Search

Groundwater resources in the Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region (northeast Italy) are an important natural wealth in terms of quantity, quality and ease of supply. This optimal condition, however, has long believed that it allowed an irrational and uncontrolled exploitation that inevitably produced tangible consequences on the water resources availability.The goal of the present research is the evaluation of the sustainable use of the groundwater in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region aimed at providing guide-lines for its rational use. The study area belongs to the hydrogeological basin of the Friuli Plain and includes part of Veneto Region and Slovenia. The plain area is divided in two parts: the High Plain (HP) characterized by a phreatic aquifer and the Low Plain (LP) where eleven confined aquifer systems were identified. The two physiographic zones are separated by the spring belt. In order to evaluate the groundwater avaliability, a 3D model of the Low Friuli Plain aquifer systems was realized using Rockworks R14 software, starting from 603 lithostratigraphic wells data. Isobath and isopach maps were elaborated using kriging geostatistical method. Precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff and infiltration were calculated to evaluate the inflow and outflow groundwater budget terms (109 rainfall and 46 thermometric stations, time series 1979-2008). To better define the river influences and the outflows at sea, a series of recent surveys on river discharges and surface withdrawals were considered. To obtain the water-budget in non-natural conditions, as the currents, were taken into account the groundwater withdrawals that were evaluated for each type of use and for each aquifer systems, starting from 2 geodatabases: one for the domestic uses (50101 estimated wells) and one for the industrial, agricultural, fish breeding, hygienic, geothermal and other minor uses (7594 wells). Well withdrawals amount were evaluated on annual base for recent periods and expressed as m3/s. The total current estimated groundwater withdrawals reach 62.4 m3/s, of which 41.1 m3/s from the confined aquifer systems in the LP area. More than 52% of the withdrawals are due to the domestic wells. For the water-budget, the studied territory was considered a “semi-closed box” in which groundwater sharings with the neighboring areas are not relevant and where the recharge is mainly due to the influent character of the river, infiltration, rainfall and irrigation practices. As result, the waterbudget for the confined LP is equal to +2.6 m3/s representing the accuracy, fairly acceptable for the scale of the research. Withdrawal entity, spring belt discharge, phreatic levels and confined aquifer’s pressure are closely interdependent and in dynamic equilibrium. The sustainability comes from the consistency and ratio between recharge and withdrawals. The confined aquifer withdrawals in the LP represent the 23.1% of the groundwater recharge coming from the HP and the 30.6% of the spring belt discharge. Seen that this last one can not further decrease, unless loss of important ecosystems, is likely to think that the present situation can be defined of limit equilibrium.

We report an effect of anomalous transparency that is similar to other phantom effects. In an experiment aimed at testing the combined role of (i) motion of the occluding surface and (ii) lightness contrast and polarity on the perception of anomalous transparency, we found that transparency is perceived only with low contrast, and enhanced when the occluding surface is moving. A tentative explanation is suggested, based on simultaneous lightness contrast as a segregation factor and on motion as an integration factor, and discussed in light of previous studies conducted in the theoretical framework of Gestalt theories in perception.

