Tratti Arcaici nei dialetti calabro lucani: l’area Lausberg

In questo elaborato ho tentato di dare un quadro generale dei dialetti arcaici calabro-lucani: l'area Lausberg. Nella prima parte del mio elaborato ho tentato di ricostruire la storia dialettale della Calabria, dai Bruzi ai Romani, individuando le quattro aree dialettali che si sono venute a formare. In seguito, nella seconda parte mi propongo di enumerare i fenomeni fonolinguistici che si verificano nell’area Lausberg. Per ultimo mi sono occupata di analizzare un'opera di teatro in dialetto cassanese mettendo in evidenza le componenti lessicali, i fenomeni fonetici e le tradizioni salienti.

Image et survivance en anthropologie visuelle : Ernesto De Martino et l’ethnographie interdisciplinaire

Ce projet analyse le rôle des images – photographies, films, dessins – produites dans le cadre des recherches ethnographiques « interdisciplinaires » menées par l’anthropologue italien Ernesto De Martino en Italie méridionale dans les années 1950. Ces expéditions ont donné lieu à des documents multiformes puisqu’elles regroupent des chercheurs de formations différentes : historien des religions, ethnomusicologue, psychiatre, photographe, et occasionnellement cinéaste. Plus spécifiquement, il s’agit d’étudier le rôle des matériaux visuels dans la recherche sur le tarentisme, rituel de possession observé dans les Pouilles en 1959 par De Martino et son équipe, matériaux dont une partie constitue l’annexe photographique de son œuvre célèbre La terra del rimorso (1961). Nous portons également attention à l’atlas iconographique de son ouvrage sur la lamentation funèbre, Morte e pianto rituale nel mondo antico. Dal lamento pagano al pianto di Maria (1958), fruit d’une étude de terrain dans la région sud italienne de la Lucania (Basilicata). Tout en considérant les relations intermédiales entre les images, le texte, le son et le corps, ce mémoire identifie les rapports dialectiques entre les techniques d’enregistrement et les logiques répétitives, rythmiques et performatives des rituels en question. Chez De Martino, l’image est point de tension en matière de temporalité et de ressemblance : elle suggère une anthropologie de la « survivance » nous permettant de relever plusieurs correspondances avec l'oeuvre de l’historien de l’art Aby Warburg.

Tactile perception - Perception of tactile distance changes with body site: a neural network modelling study.

