RENDICONTO SULL’ATTIVITA’ DI SORVEGLIANZA SVOLTA NEL 2008 (1 Gennaio – 31 Dicembre 2008)MISURE GRAVIMETRICHE AI CAMPI FLEGREI

Nel 2008 sono state effettuate due campagne gravimetriche ai Campi Flegrei; la prima nel mese di febbraio, la seconda dal 20 ottobre al 11 novembre. In entrambre le campagne le misure sono state rilevate sull’intera rete che, nel corso della secondo rilevamento, è stata amplianta con l’istituzione di due nuovi vertici posizionati lungo la linea costiera, e precisamente tra le stazioni di Bagnoli e La Pietra

RENDICONTO SULL’ATTIVITA’ DI SORVEGLIANZA SVOLTA NEL 2008 (1 Gennaio – 31 Dicembre 2008) MISURE GRAVIMETRICHE AL VESUVIO

Nel corso del 2008 sono state eseguite due campagne gravimetriche nell’area vesuviana; la prima nel mese di aprile, la seconda a cavallo dei mesi di novembre e dicembre. In entrambe le campagne, i dati sono stati rilevati su 31 dei 32 vertici costituenti la rete in quanto la stazione “Baracche Forestali”, ubicata lungo la linea che corre all’interno della Forestale, è andata distrutta nel 2007 a causa di lavori di ripristino nell’area

A versatile and robust microfluidic device for capillary-sized simple or multiple emulsions production

International audienceUltrasound-vaporizable microdroplets can be exploited for targeted drug delivery. However, it requires customized microfluidic techniques able to produce monodisperse, capillary-sized and biocompatible multiple emulsions. Recent development of microfluidic devices led to the optimization of microdroplet production with high yields, low polydispersity and well-defined diameters. So far, only few were shown to be efficient for simple droplets or multiple emulsions production below 5 microns in diameter, which is required to prevent microembolism after intravenous injection. Here, we present a versatile microchip for both simple and multiple emulsion production. This parallelized system based on microchannel emulsification was designed to produce perfluorocarbon in water or water within perfluorocarbon in water emulsions with capillary sizes (<5 μm) and polydispersity index down to 5 % for in vivo applications such as spatiotemporally-triggered drug delivery using Ultrasound. We show that droplet production at this scale is mainly controlled by interfacial tension forces, how capillary and viscosity ratios influence droplet characteristics and how different production regimes may take place. The better understanding of droplet formation and its relation to applied pressures is supported by observations with a high-speed camera. Compared to previous microchips, this device opens perspectives to produce injectable and biocompatible droplets with a reasonable yield in order to realize preclinical studies in mice

Sign language recognition using wearable electronics: Implementing K-nearest neighbors with dynamic time warping and convolutional neural network algorithms

We propose a sign language recognition system based on wearable electronics and two different classification algorithms. The wearable electronics were made of a sensory glove and inertial measurement units to gather fingers, wrist, and arm/forearm movements. The classifiers were k-Nearest Neighbors with Dynamic Time Warping (that is a non-parametric method) and Convolutional Neural Networks (that is a parametric method). Ten sign-words were considered from the Italian Sign Language: cose, grazie, maestra, together with words with international meaning such as google, internet, jogging, pizza, television, twitter, and ciao. The signs were repeated one-hundred times each by seven people, five male and two females, aged 29–54 y ± 10.34 (SD). The adopted classifiers performed with an accuracy of 96.6% ± 3.4 (SD) for the k-Nearest Neighbors plus the Dynamic Time Warping and of 98.0% ± 2.0 (SD) for the Convolutional Neural Networks. Our system was made of wearable electronics among the most complete ones, and the classifiers top performed in comparison with other relevant works reported in the literature

A theoretical model for tellurite-sulfates Na2_2Cu5_5(TeO3_3)(SO4_4)3_3(OH)4_4 and K2_2Cu5_5(TeO3_3)(SO4_4)3_3(OH)4_4

A theoretical model for two new tellurite-sulfates, namely Na$_2$Cu$_5$(TeO$_3$)(SO$_4$)$_3$(OH)$_4$ and K$_2$Cu$_5$(TeO$_3$)(SO$_4$)$_3$ (OH)$_4$ is determined to be compatible with ab-initio calculations. The results obtained in this work show that some previous speculations in the literature about the couplings are correct, obtaining a model with a mixture of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic couplings. We use a combination of numerical techniques to study the magnetic properties of the model. Our numerical calculations based on the density-matrix renormalization group method reveal that the system presents Ising-like magnetization plateaux at rational values of the saturation magnetization.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Nuclear Track Detectors for Environmental Studies and Radiation Monitoring

