The out of plane behaviour of masonry infilled frames

The great interest about out of plane behavior of masonry infill walls has recently increased since it is a key point in the seismic modelling of framed structures. Their contribute to the whole seismic resistance of a framed building cannot be skipped. After a review of the literature on the subject, this paper presents a trilinear constitutive model for the out of plane behavior of masonry infills based on the tensile strength of the constituents. Comparisons with literature model are provided and the identification of the model is based on experimental tests

Isotropic properties of the photonic band gap in quasicrystals with low-index contrast

We report on the formation and development of the photonic band gap in two-dimensional 8-, 10- and 12-fold symmetry quasicrystalline lattices of low index contrast. Finite size structures made of dielectric cylindrical rods were studied and measured in the microwave region, and their properties compared with a conventional hexagonal crystal. Band gap characteristics were investigated by changing the direction of propagation of the incident beam inside the crystal. Various angles of incidence from 0 \degree to 30\degree were used in order to investigate the isotropic nature of the band gap. The arbitrarily high rotational symmetry of aperiodically ordered structures could be practically exploited to manufacture isotropic band gap materials, which are perfectly suitable for hosting waveguides or cavities.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, submitted to PR

Nonlocal field theory driven by a deformed product: Generalization of Kalb-Ramond duality

A modification of the standard product used in local field theory by means of an associative deformed product is proposed. We present a class of deformed products, one for every spin S = 0, 1/2, 1, that induces a nonlocal theory, displaying different form for different fields. This type of deformed product is naturally supersymmetric and it has an intriguing duality

The Scalar wave equation in a non-commutative spherically symmetric space-time

Recent work in the literature has studied a version of non-commutative Schwarzschild black holes where the effects of non-commutativity are described by a mass function depending on both the radial variable r and a non-commutativity parameter θ. The present paper studies the asymptotic behavior of solutions of the zero-rest-mass scalar wave equation in such a modified Schwarzschild space-time in a neighborhood of spatial infinity. The analysis is eventually reduced to finding solutions of an inhomogeneous Euler–Poisson–Darboux equation, where the parameter θ affects explicitly the functional form of the source term. Interestingly, for finite values of θ, there is full qualitative agreement with general relativity: the conformal singularity at spacelike infinity reduces in a considerable way the differentiability class of scalar fields at future null infinity. In the physical space-time, this means that the scalar field has an asymptotic behavior with a fall-off going on rather more slowly than in flat space-time

An Innovative Methodological Approach for Monitoring and Chemical Characterization of Odors around Industrial Sites

This study aims to highlight the potentialities of an innovative methodological approach for monitoring and chemical characterization of odors, especially in high concern and complex industrial areas. The proposed approach was developed in order to monitor and identify odor-active compounds responsible for odor annoyance coming from different industrial activities such as landfills, wastewater treatment plants, and petroleum plants. The methodology's strengths are as follows: (1) the tailored approach for each typology of industrial areas/sites; (2) integration of technologies able to provide real-time information about the emissive sources; (3) mapping of air pollutants on the territory aimed to identify and discriminate among different fugitive emissions responsible for odor annoyance; (4) collection of more representative air samples only during the nuisance events, thanks to the implementation of innovative sampling systems and citizens' involvement; and (5) increased analytical sensitivity in odor-active VOCs detection. This methodology reveals to be a useful tool to collect real-time information about the emission sources and their impacts on the surrounding area giving credit to citizens' complaints. Moreover, it allows to overcome the limitations of the conventional approaches related to the lack of instrumental sensitivity and to identify the chemical compounds contributing to the odor annoyance

Attori e reticoli mafiosi. Quando la corruzione vede protagoniste le diverse mafie. Un riscontro dal materiale giudiziario della banca dati SIDNA

Le riflessioni proposte in questo contributo daranno conto dell’esame degli atti che sono stati estratti e analizzati dalla banca dati Sidna, ovvero quella in dotazione alla Procura nazionale antimafia e antiterrorismo. Il periodo di riferimento dei diversi documenti giudiziari esaminati va dal 2013 al 2020. Dall’esame degli atti giudiziari ricevuti dalla DNA (anni 2013-2020) sono stati estrapolati 253 episodi relativi a reati contro la Pubblica Amministrazione aggravati dal metodo mafioso

Microwave Harmonic Emission in MgB2 Superconductor: Comparison with YBaCuO

We report results of microwave second-harmonic generation in ceramic samples of MgB2, prepared by different methods. The SH signal has been investigated as a function of the temperature and the static magnetic field. The results are discussed in the framework of models reported in the literature. We show that the peculiarities of the SH signal are related to the specific properties of the sample. A comparison with the results obtained in ceramic and crystalline YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7) shows that the second-harmonic emission in MgB2 is weaker than that observed in ceramic YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7).Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures; Proceedings of Third Workshop on Metamaterials and Special Materials for Electromagnetic Applications and TLC (Rome, 30-31 March, 2006

The CLT Panels in Structural Restoration: Characteristics and Technical Regulations

Wood can represent a valid and important alternative to the most commonly used structural materials for the restoration of masonry buildings, with a view to efficient, effective and "conscious" renovation. Today, the modern technologies allows to overcome the structural limits of solid wood due to its own anisotropy. The use of composite wood elements makes possible to obtain excellent mechanical performances that consent to evaluate aspects such as the use of low environmental impact retrofit strategies. The aim of this work is the analysis of mechanical parameters related to CLT (cross laminated timber) panels in order to determine their possible use in the structural restoration of masonry buildings. The CLT panels consist of solid wood planks superimposed so that each layer has the fibres rotated ninety degrees with respect to the adjacent layer. The layers (always in odd number and at least three) can be connected by discrete joints, pins and nails, or glued together. This onfiguration enables to product large structural elements with considerable thickness. Two different experimental test campaigns were carried out on samples of panels with three and five glued layers. The purpose of experimentation activities was to evaluate the bending deformation of the wooden elements and shear strength of the bonding sections. All the tests were processed according to the provisions contained in the UNI standards. The test results were then compared with different theoretical calculation models to determine the one that best represents the tested material. The tests outcomes have shown that some characteristics of the material, such as the remarkable ductility, open different scenarios of use for the CLT panels in the field of structural restoration of masonry buildings