Context. The extended ultraviolet (XUV) disks of nearby galaxies show ongoing massive-star formation, but their parental molecular clouds remain mostly undetected despite searches in CO(1–0) and CO(2–1). The recent detection of 23 clouds in the higher excitation transition CO(3–2) within the XUV disk of M83 thus requires an explanation. Aims. We test the hypothesis introduced to explain the non-detections and recent detection simultaneously: The clouds in XUV disks have a clump-envelope structure similar to those in Galactic star-forming clouds, having dense star-forming clumps (or concentrations of multiple clumps) at their centers, which predominantly contribute to the CO(3–2) emission and are surrounded by less dense envelopes, where CO molecules are photo-dissociated due to the low-metallicity environment there. Methods. We utilize new high-resolution ALMA CO(3–2) observations of a subset (11) of the 23 clouds in the XUV disk of M83. Results. We confirm the compactness of the CO(3–2)-emitting dense clumps (or their concentrations), finding clump diameters below the spatial resolution of 6–9 pc. This is similar to the size of the dense gas region in the Orion A molecular cloud, a local star-forming cloud with massive-star formation. Conclusions. The dense star-forming clumps are common between normal and XUV disks. This may also indicate that once the cloud structure is set, the process of star formation is governed by the cloud's internal physics rather than by external triggers. This simple model explains the current observations of clouds with ongoing massive-star formation, although it may require some adjustment, for example including the effect of cloud evolution, to describe star formation in molecular clouds more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illusions are important ‘tools’ in the study of perceptual processes. Their conception is typically linked to the notion of veridicality in a dual-world framework, in which we either see the macro physical world as it is (ecological approaches) or we derive a faithful representation (cognitive approaches) of it. Within such theoretical views, illusions are errors caused by inadequate sensory information (because of poor quality, insufficient quantity, contradictory, etc.). From a phenomenological stance, however, experiencing an illusion does not relate to the physical quality of the distal or proximal stimulus; rather, it depends on a comparison between the actual perception and what one believes should be perceived given the knowledge s/he has gained about the physical stimulus. Within such a framework, illusions are still considered of extreme importance in the study of the processes underpinning perception, but they are not conceived as errors. They represent instead a cognitive clash between actual perception and hypothesized perception based on some sort of comparison, thus also showing their potential as a tool for studying the underpinnings of cognitive processes.

Two experiments are described, the purpose of which was to investigate the presence of a misalignment illusion caused by Poggendorff-like conditions in two paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, both depicting the Descent from the Cross , one located in Antwerp (Belgium), the other in Lille (France). The first shows a geometrical misalignment made by Rubens in a minor detail, which is considered proof that the artist observed the Poggendorff illusion. The second painting, instead, shows a perfect geometrical alignment in a similar detail. In experiment 1, participants were asked to align a top segment to a lower one in two types of stimuli: a full-size digitally manipulated reproduction of the painting and a Poggendorff-like configuration that recalled the painting's lines displacement and tilt. Adjustments were performed from two distances, one up close (painting distance) and one from below and far (observation distance). Results confirmed the presence of the Poggendorff illusion, but mean adjustments significantly differed from the misalignment perpetrated by Rubens. Experiment 2 was set up in a similar fashion with the Lille painting. Results confirmed the presence of the Poggendorff illusion also in this painting; however, the alignment by Rubens coincides with the geometrical one. Results from both experiments do not support the claim that Rubens observed the Poggendorff illusion and therefore corrected for it in the Antwerp painting. An alternative account is discussed, which relates to the structural layout of the painting.

We present results from two experiments aimed at studying the direction of Mona Lisa’s gaze and its affective expression. In experiment 1 we studied the effect of retinal image size on the perception of her gaze by manipulating observation distances of a high-quality print of the painting. Participants (N = 30) were asked to answer a simple question (is the person portrayed looking at you?) from six different distances ranging from 55 to 755 cm. One group of participants started evaluations from 55 cm; the other group did the opposite. Results show an effect of distance on the perception of Mona Lisa’s gaze as staring at the observer: from the furthest distances, the impression of a staring Mona Lisa is robust; from the nearest distances, such impression becomes ambiguous. Experiment 2 presents data concerning the direction of Mona Lisa’s gaze and whether this appears to be smiling, derived from an experiment aimed at studying the impression of gaze (direction and emotional content) in portraits (paintings and photographs). Only data concerning Mona Lisa are reported. Participants (N = 41) were randomly assigned to one of two groups: on a LCD screen, one group saw the entire head, and the other group saw only a section reproducing Mona Lisa’s eyes. Experimental sessions were two: in session 1 participants had to decide whether the image (whole-head or eyes only) was looking at them; in session 2 participants had to decide whether the head (or the eyes) was smiling. RTs from the two groups of participants were not statistically significant. Results for session 1 confirm experiment 1’s general findings. Results for session 2 clearly show that Mona Lisa is not only smiling with her face, but also with her eyes. Results are discussed in relation to the literature on Mona Lisa’s gaze and smile.

