Uso di una cortina idrofonica trainata per la caratterizzazione acustica di un semovente marino

Il presente lavoro di tesi riguarda la messa a punto di un metodo di rilevazione del rumore irradiato da un semovente marino, attraverso un’antenna idrofonica filare trainata. Il primo capitolo contiene alcuni principi di base dell’elettroacustica subacquea. Si sottolineano in particolare le proprietà utili alla comprensione delle fasi di pianificazione dell’esperimento condotto e dell’analisi dei risultati ottenuti. Il secondo capitolo riguarda la particolare tipologia di antenna utilizzata nell’esperimento, mettendo in luce le peculiarità sia meccaniche che di trattamento del segnale. Il terzo capitolo è incentrato sulla descrizione dell’ esperimento specifico. In esso è fornita una descrizione del particolare sensore e sono raccolti i risultati sperimentali che hanno permesso la pianificazione della prova e la messa a punto di una procedura per la caratterizzazione acustica di un semovente marino. Nel quarto capitolo sono contenuti i risultati delle misure e sono descritti i metodi di trattamento dei dati seguiti per giungere a tali risultati

Certification of Mass Fractions of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs 28, 52, 74, 99, 101, 105, 110, 118, 138, 149, 153, 156, 177, 180, 183, 187, 194 and 196) in Fish Oil - Certified Reference Material ERM®-BB350

This report describes the preparation of a salmon oil matrix certified reference material (ERM-BB350) and the certification of the content (mass fraction) of a selection of polychlorinated biphenyls (Nos. 28, 52, 74, 99, 101, 105, 110, 118, 138, 149, 153, 156, 177, 180, 183, 187, 194 and 196). Certification of the CRM included testing of the homogeneity and stability of the material as well as the characterisation using an inter-comparison approach. The main purpose of the material is to assess method performance, i.e. for checking accuracy of analytical results. As any reference material, the CRM can also be used for control charts or validation studies. Uncertainties were calculated in compliance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) [1] and include uncertainties due to possible heterogeneity, instability and characterisation. The certified values for the mass fractions of PCBs are traceable to the SIJRC.DG.D.2-Reference material

Sensor-Based Activity Recognition and Performance Assessment in Climbing: A Review

In the past decades, a number of technological developments made it possible to continuously collect various types of sport activity data in an unobtrusive way. Machine learning and analytical methods have been applied to flows of sensor data to predict the conducted sport activity as well as to calculate key performance indicators. In that scenario, researchers started to be interested in leveraging pervasive information technologies for sport climbing, thus allowing, in day-to-day climbing practice, the realization of systems for automatic assessment of a climber’s performance, detection of injury risk factors, and virtual coaching. This article surveys recent research works on the recognition of climbing activities and the evaluation of climbing performance indicators, where data have been acquired with accelerometers, cameras, force sensors, and other types of sensors. We describe the main types of sensors and equipment adopted for data acquisition, the techniques used to extract relevant features from sensor data, and the methods that have been proposed to identify the activities performed by a climber and to calculate key performance indicators. We also present a classification taxonomy of climbing activities and of climbing performance indicators, with the aim to unify the existing work and facilitate the comparison of methods. Moreover, open problems that call for new approaches and solutions are here discussed. We conclude that there is considerable scope for further work, particularly in the application of recognition techniques to problems involving various climbing activities. We hope that this survey will assist in the translation of research effort into intelligent environments that climbers will benefit from

CERTIFICATION REPORT: The certification of the mass fractions of PBDEs in Fish Tissue: ERM®-CE102

