Expelling the plague Zlata Blazina Tomic, Vesna Blazina
Expelling the plague,
2015, 20150401, 2015, 2015-04-17, 2015-04-01, Letnik:
43, 43.
eBook
A vibrant city-state on the Adriatic sea, Dubrovnik, also known as Ragusa, was a hub for the international trade between Europe and the Ottoman Empire. As a result, the city suffered frequent ...outbreaks of plague. Through a comprehensive analysis of these epidemics in Dubrovnik, Expelling the Plague explores the increasingly sophisticated plague control regulations that were adopted by the city and implemented by its health officials. In 1377, Dubrovnik became the first city in the world to develop and implement quarantine legislation, and in 1390 it established the earliest recorded permanent Health Office. The city’s preoccupation with plague control and the powers granted to its Health Office led to a rich archival record chronicling the city’s experience of plague, its attempts to safeguard public health, and the social effects of its practices of quarantine, prosecution, and punishment. These sources form the foundation of the authors' analysis, in particular the manuscript Libro deli Signori Chazamorbi, 1500-30, a rare health record of the 1526-27 calamitous plague epidemic. Teeming with real people across the spectrum, including gravediggers, laundresses, and plague survivors, it contains the testimonies collected during trial proceedings conducted by health officials against violators of public health regulations. Outlining the contributions of Dubrovnik in conceiving and establishing early public health measures in Europe, Expelling the Plague reveals how health concerns of the past greatly resemble contemporary anxieties about battling epidemics such as SARS, avian flu, and the Ebola virus.
The relative sea-level (RSL) change is a sum of effects of processes acting on local, regional and global scales. By far the most variable and uncertain component of RSL change relates to local, ...non-linear scale processes, that is to active tectonics. Studying the RSL markers: algal rims, tidal notches and Lithophaga lithophaga borehole upper limits, two elevated palaeoshorelines (today 60–90 cm and 25–40 cm above the mean sea-level) have been distinguished at Koločep island and Grebeni islets. The high-resolution geochronology built on AMS radiocarbon dating of algal rims enabled the distinction of coseismic uplift events from subsidence periods during the last 2600 years. Accordingly, we provide new, field-based reconstruction of palaeoearthquakes, describe spatial patterns of differential uplift and distinguish the main drivers of RSL change.
Two successive major earthquakes affected in total ∼5 km of coasts related to the Pelješac–Dubrovnik fault zone, with an uplift amplitude between ∼40 and 80 ± 15 cm per event. The earlier, older events, caused larger displacements (60–80 cm) related to 4th to 6th century AD and 750–1100 AD earthquakes, while the later, younger events, revealed on average lower displacements (40–55 cm) corresponding to the 1520 AD quake and the well-known 1667 Dubrovnik earthquake. The cumulative offsets increase from ∼0.57 ± 0.15 m at Lopud (studied previously) to 1.00–1.25 ± 0.15 m at Koločep and Grebeni. Following the overall uplifting pattern at rates of 0.6–0.8 mm/yr, it was observed that the repeated uplifting events progress generally toward the SW, consistent with SW-migrating deformation in the southern Dinarides (Bennett et al., 2008).
Interseismic periods allow further insight into regional and global driving mechanisms of RSL change. The distinction of local coseismic displacements of RSL history together with the previously obtained regional glacio- and hydro-isostatic adjustment estimates of 0.34 mm/yr allow us to approach the global contribution, which seems to be minimal between ∼0 and 1800 cal AD as RSL changed at rates of 0.3 to 0.4 mm/yr. The increased rates of RSL change occurred prior to 0 cal AD, with rates of ∼0.7 mm/yr, and go up to 1.4 mm/yr after 1800 cal AD.
This high-resolution study provides new insight into the late Holocene sea-level history, particularly into local tectonic uplift, testifying the ongoing intense tectonic activity related to Late Holocene shortening, well localized along the south-eastern Adriatic coasts, which is consistent with contemporary Adria-Eurasia collision.