This paper aims at reassessing the concept of peripherality of the Byzantine insular world. It is suggested that Sicily, Crete and Cyprus (and to a lesser extent Malta, Sardinia and the Balearics) acted as a third political and economic pole between the Anatolian plateau and the Aegean Sea in the Byzantine Mediterranean. This will shed 'archeological' light on some parallel economic and political trajectories of the urban centers located on two of the above-mentioned islands: Salamis-Constantia on Cyprus and Gortyn in Crete during the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages. Keywords Byzantium; Mediterranean; Islands; Archaeology; Medieval Bu makale, Bizans Imparatorlugu Adalar Sistemi icinde periferi ve periferik alan konseptini yeniden degerlendirmeyi amaclamaktadir. Makalede, Girit, Sicilya ve Kibris merkezde olmak uzere destekleyici diger ornekler olarak Malta, Sardunya ve Balear Adalari kullanilacak ve bu adalarin Bizans Akdenizi'nin kalbi olarak kabul edilen Anadolu platosu ve Ege Denizi cevresinde hem politik hem de ekonomik acilardan ucuncu bir kutup olarak fonksiyonlari tartisilacaktir. Bu arguman Gec Antikcag'dan Erken Ortacag'a gecis doneminde Salamis-Constantia (Kibris) ve Gortyn (Girit) sehir merkezlerinin sundugu arkeolojik kanitlar ve iki merkezin paralel ekonomik ve politik yorungeleri ile desteklenecektir. Anahtar Kelimeler Bizans; Akdeniz; Adalar; Arkeoloji; Ortacag, Islands have represented a challenge for Byzantine historiography. The biggest of them, like Crete (Tzougarakis, 1998; Zanini, 2009, 2013), Cyprus (Metcalf, 2009; Zavagno, 2017), and Sicily (NefPringent, 2006; Molinari, 2013) [...]

The increase in our molecular understanding of the biology of aging, coupled with a recent surge in investment, has led to the formation of several companies developing pharmaceuticals to slow aging. Research using the tiny nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans was the first to show that mutations in single genes can extend lifespan, and subsequent research has shown that this model organism is uniquely suited to testing interventions to slow aging. Yet, with a few notable exceptions, C. elegans is not in the standard toolkit of longevity companies. Here we discuss the paths to overcome the barriers to using C. elegans in industrial drug discovery. We address the predictive power of C. elegans for human aging, how C. elegans research can be applied to specific challenges in the typical drug discovery pipeline, and how standardised and quantitative assays will help C. elegans fulfil its potential in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. We argue that correct application of this model and its knowledge base will significantly accelerate progress to slow human aging.

This paper focuses on the historical development and dynamics of political and administrative structures in regions of a fragmented empire that cannot be simply described as marginal 'mouseholes'. Rather, it should be acknowledged that these spaces were part and parcel of a wider area (the Byzantine insular and coastal koine) , which encompassed coastal areas as well as insular communities promoting socio-economic contact and cultural interchange. More importantly, they also boasted a peculiar set of material indicators suggesting a certain common cultural unity and identity. The koine coincided with liminal territories and the seas on which the Byzantine Empire retained political and naval rulership. Such liminal territories showed varied – yet coherent– administrative infrastructures and political practices on the part of local elites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glare effect is a brightness illusion that has captured the attention of the vision community since its discovery. However, its photometrical reversal, which we refer to here as photometrical reversed glare (PRG) stimuli, remained relatively unexplored. We presented three experiments that sought to examine the perceived brightness of a target area surrounded by luminance gradients in PRG stimuli and compare them with conventional glare effect configurations. Experiment 1 measured the brightness of the central target area of PRG stimuli through an adjustment task; the results showed that the target appeared brighter than similar, comparative areas not surrounded by luminance gradients. This finding was unexpected given the recent report that PRG stimuli cause pupil dilation. Meanwhile, Experiments 2 and 3 implemented a rating task to further test the findings in Experiment 1. Again, the study found a robust brightening illusion in the target area of PRG stimuli in a wide range of target and background luminance. The results are discussed in comparison with the brightness enhancement of the glare effect.

