PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY PF A HYBRID SELF-PROPELLED CABLE LOGGING CARRIAGE: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Global warming and the dependance on expensive fossil fuels in uncertain times are two main drivers for the development of alternative drivetrains. The alpine logging sector is no exception. Indeed, electrification has demonstrated significant potential for fuel savings in cable logging applications, particularly due to the high capacity for energy recovery in cyclic operations involving variations in potential energy. This work presents results of a study involving several key sub-systems as well as the roundtrip efficiency of a hybrid self-propelled carriage called HULK. In addition to performance and efficiency studies of the engine-generator unit, energy dissipation unit and battery system, its two main drive systems, i.e., the dropline winch and the propulsion module, have been evaluated. The tests enabled the performance mapping of key components, identification of optimal operating points, and confirmation of the substantial energy recovery potential. Furthermore, the results highlight the feasibility of energy-autarkic operation in real-world transport applications

Effects of 12 Months of Structured Physical Activity Program and 18-Month Follow-Up Period on Body Composition, Physical Capacities, and Physical Activity Levels in Adults with Obesity

(1) Background: Individuals with obesity tend to stop exercising after the completion of a structured training program. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess adherence and body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity levels, and physical and mental health after a 12-month exercise program and an 18-month follow-up period in a group of male adults with obesity. (2) Methods: Thirty-four adults with obesity were evaluated before (T0) and after (T3) a 3-month combined training (COMB). After that, they followed a maintenance program with low-intensity aerobic activity for three months. Then, they were recalled for a 6-month training program including thresholds (THR) training until the end of the study (T12). Finally, they participated in a 18-months follow-up period that included suggestions for healthy lifestyles, which ended with assessments (T30). Thus, the assessments were carried out at the beginning and end of the first training protocol (T0 and T3), at the beginning and end of the second training protocol (T6 and T12) and 18 months after the end of the training program (T30). At all time points, body composition (i.e., BMI, fat mass [FM] and fat-free mass [FFM]), physical capacities (i.e., V̇O2max), and physical habits (i.e., International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and Short-Form 12 (SF-12, for physical, P, and mental, M, indices) were measured. (3) Results: Fifteen out of thirty-four participants (42.8%) (age 42.8 ± 8.1 y) completed this study. At T30, participants increased their V̇O2max (3.07 ± 0.46 vs. 3.67 ± 0.60 L·min−1, p < 0.001), IPAQ TOT score (396 (2888) vs. 1356 (9144), p = 0.006), and SF12_MI score (41.1 ± 8.9 pt vs. 48.6 ± 11.0 pt) compared to T0. Furthermore, multivariate analysis showed that decrease in BMI was largely associated with the increase in the SF 12_PI questionnaire (0.032). Similarly, the decrease in %FM and the increase in V̇O2max were related with the increase in IPAQ tot (p < 0.001) and SF 12_MI (p < 0.001) scores. (4) Conclusions: 42.8% (15 out of 34) of the initial participants completed the follow-up test at T30 and maintained higher V̇O2max values than at T0. Conversely, their physical characteristics returned to baseline. The improvement in V̇O2max, compared to T0, correlated with maintaining high activity levels and with improved physical and mental well-being. In summary, it is recommended that people with obesity follow a structured physical activity program, as this leads to an improvement in physical capacities and physical and mental well-being. A personalized and monitored approach can lead to greater adherence to treatment and more effective long-term outcomes

Complete solid-body rotation rate measurements of micro-plastic curved fibers in turbulence

Abstract: In this study we quantify the uncertainty relative to a novel Lagrangian tracking technique to measure the complete solid-body rotation rate of anisotropic micro-plastic fibers. By exploiting their geometry—specifically, their elongation and curvature for tumbling and spinning rate measurements, respectively—we address a gap in the literature regarding the tracking of fibers’ unique orientation along their trajectories. The impact of fiber geometry and imaging parameters on the accuracy of the solid-body rotation rates measurements is investigated. The influence of spatial and temporal resolution on the measurement uncertainty is assessed on synthetic data. Experimental results obtained in a channel flow demonstrate the method’s potential to accurately detect rotations of fibers with lengths approaching the Kolmogorov scale

Integrating sustainability into corporate frameworks: a multiple-perspective analysis of its effects

