Shadowing e Gis qualitativo: due strumenti per narrare la città

Questo breve articolo descrive la città attraverso due tecniche di ricerca qualitativa (lo shadowing e il Gis qualitativo). Partendo da alcuni esempi, tratti dall’esperienza sul campo, vengono valutati limiti e possibilità delle tecniche in oggetto. L’obiettivo è quello di argomentare la necessità di utilizzare e sviluppare nuovi strumenti metodologici per conoscere le configurazioni urbane. Gli autori sostengono il bisogno di muoversi all’interno di un orizzonte interdisciplinare e di utilizzare tecniche capaci di far emergere narrazioni polifoniche della città. Analizzando le potenzialità dialogiche dello shadowing e le potenzialità sovversive dei Gis qualitativi, una cartografia capace di rappresentare lo spazio mentale degli abitanti, viene affermata la necessità di continuare nella pratica di metodi ibridi, capaci di stimolare la creazione di nuove ri-descrizioni. La città, quindi, per essere compresa, pensata e trasformata ha bisogno di creatività e sperimentazione: nuovi strumenti che tentino modalità ibride di conoscenza, scardinando l’egemonia di rappresentazioni autoritarie incapaci di dare corpo e voce ai gruppi sociali meno potenti. L’obiettivo finale, dunque, diviene il bisogno di proiettare la ricerca urbana qualitativa in un orizzonte politico, inteso come spazio pubblico della discussione e dell’interazione.This brief paper describes the city through the use of two different techniques of qualitative research: shadowing and qualitative Gis. By discussing a few examples of field research, the paper assesses the limits and possibilities of these techniques. The aim is to prove the necessity of using and developing new methodologies to investigate the most recent urban phenomena. In order to achieve this goal, only an interdisciplinary approach can help the emergence of polyphonic narrations of the city. Through the analysis of the dialogic assets that shadowing possesses, and of the subversive potential of qualitative Gis (conceived as a sort of mapping that can represent the mind-space of citizens), the authors succor the use of mixed methodologies that enhance the creation of narrative re-descriptions of the urban forms. Understanding, conceiving and transforming the city implies creativity and experimentation: therefore, we need to conceive new instruments that use hybrid knowledge systems, and shatter the hegemony of those traditional, authoritative representations that cannot give voice to the most deprived social groups. The final goal of the paper is thus defined as the need to project qualitative urban research into a political horizon that becomes the public space of discussion and interaction

BFOQ: An Exception Becoming the Rule

Recent court decisions interpreting section 4(f)1 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and defining bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) exemptions have done little to promote employment of or prohibit discrimination against older Americans. Nor have the decisions helped employers or workers understand applicable BFOQ standards. In essence, recent court decisions have so distorted the BFOQ exemption as to gut the lofty intent of the law set forth in the preamble. It is the purpose of this article to examine these recent court decisions, to assess the court\u27s misapplication of their own historic BFOQ test, and to attempt to probe the source of this judicial failure

An analytical solution for the magneto-electro-elastic bimorph beam forced vibrations problem

Based on the Timoshenko beam theory and on the assumption that the electric and magnetic fields can be treated as steady, since elastic waves propagate very slowly with respect to electromagnetic ones, a general analytical solution for the transient analysis of a magneto-electro-elastic bimorph beam is obtained. General magneto-electric boundary conditions can be applied on the top and bottom surfaces of the beam, allowing us to study the response of the bilayer structure to electromagnetic stimuli. The model reveals that the magneto-electric loads enter the solution as an equivalent external bending moment per unit length and as time-dependent mechanical boundary conditions through the definition of the bending moment. Moreover, the influences of the electro-mechanic, magneto-mechanic and electromagnetic coupling on the stiffness of the bimorph stem from the computation of the beam equivalent stiffness constants. Free and forced vibration analyses of both multiphase and laminated magneto-electro-elastic composite beams are carried out to check the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed analytic solution.Based on the Timoshenko beam theory and on the assumption that the electric and magnetic fields can be treated as steady, since elastic waves propagate very slowly with respect to electromagnetic ones, a general analytical solution for the transient analysis of a magneto-electro-elastic bimorph beam is obtained. General magneto-electric boundary conditions can be applied on the top and bottom surfaces of the beam, allowing us to study the response of the bilayer structure to electromagnetic stimuli. The model reveals that the magneto-electric loads enter the solution as an equivalent external bending moment per unit length and as time-dependent mechanical boundary conditions through the definition of the bending moment. Moreover, the influences of the electro-mechanic, magneto-mechanic and electromagnetic coupling on the stiffness of the bimorph stem from the computation of the beam equivalent stiffness constants. Free and forced vibration analyses of both multiphase and laminated magneto-electro-elastic composite beams are carried out to check the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed analytic solution