The purpose of this research is to present the employment of a simple-to-use crossmodal method for measuring haptic size illusions. The method, that we call See what you feel , was tested by employing Uznadze’s classic haptic aftereffect in which two spheres physically identical (test spheres) appear different in size after that the hands holding them underwent an adaptation session with other two spheres (adapting spheres), one bigger and the other smaller than the two test spheres. To measure the entity of the illusion, a three-dimensional visual scale was created and participants were asked to find on it the spheres that corresponded in size to the spheres they were holding in their hands out of sight. The method, tested on 160 right-handed participants, is robust and easily understood by participants.

Filamentary flows towards the centre of molecular clouds have been recognized as a crucial process in the formation and evolution of stellar clusters. In this paper, we present a comprehensive observational study that investigates the gas properties and kinematics of the Giant Molecular Cloud G148.24+00.41 using the observations of CO (1-0) isotopologues. We find that the cloud is massive (105 M⊙) and is one of the most massive clouds of the outer Galaxy. We identified six likely velocity coherent filaments in the cloud having length, width, and mass in the range of 14–38 pc, 2.5–4.2 pc, and (1.3–6.9) × 103 M⊙, respectively. We find that the filaments are converging towards the central area of the cloud, and the longitudinal accretion flows along the filaments are in the range of ∼ 26–264 M⊙ Myr−1. The cloud has fragmented into seven clumps having mass in the range of ∼ 260–2100 M⊙ and average size around ∼ 1.4 pc, out of which the most massive clump is located at the hub of the filamentary structures, near the geometric centre of the cloud. Three filaments are found to be directly connected to the massive clump and transferring matter at a rate of ∼ 675 M⊙ Myr−1. The clump hosts a near-infrared cluster. Our results show that large-scale filamentary accretion flows towards the central region of the collapsing cloud is an important mechanism for supplying the matter necessary to form the central high-mass clump and subsequent stellar cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative importance of magnetic fields, turbulence, and gravity in the early phases of star formation is still not well understood. We report the first high-resolution dust polarization observations at 850  |$\mu$| m around the most massive clump, located at the hub of the Giant Molecular Cloud G148.24+00.41, using SCUBA-2/POL-2 at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We find that the degree of polarization decreases steadily towards the denser portion of the cloud. Comparing the intensity gradients and local gravity with the magnetic field orientations, we find that local gravity plays a dominant role in driving the gas collapse as the magnetic field orientations and gravity vectors seem to point towards the dense clumps. We also find evidence of U-shaped magnetic field morphology towards a small-scale elongated structure associated with the central clump, hinting at converging accretion flows towards the clump. Our observation has resolved the massive clump into multiple substructures. We study the magnetic field properties of two regions, central clump (CC) and northeastern elongated structure (NES). Using the modified Davis–Chandrasekhar–Fermi method, we determine that the magnetic field strengths of CC and NES are ∼24.0 ± 6.0  |$\mu$| G and 20.0 ± 5.0  |$\mu$| G, respectively. The mass-to-flux ratios are found to be magnetically transcritical/supercritical, while the Alfv |$\acute{\text{e}}$| n Mach number indicates a trans-Alfv |$\acute{\text{e}}$| nic state in both regions. These results, along with Virial analysis, suggest that at the hub of G148.24+00.41, gravitational energy has an edge over magnetic and kinetic energies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The impact of stellar feedback on the Kennicutt–Schmidt (KS) law, which relates the star formation rate (SFR) to the surface gas density, is a topic of ongoing debate. The interpretation of high-resolution observations of individual clouds is challenging due to the various processes at play simultaneously and inherent biases. Therefore, a numerical investigation is necessary to understand the role of stellar feedback and identify observable signatures. Aims. In this study we investigate the impact of stellar feedback on the KS law, aiming to identify distinct signatures that can be observed and analysed. By employing magnetohydrodynamic simulations of an isolated cloud, we specifically isolate the effects of high-mass star radiation feedback and protostellar jets. High-resolution numerical simulations are a valuable tool for isolating the impact of stellar feedback on the star formation process, while also allowing us to assess how observational biases may affect the derived relation. Methods. We used high-resolution (<0.01 pc) magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations of a 104M⊙ cloud and followed its evolution under different feedback prescriptions. The set of simulations contained four types of feedback: one with only protostellar jets, one with ionising radiation from massive stars (>8 M⊙), one with the combination of the two, and one without any stellar feedback. In order to compare these simulations with the existing observational results, we analysed their evolution by adopting the same techniques applied in the observational studies. Then, we simulated how the same analyses would change if the data were affected by typical observational biases: counting young stellar objects (YSO) to estimate the SFR, the limited resolution for the column density maps, and a sensitivity threshold for detecting faint embedded YSOs. Results. Our analysis reveals that the presence of stellar feedback strongly influences the shape of the KS relation and the star formation efficiency per free-fall time (ϵff). The impact of feedback on the relation is primarily governed by its influence on the cloud's structure. Additionally, the evolution of ϵff throughout the star formation event suggests that variations in this quantity can mask the impact of feedback in observational studies that do not account for the evolutionary stage of the clouds. Although the ϵff measured in our clouds is higher than what is usually observed in real clouds, upon applying prescriptions to mimic observational biases we recover a good agreement with the expected values. From that, we can infer that observations tend to underestimate the total SFR. Moreover, this likely indicates that the physics included in our simulations is sufficient to reproduce the basic mechanisms that contribute to setting ϵff. Conclusions. We demonstrate the interest of employing numerical simulations to address the impact of early feedback on star formation laws and to correctly interpret observational data. This study will be extended to other types of molecular clouds and ionising stars, sampling different feedback strengths, to fully characterise the impact of H II regions on star formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the map of intrinsic groundwater vulnerability of the Isonzo/Soča High Plain, which is located between the Collio Hills and the Classical Karst Region and holds an aquifer shared between Italy and Slovenia. The map, produced at a scale of 1:25,000 and printed in A0 format, was obtained by means of the SINTACS method and shows the intrinsic vulnerability of the aquifer in terms of seven vulnerability classes, from extremely high to low. It is accompanied by four supplementary sketches that illustrate the geological framework, the bedrock top surface, the groundwater flow paths, the Hazard Index map and three diagrams that summarize the percentages of vulnerability classes and of Hazard Index classes of the study area.

