Anthropology for whom? Engaging students in the neoliberal academy

The article analyzes students’ engagement in the neoliberal academy. It points to a paradox: while academic institutions set out to produce engaged and motivated students and instil in them a quest for knowledge, their increasingly high tuition fees are creating instead a disengaged student population whose main goal is to pay off accumulated debts.The article analyzes students’ engagement in the neoliberal academy. It points to a paradox: while academic institutions set out to produce engaged and motivated students and instil in them a quest for knowledge, their increasingly high tuition fees are creating instead a disengaged student population whose main goal is to pay off accumulated debts

Laterally loaded single pile response considering the influence of suction and non-linear behaviour of reinforced concrete sections

A hybrid BEM-p-y curves approach was developed for the single pile analysis with free/fixed head restraint conditions. The method considers the soil non-linear behaviour by means of p-y curves in series to a multi-layered elastic half-space. The non-linearity of reinforced concrete pile sections, also considering the influence of tension-stiffening, has been considered. The model reproduces the influence of suction by increasing the stress state and hence the stiffness of shallow soil-layers. Suction is modeled using the Modified-Kovacs model. The hybrid BEM-py curves method was validated by comparing results from data of 22 load tests on single piles. In addition, a detailed comparison is presented between measured and computed data on a large-diameter reinforced concrete bored single pile

The restoration of San Paolo Church in Pisa: Geotechnical aspects

San Paolo a Riva d'Arno is an important medieval church located in Pisa, on the south bank of the Arno river. Its existence is documented before 1032, most probably around 925: its actual configuration, however, was reached only at the end of 14th century. Structural diseases, following damages by bombing during World War II, have affected the church over the last decades; cracks in the perimeter walls and problems to the wooden frames of the roof are progressively appearing. After recent earthquakes the evolution of the statical situation has forced the authorities to close the church to the public. A comprehensive investigation on both the subsoil and the structure has been carried out with the aim of conceiving, designing and implementing suitable remedial works. Particular attention has been given to the collection of quantitative data about the foundation: layout, depth, thickness and state of conservation of the masonry. Geophysical techniques, such as electric tomography and ground penetrating radar, have been attempted with doubtful results; a special technique, consisting in small diameter holes drilled through the masonry with an instrumented drilling machine, was eventually developed. To investigate earthquake effects, a thorough analysis of local amplification of seismic action has been performed. Local seismic response of the subsoil has been analysed by different techniques applied to two different subsoil models; the results obtained evidence of significant differences among the different analyses and in comparison with the prescriptions of the Italian Seismic Code

Men in transit: The spectrum of masculinity in Caio Fernando Abreu’s White Limit (1970)

In the present work, we aim at discussing the construction of subjectivity in relation to gender categories, especially in regards to male identity, in Caio Fernando Abreu’s first novel White Limit (Original title: Limite branco, 1970). We believe that the protagonist’s process of aging, alongside with his subject’s formation, in the narrative, takes us to face a fluidity, which puts at stake the notions of what is taken for granted as appropriate for the  individual.  Studies on the displacement of the contemporary subject, Gender Studies, and on men's studies in particular, will serve as the theoretical apparatus for the discussions raised here

The end of informality? A few thoughts on Malinowski’s legacy and craftsmanship

L’articolo esamina la funzione attuale del metodo dell’osservazione partecipante di cui Bronisław Malinowski è stato promotore, e pone la domanda della misura in cui tale metodo di ricerca sia valido in un’epoca in cui le persone, le merci, il denaro, e le conoscenze si muovono con una velocità e frequenza che erano inimmaginabili fino a tempi molto recenti. Partendo dalle riflessioni dell’autore sulla sua ricerca sul campo in area alpina e sulla sua esperienza in qualità di docente universitario, l’articolo discute alcuni cambiamenti che il lavoro sul campo ha subito negli ultimi anni alla luce dell’irruenza della cultura della valutazione in ambito universitario e del crescente individualismo nella società. L’articolo trae una conclusione: lo stile di ricerca sostenuto da Malinowski rimane importante non soltanto in funzione di una possibile “scoperta”, ma soprattutto in quanto pratica che favorisce incontri tra diverse realtà sociali e partecipazione nella sfera pubblica e nella vita politica

Imaging of the Kidney and Urinary Tract: Current and Future Trends

The role of imaging in healthcare has become more and more significant in the last decades [...]

Influence of Tension Stiffening on the Flexural Stiffness of Reinforced Concrete Circular Sections

Within this paper, the assessment of tension stiffening effects on a reinforced concrete element with the circular sections subjected to axial and bending loads is presented. To this purpose, an enhancement of an analytical model already present within the actual technical literature is proposed. The accuracy of the enhanced method is assessed by comparing the experimental results carried out in past research and the numerical ones obtained by the model. Finally, a parametric study is executed in order to study the influence of axial compressive force on the flexural stiffness of reinforced concrete elements that are characterized by a circular section, comparing the secant stiffness evaluated at yielding and at maximum resistance, considering and not considering the effects of tension stiffness