The Seashell Wastes as Biosorbent for Reactive Dye Removal from Textile Effluents

This study investigates structural and adsorption properties of the powdered waste shells of Rapana gastropod and their use as a new cheap adsorbent to remove reactive dye Brilliant Red HE‐3B from aqueous solutions under batch conditions. For the powder shells characterization, solubility tests in acidic solutions and X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and thermogravimetric analyses were performed. The results revealed that the adsorbent surface is heterogeneous consisting mainly from calcium carbonate layers (either calcite or aragonite) and a small amount of organic macromolecules (proteins and polysaccharides). The dye adsorptive potential of gastropod shells powder was evaluated as function of initial solution pH (1–5), adsorbent dose (6–40 g L^?1), dye concentration (50–300 mg L^?1), temperature (5–60°C), and contact time (0–24 h). It was observed that the maximum values of dye percentage removal were obtained at the initial pH of solution 1.2, shells dose of 40 g L^?1, dye initial concentration of 50–50 mg L^?1 and higher temperatures; the equilibrium time decreases with increasing of dye concentration. It is proved that the waste seashell powder can be used as low cost bioinorganic adsorbent for dyes removal from textile wastewaters.     

Dynamic response and optimal design of structures with large mass ratio TMD

This paper investigates the dynamic behavior and the seismic effectiveness of a non‐conventional Tuned Mass Damper (TMD) with large mass ratio. Compared with conventional TMD, the device mass is increased up to be comparable with the mass of the structure to be protected, aiming at a better control performance. In order to avoid the introduction of an excessive additional weight, masses already present on the structure are converted into tuned masses, retaining structural or architectural functions beyond the mere control function. A reduced order model is introduced for design purposes and the optimal design of a large mass ratio TMD for seismic applications is then formulated. The design method is specifically developed to implement High‐Damping Rubber Bearings (HDRB) to connect the device mass to the main structure, taking advantage of combining stiffness and noticeable damping characteristics. Ground acceleration is modeled as a Gaussian random process with white noise power spectral density. A numerical searching technique is used to obtain the optimal design parameter, the frequency ratio alpha, which minimizes the root‐mean‐square displacement response of the main structure. The study finally comprises shaking table tests on a 1:5 scale model under a wide selection of accelerograms, both artificial and natural, to assess the seismic effectiveness of the proposed large mass ratio TMD. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reservoir rehabilitation: The new methodological approach of Economic Environmental Defence

This paper proposes a new methodological approach to silted reservoir management and defence, which combines the reservoir rehabilitation process and the utilization of the recovered water volumes and sediments. This approach, strategic from both the economical and environmental points of view, is here defined as Economic Environmental Defence (EED) of a reservoir. The EED approach is applied to the case study of Guardialfiera reservoir, where the available experimental data allowed the estimation of silta-tion up to date, the analysis of the distribution of sediment particle size along the reservoir bottom and the possibility to propose a feasible utilization of water and sediments resulting from the reservoir rehabilitation.     

Optimal design and performance evaluation of systems with Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI)

The paper concerns the optimal design and performance evaluation of a Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI) to reduce dynamic vibrations. The system exploits properties of the inerter, a two‐terminal mechanical device able to produce a force proportional to the relative acceleration between terminals, with the ability of generating an apparent mass even two orders of magnitude greater than its own physical mass. A primary single‐degree‐of‐freedom structure is equipped with a classical linear Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), the secondary structure, whose mass is connected to the ground via an inerter. The optimal design of the TMDI is conducted by assuming a white noise process as base input and utilizing three different design methodologies: displacement minimization, acceleration minimization and maximization of the ratio between the energy dissipated in the secondary system and the total input energy. Optimal results obtained with the different methodologies are carried out and compared. Two limit cases are also considered when the inerter is not contemplated: conventional and non‐conventional TMDs, characterized by a low and a large mass ratio, respectively. The TMDI performance is evaluated and compared with conventional and non‐conventional TMDs; moreover, its robustness is assessed with a sensitivity analysis varying the design parameters. Attention is focused not exclusively on the primary structure response but also on the secondary one. Finally, the effectiveness of the optimally designed TMDI is evaluated having considered earthquake base excitation. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of TMDI systems for dynamic response reduction with superior performances and robustness than classical TMDs. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Full waveform inversion of SH‐ and Love‐wave data in near‐surface prospecting