According to both experimental research and common sense, classical music is a better fit for figurative art than jazz. We hypothesize that similar fits may reflect underlying crossmodal structural similarities between music and painting genres. We present two preliminary studies aimed at addressing our hypothesis. Experiment 1 tested the goodness of the fit between two music genres (classical and jazz) and two painting genres (figurative and abstract). Participants were presented with twenty sets of six paintings (three figurative, three abstract) viewed in combination with three sound conditions: 1) silence, 2) classical music, or 3) jazz. While figurative paintings scored higher aesthetic appreciation than abstract ones, a gender effect was also found: the aesthetic appreciation of paintings in male participants was modulated by music genre, whilst music genre did not affect the aesthetic appreciation in female participants. Our results support only in part the notion that classical music enhances the aesthetic appreciation of figurative art. Experiment 2 aimed at testing whether the conceptual categories ‘figurative’ and ‘abstract’ can be extended also to music. In session 1, participants were first asked to classify 30 paintings (10 abstract, 10 figurative, 10 ambiguous that could fit either category) as abstract or figurative and then to rate them for pleasantness; in session 2 participants were asked to classify 40 excerpts of music (20 classical, 20 jazz) as abstract or figurative and to rate them for pleasantness. Paintings which were clearly abstract or figurative were all classified accordingly, while the majority of ambiguous paintings were classified as abstract. Results also show a gender effect for painting’s pleasantness: female participants rated higher ambiguous and abstract paintings. More interestingly, results show an effect of music genre on classification, showing that it is possible to classify music as figurative or abstract, thus supporting the hypothesis of cross-modal similarities between the two sensory-different artistic expressions.

