnal and semi-diurnal components The obtained residual respect to the astronomical tide contains information about meteorological component, eustatic variation, ground deformation and noise. The residual sea level variation, for each site, can be represented by two terms: sea level background and local sea level variations due to noise, site effects and ground deformation. Removing, by deconvolution, the differential behavior of the sea-level respect to a reference station, provide an estimation of the ground level variation. This analysis shows no significant level variation at Vesuvius, while in the Campi Flegrei caldera, tide gauge data, put in evidence the presence of the so-called mini-uplift during last 7 years

Estudo epidemiológico das leishmanioses em área de turismo ambiental e ecoturismo, Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, 2006-2007

The aims of this study were to carry out a serological survey of canine leishmaniasis and identify the phlebotomine fauna in the urban area of Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul. The serological survey was conducted on a sample of 303 dogs, by means of the indirect immunofluorescence test. Phlebotomines were captured using automated light traps. The serological survey found that 30% of the dogs were seropositive, both from the center and from all districts of the town. A total of 2,772 specimens of phlebotomines were caught and the species most found was Lutzomyia longipalpis (90.4%), which corroborated its role as the vector of for canine visceral leishmaniasis in the region. Phlebotomines of the species Bichromomyia flaviscutellata (the main vector for Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis) and Nyssomyia whitmani (the vector for Leishmania (Viannia) brasiliensis) were also caught. The findings indicate the need for continuous epidemiological surveillance, with attention towards diminishing the vector breeding sites and the transmission of these diseases in that region.O presente trabalho teve por objetivo proceder ao levantamento sorológico para leishmanioses em cães e identificar a fauna flebotomínea da zona urbana de Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul. O inquérito sorológico foi realizado em amostras de 303 cães com a utilização da reação de imunofluorescência indireta. As capturas de flebotomíneos realizaram-se com armadilhas automáticas luminosas. O inquérito sorológico identificou 30% cães reagentes procedentes do centro e de todos os bairros da cidade. Foram capturados 2,772 exemplares de flebotomineos, sendo a espécie mais freqüente foi Lutzomyia longipalpis (90.4%), o que corrobora o seu papel de vetora de leishmaniose visceral canina na região. Foram capturados, também, flebotomíneos da espécie Bichromomyia flaviscutellata, principal vetora da Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis, e Nyssomyia whitmani, vetora da Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis. Os achados indicam a necessidade de uma contínua vigilância epidemiológica, atentando para a diminuição dos criadouros dos vetores e da transmissão desses agravos naquela região.Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior (CAPES)Manoel de Barros Foundatio

Towards a fully consistent Milky Way disc model: Part 1 The local model based on kinematic and photometric data

We present a fully consistent evolutionary disc model of the solar cylinder. The model is based on a sequence of stellar sub-populations described by the star formation history (SFR) and the dynamical heating law (given by the age-velocity dispersion relation AVR). The combination of kinematic data from Hipparcos and the finite lifetimes of main sequence (MS) stars enables us to determine the detailed vertical disc structure independent of individual stellar ages and only weakly dependent on the IMF. The disc parameters are determined by applying a sophisticated best fit algorithm to the MS star velocity distribution functions in magnitude bins. We find that the AVR is well constrained by the local kinematics, whereas for the SFR the allowed range is larger. A simple chemical enrichment model is included in order to fit the local metallicity distribution of G dwarfs. In our favoured model A the power law index of the AVR is 0.375 with a minimum and maximum velocity dispersion of 5.1 km/s and 25.0 km/s, respectively. The SFR shows a maximum 10 Gyr ago and declines by a factor of four to the present day value of 1.5 M_sun/pc^2/Gyr. A best fit of the IMF leads to power-law indices of -1.46 below and -4.16 above 1.72 M_sun avoiding a kink at 1 M_sun. An isothermal thick disc component with local density of ~6% of the stellar density is included. A thick disc containing more than 10% of local stellar mass is inconsistent with the local kinematics of K and M dwarfs.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figs., accepted by MNRA

Continuation-Passing Style and Strong Normalisation for Intuitionistic Sequent Calculi