La distorsione della percezione della distanza tra due stimoli puntuali applicati sulla superfice della pelle di diverse regioni corporee è conosciuta come Illusione di Weber. Questa illusione è stata osservata, e verificata, in molti esperimenti in cui ai soggetti era chiesto di giudicare la distanza tra due stimoli applicati sulla superficie della pelle di differenti parti corporee. Da tali esperimenti si è dedotto che una stessa distanza tra gli stimoli è giudicata differentemente per diverse regioni corporee. Il concetto secondo cui la distanza sulla pelle è spesso percepita in maniera alterata è ampiamente condiviso, ma i meccanismi neurali che manovrano questa illusione sono, allo stesso tempo, ancora ampiamente sconosciuti. In particolare, non è ancora chiaro come sia interpretata la distanza tra due stimoli puntuali simultanei, e quali aree celebrali siano coinvolte in questa elaborazione. L’illusione di Weber può essere spiegata, in parte, considerando la differenza in termini di densità meccano-recettoriale delle differenti regioni corporee, e l’immagine distorta del nostro corpo che risiede nella Corteccia Primaria Somato-Sensoriale (homunculus). Tuttavia, questi meccanismi sembrano non sufficienti a spiegare il fenomeno osservato: infatti, secondo i risultati derivanti da 100 anni di sperimentazioni, le distorsioni effettive nel giudizio delle distanze sono molto più piccole rispetto alle distorsioni che la Corteccia Primaria suggerisce. In altre parole, l’illusione osservata negli esperimenti tattili è molto più piccola rispetto all’effetto prodotto dalla differente densità recettoriale che affligge le diverse parti del corpo, o dall’estensione corticale. Ciò, ha portato a ipotizzare che la percezione della distanza tattile richieda la presenza di un’ulteriore area celebrale, e di ulteriori meccanismi che operino allo scopo di ridimensionare – almeno parzialmente – le informazioni derivanti dalla corteccia primaria, in modo da mantenere una certa costanza nella percezione della distanza tattile lungo la superfice corporea. E’ stata così proposta la presenza di una sorta di “processo di ridimensionamento”, chiamato “Rescaling Process” che opera per ridurre questa illusione verso una percezione più verosimile. Il verificarsi di questo processo è sostenuto da molti ricercatori in ambito neuro scientifico; in particolare, dal Dr. Matthew Longo, neuro scienziato del Department of Psychological Sciences (Birkbeck University of London), le cui ricerche sulla percezione della distanza tattile e sulla rappresentazione corporea sembrano confermare questa ipotesi. Tuttavia, i meccanismi neurali, e i circuiti che stanno alla base di questo potenziale “Rescaling Process” sono ancora ampiamente sconosciuti. Lo scopo di questa tesi è stato quello di chiarire la possibile organizzazione della rete, e i meccanismi neurali che scatenano l’illusione di Weber e il “Rescaling Process”, usando un modello di rete neurale. La maggior parte del lavoro è stata svolta nel Dipartimento di Scienze Psicologiche della Birkbeck University of London, sotto la supervisione del Dott. M. Longo, il quale ha contribuito principalmente all’interpretazione dei risultati del modello, dando suggerimenti sull’elaborazione dei risultati in modo da ottenere un’informazione più chiara; inoltre egli ha fornito utili direttive per la validazione dei risultati durante l’implementazione di test statistici. Per replicare l’illusione di Weber ed il “Rescaling Proess”, la rete neurale è stata organizzata con due strati principali di neuroni corrispondenti a due differenti aree funzionali corticali: • Primo strato di neuroni (il quale dà il via ad una prima elaborazione degli stimoli esterni): questo strato può essere pensato come parte della Corteccia Primaria Somato-Sensoriale affetta da Magnificazione Corticale (homunculus). • Secondo strato di neuroni (successiva elaborazione delle informazioni provenienti dal primo strato): questo strato può rappresentare un’Area Corticale più elevata coinvolta nell’implementazione del “Rescaling Process”. Le reti neurali sono state costruite includendo connessioni sinaptiche all’interno di ogni strato (Sinapsi Laterali), e connessioni sinaptiche tra i due strati neurali (Sinapsi Feed-Forward), assumendo inoltre che l’attività di ogni neurone dipenda dal suo input attraverso una relazione sigmoidale statica, cosi come da una dinamica del primo ordine. In particolare, usando la struttura appena descritta, sono state implementate due differenti reti neurali, per due differenti regioni corporee (per esempio, Mano e Braccio), caratterizzate da differente risoluzione tattile e differente Magnificazione Corticale, in modo da replicare l’Illusione di Weber ed il “Rescaling Process”. Questi modelli possono aiutare a comprendere il meccanismo dell’illusione di Weber e dare così una possibile spiegazione al “Rescaling Process”. Inoltre, le reti neurali implementate forniscono un valido contributo per la comprensione della strategia adottata dal cervello nell’interpretazione della distanza sulla superficie della pelle. Oltre allo scopo di comprensione, tali modelli potrebbero essere impiegati altresì per formulare predizioni che potranno poi essere verificate in seguito, in vivo, su soggetti reali attraverso esperimenti di percezione tattile. E’ importante sottolineare che i modelli implementati sono da considerarsi prettamente come modelli funzionali e non intendono replicare dettagli fisiologici ed anatomici. I principali risultati ottenuti tramite questi modelli sono la riproduzione del fenomeno della “Weber’s Illusion” per due differenti regioni corporee, Mano e Braccio, come riportato nei tanti articoli riguardanti le illusioni tattili (per esempio “The perception of distance and location for dual tactile pressures” di Barry G. Green). L’illusione di Weber è stata registrata attraverso l’output delle reti neurali, e poi rappresentata graficamente, cercando di spiegare le ragioni di tali risultati.

An evaluation of Northern Florida Bay as a nursery area for red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus, and other juvenile and small resident fishes.