E-motions are defined as those affective states the expressions of which—conveyed either by static faces or body posture—embody a dynamic component and, consequently, convey a higher sense of dynamicity than other emotional expressions. An experiment is presented, aimed at testing whether e-motions are perceived as such also by individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), which have been associated with impairments in emotion recognition and in motion perception. To this aim we replicate with ASD individuals a study, originally conducted with typically developed individuals (TDs), in which we showed to both ASD and TD participants 14 bodiless heads and 14 headless bodies taken from eleven static artworks and four drawings. The Experiment was divided into two sessions. In Session 1 participants were asked to freely associate each stimulus to an emotion or an affective state (Task 1, option A); if they were unable to find a specific emotion, the experimenter showed them a list of eight possible emotions (words) and asked them to choose one from such list, that best described the affective state portrayed in the image (Task 1, option B). After their choice, they were asked to rate the intensity of the perceived emotion on a seven point Likert scale (Task 2). In Session 2 participants were requested to evaluate the degree of dynamicity conveyed by each stimulus on a 7 point Likert scale. Results showed that ASDs and TDs shared a similar range of verbal expressions defining emotions; however, ASDs (i) showed an impairment in the ability to spontaneously assign an emotion to a headless body, and (ii) they more frequently used terms denoting negative emotions (for both faces and bodies) as compared to neutral emotions, which in turn were more frequently used by TDs. No difference emerged between the two groups for positive emotions, with happiness being the emotion better recognized in both faces and in bodies. Although overall there are no significant differences between the two groups with respect to the emotions assigned to the images and the degree of perceived dynamicity, the interaction Artwork x Group showed that for some images ASDs assigned a different value than TDs to perceived dynamicity. Moreover, two images were interpreted by ASDs as conveying completely different emotions than those perceived by TDs. Results are discussed in light of the ability of ASDs to resolve ambiguity, and of possible different cognitive styles characterizing the aesthetical/emotional experience.

Illusions are important 'tools' in the study of perceptual processes. Their conception is typically linked to the notion of veridicality in a dual-world framework, in which we either see the macro physical world as it is (ecological approaches) or we derive a faithful representation (cognitive approaches) of it. Within such theoretical views, illusions are errors caused by inadequate sensory information (because of poor quality, insufficient quantity, contradictory, etc.). From a phenomenological stance, however, experiencing an illusion does not relate to the physical quality of the distal or proximal stimulus; rather, it depends on a comparison between the actual perception and what one believes should be perceived given the knowledge s/he has gained about the physical stimulus. Within such a framework, illusions are still considered of extreme importance in the study of the processes underpinning perception, but they are not conceived as errors. They represent instead a cognitive clash between actual perception and hypothesized perception based on some sort of comparison, thus also showing their potential as a tool for studying the underpinnings of cognitive processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Report of the Conference about the Mediterranean held at the University of Salerno in September 2017, involving scholars of several disciplines.

Three experiments investigated the role of physical illumination on lightness perception in simultaneous lightness contrast (SLC). Four configurations were employed: the classic textbook version of the illusion and three configurations that produced either enhanced or reduced SLC. Experiment 1 tested the effect of ambient illumination on lightness perception. It simulated very dark environmental conditions that nevertheless still allowed perception of different shades of gray. Experiment 2 tested the effect of the intensity of Gelb lighting on lightness perception. Experiment 3 presented two conditions that integrated illumination conditions from Experiments 1 and 2. Our results demonstrated an illumination effect on both lightness matching and perceived SLC contrast: As the intensity of illumination increased, the target on the black background appeared lighter, while the target on the white background was little affected. We hypothesize the existence of two illumination ranges that affect lightness perception differently: low and normal . In the low range, the SLC contrast was reduced and targets appeared darker. In the normal range, the SLC contrast and lightness matchings for each background were little changed across illumination intensities.