The intuitionistic fragment of the call-by-name version of Curien and Herbelin's \lambda\_mu\_{\~mu}-calculus is isolated and proved strongly normalising by means of an embedding into the simply-typed lambda-calculus. Our embedding is a continuation-and-garbage-passing style translation, the inspiring idea coming from Ikeda and Nakazawa's translation of Parigot's \lambda\_mu-calculus. The embedding strictly simulates reductions while usual continuation-passing-style transformations erase permutative reduction steps. For our intuitionistic sequent calculus, we even only need "units of garbage" to be passed. We apply the same method to other calculi, namely successive extensions of the simply-typed λ-calculus leading to our intuitionistic system, and already for the simplest extension we consider (λ-calculus with generalised application), this yields the first proof of strong normalisation through a reduction-preserving embedding. The results obtained extend to second and higher-order calculi

Effect of B-type natriuretic peptide-guided treatment of chronic heart failure on total mortality and hospitalization: an individual patient meta-analysis

Aims Natriuretic peptide-guided (NP-guided) treatment of heart failure has been tested against standard clinically guided care in multiple studies, but findings have been limited by study size. We sought to perform an individual patient data meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of NP-guided treatment of heart failure on all-cause mortality. Methods and results Eligible randomized clinical trials were identified from searches of Medline and EMBASE databases and the Cochrane Clinical Trials Register. The primary pre-specified outcome, all-cause mortality was tested using a Cox proportional hazards regression model that included study of origin, age (45%) as covariates. Secondary endpoints included heart failure or cardiovascular hospitalization. Of 11 eligible studies, 9 provided individual patient data and 2 aggregate data. For the primary endpoint individual data from 2000 patients were included, 994 randomized to clinically guided care and 1006 to NP-guided care. All-cause mortality was significantly reduced by NP-guided treatment [hazard ratio = 0.62 (0.45-0.86); P = 0.004] with no heterogeneity between studies or interaction with LVEF. The survival benefit from NP-guided therapy was seen in younger (<75 years) patients [0.62 (0.45-0.85); P = 0.004] but not older (≥75 years) patients [0.98 (0.75-1.27); P = 0.96]. Hospitalization due to heart failure [0.80 (0.67-0.94); P = 0.009] or cardiovascular disease [0.82 (0.67-0.99); P = 0.048] was significantly lower in NP-guided patients with no heterogeneity between studies and no interaction with age or LVEF. Conclusion Natriuretic peptide-guided treatment of heart failure reduces all-cause mortality in patients aged <75 years and overall reduces heart failure and cardiovascular hospitalizatio

A simulation tool for MRPC telescopes of the EEE project

The Extreme Energy Events (EEE) Project is mainly devoted to the study of the secondary cosmic ray radiation by using muon tracker telescopes made of three Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) each. The experiment consists of a telescope network mainly distributed across Italy, hosted in different building structures pertaining to high schools, universities and research centers. Therefore, the possibility to take into account the effects of these structures on collected data is important for the large physics programme of the project. A simulation tool, based on GEANT4 and using GEMC framework, has been implemented to take into account the muon interaction with EEE telescopes and to estimate the effects on data of the structures surrounding the experimental apparata.A dedicated event generator producing realistic muon distributions, detailed geometry and microscopic behavior of MRPCs have been included to produce experimental-like data. The comparison between simulated and experimental data, and the estimation of detector resolutions is here presented and discussed

