The AstraZeneca affair. A litmus test of information disorder in the Italian hybrid media ecosystem

In this paper we seek to demonstrate how a variety of information disorder phenomena comes to be at the intersection of legacy and social media interaction. To do so, we collected more than 750.000 tweets and 30.000 news articles related to the adoption of AstraZeneca vaccine in Italy for a period of six months (1st January 2021 - 30th June 2021). Initially, using timestamps of publications and tweets, we tracked the pace of public debate. Then, using a mixed methods approach, we investigated Twitter reaction during the climax of attention toward AstraZeneca. Acting as a litmus test, our study reveals three different but intertwined information disorder phenomena: first, the vaccine debate exhibit a flat progression with few condensed peaks of attention (acceleration phenomenon); second, the two main peaks that involve both journalistic coverage and Twitter discussion generate from news of suspect deaths related to AstraZeneca (sensationalisation phenomenon); and finally, the report of suspect deaths news by mainstream media accounts on Twitter correlates with a polarized and ideological reaction of the connected publics (fragmentation phenomenon). These results highlight how a direct implication of the hybrid media ecosystem's actual configuration could be a resistance in the formation of a public arena capable of sustaining a prolonged and effective debate, particularly with respect to controversial societal issues such as those related to the covid-19 vaccination campaign.

The Possible use of Equivalent Homogeneous Subsoil Models for 1D Seismic Response Analyses in Seismic Microzonation Studies

The possibility is here explored to use an ‘equivalent’ homogeneous configuration to simulate 1D seismic response of heterogeneous engineering-geological bodies when relatively weak seismic impedance contrasts (150 m/s) only exist above the seismic bedrock. This equivalent configuration is obtained by considering an equivalent Vs value the harmonic average of the actual Vs values and a linear combination of G/G 0 and D curves relative to the lithotechnical components present in the actual configuration. To evaluate feasibility of this approach, a wide set of numerical simulations was carried out by randomly generating subsoil layering including sequences of alternating thin layers of geotechnical units ( e.g., sands and clays) each characterized by a characteristic nonlinear curve. Outcomes of these simulations are compared with those provided by considering a single homogeneous layer characterized by equivalent nonlinear curves obtained as a weighted average of the original curves. By comparing the heterogeneous and the homogeneous columns seismic response in terms of amplification factors and fundamental period, the results confirm the possibility to model a 1D column characterized by a generic lithostratigraphic succession with an equivalent one without introducing significative errors that, at least for the studied cases, do not exceed the 6%. This conclusion is substantially confirmed by extending the comparison to a real case, i.e. the 113 m-thick heterogeneous soil profile at Mirandola site (Norther Italy), presented in the last part.

Hydraulic Jump: A Brief History and Research Challenges

This paper presents a brief history of the hydraulic jump and a literature review on hydraulic jumps’ experimental and numerical studies. Leonardo da Vinci noticed this phenomenon early on, but it was only later studied by Bidone in 1820. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the hydraulic jump has received a lot of attention following the development of energy dissipater designs and stilling basins. The late 1920s and early 1930s saw many experimental studies researching the surface roller profile and energy dissipation. The study of internal flow features started in the late 1950s. Starting in the 70s, it was believed that the flow of a jump must be analyzed in its actual configuration of air–water mixture, an aspect that cannot be overlooked. Several experimental studies in the late 1980s and 1990s highlighted the existence of oscillating phenomena under specific flow conditions and particularly, a cyclic variation of jump types over long-lasting experiments. The early 2000s saw many experimental studies researching the complex structure of the separated region in very large channels downstream of the lateral shockwaves. Whereas most of the experiments provide measurements at a point or on a plane, the complete flow field supplied by CFD simulations enables us to have a deeper understanding of the dynamics of coherent structures that are responsible for free-surface fluctuations and aeration in hydraulic jumps. Therefore, in recent years, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method, through turbulence models, has become a useful tool to study this complex environmental fluid mechanic problem.

Spatial analysis of heat sources in Pará state - Brazil

The state of Pará has experienced a high occurrence of forest fires, which were strongly influenced by the El Niño phenomenon in 2015-2016. This study aims to analyze the conditions of heat sources in Pará, using the 2016 monthly bulletins provided by the Environment and Sustainability Secretariat. This data was analyzed through descriptive statistics. The IDW interpolation method was used to construct the density map, displaying the primary areas of concern. The results showed that the greatest detections were during the Amazonian summer, occurring during the second half of the year. Specifically, the municipalities of the Southwestern and Southeastern Para meso-regions were mainly the ones affected. Fire is used as a primary economic tool. The Southwest was the one region that presented the highest densities of hotspots. Although the results do not indicate the actual configuration of the events, because of the technical limitations of remote sensing, the information obtained in this study communicates ideas concerning prevention and action in the most affected areas. In loco studies are needed to determine precisely the causes of these occurrences.

SPATIAL ORGANIZATIONOF ECONOMIES IN NORTHERN REGIONS: FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

Quite often, the scientific community emphasizes the need to stimulate spatial development and form the most optimal structure of economic space in order to ensure sustainable and integrated development of territories. Despite the development and complexity of the research methodology, existing models and theories of spatial topics do not fully reflect the real picture of the organization of economic space in various countries of the world. However, it is the joint study of the theoretical and methodological foundations of spatial and regional economics and the study of domestic and foreign experiences of spatial organization that makes it possible to implement a full-fledged transformation of the Russian economy in a spatial context. The purpose of this article is to study the spatial organization of the Northern territories of a number of foreign countries and develop proposals on this basis to ensure the spatial development of the Northern and Arctic regions of the Russian Federation. The research used the monographic method, methods of comparative analysis and synthesis of information obtained, as well as graphical and tabular methods of data visualization. The study found that economic space acquires its actual configuration through distribution across economic agents and settlements and through relationships and communication that occur at the stages of production, distribution, exchange, and consumption. The study of the economic space specificity in the Northern territories of foreign countries helped to identify the main factors and conditions for forming the production and settlement frameworks. Based on the results obtained, the authorsdeveloped proposals aimed at improving spatial organization of the Northern and Arctic territories of the Russian Federation. The nclusions contribute to the development of ideas on spatial organization of territories and can be used in the implementation of government policies in the field of spatial and regional development.