How the COVID-19 pandemic is changing online food shopping human behaviour in Italy

The advent of the Internet has significantly changed consumption patterns and habits. Online grocery shopping is a way of purchasing food products using a web-based shopping service. The current COVID-19 pandemic is determining a rethinking of purchase choice elements and of consumers\u2019 behavior. This work aims to investigate which characteristics can affect the decision of online food shopping during the pandemic emergency in Italy. In particular, the work aims to analyze the effects of a set of explanatory variables on the level of satisfaction for the food online shopping experience. For achieving this aim, the proportional odds version of the cumulative logit model is carried out. Data derive from an anonymous on-line questionnaire administrated during the first months of the pandemic and filled by 248 respondents. The results of this work highlight that people having familiarity with buying food online, that have a higher educational level and consider food online channels easy to use, appear more satisfied for the food online shopping experience. These findings can be crucial for the future green global challenges as online shopping may help to reach competitive advantages for company sustainability

INQUINAMENTO INDOOR DA RADON. UNA APPLICAZIONE DELLE RETI BAYESIANE A SUPPORTO DELLA DIAGNOSI

Nel quadro più generale della tematica del controllo della qualità ambientale e più in particolare dell’Indoor Air Quality, la presente relazione riporta lo studio di un fenomeno di inquinamento da radon riguardante la scuola “G. Mancino” di Palermo. Lo spunto viene offerto dal fatto che nel 2005, nel corso di un monitoraggio della radioattività ambientale di Palermo, i tecnici dell’ARPA Sicilia hanno rilevato in questa scuola elementare degli anni ’30, livelli di radon indoor molto superiori ai limiti di legge fissati dal D.Lgs. 241/2000. Nella prima fase, dopo lo studio delle caratteristiche tipologiche e costruttive del plesso e l’acquisizione dei dati di misura pregressi, si è proceduto ad una nuova campagna di monitoraggio rivolta al rilievo di dati e misure sperimentali sulla presenza del radon indoor e dei dati meteoclimatici del contesto specifico. Nella seconda fase è stata formulata una proposta di intervento sostenuta dall’analisi dei meccanismi di inquinamento attraverso modelli di simulazione. In particolare l’approccio metodologico dello studio procede attraverso lo sviluppo di un modello di analisi basato sulle reti bayesiane, rilevatosi uno strumento utile di supporto per la diagnosi e le conseguenti decisioni progettuali, capace di controllare e descrivere fenomeni complessi e di stimare relazioni probabilistiche tra cause ed effetti