•Algal rims, tidal notches and Lithophagalithophaga boreholes revealed 2 palaeoshorelines.•Two consecutive earthquakes uplifted ∼5 km of Koločep and Grebeni island coasts.•Palaeoearthquakes have been constrained using algal rims – a new approach.•2.6 ka high resolution geochronology was established on 54 sea-level index points.•First field evidences of palaeoearthquakes have been provided at the studied area.
Summary
Cables are essential components of the cable‐stayed bridges as they serve as the main load‐bearing component. Hence, continuous monitoring of such cables becomes necessary as they are ...vulnerable to the fatigue damage induced by dynamic loads. Sensors are attached to the cables to examine the health of the cables; however, these contact‐based sensors can malfunction in harsh weather condition, which makes impossible to estimate the cable health in such unfavorable condition. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a completely noncontact video‐based stay‐cable tension measurement technique where the video is recorded using a moving handheld camera at a significant distance from the structure itself. Here, the cable tension is determined from vibration‐based measurement, but the vibration of the cable recorded in the video includes the true vibration of the cable along with the camera motion. Hence, we amalgamated a series of image processing techniques to nullify the camera movement. First, we detect the camera movement based on the movement of the bridge deck and pylon, which are fixed objects, using Kanade–Lucas–Tomasi (KLT) feature tracking algorithm. Then we nullify the camera movement by using the affine transformation matrix obtained by random sample consensus (RANSAC) algorithm. Subsequently from the steady video, the cable motions are estimated using the phase‐based motion estimation technique. From the time history of the cable vibration, real‐time frequency variations are estimated using Short‐Time Fourier Transform (STFT). Finally, the real‐time tension is determined from this dominant frequency variation history using the taut‐string theory. This paper shows the significant potential of camera‐based sensing techniques in structural health monitoring as the mean estimated tension and the design cable tension are found to be comparable.
U središtu istraživanja rada proces je festivalizacije Dubrovačkih ljetnih igara u razdoblju od 1949. do 1959. godine, kada se Ljetne igre oblikuju u prepoznatljiv festival jugoslavenskoga i ...međunarodnoga značaja. Na temelju arhivske građe festivala, novinskih članaka i festivalskih publikacija u radu će se djelatnost festivala najprije kontekstualizirati s obzirom na povijesne okolnosti, a zatim će se odgovoriti na istraživačka pitanja vezana uz organizaciju, programski i konceptualni razvoj festivala te njegovu medijsku reprezentaciju u tadašnjim jugoslavenskim novinama.
This study aims to discern the drivers of relative sea-level change at Lopud Island, distinguishing local tectonic from regional and global contributions. A detailed survey of sea-level markers ...(Lithophyllum rims and tidal notches) allowed the distinction of a seismotectonically uplifted sector, approximately 1 km in length, along the southern coast of Lopud Island (Southern Adriatic). The established high-resolution algal rim geochronology based on 23 radiocarbon dates enables distinction between the Late Holocene transgression periods and the seismically triggered regression events. Consequently, we distinguish here local tectonic uplift and provide the first reconstruction of the assumed number, timing, and displacements of past seismic events. The most important uplift of around 0.42 ± 0.10 m occurred in 1667 CE Dubrovnik earthquake while the earlier one of 0.15 ± 0.10 m, occurred probably between ~800 CE and ~ 1100 CE. The uplift of this coastal segment was also evidenced in tidal notches which are today ~0.25 ± 0.15 m above mean sea-level.
After correction for local coseismic displacements, the sea-level trends with full consideration of the available uncertainty were quantified using an Errors-In-Variables Integrated Gaussian Process model. The rates of RSL change vary between 0.2 and 0.7 mm/yr, with a mean of 0.4 mm/yr. The possibility of removing the local non-linear contribution, allows comparison of the obtained RSL curve with different glacio-isostatic model predictions. The obtained field based RSL records correspond well with the K33_j1b_WS9_6 model of Lambeck et al. (2011).