Assessment of the Effect of Wind Load on the Load Capacity of a Single-Layer Bar Dome

The main purpose of the paper was the assessment of the effect of wind load on the load capacity of a single-layer bar dome. Additionally, which numerical method is appropriate for low-rise single-layer bar domes was checked. In order to explain the effect of the height-to-span ratio on the selection of the appropriate calculation model and method of analysis of the bar dome, an example of the known von Mises truss was proposed. Two cases of von Mises truss differing in the height-to-span ratio were considered. For the shallow structure, a significant change in the value of the stiffness matrix determinant and the current stiffness parameter was observed. A similar tendency in the behavior of the structure can be observed on fragments of larger structures, including shallow single-layer steel domes. These problems are described on the basis of the dome, which is located on top of the building housing the restaurant. This structure is subjected to large displacement gradients and the actual configuration is taken into account in analysis. The analysis showed that there is a change in stiffness for these structures, and, therefore, that such structures should be designed according to geometric nonlinear analysis (GNA).

Optimization of In-Core Detector Locations in AHWR Using Bond Energy Algorithm

A solution to optimization of in-core detectors placement for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) has been attempted. AHWR houses in-core detector units with Self-Powered Neutron Detectors (SPND) distributed axially and their measurement serves as an input to Online Flux Mapping System (OFMS) to monitor the three-dimensional neutron flux distribution. There is a requirement of placing these in-core detectors at optimum locations to retrieve maximum information about the reactor while keeping their number to the minimum. This paper attempts to optimize SPND placement through the application of Bond Energy Algorithm (BEA), a clustering technique which groups the SPNDs based on correlation. This works on the concept of grouping strongly correlated SPNDs into blocks and choosing one SPND from each block as the optimal location. The higher the uncorrelation among optimal SPNDs, the higher the independent information retrieved about the actual configuration of the reactor. It can be inferred from this work that the number and location of SPNDs are highly dependent on the initial set of SPND locations and the correlation threshold. It can be seen that as the correlation threshold increases, the number of optimal locations increases. The obtained optimal locations have been validated for various operational reactor configurations using different Flux Mapping Algorithms (FMA).

Model-based analysis of constructional steel structures exemplified by dimensional checking on railway car shells using 3D scanning

The analysis of constructional steel structures (such as car shells for rail vehicles) in terms of dimensional checking according to DIN 25043-2:2012 (presented here) and completeness checking (investigated in Jurdeczka, 2017) represents a challenge because of the dimensions of the test object (20m×3m×3m) and because of the number of mounted parts (several hundred). As presented here and in former publications, the use of 3D scanners allows us to obtain sufficiently comprehensive information about the actual configuration (dimensions and completeness) of the constructional steel structure to be checked. By using an adapted algorithm, the respective 3D model as the target state is superimposed with difference images. These difference images show possible dimensional deviations as well as possible missing parts or, at the least, suspect points. For dimensional checking, there are advantages in the inspection process. In addition, a detailed image can be obtained, which can be used for later evaluations.

Study on Capacity Distribution of Optimal Configuration Ratio of Urban Replenishment Station of Electric Vehicles

Background: This paper deeply studies the influence of the capacity distribution of urban charging and replacing power stations on the distribution network and gives the optimal solution. Objective: The optimal configuration scheme of the charging and replacing station has been given to reduce the impact of the charging and replacing station on the distribution network. Methods: First, the Monte Carlo simulation method is used to extract the influencing factors. The probability load models of the battery replacement station, the slow charging station and the fast charging station are established respectively. The capacity distribution is represented by three different types of charging and switching station configuration ratios. Furthermore, the impact of the charging and replacing power station on the economics and safety of the distribution network is analyzed. Different from other literature, the “peak-filling” model with “minimum peak load”, “maximum valley load” and “minimum peak-to-valley difference” is established, and then PSO is adopted. Results: Finally, the actual configuration is used to compare and analyze the four configuration schemes to prove the superiority of the optimization scheme. Conclusion: Three models have different key influencing factors, so that the electric vehicle load forecasting is more targeted and accurate. The results show that more battery replacement stations can reduce the impact of EV charging on the distribution network, and the construction of the supply replenishment should be based on the construction of the power station.

La hipótesis del ovillo desmadejado

This chapter explores some of the challenges posed by a ‘comparatist’ definition of Iberian Studies. These challenges relate to the reification of the genealogy of cultural, institutional or political links that often justify Iberian literary research. They are also characterised by the tendency to idealise the Iberian context as a net of relations ‘between equals’, which contributes to hide the heterogeneity and the hierarchies between the literary units under analysis. The case of Majorcan literature and culture – an often excluded node of the Iberian ‘peninsular’ network – will be used to argue that exploring this topic from its so-called peripheral ‘others’ offers some solutions to this ‘comparatist’ definition in the contemporary context. Specifically, this chapter focuses on two different aspects of relevance to Iberian Studies: the difficulty of defining the local or regional status of Majorcan literature, and the intersection of local and global synergies in its actual configuration.