Red drum is one ofthe most popular species sought by anglers in Florida Bay, yet juveniles are rarely encountered. We evaluated Florida Bay as a nursery area for red drum by sampling for recently-settled late larvae in basin areas within the bay with an epi-benthic sled at six stations in November 2000, and at seven stations during December 2000 through February 2001. In November 2000 we surveyed potential sampling sites in quiet backwaters adjacent to mangroves for juvenile red drum. A total of 202 sites were sampled mainly in northern Florida Bay and adjacent waters with a cast net. We collected only one recently-settled red drum larvae and no juveniles. Obviously the sites that we sampled in Florida Bay and adjacent waters are not nursery habitat for this valuable species. Sled collections were dominated by bay anchovy, Anchoa mitchilli, but densities were biased by one collection. Five small resident species were among the dominant species: rainwater killifish, Lucania parva; dusky pipefish, Syngnathus floridae; dwarf seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae; and clown goby, Microgobius gulosus. Three species that spawn outside Florida Bay in the GulfofMexico were common: pinfish, Lagodon rhomboides; pigfish, Orthopristis chrysoptera; and silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura. Twenty-seven species were collected with the cast net. Hardhead silversides (Atherinomorus stipes), bay anchovy, tidewater mojarra (Eucinostomus harengulus), silver jenny (Eucinostomus gula), and goldspotted killifish (Floridichthys carpio) were the most common in cast net collections. Although only one red drum was collected, we were able to: (1) identify mesohaline waters from our cast net sites to test our preliminary assessment that mesohaline habitat might be limited in Florida Bay, (2) document the distribution and abundance of fishes collected by cast net that should enhance our understanding of ichthyofauna in the Northern Subdivision ofFlorida Bay and adjacent waters, and (3) from epibenthic sled collections, describe the habitats, abundance and distribution of recently settled larvae/small juveniles/small resident fishes during late fall and winter. This information should be useful to managers and future research. (PDF contains 34 pages)

Measurement of the underlying event activity in pp collisions at √s = 0.9 and 7 TeV with the novel jet-area/median approach

The first measurement of the charged component of the underlying event using the novel jet-area/median approach is presented for proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 0.9 and 7 TeV. The data were recorded in 2010 with the CMS experiment at the LHC. A new observable, sensitive to soft particle production, is introduced and investigated inclusively and as a function of the event scale defined by the transverse momentum of the leading jet. Various phenomenological models are compared to data, with and without corrections for detector effects. None of the examined models describe the data satisfactorily. © 2012 SISSA.

Metamorfismo ercinico di bassa-pressione: evoluzione tettonico-metamorfica del complesso di mandatoriccio (massiccio della Sila - Calabria)