Copyright of Italian Journal of Groundwater / Acque Sotterranee is the property of PAGEPress and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pupil diameters were recorded with an eye-tracker while participants observed cruciform patterns of gray-scale gradients that evoked illusions of enhanced brightness ( glare ) or of enhanced darkness. The illusions were either presented as static images or as dynamic animations which initially appeared as a pattern of filled squares that—in a few seconds—gradually changed into gradients until the patterns were identical to the static ones. Gradients could either converge toward the center, resulting in a central region of enhanced, illusory, brightness or darkness, or oriented toward each side of the screen, resulting in the perception of a peripheral ring of illusory brightness or darkness. It was found that pupil responses to these illusions matched both the direction and intensity of perceived changes in light: Glare stimuli resulted in pupil constrictions, and darkness stimuli evoked dilations of the pupils. A second experiment found that gradients of brightness were most effective in constricting the pupils than isoluminant step-luminance, local, variations in luminance. This set of findings suggest that the eye strategically adjusts to reflect in a predictive manner, given that these brightness illusions only suggest a change in luminance when none has occurred, the content within brightness maps of the visual scene.

The glare effect (GE) is an illusion in which a white region appears self-luminous when surrounded by linearly decreasing luminance ramps. It has been shown that the magnitude of the luminosity effect can be modulated by manipulating the luminance range of the gradients. In the present study we tested the thresholds for the GE on two groups of adults: young (20–30 years old) and elderly (60–75 years old). Purpose of our perspective study was to test the possibility of transforming the GE into a test that could easily measure thresholds for luminosity and discomfort glare. The Glare Effect Test (GET) consisted in 101 printed cards that differed from each other for the range of luminance ramps. Participants were assessed with GET and a battery of visual tests: visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, illusion of length perception, and Ishihara test. Specifically in the GET, participants were required to classify cards on the basis of two reference cards (solid black-no gradient; full range black to white gradient). PSEs of the GE show no correlation with the other visual tests, revealing a divergent validity. A significant difference between young and elderly was found: contrary to our original expectations, luminosity thresholds of GE for elderly were higher than those for young, suggesting a non-direct relationship between luminosity perception and discomfort glare.

The classical Karst transboundary aquifer is a limestone plateau of 750 km2 that extends from Brkini hills in Slovenia to Isonzo River in Italy. For 20 years, and especially in the last two years, the Mathematic and Geosciences Department of Trieste University has run a monitoring project in order to better understand the groundwater hydrodynamics and the relation between the fracture and conduit systems. A total of 14 water points, including caves, springs and piezometers are monitored and temperature, water level and EC data are recorded. Two sectors are highlighted: the southeastern sector mainly influenced by the sinking of the Reka River, and a northwestern sector connected to the influent character of the Isonzo River. Water table fluctuations are significant, with risings of > 100 m. During floods most of the circuits are under pressure, and only a comparative analysis of water levels, temperature and EC permits a precise evaluation of the water transit times in fractured and/or karstified volumes.

Clouds more massive than about 105 M⊙ are potential sites of massive cluster formation. Studying the properties of such clouds in the early stages of their evolution offers an opportunity to test various cluster formation processes. We make use of CO, Herschel , and UKIDSS observations to study one such cloud, G148.24+00.41. Our results show the cloud to be of high mass (⁠|$\sim \, 1.1\times 10^5$| M⊙), low dust temperature (∼ 14.5 K), nearly circular (projected radius ∼ 26 pc), and gravitationally bound with a dense gas fraction of ∼18 per cent and a density profile with a power-law index of ∼−1.5. Comparing its properties with those of nearby molecular clouds, we find that G148.24+00.41 is comparable to the Orion-A molecular cloud in terms of mass, size, and dense gas fraction. From our analyses, we find that the central area of the cloud is actively forming protostars and is moderately fractal with a Q -value of ∼ 0.66. We also find evidence of global mass-segregation with a degree of mass-segregation (ΛMSR) ≈ 3.2. We discuss these results along with the structure and compactness of the cloud, the spatial and temporal distribution of embedded stellar population and their correlation with the cold dust distribution, in the context of high-mass cluster formation. We compare our results with models of star cluster formation, and conclude that the cloud has the potential to form a cluster in the mass range ∼ 2000–3000 M⊙ through dynamical hierarchical collapse and assembly of both gas and stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]