Calix(4)arene metal complexes as nuclease and transacylase mimics

Supramolecular catalysis is the main topic of this thesis. New calix[4]arene-based metallo-catalysts were synthesized by linking one, two or three ligating groups at the upper rim of the calixarene skeleton. The catalytic activity of the copper, zinc or barium complexes was investigated in phosphoryl and acyl transfer reactions

Conservative precision agriculture: first economic and energetic assessments within the Agricare project

The integration of conservation tillage techniques with the principles of site-specific management characterising precision agriculture is an innovative feature aimed to achieve better economic and environmental sustainability, increasingly required by Community agricultural policies

Integrated approach for prediction of centrifugal fertilizer spread patterns

The present paper proposes a numerical approach for prediction of behavior of those fertilizers spreaders based on centrifugal disc functioning. In particular results from finite element multi-body simulations provided by commercial software are used in order to define boundary conditions of field tests carried out concurrently. Results are then integrated into a mathematical model to rapidly generate distribution charts and distribution diagrams. Such integrated approach can be implemented to effectively calibrate a theoretical model which provides simulations on different machine settings conditions: as a final point simulations allow fast testing of different distribution conditions, helping definition of those which minimize the variability of the distribution itself

Analysis of the Surface Integrity in Cryogenic Turning of Ti6Al4 v Produced by Direct Melting Laser Sintering

The Ti6Al4V is widely utilized in the biomedical field thanks to its high biocompatibility, however, due to its low machinability, is classified as a difficult-to-cut material. With the goal of improving the surface quality of biomedical components made of Ti6Al4V produced by the DMLS additive manufacturing technology and later on machined, Liquid Nitrogen was tested as a coolant in semi-finishing turning. The integrity of the machined surfaces is evaluated in terms of surface defects and topography as well as residual stresses. The obtained results showed that the cryogenic machining assured a lower amount of surface defects and higher values of the residual compressive stressed compared to dry cutting, but a general worsening of the surface topography was detected