Low-pressure/high-temperature (LP/HT) metamorphic belts are characterised by rocks that experienced abnormal heat flow in shallow crustal levels (T > 600 °C; P < 4 kbar) resulting in anomalous geothermal gradients (60-150 °C/km). The abnormal amount of heat has been related to crustal underplating of mantle-derived basic magmas or to thermal perturbation linked to intrusion of large volumes of granitoids in the intermediate crust. In particular, in this latter context, magmatic or aqueous fluids are able to transport relevant amounts of heat by advection, thus favouring regional LP/HT metamorphism. However, the thermal perturbation consequent to heat released by cooling magmas is responsible also for contact metamorphic effects. A first problem is that time and space relationships between regional LP/HT metamorphism and contact metamorphism are usually unclear. A second problem is related to the high temperature conditions reached at different crustal levels. These, in some cases, can completely erase the previous metamorphic history. Notwithstanding this problem is very marked in lower crustal levels, petrologic and geochronologic studies usually concentrate in these attractive portions of the crust. However, only in the intermediate/upper-crustal levels of a LP/HT metamorphic belt the tectono-metamorphic events preceding the temperature peak, usually not preserved in the lower crustal portions, can be readily unravelled. The Hercynian Orogen of Western Europe is a well-documented example of a continental collision zone with widespread LP/HT metamorphism, intense crustal anatexis and granite magmatism. Owing to the exposure of a nearly continuous cross-section of the Hercynian continental crust, the Sila massif (northern Calabria) represents a favourable area to understand large-scale relationships between granitoids and LP/HT metamorphic rocks, and to discriminate regional LP/HT metamorphic events from contact metamorphic effects. Granulite-facies rocks of the lower crust and greenschist- to amphibolite-facies rocks of the intermediate-upper crust are separated by granitoids emplaced into the intermediate level during the late stages of the Hercynian orogeny. Up to now, advanced petrologic studies have been focused mostly in understanding P-T evolution of deeper crustal levels and magmatic bodies, whereas the metamorphic history of the shallower crustal levels is poorly constrained. The Hercynian upper crust exposed in Sila has been subdivided in two different metamorphic complexes by previous authors: the low- to very low-grade Bocchigliero complex and the greenschist- to amphibolite-facies Mandatoriccio complex. The latter contains favourable mineral assemblages in order to unravel the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Hercynian upper crust. The Mandatoriccio complex consists mainly of metapelites, meta-arenites, acid metavolcanites and metabasites with rare intercalations of marbles and orthogneisses. Siliciclastic metasediments show a static porphyroblastic growth mainly of biotite, garnet, andalusite, staurolite and muscovite, whereas cordierite and fibrolite are less common. U-Pb ages and internal features of zircons suggest that the protoliths of the Mandatoriccio complex formed in a sedimentary basin filled by Cambrian to Silurian magmatic products as well as by siliciclastic sediments derived from older igneous and metamorphic rocks. In some localities, metamorphic rocks are injected by numerous aplite/pegmatite veins. Small granite bodies are also present and are always associated to spotted schists with large porphyroblasts. They occur along a NW-SE trending transcurrent cataclastic fault zone, which represents the tectonic contact between the Bocchigliero and the Mandatoriccio complexes. This cataclastic fault zone shows evidence of activity at least from middle-Miocene to Recent, indicating that brittle deformation post-dated the Hercynian orogeny. P-T pseudosections show that micaschists and paragneisses of the Mandatoriccio complex followed a clockwise P-T path characterised by four main prograde phases: thickening, peak-pressure condition, decompression and peak-temperature condition. During the thickening phase, garnet blastesis started up with spessartine-rich syntectonic core developed within micaschists and paragneisses. Coevally (340 ± 9.6 Ma), mafic sills and dykes injected the upper crustal volcaniclastic sedimentary sequence of the Mandatoriccio complex. After reaching the peak-pressure condition (≈4 kbar), the upper crust experienced a period of deformation quiescence marked by the static overgrowths of S2 by Almandine-rich-garnet rims and by porphyroblasts of biotite and staurolite. Probably, this metamorphic phase is related to isotherms relaxation after the thickening episode recorder by the Rb/Sr isotopic system (326 ± 6 Ma isochron age). The post-collisional period was mainly characterised by decompression with increasing temperature. This stage is documented by the andalusite+biotite coronas overgrown on staurolite porphyroblasts and represents a critical point of the metamorphic history, since metamorphic rocks begin to record a significant thermal perturbation. Peak-temperature conditions (≈620 °C) were reached at the end of this stage. They are well constrained by some reaction textures and mineral assemblages observed almost exclusively within paragneisses. The later appearance of fibrolitic sillimanite documents a small excursion of the P-T path across the And-Sil boundary due to the heating. Stephanian U-Pb ages of monazite crystals from the paragneiss, can be related to this heating phase. Similar monazite U-Pb ages from the micaschist combined with the lack of fibrolitic sillimanite suggest that, during the same thermal perturbation, micaschists recorded temperatures slightly lower than those reached by paragneisses. The metamorphic history ended with the crystallisation of cordierite mainly at the expense of andalusite. Consequently, the Ms+Bt+St+And+Sill+Crd mineral assemblage observed in the paragneisses is the result of a polyphasic evolution and is characterised by the metastable persistence of the staurolite in the stability fields of the cordierite. Geologic, geochronologic and petrographic data suggest that the thermal peak recorded by the intermediate/upper crust could be strictly connected with the emplacement of large amounts of granitoid magmas in the middle crust. Probably, the lithospheric extension in the relatively heated crust favoured ascent and emplacement of granitoids and further exhumation of metamorphic rocks. After a comparison among the tectono-metamorphic evolutions of the different Hercynian crustal levels exposed in Sila, it is concluded that the intermediate/upper crustal level offers the possibility to reconstruct a more detailed tectono-metamorphic history. The P-T paths proposed for the lower crustal levels probably underestimate the amount of the decompression. Apart from these considerations, the comparative analysis indicates that P-T paths at various crustal levels in the Sila cross section are well compatible with a unique geologic scenario, characterized by post-collisional extensional tectonics and magmas ascent.