Correlations between spectral and biophysical data obtained in canola canopy cultivated in the subtropical region of Brazil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi a identificação das bandas espectrais, dos índices de vegetação e dos períodos do ciclo da canola em que a correlação entre os dados espectrais e os indicadores biofísicos (matéria seca total da parte aérea e rendimento de grãos) é mais significativa. Os experimentos foram conduzidos nas safras de 2013 e 2014, na Embrapa Trigo, no Estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental em blocos ao acaso, com quatro repetições, e os tratamentos foram cinco doses de nitrogênio em cobertura. Foram determinados a matéria seca das plantas, o rendimento de grãos e a fenologia. A resposta espectral da canola foi avaliada por medições de reflectância do dossel, com espectrorradiômetro, e, a partir desses dados, foram calculados os índices de vegetação SR, NDVI, EVI, SAVI e GNDVI. As correlações de Pearson entre as variáveis espectrais e biofísicas da canola mostraram que as melhores bandas para estimativa da matéria seca são as do vermelho (620 a 670 nm) e do infravermelho próximo (841 a 876 nm). O período vegetativo é o mais indicado para obtenção de correlações mais significativas para a canola. Todos os índices de vegetação utilizados são adequados para estimativas da matéria seca e do rendimento de grãos da canola.The objective of this work was to identify the spectral bands, vegetation indices, and periods of the canola crop season in which the correlation between spectral data and biophysical indicators (total shoot dry matter and grain yield) is most significant. The experiment was carried out during the 2013 and 2014 crop seasons at Embrapa Trigo, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A randomized complete block design was used, with four replicates, and the treatments consisted of five doses of nitrogen topdressing. Plant dry matter, grain yield, and phenology were measured. The canola spectral response was evaluated by measuring the canola canopy reflectance using a spectroradiometer, and, with this data, the SR, NDVI, EVI, SAVI, and GNDVI vegetation indices were determined. Pearson’s correlations between the spectral and biophysical variables of canola showed that the red (620 to 670 nm) and near-infrared (841 to 876 nm) bands were the best to estimate the dry matter. The vegetative period is the most indicated to obtain the most significant correlations for canola. All the used vegetation indices are adequate for estimating the dry matter and grain yield of canola

Using endogenous saccades to characterize fatigue in multiple sclerosis

Purpose Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is likely to cause dysfunction of neural circuits between brain regions increasing brain working load or a subjective overestimation of such working load leading to fatigue symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate if saccades can reveal the effect of fatigue in patients with MS. Methods Patients diagnosed with MS (EDSS<=3) and age matched controls were recruited. Eye movements were monitored using an infrared eyetracker. Each participant performed 40 trials in an endogenous generated saccade paradigm (valid and invalid trials). The fatigue severity scale (FSS) was used to assess the severity of fatigue. FSS scores were used to define two subgroups, the MS fatigue group (score above normal range) and the MS non-fatigue. Differences between groups were tested using linear mixed models. Results Thirty-one MS patients and equal number of controls participated in this study. FSS scores were above the normal range in 11 patients. Differences in saccade latency were found according to group (p<0.001) and trial validity (p=0.023). Differences were 16.9 ms, between MS fatigue and MS non-fatigue, 15.5 ms between MS fatigue and control. The mean difference between valid and invalid trials was 7.5 ms. Differences in saccade peak velocity were found according to group (p<0.001), the difference between MS fatigue and control was 22.3°/s and between MS fatigue and non-fatigue was 12.3°/s. Group was a statistically significant predictor for amplitude (p<0.001). FSS scores were correlated with peak velocity (p=0.028) and amplitude (p=0.019). Conclusion Consistent with the initial hypothesis, our study revealed altered saccade latency, peak velocity and amplitude in patients with fatigue symptoms. Eye movement testing can complement the standard inventories when investigating fatigue because they do not share similar limitations. Our findings contribute to the understanding of functional changes induced by MS and might be useful for clinical trials and treatment decisions.We would like to acknowledge that part of this work has been presented at 3rd International Porto Congress of Multiple Sclerosis, February 27–28, 2015, Porto, Portugal and ECEM 2015 | XVIII. European Conference on Eye Movements, August 16–21, 2015, Viena, Austria. We thank the Multiple Sclerosis Association “Todos com a Esclerose Multiple (TEM)” and the Clinical and Academic Centre (CAA-Hospital de Braga) for their support financial support and for providing facilities for data collection, respectively. We also acknowledge: i) Carla Sofia for recruiting all the MS participants and most of the controls, ii) Two anonymous reviewers for their opinion about an early version of this manuscript and iii) Liz Pearce for proofreading the manuscript. Vision Rehabilitation Lab. receives founding from Shamir Portugal and from grant PTDC/DTP-EPI/0412/2012, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, co-financiado pelo FEDER através do COMPETE.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio