Quantifying the Eocene to Pleistocene topographic evolution of the southwestern Alps, France and Italy

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Fauquette, Séverine; Bernet, Matthias; Suc, Jean-Pierre; Grosjean, Anne-Sabine; Guillot, Stéphane; van der Beek, Peter; Jourdan, Sébastien; Popescu, Speranta-Maria; Jiménez-Moreno, Gonzalo; Bertini, Adele; Pittet, Bernard; Tricart, Pierre; Dumont, Thierry; Schwartz, Stéphane; Zheng, Zhuo; Roche, Emile; Pavia, Giulio; Gardien, Véronique

2015-02-01

We evaluate the topographic evolution of the southwestern Alps using Eocene to Pleistocene pollen data combined with existing sedimentological, petrographic and detrital geo- and thermochronological data. We report 32 new pollen analyses from 10 sites completed by an existing dataset of 83 samples from 14 localities situated across the southwestern Alps, including both the pro- and the retro-foreland basins. The presence of microthermic tree pollen (mainly Abies, Picea) indicates that this part of the mountain belt attained elevations over 1900 m as early as the Oligocene. Inferred rapid surface uplift during the mid-Oligocene coincided with a previously documented brief phase of rapid erosional exhumation, when maximum erosion rates may have reached values of up to 1.5-2 km/Myr. Slower long-term average exhumation rates of ∼0.3 km/Myr since the Late Oligocene helped maintaining the high Alpine topography of the southwestern Alps until today. The relative abundances of meso-microthermic tree pollen (Cathaya, Cedrus and Tsuga) and microthermic tree pollen (Abies, Picea) in the pro- and retro-foreland basin deposits, indicate that the present-day asymmetric topography, with a relatively gentle western flank and steeper eastern flank, was established early in the southwestern Alps, at least since the Early Miocene, and possibly since the Oligocene or Late Eocene. Therefore, the high topography and asymmetric morphology of this part of the Alps has been maintained throughout the past ∼30 Ma.

Two look-alike dasycladalean algae: Clypeina isabellae masse, Bucur, Virgone & Delmasso, 1999 from the Berriasian of Sardinia (Italy and Clypeina loferensis sp. N. from the upper Jurassic of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria

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Schlagintweit Felix

2009-01-01

Full Text Available New material from the Berriasian of eastern Sardinia, Italy, and from the NW of Sardinia published by PECORINI in 1972 as 'Clypeina sp. A', allows a better characterization and an emended diagnosis of Clypeina isabellae MASSE et al., 1999 from the Berriasian of SW France. Another morphologically somehow similar Clypeina species from the Upper Jurassic of the Northern Calcareous Alps of Austria is described as Clypeina loferensis n. sp. Remarks on the genera Clypeina MICHELIN and Hamulusella ELLIOTT, a Clypeina-type dasycladalean alga with proximal bulged laterals, and Clypeina jurassica-sulcata are also provided.

Terricolous Lichens in the Glacier Forefield of the Pasterze (Eastern Alps, Carinthia, Austria)

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Bilovitz, Peter O.; Wallner, Anja; Tutzer, Veronika; Nascimbene, Juri; Mayrhofer, Helmut

2016-01-01

Summary The investigation of lichens on soil, plant debris and terricolous mosses in the glacier forefield of the Pasterze yielded 35 lichen species. Placidiopsis oreades Breuss (Verrucariales) is new to Austria. Three sampling sites were established at increasing distance from the glacier, in order to compare species diversity, abundance and composition within the forefield and with four other glacier forefields of the Eastern Alps. PMID:26877565

Constraints on the Miocene landscape evolution of the Eastern Alps from the Kalkspitze region, Niedere Tauern (Austria)

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Dertnig, Florian; Stüwe, Kurt; Woodhead, Jon; Stuart, Finlay M.; Spötl, Christoph

2017-12-01

In order to unravel aspects of the Miocene landscape evolution of the eastern European Alps, we present geomorphic and isotopic data from the western Niedere Tauern region (Austria). The region is critical for such interpretations, because it is one of the few regions along the topographic axis of the Eastern Alps where the highest peaks (up to 2500 m a.s.l.) are dominated by limestone. As such, the region contains a record of Miocene landscape-forming events that survived the Pleistocene glaciations, not preserved elsewhere in the central Eastern Alps. This record includes karst caves, karstified planation surfaces and crystalline fluvial pebbles (Augenstein Formation) preserved on planation surfaces and in karst caves. Caves in the region occur in three distinct levels that correlate with well-known cave levels in the Northern Calcareous Alps, although they are somewhat higher in the Niedere Tauern. In part, these cave elevations also correlate with three planation surfaces and knickpoints of major streams draining the region, testifying their pre-glacial origin. We report details of a karst cave (Durchgangshöhle) from the highest cave level located at 2340 m a.s.l. In this cave, allochthonous fluvial gravels are present, overgrown by speleothems. One speleothem yielded an early middle Pleistocene U-Pb age (682 ± 17 ka). We regard this as a minimum age for the erosion of the fluvial cave deposits during Marine Isotope Stages 17 or 16. Carbon and oxygen isotope data of these speleothems imply a climate that is consistent with this interpretation. Cosmogenic 21Ne data of fluvial quartz clasts collected from the surface on plateaus of the Northern Calcareous Alps suggest minimum exposure durations of 115 and 262 ka. They probably reflect successive exposure since removal of the sediment cover of the Oligocene Augenstein Formation during the Pleistocene. While our geochronological data fail to record aspects of the earlier Miocene uplift history, they are

Last Glacial Maximum Dated by Means of 10Be in the Maritime Alps (Italy)

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Granger, D. E.; Spagnolo, M.; Federici, P.; Pappalardo, M.; Ribolini, A.; Cyr, A. J.

2006-12-01

Relatively few exposure dates of LGM moraines boulders are available for the European Alps, and none on the southern flank. Ponte Murato (PM) is a frontal moraine at 860 m asl in the Gesso Basin (Maritime Alps, SW European Alps). The PM moraine dams the 157 km2 Gesso della Barra Valley and it represents the lowermost frontal moraine of the entire Gesso Valley, near the outlet of the valley in the Po Plain. Its ELA, determined from the paleo- shape of the supposed Gesso della Barra glacier, is 1746 m asl. Tetti Bandito (TB) is a small and badly preserved glacial deposit, tentatively attributed to a lateral-frontal moraine, that is positioned 5 km downvalley from the PM deposit at 800 m asl. There are no other glacial deposits downvalley from the TB moraine in the Gesso Basin or farther NE in the piedmont region of the upper Po Plain. Boulders sampled on the PM and on the TB moraine crests gave a 10Be cosmogenic age of respectively 16300 ± 880 ka (average value) and 18798 ± 973 ka. This result constrains the PM frontal moraine within the LGM interval but also suggests that the maximum expansion of the Gesso Basin glacier was more downvalley at some point during the last glaciation. If the TB is a lateral-frontal moraine as supposed, the two TB and PM moraines would represent the outer and inner moraine crests of the same LGM stadial, with the outer moraine much less pronounced than the inner moraine, similarly to the maximalstand and the hochstand described in the Eastern Alps (Van Husen, 1997). Within this perspective, the PM and TB dates are consistent with a European Alps LGM corresponding to MIS 2 (Ivy-Ochs et al., 2004). This study of the Maritime Alps moraines is also in agreement with the Upper Würm climatic theory (Florineth and Schlüchter, 2000) of a stronger influence of the W and SW incoming humid airflows in the European Alps, differently from the nearby Vosges and Pyrenees mountain chains where more dry conditions were probably responsible for a very

Kinematics and Seismotectonics of the Montello Thrust Fault (Southeastern Alps, Italy) Revealed by Local GPS and Seismic Networks

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Serpelloni, E.; Anderlini, L.; Cavaliere, A.; Danesi, S.; Pondrelli, S.; Salimbeni, S.; Danecek, P.; Massa, M.; Lovati, S.

2014-12-01

The southern Alps fold-and-thrust belt (FTB) in northern Italy is a tectonically active area accommodating large part of the ~N-S Adria-Eurasia plate convergence, that in the southeastern Alps ranges from 1.5 to 2.5 mm/yr, as constrained by a geodetically defined rotation pole. Because of the high seismic hazard of northeastern Italy, the area is well monitored at a regional scale by seismic and GPS networks. However, more localized seismotectonic and kinematic features, at the scale of the fault segments, are not yet resolved, limiting our knowledge about the seismic potential of the different fault segments belonging to the southeastern Alps FTB. Here we present the results obtained from the analysis of data collected during local seismic and geodetic experiments conducted installing denser geophysical networks across the Montello-Bassano-Belluno system, a segment of the FTB that is presently characterized by a lower sismicity rate with respect to the surrounding domains. The Montello anticline, which is the southernmost tectonic features of the southeastern Alps FTB (located ~15 km south of the mountain front), is a nice example of growing anticline associated with a blind thrust fault. However, how the Adria-Alps convergence is partitioned across the FTB and the seismic potential of the Montello thrust (the area has been struck by a Mw~6.5 in 1695 but the causative fault is still largely debated) remained still unresolved. The new, denser, GPS data show that this area is undergoing among the highest geodetic deformation rates of the entire south Alpine chain, with a steep velocity gradient across the Montello anticline. The earthquakes recorded during the experiment, precisely relocated with double difference methods, and the new earthquake focal mechanisms well correlate with available information about sub-surface geological structures and highlight the seismotectonic activity of the Montello thrust fault. We model the GPS velocities using elastic

Topographic evolution of a continental indenter: The eastern Southern Alps

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Robl, Jörg; Heberer, Bianca; Prasicek, Günther; Neubauer, Franz; Hergarten, Stefan

2017-04-01

The topographic evolution of the eastern Southern Alps (ESA) is controlled by the Late Oligocene - Early Miocene indentation of the Adriatic microplate into an overthickened orogenic wedge emplaced on top of the European plate. Rivers follow topographic gradients that evolve during continental collision and in turn incise into bedrock counteracting the formation of topography. In principle, erosional surface processes tend to establish a topographic steady state so that an interpretation of topographic metrics in terms of the latest tectonic history should be straightforward. However, a series of complications impede deciphering the topographic record of the ESA. The Pleistocene glaciations locally excavated alpine valleys and perturbed fluvial drainages. The Late Miocene desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea and the uplift of the northern Molasse Basin led to significant base level changes in the far field of the ESA and the Eastern Alps (EA), respectively. Among this multitude of mechanisms, the processes that dominate the current topographic evolution of the ESA and the ESA-EA drainage divide have not been identified and a number of questions regarding the interaction of crustal deformation, erosion and climate in shaping the present-day topography remain. We demonstrate the expected topographic effects of each mechanism in a 1-dimensional model and compare them with observed channel metrics. Modern uplift rates are largely consistent with long-term exhumation in the ESA and with variations in the normalized steepness index (ksn) indicating a stable uplift and erosion pattern since Miocene times. We find that ksn increases with uplift rate and declines from the indenter tip in the northwest to the foreland basin in the southeast. The number and magnitude of knickpoints and the distortion in longitudinal channel profiles similarly decrease towards the east. Most knickpoints probably evolved during Pleistocene glaciation cycles, but may represent the incrementally

Relationship between rainfall and shallow landslides in the southern Apuan Alps (Italy

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R. Giannecchini

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The Apuan Alps region is one of the rainiest areas in Italy (more than 3000 mm/year, in which frequently heavy and concentrated rainfall occurs. This is particularly due to its geographical position and conformation: the Apuan chain is located along the northern Tuscan coast, close to the Ligurian Sea, and the main peaks reach almost 2000 m. In several cases, the storms that hit the area have triggered many shallow landslides (soil slip-debris flows, which exposed the population to serious risks (during the 19 June 1996 rainstorm about 1000 landslides were triggered and 14 people died. The assessment of the rainfall thresholds is very important in order to prepare efficient alarm systems in a region particularly dedicated to tourism and marble activities. With the aim of contributing to the landslide hazard evaluation of the southern Apuan Alps territory (upper Versilia area, a detailed analysis of the main pluviometric events was carried out. The data recorded at the main rain gauge of the area from 1975 to 2002 were analysed and compared with the occurrence of soil slips, in order to examine the relationship between soil slip initiation and rainfall. The most important rainstorms which triggered shallow landslides occurred in 1984, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000. Many attempts were made to obtain a possible correlation between rainfall parameters and the occurrence of soil slip phenomena and to identify the local rainfall threshold for triggering shallow landslides. A threshold for soil slip activity in terms of mean intensity, duration and mean annual precipitation (MAP was defined for the study area. The thresholds obtained for the southern Apuan Alps were also compared with those proposed by other authors for several regions in the world. This emphasized the high value of the rain threshold for shallow landslide activity in the Apuan area. The high threshold is probably also linked to the high mean annual precipitation and to the high

Risk assessment for canine leishmaniasis spreading in the north of Italy

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Giulia Morosetti

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The incidence of zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis has not only been recognized but is, in fact, increasing in territories of northern continental Italy previously regarded as non-endemic. Recent findings of sporadic autochthonous canine infections and the presence of phlebotomine vectors in some provinces of north-eastern Italy have stimulated risk assessment for the spreading of leishmaniasis in the autonomous province of Bolzano-South Tyrol, the northernmost territory of the Italian eastern Alps. In July 2008, 61 phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae were caught and identified as Phlebotomus perniciosus and Sergentomyia minuta. This is the first record in South Tyrol of P. perniciosus, the most competent vector of Leishmania infantum in Mediterranean countries. Leishmania serology on local dogs kept in kennels gave negative results, while only imported canine leishmaniasis cases were reported by local veterinarians through a questionnaire survey. Bio-geographic aspects and epidemiological consequences are analyzed in relation with the risk of leishmaniasis introduction into the area.

Low temperature thermochronology in the Easter Alps. New data, interpretations and perspectives.

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Wölfler, Andreas

2015-04-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate new and published low temperature thermochronological data of the Eastern Alps in terms of its Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic evolution and the possible connection with deep seated lithospheric processes. In the Eastern Alps, the tectonic units that originate from the Penninic domain are buried beneath the Austroalpine nappe stack. Overthrusting of the Austroalpine nappes over the Penninic units occurred throughout the Cretaceous and lasted until the Eocene. During lateral tectonic extrusion in Oligocene to Miocene times the footwall penninic units exposed in the Tauern Window, were tectonically exhumed from below the Austroalpine hanging wall. This is well documented by Miocene to Pliocene zircon- and apatite fission track (ZFT, AFT) and (U-Th)/He data. However, the Austroalpine hanging wall shows a more complex age pattern. Late Cretaceous ZFT data reflect post-metamorphic exhumational cooling after Eo-Alpine metamorphism that goes along with an extensional phase that affected large parts of the Eastern Alps. Paleogene AFT and apatite (U-Th)/He data of the Austroalpine units to the east of the Tauern Window reflect exhumation of this area that supplied clastic material, the so-called Augenstein formation. Exhumation and erosion of the area left a probably hilly surface in Early Miocene times that was only moderately uplifted since then. These areas are well known for paleosurfaces exposed in the Gurktal- Kor- and Seckauer Alps to the east of the Tauern Window and in the central and eastern Northern Calcareous Alps. However, distinct parts of the Austroalpine hanging wall experienced substantial exhumation and surface uplift in the Miocene, contemporaneous to the exhumation of Penninic units and lateral extrusion of the Eastern Alps. These areas are restricted to the south and northeast of the Tauern Window and are characterized by steep and rugged reliefs that contrast the hilly and moderately shaped reliefs of the

Metasomatic tourmalinite formation along basement-cover decollements, Orobic Alps, Italy

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Slack, J.F.; Passchier, C.W.; Zhang, J.S.

1996-01-01

Cryptocrystalline tourmalinites that occur discontinuously for ???30 km along basement-cover de??collements of the Orohic Alps (Italy) formed by the metasomatism of aluminous cataclasites derived from Permian conglomerates and/or feldspathic sandstones. Using Al as an immobile element monitor, calculations show that the majority of tourmalinites in the region formed through the addition of moderate to significant amounts of B, Mg, Na, Sr, and Be, and the loss of moderate to significant Mn, Ca, K, P, Rb, Ba, and Cr; minor Si, Ti, V, light REE, and Eu also were lost. Data tor relatively immobile Al, Zr, Th, Sc, Nb, and heavy REE indicate that, on average, these tourmalinites formed through ???12% net mass loss assuming an original conglomerate protolith, or through ???7% net mass loss assuming a sandstone protolith. The B and other introduced constituents in the tourmalinites were deposited by hydrothermal fluids focused along and near basement-cover de??collements. These fluids, believed to be associated with late Hercynian felsic magmatism, probably are related to fluids that formed the tourmaline-rich U-Mo-Zn deposits at the nearby Novazza mine and the U-Zn deposits at the nearby Val Vedello mine.

The epic of Hannibal through the Alps

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Arbia Hilali

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A true myth is built around the figure of Hannibal and his journey to Rome through the Alps. After leaving the South of the Iberian Peninsula to his brother Hasdrubal, Hannibal leaves Cartagena, crosses the Pyrenees, goes up the valleys of the Rhone and Isere, crosses the Alps and ends in Italy in November 218 BC. Its stratagems are still authoritative, not to mention the exotic image of fighting elephants that have deeply marked the spirits. The crossing of the Alps has nourished art and ancient and modern literature. In contemporary Tunisia, antiquity finds a fundamental place and Hannibal redux is a national hero.

Analysis of topography and relief as a function of the tectonic - geomorphologic evolution of the Eastern Alps

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Bungies, Nadin; Rosenberg, Claudio

2014-05-01

Alpine topography and relief vary regionally (Frisch et al., 1997), even on the scale of tens of kilometers. The causes of these differences are the aim of this work that is based on a geomorphological study of the eastern Alps. Earlier investigations on the topography of the Central Alps (Rosenberg & Garcia, 2013) show, by using 50 km, 75 km, and 100 km swath profiles, that the relief northward of the Insubric Line increases westward, whereas the relief southwards of the Insubric Line decreases eastward. This trend reflects collisional shortening trends recently observed in the Central Alps (Rosenberg & Kissling, 2013). In this work, we analyse the topography of the eastern Alps from the Brenner Area in the west to the Steiermark Area in the east, based on satellite images and digital terrain models, that cover an area of 36 000 km2 in the Austrian and Italian Alps. Based on these data, new GIS-aided datasets containing selected relief factors have been derived. These data are set in relationship to the eastward decrease in collisional shortening to test whether the latter trend has a geomorphic expression. In order to assess such a relationship north-south striking profiles, subparallel to the shortening direction and in addition to an E-W profile are investigated. It can be shown that the total relief of 3100 m (500-3600 m asl.) in the west of the working area is more pronounced than the total relief of 2300 m (700-3000 m asl) in the east of the working area. Furthermore slopes have higher amplitudes in the west when compared to the east. In the west approximately 65% of the slope profile show slopes larger than 50° while in the east approximately 40% of slopes are larger than 50° (based on 30 m topographic data). The evaluation of potential influencing factors will be achieved by conducting spatial and statistical data analysis and interpretation and is complemented by local studies investigating the evolution of relief for selected geologic units. Here

Validation of landslide hazard assessment by means of GPS monitoring technique – a case study in the Dolomites (Eastern Alps, Italy

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F. Tagliavini

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In the last years a research project aimed at the assessment of the landslide hazard and susceptibility in the high Cordevole river basin (Eastern Dolomites, Italy have been carried out. The hazard map was made adopting the Swiss Confederation semi-deterministic approach that takes into account parameters such as velocity, geometry and frequency of landslides. Usually these parameters are collected by means of geological and morphological surveys, historical archive researches, aerophotogrammetric analysis etc. In this framework however the dynamics of an instable slope can be difficult to determine. This work aims at illustrating some progress in landslide hazard assessment using a modified version of the Swiss Confederation semi-deterministic approach in which the values of some parameters have been refined in order to accomplish more reliable results in hazard assessment. A validation of the accuracy of these new values, using GPS and inclinometric measurements, has been carried out on a test site located inside the high Cordevole river basin.

Aerosol deposition (trace elements and black carbon) over the highest glacier of the Eastern European Alps during the last centuries

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Bertò, Michele; Barbante, Carlo; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Gabrielli, Paolo; Spolaor, Andrea; Dreossi, Giuliano; Laj, Paolo; Zanatta, Marco; Ginot, Patrick; Fain, Xavier

2016-04-01

Ice cores are an archive of a wide variety of climatic and environmental information from the past, retaining them for hundreds of thousands of years. Anthropogenic pollutants, trace elements, heavy metals and major ions, are preserved as well providing insights on the past atmospheric circulations and allowing evaluating the human impact on the environment. Several ice cores were drilled in glaciers at mid and low latitudes, as in the European Alps. The first ice cores drilled to bedrock in the Eastern Alps were retrieved during autumn 2011 on the "Alto dell`Ortles glacier", the uppermost glacier of the Ortles massif (3905m, South Tirol, Italy), in the frame of the "Ortles Project". A preliminary dating of the core suggests that it should cover at least 300-400 years. Despite the summer temperature increase of the last decades this glacier still contain cold ice. Indeed, O and H isotopes profiles well describe the atmospheric warming as well as the low temperatures recorded during the Little Ice Age (LIA). Moreover, this glacier is located close to densely populated and industrialized areas and can be used for reconstructing for the first time past and recent air pollution and the human impact in the Eastern European Alps. The innermost part of the core is under analysis by means of a "Continuous Flow Analysis" system. This kind of analysis offers a high resolution in data profiles. The separation between the internal and the external parts of the core avoid any kind of contamination. An aluminum melting head melts the core at about 2.5 cm min-1. Simultaneous analyses of conductivity, dust concentration and size distribution (from 0.8 to 80 μm), trace elements with Inductive Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS, Agilent 7500) and refractory black carbon (rBC) with the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2, Droplet Measurement Technologies) are performed. A fraction of the melt water is collected by an auto-sampler for further analysis. The analyzed elements

Deformation of ``Villafranchian'' lacustrine sediments in the Chisone Valley (Western Alps, Italy)

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Collo, Giovanni; Giardino, Marco

1997-09-01

The Chisone Valley is located in the internal NW Alps, in the Pinerolese District, an area characterized by present low to medium seismicity. Fine-grained sediments (sand, silt and clay with interbedded gravel) crop out in the lower Chisone Valley: they were first interpreted as glaciolacustrine deposits, and then as a lacustrine infilling of the valley floor probably due to differential uplifting of the valley mouth. Review of this data, together with new field and palynological observations, lead us to refer the lacustrine deposits to approximately the Lower Pleistocene (Villafranchian). In many outcrops, the lacustrine deposits show strong soft-sediment deformation such as convolute laminations, water-escape structures and disrupted beds, some of them associated with folds and faults (cm to dm in size); only two sites show metric to decametric folds and faults trending E-W and N-S. Detailed structural analysis conducted along a recently exposed section (Rio Gran Dubbione site) shows several soft-sediment deformation features on the limbs of mesoscale folds. Because of their intimate structural association, the origin of these minor structures seems to be connected to synsedimentary activity on reverse and normal faults (m to dm in size) affecting the lacustrine deposits in the same locality. Soft-sediment deformation features can be interpreted as possible paleoseismites. If so, the present seismicity of the Pinerolese District, which is the major area of such activity in NW Italy, cannot be considered an isolated episode in the geological evolution of the region; even if there is no supporting evidence for continuous seismicity, the deformations in the lacustrine sediments of the Chisone Valley testify to Early Pleistocene seismic activity, probably related to the recent tectonic evolution of the internal side of the NW Alps.

The Geology of the Bergamasc Alps Lombardia Italy

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Sitter, de L.U.; Sitter-Koomans, de C.M.

1949-01-01

In the Bergamasc Alps we have observed one major unconformity between the Basement rock and the overlying Permian. The total absence of any recognisable Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks accentuates this unconformity, and moreover this enormous hiatus makes the dating of any Palaeozoic event impossible.

Thinning trials in lowland plantations in the Veneto Region (North-eastern Italy

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Mario Pividori

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Thinning trials in lowland plantations in the Veneto Region (North-eastern Italy. More than 234 hectares of new plantations of lowland mixed forest have been realized in the last 20 years in the Veneto Region (North-eastern Italy. In many of these is now needed to start thinning operations, but there is a lack of experience about this topic. Aim of this work was to undertake an experimentation on different types of thinnings. The thinning trial has been performed at Bosco San Marco forest, municipality of Cessalto (Venice, in a very dense hornbeam-oak plantation aged 16. In 2010, three different thinning types were implemented on 9 hectares according to the following layout: geometrical (34% of woody mass removed, selective (15%, mixed geometrical-selective (30%, control plot. Three years later no significant differences between thinning trials in term of diametric growth, geometrical thinning excepted, were observed. These results provide a suite of solutions to the forest manager for choosing the early thinning type in high tree density condition.

Seismically-triggered soft-sediment deformation structures close to a major strike-slip fault system in the Eastern Alps (Hirlatz cave, Austria)

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Salomon, Martina Lan; Grasemann, Bernhard; Plan, Lukas; Gier, Susanne; Schöpfer, Martin P. J.

2018-05-01

We investigate episodic soft-sediment deformation structures cross-cut by normal faults preserved in unlithified finely laminated calcite rich sediments in the Hirlatz cave in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). These sediments comprise varve-like alternations of brighter carbonate/quartz rich layers, and darker clay mineral rich layers. The deformed sediments contain abundant millimeter to centimeter-scale soft-sediment structures (load casts, ball-and-pillow structures), sheet slumps (thrust faults and folds), erosive channels filled with slides and chaotic slumps. After deposition and soft-sediment deformation normal faults developed within the entire sedimentary succession, an event that probably correlates with an offset of c. 10 cm of the passage wall above the outcrop. Our major conclusions are: (i) The sediments have a glacial origin and were deposited in the Hirlatz cave under phreatic fluvio-lacustrine conditions. The deposition and the soft-sediment deformation occurred most likely during the last glaciation (i.e. around 25 ka ago); (ii) The liquefaction and formation of the soft-sediment structures in water-saturated stratified layers was triggered by episodic seismic events; (iii) The internally deformed sediments were later displaced by normal faults; (iv) A possible source for the seismic events is the active sinistral Salzach-Ennstal-Mariazeller-Puchberger (SEMP) strike-slip fault which is located about 10 km south of the outcrop and plays a major role in accommodating the extrusion of the Eastern Alps towards the Pannonian Basin. To our knowledge, the described structures are the first report of liquefaction and seismically induced soft-sediment deformations in Quaternary sediments in the Eastern Alps.

A key to larvae of species belonging to the genus Diamesa from Alps and Apennines (Italy

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Bruno Rossaro

2015-07-01

Full Text Available A key to species belonging to the genus Diamesa Meigen, 1835 (Diptera, Chironomidae from the Alps and Apennines (Italy is presented using characters observable in the fourth-instar larva. The larvae are separated on the basis of qualitative and quantitative characters. At present fifteen species from the Italian Alps are described in all three life stages, but only twelve species groups can be separated as larvae. The separation is based on the length and thickness of anal setae, antennal ratio, head capsule color and few other characters of the labrum and mentum. The shape of mental and mandibular teeth is still a valid taxonomic character, but unfortunately these characters can be rarely used because teeth are often excessively worn in samples collected in the field. Quantitative characters show variability within each species, differing according to the duration of larval development and must be used with caution. The species groups which can be separated in the larval stage are: the dampfi group, which includes D. dampfi and D. permacra, the latitarsis group including D. modesta and D. latitarsis, the zernyi group including D. zernyi and D. vaillanti. The species within each of these groups at present cannot be separated. D. starmachi, D. steinboecki, D. goetghebueri, D. bertrami, D. aberrata, D. incallida, D. cinerella, D. tonsa and D. insignipes can be separated from all the other known species in larval stage.

SELECTED AMMONOID FAUNA FROM PRATI DI STUORES/STUORES WIESEN AND RELATED SECTIONS ACROSS THE LADINIAN-CARNIAN BOUNDARY (SOUTHERN ALPS, ITALY

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PAOLO MIETTO

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The ammonoid fauna of the Prati di Stuores/Stuores Wiesen section (Dolomites, north-eastern Italy was studied in detail. This section was proposed as stratotype for the Carnian GSSP, with the first appearance of Daxatina cf. canadensis as primary marker, based on preliminary data. The validity of this proposal is confirmed by the present study, which integrates collections from the Prati di Stuores/Stuores Wiesen section and from others, particularly Bec de Roces (Passo Campolongo and Antersass (Badia Valley. Ammonoids collected in these localities belong to three biostratigraphic units: regoledanus, canadensis and aon subzones. These subzones constitute, in the Southern Alps, the Ladinian/Carnian boundary interval. Regoledanus Subzone: the north American species Zestoceras enode is most probably documented in this biostratigraphic interval. Canadensis Subzone: the base is marked by the first appearance of Daxatina canadensis, and at least, another north American species, Daxatina laubei, seems to be present. Two species of Zestoceras were found: Z. barwicki e Z. lorigae sp.n. Two species of Trachyceras, distinct from T. aon, are represented in the canadensis Subzone: T. muensteri and T. bipunctatum. These species predate the first appearance of Trachyceras, justifying the canadensis Subzone to be included in the Carnian also on the basis of nomenclatural stability. Other significant taxa of this subzone are Rossiceras? armatum and Sirenotrachyceras thusneldae. Aon Subzone: the ammonoid fauna of this subzone is extensively treated in existing literature and thus not further discussed. Taxonomical notes and stratigraphic consequences: the new subfamily Anolcitinae (family Trachyceratidae is erected. At present, Frankites regoledanus, F. apertus and F. sp. A have been recognized in the Southern Alps. The lectotype of Ammonites (Trachyceras ? Regoledanus was defined. The latter species is exclusive of the regoledanus Subzone, whereas the

A study of melanoma in Eastern European migrants in Italy.

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Astrua, Chiara; Fava, Paolo; Brizio, Matteo; Savoia, Paola

2017-04-01

Cancer survival rates are lower in Eastern Europe. To describe, based on a single-centre database in northern Italy, clinical, histopathological, and prognostic features of melanoma in a migrant population from Eastern Europe. We retrospectively analysed data from 18,190 consecutive foreign patients who visited our institution, with 49 cases of melanoma from Eastern Europe. The control group was represented by 1,003 Italian melanoma patients diagnosed and followed at our centre during the same time period. Patients from Eastern Europe were mainly females with lower median age, without significant differences regarding primary melanoma site, relative to the control group. Diagnosis was made at the place of birth in 30.6% and in our centre for the remainder. Median Breslow thickness was greater (p = 0.0178), and aggressive histotypes (p = 0.0017) and ulcerated melanomas (p = 0.002) were significantly over-represented, particularly when diagnosed in the patients' native country. Disease was more advanced at diagnosis (p = 0.0001), regardless of the place of initial diagnosis (51% had a progressive disease within one year which rose to 80% if diagnosed before admission to our centre), and the percentage of patients who died within one year was significantly higher (p = 0.022), relative to the control group. Our study shows a poor prognosis for melanoma patients diagnosed in Eastern Europe. Moreover, for migrant populations moving from Eastern to Western European countries, financial difficulties, poor social integration, and language barriers, with consequent late access to healthcare facilities, may account for a worse prognosis.

Statistically extrapolated nowcasting of summertime precipitation over the Eastern Alps

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Chen, Min; Bica, Benedikt; Tüchler, Lukas; Kann, Alexander; Wang, Yong

2017-07-01

This paper presents a new multiple linear regression (MLR) approach to updating the hourly, extrapolated precipitation forecasts generated by the INCA (Integrated Nowcasting through Comprehensive Analysis) system for the Eastern Alps. The generalized form of the model approximates the updated precipitation forecast as a linear response to combinations of predictors selected through a backward elimination algorithm from a pool of predictors. The predictors comprise the raw output of the extrapolated precipitation forecast, the latest radar observations, the convective analysis, and the precipitation analysis. For every MLR model, bias and distribution correction procedures are designed to further correct the systematic regression errors. Applications of the MLR models to a verification dataset containing two months of qualified samples, and to one-month gridded data, are performed and evaluated. Generally, MLR yields slight, but definite, improvements in the intensity accuracy of forecasts during the late evening to morning period, and significantly improves the forecasts for large thresholds. The structure-amplitude-location scores, used to evaluate the performance of the MLR approach, based on its simulation of morphological features, indicate that MLR typically reduces the overestimation of amplitudes and generates similar horizontal structures in precipitation patterns and slightly degraded location forecasts, when compared with the extrapolated nowcasting.

Coupling of Oceanic and Continental Crust During Eocene Eclogite-Facies Metamorphism: Evidence From the Monte Rosa Nappe, Western Alps, Italy

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Lapen, T. J.; Johnson, C. M.; Baumgartner, L. P.; Skora, S.; Mahlen, N. J.; Beard, B. L.

2006-12-01

Subduction of continental crust to HP-UHP metamorphic conditions requires overcoming density contrasts that are unfavorable to deep burial, whereas exhumation of these rocks can be reasonably explained through buoyancy-assisted transport in the subduction channel to more shallow depths. In the western Alps, both continental and oceanic lithosphere has been subducted to eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions. The burial and exhumation histories of these sections of lithosphere bear directly on the dynamics of subduction and the stacking of units within the subduction channel. We address the burial history of the continental crust with high precision U-Pb rutile and Lu-Hf garnet geochronology of the eclogite-facies Monte Rosa nappe (MR), western Alps, Italy. U-Pb rutile ages from quartz-carbonate-white mica-rutile veins that are hosted within eclogite and schist of the MR, Gressoney Valley, Italy, indicate that it was at eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions at 42.6 +/- 0.6 Ma. The sample area (Indren glacier, Furgg zone; Dal Piaz, 2001) consists of eclogite boudins that are surrounded by micaceous schist. Associated with the eclogite and schist are quartz-carbonate-white mica-rutile veins that formed in tension cracks in the eclogite and along the contact between eclogite and surrounding schist. Intrusion of the veins occurred at eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions (480-570°C, >1.3-1.4 GPa) based on textural relations, oxygen isotope thermometry, and geothermobarometry. Lu-Hf geochronology of garnet from a chloritoid-talc-garnet-phengite-quartz-calcite-pyrite - chalcopyrite bearing boudin within talc-chloritoid whiteschists of the MR, Val d'Ayas, Italy (Chopin and Monie, 1984; Pawlig, 2001) yields an age of 40.54 +/- 0.36 Ma. The talc-chloritoid whiteschists from the area record pressures and temperatures of 1.6-2.4 GPa and 500-530°C (Chopin and Monie, 1984; Le Bayon et al., 2006) indicating near UHP metamorphic conditions. Based on the age, P-T, and textural

Age and Prematurity of the Alps Derived from Topography

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Hergarten, S.; Wagner, T.; Stüwe, K.

2010-09-01

The European Alps are one of the best studied mountain ranges on Earth, but yet the age of their topography is almost unknown. Even their relative stage of evolution is unclear: Are the Alps still growing, in a steady state or already decaying, and is there a significant difference between Western and Eastern Alps? Using a new geomorphic parameter we analyze the topography of the Alps and provide one of the first quantitative constraints demonstrating that the range is still in its infancy: In contrast to several other mountain ranges, the Alps have still more than half of their evolution to a geomorphic steady state to go. Combining our results with sediment budget data from the surrounding basins we infer that the formation of the present topography began only 5-6 million years ago. Our results question the apparent consensus that the topographic evolution is distributed over much of the Miocene and might give new impulses to the reconstruction of paleoclimate in Central Europe.

Water Management Strategies against Water Shortage in the Alps (Invited)

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de Jong, C.

2009-12-01

In the European Alps water has been perceived as ubiquitous and not the subject of management. Climate change and anthropogenic pressures have changed demand and supply relations rapidly and over the last 10 years, water problems have increasingly become apparent over temporal and spatial hotspots. Stakeholders in the Alpine Space have been confronted with water management problems in agriculture, tourism and hydropower to such an extent that they approached scientists to create solution strategies based on adaptation and mitigation. In this context, Alp-Water-Scarce, a European project on Water Management Strategies against Water Scarcity in the Alps was funded by the Alpine Space programme as part of the "European Territorial Cooperation" scheme. It has 17 project partners from Austria Switzerland, France, Italy and Slovenia from local governments, provinces, federal institutes and offices, universities, regional agencies, alpine societies, geological surveys, and chambers of agriculture and forestry. The Lead Partner is the Mountain Institute in Savoy, Rhone-Alpes, France. The main challenges of this project are to create local Early Warning Systems against Water Scarcity in the Alps. This system is based on strengthening existing long-term monitoring and modeling and creating new measuring networks in those countries where they do not yet exist. It is anchored strongly and actively within a Stakeholder Interaction Forum linked across comparative and contrasting regions across the Alps. The Early Warning System is based on the linkage and improvement of field monitoring and assemblage of qualitative and quantitative data derived both from natural water reservoirs as well as from anthropogenic water use in 28 selected pilot regions selected in France, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Switzerland. The objectives are to improve water management at the short term (annual scale) and long term (using future scenarios) based on modelling and application of climate change

Contrasting serpentinization processes in the eastern Central Alps

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Burkhard, D.J.M.; O'Neil, J.R.

1988-01-01

Stable isotope compositions have been determined for serpentinites from between Davos (Arosa-Platta nappe, Switzerland) and the Valmalenco (Italy). ??D and ??18O values (-120 to -60 and 6-10???, respectively) in the Arosa-Platta nappe indicate that serpentinization took place on the continent at relatively low temperatures in the presence of limited amounts of metamorphic fluids that contained a component of meteoric water. One sample of chrysotile has a ??18O value of 13??? providing evidence of high W/R ratios and low formation temperature of lizardite-chrysotile in this area. In contrast, relatively high ??D values (-42 to -34???) and low ??18O values (4.4-7.4???) for serpentine in the eastern part of the Valmalenco suggest a serpentinization process that took place at moderate temperatures in fluids that were dominated by ocean water. The antigorite in the Valmalenco is the first reported example of continental antigorite with an ocean water signature. An amphibole sample from a metasomatically overprinted contact zone to metasediments (??D=-36???) indicates that the metasomatic event also took place in the presence of ocean water. Lower ??D values (-93 to -60???) of serpentines in the western part of the Valmalenco suggest a different alteration history possibly influenced by fluids associated with contact metamorphism. Low water/rock ratios during regional metamorphism (and metasomatism) have to be assumed for both regions. ?? 1988 Springer-Verlag.

Intra-continental subduction and contemporaneous lateral extrusion of the upper plate: insights into Alps-Adria interactions

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van Gelder, Inge; Willingshofer, Ernst; Sokoutis, Dimitrios; Cloetingh, Sierd

2017-04-01

A series of physical analogue experiments were performed to simulate intra-continental subduction contemporaneous with lateral extrusion of the upper plate to study the interferences between these two processes at crustal levels and in the lithospheric mantle. The lithospheric-scale models are specifically designed to represent the collision of the Adriatic microplate with the Eastern Alps, simulated by an intra-continental weak zone to initiate subduction and a weak confined margin perpendicular to the direction of convergence in order to allow for extrusion of the lithosphere. The weak confined margin is the analog for the opening of the Pannonian back-arc basin adjacent to the Eastern Alps with the direction of extension perpendicular to the strike of the orogen. The models show that intra-continental subduction and coeval lateral extrusion of the upper plate are compatible processes. The obtained deformation structures within the extruding region are similar compared to the classical setup where lateral extrusion is provoked by lithosphere-scale indentation. In the models a strong coupling across the subduction boundary allows for the transfer of abundant stresses to the upper plate, leading to laterally varying strain regimes that are characterized by crustal thickening near a confined margin and dominated by lateral displacement of material near a weak lateral confinement. During ongoing convergence the strain regimes propagate laterally, thereby creating an area of overlap characterized by transpression. In models with oblique subduction, with respect to the convergence direction, less deformation of the upper plate is observed and as a consequence the amount of lateral extrusion decreases. Additionally, strain is partitioned along the oblique plate boundary leading to less subduction in expense of right lateral displacement close to the weak lateral confinement. Both oblique and orthogonal subduction models have a strong resemblance to lateral extrusion

Isolated, but transnational: the glocal nature of Waldensian ethnobotany, Western Alps, NW Italy.

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Bellia, Giada; Pieroni, Andrea

2015-05-07

An ethnobotanical field study on the traditional uses of wild plants for food as well as medicinal and veterinary plants was conducted in four Waldensian valleys (Chisone, Germanasca, Angrogna, and Pellice) in the Western Alps, Piedmont, NW Italy. Waldensians represent a religious Protestant Christian minority that originated in France and spread around 1,170 AD to the Italian side of Western Alps, where, although persecuted for centuries, approximately 20,000 believers still survive today, increasingly mixing with their Catholic neighbours. Interviews with a total of 47 elderly informants, belonging to both Waldensian and Catholic religious groups, were undertaken in ten Western Alpine villages, using standard ethnobotanical methods. The uses of 85 wild and semi-domesticated food folk taxa, 96 medicinal folk taxa, and 45 veterinary folk taxa were recorded. Comparison of the collected data within the two religious communities shows that Waldensians had, or have retained, a more extensive ethnobotanical knowledge, and that approximately only half of the wild food and medicinal plants are known and used by both communities. Moreover, this convergence is greater for the wild food plant domain. Comparison of the collected data with ethnobotanical surveys conducted at the end of the 19th Century and the 1980s in one of studied valleys (Germanasca) shows that the majority of the plants recorded in the present study are used in the same or similar ways as they were decades ago. Idiosyncratic plant uses among Waldensians included both archaic uses, such as the fern Botrychium lunaria for skin problems, as well as uses that may be the result of local adaptions of Central and Northern European customs, including Veronica allionii and V. officinalis as recreational teas and Cetraria islandica in infusions to treat coughs. The great resilience of plant knowledge among Waldensians may be the result of the long isolation and history of marginalisation that this group has faced

Large Human Outbreak of West Nile Virus Infection in North-Eastern Italy in 2012

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Luisa Barzon

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Human cases of West Nile virus (WNV disease have been reported in Italy since 2008. So far, most cases have been identified in north-eastern Italy, where, in 2012, the largest outbreak of WNV infection ever recorded in Italy occurred. Most cases of the 2012 outbreak were identified in the Veneto region, where a special surveillance plan for West Nile fever was in place. In this outbreak, 25 cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease and 17 cases of fever were confirmed. In addition, 14 WNV RNA-positive blood donors were identified by screening of blood and organ donations and two cases of asymptomatic infection were diagnosed by active surveillance of subjects at risk of WNV exposure. Two cases of death due to WNND were reported. Molecular testing demonstrated the presence of WNV lineage 1 in all WNV RNA-positive patients and, in 15 cases, infection by the novel Livenza strain was ascertained. Surveillance in other Italian regions notified one case of neuroinvasive disease in the south of Italy and two cases in Sardinia. Integrated surveillance for WNV infection remains a public health priority in Italy and vector control activities have been strengthened in areas of WNV circulation.

Occurrence of PAH in the seasonal snowpack of the Eastern Italian Alps

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Gabrieli, Jacopo [Chemical Science Department, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1/A, 35100 Padua (Italy); Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), Department of Belluno, via Tomea 5, 32100 Belluno (Italy); Department of Environmental Sciences, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Decet, Fabio [Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), Department of Belluno, via Tomea 5, 32100 Belluno (Italy); Luchetta, Alberto [Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), Department of Belluno, via Tomea 5, 32100 Belluno (Italy); Arabba Avalanche Center, Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), via Pradat 5, 32020 Livinallongo del Col di Lana, Belluno (Italy); Valt, Mauro [Arabba Avalanche Center, Environmental Protection Agency of Veneto (ARPAV), via Pradat 5, 32020 Livinallongo del Col di Lana, Belluno (Italy); Pastore, Paolo [Chemical Science Department, University of Padova, via Marzolo 1/A, 35100 Padua (Italy); Barbante, Carlo, E-mail: barbante@unive.i [Department of Environmental Sciences, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes - CNR, University of Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy)

2010-10-15

PAH concentrations have been determined in 47 seasonal snowpack samples collected in the Valbelluna valley and in the Bellunesi Dolomites National Park, in the Italian North-Eastern Alps, during the winter of 2005. The {Sigma}PAH concentration in high-altitude alpine sites (above 1700 m) was 32 {+-} 20 ng/kg while in valley bottom urban areas it was 165 {+-} 54 ng/kg with maximum values of 290 ng/kg. The GIS mapping technique was employed to produce a PAH spatial distribution. The urbanized Valbelluna valley, and in particular the SW part, had the highest accumulation of all PAH, with values an order of magnitude more than those in rural and alpine areas. This behaviour is consistent with urban air quality data, and is due to geo-morphological and meteorological factors such as the deeper shape of the valley at the position of the town of Feltre and the low altitude of the boundary layer during the winter season. - PAH concentrations determined in seasonal snow represent an integration of the winter depositions and can be used to evaluate the pollution levels in an Alpine region.

Occurrence of PAH in the seasonal snowpack of the Eastern Italian Alps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabrieli, Jacopo; Decet, Fabio; Luchetta, Alberto; Valt, Mauro; Pastore, Paolo; Barbante, Carlo

2010-01-01

PAH concentrations have been determined in 47 seasonal snowpack samples collected in the Valbelluna valley and in the Bellunesi Dolomites National Park, in the Italian North-Eastern Alps, during the winter of 2005. The ΣPAH concentration in high-altitude alpine sites (above 1700 m) was 32 ± 20 ng/kg while in valley bottom urban areas it was 165 ± 54 ng/kg with maximum values of 290 ng/kg. The GIS mapping technique was employed to produce a PAH spatial distribution. The urbanized Valbelluna valley, and in particular the SW part, had the highest accumulation of all PAH, with values an order of magnitude more than those in rural and alpine areas. This behaviour is consistent with urban air quality data, and is due to geo-morphological and meteorological factors such as the deeper shape of the valley at the position of the town of Feltre and the low altitude of the boundary layer during the winter season. - PAH concentrations determined in seasonal snow represent an integration of the winter depositions and can be used to evaluate the pollution levels in an Alpine region.

OGS improvements in 2012 in running the North-eastern Italy Seismic Network: the Ferrara VBB borehole seismic station

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Pesaresi, D.; Romanelli, M.; Barnaba, C.; Bragato, P. L.; Durì, G.

2014-07-01

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Centre) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake of magnitude M=6.4 occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the North-eastern Italy Seismic Network: it currently consists of 17 very sensitive broad band and 18 simpler short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS-CRS data centre in Udine. Real time data exchange agreements in place with other Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Swiss seismological institutes lead to a total number of about 100 seismic stations acquired in real time, which makes the OGS the reference institute for seismic monitoring of North-eastern Italy. The south-western edge of the OGS seismic network (Fig. 1) stands on the Po alluvial basin: earthquake localization and characterization in this area is affected by the presence of soft alluvial deposits. OGS ha already experience in running a local seismic network in high noise conditions making use of borehole installations in the case of the micro-seismicity monitoring of a local gas storage site for a private company. Following the ML = 5.9 earthquake that struck the Emilia region around Ferrara in Northern Italy on 20 May 2012 at 02:03:53 UTC, a cooperation of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, OGS, the Comune di Ferrara and the University of Ferrara lead to the reinstallation of a previously existing very broad band (VBB) borehole seismic station in Ferrara. The aim of the OGS intervention was on one hand to extend its real time seismic monitoring capabilities toward South-West, including Ferrara and its surroundings, and on the other hand to evaluate the seismic response at the site. We will describe improvements in running the North-eastern Italy Seismic Network, including details of

Detecting human presence at the border of the Northeastern Italian Pre-Alps. 14C dating at Rio Secco cave as expression of the first Gravettian and the late mousterian in the Northern Adriatic Region.

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Talamo, Sahra; Peresani, Marco; Romandini, Matteo; Duches, Rossella; Jéquier, Camille; Nannini, Nicola; Pastoors, Andreas; Picin, Andrea; Vaquero, Manuel; Weniger, Gerd-Christian; Hublin, Jean-Jacques

2014-01-01

In the northern Adriatic regions, which include the Venetian region and the Dalmatian coast, late Neanderthal settlements are recorded in few sites and even more ephemeral are remains of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic occupations. A contribution to reconstruct the human presence during this time range has been produced from a recently investigated cave, Rio Secco, located in the northern Adriatic region at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps. Chronometric data make Rio Secco a key site in the context of recording occupation by late Neanderthals and regarding the diffusion of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic culture in a particular district at the border of the alpine region. As for the Gravettian, its diffusion in Italy is a subject of on-going research and the aim of this paper is to provide new information on the timing of this process in Italy. In the southern end of the Peninsula the first occupation dates to around 28,000 14C BP, whereas our results on Gravettian layer range from 29,390 to 28,995 14C years BP. At the present state of knowledge, the emergence of the Gravettian in eastern Italy is contemporaneous with several sites in Central Europe and the chronological dates support the hypothesis that the Swabian Gravettian probably dispersed from eastern Austria.

Palaeomagnetic time and space constraints of the Early Cretaceous Rhenodanubian Flysch zone (Eastern Alps)

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Dallanave, Edoardo; Kirscher, Uwe; Hauck, Jürgen; Hesse, Reinhard; Bachtadse, Valerian; Wortmann, Ulrich Georg

2018-06-01

The Rhenodanubian Flysch zone (RDF) is a Lower Cretaceous-lower Palaeocene turbidite succession extending for ˜500 km from the Danube at Vienna to the Rhine Valley (Eastern Alps). It consists of calcareous and siliciclastic turbidite systems deposited in a trench abyssal plain. The age of deposition has been estimated through micropalaeontologic dating. However, palaeomagnetic studies constraining the age and the palaeolatitude of deposition of the RDF are still missing. Here, we present palaeomagnetic data from the Early Cretaceous Tristel and Rehbreingraben Formations of the RDF from two localities in the Bavarian Alps (Rehbrein Creek and Lainbach Valley, southern Germany), and from the stratigraphic equivalent of the Falknis Nappe (Liechtenstein). The quality of the palaeomagnetic signal has been assessed by either fold test (FT) or reversal test (RT). Sediments from the Falknis Nappe are characterized by a pervasive syntectonic magnetic overprint as tested by negative FT, and are thus excluded from the study. The sediments of the Rehbreingraben Formation at Rehbrein Creek, with positive RT, straddle magnetic polarity Chron M0r and the younger M΄-1r΄ reverse event, with an age of ˜127-123 Ma (late Barremian-early Aptian). At Lainbach Valley, no polarity reversals have been observed, but a positive FT gives confidence on the reliability of the data. The primary palaeomagnetic directions, after correction for inclination shallowing, allow to precisely constrain the depositional palaeolatitude of the Tristel and Rehbreingraben Formations around ˜28°N. In a palaeogeographic reconstruction of the Alpine Tethys at the Barremian/Aptian boundary, the RDF is located on the western margin of the Briançonnais terrain, which was separated from the European continent by the narrow Valais Ocean.

The topography of a continental indenter: The interplay between crustal deformation, erosion, and base level changes in the eastern Southern Alps

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Heberer, B.; Prasicek, G.; Neubauer, F.; Hergarten, S.

2017-01-01

Abstract The topography of the eastern Southern Alps (ESA) reflects indenter tectonics causing crustal shortening, surface uplift, and erosional response. Fluvial drainages were perturbed by Pleistocene glaciations that locally excavated alpine valleys. The Late Miocene desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea and the uplift of the northern Molasse Basin led to significant base level changes in the far field of the ESA and the Eastern Alps (EA), respectively. Among this multitude of mechanisms, the processes that dominate the current topographic evolution of the ESA and the ESA‐EA drainage divide have not been identified. We demonstrate the expected topographic effects of each mechanism in a one‐dimensional model and compare them with observed channel metrics. We find that the normalized steepness index increases with uplift rate and declines from the indenter tip in the northwest to the foreland basin in the southeast. The number and amplitude of knickpoints and the distortion in longitudinal channel profiles similarly decrease toward the east. Changes in slope of χ‐transformed channel profiles coincide spatially with the Valsugana‐Fella fault linking crustal stacking and uplift induced by indenter tectonics with topographic evolution. Gradients in χ across the ESA‐EA drainage divide imply an ongoing, north directed shift of the Danube‐ESA watershed that is most likely driven by a base level rise in the northern Molasse basin. We conclude that the regional uplift pattern controls the geometry of ESA‐EA channels, while base level changes in the far field control the overall architecture of the orogen by drainage divide migration. PMID:28344912

The Central and Eastern European Earthquake Research Network - CE3RN

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Bragato, Pier Luigi; Costa, Giovanni; Gallo, Antonella; Gosar, Andrej; Horn, Nikolaus; Lenhardt, Wolfgang; Mucciarelli, Marco; Pesaresi, Damiano; Steiner, Rudolf; Suhadolc, Peter; Tiberi, Lara; Živčić, Mladen; Zoppé, Giuliana

2014-05-01

The region of the Central and Eastern Europe is an area characterised by a relatively high seismicity. The active seismogenic structures and the related potentially destructive events are located in the proximity of the political boundaries between several countries existing in the area. An example is the seismic region between the NE Italy (FVG, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto), Austria (Tyrol, Carinthia) and Slovenia. So when a destructive earthquake occurs in the area, all the three countries are involved. In the year 2001 the Agencija Republike Slovenije za Okolje (ARSO) in Slovenia, the Department of Mathematics and Geoscience of the University of Trieste (DMG), the OGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale) in Italy and the Zentralanstalt für Meteorologie und Geodynamik (ZAMG) in Austria signed an agreement for the real-time seismological data exchange in the Southeastern Alps region. Soon after the Interreg IIIa Italia-Austria projects "Trans-National Seismological Networks in the South-Eastern Alps" and "FASTLINK" started. The main goal of these projects was the creation of a transfrontier network for the common seismic monitoring of the region for scientific and civil defense purposes. During these years the high quality data recorded by the transfrontier network has been used, by the involved institutions, for their scientific research, for institutional activities and for the civil defense services. Several common international projects have been realized with success. The instrumentation has been continuously upgraded, the installations quality improved as well as the data transmission efficiency. In the 2013 ARSO, DMG, OGS and ZAMG decided to name the cooperative network "Central and Eastern European Earthquake Research Network - CE3RN". The national/regional seismic networks actually involved in the CE3RN network are: • Austrian national BB network (ZAMG - OE) • Friuli Veneto SP network (OGS - FV) • Friuli VG

Earthquake focal mechanisms and stress orientations in the eastern Swiss Alps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marschall, I.; Deichmann, N.; Marone, F.

2013-01-01

This study presents an updated set of earthquake focal mechanisms in the Helvetic and Penninic/Austroalpine domains of the eastern Swiss Alps. In eight cases, based on high-precision relative hypocentre locations of events within individual earthquake sequences, it was possible to identify the active fault plane. Whereas the focal mechanisms in the Helvetic domain are mostly strike-slip, the Penninic/Austroalpine domain is dominated by normal-faulting mechanisms. Given this systematic difference in faulting style, an inversion for the stress field was performed separately for the two regions. The stress field in the Penninic/Austroalpine domain is characterized by extension oriented obliquely to the E-W strike of the orogen. Hence, the Penninic nappes, which were emplaced as large-scale compressional structures during the Alpine orogenesis, are now deforming in an extensional mode. This contrasts with the more compressional strike-slip regime in the Helvetic domain towards the northern Alpine front. Relative to the regional stress field seen in the northern Alpine foreland with a NNW-SSE compression and an ENE-WSW extension, the orientation of the least compressive stress in the Penninic/Austroalpine domain is rotated counter-clockwise by about 40 °C. Following earlier studies, the observed rotation of the orientation of the least compressive stress in the Penninic/Austroalpine region can be explained as the superposition of the regional stress field of the northern foreland and a uniaxial extensional stress perpendicular to the local trend of the Alpine mountain belt. (authors)

Present vertical movements in Central and Northern Italy from GPS data: Possible role of natural and anthropogenic causes

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Cenni, N.; Viti, M.; Baldi, P.; Mantovani, E.; Bacchetti, M.; Vannucchi, A.

2013-11-01

Insights into the present vertical kinematic pattern in Central and Northern Italy are gained by the analysis of GPS data acquired by a network of 262 permanent stations, working over various time intervals since 2001. Uplift is observed in the Alps (up to 5 mm/yr) and Apennines (1-2 mm/yr), whereas subsidence is recognized in the southern Venetian Plain (2-4 mm/yr) and the eastern Po Valley, where the highest rates are observed (up to 9 mm/yr between Reggio Emilia and Rimini). On the other hand, the western part of the Po Valley presents very low vertical rates. The boundary between subsiding and not subsiding Po Valley nearly corresponds to the Giudicarie tectonic discontinuity. It is argued that the different kinematic patterns of the eastern and western Padanian sectors may also be related to the underthrusting of the eastern domain beneath the western one. Some considerations are then reported on how the various causes of vertical movements (tectonic and sedimentological processes) may contribute to the observed kinematics.

Evidence of organic matter in the Ocean-Continent Transition of Alpine Tethys from Totalp, Eastern Swiss Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Mateeva, Tsvetomila; Kusznir, Nick; Wolff, George; Wheeler, John; Manatschal, Gianreto

2015-04-01

Evidence from ocean ridge drilling and dredging and from the exhumed Tethyan continental margin in the Alps demonstrates that mantle serpentinization occurs at slow-spreading ocean ridges and magma-poor rifted continental margins. Observations at white smokers suggest that methane produced by serpentinization can support methanotrophic bio-systems which use methane as their only source of carbon. An important question is whether such biosystems are more generally pervasive in their association with serpentinized mantle in the subsurface. The answer to this question has important global implications for the importance of the hidden sub-surface bio-systems, the fate of methane and the carbon cycle. We examine whether serpentinized exhumed mantle at magma-poor rifted continental margins shows evidence for methanotrophy. Fieldwork sampling of km scale exposure of orogenically exhumed serpentinized mantle in the eastern Swiss Alps allows 3D mantle sampling not possible at ocean ridges and has the potential to answer the question regarding localized versus pervasive sub-surface methanotrophic biosystems. The Totalp massif in the eastern Swiss Alps has been chosen for an initial study to investigate the presence or absence of methanotrophic biosystem within serpentinized exhumed mantle in the Tethyan OCT. Totalp has little Alpine deformation and its metamorphism is no more than prehnite-pumpellyite grade. Hands specimens and cores have been taken from the Totalp area in order to sample serpentinization and its lithological diversity in the search for presence or absence of biomarkers. Thin sections analysis reveals multiple serpentinization events. XRD analysis shows complete serpentinization of the olivines and orthopyroxenes. The samples for bio-geochemical analysis were cut and ground to powder, processed by soxhlet extraction and then analysed by GC and GCMS in order to determine the full range of biomarkers. Total carbon and total organic carbon was also determined

2-D Coda and Direct Wave Attenuation Tomography in Northern Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morasca, P; Mayeda, K; Gok, R; Phillips, W S; Malagnini, L

2007-10-17

A 1-D coda method was proposed by Mayeda et al. (2003) in order to obtain stable seismic source moment-rate spectra using narrowband coda envelope measurements. That study took advantage of the averaging nature of coda waves to derive stable amplitude measurements taking into account all propagation, site, and Sto-coda transfer function effects. Recently this methodology was applied to micro earthquake data sets from three sub-regions of northern Italy (i.e., western Alps, northern Apennines and eastern Alps). Since the study regions were small, ranging between local-to-near-regional distances, the simple 1-D path assumptions used in the coda method worked very well. The lateral complexity of this region would suggest, however, that a 2-D path correction might provide even better results if the datasets were combined, especially when paths traverse larger distances and complicated regions. The structural heterogeneity of northern Italy makes the region ideal to test the extent to which coda variance can be reduced further by using a 2-D Q tomography technique. The approach we use has been developed by Phillips et al. (2005) and is an extension of previous amplitude ratio techniques to remove source effects from the inversion. The method requires some assumptions such as isotropic source radiation which is generally true for coda waves. Our results are compared against direct Swave inversions for 1/Q and results from both share very similar attenuation features that coincide with known geologic structures. We compare our results with those derived from direct waves as well as some recent results from northern California obtained by Mayeda et al. (2005) which tested the same tomographic methodology applied in this study to invert for 1/Q. We find that 2-D coda path corrections for this region significantly improve upon the 1-D corrections, in contrast to California where only a marginal improvement was observed. We attribute this difference to stronger lateral

Understanding Land Cover Changes in the Italian Alps and Romanian Carpathians Combining Remote Sensing and Stakeholder Interviews

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Žiga Malek

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the last two decades, socio-economic changes in Europe have had a significant effect on land cover changes, but it is unclear how this has affected mountain areas. We focus on two mountain areas: the eastern Italian Alps and the Romanian Curvature Carpathians. We classified land cover from Earth observation data after 1989 by using applied remote sensing techniques. We also analyzed socio-economic data and conducted semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders. In Italy, most of the land conversion processes followed long-term trends. In Romania, they took off with the sudden political changes after 1989. In both areas, forest expansion was the biggest, but potentially not the most consequential change. More consequential changes were urbanization in Italy and small-scale deforestation in Romania, since both increased the risk of hydro-meteorological hazards. Stakeholders’ views were an added value to the spatial analysis and vice versa. For example, stakeholders’ explanations resolved the seeming contradiction of decreased economic activity and increased urbanization (Italian site, as a consequence of secondary home building. Furthermore, spatial analysis revealed that urbanization in Romania was less significant with regard to consequences for the wider human-environment system than many stakeholders thought.

Potential of hydroelectric power in the Alps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schleiss, A.

2002-01-01

This article presents in detail the current hydro power production, consumption and export in the six main countries using this alpine energy resource: France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Slovenia and Switzerland. For the time being, one quarter of the Alps' hydro energy resource is still unused. The article discusses the opportunity offered by the current European electricity market deregulation to extend alpine hydro power use. For each country, the expected increase in production capacity, including technical, geographical and economic aspects, is analysed and reported in several figures and tables

Detecting human presence at the border of the Northeastern Italian Pre-Alps. 14C dating at Rio Secco cave as expression of the first Gravettian and the late mousterian in the Northern Adriatic Region.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sahra Talamo

Full Text Available In the northern Adriatic regions, which include the Venetian region and the Dalmatian coast, late Neanderthal settlements are recorded in few sites and even more ephemeral are remains of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic occupations. A contribution to reconstruct the human presence during this time range has been produced from a recently investigated cave, Rio Secco, located in the northern Adriatic region at the foot of the Carnic Pre-Alps. Chronometric data make Rio Secco a key site in the context of recording occupation by late Neanderthals and regarding the diffusion of the Mid-Upper Palaeolithic culture in a particular district at the border of the alpine region. As for the Gravettian, its diffusion in Italy is a subject of on-going research and the aim of this paper is to provide new information on the timing of this process in Italy. In the southern end of the Peninsula the first occupation dates to around 28,000 14C BP, whereas our results on Gravettian layer range from 29,390 to 28,995 14C years BP. At the present state of knowledge, the emergence of the Gravettian in eastern Italy is contemporaneous with several sites in Central Europe and the chronological dates support the hypothesis that the Swabian Gravettian probably dispersed from eastern Austria.

Monochroa bronzella sp. n. from the southwestern Alps (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Karsholt, Ole; Nel, Jacques; Fournier, François

2013-01-01

Abstract. Monochroa bronzella sp. n. is described from the southwestern Alps (France, Italy). It is closely related to M. nomadella (Zeller, 1868), with which it was hitherto confused. Literature records of M. nomadella from France and northwestern Italy refer to M. bronzella sp. n. The two species...... are most clearly distinguishable in the signa of the female genitalia. Females of both species have reduced wings, most pronounced in M. nomadella. The new species is found in mountain areas at altitudes from around 800 to 2000 m. Adults and male and female genitalia of these two species are figured....

Philorhizus occitanus sp. n. from the South-Western Alps (Piedmont, Italy (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Dromiini

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Gianni Allegro

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Philorhizus occitanus sp. n. from the South-Western Alps (Ellero Valley and Maira Valley is described. This new species is similar to P. crucifer and P. notatus as far as the external morphology is concerned, but it is distinguished by the color pattern and the shape of elytra, as well as by the features of the median lobe of aedeagus. P. liguricus, which is easily distinguished from P. occitanus sp. n. by the external morphology, was already recorded from the South-Western Alps and from the Ligurian Apennines. P. occitanus sp. n. is a likely close relative of P. notatus, although the affinities of this relict flightless new species remain uncertain.

How steep are the Alps?

Science.gov (United States)

Robl, Jörg; Prasicek, Günther; Stüwe, Kurt; Hergarten, Stefan

2014-05-01

time and process rates in transient landscapes are predominantly governed by the lithological inventory. Areas belonging to the same structural unit show similar characteristics in the slope-elevation distribution independent from their spatial position within the orogen (e.g. external massifs). These similarities are probably caused by the vertical position of the Pleistocene equilibrium line altitude - an observation well in line with the glacial "buzz saw" hypothesis. However, several non-glaciated regions at the eastern and south-western border of the Alps show a slope-elevation relation similar to formerly glaciated domains. However, in contrast to the glaciated realm, the inflection point in the slope-elevation distribution is located at various elevation levels and is consistent with a reported recent pulse of uplift with spatial and/or temporal variations in uplift rate and initiation. Therefore, we interpret the slope-elevation distribution of the European Alps to be mainly caused by glacial erosion. The morphological record of a recent uplift event in the Alps has probably been overprinted by Pleistocene glaciations and may therefore only be detectable in non-glaciated regions of the peripheral parts of the Alps and in subsurface structures.

Glacial isostatic uplift of the European Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Mey, Jürgen; Scherler, Dirk; Wickert, Andrew D.; Egholm, David L.; Tesauro, Magdala; Schildgen, Taylor F.; Strecker, Manfred R.

2016-01-01

Following the last glacial maximum (LGM), the demise of continental ice sheets induced crustal rebound in tectonically stable regions of North America and Scandinavia that is still ongoing. Unlike the ice sheets, the Alpine ice cap developed in an orogen where the measured uplift is potentially attributed to tectonic shortening, lithospheric delamination and unloading due to deglaciation and erosion. Here we show that ∼90% of the geodetically measured rock uplift in the Alps can be explained by the Earth’s viscoelastic response to LGM deglaciation. We modelled rock uplift by reconstructing the Alpine ice cap, while accounting for postglacial erosion, sediment deposition and spatial variations in lithospheric rigidity. Clusters of excessive uplift in the Rhône Valley and in the Eastern Alps delineate regions potentially affected by mantle processes, crustal heterogeneity and active tectonics. Our study shows that even small LGM ice caps can dominate present-day rock uplift in tectonically active regions. PMID:27830704

The European Alps as an interrupter of the Earth's conductivity structures

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Halbouni, D.

2013-07-01

Joint interpretation of magnetotelluric and geomagnetic depth sounding results in the period range of 10-105 s in the Western European Alps offer new insights into the conductivity structure of the Earth's crust and mantle. This first large scale electromagnetic study in the Alps covers a cross-section from Germany to northern Italy and shows the importance of the alpine mountain chain as an interrupter of continuous conductors. Poor data quality due to the highly crystalline underground is overcome by Remote Reference and Robust Processing techniques and the combination of both electromagnetic methods. 3-D forward modeling reveals on the one hand interrupted dipping crustal conductors with maximum conductances of 4960 S and on the other hand a lithosphere thickening up to 208 km beneath the central Western Alps. Graphite networks arising from Palaeozoic sedimentary deposits are considered to be accountable for the occurrence of high conductivity and the distribution pattern of crustal conductors. The influence of huge sedimentary Molasse basins on the electromagnetic data is suggested to be minor compared with the influence of crustal conductors. Dipping direction (S-SE) and maximum angle (10.1°) of the northern crustal conductor reveal the main thrusting conditions beneath the Helvetic Alps whereas the existence of a crustal conductor in the Briançonnais supports theses about its belonging to the Iberian Peninsula. In conclusion the proposed model arisen from combined 3-D modeling of noise corrected electromagnetic data is able to explain the geophysical influence of various structural features in and around the Western European Alps and serves as a background for further upcoming studies.

24th International Conference on Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

This volume includes the Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Robotics in Alpe-Adria-Danube Region, RAAD 2015, which was held in Bucharest, Romania, on May 27-29, 2015. The Conference brought together academic and industry researchers in robotics from the 11 countries affiliated to the Alpe-Adria-Danube space: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, and their worldwide partners. According to its tradition, RAAD 2015 covered all important areas of research, development and innovation in robotics, including new trends such as: bio-inspired and cognitive robots, visual servoing of robot motion, human-robot interaction, and personal robots for ambient assisted living. The accepted papers have been grouped in nine sessions: Robot integration in industrial applications; Grasping analysis, dexterous grippers and component design; Advanced robot motion control; Robot vision and sensory control; Human-robot interaction and collaboration;...

Etnopharmacognostic survey on the natural ingredients used in folk cosmetics, cosmeceuticals and remedies for healing skin deseases in the inland Marches, Central-Eastern Italy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pieroni, A.; Quave, C.L.; Villanelli, M.L.; Mangino, P.; Sabbatini, G.; Santini, L.; Boccetti, T.; Profili, M.; Ciccioli, T.; Rampa, L.G.; Antonini, G.; Girolamini, C.

2004-01-01

An ethnopharmaceutical Study focused on domestic cosmetics, cosmeceuticals, and remedies to heal skin diseases traditionally used in the inland part of the Marches region (Central-Eastern Italy) has been conducted. At present, traditional knowledge concerning home-made phytocosmetics is represented

Thallium-rich pyrite ores from the Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy:constraints for their origin and environmental concerns

Science.gov (United States)

D'Orazio, Massimo; Biagioni, Cristian; Dini, Andrea; Vezzoni, Simone

2017-06-01

The southern sector of the Apuan Alps (AA) massif, Tuscany, Italy, is characterized by the occurrence of a series of baryte-pyrite-iron oxide orebodies whose Tl-rich nature was recognized only recently. The geochemistry of the pyrite ore was investigated through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. In addition, lead isotope data for selected pyrite ores from AA were collected. Pyrite ores are characterized by a complex geochemistry, with high concentrations of Tl (up to 1100 μg/g) coupled with high As and Sb contents; the Co/Ni ratio is always <1. Geochemical data of pyrite and marcasite ore samples from other mining districts of Tuscany have been collected in order to compare them with those from the AA. These samples usually have very low Tl content (less than 2 μg/g) and high to very high Co/Ni and As/Sb ratios. Only some samples from the Sb-Hg ore deposits showed very high Tl concentrations (up to 3900 μg/g). Another difference is related to the lead isotope composition, with pyrite ores from AA markedly less radiogenic than those from the other deposits from Tuscany. Geochemical data of pyrite ores from AA give new insights on the genesis of the baryte-pyrite-iron oxide orebodies, relating their formation to low-temperature hydrothermal systems active during early Paleozoic; in addition, these data play a fundamental role in assessing the environmental impact of these deposits.

Ecological niche model of Phlebotomus perniciosus, the main vector of canine leishmaniasis in north-eastern Italy

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Manuela Signorini

2014-11-01

Full Text Available With respect to the epidemiology of leishmaniasis, it is crucial to take into account the ecoclimatic and environ- mental characteristics that influence the distribution patterns of the vector sand fly species. It is also important to consider the possible impact of on-going climate changes on the emergence of this disease. In order to map the potential distribu- tion of Phlebotomus perniciosus, the main vector species of canine leishmaniasis in north-eastern Italy, geographical information systems tools, ecological niche models (ENM and remotely sensed environmental data were applied for a retrospective analysis of an entomological survey conducted in north-eastern Italy over 12 years. Sand fly trapping was conducted from 2001 to 2012 in 175 sites in the provinces of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige. We developed a predictive model of potential distribution of P. perniciosus using the maximum entropy algorithm software, based on seasonal normalized difference vegetation index, day and night land surface temperature, the Corine land cover 2006, a digital elevation model (GTOPO30 and climate layers obtained from the WorldClim database. The MaxEnt pre- diction found the more suitable habitat for P. perniciosus to be hilly areas (100-300 m above the mean sea level charac- terised by temperate climate during the winter and summer seasons, high winter vegetation cover and moderate rainfall during the activity season of vector sand fly. ENM provided a greater understanding of the geographical distribution and ecological requirements of P. perniciosus in the study area, which can be applied for the development of future surveil- lance strategies.

HIV-1 A1 Subtype Epidemic in Italy Originated from Africa and Eastern Europe and Shows a High Frequency of Transmission Chains Involving Intravenous Drug Users.

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Alessia Lai

Full Text Available Subtype A accounts for only 12% of HIV-1 infections worldwide but predominates in Russia and Former Soviet Union countries of Eastern Europe. After an early propagation via heterosexual contacts, this variant spread explosively among intravenous drug users. A distinct A1 variant predominates in Greece and Albania, which penetrated directly from Africa. Clade A1 accounts for 12.5% of non-B subtypes in Italy, being the most frequent after F1 subtype.Aim of this study was to investigate the circulation of A1 subtype in Italy and trace its origin and diffusion through phylogenetic and phylodynamic approaches.The phylogenetic analysis of 113 A1 pol sequences included in the Italian ARCA database, indicated that 71 patients (62.8% clustered within 5 clades. A higher probability to be detected in clusters was found for patients from Eastern Europe and Italy (88.9% and 60.4%, respectively compared to those from Africa (20% (p < .001. Higher proportions of clustering sequences were found in intravenous drug users with respect to heterosexuals (85.7% vs. 59.3%, p = .056 and in women with respect to men (81.4% vs. 53.2%, p < .006. Subtype A1 dated phylogeny indicated an East African origin around 1961. Phylogeographical reconstruction highlighted 3 significant groups. One involved East European and some Italian variants, the second encompassed some Italian and African strains, the latter included the majority of viruses carried by African and Italian subjects and all viral sequences from Albania and Greece.Subtype A1 originated in Central Africa and spread among East European countries in 1982. It entered Italy through three introduction events: directly from East Africa, from Albania and Greece, and from the area encompassing Moldavia and Ukraine. As in previously documented A1 epidemics of East European countries, HIV-1 A1 subtype spread in Italy in part through intravenous drug users. However, Eastern European women contributed to the penetration of

The Italian experience in crossing the Alps and Apennines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stella,; Olcese,

1991-06-01

Since the early 70's SNAM has completed a number of major projects: the pipelines importing gas from the Netherlands and the Soviet Union crossing the Alps and the TRASMED, which crosses the Apennines. More recently, improved technology applied in the eastern part of the Alps has made possible the doubling of the import pipeline from the Soviet Union. Details are given about methods used in these projects for geological-geomorphological surveys, engineering design and tunnel construction. The paper also describes how the problems posed by steep slopes and landslide areas are overcome by planning the most suitable geometry for the pipe and carrying out different kinds of drainage and retaining works, and how problems posed by crossing streams can be overcome by the creation of major hydraulic defences. Special care is taken to select a pipeline route which respects the environment and, where possible, avoids crossing places of interest such as archaeological sites or national parks etc. (orig./BWI).

Strategy for the deployment of a dense broadband temporary array in the Alps: lessons learnt from the CIFALPS experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Coralie, Aubert; Anne, Paul; Stefano, Solarino; Sandrine, Roussel; Simone, Salimbeni; Pierre, Zangelmi; Glenn, Cougoulat; Yinshuang, Ai; Weiwei, Xu; Yumei, He; Liang, Zhao

2013-04-01

The CIFALPS (China-Italy-France Alps seismic survey) experiment is a common project of IGGCAS (China), ISTerre (France) and INGV (Italy). It aims at getting new high-resolution passive seismic data on the crustal and upper mantle structure of the southwestern Alps. In this framework, we have installed a temporary broadband seismic array across the southwestern Alps from the Rhône valley (France) to the Po plain (Italy). The main sub-array of CIFALPS is a 350-km long roughly linear profile of 46 stations trending WSW-ENE from Bollène (France) to north of Alessandria (Italy). The average station spacing is 10 km in the outer parts of the belt, and it reduces to 5 km in the internal Alps. Nine additional temporary stations located ~40 km to the north and south of the main profile complement the permanent broadband networks to improve the 3-D constraints on the deep structures. Stations are equipped with Nanometrics Taurus data acquisition systems, and Trillium 120P/A, CMG3-ESP or CMG40T broadband sensors. The array was installed in the summer of 2012 and will be operated at least to April 2013. Because our schedule was tight, we had to achieve site selections in only 3-4 months in spite of strong constraints on site location related to short interstation spacing. Most sites are located in basements of buildings for security reasons and mains power supply. As most sensors are true broadband (90s or 120s), we put much effort on vault design to insure good thermal insulation and low noise at long periods. The vaults also had to be easily and rapidly built and they should be easily and totally removed at the end of the experiment. We used the PQLX software for quality control of our sites and vault design. The performances of our vaults are good for the vertical component with noise levels at 100s period in the range -185 dB (low noise model) to -165 dB. They are less good for horizontal components (noise level close to high noise model at periods > 20s) due to

Autologous cord blood harvesting in North Eastern Italy: ethical questions and emerging hopes for curing diabetes and celiac disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parco S

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Sergio Parco, Fulvia VascottoInstitute for Maternal and Child Health, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, ItalyBackground: The Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG, a region of North Eastern Italy, has passed legislation (Decree No 2324/2010 to regulate the banking of umbilical cord blood samples for personal, autologous, or family-directed use, and to implement the Agreement of the State-Regions Permanent Conference (Decree No 62/CSR/2010. This paper aims to identify the formalities and the reasons why families collect and bank their cord blood in foreign banks for both personal and private use.Methods: To this end, at the Institute for Maternal and Child Health of Trieste (the regional capital city of the FVG, Italy, which assists about 1800 pregnant women a year, 129 questionnaires, drafted from January 2010 to December 2011 and concerning the granting of authorization to export samples, were examined.Results: The collected data showed that 75% of involved families had resorted to anonymous public collection, which is available to anyone with therapeutic needs, and provided compatibility and hematologic protocols recognized by the scientific and international community (main indications: leukemia, hemoglobinopaties, and inherited hematologic and immunologic disorders. Conversely, 25.0% requested private storage at a foreign bank for personal or family-dedicated use. The principal motivation by disease was for treatment for diabetes (22.4% and celiac disease (19.7% (a multiorgan disease for which the FVG region has provided safeguards by approving a specific law granting support to families; Decree No 561/2007. For these two types of disease we found that information was received from the internet and not from general medical physicians, with a significant difference found using the χ2 test (P < 0.01.Conclusion: The indication of treating these diseases with cord blood stem cell transplantation appears to be well grounded and encouraging, and has recently

Comparison between weather station data in south-eastern Italy and CRU precipitation datasets

Science.gov (United States)

Miglietta, D.

2009-04-01

Monthly precipitation data in south-eastern Italy from 1920 to 2005 have been extensively analyzed. Data were collected in almost 200 weather stations located 10-20km apart from each other and almost uniformly distributed in Puglia and Basilicata regions. Apart from few years around world war II, time series are mostly complete and allow a reliable reconstruction of climate variability in the considered region. Statistically significant trends have been studied by applying the Mann-Kendall test to annual, seasonal and monthly values. A comparison has been made between observations and precipitation data given by the Climate Research Unit (CRU), University of East Anglia, with both low (30') and high (10') space resolution grid. In particular, rainfall records, time series behaviors and annual cycles at each station have been compared to the corresponding CRU data. CRU time series show a large negative trend for winter since 1970. Trend is not significant if the whole 20th century is considered (both for the whole year and for winter only). This might be considered as an evidence of recent acceleration towards increasingly dry conditions. However correlation between CRU data and observations is not very high and large percent errors are present mainly in the mountains regions, where observations show a large annual cycle, with intense precipitation in winter, which is not present in CRU data. To identify trends, therefore observed data are needed, even at monthly scale. In particular observations confirm the overall trend, but also indicate large spatial variability, with locations where precipitation has even increased since 1970. Daily precipitation data coming from a subset of weather stations have also been studied for the same time period. The distributions of maximum annual rainfalls, wet spells and dry spells were analyzed for each station, together with their time series. The tools of statistical analysis of extremes have been used in order to evaluate

Crustal structure of northern Italy from the ellipticity of Rayleigh waves

Science.gov (United States)

Berbellini, Andrea; Morelli, Andrea; G. Ferreira, Ana M.

2017-04-01

Northern Italy is a diverse geological region, including the wide and thick Po Plain sedimentary basin, which is bounded by the Alps and the Apennines. The seismically slow shallow structure of the Po Plain is difficult to retrieve with classical seismic measurements such as surface wave dispersion, yet the detailed structure of the region greatly affects seismic wave propagation and hence seismic ground shaking. Here we invert Rayleigh wave ellipticity measurements in the period range 10-60 s for 95 stations in northern Italy using a fully non linear approach to constrain vertical vS,vP and density profiles of the crust beneath each station. The ellipticity of Rayleigh wave ground motion is primarily sensitive to shear-wave velocity beneath the recording station, which reduces along-path contamination effects. We use the 3D layering structure in MAMBo, a previous model based on a compilation of geological and geophysical information for the Po Plain and surrounding regions of northern Italy, and employ ellipticity data to constrain vS,vP and density within its layers. We show that ellipticity data from ballistic teleseismic wave trains alone constrain the crustal structure well. This leads to MAMBo-E, an updated seismic model of the region's crust that inherits information available from previous seismic prospection and geological studies, while fitting new seismic data well. MAMBo-E brings new insights into lateral heterogeneity in the region's subsurface. Compared to MAMBo, it shows overall faster seismic anomalies in the region's Quaternary, Pliocene and Oligo-Miocene layers and better delineates the seismic structures of the Po Plain at depth. Two low velocity regions are mapped in the Mesozoic layer in the western and eastern parts of the Plain, which seem to correspond to the Monferrato sedimentary basin and to the Ferrara-Romagna thrust system, respectively.

The geology of the Vicentinian Alps (NE-Italy) : (with special reference to their paleomagnetic history)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, J. de

1963-01-01

This geological study on the Vicentinian Alps is mainly an analysis of the tectonic and paleomagnetic data, collected by the author in the years 1959, 1960, and 1961. The stratigraphy is based for the greater part on data published in the first decenniums of this century. In the

The geology of the Vicentinian Alps (NE-Italy) : with special reference to their paleomagnetic history

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boer, Jelle de

1963-01-01

This geological study on the Vicentinian Alps is mainly an analysis of the tectonic and paleomagnetic data, collected by the author in the years 1959, 1960, and 1961. The stratigraphy is based for the greater part on data published in the first decenniums of this century. In the

The Seeds Left in Italy by the E&O Program of the Andrill Research

Science.gov (United States)

Cattadori, M.

2010-12-01

One of the main purposes of the ARISE program, the educational initiative by the ANDRILL research, was to “integrate polar geoscience content into a range of learning environments”. In the range of this program, an Italian science teacher created and developed through 2006 and 2007 a specific project called progettosmilla.it (www.progettosmilla.it). With the services consequently created, this initiative managed to involve more then 2000 students and 100 teachers across the Italian territory. Though, what is left of that experience four years later? This contribution focuses on the description of the long-term effects of that event on the earth system science education in Italy. It offers the chance to analyze some of the most significant educational projects rooted in the network of (local and national) institutions which supported the progettosmilla.it-ANDRILL program. Among these: - the Ortles project: an E&O initiative developed in the range of an international paleoclimatic research on the biggest ice-cap of the Eastern Alps (by Italian and U.S. universities and centers of research); - the I-CLEEN (Inquiring on Climate & ENergy) project: an information gateway collecting educational resources, which promotes an enquiry-based approach and is managed by science teachers (by the Natural Science Museum of Trento- Italy); - the SPEs (Summer Polar School for Teachers): a summer class where research, researchers and teachers illustrate polar themes and lectures to be introduced in scholastic programs (by the National Museum of Antarctica- Italy); - the first European edition of IESO (International Earth Science Olympiad), initiative to be held in Italy in 2011 (by University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - Italy). Through the analysis of these projects it will be possible to gain useful clues and answer more complex questions, such as: Which are the key factors for the success of such a project, aimed to the cooperation between scientists and teachers? Why an

Geological hazard zonation in a marble exploitation area (Apuan Alps, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Francioni, M.; Salvini, R.; Riccucci, S.

2011-12-01

The present paper describes the hazard mapping of an exploitation area sited in the Apuan Alps marble district (Italy) carried out by the integration of various survey and analysis methodologies. The research, supported by the Massa and Carrara Local Sanitary Agency responsible for workplace health and safety activities, aimed to reduce the high degree hazard of rock fall caused by the presence of potentially unstable blocks located on slopes overhanging the marble quarries. The study of rocky fronts bases on the knowledge of both the structural setting and the physical-mechanical properties of intact material and its discontinuities. In this work the main difficulty in obtaining this information was the inaccessibility of the slope overhanging the area (up to 500 meters high). For this reason, the structural and geological-engineering surveys were integrated by outcomes from digital photogrammetry carried out through terrestrial stereoscopic photos acquired from an aerostatic balloon and a helicopter. In this way, it was possible to derive the geometrical characteristics of joints (such as discontinuities dip, dip direction, spacing and persistence), blocks volumes and slopes morphology also in inaccessible areas. This information, combined with data coming from the geological-engineering survey, was used to perform the stability analysis of the slope. Subsequently, using the topographic map at the scale of 1:2,000, the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the slopes and several topographic profiles along it were produced. Assuming that there is a good correspondence between travelling paths and maximum down slope angle, probable trajectories of rock fall along the slope were calculated on the DTM by means of a GIS procedure which utilizes the ArcHydro module of EsriTM ArcMap software. When performing such a 2D numerical modelling of rock falls, lateral dispersion of trajectories has often been hampered by the "a priori" choice of the travelling path. Such a choice can

The geology of the Vicentinian Alps (NE-Italy) : (with special reference to their paleomagnetic history)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Boer, J.

1963-01-01

This geological study on the Vicentinian Alps is mainly an analysis of the tectonic and paleomagnetic data, collected by the author in the years 1959, 1960, and 1961. The stratigraphy is based for the greater part on data published in the first decenniums of this century. In the westtern part of the

Is marriage loosing its centrality in Italy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Unlike the countries of north-western Europe, marriage in Italy has maintained a crucial role in the process of family formation. This raise doubts about the possibility that the theory of "second demographic transition" could adequately account for the behaviour of the European population living south of the Alps. The aim of this paper is twofold: to provide some empirical evidence that cohabitation is now spreading in Italy; and to propose an explanation of the delay of its diffusion until the 1990s. The hypothesis proposed here explains the delay, not so much in terms of limited interest of the Italian youth towards this type of union, but with the convenience of the children in the Mediterranean area to avoid choices which are openly clashing with the values of parents.

Quantitative summer temperature reconstruction derived from a combined biogenic Si and chironomid record from varved sediments of Lake Silvaplana (south-eastern Swiss Alps) back to AD 1177

Science.gov (United States)

Trachsel, M.; Grosjean, M.; Larocque-Tobler, I.; Schwikowski, M.; Blass, A.; Sturm, M.

2010-09-01

High-resolution quantitative temperature records are needed for placing the recent warming into the context of long-term natural climate variability. In this study we present a quantitative high-resolution (9-year) summer (June-August) temperature reconstruction back to AD 1177 for the south-eastern Swiss Alps. This region is a good predictor for summer temperatures in large parts of western and central Europe. Our reconstruction is based on a combination of the high-frequency component of annually resolved biogenic silica (bSi flux) data and the low-frequency component of decadal chironomid-inferred temperatures from annually laminated well dated sediments (varves) from proglacial Lake Silvaplana, eastern Swiss Alps. For the calibration (period AD 1760-1949) we assess systematically the effects of six different regression methods (Type I regressions: Inverse Regression IR, Inverse Prediction IP, Generalised Least Squares GLS; Type II regressions: Major Axis MA, Ranged Major Axis RMA and Standard Major Axis SMA) with regard to the predicted amplitude and the calibration statistics such as root-mean-square error of prediction (RMSEP), reduction of error (RE) and coefficient of efficiency (CE). We found a trade-off in the regression model choice between a good representation of the amplitude and good calibration statistics. The band-pass filtered bSi flux record is in close agreement both in the structure and the amplitude with two fully independent reconstructions spanning back to AD 1500 and AD 1177, respectively. All known pulses of negative volcanic forcing are represented as cold anomalies in the bSi flux record. Volcanic pulses combined with low solar activity (Spörer and Maunder Minimum) are seen as particularly cold episodes around AD 1460 and AD 1690. The combined chironomid and bSi flux temperature record (RMSEP = 0.57 °C) is in good agreement with the glacier history of the Alps. The warmest (AD 1190) and coldest decades (17th century; 1680-1700) of our

Debris flows risk analysis and direct loss estimation: the case study of Valtellina di Tirano, Italy

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Blahůt, Jan; Glade, T.; Sterlacchini, S.

2014-01-01

Roč. 11, č. 2 (2014), s. 288-307 ISSN 1672-6316 Institutional support: RVO:67985891 Keywords : Debris flows * Risk analysis * Economic losses * Central Alps * Italy Subject RIV: DE - Earth Magnetism, Geodesy, Geography OBOR OECD: Physical geography Impact factor: 0.963, year: 2014

EOCENE LARGER FORAMINIFERAL BIOSTRATIGRAPHY IN THE SOUTHERNMOST DAUPHINOIS DOMAIN (MARITIME ALPS, FRANCE-ITALY BORDER

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DARIO VARRONE

2007-07-01

Full Text Available The Trucco Formation and the Nummulitic Limestone (Dauphinois Domain, Maritime Alps are characterized by abundant larger foraminifera, specifically nummulitids, orthophragminids and encrusting foraminifera. In the Maritime Alps, previous studies suggest a late Lutetian age for the Trucco Formation and a late Lutetian-Priabonian age for the Nummulitic Limestone.Biostratigraphic analysis of the nummulitids, in 11 stratigraphic sections, allowed us to distinguish 3 biozones:MALF1 Zone: defined by the presence of Nummulites brongniarti d’Archiac & Haime, N. puschi d’Archiac, N. perforatus de Montfort, N. striatus (Bruguière, N. cf. dufrenoyi d’Archiac & Haime, N. variolarius/incrassatus and Operculina schwageri Silvestri.MALF2 Zone: defined by the presence of Nummulites perforatus de Montfort, N. striatus (Bruguière, N. cf. dufrenoyi d’Archiac & Haime, N. variolarius/incrassatus and Operculina schwageri Silvestri.MALF 3 Zone: defined by the presence of gr. Nummulites variolarius/incrassatus, N. striatus (Bruguière and Operculina schwageri Silvestri.According to current larger foraminiferal biozonal schemes, the age of these local biozones corresponds to the Bartonian p.p.Moreover, the comparison with biostratigraphic schemes established for the Dauphinois Domain and for the Tethyan area evidences that several typical nummulitid species of the late Bartonian are lacking in the southern Dauphinois Domain, probably due to a paleogeographic control. 

ALPS - A LINEAR PROGRAM SOLVER

Science.gov (United States)

Viterna, L. A.

1994-01-01

Linear programming is a widely-used engineering and management tool. Scheduling, resource allocation, and production planning are all well-known applications of linear programs (LP's). Most LP's are too large to be solved by hand, so over the decades many computer codes for solving LP's have been developed. ALPS, A Linear Program Solver, is a full-featured LP analysis program. ALPS can solve plain linear programs as well as more complicated mixed integer and pure integer programs. ALPS also contains an efficient solution technique for pure binary (0-1 integer) programs. One of the many weaknesses of LP solvers is the lack of interaction with the user. ALPS is a menu-driven program with no special commands or keywords to learn. In addition, ALPS contains a full-screen editor to enter and maintain the LP formulation. These formulations can be written to and read from plain ASCII files for portability. For those less experienced in LP formulation, ALPS contains a problem "parser" which checks the formulation for errors. ALPS creates fully formatted, readable reports that can be sent to a printer or output file. ALPS is written entirely in IBM's APL2/PC product, Version 1.01. The APL2 workspace containing all the ALPS code can be run on any APL2/PC system (AT or 386). On a 32-bit system, this configuration can take advantage of all extended memory. The user can also examine and modify the ALPS code. The APL2 workspace has also been "packed" to be run on any DOS system (without APL2) as a stand-alone "EXE" file, but has limited memory capacity on a 640K system. A numeric coprocessor (80X87) is optional but recommended. The standard distribution medium for ALPS is a 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette. IBM, IBM PC and IBM APL2 are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. MS-DOS is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.

Preserved Organic Matter in the Alpine Tethyan Ocean Continental Transition (Totalp unit, Eastern Swiss Alps)

Science.gov (United States)

Mateeva, T.; Wolff, G. A.; Kusznir, N.; Wheeler, J.; Manatschal, G.

2015-12-01

Observations at hydrothermal systems in modern ocean settings suggest that methane produced by serpentinization can support methanotrophic bio-systems. An important question is whether such bio-systems are localised or are more pervasive in their association with serpentinized mantle in the subsurface. This has implications for the global importance of the hidden sub-surface bio-systems, the fate of methane and the carbon cycle. The Totalp unit, a remnant of a former Ocean Continent Transition (OCT) exposed in Alps of Eastern Switzerland, has been chosen to investigate the presence or absence of methanotrophic biosystems within serpentinized exhumed mantle in the Alpine Tethyan margin. The Totalp unit is made of serpentinized mantle and ophicalcites overlain by Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous post-rift sediments. The Totalp unit has undergone little Alpine deformation and only a low-grade metamorphic overprint (serpentinized peridotite, ophicalcite and post-rift sediments contain hydrocarbons in the form of n-alkanes in the range C20 - C40; isoprenoids, for example pristane and phytane are present in sediments. The organic biological marker distribution is consistent with the temperature history of the OCT (i.e.lower maximum temperature than 200°C). First results from Totalp show evidence for preservation of marine organic matter in the serpentinized mantle and overlying sediments, although there is no evidence that any organic matter is generated from methanotrophic bio-systems. Nevertheless, focussing on Tethyan hydrothermal systems and preserved hydrocarbons will be critical in understanding whether methanotrophic biomarkers can be preserved and if so whether the methane originated from serpentenization.

ALPS: A Linear Program Solver

Science.gov (United States)

Ferencz, Donald C.; Viterna, Larry A.

1991-01-01

ALPS is a computer program which can be used to solve general linear program (optimization) problems. ALPS was designed for those who have minimal linear programming (LP) knowledge and features a menu-driven scheme to guide the user through the process of creating and solving LP formulations. Once created, the problems can be edited and stored in standard DOS ASCII files to provide portability to various word processors or even other linear programming packages. Unlike many math-oriented LP solvers, ALPS contains an LP parser that reads through the LP formulation and reports several types of errors to the user. ALPS provides a large amount of solution data which is often useful in problem solving. In addition to pure linear programs, ALPS can solve for integer, mixed integer, and binary type problems. Pure linear programs are solved with the revised simplex method. Integer or mixed integer programs are solved initially with the revised simplex, and the completed using the branch-and-bound technique. Binary programs are solved with the method of implicit enumeration. This manual describes how to use ALPS to create, edit, and solve linear programming problems. Instructions for installing ALPS on a PC compatible computer are included in the appendices along with a general introduction to linear programming. A programmers guide is also included for assistance in modifying and maintaining the program.

Endolithic microbial communities in carbonate precipitates from serpentinite-hosted hyperalkaline springs of the Voltri Massif (Ligurian Alps, Northern Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Quéméneur, Marianne; Palvadeau, Alexandra; Postec, Anne; Monnin, Christophe; Chavagnac, Valérie; Ollivier, Bernard; Erauso, Gaël

2015-09-01

The Voltri Massif is an ophiolitic complex located in the Ligurian Alps close to the city of Genova (Northern Italy) where several springs discharge high pH (up to 11.7), low salinity waters produced by the active serpentinization of the ultramafic basement. Mixing of these hyperalkaline waters with the river waters along with the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide forms brownish carbonate precipitates covering the bedrock at the springs. Diverse archaeal and bacterial communities were detected in these carbonate precipitates using 454 pyrosequencing analyses of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes. Archaeal communities were dominated by members of potential methane-producing and/or methane-oxidizing Methanobacteriales and Methanosarcinales (Euryarchaeota) together with ammonia-oxidizing Nitrososphaerales (Thaumarchaeota) similar to those found in other serpentinization-driven submarine and terrestrial ecosystems. Bacterial communities consisted of members of the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, and Verrucomicrobia phyla, altogether accounting for 92.2% of total retrieved bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Amongst Bacteria, potential chemolithotrophy was mainly associated with Alpha- and Betaproteobacteria classes, including nitrogen-fixing, methane-oxidizing or hydrogen-oxidizing representatives of the genera Azospirillum, Methylosinus, and Hydrogenophaga/'Serpentinomonas', respectively. Besides, potential chemoorganotrophy was attributed mainly to representatives of Actinobacteria and Planctomycetales phyla. The reported 16S rRNA gene data strongly suggested that hydrogen, methane, and nitrogen-based chemolithotrophy can sustain growth of the microbial communities inhabiting the carbonate precipitates in the hyperalkaline springs of the Voltri Massif, similarly to what was previously observed in other serpentinite-hosted ecosystems.

First record of Dinoderus (Dinoderastes japonicus in Italy (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae

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Gianluca Nardi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Dinoderus (Dinoderastes japonicus, a species native of the Eastern Palaearctic, is reported for the first time from Italy on the basis of a female specimen collected in a beech forest (Veneto Region, Treviso Province, Foresta del Cansiglio. The possible establishment of this alien species in Italy is briefly discussed.

Morphological expression of active tectonics in the Southern Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Robl, Jörg; Heberer, Bianca; Neubauer, Franz; Hergarten, Stefan

2015-04-01

Evolving drainage pattern and corresponding metrics of the channels (e.g. normalized steepness index) are sensitive indicators for tectonic or climatic events punctuating the evolution of mountain belts and their associated foreland basins. The analysis of drainage systems and their characteristic properties represents a well-established approach to constrain the impact of tectonic and climatic drivers on mountainous landscapes in the recent past. The Southern Alps (SA) are one of the seismically most active zones in the periphery of northern Adria. Recent deformation is caused by the ongoing convergence of the Adriatic and European plate and is recorded by numerous earthquakes in the domain of the SA. Deformation in the SA is characterized by back-thrusting causing crustal thickening and should therefore result in uplift and topography formation. The vertical velocity field determined by GPS-data clearly indicates a belt of significant uplift in the south South alpine indenter between Lake Garda in the west and the Triglav in the east and strong subsidence of the foreland basin surrounding the Mediterranean Sea near Venice, although subsidence is often related to ongoing subduction of the Adriatic microplate underneath Appennines. Despite of these short term time series, timing, rates and drivers of alpine landscape evolution are not well constrained and the linkage between crustal deformation and topographic evolution of this highly active alpine segment remains unclear for the following reasons: (1) The eastern Southern Alps were heavily overprinted by the Pleistocene glaciations and tectonic signals in the alpine landscape are blurred. Only the transition zone to the southern foreland basin remained unaffected and allows an analysis of a glacially undisturbed topography. (2) The major part of this domain is covered by lithology (carbonatic rocks) which is unsuitable for low temperature geochronology and cosmogenic isotope dating so that exhumation and erosion

STRATIGRAPHY, SEDIMENTOLOGY AND SYNDEPOSITIONAL TECTONICS OF THE JURASSIC-CRETACEOUS SUCCESSION AT THE TRANSITION BETWEEN PROVENÇAL AND DAUPHINOIS DOMAINS (MARITIME ALPS, NW ITALY

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LUCA BARALE

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The Provençal and Dauphinois Mesozoic successions cropping out at the southeastern margin of the Argentera Massif (Maritime Alps, NW Italy were deposited at the transition between the Provençal platform and the Dauphinois basin, marked in the study area by a partly preserved Mesozoic palaeoescarpment. These successions show important lateral variations occurring over relatively short distances, probably related to syndepositional tectonics. Different stratigraphic intervals of the pelagic-hemipelagic Dauphinois succession contain resedimented deposits, made up of both intra- and extrabasinal material, which provide a twofold evidence of syndepositional tectonics indicating both tectonically-triggered gravitational processes and a tectonically-driven evolution of the source areas. Two stages of syndepositional tectonics have been recognized: the first in the earliest Cretaceous, which is related to the deposition of carbonate breccias in the Dauphinois succession and to hydrothermal dolomitization of the Middle Triassic-Jurassic Provençal carbonates, and the second in the Late Cretaceous, which triggered the deposition of different detrital lithozones in the Upper Cretaceous Puriac Limestone. The cited evidence indicates that syndepositional tectonics continued to influence the evolution of the Alpine Tethys European passive margin long after the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic syn-rift stage, which caused the differentiation between the Dauphinois basin and the Provençal platform.

Molecular characterization by MLVA of Coxiella burnetii strains infecting dairy cows and goats of north-eastern Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceglie, Letizia; Guerrini, Eulalia; Rampazzo, Erika; Barberio, Antonio; Tilburg, Jeroen J H C; Hagen, Ferry; Lucchese, Laura; Zuliani, Federica; Marangon, Stefano; Natale, Alda

2015-01-01

Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii), an obligate intracellular bacterium. In ruminants, shedding into the environment mainly occurs during parturition or abortion, but the bacterium is shed also in milk, vaginal mucus, stools and urine. In Italy few surveys have been conducted and reported seroprevalence values ranged between 10% and 60%, even if few human cases have been described. Genotyping of bacteria is crucial for enhancing diagnostic methods and for epidemiological surveillance. The objective of this study was to investigate genotypic differences of C. burnetii genotypes directly in 34 samples, collected during a 3-years survey among 11 dairy cattle and 11 goat farms in the north-eastern part of Italy using a 6-locus multiple loci variable number of tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) method. The samples analysed included 13 bulk tank milk (BTM), 6 individual milk, 11 vaginal swabs and 4 foetal spleens. MLVA-type 2 was determined as the most prevalent in cattle in this study. C. burnetii strains circulating in the studied cattle population are very similar to genotypes previously described, while genotypes from goats showed an important variability. Further investigation are needed to understand the reason of this pattern. Copyright © 2015 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Simulations of a November thunderstorm event by two mesoscale models in the south Alpine region

OpenAIRE

Borroni, A.

2005-01-01

Abstract: Two numerical models have been used to investigate the development of a thunderstorm event that took place on November 7th , 2004, in the northern Italy. A cold air mass moved from the northeast to the Alps and the Po valley, while the temperature in the lower layers was quite warm. A thunderstorm with rain and hail developed in the central and eastern part of Italy's subalpine region. In this work it's analyzed some aspects of the thunderstorm dynamics at the mesoscale using two di...

External micro-PIXE analysis of fluid inclusions: Test of the LABEC facility on samples of quartz veins from Apuan Alps (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massi, M.; Calusi, S.; Giuntini, L.; Ruggieri, G.; Dini, A.

2008-01-01

Fluid inclusions are small portions, usually smaller than 100 μm, of fluid trapped within minerals during or after growth. Their characteristics provide therefore fundamental information on nature and evolution of fluids present in the past in different geological environments. At the LABEC laboratory in Firenze, high-salinity fluid inclusions in quartz crystals, coming from the Apuan Alps metamorphic complex, were analysed at the external scanning microbeam. Results, although still preliminary, have already provided us with hints on fluid-rock interaction processes during the metamorphism of the Apuan Alps

External micro-PIXE analysis of fluid inclusions: Test of the LABEC facility on samples of quartz veins from Apuan Alps (Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massi, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita and INFN sezione di Firenze, via G. Sansone 1, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Firenze (Italy)], E-mail: massi@fi.infn.it; Calusi, S. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita and INFN sezione di Torino, via P. Giuria 1, 10125 Torino (Italy); Giuntini, L. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita and INFN sezione di Firenze, via G. Sansone 1, Sesto Fiorentino 50019, Firenze (Italy); Ruggieri, G. [CNR - Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse sezione di Firenze, via G. La Pira 4, Firenze 50121 (Italy); Dini, A. [CNR - Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse sezione di Pisa, via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa 56124 (Italy)

2008-05-15

Fluid inclusions are small portions, usually smaller than 100 {mu}m, of fluid trapped within minerals during or after growth. Their characteristics provide therefore fundamental information on nature and evolution of fluids present in the past in different geological environments. At the LABEC laboratory in Firenze, high-salinity fluid inclusions in quartz crystals, coming from the Apuan Alps metamorphic complex, were analysed at the external scanning microbeam. Results, although still preliminary, have already provided us with hints on fluid-rock interaction processes during the metamorphism of the Apuan Alps.

Permafrost distribution in the European Alps: calculation and evaluation of an index map and summary statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Boeckli

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is the production of an Alpine Permafrost Index Map (APIM covering the entire European Alps. A unified statistical model that is based on Alpine-wide permafrost observations is used for debris and bedrock surfaces across the entire Alps. The explanatory variables of the model are mean annual air temperatures, potential incoming solar radiation and precipitation. Offset terms were applied to make model predictions for topographic and geomorphic conditions that differ from the terrain features used for model fitting. These offsets are based on literature review and involve some degree of subjective choice during model building. The assessment of the APIM is challenging because limited independent test data are available for comparison and these observations represent point information in a spatially highly variable topography. The APIM provides an index that describes the spatial distribution of permafrost and comes together with an interpretation key that helps to assess map uncertainties and to relate map contents to their actual expression in the terrain. The map can be used as a first resource to estimate permafrost conditions at any given location in the European Alps in a variety of contexts such as research and spatial planning.

Results show that Switzerland likely is the country with the largest permafrost area in the Alps, followed by Italy, Austria, France and Germany. Slovenia and Liechtenstein may have marginal permafrost areas. In all countries the permafrost area is expected to be larger than the glacier-covered area.

PHENOALP: a new project on phenology in the Western Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Cremonese, E.

2009-04-01

PHENOALP is a new EU co-funded Interreg Project under the operational programme for cross-border cooperation "Italy-France (Alps-ALCOTRA)" 2007 - 2013, aiming to get a better understanding of phenological changes in the Alps. The major goals of the project are: 1- The implementation of an observation network in the involved territories (i.e. the Aosta Valley and the Savoies in the Western Alps); 2- The definition of a common observation strategy and common protocols; 3- The involvement of local community members (e.g. through schools) in the observation activities as a way to increase the awareness on the issue of the effects of climate change. Project leader is the Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley (ARPA Valle d'Aosta - IT) and the partners are the Research Center on High Altitude Ecosystem (CREA - FR), Mont Avic Regional Parc (IT), Bauges Massif Regional Natural Parc (FR) and the Protected Area Service of Aosta Valley (IT). Project activities are: 1. Pheno-plantes: definition of common observation protocols (e.g. field observation and webcams) of different alpine species (trees and herbaceous) and implementation of the observation network; analysis of the relations between climate and phenological events; application and evaluation of phenological models. 2. Pheno-detection: remote sensing of European larch and high elevation pastures with MODIS data; multitemporal analysis (2000-2011) of phenological variations in the Western Alps. 3. Pheno-flux: analysis of the relation between the seasonal and interannual variability of plant phenology and productivity, assessed measuring CO2 fluxes (eddy-covariance technique), radiometric indexes and phenological events at specific (European larch stand and alpine pastures) monitoring site. 4. Pheno-zoo: definition of common observation protocols for the phenology of animal taxa (birds, mammals, amphibians and insects) along altitudinal gradients; implementation of the observation network. 5. Inter

Bangladeshi immigrants in Italy: from geopolitics to micropolitics.

Science.gov (United States)

Knights, M

1996-01-01

"Bangladeshis are one of a wide variety of recently established immigrant groups in Italy, analysed here as an example of the interaction of geopolitics, employment and survival strategies, and the micropolitics of the community's organization in Italy. The geopolitics involves events in Bangladesh (change of government), Italy (the Martelli Law and other legislation), Europe (EU and other European policies, and the opening of eastern Europe as a routeway) and the Gulf. The micropolitics concerns mechanisms of immigration, migration sponsorship, connections to Italian political groups and clientelistic relationships within the community. Micropolitics also governs to a large extent the types of mostly informal work done by Bangladeshis in Rome." excerpt

Livestock systems and farming styles in Eastern Italian Alps: an on-farm survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maurizio Ramanzin

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to study the relationships between livestock systems, landscape maintenance and farming styles in the Belluno Province, a mountainous area of the Eastern Italian Alps. A total of 65 farms were sampled on the basis of livestock category farmed and herd size. Farms were visited to collect information on technical and productive aspects, on landscape features of land managed, which was identified by aerial photographs and digitised in a GIS environment, and on the farmers’ background, attitudes and approach to farming. Six different livestock systems were identified: intensive beef cattle (2 farms; extensive beef cattle (12 farms; large sheep/goat farms (9 farms; small sheep/goat farms (6 farms; intensive dairy cattle (14 farms and extensive dairy cattle (22 farms. The intensive systems had larger herds, modern structures and equipment, and were strongly production oriented, whereas the extensive systems had smaller herds and productivity, with often traditional or obsolete structures and equipment, but showed a tendency to diversify production by means of on-farm cheese making and/or mixed farming of different livestock categories. The ability to maintain meadows and pastures was greater for the extensive systems, especially in steep areas, while the annual nitrogen output, estimated as kg N/ha, was lower. Data on the farmers’ background and attitudes were analysed with a non-hierarchical cluster procedure that clustered the farmers into 4 farming styles widely different in motivations to farming, innovative capability, and ability to diversify income sources and ensure farm economic viability. The farming styles were distributed across all livestock systems, indicating the lack of a linkage between the assignment of a farm to a livestock system and the way the farm is managed. This study demonstrates that in mountain areas variability of livestock systems may be high, and that they differ not only in production practices

Saharan dust particles in snow samples of Alps and Apennines during an exceptional event of transboundary air pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Telloli, Chiara; Chicca, Milvia; Pepi, Salvatore; Vaccaro, Carmela

2017-12-21

Southern European countries are often affected in summer by transboundary air pollution from Saharan dust. However, very few studies deal with Saharan dust pollution at high altitudes in winter. In Italy, the exceptional event occurred on February 19, 2014, colored in red the entire mountain range (Alps and Apennines) and allowed to characterize the particulate matter deposited on snow from a morphological and chemical point of view. Snow samples were collected after this event in four areas in the Alps and one in the Apennines. The particulate matter of the melted snow samples was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). These analyses confirmed the presence of Saharan dust particle components in all areas with similar percentages, supported also by the positive correlations between Mg-Ca, Al-Ca, Al-Mg, and Al-K in all samples.

UNESCO World Heritage Site Hallstatt: Rockfall hazard and risk assessment as basis for a sustainable land-use planning- a case study from the Eastern Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Melzner, Sandra; Mölk, Michael; Schiffer, Michael; Gasperl, Wolfgang

2015-04-01

In times of decreasing financial resources, the demand for the investment in protection measures with a positive return on investment is of high importance. Hazard and risk assessments are essential tools in order to ensure an economically justifiable application of money in the implementation of preventive measures. Many areas in the Eastern Alps are recurrently affected by rockfall processes which pose a significant hazard to settlements and infrastructures. Complex tectonic, lithological and geomorphologic settings require a sufficient amount of effort to map and collect high quality data to perform a reliable hazard and risk analysis. The present work summarizes the results of a detailed hazard and risk assessment performed in a community in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Upper Austroalpine Unit). The community Hallstatt is exposed to very steep limestone cliffs, which are highly susceptible towards future, in many parts high magnitude rock failures. The analysis of the record of former events shows that since 1652 several rockfall events damaged or destroyed houses and killed or injured some people. Hallstatt as a Unesco World Heritage Site represents a very vulnerable settlement, the risk being elevated by a high frequency tourism with greater one million visitors per year. Discussion will focus on the applied methods to identify and map the rockfall hazard and risk, including a magnitude-frequency analysis of events in the past and an extrapolation in the future as well as a vulnerability analysis for the existing infrastructure under the assumed events for the determined magnitude-frequency scenarios. Furthermore challenges for a decision making in terms of a sustainable land use planning and implementation of preventive measures will be discussed.

Soil , phyto and zoocenosis characteristics along an elevational gradient in the Alps (NW Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Caimi, Angelo; Freppaz, Michele; Filippa, Gianluca; Buffa, Giorgio; Rivella, Enrico; Griselli, Bona; Parodi, Alessandra; Zanini, Ermanno

2010-05-01

From a global point of view, the distribution of biodiversity can be associated with climate. In particular, a majority of patterns of species diversity can be explained in terms of climatic gradients. Within a given mountain range, climate may affect the distribution of soils and the abundance and richness of plant species and mesofauna composition. In this study, promoted in the framework of an INTERREG Project "Biodiversità: una ricchezza da conservare" we investigate the soil, plant characteristics and mesofauna communities along two elevational gradient in Italian North Western Alps. Mountain environments are well-suited for such studies because of pronounced climatic gradients within short distances. The study areas, named San Bernardo and Vannino, are located in North Italy, close to the border of Switzerland (San Bernardo: N 46°09' E 08°10'; Vannino: N 46°23'E 08°22'). The first one ranged form 1617 m ASL to 2595 m ASL. while the second one ranged from 1786 to 2515 m ASL , with both a prevalent south aspect. Along both elevational gradients we selected 7 sites, with a vegetation cover ranging from coniferous forest (Larix, Picea and Abies) to high-elevation prairies. In each site, soil material (0-10 cm depth) was collected and in the laboratory, samples were dried and passed through a 2-mm sieve. The pH and the particle size distribution was determined following standard methods (SISS, 1998, 2000). Total C and N contents of the soil were measured with a C/H/N analyser (Elementar Vario EL). Data on the vegetation structure were collected close to each soil sampling points, covering a surface of 16 m2; each sampling site has been further divided into 4 sub-areas of 4 m2. Soil texture ranged between sand and loamy sand, without any obvious distribution with altitude. On average, in the Vannino transect soil texture was slightly coarser than at San Bernardo. A total of 118 vascular species were found at the sampling sites. Landolt ecological spectrum

Application of terrestrial photogrammetry for the mass balance calculation on Montasio Occidentale Glacier (Julian Alps, Italy)

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Piermattei, Livia; Carturan, Luca; Calligaro, Simone; Blasone, Giacomo; Guarnieri, Alberto; Tarolli, Paolo; Dalla Fontana, Giancarlo; Vettore, Antonio

2014-05-01

Digital elevation models (DEMs) of glaciated terrain are commonly used to measure changes in geometry and hence infer the mass balance of glaciers. Different tools and methods exist to obtain information about the 3D geometry of terrain. Recent improvements on the quality and performance of digital cameras for close-range photogrammetry, and the development of automatic digital photogrammetric processing makes the 'structure from motion' photogrammetric technique (SfM) competitive for high quality 3D models production, compared to efficient but also expensive and logistically-demanding survey technologies such as airborn and terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). The purpose of this work is to test the SfM approach, using a consumer-grade SLR camera and the low-cost computer vision-based software package Agisoft Photoscan (Agisoft LLC), to monitor the mass balance of Montasio Occidentale glacier, a 0.07km2, low-altitude, debris-covered glacier located in the Eastern Italian Alps. The quality of the 3D models produced by the SfM process has been assessed by comparison with digital terrain models obtained through TLS surveys carried out at the same dates. TLS technique has indeed proved to be very effective in determining the volume change of this glacier in the last years. Our results shows that the photogrammetric approach can produce point cloud densities comparable to those derived from TLS measurements. Furthermore, the horizontal and vertical accuracies are also of the same order of magnitude as for TLS (centimetric to decimetric). The effect of different landscape characteristics (e.g. distance from the camera or terrain gradient) and of different substrata (rock, debris, ice, snow and firn) was also evaluated in terms of SfM reconstruction's accuracy vs. TLS. Given the good results obtained on the Montasio Occidentale glacier, it can be concluded that the terrestrial photogrammetry, with the advantageous features of portability, ease of use and above all low costs

The crustal velocity field mosaic of the Alpine Mediterranean area (Italy): Insights from new geodetic data

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Farolfi, Gregorio; Del Ventisette, Chiara

2016-04-01

A new horizontal crustal velocity field of Alpine Mediterranean area was determined by continuous long time series (6.5 years) of 113 Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) permanent stations. The processing was performed using state-of-the-art absolute antenna phase center correction model and recomputed precise IGS orbits available since April 2014. Moreover, a new more accurate tropospheric mapping function for geodetic applications was adopted. Results provide a new detailed map of the kinematics throughout the entire study area. This area is characterized by a complex tectonic setting driven by the interaction of Eurasian and African plates. The eastern Alps, Corsica, Sardinia and the Tyrrhenian Sea (which is covered only by interpolation data) show small velocity residuals with respect to the Eurasian plate. The whole Apennines axis discriminates two different velocity patterns, the Adriatic and the Tyrrhenian area. The area around Messina Strait, which separates peninsular Italy and Sicily, represents a poorly understood region. Results identify an important boundary zone between two different domains, Calabria and Sicily, which are characterized by different crustal motions. The northeastern part of Sicily and Calabria move like Adriatic area, whilst the rest of Sicily, Malta and Lampedusa are dominated by African motion.

Integrating expert opinion with modelling for quantitative multi-hazard risk assessment in the Eastern Italian Alps

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Chen, Lixia; van Westen, Cees J.; Hussin, Haydar; Ciurean, Roxana L.; Turkington, Thea; Chavarro-Rincon, Diana; Shrestha, Dhruba P.

2016-11-01

Extreme rainfall events are the main triggering causes for hydro-meteorological hazards in mountainous areas, where development is often constrained by the limited space suitable for construction. In these areas, hazard and risk assessments are fundamental for risk mitigation, especially for preventive planning, risk communication and emergency preparedness. Multi-hazard risk assessment in mountainous areas at local and regional scales remain a major challenge because of lack of data related to past events and causal factors, and the interactions between different types of hazards. The lack of data leads to a high level of uncertainty in the application of quantitative methods for hazard and risk assessment. Therefore, a systematic approach is required to combine these quantitative methods with expert-based assumptions and decisions. In this study, a quantitative multi-hazard risk assessment was carried out in the Fella River valley, prone to debris flows and flood in the north-eastern Italian Alps. The main steps include data collection and development of inventory maps, definition of hazard scenarios, hazard assessment in terms of temporal and spatial probability calculation and intensity modelling, elements-at-risk mapping, estimation of asset values and the number of people, physical vulnerability assessment, the generation of risk curves and annual risk calculation. To compare the risk for each type of hazard, risk curves were generated for debris flows, river floods and flash floods. Uncertainties were expressed as minimum, average and maximum values of temporal and spatial probability, replacement costs of assets, population numbers, and physical vulnerability. These result in minimum, average and maximum risk curves. To validate this approach, a back analysis was conducted using the extreme hydro-meteorological event that occurred in August 2003 in the Fella River valley. The results show a good performance when compared to the historical damage reports.

Early Holocene (8.6 ka) rock avalanche deposits, Obernberg valley (Eastern Alps): Landform interpretation and kinematics of rapid mass movement.

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Ostermann, Marc; Sanders, Diethard; Ivy-Ochs, Susan; Alfimov, Vasily; Rockenschaub, Manfred; Römer, Alexander

2012-10-15

In the Obernberg valley, the Eastern Alps, landforms recently interpreted as moraines are re-interpreted as rock avalanche deposits. The catastrophic slope failure involved an initial rock volume of about 45 million m³, with a runout of 7.2 km over a total vertical distance of 1330 m (fahrböschung 10°). 36 Cl surface-exposure dating of boulders of the avalanche mass indicates an event age of 8.6 ± 0.6 ka. A 14 C age of 7785 ± 190 cal yr BP of a palaeosoil within an alluvial fan downlapping the rock avalanche is consistent with the event age. The distal 2 km of the rock-avalanche deposit is characterized by a highly regular array of transverse ridges that were previously interpreted as terminal moraines of Late-Glacial. 'Jigsaw-puzzle structure' of gravel to boulder-size clasts in the ridges and a matrix of cataclastic gouge indicate a rock avalanche origin. For a wide altitude range the avalanche deposit is preserved, and the event age of mass-wasting precludes both runout over glacial ice and subsequent glacial overprint. The regularly arrayed transverse ridges thus were formed during freezing of the rock avalanche deposits.

Medical ethnobotany of the Albanian Alps in Kosovo.

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Mustafa, Behxhet; Hajdari, Avni; Krasniqi, Feriz; Hoxha, Esat; Ademi, Hatixhe; Quave, Cassandra L; Pieroni, Andrea

2012-01-28

Ethnobotanical studies are crucial in South-Eastern Europe for fostering local development and also for investigating the dynamics of Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK) related to plants in one of the most crucial European hotspots for biocultural diversity. The current medico-ethnobotanical survey was conducted in rural alpine communities in Kosovo. The aims of the study were twofold: 1) to document the state of TEK of medicinal plants in these communities; 2) to compare these findings with that of similar field studies previously conducted among local populations inhabiting the Montenegrin and Albanian side of the same Alpine range. Field research was conducted in 36 villages on the Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit 91 elderly informants (≥ 50 years-old) for participation in semi-structured interviews and structured surveys regarding the use of the local flora for medicinal and food purposes. Standard ethnobotanical methods were employed and prior informed consent was obtained for all study participants. The uses of 98 plants species belonging to 39 families were recorded; the most quoted botanical families were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae. Mainly decoctions and infusions were quoted as folk medicinal preparations and the most common uses referred to gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, as well as illnesses of the uro-genital system. Among the most uncommon medicinal taxa quoted by the informants, Carduus nutans L., Echinops bannaticus Rochel ex Schrad., and Orlaya grandiflora Hoffm. may merit phytochemical and phytopharmacological investigations.Comparison of the data with other ethnobotanical field studies recently conducted on the Albanian and Montenegrin sides of the same Alps has shown a remarkable link between the medical ethnobotany of Montenegrin and Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Moreover, folk uses of the most quoted wild medicinal taxa recorded in Kosovo often include those

Sedimentary record of subsidence pulse at the Triassic/Jurassic boundary interval in the Slovenian Basin (eastern Southern Alps

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Rožič Boštjan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In the Alpine Realm the Early Jurassic is characterized by the disintegration and partial drowning of vast platform areas. In the eastern part of the Southern Alps (present-day NW Slovenia, the Julian Carbonate Platform and the adjacent, E-W extending Slovenian Basin underwent partial disintegration, drowning and deepening from the Pliensbachian on, whereas only nominal environmental changes developed on the large Dinaric (Friuli, Adriatic Carbonate Platform to the south (structurally part of the Dinarides. These events, however, were preceded by an earlier - and as yet undocumented extensional event - that took place near the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. This paper provides evidence of an accelerated subsidence from four selected areas within the Slovenian Basin, which show a trend of eastwardly-decreasing deformation. In the westernmost (Mrzli vrh section - the Upper Triassic platform-margin - massive dolomite is overlain by the earliest Jurassic toe-of-slope carbonate resediments and further, by basin-plain micritic limestone. Further east (Perbla and Liščak sections the Triassic-Jurassic transition interval is marked by an increase in resedimented carbonates. We relate this to the increasing inclination and segmentation of the slope and adjacent basin floor. The easternmost (Mt. Porezen area shows a rather monotonous, latest Triassic-Early Jurassic basinal sedimentation. However, changes in the thickness of the Hettangian-Pliensbachian Krikov Formation point to a tilting of tectonic blocks within the basin area. Lateral facies changes at the base of the formation indicate that the tilting occurred at and/or shortly after the Triassic/Jurassic boundary

Sedimentary record of subsidence pulse at the Triassic/Jurassic boundary interval in the Slovenian Basin (eastern Southern Alps)

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Rožič, Boštjan; Jurkovšek, Tea Kolar; Rožič, Petra Žvab; Gale, Luka

2017-08-01

In the Alpine Realm the Early Jurassic is characterized by the disintegration and partial drowning of vast platform areas. In the eastern part of the Southern Alps (present-day NW Slovenia), the Julian Carbonate Platform and the adjacent, E-W extending Slovenian Basin underwent partial disintegration, drowning and deepening from the Pliensbachian on, whereas only nominal environmental changes developed on the large Dinaric (Friuli, Adriatic) Carbonate Platform to the south (structurally part of the Dinarides). These events, however, were preceded by an earlier - and as yet undocumented extensional event - that took place near the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. This paper provides evidence of an accelerated subsidence from four selected areas within the Slovenian Basin, which show a trend of eastwardly-decreasing deformation. In the westernmost (Mrzli vrh) section - the Upper Triassic platform-margin - massive dolomite is overlain by the earliest Jurassic toe-of-slope carbonate resediments and further, by basin-plain micritic limestone. Further east (Perbla and Liščak sections) the Triassic-Jurassic transition interval is marked by an increase in resedimented carbonates. We relate this to the increasing inclination and segmentation of the slope and adjacent basin floor. The easternmost (Mt. Porezen) area shows a rather monotonous, latest Triassic-Early Jurassic basinal sedimentation. However, changes in the thickness of the Hettangian-Pliensbachian Krikov Formation point to a tilting of tectonic blocks within the basin area. Lateral facies changes at the base of the formation indicate that the tilting occurred at and/or shortly after the Triassic/Jurassic boundary

Debris-covered glaciers during the LGM and Lateglacial at the eastern margin of the Alps

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Seidl, Sabrina; Reitner, Jürgen M.; Wagreich, Michael

2013-04-01

We present the reconstruction of paleo-glaciers in the easternmost part of the Alps (Schneeberg mountain) with the main focus on sedimentology, chronology and glacial dynamics. The area is dominantly made up of limestone bedrock and hence characterized by steep slopes and cirques. Two juvenile moraine-systems can be deciphered based on geological mapping. The major system is characterized by an up to 60 m high latero-frontal dump moraine with a prominent breach-lobe moraine in a lateral position. It is regarded to represent the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; Würm Pleniglacial). The other system is much smaller and was formed most probably during the Würm Lateglacial. The angular to subangular shape of the clasts and the abundant boulders on top of the ridges indicate a high portion of passive (Boulton, 1978) i.e. supraglacial and englacial transport of debris before deposition.Thus the model of a debris-covered glacier is favored to explain both landforms and as well the corresponding sediment facies. For the pleniglacial moraine such an assumption is backed by a low accumulation/ablation area ratio (AAR) of around 1:1 based on the reconstruction of the equilibrium line altitude (ELA) using the maximum elevation of lateral moraines (MELM; Lichtenecker, 1938). Furthermore as there is no indication of a former glacier snout glacio-fluvial processes should have played a limited role in sediment transport into the forefield. Such setting pinpoints to very cold-arid conditions, which are as well found in paleo-climate reconstructions of the eastern foreland (Frenzel et al. 1992). Boulton, G.S., 1978: Boulder shapes and grain-size distribution of debris as indicators of transport paths through a glacier and till genesis.- Sedimentology, 25, 773-799. Lichtenecker, N.,1938. Die gegenwärtige und die eiszeitliche Schneegrenze in den Ostalpen. In: Verhandlungen der III. Internationalen Quartär - Konferenz, Vienna, 1936, 141-147. Frenzel, B., Pecsi, M. & Velichko, A. A., 1992

78 FR 29787 - ALPS ETF Trust, et al.;

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2013-05-21

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION [Investment Company Act Release No. 30519; 812-13884] ALPS ETF...(d)(1)(A) and (B) of the Act. APPLICANTS: ALPS ETF Trust (``Trust''), ALPS Advisors, Inc. (``Adviser... actively managed exchange-traded fund (``ETF''). \\1\\ All entities that currently intend to rely on the...

The occurrence of an upper decomposed peat layer, or “kultureller Trockenhorizont”, in the Alps and Jura Mountains

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P. Sjögren

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Many European mires show a layer of increased decomposition and minerogenic content close to the mire surface. Although the phenomenon is widely recognised, there have been few investigations of its distribution, cause and effect. In this study, nine peat profiles from the Alps and Jura Mountains in central Europe were studied to assess general trends in the upper peat stratigraphy. Analyses of pollen and fungal spore content in two profiles indicates that near-surface changes in decomposition are related to recent historical changes in grazing intensity of the surrounding landscape. Reduced trampling pressure and/or decreased nutrient input allowed partial Sphagnum regeneration in the western Alps and Jura Mountains from AD 1940–60, and in the eastern Alps from AD 1820–60. The results are considered in the context of climate and land use, and future implications for mire development in a changing environment are discussed. Many high-altitude mires in the area are now in a Sphagnum peat re-growth state, but future land use and climatic change will determine whether they will develop towards raised bog or forest carr.

Age and prematurity of the Alps

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Hergarten, Stefan; Stüwe, Kurt; Wagner, Thomas

2010-05-01

Although the Alps are among the best studied mountain ranges on Earth, the age of their topography is almost unknown. Even their relative stage of evolution is unclear: Are the Alps still growing, in a steady state or even decaying? Using the mean slope at given catchment size as a new geomorphic parameter we analyse the topography of the Alps. Our analysis provides one of the first quantitative constraints that shows that the range is still in its infancy: In contrast to several other mountain ranges, the Alps have still more than half of their evolution to a geomorphic steady state to go. Combining our results with sediment data from the surrounding accumulation spaces we infer that the formation of substantial topography began only 5-6 million years ago. Our results challenge a general consensus that the topographic evolution is distributed over much of the Miocene.

The ALP miracle: unified inflaton and dark matter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daido, Ryuji; Takahashi, Fuminobu; Yin, Wen

2017-01-01

We propose a scenario where both inflation and dark matter are described by a single axion-like particle (ALP) in a unified manner. In a class of the minimal axion hilltop inflation, the effective masses at the maximum and mimimum of the potential have equal magnitude but opposite sign, so that the ALP inflaton is light both during inflation and in the true vacuum. After inflation, most of the ALPs decay and evaporate into plasma through a coupling to photons, and the remaining ones become dark matter. We find that the observed CMB and matter power spectrum as well as the dark matter abundance point to an ALP of mass m φ = O(0.01) eV and the axion-photon coupling g φ γ γ = O(10 −11 ) GeV −1 : the ALP miracle . The suggested parameter region is within the reach of the next generation axion helioscope, IAXO, and high-intensity laser experiments in the future. Furthermore, thermalized ALPs contribute to hot dark matter and its abundance is given in terms of the effective number of extra neutrino species, Δ N eff ≅ 0.03, which can be tested by the future CMB and BAO observations. We also discuss a case with multiple ALPs, where the coupling to photons can be enhanced in the early Universe by an order of magnitude or more, which enlarges the parameter space for the ALP miracle. The heavy ALP plays a role of the waterfall field in hybrid inflation, and reheats the Universe, and it can be searched for in various experiments such as SHiP.

The ALP miracle: unified inflaton and dark matter

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daido, Ryuji; Takahashi, Fuminobu [Department of Physics, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8578 (Japan); Yin, Wen, E-mail: daido@tuhep.phys.tohoku.ac.jp, E-mail: fumi@tuhep.phys.tohoku.ac.jp, E-mail: wyin@ihep.ac.cn [IHEP, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2017-05-01

We propose a scenario where both inflation and dark matter are described by a single axion-like particle (ALP) in a unified manner. In a class of the minimal axion hilltop inflation, the effective masses at the maximum and mimimum of the potential have equal magnitude but opposite sign, so that the ALP inflaton is light both during inflation and in the true vacuum. After inflation, most of the ALPs decay and evaporate into plasma through a coupling to photons, and the remaining ones become dark matter. We find that the observed CMB and matter power spectrum as well as the dark matter abundance point to an ALP of mass m {sub φ} = O(0.01) eV and the axion-photon coupling g {sub φ} {sub γ} {sub γ} = O(10{sup −11}) GeV{sup −1}: the ALP miracle . The suggested parameter region is within the reach of the next generation axion helioscope, IAXO, and high-intensity laser experiments in the future. Furthermore, thermalized ALPs contribute to hot dark matter and its abundance is given in terms of the effective number of extra neutrino species, Δ N {sub eff} ≅ 0.03, which can be tested by the future CMB and BAO observations. We also discuss a case with multiple ALPs, where the coupling to photons can be enhanced in the early Universe by an order of magnitude or more, which enlarges the parameter space for the ALP miracle. The heavy ALP plays a role of the waterfall field in hybrid inflation, and reheats the Universe, and it can be searched for in various experiments such as SHiP.

Effect of permafrost on the formation of organic carbon pools and their physical-chemical properties in the Eastern Swiss Alps

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Pichler, B.; Alewell, C.; Kneisel, C.; Meusburger, K.; Egli, M.

2012-04-01

Alpine soils contain a relatively large amount of organic matter (OM) even at elevations above the present-days timberline. Current climatic conditions and the occurrence of discontinuous and sporadic permafrost in the mountains result in a low turnover rate and therefore accumulation of OM. Alpine ecosystems are highly sensitive to environmental changes and therefore may become a potential source of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) due to global warming. The expected changes in thermal and hydrological conditions in permafrost soils will not only influence OM degradation processes within the soil. Especially in alpine regions, soil erosion processes might be affected and potentially promote the mineralization of OM. However, the knowledge about the biogeochemistry and OM-stabilization processes and rates in permafrost soils in alpine regions is scarce, which makes it difficult to predict climate-carbon feedbacks. Our aim is to determine and compare the quantity, allocation and mean residence time of OM and the potential erosion processes in permafrost soils and adjacent unfrozen soils (distance between permafrost/non-permafrost soils max. 200m) at three locations in the Eastern Swiss Alps (Val Bever, Albula). Bulk soil, labile (oxidized by H2O2) and stable fractions (H2O2-resistant) were analyzed for their C-content and characterized using DRIFT (Diffuse Reflection Infrared Fourier Transform). Additionally, selected soil samples were 14C-dated. This approach has been applied for the first time in high alpine regions. To estimate the degree of disturbance, soil erosion has been qualitatively assessed by relating the OM-delta13C values of the soil profiles of interest to undisturbed reference profiles. We found rather well-developed soil profiles and a relatively high amount of OM at both types of sites (permafrost/non-permafrost), leading to the assumption that these soils developed over a certain period under a different (warmer) climate. This fact is supported by

Heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis infection in a leopard (Panthera pardus pardus housed in a zoological park in north-eastern Italy

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Frangipane di Regalbono Antonio

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Canine heartworm (cHW disease is now recognised as potential cause of serious disease in cats and other felids, especially in endemic areas. In March 2009, a 23-years-old male African leopard (Panthera pardus pardus housed in a zoological park located in the Province of Padova (Veneto Region, a cHW endemic area of the north-eastern Italy, died and was immediately necropsied. A cloth completely occluding the pyloric lumen was considered the presumptive cause of death. During necropsy, six nematodes (4 males and 2 females were found within the right ventricle of the heart and the pulmonary artery. Diagnosis of HW (Dirofilaria immitis infection was carried out by morphological features of adult worms and microfilariae, and then confirmed by detection of circulating HW antigens using a commercial SNAP kit (IDEXX Laboratories inc., USA. D. immitis infection was also confirmed by PCR amplification of the 5S ribosomal spacer region, performed on worm fragments and microfilaraemic blood samples obtained from the right ventricle of the heart. A glomerulonephritis of immuno-mediated origin and most likely associated with the HW infection is also reported. HW chemoprophylaxis and annual serological testing on wild felids housed outdoors in endemic cHW disease areas are recommended. This is the first diagnosis of D. immitis infection in an exotic felid in Italy.

Shear wave velocities in the upper mantle of the Western Alps: new constraints using array analysis of seismic surface waves

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Lyu, Chao; Pedersen, Helle A.; Paul, Anne; Zhao, Liang; Solarino, Stefano

2017-07-01

It remains challenging to obtain absolute shear wave velocities of heterogeneities of small lateral extension in the uppermost mantle. This study presents a cross-section of Vs across the strongly heterogeneous 3-D structure of the western European Alps, based on array analysis of data from 92 broad-band seismic stations from the CIFALPS experiment and from permanent networks in France and Italy. Half of the stations were located along a dense sublinear array. Using a combination of these stations and off-profile stations, fundamental-mode Rayleigh wave dispersion curves were calculated using a combined frequency-time beamforming approach. We calculated dispersion curves for seven arrays of approximately 100 km aperture and 14 arrays of approximately 50 km aperture, the latter with the aim of obtaining a 2-D vertical cross-section of Vs beneath the western Alps. The dispersion curves were inverted for Vs(z), with crustal interfaces imposed from a previous receiver function study. The array approach proved feasible, as Vs(z) from independent arrays vary smoothly across the profile length. Results from the seven large arrays show that the shear velocity of the upper mantle beneath the European plate is overall low compared to AK135 with the lowest velocities in the internal part of the western Alps, and higher velocities east of the Alps beneath the Po plain. The 2-D Vs model is coherent with (i) a ∼100 km thick eastward-dipping European lithosphere west of the Alps, (ii) very high velocities beneath the Po plain, coherent with the presence of the Alpine (European) slab and (iii) a narrow low-velocity anomaly beneath the core of the western Alps (from the Briançonnais to the Dora Maira massif), and approximately colocated with a similar anomaly observed in a recent teleseismic P-wave tomography. This intriguing anomaly is also supported by traveltime variations of subvertically propagating body waves from two teleseismic events that are approximately located on

Prevalence of Paget's disease of bone in Italy.

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Gennari, Luigi; Di Stefano, Marco; Merlotti, Daniela; Giordano, Nicola; Martini, Giuseppe; Tamone, Cristina; Zatteri, Roberto; De Lucchi, Roberto; Baldi, Carlo; Vattimo, Angelo; Capoccia, Silvia; Burroni, Luca; Geraci, Simone; De Paola, Vincenzo; Calabrò, Anna; Avanzati, Annalisa; Isaia, Giancarlo; Nuti, Ranuccio

2005-10-01

We examined the prevalence of PDB in Italy from radiological, scintigraphic, and biochemical surveys in two Italian towns. Prevalence rates varied from 0.7% to 2.4%, were higher in males than in females, and slightly differed between the two towns. Unlike previous studies in populations of British descent, no secular trend for a decreasing prevalence emerged. Clinical, radiological, and necropsy data from different countries suggested pronounced geographical variations in the prevalence of Paget's disease of bone (PDB). Despite the impact of the disease on the population, there are limited data on the prevalence of PDB in Italy. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of PDB in the district of Siena (Central Italy) and Turin (Northern Italy) from radiological, biochemical, and scintigraphic surveys. We examined a sample of 1778 consecutive pelvic radiographs performed between 1999 and 2000 at the Hospital Radiology Unit in Siena and 6609 pelvic radiographs performed in 1986-1987, 1992-1993, and 1999-2002 from the Radiology Department of Molinette Hospital in Turin. In Siena, 7906 consecutive (99m)TC-MDP bone scans performed over a 4-year period (January 2000 to May 2004) were also screened for the presence of PDB, and the prevalence of elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels (>300 UI/liter) was estimated from 7449 computerized medical records over a 3-year period (January 2000 to February 2003). The finding of PDB on the pelvic radiograph and bone scan was based on standardized radiological criteria. At the end of the radiological surveys, 16/1778 pelvic PDB cases (8 males and 8 females) were observed in Siena and 41/6609 (27 males and 14 females) in Turin. The crude prevalence of the disease was 0.89% in Siena and 0.62% in Turin. Given that pelvic involvement is commonly described in 60-90% of PDB patients, the estimated overall prevalence of PDB ranged from 1.0% to 1.5% in Siena and from 0.7% to 1.0% in Turin. No decrease in the prevalence

Ductile extension of syn-magmatic lower crusts, with application to volcanic passive margins: the Ivrea Zone (Southern Alps, Italy)

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Bidault, Marie; Geoffroy, Laurent; Arbaret, Laurent; Aubourg, Charles

2017-04-01

Deep seismic reflection profiles of present-day volcanic passive margins often show a 2-layered lower crust, from top to bottom: an apparently ductile 12 km-thick middle-lower layer (LC1) of strong folded reflectors and a 4 km-thick supra-Moho layer (LC2) of horizontal and parallel reflectors. Those layers appear to be structurally disconnected and to develop at the early stages of margins evolution. A magmatic origin has been suggested by several studies to explain those strong reflectors, favoring mafic sills intrusion hypothesis. Overlying mafic and acidic extrusives (Seaward Dipping Reflectors sequences) are bounded by continentward-dipping detachment faults rooting in, and co-structurated with, the ductile part of the lower crust (LC1). Consequently the syn-rift to post-rift evolution of volcanic passive margins (and passive margins in general) largely depends on the nature and the properties of the lower crust, yet poorly understood. We propose to investigate the properties and rheology of a magma-injected extensional lower crust with a field analogue, the Ivrea Zone (Southern Alps, Italy). The Ivrea Zone displays a complete back-thrusted section of a Variscan continental lower crust that first underwent gravitational collapse, and then lithospheric extension. This Late Paleozoic extension was apparently associated with the continuous intrusion of a large volume of mafic to acid magma. Both the magma timing and volume, and the structure of the Ivrea lower crust suggest that this section represents an adequate analogue of a syn-magmatic in-extension mafic rift zone which aborted at the end of the Permian. Notably, we may recognize the 2 layers LC1 and LC2. From a number of tectonic observations, we reconstitute the whole tectonic history of the area, focusing on the strain field evolution with time, in connection with mafic magma injection. We compare those results with available data from extensional mafic lower crusts at rifts and margins.

Medical ethnobotany of the Albanian Alps in Kosovo

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Mustafa Behxhet

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Ethnobotanical studies are crucial in South-Eastern Europe for fostering local development and also for investigating the dynamics of Traditional Environmental Knowledge (TEK related to plants in one of the most crucial European hotspots for biocultural diversity. The current medico-ethnobotanical survey was conducted in rural alpine communities in Kosovo. The aims of the study were twofold: 1 to document the state of TEK of medicinal plants in these communities; 2 to compare these findings with that of similar field studies previously conducted among local populations inhabiting the Montenegrin and Albanian side of the same Alpine range. Methods Field research was conducted in 36 villages on the Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Snowball sampling techniques were used to recruit 91 elderly informants (≥ 50 years-old for participation in semi-structured interviews and structured surveys regarding the use of the local flora for medicinal and food purposes. Standard ethnobotanical methods were employed and prior informed consent was obtained for all study participants. Results and Conclusion The uses of 98 plants species belonging to 39 families were recorded; the most quoted botanical families were Rosaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae. Mainly decoctions and infusions were quoted as folk medicinal preparations and the most common uses referred to gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders, as well as illnesses of the uro-genital system. Among the most uncommon medicinal taxa quoted by the informants, Carduus nutans L., Echinops bannaticus Rochel ex Schrad., and Orlaya grandiflora Hoffm. may merit phytochemical and phytopharmacological investigations. Comparison of the data with other ethnobotanical field studies recently conducted on the Albanian and Montenegrin sides of the same Alps has shown a remarkable link between the medical ethnobotany of Montenegrin and Kosovar side of the Albanian Alps. Moreover, folk uses of the

Ecology of some mire and bog plant communities in the Western Italian Alps

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Giorgio BUFFA

2003-02-01

Full Text Available During a mire vegetation study, conducted mainly in the subalpine-alpine sector of the Western Italian Alps, the ecology of several plant communities and numerous moss species of this kind of vegetation was evaluated. The study area covered the Piedmontese sector of the Graian Alps, the eastern sector of the Aosta Valley as well as certain localities of the Pennine Alps, the Canavese district and the Maritime Alps. They have a rocky substratum representative of the various regional lithologies and include the main sectors characterised by the highest precipitation. Three hundred and twenty two relevées were made using the phytosociological method and the pH and the conductivity of the water table and its depth were measured directly. Cluster Analysis allowed a classification of the samples and the identification of various groups of plant communities. Ordination performed by DCA and CCA allowed us to identify the ecological features of the various plant communities by using the values of the main environmental parameters, measured directly in the field, and certain climatic parameters (altitude and mean annual precipitation available. The use of climatic parameters is an important result for identifying communities which show greater oceanicity, something that is underlined also by the presence of indicator species such as Sphagnum papillosum and S. subnitens. Furthermore the communities are arranged in a "poor-rich" gradient, and are also profoundly influenced by depth to water table which is inversely correlated to the pH. Therefore we find certain kinds of communities all with a very low water table and which are little affected by its chemistry. Other groups share the fact that the water table is outcropping or near the surface and are distinguishable for their pH values and conductivity. We discuss the different response of the bryophytes and vascular plants of these communities to the environmental parameters considered, in light of their

Argon and fission track dating of Alpine metamorphism and basement exhumation in the Sopron Mts. (Eastern Alps, Hungary): thermochronology or mineral growth?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balogh, K.; Dunkl, I.

2005-01-01

The crystalline basement rocks of the Sopron Mountains are the easternmost and most isolated outcrops of the Austroalpine basement of the Eastern Alps. Ar/Ar and K/Ar dating of phengitic mica indicates that the Eoalpine high-pressure metamorphism of the area occurred between 76 and 71 Ma. Short-lived metamorphism is characterized by fluid-poor conditions. Fluid circulation was mostly restricted to shear zones, thus the degree of Alpine overprint has an extreme spatial variation. In several metamorphic slices Variscan mineral assemblages have been preserved and biotite yielded Variscan and Permo-Triassic Ar ages. Different mineral and isotope thermometers (literature data) yielded temperatures of 500-600 o C for the peak of Alpine metamorphism in the Sopron Mountains, but muscovite and biotite do not show complete argon resetting. Thus, we consider this crystalline area as a well constrained natural test site, which either indicates considerably high closure temperatures (around 550 o C) for Ar in muscovite and biotite in a dry metamorphic environment, or which is suitable for testing the widely applied methods of temperature estimations under disequilibrium conditions. Apatite fission track results and their thermal modeling, together with structural, mineralogical and sedimentological observations, allows the identification of a post-metamorphic, Eocene hydrothermal event and Late Miocene-Pliocene sediment burial of the crystalline rocks of the Sopron Mountains. (author)

The "green stones" of Valtellina and Valchiavenna (central Alps, northern Italy)

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Cavallo, Alessandro

2015-04-01

Valtellina and Val Chiavenna (Sondrio, Central Alps, northern Italy) are traditionally areas of production of building and ornamental stones (e.g. Serizzo Ghiandone, Serizzo Valmasino, San Fedelino Granite), and among these the "green stones" have a leading position. These stones had an extensive use in Lombardy, as well as abroad (e.g Switzerland). The "green stones" are related to the two mafic-ultramafic bodies of Valmalenco and Chiavenna, where the two largest quarrying districts of the Province of Sondrio are located. Until the early decades of the XX century, serpentinites (and other lithologies from Valtellina) were also extracted from the erratic boulders of Brianza (north of Milan), but at present time the law protects the few remaining boulders. The extracted and processed materials are various: serpentinites, ophicalcites, soapstones. Even the "Stone of Tresivio", used in the past in important monuments of Valtellina, could be classified among the "green stones" in a broad sense: it is a green chloritic schist with scarce and thin ferriferous calcitic veins, pertaining to the sedimentary "Servino" Formation. In recent times, the ancient quarries of this stone were rediscovered near the homonymous village, a few kilometers from Sondrio. There are also historic reports about other "green stones", used in ancient times, such as the "Stone of Grosio", a chloritic schist, and the "Bormio Prasinite". Currently the extraction and processing of "green stones" occurs mostly in Valmalenco, with 22 active serpentinite quarries and a gross volume of 70000 m3 extracted per year, with a yield of about 50%. The Malenco serpentinite (interpreted as sub-continental mantle rocks) forms a 1-2 km thick tabular body, outcropping over an area of about 170 km2, almost entirely confined within the boundaries of the valley. The antigoritic serpentinites (with variable amounts of olivine, clinopyroxene, chlorite and magnetite) are moderately up to strongly foliated, sometimes

A NEW DAONELLA FROM THE LADINIAN PLATFORM OF THE ESINO LIMESTONE (SOUTHERN ALPS, ITALY

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CRISTIANO LARGHI

2006-03-01

Full Text Available The bivalve Daonella Mojsisovics, 1874 is very common in the Middle Triassic pelagic facies, whereas the record of this genus from shallow water limestones is rare. In the present paper a new species of Daonella, named D. pseudograbensis, is described from the Esino Limestone, a Ladinian (Middle Triassic carbonate platform in the central Southern Alps. The species is described from Brembana Valley, where the Esino Limestone is rather rich in bioclastic lenses yielding faunas with bivalves, cephalopods, gastropods, brachiopods, corals and calcareous algae. Daonella pseudograbensis n. sp. is based on very well preserved specimens, which are often articulated and closed, all coming from the same locality. The new species shows a narrow range of intraspecific and ontogenetic morphologic variations. It is easy distinguishable from the other species of the genus for the outline and ornamentation; it therefore differs from D. grabensis Kittl, 1912, the most similar species, for the longer anterior dorsal margin.Pdf

Distribution and habitat characterization of the recently introduced invasive mosquito Aedes koreicus [Hulecoeteomyia koreica], a new potential vector and pest in north-eastern Italy

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2013-01-01

Background The container breeding species belonging to the genus Aedes (Meigen) are frequently recorded out of their place of origin. Invasive Aedes species are proven or potential vectors of important Arboviruses and their establishment in new areas pose a threat for human and animal health. A new species of exotic mosquito was recorded in 2011 in north-eastern Italy: Aedes (Finlaya) koreicus [Hulecoeteomyia koreica]. The aim of this study was to characterize the biology, the environment and the current distribution of this mosquito in north-eastern Italy. Morphological details useful to discriminate this species from other invasive Aedes mosquitoes are also given (see Additional files). Methods All possible breeding sites for larval development were monitored. In addition, ovitraps and traps for adults were used to collect eggs and adults. The mosquitoes (larvae and adults) were identified morphologically and molecularly. Environmental data and climatic variables during the period of mosquito activity (from April to October) were considered. Results Aedes koreicus was found in 37 municipalities (39.4%) and was detected in 40.2% of places and in 37.3% of larval habitats monitored, in a range of altitude from 173 to 1250 m.a.s.l.. Garden centres were the most common locations (66.7%), followed by streets/squares (57.1%), private gardens (46.4%) and cemeteries (21.1%) (p Aedes albopictus [Stegomyia albopicta], ovitraps were attractive for adult females resulting in the higher rate of positivity (15/21; 71.4%) among breeding sites. The period of Ae. koreicus activity ranged from March 29 to October 29. Conclusion The species is clearly established in the area and is now overlapping with other vectors such as Ae. albopictus and colonizing areas over 800 m.a.s.l, not yet or sporadically reached by the tiger mosquito. The data collected are essential to assess the risk of colonization of other parts of Italy and Europe, as well as the risk of spreading of pathogens

Spatio-temporal patterns of distribution of West Nile virus vectors in eastern Piedmont Region, Italy

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Bisanzio Donal

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background West Nile Virus (WNV transmission in Italy was first reported in 1998 as an equine outbreak near the swamps of Padule di Fucecchio, Tuscany. No other cases were identified during the following decade until 2008, when horse and human outbreaks were reported in Emilia Romagna, North Italy. Since then, WNV outbreaks have occurred annually, spreading from their initial northern foci throughout the country. Following the outbreak in 1998 the Italian public health authority defined a surveillance plan to detect WNV circulation in birds, horses and mosquitoes. By applying spatial statistical analysis (spatial point pattern analysis and models (Bayesian GLMM models to a longitudinal dataset on the abundance of the three putative WNV vectors [Ochlerotatus caspius (Pallas 1771, Culex pipiens (Linnaeus 1758 and Culex modestus (Ficalbi 1890] in eastern Piedmont, we quantified their abundance and distribution in space and time and generated prediction maps outlining the areas with the highest vector productivity and potential for WNV introduction and amplification. Results The highest abundance and significant spatial clusters of Oc. caspius and Cx. modestus were in proximity to rice fields, and for Cx. pipiens, in proximity to highly populated urban areas. The GLMM model showed the importance of weather conditions and environmental factors in predicting mosquito abundance. Distance from the preferential breeding sites and elevation were negatively associated with the number of collected mosquitoes. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI was positively correlated with mosquito abundance in rice fields (Oc. caspius and Cx. modestus. Based on the best models, we developed prediction maps for the year 2010 outlining the areas where high abundance of vectors could favour the introduction and amplification of WNV. Conclusions Our findings provide useful information for surveillance activities aiming to identify locations where the

Reconstructing temperatures in the Maritime Alps, Italy, since the Last Glacial Maximum using cosmogenic noble gas paleothermometry

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Tremblay, Marissa; Spagnolo, Matteo; Ribolini, Adriano; Shuster, David

2016-04-01

The Gesso Valley, located in the southwestern-most, Maritime portion of the European Alps, contains an exceptionally well-preserved record of glacial advances during the late Pleistocene and Holocene. Detailed geomorphic mapping, geochronology of glacial deposits, and glacier reconstructions indicate that glaciers in this Mediterranean region responded to millennial scale climate variability differently than glaciers in the interior of the European Alps. This suggests that the Mediterranean Sea somehow modulated the climate of this region. However, since glaciers respond to changes in temperature and precipitation, both variables were potentially influenced by proximity to the Sea. To disentangle the competing effects of temperature and precipitation changes on glacier size, we are constraining past temperature variations in the Gesso Valley since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) using cosmogenic noble gas paleothermometry. The cosmogenic noble gases 3He and 21Ne experience diffusive loss from common minerals like quartz and feldspars at Earth surface temperatures. Cosmogenic noble gas paleothermometry utilizes this open-system behavior to quantitatively constrain thermal histories of rocks during exposure to cosmic ray particles at the Earth's surface. We will present measurements of cosmogenic 3He in quartz sampled from moraines in the Gesso Valley with LGM, Bühl stadial, and Younger Dryas ages. With these 3He measurements and experimental data quantifying the diffusion kinetics of 3He in quartz, we will provide a preliminary temperature reconstruction for the Gesso Valley since the LGM. Future work on samples from younger moraines in the valley system will be used to fill in details of the more recent temperature history.

Challenges of conservation agriculture practices on silty soils. Effects on soil pore and gas transport characteristics in North-eastern Italy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Piccoli, Ilaria; Schjønning, Per; Lamandé, Mathieu

2017-01-01

highlighted low transmission properties of the silty soils independently from agronomic management. Both air permeability and relative gas diffusivity showed poor aerated conditions being generallytreatments affected the transmission properties only in the coarsest soil...... of this study was to evaluate the effect of CA practices on gas transport characteristics in the silty soils of the Veneto Region (North-Eastern Italy). In 2010, a field experiment comparing CA practices (no-tillage, cover crop and residues retention) to conventional intensive tillage (IT) system...... was established in four farms located in the Veneto low plain. In fall 2015, 144 undisturbed 100 cm3 soil cores where collected at two different layers (3–6.5 cm and 20–23.5 cm) and analysed for air-filled porosity, air permeability, gas diffusivity and soil structure indices derived. Gas transport measurements...

A 10,000 yr record of high-resolution Paleosecular Variation from a flowstone of Rio Martino Cave, Northwestern Alps, Italy

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Zanella, Elena; Tema, Evdokia; Lanci, Luca; Regattieri, Eleonora; Isola, Ilaria; Hellstrom, John C.; Costa, Emanuele; Zanchetta, Giovanni; Drysdale, Russell N.; Magrì, Federico

2018-03-01

Speleothems are potentially excellent archives of the Earth's magnetic field, capable of recording its past variations. Their characteristics, such as the continuity of the record, the possibility to be easily dated, the almost instantaneous remanence acquisition and the high time-resolution make them potentially unique high-quality Paleosecular Variation (PSV) recorders. Nevertheless, speleothems are commonly characterized by low magnetic intensities, which often limits their resolution. Here we present a paleomagnetic study performed on two cores from a flowstone from the Rio Martino Cave (Western Alps, Italy). U/Th dating indicates that the flowstone's deposition covers almost the entire Holocene, spanning the period ca. 0.5-9.0 ka, while an estimation of its mean growth rate is around 1 mm per 15 years. The flowstone is composed of columnar calcite, characterized by a highly magnetic detrital content from meta-ophiolites in the cave's catchment. This favorable geological context results in an intense magnetic signal that permits the preparation and measurement of thin (∼3 mm depth equivalent) samples, each representing around 45 yr. The Characteristic Remanent Magnetization (ChRM), isolated after systematic stepwise Alternating Field demagnetization, is well defined, with Maximum Angular Deviation (MAD) generally lower than 10°. Paleomagnetic directional data allow the reconstruction of the PSV path during the Holocene for the area. Comparison of the new data with archeomagnetic data from Italian archeological and volcanic records and using the predictions of the SHA.DIF.14k and pfm9k.1a global geomagnetic field models shows that the Rio Martino flowstone represents an excellent recorder of the Earth's magnetic field during the last 9,000 years. Our high resolution paleomagnetic record, anchored by a high-quality chronology, provides promising data both for the detection of short term geomagnetic field variations and for complementing existing regional PSV

Recent demographic trends in the northern borderland between Italy and Slovenia: Stabilization or further redistribution of population?

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Josipovič Damir

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The contribution presents findings from the research on a constitution of new ethnic identities in Alps-Adriatic region. The key question dealt here with was to which extent the recent demographical processes impact the peripheral, mountainous, and ethnically specific cross-border region between Slovenia and Italy. In lay and professional discourse there is still omnipresent mentality of extinguishing Slovene minority in Italy. Applying various demographical methods the article resolves the demographical processes and quantifies the extent of the local Slovene speakers. The author argues that the recent demographical processes of heavy depopulation tend to stabilize towards stagnation. Depopulation is stronger in the Slovenian part of the region, though the traditional Slovene-speaking areas in Italy aren’t as threatened as the adjacent Friulian areas. New migration trends along with the generally low fertility contribute to changes in traditional dualistic structure and bring refreshment to remote parts of the border region as well.

Italy: An Open Air Museum

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Pizzorusso, Ann

2016-04-01

Imagine if you could see the River Styx, bathe in the Fountain of Youth, collect water which enhances fertility, wear a gem that heals bodily ailments, understand how our health is affected by geomagnetic fields, venture close to the flames of Hell on Earth and much, much, more. Know something? These things exist - on Earth - today - in Italy and you can visit them because Italy is an open air museum. Ann C. Pizzorusso, in her recent book, reveals how Italy's geology has affected its art, literature, architecture, religion, medicine and just about everything else. She explores the geologic birth of the land, describing the formation of the Alps and Apennines, romantic bays of Tuscany and Lazio, volcanoes of the south and Caribbean-like beaches of Puglia. But that's not all, from the first pages of this visually stunning book, the reader has the impression of being in an art museum, where one can wander from page to page to satisfy one's curiosity-- guided from time to time by the Etruscan priests, Virgil, Dante, Goethe or Leonardo da Vinci himself. Pizzorusso stitches together widely diverse topics - such as gemology, folk remedies, grottoes, painting, literature, physics and religion - using geology as a thread. Quoting everyone from Pliny the Elder to NASA physicist Friedemann Freund, the work is solidly backed scholarship that reads as easily as a summer novel. Wonderfully illustrated with many photos licensed from Italian museums, HRH Elizabeth II and the Ministero Beni Culturali the book highlights the best works in Italian museums and those outside in the "open air museums." This approach can be used in any other country in the world and can be used for cultural tourism (a tour following the book has been organized for cultural and university groups), an ideal way of linking museums to the surrounding landscape.

Phylogeography and recolonization of the Swiss Alps by the Valais shrew (Sorex antinorii), inferred with autosomal and sex-specific markers.

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Yannic, G; Basset, P; Hausser, J

2008-09-01

Using one male-inherited, one female-inherited and eight biparentally inherited markers, we investigate the population genetic structure of the Valais shrew (Sorex antinorii) in the Swiss Alps. Bayesian analysis on autosomal microsatellites suggests a clear genetic differentiation between two groups of populations. This geographically based structure is consistent with two separate postglacial recolonization routes of the species into Switzerland from Italian refugia after the last Pleistocene glaciations. Sex-specific markers also confirm genetic structuring among western and eastern areas, since very few haplotypes for either Y chromosome or mtDNA genome are shared between the two regions. Overall, these results suggest that two already well-differentiated genetic lineages colonized the Swiss Alps and came into secondary contact in the Rhône Valley. Low level of admixture between the two lineages is likely explained by the mountainous landscape structure of lateral valleys orthogonal to the main Rhône valley.

The contribute of DInSAR techniques to landslide hazard evaluation in mountain and hilly regions: a case study from Agno Valley (North-Eastern Italian Alps)

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De Agostini, A.; Floris, M.; Pasquali, P.; Barbieri, M.; Cantone, A.; Riccardi, P.; Stevan, G.; Genevois, R.

2012-04-01

In the last twenty years, Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) techniques have been widely used to investigate geological processes, such as subsidence, earthquakes and landslides, through the evaluation of earth surface displacements caused by these processes. In the study of mass movements, contribution of interferometry can be limited due to the acquisition geometry of RADAR images and the rough morphology of mountain and hilly regions which represent typical landslide-prone areas. In this study, the advanced DInSAR techniques (i.e. Small Baseline Subset and Persistent Scatterers techniques), available in SARscape software, are used. These methods involve the use of multiple acquisitions stacks (large SAR temporal series) allowing improvements and refinements in landslide identification, characterization and hazard evaluation at the basin scale. Potential and limits of above mentioned techniques are outlined and discussed. The study area is the Agno Valley, located in the North-Eastern sector of Italian Alps and included in the Vicenza Province (Veneto Region, Italy). This area and the entire Vicenza Province were hit by an exceptional rainfall event on November 2010 that triggered more than 500 slope instabilities. The main aim of the work is to verify if spatial information available before the rainfall event, including ERS and ENVISAT RADAR data from 1992 to 2010, were able to predict the landslides occurred in the study area, in order to implement an effectiveness forecasting model. In the first step of the work a susceptibility analysis is carried out using landslide dataset from the IFFI project (Inventario Fenomeni Franosi in Italia, Landslide Italian Inventory) and related predisposing factors, which consist of morphometric (elevation, slope, aspect and curvature) and non-morphometric (land use, distance of roads and distance of river) factors available from the Veneto Region spatial database. Then, to test the prediction, the

ALP - blood test

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... Tissues with higher amounts of ALP include the liver, bile ducts, and bone. A blood test can be done ... and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Bile Duct Diseases Read more Bone Diseases Read more Liver Function Tests Read more A.D.A.M., ...

Gene Expression of Lytic Endopeptidases AlpA and AlpB from Lysobacter sp. XL1 in Pseudomonads.

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Tsfasman, Irina M; Lapteva, Yulia S; Krasovskaya, Ludmila A; Kudryakova, Irina V; Vasilyeva, Natalia V; Granovsky, Igor E; Stepnaya, Olga A

2015-01-01

Development of an efficient expression system for (especially secreted) bacterial lytic enzymes is a complicated task due to the specificity of their action. The substrate for such enzymes is peptidoglycan, the main structural component of bacterial cell walls. For this reason, expression of recombinant lytic proteins is often accompanied with lysis of the producing bacterium. This paper presents data on the construction of an inducible system for expression of the lytic peptidases AlpA and AlpB from Lysobacter sp. XL1 in Pseudomonas fluorescens Q2-87, which provides for the successful secretion of these proteins into the culture liquid. In this system, the endopeptidase gene under control of the T7lac promoter was integrated into the bacterial chromosome, as well as the Escherichia coli lactose operon repressor protein gene. The T7 pol gene under lac promoter control, which encodes the phage T7 RNA polymerase, is maintained in Pseudomonas cells on the plasmids. Media and cultivation conditions for the recombinant strains were selected to enable the production of AlpA and AlpB by a simple purification protocol. Production of recombinant lytic enzymes should contribute to the development of new-generation antimicrobial drugs whose application will not be accompanied by selection of resistant microorganisms. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

OGS improvements in the year 2011 in running the Northeastern Italy Seismic Network

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Bragato, P. L.; Pesaresi, D.; Saraò, A.; Di Bartolomeo, P.; Durı, G.

2012-04-01

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Center) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake of magnitude M=6.4 occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the Northeastern Italy Seismic Network: it currently consists of 15 very sensitive broad band and 21 simpler short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS-CRS data center in Udine. Real time data exchange agreements in place with other Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Swiss seismological institutes lead to a total number of about 100 seismic stations acquired in real time, which makes the OGS the reference institute for seismic monitoring of Northeastern Italy. Since 2002 OGS-CRS is using the Antelope software suite on several workstations plus a SUN Cluster as the main tool for collecting, analyzing, archiving and exchanging seismic data, initially in the framework of the EU Interreg IIIA project "Trans-national seismological networks in the South-Eastern Alps". SeisComP is also used as a real time data exchange server tool. In order to improve the seismological monitoring of the Northeastern Italy area, at OGS-CRS we tuned existing programs and created ad hoc ones like: a customized web server named PickServer to manually relocate earthquakes, a script for automatic moment tensor determination, scripts for web publishing of earthquake parametric data, waveforms, state of health parameters and shaking maps, noise characterization by means of automatic spectra analysis, and last but not least scripts for email/SMS/fax alerting. The OGS-CRS Real Time Seismological website (RTS, http://rts.crs.inogs.it/) operative since several years was initially developed in the framework of the Italian DPC-INGV S3 Project: the RTS website shows classic earthquake locations

Chrysotile asbestos quantification in serpentinite quarries: a case study in Valmalenco, central Alps, northern Italy

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Cavallo, Alessandro

2013-04-01

Outcrops of serpentinites are usually strongly fractured and cataclastic, and the rock can only be used as ballast. However, in rare cases, like in Valmalenco (Central Alps, Northern Italy), fractures are regular and well spaced, and the rock mass has good geotechnical quality, ideal conditions for the extraction of dimension stone blocks. The Valmalenco Serpentinite is marketed worldwide as dimension and decorative stone, with remarkable mechanical properties and pleasing colours and textures. However, the same area was once subject to chrysotile asbestos mining, in the form of discrete veins along the main discontinuities of the rock mass. For this reason, airborne asbestos contamination can occur during the extraction and processing cycle of the rocks, therefore it is essential to locate and quantify asbestos in the rock mass, to reduce as much as possible the exposure risk. The first step was a detailed geostructural survey of each quarry, in order to characterize the main discontinuities (orientation, spacing, linear persistence, opening, filling), with special attention to the identification of fibrous minerals. The surveys was followed by extensive sampling of massive rocks, mineralized veins and fillings of fractures, and the cutting sludge derived from diamond wire cutting. Preliminary qualitative XRPD was performed on all samples, while quantitative analysis was carried out on the most representative samples of the main rock mass discontinuities. On the other hand, XRPD is not effective in the identification of asbestos percentages of less than 2% by weight, and the accurate distinction among the various serpentine polymorphs (antigorite, lizardite, chrysotile) is very difficult (if not impossible) when they are simultaneously present, due to their very similar basic structure and the strong structural disorder. The same samples were then analyzed by SEM-EDS (fiber counting after filtration on a polycarbonate filter), for a better distinction between

GPS tracking of non-breeding ravens reveals the importance of anthropogenic food sources during their dispersal in the Eastern Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Loretto, Matthias-Claudio; Schuster, Richard; Bugnyar, Thomas

2016-08-01

In many songbirds, the space use of breeders is well studied but poorly understood for non-breeders. In common ravens, some studies of non-breeders indicate high vagrancy with large individual differences in home range size, whereas others show that up to 40% of marked non-breeders can be regularly observed at the same anthropogenic food source over months to years. The aim of this study was to provide new insights on ravens' behavior during dispersal in the Eastern Alps. We deployed Global Positioning System (GPS) loggers on 10 individuals to gather accurate spatial and temporal information on their movements to quantify: 1) the dimension of the birds' space use (home range size with seasonal effects and daily/long-term travel distances), 2) how long they stayed in a dispersal stage of wandering as opposed to settling temporarily, and 3) their destination of movements. We recorded movements of up to 40 km per hour, more than 160 km within 1 day and more than 11,000 km within 20 months, indicating high vagrancy. Switching frequently between temporarily settling and travelling large distances in short time intervals leads to extensive home ranges, which also explains and combines the different findings in the literature. The destinations are rich anthropogenic food sources, where the birds spent on average 75% of their time. We discuss how ravens may find these "feeding hot spots" and which factors may influence their decision to stay/leave a site. The strong dependence on anthropogenic resources found in this population may have implications for site management and conservation issues.

Management of immigration and pregnancy screening in northeastern Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giorgio Tamaro

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Giorgio Tamaro, Sergio ParcoDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Children's Hospital, Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, ItalyAbstract: This study assesses the impact of immigration in Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region of northeastern Italy, on the epidemiological features of hemoglobin patterns and on prothrombotic and trisomy risk in pregnancy for patients of non-Italian origin. This study follows a series of studies on the incidence of thalassemia and other hemoglobinopathies with reduced globin chain synthesis, that were performed during the postwar (1939–45 period in Friuli Venezia Giulia following immigration into the region from Istria and Sardinia (regions of northern and central Italy. Current data show that today’s constantly growing immigration into the region differs from previous decades, in terms of origin and quantity of migrants, who mainly come from third world countries. This has a significant impact on health care issues, and more specifically on prospective health screening for foreigners. The authors conclude that scholastic education and hospital services, either public or private, and voluntary associations, may contribute to solving the problem, but only in terms of training and organization, for non-European Union citizens arriving in northern Italy and neighboring areas, especially those from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and eastern Europe.Keywords: immigration, hemoglobinopathy, pregnancy, trisomy, thalassemia trait, Italy

The XMAP215 Ortholog Alp14 Promotes Microtubule Nucleation in Fission Yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Flor-Parra, Ignacio; Iglesias-Romero, Ana Belén; Chang, Fred

2018-06-04

The organization and number of microtubules (MTs) in a cell depend on the proper regulation of MT nucleation. Currently, the mechanism of nucleation is the most poorly understood aspect of MT dynamics. XMAP215/chTOG/Alp14/Stu2 proteins are MT polymerases that stimulate MT polymerization at MT plus ends by binding and releasing tubulin dimers. Although these proteins also localize to MT organizing centers and have nucleating activity in vitro, it is not yet clear whether these proteins participate in MT nucleation in vivo. Here, we demonstrate that in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the XMAP215 ortholog Alp14 is critical for efficient MT nucleation in vivo. In multiple assays, loss of Alp14 function led to reduced nucleation rate and numbers of interphase MT bundles. Conversely, activation of Alp14 led to increased nucleation frequency. Alp14 associated with Mto1 and γ-tubulin complex components, and artificially targeting Alp14 to the γ-tubulin ring complexes (γ-TuRCs) stimulated nucleation. In imaging individual nucleation events, we found that Alp14 transiently associated with a γ-tubulin particle shortly before the appearance of a new MT. The transforming acidic coiled-coil (TACC) ortholog Alp7 mediated the localization of Alp14 at nucleation sites but not plus ends, and was required for efficient nucleation but not for MT polymerization. Our findings provide the strongest evidence to date that Alp14 serves as a critical MT nucleation factor in vivo. We suggest a model in which Alp14 associates with the γ-tubulin complex in an Alp7-dependent manner to facilitate the assembly or stabilization of the nascent MT. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Searching for axions and ALPs from string theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ringwald, Andreas

2012-09-15

We review searches for closed string axions and axion-like particles (ALPs) in IIB string flux compactifications. For natural values of the background fluxes and TeV scale gravitino mass, the moduli stabilisation mechanism of the LARGE Volume Scenario predicts the existence of a QCD axion candidate with intermediate scale decay constant, f{sub a} {proportional_to}10{sup 9/12} GeV, associated with the small cycles wrapped by the branes hosting the visible sector, plus a nearly massless and nearly decoupled ALP associated with the LARGE cycle. In setups where the visible sector branes are wrapping more than the minimum number of two intersecting cycles, there are more ALPs which have approximately the same decay constant and coupling to the photon as the QCD axion candidate, but which are exponentially lighter. There are exciting phenomenological opportunities to search for these axions and ALPs in the near future. For f{sub a} {proportional_to}10{sup 11/12} GeV, the QCD axion can be the dominant part of dark matter and be detected in haloscopes exploiting microwave cavities. For f{sub a} {proportional_to}10{sup 9/10} GeV, the additional ALPs could explain astrophysical anomalies and be searched for in the upcoming generation of helioscopes and light-shining-through-a-wall experiments.

Anthocyanin Profile in Berries of Wild and Cultivated Vaccinium spp. along Altitudinal Gradients in the Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoratti, Laura; Jaakola, Laura; Häggman, Hely; Giongo, Lara

2015-10-07

Vaccinium spp. berries provide some of the best natural sources of anthocyanins. In the wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.), a clear increasing trend in anthocyanin biosynthesis has been reported toward northern latitudes of Europe, but studies related to altitude have given contradictory results. The present study focused on the anthocyanin composition in wild bilberries and highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L. cv. Brigitta Blue) growing along altitudinal gradients in the Alps of northern Italy. Our results indicate an increasing accumulation of anthocyanins in bilberries along an altitudinal gradient of about 650 m. The accumulation was due to a significant increase in delphinidin and malvidin glycosides, whereas the accumulation of cyanidin and peonidin glycosides was not affected by altitude. Seasonal differences, especially temperature, had a major influence on the accumulation of anthocyanins in blueberries.

Status and distribution of the lynx in the German Alps

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Petra Kaczensky

1998-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The lynx (Lynx lynx had been eradicated in the German Alps by the middle of the 19th century. Since the early 1970s there have been several attempts to initiate the re-introduction of lynx into the German Alps, but none of the projects could be carried out because of the still very controversial attitudes towards the species, and because of competition between institutions. Natural re-colonization of the German Alps by lynx can be expected sooner or later from Switzerland or Austria. Although lynx are already present in some parts of Germany outside the Alps, neither an organized monitoring system nor compensation regulations for losses of livestock exist. For a successful comeback of lynx into Germany, including the German Alps, more efforts than a year-round protection by the federal hunting law is needed. Initiative management actions and intensive public education are necessary to obtain and secure public acceptance of the lynx.

An economics figure of merit in ALPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shatilla, Y.A.

2000-01-01

One of the most pressing issues facing the deregulated nuclear electric power industry is its economic competitiveness when compared to other sources of electrical power. Traditionally, finding the optimum loading pattern (LP) that meets all the safety and operational objective functions and at the same time produces the most attractive economical solutions is an iterative process. This is because (a) LP search tools usually lack the capability to generate equilibrium solutions and (b) economics objective functions are hard to include in the search process. In this paper, the Westinghouse Advanced Loading Pattern Search code (ALPS) has been demonstrated to successfully find LPs that meet user-defined operational and safety as well as economics objectives. This has been made possible by the development of TULIP language that allows the integration of external procedures into the search process of the main program, ALPS. In the example given, an economic figure of merit (EFM) has been defined and included via TULIP script into the fuel management optimization problem of a three-loop Westinghouse core operating an 18-month cycle. The LPs found by ALPS exhibit a clear trend of meeting and, in some cases, exceeding the EFM objective function defined for the ALPS search process a priori

Bootstrap inversion for Pn wave velocity in North-Western Italy

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C. Eva

1997-06-01

Full Text Available An inversion of Pn arrival times from regional distance earthquakes (180-800 km, recorded by 94 seismic stations operating in North-Western Italy and surrounding areas, was carried out to image lateral variations of P-wave velocity at the crust-mantle boundary, and to estimate the static delay time at each station. The reliability of the obtained results was assessed using both synthetic tests and the bootstrap Monte Carlo resampling technique. Numerical simulations demonstrated the existence of a trade-off between cell velocities and estimated station delay times along the edge of the model. Bootstrap inversions were carried out to determine the standard deviation of velocities and time terms. Low Pn velocity anomalies are detected beneath the outer side of the Alps (-6% and the Western Po plain (-4% in correspondence with two regions of strong crustal thickening and negative Bouguer anomaly. In contrast, high Pn velocities are imaged beneath the inner side of the Alps (+4% indicating the presence of high velocity and density lower crust-upper mantle. The Ligurian sea shows high Pn velocities close to the Ligurian coastlines (+3% and low Pn velocities (-1.5% in the middle of the basin in agreement with the upper mantle velocity structure revealed by seismic refraction profiles.

Any Light Particle Search (ALPS)

Science.gov (United States)

Spector, Aaron; Any Light Particle Search (ALPS) Collaboration

2016-03-01

High power laser fields enabled by technologies developed for ground-based gravitational-wave observatories open up new opportunities for fundamental physics studies. One of these options is the search for axions and axion-like particles in a pure laboratory experiment. The axion is a solution to the strong CP-problem and a potential dark matter candidate. The axion has also been proposed as an additional channel to cool stars as well as a potential explanation for the TeV transparency problem. The German-US ALPS collaboration is setting up a light-shining-through-walls (LSW) experiment at DESY. LSW experiments are based on the simple idea that a high power laser field traversing a static magnetic field will transform partly into a relativistic axion field. This axion field will travel through an opaque wall into a second static magnetic field region where it turns partly back into an electromagnetic wave field with the same frequency as the laser. The ALPS collaboration is working towards a large scale LSW experiment at DESY in Hamburg, Germany. I will report on the status of the ALPS experiment. This work is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, PRISMA, the Helmholtz Association, the National Science Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation.

The quest for an intermediate-scale accidental axion and further ALPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, A.G.; Nishi, C.C.; Machado, A.C.B.; Vaudrevange, P.

2014-03-01

The recent detection of the cosmic microwave background polarimeter experiment BICEP2 of tensor fluctuations in the B-mode power spectrum basically excludes all plausible axion models where its decay constant is above 10 13 GeV. Moreover, there are strong theoretical, astrophysical, and cosmological motivations for models involving, in addition to the axion, also axion-like particles (ALPs), with decay constants in the intermediate scale range, between 10 9 GeV and 10 13 GeV. Here, we present a general analysis of models with an axion and further ALPs and derive bounds on the relative size of the axion and ALP photon (and electron) coupling. We discuss what we can learn from measurements of the axion and ALP photon couplings about the fundamental parameters of the underlying ultraviolet completion of the theory. For the latter we consider extensions of the Standard Model in which the axion and the ALP(s) appear as pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons from the breaking of global chiral U(1) (Peccei-Quinn (PQ)) symmetries, occuring accidentally as low energy remnants from exact discrete symmetries. In such models, the axion and the further ALP are protected from disastrous explicit symmetry breaking effects due to Planck-scale suppressed operators. The scenarios considered exploit heavy right handed neutrinos getting their mass via PQ symmetry breaking and thus explain the small mass of the active neutrinos via a seesaw relation between the electroweak and an intermediate PQ symmetry breaking scale. We show some models that can accommodate simultaneously an axion dark matter candidate, an ALP explaining the anomalous transparency of the universe for γ-rays, and an ALP explaining the recently reported 3.55 keV gamma line from galaxies and clusters of galaxies, if the respective decay constants are of intermediate scale.

The quest for an intermediate-scale accidental axion and further ALPs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dias, A.G.; Nishi, C.C. [Univ. Federal do ABC - UFABC, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Machado, A.C.B. [Teorica-Univ. Estadual Paulista, Sao Paulo (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica; Ringwald, A. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Vaudrevange, P. [Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Excellence Cluster Universe

2014-03-15

The recent detection of the cosmic microwave background polarimeter experiment BICEP2 of tensor fluctuations in the B-mode power spectrum basically excludes all plausible axion models where its decay constant is above 10{sup 13} GeV. Moreover, there are strong theoretical, astrophysical, and cosmological motivations for models involving, in addition to the axion, also axion-like particles (ALPs), with decay constants in the intermediate scale range, between 10{sup 9} GeV and 10{sup 13} GeV. Here, we present a general analysis of models with an axion and further ALPs and derive bounds on the relative size of the axion and ALP photon (and electron) coupling. We discuss what we can learn from measurements of the axion and ALP photon couplings about the fundamental parameters of the underlying ultraviolet completion of the theory. For the latter we consider extensions of the Standard Model in which the axion and the ALP(s) appear as pseudo Nambu-Goldstone bosons from the breaking of global chiral U(1) (Peccei-Quinn (PQ)) symmetries, occuring accidentally as low energy remnants from exact discrete symmetries. In such models, the axion and the further ALP are protected from disastrous explicit symmetry breaking effects due to Planck-scale suppressed operators. The scenarios considered exploit heavy right handed neutrinos getting their mass via PQ symmetry breaking and thus explain the small mass of the active neutrinos via a seesaw relation between the electroweak and an intermediate PQ symmetry breaking scale. We show some models that can accommodate simultaneously an axion dark matter candidate, an ALP explaining the anomalous transparency of the universe for γ-rays, and an ALP explaining the recently reported 3.55 keV gamma line from galaxies and clusters of galaxies, if the respective decay constants are of intermediate scale.

Ophiolitic detritus in Kimmeridgian resedimented limestones and its provenance from an eroded obducted ophiolitic nappe stack south of the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria

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Gawlick Hans-Jürgen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The causes for the Middle to Late Jurassic tectonic processes in the Northern Calcareous Alps are still controversially discussed. There are several contrasting models for these processes, formerly designated “Jurassic gravitational tectonics”. Whereas in the Dinarides or the Western Carpathians Jurassic ophiolite obduction and a Jurassic mountain building process with nappe thrusting is widely accepted, equivalent processes are still questioned for the Eastern Alps. For the Northern Calcareous Alps, an Early Cretaceous nappe thrusting process is widely favoured instead of a Jurassic one, obviously all other Jurassic features are nearly identical in the Northern Calcareous Alps, the Western Carpathians and the Dinarides. In contrast, the Jurassic basin evolutionary processes, as best documented in the Northern Calcareous Alps, were in recent times adopted to explain the Jurassic tectonic processes in the Carpathians and Dinarides. Whereas in the Western Carpathians Neotethys oceanic material is incorporated in the mélanges and in the Dinarides huge ophiolite nappes are preserved above the Jurassic basin fills and mélanges, Jurassic ophiolites or ophiolitic remains are not clearly documented in the Northern Calcareous Alps. Here we present chrome spinel analyses of ophiolitic detritic material from Kimmeridgian allodapic limestones in the central Northern Calcareous Alps. The Kimmeridgian age is proven by the occurrence of the benthic foraminifera Protopeneroplis striata and Labyrinthina mirabilis, the dasycladalean algae Salpingoporella pygmea, and the alga incertae sedis Pseudolithocodium carpathicum. From the geochemical composition the analysed spinels are pleonastes and show a dominance of Al-chromites (Fe3+–Cr3+–Al3+ diagram. In the Mg/(Mg+ Fe2+ vs. Cr/(Cr+ Al diagram they can be classified as type II ophiolites and in the TiO2 vs. Al2O3 diagram they plot into the SSZ peridotite field. All together this points to a harzburgite

Hail frequency estimation across Europe based on a combination of overshooting top detections and the ERA-INTERIM reanalysis

Science.gov (United States)

Punge, H. J.; Bedka, K. M.; Kunz, M.; Reinbold, A.

2017-12-01

This article presents a hail frequency estimation based on the detection of cold overshooting cloud tops (OTs) from the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) operational weather satellites, in combination with a hail-specific filter derived from the ERA-INTERIM reanalysis. This filter has been designed based on the atmospheric properties in the vicinity of hail reports registered in the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD). These include Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE), 0-6-km bulk wind shear and freezing level height, evaluated at the nearest time step and interpolated from the reanalysis grid to the location of the hail report. Regions highly exposed to hail events include Northern Italy, followed by South-Eastern Austria and Eastern Spain. Pronounced hail frequency is also found in large parts of Eastern Europe, around the Alps, the Czech Republic, Southern Germany, Southern and Eastern France, and in the Iberic and Apennine mountain ranges.

Worst-Case Scenario Tsunami Hazard Assessment in Two Historically and Economically Important Districts in Eastern Sicily (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Armigliato, A.; Tinti, S.; Pagnoni, G.; Zaniboni, F.; Paparo, M. A.

2015-12-01

The portion of the eastern Sicily coastline (southern Italy), ranging from the southern part of the Catania Gulf (to the north) down to the southern-eastern end of the island, represents a very important geographical domain from the industrial, commercial, military, historical and cultural points of view. Here the two major cities of Augusta and Siracusa are found. In particular, the Augusta bay hosts one of the largest petrochemical poles in the Mediterranean, and Siracusa is listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2005. This area was hit by at least seven tsunamis in the approximate time interval from 1600 BC to present, the most famous being the 365, 1169, 1693 and 1908 tsunamis. The choice of this area as one of the sites for the testing of innovative methods for tsunami hazard, vulnerability and risk assessment and reduction is then fully justified. This is being developed in the frame of the EU Project called ASTARTE - Assessment, STrategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe (Grant 603839, 7th FP, ENV.2013.6.4-3). We assess the tsunami hazard for the Augusta-Siracusa area through the worst-case credible scenario technique, which can be schematically divided into the following steps: 1) Selection of five main source areas, both in the near- and in the far-field (Hyblaean-Malta escarpment, Messina Straits, Ionian subduction zone, Calabria offshore, western Hellenic Trench); 2) Choice of potential and credible tsunamigenic faults in each area: 38 faults were selected, with properly assigned magnitude, geometry and focal mechanism; 3) Computation of the maximum tsunami wave elevations along the eastern Sicily coast on a coarse grid (by means of the in-house code UBO-TSUFD) and extraction of the 9 scenarios that produce the largest effects in the target areas of Augusta and Siracusa; 4) For each of the 9 scenarios we run numerical UBO-TSUFD simulations over a set of five nested grids, with grid cells size decreasing from 3 km in the open Ionian

Pollen stratigraphy, vegetation and climate history of the last 215 ka in the Azzano Decimo core (plain of Friuli, north-eastern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Pini, R.; Ravazzi, C.; Donegana, M.

2009-06-01

The pollen record of the long succession of marine and continental deposits filling the subsident north-Adriatic foredeep basin (NE Italy) documents the history of vegetation, the landscape evolution and the climate forcing during the last 215 ka at the south-eastern Alpine foreland. The chronology relies on several 14C determinations as well as on estimated ages of pollen-stratigraphical and sea-level event tie-points derived from comparison with high-resolution marine records, speleothemes and ice cores. Mixed temperate rainforests persisted throughout MIS 7a-7c, being replaced by conifer forests after the local glacioeustatic regression during early MIS 6. The Alpine piedmont facing the Adriatic foredeeep was glaciated at the culmination of the penultimate glaciation, as directly testified by in situ fluvioglacial aggradation related to the building of a large morainic amphitheatre. The pollen record allows correlation with other European records and with the IRD from N-Atlantic and off Iberia, thus the duration of the penultimate glacial culmination at the southalpine fringe is estimated less than 13 ka between 148 ± 1 and >135 ka. The site was not reached by the Last Interglacial maximum sea transgression and enregistered a typical, though incomplete, Eemian forest record, lacking Mediterranean evergreen trees. A complex sequence of stadial-interstadial episodes is reconstructed during the Early and Middle Würm: major xerophyte peaks match IRD maxima occurred during Heinrich events in deep-sea cores offshore Iberia and in the N-Atlantic and allows to frame lumps of interstadial phases, marked by Picea peaks, each one including several DO warm events. Broad-leaved thermophilous forests disappeared from the north-eastern plain of Italy at the end of the Early Würm, whereas reduced populations of Abies and Fagus probably sheltered even during the Last Glacial Maximum. A renewed fluvioglacial in situ deposition between 30.4 ± 0.4 and 21.6 ± 0.5 ka cal BP sets

Investigation on potential landslide sources along the Hyblaean-Malta escarpment for the 1693 tsunami in Eastern Sicily (Southern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Zaniboni, Filippo; Pagnoni, Gianluca; Armigliato, Alberto; Tinti, Stefano

2015-04-01

The study of the source of 1693 tsunami in eastern Sicily (South Italy) is still debated in the scientific community. Macroseismic analyses provide inland location for the epicenter of the earthquake, while historical reports describing 1-2 m waves hitting the coast suggest the existence of at least an offshore extension of the fault. Furthermore, an anomalous water elevation was described in Augusta (between Siracusa and Catania), that was interpreted as the manifestation of a local submarine landslide. The presence of the steep Hyblaean-Malta escarpment, that runs parallel to the eastern coast of Sicily at a short distance from the shoreline and is cut by several canyons and scars, corroborates the hypothesis of a landslide occurrence, though no clear evidence has been found yet. This research, realized in the frame of the project ASTARTE (Assessment, Strategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe - FP7-ENV2013 6.4-3, Grant 603839), aims at assessing the effect of landslide-generated tsunamis on the coastal stretch around Augusta considering different scenarios of collapsing masses along the Hyblaean-Malta escarpment. The slide dynamics is computed by means of the numerical code UBO-BLOCK1 (developed by the University of Bologna Tsunami Research Team), and the corresponding tsunami is simulated via the code UBO-TSUFD. The sliding bodies are placed in different positions in order to assess which of them could produce significant effects on the town of Augusta, providing then clues on the possible source area for the hypothesized slide related to the 1693 tsunami. The sensitivity analysis shows the spatial dependence of the coastal tsunami height on the source volume, position, distance from the coast, and on other parameters.

Identification and characterization of earthquake clusters: a comparative analysis for selected sequences in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Peresan, Antonella; Gentili, Stefania

2017-04-01

Identification and statistical characterization of seismic clusters may provide useful insights about the features of seismic energy release and their relation to physical properties of the crust within a given region. Moreover, a number of studies based on spatio-temporal analysis of main-shocks occurrence require preliminary declustering of the earthquake catalogs. Since various methods, relying on different physical/statistical assumptions, may lead to diverse classifications of earthquakes into main events and related events, we aim to investigate the classification differences among different declustering techniques. Accordingly, a formal selection and comparative analysis of earthquake clusters is carried out for the most relevant earthquakes in North-Eastern Italy, as reported in the local OGS-CRS bulletins, compiled at the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics since 1977. The comparison is then extended to selected earthquake sequences associated with a different seismotectonic setting, namely to events that occurred in the region struck by the recent Central Italy destructive earthquakes, making use of INGV data. Various techniques, ranging from classical space-time windows methods to ad hoc manual identification of aftershocks, are applied for detection of earthquake clusters. In particular, a statistical method based on nearest-neighbor distances of events in space-time-energy domain, is considered. Results from clusters identification by the nearest-neighbor method turn out quite robust with respect to the time span of the input catalogue, as well as to minimum magnitude cutoff. The identified clusters for the largest events reported in North-Eastern Italy since 1977 are well consistent with those reported in earlier studies, which were aimed at detailed manual aftershocks identification. The study shows that the data-driven approach, based on the nearest-neighbor distances, can be satisfactorily applied to decompose the seismic

Modeling regional initiation of rainfall-induced shallow landslides in the eastern Umbria Region of central Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Salciarini, D.; Godt, J.W.; Savage, W.Z.; Conversini, P.; Baum, R.L.; Michael, J.A.

2006-01-01

We model the rainfall-induced initiation of shallow landslides over a broad region using a deterministic approach, the Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-based Slope-stability (TRIGRS) model that couples an infinite-slope stability analysis with a one-dimensional analytical solution for transient pore pressure response to rainfall infiltration. This model permits the evaluation of regional shallow landslide susceptibility in a Geographic Information System framework, and we use it to analyze susceptibility to shallow landslides in an area in the eastern Umbria Region of central Italy. As shown on a landslide inventory map produced by the Italian National Research Council, the area has been affected in the past by shallow landslides, many of which have transformed into debris flows. Input data for the TRIGRS model include time-varying rainfall, topographic slope, colluvial thickness, initial water table depth, and material strength and hydraulic properties. Because of a paucity of input data, we focus on parametric analyses to calibrate and test the model and show the effect of variation in material properties and initial water table conditions on the distribution of simulated instability in the study area in response to realistic rainfall. Comparing the results with the shallow landslide inventory map, we find more than 80% agreement between predicted shallow landslide susceptibility and the inventory, despite the paucity of input data.

Little Ice Age mapping as a tool for identifying hazard in the paraglacial environment: The case study of Trentino (Eastern Italian Alps)

Science.gov (United States)

Zanoner, Thomas; Carton, Alberto; Seppi, Roberto; Carturan, Luca; Baroni, Carlo; Salvatore, Maria Cristina; Zumiani, Matteo

2017-10-01

The Little Ice Age (LIA) is a well-recognized climatic event during which the glaciers in the Alps advanced and reached their maximum Holocene extent. During their retreat following the LIA, the glaciers left large areas of loose or poorly consolidated glacial deposits in their forelands, which are subject to paraglacial reworking and may represent potential hazards for human infrastructures. In this study, we present a regional scale mapping of the LIA and post-LIA glacial deposits and a reconstruction of the maximum LIA extents of glaciers in the same area. This work is motivated by a local law requiring the classification of areas subject to natural hazards in Trentino (Italian Alps). Results highlight that glaciers shrunk by 63% from the LIA maximum, leaving 30 km2 of unconsolidated deposits, which are subject to geomorphic paraglacial processes. Potentially hazardous consequences can occur, in particular, during high-magnitude instantaneous events, causing debris and mud flows, mass wasting from debris-covered ice, and floods from small moraine-dammed lakes.

Dating emplacement and evolution of the orogenic magmatism in the internal Western Alps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berger, Alfons; Thomsen, Tonny B.; Ovtcharova, Maria

2012-01-01

The Canavese Line in the Western Alps represents the position in the Alpine chain, where alkaline and calc-alkaline magmatism occur in close spatial and temporal association. In addition to available data on the alkaline Valle del Cervo Pluton, we present petrological and geochemical data...... on the Miagliano tonalite. The latter is of special interest, because it is located in the south-eastern side of the Canavese Line, in contrast to most Periadriatic Plutons. The dioritic to tonalitic rocks of the Miagliano Pluton represent an intermediate stage of a calc-alkaline differentiation, demonstrated...... by relics of two different pyroxenes as well as the texture of allanite. Hornblende barometry indicates pressures of similar to 0.46 GPa consistent with the presence of magmatic epidote. Field relationships between the two Plutons, the volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Biella Volcanic Suite...

Assessing water resources under climate change in high-altitude catchments: a methodology and an application in the Italian Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Aili, T.; Soncini, A.; Bianchi, A.; Diolaiuti, G.; D'Agata, C.; Bocchiola, D.

2018-01-01

Assessment of the future water resources in the Italian Alps under climate change is required, but the hydrological cycle of the high-altitude catchments therein is poorly studied and little understood. Hydrological monitoring and modeling in the Alps is difficult, given the lack of first hand, site specific data. Here, we present a method to model the hydrological cycle of poorly monitored high-altitude catchments in the Alps, and to project forward water resources availability under climate change. Our method builds on extensive experience recently and includes (i) gathering data of climate, of cryospheric variables, and of hydrological fluxes sparsely available; (ii) robust physically based glacio-hydrological modeling; and (iii) using glacio-hydrological projections from GCM models. We apply the method in the Mallero River, in the central (Retiche) Alps of Italy. The Mallero river covers 321 km2, with altitude between 310 and 4015 m a.s.l., and it has 27 km2 of ice cover. The glaciers included in the catchment underwent large mass loss recently, thus Mallero is largely paradigmatic of the present situation of Alpine rivers. We set up a spatially explicit glacio-hydrological model, describing the cryospheric evolution and the hydrology of the area during a control run CR, from 1981 to 2007. We then gather climate projections until 2100 from three Global Climate Models of the IPCC AR5 under RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5. We project forward flow statistics, flow components (rainfall, snow melt, ice melt), ice cover, and volume for two reference decades, namely 2045-2054 and 2090-2099. We foresee reduction of the ice bodies from - 62 to - 98% in volume (year 2100 vs year 1981), and subsequent large reduction of ice melt contribution to stream flows (from - 61 to - 88%, 2100 vs CR). Snow melt, now covering 47% of the stream flows yearly, would also be largely reduced (from - 19 to - 56%, 2100 vs CR). The stream flows will decrease on average at 2100 (from + 1 to - 25

Is it possible to study palaeoenvironmental changes in Alpine spring habitats? A few examples from the south-eastern Alps (NE Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco CANTONATI

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Palaeolimnological techniques were applied to spring habitats in the Trentino Region (NE Italy as a test in order to reconstruct past environmental changes in these crucial and fragile milieus. Three different sites were selected from a database of more than one hundred on the basis of morphological, geological, and biological factors, including human impact evaluation: Nambrone, Paul and Madonnina Val Lomasona. Sampling was performed by adapting standard lake-sediment coring methods, and the retrieved sediment was described and subsampled following standard "lake" procedures. Field work and sedimentological analyses revealed clear influence from nearby fluvial environment for the Nambrone site, whereas Paul and Madonnina Val Lomasona were selected for further analyses (e.g., dating, diatoms, chironomids. Lead-210 and Caesium-137 dating methods were used to obtain a chronological framework, in addition to historical information on land use and other events in the area. The upper part of the Paul sequence presented organic rich sediment compatible with spring environments, but the lower and essentially detrital part appeared to record alluvial deposition, probably linked to extraordinary flood events (1882, 1966. This interpretation is indirectly confirmed by the records of the fallout nuclides Caesium-137 and Lead-210, that were both unfortunately concentrated in the topmost 1 cm, making it impossible to construct a normal age-depth profile. Madonnina Val Lomasona sedimentological and biological indicators point to a marked change around ca 5 cm, dividing the sequence in two units, corresponding to different environmental conditions. Although the interpretation of the dating results is not completely straightforward, the assembled data suggest that the upper 5 cm of the record represents ca the last 50 years. During this period we found typical limnocrenic, clear-water spring conditions, while before 1960s the coexistence of lotic and lentic

Correlations of cave levels, stream terraces and planation surfaces along the River Mur-Timing of landscape evolution along the eastern margin of the Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Thomas; Fritz, Harald; Stüwe, Kurt; Nestroy, Othmar; Rodnight, Helena; Hellstrom, John; Benischke, Ralf

2011-11-01

The transition zone of the Eastern Alps to the Pannonian Basin provides one of the best sources of information on landscape evolution of the Eastern Alpine mountain range. The region was non-glaciated during the entire Pleistocene. Thus, direct influence of glacial carving as a landscape forming process can be excluded and relics of landforms are preserved that date back to at least the Late Neogene. In this study, we provide a correlation between various planation surfaces across the orogen-basin transition. In particular, we use stream terraces, planation surfaces and cave levels that cover a vertical spread of some 700 m. Our correlation is used to show that both sides of the transition zone uplifted together starting at least about 5 Ma ago. For our correlation we use recently published terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) burial ages from cave sediments, new optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of a stream terrace and U-Th ages from speleothems. Minimum age constraints of cave levels from burial ages of cave sediments covering the last ~ 4 Ma are used to place age constraints on surface features by parallelizing cave levels with planation surfaces. The OSL results for the top section of the type locality of the Helfbrunn terrace suggest an Early Würm development (80.5 ± 3.7 to 68.7 ± 4.0 ka). The terrace origin as a penultimate gravel deposit (in classical Alpine terminology Riss) is therefore questioned. U-series speleothem ages from caves nearby indicate formation during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 5c and 5a which are both interstadial warm periods. As OSL ages from the terrace also show a time of deposition during MIS 5a ending at the MIS 5/4 transition, this supports the idea of temperate climatic conditions at the time of deposition. In general, tectonic activity is interpreted to be the main driving force for the formation and evolution of these landforms, whilst climate change is suggested to be of minor importance. Obvious hiatuses

Syndepositional tectonics recorded by soft-sediment deformation and liquefaction structures (continental Lower Permian sediments, Southern Alps, Northern Italy): Stratigraphic significance

Science.gov (United States)

Berra, F.; Felletti, F.

2011-04-01

The Lower Permian succession of the Central Southern Alps (Lombardy, Northern Italy) was deposited in fault-controlled continental basins, probably related to transtensional tectonics. We focussed our study on the stratigraphic record of the Lower Permian Orobic Basin, which consists of a 1000 m thick succession of prevailing continental clastics with intercalations of ignimbritic flows and tuffs (Pizzo del Diavolo Formation, PDV) resting on the underlying prevailing pyroclastic flows of the Cabianca Volcanite. The PDV consists of a lower part (composed of conglomerates passing laterally to sandstones and distally to silt and shales), a middle part (pelitic, with carbonates) and an upper part (alternating sandstone, silt and volcanic flows). Syndepositional tectonics during the deposition of the PDV is recorded by facies distribution, thickness changes and by the presence of deformation and liquefaction structures interpreted as seismites. Deformation is recorded by both ductile structures (ball-and-pillow, plastic intrusion, disturbed lamination, convolute stratification and slumps) and brittle structures (sand dykes and autoclastic breccias). Both the sedimentological features and the geodynamic setting of the depositional basin confidently support the interpretation of the described deformation features as related to seismic shocks. The most significant seismically-induced deformation is represented by a slumped horizon (about 4 m thick on average) which can be followed laterally for more than 5 km. The slumped bed consists of playa-lake deposits (alternating pelites and microbial carbonates, associated with mud cracks and vertebrate tracks). The lateral continuity and the evidence of deposition on a very low-angle surface along with the deformation/liquefaction of the sediments suggest that the slump was triggered by a high-magnitude earthquake. The stratigraphic distribution of the seismites allows us to identify time intervals of intense seismic activity

Conservation of brown bear in the Alps: space use and settlement behavior of reintroduced bears

Science.gov (United States)

Preatoni, Damiano; Mustoni, Andrea; Martinoli, Adriano; Carlini, Eugenio; Chiarenzi, Barbara; Chiozzini, Simonetta; Van Dongen, Stefan; Wauters, Luc A.; Tosi, Guido

2005-11-01

Large carnivores typically need large home ranges containing habitats patches of different quality. Consequently, their conservation requires habitat protection and management at the landscape scale. In some cases, reintroduction might be used to support remnant or restore extinct populations. This is the case for the brown bear ( Ursus arctos) in the Italian Alps. We monitored spacing behavior and settlement of reintroduced brown bears in Adamello-Brenta Natural Park, North-Italy, using radio-tracking. Habitat use, dispersion and survival were studied to evaluate the success of reintroduction and possible conflicts with man. All three males and five of seven females settled in the study area. Most bears roamed widely the first months after release, exploring the new habitat. Patterns of home range overlap between seasons and years revealed that home range use stabilized the year after first hibernation. Home ranges were larger in the mating season (May-July) than in spring or autumn. Home ranges varied between 34 and 1813 km 2 the year after release, but core-areas, where feeding activity was concentrated, were much smaller. Some bears had exclusive core-areas in summer and autumn, but most showed considerable core-area overlap with animals of the same and/or the opposite sex. Bears selected deciduous forests, mixed and conifer forests were used according to availability, and areas with anthropogenic disturbance were avoided. Most bears settled and some reproduced successfully at the release site, causing high initial population growth, suggesting that reintroduction can help to re-establish a brown bear population in the Italian Alps.

Characterization of optical systems for the ALPS II experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spector, Aaron D.; Baehre, Robin; Willke, Benno; Hannover Univ.

2016-09-01

ALPS II is a light shining through a wall style experiment that will use the principle of resonant enhancement to boost the conversion and reconversion probabilities of photons to relativistic WISPs. This will require the use of long baseline low-loss optical cavities. Very high power build up factors in the cavities must be achieved in order to reach the design sensitivity of ALPS II. This necessitates a number of different sophisticated optical and control systems to maintain the resonance and ensure maximal coupling between the laser and the cavity. In this paper we report on the results of the characterization of these optical systems with a 20m cavity and discuss the results in the context of ALPS II.

Nuclear translocation of the cytoskeleton-associated protein, smALP, upon induction of skeletal muscle differentiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cambier, Linda; Pomies, Pascal

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The cytoskeleton-associated protein, smALP, is expressed in differentiated skeletal muscle. → smALP is translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of C2C12 myoblasts upon induction of myogenesis. → The differentiation-dependent nuclear translocation of smALP occurs in parallel with the nuclear accumulation of myogenin. → The LIM domain of smALP is essential for the nuclear accumulation of the protein. → smALP might act in the nucleus to control some critical aspect of the muscle differentiation process. -- Abstract: The skALP isoform has been shown to play a critical role in actin organization and anchorage within the Z-discs of skeletal muscles, but no data is available on the function of the smALP isoform in skeletal muscle cells. Here, we show that upon induction of differentiation a nuclear translocation of smALP from the cytoplasm to the nucleus of C2C12 myoblasts, concomitant to an up-regulation of the protein expression, occurs in parallel with the nuclear accumulation of myogenin. Moreover, we demonstrate that the LIM domain of smALP is essential for the nuclear translocation of the protein.

The challenges of long-term ecological research in springs in the northern and southern Alps: indicator groups, habitat diversity, and medium-term change

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Sofia WIEDENBRUG

2011-09-01

Full Text Available After extensive exploratory investigations into crenic habitats at the beginning of the 1990s, a number of springs were selected and long-term ecological research programmes independently initiated in the Berchtesgaden National Park (north-eastern Alps, Bavaria and the Adamello-Brenta Nature Park (south-eastern Alps, Trentino. Following more than a decade of standardized work, this paper presents a selection of results from both sides of the Alps, with a focus on zoobenthos in Bavaria and on pro- and eukaryotic algae in Trentino. In order to test the assumption that permanent springs are particularly suitable habitats for long-term ecological research, the following topics are addressed: (1 taxonomic diversity and relationships between diversity and spring typology; (2 transverse gradients in crenic habitats, hygrophilous terrestrial invertebrates and xerotolerant algae; (3 possibilities of documenting changes in species composition over decadal time scales ("medium-term" based on emergence traps, benthos, and benthic algae. The data obtained show that: (1 crenic habitats support particularly high biological diversity (but a thorough documentation of insect diversity is impossible without emergence studies; (2 helocrenes are the most species-rich habitats, for both invertebrates and diatoms; (3 dynamic (unstable and occasionally-impacted springs show identifiable signs of medium-term change, whilst particularly complex and stable crenic habitats seem to be controlled by internal processes. Our results suggest that: (1 the meiofauna is likely to react directly to environmental change, while emergers and the hygrophilous terrestrial fauna are indirectly affected, and (2 diatoms react both to direct effects of environmental change, e.g. discharge and hydrochemistry, and to indirect effects on the surroundings of the spring. Based on our results, long-term research strategies are discussed. For long-term studies, we propose a focus on meiofauna and

Semaine alpine 2008 : innover (dans) les Alpes

OpenAIRE

Bourdeau, Philippe; Bourdeau, Philippe; Corneloup, Jean; Corneloup, Jean; Finger-Stich, Andréa; Finger-Stich, Andréa; Giraut, Frédéric; Giraut, Frédéric; Kohler, Yann; Kohler, Yann; Macchiavelli, Andrea; Macchiavelli, Andrea; Scheurer, Thomas; Scheurer, Thomas; Ullrich, Aurelia

2009-01-01

Ce premier dossier en ligne se penche sur une question de grande actualité : l’innovation, pour interroger les conceptions et mises en œuvre de démarches innovantes dans les contextes montagnards. Ces textes sont issus de la « Semaine alpine », qui s’est déroulée en juin 2008 à l’Argentière-La Bessée, dans les Hautes-Alpes (France). Ces « Semaines alpines », en alternance avec les « Forums alpins », rassemblent tous les deux ans des chercheurs et des acteurs locaux de l’ensemble de l’arc alp...

Comment diffuser les savoirs à travers les Alpes ?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolfgang Pfefferkorn

2009-03-01

Full Text Available CIPRA’s Future in the Alps Project aims at showcasing examples of successful implementation and successful projects in the Alps, and making available to others the extensive pool of experience and practical knowledge that lies in these projects. But how to transfer knowledge in an area of some 14 million inhabitants with several linguistic and cultural regions in which thousands of projects are carried out each year, that all kinds of players who work and life in completely different contexts are able to learn and benefit from one another? How do you go about something like that?Le projet « Avenir dans les Alpes » de la CIPRA (Commission Internationale pour la Protection des Alpes a pour objectif de présenter des exemples de réalisations et de projets réussis dans les Alpes, et de mettre à disposition du public l’ensemble de l’expérience et des connaissances pratiques acquises dans le cadre de ces projets. Cependant, comment transférer les savoirs dans une zone comptant quelque 14 millions d’habitants, composée de plusieurs régions linguistiques et culturelles dans lesquelles des milliers de projets sont menés à bien chaque année, et dont tous les acteurs, qui travaillent et vivent dans des contextes complètement différents, sont capables d’apprendre et de tirer profit les uns des autres ? Comment aborder ce genre de cas ?

From the valley floor to the peaks: Stratigraphy and landscape evolution of the Alpine Lateglacial in the Kitzbühel Alps (Tyrol, Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Dippenaar, Elijah; Reitner, Jürgen

2017-04-01

Our understanding of Alpine landscape evolution and more specifically, chronology of glacier activity during the Alpine Lateglacial (ALG; c. 19 - 11.7 ka) i.e. the timespan between the Würmian Pleniglacial (= Alpine Last Glacial Maximum; AlpLGM) and the beginning of the Holocene, is based on the evidence of only few areas in the Alps. In order to get a better understanding of glaciation and palaeoclimate during this phase, N-S and E-W transects are needed. The Kitzbühel Alps, which are currently not glaciated, span an area of 1700km2 and have peaks that reach c. 2400m a.s.l. They lie at the center of the Eastern Alps on the northern rim, which is more humid than the relatively dry central parts. A modern geological investigation of the ALG record is missing in the Kitzbühel Alps. In order to overcome this gap of knowledge and to gain a more complete understanding of the ALG landscape development, a pioneering study has been performed in the area of Langer Grund Valley, a tributary valley of the Kelchsau Valley. This was done through detailed field mapping, thereby describing the shape and sediment composition of Quaternary morphological features, such as moraines, landslides and rock glacier deposits. Sedimentary evidence of one short glacial advance and two glacial stadials were identified. In chronological order they were named the: Frommbach advance, the Arnbach (glacier) halt and the Küharn halt. Where possible, palaeoglaciers were constructed using ArcGIS. With the palaeoglaciers, equlibrium line altitudes (ELA) were calculated and compared to ELA values of known glacial stadials in an attempt to correlate the relative local stratigraphy to the Lateglacial stratigraphy. Four methods to calculate ELAs were used; Maximum Elevation of Lateral Moraines (MELM), Toe to Headwall Altitude Ratio (THAR), Area x Altitude (AA) and Accumulation Area Ratio (AAR). Furthermore, the glacial sedimentary sequence of the study area was compared to that of the Gschnitz Valley

Agonum tulliae sp. n. from the Sila National Park (Calabria, southern Italy (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Platynini

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A. Mazzei

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Agonum tulliae sp. n. is described from the Sila Massif upland in Calabria, Italy. This species is similar to Agonum (Olisares sexpunctatum (Linné, 1758 as far as the external morphology is concerned, but it is easy to distinguish by the colour pattern, the shape of pronotum, and at best by the morphology of male genitalia. The study includes some remarks about the habitat and ecology of the new species. It lives only in the eastern part of the Sila massif and occupies the southernmost part of the distribution area of the Agonum sexpunctatum (Linné, 1758 complex in Italy.

Hydrological and meteorological aspects of floods in the Alps: an overview

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Baldassare Bacchi

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This introductory paper presents and summarises recent research on meteorological and hydrological aspects of floods in the Alps. The research activities were part of the international research project RAPHAEL (Runoff and Atmospheric Processes for flood HAzard forEcasting and controL together with experiments within the Special Observing Period-SOP conducted in autumn 1999 for the Mesoscale Alpine Programme —MAP. The investigations were based on both field experiments and numerical simulations, using meteorological and hydrological models, of ten major floods that occurred in the past decade in the European Alps. The two basins investigated were the Ticino (6599 km2 at the Lago Maggiore outlet on the southern side of the Alps and the Ammer catchment (709 km2 in the Bavarian Alps. These catchments and their sub-catchments cover an appropriate range of spatial scales with which to investigate and test in an operational context the potential of both mesoscale meteorological and distributed hydrological models for flood forecasting. From the data analyses and model simulations described in this Special Issue, the major sources of uncertainties for flood forecasts in mid-size mountain basins are outlined and the accuracy flood forecasts is assessed. Keywords: floods, mountain hydrology, meteorological models, Alps

Agrotis fatidica (Hübner, 1824 species-group revisited, with description of two new species from the Alps and the Pyrenees (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae

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László Ronkay

2018-06-01

Full Text Available An integrative taxonomic analysis of the European species of the Agrotis fatidica species-group is presented with special reference to the European sister taxa of A. fatidica (Hübner, 1824; in addition, a general overview of the entire species-group is given. The remarkable differences found in the barcodes of the Central and Western European populations of A. fatidica (sensu lato led us to recognise isolated species of the A. fatidica complex. Two new species, A. mayrorum sp. n. (Northern Italy and the French Alps and A. mazeli sp. n. (French Pyrenees are described. The neotype of A. fatidica is designated. Agrotis luehri von Mentzer & Moberg, 1987 is treated as a subspecies of A. fatidica (stat. n..

ALPtraum. ALP production in proton beam dump experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doebrich, Babette; Jaeckel, Joerg

2015-12-01

With their high beam energy and intensity, existing and near-future proton beam dumps provide an excellent opportunity to search for new very weakly coupled particles in the MeV to GeV mass range. One particularly interesting example is a so-called axion-like particle (ALP), i.e. a pseudoscalar coupled to two photons. The challenge in proton beam dumps is to reliably calculate the production of the new particles from the interactions of two composite objects, the proton and the target atoms. In this work we argue that Primakoff production of ALPs proceeds in a momentum range where production rates and angular distributions can be determined to sufficient precision using simple electromagnetic form factors. Reanalysing past proton beam dump experiments for this production channel, we derive novel constraints on the parameter space for ALPs. We show that the NA62 experiment at CERN could probe unexplored parameter space by running in 'dump mode' for a few days and discuss opportunities for future experiments such as SHiP.

[Perceived discrimination at work for being an immigrant: a study on self-perceived mental health status among immigrants in Italy].

Science.gov (United States)

Di Napoli, Anteo; Gatta, Rosaria; Rossi, Alessandra; Perez, Monica; Costanzo, Gianfranco; Mirisola, Concetta; Petrelli, Alessio

2017-01-01

exposure to discrimination is widely understood as a social determinant of psychophysical health and a contributing factor to health inequities among social groups. Few studies exist, particularly in Italy, about the effects of discrimination among immigrants at workplace. to analyse the association between perceived discrimination at work for being an immigrant and mental health status among immigrants in Italy. a sub-sample of 12,408 immigrants residing in Italy was analysed. data came from the survey "Social conditions and integration of foreign citizens in Italy", carried out in 2011-2012 by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (Istat). Self-perceived mental health status was measured through mental component summary (MCS) of SF-12 questionnaire, assuming as worse health status MCS score distribution ≤1st quartile. In order to evaluate the probability of poor health status, a multivariate log-binomial model was performed assuming: discrimination at work for being an immigrant as determinant variable; age, gender, educational level, employment status, area of origin, residence in Italy, length of stay in Italy, self-perceived loneliness and satisfaction about life as potential confounding variables. among immigrants, 15.8% referred discrimination at his/her workplace in Italy for being an immigrant. Higher probability of poor mental health status was observed for immigrants who referred discrimination at workplace (Prevalence Rate Ratio - PRR: 1.16) who arrived in Italy since at least 5 years (PRR: 1.14), for not employed subjects (PRR: 1.31), and for people from the Americas (PRR: 1.14). Lower probability of poor mental health status was found in immigrants from Western- Central Asia (PRR: 0.83) and Eastern-Pacific Asia (PRR: 0.79). Compared to immigrants residing in North-Eastern Italy, higher probability of worse mental health status was observed in people who resided in Northern-Western (PRR: 1.30), Central (PRR: 1.26), and Southern (PRR: 1

ATM Coastal Topography-Florida 2001: Eastern Panhandle

Science.gov (United States)

Yates, Xan; Nayegandhi, Amar; Brock, John C.; Sallenger, A.H.; Bonisteel, Jamie M.; Klipp, Emily S.; Wright, C. Wayne

2009-01-01

These remotely sensed, geographically referenced elevation measurements of Lidar-derived first surface (FS) topography were produced collaboratively by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Florida Integrated Science Center (FISC), St. Petersburg, FL, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Wallops Flight Facility, VA. This project provides highly detailed and accurate datasets of the eastern Florida panhandle coastline, acquired October 2, 2001. The datasets are made available for use as a management tool to research scientists and natural resource managers. An innovative scanning Lidar instrument originally developed by NASA, and known as the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), was used during data acquisition. The ATM system is a scanning Lidar system that measures high-resolution topography of the land surface and incorporates a green-wavelength laser operating at pulse rates of 2 to 10 kilohertz. Measurements from the laser-ranging device are coupled with data acquired from inertial navigation system (INS) attitude sensors and differentially corrected global positioning system (GPS) receivers to measure topography of the surface at accuracies of +/-15 centimeters. The nominal ATM platform is a Twin Otter or P-3 Orion aircraft, but the instrument may be deployed on a range of light aircraft. Elevation measurements were collected over the survey area using the ATM system, and the resulting data were then processed using the Airborne Lidar Processing System (ALPS), a custom-built processing system developed in a NASA-USGS collaboration. ALPS supports the exploration and processing of Lidar data in an interactive or batch mode. Modules for presurvey flight line definition, flight path plotting, Lidar raster and waveform investigation, and digital camera image playback have been developed. Processing algorithms have been developed to extract the range to the first and last significant return within each waveform. ALPS is routinely used to create

Asbestos exposure during quarrying and processing of serpentinites: a case study in Valmalenco, Central Alps, Northern Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Cavallo, A.; Rimoldi, B.

2012-04-01

Serpentinites are metamorphic rocks derived from ultramafics such as peridotites (lherzolites and/or harzburgites), with a typical mineralogical assemblage of antigorite, olivine, diopside and minor magnetite, chlorite and chrysotile. If the rock mass has good geotechnical properties, these stones are quarried because of their wide variety of green shades and outstanding technical properties. Excellent stones are produced in the Malenco Valley, Central Alps (northern Italy, Sondrio): here the geological set-up is dominated by the ultramafic Malenco massif (lower crust-mantle complex), exposed at the Penninic to Austroalpine boundary zone. Different processing operations give origin to valuable products like stoves, funeral monuments, design home appliances; important building element as roof slabs, tiles for floor and wall coverings constitute the main commercial line of production. In this area, good quality long fibre chrysotile asbestos was mined since the XIX century, till the seventies. The asbestos fissures (mostly slip-fiber) are well known in Valmalenco, associated to an important ENE-WSW striking fracture and hydrothermal vein system. Some actual serpentinite quarries "cross" at times tunnels of the old asbestos mines, because the fracture and vein system "guides" the extraction. At present time, this area represents an excellent example of naturally occurring asbestos (NOA). For these reasons, workers' exposure to asbestos during quarrying and processing cannot be ruled out, and must be assessed according to national laws. From 2004 to nowadays, the INAIL Regional Management of Lombardia, with the collaboration of University of Milan-Bicocca, carried out extensive monitoring campaigns both in quarries and in processing laboratories. More than 300 massive samples (rocks and veins) and 250 airborne dust samples were collected during the surveys. One of the main problems in the study of massive serpentinites is the accurate identification of the different

A geochemical approach for assessing the possible uses of the geothermal resource in the eastern sector of the Sabatini Volcanic District (Central Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Cinti, Daniele; Tassi, Franco; Procesi, Monia; Brusca, Lorenzo; Cabassi, Jacopo; Capecchiacci, Francesco; Delgado Huertas, Antonio; Galli, Gianfranco; Grassa, Fausto; Vaselli, Orlando; Voltattorni, Nunzia

2017-04-01

The Sabatini Volcanic District (SVD) hosts a hydrothermal reservoir heated by the post-magmatic activity that affected the peri-Tyrrhenian sector of central Italy, giving rise to a number of thermal and mineral discharges. In this study, a complete geochemical and isotopic dataset based on the composition of 215 water and 9 bubbling gases, collected from the eastern sector of this huge hydrothermal system, is reported. The main aims are to (i) investigate the fluid sources and the main chemical-physical processes controlling the fluid chemistry and (ii) construct a conceptual fluid circulation model to provide insights into the possible use(s) of the geothermal resource. The fluid discharges are fed by two main aquifers, characterized by: (1) a Ca-HCO3 to Ca(Na)-HCO3 composition, typical of a shallow hydrological circuit within volcanic and sedimentary formations, and (2) a Ca-HCO3(SO4) to Na(Ca)-HCO3(Cl) composition, produced by the interaction of CO2-rich fluids with Mesozoic and Triassic carbonate-evaporite rocks. A thick sequence of low-permeability volcanic products represents a physical barrier between the two fluid reservoirs. As commonly occurring in central-southern Italy, CO2 is mainly produced by thermo-metamorphic decarbonation within the carbonate-evaporite reservoir, with minor contribution of mantle CO2. A dominant crustal source is also indicated by the relatively low R/Ra values (0.07-1.04). Methane and light hydrocarbons are mostly thermogenic, whereas H2S derives from thermogenic reduction of the Triassic anhydrites. Slightly positive 15N/14N values suggest minor N2 contribution from deep sedimentary sources. On the whole, a comparison of these geochemical features with those of the thermal fluids from the western portion of SVD highlights an eastward increasing influence of the shallow aquifer on the deep-originated fluids, likely caused by the proximity of the Apennine range from where the meteoric water, recharging the hydrothermal system

Detecting an infrared photon within an hour. Transition-edge detector at ALPS-II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dreyling-Eschweiler, Jan [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik; Horns, Dieter [Hamburg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Experimentalphysik; Collaboration: ALPS-II collaboration

2013-09-15

An essential design requirement of the ALPS-II experiment is the efficient detection of single photons with a very low instrumental background of 10 {mu}Hz. In 2011 the ALPS collaboration started to set up a TES detector (Transition-Edge Sensor) for ALPS-II, the second phase of the experiment. Since mid of 2013 the setup is ready for characterization in the ALPS laboratory: an ADR cryostat (Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator) as millikelvin environment, a low noise SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) with electronics for read-out and a fiber-coupled high-efficient TES for near-infrared photons as sensor. First measurements have shown a good discrimination between noise and 1064 nm signals.

Detecting an infrared photon within an hour. Transition-edge detector at ALPS-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreyling-Eschweiler, Jan; Hamburg Univ.; Horns, Dieter

2013-09-01

An essential design requirement of the ALPS-II experiment is the efficient detection of single photons with a very low instrumental background of 10 μHz. In 2011 the ALPS collaboration started to set up a TES detector (Transition-Edge Sensor) for ALPS-II, the second phase of the experiment. Since mid of 2013 the setup is ready for characterization in the ALPS laboratory: an ADR cryostat (Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerator) as millikelvin environment, a low noise SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device) with electronics for read-out and a fiber-coupled high-efficient TES for near-infrared photons as sensor. First measurements have shown a good discrimination between noise and 1064 nm signals.

Ethnobotanical and phytomedical knowledge in the North-Western Ligurian Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Cornara, Laura; La Rocca, Arianna; Terrizzano, Luca; Dente, Fulvio; Mariotti, Mauro Giorgio

2014-08-08

The ethnobotany of European alpine regions is much diversified and scarcely investigated. These regions retain a well-developed heritage culture and botanical traditional knowledge, favored by the isolated montane location. We carried out a study of therapeutic and traditional uses of native plants of a poorly explored area of the Western Italian Alps in the Ligurian region (NW Italy). The area has been the object of human activities since prehistoric ages, and an obliged crossroad for people moving across Provence, Liguria and Piemonte. The investigation was conducted in the upper Tanarello and Arroscia Valleys by using semi-structured, open interviews. Data were summarized by different indices--Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Cultural Value Index (CV), Ethnobotanicity Index (EI) and Informant Consensus Factor (Fic). A group of 65 informants were interviewed, yielding an inventory of 199 botanical taxa from 64 families, and a total of 2661 citations. A total of 13 categories of use were found, of which the most frequent ones were medicinal and food. In addition, 12 main medicinal subcategories were recorded. Botanicals were mainly used to treat digestive system, respiratory system, and the skin. A relevant role was played by plants with digestive and remineralizing properties. On the basis of quantitative analysis (RFC and CV indices) among the 30 most relevant plants are included rare and/or protected species, such as Achillea ligustica, Arnica montana, Gentiana ligustica, Gentiana lutea, and Achillea erba-rotta. An exhaustive prospect of the ethnobotanical knowledge in North-Western Ligurian Alps has been achieved through the recording of a large number of data. About 50% of the recorded uses have survived in the area. A great traditional importance is retained by species such as Artemisia absinthium, Lavandula angustifolia and Arnica montana which were formerly cultivated and marketed for their therapeutic virtues. A substantial role is also attributable

Detection of Caliciviruses in young pheasants (Phasianus colchicus with enteritis in Italy

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Ilaria Capua

2010-01-01

Full Text Available During June 2004 a severe enteritis was reported in a farm of 21-28 day old pheasants reared in intensive conditions in North-Eastern Italy. Mortality in the flock had reached 25%. Virological investigations on cell culture of the gut content yielded reoviruses while electron microscopy examination revealed viral particles morphologically related to calicivirus in association with parvovirus-like and rod shaped virus-like particles.

Clinical Significance of Detection of Serum TBA and ALP in Diagnosis of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Chuanzheng; Zhu Haibo; Deng jianping

2009-01-01

To investigate the clinical value of serum total bile acid (TBA) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in diagnosis of intahrpatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP), the serum levels of TBA, ALP and cholyglycine (CG) in 47 cases with intahrpatic cholestasis of pregnancy and 60 normal pregnant women were tested by biochemistry analysis and radioimmunoassay. The results showed that the serum levels of TBA and ALP in patients with intahrpatic cholestasis of pregnancy were significantly higher than that of normal pregnancy women. There was a positively correlation between TBA and ALP with CG. The combined determination of serum TBA and ALP could be useful in the diagnosis of intahrpatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Automatic biochemistry analysis of TBA and ALP is more simple and rapid than CG detected by radioimmunoassay,and it is suitable for clinical laboratory application. (authors)

La recherche sur les montagnes entre Alpes et monde : regards rétrospectifs

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Thomas Scheurer

2009-03-01

Full Text Available L’expression « recherche alpine », on le constatera au fil de ce volume, reste bien incertaine. La première lecture suscite une interrogation : s’agit-il d’une recherche menée sur les Alpes ou dans les Alpes ? Ou pour les Alpes ? C’est-à-dire répondant à une demande émanant d’« acteurs alpins » ? On observera aisément que la recherche sur des terrains alpins et selon des thématiques et des questionnements soulevés par les sociétés alpines est menée préférentiellement au sein des Alpes. Il n’y...

Discovery of alien water frogs (gen. Pelophylax in Umbria, with first report of P. shqipericus for Italy

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Dario Domeneghetti

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Allochthonous water frogs (gen. Pelophylax have been repeatedly introduced in several European countries, causing dramatic consequences for the conservation of indigenous taxa. In Italy, invasive populations are known for northern regions, where they were introduced mainly for edible and scientific purposes. Here, we report the first detection of an alien population of water frogs in Central Italy, along the Resina valley (Umbria. Genetic analysis of the mitochondrial ND3 gene polymorphism assigned some specimens to two different Pelophylax ridibundus clades widespread in Central and Eastern Europe. By contrast, two samples matched the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA sequence of Pelophylax lessonae bergeri, an autochthonous taxon widespread in Central Italy, suggesting possible hybridization between alien and indigenous frogs. Finally, the specific haplotype of Pelophylax shqipericus, the Albanian Pool Frog, was also identified according to mtDNA polymorphism. This record, firstly reported for Italy, poses concerns for the conservation of this cryptic taxon, suggesting that international water frog trade may involve also particularly endangered species.

Eclogitic metatrondhjemites from metaophiolites of the Western Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Silvana; Tartarotti, Paola; Meyzen, Chrstine; Benciolini, Luca; Toffolo, Luca

2016-04-01

Eclogitic metatrondhjemites from metaophiolites of the Western Alps Martin S.**, Tartarotti P.*, Meyzen C. **, Benciolini L.***, Toffolo L. ** *Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Milano ** Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università di Padova *** Dipartimento di Chimica, Fisica e Ambiente, Università di Udine In the Urtier valley (southern Aosta Valley, Italy), the Piemonte metaophiolites mainly consist of serpentinized peridotites including pods and boudinaged layers of Fe-metagabbro and trondhjemite transposed in the main eclogitic foliation. The contact between serpentinized peridotites and Fe-metagabbro/trondhjemite is locally lined by chloriteschist and rodingite. The high pressure parageneses in the Fe-metagabbro are omphacite-garnet-rutile-glaucophane-phengite, and in the metatrondhjemite plagioclase-quartz-phengite-clinozoisite-epidote-garnet, respectively. Bulk-rock major and trace elements in addition to O isotope analyses were performed in both rock types. Fe-metagabbros are characterized by MgO wt% ranging between 6.11 and 9.63%, ∑REE= 20-101 ppm, (La/Yb)N = 0.22-0.91; trondhjemites have SiO2 43%, Al2O3 ranging between 21 and 24%, CaO ranging between 17 and 20%, ∑REE = 172 - 272 ppm, (La/Yb)N ranging between 7.78 and 13.70. The δ18O is 5.9 ‰ in a Fe-metagabbro sample and 7.4 ‰ in a trondhjemite sample, suggesting that these rocks have been affected by a weak oceanic low temperature alteration. The high CaO content may indicate a metasomatic process which could have occurred during the oceanic stage or at high pressure conditions.

Tsunami hazard for the city of Catania, eastern Sicily, Italy, assessed by means of Worst-case Credible Tsunami Scenario Analysis (WCTSA

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R. Tonini

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Eastern Sicily is one of the coastal areas most exposed to earthquakes and tsunamis in Italy. The city of Catania that developed between the eastern base of Etna volcano and the Ionian Sea is, together with the neighbour coastal belt, under the strong menace of tsunamis. This paper addresses the estimation of the tsunami hazard for the city of Catania by using the technique of the Worst-case Credible Tsunami Scenario Analysis (WCTSA and is focused on a target area including the Catania harbour and the beach called La Plaia where many human activities develop and many important structures are present. The aim of the work is to provide a detailed tsunami hazard analysis, firstly by building scenarios that are proposed on the basis of tectonic considerations and of the largest historical events that hit the city in the past, and then by combining all the information deriving from single scenarios into a unique aggregated scenario that can be viewed as the worst virtual scenario. Scenarios have been calculated by means of numerical simulations on computational grids of different resolutions, passing from 3 km on a regional scale to 40 m in the target area. La Plaia beach results to be the area most exposed to tsunami inundation, with inland penetration up to hundreds of meters. The harbour turns out to be more exposed to tsunami waves with low frequencies: in particular, it is found that the major contribution to the hazard in the harbour is due to a tsunami from a remote source, which propagates with much longer periods than tsunamis from local sources. This work has been performed in the framework of the EU-funded project SCHEMA.

A sagging along the eastern Chianti Mts., Italy

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Coltorti, M.; Ravani, S.; Cornamusini, G.; Ielpi, A.; Verrazzani, F.

2009-11-01

A deep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DGSD) affects the eastern side of the Chianti Mts. Ridge. It develops in an N-S to NW-SE direction and is > 10 km wide and 3-4 km long. This area corresponds to the eastern side of a main antiform, characterised by east-verging folds and thrusts involving bedrock of the Mesozoic-Paleogene Tuscan Units, particularly sandstones containing interlayered highly fractured and deformed Ligurian rocks (shales and limestones with olistostromes). The foot of the slope is characterised by tilted Plio-Pleistocene deposits unconformably sealing the bedrock structures as folds, thrusts and faults. The most significant morphological features are a main escarpment, trenches, several secondary and counter-slope escarpments that together indicate large-scale gravitational phenomena. The main escarpment is responsible for the headward retreat of the slope, and is deeply segmented by numerous arcuate niches that reveal differential movements of single blocks. The DGSD is also dissected by SW-NE trending streams that often deepen inside the N-S trenches. Minor landslides due to local instability are also present. At the foot of the slope, the older continental Pliocene deposits of the Upper Valdarno Basin crop out. Although tilted by tectonic movements, the deposits have not been severely affected by gravitational deformations. This indicates that the movement is a typical sagging, a large landslide at an embryonic stage, affecting the upper part of the slope but not reaching the valley bottom. The deformations are absorbed in the rock mass which is also partially drained by stream incision that prevents high pore pressure. The occurrence of down-slope and down-movement facing escarpments and up-slope and up-movement facing counter-slope escarpments indicate a sagging characterised by a listric spoon-shaped geometry. The DGSD has a style similar to crustal extensional tectonics such as Morton and Black's crustal attenuation model. Although

First-order similarities and differences between Alps, Dinarides, Hellenides and Anatolides-Taurides

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Schmid, Stefan M.; Bernoulli, Daniel; Fügenschuh, Bernhard; Matenco, Liviu; Schefer, Senecio; Oberhänsli, Roland; van Hinsbergen, Douwe; Ustaszewski, Kamil

2013-04-01

We correlated tectonic units across several circum-Mediterranean orogen strands between the Alps, Carpathians, the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean and Western Turkey. Our compilation allows discussing fundamental along-strike similarities and differences. One first-order difference is that Dinarides-Hellenides, Anatolides and Taurides represent orogens of opposite subduction polarity and age with respect to the Alps and Carpathians. The internal Dinarides are linked to the Alps and Western Carpathians along the Mid-Hungarian fault zone, a suspected former trench-trench transform fault; its lithospheric root was obliterated during Neogene back-arc extension that formed the Pannonian Basin. Dinarides and Hellenides alike consist of far-travelled nappes detached from the Adriatic continental margin along décollement horizons in Paleozoic or younger stratigraphic levels during Cretaceous and Cenozoic orogeny. The more internal nappes (i.e. Jadar-Kopaonik, Drina-Ivanjica, East Bosnian-Durmitor and their Pelagonian and Almopias equivalents in the Hellenides) are composite nappes whereby the allochthonous Adriatic margin sequences passively carry ophiolites (Western Vardar Ophiolitic Unit) obducted during the latest Jurassic-earliest Cretaceous. These obducted ophiolitic units, as well as ophiolites obducted onto Europe-derived units presently found in the East Carpathians (Eastern Vardar Ophiolitic Unit obducted onto the Dacia continental block), root in one single Neotethys ocean that started closing with the initiation of obduction in the latest Jurassic; final suturing occurred during Cretaceous times, terminating with the formation of the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture in the latest Cretaceous. Ophiolitic "massifs" found outside the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture zone do not mark oceanic sutures, nor do the Drina-Ivanjica and Pelagonian "massifs" represent independent continental fragments (terranes). The same logic applies to Western Turkey with the difference that the ophiolites

Bone scintigraphy, plasma ALP, TAP and PAP in patients with prostatic cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imamura, Akihiko; Hoshi, Hiroaki; Jinnouchi, Seishi; Samejima, Masahiko; Watanabe, Katsushi

1988-01-01

This study assessed the ability of bone scintigraphy, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total acid phosphatase (TAP), and prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) to diagnose bone metastasis in a series of 62 patients with histologically proven prostatic cancer. Abnormal uptake was seen on the bone scan in 49 patients (79 %). A final diagnosis of bone metastasis was made in 40 patients (65 %). The sensitivity and specificity were 100 % and 59 %, respectively, for bone scintigraphy; 50 % and 96 % for ALP; 65 % and 82 % for TAP; and 73 % and 77 % for PAP. For 40 patients with bone metastasis, all of the ALP, TAP, and PAP were positive in 17 patients (43 %) and negative in 8 patients (20 %). Higher levels of ALP, TAP, and PAP tended to be associated with more extensive bone metastasis. Although serological examination showed lower sensitivity than bone scintigraphy in the diagnosis of bone metastasis, PAP may be most frequently used as a screening procedure of bone metastasis. (Namekawa, K.)

PCDD/F and PCB in spruce forests of the Alps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Offenthaler, I., E-mail: ivo.offenthaler@umweltbundesamt.a [Austrian Environment Agency, Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna (Austria); Bassan, R. [Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of Veneto (Italy); Belis, C. [Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardia (Italy); Jakobi, G.; Kirchner, M. [Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen (German Research Centre for Environmental Health) (Germany); Kraeuchi, N. [WSL-Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (Switzerland); Moche, W. [Austrian Environment Agency, Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna (Austria); Schramm, K.-W. [Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen (German Research Centre for Environmental Health) (Germany); Sedivy, I. [WSL-Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (Switzerland); Simoncic, P. [Slovenian Forestry Institute (Slovenia); Uhl, M.; Weiss, P. [Austrian Environment Agency, Spittelauer Laende 5, 1090 Vienna (Austria)

2009-12-15

PCDD/F and PCB concentrations in remote mountainous spruce stands of the Central European Alps show strong geographic variation. Independent of the matrix (0.5 year old needles, humus or mineral soil), the highest pollutant levels were always found at the lateral zones of the mountain range. High levels coincided with strong precipitation, particularly along the northern margin of the study region. The most volatile PCB congener propagated farther into the colder, drier central Alps than the heavier species. Matrices with different accumulation history (needles and humus) repeatedly reflected different spatial immission patterns. Consistent with its much longer exposure, pollutant levels in humus exceeded those of needles by up to two orders of magnitude. Needle contamination varied with altitude but the vertical trends were highly variable between transsects and changed between years, too. - Dioxin-like pollution of forests in the Alps shows strong geographic variation.

Discovery of a landscape-wide drape of late-glacial aeolian silt in the western Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria): First results and implications

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Gild, Charlotte; Geitner, Clemens; Sanders, Diethard

2018-01-01

Aeolian deposits record palaeoenvironmental conditions and may coin soil properties. Whereas periglacial loess is extensively investigated for 200 years, the study of the intramontane wind-blown deposits of the Alps has just stuttered along. Herein, we describe a drape of polymictic siliciclastic silt interpreted as an aeolian deposit that veneers extensive areas in the western Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA), from kames terraces near valley floors up to last-glacial nunataks. The NCA - part of the Eastern Alps mountain range - consist mainly of Triassic carbonate rocks; these are overlain by deposits of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and its deglacial-paraglacial aftermath (e.g., glacial tills, fluvio-lacustrine successions, alluvial fans, scree slopes) - and a regional drape of polymictic silt newly described herein. The drape is typically a few decimeters in thickness and slightly modified by soil formation; it consists mainly of well-sorted silt of quartz, feldspars, phyllosilicates (muscovite, chlorite, biotite), amphiboles and, rarely, calcite or dolomite. The drape is unrelated to the substrate: it overlies carbonate bedrock and - in lateral continuity - abandoned deposystems such as colluvial slopes of redeposited till, kames, alluvial fans, scree slopes, and rock avalanche deposits. The drape was spotted from near the present valley floors up to LGM nunataks, over a vertical range of some 2000 m; it is also present in catchments of the NCA that were not overridden by far-travelled ice streams and that lack metamorphic rock fragments. Two OSL quartz ages of the drape from two distinct locations (18.77 ± 1.55 ka; 17.81 ± 1.68 ka) fall into the early Alpine late-glacial interval shortly after the collapse of pleniglacial ice streams; this fits with geological and geomorphological evidence, respectively, that the drape should be of early late-glacial age, and that it accumulated during a specific interval of time. In the NCA, localized minor deposition of

High-pressure metamorphic age and significance of eclogite-facies continental fragments associated with oceanic lithosphere in the Western Alps (Etirol-Levaz Slice, Valtournenche, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Fassmer, Kathrin; Obermüller, Gerrit; Nagel, Thorsten J.; Kirst, Frederik; Froitzheim, Nikolaus; Sandmann, Sascha; Miladinova, Irena; Fonseca, Raúl O. C.; Münker, Carsten

2016-05-01

The Etirol-Levaz Slice in the Penninic Alps (Valtournenche, Italy) is a piece of eclogite-facies continental basement sandwiched between two oceanic units, the blueschist-facies Combin Zone in the hanging wall and the eclogite-facies Zermatt-Saas Zone in the footwall. It has been interpreted as an extensional allochthon from the continental margin of Adria, emplaced onto ultramafic and mafic basement of the future Zermatt-Saas Zone by Jurassic, rifting-related detachment faulting, and later subducted together with the future Zermatt-Saas Zone. Alternatively, the Etirol-Levaz Slice could be derived from a different paleogeographic domain and be separated from the Zermatt-Saas Zone by an Alpine shear zone. We present Lu-Hf whole rock-garnet ages of two eclogite samples, one from the center of the unit and one from the border to the Zermatt-Saas Zone below. These data are accompanied by a new geological map of the Etirol-Levaz Slice and the surrounding area, as well as detailed petrology of these two samples. Assemblages, mineral compositions and garnet zoning in both samples indicate a clockwise PT-path and peak-metamorphic conditions of about 550-600 °C/20-25 kbar, similar to conditions proposed for the underlying Zermatt-Saas Zone. Prograde garnet ages of the two samples are 61.8 ± 1.8 Ma and 52.4 ± 2.1 Ma and reflect different timing of subduction. One of these is significantly older than published ages of eclogite-facies metamorphism in the Zermatt-Saas Zone and thus contradicts the hypothesis of Mesozoic emplacement. The occurrence of serpentinite and metagabbro bodies possibly derived from the Zermatt-Saas Zone inside the Etirol-Levaz Slice suggests that the latter is a tectonic composite. The basement slivers forming the Etirol-Levaz Slice and other continental fragments were subducted earlier than the Zermatt-Saas Zone, but nonetheless experienced similar pressure-temperature histories. Our results support the hypothesis that the Zermatt-Saas Zone and the

Regulation of the Synthesis of the Angucyclinone Antibiotic Alpomycin in Streptomyces ambofaciens by the Autoregulator Receptor AlpZ and Its Specific Ligand▿

Science.gov (United States)

Bunet, Robert; Mendes, Marta V.; Rouhier, Nicolas; Pang, Xiuhua; Hotel, Laurence; Leblond, Pierre; Aigle, Bertrand

2008-01-01

Streptomyces ambofaciens produces an orange pigment and the antibiotic alpomycin, both of which are products of a type II polyketide synthase gene cluster identified in each of the terminal inverted repeats of the linear chromosome. Five regulatory genes encoding Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins (alpV, previously shown to be an essential activator gene; alpT; and alpU) and TetR family receptors (alpZ and alpW) were detected in this cluster. Here, we demonstrate that AlpZ, which shows high similarity to γ-butyrolactone receptors, is at the top of a pathway-specific regulatory hierarchy that prevents synthesis of the alp polyketide products. Deletion of the two copies of alpZ resulted in the precocious production of both alpomycin and the orange pigment, suggesting a repressor role for AlpZ. Consistent with this, expression of the five alp-located regulatory genes and of two representative biosynthetic structural genes (alpA and alpR) was induced earlier in the alpZ deletion strain. Furthermore, recombinant AlpZ was shown to bind to specific DNA sequences within the promoter regions of alpZ, alpV, and alpXW, suggesting direct transcriptional control of these genes by AlpZ. Analysis of solvent extracts of S. ambofaciens cultures identified the existence of a factor which induces precocious production of alpomycin and pigment in the wild-type strain and which can disrupt the binding of AlpZ to its DNA targets. This activity is reminiscent of γ-butyrolactone-type molecules. However, the AlpZ-interacting molecule(s) was shown to be resistant to an alkali treatment capable of inactivating γ-butyrolactones, suggesting that the AlpZ ligand(s) does not possess a lactone functional group. PMID:18296523

Regulation of the synthesis of the angucyclinone antibiotic alpomycin in Streptomyces ambofaciens by the autoregulator receptor AlpZ and its specific ligand.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunet, Robert; Mendes, Marta V; Rouhier, Nicolas; Pang, Xiuhua; Hotel, Laurence; Leblond, Pierre; Aigle, Bertrand

2008-05-01

Streptomyces ambofaciens produces an orange pigment and the antibiotic alpomycin, both of which are products of a type II polyketide synthase gene cluster identified in each of the terminal inverted repeats of the linear chromosome. Five regulatory genes encoding Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory proteins (alpV, previously shown to be an essential activator gene; alpT; and alpU) and TetR family receptors (alpZ and alpW) were detected in this cluster. Here, we demonstrate that AlpZ, which shows high similarity to gamma-butyrolactone receptors, is at the top of a pathway-specific regulatory hierarchy that prevents synthesis of the alp polyketide products. Deletion of the two copies of alpZ resulted in the precocious production of both alpomycin and the orange pigment, suggesting a repressor role for AlpZ. Consistent with this, expression of the five alp-located regulatory genes and of two representative biosynthetic structural genes (alpA and alpR) was induced earlier in the alpZ deletion strain. Furthermore, recombinant AlpZ was shown to bind to specific DNA sequences within the promoter regions of alpZ, alpV, and alpXW, suggesting direct transcriptional control of these genes by AlpZ. Analysis of solvent extracts of S. ambofaciens cultures identified the existence of a factor which induces precocious production of alpomycin and pigment in the wild-type strain and which can disrupt the binding of AlpZ to its DNA targets. This activity is reminiscent of gamma-butyrolactone-type molecules. However, the AlpZ-interacting molecule(s) was shown to be resistant to an alkali treatment capable of inactivating gamma-butyrolactones, suggesting that the AlpZ ligand(s) does not possess a lactone functional group.

CALCAREOUS NANNOFOSSIL BIOSTRATIGRAPHY OF UPPER CALLOVIAN-LOWER BERRIASIAN SUCCESSIONS FROM THE SOUTHERN ALPS, NORTH ITALY

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CRISTINA EMANUELA CASELLATO

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy was investigated in uppermost Callovian-lower Berriasian sections from Southern Alps, previously detected through magnetostratigraphy, in order to achieve an integrated stratigraphic framework valid at low latitudes. Nannofossil investigations were carried out on smear slides and ultra-thin sections, revealing generally scarce to common abundances and poor-moderate preservation of nannofloras. An exhaustive taxonomic revision was performed to unambiguously separate forms which are transitional between two species and better delineate rapidly evolving groups. Four new species have been described: Zeugrhabdotus fluxus, Nannoconus puer, Nannoconus erbae, Hexalithus geometricus. Particular attention was paid to taxonomical aspects of primitive nannoconids, appearing and evolving across the early-late Tithonian transition and the Tithonian/Berriasian boundary intervals; the revision was also verified at DSDP Site 534A from Atlantic Ocean. Fourty-eight nannofossil bioevents were detected and the results help to increase potential stratigraphic resolution in this interval. Thirty-seven nannofossil bioevents in the upper Kimmeridgian-lower Berriasian interval have been directly correlated to magnetostratigraphy (CM22-CM17 revealing a systematically older stratigraphic occurrence of these taxa than previously reported. A revised and partly new Tethyan calcareous nannofossil zonation scheme is here proposed for the uppermost Callovian-lower Berriasian interval. It consists of seven bio-zones and eight subzones based on thirty-one bioevents, thirteen of them related to dissolution resistant taxa assuring highest reproducibility even in sections with high diagenetic overprint. The proposed biostratigraphic scheme gives higher resolution than previous zonations, especially for the Callovian-Kimmeridgian interval, where no biozonation was available for the Tethyan Realm. 

Report on a structural and sedimentological analysis in the uranium province of the Orobic Alps, Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassinis, G.; Dal Piaz, G.V.; Massari, P.F.

1986-01-01

Detailed structural and sedimentological studies have been conducted in two areas near the Val Vedello uranium mine in northern Italy. These studies indicate that both the Variscan basement (locally called the Orobic basement) and the Permian cover rocks were thrust southward during the Alpine orogeny. Variscan mylonitic zones were rejuvenated during the Alpine orogeny and became fault boundaries for the Permo-Triassic basins. Alpine faults also are related to contemporaneous east-west folds and these faults have displaced Permo-Triassic uranium deposits. Uranium mineralisation is attributed to a Late Permian to Triassic geothermal event which leached uranium from Permian ignimbrites and transported it along Permo-Triassic faults. Detailed mapping indicates that the host sediments formed in an arid, closed basin characterised by alluvial fans and perennial saline lakes. (orig.)

Widespread microbiological groundwater contamination in the South-eastern Salento (Puglia-Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Lugoli, F; Leopizzi, M I; Bagordo, F; Grassi, T; Guido, M; De Donno, A

2011-01-01

In the Salento peninsula (Puglia Region, South-East Italy), underground waters are a fundamental resource for the population because they constitute the principal reservoir for drinking water and irrigation. They are, however, affected by overexploitation. The risk factors in the Salento arise mainly from anthropic activities, especially tourism and agriculture (leaking wells, sewage and inadequate waste disposal procedures). The Southern Salento is recognized to be at high risk of pathologies characterised by oral-faecal transmission. From 2001 to 2009 the incidence of typhoid fever in the Salento was 12.11/100,000 inhabitants as against 2.91 in Italy. Enteritis caused by rotaviruses is an important cause of hospitalization of paediatric-aged children in the Salento, with high social costs. An effective monitoring system for the conservation and management of water bodies and the protection of public health is therefore fundamental. The present study sought to determine the microbiological and chemical-physical quality of groundwater in the Salento and to analyse the factors associated with contamination. The results indicated widespread pollution from salt and microbial contamination. Contamination from faecal microorganisms posed a significant risk of human infection in 100% of samples. Furthermore, the water was unsuitable even for irrigation in a high percentage of cases (31.8%), which is of considerable significance given that agriculture is one of the most important economic activities in the area under study. The high salt concentration was probably due to excessive extraction of water for intensive irrigation, especially in summer. Under these circumstances, some of mitigation activity is necessary. Furthermore, it would be advisable to decrease the pollution load from anthropic activities in the territory and to reduce water consumption in order to conserve groundwater resources especially.

Rapid evolution of the Helicobacter pylori AlpA adhesin in a high gastric cancer risk region from Colombia

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Andrés Julián Gutiérrez-Escobar

2018-05-01

Full Text Available To be able to survive, Helicobacter pylori must adhere to the gastric epithelial cells of its human host. For this purpose, the bacterium employs an array of adhesins, for example, AlpA. The adhesin AlpA has been proposed as a major adhesin because of its critical role in human stomach colonization. Therefore, understanding how AlpA evolved could be important for the development of new diagnostic strategies. However, the genetic variation and microevolutionary patterns of alpA have not been described in Colombia. The study aim was to describe the variation patterns and microevolutionary process of alpA in Colombian clinical isolates of H. pylori. The existing polymorphisms, which are deviations from the neutral model of molecular evolution, and the genetic differentiation of the alpA gene from Colombian clinical isolates of H. pylori were determined. The analysis shows that gene conversion and purifying selection have shaped the evolution of three different variants of alpA in Colombia.

Woody plant encroachment effect on soil organic carbon dynamics: results from a latitudinal gradient in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Pellis, Guido; Chiti, Tommaso; Moscatelli, Maria Cristina; Marinari, Sara; Papale, Dario

2016-04-01

Woody plant encroachment into pastures and grasslands represents a significant land cover change phenomenon, with a considerable impact on carbon dynamics at an ecosystem level. It was estimated that 7.64% of the Southern Europe land was subject to that process between 1950 to 2010. As a result of woody encroachment, changes in vegetation composition can produce substantial changes to the soil organic carbon (SOC) cycle. Despite the numerous papers published on land-use change, an evaluation of the IPCC terrestrial carbon pools changes occurring during woody encroachment on abandoned pastures and grasslands is still lacking, particularly for the Italian territory. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of woody encroachment on carbon sequestration over abandoned pastures and grasslands in Alpine and Apennine ecosystems, with a particular focus on the SOC. We applied a chronosequence approach to seven selected sites located along a latitudinal gradient in Italy. Each chronosequence consisted of a pasture currently managed, three sites abandoned at different times in the past and, finally, a mature forest stand representing the last phase of the succession. The European Commission sampling protocols to certify SOC changes was adopted to estimate the variations following woody encroachment. Soil samples were collected at different depths in the topsoil (0-30 cm) and subsoil (30-70 cm), despite the original protocol formulation being limited to the topsoil only. In addition, aboveground living biomass (AGB), dead wood and litter were also measured following international protocols. Considering all C pools together, woody plant encroachment leads to a progressive C stock accumulation in all the chronosequences. The total C stock of mature forest stands ranges from 1.78±0.11 times (Eastern Alps) to 2.48±0.31 times (central Apennine) the initial value on pastures. Unsurprisingly, the C stocks of AGB, dead wood and litter all increase during the

Characterization of the Vajont landslide (North-Eastern Italy) by means of reflection and surface wave seismics

Science.gov (United States)

Petronio, Lorenzo; Boaga, Jacopo; Cassiani, Giorgio

2016-05-01

The mechanisms of the disastrous Vajont rockslide (North-Eastern Italy, October 9, 1963) have been studied in great detail over the past five decades. Nevertheless, the reconstruction of the rockslide dynamics still presents several uncertainties, including those related to the accurate estimation of the actual landslide mass. This work presents the results of a geophysical characterization of the Vajont landslide body in terms of material properties and buried geometry. Both aspects add new information to the existing dataset and will help a better understanding of the rockslide failure mechanisms and dynamics. In addition, some general considerations concerning the intricacies of landslide characterization can be drawn, with due attention to potential pitfalls. The employed techniques are: (i) high resolution P-wave reflection, (ii) high resolution SH-wave reflection, (iii) controlled source surface wave analysis. We adopted as a seismic source a vibrator both for P waves and SH waves, using vertical and horizontal geophones respectively. For the surface wave seismic survey we used a heavy drop-weight source and low frequency receivers. Despite the high noise level caused by the fractured conditions of the large rock body, a common situation in landslide studies, we managed to achieve a satisfying imaging quality of the landslide structure thanks to the large number of active channels, the short receiver interval and the test of appropriate seismic sources. The joint use of different seismic techniques help focus the investigation on the rock mass mechanical properties. Results are in good agreement with the available borehole data, the geological sections and the mechanical properties of the rockmass estimated by other studies. In general the proposed approach is likely to be applicable successfully to similar situations where scattering and other noise sources are a typical bottleneck to geophysical data acquisition on landslide bodies.

Humans reclaimed lands in NorthEastern Italy and artificial drainage networks: effects of 30 years of Agricultural Surface Water Management

Science.gov (United States)

Sofia, Giulia; Pizzulli, Federica; Tarolli, Paolo

2017-04-01

Agriculture and land-use management has changed drastically in Italy since the end of the Second World War, driven by local but also European agricultural policies. As a result of these changes in farming practices and land use, many drainage networks have changed producing a greater exposure to flooding with a broad range of impacts on society, also because of climate inputs coupling with the human drivers. This study focuses on two main points: which kind of land use and farming changes have been observed in the most recent years ( 30 years)? How do these changes interact with climate and soil conditions? An open challenge to understand how these changes influence the watershed response, is, in fact, to understand if rainfall characteristics and climate have a synergistic effect, if their interaction matters, or to understand what element has the greatest influence on the watershed response connected to agricultural changes. The work is based on a simple model of water infiltration due to soil properties, and a connected evaluation of the distributed surface water storage offered by artificial drainage networks in a study area in Veneto (north-eastern Italy). The analysis shows that economic changes control the development of agro-industrial landscapes, with effects on the hydrological response. However, these changes deeply interact with antecedent soil conditions and climate characteristics. Intense and irregular rainfall events and events with a high recurrence should be expected to be the most critical. The presented outcomes highlight the importance of understanding how agricultural practices can be the driver of or can be used to avoid, or at least mitigate, flooding. The proposed methods can be valuable tools in evaluating the costs and benefits of the management of water in agriculture to inform better policy decision-making. References Sofia G, Tarolli P. 2017. Hydrological Response to 30 years of Agricultural Surface Water Management. Land 6 (1): 3 DOI

Monitoring of radioactive ferrous scarp and products, current practices and regulatory problems in North-Eastern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barbina, V.; Bianco, L.

1997-01-01

Radioactive scrap metal is a major source of concern among the steel industries of northeastern Italy, since most of the scrap supply comes from east-European countries and may originate from dismantled nuclear installations or dismissed radioactive devices. In this respect reliable monitoring procedures and consistent regulations are essential to face the many economic, legal and safety problems involved in the control and management of radioactive scrap and products. The authors describe the monitoring methods developed in more than two years practice at the steel works Ferriere Nord, Osoppo UD, Italy, as a realistic compromise between reliability, radiation protection and cost. They also discuss the drawbacks sometimes due to the lack of coherent monitoring protocols and exemption levels in Italian regulations, which leave some ways out for the uncontrolled recycling of radioactive metal scrap. (author)

3-D structure of the crust and uppermost mantle at the junction between the Southeastern Alps and External Dinarides from ambient noise tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Guidarelli, Mariangela; Aoudia, Abdelkrim; Costa, Giovanni

2017-12-01

We use ambient noise tomography to investigate the crust and the uppermost mantle structure beneath the junction between the Southern Alps, the Dinarides and the Po Plain. We obtained Rayleigh wave empirical Green's functions from cross-correlation of vertical component seismic recordings for three years (2010-2012) using stations from networks in Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Serbia and Switzerland. We measure group and phase velocity dispersion curves from the reconstructed Rayleigh waves in the period range 5-30 and 8-37 s, respectively, and we invert the surface wave velocities for tomographic images on a grid of 0.1° × 0.1°. After the tomography, the group velocities are then inverted to compute the 3-D shear wave velocity model of the crust and the upper mantle beneath the region. Our shear wave velocity model provides the 3-D image of the structure in the region between Northeastern Italy, Slovenia and Austria. The velocity variations at shallow depths correlate with known geological and tectonic domains. We find low velocities below the Po Plain, the northern tip of the Adriatic and the Pannonian Basin, whereas higher velocities characterize the Alpine chain. The vertical cross-sections reveal a clear northward increase of the crustal thickness with a sharp northward dipping of the Moho that coincides at the surface with the leading edge of the Alpine thrust front adjacent to the Friuli Plain in Northeastern Italy. This geometry of the Moho mimics fairly well the shallow north dipping geometry of the decollement inferred from permanent GPS velocity field where high interseismic coupling is reported. From the northern Adriatic domain up to the Idrija right lateral strike-slip fault system beneath Western Slovenia, the crustal thickness is more uniform. Right across Idrija fault, to the northeast, and along its strike, we report a clear change of the physical properties of the crust up to the uppermost mantle as reflected by the lateral distribution

Evaluation of convection-resolving models using satellite data: The diurnal cycle of summer convection over the Alps

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Michael Keller

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Diurnal moist convection is an important element of summer precipitation over Central Europe and the Alps. It is poorly represented in models using parameterized convection. In this study, we investigate the diurnal cycle of convection during 11 days in June 2007 using the COSMO model. The numerical simulations are compared with satellite measurements of GERB and SEVIRI, AVHRR satellite-based cloud properties and ground-based precipitation and temperature measurements. The simulations use horizontal resolutions of 12 km (convection-parameterizing model, CPM and 2 km (convection-resolving model, CRM and either a one-moment microphysics scheme (1M or a two-moment microphysics scheme (2M.They are conducted for a computational domain that covers an extended Alpine area from Northern Italy to Northern Germany. The CPM with 1M exhibits a significant overestimation of high cloud cover. This results in a compensation effect in the top of the atmosphere energy budget due to an underestimation of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR and an overestimation of reflected solar radiation (RSR. The CRM reduces high cloud cover and improves the OLR bias from a domain mean of −20.1 to −2.6 W/m2. When using 2M with ice sedimentation in the CRM, high cloud cover is further reduced. The stronger diurnal cycle of high cloud cover and associated convection over the Alps, compared to less mountainous regions, is well represented by the CRM but underestimated by the CPM. Despite substantial differences in high cloud cover, the use of a 2M has no significant impact on the diurnal cycle of precipitation. Furthermore, a negative mid-level cloud bias is found for all simulations.

The chemical and biological response of two remote mountain lakes in the Southern Central Alps (Italy) to twenty years of changing physical and chemical climate

OpenAIRE

Andrea LAMI; Pierluigi CAMMARANO; Michele ARMIRAGLIO; Pierisa PANZANI; Roberta BETTINETTI; Alessandra PUGNETTI; Anna M. NOCENTINI; Gabriele A. TARTARI; Simona MUSAZZI; Giuseppe MORABITO; Angela BOGGERO; Marina MANCA; Michela ROGORA; Rosario MOSELLO; Aldo MARCHETTO

2004-01-01

Two small high mountain lakes in the Alps were monitored in 1984-2003 to follow their response to changes in human impact, such as deposition of atmospheric pollutants, fish stocking and climate change. The results were compared to occasional samplings performed in the 1940s, and to the remains found in sediment cores. When monitoring started, the most acid-sensitive of them, Lake Paione Superiore, was acidified, with evident effects in its flora and fauna: benthic diatoms assemblage was shif...

3D modelling of the Austroalpine-Penninic collisional wedge of the NW Alps: dataset management and preliminary results

Science.gov (United States)

Monopoli, Bruno; Bistacchi, Andrea; Bertolo, Davide; Dal Piaz, Giovanni; Gouffon, Yves; Massironi, Matteo; Sartori, Mario; Vittorio Dal Piaz, Giorgio

2016-04-01

We know since the beginning of the 20th century, thanks to mapping and structural studies by the Italian Regio Servizio Geologico (Franchi et al., 1908) and Argand's work (1909; 1911; 1916), that the Austroalpine-Penninic collisional wedge of the NW Alps is spectacularly exposed across the Aosta Valley and Valais ranges (Italy and Switzerland). In the 150th anniversary of the first ascent to Ruskin's "most noble cliff in Europe" - the Cervino/Matterhorn (Whymper, July 14th 1865), first described in a geological profile by Giordano (1869) and in a detailed map by Gerlach (1869; 1871), we have seen the conclusion of very detailed mapping projects carried out in the last years over the two regions, with collaborative efforts across the Italy-Switzerland border, constellated by 4000 m-high peaks. These projects have pictured with an unprecedented detail (up to 1:10.000 scale) the geology of this complex region, resulting from pre-Alpine events, Alpine subduction- and collision-related ductile deformations, and finally late-Alpine brittle deformations from the Oligocene to the Present. Based on this dataset, we use up-to-date technology and software to undertake a 3D modelling study aimed at: i) reconstructing the 3D geometry of the principal tectonic units, ii) detecting and unravelling problems and incongruences in the 2D geometrical models, iii) modelling the kinematics of the Oligocene and Miocene brittle fault network using 2D and 3D balancing and palinspastic restoration techniques. In this contribution we mainly discuss the prerequisites of the project. Common geomodelling paradigms (mainly developed for the hydrocarbon industry) cannot be applied in this project due to (i) the little scale, (ii) the source of the data - fieldwork, and (iii) the polyphase ductile and brittle deformations in the metamorphic nappe stack. Our goals at the moment are to model the post-metamorphic fault network and the boundaries of the principal tectonic units, which will be

Convolute laminations and load structures in turbidites as indicators of flow reflections and decelerations against bounding slopes. Examples from the Marnoso-arenacea Formation (northern Italy) and Annot Sandstones (south eastern France)

Science.gov (United States)

Tinterri, R.; Muzzi Magalhaes, P.; Tagliaferri, A.; Cunha, R. S.

2016-10-01

This work discusses the significance of particular types of soft-sediment deformations very common within turbidite deposits, namely convolute laminations and load structures. Detailed facies analyses of the foredeep turbidites in the Marnoso-arenacea Formation (northern Italy) and Annot Sandstones (south eastern France) show that these deformational structures tend to increase near morphological obstacles, concomitantly with contained-reflected beds. The lateral and vertical distribution of convolute laminae and load structures, as well as their geometry, has a well-defined depositional logic related to flow decelerations and reflections against bounding slopes. This evidence suggests an interaction between fine-grained sediment and the presence of morphologic relief, and impulsive and cyclic-wave loadings, which are produced by flow impacts or reflected bores and internal waves related to impinging bipartite turbidity currents.

Latest Pannonian and Quaternary evolution at the transition between Eastern Alps and Pannonian Basin: new insights from geophysical, sedimentological and geochronological data

Science.gov (United States)

Zámolyi, A.; Salcher, B.; Draganits, E.; Exner, U.; Wagreich, M.; Gier, S.; Fiebig, M.; Lomax, J.; Surányi, G.; Diel, M.; Zámolyi, F.

2017-07-01

The transition zone between Eastern Alps and Pannonian Basin is a key area for the investigation of the interplay between regional uplift, local tectonic subsidence and depositional environment. Our study area, the western margin of the Little Hungarian Plain, is characterized by gentle hills, plateaus and depressions, of which several are filled by lakes—including one of Austria's largest and shallowest lakes, Lake Neusiedl. Geological investigation is hampered by the scarcity of outcrops, and thus direct observation of sedimentological or structural features is difficult. Despite a long research history in the area, a consistent landscape evolution model considering all relevant constraints is lacking so far. In this study, we apply multidisciplinary methods to decipher the complex tectonic and fluvial depositional evolution of the region. Local data from shallow-lake drilling and seismic investigation are combined with regional data from industrial seismics and core data to gain new insights into the latest Pannonian (Late Miocene) and Quaternary evolution. Shallow-lake seismic data show the erosionally truncated Pannonian sediments dipping and thickening toward southeast, toward the modern depocenter of the Little Hungarian Plain. Overlying Quaternary fluvial sediments show a very similar thickening trend except for the area on the plateau north of the lake indicating ongoing subsidence in major parts of the basin. Drill cores from locations along the lake seismic lines were analyzed concerning their age, mineralogy and heavy minerals and compared with outcrop samples from the surrounding plains and the plateau to derive indications on sediment provenance. A key observation is the apparent lack of a significant gravel layer on top of the tilted Pannonian sediments beneath Lake Neusiedl. Small-scale faults can be observed in the lake seismic sections along with key sedimentary features. Significant differences of the current elevation of the top Pannonian

Spatial organization of seismicity and fracture pattern at the boundary between Alps and Dinarides

Science.gov (United States)

Bressan, Gianni; Ponton, Maurizio; Rossi, Giuliana; Urban, Sandro

2016-04-01

The paper affords the study of the spatial organization of seismicity in the easternmost region of the Alps (Friuli, in NE Italy and W Slovenia), dominated by the interference between the Alpine and the Dinaric tectonic systems. Two non-conventional methods of spatial analysis are used: fractal analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). The fractal analysis helps to discriminate the cases in which hypocentres clearly define a plane, from the ones in which hypocenter distribution tends to the planarity, without reaching it. The PCA analysis is used to infer the orientation of planes fitting through earthquake foci, or the direction of propagation of the hypocentres. Furthermore, we study the spatial seismicity pattern at the shallow depths in the context of a general damage model, through the crack density distribution. The results of the three methods concur to a complex and composite model of fracturing in the region. The hypocentre pattern fills only partially a plane, i.e. has a fractal dimension close to 2. The three exceptions regard planes with Dinaric trend, without interference with Alpine lineaments. The shallowest depth range (0-10 km depth) is characterized by the activation of planes with variable orientations, reflecting the interference between the Dinaric and the Alpine tectonic structures, and closely bound to the variation of the mechanical properties of the crust. The seismicity occurs mostly in areas characterized by a variation from low to moderate crack density, indicating the sharp transition from zones of low damage to zones of moderate damage. Low crack density indicates the presence of more competent rocks capable of sustaining high strain energy while high crack density areas pertain to highly fractured rocks that cannot store high strain energy. Brittle failure, i.e. seismic activity, is favoured within the sharp transitions from low to moderate crack density zones. The orientation of the planes depicting the seismic activity

Family forest owners’ motivations in forest management activities: a case study in Recoaro Terme municipality (north-east Italy

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Canton A

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In Italy 67% of forestlands belong to private, usually small-scale, owners. Understanding landowners’ motivations is a crucial element to promote better and more active forest stewardship. This paper describes private forest owners’ managerial motivations. After a literature review on the issue, motivations are analyzed through a case study in the municipality of Recoaro Terme, located in the outer Alps range, Veneto Region, north-east Italy. Stated reasons for forest management are empirically identified by means of structured interviews to a statistically representative sample of local forest owners. Results show that forests are much more important for their intangible values and firewood self-consumption than for timber selling or other financial benefits. Different classifications of family forest owners are presented. The more helpful one is based on a cluster analysis and leads to the identification of three owners types with different motivations: a group of owners characterized by “Intangible Values”, a cluster of the “Multiobjective” owners and a group of “Un-interested” owners. These types show different socio-demographic features, various management, aims and information-seeking behaviour. Communication strategies, and management and assistance programs that might appeal to each type are discussed.

Evaluation of seismic effects on the landslide deposits of Monte Salta (Eastern Italian Alps) using distinct element method

Science.gov (United States)

Marcato, G.; Fujisawa, K.; Mantovani, M.; Pasuto, A.; Silvano, S.; Tagliavini, F.; Zabuski, L.

2007-11-01

The aim of the paper is to present the modelling of the ground effects of seismic waves on a large debris deposit lying on a steep mountain slope, with particular attention paid to the potential triggering of slope movements. The study site is a mass of 2.5 million m3 rock fall deposit, named "Monte Salta Landslide", located on the northern slope of the Vajont valley, at the border between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions in north-eastern Italy. Several historical landslide events were reported in the area in the past, first one dating back to the 17th century. The landslide deposit completely mantles the slope with a thick cover of rock blocks. The Mt. Salta landslide is conditioned by the presence of Mt. Borgà regional thrust, which uplifts Jurassic limestone on the top of Cretaceous rock units. Above the thrust zone, folded and highly fractured rock mass dips steeply towards the slope free face, producing highly unstable setting. The study area has been classified as high seismic hazard and different vulnerable elements can be affected by the remobilisation of debris, among which a village, a national road and a big quarry that was opened, with the intent to exploit the part of the landslide deposit for construction purposes. In this study, numerical analysis was performed, to simulate the slope behaviour using distinct element method and applying UDEC code. The 2-D models were built on three cross-sections and elasto-plastic behaviour was assumed, both for rock matrix and discontinuities. The earthquake effect was modelled in pseudo-dynamic way, i.e. by magnifying the acceleration and applying also its horizontal component. The expected seismic acceleration in the study area was calculated on the basis of previous studies as equal to 0.28 g. The results proved that the increase of the vertical component alone has a small influence on the deformational behaviour of the system. Hence, the acceleration vector was deviated at 5° and then at 10° from the

The Influence of The Geological and Geomorphological Settings On The Shallow Landslides Triggered During The 19th June, 1996 Heavy Rainfalls In Southern Apuan Alps (italy)

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amato Avanzi, G.; Giannecchini, R.; Puccinelli, A.

On June the 19th, 1996 many disastrous shallow landslides (nearly 700) occurred in the southern Apuan Alps (Tuscany, Italy) as a consequence of an exceptionally heavy rainstorm (474 mm/12 hours). Here, the results of the studies on the landslides oc- curred in the most severely damaged basins (Cardoso, Mulina and Turrite di Galli- cano torrents) are summarized. The most significant parameters of the landslides were analysed, to identify the factors which most influenced their activation. Moreover, the total amount of mobilized material was estimated. The most common type of landslide movement was complex, from very to extremely rapid, debris slide-debris flow, with a high length to breadth ratio. Most of them were probably first time landslides; ca. 90% of them involved the colluvium cover of slopes. The studies in the landslide sites also highlighted many geomorphically and geologically recurrent factors, summarized be- low. 85% of landslides occurred on rather steep slopes (30-45), in first-order basins and hollows. In these situations, the concave geometry of the colluvium/bedrock inter- face favoured the convergence of groundwater flow and the build-up of pore pressure, leading to failure. In landslide sites, a concave shape of the surface and a rectilinear profile of the slope were a frequent feature. The bedrock of landslide sites was gener- ally made up of impervious or scarcely pervious rocks. In many cases, the presence of a main discontinuity in the bedrock (bedding or schistosity) dipping downslope was significant. The total surface involved in landslides of June 19, 1996 was estimated at ca. 1 Km2, 2.2% of the basins surface. More than 80% of this surface was covered by chestnut trees: thus, ca. 7,000 chestnut trees were uprooted by the landslides and fell into the riverbeds. This significantly contributed to the extensive destruction and blockage of bridge spans. The total volume of mobilized material was estimated at ca. 1,350,000 m3: most of this

Surface heat flow density at the Phlegrean Fields caldera (southern Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corrado, Gennardo [Naples Univ., Dept. of Geophysics and Volcanology, Naples (Italy); De Lorenzo, Salvatore; Mongelli, Francesco; Tramacere, Antonio; Zito, Gianmaria [Bari Univ., Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, Bari (Italy)

1998-08-01

The Phlegrean Fields areas is a Holocene caldera located west of Naples, southern Italy. The recent post caldera activity is characterised by several eruptive centers inside the collapsed areas. In order to investigate the still active volcanic processes, surface heat flow measurement were carried out in 1995 in 30 sites of the Phlegrean Fields and a heat flow map compiled. Filtering of the map reveals some well-defined anomalies superimposed on a general southward-increasing trend. Local anomalies are related to small magma bodies, whereas the observed general trend has been attributed to the effect of ground-water flow. This effect was calculated and removed. The undisturbed mean value of the surface heat flow density in the eastern sector is 149mW/m{sup 2}, which is above the regional value of 85mW/m{sup 2} assigned to the eastern part of the Tyrrhenian Sea, and which is probably influenced by a very large, deep magmatic body. (Author)

Alpha taxonomy of the genus Kessleria Nowicki, 1864, revisited in light of DNA-barcoding (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutidae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Huemer

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The taxonomy of Kessleria, a highly specialized montane genus of Yponomeutidae with larval host restriction to Saxifragaceae and Celastraceae (Saxifraga spp. – subgenus Kessleria; Saxifraga spp. and Parnassia spp. – subgenus Hofmannia, is revised based on external morphology, genitalia and DNA barcodes. An integrative taxonomic approach supports the existence of 29 species in Europe (the two known species from Asia and North America are not treated herein. A full 658 bp fragment of COI was obtained from 135 specimens representing 24 species, a further seven sequences are >560 bp. Five new species are described: Kessleria cottiensis sp. n. (Prov. Torino, Italy; Dep. Hautes Alpes, France, Kessleria dimorpha sp. n. (Dep. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France, Kessleria alpmaritimae sp. n. (Dep. Alpes-Maritimes, France, Kessleria apenninica sp. n. (Prov. Rieti, Prov. L´Aquila, Italy, and Kessleria orobiae sp. n. (Prov. Bergamo, Italy.

ALP conversion and the soft X-ray excess in the outskirts of the Coma cluster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraljic, David; Rummel, Markus; Conlon, Joseph P.

2015-01-01

It was recently found that the soft X-ray excess in the center of the Coma cluster can be fitted by conversion of axion-like-particles (ALPs) of a cosmic axion background (CAB) to photons. We extend this analysis to the outskirts of Coma, including regions up to 5 Mpc from the center of the cluster. We extract the excess soft X-ray flux from ROSAT All-Sky Survey data and compare it to the expected flux from ALP to photon conversion of a CAB. The soft X-ray excess both in the center and the outskirts of Coma can be simultaneously fitted by ALP to photon conversion of a CAB. Given the uncertainties of the cluster magnetic field in the outskirts we constrain the parameter space of the CAB. In particular, an upper limit on the CAB mean energy and a range of allowed ALP-photon couplings are derived

Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

1987-04-01

For "Background Notes" on Italy, the U.S. State Department, Bureau of Public Affairs, covers geography, people, history, government, politics, economy, defense and foreign relations. Italy had 57.3 million persons in 1986, with a growth rate of 2.3%. The life expectancy is 73 years; the infant mortality rate is 14.3/1000 live births. 98% of the people are literate. The current constitutional republic has existed since 1948. Mean per capita income is $6,447. The people work mainly in services (60%), industry (30%) and agriculture (10%). Most of the country is mountainous, without significant food, energy or natural resources, so Italy's central position in the Mediterranean has influenced economic development since ancient times. The nation is highly homogeneous, as the government is centralized. Although there are several influential political parties, the diverse structure of the Christian Democrats has given them power since the war. The current prime minister, Bettino Craxi, is a member of the centralist Italian Socialist Party. The Italian Communist Party is the largest such party in the free world, polling 30% of the vote in 1983. Italy is a member of NATO.

Effect of Al and AlP on the microstructure of Mn-30 wt.%Si alloy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu Yuying [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jing Shi Road 73, Jinan 250061 (China); Liu Xiangfa [Key Laboratory of Liquid Structure and Heredity of Materials, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jing Shi Road 73, Jinan 250061 (China)], E-mail: xfliu@sdu.edu.cn

2008-04-15

Effect of Al and AlP particles on the microstructure of near eutectic Mn-Si alloy (Mn-30 wt.%Si) was studied by Electron Probe Micro-analyzer (EPMA) and Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC). Crystal lattice correspondence analyses show that both Al and AlP have good lattice matching coherence relationships with MnSi phase, and the addition of Al and AlP particles results in an abnormal eutectic structure, i.e. the eutectic constitution MnSi and Mn{sub 5}Si{sub 3} precipitate separately: MnSi precipitates firstly, and then the Mn{sub 5}Si{sub 3} phase.

Status of the ALPS experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehret, Klaus

2008-01-01

The ALPS experiment at DESY searches for light particles which are coupling very weakly to photons. Primary physics goal is the search for axion like particles in a photon regeneration experiment. Central part of the experimental setup is a five Tesla strong superconducting HERA dipole magnet. During two operation periods in the years 2007 and 2008 we have collected first data and explored the sensitivity of the setup. A Fabry Perot laser cavity is being set up in order to increase the sensitivity by more than one order of magnitude. (orig.)

Western Italian Alps Monthly Snowfall and Snow Cover Duration

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set consists of snow observations for 18 stations in the western Italian Alps. Two types of data are included: monthly snowfall amounts and monthly snow...

Pattern recognition techniques and neo-deterministic seismic hazard: Time dependent scenarios for North-Eastern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peresan, A.; Vaccari, F.; Panza, G.F.; Zuccolo, E.; Gorshkov, A.

2009-05-01

An integrated neo-deterministic approach to seismic hazard assessment has been developed that combines different pattern recognition techniques, designed for the space-time identification of strong earthquakes, with algorithms for the realistic modeling of seismic ground motion. The integrated approach allows for a time dependent definition of the seismic input, through the routine updating of earthquake predictions. The scenarios of expected ground motion, associated with the alarmed areas, are defined by means of full waveform modeling. A set of neo-deterministic scenarios of ground motion is defined at regional and local scale, thus providing a prioritization tool for timely prevention and mitigation actions. Constraints about the space and time of occurrence of the impending strong earthquakes are provided by three formally defined and globally tested algorithms, which have been developed according to a pattern recognition scheme. Two algorithms, namely CN and M8, are routinely used for intermediate-term middle-range earthquake predictions, while a third algorithm allows for the identification of the areas prone to large events. These independent procedures have been combined to better constrain the alarmed area. The pattern recognition of earthquake-prone areas does not belong to the family of earthquake prediction algorithms since it does not provide any information about the time of occurrence of the expected earthquakes. Nevertheless, it can be considered as the term-less zero-approximation, which restrains the alerted areas (e.g. defined by CN or M8) to the more precise location of large events. Italy is the only region of moderate seismic activity where the two different prediction algorithms CN and M8S (i.e. a spatially stabilized variant of M8) are applied simultaneously and a real-time test of predictions, for earthquakes with magnitude larger than 5.4, is ongoing since 2003. The application of the CN to the Adriatic region (s.l.), which is relevant

Study geomorphology, past and present, linear trench, tectonics relationship between Pyrenees and Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Guillemot, J. (Principal Investigator)

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS-1 images obviously show up some large linear features trending N 80 E or N 30 E common to both Alps and Pyrenees. One of them, the Ligurian Fault, had been previously forecast by Laubscher in an interpretation of the Alps by the plate tectonic theory, but it extends westward farthest from the Alps, cutting the Pyrenees axis. These lineaments have been interpreted as reflections of deep seated wrench faults in the surficial part of the sedimentary series. A large set of such lineaments is perceptible in western Europe, such as the Guadalquivir Fault in southern Spain, Ligurian Fault, Insubrian Fault, Northern-Jura Fault, Metz Fault. Perhaps these may be interpreted as transform faults of the mid-Atlantic ridge or of a paleo-rift seated in the Rhine-Rhone graben.

Preliminary studies on environmental pollutants in chamois and wild boar from Eastern Piedmont, Italy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federica Ceriani

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs are synthetic chlorinated compounds classified as POPs whereas only the penta e tetra-brominated polybromodiphenyl ethers (PBDEs are so defined by the Stockolm Convention (Stockholm Convention, 2005 in order to elimitate or restrict the use of POPs. Organophosphorus insecticides (OCPs represent important environmental and food contamination sources, widely used in agriculture. Among polyciclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, benzo[a]pirene is classified by IARC in Group 1, as cancerogen  and Benzo[a]fluoranthene as a Group 2B, as possible cancerogen (IARC, 2012; IARC, 2010.  EFSA (European Food Safety Authority has released a scientific opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of brominated flame retardants in food (EFSA, 2011 and in 2014 European commission has asked Member States to monitor the presence of brominated flame retardants (BFRs in food over the next two years (EC, 2014. Due to their heir n-octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow, they accumulate in fat tissue, bioconcentrate and biomagnify in the animals at the higher trophic levels, possibly causing, through chronic exposure, endocrine disruption and cancer (Wania et al., 1995; Vallack et al., 1998. The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence of OCPs, PCBs, PBDEs and PAHs in chamois and wild boar from Eastern Piedmont, Italy. A total of 20 chamois and 20 wild boar muscle samples were collected during the hunting season 2017, from Verbania Cusio Ossola (VCO (Fig 1. The chemical analysis for the detection of OCPs, PCBs, PBDEs, and PAHs   was performed by GC-MS/MS on muscle samples purified and extracted using a QuEChERS technique, validated according to SANTE 2017 (SANTE/11183/2017. These preliminary results show the ubiquitary presence of the studied contaminants. PCBs have been found more in chamois (45% than in wild boar (35%. No PBDEs were detected in wild boar but in chamois

Global change and upward shift of treeline in the Alps: genetic consequences of pastures colonization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piotti A

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In the Alps global warming and change in land use, in particular the drastic reduction in cattle grazing, are causing a progressive treeline ecotone upwards shift. The colonization dynamics of woody species are modulated by high selective pressure on seedlings due to the extreme ecological conditions of this habitat. We studied the colonization dynamics of Norway spruce in a treeline plot, at the upper limit of the Paneveggio forest (Trentino, Italy. We have exhaustively sampled the study stand, collecting needle tissue from all the adults and the juveniles detected, and we have genotyped all the samples (376 with 4 SSR markers. Parentage relationships between the few adults presents in the stand (23 and the juveniles were established. Our results indicate that, in spite of extreme ecological condition of the treeline environment, local adaptations do not seem to favour local parents: only 4% of juveniles have both parents among local adult trees, while 96% of juveniles are completely or partially sired outside the sampling area. Assessing parentage relationship also allowed the estimation of relative reproductive success of local adult trees. Out of a total of 23 adult trees, 5 trees were involved in the 59% of successful reproductive events detected inside the sampling area.

Performances of an expanding insect under elevated CO{sub 2} and snow cover in the Alps

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Battisti, B.; Petrucco-Toffolo, E. [University of Padova, Legnaro (Italy). Dept. of Environmental Agronomy

2008-09-30

Variations of phenology and distribution have been recently highlighted in numerous insect species and attributed to climate change, particularly the increase of temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}). Both have been shown to have direct and indirect effects on insect species of various ecosystems, though the responses are often species-specific. The pine processionary moth, Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae) is an important pest of conifers in the Mediterranean region, and has been recently shown to expand its altitudinal range in the Alps, including the mountain pine Pinus mugo as a novel host. We had the opportunity to transplant colonies of the pine processionary moth to a high elevation site well outside of the current range of the insect (Stillberg, Davos, Switzerland, 2180 m), where trees of the mountain pine have been grown for five years under ambient and elevated CO{sub 2} concentrations (ca. 570 ppm). The aim of the study was to evaluate the response of first instar larvae to extreme conditions of temperature and to an altered performance induced by the change of host metabolism under elevated CO{sub 2}. Larval mortality and relative growth rate did not differ between host trees grown in ambient or elevated CO{sub 2}. As extended snow cover may be an important mortality factor of larval colonies on the dwarf trees of mountain pine, we tested the survival of colonies transplanted at two extreme sites of Eastern Alps. The snow cover extended over more than one month proved to be an important mortality factor of larval colonies on mountain pine. We concluded that the first instar larvae of the pine processionary moth are not concerned by unusually low temperature and CO{sub 2} increase whereas they can be later strongly affected by snow accumulation. The decrease of snow cover observed in the last decades, however, may reduce such a risk.

Effects of atmospheric and climate change at the timberline of the Central European Alps

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Wieser, Gerhard; Matyssek, Rainer; Luzian, Roland; Zwerger, Peter; Pindur, Peter; Oberhuber, Walter; Gruber, Andreas

2011-01-01

This review considers potential effects of atmospheric change and climate warming within the timberline ecotone of the Central European Alps. After focusing on the impacts of ozone (O3) and rising atmospheric CO2 concentration, effects of climate warming on the carbon and water balance of timberline trees and forests will be outlined towards conclusions about changes in tree growth and treeline dynamics. Presently, ambient ground-level O3 concentrations do not exert crucial stress on adult conifers at the timberline of the Central European Alps. In response to elevated atmospheric CO2 Larix decidua showed growth increase, whereas no such response was found in Pinus uncinata. Overall climate warming appears as the factor responsible for the observed growth stimulation of timberline trees. Increased seedling re-establishment in the Central European Alps however, resulted from invasion into potential habitats rather than upward migration due to climate change, although seedlings will only reach tree size upon successful coupling with the atmosphere and thus loosing the beneficial microclimate of low stature vegetation. In conclusion, future climate extremes are more likely than the gradual temperature increase to control treeline dynamics in the Central European Alps. PMID:21379395

Gravity anomalies, seismic structure and geothermal history of the Central Alps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kissling, E.; Mueller, S.; Werner, D.

1983-01-01

A new interpretation of the gravity anomalies in the Swiss Alps from the geothermal point of view is presented. The regional gravity distribution is partly caused by the topography of the crust-mantle boundary. Taking 0.5 g/cm 3 as the average density contrast between crust and mantle the Bouguer map of Switzerland contains a residual field which indicates a density anomaly in the mantle. This finding, results from seismic surface-wave investigations, and P-wave travel time observations can be interpreted as a consequence of the genesis of the Alps. A kinematic model of the Alps has been constructed simulating the mass displacements during the last 40 m.y. In this two-dimensional model the subsidence of cold mantle material is taken into consideration forming a ''lithospheric root''. Based on this kinematic model the temperature distribution in the moving medium can be calculated, taking into account the radiogenic heat sources. From the calculated temperatures field at present time the thermally induced density deviation can be determined. This density effect can explain the residual gravity field with a maximum value of about + 50 mgal

Evaluation of seismic effects on the landslide deposits of Monte Salta (Eastern Italian Alps using distinct element method

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G. Marcato

2007-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to present the modelling of the ground effects of seismic waves on a large debris deposit lying on a steep mountain slope, with particular attention paid to the potential triggering of slope movements.

The study site is a mass of 2.5 million m³ rock fall deposit, named "Monte Salta Landslide", located on the northern slope of the Vajont valley, at the border between Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions in north-eastern Italy.

Several historical landslide events were reported in the area in the past, first one dating back to the 17th century. The landslide deposit completely mantles the slope with a thick cover of rock blocks.

The Mt. Salta landslide is conditioned by the presence of Mt. Borgà regional thrust, which uplifts Jurassic limestone on the top of Cretaceous rock units. Above the thrust zone, folded and highly fractured rock mass dips steeply towards the slope free face, producing highly unstable setting.

The study area has been classified as high seismic hazard and different vulnerable elements can be affected by the remobilisation of debris, among which a village, a national road and a big quarry that was opened, with the intent to exploit the part of the landslide deposit for construction purposes.

In this study, numerical analysis was performed, to simulate the slope behaviour using distinct element method and applying UDEC code. The 2-D models were built on three cross-sections and elasto-plastic behaviour was assumed, both for rock matrix and discontinuities. The earthquake effect was modelled in pseudo-dynamic way, i.e. by magnifying the acceleration and applying also its horizontal component. The expected seismic acceleration in the study area was calculated on the basis of previous studies as equal to 0.28 g.

The results proved that the increase of the vertical component alone has a small influence on the deformational behaviour of the

Stress biomarkers and alkali-labile phosphate level in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected in the urban area of Venice (Venice Lagoon, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pampanin, Daniela M.; Marangon, Ilenia; Volpato, Elisa; Campesan, Giancarlo; Nasci, Cristina

2005-01-01

In this study, a spatial and temporal survey at three sites located in the 'canals' of the Venice historic centre (Italy) and at a reference site was undertaken to evaluate stress effects on mussels sampled in the Venice urban area, where raw sewage is discharged without treatment directly into the water. A battery of biomarkers (metallothionein, micronuclei, condition index and survival in air) was used to evaluate the stress condition of the animals. At the same time the alkali-labile phosphate assay (ALP) was performed in mussel' hemolymph with the aim to find an estrogenic effect biomarker in this mussel species. Biomarker results showed an impairment of the general health condition in the mussels coming from the urban area, in agreement with the chemical analysis. Significantly higher level of the ALP was found in male mussels sampled in April in the urban area, in comparison with the ones from the reference site (P0.001). Finally, the PCA proved an easy and useful tool to summarize the obtained results, also able to classify the data to indicate a pollution gradient in the Venice urban area. - The overall biological and chemical data show a higher stress condition in the mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from the urban area of Venice

Fault-related dolomitization in the Vajont Limestone (Southern Alps, Italy): photogrammetric 3D outcrop reconstruction, visualization with textured surfaces, and structural analysis

OpenAIRE

Bistacchi, Andrea; Balsamo, Fabrizio; Storti, Fabrizio; Mozafari, Mahtab; Swennen, Rudy; Solum, John; Taberner, Conxita

2013-01-01

The Vajont Gorge (Dolomiti Bellunesi, Italy) provides spectacular outcrops of Jurassic limestones (Vajont Limestone Formation) in which Mesozoic and Alpine faults and fracture corridors are continuously exposed. Some of these faults acted as conduits for fluids, resulting in structurally-controlled dolomitization of the Vajont Limestone, associated with significant porosity increase. We carried out a 3D surface characterization of the outcrops, combining high resolution topography and imaging...

Pre-Alpine evolution of the Seckau Complex (Austroalpine basement/Eastern Alps): Constraints from in-situ LA-ICP-MS Usbnd Pb zircon geochronology

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Mandl, Magdalena; Kurz, Walter; Hauzenberger, Christoph; Fritz, Harald; Klötzli, Urs; Schuster, Ralf

2018-01-01

The Variscan European Belt is a complex orogen with its southern margin partly obscured by Alpine tectonics and metamorphism. We present a study of one of the units, the Seckau Complex, that constitute the southern part of the Variscan European Belt in the Eastern Alps in order to clarify its origin, age and lithostratigraphy. The magmatic and geochronological evolution of this Complex in the northwestern part of the Seckau Nappe (as part of the Austroalpine Silvretta-Seckau Nappe System) was investigated by zircon Usbnd Pb dating of paragneisses and metagranitoids coupled with petrological and geochemical data. This reveals the distinction of three newly defined lithostratigraphic/lithodemic sub-units: (1) Glaneck Metamorphic Suite, (2) Hochreichart Plutonic Suite and (3) Hintertal Plutonic Suite. The Glaneck Metamorphic Suite is mainly composed of fine-grained paragneisses that yield Usbnd Pb zircon ages in the range between 2.7 Ga and 2.0 Ga, as well as concordia ages from 572 ± 7 Ma to 559 ± 11 Ma. All of these ages are interpreted as detrital zircon ages originating from an igneous source. The paragneisses are the host rock for the large volumes of metagranitoids of the Hochreichart Plutonic Suite and the Hintertal Plutonic Suite. The Hochreichart Plutonic Suite comprises highly fractionated melts with mainly S-type characteristics and late Cambrian to Early Ordovician Usbnd Pb zircon ages (508 ± 9 Ma to 486 ± 9 Ma), interpreted as magmatic protolith ages. The Hintertal Plutonic Suite is composed of metagranitoids with Late Devonian to early Carboniferous (365 ± 11 Ma and 331 ± 10 Ma) protolith ages, that intruded during an early phase of the Variscan tectonometamorphic event. The metagranitoids of the Hintertal Plutonic Suites define a magmatic fractionation trend, seen in variable Rb/Sr ratios. On this base they can be further subdivided into (a) the Griessstein Pluton characterized by S-type metagranitoids and (b) the Pletzen Pluton distinguished by

Structural diversity of a family of aluminophosphates with Al/P ratio of non-unity

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Yu, Jihong; Xu, Ruren; Li, Jiyang

2000-05-01

A family of organically templated aluminophosphates (denoted AlPOs) with an Al/P ratio of non-unity has been prepared with 1-D chain, 2-D layer and 3-D open-framework architectures. Their inorganic parts are constructed from alternating Al-centered polyhedra (AlO 4, AlO 5, AlO 4(OH 2) 2) and P-centered tetrahedra P(OAl) nO 4- n ( n=0, 1, 2, 3). The existence of terminal POH and/or PO groups in the structures results in the deviation of Al/P ratio from unity, and the commonly encountered Al/P ratios are 1/2, 3/5, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5 and 5/6. This review will discuss the structural features of these AlPOs with various dimensionalities and stoichiometries.

Alps, Carpathians and Dinarides-Hellenides: about plates, micro-plates and delaminated crustal blocks

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Schmid, Stefan

2014-05-01

Before the onset of Europe-Africa continental collision in the Dinarides-Hellenides (around 60Ma) and in the Alps and Western Carpathians (around 35 Ma), and at a large scale, the dynamics of orogenic processes in the Mediterranean Alpine chains were governed by Europe-Africa plate convergence leading to the disappearance of large parts of intervening oceanic lithosphere, i.e. the northern branch of Neotethys along the Sava-Izmir-Ankara suture and Alpine Tethys along the Valais-Magura suture (Schmid et al. 2008). In spite of this, two major problems concerning the pre-collisional stage are still poorly understood: (1) by now we only start to understand geometry, kinematics and dynamics of the along-strike changes in the polarity of subduction between Alps-Carpathians and Dinarides-Hellenides, and (2) it is not clear yet during exactly which episodes and to what extent intervening rifted continental fragments such as, for example, Iberia-Briançonnais, Tisza, Dacia, Adria-Taurides moved independently as micro-plates, and during which episodes they remained firmly attached to Europa or Africa from which they broke away. As Europe-Africa plate convergence slowed down well below 1 cm/yr at around 30 Ma ago these pre-collisional processes driven by plate convergence on a global scale gave way to more local processes of combined roll-back and crustal delamination in the Pannonian basin of the Carpathian embayment and in the Aegean (as well as in the Western Mediterranean, not discussed in this contribution). In the case of the Carpathian embayment E-directed roll back totally unrelated to Europe-Africa N-S-directed convergence, started at around 20 Ma ago, due to the presence relict oceanic lithosphere in the future Pannonian basin that remained un-subducted during collision. Due to total delamination of the crust from the eastward rolling back European mantle lithosphere the anticlockwise rotating ALCAPA crustal block, consisting of Eastern Alps and Western Carpathian

Infracommunities of intestinal helminths of the Red Fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758 from Italian Alps

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Anna Rita Di Cerbo

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758 is one of the most common carnivore in Italy and its spread includes almost the whole national territory. The species shows an high ecological plasticity and a variable diet composition connected in part to human sources. This high adaptability permits the red foxes to colonize different habitats like the suburbs of large cities as well as the small villages located in mountain areas. On the other hand, the tourism pressure seems to assume a great importance in the Alps, also in those areas where the foxes live. So, indirect interactions could take place between these animals and the humans. The role of V. vulpes in the zoonoses has not to be understated since this carnivore could transmit parasitic diseases that are able to cause serious pathologies in humans. This study aims just to investigate on intestinal communities of helmiths of V. vulpes in order to make progress in current knowledge on epidemiological situation in Italian Alps. During 1998-2003, we have examined 450 foxes from Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto, Lombardia and Valle d'Aosta. The specimens collected were found dead or have been hunted (according to national law n. 157/92 in localities situated between 170 and 2200 m a.s.l. The carcasses were carried to the provincial sections of Zooprofilattici Institutes, where the intestine was drawn by each sample and all the material was sent to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Milan. Parasitological examination of the small intestines was performed by the analysis of the whole sediment and counting technique (SCT. Parasites were preserved in alcohol 70° before to be clarified or stained and identified by microscope (Zeiss Axioscop. Mean abundance, mean intensity and prevalence were calculated for each taxon of helminth. Dates of sampling were grouped within the four seasons. Statistic tests were performed with software package SPSS rel. 11.5 and spatial analysis with the

First record of the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus, in Italy: invasion from an established Austrian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, Bernhard; Montarsi, Fabrizio; Huemer, Hartwig P; Indra, Alexander; Capelli, Gioia; Allerberger, Franz; Nowotny, Norbert

2016-05-16

In 2011 we identified the Asian bush mosquito, Aedes japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) (Diptera: Culicidae) for the first time in northern Slovenia and in the bordering Austrian federal state of Styria. Between May and July 2012 the distribution area of Ae. j. japonicus was already found to be extended westwards into Carinthia and eastwards towards Burgenland and bordering Hungary. In August 2012 the species was first detected in a western province of Hungary. In subsequent years, follow-up field studies demonstrated an active spread westwards throughout Carinthia, reaching the border to northern Italy. In July 2015 several aquatic-stage specimens of the species were discovered at three different sites in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, north-eastern Italy. In September 2015, co-occurrence of Ae. j. japonicus and Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1895) was observed in the same sample in that region. Ae. j. japonicus actively extended its geographic range from an established population in Carinthia (Austria) southwards to northern Italy by crossing Alpine ranges. Since Ae. albopictus and Aedes koreicus (Edwards, 1917) are already well established in northern Italy, it will be pivotal to monitor the consequences of a third invasive mosquito species trying to populate the same geographic region.

The CARIPANDA project: Climate change and water resources in the Adamello Natural Park of Italy

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Bocchiola, D.

2009-04-01

The three years (2007-2009) CARIPANDA project funded by the Cariplo Foundation of Italy is aimed to evaluate scenarios for water resources in the Adamello natural Park of Italy in a window of 50 years or so (until 2050). The project is led by Ente Parco Adamello and involves Politecnico di Milano, Università Statale di Milano, Università di Brescia, and ARPA Lombardia as scientific partners, while ENEL hydropower Company of Italy joins the project as stake holder. The Adamello Natural Park is a noteworthy resource in the Italian Alps. The Adamello Group is made of several glacierized areas (c. 24 km2), of both debris covered and free ice types, including the widest Italian Glacier, named Adamello, spreading on an area of about c. 18 km2. Also the Adamello Natural Reserve, covering 217 km2 inside the Adamello Park and including the Adamello glaciers, hosts a number of high altitude safeguarded vegetal and animal species, the safety of which is a primary task of the Reserve. Project's activity involves analysis of local climate trend, field campaigns on glaciers, hydrological modelling and remote sensing of snow and ice covered areas, aimed to build a consistent model of the present hydrological conditions and of the areas. Then, properly tailored climate change projections for the area, obtained using local data driven downscaling of climate change projections from GCMs model, are used to infer the likely response to expected climate change conditions. With two years in the project now some preliminary findings can be highlighted and some preliminary trend analysis carried out. The proposed poster provides a resume of the main results of the project insofar, of interest as a benchmark for similar ongoing and foregoing projects about climate change impact on European mountainous natural areas.

Continuous micro-earthquake catalogue of the central Southern Alps, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Michailos, Konstantinos; Townend, John; Savage, Martha; Chamberlain, Calum

2017-04-01

The Alpine Fault is one of the most prominent tectonic features in the South Island, New Zealand, and is inferred to be late in its seismic cycle of M 8 earthquakes based on paleoseismological evidence. Despite this, the Alpine Fault displays low levels of contemporary seismic activity, with little documented on-fault seismicity. This low magnitude seismicity, often below the completeness level of the GeoNet national seismic catalogue, may inform us of changes in fault character along-strike and might be used for rupture simulations and hazard planning. Thus, compiling a micro-earthquake catalogue for the Southern Alps prior to an expected major earthquake is of great interest. Areas of low seismic activity, like the central part of the Alpine Fault, require data recorded over a long duration to reveal temporal and spatial seismicity patterns and provide a better understanding for the processes controlling seismogenesis. The continuity and density of the Southern Alps Microearthquake Borehole Array (SAMBA; deployed in late 2008) allows us to study seismicity in the Southern Alps over a more extended time period than has ever been done previously. Furthermore, by using data from other temporary networks (e.g. WIZARD, ALFA08, DFDP-10) we are able to extend the region covered. To generate a spatially and temporally continuous catalogue of seismicity in New Zealand's central Southern Alps, we used automatic detection and phase-picking methods. We used an automatic phase-picking method for both P- and S- wave arrivals (kPick; Rawles and Thurber, 2015). Using almost 8 years of seismic data we calculated about 9,000 preliminary earthquake. The seismicity is clustered and scattered and a previously observed seismic gap between the Wanganui and Whataroa rivers is also identified.

What's new in ALPS-II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doebrich, Babette; Collaboration: ALPS-II collaboration

2013-09-15

This proceedings contribution gives a brief experimental update of the 'Any light particle search (ALPS) -II' at DESY which will be sensitive to sub-eV, very weakly coupled particles beyond the Standard Model. First data on hidden sector photon parameter space through photon-hidden photon oscillations in vacuum is expected in 2014. Axion-like particle search (implying the installation of superconducting HERA magnets) could be realized in 2017.

Sediment mobility and bedload transport rates in a high-elevation glacier-fed stream (Saldur river, Eastern Italian Alps)

Science.gov (United States)

Dell'Agnese, A.; Mao, L.; Comiti, F.

2012-04-01

The assessment of bedload transport in high-gradient streams is necessary to evaluate and mitigate flood hazards and to understand morphological processes taking place in the whole river network. Bedload transport in steep channels is particularly difficult to predict due to the complex and varying types of flow resistance, the very coarse and heterogeneous sediments, and the activity and connections of sediment sources at the basin scale. Yet, bedload measurements in these environments are still relatively scarce, and long-term monitoring programs are highly valuable to explore spatial and temporal variability of bedload processes. Even fewer are investigations conducted in high-elevation glaciarized basins, despite their relevance in many regions worldwide. The poster will present bedload transport measurements in a newly established (spring 2011) monitoring station in the Saldur basin (Eastern Italian Alps), which presents a 3.3 km2 glacier in its upper part. At 2100 m a.s.l. (20 km2 drainage area), a pressure transducer measures flow stage and bedload transport is monitored continuously by means of a hydrophone (a cylindrical steel pipe with microphones registering particle collisions) and by 4 fixed antennas for tracing clasts equipped with PITs (Passive Integrated Transponders). At the same location bedload samples are collected by using both a "Bunte" bedload trap and a "Helley-Smith" sampler at 5 positions along a 5 m wide cross-section. Bedload was measured from June to August 2011 during daily discharge fluctuations due to snow- and ice- melt flows. Samples were taken at a large range of discharges (1.1 to 4.6 m3 s-1) and bedload rates (0.01 to 700 g s-1 m-1). As expected, samples taken using the two samplers are not directly comparable even if taken virtually at the same time and at the same location across the section. Results indicate that the grain size of the transported material increases with the shear stress acting on the channel bed and with the

Molecular Characterization of Streptococcus agalactiae Isolated from Bovine Mastitis in Eastern China

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yongchun; Liu, Yinglong; Ding, Yunlei; Yi, Li; Ma, Zhe; Fan, Hongjie; Lu, Chengping

2013-01-01

One hundred and two Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus [GBS]) isolates were collected from dairy cattle with subclinical mastitis in Eastern China during 2011. Clonal groups were established by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), respectively. Capsular polysaccharides (CPS), pilus and alpha-like-protein (Alp) family genes were also characterized by molecular techniques. MLST analysis revealed that these isolates were limited to three clonal groups and were clustered in six different lineages, i.e. ST (sequence type) 103, ST568, ST67, ST301, ST313 and ST570, of which ST568 and ST570 were new genotypes. PFGE analysis revealed this isolates were clustered in 27 PFGE types, of which, types 7, 8, 14, 15, 16, 18, 23 and 25 were the eight major types, comprising close to 70% (71/102) of all the isolates. The most prevalent sequence types were ST103 (58% isolates) and ST568 (31% isolates), comprising capsular genotype Ia isolates without any of the detected Alp genes, suggesting the appearance of novel genomic backgrounds of prevalent strains of bovine S. agalactiae. All the strains possessed the pilus island 2b (PI-2b) gene and the prevalent capsular genotypes were types Ia (89% isolates) and II (11% isolates), the conserved pilus type providing suitable data for the development of vaccines against mastitis caused by S. agalactiae. PMID:23874442

Mitogenomes from The 1000 Genome Project reveal new Near Eastern features in present-day Tuscans.

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Alberto Gómez-Carballa

Full Text Available Genetic analyses have recently been carried out on present-day Tuscans (Central Italy in order to investigate their presumable recent Near East ancestry in connection with the long-standing debate on the origins of the Etruscan civilization. We retrieved mitogenomes and genome-wide SNP data from 110 Tuscans analyzed within the context of The 1000 Genome Project. For phylogeographic and evolutionary analysis we made use of a large worldwide database of entire mitogenomes (>26,000 and partial control region sequences (>180,000.Different analyses reveal the presence of typical Near East haplotypes in Tuscans representing isolated members of various mtDNA phylogenetic branches. As a whole, the Near East component in Tuscan mitogenomes can be estimated at about 8%; a proportion that is comparable to previous estimates but significantly lower than admixture estimates obtained from autosomal SNP data (21%. Phylogeographic and evolutionary inter-population comparisons indicate that the main signal of Near Eastern Tuscan mitogenomes comes from Iran.Mitogenomes of recent Near East origin in present-day Tuscans do not show local or regional variation. This points to a demographic scenario that is compatible with a recent arrival of Near Easterners to this region in Italy with no founder events or bottlenecks.

A first-principles study of the SCN− chemisorption on the surface of AlN, AlP, and BP nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soltani, Alireza; Taghartapeh, Mohammad Ramezani; Mighani, Hossein; Pahlevani, Amin Allah; Mashkoor, Reza

2012-01-01

Graphical abstract: Adsorption properties of SCN − on AlN, AlP, and BP nanotubes based on density functional theory. ▶ We demonstrate the most stable configurations (N-side) of SCN − on AlN, AlP, and BP nanotubes models. Highlights: ► The SCN − Adsorption on surface of AlN, AlP, and BP nanotubes were studied via density functional theory (DFT). ► The interaction of SCN − on the electronic properties and the NBO charge distribution of mentioned configurations are investigated. ► The studies suggest that the adsorption energies of SCN − on AlPNT is most notable in comparison with AlNNT and BPNT. - Abstract: We have performed first-principles calculations to explore the adsorption behavior of the SCN − on electronic properties of AlN, AlP, and BP nanotubes. The adsorption value of SCN − for the most stable formation on the AlPNT is about −318.16 kJ mol −1 , which is reason via the chemisorptions of SCN anion. The computed density of states (DOS) indicates that a notable orbital hybridization take place between SCN − and AlP nanotube in adsorption process. Finally, the AlP nanotube can be used to design as useful sensor for nanodevice applications.

Provenance of marbles used for building the internal spiral staircase of the bell tower of St. Nicholas Church (Pisa, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Lezzerini, Marco; Antonelli, Fabrizio; Gallello, Gianni; Ramacciotti, Mirco; Parodi, Luca; Alberti, Antonio; Pagnotta, Stefano; Legnaioli, Stefano; Palleschi, Vincenzo

2017-05-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the provenance of marbles used as architectural elements (bases, shafts and capitals of columns) for building the internal spiral staircase of the medieval bell tower of St. Nicholas Church at Pisa, Italy. Accordingly, the 45 collected marble samples have been analysed by optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and mass spectroscopy for carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratio analysis; additionally, SEM-EDS analysis have been performed to complement data about accessory minerals. By comparison with literature data on the main sources of the white Mediterranean marbles used in ancient times, the results show that the analysed samples are mainly white crystalline marbles from Carrara (Italy) and, subordinately, from other Tuscan and Eastern Mediterranean quarrying areas. In fact, Mt. Pisano and Campiglia M.ma (Tuscany, Italy) and Marmara (Turkey), Paros, Mt. Penteli, Thasos (Greece) are minor sources. The other coloured stones identified on the strength of their macroscopic features are quartzites from Mt. Pisano area and granitoids from Sardinia and Island of Elba (Italy). Occasionally, a very limited number of architectonical elements made up of Acquabona limestone from Rosignano Marittimo (Livorno, Italy), red limestone with ammonites (the so-called "Rosso Ammonitico") and black limestone belonging to the Tuscan Nappe sequence, outcropping at northwest of Pisa in the nearby Monti d'Oltre Serchio area, are present.

The impact of citizenship on intermarriage: Quasi-experimental evidence from two European Union Eastern enlargements

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Davide Azzolini

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Background: According to assimilation theory, the more immigrants are integrated within host countries the more likely they are to intermarry. However, status exchange theory argues instead that when integration is low, immigrants may use intermarriage as a means of improving their integration prospects in host countries, in which case an increase in levels of integration would reduce immigrants' propensity to intermarry. Objective: To test these two hypotheses, this paper assesses the causal effect of a positive shift in immigrants' level of integration, namely the acquisition of citizenship, on intermarriage in Italy. Over the past 20 years Italy has experienced an unprecedented growth in intermarriage involving primarily Eastern European women. Methods: We study two EU Eastern enlargements, following which citizens of the new EU member countries became EU citizens and thus experienced a marked improvement in their legal status. We apply the synthetic control method to data on marriages between native men and foreign women. Results: We find that the acquisition of citizenship has a significant negative impact on immigrant women's propensity to marry native men. That impact is much greater for immigrants coming from less affluent countries. Conclusions: Our results support the status exchange hypothesis. This can be explained by the poor socioeconomic integration and precarious legal status of immigrants in Italy. Contribution: The growth of intermarriage per se cannot be seen as an indicator of greater immigrant integration. The negative impact of citizenship acquisition on immigrants' propensity to intermarry also calls for a rethinking of the role of institutions such as marriage and citizenship in the process of immigrant integration.

A Hannibal's Treck Across The Alps: Geomorphological Analysis Of Sites Of Geoarchaeologicals Interest

Science.gov (United States)

Mahaney, William C.; Kalm, Volli; Dirszowsky, Randy W.; Milner, Michael W.; Sodhi, Rana; Beukens, Roelf; Dorn, Ron; Tricart, Pierre; Schwartz, Stéphane; Chamorro-Perez, Eva; Boccia, Sal; Barendregt, René W.; Krinsley, D. H.; Seaquist, E. R.; Merrick, David; Kapran, Barbara

A ~2200 year-old question related to Hannibal's invasion route across the Alps into Italia, has been argued by classicists without recovery of material evidence. A comparison of topographical descriptions in the ancient literature with environmental parameters in the Alps, attempted here for the first time, provides a database against which various pathways can be assessed. Identification of sites using geological, geomorphological, astronomical, chemical and petrological methods leads to the exclusion of certain transit points and targeting of others where geoarchaeological excavation might yield important evidence related to the military culture of ancient Carthage.

Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks (Second Edition

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Nicole Porter

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Reviewed: Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks (Second Edition By Deidre Slattery. Clayton South, Australia: CSIRO Publishing, 2015. xvii + 302 pp. AU$ 45.00, US$ 35.95. ISBN 978-1-486-30171-3.

Presence-only approach to assess landslide triggering-thickness susceptibility: a test for the Mili catchment (north-eastern Sicily, Italy)

KAUST Repository

Lombardo, Luigi; Fubelli, G.; Amato, G.; Bonasera, M.

2016-01-01

This study evaluates the performances of the presence-only approach, Maximum Entropy, in assessing landslide triggering-thickness susceptibility within the Mili catchment (Sicily, Italy). This catchment underwent several meteorological stresses

Coal-water fuels - a clean coal solution for Eastern Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ljubicic, B.; Willson, W.; Bukurov, Z.; Cvijanovic, P.; Stajner, K.; Popovic, R.

1993-01-01

Eastern Europe currently faces great economic and environmental problems. Among these problems is energy provision. Coal reserves are large but cause pollution while oil and gas need to be used for export. Formal 'clean coal technologies' are simply too expensive to be implemented on a large scale in the current economic crisis. The promised western investment and technological help has simply not taken place, western Europe must help eastern Europe with coal technology. The cheapest such technology is coal-water fuel slurry. It can substitute for oil, but research has not been carried out because of low oil prices. Coal-water fuel is one of the best methods of exploiting low rank coal. Many eastern European low rank coals have a low sulfur content, and thus make a good basis for a clean fuel. Italy and Russia are involved in such a venture, the slurry being transported in a pipeline. This technology would enable Russia to exploit Arctic coal reserves, thus freeing oil and gas for export. In Serbia the exploitation of sub-Danube lignite deposits with dredging mining produced a slurry. This led to the use and development of hot water drying, which enabled the removal of many of the salts which cause problems in pulverized fuel combustion. The system is economic, the fuel safer to transport then oil, either by rail or in pipelines. Many eastern European oil facilities could switch. 24 refs

Cultures et politiques dans les Alpes contemporaines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard Debarbieux

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Plus que jamais, l’espace alpin est marqué par le déploiement de flux toujours plus variés, toujours plus puissants, et symétriquement par la multiplication d’initiatives destinées à conforter ou à régénérer l’idée de localité. Quelles spatialités et quelles territorialités travaillent les populations alpines aujourd’hui ? Quelles sont les figures contemporaines de la circulation et des flux, et les figures complémentaires de l’ancrage et de la refondation territoriale ? Voici les questions que cet essai se propose de développer. Ce texte reprend le contenu d’une conférence donnée dans le cadre de la célébration du centenaire de l’Institut de Géographie Alpine. Cette conférence, comme les autres données à cette occasion, avait adopté une forme libre dressant un bilan et des perspectives de la situation alpine. La trace écrite adoptée ici prend alors logiquement la forme d’un essai.More than ever before, the Alps are affected by increasingly varied and powerful flows and equally by the multiplication of initiatives designed to strengthen or regenerate the idea of “locality” (place. What spatialities and what territorialities activate the populations of the Alps today? What are the contemporary figures relating to circulation and flows and the complementary figures concerning spatial “anchoring” or fixity and new territorial foundations? These are the questions that this essay, proposes to develop. This text takes another look at the subject of a lecture given as part of celebrations to mark the centenary of the Institut de Géographie Alpine. This lecture, like the others given on this occasion, adopted a free format, presenting a report on the current situation in the Alps and prospects for the future. The written format adopted here logically takes the form of an essay. Readers looking for detailed illustrations and references are referred to three scientific articles published by the same

Climate change in the Alps: impacts and natural risks. ONERC's Technical Report N.1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

Mountain ranges are very sensitive to climatic variations. The impacts of climate change on theses territories can be various, from the modification of the biodiversity to the permafrost melting and the evolution of natural hazards. The assessment of temperature rise and its impacts on mountains constitutes an important issue considering the strong uncertainties and the specific sensitivity linked to these areas. The territorial manager - policy makers and technicians - have to deal with this questioning for the implementation of short term actions as well as for strategic choices in terms of land planning and spatial development. This is why 22 public institutions from seven Alpine countries were involved in the European ClimChAlp project. The ONERC participated actively to this project in collaboration with the Rhone-Alpes Region and the Pole Grenoblois Risques Naturels. This report is based on the synthesis realised by the French partners to propose a common base of knowledge about climate change and its impacts in the Alps. (authors)

Investigations on socio economic indicators of French Alps ski industry from an explicit spatial modelling of managed snow on ski slopes

Science.gov (United States)

Spandre, Pierre; François, Hugues; Morin, Samuel; George-Marcelpoil, Emmanuelle; Lafaysse, Matthieu

2017-04-01

Investigations of the capacity of ski resorts to anticipate, cope with and recover from the impact of natural snow scarcity through snow management (grooming, snowmaking) have been realized in most of the major regions in terms of international ski offer although not in the French Alps hitherto. The present work therefore introduces an innovative approach for the investigation of socio economic implications of changes in snow conditions for the French Alps ski resorts based on a panel of 129 resorts representing 96% of the total French Alps ski lifts infrastructures. We integrated detailed spatial representations of ski resorts (including priority areas for snowmaking equipment) along with physically based snowpack modelling (including the physical impact of grooming and snowmaking). The viability of ski resorts was further adressed thanks to a commonly used rule based on the snow season duration at the village and ski lifts average elevations along with the development of original viability indicators of snow conditions in the French Alps ski resorts based on the specific periods for the economic success of winter sports: Christmas and February school holidays. Such indicators were correlated to the number of ski lifts tickets sales over the 2001 - 2014 period and proved to be relevant to investigate and predict the evolutions of ski lifts tickets sales under the current ski market conditions in the French Alps. Our results outlined the contrast of snow conditions between French Alps ski resorts, even when accounting for snow management, particularly regarding the geographical location of resorts (Southern versus Northern Alps), the size and related elevation range of ski resorts. Our physically based approach also allowed to compute the water and energy requirements for the production of Machine Made snow since the start of the development of snowguns in the French Alps. Our computations proved to be strongly correlated to the observed amounts of water from the

WILDFIRES IN THE LATE PALAEOZOIC AND MESOZOIC OF THE SOUTHERN ALPS THE LATE PERMIAN OF THE BLETTERBACH-BUTTERLOCH AREA (NORTHERN ITALY

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DIETER UHL

2012-07-01

Full Text Available For the first time fossil macroscopic remains of charcoal as direct evidence of palaeo-wildfires from the Late Permian Gröden Formation of the Bletterbach-Butterloch area in Northern Italy is described. The charcoal consists of pycnoxylic wood and originates from gymnosperms, but a more specific affiliation is not possible due to the fragmentary nature of the material. On a global scale our knowledge about Late Permian fire-ecology is still rather scarce and this finding helps to fill one of the numerous geographical gaps in our current knowledge about Late Permian wildfires. 

BSM photon interaction for ALPS-II and beyond

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doebrich, Babette

2012-12-15

High-intensity photon beams can provide for a viable probe for many particles of Standard Model extensions. This workshop contribution briefly reviews the status of the second stage of the Any Light Particle Search (ALPS-II) at DESY, an experiment of the light-shining-through-a-wall type, as well as an idea to test asymptotically safe quantum gravity in a photon-scattering experiment.

On a report that the 2012 M 6.0 earthquake in Italy was predicted after seeing an unusual cloud formation

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, J.N.; Masci, F; Love, Jeffrey J.

2015-01-01

Several recently published reports have suggested that semi-stationary linear-cloud formations might be causally precursory to earthquakes. We examine the report of Guangmeng and Jie (2013), who claim to have predicted the 2012 M 6.0 earthquake in the Po Valley of northern Italy after seeing a satellite photograph (a digital image) showing a linear-cloud formation over the eastern Apennine Mountains of central Italy. From inspection of 4 years of satellite images we find numerous examples of linear-cloud formations over Italy. A simple test shows no obvious statistical relationship between the occurrence of these cloud formations and earthquakes that occurred in and around Italy. All of the linear-cloud formations we have identified in satellite images, including that which Guangmeng and Jie (2013) claim to have used to predict the 2012 earthquake, appear to be orographic – formed by the interaction of moisture-laden wind flowing over mountains. Guangmeng and Jie (2013) have not clearly stated how linear-cloud formations can be used to predict the size, location, and time of an earthquake, and they have not published an account of all of their predictions (including any unsuccessful predictions). We are skeptical of the validity of the claim by Guangmeng and Jie (2013) that they have managed to predict any earthquakes.

Underground waters in Kamnik and Savinja Alps

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Dušan Novak

1995-12-01

Full Text Available Dye-tracing tests in the region of the alps Velika planina and Mala planina have shown that the major part of the region drains towards the spring of the Lučnica at Podvolovljek where is also a small fish farm. As to the water level, the marginal and central parts also drain into the stream Lučka Bela or the springs at Volovljek.Quite interesting is the high-mountain plateau Veža, a karstified territory surrounded by the valleys Robanov kot and Podvolovljek, as well as the tributary area of the stream Kamniška Bistrica. Here there is every indication of the deep runoff into the springs above Luče, the spring Pečovski izvir, the temporary springswhich are close to the stream Savinja and into the unknown springs in the gorge below the rocky needle Igla. With regard to the water level, the higher parts of the massif can drain towards the valleys Robanov kot, Podvolovljek and Kamniška Bistrica.The tributary area of the Bistrica is quite well known, too. It has been discovered that the area of the saddle Kamniško sedlo drains towards the springs of the Savinja. The territories of the saddle Kokrsko sedlo, the alps Dolge njive and Kalce drain into the spring Studenci below Mokrica.

End of the Little Ice Age in the Alps forced by industrial black carbon

OpenAIRE

Painter, Thomas H.; Flanner, Mark G.; Kaser, Georg; Marzeion, Ben; VanCuren, Richard A.; Abdalati, Waleed

2013-01-01

The end of the Little Ice Age in the European Alps has long been a paradox to glaciology and climatology. Glaciers in the Alps began to retreat abruptly in the mid-19th century, but reconstructions of temperature and precipitation indicate that glaciers should have instead advanced into the 20th century. We observe that industrial black carbon in snow began to increase markedly in the mid-19th century and show with simulations that the associated increases in absorbed sunlight by black carbon...

Human visceral leishmaniasis: a picture from Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdalmaula, Giuma Harun; Barbadoro, Pamela; Marigliano, Anna; Illuminati, Diego; Di Stanislao, Francesco; D'Errico, Marcello Mario; Prospero, Emilia

2013-12-01

The aim of our study was to describe the distribution of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in Italy, focusing on HIV-infected patients, to estimate the burden of the disease and the public health actions that should be undertaken. A review of official notifications and hospitalization data has been performed. From 2006 to 2008, a total of 289 cases of VL were notified; the overall notification rate was 1.63/1,000,000 (95% CI 1.45-1.83). In total, 1192 VL-associated hospitalizations were detected, with a hospitalization rate of 6.71/1,000,000 (95% CI 6.34-7.10). For the age group "≤ 24 years", a statistically significant increase was detected (p<0.05). A total of 68.9% (n = 821) of hospitalizations were detected in HIV-positive patients. The geographic distribution of rates revealed a significant increase in the north-eastern area of the country. Our study confirms that the epidemiological pattern of VL is changing and that, in Italy, control measures and preventive strategies should be based on not only the official notification system but also hospital data. This would lead to the identification of areas of parasite spread and to the creation of awareness campaigns geared toward general practitioners in the affected areas. Easy case detection would allow for timely public health actions and strategies for the implementation of more effective interventions for reservoir control. Copyright © 2013 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Green light for neutrino beam to pass below the Alps

CERN Multimedia

Abbott, A

1999-01-01

CERN council have approved a plan to send a beam of muon neutrinos under the Alps from Geneva to the Gran Sasso laboratories near Rome. INFN is organising two experiments - OPERA and ICANOE, to study the neutrino oscillations as they travel (1/2 pg)

Traditional phytotherapy of the Albanians of Lepushe, Nothern Albanian Alps

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pieroni, A.; Dibra, B.; Grishaj, G.; Grishaj, I.; Maçai, S.G.

2005-01-01

An ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacognostic survey has been carried out in one of the most isolated mountainous area in Europe: the village of Lepushe and its surrounding territory, in the Northern Albanian Alps. Approximately 70 botanical taxa and 160 preparations, mainly derived from plants, but

The Occurrence of Cold Spells in the Alps Related to ClimateChange

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Seon Ki Park

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Climate change is not only a likely prospect for the end of this century, but it is already occurring. Part of the changes will include global warming and increasing temperature variability, both at global and regional scales. This increased variability was investigated in this paper from the point of view of the occurrence of cold spells in the Alps in the future climate (2071–2100, compared with the present climate (1961–1990. For this purpose, a regionalisation of the climate change effects was performed within the Alps. To avoid possible errors in the estimate of the 2m air temperature, the analysis was performed on the soil surface temperature. To get realistic values for this variable, a land surface scheme, UTOPIA, has been run on the selected domain, using the output of the Regional Climate Model (RegCM3 simulations as the driving force. The results show that, in general, the number of cold breaks is decreasing over the Alps, due to the temperature increment. However, there are certain zones where the behaviour is more complicated. The analysis of the model output also allowed a relationship to be found between the number of cold breaks and their duration. The significance of these results over the whole area was assessed.

End of the "Little Ice Age" in the Alps not forced by industrial black carbon

Science.gov (United States)

Sigl, Michael; Osmont, Dimtri; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Barbante, Carlo; Schwikowski, Margit

2016-04-01

Light absorbing aerosols present in the atmosphere and cryosphere play an important role in the climate system. Their presence in ambient air and snow changes radiative properties of these media, thus contributing to increased atmospheric warming and snowmelt. High spatio-temporal variability of aerosol concentrations in these media and a shortage of long-term observations contribute to large uncertainties in properly assigning the climate effects of these aerosols through time. Glaciers in the European Alps began to retreat abruptly from their mid-19th century maximum, marking what appeared to be the end of the Little Ice Age. Radiative forcing by increasing deposition of industrial black carbon to snow has been suggested as the main driver of the abrupt glacier retreats in the Alps (Painter et al. 2012). Basis for this hypothesis were model simulations using ice-core measurements of elemental carbon at low temporal resolution from two ice cores in the Alps. Here we present sub-annually resolved, well replicated ice-core measurements of refractory black carbon (rBC; using a SP2 soot photometer), mineral dust (Fe, Ca), biomass burning (NH4, K) and distinctive industrial pollution tracers (Bi, Pb, SO4) from an ice core in the Alps covering the past 250 years. These reconstructions allow to precisely compare the timing of observed acceleration of glacier melt in the mid-19th century with that of the increase of soot deposition on ice-sheets caused by the industrialization of Western Europe. Our study suggests that at the time when European rBC emission rates started to significantly increase Alpine glaciers have already experienced more than 70% of their total 19th century length reduction. Industrial BC emissions can therefore not been considered as the primary forcing of the rapid deglaciation at the end of the Little Ice Age in the Alps. References: Painter, T. H., M. G. Flanner, G. Kaser, B. Marzeion, R. A. VanCuren, and W. Abdalati (2013), End of the Little Ice

FEASIBILITY OF THE AEROSOL-TO-LIQUID PARTICLE EXTRACTION SYSTEM (ALPES) FOR COLLECTION OF VIABLE FRANCISELLA SP.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heitkamp, M

2006-08-07

Several Biowatch monitoring sites in the Houston area have tested positive for Francisella tularensis and there is a need to determine whether natural occurring Francisella-related microorganism(s) may be responsible for these observed positive reactions. The collection, culturing and characterization of Francisella-related natural microorganisms will provide the knowledge base to improve the future selectivity of Biowatch monitoring for Francisella. The aerosol-to-liquid particle extraction system (ALPES) is a high-efficiency, dual mechanism collection system that utilizes a liquid collection medium for capture of airborne microorganisms. Since the viability of microorganisms is preserved better in liquid medium than on air filters, this project was undertaken to determine whether Francisella philomiragia and Francisella tularensis LVS maintain acceptable viability in the continuous liquid recirculation, high direct current voltage and residual ozone concentrations which occur during ALPES operation. Throughout a series of preliminary trial runs with representative gram-negative and gram-positive microorganisms, several design modifications and improvements to the ALPES optimized liquid handling, electrical stability, sampling and overall performance for biological sampling. Initial testing with Francisella philomiragia showed viability was preserved better in PBS buffer than HBSS buffer. Trial runs at starting cell concentrations of 1.8 x 10{sup 6} and 2.5 x 10{sup 4} CFU/L showed less than a 1-log decrease in viability for F. philomiragia after 24 h in the ALPES. Francisella tularensis LVS (live vaccine strain) was used as a surrogate for virulent F. tularensis in ALPES trial runs conducted at starting cell concentrations of 10{sup 4}, 10{sup 5} and 10{sup 6} CFU/L. F. tularensis LVS was slow-growing and required highly selective growth media to prevent overgrowth by collected airborne microorganisms. In addition, one ALPES unit intake was HEPA filtered during

An ancient Mediterranean melting pot: investigating the uniparental genetic structure and population history of sicily and southern Italy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefania Sarno

Full Text Available Due to their strategic geographic location between three different continents, Sicily and Southern Italy have long represented a major Mediterranean crossroad where different peoples and cultures came together over time. However, its multi-layered history of migration pathways and cultural exchanges, has made the reconstruction of its genetic history and population structure extremely controversial and widely debated. To address this debate, we surveyed the genetic variability of 326 accurately selected individuals from 8 different provinces of Sicily and Southern Italy, through a comprehensive evaluation of both Y-chromosome and mtDNA genomes. The main goal was to investigate the structuring of maternal and paternal genetic pools within Sicily and Southern Italy, and to examine their degrees of interaction with other Mediterranean populations. Our findings show high levels of within-population variability, coupled with the lack of significant genetic sub-structures both within Sicily, as well as between Sicily and Southern Italy. When Sicilian and Southern Italian populations were contextualized within the Euro-Mediterranean genetic space, we observed different historical dynamics for maternal and paternal inheritances. Y-chromosome results highlight a significant genetic differentiation between the North-Western and South-Eastern part of the Mediterranean, the Italian Peninsula occupying an intermediate position therein. In particular, Sicily and Southern Italy reveal a shared paternal genetic background with the Balkan Peninsula and the time estimates of main Y-chromosome lineages signal paternal genetic traces of Neolithic and post-Neolithic migration events. On the contrary, despite showing some correspondence with its paternal counterpart, mtDNA reveals a substantially homogeneous genetic landscape, which may reflect older population events or different demographic dynamics between males and females. Overall, both uniparental genetic

Synthesis and effect of Ce and Mn co-doping on photoluminescence characteristics of Ca6AlP5O20:Eu novel phosphors.

Science.gov (United States)

Shinde, K N; Dhoble, S J

2013-01-01

A series of Ca6AlP5O20 doped with rare earths (Eu and Ce) and co-doped (Eu, Ce and Eu,Mn) were prepared by combustion synthesis. Under Hg-free excitation, Ca6AlP5O20:Eu exhibited Eu(2+) (486 nm) emission in the blue region of the spectrum and under near Hg excitation (245 nm), Ca6AlP5O20:Ce phosphor exhibited Ce(3+) emission (357 nm) in the UV range. Photoluminescence (PL) peak intensity increased in Ca6AlP5O20:Eu,Ce and Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn phosphors due to co-activators of Ce(3+) and Mn(2+) ions. As a result, these ions played an important role in PL emission in the present matrix. Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Ce and Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn phosphors provided energy transfer mechanisms via Ce(3+) → Eu(2+) and Eu(2+) → Mn(2+), respectively. Eu ions acted as activators and Ce ions acted as sensitizers. Ce emission energy was well matched with Eu excitation energy in the case of Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Ce and Eu ions acted as activators and Mn ions acted as sensitizers in Ca6AlP5O20:Eu, Mn. This study included synthesis of new and efficient phosphate phosphors. The impact of doping and co-doping on photoluminescence properties and energy transfer mechanisms were investigated and we propose a feasible interpretation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Notes on winter feeding habits of the pine marten Martes martes L. in Val Gressoney (Western Italian Alps

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Paolo Agnelli

1995-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract A first report on the feeding habits of a mainland population of the pine marten (Martes martes in Italy is presented here. The winter food of this carnivore in Western Alps (altitude 1800-2500 m a.s.1. is described, using stomach analysis. Both volume and frequency of occurrence of different food items were quantified. Mammals and wild fruits represent the main food categories. The presence of the small mammal species in the diet is discussed. Riassunto Note sulla dieta invernale della martora Martes Martes L. in Val Gressoney (Alpi occidentali italiane - Le abitudini alimentari della martora (Martes martes nell'Italia peninsulare vengono descritte per la prima volta sulla base del contenuto stomacale di 9 esemplari provenienti dalle Alpi occidentali (fascia altitudinale compresa tra i 1800 e 2500 m s.1.m.. I dati raccolti si riferiscono a1 periodo invernale e sono stati espressi come frequenza percentuale e volume percentuale stimato. I mammiferi e i frutti selvatici costituiscono le principali categorie alimentari. La presenza delle specie di micromammiferi rinvenuti viene discussa.

The cryogenic photon detection system for the ALPS II experiment. Characterization, optimization and background rejection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bastidon, Noemi Alice Chloe

2017-01-12

The search for new fundamental bosons at very low mass is the central objective of the ALPS II experiment which is currently set up at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY, Hamburg). This experiment follows the light-shining-through-the-wall concept where photons could oscillate into weakly interacting light bosons in front of a wall and back into photons behind the wall, giving the impression that light can shine through a light tight barrier. In this concept, the background-free detection of near-infrared photons is required to fully exploit the sensitivity of the apparatus. The high efficiency single-photon detection in the near-infrared is challenging and requires a cryogenic detector. In this project, a Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) operated below 100mK will be used to detect single photons. This thesis focuses on the characterization and optimization of the ALPS II detector system including an Adiabatic Demagnetisation Refrigerator (ADR) with its two-stage pulse-tube cooler, two TES detectors and their Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) read-out system. Stability of the detection system over time is a priority in the ALPS II experiment. It is in this context that the cooling system has been subjected to many upgrades. In the framework of this thesis, the cooling setup has been studied in detail in order to optimize its cooling performances. Furthermore, the stability of the detector has been studied according to various criteria. Other essential parameters of the ALPS II experiment are its detection efficiency and its background rate. Indeed, the sensitivity of the experiment directly depends on these two characteristics. Both elements have been studied in depth in order to define if the chosen TES detector will meet ALPS IIc specifications.

The cryogenic photon detection system for the ALPS II experiment. Characterization, optimization and background rejection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bastidon, Noemi Alice Chloe

2017-01-01

The search for new fundamental bosons at very low mass is the central objective of the ALPS II experiment which is currently set up at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY, Hamburg). This experiment follows the light-shining-through-the-wall concept where photons could oscillate into weakly interacting light bosons in front of a wall and back into photons behind the wall, giving the impression that light can shine through a light tight barrier. In this concept, the background-free detection of near-infrared photons is required to fully exploit the sensitivity of the apparatus. The high efficiency single-photon detection in the near-infrared is challenging and requires a cryogenic detector. In this project, a Transition-Edge Sensor (TES) operated below 100mK will be used to detect single photons. This thesis focuses on the characterization and optimization of the ALPS II detector system including an Adiabatic Demagnetisation Refrigerator (ADR) with its two-stage pulse-tube cooler, two TES detectors and their Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) read-out system. Stability of the detection system over time is a priority in the ALPS II experiment. It is in this context that the cooling system has been subjected to many upgrades. In the framework of this thesis, the cooling setup has been studied in detail in order to optimize its cooling performances. Furthermore, the stability of the detector has been studied according to various criteria. Other essential parameters of the ALPS II experiment are its detection efficiency and its background rate. Indeed, the sensitivity of the experiment directly depends on these two characteristics. Both elements have been studied in depth in order to define if the chosen TES detector will meet ALPS IIc specifications.

Understanding the processes involved in weathering and experimental alteration of glassy materials. The case of some volcanic glasses from eastern Sicily (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liotta, Angelo

2014-01-01

The objective of this thesis is to study the effects of weathering and experimental alteration in order to understand the geochemical processes involved and the variation of mineral phases in altered natural glasses. For the first time, five samples of natural volcanic glasses having different composition were collected in eastern Sicily (Italy) in order to be artificially altered and analyzed. The study of naturally altered samples has allowed to observe the effects of weathering after a period of time corresponding to the age of the sample. Moreover, the use of samples of natural glass of volcanic origin has allowed to obtain some powder or thin plates of fresh silicate glass that have been subjected to artificial alteration in the laboratory, in order to model the geochemical processes that have occurred. Alteration experiments were conducted in pure water at 90 C; samples have been altered from 1 to 1000 days of experiment. The characterization of the samples was obtained by Raman spectroscopy, which showed the effects of the devitrification and the presence of some secondary minerals such as carbonates and anatase on the obsidian thin plates, but also phillipsite and chabazite, two varieties of zeolite usually found in the cavities of oldest basalts. Solid modifications were observed by SEM. The analysis showed the formation of several secondary minerals having a composition compatible with smectites, determined by EDS spectroscopy. All these results allow to test the geochemical modeling in the long term. Further analysis will be needed to reach a full understanding of the weathering of glassy materials. (author)

On-demand Simulation of Atmospheric Transport Processes on the AlpEnDAC Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

Hachinger, S.; Harsch, C.; Meyer-Arnek, J.; Frank, A.; Heller, H.; Giemsa, E.

2016-12-01

The "Alpine Environmental Data Analysis Centre" (AlpEnDAC) develops a data-analysis platform for high-altitude research facilities within the "Virtual Alpine Observatory" project (VAO). This platform, with its web portal, will support use cases going much beyond data management: On user request, the data are augmented with "on-demand" simulation results, such as air-parcel trajectories for tracing down the source of pollutants when they appear in high concentration. The respective back-end mechanism uses the Compute Cloud of the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ) to transparently calculate results requested by the user, as far as they have not yet been stored in AlpEnDAC. The queuing-system operation model common in supercomputing is replaced by a model in which Virtual Machines (VMs) on the cloud are automatically created/destroyed, providing the necessary computing power immediately on demand. From a security point of view, this allows to perform simulations in a sandbox defined by the VM configuration, without direct access to a computing cluster. Within few minutes, the user receives conveniently visualized results. The AlpEnDAC infrastructure is distributed among two participating institutes [front-end at German Aerospace Centre (DLR), simulation back-end at LRZ], requiring an efficient mechanism for synchronization of measured and augmented data. We discuss our iRODS-based solution for these data-management tasks as well as the general AlpEnDAC framework. Our cloud-based offerings aim at making scientific computing for our users much more convenient and flexible than it has been, and to allow scientists without a broad background in scientific computing to benefit from complex numerical simulations.

Naturalizing Alterity: Edward Maturin’s Bianca: A Tale of Erin and Italy and Lady Morgan's Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donatella Abbate Badin

2011-08-01

Full Text Available In the nineteenth century the image of Italy appealed also to Irish Romantic writers. But the way in which they naturalized the Italian alterity is quite ambivalent. On the one hand they filtered their images of the southern country through their relationship with England and thus ended up mirroring stereotypes common to the English-speaking world, and on the other hand they established a special, personal relationship with it shaped by their ideological and cultural differences from the British. This essay tackles the representations of Italy in two texts, namely Edward Maturin’s Bianca: A Tale of Erin and Italy, published in 1852, and in the earlier Italy (1821 by Lady Morgan. Both these works show that at that time there was a certain awareness, in Ireland, of the special historical and political conditions of Italy and of possible similarities with Ireland. Italy, oppressed by foreign domination yet aspiring to freedom, became a yardstick for gauging issues of subjugation, injustice, and national identity and invited sympathy from the citizens of a colonized country. Therefore, Italy was perceived as a mirror in which to reflect the Irish identity torn by aspirations which were hard to confess publicly or even to oneself. Keywords: Maturin, Lady Morgan, alterity, Italy, Irish Romanticism

Relationship between Arm Span Measurements and Body Height in Dinaric Alpes Population: a Systematic Review

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Bojan Masanovic

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Several researches have reported the benefit of using various body parameters in predicting standing height, and arm span happened to be one of the most reliable ones in adults. On the other hand, it is well-known the tallness and body proportions are specific in the area that are covered by Dinaric Alpes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the potential relationship between arm span measurements and body height in Dinaric Alpes population. The most visible electronic database (Google Scholar was searched for original research articles available until September 2017. Then research findings were summarized and relationship between arm span measurements and body height in Dinaric Alpes population were identified, as well as areas of future research were recommended. The assessment of body height using various anthropometric measures is very typical from the past centuries and it has been attempted to be studied by many researchers. However, it is important to underline that the arm span has been obtained as the most reliable body indicator for predicting the true height of an individual. However, the studies sampled with the populations lived at Dinaric Alpes mountains have specific estimates. Therefore, all above-mentioned have confirmed the necessity for developing separate body height models for each population on account of ethnic as well as regional differences.

The AlpArray Seismic Network: A Large-Scale European Experiment to Image the Alpine Orogen

Science.gov (United States)

Hetényi, György; Molinari, Irene; Clinton, John; Bokelmann, Götz; Bondár, István; Crawford, Wayne C.; Dessa, Jean-Xavier; Doubre, Cécile; Friederich, Wolfgang; Fuchs, Florian; Giardini, Domenico; Gráczer, Zoltán; Handy, Mark R.; Herak, Marijan; Jia, Yan; Kissling, Edi; Kopp, Heidrun; Korn, Michael; Margheriti, Lucia; Meier, Thomas; Mucciarelli, Marco; Paul, Anne; Pesaresi, Damiano; Piromallo, Claudia; Plenefisch, Thomas; Plomerová, Jaroslava; Ritter, Joachim; Rümpker, Georg; Šipka, Vesna; Spallarossa, Daniele; Thomas, Christine; Tilmann, Frederik; Wassermann, Joachim; Weber, Michael; Wéber, Zoltán; Wesztergom, Viktor; Živčić, Mladen

2018-04-01

The AlpArray programme is a multinational, European consortium to advance our understanding of orogenesis and its relationship to mantle dynamics, plate reorganizations, surface processes and seismic hazard in the Alps-Apennines-Carpathians-Dinarides orogenic system. The AlpArray Seismic Network has been deployed with contributions from 36 institutions from 11 countries to map physical properties of the lithosphere and asthenosphere in 3D and thus to obtain new, high-resolution geophysical images of structures from the surface down to the base of the mantle transition zone. With over 600 broadband stations operated for 2 years, this seismic experiment is one of the largest simultaneously operated seismological networks in the academic domain, employing hexagonal coverage with station spacing at less than 52 km. This dense and regularly spaced experiment is made possible by the coordinated coeval deployment of temporary stations from numerous national pools, including ocean-bottom seismometers, which were funded by different national agencies. They combine with permanent networks, which also required the cooperation of many different operators. Together these stations ultimately fill coverage gaps. Following a short overview of previous large-scale seismological experiments in the Alpine region, we here present the goals, construction, deployment, characteristics and data management of the AlpArray Seismic Network, which will provide data that is expected to be unprecedented in quality to image the complex Alpine mountains at depth.

Stone use in Roman towns: Resources, transport, products and clients: Case study Sirmium: First report

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Đurić Bojan

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The project work in 2006 season included the analysis of stone monuments held at the Museum of Srem as well as their documentation. For limestone used at Sirmium at least two sources were established: Lithotypes I and III came from the Dardagani quarry along the Drina River, while Lithotype II most probably came from the wider area of Pannonia along the Danube. White marble was coming to Sirmium from the 1st to the 3rd century predominantly from the Eastern Alps (Gummern, Pohorje, from the end of the 3rd century also from the Mediterranean (Luni, Paros, Dokimeion, Proconnesos, while colored marble, tied to the imperial architecture at Sirmium, was being imported from imperial and other quarries across the Mediterranean (North Africa Italy, Asia Minor, Greece.

GDS (Geomagnetic Depth Sounding in Italy: applications and perspectives

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M. Gambetta

1998-06-01

Full Text Available The analysis of geomagnetic field variations is a useful tool to detect electrical conductivity contrasts within the Earth. Lateral resolution of outlined patterns depends on the array dimensions and density of measurement sites over the investigated area. The inspection depth is constrained by the period of geomagnetic variations considered in data processing. Regions with significant geological features such as boundaries of continental plates, marginal areas of contact between tectonic units or other geodynamical processes, are of primary interest for the application of the MagnetoVariational (MV method. In the last ten years, in the frame of the ElectroMagnetic (EM sounding techniques in applied geophysics, this method has been applied in Italy by researchers of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica, Rome, the Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universitá di Genova and the Czech Science Academy of Prague. The Ivrea body in the Northwestern Alps and their junction with the Apennine chain, the micro-plate of the Sardinian-Corsican system and, recently, the central part of the peninsula along Tyrrhenian-Adriatic lithospheric transects were investigated. Studies in time and frequency-domain used in the first investigations, have been followed by more refined analysis involving tests on the induced EM field dimension, computations of single site Transfer Functions (TFs through Parkinson arrows' and Fourier maps in the Hypothetical Event technique (HE. It was possible to describe the electrical conductivity distribution in the inner part of the SW Alpine arc and to confirm the presence of lithospheric and asthenospheric anomalies obtained by other geophysical methods. For the Sardinia-Corsica system, 2D and 3D inversion models highlighted the existence of two major conducting bodies, one north of Corsica, and the other south of Sardinia. In Central Italy, the regional electrical conductivity distribution pointed out a deep conductive structure

Protracted fluid-induced melting during Barrovian metamorphism in the Central Alps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rubatto, Daniela; Hermann, Jörg; Berger, Alfons

2009-01-01

that repeated melting events occurred within a single Barrovian metamorphic cycle at roughly constant temperature; that in the country rocks zircon formation was limited to the initial stages of melting, whereas further melting concentrated in the segregated leucosomes; that melting occurred at different times......The timing and dynamics of fluid-induced melting in the typical Barrovian sequence of the Central Alps has been investigated using zircon chronology and trace element composition. Multiple zircon domains in leucosomes and country rocks yield U-Pb ages spanning from ~32 to 22 Ma. The zircon formed...... in samples a few meters apart because of the local rock composition and localized influx of the fluids; and that leucosomes were repeatedly melted when fluids became available. The geochronological data force a revision of the temperature-time path of the migmatite belt in the Central Alps. Protracted...

Climbing walls as multitasking sites of geo(morpho)logical interests: Italian examples from the Western Alps and Sardinia

Science.gov (United States)

Bollati, Irene; Fossati, Maria; Panizza, Valeria; Pelfini, Manuela; Zanoletti, Enrico; Zucali, Michele

2015-04-01

Geosites and in particular geomorphosites have been recently more and more used as base for educational activities in Earth Sciences and to enhance the geodiversity of a territory. Their attributes acquire a greater value and become especially appreciable when associated with field and outdoor activities. Frequently rock walls represent key sites for geological and gemorphological researches due to the wide outcrops of rocks where mineralogical composition and structures are very evident as well as landforms deriving from the modeling of outcrops surfaces. Where the rock walls are equipped for climbing activities they may be considered open-air laboratories useful to get in touch with the different features of rocks that condition progression on climbing routes. Due to these two aspects, geohistorical importance and educational exemplarity contribute to the increase of the scientific value and, as a consequence, of the global value of these sites as geosites. Geomorphosites from climbing sites allow to realize educational projects with different goals: 1) Recent researches in the Western Italian Alps have been conducted to make a census of climbing rock cliffs along the Ossola Valley (Verbanio-Cusio-Ossola Province, Italy) and to operate a choice of the ones characterized by high educational value (considering easy accessibility, grades for experts and beginners and the good exposition of rock features), representativeness, geohistorical importance, high cultural and socio-economic values, in order to propose an educational project addressed to students of an Italian secondary school aimed at introducing the three great families of rocks (magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary); 2) The Eclogitic Micaschist Complex of the Austroalpine Domain (Montestrutto climbing wall, Turin Province, Italy) has been investigated in order to i) reconstruct the deformation stages at local scales along the sport climbing wall and the relationships between geological elements and

An Early Warning System Based on Syndromic Surveillance to Detect Potential Health Emergencies among Migrants: Results of a Two-Year Experience in Italy

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Christian Napoli

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Profound geopolitical changes have impacted the southern and eastern Mediterranean since 2010 and defined a context of instability that is still affecting several countries today. Insecurity combined with the reduction of border controls has led to major population movements in the region and to migration surges from affected countries to southern Europe, especially to Italy. To respond to the humanitarian emergency triggered by this migration surge, Italy implemented a syndromic surveillance system in order to rapidly detect potential public health emergencies in immigrant reception centres. This system was discontinued after two years. This paper presents the results of this experience detailing its strengths and weaknesses in order to document the applicability and usefulness of syndromic surveillance in this specific context.

Endemic harvestmen and spiders of Austria (Arachnida: Opiliones, Araneae

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Komposch, Christian

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A comprehensive overview of plant, fungus and animal species of Austria revealed a total of 748 endemic and subendemic species, including, 11 harvestman and 46 spider species. Altogether two endemic harvestmen (Nemastoma bidentatum relictum, Nemastoma schuelleri and 8 endemic spiders (Abacoproeces molestus, Collinsia (caliginosa nemenziana, Mughiphantes severus, Mughiphantes styriacus, Pelecopsis alpica, Scotophaeus nanus, Troglohyphantes novicordis, Troglohyphantes tauriscus, beside 9 subendemic harvestman and 38 subendemic spider species have been recorded from Austria. Hot-spots of endemism in the Eastern Alps are the north-eastern (Ennstaler Alps and southern Calcareous Alps (Karawanken, Karnische Alps and the Central Alps (Hohe Tauern, Gurktaler Alps, Ötztaler and Stubaier Alps. Most of the endemic arachnid species occur from the nival down to the montane zone. Important habitats are rocky areas, caves and woodlands. High absolute numbers and percentages of endemics can be found within the harvestman families Cladonychiidae, Ischyropsalididae and Nemastomatidae and in the spider genera Lepthyphantes s. l. and Troglohyphantes. The conservation status of these highly endangered taxa – 85 % of the spider species and 100 % of the harvestman taxa are endangered in Austria – is poor.

Italy in Postcolonial Discourse

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Concilio, Carmen

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this essay, I would like to explore the representations of Italy through the eyes of three outstanding postcolonial writers: Jhumpa Lahiri, Michael Ondaatje and Nuruddin Farah. Even though Italy is an oasis of art and culture, Jhumpa Lahiri looks at it with a profound sense of both admiration and sadness in Hema and Kaushik (2008. Her scrutiny of the ancient, pre-imperial ruins of the Etruscan period leads her characters to question life, death and marital life. Similarly, Ondaatje opposes an Italian Renaissance villa to the debris left behind by war in his well-known The English Patient (1992. His Punjabi character Kirpal Singh mentions Gabicce Mare, a place that soon after World War II will become a memorial and cemetery for the Indian troops who fought and died for the liberation of Italy. This discourse is picked up by Helena Janaczeck, a Polish-Italian writer who combines a narrative on Polish migration in Italy with an elegiac narrative about the cemetery and memorial in Cassino, where a Maori goes to visit the tombs of his ancestor, who also participated with the Commonwealth troops in World War II. Nuruddin Farah too, who provides a reportage on Somali immigrants to Italy, seems to consider the country as a springboard either to other North European destinations or to a possible destiny back home. All three writers present Italy according to varied and unusual perspectives.

Sustainable mobility in Slovenian Julian Alps

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Matej Ogrin

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Some mountainous areas, especially tourist areas, are facing traffc loads that exceed the carrying capacity and bring problems to local residents, visitors, public services, etc. Traf-fc problems can also cause a decrease of popularity of the tourist site and a decrease of tourist income therefore, in some Alpine areas in Slovenia, measures have begun to be taken to decrease traffc loads, and to support measures of sustainable mobility. This article deals with such measures and plans that have been taken in the Julian Alps of Slovenia to decrease the negative traffc impacts of tourism mobility in the municipalities of Kranjska Gora, Bohinj and Bovec.

Controls on Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations in the European Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Crosta, Giovanni B.; Frattini, Paolo; Agliardi, Federico

2013-04-01

DSGSDs are very large, slow mass movements affecting entire high-relief valley slopes. The first orogen-scale inventory of such phenomena at has been recently presented for the European Alps (Crosta et al 2008, Agliardi et al 2012), and then further implemented. The inventory includes 1034 Deep Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations, widespread over the entire orogen and clustered along major valleys and in some specific sectors of the Alps. In this contribution we systematically explore lithological, structural and topographic controls on DSGSD distribution with the help of multivariate statistical techniques (Principal Component Analysis, Discriminant Analysis). Analysis units for statistical analysis were obtained by creating three square vector grids with 2.5 km, 5 km and 10 km grid cell size, respectively, covering the entire area (about 110,000 km2). For each grid cell, we calculated the density of DSGSD, and we assigned a value for each of the controlling variable considered in the analysis. From the NASA SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) DEM we derived land surface parameters, such as relief, slope gradients, slope aspect, mean vertical distance from base level and ruggedness. The SRTM DEM was also used to extract the drainage density, with a threshold of 1 km2 and 10 km2. We also computer the stream power of the 1km2 river network Lithology was obtained by assembling different geological maps (1:200.000 map of Salzburg, 1:250.000 map of France, 1:500.000 maps of Switzerland and Austria, 1:1.000.000 map of Italy) and by reclassifying the geological units into 8 lithological classes (carbonate rocks, metapelites, sandstones and marls, paragneiss, ortogneiss, flysch-type rocks, granitoid/metabasite, Quaternary units, and volcanic rocks). To study the role of seismicity, we calculated the number of earthquakes (CPTI11 and USGS-NEIC database) within a distance dmax from the square cell, calculated adopting Keefer's (1984) equation, and the sum of Arias

Cultures and politics in the present-day Alps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard Debarbieux

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Plus que jamais, l’espace alpin est marqué par le déploiement de flux toujours plus variés, toujours plus puissants, et symétriquement par la multiplication d’initiatives destinées à conforter ou à régénérer l’idée de localité. Quelles spatialités et quelles territorialités travaillent les populations alpines aujourd’hui ? Quelles sont les figures contemporaines de la circulation et des flux, et les figures complémentaires de l’ancrage et de la refondation territoriale ? Voici les questions que cet essai se propose de développer. Ce texte reprend le contenu d’une conférence donnée dans le cadre de la célébration du centenaire de l’Institut de Géographie Alpine. Cette conférence, comme les autres données à cette occasion, avait adopté une forme libre dressant un bilan et des perspectives de la situation alpine. La trace écrite adoptée ici prend alors logiquement la forme d’un essai.More than ever before, the Alps are affected by increasingly varied and powerful flows and equally by the multiplication of initiatives designed to strengthen or regenerate the idea of “locality” (place. What spatialities and what territorialities activate the populations of the Alps today? What are the contemporary figures relating to circulation and flows and the complementary figures concerning spatial “anchoring” or fixity and new territorial foundations? These are the questions that this essay, proposes to develop. This text takes another look at the subject of a lecture given as part of celebrations to mark the centenary of the Institut de Géographie Alpine. This lecture, like the others given on this occasion, adopted a free format, presenting a report on the current situation in the Alps and prospects for the future. The written format adopted here logically takes the form of an essay. Readers looking for detailed illustrations and references are referred to three scientific articles published by the same

Deformation in the hanging wall of Cretaceous HP rocks (Austroalpine Ötztal-Stubai Complex, European Eastern Alps): constraints on timing, conditions and kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

Habler, Gerlinde; Thöni, Martin; Grasemann, Bernhard; Sölva, Helmuth; Cotza, Gianluca

2010-05-01

öss D, Speckbacher R (2009) In Alpine Workshop Cogne. Schmid SM, Haas R (1989) Tectonics 8: 697-718. Sölva H, Grasemann B, Thöni M, Thiede RC, Habler G (2005) Tectonophysics 401: 143-166. Thöni M, Hoinkes G (1987) In Geodynamics of the Eastern Alps, pp. 200-213. Edited by Flügel HW and Faupl P. Vienna: Deuticke.

United modification of Al-24Si alloy by Al-P and Al-Ti-C master alloys

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

韩延峰; 刘相法; 王海梅; 王振卿; 边秀房; 张均艳

2003-01-01

The modification effect of a new type of Al-P master alloy on Al-24Si alloys was investigated. It is foundthat excellent modification effect can be obtained by the addition of this new type of A1-P master alloy into Al-24Simelt and the average primary Si grain size is decreased below 47 μm from original 225 μm. It is also found that theTiC particles in the melt coming from Al8Ti2C can improve the modification effect of the Al-P master alloy. Whenthe content of TiC particles in the Al-24Si melt is 0.03 %, the improvement reaches the maximum and keeps steadywith increasing content of TiC particles. Modification effect occurs at 50 min after the addition of the Al-P master al-loy and TiC particles, and keeps stable with prolonging holding time.

Chernobyl, 30 years after? Analysis of levels of artificial radioactivity of soils in the Alps in 2015. Analyses and comments report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rougier, G.; Bernollin, A.; Barbey, P.; Boilley, D.; Josset, M.; Paris, A.; Dunand, E.

2015-01-01

This report presents radioactivity measurements performed in soil samplings (70 square centimetres, 15 to 20 cm deep core sampling) in several sites located in the French Alps, more particularly in the Hautes-Alpes district (col de Rabou in the Devoluy massif, both sides of the col de la Pisse in the Champsaur, near Gap, Grand Morgon, col de Chorges, col d'Izoard), in the Drome district (different places about Lus-la-Croix-Haute), in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence district (col de Fontbelle, col de Restefond), in the Savoy district (col du Galibier, Mont-Cenis), and in the Alpes Maritimes district (Le Boreon). It appears that some high levels of caesium-137 contamination are mainly due to Chernobyl, and, to lesser extent, to French nuclear tests. Associated exposure doses are assessed

Thermochronological Record of a Jurassic Heating-Cooling Cycle Within a Distal Rifted Margin (Calizzano Massif, Ligurian Alps)

Science.gov (United States)

Seno, S.; Decarlis, A.; Fellin, M. G.; Maino, M.; Beltrando, M.; Ferrando, S.; Manatschal, G.; Gaggero, L.; Stuart, F. M.

2017-12-01

The aim of the present study is to analyse, through thermochronological investigations, the thermal evolution of a fossil distal margin owing to the Alpine Tethys rifting system. The studied distal margin section consists of a polymetamorphic basement (Calizzano basement) and of a well-developed Mesozoic sedimentary cover (Case Tuberto unit) of the Ligurian Alps (NW Italy). The incomplete reset of zircon (U-Th)/He ages and the non-reset of the zircon fission track ages during the Alpine metamorphism indicate that during the subduction and the orogenic stages these rocks were subjected to temperatures lower than 200 ºC. Thus, the Alpine metamorphic overprint occurred during a short-lived, low temperature pulse. The lack of a pervasive orogenic reset, allowed the preservation of an older heating-cooling event that occurred during Alpine Tethys rifting. Zircon fission-track data indicate, in fact, that the Calizzano basement records a cooling under 240 °C, at 156 Ma (early Upper Jurassic). This cooling followed a Middle Jurassic syn-rift heating at temperatures of about 300-350°C, typical of greenschist facies conditions occurred at few kilometres depth, as indicated by stratigraphic and petrologic constraints. Thus, in our interpretation, major crustal thinning likely promoted high geothermal gradients ( 60-90°C/km) triggering the circulation of hot, deep-seated fluids along brittle faults, causing the observed thermal anomaly at shallow crustal level.

Geodiversity and geohazards of the Susa Valley (W-Alps, Italy): combining scientific research and new technologies for enhanced knowledge and proactive management of geoheritage in mountain regions

Science.gov (United States)

Giardino, Marco; Bacenetti, Marco; Perotti, Luigi; Giordano, Enrico; Ghiraldi, Luca; Palomba, Mauro

2013-04-01

Mountain regions have a range of geological and geomorphological features that make them very attractive for tourism activities. As a consequence, increased human "pressure" causes impacts on geoheritage sites and higher geomorphological risks. These effects are magnified by active geomorphic processes characterizing mountains areas, highly sensitive to climate change. In term of "human sensitivity", several sociological surveys have shown that "perceived risk", not "real risk", influences people's behavior towards natural hazards. The same approach can be applied to geodiversity and geoheritage. Based on these assumptions, we considered the possible strategic roles played by diffusion of scientific research and application of new technologies: 1) to enhance awareness, either of geodiversity or environmental dynamics and 2) to improve knowledge, both on geoheritage management and natural risk reduction. Within the activities of the "ProGEO-Piemonte Project" (Progetti d'Ateneo 2011, cofunded by Universita? degli Studi di Torino and Compagnia di San Paolo Bank Foundation), we performed a systematic review of geodiversity and natural hazards information in the Piemonte Region (NW-Italy). Then we focused our attention on the Susa Valley, an area of the Western Alps where the geoheritage is affected by very active morphodynamics, as well as by a growing tourism, after the 2006 winter Olympics. The Susa Valley became one of the 9 strategic geothematic areas have been selected to represent the geodiversity of the Piemonte region, each characterized by high potential for enhancement of public understanding of science, and recreation activities supported by local communities. Then we contributed to the awareness-raising communication strategy of the "RiskNat project" (Interreg Alcotra 2007-2013, Action A.4.3) by synthesizing geoscience knowledge on the Susa Valley and information on slope instabilities and models/prevention measures/warning systems. Visual representations

Statistical downscaling of regional climate scenarios for the French Alps : Impacts on snow cover

Science.gov (United States)

Rousselot, M.; Durand, Y.; Giraud, G.; Mérindol, L.; Déqué, M.; Sanchez, E.; Pagé, C.; Hasan, A.

2010-12-01

Mountain areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Owing to the complexity of mountain terrain, climate research at scales relevant for impacts studies and decisive for stakeholders is challenging. A possible way to bridge the gap between these fine scales and those of the general circulation models (GCMs) consists of combining high-resolution simulations of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) to statistical downscaling methods. The present work is based on such an approach. It aims at investigating the impacts of climate change on snow cover in the French Alps for the periods 2021-2050 and 2071-2100 under several IPCC hypotheses. An analogue method based on high resolution atmospheric fields from various RCMs and climate reanalyses is used to simulate local climate scenarios. These scenarios, which provide meteorological parameters relevant for snowpack evolution, subsequently feed the CROCUS snow model. In these simulations, various sources of uncertainties are thus considered (several greenhouse gases emission scenarios and RCMs). Results are obtained for different regions of the French Alps at various altitudes. For all scenarios, temperature increase is relatively uniform over the Alps. This regional warming is larger than that generally modeled at the global scale (IPCC, 2007), and particularly strong in summer. Annual precipitation amounts seem to decrease, mainly as a result of decreasing precipitation trends in summer and fall. As a result of these climatic evolutions, there is a general decrease of the mean winter snow depth and seasonal snow duration for all massifs. Winter snow depths are particularly reduced in the Northern Alps. However, the impact on seasonal snow duration is more significant in the Southern and Extreme Southern Alps, since these regions are already characterized by small winter snow depths at low elevations. Reference : IPCC (2007a). Climate change 2007 : The physical science basis. Contribution of working group I to the

Characterization of an abandoned pastoral area in the Northern Apennines, Italy

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Argenti G

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports the first results of an investigation carried out within the research project "Study and improvement of woods and shrubbery derived from abandoned agricultural areas" (RiSelvItalia Project. Changes occurred in the past 50 years in the pastoral area of S. Paolo in Alpe (Appennino Romagnolo, Northern Apennines, Italy were described on the grounds of photo-interpretation of three sets of aerial photos (1955, 1976, 1997. A high reduction of the surface of sowable lands and pastures (from 80% to 33% was pointed out, together with an increase of shrubbery (from 5% to 18% and woods (from 0 to 42%. The characterization of woods, shrubbery and pastures was performed through structural transects and phyto-sociological investigations. Thus it was possible to reconstruct the dynamic series of vegetation, from grasslands belonging to the association Centaureo bracteatae-Brometum erecti (Festuco-Brometea to woods referable to the association Aceri obtusati-quercetum cerridis (Querco-Fagetea. Investigations on meadows revealed also a good quality of pastures, not only in open grasslands (mean pastoral value - VP - of 30, but even in partially shrubby areas (VP 21. Some guidelines for a multi-purpose exploitation of the site are suggested, taking into account not only economic aspects, but also the conservation of environment and landscape.

Between crisis, agency and return: the vulnerability of Bolivian migrants in Italy

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Isabel Yépez del Castillo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This article addresses the interrelationships between the economic crisis, international migration and the labour market, and their impact on female migration agency, both in the decision to migrate and in the subsequent possibility of return to Bolivia. Based on information collected in a large survey conducted in the city of Cochabamba and the tracing of multiple female migration trajectories, the extreme vulnerability of these women, who are the heads of single-parent households, working in elderly care in Bergamo, is shown. Despite their deteriorating working conditions in the context of current Italian economic crisis and the competition of immigrant care workers from countries of Eastern Europe, they choose to remain in Italy instead of returning to Bolivia.

Galaxy Clusters as Tele-ALP-scopes

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2015-01-01

Axion-like particles have good theoretical motivation and are characterized by conversion to photons in astrophysical magnetic fields. Galaxy clusters are the most efficient convertors of axion-like particles to photons in the universe. I discuss the physics and phenomenology of ALPs, and describe their astrophysical implications, with particular reference to the recently observed 3.5 keV X-ray line that is a candidate for a dark matter decay line. I discuss interpretations of this line in terms of dark matter decaying to an axion-like particle, that then converts to a photon in cluster magnetic fields, and describe the compatibility of this scenario with data and the different phenomenology for cool-core and non-cool-core clusters.

Origin of polluted air masses in the Alps. An overview and first results for MONARPOP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaiser, August

2009-01-01

The contribution of ZAMG to MONAROP consists of special weather forecasts to control the SOCs sampling procedure and of the analysis of the specific transport processes for SOCs, which is still in progress. In this paper, air pollutant transport into the Alps is demonstrated by examples of inorganic pollutants: Measurements of NO x and ozone provide evidence for air pollutant transport by local wind systems (valley and slope winds), especially at low elevated sites of the Alps. In addition, trajectory analyses for the high elevation sites demonstrate the importance of large scale synoptic air pollutant transport. The effects of these transport processes with different spatial and temporal scales are governed by the physical and chemical properties of the particular pollutant. First results for the high alpine MONARPOP stations show that air masses from east Europe influence mostly Sonnblick (Austria), whereas the influence of the Po basin is strongest at Weissfluhjoch (Switzerland). - Effects of meteorological transport processes on air pollution in the Alps are demonstrated by examples of inorganic pollutants and first conclusions for SOCs are drawn.

ALP gene expression in cDNA samples from bone tissue engineering using a HA/TCP/Chitosan scaffold

Science.gov (United States)

Stephanie, N.; Katarina, H.; Amir, L. R.; Gunawan, H. A.

2017-08-01

This study examined the potential use of hydroxyapatite (HA)/tricalcium phosphate (TCP)/Chitosan as a bone tissue engineering scaffold. The potential for using HA/TCP/chitosan as a scaffold was analyzed by measuring expression of the ALP osteogenic gene in cDNA from bone biopsies from four Macaque nemestrina. Experimental conditions included control (untreated), treatment with HA/TCP 70:30, HA/TCP 50:50, and HA/TCP/chitosan. cDNA samples were measured quantitively with Real-Time PCR (qPCR) and semi-quantitively by gel electrophoresis. There were no significant differences in ALP gene expression between treatment subjects after two weeks, but the HA/TCP/chitosan treatment gave the highest level of expression after four weeks. The scaffold using the HA/TCP/chitosan combination induced a higher level of expression of the osteogenic gene ALP than did scaffold without chitosan.

Interconnection France-Italy; Interconnexion France-Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-07-01

These documents presents the rules, defined by RTE, of the attribution of electric power transportation capacity between France and Italy. The contract form and the general principles are given in annexes. A guide to the application form is provided. (A.L.B.)

A tectonomagnetic effect detected in Central Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Palangio

1994-06-01

Full Text Available Significant variations in the absolute value of the geomagnetic field intensity related to tectonic events, as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, have been observed in several cases. To detect such a tectonomagnetic effect related to seismic activity, a seismomagnetic network was installed by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica (ING in the Abruzzi region (CentraI Italy, in July 1989. This area is being uplifting since the Pliocene. A logistic compromise between geophysical requirements and the electrified railway system tracks distribution led to the installation of five total magnetic field intensity data acquisition sites. From July 1989 to September 1992 geomagnetic intensity data were simultaneously recorded at all stations and compared to that recorded at the L'Aquila Observatory, located in the same area. A variation of about 10 nT in the absolute level of the geomagnetic field was measured at two stations located on the eastern side of the network. We suggest that the detected magnetic anomaly could resuIt from aseismic-changes in crustal stress during this time.

New ALPS results on hidden-sector lightweights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehret, Klaus; Ghazaryan, Samvel; Frede, Maik

2010-01-01

The ALPS collaboration runs a ''Light Shining through a Wall'' (LSW) experiment to search for photon oscillations into ''Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles'' (WISPs) often predicted by extensions of the Standard Model. The experiment is set up around a superconducting HERA dipole magnet at the site of DESY. Due to several upgrades of the experiment we are able to place limits on the probability of photon-WISP-photon conversions of a few x 10 -25 . These limits result in today's most stringent laboratory constraints on the existence of low mass axion-like particles, hidden photons and minicharged particles. (orig.)

The Rhone-Alpes Observatory of Energy and Greenhouse Gases. Key data for 2012, February 2014 release

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-02-01

Maps, graphs and tables related to greenhouse gas emissions are presented and briefly commented. They illustrate a comparison between the Rhone-Alpes region and France, the European objectives in this region, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and energy production. They also illustrate an analysis of final energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions per sector (housing, office building, industry, transports, agriculture, and uses of energy). They present the renewable energy production in Rhone-Alpes: production of electricity from renewable sources, production of renewable heat, carbon sinks

Climate and landscape in Italy during Late Epigravettian. The Late Glacial small mammal sequence of Riparo Tagliente (Stallavena di Grezzana, Verona, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Berto, Claudio; Luzi, Elisa; Canini, Guido Montanari; Guerreschi, Antonio; Fontana, Federica

2018-03-01

The site of Riparo Tagliente (north-eastern Italy) contains one of the main Upper Pleistocene archaeological sequences of south-western Europe. It also represents a key site for the study of human adaptation to Late Glacial environmental changes in the southern Alpine area. These climatic and environmental conditions are here reconstructed based on small mammal assemblages, using the Bioclimatic model and Habitat Weighting methods. Climate proxies indicate a rise in temperature during the transition between HE1 and the Bølling-Allerød interstadial, while the landscape surrounding the shelter was still dominated by open grasslands. By comparing the data obtained from Riparo Tagliente with other coeval small mammal faunas from the Italian Peninsula and Europe we contribute to the reconstruction of the processes of faunal renewal registered during the Late Glacial across the continent and of the climatic and environmental context in which the Late Epigravettian hunter-gatherer groups lived.

Hemin binding by Porphyromonas gingivalis strains is dependent on the presence of A-LPS.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangarajan, M; Aduse-Opoku, J; Paramonov, N A; Hashim, A; Curtis, M A

2017-10-01

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a Gram-negative black pigmenting anaerobe that is unable to synthesize heme [Fe(II)-protoporphyrin IX] or hemin [Fe(III)-protoporphyrin IX-Cl], which are important growth/virulence factors, and must therefore derive them from the host. Porphyromonas gingivalis expresses several proteinaceous hemin-binding sites, which are important in the binding/transport of heme/hemin from the host. It also synthesizes several virulence factors, namely cysteine-proteases Arg- and Lys-gingipains and two lipopolysaccharides (LPS), O-LPS and A-LPS. The gingipains are required for the production of the black pigment, μ-oxo-bisheme {[Fe(III)PPIX] 2 O}, which is derived from hemoglobin and deposited on the bacterial cell-surface leading to the characteristic black colonies when grown on blood agar. In this study we investigated the role of LPS in the deposition of μ-oxo-bisheme on the cell-surface. A P. gingivalis mutant defective in the biosynthesis of Arg-gingipains, namely rgpA/rgpB, produces brown colonies on blood agar and mutants defective in Lys-gingipain (kgp) and LPS biosynthesis namely porR, waaL, wzy, and pg0129 (α-1, 3-mannosyltransferase) produce non-pigmented colonies. However, only those mutants lacking A-LPS showed reduced hemin-binding when cells in suspension were incubated with hemin. Using native, de-O-phosphorylated and de-lipidated LPS from P. gingivalis W50 and porR strains, we demonstrated that hemin-binding to O-polysaccharide (PS) and to the lipid A moiety of LPS was reduced compared with hemin-binding to A-PS. We conclude that A-LPS in the outer-membrane of P. gingivalis serves as a scaffold/anchor for the retention of μ-oxo-bisheme on the cell surface and pigmentation is dependent on the presence of A-LPS. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Oral Microbiology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seasonal evaluation of serumal Ca, P and ALP of slaughtered cattle in Tabriz abattoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.P Rezaei-Saber

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Increasing knowledge of metabolic disorders and prevention of any prduction decrease is beneficial in animal breeding. Problems related to calcium and phosphorus deficiency in high producing animals are among the most important metabolic disorders with disease such as osteomalacia, rickets, milk fever, pos parturition hemoglobinuria and reproductive disorders named as the metabolic complications. This study was conducted on non pregnant crossbreed dairy cattle. In the middle of each season with daily referral to the abattoir, blood samples were collected in veneject tubes and after transfer to the laboratory, the serumic levels of Ca, P and ALP were measured by spectrophotometry. One hundred samples for each season and a total of 400 samples were studied. The mean serumic levels of Ca, P and ALP were 8.83±0.02 mg/dl, 3.88±0.07 mg/dl, 163.4±0.8 Iu/lit; 9.05±0.03mg/dl, 4.19±0.01mg/dl, 240.7±1.2 Iu/lit; 9.03±0.07 mg/dl, 5.33±0.02mg/dl, 185.06±2.3 Iu/lit and 9.33±0.09 mg/dl, 5.74±0.08 mg/dl, 230.03±7.4 Iu/lit, in the spring, summer, autumn and winter respectively. Considering the normal Ca, P and ALP values in cattle, 6.3% and 83% of cases had Ca and P deficiency respectively in the spring, 80% of cases had subclinical phosphorus deficiency in the summer, 7.3% of cases had subclinical phosphorus deficiency in the autumn and 9.45% and 7.36% of cases had Ca deficiency and ALP elevation respectively in the winter. The significant decrease in Ca and P levels in the spring and P levels in the summer (p

International Uranium Resources Evaluation Project (IUREP) national favourability studies: Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-10-01

The Italian Republic comprises a 1200 - Km - long peninsula ex- tending from southern Europe into the Mediterranean Sea, and a number of adjacent islands, among which the principals are Sicily and Sardinia. The total area is in excess of 300,000 Sq.Km, the islands account for some 50, 000 Sq.Km. From a physiographic and morphologic point of view, Italy mainly consists of the Alpine region and the Po valley to the North and of the Appennine range and small Coastal plains to the Centre and South. Plains occupied only 20% of the total area, hills and mountains, up to 4,810 m of elevation, contribute almost equally to the remaining 80%. The most promising uranium mineralizations have been found in the Bergamasc Alps, near the small town of Novazza. Pitchblende and minor sphalerite (formation temperature, 80 deg. - 100 deg. C) occur disseminated in volcanics of permian age. The host rocks at the Novazza uranium deposit, consist of an acid ignimbrite with cineritic texture. The rocks have been affected by metasomatism which brought abundant neo-formation minerals such as silica, sericite, carbonates and minor adularia, albite and muscovite. The reasonably assured resources of the Novazza deposit have been estimated to be 1,200 ton of U having a grade of 900 p.p.m. U. Estimated additional resources are 1,000 ton U. Production is scheduled to start in 1980

Powered mobility intervention: understanding the position of tool use learning as part of implementing the ALP tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, Lisbeth; Durkin, Josephine

2017-10-01

To explore the knowledge necessary for adoption and implementation of the Assessment of Learning Powered mobility use (ALP) tool in different practice settings for both adults and children. To consult with a diverse population of professionals working with adults and children, in different countries and various settings; who were learning about or using the ALP tool, as part of exploring and implementing research findings. Classical grounded theory with a rigorous comparative analysis of data from informants together with reflections on our own rich experiences of powered mobility practice and comparisons with the literature. A core category learning tool use and a new theory of cognizing tool use, with its interdependent properties: motivation, confidence, permissiveness, attentiveness and co-construction has emerged which explains in greater depth what enables the application of the ALP tool. The scientific knowledge base on tool use learning and the new theory conveys the information necessary for practitioner's cognizing how to apply the learning approach of the ALP tool in order to enable tool use learning through powered mobility practice as a therapeutic intervention in its own right. This opens up the possibility for more children and adults to have access to learning through powered mobility practice. Implications for rehabilitation Tool use learning through powered mobility practice is a therapeutic intervention in its own right. Powered mobility practice can be used as a rehabilitation tool with individuals who may not need to become powered wheelchair users. Motivation, confidence, permissiveness, attentiveness and co-construction are key properties for enabling the application of the learning approach of the ALP tool. Labelling and the use of language, together with honing observational skills through viewing video footage, are key to developing successful learning partnerships.

Purification of barley dimeric α-amylase inhibitor-1 (BDAI-1) and avenin-like protein-a (ALP) from beer and their impact on beer foam stability.

Science.gov (United States)

Iimure, Takashi; Kihara, Makoto; Sato, Kazuhiro; Ogushi, Kensuke

2015-04-01

Foam stability is a key factor of beer quality for consumers and brewers. Recent beer proteome analyses have suggested that barley dimeric α-amylase inhibitor-1 (BDAI-1) and avenin-like protein-a (ALP) derived from barley are important for beer foam stability. In this study, BDAI-1 and ALP were purified from a Japanese commercial beer sample using salt precipitation and column chromatography. The purification level was verified using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry, and database searches. Purified BDAI-1 and ALP were added to a beer sample to compare the foam stability to that of a control beer sample. As a result, beer foam stability was significantly improved by BDAI-1 but not by ALP, thereby suggesting that BDAI-1 affects beer foam stability whereas ALP does not. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cliffs and quarries in the eastern coast of the Favignana island (Sicily, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falconi, Luca; Peloso, Alessandro; Screpanti Tatì, Angelo; Verrubbi, Vladimiro

2015-01-01

Favignana Island (Sicily, Italy) is a historical and environmental attraction site frequented by tourists especially during the long warm season of the year. Over several centuries the sea cliffs constituted by calcareous sandstone outcropping in the east side of the island have been exploited for the production of building stone. Currently the quarries used for the rock extraction as well as the natural cliffs are undergoing extensive erosional and gravitational processes. Besides putting at risk the safety of the people attending the area, the widespread rock falls are likely to threaten sites of great historical and anthropological value that, once destroyed, can no longer be reconstructed. The rock mass quality assessment and slope displacements monitoring of cliffs were conducted with the aim of identifying the most active areas and providing support to the local authorities in the implementation of effective and sustainable mitigation measures. If adequate measures are taken in the future, operators and users of the tourist circuit will have the opportunity to enjoy these amazing sites with a lower landslide risk [it

Radiative impact of Etna volcanic aerosols over south eastern Italy on 3 December 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Romano, S.; Burlizzi, P.; Kinne, S.; De Tomasi, F.; Hamann, U.; Perrone, M. R.

2018-06-01

Irradiance and LiDAR measurements at the surface combined with satellite products from SEVIRI (Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager) and MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) were used to detect and characterize the Etna volcano (Italy) plume that crossed southeastern Italy on 3 December 2015, from about 10:00 up to 11:30 UTC, and estimate its radiative impact. The volcanic plume was delivered by a violent and short paroxysmal eruption that occurred from 02:30 to 03:10 UTC of 3 December 2015, about 400 km away from the monitoring site. Measurements from the LiDAR combined with model results showed that the aerosol optical depth of the volcanic plume, located from about 11 to 13 km above sea level (asl), was equal to 0.80 ± 0.07 at 532 nm. A low tropospheric aerosol load, located up to about 7 km asl, with optical depth equal to 0.19 ± 0.01 at 532 nm was also revealed by the LiDAR measurements. Short-Wave (SW) downward and upward irradiance measurements revealed that the instantaneous SW direct radiative forcing at the surface (DRFsurf) decreased to -146 ± 16 W m-2 at 10:50 UTC because of the volcanic plume passage. A Two-Stream radiative transfer model integrated with experimental measurements, which took into account the volcanic plume and the low tropospheric aerosol properties, was used to reproduce the SW radiative flux measurements at the surface and estimate the aerosol DRF both at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) and at the surface, in addition to the aerosol heating rate vertical profile. We found that the clear-sky, instantaneous, SW DRF at the TOA and the atmospheric forcing were equal to -112 and 33 W m-2, respectively, at 10:50 UTC that represented the time at which the volcanic plume radiative impact was the highest. The SW aerosol heating rate reached the peak value of 1.24 K day-1 at 12 km asl and decreased to -0.06 K day-1 at 11 km asl, at 10:50 UTC. The role of the aerosol load located up to about 7 km asl and the

Slow reaction of soil structure to conservation agriculture practices in Veneto silty soils (North-Easter Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Piccoli, Ilaria; Camarotto, Carlo; Lazzaro, Barbara; Furlan, Lorenzo; Morari, Francesco

2017-04-01

Soil structure plays a pivotal role in soil functioning and can inform of the degradation of the soil ecosystem. Intensive and repeated tillage operations have been known to negatively affect the soil structure characteristics while conservation agriculture (CA) practices were demonstrated to improve soil structure and related ecosystem services. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of conservation agriculture practices on total porosity, pore size distribution, pore architecture and morphology on silty soils of Veneto low-lying plain (North-Eastern Italy). Experimental design was established in 2010 on 4 farms in North-Eastern Italy to compare conventional intensive tillage system "IT" versus conservation agriculture "CA" (no-tillage, cover-crop and residue retention). 96 samples were collected in 2015 at four depths down to 50 cm depth, and investigated for porosity from micro to macro by coupling mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) (0.0074-100 µm) and x-ray computed microtomography (µCT) (>26 µm). Pore morphology and architecture were studied from 3D images analysis and MIP pore size curve. Ultramicroporosity class (0.1-5 μm) positively responded to CA after 5-yr of practices adoption while no significant effects were observed in the x-ray µCT domain (> 26 µm). Silty soils of Veneto plain showed a slow reaction to conservation agriculture because of the low soil organic carbon content and poor aggregate stability. Nevertheless the positive influence of CA on ultramicroporosity, which is strictly linked to soil organic carbon (SOC) stabilization, indicated that a virtuous cycle was initiated between SOC and porosity, hopefully leading to well-developed macropore systems and, in turn, enhanced soil functions and ecosystem services.

Variation in transnationalism among Eastern European migrants in Italy: the role of duration of residence and integration

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cela, E.; Fokkema, T.; Ambrosetti, E.; King, Russell; Povrzanović Frykman, Maya; Vullnetari, Julie

2017-01-01

Transnationalism of first-generation migrants, usually considered as a core element of their migratory projects, is nowadays taken somewhat for granted. Our aim in this paper is to examine empirically the relations of transnationalism with duration of residence and integration of Eastern European

Altitudinal and chiral signature of persistent organochlorine pesticides in air, soil, and spruce needles (Picea abies) of the Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Heqing; Henkelmann, Bernhard; Levy, Walkiria; Zsolnay, Adam; Weiss, Peter; Jakobi, Gert; Kirchner, Manfred; Moche, Wolfgang; Braun, Katharina; Schramm, Karl-Werner

2009-04-01

The present study investigated the distribution, transportation, and biodegradation of the selected chiral persistent organochlorine pesticides (OCP) in the Alps. In the complex environment, we found the movement and fate of OCP could be defined by many factors. Taking HCE as an example, below the timberline its accumulation from air into SPMD increased with altitude and seasonally changed, but the trends reversed above the timberline. In soil, the tendency of HCE concentrations vs organic materials followed a sigmoid curve, and HCE concentration-altitude correlations are positive in central Alps but negative in southern Alps. The HCE enantiomeric ratios (ERs) in soil correlated to HCE isomers concentrations, the humus pH values, and the sampling site altitudes. HCE shift from humus to mineral soil can also be traced by ERs. The altitudinal and longitudinal trends in needles suggested that alpha-HCH has a more complex movementthan HCE in Alps. In conclusion, altitude conducted condensation, plant canopies, organic material in soil, and geographic specific precipitations may affect OCP distributions and transportation, whereas altitude conducted temperature and soil pH could dictate their fate in the environment.