Several improvements were made for Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) used for environmental studies and for particle searches. A new method was used to determine the bulk etch rate of CR39 and Makrofol NTDs. It is based on the simultaneous measurement of the diameter and of the height of etch-pit cones caused by relativistic heavy ions (158 A GeV Pb(82+) and In(49+) ions) and their fragments. The use of alcohol in the etching solution improves the surface quality of NTDs and it raises their thresholds. The detectors were used for the determination of nuclear fragmentation cross sections of Iron and Silicon ions of 1.0 and 0.41 GeV/nucleon. These measurements are important for the determination of doses in hadron therapy and for doses received by astronauts. The detectors were also used in the search of massive particles in the cosmic radiation, for the determination of the mass spectrum of cosmic rays and for the evaluation of Po(210) alpha decay and of natural radon concentrations.Comment: 7 pages, 5 EPS figures. Presented at the 10th Topical Seminar on Innovative Particle and Radiation Detectors, 1-5 October 2006, Siena, Ital

Brewer’s Spent Grain, Coffee Grounds, Burdock, and Willow–Four Examples of Biowaste and Biomass Valorization through Advanced Green Extraction Technologies

This paper explores the transformation of biowastes from food industry and agriculture into high-value products through four examples. The objective is to provide insight into the principles of green transition and a circular economy. The first two case studies focus on the waste generated from the production of widely consumed food items, such as beer and coffee, while the other two examine the potential of underutilized plants, such as burdock and willow, as sources of valuable compounds. Phenolic compounds are the main target in the case of brewer's spent grain, with p-coumaric acid and ferulic acid being the most common. Lipids are a possible target in the case of spent coffee grounds with palmitic (C16:0) and linoleic (C18:2) acid being the major fatty acids among those recovered. In the case of burdock, different targets are reported based on which part of the plant is used. Extracts rich in linoleic and oleic acids are expected from the seeds, while the roots extracts are rich in sugars, phenolic acids such as chlorogenic, caffeic, o-coumaric, syringic, cinnamic, gentisitic, etc. acids, and, interestingly, the high-value compound epicatechin gallate. Willow is well known for being rich in salicin, but picein, (+)-catechin, triandrin, glucose, and fructose are also obtained from the extracts. The study thoroughly analyzes different extraction methods, with a particular emphasis on cutting-edge green technologies. The goal is to promote the sustainable utilization of biowaste and support the green transition to a more environmentally conscious economy

Objective assessment of walking impairments in myotonic dystrophy by means of a wearable technology and a novel severity index

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a genetic inherited autosomal dominant disease characterized by multisystem involvement, including muscle, heart, brain, eye, and endocrine system. Although several methods are available to evaluate muscle strength, endurance, and dexterity, there are no validated outcome measures aimed at objectively evaluating qualitative and quantitative gait alterations. Advantageously, wearable sensing technology has been successfully adopted in objectifying the assessment of motor disabilities in different medical occurrences, so that here we consider the adoption of such technology specifically for DM1. In particular, we measured motor tasks through inertial measurement units on a cohort of 13 DM1 patients and 11 healthy control counterparts. The motor tasks consisted of 16 meters of walking both at a comfortable speed and fast pace. Measured data consisted of plantar-flexion and dorsi-flexion angles assumed by both ankles, so to objectively evidence the footdrop behavior of the DM1 disease, and to define a novel severity index, termed SI-Norm2, to rate the grade of walking impairments. According to the obtained results, our approach could be useful for a more precise stratification of DM1 patients, providing a new tool for a personalized rehabilitation approach

The symbiotic star CH Cygni – II. The ejecta from the 1998-2000 active phase

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging, a Very Large Array (VLA) radio map (4.74 GHz), optical high-resolution (echelle) spectroscopy and UBV photoelectric photometry of the symbiotic star CH Cyg obtained during its 1998–2000 active phase. The HST imaging, taken during eclipse, shows the central stars are embedded in a nebula extending to 620 ± 150 au for a distance of 270 ± 66 pc. The inner nebula is strongly influenced by the onset of activity and associated outflow in 1998. The surface brightness contours of the contemporaneous radio VLA observation agree well with HST images. Photometric observations of the broad 1999 U-minimum suggest that it is due to the eclipse of the active hot component by the giant on the long-period (14.5 yr) outer orbit. We also find that the onset of the 1998 and the 1992 active periods occur at the same orbital phase of the inner binary. Spectroscopic observations reveal two types of outflow from the active star: a high-velocity (>1200 km s−1) hot star wind sporadically alternating with a more massive outflow indicated by P-Cygni-like profiles. We present evidence connecting the extended nebulosity with the high-velocity shocked outflow, and hence the activity in the central binary