Near-real-time damage estimation for buildings based on strong-motion recordings: An application to target areas in northeastern italy

The rapid estimation of expected impacts in case of an earthquake is extremely important for emergency managers and first responders. Current near-real-time damage assessment methods rely on ground-motion estimates and exposure or fragility datasets, in some cases integrating the shaking recorded at the site (e.g., from strong-motion monitoring networks). We propose a method that estimates the expected damages on buildings based on strong-motion recordings of a seismic event. The damage assessment is based on themaximumdrift (interstory) or the displacement, which is estimated by considering in a first approximation the behavior of a specific building typology as a single-degree-offreedom oscillator. The oscillator is characterized based on the analysis of the building stock and a large number of ambient vibration measurements performed in buildings. A specific damage state occurs when the interstory drift or displacement limits available in the literature for the specific building typology are exceeded. The method, here applied to a case study in northeastern Italy, can be applied to other seismic areas worldwide to provide quick, first-level estimates of expected damage

Gas fields and large shallow seismogenic reverse faults are anticorrelated

We investigated the spatial relationships among 18 known seismogenic faults and 1651 wells drilled for gas exploitation in the main hydrocarbon province of northern-central Italy, a unique dataset worldwide. We adopted a GIS approach and a robust statistical technique, and found a significant anticorrelation between the location of productive wells and of the considered seismogenic faults, which are often overlain or encircled by unproductive wells. Our observations suggest that (a) earthquake ruptures encompassing much of the upper crust may cause gas to be lost to the atmosphere over geological time, and that (b) reservoirs underlain by smaller or aseismic faults are more likely to be intact. These findings, which are of inherently global relevance, have crucial implications for future hydrocarbon exploitation, for assessing the seismic-aseismic behaviour of large reverse faults, and for the public acceptance of underground energy and CO2 storage facilities-a pillar of future low carbon energy systems-in tectonically active areas

Risks of second primary cancer among patients with major histological types of lung cancers in both men and women

10.1038/sj.bjc.6605616British Journal of Cancer10271190-1195BJCA

Does Foreign Ownership Contribute to Sounder Banks in Emerging Markets? The Latin American Experience

Foreign bank entrants into emerging markets are usually thought to improve the condition and performance of acquired institutions, and more generally to enhance local financial stability. We use bank-specific data for a range of Latin American countries since the mid-1990s to address elements of this claim. Across the seven largest countries, we find that the financial strength ratings of local banks acquired by foreign entities generally show a slight improvement relative to their domestic counterparts. Our more in-depth case studies of Chile, Colombia, and Argentina do not indicate striking differences in health between larger foreign and domestic retail-oriented banks (although state banks are noticeably weaker). However, foreign banks often have higher average loan growth, higher average provisioning expense, and greater loss-absorption capacity. These results suggest that foreign ownership may provide important positive influences on the stability and development of emerging market banking systems

Leukocytospermia and sperm preparation - a flow cytometric study

Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2009 Nov 19;7:12

Earthquake rupture forecasts for the mps19 seismic hazard model of Italy

In recent years, new approaches for developing earthquake rupture forecasts (ERFs) have been proposed to be used as an input for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA). Zone-based approaches with seismicity rates derived from earthquake catalogs are commonly used in many countries as the standard for national seismic hazard models. In Italy, a single zone-based ERF is currently the basis for the official seismic hazard model. In this contribution, we present eleven new ERFs, including five zone-based, two smoothed seismicity-based, two fault-based, and two geodetic-based, used for a new PSH model in Italy. The ERFs were tested against observed seismicity and were subject to an elicitation procedure by a panel of PSHA experts to verify the scientific robustness and consistency of the forecasts with respect to the observations. Tests and elicitation were finalized to weight the ERFs. The results show a good response to the new inputs to observed seismicity in the last few centuries. The entire approach was a first attempt to build a community-based set of ERFs for an Italian PSHA model. The project involved a large number of seismic hazard practitioners, with their knowledge and experience, and the development of different models to capture and explore a large range of epistemic uncertainties in building ERFs, and represents an important step forward for the new national seismic hazard model

Optimalisasi Peralatan Pemanenan Kayu pada Hutan Tanaman Industri di IUPHHK-HT PT Musi Hutan Persada, Provinsi Sumatera Selatan.

Untuk mencapai efisiensi waktu dan biaya produksi pemanenan kayu diperlukan pengoptimalan dalam penggunaan jumlah alat pemanenan kayu yang tepat. Penelitian dilaksanakan di areal kerja hutan tanaman PT Musi Hutan Persada, Provinsi Sumatera Selatan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan penggunaan jumlah peralatan pemanenan kayu yang optimal berdasarkan produktivitas alat dan target produksi. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa jumlah alat pemanenan kayu dari tahapan penebangan sampai pengangkutan terdapat kelebihan dan kekurangan alat. Alat pemanenan kayu yang ideal berdasarkan target produksi terdiri atas 2 unit Shearhead dan 10 unit Harvester untuk kegiatan penebangan, 9 unit Forwarder dan 1 unit Wheel Skidder untuk kegiatan penyaradan, 3 unit Excavator Grapple untuk kegiatan pemuatan, serta 69 unit Logging Truck untuk kegiatan pengangkutan. Skenario jumlah alat ideal ini lebih menguntungkan perusahaan karena mengurangi biaya produksi alat yang tidak diperlukan

Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis in preschool children with type 1 diabetes mellitus using advanced hybrid closed loop system

Introduction: Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis (eDKA) is characterized by ketonemia, metabolic acidosis (pH <7.3 and serum bicarbonates <18 mEq/L), and euglycemia (blood glucose <250 mg/dL). The mechanism of eDKA on insulin pump therapy involves a state of starvation, leading to ketosis while normoglycemia is maintained. The diagnosis of eDKA is often overlooked because euglycemia masks the underlying diabetic ketoacidosis. To the best of our knowledge, only three cases of adolescents with T1D on insulin pump therapy have been reported so far, establishing the rarity of eDKA in pediatrics. Objectives: To assess the occurrence of eDKA in 67 children and adolescents with T1DM using advanced hybrid closed-loop systems (aHCL). Methods: Retrospective analysis of admissions to the Emergency Department from September 2021 to October 2023. Results: We recorded two admissions with eDKA, both in preschool girls (aged 3 and 6 years) during gastroenteritis. The 3-year old girl is affected by Down syndrome and presented symptoms from two days; at admission, her pH was 7.29, bicarbonates 15.3 mEq/L, ketonemia 7.3 mmol/L, and glycemia 130 mg/dL. The 6-year-old girl developed several gastroenteritis episodes in the previous five days and presented with pH 7.29, bicarbonates 16.8 mEq/L, ketonemia 5.6 mmol/L, and glycemia 132 mg/dL. Both were in auto mode at the time of admission and were treated with discontinuation of the insulin pump, fluid resuscitation, and continuous insulin infusion associated with glucose saline until resolution of ketoacidosis. The discontinuation of the insulin pump continued for four hours and twelve hours, respectively. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of eDKA in preschool children with T1DM using aHCL. The two patients presented were preschool-aged, reflecting that the vicious cycle between underfeeding and ketosis occurs more frequently in younger children