Experimental status of 7Be production and destruction at astrophysical relevant energies

The production and destruction of 7Be plays a significant role in the Big Bang Nucleosynthesis as well as in the framework of the solar neutrino. The 3He(α, γ)7Be reaction cross sections has been measured several times in the last decades, but the precision achieved on reaction rate determinations at the relevant astrophysical energies is not yet satisfactory. The experimental status of this reaction will be critically reviewed, and the theoretical descriptions available will be discussed

Human Performance Modelling for Adaptive Automation

The relentless march of technology is increasingly opening new possibilities for the application of automation and new horizons for human machine interaction. However there is insufficient scientific evidence on human factors for modern socio-technical systems supporting the guidelines currently used to design Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) (ISA 2014). This dearth of knowledge presents a particular risk in safety critical industries. The continuing 60–90% of accidents currently that are rooted in Human Factors (HF) and the rapid developments in the Internet of Things (IoT) and its novel automation archetypes means that the requirements for new interfaces are becoming more demanding, and creating new failure modes. To address this gap it is necessary to face the issue of modelling the human factor element and be ready to incorporate that knowledge into the design of adaptive automation

Hybrid Predictive Models for Accurate Forecasting in PV Systems

The accurate forecasting of energy production from renewable sources represents an important topic also looking at different national authorities that are starting to stimulate a greater responsibility towards plants using non-programmable renewables. In this paper the authors use advanced hybrid evolutionary techniques of computational intelligence applied to photovoltaic systems forecasting, analyzing the predictions obtained by comparing different definitions of the forecasting error

Left extralobar pulmonary sequestration and a right aorto-topulmonary vein fistula in a newborn : a 3-mm thoracoscopic monolateral approach

An extralobar pulmonary sequestration (EPS) associated with a contralateral aorto-to-pulmonary vein fistula is rare. We report the case of a female newborn with left EPS fed by an artery originating from the distal thoracic aorta and, symmetrically on the controlateral side, an artery shunting in the inferior right pulmonary vein. Echocardiography showed dilatation of the left atrium. On the 34th day since birth (weight 4500 g), the patient was operated on thoracoscopically. The EPS was closed with a 3-mm sealing system, divided and removed. A window in the mediastinal pleura was created, and the origin of the fistula was identified and sealed. The postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged on Day 4 with no echocardiographic signs of persistence of the fistula and of the congestive heart failure. This is the first case report of a thoracic large systemic circulation-to-pulmonary vein fistula causing heart failure associated with EPS. The thoracoscopic monolateral approach and the availability of 3-mm instruments guaranteed a maximum level of minimal invasiveness

Analysis and validation of 24 hours ahead neural network forecasting of photovoltaic output power

In this paper an artificial neural network for photovoltaic plant energy forecasting is proposed and analyzed in terms of its sensitivity with respect to the input data sets. Furthermore, the accuracy of the method has been studied as a function of the training data sets and error definitions. The analysis is based on experimental activities carried out on a real photovoltaic power plant accompanied by clear sky model. In particular, this paper deals with the hourly energy prediction for all the daylight hours of the following day, based on 48 hours ahead weather forecast. This is very important due to the predictive features requested by smart grid application: renewable energy sources planning, in particular storage system sizing, and market of energy

Light Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for cooperative inspection of PV plants

After a fast photovoltaic (PV) expansion in the past decade supported by many governments in Europe, in this postincentive era, one of the most significant open issues in the PV sector is to find appropriate inspection methods to evaluate real PV plant performance and failures. In this context, PV modules are surely the key components affecting the overall system performance; therefore, there is a main concern about the occurrence of any kind of failure in PV modules. This paper aims to propose a novel concept for monitoring PV plants by using light unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or systems (UASs) during their operation and maintenance. The main objectives of this study are to explore and evaluate the use of different UAV technologies and to propose a reliable, cost-effective, and time-saving method for the inspection of PV plants. In this research, different UAVs were employed to inspect a PV array field. For this purpose, some thermal imaging cameras and a visual camera were chosen as monitoring tools to suitably scan PV modules. The first results show that the procedure of utilizing UAV was effective in the detection of different failures of PV modules. Moreover, such a process was much faster and cost effective than traditional methods

duodenal hematoma and pancreatitis complicating endoscopic intestinal biopsy in a boy with noonan syndrome

Duodenal intramural hematoma is a rare condition, mostly described in children and young adults that can be a complication of duodenal biopsy, especially in patients with predisposing hemorrhagic diathesis. It can determine secondary pancreatitis because of ampullary hematoma. Noonan Syndrome (NS) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by short stature, typical facial dysmorphisms, congenital heart defects and other anomalies such as bleeding problems which have been reported in up to 55% of patients. We herein report a case of duodenal hematoma with pancreatitis developed after endoscopic biopsy in a boy who was initially suspected of having celiac disease on the base of his short stature and growth retardation. Afterwards a more careful past medical history collection and objective examination revealed characteristic features of NS which could have been picked-up in advance, thus avoiding an investigation, such as the duodenal endoscopic biopsy, which in NS patient is potentially more risky

Performance analysis of grid-connected wind turbines

The development of wind turbines (WT) and the capacities of wind power plants have increased significantly in the last years. Wind power plants (WPP) must provide the power quality required by new regulations and the reliability of the power system that is interconnected to. It is very important to analyze and understand the sources of disturbances that affect the power quality. In this paper is analyzed the performance of three different popular wind generators that are connected to the power system. Based on this analysis was made a comparison for the three wind turbines studied that are: The squirrel-cage induction generator (SCIG), the doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG), and the permanent-magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The fixed speed system is more simple and reliable, but severely limits the energy production of a wind turbine and power quality. In case of variable speed systems, comparisons shows that generator of similar rating can significantly enhance energy capture as well as power quality. Moreover, performance of their output power leveling is validated by a new method numerically as maximum energy function and leveling function. The performances of these wind turbines and their characteristics are analysed in steady-state. Wind turbines systems are modeled in Matlab/Simulink environment. Simulation results matched well with the theoretical turbines operation

Mannose and xylose cannot be used as selectable agents for Vitis vinifera L. transformation

Only a few selectable marker systems for genetic engineering of grapevine have been studied in the past and only resistance to antibiotics has been used to recover transgenic vines. Since the acceptance of antibiotic resistances is small mannose and xylose were evaluated as selectable agents for the genetic transformation of grapevine. Survival of suspension cells and the ability to develop embryos from embryogenic calli were estimated in the presence of mannose and xylose. Embryogenic calli obtained from anther cultures of Vitis vinifera cv. Chardonnay were able to grow and to produce embryos even if mannose or xylose were the only source of carbohydrates