By distinguishing local non-linear RSL drivers (coseismic movements) from regional and global scale drivers we estimated a glacio-isostatic adjustment rate of ~0.34 mm/yr and a global common contribution of around 20 cm between 3.3 ka and 0.15 ka. This high-resolution study allows us to better approach the driving mechanisms of RSL change, thus providing new insight into the late Holocene sea-level history of this seismotectonically active sector of the Adriatic. Furthermore, this study reveals the precision of Lithophyllum rims in the studies of relative sea-level changes and demonstrates their potential in assessing palaeoearthquakes.
•this study focuses on the most seismically active part of Croatia;•algal rims and tidal notches revealed coastal uplift of Lopud island;•the 1667 CE Dubrovnik earthquake was evidenced in the algal rim stratigraphy;•23 new relative sea-level index points from the Adriatic cover the past 3.3 ka;•the drivers of relative sea-level change have been distinguished.
Perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty are essential concepts for running a successful and profitable modern company, and therefore defining a model of perceived value and value dimensions is a ...primary goal of marketing management. The theoretical propositions in this article are tested in relation to the tourist destination of Dubrovnik, Croatia. The author has defined a model of tourist perceived value, satisfaction, and behavior intentions. The model was tested using the structural equation modeling. The results show a significant effect of perceived value on the satisfaction and intended future behavior of tourists. In addition, tourists’ perceived value associated with Dubrovnik was affected primarily by destination appearance, followed by the emotional experience, while the impact of cost was significantly lower.
The Southern Adriatic is recognized as one of the most seismically active regions of the Central Mediterranean. It hosted the strongest historically known and instrumentally recorded earthquakes in ...Croatia and Montenegro. We conducted a detailed study of algal rims and tidal notches along the Dubrovnik–Konavle coastal area, aimed to contribute in reconstruction of relative sea level (RSL) change, palaeoearthquakes and neotectonics during the last 4500 years. The RSL reconstruction based on high-resolution geochronology showed that the spatial variability of RSL change is largely controlled by local tectonics, leading generally to an alternation of periods of RSL rise and rapid falls caused by coseismic uplift events. During the interseismic periods RSL rose at rates from 1.03 to 0.7 mm/yr before AD, followed by a slowdown to ~0.43 mm/yr, and reaching ~1.3 mm/yr after 1850s. The only exception relates to a period of slow RSL drop probably related to the 3.2 ka cold event. Rapid RSL falls caused by coseismic uplift indicate the occurrence of several large-scale events during the 4th–6th centuries AD, the 800–1360 cal AD period, and in 1395, with hints of earlier events between 1395 cal BC and 565 cal AD. These instances correspond to either unknown or insufficiently documented earthquakes. Conversely, the earthquakes in 1520 and 1667 have been clearly identified. The most compelling evidence of coseismic uplift is associated with the 1667 Dubrovnik earthquake, with an estimated uplift of 40–60 ± 15 cm documented along 40 km of coastline. Analyses of multiple sites with the same high-resolution marker show that Holocene tectonic deformations vary along different fault segments with minimum uplift rates ranging from ~0.3 to ~0.9 mm/yr over ~1.5 ka. The main seismogenic source responsible for coseismic uplifts is attributed to the Dalmatian unit basal thrust and its NE-dipping splays at the Adria-Dinarides boundary.
•We provide the relative sea-level reconstruction based on 66 new sea-level index points.•We show significant variability of relative sea-level change due to local tectonic contributions.•New evidence of spatial effects of 1667 AD Dubrovnik earthquake is presented.•The Dalmatian unit basal thrust is a composite seismogenic source responsible for coastal uplifts.•Our data show relative sea-level drop related to 3.2 ka cold event well marked in the Mediterranean.
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