Public acceptance of carbon dioxide capture and storage in a proposed demonstration area

With the rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere, low-emission technologies with carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) provide one option for transforming the global energy infrastructure into a more environmentally, climate sustainable system. However, like many technology innovations, there is a social risk to the acceptance of CCS. This article presents the findings of an engagement process using facilitated workshops conducted in two communities in rural Queensland, Australia, where a demonstration project for IGCC with CCS has been announced. The findings demonstrate that workshop participants were concerned about climate change and wanted leadership from government and industry to address the issue. After the workshops, participants reported increased knowledge and more positive attitudes towards CCS, expressing support for the demonstration project to continue in their local area. The process developed is one that could be utilized around the world to successfully engage communities on the low carbon emission technology options.

Uncertainty budget in the measurement of typical airborne number, surface area and mass particle distributions

The effects of particulate matter on environment and public health have been widely studied in recent years. A number of studies in the medical field have tried to identify the specific effect on human health of particulate exposure, but agreement amongst these studies on the relative importance of the particles’ size and its origin with respect to health effects is still lacking. Nevertheless, air quality standards are moving, as the epidemiological attention, towards greater focus on the smaller particles. Current air quality standards only regulate the mass of particulate matter less than 10 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM10) and less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5). The most reliable method used in measuring Total Suspended Particles (TSP), PM10, PM2.5 and PM1 is the gravimetric method since it directly measures PM concentration, guaranteeing an effective traceability to international standards. This technique however, neglects the possibility to correlate short term intra-day variations of atmospheric parameters that can influence ambient particle concentration and size distribution (emission strengths of particle sources, temperature, relative humidity, wind direction and speed and mixing height) as well as human activity patterns that may also vary over time periods considerably shorter than 24 hours. A continuous method to measure the number size distribution and total number concentration in the range 0.014 – 20 μm is the tandem system constituted by a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS). In this paper, an uncertainty budget model of the measurement of airborne particle number, surface area and mass size distributions is proposed and applied for several typical aerosol size distributions. The estimation of such an uncertainty budget presents several difficulties due to i) the complexity of the measurement chain, ii) the fact that SMPS and APS can properly guarantee the traceability to the International System of Measurements only in terms of number concentration. In fact, the surface area and mass concentration must be estimated on the basis of separately determined average density and particle morphology. Keywords: SMPS-APS tandem system, gravimetric reference method, uncertainty budget, ultrafine particles.

Intrusion detection techniques in wireless local area networks

This research investigates wireless intrusion detection techniques for detecting attacks on IEEE 802.11i Robust Secure Networks (RSNs). Despite using a variety of comprehensive preventative security measures, the RSNs remain vulnerable to a number of attacks. Failure of preventative measures to address all RSN vulnerabilities dictates the need for a comprehensive monitoring capability to detect all attacks on RSNs and also to proactively address potential security vulnerabilities by detecting security policy violations in the WLAN. This research proposes novel wireless intrusion detection techniques to address these monitoring requirements and also studies correlation of the generated alarms across wireless intrusion detection system (WIDS) sensors and the detection techniques themselves for greater reliability and robustness. The specific outcomes of this research are: A comprehensive review of the outstanding vulnerabilities and attacks in IEEE 802.11i RSNs. A comprehensive review of the wireless intrusion detection techniques currently available for detecting attacks on RSNs. Identification of the drawbacks and limitations of the currently available wireless intrusion detection techniques in detecting attacks on RSNs. Development of three novel wireless intrusion detection techniques for detecting RSN attacks and security policy violations in RSNs. Development of algorithms for each novel intrusion detection technique to correlate alarms across distributed sensors of a WIDS. Development of an algorithm for automatic attack scenario detection using cross detection technique correlation. Development of an algorithm to automatically assign priority to the detected attack scenario using cross detection technique correlation.

