39 research outputs found

    Scenari di riferimento per la simulazione ed analisi di reti elettriche di distribuzione attive

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    Lo sviluppo di questa tesi si basa sulla modellizzazione di reti elettriche per la simulazione e analisi di problematiche derivanti dall’integrazione in rete della generazione distribuita con la possibilità di rappresentare scenari futuri mediante l’utilizzo di software di simulazione basati sul calcolo di load flow su periodo. Nel Primo capitolo si presenta il progetto UKGDS, riguardante lo sviluppo di modelli di reti di distribuzione rappresentative del Regno Unito. Più precisamente si descrive come sono stati ricavati i modelli e come sono strutturati. Nel Secondo capitolo si descrive brevemente il software di simulazione sviluppato in ambiente Matlab e le sue principali funzioni. Nel Terzo capitolo si presentano i modelli LABSEE (Laboratorio di Sistemi elettrici per l’Energia) e i procedimenti che si sono resi necessari per il loro ottenimento. Inoltre sono definiti i profili di carico e di generazione per entrambi i formati. Nel Quarto capitolo è descritto un altro progetto per la definizione di modelli di reti realizzato dal CIGRE’ e le operazioni necessarie per ottenere i modelli LABSEE. Inoltre si presentano degli esempi di simulazione su una rete di riferimento Europea in media tensione con e senza integrazione di generazione distribuita. Nel Quinto capitolo si descrivono le modifiche effettuate al programma di simulazione durante lo sviluppo di questa tesiope

    Genome sequence analysis of the first human West Nile virus isolated in Italy in 2009.

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    In 2009, six new human cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND) were identified in Veneto region, following the six cases already reported in 2008. A human West Nile virus (WNV) isolate was obtained for the first time from an asymptomatic blood donor. Whole genome sequence of the human WNV isolate showed close phylogenetic relatedness to the Italy-1998-WNV strain and to other WNV strains recently isolated in Europe, with the new acquisition of the NS3-Thr249Pro mutation, a trait associated with avian virulence, increased virus transmission, and the occurrence of outbreaks in humans

    Citrate high volume on-line hemodiafiltration modulates serum Interleukin-6 and Klotho levels: the multicenter randomized controlled study \u201cHephaestus

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    Background: Studies addressing the anti-inflammatory properties of citrate dialysate enrolled patients in both hemodialysis (HD) and hemodiafiltration (HDF), the latter not adjusted for adequate convective exchange. This is a potential source of confounding in that HDF itself has anti-inflammatory effects regardless of the buffer, and optimal clinical outcomes are related to the amount of convection. Methods: To distinguish the merits of the buffer from those of convection, we performed a 6-month, prospective, randomized, crossover AB-BA study. Comparisons were made during the 3-month study period of on-line HDF with standard dialysate containing three mmol of acetic acid (OL-HDFst) and the 3-month of OL-HDF with dialysate containing one mmol of citric acid (OL-HDFcit). Primary outcome measure of the study was interleukin-6 (IL-6). Klotho, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), fetuin and routine biochemical parameters were also analyzed. Results: We analyzed 47 patients (mean age 64 years, range 27-84 years) enrolled in 10 participating Nephrology Units. Convective volumes were around 25 L/session with 90 percent of sessions > 20 L and f2-microglobulin reduction rate 76% in both HDFs. Baseline median IL-6 values in OL-HDFst were 5.6 pg/ml (25:75 interquartile range IQR 2.9:10.6) and in OL-HDFcit 6.6 pg/ml (IQR 3.4:11.4 pg/ml). The difference was not statistically significant (p 0.88). IL-6 values were lower during OL-HDFcit than during OL-HDFst, both when analyzed as the median difference of overall IL-6 values (p 0.02) and as the median of pairwise differences between the baseline and the 3-month time points (p 0.03). The overall hsCRP values too, were lower during OL-HDFcit than during OL-HDFst (p 0.01). Klotho levels showed a time effect (p 0.02) and the increase was significant only during OL-HDFcit (p 0.01). Conclusions: Citrate buffer modulated IL-6, hsCRP and Klotho levels during high volume OL-HDF. These results are not attributable to differences in the dialysis schedule and may suggest a potential anti-inflammatory and anti-senescent effect of citrate even in dialysis patients with low grade inflammatio

    Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of West Nile virus lineage 1 and lineage 2 from human cases of infection, Italy, August 2013.

