Predicting the behaviour of multiple-leaf masonry walls is a challenging issue, given the influence of a wide range of factors as the mechanical properties of the leaves, the leaves dimensions and the way the leaves are connected to each other. In the present paper, novel experimental results in large three-leaf wallets subjected to shear and compression are introduced together with a careful numerical interpretation. Two types of collar joints (with and without shear keys) and two types of stone (weak limestone and strong sandstone) are considered in the tests. The influence of the boundary conditions on the numerical response is thoroughly investigated and good agreement with the experimental results is found. Moreover, a discussion on simplified calculations for practical assessment of existing walls is addressed.

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The recent collapses of massive masonry structures like towers and domes have shown that the traditional stress-strain analysis is not prepared to take into account some particular aspects that are relevant for the safety assessment of ancient buildings.In this paper, the important influence of persistent loads into the damage of historic masonry is put forward and a further step into the appraisal of creep behaviour of ancient masonry is presented. By means of an experimental and numerical investigation (carried out on the material collected from the ruins of the Civic Tower of Pavia collapsed in 1989), some significant parameters describing the deviatoric and volumetric visco-elastic behaviour of the material are detected. The aim of the research is to gain experimental knowledge as a basis for mathematical modelling of long-term behaviour of masonry structures. RgSUME

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Aim of this research was to evaluate the\ud possible application of the AE technique to study the\ud response of multiple leaf masonry repaired with\ud different techniques. The results of shear tests carried\ud out on three specimens repaired after failure are\ud presented on an explorative basis; on two of them the\ud acoustic emission (AE) technique was also used.\ud Through a number of sensors and by triangulation,\ud this technique makes it possible to identify the\ud location of the damage, unknown initially, and\ud subsequently to assess the stability of its evolution.\ud Using the AE technique the area of the material\ud where the cracks propagated during shear tests was\ud identified. These analyses made it possible to evaluate\ud the effectiveness of repair interventions through\ud parameters other than stress and strain, and contributed\ud to the identification of the most suitable\ud methodology for their optimisation

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Action Observation Treatment (AOT) has been shown to be effective in the functional recovery of several clinical populations. However, little is known about the neural underpinnings of the clinical efficacy of AOT in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP).Using electroencephalography (EEG), we recorded µ rhythm desynchronization as an index of sensorimotor cortex modulation during a passive action observation task before and after AOT. The relationship between sensorimotor modulation and clinical outcomes was also assessed. Eight children with CP entered the present randomized controlled crossover pilot study in which the experimental AOT preceded or followed a control Videogame Observation Treatment (VOT). Results provide further evidence of the clinical efficacy of AOT for improving hand motor function in CP, as assessed with the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) and Melbourne Assessment of Unilateral Upper Limb Function Scale (MUUL). The novel finding is that AOT increases µ rhythm desynchronization at scalp locations corresponding to the hand representation areas. This effect is associated to functional improvement assessed with the MUUL. These preliminary findings, although referred to as a small sample, suggest that AOT may affect upper limb motor recovery in children with CP and modulate the activation of sensorimotor areas, offering a potential neurophysiological correlate to support the clinical utility of AOT. K E Y W O R D Saction observation treatment, cerebral palsy, EEG, mirror neuron system, sensorimotor activation

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