384 research outputs found
Information Length and Localization in One Dimension
The scaling properties of the wave functions in finite samples of the one
dimensional Anderson model are analyzed. The states have been characterized
using a new form of the information or entropic length, and compared with
analytical results obtained by assuming an exponential envelope function. A
perfect agreement is obtained already for systems of -- sites over
a very wide range of disorder parameter . Implications for
higher dimensions are also presented.Comment: 11 pages (+3 Figures upon request), Plain TE
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING MANAGEMENT OF WASTE FROM LARGE EXCAVATIONS DUE TO INFRASTRUCTURE BUILDINGS
Abstract. Large infrastructure building like the Florence Railway Station designed for high-speed rails requires a proper management of the huge quantity of waste originating from excavation activities. Such waste amounts require large areas for disposals, making abandoned areas or exhausted quarries and mines ideal sites for hosting the excavated wastes.A rectangular area of 500×70m delimiting the railway station has been excavated in two steps causing the removal of a 10m-thick soil layer per step: excavated earth and rocks would then be used for the environmental restoration of an area of 400×350m located near a former exhausted lignite quarry) in the proximity of the Santa Barbara village near Cavriglia (Arezzo).The Tuscan Regional Environmental Agency (ARPAT) have been involved in monitoring both the terrain transportation and disposals' operations according to the approved management plan: the Environmental Regional Information System Office (SIRA) was asked to evaluate volume balancing between all the waste management cycle, with included: (a) waste extraction from railway station site building, and (b) waste disposal final destination (exhausted Santa Barbara lignite quarry).Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS), Simultaneous Localization and Mapping System (SLAM) systems and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) surveys have been used to track earth and rocks excavation and disposal activities in the aforementioned sites: while RPAS systems cannot be used in underground site surveys, their usage must be recommended in open space surveys due to the ese of use if sub-centimetric precisions are not required.Multiple TLS scans alignment can result in a quite challenging task if automatic alignment software is not available, requiring manual rough alignment's operations that can be very time consuming: two open-source solutions based on different algorithms have been evaluated.The selected survey technologies – RPAS, TLS, SLAM – have shown a great potential in earth and rocks monitoring: each technology has its own strengths and weakness, which can vary on the basis of both hardware and software technical progresses
Evaluation of Variability in the Sweet Orange Germplasm through Next Generation Clonal Fingerprinting
The great phenotypic variability characterizing the sweet orange [Citrus sinensis(L.) Osbeck] germplasm arises from spontaneous bud mutations, causing a diversification into major groups (common, Navel and blood oranges). A huge divergence also occurred within each varietal group. The genetic basis of such variability, also including nutritional and qualitative traits (ripening time, colour, fruit shape, acidity, sugars), is currently uncharacterized, and therefore not exploitable. With the aim of describing the somatic mutation events in the sweet orange group a deep-sequencing of 20 Italian and foreign accessions was performed by Illumina platform, allowing the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), structural variants (SVs) and large deletions, specific to each varietal group or clone-specific. A subset of SNPs used for the design of two 384 SNP - GoldenGate Assays allowed to genotype 225 CREA sweet orange accessions. The developed markers represent the first reliable molecular tools able to unambiguously fingerprint each somatic mutant. Moreover, they might be used to associate mutations with phenotypic traits, and are a powerful tool for traceability. By using the GoldenGate assay, we have been able to fingerprint several blood orange clones starting from DNAs isolated from leaves or juice. These tools will potentially provide the consumer with a guarantee on the quality and origin of juices, avoiding eventual frauds
Shelf Life Extension and Nutritional Quality Preservation of Sour Cherries through High Pressure Processing
The present study assessed the effectiveness of high pressure processing (HPP) for the quality maintenance of pitted sour cherries, with special regard to microbial stabilization and the maintenance of color and of chemical–nutritional properties. The HPP treatment (600 MPa for 3 min at 4 °C) was effective at minimizing the initial microbial load, which remained at negligible levels throughout 5 months of refrigerated storage. The color and total phytochemical content of sour cherries were not influenced by the HPP treatment and were maintained at levels comparable with the fresh product for 3 months of refrigerated storage. For longer storage periods, the typical red color decreased, in agreement with the content of total anthocyanins, which showed a significant decrease (up to 65% after 5 months). The antioxidant activity, measured by the ABTS and DPPH assays, was not affected by the HPP treatment, but slightly reduced during refrigerated storage. The study suggests that HPP may be exploited to extend the shelf life, while maintaining the fresh-like features of sour cherries, thus offering an alternative option to current preservation techniques (based on freezing or heating) commonly applied to this product