This report describes the production of ERM®-CE102, which is a fish tissue certified for the mass fraction of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) on a wet weight basis. This material was produced following ISO 17034:2016 and is certified in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2017. The Certified Reference Material is a fish tissue homogenate prepared from wild Wels catfish (Silurus glanis) originating from the Flix reservoir of the Ebro river (Spain) and aquaculture rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) sourced in Belgium. The fish fillets were cut, shock-frozen in liquid nitrogen and cryogenically milled. After a pre-cooking step, a step-wise mixing and homogenisation were carried out. The resulting material was filled into jars, autoclaved for sterilisation and labelled as ERM-CE102. Between unit-homogeneity was quantified and stability during dispatch and storage were assessed in accordance with ISO Guide 35:2017 [2]. Within-unit homogeneity was quantified to determine the minimum sample intake. The material was characterised by an interlaboratory comparison of laboratories of demonstrated competence and adhering to ISO/IEC 17025. Technically invalid results were removed but no outlier was eliminated on statistical grounds only. Uncertainties of the certified values were calculated in accordance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and include uncertainties related to possible inhomogeneity, instability and characterisation. The material is intended for the quality control and assessment of method performance. As with any reference material, it can be used for establishing control charts or in validation studies. ERM-CE102 is available in glass jars with twist-off lids containing at least 40 g of fish paste. The minimum amount of sample to be used is 8 g.JRC.F.6-Reference Material

Determination of Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins by Carbon Skeleton Gas Chromatography

Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) are highly complex technical mixtures of polychlorinated n-alkanes with a chlorination degree between 50 and 70 % by mass, and a linear carbon chain length from C10 to C13, constituted by thousands of homologues, diastereomers and enantiomers. They have been used in many different applications, such as extreme pressure additives in lubricants and cutting fluids, plasticizers in PVC, and flame retardants in paints, adhesives and sealants. SCCPs are toxic towards aquatic organisms, bioaccumulative and persistent, and therefore the concern about this class of pollutants has increased in the last few years. In 2000 the European Union has included SCCPs in the list of priority substances in the field of water policy, amending the Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC. The implementation of the directive requires that laboratories should be able to measure such substances reliably at the level of the environmental quality standard (EQS). Unfortunately, this is not the case for SCCPs. The analytical tools currently available for the analysis of this class of compounds are scarce and no methodology has been fully validated. This is due to the complexity of their mixtures, and the lack of pure solutions for calibrations as well as matrix-matched reference materials. No routine method for monitoring purposes exists and a poor comparability of results was demonstrated. At present determination of SCCPs is mostly performed by mass spectrometry (MS) in the Electron Capture Negative Ionisation (ECNI) mode. The quantification relies on the monitoring of [M-Cl]- ions of specific mass to charge (m/z) ratio for each SCCP group according to the method developed by Tomy et al. This approach is prone to interferences from other chlorinated compounds and from medium chain chlorinated paraffins, therefore a thorough clean-up of the sample and a careful selection of the ions to be detected are necessary. The method is also affected by a strong dependence on the degree of chlorination of the standard used for calibration. Errors of up to 1100 % have been reported when the calibrant does not match the chlorination degree of the sample. An alternative approach for SCCPs determination is the carbon skeleton gas chromatography (GC)-MS in which chlorinated paraffins are catalytic hydrodechlorinated to the corresponding n-alkanes (see Figure 1). Information on the chlorination degree is lost, but accurate quantification is possible. In this paper the two approaches are compared, and some preliminary results in the determination of SCCPs in water samples with the carbon skeleton method are presented.JRC.DG.D.2-Reference material

Exploring the economic contribution of copyright-intensive industries in Italy

Purpose In the last few years, a number of studies documented the economic impact of copyright in different national economies. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to increase these studies based on the assess of the economic impact of copyright-intensive industries in Italy. Design/methodology/approach Consistent with prior studies, this paper attempts to measure the impact of copyright on GDP and employment. In doing so, two different methodologies are applied: (1) WIPO’s guidelines “Wipo Guide on surveying the Economic Contribution of the Copyright-Based Industries” and (2) the Ernest & Young study entitled: “1 er Panorama des Industries Culturelles et Créatives. Au Couer du Rayonnement et de la Competitivité de la France”. The selected year for the survey is 2011. The main source data are collected by statistic databases like Istat, Eurostat and United Nations Statistics Division. The industrial classification starts with the International Standard Industrial Classification suggested in the WIPO Guide and, after the conversion, first in NACE and then in ATECO 2007, we identify the industries and their activities as relevant to copyright-based industries in Italy. Findings The results of our analysis support the thesis that copyright has a great impact on the aspects of economic growth, of the labour market and on the country development. Originality/value This study compares the classification and the methods used for determination of the economic impact of copyright-intensive industries. Practical implications By assessing the economic impact of this sector on Italian GDP, this paper raises awareness about the role and importance of such industries to the Italian economy