This doctoral dissertation explores the integration of sustainability into corporate frameworks, analysing its effects through a multiple-perspective approach. Addressing the growing academic and managerial interest in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, the research offers a structured analysis divided into three interconnected parts: a literature review on the effects of integrated reporting (IR) quality, an empirical investigation into the impact of embedding ESG factors within corporate strategic priorities on firms’ non-financial performance, and a second empirical study examining the financial performance implications of an effective implementation of sustainability strategies and practices. The literature review employs the meta-analytic technique to synthesise findings from 44 empirical studies, highlighting how IR quality influences market valuation, financial, and ESG performance. The first empirical investigation focuses on the integration of ESG factors into corporate strategy and examines the moderating role of institutional ownership in enhancing ESG performance, based on a sample of 271 firms listed in the Standard and Poor’s (S&amp;P) Europe 350 index. Using the same sample, the second empirical study adopts the resource-based view theory perspective to analyse how sustainability strategies, supported by the establishment of sustainability committees - regarded as an intangible and critical resource - drive firms’ financial performance. This dissertation contributes to the academic literature by bridging external disclosure practices with internal sustainability strategy implementation, providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the impact of sustainability on corporate performance. It also provides practical insights for managers and investors on how embedding sustainability issues into corporate strategies and external reporting foster long-term value creation

AIDME: A Scalable, Interpretable Framework for AI-Aided Scoping Reviews

Scientific publishing is expanding rapidly across disciplines, making it increasingly difficult for researchers to organize, filter, and synthesize the literature. Systematic reviews address this challenge through structured analysis, but the early stages, particularly the screening phase, can become overwhelming when faced with thousands of records. Scoping reviews are often used as a preparatory step to explore and structure the literature before applying stricter protocols such as the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. In this work, we introduce AIDME (AI-Aided Document Mapping and Evaluation), a general-purpose framework that leverages Large Language Models (LLMs), topic modeling, thematic labeling, and citation network analysis to support the creation of scoping reviews in research areas with high publication volume. AIDME enables scalable filtering, clustering, labeling, and prioritization of publications while preserving human oversight. We evaluate the proposed framework through a case study on methods for assessing truthfulness in fact-checking, a fast-evolving field characterized by inconsistent terminology and fragmented methodologies. Our results show that AIDME reduces manual effort and produces structured outputs that facilitate subsequent PRISMA-compliant systematic reviews

Genomic modifiers of neurological resilience in a Niemann-Pick C family

Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease, caused by NPC1 or NPC2 variants, disrupts cholesterol and glycolipid trafficking, leading to diverse clinical manifestations. To understand the genetic basis of neurological resilience, we analyzed an NPC family with variable phenotypes, identifying loss-of-function variants in CCDC115, SLC4A5, DEPDC5, ETFDH, SNRNP200, and DOCK1 that co-segregated with milder neurological involvement. Using yeast models, we successfully predicted NPC-like severity based on orthologous gene variants. RNA-seq revealed a positive correlation between mitochondrial transcripts and cellular fitness. Modeling NPC in yeast lacking the SLC4A5 ortholog, bor1, enhanced cellular fitness, improved mitochondrial function, and reduced sterol accumulation. Our findings identify potential modifiers and biomarkers of NPC severity, highlighting mitochondrial pathways and SLC4A5 as a therapeutic target. Impact statement Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is a progressive neurovisceral lysosomal storage disorder. Here, we identified genomic modifiers of neurological resilience in an NPC family, with SLC4A5 emerging as a key biomarker and therapeutic target. Additionally, our study highlighted mitochondrial transcripts and metabolites as potential biomarkers of severity

Next generation fully integrated DCDC converters for HEP applications in 28 nm technology

For the first time in the High-Energy Physics (HEP) community, a family of fully integrated radiation-hardened DC/DC converters, including all capacitors and inductors, has been developed. This paper presents the experimental results of three functional ASIC prototypes implemented in a 28 nm CMOS technology. All prototypes utilize 0.9 V-rated transistors to ensure resilience to radiation levels up to 1 Grad. The prototypes include iPOL5V and iPOL2V3, which are state-of-the-art resonant DC/DC converters capable of regulating input voltages of 5 V and 2.3 V, respectively, down to an output range of 0.8-1 V. These converters achieve peak efficiencies of 67% and 80%, respectively. Additionally, a linear regulator, LinPOL1V2, has been designed and tested, enabling conversion from 1.2 V down to 0.8-1 V. The results demonstrate the performance of these integrated solutions and their suitability for operation in radiation environments

The rationality of ineffective spin genus-4 theta-null loci

In this paper we show that the divisor in given by couples, where C is a curve of genus 4 with a vanishing theta-null and θ is an ineffective theta-characteristic, is a rational variety. Actually we first show that for g = 4, the corresponding theta-null Prym divisor in is rational