2D/3D SOIL CONSUMPTION TRACKING IN A MARBLE QUARRY DISTRICT
Abstract. Complex extractive districts, such as the marble quarries in the Apuan Alps (northern Italy), require soil consumption monitoring over the years that could be achieved through high-resolution remotely sensed data. To derive 2D and 3D indicators with appropriate resolution for annual monitoring of high-resolution changes in soil consumption, aerial images, LiDAR acquisitions, satellite data, and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) acquisitions were used. In particular, open-access Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite imagery with a spatial resolution of 10 m was used to assess cover changes (2D), and then refined by manual interpretation for 5 years (2016-2021). 3D changes were detected by comparing free aerial LiDAR data from 2009 and 2017, integrated with two stereo models obtained from Pléiades high-resolution satellite images from 2020 and 2022. 3D changes observed over the years by algebraic elevation comparison, performed in QGIS 3.x environment, highlight quarries characterized by intense mining activities (extracted marble blocks, characterized by positive elevation differences) and quarry area management (debris disposal and service infrastructure construction, characterized by negative elevation differences). The combined use of 2D and 3D change indicators can be challenging in order to correctly represent soil consumption over the years. A dual 2D/3D webgis client have been developed for proper representation of 2D/3D spatial indicators of ongoing extraction activities in the Carrara marble basin: high-resolution images have been served as tiled data, while 2D/3D spatial indicators are served as static and/or tiled vector data. Open-Source libraries have used in data processing, serving and representation inside a map interface
Gender Differences and Attitudes in Entrepreneurial Intentions: the Role of Career Choice
Gender differences in entrepreneurial intentions and agentic traits frequently
linked to entrepreneurship (locus of control, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, risk-taking
propensity, and proactiveness) were examined using a sample of Spanish university
students, 535 women and 283 men. Self-reported data were collected through a
questionnaire consisting of several scales. MANOVA results showed gender
differences in entrepreneurial intention and entrepreneurial self-efficacy, in the sense
that men felt themselves more efficient and oriented to create a new venture than
women. Nevertheless, major area and age explained differences in the variables
studied better than gender
Transitions from the Quantum Hall State to the Anderson Insulator: Fa te of Delocalized States
Transitions between the quantum Hall state and the Anderson insulator are
studied in a two dimensional tight binding model with a uniform magnetic field
and a random potential. By the string (anyon) gauge, the weak magnetic field
regime is explored numerically. The regime is closely related to the continuum
model. The change of the Hall conductance and the trajectoy of the delocalized
states are investigated by the topological arguments and the Thouless number
study.Comment: 10 pages RevTeX, 14 postscript figure
Fermi-surface transformation across the pseudogap critical point of the cuprate superconductor LaNdSrCuO
The electrical resistivity and Hall coefficient R of the
tetragonal single-layer cuprate Nd-LSCO were measured in magnetic fields up to
T, large enough to access the normal state at , for closely
spaced dopings across the pseudogap critical point at .
Below , both coefficients exhibit an upturn at low temperature, which
gets more pronounced with decreasing . Taken together, these upturns show
that the normal-state carrier density at drops upon entering the
pseudogap phase. Quantitatively, it goes from at to at . By contrast, the mobility does not change appreciably, as
revealed by the magneto-resistance. The transition has a width in doping and
some internal structure, whereby R responds more slowly than to the
opening of the pseudogap. We attribute this difference to a Fermi surface that
supports both hole-like and electron-like carriers in the interval , with compensating contributions to R. Our data are in excellent
agreement with recent high-field data on YBCO and LSCO. The quantitative
consistency across three different cuprates shows that a drop in carrier
density from to is a universal signature of the pseudogap
transition at . We discuss the implication of these findings for the
nature of the pseudogap phase.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figure
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