New ALPS results on hidden-sector lightweights

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehret, Klaus; Ghazaryan, Samvel [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Hamburg (Germany); Frede, Maik [Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (DE)] (and others)

2010-04-08

The ALPS collaboration runs a ''Light Shining through a Wall'' (LSW) experiment to search for photon oscillations into ''Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles'' (WISPs) often predicted by extensions of the Standard Model. The experiment is set up around a superconducting HERA dipole magnet at the site of DESY. Due to several upgrades of the experiment we are able to place limits on the probability of photon-WISP-photon conversions of a few x 10{sup -25}. These limits result in today's most stringent laboratory constraints on the existence of low mass axion-like particles, hidden photons and minicharged particles. (orig.)

New ALPS results on hidden-sector lightweights

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehret, Klaus [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Frede, Maik [Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., Hollerithallee 8, D-30419 Hannover (Germany); Ghazaryan, Samvel [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Hildebrandt, Matthias [Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., Hollerithallee 8, D-30419 Hannover (Germany); Knabbe, Ernst-Axel [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Kracht, Dietmar [Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V., Hollerithallee 8, D-30419 Hannover (Germany); Lindner, Axel, E-mail: axel.lindner@desy.d [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); List, Jenny [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Meier, Tobias [Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics, Albert-Einstein-Institute, Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universitaet, Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany); Meyer, Niels; Notz, Dieter; Redondo, Javier; Ringwald, Andreas [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, Notkestrasse 85, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Wiedemann, Guenter [Hamburger Sternwarte, Gojenbergsweg 112, D-21029 Hamburg (Germany); Willke, Benno [Max-Planck-Institute for Gravitational Physics, Albert-Einstein-Institute, Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik, Leibniz Universitaet, Hannover, Callinstrasse 38, D-30167 Hannover (Germany)

2010-05-31

The ALPS Collaboration runs a 'Light Shining through a Wall' (LSW) experiment to search for photon oscillations into 'Weakly Interacting Sub-eV Particles' (WISPs) often predicted by extensions of the Standard Model. The experiment is set up around a superconducting HERA dipole magnet at the site of DESY. Due to several upgrades of the experiment we are able to place limits on the probability of photon-WISP-photon conversions of a fewx10{sup -25}. These limits result in today's most stringent laboratory constraints on the existence of low mass axion-like particles, hidden photons and minicharged particles.

Validated thermodynamic prediction of AlP and eutectic (Si) solidification sequence in Al-Si cast alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, S M; Schmid-Fetzer, R

2016-01-01

The eutectic microstructure in hypoeutectic Al-Si cast alloys is strongly influenced by AlP particles which are potent nuclei for the eutectic (Si) phase. The solidification sequence of AlP and (Si) phases is, thus, crucial for the nucleation of eutectic silicon with marked impact on its morphology. This study presents this interdependence between Si- and P-compositions, relevant for Al-Si cast alloys, on the solidification sequence of AlP and (Si). These data are predicted from a series of thermodynamic calculations. The predictions are based on a self-consistent thermodynamic description of the Al-Si-P ternary alloy system developed recently. They are validated by independent experimental studies on microstructure and undercooling in hypoeutectic Al-Si alloys. A constrained Scheil solidification simulation technique is applied to predict the undercooling under clean heterogeneous nucleation conditions, validated by dedicated experimental observations on entrained droplets. These specific undercooling values may be very large and their quantitative dependence on Si and P content of the Al alloy is presented. (paper)

Epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus infection in blood donations in Europe and Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Suligoi, Barbara; Raimondo, Mariangela; Regine, Vincenza; Salfa, Maria Cristina; Camoni, Laura

2010-07-01

The safety of blood with regards to transmission of infectious diseases is guaranteed by European laws that regulate both the selection of donors through pre-donation questionnaires and serological screening. However, variability in the epidemiology of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in different countries and some differences in the selection of donors can influence the efficacy (with regards to the safety of blood) of these processes. In this study we compared the prevalence of HIV in blood donations in the three macro-areas of Europe and in various western European countries, analysed the criteria of selection and rewarding of donors in western European countries, and studied the trend in the prevalence of HIV in Italy from to 1995 and 2006. European data were derived from the European Centre for the Surveillance of HIV; Italian data were obtained from the Transfusion-Transmitted Infections Surveillance System and National and Regional Register of blood and plasma. The information on eligibility criteria and rewarding offered to donors was derived from international sources. The prevalence of HIV in blood donations was highest in eastern Europe, followed by central Europe and western Europe. Among the western European countries, Spain, Italy and Israel had the highest prevalences; the prevalence was noted to be higher in countries which did not offer any rewarding to the donor. In Italy the prevalence of HIV was 3.8 cases per 100,000 donations in 2006 and increased between 1995 and 2006, both among donations from repeat donors and first time donors. The data highlight the need to continue improving the selection of donors and the coverage of the surveillance systems for HIV infection in transfusion services.

ESR/U-series chronology of the Lower Palaeolithic palaeo-anthropological site of Visogliano, Trieste, Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falgueres, C.; Bahain, J.J.; Yokoyama, Y.; Tozzi, C.; Boschian, G.; Dolo, J.M.; Mercier, N.; Valladas, H.

2008-01-01

The Visogliano shelter, in north-eastern Italy, is an important Middle Pleistocene occupation site where human remains were found together with an archaic lithic industry, including choppers, chopping tools and a few proto-bifaces. It is of utmost importance to try to document this period, when a second wave of settlement colonised Western Europe, carrying new flaking techniques and tools. Combined ESR/U-series analyses, integrated with bio-stratigraphical and environmental data, define a chronological frame for the layers from which the artefacts were unearthed. The lower levels, including human remains, can be dated to the 350-500 kyr time span, in agreement with micro-mammal and stratigraphical studies. These data make Visogliano one of the oldest palaeo-anthropological sites in Italy, where human remains are directly associated with proto-bifaces, choppers and chopping tools. In Western Europe, Visogliano is contemporaneous to the G soil of the Arago Cave, France, with which it shares several similarities in faunal assemblages and radiometric data, and which contains human remains also. These data make Visogliano as one of the oldest sites in Europe where the Acheulian culture is observed. (authors)

Enercoop Rhone-Alpes: a green and citizen-oriented electricity; Enercoop Rhone-Alpes l'electricite verte et citoyenne

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

Enercoop is a collective interest cooperative company which aims at providing electricity from renewable sources and at developing renewable energies in France. After a presentation of its objectives and strategies, this document gives an overview of the energy and socio-economic context in Europe and France, recalls the origin of this project and more particularly in the Rhone-Alpes region. It presents its objectives in terms of pricing and citizen empowerment, how to join Enercoop, its guarantees, its philosophy (ethical and democratic), its objectives in terms of renewable energy production, its relationship with ERDF (the company which manages the electricity distribution network in France). After some testimonies, some comments are made about energy management challenges

The Wallner Normal Fault: A new major tectonic structure within the Austroalpine Units south of the Tauern Window (Kreuzeck, Eastern Alps, Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Griesmeier, Gerit E. U.; Schuster, Ralf; Grasemann, Bernhard

2017-04-01

The polymetamorphic Austroalpine Units of the Eastern Alps were derived from the northern Adriatic continental margin and have been significantly reworked during the Eoalpine intracontinental subduction. Several major basement/cover nappe systems, which experienced a markedly different tectono-metamorphic history, characterize the complex internal structure of the Austroalpine Units. This work describes a new major tectonic structure in the Kreuzeck Mountains, south of the famous Tauern Window - the Wallner Normal Fault. It separates the so called Koralpe-Wölz Nappe System in the footwall from the Drauzug-Gurktal Nappe System in the hanging wall. The Koralpe-Wölz Nappe System below the Wallner Normal Fault is dominated by monotonous paragneisses and minor mica schists, which are locally garnet bearing. Subordinated amphibolite bodies can be observed. The schistosity is homogeneously dipping steeply to the S and the partly mylonitic stretching lineation is typically moderately dipping to the ESE. The Alpine metamorphic peak reached eclogite facies further in the north and amphibolite facies in the study area. The metamorphic peak occurred in the Late Cretaceous followed by rapid cooling. The Drauzug-Gurktal Nappe System above the Wallner Normal Fault consists of various subunits. (i) Paragneisses and micaschists subunit (Gaugen Complex) with numerous quartz mobilisates are locally intercalated with amphibolites. Several millimeter large garnets together with staurolite and kyanite have been identified in thin sections. Even though the main striking direction is E-W, polyphase refolding resulted in strong local variations of the orientation of the main foliation. (ii) Garnet micaschists subunit (Strieden Complex) with garnets up to 15 mm are intercalated with up to tens of meters thick amphibolites. The lithologies are intensely folded with folding axes dipping moderately to the SSW and axial planes dipping steeply to the NW. (iii) A phyllites-marble subunit

The ALPS project release 2.0: open source software for strongly correlated systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, B; Gamper, L; Gukelberger, J; Hehn, A; Isakov, S V; Ma, P N; Mates, P; Carr, L D; Evertz, H G; Feiguin, A; Freire, J; Koop, D; Fuchs, S; Gull, E; Guertler, S; Igarashi, R; Matsuo, H; Parcollet, O; Pawłowski, G; Picon, J D

2011-01-01

We present release 2.0 of the ALPS (Algorithms and Libraries for Physics Simulations) project, an open source software project to develop libraries and application programs for the simulation of strongly correlated quantum lattice models such as quantum magnets, lattice bosons, and strongly correlated fermion systems. The code development is centered on common XML and HDF5 data formats, libraries to simplify and speed up code development, common evaluation and plotting tools, and simulation programs. The programs enable non-experts to start carrying out serial or parallel numerical simulations by providing basic implementations of the important algorithms for quantum lattice models: classical and quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) using non-local updates, extended ensemble simulations, exact and full diagonalization (ED), the density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) both in a static version and a dynamic time-evolving block decimation (TEBD) code, and quantum Monte Carlo solvers for dynamical mean field theory (DMFT). The ALPS libraries provide a powerful framework for programmers to develop their own applications, which, for instance, greatly simplify the steps of porting a serial code onto a parallel, distributed memory machine. Major changes in release 2.0 include the use of HDF5 for binary data, evaluation tools in Python, support for the Windows operating system, the use of CMake as build system and binary installation packages for Mac OS X and Windows, and integration with the VisTrails workflow provenance tool. The software is available from our web server at http://alps.comp-phys.org/

Environmental changes in the central Po Plain (northern Italy) due to fluvial modifications and anthropogenic activities

Science.gov (United States)

Marchetti, Mauro

2002-05-01

The fluvial environment of the central Po Plain, the largest plain in Italy, is discussed in this paper. Bounded by the mountain chains of the Alps and the Apennines, this plain is a link between the Mediterranean environment and the cultural and continental influences of both western and eastern Europe. In the past decades, economic development has been responsible for many changes in the fluvial environment of the area. This paper discusses the changes in fluvial dynamics that started from Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene due to distinct climatic changes. The discussion is based on geomorphological, pedological, and archaeological evidences and radiocarbon dating. In the northern foothills, Late Pleistocene palaeochannels indicate several cases of underfit streams among the northern tributaries of the River Po. On the other hand, on the southern side of the Po Plain, no geomorphological evidence of similar discharge reduction has been found. Here, stratigraphic sections, together with archaeological remains buried under the fluvial deposits, show a reduction in the size of fluvial sediments after the 10th millennium BC. During the Holocene, fluvial sedimentation became finer, and was characterised by minor fluctuations in the rate of deposition, probably related to short and less intense climatic fluctuations. Given the high rate of population growth and the development of human activities since the Neolithic Age, human influence on fluvial dynamics, especially since the Roman Age, prevailed over other factors (i.e., climate, tectonics, vegetation, etc.). During the Holocene, the most important changes in the Po Plain were not modifications in water discharge but in sediment. From the 1st to 3rd Century AD, land grants to war veterans caused almost complete deforestation, generalised soil erosion, and maximum progradation of the River Po delta. At present, land abandonment in the mountainous region has led to reafforestation. Artificial channel control in the

Fatto in Italia: Refashioning Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiziana Ferrero-Regis

2008-09-01

Full Text Available This article discusses how the Made in Italy brand helped Italy to recover from economic recession in the 1980s, but also how it redefined the country's identity after the traumatic years of terrorism and especially after the murder of the Christian Democratic Party Secretary, Aldo Moro, at the hands of the Red Brigades. In this period cinema as a form of artistic achievement declined, while fashion and industrial design moved at the centre stage of economic and creative success. The rampant consumerism of the 1980s, fuelled by tax reforms that favoured a wider urban middle class, the retreat of unionism, the abandonment of collective bargaining in many industrial sectors, industrial restructuring with the consequent growth of black market economy in the provincial areas of the so-called Third Italy first and the South later, were all factors that contributed to a social and economic shift within Italy itself. Commercial consumption, propagated by the proliferation of local commercial television networks, hedonism and a re-articulation of identity through appearance replaced the 1970s' political activism and ideological opposition to fashion. Ultimately, 'Made in Italy' was a multidimensional phenomenon that presented itself as a new cultural model for the country’s political tribes of the 1970s.

Spatial and temporal variations of glacial erosion in the Rhône valley (Swiss Alps): Insights from numerical modeling

OpenAIRE

Sternai , Pietro; Herman , Frédéric; Valla , Pierre G.; Champagnac , Jean-Daniel

2013-01-01

Pietro Sternai : Now at: the Institut desSciences de laTerre d'Orléans - (ISTO), University of Orléans,France. Tel.: 33 631910242. E-mail addresses: , ; International audience; The present-day topography of the European Alps shows evidence of intense glacial reshaping. However, significant questions regarding Alpine landscape evolution during glaciations still persist. In this study, we focus on the Rhône valley (Swiss Alps), and use a ...

Eclogite nappe-stack in the Grivola-Urtier Ophiolites (Southern Aosta Valley, Western Alps)

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Tartarotti, Paola

2013-04-01

In the Western Alpine chain, ophiolites represent a section of the Mesozoic Tethys oceanic lithosphere, involved in subduction during the convergence between the paleo-Africa and paelo-Europe continents during the Cretaceous - Eocene. The Western Alpine ophiolites consist of several tectonic units, the most famous being the Zermatt-Saas and Combin nappes, and other major ophiolite bodies as the Voltri, Monviso, and Rocciavrè that show different rock assemblages and contrasting metamorphic imprints. The Grivola-Urtier (GU) unit is exposed in the southern Aosta Valley, covering an area of about 100 km2; it is tectonically sandwiched between the continentally-derived Pennidic Gran Paradiso Nappe below, and the Austroalpine Mount Emilius klippe above. This unit has been so far considered as part of the Zermatt-Saas nappe extending from the Saas-Fee area (Switzerland) to the Aosta Valley (Italy). The GU unit consists of serpentinized peridotites that include pods and boudinaged layers of eclogitic Fe-metagabbro and trondhjemite, rodingites and chloriteschists transposed in the main foliation together with calcschists and micaschists. All rocks preserve particularly fresh eclogitic mineral assemblages. The contact between the serpentinites and calcshists is marked by a tectonic mélange consisting of mylonitic marble and calcschist with stretched and boudinaged serpentinite blocks. Continentally-derived allochthonous blocks ranging in size from100 meters to meters are also included within the ophiolites. New field, petrographic and geochemical data reveal the complex nature of the fossil Tethyan oceanic lithosphere exposed in the southern Aosta Valley, as well as the extent and size of the continental-oceanic tectonic mélange. The geological setting of the GU unit is here inferred as a key tool for understanding the complex architecture of the ophiolites in the Western Alps.

Assembly patterns of soil-dwelling lichens after glacier retreat in the European Alps.

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Nascimbene, Juri; Mayrhofer, Helmut; Dainese, Matteo; Bilovitz, Peter Othmar

2017-06-01

To assess the spatial-temporal dynamics of primary succession following deglaciation in soil-dwelling lichen communities. European Alps (Austria, Switzerland and Italy). Five glacier forelands subjected to relevant glacier retreat during the last century were investigated. In each glacier foreland, three successional stages were selected at increasing distance from the glacier, corresponding to a gradient of time since deglaciation between 25 and 160 years. In each successional stage, soil-dwelling lichens were surveyed within five 1 × 1 m plots. In addition to a classical ecological framework, based on species richness and composition, we applied a functional approach to better elucidate community assembly mechanisms. A positive relationship was found between species richness and time since deglaciation indicating that richer lichen communities can be found at increasing terrain ageing. This pattern was associated with compositional shifts, suggesting that different community assemblages can be found along the successional stages. The analysis of β-diversity revealed a significant nested pattern of species assemblages along the gradient (i.e. earlier successional stages hosted a subset of the species already established in older successional stages), while the turnover component was less relevant. Considering functional groups, we found contrasting patterns in relation to time since deglaciation: the incidence of species with a cyanobacterial photobiont and those reproducing by spores decreased, while that of species reproducing by vegetative propagules increased. This study reveals that community assembly patterns of soil-dwelling lichens in alpine glacier forelands are ruled by mechanisms of directional species accumulation and trait selection that involve a trade-off between different functional strategies. Functional traits that reflect the dispersal and adaptation capability of the species underpin the colonization success of soil-dwelling lichens in

Clues on active differential uplift across the Giudicarie belt (Central-Eastern Alps, Italy) by means of PSInSAR data

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Massironi, Matteo; Zampieri, Dario; Schiavo, Alessio; Bianchi, Marco; Franceschini, Andrea

2010-05-01

The Permanent Scatterers Synthetic Aperture Radar INterferometry (PSInSAR) methodology provides high resolution assessment of surface deformations (precision ranging from 0.8 to 0.1 mm/year) over long periods of observation. Hence, it is particularly suitable to analyze surface motion over wide regions associated to a weak tectonic activity. For this reason we have adopted the PSInSAR technique to study regional movement across the Giudicarie belt, a NNE-trending trust belt oblique to the Southern Alpine chain and presently characterized by a low to moderate seismicity. Over 11,000 PS velocities along the satellite Line Of Sight (LOS) were calculated using images acquired in descending orbit during the 1992-1996 time span. The PSInSAR data show a differential uplift of around 1.4-1.7 mm/year across the most external WNW-dipping thrusts of the Giudicarie belt (Mt. Baldo, Mt. Stivo and Mt. Grattacul thrusts alignment). This corresponds to a horizontal contraction across the external part of the Giudicarie belt of about 1.3-1.5 mm/year.

Residence in Proximity of a Coal-Oil-Fired Thermal Power Plant and Risk of Lung and Bladder Cancer in North-Eastern Italy. A Population-Based Study: 1995-2009.

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Collarile, Paolo; Bidoli, Ettore; Barbone, Fabio; Zanier, Loris; Del Zotto, Stefania; Fuser, Simonetta; Stel, Fulvio; Panato, Chiara; Gallai, Irene; Serraino, Diego

2017-07-31

This study investigated the risk of lung and bladder cancers in people residing in proximity of a coal-oil-fired thermal power plant in an area of north-eastern Italy, covered by a population-based cancer registry. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) by sex, age, and histology were computed according to tertiles of residential exposure to benzene, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particular matter, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) among 1076 incident cases of lung and 650 cases of bladder cancers. In men of all ages and in women under 75 years of age, no significant associations were observed. Conversely, in women aged ≥75 years significantly increased risks of lung and bladder cancers were related to high exposure to benzene (IRR for highest vs. lowest tertile: 2.00 for lung cancer and 1.94 for bladder cancer) and NO2 (IRR: 1.72 for lung cancer; and 1.94 for bladder cancer). In these women, a 1.71-fold higher risk of lung cancer was also related to a high exposure to SO2. Acknowledging the limitations of our study, in particular that we did not have information regarding cigarette smoking habits, the findings of this study indicate that air pollution exposure may have had a role with regard to the risk of lung and bladder cancers limited to women aged ≥75 years. Such increased risk warrants further analytical investigations.

Lithospheric architecture of the South-Western Alps revealed by multiparameter teleseismic full-waveform inversion

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Beller, S.; Monteiller, V.; Operto, S.; Nolet, G.; Paul, A.; Zhao, L.

2018-02-01

The Western Alps, although being intensively investigated, remains elusive when it comes to determining its lithospheric structure. New inferences on the latter are important for the understanding of processes and mechanisms of orogeny needed to unravel the dynamic evolution of the Alps. This situation led to the deployment of the CIFALPS temporary experiment, conducted to address the lack of seismological data amenable to high-resolution seismic imaging of the crust and the upper mantle. We perform a 3-D isotropic full-waveform inversion (FWI) of nine teleseismic events recorded by the CIFALPS experiment to infer 3-D models of both density and P- and S-wave velocities of the Alpine lithosphere. Here, by FWI is meant the inversion of the full seismograms including phase and amplitude effects within a time window following the first arrival up to a frequency of 0.2 Hz. We show that the application of the FWI at the lithospheric scale is able to generate images of the lithosphere with unprecedented resolution and can furnish a reliable density model of the upper lithosphere. In the shallowest part of the crust, we retrieve the shape of the fast/dense Ivrea body anomaly and detect the low velocities of the Po and SE France sedimentary basins. The geometry of the Ivrea body as revealed by our density model is consistent with the Bouguer anomaly. A sharp Moho transition is followed from the external part (30 km depth) to the internal part of the Alps (70-80 km depth), giving clear evidence of a continental subduction event during the formation of the Alpine Belt. A low-velocity zone in the lower lithosphere of the S-wave velocity model supports the hypothesis of a slab detachment in the western part of the Alps that is followed by asthenospheric upwelling. The application of FWI to teleseismic data helps to fill the gap of resolution between traditional imaging techniques, and enables integrated interpretations of both upper and lower lithospheric structures.

Seismic clusters analysis in Northeastern Italy by the nearest-neighbor approach

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Peresan, Antonella; Gentili, Stefania

2018-01-01

The main features of earthquake clusters in Northeastern Italy are explored, with the aim to get new insights on local scale patterns of seismicity in the area. The study is based on a systematic analysis of robustly and uniformly detected seismic clusters, which are identified by a statistical method, based on nearest-neighbor distances of events in the space-time-energy domain. The method permits us to highlight and investigate the internal structure of earthquake sequences, and to differentiate the spatial properties of seismicity according to the different topological features of the clusters structure. To analyze seismicity of Northeastern Italy, we use information from local OGS bulletins, compiled at the National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics since 1977. A preliminary reappraisal of the earthquake bulletins is carried out and the area of sufficient completeness is outlined. Various techniques are considered to estimate the scaling parameters that characterize earthquakes occurrence in the region, namely the b-value and the fractal dimension of epicenters distribution, required for the application of the nearest-neighbor technique. Specifically, average robust estimates of the parameters of the Unified Scaling Law for Earthquakes, USLE, are assessed for the whole outlined region and are used to compute the nearest-neighbor distances. Clusters identification by the nearest-neighbor method turn out quite reliable and robust with respect to the minimum magnitude cutoff of the input catalog; the identified clusters are well consistent with those obtained from manual aftershocks identification of selected sequences. We demonstrate that the earthquake clusters have distinct preferred geographic locations, and we identify two areas that differ substantially in the examined clustering properties. Specifically, burst-like sequences are associated with the north-western part and swarm-like sequences with the south-eastern part of the study

An estimate of the glacier ice volume in the Swiss Alps

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Farinotti, Daniel; Huss, Matthias; Bauder, Andreas; Funk, Martin

2009-08-01

Changes in glacier volume are important for questions linked to sea-level rise, water resource management, and tourism industry. With the ongoing climate warming, the retreat of mountain glaciers is a major concern. Predictions of glacier changes, necessarily need the present ice volume as initial condition, and for transient modelling, the ice thickness distribution has to be known. In this paper, a method based on mass conservation and principles of ice flow dynamics is applied to 62 glaciers located in the Swiss Alps for estimating their ice thickness distribution. All available direct ice thickness measurements are integrated. The ice volumes are referenced to the year 1999 by means of a mass balance time series. The results are used to calibrate a volume-area scaling relation, and the coefficients obtained show good agreement with values reported in the literature. We estimate the total ice volume present in the Swiss Alps in the year 1999 to be 74 ± 9 km 3. About 12% of this volume was lost between 1999 and 2008, whereas the extraordinarily warm summer 2003 caused a volume loss of about 3.5%.

Quantitative palaeodrainage analysis in the Pleistocene of the Po Plain (Italy)

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Vezzoli, G.; Garzanti, E.; Sciunnach, D.

2009-04-01

-westward shifts of major tributaries draining the axial belt. The Pianengo Core records the rapid southward progradation of transverse alluvial fans fed locally from the Southern Alps, followed by progressive establishment of the modern Adda river system. Evolving drainage patterns and river avulsions represent a major cause of compositional change in foreland-basin deposits. Lateral shifts of river courses, commonly associated with unconformities and favoured by an increase in the ratio between sediment fluxes and subsidence, provide crucial information on tectonic or climatic events, and should be given full consideration in provenance studies. ENI and Regione Lombardia. 2002. Geologia degli acquiferi padani della Regione Lombardia. Firenze, Società Elaborazioni Cartografiche s.r.l., 130 p. Muttoni G., Carcano C., Garzanti E., Ghielmi M., Piccin A., Pini R., Rogledi S., and Sciunnach D. 2003. Onset of major Pleistocene glaciations in the Alps. Geology, 31, 989-992. Scardia G., Muttoni G., and Sciunnach D. 2006. Subsurface magnetostratigraphy of Pleistocene sediments from the Po Plain (Italy): constraints on rates of sedimentation and rock uplift. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 118, 1299-1312. Vezzoli G. and Garzanti E. 2009. Tracking paleodrainage in foreland-basin sequences. Journal of Geology, In press.

INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN ITALY

OpenAIRE

Voitkāne, Vita

2017-01-01

European member States implement Inclusive Education policies thus contributing to a sustainable, inclusive society, although each country is at a different stage in this process. Italy, one of the first countries to launch integrative learning, has set an example since the 1970s, although the quality of inclusive education is unpredictable due to many issues. Authors Cantoni and Panetta (2006) emphasize that, although the culture of integration in Italy exists, much needs to be done to impro...

Holothurian sclerites and conodonts in the Upper Carnian (Tuvalian and Norian Limestones in the Central Kanmik Alps

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Anton Ramovš

1992-12-01

Full Text Available Near Bivouac under the Skuta Mountain (locality 1 in the central Kamnik Alps Upper Carnian Limestones were determined with conodont Epigondolella nodosa Hayashi, holothurian sclerites Calclamnella consona Mostler and C. regularis Stefanov, ammonites and other fossils similar to deeper marine Hallstatt facies of Northern Limestone Alps.Conodonts Epigondolella abneptis (Huckriede and very rich holothurian fauna proved the Norian age for bedded limestones with very frequent large chert nodules on the south slope of the Skuta and on Sleme (loc. 2 and 3. They representdeeper marine facies and a distinct development of the Lower Norian

Wine tourism in Italy

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Cinelli Colombini D

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Donatella Cinelli Colombini Orcia Doc Wine Consortium, Rocca d’Orcia , Italy Abstract: This text includes the history of wine tourism in Italy since 1993, when the first edition of the event “Cantine Aperte” (Open Cellars, Wine Day, took place. The movement grew from the initial 25 wineries to the 21,000 that participate today in opening their doors to the public, while visitors grew in numbers from a couple of hundred, 20 years ago, to the current 4 to 6 million. Wine tourists can be divided into four main groups: wine tourists by chance, classic wine tourists, talent scouts, and lovers of luxury. Each group is examined according to its consumption, its conduct, and its expectations. Wine tourism in Italy boasts around 170 territorial networks: “Strade del Vino” (wine routes regulated by law. After an initial pioneer phase during which preexisting wineries adapted to the growing number of tourists, modern-day wineries were created with bespoke areas for the welcoming of visitors. Wineries in Italy can be classified into the following main types: “functional wineries” that concentrate on productive efficiency; “cathedrals” – renovated historic buildings or modern “starchitecture” designs in which esthetics play an important role; wineries with a “strong identity” linked to the owner or wine producer with the special imprint of his or her personal wine making passion. Other features of Italian wine territories such as food and wellness centers not to speak of the ever present cultural heritage also play a part in attracting wine tourists. Lastly, an evaluation is made of business and communication aspects with a specific reference to the use of the web. Keywords: wine tourism, Italian wineries, winery tours, wine roads of Italy

Climate - Change - Alps. Tourism and regional planning in weather load. Proceedings; Klima - Wandel - Alpen. Tourismus und Raumplanung im Wetterstress. Tagungsband

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-07-01

Within the international annual conference ''Climate-Change-Alps Tourism and regional planning under weather load'' between 18th and 20th May, 2006, in Bad Hindelang (federal Republic of Germany) lectures were held to the following topics: (a) CIPRA resolution; (b) Future in the Alps - Distribution of knowledge, networking of people; (c) Climatic change and climate protection; (d) Planning of nature dangers; (e) Tourism.

Is low survival for cancer in Eastern Europe due principally to late stage at diagnosis?

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Minicozzi, Pamela; Walsh, Paul M; Sánchez, Maria-José; Trama, Annalisa; Innos, Kaire; Marcos-Gragera, Rafael; Dimitrova, Nadya; Botta, Laura; Johannesen, Tom B; Rossi, Silvia; Sant, Milena

2018-04-01

Cancer survival has persistently been shown to be worse for Eastern European and UK/Ireland patients than those of other European regions. This is often attributed to later stage at diagnosis. However, few stage-specific survival comparisons are available, so it is unclear whether poorer quality treatment or other factors also contribute. For the first time, European cancer registries have provided stage-at-diagnosis data to EUROCARE, enabling population-based stage-specific survival estimates across Europe. In this retrospective observational study, stage at diagnosis (as TNM, condensed TNM, or Extent of Disease) was analysed for patients (≥15 years) from 15 countries grouped into 4 regions (Northern Europe: Norway; Central Europe: Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands; Southern Europe: Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, and Spain; and Eastern Europe: Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovakia), diagnosed with 7 malignant cancers in 2000-2007, and followed to end of 2008. A new variable (reconstructed stage) was created which used all available stage information. Age-standardised 5-year relative survival (RS) by reconstructed stage was estimated and compared between regions. Excess risks of cancer death in the 5 years after diagnosis were also estimated, taking age, sex and stage into account. Low proportions of Eastern European patients were diagnosed with local stage cancers and high proportions with metastatic stage cancers. Stage-specific RS (especially for non-metastatic disease) was generally lower for Eastern European patients. After adjusting for age, sex, and stage, excess risks of death remained higher for Eastern European patients than for European patients in general. Late diagnosis alone does not explain worse cancer survival in Eastern Europe: greater risk of cancer death together with worse stage-specific survival suggest less effective care, probably in part because fewer resources are allocated to health care than in the rest of

First report in italy of the exotic mosquito species Aedes (Finlaya koreicus, a potential vector of arboviruses and filariae

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Capelli Gioia

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the Veneto region (north-eastern Italy an entomological surveillance system has been implemented since the introduction of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus in 1991. During the routine monitoring activity in a tiger mosquito-free area, an unexpected mosquito was noticed, which clearly did not belong to the recorded Italian fauna. Findings At the end of May 2011, twelve larvae and pupae were collected in a small village in Belluno province (Veneto region from a single manhole. Ten adults reared in the laboratory were morphologically and genetically identified as Aedes (Finlaya koreicus (Edwards, 1917, a species native to Southeast Asia. The subsequent investigations carried out in the following months in the same village provided evidence that this species had become established locally. Entomological and epidemiological investigations are currently ongoing in the surrounding area, to verify the eventual extension of the species outside the village and to trace back the route of entry into Italy. Conclusions This is the first report in Italy of the introduction of the exotic mosquito Ae. koreicus. This species has been shown experimentally to be competent in the transmission of the Japanese encephalitis virus and of the dog heartworm Dirofilaria immitis and is considered a potential vector of other arboviruses. Thus, the establishment of this species may increase the current risk or pose new potential threats, for human and animal health. This finding considerably complicates the entomological monitoring of the Asian tiger mosquito Ae. albopictus in Italy and stresses the importance of implementing the entomological surveillance for the early detection of and the rapid response against invasive mosquito species.

Geology and permian paleomagnetism of the Val-di-Non area W. Dolomites, N. Italy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hilten, D.

1960-01-01

During the summers of 1957 till 1959 geological investigations were carried out in the western part of the Dolomites (southern Alps), where these are separated from the central Alps by the Judicaria fault. A long time before the principal displacements occurred along this fault - late oligocene -

Geology and permian paleomagnetism of the Val-di-Non area W. Dolomites, N. Italy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hilten, D. van

1960-01-01

During the summers of 1957 till 1959 geological investigations were carried out in the western part of the Dolomites (southern Alps), where these are separated from the central Alps by the Judicaria fault. A long time before the principal displacements occurred along this fault - late oligocene

Rainfall thresholds for the activation of shallow landslides in the Italian Alps: the role of environmental conditioning factors

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Palladino, M. R.; Viero, A.; Turconi, L.; Brunetti, M. T.; Peruccacci, S.; Melillo, M.; Luino, F.; Deganutti, A. M.; Guzzetti, F.

2018-02-01

The aim of the present work is to investigate the role exerted by selected environmental factors in the activation of rainfall-triggered shallow landslides and to identify site-specific rainfall thresholds. The study concerns the Italian Alps. The region is exposed to widespread slope instability phenomena due to its geological, morphological and climatic features. Furthermore, the high level of anthropization that characterizes wide portions of the territory increases the associated risk. Hence, the analysis of potential predisposing factors influencing landslides triggering is worthwhile to improve the current prediction skills and to enhance the preparedness and the response to these natural hazards. During the last years, the Italian National Research Council's Research Institute for Hydro-geological Protection (CNR-IRPI) has contributed to the analysis of triggering conditions for rainfall-induced landslides in the framework of a national project. The project, funded by the National Department for Civil Protection (DPC), focuses on the identification of the empirical rainfall thresholds for the activation of shallow landslides in Italy. The first outcomes of the project reveal a certain variability of the pluviometric conditions responsible for the mass movements activation, when different environmental settings are compared. This variability is probably related to the action of local environmental factors, such as lithology, climatic regime or soil characteristics. Based on this hypothesis, the present study aims to identify separated domains within the Italian Alps, where different triggering conditions exist and different countermeasures are needed for risk prevention. For this purpose, we collected information concerning 511 landslides activated in the period 2000-2012 and reconstructed 453 rainfall events supposed to be responsible for the activations. Then, we selected a set of thematic maps to represent the hypothesised landslide conditioning factors

Generation and evolution of nanoscale AlP and Al{sub 13}Fe{sub 4} particles in Al-Fe-P system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiao, Huan; Gao, Tong; Zhu, Xiangzhen; Wu, Yuying; Qian, Zhao; Liu, Xiangfa, E-mail: xfliu@sdu.edu.cn

2015-02-15

Highlights: • Diffusion and gradual solid reactions between Al and Fe{sub x}P phases in Al-Fe-P alloy were investigated. • Nanoscale AlP clusters are in-situ generated and evolve during the whole process. • This novel Al-Fe-P alloy has an excellent low-temperature refining performance on hypereutectic Al-Si alloy. - Abstract: In this paper, the gradual solid reactions between Al and Fe{sub x}P phases in Al-Fe-P alloy were investigated. The results show that the whole reaction process undergoes four main stages: the diffusion of Al atom, the generation of (Al, Fe, P) intermediate compound, the precipitation of nano AlP and Al{sub 13}Fe{sub 4} clusters and their growth to submicron particles. The microstructure of Fe-P particles evolves from the “egg-type”, the “sponge-type” to the “sesame-cake” structure. AlP and Al{sub 13}Fe{sub 4} nano phases have in-situ generated and evolved during the whole process. The gradual reaction mechanism has been discussed. Furthermore, a novel Al-Fe-P alloy which contains (Al, Fe, P) intermediate compounds and nano AlP particles has been synthesized and its low-temperature refining performance on A390 alloy has also been investigated.

Sensitivity of the French Alps snow cover to the variation of climatic variables

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E. Martin

Full Text Available In order to study the sensitivity of snow cover to changes in meteorological variables at a regional scale, a numerical snow model and an analysis system of the meteorological conditions adapted to relief were used. This approach has been successfully tested by comparing simulated and measured snow depth at 37 sites in the French Alps during a ten year data period. Then, the sensitivity of the snow cover to a variation in climatic conditions was tested by two different methods, which led to very similar results. To assess the impact of a particular "doubled CO₂" scenario, coherent perturbations were introduced in the input data of the snow model. It was found that although the impact would be very pronounced, it would also be extremely differentiated, dependent on the internal state of the snow cover. The most sensitive areas are the elevations below 2400 m, especially in the southern part of the French Alps.

Arctic lineage-canine distemper virus as a cause of death in Apennine wolves (Canis lupus in Italy.

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Daria Di Sabatino

Full Text Available Canine distemper virus (CDV infection is a primary threat affecting a wide number of carnivore species, including wild animals. In January 2013, two carcasses of Apennine wolves (Canis lupus were collected in Ortona dei Marsi (L'Aquila province, Italy by the local Veterinary Services. CDV was immediately identified either by RT-PCR or immunohistochemistry in lung and central nervous tissue samples. At the same time, severe clinical signs consistent with CDV infection were identified and taped (Videos S1-S3 from three wolves rescued in the areas surrounding the National Parks of the Abruzzi region by the Veterinary Services. The samples collected from these symptomatic animals also turned out CDV positive by RT-PCR. So far, 30 carcasses of wolves were screened and CDV was detected in 20 of them. The sequencing of the haemagglutinin gene and subsequent phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the identified virus belonged to the CDV Arctic lineage. Strains belonging to this lineage are known to circulate in Italy and in Eastern Europe amongst domestic dogs. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of CDV Arctic lineage epidemics in the wild population in Europe.

Mid- and late Holocene human impact recorded by the Coltrondo peat bog (NE Italian Alps)

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Segnana, Michela; Poto, Luisa; Gabrieli, Jacopo; Martino, Matteo; Oeggl, Klaus; Barbante, Carlo

2016-04-01

Peat bogs are ideal archives for the study of environmental changes, whether these are natural or human induced. Indeed, receiving water and nutrients exclusively from dry and wet atmospheric depositions, they are among the most suitable matrices for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. The present study is focused on the Eastern sector of the Italian Alps, where we sampled the Coltrondo peat bog, in the Comelico area (ca. 1800 m a.s.l.) The knowledge of the human history in this area is rather scarce: the only pieces of archaeological evidence found in this area dates back to the Mesolithic and the absence of later archaeological finds makes it difficult to reconstruct the human settlement in the valley. With the main aim to obtain information about the human settlement in that area we selected a multi-proxy approach, combining the study of biotic and abiotic sedimentary components archived in the 7900 years-peat bog record. Pollen analysis is performed along the core registering human impacts on the area from ca. 2500 cal BP, when land-use changes are well evidenced by the presence of human-related pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), as well as by the increase in micro-charcoal particles. Periods of increased human impact are recorded at the end of the Middle Ages and later, at the end of the 19th century. The analysis of trace elements, such as lead, is performed by means of ICP-MS technique and its enrichment factor (EF) is calculated. A first slight increase of Pb EF during Roman Times is possibly related to mining activities carried out by the Romans. Mining activities carried out in the area are registered during the Middle Ages, while the advent of the industrialization in the 20th century is marked by the highest EF values registered on the top of the core. To help and support the interpretation of geochemical data, lead isotopes ratios are also measured using ICP-MS to discriminate between natural and anthropogenic sources of lead. The 206Pb/207Pb

From the Western Alps across Central Europe: Postglacial recolonisation of the tufa stream specialist Rhyacophila pubescens (Insecta, Trichoptera

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Haase Peter

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Dispersal rates, i.e. the effective number of dispersing individuals per unit time, are the product of dispersal capacity, i.e. a species physiological potential for dispersal, dispersal behaviour, i.e. the decision to leave a habitat patch in favour of another, and connectivity of occupied habitat. Thus, dispersal of species that are highly specialised to a certain habitat is limited by habitat availability. Species inhabiting very stable environments may also adopt a sedentary life-style. Both factors should lead to strong genetic differentiation in highly specialised species inhabiting stable environments. These two factors apply to our model species Rhyacophila pubescens a highly specialised freshwater insect that occurs in tufa springs, a very stable habitat. Results We examined the genetic population structure and phylogeography using range-wide mtCOI sequence and AFLP data from 333 individuals of R. pubescens. We inferred the location of Pleistocene refugia and postglacial colonisation routes of R. pubescens, and examined ongoing local differentiation. Our results indicate intraregional differentiation with a high number of locally endemic haplotypes, that we attributed to habitat specificity and low dispersal rates of R. pubescens. We observed high levels of genetic diversity south of the Alps and genetic impoverishment north of the Alps. Estimates of migrants placed the refugium and the source of the colonisation in the Dauphiné Alps (SW Alps. Conclusions This is the first example of an aquatic insect with a colonisation route along the western margin of the Alps to the Central European highlands. The study also shows that specialisation to a stable environment may have promoted a behavioural shift to decreased dispersal rates, leading to stronger local population differentiation than in less specialised aquatic insects. Alternatively, the occurrence of highly specialised tufa spring habitats may have been more

Effect of AlP coating on electrochemical properties of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} cathode material for lithium ion battery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Feng, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Jianxin, E-mail: jianxin@sdu.edu.cn; Yin, Longwei

2016-02-15

Highlights: • Modified LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} surface with AlP successfully. • AlP coating surface modification enhances the cycling stability of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} at both room temperature and 60 °C. • AlP coating surface modification improves the rate capability of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}. - Abstract: AlP-modified LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} has been synthesized via a simple chemical deposition method followed by high-temperature heating. The X-ray diffraction patterns, SEM images and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer show the successful surface coating of LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} by F-43 m crystal form AlP. AlP-modified LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} has a high discharge capacity of 125.7 mAh g{sup −1} with retention of 87% at a current density of 1C between 3.3 V and 4.3 V after 100 cycles at 60 °C, while bare LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4} has more than 28% capacity loss. At 10 rates, the coated sample delivers capacity of 100 mAh g{sup −1}, which is much higher than bare LiMn{sub 2}O{sub 4}. Based on the EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) result, AlP coating can effectively inhibit the increase of the charge transfer resistance during charging and discharging cycles.

Carbon dioxide generation and drawdown during active orogenesis of siliciclastic rocks in the Southern Alps, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Menzies, Catriona D.; Wright, Sarah L.; Craw, Dave; James, Rachael H.; Alt, Jeffrey C.; Cox, Simon C.; Pitcairn, Iain K.; Teagle, Damon A. H.

2018-01-01

Collisional mountain building influences the global carbon cycle through release of CO2 liberated by metamorphic reactions and promoting mechanical erosion that in turn increases chemical weathering and drawdown of atmospheric CO2. The Southern Alps is a carbonate-poor, siliciclastic mountain belt associated with the active Australian Pacific plate boundary. On-going, rapid tectonic uplift, metamorphism and hydrothermal activity are mobilising carbon. Here we use carbon isotope measurements of hot spring fluids and gases, metamorphic host rocks, and carbonate veins to establish a metamorphic carbon budget. We identify three major sources for CO2 within the Southern Alps: (1) the oxidation of graphite; (2) consumption of calcite by metamorphic reactions at the greenschist-amphibolite facies boundary, and (3) the dissolution of groundmass and vein-hosted calcite. There is only a minor component of mantle CO2 arising on the Alpine Fault. Hot springs have molar HCO3-/Ca2+ ∼9, which is substantially higher than produced by the dissolution of calcite indicating that deeper metamorphic processes must dominate. The total CO2 flux to the near surface environment in the high uplift region of the Southern Alps is estimated to be ∼6.4 × 108 mol/yr. Approximately 87% of this CO2 is sourced from coupled graphite oxidation (25%) and disseminated calcite decarbonation (62%) reactions during prograde metamorphism. Dissolution of calcite and mantle-derived CO2 contribute ∼10% and ∼3% respectively. In carbonate-rich orogens CO2 production is dominated by metamorphic decarbonation of limestones. The CO2 flux to the atmosphere from degassing of hot springs in the Southern Alps is 1.9 to 3.2 × 108 mol/yr, which is 30-50% of the flux to the near surface environment. By contrast, the drawdown of CO2 through surficial chemical weathering ranges between 2.7 and 20 × 109 mol/yr, at least an order of magnitude greater than the CO2 flux to the atmosphere from this orogenic belt

Nuclear decommissioning in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tripputi, I.

2005-01-01

Italy is in a unique position. Italy has been in the past among the leading countries in the pacific use of nuclear energy, but, as a consequence of the 1987 referendum decided to shutdown all operating power plants, to leave uncompleted the plants under construction and to stop all related research and industrial activities declaring a 5 years moratorium on any future initiative. The moratorium ended unnoticed in 1992, since there was no political move to restart nuclear power in Italy and, in practice, it is still acting. Therefore, now the major efforts in the nuclear field are focused on the closure of past liabilities assuring safety and security highest levels. This is a duty to be carried out by the generation that used this form of energy, but, at least for somebody, also a precondition for the acceptance of any future renaissance of nuclear energy in Italy. SOGIN is a Company carrying out a service for the country and fully committed to solve the liabilities left by the interrupted nuclear industry in Italy. To this aim SOGIN is managed as a private company to assure the highest possible efficiency, but, at the same time, is driven by moral and ethical objectives and the vision of protecting the environment and health and safety of the public. SOGIN blends in a synergic way the various ENEL experiences (design and operation of NPP's) and ENEA experiences (engineering and operation of R and D and industrial facilities supporting NPP's). Such a comprehensive combination of technical competences should not be dispersed in the medium and long term and the management is committed to facilitate the technical growth of the impressing number of motivated young people joining the Company, whose enthusiasm is contaminating every day also the 'veterans', to assure for the country an asset and a presidium of very specialized multi-disciplinary nuclear competences. Speaking of possible scenarios for the future, we should mention that the current international situation

Hydrological deformation signals in karst systems: new evidence from the European Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Serpelloni, E.; Pintori, F.; Gualandi, A.; Scoccimarro, E.; Cavaliere, A.; Anderlini, L.; Belardinelli, M. E.; Todesco, M.

2017-12-01

The influence of rainfall on crustal deformation has been described at local scales, using tilt and strain meters, in several tectonic settings. However, the literature on the spatial extent of rainfall-induced deformation is still scarce. We analyzed 10 years of displacement time-series from 150 continuous GPS stations operating across the broad zone of deformation accommodating the N-S Adria-Eurasia convergence and the E-ward escape of the Eastern Alps toward the Pannonian basin. We applied a blind-source-separation algorithm based on a variational Bayesian Independent Component Analysis method to the de-trended time-series, being able to characterize the temporal and spatial features of several deformation signals. The most important ones are a common mode annual signal, with spatially uniform response in the vertical and horizontal components and a time-variable, non-cyclic, signal characterized by a spatially variable response in the horizontal components, with stations moving (up to 8 mm) in the opposite directions, reversing the sense of movement in time. This implies a succession of extensional/compressional strains, with variable amplitudes through time, oriented normal to rock fractures in karst areas. While seasonal displacements in the vertical component (with an average amplitude of 4 mm over the study area) are satisfactorily reproduced by surface hydrological loading, estimated from global assimilation models, the non seasonal signal is associated with groundwater flow in karst systems, and is mainly influencing the horizontal component. The temporal evolution of this deformation signal is correlated with cumulated precipitation values over periods of 200-300 days. This horizontal deformation can be explained by pressure changes associated with variable water levels within vertical fractures in the vadose zones of karst systems, and the water level changes required to open or close these fractures are consistent with the fluctuations of precipitation

Possible environmental effects on the evolution of the Alps-Molasse basin system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schlunegger, F.; Rieke-Zapp, D.; Ramseyer, K.

2007-01-01

We propose three partly unrelated stages in the geodynamic evolution of the Alps and the sedimentary response of the Molasse Basin. The first stage comprises the time interval between ca. 35 and 20 Ma and is characterized by a high ratio between rates of crustal accretion and surface erosion. The response of the Molasse Basin was a change from the stage of basin underfill (UMM) to overfill (USM). Because the response time of erosional processes to crustal accretion and surface uplift lasts several millions of years, the orogen first experienced a net growth until the end of the Oligocene. As a result, the Molasse basin subsided at high rates causing the topographic axis to shift to the proximal basin border and alluvial fans to establish at the thrust front. During the Aquitanian, however, ongoing erosion and downcutting in the hinterland caused sediment discharge to the basin to increase and the ratio between the rates of crustal accretion and surface erosion to decrease. The result was a progradation of the dispersal systems, and a shift of the topographic axis towards the distal basin border. The second stage started at ca. 20 Ma at a time when palaeoclimate became more continental, and when the crystalline core became exposed in the orogen. The effect was a decrease in the erosional efficiency of the Swiss Alps and hence a reduction of sediment discharge to the Molasse Basin. We propose that this decrease in sediment flux caused the Burdigalian transgression of the OMM. We also speculate that this reduction of surface erosion initiated the modification of Alpine deformation from vertically- to mainly horizontally directed extrusion (deformation of the Southern Alps, and the Jura Mountains some Ma later). The third stage in the geodynamic development was initiated at the Miocene/Pliocene boundary. At that time, palaeoclimate possibly became wetter, which, in turn, caused surface erosion to increase relative to crustal accretion. This change caused the Alps to

Co-operation with Eastern Europe countries taking ENAC as an example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, D.

1994-01-01

In the aftermath of the Chernobyl accident, the European Community launched an ambitious programme of nuclear safety assistance. The purpose of this programme is to improve the safety of the Nuclear Power stations in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union plants. It was felt in the Western European nuclear industry that the emphasis should be on finding practical solutions to improve the most urgent problems. To achieve this objective, the nuclear industry in Western Europe founded a consortium called ENAC (European Nuclear Assistance Consortium) comprising companies form seven European countries ( Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands). The co-operation between theses companies and the Russian designers would ensure that the solutions developed meet the approval of all interested parties. This presentation outlines the overall objectives of ENAC. 2 tabs., 1 fig

La justice pénale dans les Alpes-Maritimes et les avorteurs (1939-1944

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riadh Ben Khalifa

2010-07-01

Full Text Available L’intensification de la propagande nataliste établissant un lien étroit entre l’avortement et la dénatalité conduit, en juillet 1939, au durcissement de la législation concernant la répression des pratiques abortives. Le régime de Vichy renforce le Code de la famille par des mesures encore plus sévères. En vertu de la loi du 15 février 1942, les « individus qui procurent ou tentent de procurer l’avortement sur une femme enceinte » sont passibles d’être déférés devant le tribunal d’État. Cependant, une étude localisée de la répression des avorteurs par la justice pénale dans les Alpes-Maritimes permet de constater un véritable décalage entre l’idéologie officielle qui appelle à une sanction exemplaire, et des pratiques judiciaires qui paraissent relativement indulgentes. Entre 1941 et 1944, les peines maximales n’ont pas été infligées aux avorteurs par la justice correctionnelle des Alpes-Maritimes : la question du recours à la justice d’exception ne s’est donc pas posée.The development of natalist propaganda, establishing a close link between abortion and the fall in the birthrate, led to stricter legislation concerning the repression of abortion practices in July 1939. The Vichy regime hardened the Family Code through even more repressive measures. In pursuance of the Act of February 15, 1942, "persons who procure or try to procure an abortion on a pregnant woman are liable to be submitted to the State Court". A local study of abortionists’ repression by the Criminal Court of the Alpes-Maritimes, shows there was a gap between official ideology and judicial practices: the first called for exemplary punishment, whereas the second was relatively lenient. Between 1941 and 1944, the Magistrate’s Court of the Alpes-Maritimes did not impose the maximum penalties on abortionists; the use of emergency laws did not arise.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in air and soil from a high-altitude pasture in the Italian Alps: evidence of CB-209 contamination.

Science.gov (United States)

Tremolada, Paolo; Guazzoni, Niccolò; Comolli, Roberto; Parolini, Marco; Lazzaro, Serena; Binelli, Andrea

2015-12-01

This study analyses the seasonal trend of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) concentrations in air and soil from a high-altitude mountain pasture in the Italian Alps. PCB concentrations in soil were generally comparable to background levels and were lower than those previously measured in the same area. Only CB-209 unexpectedly showed high concentrations with respect to the other congeners. GC-MS-MS identification was very clear, rising a new problem of increasing PCB contamination concerning only CB-209, which is not present in commercial mixtures used in the past in Italy and Europe. Considering all of the congeners, seasonal PCB trends were observed both in air and in soil that were related to the temperature and precipitation measured specifically in the study area. Highly significant relationships were found between the temperature-normalised concentrations in soil and the precipitation amounts. A north/south enrichment factor was present only in soil with rapid early summer re-volatilisation kinetics from soil to air and autumn re-deposition events from air to soil. Fugacity ratio calculations confirmed these trends. Surface soils respond rapidly to meteorological variables, while subsurface soils respond much more slowly. Seasonal trends were different for the northern and southern sides of the mountain. A detailed picture of the interactions among temperature, precipitation, mountain aspects and soil features was obtained.

Retrograde mineral and fluid evolution in high-pressure metapelites (Schistes Lustres unit, Western Alps).

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Agard, Ph.; Goffe, B.; Touret, J.L.R.; Vidal, O.

2000-01-01

Fluid inclusions have been analysed in successive generations of syn-metamorphic segregations within low-grade, high-pressure, low-temperature (HP-LT) metapelites from the Western Alps. Fluid composition was then compared to mass transfer deduced from outcrop-scale retrograde mineral reactions. Two

Like a pig out of water: seaborne spread of domestic pigs in Southern Italy and Sardinia during the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Science.gov (United States)

Lega, C; Fulgione, D; Genovese, A; Rook, L; Masseti, M; Meiri, M; Cinzia Marra, A; Carotenuto, F; Raia, P

2017-02-01

Southern Italy has a long history of human occupation and passage of different cultures since the Early Holocene. Repeated, ancient introductions of pigs in several geographic areas in Europe make it difficult to understand pig translocation and domestication in Italy. The archeozoological record may provide fundamental information on this, hence shedding light on peopling and on trading among different ancient cultures in the Mediterranean. Yet, because of the scanty nature of the fossil record, ancient remains from human-associated animals are somewhat rare. Fortunately, ancient DNA analysis as applied to domestic species proved to be a powerful tool in revealing human migrations. Herein, we analyzed 80-bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA control region from 27 Sus scrofa ancient samples retrieved from Southern Italian and Sardinian archeological sites, spanning in age from the Mesolithic to the Roman period. Our results surprisingly indicate the presence of the Near Eastern haplotype Y1 on both Italy's major islands (Sardinia and Sicily) during the Bronze Age, suggesting the seaborne transportation of domestic pigs by humans at least during 1600-1300 BC. The presence of the Italian E2 clade in domestic contexts shows that the indigenous wild boar was effectively domesticated or incorporated into domestic stocks in Southern Italy during the Bronze Age, although the E2 haplotype has never been found in modern domestic breeds. Pigs belonging to the endemic E2 clade were thus traded between the Peninsula and Sardinia by the end of the second millennium BC and this genetic signature is still detected in Sardinian feral pigs.

Determination of regional Euler pole parameters for Eastern Austria

Science.gov (United States)

Umnig, Elke; Weber, Robert; Schartner, Matthias; Brueckl, Ewald

2017-04-01

The horizontal motion of lithospheric plates can be described as rotations around a rotation axes through the Earth's center. The two possible points where this axes intersects the surface of the Earth are called Euler poles. The rotation is expressed by the Euler parameters in terms of angular velocities together with the latitude and longitude of the Euler pole. Euler parameters were calculated from GPS data for a study area in Eastern Austria. The observation network is located along the Mur-Mürz Valley and the Vienna Basin. This zone is part of the Vienna Transfer Fault, which is the major fault system between the Eastern Alps and the Carpathians. The project ALPAACT (seismological and geodetic monitoring of ALpine-PAnnonian ACtive Tectonics) investigated intra plate tectonic movements within the Austrian part in order to estimate the seismic hazard. Precise site coordinate time series established from processing 5 years of GPS observations are available for the regional network spanning the years from 2010.0 to 2015.0. Station velocities with respect to the global reference frame ITRF2008 have been computed for 23 sites. The common Euler vector was estimated on base of a subset of reliable site velocities, for stations directly located within the area of interest. In a further step a geokinematic interpretation shall be carried out. Therefore site motions with respect to the Eurasian Plate are requested. To obtain this motion field different variants are conceivable. In a simple approach the mean ITRF2008 velocity of IGS site GRAZ can be adopted as Eurasian rotational velocity. An improved alternative is to calculate site-specific velocity differences between the Euler rotation and the individual site velocities. In this poster presentation the Euler parameters, the residual motion field as well as first geokinematic interpretation results are presented.

New, rare or remarkable microfungi in the Italian Alps (Carnic Alps)--part I--ascomycotina.

Science.gov (United States)

Feige, G B; Ale-Agha, N; Jensen, M; Christiaans, B; Kricke, R

2004-01-01

During our observations in the SE part of the Carnic Alps in the year 2003 we were able to collect and identify 35 ascomycetes on trees and dead wood. Among these one can find numerous ascomycetes of different orders e.g. Pyrenomycetes, Loculoascomycetes and Discomycetes. Some species like Botryosphaeria ribis GROSENLUCHER & DUGGAR on Ribes alpinum L., Dothiora pyrenophora (FR.) FR. on Sorbus aucuparia L., Gemmamyces piceae (BORTH.) CASAGO. on Picea excelsa (LAM.) LINK, Glomerella montana (SACC.) v. ARX & E. MULLER on Sesleria caerulea (L.) ARD, Hymenoscyphus immutabilis (Fuck.) Dennis on Alnus incana (L.) Moench, Hysterographium fraxini (PERS. Ex. FR.) de Not. on Fraxinus ornus L., Lachnellula willkommii (Hartig) DENNIS [= Trichascyphella willkommii (Hartig) NANNF.] on Larix decidua MILL.,Leptosphaeria lycopodina (Mont.) SACC. on Lycopodium annotinum L., Mollisia adenostylidis REHM. on Adenostyles glabra (MILL.) DC., Pezicula cinnamomea (DC.)SACC. [ana: Cryptosporiopsis quercina PETRAK] on Quercus robur L., Pyrenopeziza petiolaris (A. & S. Ex FR.) NANNF. on Acer pseudoplatanus L., Tapesia rosae (PERS.) FUCKEL on Rosa canina L., are new for this area. All specimen are deposited in the Herbarium ESS Mycotheca Parva, Collection G.B. Feige/N. Ale-Agha.

Thermal regime of the deep carbonate reservoir of the Po Plain (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Pasquale, V.; Chiozzi, P.; Verdoya, M.

2012-04-01

Italy is one of the most important countries in the world with regard to high-medium enthalpy geothermal resources, a large part of which is already extracted at relatively low cost. High temperatures at shallow to medium depth occur within a wide belt, several hundred kilometre long, west of the Apennines mountain chain. This belt, affected by recent lithosphere extension, includes several geothermal fields, which are largely exploited for electricity generation. Between the Alps and Apennines ranges, the deeper aquifer, occurring in carbonate rocks of the Po Plain, can host medium enthalpy fluids, which are exploited for district heating. Such a general picture of the available geothermal resources has been well established through several geophysical investigations and drillings. Nevertheless, additional studies are necessary to evaluate future developments, especially with reference to the deep carbonate aquifer of the Po Plain. In this paper, we focus on the eastern sector of the plain and try to gain a better understanding of the thermal regime by using synergically geothermal methodologies and geological information. The analysis of the temperatures recorded to about 6 km depth in hydrocarbon wells supplies basic constraints to outline the thermal regime of the sedimentary basin and to investigate the occurrence and importance of hydrothermal processes in the carbonate layer. After correction for drilling disturbance, temperatures were analysed, together with geological information, through an inversion technique based on a laterally constant thermal gradient model. The inferred thermal gradient changes with depth; it is quite low within the carbonate layer, while is larger in the overlying, practically impermeable formations. As the thermal conductivity variation does not justify such a thermal gradient difference, the vertical change can be interpreted as due to convective processes occurring in the carbonate layer, acting as thermal reservoir. The

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OF WHITEWATER SPORTS IN THE SOUTHERN ALPS

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BERNARD MASSIERA

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: In order to better understand how certain sports tourism professionals have overcome the economic crisis, this paper focuses on how they have innovated on technical, managerial and marketing levels. Analyzing these strategies in the sector of “recreational white-water sports tourism” appears as a way to prospect.Design/methodology/approach: The offer of white-water sports tourism does not fall under tradition forms of organization known to work in the tourism sector. Since the end of the nineties its mode of development seems to have enabled this sector to avoid undergoing the economic crisis. The methodology, based on interviews withentrepreneurs in the sector of white-water sports tourism in the Southern Alps, addresses their managerial strategies and strategic modes of operation in the development of their businesses. The aim is to explore the managerial factors that have resulted in both economic and environmental sustainability. The concept of sustainable development is employed to understand how these entrepreneurial activities are embedded in the social, economic and natural environments of the Southern Alps valleys. Findings: The investigation shows that, rather than focusing on business strategy, professionals in this sector focus primarily on community relations. The supply of white-water sports tourism is presented in a lattice form which develops as a community. The modes of development of this sector, far from corresponding to standard business rationale, amount to a form of sustainable development which may explain the relative success of sport tourism in this period of crisis.

Epigondolella abneptis and E. spatulata in the Lower Norian in the central Kamnik Alps, Slovenia

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Anton Ramovš

1994-12-01

Full Text Available Epigondolella abneptis (Huckriede, 1958 and E. spatulata (Hayashi, 1968from the Lower Norian (Upper Triassic deeper marine micritic limestones with chert nodules and lenses in the locality Sleme, central Kamnik Alps, are presented.

Meteorological conditions of the mudflow origin in the northern part of the French Alps

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L. O. Pavlova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A mudflow phenomena are at the top of the list of dangerous natural hazards in the mountains areas all over the world. Among factors resulting in a mudflow phenomena triggering, meteorological conditions are considered to be the most relevant. The general objective of this study was to identify meteorological parameters controlling the triggering of mudflow phenomena in one part of the French Alps over the last 40 years. Major factors are quite well explored at the global scale or contrariwise in very precise territory in particular catchment areas. However, for now we have a poor knowledge of those factors at the scale of a medium-sized region (including catchments with different geomorphic characteristics over several km² especially in the French Alps. In addition, in this region only a few studies focused on relationships with climate. To understand mudflow phenomena activity and their link with meteorological parameters in the north region of the French Alps, we used a multivariate statistical approach. Regional meteorological parameters (such as mean monthly temperature and precipitation were first computed from a Principal Component Analysis of observed meteorological data from four weather stations. A binomial monthly logistic regression probability model was then fitted between the main principal components and mudflow phenomena data base composed of 298 debris flow events triggered between 1971 and 2008. Results revealed that the most successful model including two meteorological predictors (minimal monthly temperature and the number of rainy days between May and September correctly explains more than 60% of the mudflow phenomena events.

Alpine ethnobotany in Italy: traditional knowledge of gastronomic and medicinal plants among the Occitans of the upper Varaita valley, Piedmont.

Science.gov (United States)

Pieroni, Andrea; Giusti, Maria Elena

2009-11-06

A gastronomic and medical ethnobotanical study was conducted among the Occitan communities living in Blins/Bellino and Chianale, in the upper Val Varaita, in the Piedmontese Alps, North-Western Italy, and the traditional uses of 88 botanical taxa were recorded. Comparisons with and analysis of other ethnobotanical studies previously carried out in other Piemontese and surrounding areas, show that approximately one fourth of the botanical taxa quoted in this survey are also known in other surrounding Occitan valleys. It is also evident that traditional knowledge in the Varaita valley has been heavily eroded. This study also examined the local legal framework for the gathering of botanical taxa, and the potential utilization of the most quoted medicinal and food wild herbs in the local market, and suggests that the continuing widespread local collection from the wild of the aerial parts of Alpine wormwood for preparing liquors (Artemisia genipi, A. glacialis, and A. umbelliformis) should be seriously reconsidered in terms of sustainability, given the limited availability of these species, even though their collection is culturally salient in the entire study area.

Patterns of traffic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon pollution in mountain areas can be revealed by lichen biomonitoring: a case study in the Dolomites (Eastern Italian Alps).

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimbene, Juri; Tretiach, Mauro; Corana, Federica; Lo Schiavo, Fiorella; Kodnik, Danijela; Dainese, Matteo; Mannucci, Barbara

2014-03-15

In mountain areas of touristic interest the evaluation of the impact of human activities is crucial for ensuring long-term conservation of ecosystem biodiversity, functions and services. This study aimed at verifying the biological impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions due to traffic along the roads leading to seven passes of the Dolomites (SE Alps), which were recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thalli of the epiphytic lichen Pseudevernia furfuracea, collected at increasing distances from the roads, were used as biomonitors. Our study revealed a gradient of decreasing PAH pollution within 300 m from the roads. Differences among passes were evident mainly for samples collected nearest to the roads, but PAH concentrations at 300 m were almost always higher than those of undisturbed reference sites, indicating that traffic PAH pollution may impact natural ecosystems and lichen diversity at relatively long distances from the emission source. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Electric-powered vehicles in Italy; Les vehicules electriques en Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bordel, St.; Carles, R.

2003-09-01

The aim of this study is to make a synthesis about the development of electric-powered vehicles, in particular in Italy. After a brief historical review of this type of propulsion system, a state-of-the-art review is made which allows to show up the different existing architectures and their characteristic specificities. This review allows to identify the key scientific and technical domains in the existing research programs in progress in order to make these 'alternative' transportation systems economically viable. The second part of the study explains the situation of Italy with respect to these propulsion systems. The political commitments are analyzed first and then some of the university and industry centers of competences for these key domains are presented. Finally, some trans-national collaborations in progress are shown. (J.S.)

Rembrandt in Italie. Receptie en verzamelgeschiedenis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rutgers, J.

2008-01-01

This dissertation sets out to investigate if and to what extent Rembrandt's work was appreciated in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. From approximately 1650 onwards paintings, drawings and prints by Rembrandt could be found in Italy, he is mentioned in several written sources and a few Italian

21st Century Climate Change in the European Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Gobiet, Andreas; Kotlarski, Sven; Stoffel, Markus; Heinrich, Georg; Rajczak, Jan; Beniston, Martin

2014-05-01

The Alps are particularly sensitive to global warming and warmed twice as much as the global average in the recent past. In addition, the Alps and its surroundings are a densly populated areas where society is affected by climate change in many ways, which calls for reliable estimates of future climate change. However, the complex Alpine region poses considerable challenges to climate models, which translate to uncertainties in future climate projections. Against this background, the present study reviews the state-of-knowledge about 21st century climate change in the Alps based on existing literature and additional analyses. It will be demonstrated that considerable and accelerating changes are not only to be expected with regard to temperature, but also precipitation, global radiation, relative humidity, and closely related impacts like floods, droughts, snow cover, and natural hazards will be effected by global warming. Under the A1B emission scenario, about 0.25 °C warming per decade until the mid of the 21st century and accelerated 0.36 °C warming per decade in the second half of the century is expected. Warming will most probably be associated with changes in the seasonality of precipitation, global radiation, and relative humidity. More intense precipitation extremes and flooding potential are particularly expected in the colder part of the year. The conditions of currently record breaking warm or hot winter or summer seasons, respectively, may become normal at the end of the 21st century, and there is indication for droughts to become more severe in the future. Snow cover is expected to drastically decrease below 1500 - 2000 m and natural hazards related to glacier and permafrost retreat are expected to become more frequent. Such changes in climatic variables and related quantities will have considerable impact on ecosystems and society and will challenge their adaptive capabilities. Acknowledgements: This study has been initiated and is partly funded by

Enhancement of the ALP activity of C3H10T1/2 cells by the combination of an oxysterol and apatite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Kyung Mi; Park, Hee Chul; Kim, Na Ryoung; Yang, Hyeong-Cheol; Lee, In-Seop

2010-01-01

Biomimetic apatite coating has been used to load osteogenic biomolecules onto the surface of titanium implants. Apatite on the surface of biomaterials is thought to function as a reservoir of biomolecules as well as enhancing osteoconductivity. In this study, 20α-hydroxycholesterol (20α-HC), an osteogenic oxysterol, was used to induce differentiation of a mouse embryo fibroblast cell line (C3H10T1/2) by loading the oxysterol on biomimetically coated apatite of titanium discs. We found that the phosphatase (alkaline phosphatase (ALP)) activity of 20α-HC was significantly higher with ascorbic acid than alone, suggesting a need for ascorbic acid as a co-factor. When 20α-HC was added into the apatite coating solution, the ALP activity of the C3H10T1/2 cells did not increase on the apatite surface, even in the presence of ascorbic acid. However, ALP activity increased dramatically when 20α-HC was loaded by volatilization of EtOH from the apatite coat after dipping discs in 20α-HC-dissolved EtOH. Interestingly, ascorbic acid was not needed for this increase in ALP activity, suggesting a synergistic effect of 20α-HC and apatite. The concentration of calcium ions, a major component of apatite, affected the osteogenic effect of 20α-HC, and the increase in ALP activity was attenuated by L-type calcium channel inhibitors, verapamil and nifedipine. These results demonstrate that calcium ions released from apatite are important in the synergistic effect of 20α-HC and apatite.

Planning the Brown Bear Ursus arctos reintroduction in the Adamello Brenta Natural Park. A tool to establish a metapopulation in the Central-Eastern Alps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Mustoni

2003-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract In the 17^th century, brown bears (Ursus arctos were still abundant and widely distributed over the entire alpine area of northern Italy and even in large, dense forests of the prealps and the Po plain. The start of the decline coincided with increasing deforestation for farming at the end of the 18^th century and, in the 19^th century, increased access to previously remote wilderness areas of the prealpine and alpine mountains, where direct persecution by farmers and hunters caused the extinction of local bear populations. The last remnant population that occupied the Adamello-Brenta Alps was considered biologically extinct since 1989 (only three, non-reproducing bears. Here we present an analysis of the reintroduction process as the most suitable tool for brown bear recovery in the Italian Alps, taking into account both the benefits of reinstating a viable population and the risks that the coexistence between man and bear could cause. The reintroduction process is discussed aiming at an evaluation of its contribution to the global future efforts for brown bear conservation in the alpine region. A GIS-based habitat suitability analysis was implemented to test for good-quality bear habitat in a vast mountainous area around the Adamello-Brenta Natural Park (6500 km², the release site of bears. The model was based on presence/absence data, gathered over the last 20 years, and habitat parameters in 25 ha cells in the core-area of the remnant bear population (645 km² study area. Other parameters of human disturbance and livestock densities, were considered at the scale of the municipality. Bears positively selected deciduous forest but seemed to avoid areas with intensive pasture activity, mainly of horses and sheep, despite the latter being a potential prey. Habitats containing large amounts of bare rock, farmland and urbanised areas were avoided. There were no significant

Group Psychotherapy in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Giannone, Francesca; Giordano, Cecilia; Di Blasi, Maria

2015-10-01

This article describes the history and the prevailing orientations of group psychotherapy in Italy (psychoanalytically oriented, psychodrama, CBT groups) and particularly group analysis. Provided free of charge by the Italian health system, group psychotherapy is growing, but its expansion is patchy. The main pathways of Italian training in the different group psychotherapy orientations are also presented. Clinical-theoretical elaboration on self development, psychopathology related to group experiences, and the methodological attention paid to objectives and methods in different clinical groups are issues related to group therapy in Italy. Difficulties in the relationship between research and clinical practice are discussed, as well as the empirical research network that tries to bridge the gap between research and clinical work in group psychotherapy. The economic crisis in Italy has led to massive cuts in health care and to an increasing demand for some forms of psychological treatment. For these reasons, and because of its positive cost-benefit ratio, group psychotherapy is now considered an important tool in the national health care system to expand the clinical response to different forms of psychological distress.

Snow chemistry of high altitude glaciers in the French Alps

OpenAIRE

MAUPETIT, FRANÇOIS; DELMAS, ROBERT J.

2011-01-01

Snow samples were collected as snowcores in the accumulation zone of four high altitude glaciers (2980–3540 m.a.s.l.) from each of the 4 highest mountain areas of the French Alps, during 3 consecutive years: 1989, 1990 and 1991. Sampling was performed in spring (∼ May), before the onset of late spring–summer percolation. The accumulated snow therefore reflects winter and spring conditions. A complementary sampling of fresh-snow was performed on an event basis, on one of the studied glaciers, ...

Morphology and ecology of Daphnia middendorffiana, Fisher 1851 (Crustacea, Daphniidae from four new populations in the Alps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rocco TIBERTI

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Daphnia middendorffiana has an arctic, circumpolar distribution, with some isolated southerly populations restricted to mountainous areas, including the Alps. In this paper, new records of Daphnia middendorffiana on the Alps are reported. The species was regularly recorded in several samples collected from 2006 to 2009 in four high altitude lakes in the Gran Paradiso National Park (GPNP during the ice free period. This is the third finding for the Alps and the described populations are the largest. Chemical and morphometric features of the lakes are provided, the morphology of the Daphnia middendorffiana from GPNP is described as well as some aspects concerning its ecology. The studied lakes are small, oligotrophic (total phosphorus ranged from 0 to 7 μg L-1 and well preserved from acidification risk (pH ranged from 6.45 to 8.14. D. middendorffiana is the largest zooplanktonic crustacean inhabiting the Alpine lakes in GPNP reaching 3.43 mm in length; the morphological analysis noted some differences within the studied populations; however there is a clear resemblance to the only Alpine population previously described (from Central Alps, Bognanco Valley, Lake Campo IV and to the arctic populations. D. middendorffiana in GPNP lives at low density levels, reaching higher densities in late August and early September. No males have been found during the sample campaign confirming its ability to produce asexual viable diapauses eggs. This study confirms the attitude of this species for cold and oligotrophic waters and increases the current knowledge on the geographical distribution, morphology and ecology of this species in Alpine environments. The finding of D. middendordorffiana in the GPNP poses interesting issues concerning the phylogeography of Alpine Daphnia middendorffiana, as well as raising need for conservation efforts aimed at keeping the populations safe from several global and local threats, such as climate warming and the ecological

Middle Eastern rhinoplasty.

Science.gov (United States)

Azizzadeh, Babak; Mashkevich, Grigoriy

2010-02-01

The ethnic appearance of the Middle Eastern nose is defined by several unique visual features, particularly a high radix, wide overprojecting dorsum, and an amorphous hanging nasal tip. These external characteristics reflect distinct structural properties of the osseo-cartilaginous nasal framework and skin-soft tissue envelope in patients of Middle Eastern extraction. The goal, and the ultimate challenge, of rhinoplasty on Middle Eastern patients is to achieve balanced aesthetic refinement, while avoiding surgical westernization. Detailed understanding of the ethnic visual harmony in a Middle Eastern nose greatly assists in preserving native nasal-facial relationships during rhinoplasty on Middle Eastern patients. Esthetic alteration of a Middle Eastern nose follows a different set of goals and principles compared with rhinoplasties on white or other ethnic patients. This article highlights the inherent nasal features of the Middle Eastern nose and reviews pertinent concepts of rhinoplasty on Middle Eastern patients. Essential considerations in the process spanning the consultation and surgery are reviewed. Reliable operative techniques that achieve a successful aesthetic outcome are discussed in detail. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robotic surgery in Italy national survey (2011).

Science.gov (United States)

Santoro, Eugenio; Pansadoro, Vito

2013-03-01

Robotic surgery in Italy has become a clinical reality that is gaining increasing acceptance. As of 2011 after the United States, Italy together with Germany is the country with the largest number of active Robotic centers, 46, and da Vinci Robots installed, with at least 116 operators already trained. The number of interventions performed in Italy in 2011 exceeded 6,000 and in 2010 were 4,784, with prevalence for urology, general surgery and gynecology, however these interventions have also begun to be applied in other fields such as cervicofacial, cardiothoracic and pediatric surgery. In Italy Robotic centers are mostly located in Northern Italy, while in the South there are only a few centers, and four regions are lacking altogether. Of the 46 centers which were started in 1999, the vast majority is still operational and almost half handle over 200 cases a year. The quality of the work is also especially high with large diffusion of radical prostatectomy in urology and liver resection and colic in general surgery. The method is very well accepted among operators, over 80 %, and among patients, over 95 %. From the analysis of world literature and a survey carried out in Italy, Robotic surgery, which at the moment could be better defined as telesurgery, represents a significant advantage for operators and a consistent gain for the patient. However, it still has important limits such as high cost and non-structured training of operators.

Tracing the origin of pollution in French Alpine snow and aerosols using lead isotopic ratios.

