Generation of an ultrastable 578 nm laser for Yb lattice clock

In this paper we described the development and the characterization of a 578 nm laser source to be the clock laser for an Ytterbium Lattice Optical clock. Two independent laser sources have been realized and the characterization of the stability with a beat note technique is presente

Stress growth and relaxation of dendritically branched macromolecules in shear and uniaxial extension

We present unique nonlinear rheological data of well-defined symmetric Cayley-tree poly(methyl methacrylates) in shear and uniaxial extension. Earlier work has shown that their linear viscoelasticity is governed by the hierarchical relaxation of different generations, whereas the segments between branch points are responsible for their substantial strain hardening as compared to linear homopolymers of the same total molar mass at the same value of imposed stretch rate. Here, we extend that work in order to obtain further experimental evidence that will help understanding the molecular origin of the remarkable properties of these highly branched macromolecules. In particular, we address three questions pertinent to the specific molecular structure: (i) is steady state attainable during uniaxial extension? (ii) what is the respective transient response in simple shear? and (iii) how does stress relax upon cessation of extension or shear? To accomplish our goal we utilize state-of-the-art instrumentation, i.e., filament stretching rheometry (FSR) and cone-partitioned plate (CPP) shear rheometry for polymers with 3 and 4 generations, and complement it with state-of-the-art modeling predictions using the Branch-on-Branch (BoB) algorithm. The data indicates that the extensional viscosity reaches a steady state value, whose dependence on extension rate is identical to that of entangled linear and other branched polymer melts. Nonlinear shear is characterized by transient stress overshoots and the validity of the Cox-Merz rule. Remarkably, nonlinear stress relaxation is much broader and slower in extension compared to shear. It is also slower at higher generation, and rate-independent for rates below the Rouse rate of the outer segment. For extension, the relaxation time is longer than that of the linear stress relaxation, suggesting a strong ‘elastic memory’ of the material. These results are 2 described by BoB semi-quantitatively, both in linear and nonlinear shear and extensional regimes. Given the fact that the segments between branch points are less than 3 entanglements long, this is a very promising outcome that gives confidence in using BoB for understanding the key features. Moreover, the response of the segments between generations controls the rheology of the Cayley trees. Their substantial stretching in uniaxial extension appears responsible for strain hardening, whereas coupling of stretches of different parts of the polymer appears to be the origin of the slower subsequent relaxation of extensional stress. Concerning the latter effect, for which predictions are not available, it is hoped that the present experimental findings and proposed framework of analysis will motivate further developments in the direction of molecular constitutive models for branched and hyperbranched polymers

Application of NASTRAN/COSMIC in the analysis of ship structures to underwater explosion shock

The application of NASTRAN/COSMIC in predicting the transient motion of ship structures to underwater, non-contact explosions is discussed. Examples illustrate the finite element models, mathematical formulations of loading functions and, where available, comparisons between analytical and experimental results

Wildlife park of Etna

Mount Etna is located west of the east coast of Sicily, within the territory of the province of Catania and is crossed by 15\u2019 meridian east, which it takes its name. It\u2019s occupies an area of 1570 . It\u2019s dimensions place it among the largest in the world and, from the geological standpoint, the highest of the European continent

A Large Area Fiber Optic Gyroscope on multiplexed fiber network

We describe a fiber optical gyroscope based on the Sagnac effect realized on a multiplexed telecom fiber network. Our loop encloses an area of 20 km2 and coexists with Internet data traffic. This Sagnac interferometer achieves a sensitivity of about (10-8 rad/s)/sqrt(Hz), thus approaching ring laser gyroscopes without using narrow linewidth laser nor sophisticated optics. The proposed gyroscope is sensitive enough for seismic applications, opening new possibilities for this kind of optical fiber sensors

Modulation of en-route charges to redistribute traffic in the European airspace

Peak-load pricing (PLP), a two-tariffs charging scheme commonly used in public transport and utilities, is tested on the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system as a means for reducing capacity-demand imbalances. In particular, a centralised approach to PLP (CPLP) where a Central Planner (CP) sets en-route charges on the network is presented. CPLP consists of two phases: in the first, congested airspace sectors and their peak and off-peak hours are identified; in the second, CP assesses and sets en-route charges in order to reduce overall shift on the network. Such charges should guarantee that Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) are able to recover their operational costs while inducing the Airspace Users (AUs) to route their flights in a way that respects airspace capacity. The interaction between CP and AUs is modelled as a Stackelberg game and formulated by means of bilevel linear programming. Two heuristic approaches, based on Coordinate-wise Descent and Genetic Algorithms are implemented to solve the CPLP model on a data set obtained from historical data for an entire day of traffic on European airspace. Results show that significant improvements in traffic distribution in terms of shift and sector load can be achieved through this simple en-route charges modulation scheme

Evaluation of polygenic determinants of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by a candidate genes resequencing strategy

NAFLD is a polygenic condition but the individual and cumulative contribution of identified genes remains to be established. To get additional insight into the genetic architecture of NAFLD, GWAS-identified GCKR, PPP1R3B, NCAN, LYPLAL1 and TM6SF2 genes were resequenced by next generation sequencing in a cohort of 218 NAFLD subjects and 227 controls, where PNPLA3 rs738409 and MBOAT7 rs641738 genotypes were also obtained. A total of 168 sequence variants were detected and 47 were annotated as functional. When all functional variants within each gene were considered, only those in TM6SF2 accumulate in NAFLD subjects compared to controls (P = 0.04). Among individual variants, rs1260326 in GCKR and rs641738 in MBOAT7 (recessive), rs58542926 in TM6SF2 and rs738409 in PNPLA3 (dominant) emerged as associated to NAFLD, with PNPLA3 rs738409 being the strongest predictor (OR 3.12, 95% CI, 1.8-5.5, P 0.28 was associated with a 3-fold increased risk of NAFLD. Interestingly, rs61756425 in PPP1R3B and rs641738 in MBOAT7 genes were predictors of NAFLD severity. Overall, TM6SF2, GCKR, PNPLA3 and MBOAT7 were confirmed to be associated with NAFLD and a score based on these genes was highly predictive of this condition. In addition, PPP1R3B and MBOAT7 might influence NAFLD severity