Analog MIMO Radio-over-Copper: Prototype and Preliminary Experimental Results

Analog Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Radio-over-Copper (A-MIMO-RoC) is an effective all-analog FrontHaul (FH) architecture that exploits any pre-existing Local Area Network (LAN) cabling infrastructure of buildings to distribute Radio-Frequency (RF) signals indoors. A-MIMO-RoC, by leveraging a fully analog implementation, completely avoids any dedicated digital interface by using a transparent end-to-end system, with consequent latency, bandwidth and cost benefits. Usually, LAN cables are exploited mainly in the low-frequency spectrum portion, mostly due to the moderate cable attenuation and crosstalk among twisted-pairs. Unlike current systems based on LAN cables, the key feature of the proposed platform is to exploit more efficiently the huge bandwidth capability offered by LAN cables, that contain 4 twisted-pairs reaching up to 500 MHz bandwidth/pair when the length is below 100 m. Several works proposed numerical simulations that assert the feasibility of employing LAN cables for indoor FH applications up to several hundreds of MHz, but an A-MIMO-RoC experimental evaluation is still missing. Here, we present some preliminary results obtained with an A-MIMO-RoC prototype made by low-cost all-analog/all-passive devices along the signal path. This setup demonstrates experimentally the feasibility of the proposed analog relaying of MIMO RF signals over LAN cables up to 400 MHz, thus enabling an efficient exploitation of the LAN cables transport capabilities for 5G indoor applications.Comment: Part of this work has been accepted as a conference publication to ISWCS 201

Risk Attitudes to Catastrophic Events: VSL and WTP for Insurance Against Earthquakes

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the attitude to risk related to low-probability, high-impact events. To do this, we compare the willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce mortality risks and the WTP for life insurance against earthquakes. We explore whether risk perception affects these measures, and exploit WTP to reduce risk of fatality to calculate the Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) related to seismic events. We rely on data from a survey administered to a representative sample of the Italian population. Our results highlight that the WTP to reduce mortality risk is lower than the WTP for life insurance, and that the correlations between risk perception and these two measures differ. The findings suggest that individuals’ preferences are directed toward risk management strategies in which the mortality risk is transferred to the capital market, rather than risk mitigation strategies involving the individual in sharing the costs and benefits with all of society

L'economia politica e l'evoluzione del capitalismo negli ultimi quarant'anni

Convegno in onore di Giorgio Lunghini

The biogas dilemma: An analysis on the social approval of large new plants

The degree of social acceptance of biogas as a renewable green energy source is still somewhat disregarded. Although many initiatives have focused on the construction of new biogas plants around the world, local protests on the construction of new plants often arise. This study aims to analyse the determinants of citizens’ perceptions regarding the construction of new biomass plants in their neighbouring areas. In particular, the focus is on prior knowledge of the production process of biogas as well as on other individual characteristics. The investigation is based on two repeated surveys conducted among the population living in two Italian areas where the construction of new large biogas plants were planned (the provinces of Oristano and Andria). The first survey analyses the main variables correlated with the degree of biogas acceptability particularly the biogas knowledge. The second survey (differentiated in two waves) focuses on the role of participatory processes and information campaigns undertaken by policy makers and environmental associations to increase the social acceptance of communities regarding the construction of new biogas plants

Environmental Disasters and Electoral Cycle: An Empirical Analysis on Floods and Landslides in Italy

The aim of this paper is to analyse potential drivers of land use policy, in the form of building permits issued in Italian provinces. We first derive testable implications on the basis of a standard political agency framework, augmented to account for the impact of past environmental disasters (floods, landslides and earthquakes) and for the relevance of “building permits intensive” sectors in determining voters’ support to an incumbent politician. We then perform an empirical analysis that tests theoretical predictions using a unique dataset covering Italy in the period 2001–2012. Our main conclusions show that the occurrence of floods and earthquakes decreases building permits, implying that a bad history in terms of these phenomena strengthens the importance of voters affected by past disasters. No corresponding evidence seems to emerge with reference to landslides. On the other hand, the relevance of the construction sector increases the number of building permits issued. Finally, when elections approach, the number of building permits issued grows, suggesting that incumbent politicians may distort land use policies in order to favour “brown” voters in periods close to elections

Chalcone-based carbamates for Alzheimer's disease treatment

Aim: Alzheimer's disease is a still untreatable multifaceted pathology, and drugs able to stop or reverse its progression are urgently needed. In this picture, the recent reformulation of the cholinergic hypothesis renewed the interest for acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. In this paper, a series of naturally inspired chalcone-based carbamates was designed to target cholinesterase enzymes and possibly generate fragments endowed with neuroprotective activity in situ. Results & methodology: All compounds presented in this study showed nanomolar potency for cholinesterase inhibition. Notably, fragment 11d also displayed an interesting neuroprotective profile. Conclusion: These new derivatives are able to simultaneously modulate different key targets involved in Alzheimer's disease, and could be regarded as promising starting points for the development of disease-modifying drug candidates

Exploiting the chalcone scaffold to develop multifunctional agents for Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease still represents an untreated multifaceted pathology, and drugs able to stop or reverse its progression are urgently needed. In this paper, a series of naturally inspired chalcone-based derivatives were designed as structural simplification of our previously reported benzofuran lead compound, aiming at targeting both acetyl (AChE)- and butyryl (BuChE) cholinesterases that, despite having been studied for years, still deserve considerable attention. In addition, the new compounds could also modulate different pathways involved in disease progression, due to the peculiar trans-α,β-unsaturated ketone in the chalcone framework. All molecules presented in this study were evaluated for cholinesterase inhibition on the human enzymes and for antioxidant and neuroprotective activities on a SH-SY5Y cell line. The results proved that almost all the new compounds were low micromolar inhibitors, showing different selectivity depending on the appended substituent; some of them were also effective antioxidant and neuroprotective agents. In particular, compound 4, endowed with dual AChE/BuChE inhibitory activity, was able to decrease ROS formation and increase GSH levels, resulting in enhanced antioxidant endogenous defense. Moreover, this compound also proved to counteract the neurotoxicity elicited by Aβ1–42 oligomers, showing a promising neuroprotective potential