Science.gov (United States)

Veysseyre, A M; Bollhöfer, A F; Rosman, K J; Ferrari, C P; Boutron, C F

2001-11-15

Fresh snow samples collected at 15 remote locations and aerosols collected at one location in the French Alps between November 1998 and April 1999 have been analyzed for Pb concentration and isotopic composition by thermal ionization mass spectrometry. The snow samples contained 19-1300 pg/g of Pb with isotopic ratios 206Pb/207Pb (208Pb/207Pb) of 1.1279-1.1607 (2.3983-2.4302). Airborne Pb concentrations at one sampling site ranged from 0.42 to 6.0 ng/m3 with isotopic ratios of 1.1321-1.1427 (2.4029-2.4160). Air mass trajectory analysis combined with isotopic compositions of potential source regions did not show discernible evidence of the long-range atmospheric transport of pollutants. Isotopic ratios in the Alpine snow samples and thus the free troposphere were generally higher than airborne Pb isotopic ratios in urban France, which coupled with the relatively high Pb concentrations suggested a regional anthropogenic Pb source, probably Italy but possibly Eastern Europe.

The Origin of The Piz Terri-Lunschania zone (Central Alps, Switzerland)

Science.gov (United States)

Galster, Federico; Stockli, Daniel

2017-04-01

The Piz Terri-Lunschania zone (PTLZ) represents a band of metasedimentary rocks embedded in a crucial knot at the NE border of the Lepontine dome, at the intersection of the Gotthard, Lucomagno, Simano, Adula and Grava nappes. Its origin and its position in the tectonostratigraphy of the Central Alps are still not completely understood. A better understanding of this sedimentary zone and its tectonic position could shed lights on the Helvetic-Penninic connection and facilitate the disentanglement of the Lepontine dome tectonics. In this study we combine structural and stratigraphic observations with detrital zircon (DZ) and detrital rutile (DR) U-Pb geochronology as well as mineral trace element data from Permian, Triassic and Jurassic sandstones. We compare these data with those from adjacent tectonic units and coeval strata in other portions of the Alpine chain. Maximal depositional ages, abrupt changes in provenances and stratigraphic correlations based on new DZ and DR U-Pb and trace element data allow for a better understanding of the sedimentary evolution of the Terri basin and its palaeogeographic position along the northern margin of the Alpine Tethys. In particular the DZ U-Pb signatures, with its abundant 260-280 Ma zircons and the scarcity of 290-350 Ma zircons, corroborates an Ultra-Adula origin of the PTLZ as proposed by Galster et al (2010; 2012) based on stratigraphic arguments and reinforces the notion of a Briançonnais influence on the stratigraphic record of this complex zone, a fact that has important tectonic and Palaeogeographic implications. Galster F, Cavargna-Sani M, Epard J-L, Masson H (2012) New stratigraphic data from the Lower Penninic between the Adula nappe and the Gotthard massif and consequences for the tectonics and the paleogeography of the Central Alps. Tectonophysics 579:37-55. doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2012.05.029 Galster F, Epard J-L, Masson H (2010) The Soja and Luzzone-Terri nappes: Discovery of a Briançonnais element below the

Estimate of the size and demographic structure of the owned dog and cat population living in Veneto region (north-eastern Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Capello, Katia; Bortolotti, Laura; Lanari, Manuela; Baioni, Elisa; Mutinelli, Franco; Vascellari, Marta

2015-01-01

The knowledge of the size and demographic structure of animal populations is a necessary prerequisite for any population-based epidemiological study, especially to ascertain and interpret prevalence data, to implement surveillance plans in controlling zoonotic diseases and, moreover, to provide accurate estimates of tumours incidence data obtained by population-based registries. The main purpose of this study was to provide an accurate estimate of the size and structure of the canine population in Veneto region (north-eastern Italy), using the Lincoln-Petersen version of the capture-recapture methodology. The Regional Canine Demographic Registry (BAC) and a sample survey of households of Veneto Region were the capture and recapture sources, respectively. The secondary purpose was to estimate the size and structure of the feline population in the same region, using the same survey applied for dog population. A sample of 2465 randomly selected households was drawn and submitted to a questionnaire using the CATI technique, in order to obtain information about the ownership of dogs and cats. If the dog was declared to be identified, owner's information was used to recapture the dog in the BAC. The study was conducted in Veneto Region during 2011, when the dog population recorded in the BAC was 605,537. Overall, 616 households declared to possess at least one dog (25%), with a total of 805 dogs and an average per household of 1.3. The capture-recapture analysis showed that 574 dogs (71.3%, 95% CI: 68.04-74.40%) had been recaptured in both sources, providing a dog population estimate of 849,229 (95% CI: 814,747-889,394), 40% higher than that registered in the BAC. Concerning cats, 455 of 2465 (18%, 95% CI: 17-20%) households declared to possess at least one cat at the time of the telephone interview, with a total of 816 cats. The mean number of cats per household was equal to 1.8, providing an estimate of the cat population in Veneto region equal to 663,433 (95% CI: 626

Ecological requirements of Abies alba in the French Alps derived from dendro-ecological analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rolland, C.; Michalet, R.; Desplanque, C.; Petetin, A.; Aime, S. [Univ. Joseph Fourier, Grenoble (France). Centre de Biologie Alpine

1999-06-01

We used dendro-ecological techniques to investigate fundamental relationships between climate and growth of Abies alba (silver fir) in eastern France. Seven Abies forests in the Trieves region of the French Alps were chosen to represent a wide range of ecological conditions based on the results of previous forest vegetation surveys. In each forest, four trees were sampled in each of five different stands with two cores per tree. These 280 cores were studied using two separate dendro-ecological methods: the pointer years method (based on extreme growth events), and correlation functions between tree ring-widths and monthly climatic data. Data from 11 meteorological stations were combined to provide a regional analysis of precipitation and minimum and maximum temperatures. The two dendro-ecological methods appear to be complementary, as the first technique emphasizes common and low intensity linear correlations between ring-widths and climatic variations, and the second method emphasizes extreme and unusual climatic events such as exceptionally cold or dry years. Across all sites, drought in the previous year was consistently correlated with a low growth rate; however, other climatic variables varied substantially among sites. For example, drought in the current year reduced growth more in the low elevation sites than in the high elevation sites and severe winter frost reduced growth the most in the high altitude sites and the driest site. Moreover, certain growth responses are better correlated with the age of the stands, the canopy closure and the floristic composition of the community than the abiotic factors, emphasizing the value of dendro-ecological sampling based on phytosociological units 63 refs, 4 figs, 1 tab

Soil–plant interaction monitoring: Small scale example of an apple orchard in Trentino, North-Eastern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassiani, Giorgio; Boaga, Jacopo; Rossi, Matteo; Putti, Mario; Fadda, Giuseppe; Majone, Bruno; Bellin, Alberto

2016-01-01

Accurate monitoring and modeling of soil–plant systems are a key unresolved issue that currently limits the development of a comprehensive view of the interactions between soil and atmosphere, with a number of practical consequences including the difficulties in predicting climatic change patterns. This paper presents a case study where time-lapse minimal-invasive 3D micro-electrical tomography (ERT) is used to monitor rhizosphere eco-hydrological processes in an apple orchard in the Trentino region, Northern Italy. In particular we aimed at gaining a better understanding of the soil–vegetation water exchanges in the shallow critical zone, as part of a coordinated effort towards predicting climate-induced changes on the hydrology of Mediterranean basins (EU FP7 CLIMB project). The adopted strategy relied upon the installation of a 3D electrical tomography apparatus consisting of four mini-boreholes carrying 12 electrodes each plus 24 mini-electrodes on the ground surface, arranged in order to image roughly a cubic meter of soil surrounding a single apple tree. The monitoring program was initially tested with repeated measurements over about one year. Subsequently, we performed three controlled irrigation tests under different conditions, in order to evaluate the water redistribution under variable root activities and climatic conditions. Laboratory calibration on soil samples allowed us to translate electrical resistivity variations into moisture content changes, supported also by in-situ TDR measurements. Richards equation modeling was used also to explain the monitoring evidence. The results clearly identified the effect of root water uptake and the corresponding subsoil region where active roots are present, but also marked the need to consider the effects of different water salinity in the water infiltration process. We also gained significant insight about the need to measure quantitatively the plant evapotranspiration in order to close the water balance

Soil–plant interaction monitoring: Small scale example of an apple orchard in Trentino, North-Eastern Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cassiani, Giorgio; Boaga, Jacopo; Rossi, Matteo [Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università di Padova (Italy); Putti, Mario; Fadda, Giuseppe [Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Padova (Italy); Majone, Bruno; Bellin, Alberto [Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile e Ambientale, Università di Trento (Italy)

2016-02-01

Accurate monitoring and modeling of soil–plant systems are a key unresolved issue that currently limits the development of a comprehensive view of the interactions between soil and atmosphere, with a number of practical consequences including the difficulties in predicting climatic change patterns. This paper presents a case study where time-lapse minimal-invasive 3D micro-electrical tomography (ERT) is used to monitor rhizosphere eco-hydrological processes in an apple orchard in the Trentino region, Northern Italy. In particular we aimed at gaining a better understanding of the soil–vegetation water exchanges in the shallow critical zone, as part of a coordinated effort towards predicting climate-induced changes on the hydrology of Mediterranean basins (EU FP7 CLIMB project). The adopted strategy relied upon the installation of a 3D electrical tomography apparatus consisting of four mini-boreholes carrying 12 electrodes each plus 24 mini-electrodes on the ground surface, arranged in order to image roughly a cubic meter of soil surrounding a single apple tree. The monitoring program was initially tested with repeated measurements over about one year. Subsequently, we performed three controlled irrigation tests under different conditions, in order to evaluate the water redistribution under variable root activities and climatic conditions. Laboratory calibration on soil samples allowed us to translate electrical resistivity variations into moisture content changes, supported also by in-situ TDR measurements. Richards equation modeling was used also to explain the monitoring evidence. The results clearly identified the effect of root water uptake and the corresponding subsoil region where active roots are present, but also marked the need to consider the effects of different water salinity in the water infiltration process. We also gained significant insight about the need to measure quantitatively the plant evapotranspiration in order to close the water balance

The burden of rare cancers in Italy: the surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) project.

Science.gov (United States)

Trama, Annalisa; Mallone, Sandra; Ferretti, Stefano; Meduri, Francesca; Capocaccia, Riccardo; Gatta, Gemma

2012-01-01

The project Surveillance of rare cancers in Italy (RITA) provides, for the first time, estimates of the burden of rare cancers in Italy based on the list of rare cancers proposed in collaboration with the European project Surveillance of Rare Cancers in Europe (RARECARE). RITA analyzed data from Italian population-based cancer registries (CR). The period of diagnosis was 1988 to 2002, and vital status information was available up to December 31, 2003. Incidence rates were estimated for the period 1995-2002, survival for the years 2000-2002 (with the period method of Brenner), and complete prevalence at January 1, 2003. Rare cancers are those with an incidence <6/100,000/year. In Italy, every year there are 60,000 new diagnoses of rare cancers corresponding to 15% of all new cancer diagnoses. Five-year relative survival was on the average worse for rare cancers (53%) than for common cancers (73%). A total of 770,000 patients were living in Italy in 2008 with a diagnosis of a rare cancer, 22% of the total cancer prevalence. Our estimates constitute a useful base for further research and support the idea that rare cancers are a public health problem that deserves attention. Centers of expertise for rare cancers that pool cases, expertise and resources could ensure an adequate clinical management for these diseases. Our data also showed that cancer registries are suitable sources of data to estimate incidence, prevalence and survival for rare cancers and should continue to monitoring rare cancers in Italy.

[Lessons learned from a distribution incident at the Alps-Mediterranean Division of the French Blood Establishment].

Science.gov (United States)

Legrand, D

2008-11-01

The Alps-Mediterranean division of the French blood establishment (EFS Alpes-Mediterranée) has implemented a risk management program. Within this framework, the labile blood product distribution process was assessed to identify critical steps. Subsequently, safety measures were instituted including computer-assisted decision support, detailed written instructions and control checks at each step. Failure of these measures to prevent an incident underlines the vulnerability of the process to the human factor. Indeed root cause analysis showed that the incident was due to underestimation of the danger by one individual. Elimination of this type of risk will require continuous training, testing and updating of personnel. Identification and reporting of nonconformities will allow personnel at all levels (local, regional, and national) to share lessons and implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies.

End of the Little Ice Age in the Alps forced by industrial black carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Painter, Thomas H; Flanner, Mark G; Kaser, Georg; Marzeion, Ben; VanCuren, Richard A; Abdalati, Waleed

2013-09-17

Glaciers in the European Alps began to retreat abruptly from their mid-19th century maximum, marking what appeared to be the end of the Little Ice Age. Alpine temperature and precipitation records suggest that glaciers should instead have continued to grow until circa 1910. Radiative forcing by increasing deposition of industrial black carbon to snow may represent the driver of the abrupt glacier retreats in the Alps that began in the mid-19th century. Ice cores indicate that black carbon concentrations increased abruptly in the mid-19th century and largely continued to increase into the 20th century, consistent with known increases in black carbon emissions from the industrialization of Western Europe. Inferred annual surface radiative forcings increased stepwise to 13-17 W⋅m(-2) between 1850 and 1880, and to 9-22 W⋅m(-2) in the early 1900s, with snowmelt season (April/May/June) forcings reaching greater than 35 W⋅m(-2) by the early 1900s. These snowmelt season radiative forcings would have resulted in additional annual snow melting of as much as 0.9 m water equivalent across the melt season. Simulations of glacier mass balances with radiative forcing-equivalent changes in atmospheric temperatures result in conservative estimates of accumulating negative mass balances of magnitude -15 m water equivalent by 1900 and -30 m water equivalent by 1930, magnitudes and timing consistent with the observed retreat. These results suggest a possible physical explanation for the abrupt retreat of glaciers in the Alps in the mid-19th century that is consistent with existing temperature and precipitation records and reconstructions.

A bill for the renaissance of nuclear power in Italy;Projet de relance de l'electronucleaire en Italie

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2009-07-15

Today Italy is the only G8 member to have no nuclear power plants in operation. In 1987 as a consequence of a referendum Italy decided to shut down its nuclear power plants and to forbid the construction of new ones. Italy relies on oil and gas imports for 80% of its energy needs. The Italian parliament has recently passed a bill for a renaissance of nuclear power. The bill gives 6 months to the government to set the rules and conditions for the come-back of nuclear energy. (A.C.)

Regional European Specialization and Concentration in Central and Eastern Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentin Neculita

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Enlargement has become a fundamental priority of the European Union after the 90’s. Up to now seven rounds have been held for enlarging the Community which initially was made up of six Member States (Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands. Among all EU enlargements, the eastward enlargement from 2004 was the biggest challenge, both due to the number of new Member States which joined - the number of EU inhabitants increasing to approximately from 380 to 485 million, but also due to the difference of Gross Domestic Product between the old and new EU members. This paper aims to provide insights in European integration and absorption of European funds into the newest that joined the European Union. The paper proposes an analysis of integration and specialization in Eastern Europe by means of data and statistics provided by European and national statistics institutions.

Analysis of the ectoenzymes ADA, ALP, ENPP1, and ENPP3, in the contents of ovarian endometriomas as candidate biomarkers of endometriosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Trapero, Carla; Jover, Lluis; Fernández-Montolí, Maria Eulàlia; García-Tejedor, Amparo; Vidal, August; Gómez de Aranda, Inmaculada; Ponce, Jordi; Matias-Guiu, Xavier; Martín-Satué, Mireia

2018-02-01

The diagnosis of endometriosis, a prevalent chronic disease with a strong inflammatory component, is usually delayed due to the lack of noninvasive diagnostic tests. Purinergic signaling, a key cell pathway, is altered in many inflammatory disorders. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the levels of adenosine deaminase (ADA), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1), and ENPP3, elements of purinergic signaling, as biomarker candidates for endometriosis. A case-control comparative study was conducted to determine ADA, ALP, ENPP1 and ENPP3 levels in echo-guided aspirated fluids of endometriomas (case group) and simple ovarian cysts (control group) using the ELISA technique. Adenosine deaminase, ALP, ENPP1, and ENPP3 were present and quantifiable in the contents of endometriomas and simple cysts. There were significant differences in ADA and ENPP1 levels in endometriomas in comparison with simple cysts (2787 U/L and 103.9 ng/mL more in endometriomas, for ADA and ENPP1, respectively). Comparisons of ALP and ENPP3 levels between the two groups did not reveal significant differences. The ectoenzymes ADA and ENPP1 are biomarker candidates for endometriosis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Shear in the tethys and the permian paleomagnetism in the Southern Alps, including new results

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijderveld, J.D.A.; Hazeu, G.J.A.; Nardin, M.; Voo, R. van der

1970-01-01

To verify paleomagnetic proof for megatectonic translation in the Tethys a large collection of samples from a key area, the Bolzano Quartz Porphyry Plateau in the Southern Alps, was examined. Their natural remanent magnetization was analyzed with thermal, and mainly alternating field

Geochemistry and habitat of the oils in Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mattavelli, L.; Novelli, L. (Agip S.p.A., Milano (Italy))

1990-10-01

All varieties of liquid petroleum, ranging from condensates (> 50{degree}API) to immature sulfur-rich heavy oils (as low as 5{degree} API), have been found in Italy. However, nonbiodegraded heavy oils account for about 70% of the total original oil in place. Geochemical analyses indicate that 11 oil groups are present in the Italian basins and two main types of source rocks have been identified: Triassic carbonates and Tertiary shales. About 95% of the oils were originated from Middle and Upper Triassic carbonates containing type II kerogen (about 1% total organic carbon (TOC) and 500 mg hydrocarbon/g TOC). Only a relatively minor amount of oil was generated by Tertiary shales containing type III kerogen with TOC generally less than 1%. Timing of generation and migration and bulk properties of oils were controlled by geodynamic histories of the three main Italian geologic settings: (1) Apennine and Southern Alp thrust belts, (2) foredeep (depression bordering the thrust belts), and (3) foreland (nondeformed African continental margin). Within the Apennine thrust belts, deep burial during the Neogene resulted in the generation of substantially lighter oils, not only from deeply buried Triassic but sometimes also from Tertiary source rocks. In the late Neogene, foredeep depocenters located in the central Adriatic and southern Sicily, high subsidence (up to 1,000 m/m.y.), a low geothermal gradient (22C/km) and compressional tectonics caused the generation of immature heavy oils generally at depths below 5,000 m and temperatures greater than 100C. Rapid burial and higher geothermal gradients (32C/km), which occurred since the Jurassic, resulted in the generation of light oils from the Late Cretaceous to the Oligocene in the southern sector of Adriatic foreland.

Exploiting Maximum Entropy method and ASTER data for assessing debris flow and debris slide susceptibility for the Giampilieri catchment (north-eastern Sicily, Italy).

KAUST Repository

Lombardo, Luigi; Bachofer, F.; Cama, M.; Mä rker, M.; Rotigliano, E.

2016-01-01

This study aims at evaluating the performance of the Maximum Entropy method in assessing landslide susceptibility, exploiting topographic and multispectral remote sensing predictors. We selected the catchment of the Giampilieri stream, which is located in the north-eastern sector of Sicily (southern Italy), as test site. On 1/10/2009, a storm rainfall triggered in this area hundreds of debris flow/avalanche phenomena causing extensive economical damage and loss of life. Within this area a presence-only-based statistical method was applied to obtain susceptibility models capable of distinguish future activation sites of debris flow and debris slide, which where the main source failure mechanisms for flow or avalanche type propagation. The set of predictors used in this experiment comprised primary and secondary topographic attributes, derived by processing a high resolution digital elevation model, CORINE land cover data and a set of vegetation and mineral indices obtained by processing multispectral ASTER images. All the selected data sources are dated before the disaster. A spatially random partition technique was adopted for validation, generating fifty replicates for each of the two considered movement typologies in order to assess accuracy, precision and reliability of the models. The debris slide and debris flow susceptibility models produced high performances with the first type being the best fitted. The evaluation of the probability estimates around the mean value for each mapped pixel shows an inverted relation, with the most robust models corresponding to the debris flows. With respect to the role of each predictor within the modelling phase, debris flows appeared to be primarily controlled by topographic attributes whilst the debris slides were better explained by remotely sensed derived indices, particularly by the occurrence of previous wildfires across the slope. The overall excellent performances of the two models suggest promising perspectives for

Exploiting Maximum Entropy method and ASTER data for assessing debris flow and debris slide susceptibility for the Giampilieri catchment (north-eastern Sicily, Italy).

KAUST Repository

Lombardo, Luigi

2016-07-18

This study aims at evaluating the performance of the Maximum Entropy method in assessing landslide susceptibility, exploiting topographic and multispectral remote sensing predictors. We selected the catchment of the Giampilieri stream, which is located in the north-eastern sector of Sicily (southern Italy), as test site. On 1/10/2009, a storm rainfall triggered in this area hundreds of debris flow/avalanche phenomena causing extensive economical damage and loss of life. Within this area a presence-only-based statistical method was applied to obtain susceptibility models capable of distinguish future activation sites of debris flow and debris slide, which where the main source failure mechanisms for flow or avalanche type propagation. The set of predictors used in this experiment comprised primary and secondary topographic attributes, derived by processing a high resolution digital elevation model, CORINE land cover data and a set of vegetation and mineral indices obtained by processing multispectral ASTER images. All the selected data sources are dated before the disaster. A spatially random partition technique was adopted for validation, generating fifty replicates for each of the two considered movement typologies in order to assess accuracy, precision and reliability of the models. The debris slide and debris flow susceptibility models produced high performances with the first type being the best fitted. The evaluation of the probability estimates around the mean value for each mapped pixel shows an inverted relation, with the most robust models corresponding to the debris flows. With respect to the role of each predictor within the modelling phase, debris flows appeared to be primarily controlled by topographic attributes whilst the debris slides were better explained by remotely sensed derived indices, particularly by the occurrence of previous wildfires across the slope. The overall excellent performances of the two models suggest promising perspectives for

Early Spring Dust over the Mediterranean Sea

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) observed this large cloud of dust (brownish pixels) blowing from northern Africa across the Mediterranean Sea on March 4, 2002. The dust can be seen clearly blowing across Southern Italy, Albania, Greece, and Turkey-all along the Mediterranean's northeastern shoreline. Notice that there also appears to be human-made aerosol pollution (greyish pixels) pooling in the air just south of the Italian Alps and blowing southeastward over the Adriatic Sea. The Alps can be easily identified as the crescent-shaped, snow-capped mountain range in the top center of this true-color scene. There also appears to be a similar haze over Austria, Hungary, and Yugoslavia to the north and east of Italy. Image courtesy the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, and ORBIMAGE

Country policy profile - Italy. December 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-12-01

In Italy, Renewable energy sources in are promoted through price and tax regulations mechanisms. Several kinds of feed-in and premium tariffs co-exist besides tendering schemes depending on technology and size of RES systems. Additionally regional support schemes exist for RES electricity. The thermal (heating and cooling) energy generated from renewable energies is incentivized through tax regulation and loans. A quota system is presently used for bio-fuels (transport). Under the country's NREAP, Italy has set a renewable energy target (electricity) of 26% to be achieved by 2020. The 2012 total share of renewable energy in Italy amounted to 13.5%; the target for 2020 has been defined as 17% (source: 'The State of Renewable Energies in Europe', 2013 edition)

Semi-automatic mapping of fault rocks on a Digital Outcrop Model, Gole Larghe Fault Zone (Southern Alps, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Vho, Alice; Bistacchi, Andrea

2015-04-01

A quantitative analysis of fault-rock distribution is of paramount importance for studies of fault zone architecture, fault and earthquake mechanics, and fluid circulation along faults at depth. Here we present a semi-automatic workflow for fault-rock mapping on a Digital Outcrop Model (DOM). This workflow has been developed on a real case of study: the strike-slip Gole Larghe Fault Zone (GLFZ). It consists of a fault zone exhumed from ca. 10 km depth, hosted in granitoid rocks of Adamello batholith (Italian Southern Alps). Individual seismogenic slip surfaces generally show green cataclasites (cemented by the precipitation of epidote and K-feldspar from hydrothermal fluids) and more or less well preserved pseudotachylytes (black when well preserved, greenish to white when altered). First of all, a digital model for the outcrop is reconstructed with photogrammetric techniques, using a large number of high resolution digital photographs, processed with VisualSFM software. By using high resolution photographs the DOM can have a much higher resolution than with LIDAR surveys, up to 0.2 mm/pixel. Then, image processing is performed to map the fault-rock distribution with the ImageJ-Fiji package. Green cataclasites and epidote/K-feldspar veins can be quite easily separated from the host rock (tonalite) using spectral analysis. Particularly, band ratio and principal component analysis have been tested successfully. The mapping of black pseudotachylyte veins is more tricky because the differences between the pseudotachylyte and biotite spectral signature are not appreciable. For this reason we have tested different morphological processing tools aimed at identifying (and subtracting) the tiny biotite grains. We propose a solution based on binary images involving a combination of size and circularity thresholds. Comparing the results with manually segmented images, we noticed that major problems occur only when pseudotachylyte veins are very thin and discontinuous. After

A hydrogeological conceptual model of the Suio hydrothermal area (central Italy)

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Saroli, Michele; Lancia, Michele; Albano, Matteo; Casale, Anna; Giovinco, Gaspare; Petitta, Marco; Zarlenga, Francesco; dell'Isola, Marco

2017-09-01

A hydrogeological conceptual model has been developed that describes the hydrothermal system of Suio Terme (central Italy). The studied area is located along the peri-Tyrrhenian zone of the central Apennines, between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic carbonate platform sequences of the Aurunci Mountains and the volcanic sequences of the Roccamonfina. A multi-disciplinary approach was followed, using new hydrogeological surveys, the interpretation of stratigraphic logs of boreholes and water wells, and geophysical data—seismic sections, shear-wave velocity (Vs) crustal model and gravimetric model. The collected information allowed for construction of a conceptual hydrogeological model and characterization of the hydrothermal system. The Suio hydrothermal system is strongly influenced by the Eastern Aurunci hydrostructure. Along the southeastern side, the top of the hydrostructure sinks to -1,000 m relative to sea level via a series of normal faults which give origin to the Garigliano graben. Geological and hydrogeological data strongly suggest the propagation and mixing of hot fluids, with cold waters coming from the shallow karst circuit. The aquitard distribution, the normal tectonic displacements and the fracturing of the karst hydrostructure strongly influence the hydrothermal basin. Carbon dioxide and other gasses play a key role in the whole circuit, facilitating the development of the hydrothermal system. The current level of knowledge suggests that the origin of the Suio hydrothermalism is the result of interaction between the carbonate reservoir of the Eastern Aurunci Mountains and the hot and deep crust of this peri-Tyrrhenian sector, where the Roccamonfina volcano represents the shallowest expression.

Italy's recurrent energy dependency dilemma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ippolito, F.

1993-01-01

This paper first critically assesses the objectives of Italy's 1988 National Energy Plan which, in light of the moratorium on nuclear energy, called for moderate but steady reductions in imported energy supplies through the implementation of energy conservation programs and the development of available domestic conventional and renewable energy sources. The economics and energy analyses evidence that, in view this nation's current troubled economic situation, the Energy Plan's target for the year 2000 of a 76% dependency on foreign oil is just not good enough and not in line with stricter European environmental normatives limiting carbon dioxide emissions. It is argued that in order to effectively reduce the nation's excessively high energy costs, keep pace with other industrialized countries in a highly competitive market (Italy's energy tariffs are almost 55% greater than those of Germany and France), and to respect new European anti-pollution laws, Italy must restart its nuclear program and take advantage of the recent advances being made in passive reactor safety systems

PSInSAR Analysis in the Pisa Urban Area (Italy: A Case Study of Subsidence Related to Stratigraphical Factors and Urbanization

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Lorenzo Solari

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Permanent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI has been used to detect and characterize the subsidence of the Pisa urban area, which extends for 33 km2 within the Arno coastal plain (Tuscany, Italy. Two SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar datasets, covering the time period from 1992 to 2010, were used to quantify the ground subsidence and its temporal evolution. A geotechnical borehole database was also used to make a correspondence with the detected displacements. Finally, the results of the SAR data analysis were contrasted with the urban development of the eastern part of the city in the time period from 1978 to 2013. ERS 1/2 (European Remote-Sensing Satellite and Envisat SAR data, processed with the PSInSAR (Permanent Scatterer InSAR algorithm, show that the investigated area is divided in two main sectors: the southwestern part, with null or very small subsidence rates (<2 mm/year, and the eastern portion which shows a general lowering with maximum deformation rates of 5 mm/year. This second area includes deformation rates higher than 15 mm/year, corresponding to small groups of buildings. The case studies in the eastern sector of the urban area have demonstrated the direct correlation between the age of construction of buildings and the registered subsidence rates, showing the importance of urbanization as an accelerating factor for the ground consolidation process.

Coal use in Italy and environmental compatibility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Fossil fuels have in Italy great importance. In Italy, in terms of environmental protection and for social acceptance, coal has had a real opposition not verified in other countries. Environmental compatibility of coal cycle and related technologies are discussed also consequently at the Kyoto protocol [it

Continuous measurement of Radon emanations from soil and groundwaters in southern France (Alpes Maritimes). Preliminary results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oddou, A.; Nault, L.; Campredon, R.; Bernat, M.

1983-01-01

Two types of automated instruments which monitor the emission of radon from rocks and groundwaters are actually being set up in a few localities of the French-Italian Alpe-Maritimes (SE France). The first results are presented [fr

Geothermal energy in Italy - its importance, potential and projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, W.

2005-01-01

This article discusses the perspectives for the use of geothermal energy in Italy. Starting with an overview of the principles of the use of geothermal energy in general, the article goes on to review Italy's geothermal resources and their relevance to energy supply. Figures are given on the political situation in Italy concerning energy and the rapidly increasing demands made on electricity supply. Political support for renewable energy in Italy is looked at and models for financing projects are examined. Examples of geothermal energy projects are given and the perspectives for further developments in this industry are looked at

The Strategic Plan for Tourism Development in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia ANGELONI

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Conceptual works on tourism destination competitiveness affirm the central importance of planning the process of value creation within destination. Italy is an emblematic case of why and how a leading tourism destination may lose competitiveness along the years. Up to the 1980s Italy was in fact the top international tourism destination, but then such ranking gradually decreased, because of more complexity of sector and, over all, because of marginality of tourism in the government agenda and more in general of the country. After years of strategic myopia, Italy finally has a tool that formalizes its vision and indicates the key factors that can be leveraged in order to regain ground. In 2013, Italy adopted a National Strategic Plan. Therefore, this paper aims to describe an important turning point in tourism policies for the economic and cultural development of Italy. The research highlights the problematic areas of Italy’s tourism industry and explains how a new approach should make the Italian destination able to successfully compete on the international tourism market.

APEX and ALPS, high power density technology programs in the U.S

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, C.P.C.; Berk, S.; Abdou, M.; Mattas, R.

1999-02-01

In fiscal year (FY) 1998 two new fusion technology programs were initiated in the US, with the goal of making marked progress in the scientific understanding of technologies and materials required to withstand high plasma heat flux and neutron wall loads. APEX is exploring new and revolutionary concepts that can provide the capability to extract heat efficiently from a system with high neutron and surface heat loads while satisfying all the fusion power technology requirements and achieving maximum reliability, maintainability, safety, and environmental acceptability. ALPS program is evaluating advanced concepts including liquid surface limiters and divertors on the basis of such factors as their compatibility with fusion plasma, high power density handling capabilities, engineering feasibility, lifetime, safety and R and D requirements. The APEX and ALPS are three-year programs to specify requirements and evaluate criteria for revolutionary approaches in first wall, blanket and high heat flux component applications. Conceptual design and analysis of candidate concepts are being performed with the goal of selecting the most promising first wall, blanket and high heat flux component designs that will provide the technical basis for the initiation of a significant R and D effort beginning in FY2001. These programs are also considering opportunities for international collaborations

Mammoths inside the Alps during the last glacial period: Radiocarbon constraints from Austria and palaeoenvironmental implications

Science.gov (United States)

Spötl, Christoph; Reimer, Paula J.; Göhlich, Ursula B.

2018-06-01

This study examines remains of the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) found inside the Austrian Alps, an area occupied by an extensive ice-stream network during the Last Glacial Maximum. The data demonstrate that these cold steppe-adapted animals locally migrated several tens of kilometers into alpine valleys. Radiocarbon analyses constrain the age of these fossils to the first half of Marine Isotope Stage 3, documenting ice-free conditions in major valleys at that time. We also provide a list of all traceable Austrian sites of Mammuthus primigenius, totaling about 230 localities, compiled through 15 museums and collections in Austria. The vast majority of these findings are from the corridors of the Danube and Mur rivers and their tributaries and the adjacent loess-covered foreland of the Alps, areas that were never ice-covered during Pleistocene glaciations.

Late Quaternary glacier sensitivity to temperature and precipitation distribution in the Southern Alps of New Zealand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ann V. Rowan; Simon H. Brocklehurst; David M. Schultz; Mitchell A. Plummer; Leif S. Anderson; Neil F. Glasser

2014-05-01

Glaciers respond to climate variations and leave geomorphic evidence that represents an important terrestrial paleoclimate record. However, the accuracy of paleoclimate reconstructions from glacial geology is limited by the challenge of representing mountain meteorology in numerical models. Precipitation is usually treated in a simple manner and yet represents difficult-to-characterize variables such as amount, distribution, and phase. Furthermore, precipitation distributions during a glacial probably differed from present-day interglacial patterns. We applied two models to investigate glacier sensitivity to temperature and precipitation in the eastern Southern Alps of New Zealand. A 2-D model was used to quantify variations in the length of the reconstructed glaciers resulting from plausible precipitation distributions compared to variations in length resulting from change in mean annual air temperature and precipitation amount. A 1-D model was used to quantify variations in length resulting from interannual climate variability. Assuming that present-day interglacial values represent precipitation distributions during the last glacial, a range of plausible present-day precipitation distributions resulted in uncertainty in the Last Glacial Maximum length of the Pukaki Glacier of 17.1?km (24%) and the Rakaia Glacier of 9.3?km (25%), corresponding to a 0.5°C difference in temperature. Smaller changes in glacier length resulted from a 50% decrease in precipitation amount from present-day values (-14% and -18%) and from a 50% increase in precipitation amount (5% and 9%). Our results demonstrate that precipitation distribution can produce considerable variation in simulated glacier extents and that reconstructions of paleoglaciers should include this uncertainty.

Natural gas seeps in the French Alps: Sources and pathways

Science.gov (United States)

Kloppmann, Wolfram; Blessing, Michaela; Proust, Eric; Gal, Frédéric; Bentivegna, Gaetan; Henry, Benoit; Defossez, Pierrick; Catherine, Lerouge; Humez, Pauline; Mayer, Bernhard; Millot, Romain; Gaucher, Eric

2016-04-01

Natural gas emanations are part of the geochemical baseline to take into account when assessing global greenhouse gas emissions and potential impacts of conventional and unconventional gas exploration and exploitation on groundwater. Examples of such natural gas macro-seeps are known in several parts of the world (Etiope et al., 2009). Only a limited number of them have been characterized for their gas and isotopic compositions. Such analyses can provide essential information for baseline studies, providing insight in the sources (biogenic vs. thermogenic or modified thermogenic) and pathways of such seeps and may allow for distinction of natural seeps from stray gas leakage associated with human activities. Here, we report gas concentrations and multi-isotope data (δ13C and δ2H of methane and ethane, δ13C and δ18O of CO2, 3He/4He ratio) of two gas seeps in the French subalpine chains, both in a similar geological and structural position within Middle Jurassic claystones along the eastern border of the large synclinal structures of the Vercors and the Chartreuse massifs (Moss, 1992). The "ardent fountain" (fontaine ardente) of Le Gua, 30 km south of Grenoble has most likely the longest continuous written record of existence of any individual natural gas seep, mentioned explicitly as early as the first quarter of the 5th century (Augustin of Hippo (St. Augustin), approx. 426) This natural seep was described in the past as a "wet seep" associated with a spring, whereas the second investigated seep, Rochasson near Meylan north of Grenoble, is a dry seep. Both seeps contain methane and ethane with thermogenic C and H isotope signatures, comparable with a seep in the Northern Swiss Alps at Giswil (Etiope et al., 2010) but with a higher dryness (C1/(C2+C3)>1000) for the Le Gua seep, possibly due to molecular fractionation upon advective fluid+gas migration (Etiope et al., 2009). Maturity (R0) of the reservoir rocks deduced from δ13C(CH4), δ13C(C2H6) is similar to

Presence-only approach to assess landslide triggering-thickness susceptibility. A test for the Mili catchment (North-Eastern Sicily, Italy)

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Lombardo, Luigi; Fubelli, Giandomenico; Amato, Gabriele; Bonasera, Mauro; Hochschild, Volker; Rotigliano, Edoardo

2015-04-01

This study aims at comparing the performances of a presence only approach, namely Maximum Entropy, in assessing landslide triggering-thickness susceptibility within the Mili catchment, located in the north-eastern Sicily, Italy. This catchment has been recently exposed to three main meteorological extreme events, resulting in the activation of multiple fast landslides, which occurred on the 1st October 2009, 10th March 2010 and 1st March 2011. Differently from the 2009 event, which only marginally hit the catchment, the 2010 and 2011 storms fully involved the area of the Mili catchment. Detailed field data was collected to associate the thickness of mobilised materials at the triggering zone to each mass movement within the catchment. This information has been used to model the landslide susceptibility for two classes of processes clustered into shallow failures for maximum depths of 0.5m and deep ones in case of values equal or greater than 0.5m. As the authors believed that the peculiar geomorphometry of this narrow and steep catchment played a fundamental role in generating two distinct patterns of landslide thicknesses during the initiation phase, a HRDEM was used to extract topographic attributes to express near-triggering geomorphological conditions. On the other hand, medium resolution vegetation indexes derived from ASTER scenes were used as explanatory variables pertaining to a wider spatial neighbourhood, whilst a revised geological map, the land use from CORINE and a tectonic map were used to convey an even wider area connected to the slope instability. The choice of a presence-only approach allowed to effectively discriminate between the two types of landslide thicknesses at the triggering zone, producing outstanding prediction skills associated with relatively low variances across a set of 20 randomly generated replicates. The validation phase produced indeed average AUC values of 0.91 with a standard deviation of 0.03 for both the modelled landslide

75 FR 67105 - Granular Polytetrafluoroethylene Resin From Italy and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-01

... Polytetrafluoroethylene Resin From Italy and Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION... resin from Italy and Japan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it has instituted reviews... revocation of the antidumping duty orders on granular polytetrafluoroethylene resin from Italy and Japan...

Development of lymphoma in Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS) and its relationship to Fas gene mutations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poppema, Sibrand; Maggio, Ewerton; van den Berg, Anke

Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS) is generally the result of a mutation in genes associated with apoptosis, like Fas, Fas ligand, Casp 8 and Casp 10. As a result, the normal homeostasis of T- and B-lymphocytes is disturbed and a proliferation of polyclonal T lymphocytes occurs. This

New remarkable records of microfungi from Sardinia (Italy).

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Jensen, M; Nerat, N; Ale-Agha, N

2010-01-01

In June 2009 we organized a botanical student excursion to the eastern part of Sardinia, Italy. On this occasion we were able to collect and identify over 80 species of microfungi growing on higher plants. The collecting sites were spread over a large area, among them were La Caletta, Capo Comino, Monte Albo, Cala Gonone, Monte Maccione, San Teodoro, Capo Testa. The collected microfungi were parasitic or saprophytic; Basidiomycotina (Uredinales), Ascomycotina and Deuteromycotina (Hyphomycetes, Coelomycetes) were predominant. Examples are Pezicula corticola (Jörg.) NANNF. (new for Sardinia), on Pyrus communis. Puccinia chamaecyparissi TROTT. (new for Sardinia), on Santolina insularis. Sphaceloma oleae CICC. and GRANITI (new for Sardinia) and Phlyctema vagabunda DESM. (new for Sardinia), on Olea europaea and Arbutus unedo. Puccinia pseudosphaeria MONT. (new for Sardinia), on Sonchus oleraceus. Discula umbrinella (BERK. and BR.) SUTTON (new for Sardinia)(D. quercina WEST. and BARK), on Quercus coccifera. Zaghouania phillyreae PAT. (new for Sardinia), on Phillyrea angustifolia. Phymatotrichum omnivorum (DUGGAR) HENNEBERT, new on Verbascum thapsus for Sardinia. Guignardia punctoidea (COOKE) SCHROTER (new for Sardinia), on Quercus ilex. Many of the collected species are rare or unknown for the area of investigation until now. All specimens are located in the Herbarium ESS, Mycotheca Parva collection G.B. Feige and N. Ale-Agha.

Earthquake-triggered landslides along the Hyblean-Malta Escarpment (off Augusta, eastern Sicily, Italy) - assessment of the related tsunamigenic potential

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Ausilia Paparo, Maria; Armigliato, Alberto; Pagnoni, Gianluca; Zaniboni, Filippo; Tinti, Stefano

2017-02-01

Eastern Sicily is affected by earthquakes and tsunamis of local and remote origin, which is known through numerous historical chronicles. Recent studies have put emphasis on the role of submarine landslides as the direct cause of the main local tsunamis, envisaging that earthquakes (in 1693 and 1908) did produce a tsunami, but also that they triggered mass failures that were able to generate an even larger tsunami. The debate is still open, and though no general consensus has been found among scientists so far, this research had the merit to attract attention on possible generation of tsunamis by landslides off Sicily. In this paper we investigate the tsunami potential of mass failures along one sector of the Hyblean-Malta Escarpment (HME). facing Augusta. The HME is the main offshore geological structure of the region running almost parallel to the coast, off eastern Sicily. Here, bottom morphology and slope steepness favour soil failures. In our work we study slope stability under seismic load along a number of HME transects by using the Minimun Lithostatic Deviation (MLD) method, which is based on the limit-equilibrium theory. The main goal is to identify sectors of the HME that could be unstable under the effect of realistic earthquakes. We estimate the possible landslide volume and use it as input for numerical codes to simulate the landslide motion and the consequent tsunami. This is an important step for the assessment of the tsunami hazard in eastern Sicily and for local tsunami mitigation policies. It is also important in view of tsunami warning system since it can help to identify the minimum earthquake magnitude capable of triggering destructive tsunamis induced by landslides, and therefore to set up appropriate knowledge-based criteria to launch alert to the population.

Rapid Late Miocene Exhumation in the Central Alps, Constrained by (U-Th)/He and Fission Track Thermochronology

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Aramowicz, A.; Cosca, M.; Stockli, D.; Farley, K.; Seward, D.

2007-12-01

Zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronological data together with apatite fission track analyses are used to explore uplift and exhumation of the western part of the Aar massif in the central Swiss Alps. A total of 27 samples were collected from the surface and underground, from the world's deepest tunnel (Loetschberg NEAT), with an overall elevation difference of almost 2500 m. Zircon (U-Th)/He ages range from 5.5 to 7.6 Ma, apatite fission track ages range from 5.7 to 6.5 Ma and apatite (U-Th)/He ages range from 3 to 5.5 Ma. All zircon age-elevation profiles from three traverses, show distinct brakes in slope that mark a drastic, 10-fold acceleration of exhumation at 6 ± 0.5 Ma ago (from 0.3 km/Ma to 3 km/Ma). The trend of fast exhumation appears to be maintained in the apatite fission track data while apatite (U-Th)/He ages suggest a return to moderate, apparent exhumation rates of 0.5 km/Ma. We propose that the accelerated exhumation may be linked to the Messinian desiccation of the Mediterranean. During that event, Mediterranean sea level dropped locally by as much as 3 km which accelerated erosion in the Alps. Consequently, the erosion in the Alps must have increased. If wedge mechanics are considered, the increased erosional flux reduced the active width of the orogen and, during latest convergence, deformation focused in the internal parts of the Alps, i.e. Aar massif. This interpretation implies a strong and prompt feedback between external forcing and tectonic response of the orogen. The slower exhumation rate apparent from the apatite (U-Th)/He data may reflect a decline in deformation. Alternatively, due to its low closure temperature, this system is prone to resetting by heat advected through hydrothermal circulation. This scenario needs further investigation but abundant hot-water (ca. 50 °C) discharge in the sampled tunnel is not uncommon.

Enercoop Rhone-Alpes: a green and citizen-oriented electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

Enercoop is a collective interest cooperative company which aims at providing electricity from renewable sources and at developing renewable energies in France. After a presentation of its objectives and strategies, this document gives an overview of the energy and socio-economic context in Europe and France, recalls the origin of this project and more particularly in the Rhone-Alpes region. It presents its objectives in terms of pricing and citizen empowerment, how to join Enercoop, its guarantees, its philosophy (ethical and democratic), its objectives in terms of renewable energy production, its relationship with ERDF (the company which manages the electricity distribution network in France). After some testimonies, some comments are made about energy management challenges

Linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation: a collaborative study of Italian populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Capocasa, Marco; Anagnostou, Paolo; Bachis, Valeria; Battaggia, Cinzia; Bertoncini, Stefania; Biondi, Gianfranco; Boattini, Alessio; Boschi, Ilaria; Brisighelli, Francesca; Caló, Carla Maria; Carta, Marilisa; Coia, Valentina; Corrias, Laura; Crivellaro, Federica; De Fanti, Sara; Dominici, Valentina; Ferri, Gianmarco; Francalacci, Paolo; Franceschi, Zelda Alice; Luiselli, Donata; Morelli, Laura; Paoli, Giorgio; Rickards, Olga; Robledo, Renato; Sanna, Daria; Sanna, Emanuele; Sarno, Stefania; Sineo, Luca; Taglioli, Luca; Tagarelli, Giuseppe; Tofanelli, Sergio; Vona, Giuseppe; Pettener, Davide; Destro Bisol, Giovanni

2014-01-01

The animal and plant biodiversity of the Italian territory is known to be one of the richest in the Mediterranean basin and Europe as a whole, but does the genetic diversity of extant human populations show a comparable pattern? According to a number of studies, the genetic structure of Italian populations retains the signatures of complex peopling processes which took place from the Paleolithic to modern era. Although the observed patterns highlight a remarkable degree of genetic heterogeneity, they do not, however, take into account an important source of variation. In fact, Italy is home to numerous ethnolinguistic minorities which have yet to be studied systematically. Due to their difference in geographical origin and demographic history, such groups not only signal the cultural and social diversity of our country, but they are also potential contributors to its bio-anthropological heterogeneity. To fill this gap, research groups from four Italian Universities (Bologna, Cagliari, Pisa and Roma Sapienza) started a collaborative study in 2007, which was funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and received partial support by the Istituto Italiano di Antropologia. In this paper, we present an account of the results obtained in the course of this initiative. Four case-studies relative to linguistic minorities from the Eastern Alps, Sardinia, Apennines and Southern Italy are first described and discussed, focusing on their micro-evolutionary and anthropological implications. Thereafter, we present the results of a systematic analysis of the relations between linguistic, geographic and genetic isolation. Integrating the data obtained in the course of the long-term study with literature and unpublished results on Italian populations, we show that a combination of linguistic and geographic factors is probably responsible for the presence of the most robust signatures of genetic isolation. Finally, we evaluate the magnitude of the diversity

Coda-derived source spectra, moment magnitudes and energy-moment scaling in the western Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Morasca, P.; Mayeda, K.; Malagnini, L.; Walter, William R.

2005-01-01

A stable estimate of the earthquake source spectra in the western Alps is obtained using an empirical method based on coda envelope amplitude measurements described by Mayeda et al. for events ranging between MW~ 1.0 and ~5.0. Path corrections for consecutive narrow frequency bands ranging between 0.3 and 25.0 Hz were included using a simple 1-D model for five three-component stations of the Regional Seismic network of Northwestern Italy (RSNI). The 1-D assumption performs well, even though the region is characterized by a complex structural setting involving strong lateral variations in the Moho depth. For frequencies less than 1.0 Hz, we tied our dimensionless, distance-corrected coda amplitudes to an absolute scale in units of dyne cm by using independent moment magnitudes from long-period waveform modelling for three moderate magnitude events in the region. For the higher frequencies, we used small events as empirical Green's functions, with corner frequencies above 25.0 Hz. For each station, the procedure yields frequency-dependent corrections that account for site effects, including those related to fmax, as well as to S-to-coda transfer function effects. After the calibration was completed, the corrections were applied to the entire data set composed of 957 events. Our findings using the coda-derived source spectra are summarized as follows: (i) we derived stable estimates of seismic moment, M0, (and hence MW) as well as radiated S-wave energy, (ES), from waveforms recorded by as few as one station, for events that were too small to be waveform modelled (i.e. events less than MW~ 3.5); (ii) the source spectra were used to derive an equivalent local magnitude, ML(coda), that is in excellent agreement with the network averaged values using direct S waves; (iii) scaled energy, , where ER, the radiated seismic energy, is comparable to results from other tectonically active regions (e.g. western USA, Japan) and supports the idea that there is a fundamental

10Be exposure dating of the timing of Neoglacial glacier advances in the Ecrins-Pelvoux massif, southern French Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Le Roy, Melaine; Deline, Philip; Carcaillet, Julien; Schimmelpfennig, Irene; Ermini, Magali; Aster Team

2017-12-01

Alpine glacier variations are known to be reliable proxies of Holocene climate. Here, we present a terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN)-based glacier chronology relying on 24 new 10Be exposure ages, which constrain maximum Neoglacial positions of four small to mid-sized glaciers (Rateau, Lautaret, Bonnepierre and Etages) in the Ecrins-Pelvoux massif, southern French Alps. Glacier advances, marked by (mainly lateral) moraine ridges that are located slightly outboard of the Little Ice Age (LIA, c. 1250-1860 AD) maximum positions, were dated to 4.25 ± 0.44 ka, 3.66 ± 0.09 ka, 2.09 ± 0.10 ka, c. 1.31 ± 0.17 ka and to 0.92 ± 0.02 ka. The '4.2 ka advance', albeit constrained by rather scattered dates, is to our knowledge exposure-dated here for the first time in the Alps. It is considered as one of the first major Neoglacial advance in the western Alps, in agreement with other regional paleoclimatological proxies. We further review Alpine and Northern Hemisphere mid-to-high latitude evidence for climate change and glacier activity concomitant with the '4.2 ka event'. The '2.1 ka advance' was not extensively dated in the Alps and is thought to represent a prominent advance in early Roman times. Other Neoglacial advances dated here match the timing of previously described Alpine Neoglacial events. Our results also suggest that a Neoglacial maximum occurred at Etages Glacier 0.9 ka ago, i.e. during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, c. 850-1250 AD). At Rateau Glacier, discordant results are thought to reflect exhumation and snow cover of the shortest moraine boulders. Overall, this study highlights the need to combine several sites to develop robust Neoglacial glacier chronologies in order to take into account the variability in moraine deposition pattern and landform obliteration and conservation.

Cogeneration at FIAT AVIO (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cantoni, A.

1991-01-01

Brief notes are provided on the FIAT (Italy) - Foster Wheeler joint venture to equip about 20 FIAT manufacturing plants with 50 MW(e) combined cycle cogeneration plants which will make use of a gas turbine whose design is based on that of the successful General Electric aeronautic LM 6000 engine. The paper also discusses solutions, e.g., wet and dry methods, being considered for nitrogen ox des control, and cites the need in Italy for the optimization of Government licensing procedures for small and medium sized manufacturing firms opting for on-site power generation through cogeneration plants

Reappraisal of paleomagnetic data from Gargano (South Italy)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vandenberg, J.

1983-01-01

VandenBerg, J., 1983. Reappraisal of paleomagnetic data from Gargano (South Italy). In: E. McClelland Brown and J. VandenBerg (Editors), Palaeomagnetism of Orogenic Belts. Tectonophysics, 98: 29-41. The platform limestones of Apulia (Italy) outcropping in the Gargano peninsula have been

Induced abortion and contraception in Italy.

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Spinelli, A; Grandolfo, M E

1991-09-01

This article discusses the legal and epidemiologic status of abortion in Italy, and its relationship to fertility and contraception. Enacted in May 1978, Italy's abortion law allows the operation to be performed during the 1st 90 days of gestation for a broad range of health, social, and psychological reasons. Women under 18 must receive written permission from a parent, guardian, or judge in order to undergo an abortion. The operation is free of charge. Health workers who object to abortion because of religious or moral reasons are exempt from participating. Regional differences exist concerning the availability of abortion, easy to procure in some places and difficult to obtain in others. After an initial increase following legalization, the abortion rate was 13.5/1000 women aged 15-44 and the abortion ratio was 309/1000 live births -- an intermediate rate and ratio compared to other countries. By the time the Abortion Act of 1978 was adopted, Italy already had one of the lowest fertility levels in Europe. Thus, the legalization of abortion has had no impact on fertility trends. Contrary to initial fears that the legalization of abortion would make abortion a method of family planning, 80% of the women who sought an abortion in 1983-88 were using birth control at the time (withdrawal being the most common method used by this group). In fact, most women who undergo abortions are married, between the ages of 25-34, and with at least one child. Evidence indicates widespread ignorance concerning reproduction. In a 1989 survey, only 65% of women could identify the fertile period of the menstrual cycle. Italy has no sex education in schools or national family planning programs. Compared to most of Europe, Italy still has low levels of reliable contraceptive usage. This points to the need to guarantee the availability of abortion.

3D Quaternary deformation pattern in the central Po Plain (Northern Italy)

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Sileo, G.; Mueller, K.; Michetti, A. M.; Livio, F.; Berlusconi, A.; Carcano, C.; Rogledi, S.; Vittori, E.

2009-04-01

., Zerboni A., Cremaschi M., Trombino L, Mueller K., Vittori E., Carcano C., Rogledi S. (2008) - Holocene Surface Faulting At Monte Netto, Brescia, And The Christmas 1222 (Io = Ix Mcs) Earthquake In The Po Plain, Italy: What Does It Mean "Blind Fault"? Geophysical Research Abstracts, 10, Egu2008-A-00000, 2008 Egu General Assembly 2008. Mueller, K. & Talling, P. (1997) - Geomorphic Evidence For Tear Faults Accommodating Lateral Propagation Of An Active Fault-Bend Fold, Wheeler Ridge, California. Journal Of Structural Geology, 19, 3-4, p. 397-411. Muttoni G., Carcano, C., Garzanti, E., Ghielmi, M., Piccin, A., Pini, R., Rogledi, S., Sciunnach, D. (2002) - Onset Of Major Pleistocene Galciations In The Alps. Geology. - 2003. - 11 : 31. - p. 989-992. Salvini, F. & Storti, F. (2002) - Three-Dimensional Architecture Of Growth Strata Associated To Fault-Bend, Fault-Propagation, And Decollement Anticlines In Non-Erosional Environments. Sedimentary Geology, 146, p 57 - 73 Scardia, G., Muttoni, G. & Sciunnach, D. (2006) - Subsurface Magnetostratigraphy Of Pleistocene Sediments From The Po Plain (Italy): Constraints On Rates Of Sedimentation And Rock Uplift. GSA Bulletin 118, 11/12, p.1299-1312.

Participatory Scenario Development to Address Potential Impacts of Land Use Change: An Example from the Italian Alps

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Žiga Malek

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Changes to land use such as the removal of natural vegetation and expansion of urban areas can result in degradation of the landscape and an increase in hydro-meteorological risk. This has led to higher interest by decision-makers and scientists in the future consequences of these drivers. Scenario development can be a useful tool for addressing the high uncertainty regarding modeling future land use changes. Scenarios are not exact forecasts, but images of plausible futures. When studying future land dynamics, emphasis should be given to areas experiencing high rates of socioeconomic change. We have focused on the eastern Italian Alps, which face increasing pressure from tourism development. Identified drivers of local land use change are mostly external and difficult to quantify. This area, characterized by a traditional Alpine landscape, is subject to high levels of hydro-meteorological risk, another reason to study potential future land use changes. We tested a scenario generation method based on existing decisions and assumptions about future tourism development. We aimed to develop a framework leading to plausible scenarios that can overcome data inaccessibility and address external drivers. We combined qualitative methods, such as stakeholder interviews and cognitive mapping, with geospatial methods, such as geographic information systems, geostatistics, and environmental modeling. We involved stakeholders from the beginning to support the steps of generating data, understanding the system of land use change, and developing a land use change model for scenario development. In this way, we generated spatio-temporal scenarios that can assist future spatial planning and improve preparedness for possible undesirable development.

Prenatal syphilis infection is a possible cause of preterm delivery among immigrant women from eastern Europe.

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Tridapalli, E; Capretti, M G; Sambri, V; Marangoni, A; Moroni, A; D'Antuono, A; Bacchi, M L; Faldella, G

2007-04-01

to evaluate the prevalence of maternal syphilis at delivery and neonatal syphilis infection in an Italian urban area, in connection with the increased flow of immigration. A prospective surveillance study was carried out in Bologna, Italy, from November 2000 to March 2006. All pregnant women were screened for syphilis at delivery. Infants born to seropositive mothers were enrolled in a prospective follow-up. During the study period 19,205 women gave birth to 19,548 infants. A total of 85 women were seropositive for syphilis at delivery. The overall syphilis seroprevalence in pregnant women was 0.44%, but it was 4.3% in women from eastern Europe and 5.8% in women from Central-South America. Ten women were first found positive at delivery, as they did not receive any prenatal care. Nine of these were from eastern Europe. All their infants were asymptomatic, but six had both reactive immunoglobulin (Ig)M western blot and rapid plasma reagin tests and were considered prenatally infected. Three of six were preterm (gestational age eastern Europe. Although it is asymptomatic, it could cause premature delivery. Therefore, it is necessary to perform serological tests during the third trimester in mothers coming from endemic areas to adequately treat syphilis in pregnancy and prevent congenital infection. If the mother's test results are not available at delivery, it is necessary to investigate the newborn, especially if it is born prematurely.

Itaalia konstrueerimine nõukogude reisikirjas. The Construction of Italy in Soviet Travelogues

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Anneli Kõvamees

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The focus of the article is Aimée Beekman’s travelogue Plastmassist südamega madonna (Madonna With a Plastic Heart, 1963. It also covers Juhan Kahk’s travelogue Alpide taga on moonpunane Itaalia (Behind the Alps Lies Poppy-Red Italy, 1967, Artur Vader’s Itaalia päikese all (Under Italy’s Sun, 1973, the chapters on Italy in Voldemar Panso’s travel novel Laevaga Leningradist Odessasse ehk Miks otse minna, kui ringi saab (From Leningrad to Odessa by Boat or: Why Go Straight When You Can Go Around, 1957, Max Laosson’s Nato-blokk turisti bloknoodis (Notebook of a Tourist in the Nato Bloc, 1962 and Debora Vaarandi’s Välja õuest ja väravast (From the Yard and the Gate, 1970. My aim is to analyse Soviet Estonian authors’ image of Italy in order to see what characterises the Soviet travelogue. The theoretical background of the article is the research field of imagology within literary studies. Imagology and image studies deal with the depiction of countries and peoples. With the basic concepts of imagology as a starting point, the typical topic developments of the Soviet travelogue are covered, such as the thematic features of the worker, Western society and its mechanics and idiosyncracies, faith and the church, the question of the so-called ’real Italy’ and the characteristic perspicacity of writers of Soviet travelogues. When it comes to Estonian travelogues, one can talk about a Tuglasesque travelogue tradition; Friedebert Tuglas is considered one of the pioneers behind the Estonian travelogue with his works Teekond Hispaania (A Journey to Spain, 1918 and Teekond Põhja-Aafrika (A Journey to North Africa, I–III, 1928–1930. In the Tuglasesque travelogue, books of history and art, fiction and personal impressions are intertwined. The travelogue is educational and makes for good reading. The Soviet travelogue spans certain topics from a Soviet point of view and uses Soviet rhetorics and logics. The authors usually don�

The chemical and biological response of two remote mountain lakes in the Southern Central Alps (Italy to twenty years of changing physical and chemical climate

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Andrea LAMI

2004-02-01

Full Text Available Two small high mountain lakes in the Alps were monitored in 1984-2003 to follow their response to changes in human impact, such as deposition of atmospheric pollutants, fish stocking and climate change. The results were compared to occasional samplings performed in the 1940s, and to the remains found in sediment cores. When monitoring started, the most acid-sensitive of them, Lake Paione Superiore, was acidified, with evident effects in its flora and fauna: benthic diatoms assemblage was shifted towards acidophilous species, and zooplankton lost the dominant species, Arctodiaptomus alpinus. Palaeolimnological studies outlined that lake acidification paralleled the increasing input of long-range transported industrial pollutants, traced by spherical carbonaceous particles. On the contrary, the biota of Lake Paione Inferiore appeared to be mainly affected by fish stocking. In the last twenty years, decrease in acid load from the atmosphere led to an improvement in lake water quality, with an increase in both pH and alkalinity. First signs of biological recovery were identified, such as change in diatom flora and appearance of sensitive species among benthic insects. However, climate change and episodic deposition of Saharan dust were important driving factors controlling lake water chemistry. Further monitoring to assess the effects of climate change and of the increasing load of nitrogen and other pollutants is recommended.

Two dimensional modelling of flood flows and suspended sedimenttransport: the case of the Brenta River, Veneto (Italy

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P. Martini

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a numerical model for the simulation of flood waves and suspended sediment transport in a lowland river basin of North Eastern Italy. The two dimensional depth integrated momentum and continuity equations are modified to take into account the bottom irregularities that strongly affect the hydrodynamics in partially dry areas, as for example, in the first stages of an inundation process or in tidal flow. The set of equations are solved with a standard Galerkin finite element method using a semi-implicit numerical scheme where the effects of both the small channel network and the regulation devices on the flood wave propagation are accounted for. Transport of suspended sediment and bed evolution are coupled with the hydrodynamics using an appropriate form of the advection-dispersion equation and Exner's equation. Applications to a case study are presented in which the effects of extreme flooding on the Brenta River (Italy are examined. Urban and rural flood risk areas are identified and the effects of a alleviating action based on a diversion channel flowing into Venice Lagoon are simulated. The results show that this solution strongly reduces the flood risk in the downstream areas and can provide an important source of sediment for the Venice Lagoon. Finally, preliminary results of the sediment dispersion due to currents and waves in the Venice Lagoon are presented.

Two dimensional modelling of flood flows and suspended sedimenttransport: the case of the Brenta River, Veneto (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Martini, P.; Carniello, L.; Avanzi, C.

2004-03-01

The paper presents a numerical model for the simulation of flood waves and suspended sediment transport in a lowland river basin of North Eastern Italy. The two dimensional depth integrated momentum and continuity equations are modified to take into account the bottom irregularities that strongly affect the hydrodynamics in partially dry areas, as for example, in the first stages of an inundation process or in tidal flow. The set of equations are solved with a standard Galerkin finite element method using a semi-implicit numerical scheme where the effects of both the small channel network and the regulation devices on the flood wave propagation are accounted for. Transport of suspended sediment and bed evolution are coupled with the hydrodynamics using an appropriate form of the advection-dispersion equation and Exner's equation. Applications to a case study are presented in which the effects of extreme flooding on the Brenta River (Italy) are examined. Urban and rural flood risk areas are identified and the effects of a alleviating action based on a diversion channel flowing into Venice Lagoon are simulated. The results show that this solution strongly reduces the flood risk in the downstream areas and can provide an important source of sediment for the Venice Lagoon. Finally, preliminary results of the sediment dispersion due to currents and waves in the Venice Lagoon are presented.

Italy's green party: on the road to success

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenbaum, A.

1988-01-01

Italy's Green Party (Lista Verde) does not consider itself a political party but it is changing the environmental consciousness of the nation. There are new eight popular television shows covering environmental problems and a national weekly newspaper devotes a regular column to ecology. Environmental associations, including the Environmental League, have been started in the 1980s. The Greens have also succeeded in halting Italy's nuclear power programme. In a national referendum held in 1987 almost 80% of the voters agreed with the Greens' views. No fewer than 14 more popular referenda are planned throughout Italy on environmental issues. (UK)

The dialect in Italy after the union

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Anna Grochowska

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Italian dialects occupy an important position in the history of Italian linguistics and are still present and relevant in the linguistic panorama of modern Italy. The purpose of this article is to outline the linguistic image of Italy by drawing attention to its dialects. Through analysis of the situation after unification in Italy in 1861, the author attempts to mark off functions and roles which dialects used to serve. In the second part of the article she concentrates on the phenomena of nuova dialettalità, or the new perspective and collocation of dialect in the Italian linguistic panorama of the 21st century. This article is a part of a research project dedicated to functions and uses of dialects in the Italian cinematography.

The western submerged sector of the Ischia volcanic island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): new insights into its volcano-tectonic evolution

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Passaro, Salvatore; de Alteriis, Giovanni; Milano, Girolamo; Fedi, Maurizio; Florio, Giovanni

2010-05-01

The Island of Ischia is a volcanic complex located in the northern boundary of the Gulf of Naples (south-eastern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). The island represents only the 30% of a larger, E-W trending, volcanic ridge and likely controlled by a regional tectonic lineament. Despite the many geo-volcanological and geophysical investigations conducted on the island since long time, still little is the knowledge of its offshore. Several marine surveys have been carried out over the past 10 years from IAMC - CNR research institute (Naples, Italy) mostly in the frame of INGV and GNV projects, funded by Italy Civil Protection Department. Such surveys have largely improved the knowledge of the entire volcanic complex. Multibeam bathymetry surveys has revealed several, previously unexpected, morphological and morphostructural features. Moreover some structural patterns and volcano alignments offshore show similarities with those occurring at a regional scale in the Campania region and, locally, between the island of Procida and Phlegrean Fields. Here we report the joint interpretation of geophysical data focused on the western underwater sector of the island. Interpretation was chiefly based on processing/inversion of magnetic data in turn constrained by bathymetry and seismic reflection profiles. Magnetic data, acquired by the IAMC during two different cruises in 2000 and 2002 onboard of the Urania R/V oceanographic vessel, put in evidence that the western seafloor of Ischia is characterized by the presence of a strong residual magnetic anomaly field of complex behaviour, somewhere correlated to local bathymetry. These two last methods allowed to define and distinguish between undersea and subsurface magnetic (i.e. magmatic) basement. Interpretation was also constrained by seismological data.

Celiac disease and immigration in Northeastern Italy: the “drawn double nostalgia” of “cozonac” and “panettone” slices

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Parco S

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Sergio Parco, Angelo Città, Fulvia Vascotto, Giorgio TamaroImmunopathology Unit, Burlo Garofolo Children's Hospital, Trieste, ItalyAbstract: Many investigators consider children's drawings to be an important test in the evaluation of stress and anxiety, but few studies have examined the reliability and validity of indicators of emotional distress in children's projective drawings. In this report, we describe screening tests in children coming to the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Northeastern Italy from non-European Union regions and suspected to have celiac disease, the problems involved in diagnosis of the disease, and the “drawn double nostalgia” of Romanian children for both Italian food and traditional Romanian foods. Of 3150 Western European cases, we found 712 with positive antibodies for IgA/IgG antitransglutaminase, 174 with a positive antiendomysium antibody confirmation test, and 20 with an IgA deficit. Of the children examined, 93% were children native to Western Europe, 4% were immigrants from Eastern Europe, and 1.6% originated from Africa. Among these, four Romanian children with celiac disease brought in their drawings, as requested in a hospital questionnaire. The prevalence of celiac disease is destined to increase among immigrants. Economic problems are common, and the twin nostalgia of immigrant children for foods and tastes that are “cozonac” (from the native country and “panettone” (Italian cake flavor represents a problem that will be difficult to resolve. Only some children's hospitals in Italy, ie, Burlo Garofolo and Gaslini, public and private foundations, or volunteer associations would be able to deal with this problem.Keywords: drawing, nostalgia, immigration, celiac disease, food, children

Attitudes of livestock farmers and sensitivity of livestock farming systems to drought conditions in the French Alps

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Laurent Dobremez

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Livestock farming systems in the French Alps are particularly exposed to the predicted climate change and most of them have already experienced periods of drought since the beginning of the 2000s. Faced with this risk, livestock farmers have put in place a certain number of measures and envisage introducing others in the future. For the present study, surveys were conducted among livestock farmers to identify these measures and analyses were carried out to characterise the attitudes of livestock farmers to drought conditions and to evaluate changes in the sensitivity of their livestock farming systems. With the exception of those farms with extensive irrigated areas, all the farms are seeking solutions to deal with the risks arising from droughts. One solution is to purchase fodder to compensate for the decrease in the harvests that normally provide animal feed in the winter; the amounts purchased vary with the length of wintering required. For the grazing periods, the high mountain livestock breeders and the dairy systems of the Northern Alps rely above all on extending and over-sizing the pasture areas in relation to the needs of the herds. The livestock farms of the Southern Alps also rely on the diversity of vegetation areas and a certain flexibility in the practices used to adapt to conditions experienced during the year. A succession of dry years could result in more radical breakdowns in the livestock systems. It should also be remembered that climate change is only one of the factors influencing the types of changes taking place on farms.Les systèmes d'élevage des Alpes françaises sont fortement exposés au changement climatique annoncé et la plupart subissent déjà des épisodes de sécheresse depuis le début des années 2000. Face à ces aléas, les éleveurs ont mis en œuvre un certain nombre de leviers et envisagent d'en activer d'autres à l'avenir. Des enquêtes en exploitation ont permis d’identifier ces leviers. Leur

Recent slope failures in the Dolomites (Northeastern Italian Alps) in a context of climate change

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Chiarle, Marta; Paranunzio, Roberta; Laio, Francesco; Nigrelli, Guido; Guzzetti, Fausto

2014-05-01

Climate change in the Greater Alpine Region is seriously affecting permafrost distribution, with relevant consequences on slope stability. In the Italian Alps, the number of failures from rockwalls at high elevation markedly increased in the last 20-30 years: the consistent temperature increase, which warmed twice than the global average, may have seriously influenced slope stability, in terms of glaciers retreat and permafrost degradation. Moreover, the growing number of tourists and activities in alpine regions (in particular in the Dolomites) made these areas particularly critical in relation to natural hazards. In this light, an integrated short-term geomorphological and climatic analysis was performed, in order to better comprehend the impact of main climate elements (especially temperature and precipitation) on slope failures in high mountain areas. In this contribution, we focus on three recent slope failures occurred at high elevation sites in the Dolomites (Northeastern Italian Alps), declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in August 2009. We describe here three important rock falls occurred in the autumn 2013: 1) the Sorapiss rock fall, on 30 September 2013; 2) the Monte Civetta rock fall, on 16 November 2013; 3) the Monte Antelao rock fall, on 22 November 2013. The Monte Civetta rock fall damaged some climbing routes, while the other two landslides did not cause any damage or injury. Despite the limited volume involved, these three events represent an important warning sign in the context of ongoing climate change. Geomorphological information about the rock fall sites were combined with the climatic data acquired from the meteorological stations surrounding the slope failure areas. A short-term climatic analysis was performed, with the aim of understanding the role of the main climatic elements in the triggering of natural instability events in this area and in the Alps in general.

Link between concentrations of sediment flux and deep crustal processes beneath the European Alps.

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Garefalakis, Philippos; Schlunegger, Fritz

2018-01-09

Large sediment fluxes from mountain belts have the potential to cause megafans to prograde into the neighbouring sedimentary basins. These mechanisms have been documented based from numerical modelling and stratigraphic records. However, little attention has been focused on inferring temporal changes in the concentrations of supplied sediment from coarse-grained deposits. Here, we extract changes of this variable in the field from a Late Oligocene, c. 4 km-thick suite of fluvial conglomerates situated in the North Alpine foreland basin, which evolved in response to the tectonic and erosional history of the Alps. We measure a decrease in channel depths from >2 m to 20 cm from the base to the top of the suite. These constraints are used to calculate an increase in fan surface slopes from 1.0° based on the Shields criteria for sediment entrainment. We combine slope and bulk grain size data with the Bagnold equation for sediment transport to infer higher concentrations of the supplied sediment. We use these shifts to propose a change towards faster erosion and a steeper landscape in the Alpine hinterland, driven by mantle-scale processes beneath the Alps.

Italy Seen Through the Eyes of Anselmo Adorno. A Testimony of the Middle Ages

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Beatrice Borghi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Anselmo Adorno was one of the most prominent and influential men of Western Europe in the late Middle Ages in the area between Flanders, the Duchy of Burgundy and Scotland. Negotiator, wise, magistrate, Anselmo left us the journey report Itinerarium Terrae Sanctae Anselmi Adorni, written by his son Giovanni, a source of extraordinary wealth for the details and descriptions of places, customs and customs of the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean. Of particular interest is also the description of the cities, the urban and rural landscape, the routes that Adorno travelled in his journey between 1470 and 1471. The article will therefore take the moves from this precious testimony to describe the Italy visited by the pilgrim of Bruges, including Genoa, a family town of Rome, Brindisi and the Apulian cities of Naples, and the route that from the eternal city led to Venice, Cologne and finally to the West Flanders.

Assessing health literacy in the eastern and middle-eastern cultures

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Satish Chandrasekhar Nair

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Health literacy is a term employed to assess the ability of people to meet the increasing demands related to health in a rapidly evolving society. Low health literacy can affect the social determinants of health, health outcomes and the use of healthcare services. The purpose of the study was to develop a survey construct to assess health literacy within the context of regional culture. Different socioeconomic status among the Eastern and Middle Eastern countries may restrict, health information access and utilization for those with low literacy. Methods By employing expert panel, Delphi technique, focus group methodologies, and pre-testing using participants (N = 900 from the UAE and India, a survey construct to the Eastern-Middle Eastern cultures was developed. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s α and validity using Factor analysis. Kiaser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s tests were used to assess the strength of the relationship among the variables. Results Inclusion of non-health related items were found to be critical in the authentic assessment of health literacy in the Eastern and Middle Eastern population given the influence of social desirability. Thirty-two percentage of the original 19-item construct was eliminated by the focus group for reasons of relevance and impact for the local culture. Field pretesting participants from two countries, indicated overall construct reliability (Cronbach’s α =0.85, validity and consistency (KMO value of 0.92 and Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant. Conclusion The Eastern-Middle Eastern Adult Health Literacy (EMAHL13, screening instrument is brief, simple, a useful indicator of whether or not a patient can read. It assessespatients’ ability to comprehend by distinguishing between health and non-health related items. The EMAHL13 will be a useful too for the reliable assessment of health literacy in countries, where culture plays a

Assessing health literacy in the eastern and middle-eastern cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Nair, Satish Chandrasekhar; Satish, Karthyayani Priya; Sreedharan, Jayadevan; Ibrahim, Halah

2016-08-19

Health literacy is a term employed to assess the ability of people to meet the increasing demands related to health in a rapidly evolving society. Low health literacy can affect the social determinants of health, health outcomes and the use of healthcare services. The purpose of the study was to develop a survey construct to assess health literacy within the context of regional culture. Different socioeconomic status among the Eastern and Middle Eastern countries may restrict, health information access and utilization for those with low literacy. By employing expert panel, Delphi technique, focus group methodologies, and pre-testing using participants (N = 900) from the UAE and India, a survey construct to the Eastern-Middle Eastern cultures was developed. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's α and validity using Factor analysis. Kiaser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) sampling adequacy and Bartlett's tests were used to assess the strength of the relationship among the variables. Inclusion of non-health related items were found to be critical in the authentic assessment of health literacy in the Eastern and Middle Eastern population given the influence of social desirability. Thirty-two percentage of the original 19-item construct was eliminated by the focus group for reasons of relevance and impact for the local culture. Field pretesting participants from two countries, indicated overall construct reliability (Cronbach's α =0.85), validity and consistency (KMO value of 0.92 and Bartlett's test of sphericity was significant). The Eastern-Middle Eastern Adult Health Literacy (EMAHL13), screening instrument is brief, simple, a useful indicator of whether or not a patient can read. It assessespatients' ability to comprehend by distinguishing between health and non-health related items. The EMAHL13 will be a useful too for the reliable assessment of health literacy in countries, where culture plays a significant impact. This will be the first steptowards providing

Rainfall thresholds for the possible occurrence of landslides in Italy

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M. T. Brunetti

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In Italy, rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides that frequently cause fatalities and large economic damage. Using a variety of information sources, we have compiled a catalogue listing 753 rainfall events that have resulted in landslides in Italy. For each event in the catalogue, the exact or approximate location of the landslide and the time or period of initiation of the slope failure is known, together with information on the rainfall duration D, and the rainfall mean intensity I, that have resulted in the slope failure. The catalogue represents the single largest collection of information on rainfall-induced landslides in Italy, and was exploited to determine the minimum rainfall conditions necessary for landslide occurrence in Italy, and in the Abruzzo Region, central Italy. For the purpose, new national rainfall thresholds for Italy and new regional rainfall thresholds for the Abruzzo Region were established, using two independent statistical methods, including a Bayesian inference method and a new Frequentist approach. The two methods proved complementary, with the Bayesian method more suited to analyze small data sets, and the Frequentist method performing better when applied to large data sets. The new regional thresholds for the Abruzzo Region are lower than the new national thresholds for Italy, and lower than the regional thresholds proposed in the literature for the Piedmont and Lombardy Regions in northern Italy, and for the Campania Region in southern Italy. This is important, because it shows that landslides in Italy can be triggered by less severe rainfall conditions than previously recognized. The Frequentist method experimented in this work allows for the definition of multiple minimum rainfall thresholds, each based on a different exceedance probability level. This makes the thresholds suited for the design of probabilistic schemes for the prediction of rainfall-induced landslides. A scheme based on four

Eastern Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baret, J.P.; Corcuff, A.; Jousten, M.; Cherie, J.B.; Gorge, X.; Augustin, X.; Belime, F.