We develop a two‐dimensional full waveform inversion approach for the simultaneous determination of S‐wave velocity and density models from SH ‐ and Love‐wave data. We illustrate the advantages of the SH/Love full waveform inversion with a simple synthetic example and demonstrate the method's applicability to a near‐surface dataset, recorded in the village ?achtice in Northwestern Slovakia. Goal of the survey was to map remains of historical building foundations in a highly heterogeneous subsurface. The seismic survey comprises two parallel SH‐profiles with maximum offsets of 24 m and covers a frequency range from 5 Hz to 80 Hz with high signal‐to‐noise ratio well suited for full waveform inversion. Using the Wiechert–Herglotz method, we determined a one‐dimensional gradient velocity model as a starting model for full waveform inversion. The two‐dimensional waveform inversion approach uses the global correlation norm as objective function in combination with a sequential inversion of low‐pass filtered field data. This mitigates the non‐linearity of the multi‐parameter inverse problem. Test computations show that the influence of visco‐elastic effects on the waveform inversion result is rather small. Further tests using a mono‐parameter shear modulus inversion reveal that the inversion of the density model has no significant impact on the final data fit. The final full waveform inversion S‐wave velocity and density models show a prominent low‐velocity weathering layer. Below this layer, the subsurface is highly heterogeneous. Minimum anomaly sizes correspond to approximately half of the dominant Love‐wavelength. The results demonstrate the ability of two‐dimensional SH waveform inversion to image shallow small‐scale soil structure. However, they do not show any evidence of foundation walls.     

Clinopyroxenes and amphiboles in a metadolerite from the northern apennines. Implications on the palaeogeographic role of ophiolites

Summary A metadolerite of the ophiolites of the Northern Apennines (Vignola, Panaro Valley, near Modena, Italy) behaves as ocean-floor tholeiites when Ti, P, Zr, Cr, Y and Nb are considered. However, it deviates from typical oceanic tholeiites in that(1) it contains primary alkali amphiboles, (2) its clinopyroxenes plot in the diagram TiO₂–MnO–Na₂O not in the fields of the ocean-floor basalts, and (3) the calculated uranium content of the liquid in equilibrium with its magmatic minerals is similar to the one reported for alkali basalts.These results put constraints on the generalized significance attributed to the ophiolites of the Northern Apennines, i. e. not all of them were generated at spreading ridges similar to the normal ridge segments of the present-day ocean-floors, as has been generally accepted by now.The metamorphic parageneses indicate that the rock underwent low-pressure transformations, probably in oceanic environment, followed by recrystallizations at higher pressure, reasonably in concomitance with an orogenesis.

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Klinopyroxene und Amphibole in einem Metadolerit aus dem Nördlichen Apennin. Folgerungen für die paläogeographische Stellung der Ophiolithe

Zusammenfassung Ein Metadolerit aus den Ophiolithen des Nördlichen Apennins (Vignola im Panaro-Tal bei Modena, Italien) entspricht in den Gehalten an Ti, P, Zr, Cr, Y und Nb den Tholeiiten der Ozeanböden. Er weicht hingegen von typischen ozeanischen Tholeiiten dadurch ab, daß er 1. primäre Alkaliamphibole enthält, daß 2. seine Klinopyroxene im Diagramm TiO₂–MnO–Na₂O nicht in die Felder der Tholeiite der Ozeanböden fallen und daß 3, der berechnete U-Gehalt für die mit seinen magmatischen Mineralen im Gleichgewicht stehenden liquiden Phase ähnlich jener ist, die für Alkalibasalte angegeben wird.Diese Ergebnisse schränken die generelle Bedeutung, die den Ophiolithen des Nördlichen Apennins bisher allgemein zugeschrieben wurde, ein: Nicht alle entstanden an sich ausdehnenden Rücken ähnlich jenen der heutigen Ozeanböden.Die metamorphen Parageneses zeigen, daß das Gestein bei niedrigem Druck, wahrscheinlich in ozeanischer Umgebung, Umwandlungen erlitt; dann folgten Rekristallisationen unter höherem Druck, die wohl zeitlich mit einer Orogenese zusammenfielen.

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With 4 Figures     

On the propagation of Love waves in a non-homogeneous isotropic layer of finite depth lying on an infinite non-isotropic layer

Summary This paper deals with the propagation of Love waves in a non-homogeneous isotropic layer of finite depth standing on an infinite non-isotropic layer when there a parabolic irregular zone exists at the interface of the two media.     

A method of estimating the excess electron density in random irregularities embedded in the ionosphere

Summary Wave propagation through the ionospheric plasma containing irregularities has been studied. The excess electron number density due to the presence of irregularities has been calculated in a way which may be suitably used for practical purposes.     

Deriving the unitgraph without using rainfall data

The characteristic of a linear time invariant system can be found uniquely from any two outputs that have no error: it is not necessary to know the inputs or the time duration of the system response. In hydrologic terms, the unitgraph of a catchment with linear characteristics may be found from records of runoff vs time.