The Durability of Composite Wood-Steel Systems

Nell\u2019ambito della valutazione e del controllo della qualit\ue0 tecnologica in edilizia, la conoscenza del comportamento nel tempo dei prodotti e componenti complessi per l\u2019edilizia, risulta aspetto fondamentale, in particolare per quei prodotti tecnologicamente \u201cinnovativi\u201d per i quali la normativa non prevede ancora prove specifiche per valutarne la durabilit\ue0. In particolare, oggi risulta sempre pi\uf9 diffuso l\u2019impiego di sistemi assemblati o con connessioni tra materiali di diversa natura, tra cui i sistemi legno-acciaio, ottenuti rinforzando le travi in legno lamellare con piastre in acciaio forate, incollati mediante una resina epossidica bicomponente. Tali sistemi, che sono stati gi\ue0 oggetto di sperimentazione sul comportamento a flessione del sistema trave in legno lamellare e solaio collaborante in calcestruzzo, affidano la loro efficacia in riguardo alla resistenza ed alla rigidezza attraverso gli sforzi di taglio e gli spostamenti relativi che in caso di buona collaborazione legno-acciaio sono molto ridotti. Il presente studio si occupa di indagare la durabilit\ue0 delle caratteristiche di aderenza legno-resina-acciaio del sistema, attraverso una sperimentazione condotta su campioni secondo le procedure della normativa ISO 15686. Dopo una prima fase di studio del sistema agenti-azioni-effetti \ue8 stato messo a punto un ciclo di invecchiamento accelerato e sono state effettuate le indagini in laboratorio in camera climatica. Il comportamento della connessione dopo vari livelli di invecchiamento \ue8 stato analizzato attraverso prove meccaniche di resistenza al taglio, azioni cui il sistema \ue8 sottoposto in esercizio, considerando sia le sollecitazioni climatiche che possono condizionare il comportamento dei singoli componenti del sistema: resina, acciaio e legno lamellare, sia il sistema nel suo insieme per cui risulta critico il comportamento all\u2019interfaccia legno-resina e resina-acciaio. I risultati ottenuti hanno fornito indicazioni interessanti sul comportamento del sistema nel tempo. Infatti con l\u2019avanzare dei cicli di invecchiamento si \ue8 manifestata una progressiva riduzione del carico massimo a rottura, mantenendo caratteristiche di rigidezza elevata, con spostamenti relativi ridottissimi anche sui campioni pi\uf9 invecchiati

Dynamic heterodyne near field scattering

The technique heterodyne near field scattering (HNFS), originally developed for low-angle static light scattering, has also been implemented for carrying out dynamic light scattering. While the classical dynamic light scattering method measures the intensity-intensity correlation function, dynamic HNFS gives directly the field-field correlation function, without any assumption on the statistical properties of the sample, as the ones required by the Siegert relation. The technique has been tested with calibrated Brownian particles and its performances compared to those of the classical dynamic light scattering method.The technique heterodyne near field scattering (HNFS), originally developed for low-angle static light scattering, has also been implemented for carrying out dynamic light scattering. While the classical dynamic light scattering method measures the intensity-intensity correlation function, dynamic HNFS gives directly the field-field correlation function, without any assumption on the statistical properties of the sample, as the ones required by the Siegert relation. The technique has been tested with calibrated Brownian particles and its performances compared to those of the classical dynamic light scattering method. \ua9 2008 American Institute of Physics

A new design approach to the use of composite materials for heavy transport vehicles

In order to keep or to reach a high level of competitiveness and performance of a product, it is necessary to explore all the possible solutions that allow the best compromise between costs and project requirements. By this point of view the study of alternative designs and/or materials to use, is an important aspect that can identify a new concept or way of thinking about a product. This paper presents how to make use of composite materials in the field of heavy vehicles transportation. A new semitrailer in composite material has been designed, using a methodical redesign approach and an optimisation process. The main innovation in this project is, besides the use of the Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GFRPs), also a new topology of the vehicle frame; the designed semitrailer, in fact. has a monocoque structur

Heterodyne speckle velocimetryof Poiseuille flow

We review the technique named heterodyne speckle velocimetry and present two applications for testing the method with a fluid moving under the conditions of Poiseuille flow. The fluid was seeded with small tracking particles diameter 300 nm and fluxed between the two parallel planes of a cell with constant or variable cross section. In the first case the velocity distribution was constant along the direction parallel to the planes and was in excellent agreement with the expected Poiseuille profile along the orthogonal direction. In the second case, where velocity gradients were present also along the planes, the technique was able to reconstruct both the orthogonal Poiseuille profile and the in-plane two dimensional mapping of the velocity vectors, with the possibility of measuring the fluid flux within an accuracy of 1%