The proposal of a clinical protocol to assess central and peripheral fatigue in myotonic dystrophy type 1

DM1 is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by muscle weakness, myotonia, and multisystemic involvement. According to current literature fatigue and daytime sleepiness are among the main symptoms of DM1. Oxidative stress has been proposed to be one of the pathogenic factors of fatigue consequent to DM1. In this study, we investigated the dimensions of experienced fatigue and  physiological fatigue in a sample of 26 DM1 patients (17 males, 9 females, mean age 41.6 years, SD±12.7); experienced fatigue has been studied through Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and physiological fatigue was measured through an intermittent incremental exercise of the forearm muscles using a myometer; oxidative stress balance markers trend during aerobic exercise test have been collected. The occurrence of central fatigue in the sample means that central activation worsens during the motor contraction; interestingly FSS score was significantly correlated to MVC (before and after the effort, r-before=-0.583, p<0.01, r-after= -0.534, p<0.05), and to motor disability measured by MRC (r=-0.496, p<0.05); moreover we found a strong tendency towards significance in the association to lactate baseline (r=0.378, p=0.057).Results are discussed to define whether or not, based on clinical and laboratory grounds, such exercise training protocol may be suitable for proper management of DM1 patients; proper assessment of fatigue should be included in algorithms for data collection in DM1 patient registries

Certification of the Mass Concentrations of Ammonium, Chloride, Fluoride, Magnesium, Nitrate, Ortho-Phosphate, Sulfate and of pH and Conductivity in Simulated Rainwater - Certified Reference Material ERM®-CA408

This report presents the preparation and certification of the simulated rainwater certified reference material ERM-CA408. All the steps required for the production of this water-matrix certified reference material are described in detail, from the preparation of the simulated rainwater until the characterization exercise that lead to the final assignment of the certified values, following ISO Guide 34:2009 [1] and ISO Guide 35:2006 [2]. Homogeneity and stability of the water material were investigated with dedicated studies and the certification campaign for the material characterisation was based on an inter-comparison among several experienced laboratories. IRMM organised and coordinated all the phases of this project including evaluation of data. The certified values were calculated as the unweighted mean of the laboratory means of the accepted sets of results for each parameter, see below. Uncertainties were calculated in compliance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM, ISO/IEC Guide 98-3:2008) [3]. The stated expanded uncertainties include contributions from characterisation, homogeneity and stability.JRC.DG.D.2-Reference material

Certification of the Mass Concentrations of Arsenic, Cadmium, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Mercury and Nickel in Groundwater - Certified Reference Material ERM®-CA615

This report presents the preparation and certification of groundwater reference material ERM-CA615. All steps required for the production of this water-matrix reference material are described in detail, from the sampling of natural groundwater to the characterisation exercise that lead to the final assignment of the certified values, following ISO Guide 34:2009 [1] and ISO Guide 35:2006 [2]. Homogeneity and stability of the water material were investigated with dedicated studies and the certification campaign for the material characterisation was based on an inter-comparison involving several experienced laboratories. IRMM organised and coordinated all phases of this project and carried out the evaluation of data. The certified values were calculated as the unweighted mean of the laboratory means of the accepted sets of results for each parameter, as seen below. Uncertainties were calculated in compliance with the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM, ISO/IEC Guide 98-3:2008) [3]. The stated expanded uncertainties include contributions from characterisation, homogeneity and long-term stability.JRC.DG.D.2-Reference material