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    A human outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) infection caused by WNV lineage 2 is ongoing in northern Italy. Analysis of six WNV genome sequences obtained from clinical specimens demonstrated similarities with strains circulating in central Europe and Greece and the presence of unique amino acid changes that identify a new viral strain. In addition, WNV lineage 1 Livenza, responsible for a large outbreak in north-eastern Italy in 2012, was fully sequenced from a blood donor during this 2013 outbreak

    Observation of gravitational waves from the coalescence of a 2.5−4.5 M⊙ compact object and a neutron star

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    Search for eccentric black hole coalescences during the third observing run of LIGO and Virgo

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    Despite the growing number of confident binary black hole coalescences observed through gravitational waves so far, the astrophysical origin of these binaries remains uncertain. Orbital eccentricity is one of the clearest tracers of binary formation channels. Identifying binary eccentricity, however, remains challenging due to the limited availability of gravitational waveforms that include effects of eccentricity. Here, we present observational results for a waveform-independent search sensitive to eccentric black hole coalescences, covering the third observing run (O3) of the LIGO and Virgo detectors. We identified no new high-significance candidates beyond those that were already identified with searches focusing on quasi-circular binaries. We determine the sensitivity of our search to high-mass (total mass M>70 M⊙) binaries covering eccentricities up to 0.3 at 15 Hz orbital frequency, and use this to compare model predictions to search results. Assuming all detections are indeed quasi-circular, for our fiducial population model, we place an upper limit for the merger rate density of high-mass binaries with eccentricities 0<e≤0.3 at 0.33 Gpc−3 yr−1 at 90\% confidence level

    Ultralight vector dark matter search using data from the KAGRA O3GK run

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    Among the various candidates for dark matter (DM), ultralight vector DM can be probed by laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors through the measurement of oscillating length changes in the arm cavities. In this context, KAGRA has a unique feature due to differing compositions of its mirrors, enhancing the signal of vector DM in the length change in the auxiliary channels. Here we present the result of a search for U(1)B−L gauge boson DM using the KAGRA data from auxiliary length channels during the first joint observation run together with GEO600. By applying our search pipeline, which takes into account the stochastic nature of ultralight DM, upper bounds on the coupling strength between the U(1)B−L gauge boson and ordinary matter are obtained for a range of DM masses. While our constraints are less stringent than those derived from previous experiments, this study demonstrates the applicability of our method to the lower-mass vector DM search, which is made difficult in this measurement by the short observation time compared to the auto-correlation time scale of DM

    Scenari di riferimento per la simulazione ed analisi di reti elettriche di distribuzione attive

    Get PDF
    Lo sviluppo di questa tesi si basa sulla modellizzazione di reti elettriche per la simulazione e analisi di problematiche derivanti dall’integrazione in rete della generazione distribuita con la possibilità di rappresentare scenari futuri mediante l’utilizzo di software di simulazione basati sul calcolo di load flow su periodo. Nel Primo capitolo si presenta il progetto UKGDS, riguardante lo sviluppo di modelli di reti di distribuzione rappresentative del Regno Unito. Più precisamente si descrive come sono stati ricavati i modelli e come sono strutturati. Nel Secondo capitolo si descrive brevemente il software di simulazione sviluppato in ambiente Matlab e le sue principali funzioni. Nel Terzo capitolo si presentano i modelli LABSEE (Laboratorio di Sistemi elettrici per l’Energia) e i procedimenti che si sono resi necessari per il loro ottenimento. Inoltre sono definiti i profili di carico e di generazione per entrambi i formati. Nel Quarto capitolo è descritto un altro progetto per la definizione di modelli di reti realizzato dal CIGRE’ e le operazioni necessarie per ottenere i modelli LABSEE. Inoltre si presentano degli esempi di simulazione su una rete di riferimento Europea in media tensione con e senza integrazione di generazione distribuita. Nel Quinto capitolo si descrivono le modifiche effettuate al programma di simulazione durante lo sviluppo di questa tes

    Multiple signalling pathways redundantly control GLUT4 gene transcription in skeletal muscle

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    Increased glucose transporter GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscle is an important benefit of regular exercise, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. The Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII), calcineurin and AMPK pathways have been implicated in GLUT4 gene regulation based on pharmacological evidence. Here, we have used a more specific genetic approach to establish the relative role of the three pathways in fast and slow muscles. Plasmids coding for protein inhibitors of CaMKII or calcineurin were co-transfected in vivo with a GLUT4 enhancer-reporter construct either in normal mice or in mice expressing a kinase dead (KD) AMPK mutant. GLUT4 reporter activity was not inhibited in the slow soleus muscle by blocking either CaMKII or calcineurin alone, but was inhibited by blocking both pathways. GLUT4 reporter activity was likewise unchanged in the soleus of KD-AMPK mice, but was significantly reduced by incapacitation of either CaMKII or calcineurin in these mice. On the other hand, in the fast tibialis anterior (TA) muscle, calcineurin appears to exert a prominent role in the control of GLUT4 reporter activity, independent of CaMKII and AMPK. The results point to a muscle type-specific and redundant regulation of GLUT4 enhancer based on the interplay of multiple signalling pathways, all of which are known to affect myocyte enhancing factor 2 (MEF2) transcriptional activity, a point of convergence of different pathways on muscle gene regulation
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