A multilevel study of area socio-economic status and food purchasing behaviour

Objective: This study examined the association between area socioeconomic status (SES) and food purchasing behaviour.----- Setting: Melbourne city, Australia, 2003.----- Participants: Residents of 2,564 households located in 50 small areas.----- Design: Data were collected by mail survey (64.2% response rate). Area SES was indicated by the proportion of households in each area earning less than Aus$400 per week, and individual-level socioeconomic position was measured using education, occupation, and household income. Food purchasing was measured on the basis of compliance with dietary guideline recommendations (for grocery foods) and variety of fruit and vegetable purchase. Multilevel regression examined the association between area SES and food purchase after adjustment for individual-level demographic (age, sex, household composition) and socioeconomic factors.----- Results: Residents of low SES areas were significantly less likely than their counterparts in advantaged areas to purchase grocery foods that were high in fibre and low in fat, salt, and sugar; and they purchased a smaller variety of fruits. There was no evidence of an association between area SES and vegetable variety.----- Conclusions In Melbourne, area SES was associated with some food purchasing behaviours independent of individual-level factors, suggesting that areas in this city may be differentiated on the basis of food availability, accessibility, and affordability, making the purchase of some types of foods more difficult in disadvantaged areas.

Tear film surface quality with soft contact lenses using dynamic-area high-speed videokeratoscopy

Objectives. To evaluate the performance of the dynamic-area high-speed videokeratoscopy technique in the assessment of tear film surface quality with and without the presence of soft contact lenses on eye. Methods. Retrospective data from a tear film study using basic high-speed videokeratoscopy, captured at 25 frames per second, (Kopf et al., 2008, J Optom) were used. Eleven subjects had tear film analysis conducted in the morning, midday and evening on the first and seventh day of one week of no lens wear. Five of the eleven subjects then completed an extra week of hydrogel lens wear followed by a week of silicone hydrogel lens wear. Analysis was performed on a 6 second period of the inter-blink recording. The dynamic-area high-speed videokeratoscopy technique uses the maximum available area of Placido ring pattern reflected from the tear interface and eliminates regions of disturbance due to shadows from the eyelashes. A value of tear film surface quality was derived using image rocessing techniques, based on the quality of the reflected ring pattern orientation. Results. The group mean tear film surface quality and the standard deviations for each of the conditions (bare eye, hydrogel lens, and silicone hydrogel lens) showed a much lower coefficient of variation than previous methods (average reduction of about 92%). Bare eye measurements from the right and left eyes of eleven individuals showed high correlation values (Pearson’s correlation r = 0.73, p < 0.05). Repeated measures ANOVA across the 6 second period of measurement in the normal inter-blink period for the bare eye condition showed no statistically significant changes. However, across the 6 second inter-blink period with both contact lenses, statistically significant changes were observed (p < 0.001) for both types of contact lens material. Overall, wearing hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses caused the tear film surface quality to worsen compared with the bare eye condition (repeated measures ANOVA, p < 0.0001 for both hydrogel and silicone hydrogel). Conclusions. The results suggest that the dynamic-area method of high-speed videokeratoscopy was able to distinguish and quantify the subtle, but systematic worsening of tear film surface quality in the inter-blink interval in contact lens wear. It was also able to clearly show a difference between bare eye and contact lens wearing conditions.

Assessment of tear film surface quality using dynamic-area high-speed videokeratoscopy

A new method for noninvasive assessment of tear film surface quality (TFSQ) is proposed. The method is based on high-speed videokeratoscopy in which the corneal area for the analysis is dynamically estimated in a manner that removes videokeratoscopy interference from the shadows of eyelashes but not that related to the poor quality of the precorneal tear film that is of interest. The separation between the two types of seemingly similar videokeratoscopy interference is achieved by region-based classification in which the overall noise is first separated from the useful signal (unaltered videokeratoscopy pattern), followed by a dedicated interference classification algorithm that distinguishes between the two considered interferences. The proposed technique provides a much wider corneal area for the analysis of TFSQ than the previously reported techniques. A preliminary study with the proposed technique, carried out for a range of anterior eye conditions, showed an effective behavior in terms of noise to signal separation, interference classification, as well as consistent TFSQ results. Subsequently, the method proved to be able to not only discriminate between the bare eye and the lens on eye conditions but also to have the potential to discriminate between the two types of contact lenses.