1999-01-01

By its economical and political impact, nuclear energy has an important contribution the countries of Eastern Europe that goes beyond simple energy source. The most important challenge is to gain a safety culture. Improvements have been noted but the reactors safety must stay a priority of the international cooperation in Eastern Europe. The plan for the completion and improvement of Mochovce nuclear plant is described, the situation of Chernobyl and how to make the sarcophagus in safe is discussed, the experience of a french P.M.E. ( small and medium size firm) called Corys Tess that has chosen to position itself on the Eastern Europe nuclear market is related. (N.C.)

MAPK Signaling Pathway Alters Expression of Midgut ALP and ABCC Genes and Causes Resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac Toxin in Diamondback Moth

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Wu, Qingjun; Wang, Shaoli; Xie, Wen; Zhu, Xun; Baxter, Simon W.; Zhou, Xuguo; Jurat-Fuentes, Juan Luis; Zhang, Youjun

2015-01-01

Insecticidal crystal toxins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are widely used as biopesticide sprays or expressed in transgenic crops to control insect pests. However, large-scale use of Bt has led to field-evolved resistance in several lepidopteran pests. Resistance to Bt Cry1Ac toxin in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.), was previously mapped to a multigenic resistance locus (BtR-1). Here, we assembled the 3.15 Mb BtR-1 locus and found high-level resistance to Cry1Ac and Bt biopesticide in four independent P. xylostella strains were all associated with differential expression of a midgut membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase (ALP) outside this locus and a suite of ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily C (ABCC) genes inside this locus. The interplay between these resistance genes is controlled by a previously uncharacterized trans-regulatory mechanism via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Molecular, biochemical, and functional analyses have established ALP as a functional Cry1Ac receptor. Phenotypic association experiments revealed that the recessive Cry1Ac resistance was tightly linked to down-regulation of ALP, ABCC2 and ABCC3, whereas it was not linked to up-regulation of ABCC1. Silencing of ABCC2 and ABCC3 in susceptible larvae reduced their susceptibility to Cry1Ac but did not affect the expression of ALP, whereas suppression of MAP4K4, a constitutively transcriptionally-activated MAPK upstream gene within the BtR-1 locus, led to a transient recovery of gene expression thereby restoring the susceptibility in resistant larvae. These results highlight a crucial role for ALP and ABCC genes in field-evolved resistance to Cry1Ac and reveal a novel trans-regulatory signaling mechanism responsible for modulating the expression of these pivotal genes in P. xylostella. PMID:25875245

MAPK signaling pathway alters expression of midgut ALP and ABCC genes and causes resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac toxin in diamondback moth.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaojiang Guo

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Insecticidal crystal toxins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt are widely used as biopesticide sprays or expressed in transgenic crops to control insect pests. However, large-scale use of Bt has led to field-evolved resistance in several lepidopteran pests. Resistance to Bt Cry1Ac toxin in the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L., was previously mapped to a multigenic resistance locus (BtR-1. Here, we assembled the 3.15 Mb BtR-1 locus and found high-level resistance to Cry1Ac and Bt biopesticide in four independent P. xylostella strains were all associated with differential expression of a midgut membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase (ALP outside this locus and a suite of ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily C (ABCC genes inside this locus. The interplay between these resistance genes is controlled by a previously uncharacterized trans-regulatory mechanism via the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK signaling pathway. Molecular, biochemical, and functional analyses have established ALP as a functional Cry1Ac receptor. Phenotypic association experiments revealed that the recessive Cry1Ac resistance was tightly linked to down-regulation of ALP, ABCC2 and ABCC3, whereas it was not linked to up-regulation of ABCC1. Silencing of ABCC2 and ABCC3 in susceptible larvae reduced their susceptibility to Cry1Ac but did not affect the expression of ALP, whereas suppression of MAP4K4, a constitutively transcriptionally-activated MAPK upstream gene within the BtR-1 locus, led to a transient recovery of gene expression thereby restoring the susceptibility in resistant larvae. These results highlight a crucial role for ALP and ABCC genes in field-evolved resistance to Cry1Ac and reveal a novel trans-regulatory signaling mechanism responsible for modulating the expression of these pivotal genes in P. xylostella.

Intense air-sea exchanges and heavy orographic precipitation over Italy: The role of Adriatic sea surface temperature uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Stocchi, Paolo; Davolio, Silvio

2017-11-01

Strong and persistent low-level winds blowing over the Adriatic basin are often associated with intense precipitation events over Italy. Typically, in case of moist southeasterly wind (Sirocco), rainfall affects northeastern Italy and the Alpine chain, while with cold northeasterly currents (Bora) precipitations are localized along the eastern slopes of the Apennines and central Italy coastal areas. These events are favoured by intense air-sea interactions and it is reasonable to hypothesize that the Adriatic sea surface temperature (SST) can affect the amount and location of precipitation. High-resolution simulations of different Bora and Sirocco events leading to severe precipitation are performed using a convection-permitting model (MOLOCH). Sensitivity experiments varying the SST initialization field are performed with the aim of evaluating the impact of SST uncertainty on precipitation forecasts, which is a relevant topic for operational weather predictions, especially at local scales. Moreover, diagnostic tools to compute water vapour fluxes across the Italian coast and atmospheric water budget over the Adriatic Sea have been developed and applied in order to characterize the air mass that feeds the precipitating systems. Finally, the investigation of the processes through which the SST influences location and intensity of heavy precipitation allows to gain a better understanding on mechanisms conducive to severe weather in the Mediterranean area and in the Adriatic basin in particular. Results show that the effect of the Adriatic SST (uncertainty) on precipitation is complex and can vary considerably among different events. For both Bora and Sirocco events, SST does not influence markedly the atmospheric water budget or the degree of moistening of air that flows over the Adriatic Sea. SST mainly affects the stability of the atmospheric boundary layer, thus influencing the flow dynamics and the orographic flow regime, and in turn, the precipitation pattern.

Celiac disease and immigration in Northeastern Italy: the "drawn double nostalgia" of "cozonac" and "panettone" slices.

Science.gov (United States)

Parco, Sergio; Città, Angelo; Vascotto, Fulvia; Tamaro, Giorgio

2011-01-01

Many investigators consider children's drawings to be an important test in the evaluation of stress and anxiety, but few studies have examined the reliability and validity of indicators of emotional distress in children's projective drawings. In this report, we describe screening tests in children coming to the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in Northeastern Italy from non-European Union regions and suspected to have celiac disease, the problems involved in diagnosis of the disease, and the "drawn double nostalgia" of Romanian children for both Italian food and traditional Romanian foods. Of 3150 Western European cases, we found 712 with positive antibodies for IgA/IgG antitransglutaminase, 174 with a positive antiendomysium antibody confirmation test, and 20 with an IgA deficit. Of the children examined, 93% were children native to Western Europe, 4% were immigrants from Eastern Europe, and 1.6% originated from Africa. Among these, four Romanian children with celiac disease brought in their drawings, as requested in a hospital questionnaire. The prevalence of celiac disease is destined to increase among immigrants. Economic problems are common, and the twin nostalgia of immigrant children for foods and tastes that are "cozonac" (from the native country) and "panettone" (Italian cake flavor) represents a problem that will be difficult to resolve. Only some children's hospitals in Italy, ie, Burlo Garofolo and Gaslini, public and private foundations, or volunteer associations would be able to deal with this problem.

The US Mission in Italy's "Partnership for Growth"

Science.gov (United States)

Spogli, Ronald P.; Truhn, J. Patrick

2008-01-01

This paper first examines key differences between the traditional approaches of the USA and Italy in relation to innovation and entrepreneurship. The authors then turn to the specific example of southern Italy, which has experienced higher rates of unemployment, lower US investment and fewer educational and cultural exchanges than the rest of the…

Late Pleistocene - Holocene surface processes and landscape evolution in the central Swiss Alps

Science.gov (United States)

Boxleitner, Max; Musso, Alessandra; Waroszewski, Jarosław; Malkiewicz, Małgorzata; Maisch, Max; Dahms, Dennis; Brandová, Dagmar; Christl, Marcus; de Castro Portes, Raquel; Egli, Markus

2017-10-01

The European Alps are a geomorphologically active region and experience a number of gravity-driven hillslope processes. Soil and landscape formation in the Alps has consequently undergone several minor and major traceable changes of developmental trajectories during the Holocene. Soil development is hypothesised to be often non-linear with time and characterised by stages of progressive and regressive evolution caused by upbuilding (formation, profile deepening) and erosion (profile shallowing). Several cold and warm climate phases are identified during the Holocene but it is largely unknown which effects these might have had on slope processes. By using datable moraines (10Be) and mires (14C), we have constructed a temporal framework for these processes. Using the geochemical imprint of mires in the Alpine setting of the Göschener-valley of the Central Swiss Alps, we reconstructed general (mostly erosional) landscape processes for the last ca. 10 ka. As this is the type locality for the Göschener cold phase, we assumed that this phase (Göschener cold phase I and II 1.5 and 2.5 ka BP) should have left easily recognizable traits. After deglaciation (11-12 ka BP), soil evolution was progressive. Beginning around 8 ka BP, we detect a distinct increase in erosion here, together with a vegetation change (towards tundra vegetation) and the highest measured rates of carbon sequestration. Other phases of high geomorphic activity were recognised ca. 5-6 ka BP, 4 ka BP and, to a lesser extent, 1-3 ka ago. The cold phase at 5-6 ka BP corresponds to a less distinct change in vegetation and lessened erosion. Human impact is increasingly obvious since about 2.4 ka BP which overlaps with the Göschener cold phase. Nonetheless, erosion processes were not extraordinarily high during this period and a climate effect cannot be distinguished. We detect evidence of increasing human disturbance (regressive soil evolution) for about the last 1 ka. We also detect an increase in dust

Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Italy [Italian Version, Executive Summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

This review analyses the energy challenges facing Italy and provides sectoral critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide Italy towards a more sustainable energy future. The Italian government has made substantial progress in a number of sectors since the last IEA in-depth energy policy review in 2003. The success of the green certificate and white certificate schemes and continued reform of the electricity and natural gas supply markets are just a few examples and build on the recommendations contained in the previous review. Nonetheless, many challenges remain. Italy recognises the need to diversify its energy supply portfolio to reduce its heavy dependence on fossil fuels and electricity imports, and to decrease its growing greenhouse gas emissions. In 2008, the government announced its intention to recommence the countrys nuclear power program and start building a new nuclear power plant by 2013. To do so, Italy must first develop an efficient process for identifying critical energy infrastructure, including nuclear power, and subjecting it to an effective, streamlined siting and permitting process. Italy will face another major challenge in complying with Europe’s new climate and energy package, particularly in relation to renewable energy and emissions targets. Italy must step up efforts to comply with its new responsibilities, specifically by developing and putting in place a comprehensive climate change strategy for the years until 2020. In mid-2009, the legislature enacted a comprehensive new law that will facilitate the emergence of a robust long-term energy policy. The government must respond to this opportunity and elaborate, with industry, a comprehensive long-term strategy for the development of the energy sector. This review analyses the energy challenges facing Italy and provides sectoral critiques and recommendations for further policy improvements. It is intended to help guide Italy towards a more

Linking orogen and peripheral foreland basin: conceptual model and application to the Southalpine-Dinaric (Friuli) orocline

Science.gov (United States)

Heberer, Bianca; Neubauer, Franz

2010-05-01

). Bedrock ages from the vicinity of the Valsugana thrust indicate an important exhumational event at about 10 Ma (Zattin et al., 2006). The existing data already hint at decreasing rates of thermal overprint towards the foreland. Basement uplifts partly display AFT ages contemporaneous to subsidence in intra-orogenic basins. Consequently, existing AFT data and their relationships to intervening Neogene basins suggest a Neogene large-wavelength crustal-scale fold structure between the Klagenfurt basin and the Adriatic Sea. The main stage of subsidence in the Venetian-Adriatic foreland is younger and of Late Pliocene-Pleistocene age reflecting the final, still ongoing stage of shortening (Barbieri et al., 2007). In order to further test these observations, we aim at collecting more structural and low-T thermochronological data from the region. First results from the recently started project "AlDi-Adria" will be presented. References Barbieri, C. et al. 2007: Natural subsidence of the Venice area during the last 60 Myr. Basin Res., 19, 105-123. Fodor, L. et al. 2008: Miocene emplacement and rapid cooling of the Pohorje pluton at the Alpine-Pannonian-Dinaric junction: a geochronological and structural study. Swiss J. Geosci., 101 Suppl. 1, S255-S271. Hejl, E. 1997: 'Cold spots' during the Cenozoic evolution of the Eastern Alps: thermochronological interpretation of apatite fission-track data. Tectonophysics, 272, 159-172. Luth S. W. & Willingshofer, E. 2008: Mapping of the Post-Collisional Cooling History of the Eastern Alps. Swiss J. Geosci., 101, 207-223. Stefani, C. 2008: Provenance and Paleogeographic Evolution in a Multi-Source Foreland: The Cenozoic Venetian-Friulian Basin (NE Italy). J. Sediment. Res., 77, 867-887. Zattin, M. et al. 2006: From Middle Jurassic heating to Neogene cooling: The thermochronological evolution of the southern Alps. Tectonophysics, 414, 191-202.

Application of Powder Diffraction Methods to the Analysis of the Atomic Structure of Nanocrystals: The Concept of the Apparent Lattice Parameter (ALP)

Science.gov (United States)

Palosz, B.; Grzanka, E.; Gierlotka, S.; Stelmakh, S.; Pielaszek, R.; Bismayer, U.; Weber, H.-P.; Palosz, W.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The applicability of standard methods of elaboration of powder diffraction data for determination of the structure of nano-size crystallites is analysed. Based on our theoretical calculations of powder diffraction data we show, that the assumption of the infinite crystal lattice for nanocrystals smaller than 20 nm in size is not justified. Application of conventional tools developed for elaboration of powder diffraction data, like the Rietveld method, may lead to erroneous interpretation of the experimental results. An alternate evaluation of diffraction data of nanoparticles, based on the so-called 'apparent lattice parameter' (alp) is introduced. We assume a model of nanocrystal having a grain core with well-defined crystal structure, surrounded by a surface shell with the atomic structure similar to that of the core but being under a strain (compressive or tensile). The two structural components, the core and the shell, form essentially a composite crystal with interfering, inseparable diffraction properties. Because the structure of such a nanocrystal is not uniform, it defies the basic definitions of an unambiguous crystallographic phase. Consequently, a set of lattice parameters used for characterization of simple crystal phases is insufficient for a proper description of the complex structure of nanocrystals. We developed a method of evaluation of powder diffraction data of nanocrystals, which refers to a core-shell model and is based on the 'apparent lattice parameter' methodology. For a given diffraction pattem, the alp values are calculated for every individual Bragg reflection. For nanocrystals the alp values depend on the diffraction vector Q. By modeling different a0tomic structures of nanocrystals and calculating theoretically corresponding diffraction patterns using the Debye functions we showed, that alp-Q plots show characteristic shapes which can be used for evaluation of the atomic structure of the core-shell system. We show, that using a simple

ALPS - advanced limiter-divertor plasma-facing systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allain, J. P.; Bastasz, R.; Brooks, J. N.; Evans, T.; Hassanein, A.; Luckhardt, S.; Maingi, R.; Mattas, R. F.; McCarthy, K.; Mioduszewski, P.; Mogahed, E.; Moir, R.; Molokov, S.; Morely, N.; Nygren, R.; Reed, C.; Rognlien, T.; Ruzic, D.; Sviatoslavsky, I.; Sze, D.; Tillack, M.; Ulrickson, M.; Wade, P. M.; Wong, C.; Wooley, R.

1999-01-01

The Advanced Limiter-divertor Plasma-facing Systems (ALPS) program was initiated in order to evaluate the potential for improved performance and lifetime for plasma-facing systems. The main goal of the program is to demonstrate the advantages of advanced limiter/divertor systems over conventional systems in terms of power density capability, component lifetime, and power conversion efficiency, while providing for safe operation and minimizing impurity concerns for the plasma. Most of the work to date has been applied to free surface liquids. A multi-disciplinary team from several institutions has been organized to address the key issues associated with these systems. The main performance goals for advanced limiters and diverters are a peak heat flux of >50 MW/m 2 ,elimination of a lifetime limit for erosion, and the ability to extract useful heat at high power conversion efficiency (approximately40%). The evaluation of various options is being conducted through a combination of laboratory experiments, modeling of key processes, and conceptual design studies. The current emphasis for the work is on the effects of free surface liquids on plasma edge performance

Using online database for landslide susceptibility assessment with an example from the Veneto Region (north-eastern Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Floris, Mario; Squarzoni, Cristina; Zorzi, Luca; D'Alpaos, Andrea; Iafelice, Maria

2010-05-01

Landslide susceptibility maps describe landslide-prone areas by the spatial correlation between landslides and related factors, derived from different kinds of datasets: geological, geotechnical and geomechanical maps, hydrogeological maps, landslides maps, vector and raster terrain data, real-time inclinometer and pore pressure data. In the last decade, thanks to the increasing use of web-based tools for management, sharing and communication of territorial information, many Web-based Geographical Information Systems (WebGIS) were created by local governments or nations, University and Research Centres. Nowadays there is a strong proliferation of geological WebGIS or GeoBrowser, allowing free download of spatial information. There are global Cartographical Portals that provide a free download of DTM and other vector data related to the whole planet (http://www.webgis.com). At major scale, there are WebGIS regarding entire nation (http://www.agiweb.org), or specific region of a country (http://www.mrt.tas.gov.au), or single municipality (http://sitn.ne.ch/). Moreover, portals managed by local government and academic government (http://turtle.ags.gov.ab.ca/Peace_River/Site/) or by a private agency (http://www.bbt-se.com) are noteworthy. In Italy, the first national projects for the creation of WebGIS and web-based databases begun during the 1980s, and evolved, through years, to the present number of different WebGIS, which have different territorial extensions: national (Italian National Cartographical Portal, http://www.pcn.minambiente.it; E-GEO Project, http://www.egeo.unisi.it), interregional (River Tiber Basin Authority, www.abtevere.it ), and regional (Veneto Region, www.regione.veneto.it). In this way we investigated most of the Italian WebGIS in order to verify their geographic range and the availability and quality of data useful for landslide hazard analyses. We noticed a large variability of the accessing information among the different browsers. In

Biofuels in Italy: obstacles and development opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pignatelli, Vito; Clementi, Chiara

2006-01-01

Today biofuels are the sole realistically practical way to reduce CO 2 emissions in the transportation sector. In many countries, including Italy, biofuel production and use are already a reality corresponding to a large agro-industrial production system that uses essentially mature technologies. To significantly lower production costs and optimise land use, Italy needs to develop new, second-generation biofuel production operations that can offer significant opportunities to the nation's agro-industrial sector [it

Stars in the Silurian sky: Echinoderm holdfasts from the Carnic Alps, Austria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferretti, A.; Ausich, W.I.; Corradini, C.; Corriga, M.G.; Schoenlaub, H.P.

2016-01-01

A small collection of echinoderm holdfasts from the Ludlow Cardiola Formation of the Carnic Alps (Austria) contains a wide range of morphologies as a response of environmental adaptation. In general, the holdfasts have a globous and massive dome-like profile with several processes arranged in a sub-radial disposition, so to create a sort of ‘star-like’ outline. A small central depression is common but not present on all specimens. The distinctive holdfasts are preserved in an iron-rich phase, documenting a substitution that has also affected other non-echinoderm calcareous material. (Author)

Palaeoenvironmental changes in the Late Triassic (Rhaetian) of the Northern Calcareous Alps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mette, Wolfgang; Elsler, Armin; Korte, Christoph

2012-01-01

in the Kössen Formation and determine their significance for environmental and climatic conditions in the Rhaetian sea of the Eiberg Basin (Northern Calcareous Alps). For this purpose 60 δ 18O measurements on 43 articulate brachiopods samples from 8 different horizons were carried out. The results indicate...... to the lowest unit 3 of the Eiberg Member that parallels oxygen isotopes. This positive δ 13C trend is interrupted by a sudden ~1.5‰ negative excursion in the late Rhaetian (Late Rhaetian Event), a time span when the oxygen isotopes remain heavy....

Stars in the Silurian sky: Echinoderm holdfasts from the Carnic Alps, Austria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferretti, A.; Ausich, W.I.; Corradini, C.; Corriga, M.G.; Schoenlaub, H.P.

2016-07-01

A small collection of echinoderm holdfasts from the Ludlow Cardiola Formation of the Carnic Alps (Austria) contains a wide range of morphologies as a response of environmental adaptation. In general, the holdfasts have a globous and massive dome-like profile with several processes arranged in a sub-radial disposition, so to create a sort of ‘star-like’ outline. A small central depression is common but not present on all specimens. The distinctive holdfasts are preserved in an iron-rich phase, documenting a substitution that has also affected other non-echinoderm calcareous material. (Author)

Hepatitis E Virus Genotype 4 Outbreak, Italy, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

Garbuglia, Anna R.; Scognamiglio, Paola; Petrosillo, Nicola; Mastroianni, Claudio Maria; Sordillo, Pasquale; Gentile, Daniele; La Scala, Patrizia; Girardi, Enrico

2013-01-01

During 2011, 5 persons in the area of Lazio, Italy were infected with a monophyletic strain of hepatitis E virus that showed high sequence homology with isolates from swine in China. Detection of this genotype in Italy parallels findings in other countries in Europe, signaling the possible spread of strains new to Western countries. PMID:23260079

Mass-movement and flood-induced deposits in Lake Ledro, southern Alps, Italy: implications for Holocene palaeohydrology and natural hazards

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Simonneau

2013-03-01

Full Text Available High-resolution seismic profiles and sediment cores from Lake Ledro combined with soil and riverbed samples from the lake's catchment area are used to assess the recurrence of natural hazards (earthquakes and flood events in the southern Italian Alps during the Holocene. Two well-developed deltas and a flat central basin are identified on seismic profiles in Lake Ledro. Lake sediments have been finely laminated in the basin since 9000 cal. yr BP and frequently interrupted by two types of sedimentary events (SEs: light-coloured massive layers and dark-coloured graded beds. Optical analysis (quantitative organic petrography of the organic matter present in soil, riverbed and lacustrine samples together with lake sediment bulk density and grain-size analysis illustrate that light-coloured layers consist of a mixture of lacustrine sediments and mainly contain algal particles similar to the ones observed in background sediments. Light-coloured layers thicker than 1.5 cm in the main basin of Lake Ledro are synchronous to numerous coeval mass-wasting deposits remoulding the slopes of the basin. They are interpreted as subaquatic mass-movements triggered by historical and pre-historical regional earthquakes dated to AD 2005, AD 1891, AD 1045 and 1260, 2545, 2595, 3350, 3815, 4740, 7190, 9185 and 11 495 cal. yr BP. Dark-coloured SEs develop high-amplitude reflections in front of the deltas and in the deep central basin. These beds are mainly made of terrestrial organic matter (soils and lignocellulosic debris and are interpreted as resulting from intense hyperpycnal flood event. Mapping and quantifying the amount of soil material accumulated in the Holocene hyperpycnal flood deposits of the sequence allow estimating that the equivalent soil thickness eroded over the catchment area reached up to 5 mm during the largest Holocene flood events. Such significant soil erosion is interpreted as resulting from the combination of heavy rainfall and snowmelt. The

The nuclear in Italy - state of the art; Le nucleaire en Italie - etat des lieux

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schifano, F.; Ziller, T

2007-02-15

This report aims to evaluate the italian situation in matter of the nuclear, following the referendum of 1987 which decided to stop the nuclear power plants in the country. The first part is devoted to the historical aspects of the nuclear sector in Italy. The second chapter presents the institutional and legislative framework. The third chapter discusses the today situation and the italian actors of the nuclear, from the radioactive wastes management and the dismantling of nuclear installations to the engineering service realized in other countries. It discusses also the research and development programs. The last chapter proposes perspectives of the debate around a possible restart of the nuclear activity in Italy.

Characterization, 1064 nm photon signals and background events of a tungsten TES detector for the ALPS experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreyling-Eschweiler, J.; Doebrich, B.; Januschek, F.; Lindner, A.; Bastidon, N.; Horns, D.

2015-02-01

The high efficiency, low-background, and single-photon detection with transition-edge sensors (TES) is making this type of detector attractive in widely different types of application. In this paper, we present first characterizations of a TES to be used in the Any Light Particle Search (ALPS) experiment searching for new fundamental ultra-light particles. Firstly, we describe the setup and the main components of the ALPS TES detector (TES, millikelvin-cryostat and SQUID read-out) and their performances. Secondly, we explain a dedicated analysis method for single-photon spectroscopy and rejection of non-photon background. Finally, we report on results from extensive background measurements. Considering an event-selection, optimized for a wavelength of 1064 nm, we achieved a background suppression of ∝10 -3 with a ∝ 50 % efficiency for photons passing the selection. The resulting overall efficiency was 23 % with a dark count rate of 8.6.10 -3 s -1 . We observed that pile-up events of thermal photons are the main background component.

Earthquake Scenario-Based Tsunami Wave Heights in the Eastern Mediterranean and Connected Seas

Science.gov (United States)

Necmioglu, Ocal; Özel, Nurcan Meral

2015-12-01

We identified a set of tsunami scenario input parameters in a 0.5° × 0.5° uniformly gridded area in the Eastern Mediterranean, Aegean (both for shallow- and intermediate-depth earthquakes) and Black Seas (only shallow earthquakes) and calculated tsunami scenarios using the SWAN-Joint Research Centre (SWAN-JRC) code ( Mader 2004; Annunziato 2007) with 2-arcmin resolution bathymetry data for the range of 6.5—Mwmax with an Mw increment of 0.1 at each grid in order to realize a comprehensive analysis of tsunami wave heights from earthquakes originating in the region. We defined characteristic earthquake source parameters from a compiled set of sources such as existing moment tensor catalogues and various reference studies, together with the Mwmax assigned in the literature, where possible. Results from 2,415 scenarios show that in the Eastern Mediterranean and its connected seas (Aegean and Black Sea), shallow earthquakes with Mw ≥ 6.5 may result in coastal wave heights of 0.5 m, whereas the same wave height would be expected only from intermediate-depth earthquakes with Mw ≥ 7.0 . The distribution of maximum wave heights calculated indicate that tsunami wave heights up to 1 m could be expected in the northern Aegean, whereas in the Black Sea, Cyprus, Levantine coasts, northern Libya, eastern Sicily, southern Italy, and western Greece, up to 3-m wave height could be possible. Crete, the southern Aegean, and the area between northeast Libya and Alexandria (Egypt) is prone to maximum tsunami wave heights of >3 m. Considering that calculations are performed at a minimum bathymetry depth of 20 m, these wave heights may, according to Green's Law, be amplified by a factor of 2 at the coastline. The study can provide a basis for detailed tsunami hazard studies in the region.

Stray dog and cat laws and enforcement in Czech Republic and in Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Voslářvá

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The growing numbers of stray dogs and cats have posed serious public-health, socioeconomic, political and animal-welfare problems in many EU countries. Stray animal population control is a complex issue and there are no easy solutions. Recognising the importance of the issue the European Commission has, since 2007, actively contributed to the elaboration of the first global welfare standards for the control of dog populations in the framework of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE. Problem-solving approaches vary in different countries as there is no common European Community legislation dealing with stray animal control. In this paper the authors describe the characteristics of the stray dog and cat problem in general and focus on existing European legislation. A comparative overview of policies and measures in place in the Czech Republic and in Italy is made to observe the differences between the two countries and understand the different needs in each, considering their historical and social differences (i.e. a post-communist eastern country vs a western country and founder member of what is now the European Union.

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN SUBKRONIK EKSTRAK KELOPAK BUNGA ROSELLA (Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. TERHADAP KADAR SGPT SGOT DAN ALP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nurkhasanah Nurkhasanah

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L. has been known as traditional medicinal plants. It needed to evaluate the safety of roselle extract on long-term oral administration. The research aimed to determine the savety of ethanolic extract of roselle calyx. Subchronic toxicity study of ethanolic extract of roselle calyx had been carried out on 60 Sprague Dawleys (SD rats for 28 days. The roselle extract was administered orally every day, with doses of 50,100 and 200 mg/kgBW. There are 2 satellite groups, kept for another 14 days after the treatment in order to detect a delayed occurrence of toxic effect. Satellite group was given extract 200 mg/kgBW for 28 days and followed aquadest treatment for 14 days. At the end of experiment the blood was collected for meansuring SGPT, SGOT and ALP activity. The result showed that treatment of roselle calyx extract had no significant changes in SGPT SGOT, ALP activity. The delayed effect was not also observed. The ethanolic extract of roselle calyx didn’t show toxic effects on the liver on subchronic administration.

Seismotectonic models and CN algorithm: The case of Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, G.; Orozova Stanishkova, I.; Panza, G.F.; Rotwain, I.M.

1995-07-01

The CN algorithm is here utilized both for the intermediate term earthquake prediction and to validate the seismotectonic model of the Italian territory. Using the results of the analysis, made through the CN algorithm and taking into account the seismotectonic model, three areas, one for Northern Italy, one for Central Italy and one for Southern Italy, are defined. Two transition areas, between the three main areas are delineated. The earthquakes which occurred in these two areas contribute to the precursor phenomena identified by the CN algorithm in each main area. (author). 26 refs, 6 figs, 2 tabs

Seismological and structural constraints on the 2011-2013, Mmax 4.6 seismic sequence at the south-eastern edge of the Calabrian arc (North-eastern Sicily, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Cammarata, Laura; Catalano, Stefano; Gambino, Salvatore; Palano, Mimmo; Pavano, Francesco; Romagnoli, Gino; Scaltrito, Antonio; Tortorici, Giuseppe

2018-01-01

Between June 2011 and September 2013, the Nebrodi Mountains region was affected by a seismic swarm consisting of > 2700 events with local magnitude 1.3 ≤ ML ≤ 4.6 and located in the 5-9 km depth interval. The seismic swarm defines a seismogenetic volume elongated along the E-W direction and encompasses the NW-SE-oriented tectonic boundary between the Calabrian arc (north-eastward) and the Sicilide units (south-westward). By exploring the recent tectonic deformation and the seismic behavior of the region, this study aims at providing additional constraints on the seismogenetic faults at the southern termination of the Calabrian arc. Waveform similarities analysis allowed observing that 45% of the whole dataset can be grouped into six different families of seismic events. Earthquake multiplet families are mainly located in the eastern part of the seismogenetic volume. We suggest that such a feature is responsive to the lateral lithological variations as highlighted by geology (at the surface) and P-wave seismic tomography (at depth of 10 km). Stress tensor inversions performed on FPSs indicate that the investigated region is currently subject to a nearly biaxial stress state in an extensional regime, such that crustal stretching occurs along both NW-SE and NE-SW directions. Accordingly, mesoscale fault geometries and kinematics analyses evidence that a younger normal faulting stress regime led to a tectonic negative inversion by replacing the pre-existing strike-slip one. Based on our results and findings reported in recent literature, we refer such a crustal stretching to mantle upwelling process (as evidenced by diffuse mantle-derived gas emissions) coupled with a tectonic uplift involving north-eastern Sicily since Middle Pleistocene. Moreover, seismic swarms striking the region would be related to the migration of mantle and sub-crustal fluids toward the surface along the complex network of tectonic structures cutting the crust and acting as pathways.

Altitude profiles of total chlorinated paraffins in humus and spruce needles from the Alps (MONARPOP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iozza, Saverio, E-mail: saverio.iozza@empa.c [Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry, Uberlandstrasse 129, CH-8600 Duebendorf (Switzerland); University of Basel, Department of Chemistry, St. Johanns-Ring 19, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland); Schmid, Peter, E-mail: peter.schmid@empa.c [Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry, Uberlandstrasse 129, CH-8600 Duebendorf (Switzerland); Oehme, Michael, E-mail: michael.oehme@unibas.c [University of Basel, Department of Chemistry, St. Johanns-Ring 19, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland); Bassan, Rodolfo [Regional Agency for Environmental Prevention and Protection of Veneto (Italy); Belis, Claudio [Regional Agency for Environmental Protection of Lombardia (Italy); Jakobi, Gert; Kirchner, Manfred; Schramm, Karl-Werner [GSF-National Research Centre for Environment and Health (Germany); Kraeuchi, Norbert [Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (Switzerland); Moche, Wolfgang; Offenthaler, Ivo; Weiss, Peter [Federal Environment Agency Ltd. (Austria); Simoncic, Primoz [Slovenian Forestry Institute (Slovenia); Knoth, Wilhelm [Federal Environment Agency (Germany)

2009-12-15

Chlorinated paraffins (CPs) are toxic, bioaccumulative, persistent, and ubiquitously present in the environment. CPs were analyzed in humus and needle samples, which were taken within the Monitoring Network in the Alpine Region for Persistent and other Organic Pollutants (MONARPOP) at sampling sites of 7 different altitude profiles in the Alps. Gas chromatography combined with electron ionization tandem mass spectrometry (EI-MS/MS) was used for the determination of total CPs (sum of short, medium and long chain CPs). CPs were found in all samples; the concentrations varied between 7 and 199 ng g{sup -1} dry weight (dw) and within 26 and 460 ng g{sup -1} dw in humus and needle samples, respectively. A clear vertical tendency within the individual altitude profiles could not be ascertained. Within all altitude profiles, elevated concentrations were observed in humus samples taken between 700 and 900 m and between 1300 and 1500 m. In the needle samples no similar correlation could be observed due to higher variation of the data. - For the first time, CP levels of humus and spruce needle samples from the Alps (MONARPOP) were presented including the evaluation of altitude profiles.

The courts in Renaissance Italy

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Beatrice Del Bo

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This review article offers a brief introduction to the issue of the courts in Renaissance Italy along with a selective description of bibliographic sources and electronic resources.

Collection for Italy

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Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General, and Ghislain Roy, President of the Staff Association

2016-01-01

Following the earthquake of 24 August in central Italy, many of you have expressed your solidarity. The collection to support the victims raised a total of 10 000 CHF, which was transferred in its entirety to Italy’s civil protection through the Italian delegation to the CERN Council. The CERN Directorate and the CERN Staff Association sincerely thank you for your generosity.

Postgraduate Courses in Pharmaceutical Medicine in Italy

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Domenico Criscuolo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Italy has a significant tradition of excellence in the area of clinical trials (CTRs: important achievements in the clinical development of rifampicin and adriamycin, the two most famous drugs discovered in the research laboratories of two Italian pharmaceutical companies, paved the way to the establishment of a culture of clinical development, mainly in the areas of antimicrobials and oncology. Despite the fact that now the Italian market of pharmaceuticals is largely dominated by multinational companies with headquarters outside Italy, the contribution of Italian studies to the clinical development of new drugs is still significant. Indeed, it largely exceeds the percentage of Italian inhabitants versus the ones living in the remaining EU countries, as Italy has about 12% of EU population, but has a 17% share of the EU CTRs. Education in Pharmaceutical Medicine is now a must for all professionals interested to work either in pharma companies or in contract research organizations: several Italian universities are offering high quality courses, and in the last 10 years, more than 1,200 professionals received a postgraduate education in pharmaceutical medicine. This result places Italy on top of countries concerned about the professional education of people involved in drug development and will represent an asset for a larger involvement of Italian clinical sites in the global process of clinical research.

Geological evidence of pre-2012 seismic events, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

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Riccardo Caputo

2012-10-01

Full Text Available In May 2012, two moderate (-to-strong earthquakes that were associated with a noticeable aftershock sequence affected the eastern sector of the Po Plain, Italy, in correspondence with a buried portion of the Apennines thrust belt. The Provinces of Ferrara, Modena and Bologna (Emilia Romagna Region, Mantua (Lombardy Region, and Rovigo (Veneto Region were affected to different extents. The first shock (Ml 5.9 according to the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV; National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, and Mw 6.1 according to the US Geological Service occurred on May 20, 2012, at 2:03 a.m. (GMT; this was the strongest of the sequence, and it was followed by several aftershocks (up to Ml 5.1. This first event produced secondary ground deformation effects, which were mainly associated with liquefaction phenomena that were spread across the broader epicentral region, and particularly in the western sector of the Ferrara Province [Papathanassiou et al. 2012, this volume]. A few weeks after the earthquake, a paleoseismological trench was excavated south of San Carlo village, where earthquake-induced effects were widely documented. This report presents the preliminary results of the paleoseismological investigation and documents the occurrence in the same area of paleo-events older than the May 2012 earthquakes. […

Identification and assessment of groundwater flow and storage components of the relict Schöneben Rock Glacier, Niedere Tauern Range, Eastern Alps (Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Winkler, Gerfried; Wagner, Thomas; Pauritsch, Marcus; Birk, Steffen; Kellerer-Pirklbauer, Andreas; Benischke, Ralf; Leis, Albrecht; Morawetz, Rainer; Schreilechner, Marcellus G.; Hergarten, Stefan

2016-06-01

More than 2,600 relict rock glaciers are known in the Austrian Alps but the knowledge of their hydraulic properties is severely limited. The relict Schöneben Rock Glacier (Niedere Tauern Range, Austria), with an extension of 0.17 km2, was investigated based on spring data (2006-2014) and seismic refraction survey. Spring-discharge hydrographs and natural and artificial tracer data suggest a heterogeneous aquifer with a layered internal structure for the relict rock glacier. The discharge behavior exhibits a fast and a delayed flow component. The spring discharge responds to recharge events within a few hours but a mean residence time of several months can also be observed. The internal structure of the rock glacier (up to several tens of meters thick) consists of: an upper blocky layer with a few meters of thickness, which lacks fine-grained sediments; a main middle layer with coarse and finer-grained sediments, allowing for fast flow; and an approximately 10-m-thick basal till layer as the main aquifer body responsible for the base flow. The base-flow component is controlled by (fine) sandy to silty sediments with low hydraulic conductivity and high storage capacity, exhibiting a difference in hydraulic conductivity to the upper layer of about three orders of magnitude. The high storage capacity of relict rock glaciers has an impact on water resources management in alpine catchments and potentially regulates the risk of natural hazards such as floods and related debris flows. Thus, the results highlight the importance of such aquifer systems in alpine catchments.

Education and science museums. Reflections in Italy and on Italy

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Paola Rodari

2008-09-01

Full Text Available The educational function of science museums was born with the first naturalistic collections ever, flourished in 16th-century Italy. The pedagogic thought and the educational experimentations carried out in approximately five century of history have allowed the educational mission of museums to acquire many different facets, drawing a task having an increasingly higher and complex social value. Recent publications explore these new meanings of an old role.

Natural gas supply and demand in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Comaschi, C.; Di Giulio, E.; Sormani, E.

2007-01-01

This article explores the dynamics between natural gas supply and demand in Italy. In order to supply Italy with increasing volumes of gas, several new pipelines and re gasification plants are expected in the next future, but their implementation is uncertain. Thus, there exist the possibility of natural gas shortage in the future. On the other hand, if all the expected projects will be implemented, situations of oversupply cannot be excluded. A system dynamics model deepens such as issue [it

Costs associated with rheumatoid arthritis in Italy: past, present, and future

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Benucci M

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Maurizio Benucci,1 Veronica Rogai,2 Fabiola Atzeni,3 Volker Hammen,4 Piercarlo Sarzti-Puttini,3 Alberto Migliore5 1Rheumatology Unit, S.Giovanni di Dio Hospital, Florence, Italy; 2Eli Lilly Italia SpA, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; 3Rheumatology Unit, L Sacco Hospital, Milan, Italy; 4Lilly Deutschland GmbH, Bad Homburg, Germany; 5Villa San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Rome, Italy Abstract: This literature review examines available evidence on the current and past costs associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA in Italy, together with the future health-economic prospects for the disease. Studies have been conducted to date on the prevalence, or the associated costs, of RA in Italy. Although future changes in the incidence of RA are a matter of debate, the impact of RA on health care costs is expected to grow in coming decades in line with projected increases in life expectancy and in the proportion of elderly people in Italy. It has been estimated that the indirect (productivity loss and informal care and intangible (deterioration in health-related quality of life costs of the disease will contribute to an increase in national health service expenditure, which will correspond to 1% of the total health care costs of the nation in the near future. The introduction of biological agents for the treatment of rheumatic diseases has resulted in an increase in the direct costs of RA; however, economic analyses that exclude indirect costs will underestimate the full economic impact of RA. The effectiveness of innovative therapies in preventing disease progression and functional impairment may, over time, attenuate the cost impact of RA in terms of hospitalizations and work absenteeism. Further research is needed to develop estimates of the economic impact of different therapeutic approaches in patients with RA in Italy, in order to provide tools that can drive the choice of the most cost-effective therapeutic option while maintaining high-quality care

Lady Morgan in Italy: A Traveller with an Agenda

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Donatella Abbate Badin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Lady Morgan (née Sydney Owenson was a professional Irish travellerand travel-writer, who spent over a year on the peninsula. The travelogueItaly (1821 she was commissioned to write on the basis of the reputationshe had acquired as a novelist (e.g. The Wild Irish Girl, 1806 anda socio-political writer (France, 1817, left a mark on Italy and on theunderstanding of Italy in Great Britain. Her writings, in fact, helpeddisseminate the ideal of a unified Italy and influence British and Irishpublic opinion in favour of Italy’s aspirations to cast off foreign or domesticautocratic rule. Moreover, she used her travelogue to serve thecause of Ireland disguising a patriotic message about her home countryunder her many sallies about nationalism and the right to self-determinationconcerning Italy. The political impact of her book, unusualfor a travel account written by a woman, was enhanced by Morgan’sradical ideology, the gender bias of her observations and her originalmethods. The present article purposes to examine Morgan’s double,feminine and masculine, approach of mixing solid documentation withapparently frivolous notes originating in the feminine domain of societynews, commentary on the domestic scene and emotional reporting onsocial and historical events. Distrusting male-authored official history,Morgan gave a central place in her work to the informal sources fromwhich she gathered her insights about Italy. Analysing how she came toobtain the contemporary input for elaborating her ideas will be the aimof this chapter which will dwell on the more worldly aspects of Morgan’ssojourn in the peninsula focussing on the company she kept, theactivities she partook of, the events of a domestic nature she witnessed.

Review of past and present geotectonic concepts of eastern indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Katili, John A.

Ocean. Contrary to those who positioned Sulawesi close to Kalimantan in Miocene time or who separated the eastern and western arms of Sulawesi and placed them around continental Australia during its drift northwards, I maintain the view that in Miocene time Sulawesi emerged as a double island arc east of Kalimantan. For the Halmahera arc-trench system a similar origin during a younger phase of crustal movement could be advocated. The shape of the two eastern arms of Sulawesi and Halmahera can be compared with an 'arrowhead' pointing westward, with two larger slightly arcuate western arms as a 'wave front' proceeding from it. Thus Sulawesi and Halmahera were once north-south trending island arcs convex towards the Pacific with westward-dipping subduction zones. After collision with the irian Jaya plate, a reversal of polarity occurred as demonstrated by the trenches which developed northwest of Sulawesi and west of Halmahera. This controversy cannot be solved without determining the absolute ages of the eastern Sulawesi subduction complex. Marine research should also focus on the Sorong transform fault system between Sulawesi and Irian Jaya to elucidate its role in the westward displacement of the Sula-Banggai - Buton continental fragments. The nature, structure and history of the ridges in the Central Banda Sea, and their relationship to the oceanic crust of the adjacent North and South Banda Basin, should be investigated in more detail. Seram, Buru and Ambon require detailed studies to determine whether the arc-trench system predominates or whether micro-continent tectonics played the more significant role in their evolution. In the geological future, eastern Indonesia will be squashed between Australia and Asia, and the region will resemble the complex terrains now observed in the Alps and the Hercynian regions, a conclusion already drawn by the Dutch pioneers several decades ago.

Anaerobic treatment in Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Borghi, M; Solisio, C; Ferrailo, G

1984-02-01

In Italy, environmental protection and energy conservation have become very important since the increase in oil prices. The law requires that all waste waters have a B.O.D. of 40 mg/l by 1986 so there has been an expansion of purification plants since 1976, using anaerobic digestion. The report deals with the current state of anaerobic treatment in Italy with particular reference to (1) animal wastes. In intensive holdings, anaerobic digestion leads to a decrease in pollution and an increase in biogas generation which can be used to cover the energy demand of the process. The factors which influence the builders of digestors for farms are considered. (2) Non toxic industrial wastes. These are the waste waters emanating from the meat packing, brewing, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Particular reference is made to the distillery plants using anaerobic treatment prior to aerobic digestion. (3) Urban wastes. The advantages and the disadvantages are considered and further research and development is recommended. 20 references.

78 FR 55095 - Certain Pasta From Italy and Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-09

...)] Certain Pasta From Italy and Turkey Determinations On the basis of the record \\1\\ developed in the subject... countervailing and antidumping duty orders on certain pasta from Italy and Turkey would be likely to lead to... respect to imports of certain pasta from Turkey. Background The Commission instituted these reviews on...

Country policy profile - Italy. August 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-08-01

In Italy, Renewable energy sources in are promoted through price and tax regulations mechanisms. Several kinds of feed-in and premium tariffs co exist besides tendering schemes depending on technology and size of RES systems. Additionally regional support schemes exist for RES electricity. The thermal (heating and cooling) energy generated from renewable energies is incentivized through tax regulation and loans. A quota system is presently used for bio-fuels (transport). In the year 2012 the major share of renewable electricity generation is accounted for by hydropower (3796 ktoe), mainly large plants. PV (1622 ktoe and wind power (1066 ktoe) provide the next largest contributions. As for renewable heating, solid biomass makes the largest contribution with 4671 ktoe ktoe, followed by geo thermal at 3228 ktoe. bio-fuels used in renewable transport amount to 1343 ktoe (source: EurObserv'ER, 2014, www.eurobserv-er.org). Under the country's NREAP, Italy has set a renewable energy target (electricity) of 26% to be achieved by 2020. The 2012 total share of renewable energy in Italy amounted to 13.5%; the target for 2020 has been defined as 17% (source: 'The State of Renewable Energies in Europe', 2013 edition)

Cold fusion research in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scaramuzzi, F.

1993-01-01

This paper summarizes cold fusion (CF) research in Italy. In Italy, many Agencies and Universities are moderately funding research in CF, and the scientists have made a few attempts to coordinate each other, organizing meetings and conferences. However, the activity has been mostly the fruit of the scientists' initiative, and never a coordinated proposal of Agencies and Universities. No position on the scientific validity of the subject has been officially taken and the funds for CF have been rather modest. The investments in Italy on CF, the figure referring to 1992 amounts to about 0.5 million dollars, not including expenses for personnel. A number of about 70 scientists, mostly working part-time, is committed all around the Country in research on CF. The lack of offical commitment and effective support by the Research Agencies and the Universities has not prevented scientists from being quite active in performing research. On the other side, it has to be acknowledged that no formal vetoes have been interposed to the free initiative of scientists in this field: on the contrary, some of the Agencies and Universities have moderately funded such an effort. The quality of the experiments in Italy has been increasingly good, and the results obtained are rather out standing in the general panorama of CF. But it is time to perform a more coordinated effort, keeping in mind that material science aspects, such as the characteristics of the materials used, play a very important role in the development of this topic. Thus, a much more intense effort is required to obtain a more substantial progress in the field. The increasingly convincing results obtained by the whole CF community, and the example of the Japanese Government and Industry, which appear to be determined to promoting CF research, have changed the panorama of CF. These are now signs that also the Italian scientific authorities could consider favouring research in this field in the near future. (J.P.N.)

Winter precipitation effect in a mid-latitude temperature-limited environment: the case of common juniper at high elevation in the Alps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pellizzari, Elena; Pividori, Mario; Carrer, Marco

2014-01-01

Common juniper (Juniperus communis L.) is by far the most widespread conifer in the world. However, tree-ring research dealing with this species is still scarce, mainly due to the difficulty in crossdating associated with the irregular stem shape with strip-bark growth form in older individuals and the high number of missing and wedging rings. Given that many different species of the same genus have been successfully used in tree-ring investigations and proved to be reliable climate proxies, this study aims to (i) test the possibility to successfully apply dendrochronological techniques on common juniper growing above the treeline and (ii) verify the climate sensitivity of the species with special regard to winter precipitation, a climatic factor that generally does not affect tree-ring growth in all Alpine high-elevation tree species. Almost 90 samples have been collected in three sites in the central and eastern Alps, all between 2100 and 2400 m in elevation. Despite cross-dating difficulties, we were able to build a reliable chronology for each site, each spanning over 200 years. Climate-growth relationships computed over the last century highlight that juniper growth is mainly controlled by the amount of winter precipitation. The high variability of the climate-growth associations among sites, corresponds well to the low spatial dependence of this meteorological factor. Fairly long chronologies and the presence of a significant precipitation signal open up the possibility to reconstruct past winter precipitation. (letter)

Use of PSInSAR™ data to infer active tectonics: Clues on the differential uplift across the Giudicarie belt (Central-Eastern Alps, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Massironi, M.; Zampieri, D.; Bianchi, M.; Schiavo, A.; Franceschini, A.

2009-10-01

The Permanent Scatterers Synthetic Aperture Radar INterferometry (PSInSAR™) methodology provides high-resolution assessment of surface deformations (precision ranging from 0.8 to 0.1 mm/year) over long periods of observation. Hence, it is particularly suitable to analyze surface motion over wide regions associated to a weak tectonic activity. For this reason we have adopted the PSInSAR technique to study regional movement across the Giudicarie belt, a NNE-trending trust belt oblique to the Southern Alpine chain and presently characterized by a low to moderate seismicity. Over 11,000 PS velocities along the satellite Line Of Sight (LOS) were calculated using images acquired in descending orbit during the 1992-1996 time span. The PSInSAR data show a differential uplift of around 1.4-1.7 mm/year across the most external WNW-dipping thrusts of the Giudicarie belt (Mt. Baldo, Mt. Stivo and Mt. Grattacul thrusts alignment). This corresponds to a horizontal contraction across the external part of the Giudicarie belt of about 1.3-1.5 mm/year.

Hydrogeological map of Italy: the preliminary Sheet N. 348 Antrodoco (Central Italy

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Marco Amanti

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The Geological Survey of Italy, Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research is realizing the Sheet N.348 Antrodoco (Central Italy of the Hydrogeological map of Italy as a cartographical test of the Italian hydrogeological survey and mapping guidelines, in the frame of the Italian Geological Cartography Project. The study area is characterized by structural units deeply involved in the Apennine Orogeny (Latium and Abruzzi region territory, Rieti and L’Aquila provinces and including deposits of marine carbonate shelf, slope, basin and foredeep environments hosting relatively large amounts of groundwater resources. The map was realized to obtain the best possible representation of all hydrogeological elements deriving from field surveys, in order to characterize the hydrogeological asset. A control network for monthly measurement of surface and groundwater flow rates and hydrogeochemical parameters was performed. Data were uploaded in a geographic information system to perform the present preliminary hydrogeological cartography consisting in a main map showing the following hydrogeological complexes based on relative permeability degree (from bottom to top: i calcareous (Jurassic-Cretaceous; high permeability; ii calcareous-marly (Upper Cretaceous-Middle Eocene; intermediate permeability; iii marly-calcareous and marly (Upper Eocene- Upper Miocene; low permeability; iv flysch (Upper Miocene; low permeability; v conglomeratic-sandy and detritic (Upper Pliocene- Pleistocene; intermediate permeability; vi alluvial (Quaternary; low permeability. Among other elements shown in the main map there are hydrographical basin and sub-basin boundaries, stream gauging stations, meteo-climatic stations, streamwater-groundwater exchange processes, hydrostructure boundaries, point and linear spring flow rates, groundwater flow directions. Furthermore, complementary smaller-scale sketches at the margin of the main map were realized (e

A bill for the renaissance of nuclear power in Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

Today Italy is the only G8 member to have no nuclear power plants in operation. In 1987 as a consequence of a referendum Italy decided to shut down its nuclear power plants and to forbid the construction of new ones. Italy relies on oil and gas imports for 80% of its energy needs. The Italian parliament has recently passed a bill for a renaissance of nuclear power. The bill gives 6 months to the government to set the rules and conditions for the come-back of nuclear energy. (A.C.)

CERN collect for Earthquakein Italy August 24, 2016

CERN Multimedia

Brice, Maximilien

2016-01-01

Ghislain Roy, President of CERN's Staff Association, Maurizio Serra, Ambassador, permanent Mission of Italy to teh United NAtions Office in Geneva, FAbiola Gianotti, CERN director General and Umberto Dosselli, scientific ataché Italian Permanent Mission in Geneva, show the letter co-signed by CERN's director general and CERN' s Staff Association President indicating the amounbt collected in favour of the vicitims of the August 24 2016 earthquake in central Italy.

Contrasting environmental memories by ancient soils on different parent rocks in the South-western Italian Alps

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amico, Michele; Catoni, Marcella; Bonifacio, Eleonora; Zanini, Ermanno

2014-05-01

Ancient soils (pre-Holocenic paleosols and vetusols) are uncommon on the Alps, because of the extensive Pleistocenic glaciations which erased most of the previously existing soils, the slope steepness and climatic conditions favoring soil erosion. However, in few sites, particularly in the outermost sections of the Alpine range, Pleistocene glaciers covered only small and scattered surfaces because of the low altitude reached in the basins, and ancient soils could be preserved for long periods of time on particularly stable surfaces. We described and sampled soils on 11 stable surfaces in the Upper Tanaro valley, Ligurian Alps (Southwestern Piemonte, Italy). The sampling sites were characterized by low steepness and elevation between 600 to 1600 m, under present day lower montane Castanea sativa/Ostrya carpinifolia forests, montane Fagus sylvatica and Pinus uncinata forests or montane heath/grazed grassland, on different substrata. In particular, we sampled soils developed on dolomite, limestone, quartzite, gneiss and shales. The soils were always well representative of the pedogenic trends active on the respective parent materials, i.e. the skeletal fraction in each soil was always composed of just one rock type, despite the proximity of lithological boundaries and the small dimensions of the different outcrops, often coexisting on the same stable surface. All the considered profiles showed signs of extremely long pedogenesis and/or different phases of intense pedogenesis interrupted by the deposition of periglacial cover beds in the steepest sites. Up to four phases of intense pedogenesis were recognized where cover beds were developed, presumably during cold Pleistocene phases, as present-day climate is not cold enough to create such periglacial morphologies. In such cases, each cover bed underwent similar pedogenesis, strongly dependent on the parent material: on quartzite, podzols with thick E horizons and well developed placic ones were formed in all phases

Effect of two kinds of porcelain crown on AST, ALP, TNF-α, IL-8, GP-x and MDA levels in gingival crevicular fluid

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Ya-Ling Wang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the effect of two kinds of porcelain crown on AST, ALP, TNF-α, IL-8, GP-x and MDA levels in gingival crevicular fluid. Methods: A total of 80 patients with dental porcelain crowns at front teeth during February 2013 to February 2016 were randomly divided into cobalt-chromium alloy PFM group (n=40 and gold alloy PFM group (n=40. After 6 months, the amount of gingival crevicular fluid, GI, PD, AST, ALP, TNF-α, IL-8, GP-x and MDA levels in gingival crevicular fluid were recorded and analyzed. Results: There were no differences in amount of gingival crevicular fluid, GI and PD before treatment of the two groups (P>0.05. After treatment, the amount of gingival crevicular fluid, GI and PD of the two groups were significantly higher than before treatment (P0.05. After treatment, the AST, ALP, TNF-α, IL-8 and MDA levels in gingival crevicular fluid of the two groups were significantly higher than before treatment (P<0.05, but that of the gold alloy PFM group were significantly lower than cobalt-chromium alloy PFM group (P<0.05. After treatment, the GP-x level in gingival crevicular fluid of the two groups were significantly lower than before treatment (P<0.05, but that of the gold alloy PFM group were significantly higher than cobalt-chromium alloy PFM group (P<0.05. Conclusions: Gold alloy PFM can significantly reduce the AST, ALP, TNF-α, IL-8 and MDA levels in gingival crevicular fluid, improve the GP-x level in gingival crevicular fluid, shows better biocompatibility and clinical outcomes than cobalt-chromium alloy PFM.

Italy INAF Data Center Report

Science.gov (United States)

Negusini, M.; Sarti, P.

2013-01-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Italian INAF VLBI Data Center. Our Data Center is located in Bologna, Italy and belongs to the Institute of Radioastronomy, which is part of the National Institute of Astrophysics.

222Rn determination in some thermal baths of a central eastern Italian area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desideri, D.; Bruno, M.R.; Roselli, C.

2004-01-01

Some recent Italian laws, based on the Euratom Directive 26/96, introduce the obligation of monitoring the exposition to natural radioactivity in particular worksites (thermal baths, mines, basements, etc.). Results of 222 Rn measurements in some thermal baths of Rimini and Pesaro-Urbino provinces (Central Eastern Italy), by Radosys-2000, a complete set suitable to radon concentration measurements with CR-39 plastic alpha-track detectors are reported. Some areas where radon could accumulate (bathing, reaction, muddy, inhalation, insufflation rooms and swimming pools) were selected for the investigation. The dosimeters have been exposed for 98 days. The results show that 222 Rn concentrations are very low in the considered thermal baths (7-71 Bq x m -3 ). Moreover, no difference was observed between the concentrations measured in the therapy rooms (bathing, muddy, inhalation and insufflation rooms, swimming pools) and in the normal areas (passages, reaction rooms, dressing rooms, etc.). The calculated dose contribution to workers was about one tenth of the legally suggested value. (author)

Global alliance against chronic respiratory diseases in Italy (GARD-Italy): strategy and activities.

Science.gov (United States)

Laurendi, Giovanna; Mele, Sonia; Centanni, Stefano; Donner, Claudio F; Falcone, Franco; Frateiacci, Sandra; Lazzeri, Marta; Mangiacavallo, Antonino; Indinnimeo, Luciana; Viegi, Giovanni; Pisanti, Paola; Filippetti, Giuseppe

2012-01-01

The steady increase in incidence of chronic respiratory disease (CRD) now constitutes a serious public health problem. CRDs are often underdiagnosed and many patients are not diagnosed until the CRD is too severe to prevent normal daily activities. The prevention of CRDs and reducing their social and individual impacts means modifying environmental and social factors and improving diagnosis and treatment. Prevention of risk factors (tobacco smoke, allergens, occupational agents, indoor/outdoor air pollution) will significantly impact on morbidity and mortality. The Italian Ministry of Health (MoH) has made respiratory disease prevention a top priority and is implementing a comprehensive strategy with policies against tobacco smoking, indoor/outdoor pollution, obesity, and communicable diseases. Presently these actions are not well coordinated. The Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases (GARD), set up by the World Health Organization, envisages national bodies; the GARD initiative in Italy, launched 11/6/2009, represents a great opportunity for the MoH. Its main objective is to promote the development of a coordinated CRD program in Italy. Effective prevention implies setting up a health policy with the support of healthcare professionals and citizen associations at national, regional, and district levels. What is required is a true inter-institutional synergy: respiratory diseases prevention cannot and should not be the responsibility of doctors alone, but must involve politicians/policymakers, as well as the media, local institutions, and schools, etc. GARD could be a significant experience and a great opportunity for Italy to share the GARD vision of a world where all people can breathe freely. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced Large Area Plastic Scintillator Project (ALPS): Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jordan, David V.; Reeder, Paul L.; Todd, Lindsay C.; Warren, Glen A.; McCormick, Kathleen R.; Stephens, Daniel L.; Geelhood, Bruce D.; Alzheimer, James M.; Crowell, Shannon L.; Sliger, William A.

2008-01-01

The advanced Large-Area Plastic Scintillator (ALPS) Project at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory investigated possible technological avenues for substantially advancing the state-of-the-art in gamma-ray detection via large-area plastic scintillators. The three predominant themes of these investigations comprised the following: * Maximizing light collection efficiency from a single large-area sheet of plastic scintillator, and optimizing hardware event trigger definition to retain detection efficiency while exploiting the power of coincidence to suppress single-PMT 'dark current' background; * Utilizing anti-Compton vetoing and supplementary spectral information from a co-located secondary, or 'Back' detector, to both (1) minimize Compton background in the low-energy portion of the 'Front' scintillator's pulse-height spectrum, and (2) sharpen the statistical accuracy of the front detector's low-energy response prediction as implemented in suitable energy-windowing algorithms; and * Investigating alternative materials to enhance the intrinsic gamma-ray detection efficiency of plastic-based sensors

[Social cooperatives in Italy].

Science.gov (United States)

Villotti, P; Zaniboni, S; Fraccaroli, F

2014-06-01

This paper describes the role of social cooperatives in Italy as a type of economic, non-profit organization and their role in contributing to the economic and social growth of the country. The purpose of this paper is to learn more about the experience of the Italian social cooperatives in promoting the work integration process of disadvantaged workers, especially those suffering from mental disorders, from a theoretical and an empirical point of view. Social enterprise is the most popular and consolidated legal and organizational model for social enterprises in Italy, introduced by Law 381/91. Developed during the early 1980s, and formally recognized by law in the early 1990s, social cooperatives aim at pursuing the general interest of the community to promote the human needs and social inclusion of citizens. They are orientated towards aims that go beyond the interest of the business owners, the primary beneficiary of their activities is the community, or groups of disadvantaged people. In Italy, Law 381/91 distinguishes between two categories of social cooperatives, those producing goods of social utility, such as culture, welfare and educational services (A-type), and those providing economic activities for the integration of disadvantaged people into employment (B-type). The main purpose of B-type social cooperatives is to integrate disadvantaged people into the open labour market. This goal is reached after a period of training and working experience inside the firm, during which the staff works to improve both the social and professional abilities of disadvantaged people. During the years, B-type social co-ops acquired a particular relevance in the care of people with mental disorders by offering them with job opportunities. Having a job is central in the recovery process of people suffering from mental diseases, meaning that B-type social co-ops in Italy play an important rehabilitative and integrative role for this vulnerable population of workers. The

Integrated Geophysycal Prospecting in Late Antiquity and Early Medieval Sites in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Giannotta, Maria Teresa; Leucci, Giovanni; De Giorgi, Lara; Matera, Loredana; Persico, Raffaele; Muci, Giuseppe

2016-04-01

In this contribution, the results of some integrated geophysical prospecting (magnetometric and GPR) are exposed. This work has been performed in collaboration between archaeologists and geophysicists within the research project "History and Global Archaeology of the Rural Landascapes in Italy, between Late Antiquity and Medieval period. Integrated systems of sources, methodologies, and technologies for a sustainable development", financed by the Italian Ministry for Instruction, University and Research MIUR. In particular, the archaeological sites of Badia and San Giovanni in Malcantone, both in the Apulia Region (eastern-southern Italy) have been prospect. The sites have been identified on the basis of available documents, archaeological surveys and testimonies. In particular, we know that in Badia [1] it was probable the presence of an ancient roman villa of the late ancient period (strongly damaged by the subsequent ploughing activities). Whereas in San Giovanni there is still, today, a small chapel (deconsecrated) that was likely to be part of a previous larger church (probably a basilica of the early Christian period) restricted in the subsequent centuries (probably in more phases). The Saracen raids of the XVI centuries made the site ruined and abandoned. In both sites integrated prospecting have been performed [2-6] with a the integration of archaeological, magnetometer and a GPR data have provided some interesting results, allowing to overcome the difficulties relative to an extensive GPR prospecting, that could not be performed because of the intrinsic superficial roughness and/or the intensive ploughing activities. The prospecting activities, in particular, have added elements that seem to confirm the main archaeological hypothesis that motivate their performing, as it will be show at the conference. References [1] M. T, Giannotta, G. Leucci, R. Persico, M. Leo Imperiale, The archaeological site of Badia in terra d'Otranto: contribution of the

1st International Conference of IFToMM Italy

CERN Document Server

Gasparetto, Alessandro

2017-01-01

This volume contains the Proceedings of the First International Conference of IFToMM Italy (IFIT2016), held at the University of Padova, Vicenza, Italy, on December 1-2, 2016. The book contains contributions on the latest advances on Mechanism and Machine Science. The fifty-nine papers deal with such topics as biomechanical engineering, history of mechanism and machine science, linkages and mechanical controls, multi-body dynamics, reliability, robotics and mechatronics, transportation machinery, tribology, and vibrations.

Tzv. karantánské náušnice ve středním Podunají

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ungerman, Šimon

2016-01-01

Roč. 107, prosinec (2016), s. 181-236 ISSN 0031-0506 Institutional support: RVO:68081758 Keywords : Early Middle Ages * jewellery * earrings * chronology * Middle Danube region * Eastern Alps region * Balkans Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Photosynthetic temperature adaptation of Pinus cembra within the timberline ecotone of the Central Austrian Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Wieser, Gerhard; Oberhuber, Walter; Walder, Lisa; Spieler, Daniela; Gruber, Andreas

2010-04-01

Temperature is suggested to determine the upper limit of tree life. Therefore, future climate warming may be of importance for tree distribution within the European Alps, where low temperatures limit carbon metabolism.We focused on the effects of air and soil temperature on net photosynthesis (P(n)) of Pinus cembra an evergreen climax species of the timberline ecotone of the Central Austrian Alps. Light response and temperature response curves were estimated along an altitudinal gradient ranging from the forest limit up to the krummholz limit in both summer and fall.In general, P(n) was significantly lower in fall as compared to summer. Nevertheless, independent from season mean P(n) values tended to increase with elevation and were positively correlated with root zone temperatures. The specific leaf area by contrast declined with increasing elevation. Furthermore, the temperature optimum of net photosynthesis declined with increasing elevation and was positively correlated with the mean maximum air temperature of the 10 days prior the date of measurement.Thus, our findings appear to reflect a long-term adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus of Pinus cembra to the general temperature conditions with respect to elevation combined with a short term acclimation to the prevailing temperature regime.

The ozone pollution and the climatology in a Mediterranean space: the Alpes-Maritimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, N.

2008-12-01

The tropospheric ozone, secondary pollutant affecting the health of the human beings, concerns particularly the department of the Alpes-Maritimes during the photochemical season. Mountainous littoral space, this territory is widely dominated during summer notably by anticyclonic conditions allowing the thermal breezes to express themselves. This regime of wind is in the center of the problem of the ozone pollution because it pulls frequently an accumulation of primary and secondary pollutants in the course of days within the same air mass. Although being a weakly industrialized department, the Alpes-Maritimes are victims of a strong period of sunshine which allows primary pollutants emitted mainly by the road traffic to produce some ozone. Through the data of pollution stemming from the network of surveillance of the air quality AtmoPACA as well as from very numerous measures of ground, the objective is to understand better the relations between the spatial and temporal variability of the ozone and that of the weather conditions to various scales. Having detailed the history of the available ozone and nitrogen dioxide measures in the department, the first approach in macro-scale is led between the NCEP reanalysis and the ozone pollution levels in nine measures stations of the Alpes-Maritimes. This first level of analysis allows defining the general meteorological configurations characterizing an episode of pollution by the ozone. The presence of an anticyclonic ridge on the Western Europe associated with weak speeds of wind, weak rates of relative humidity and a weak relative vorticity, provoke a degradation of the air quality in the department. A second analysis level is then approached: it is a question of clarifying in meso-scale and in micro-scale the weather conditions convenient to strong ozone concentrations. For it, itinerant ozone measures campaigns are made in the whole of the department; an important data base is established on Nice and in its

IAEA/WHO postal dose audits for radiotherapy hospitals in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izewska, J.; Vatnitsky, S.; Shortt, K.R.

2004-01-01

The IAEA/WHO TLD programme has been in operation for 34 years. In this period the calibration of approximately 5200 high-energy photon beams in over 1300 radiotherapy hospitals in 115 countries worldwide was checked. Of these, 18% of the audits were performed in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. There are large contrasts in the region; while the results are very good for most countries, a few countries struggle with basic problems in dosimetry. The hospitals operating radiotherapy services without qualified medical physicists or dosimetry equipment have poorer results than those properly equipped and staffed. Only about 2/3 of TLD audit participants in Eastern Europe have the appropriate dosimetry equipment. To achieve consistency of the audit results within Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, strengthening of radiotherapy infrastructure in a few countries would be necessary. (authors)

76 FR 11509 - Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-02

...)] Brass Sheet and Strip From France, Germany, Italy, and Japan AGENCY: United States International Trade... and strip from France, Germany, Italy, and Japan. SUMMARY: The Commission hereby gives notice that it... France, Germany, Italy, and Japan would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material...

Clinical scientific research with ionizing radiations in Italy. Jurisprudential aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valle, G.; Frusciante, V.; Petrucelli, L.; Podagrosi, V.; Giustini, A.

1999-01-01

The paper reviews the laws that regulate the clinical scientific research with ionizing radiations in Italy and the effects of ICRP 62, introduced in Italy by the Minister's Decree 21/11/1997, renders invalid all previous rules and regulations which contrast with them [it

75 FR 68397 - DeQueen and Eastern Railroad, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-DeQueen and Eastern...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-05

... Eastern Railroad, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--DeQueen and Eastern Railroad Company DeQueen and Eastern Railroad, LLC (DQE), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from DeQueen and Eastern Railroad Company and to operate approximately 47 miles of...

Company profile: Edison of Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

The energy subsidiary of the Montedison chemicals company (Ferruzzi Group), Edison is Italy's largest private sector electricity producer. Last year production amounted to 4.7 TWh, an increase of 8.2% on 1990, and at the end of June this year, total net production of 2.4 TWh was 14.8% higher than in the first half of 1991. Edison also ranks first in the Italian league of private sector hydrocarbons producers, its Edison Gas subsidiary controlling a group that has significant exploration and development interests. These are mainly in Italy where production amounted to 333m cubic metres of natural gas and 690,000 barrels of oil in the first half of the year. The recent acquisition of Deutsche Shell's Italian fields should allow Edison to reach 2bn cubic metres of gas production by 1996. (author)

A socioeconomic profile of vulnerable land to desertification in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvati, Luca

2014-01-01

Climate changes, soil vulnerability, loss in biodiversity, and growing human pressure are threatening Mediterranean-type ecosystems which are increasingly considered as a desertification hotspot. In this region, land vulnerability to desertification strongly depends on the interplay between natural and anthropogenic factors. The present study proposes a multivariate exploratory analysis of the relationship between the spatial distribution of land vulnerability to desertification and the socioeconomic contexts found in three geographical divisions of Italy (north, center and south) based on statistical indicators. A total of 111 indicators describing different themes (demography, human settlements, labor market and human capital, rural development, income and wealth) were used to discriminate vulnerable from non-vulnerable areas. The resulting socioeconomic profile of vulnerable areas in northern and southern Italy diverged significantly, the importance of demographic and economic indicators being higher in southern Italy than in northern Italy. On the contrary, human settlement indicators were found more important to discriminate vulnerable and non-vulnerable areas in northern Italy, suggesting a role for peri-urbanization in shaping the future vulnerable areas. An in-depth knowledge of the socioeconomic characteristics of vulnerable land may contribute to scenarios' modeling and the development of more effective policies to combat desertification. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selected Abstracts of the 8th International Workshop on Neonatology; Cagliari (Italy; October 24-27, 2012

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

--- Various Authors

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Selected Abstracts of the 8th International Workshop on Neonatology • SYSTEMS MEDICINE IN PERINATOLOGY AND PEDIATRICS TAILORED BIOMARKERS, DRUGS AND TREATMENTS • Cagliari (Italy • October 24th-27th 2012The Workshop has been organized on behalf of Union of European Neonatal and Perinatal Societies, Union of Mediterranean Neonatal Societies, Italian Society of Neonatology, UNICEF, and under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic. ABS 1. Urinary metabolomics as a new strategy to discriminate response to ibuprofen therapy in preterm neonates with patent ductus arteriosus • M. Castell Miñana et al.; Valencia (Spain ABS 2. A metabolomic approach to identify preterm neonates born of mothers with chorioamnionitis: preliminary data • L. Pugni et al.; Milan, Cagliari (Italy ABS 3. Urinary metabolomics in twins at birth • L. Paladini et al.; Lecce, Rome, Cagliari (Italy ABS 4. From prenatal diagnosis to neonatology: risk and protective factors in the development of mother-preterm child relationship • E. Boni et al.; Pavia (Italy ABS 5. Prolonged refrigerated storage of human milk: effects on nutritive and non-nutritive characteristics • P. Di Nicola et al.; Turin (Italy ABS 6. Use of donor human milk in nicu: is donor milk competing with breastfeeding or supporting it? • P. Di Nicola et al.; Turin (Italy ABS 7. Prenatal diagnosis of methymalonic aciduria and homocistinuria Cbl-C type using dna analysis • A. Zappu et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 8. Human breast milk vs formula milk. Is 1H-nmr metabolomics able to help to find the right formula? • A. Noto et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 9. A 1H-NMR study of Crisponi syndrome: can metabolomics help to describe the disorder? • M. Lussu et al.; Cagliari (Italy ABS 10. Nestin immunoreactivity in the developing human kidney • Y. Gibo et al.; Matsumoto (Japan, Rome, Cagliari (Italy ABS 11. A non-invasive approach to characterize epileptic children born elbw compared to

Area Studies and Eastern Europe: How Eastern Europe Collapsed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirjana Kasapović

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In the first part, the author outlines the development of area studies in contemporary comparative politics, and points to their importance for the development of political science. In the second part, she examines the methodology – research design and methods – of regional comparatistics, paying particular attention to the problem of defining the region as a central category in this field of comparative politics. The third and central part is focused on the emergence of Eastern Europe as a historical-political and socio-cultural region in the course of history, especially after World War II, and on its dissolution in the processes of democratic transformation of communist regimes in the last two decades. The dissolution of Eastern Europe has resulted in restoration of a tripartite political geography in the area which it used to take up, made up of Central Europe, Southeast Europe and the proper Eastern Europe.

Epidemiology of Pestivirus infection in wild ungulates of the French South Alps.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Claire; Letellier, Carine; Caij, Brigitte; Gauthier, Dominique; Jean, Nicolas; Shaffii, Anahita; Saegerman, Claude

2011-01-27

Inter-species transmission is often incriminated in the epidemiology of Pestivirus diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Pestivirus in some mountain wild ungulates and to determine their role in Pestivirus transmission, as mountain pastures are a place where cohabitations between wild and domestic ungulates are particularly high. Between 2003 and 2007, a longitudinal epidemiological study was carried out on hunted ungulates in the French Hautes-Alpes department. Pestivirus-specific antibodies against p80 protein (also named NS3) common to all Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and Border Disease Virus (BDV) were found in 45.9% (95% confidence interval [CI95%]: 40.5-51.3%) of the 343 tested chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra). In addition, mouflons (Ovis gmelinii musimon) were shown for the first time to be strongly infected (61.1%; CI95%: 38.6-83.6) by a Pestivirus. These serological ELISA results were confirmed by comparative virus neutralization tests, performed on seven Pestivirus strains by using 15 seropositive samples. The highest antibody titers were directed against 2 BDV strains (Av and 33s strains), rather than BDV-4, a strain responsible for Pyrenean-chamois epizooties. Virus neutralization tests confirm a BDV circulation in wild ungulates in the French South Alps. However, no Pestivirus RNA was detected by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction in serum and spleen samples from seronegative animals and no virus was isolated from those samples either. Efforts should be made to improve the protocol in order to be able to isolate and characterize the local strain. Finally, the oldness (age) and femaleness (gender) increase the risk of seroconversion in chamois. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The species of the genus Diamesa (Diptera, Chironomidae) known to occur in Italian Alps and Apennines.

Science.gov (United States)

Montagna, Matteo; Urbanelli, Sandra; Rossaro, Bruno

2016-11-15

Some rare species from Italian Alps, belonging to the genus Diamesa Meigen, 1835 (Diptera, Chironomidae) are here redescribed as adult males, because only old, incomplete descriptions are available for these taxa. Terminology of male genitalia is reviewed, diagnostic features are illustrated in detail, and notes on biology and geographical distribution of the examined species are provided. An identification key to the known adult males is presented.