2,162 research outputs found
Single pulse avalanche robustness and repetitive stress ageing of SiC power MOSFETs
This paper presents an extensive electro-thermal characterisation of latest generation silicon carbide (SiC) Power MOSFETs under unclamped inductive switching (UIS) conditions. Tests are carried out to thoroughly understand the single pulse avalanche ruggedness limits of commercial SiC MOSFETs and assess their aging under repetitive stress conditions. Both a functional and a structural characterisation of the transistors is presented, with the aim of informing future device technology development for robust and reliable power system development
Three-Dimensional Imaging and Numerical Reconstruction of Graphite/Epoxy Composite Microstructure Based on Ultra-High Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography
A combined experimental and computational study aimed at high-resolution 3D imaging, visualization, and numerical reconstruction of fiber-reinforced polymer microstructures at the fiber length scale is presented. To this end, a sample of graphite/epoxy composite was imaged at sub-micron resolution using a 3D X-ray computed tomography microscope. Next, a novel segmentation algorithm was developed, based on concepts adopted from computer vision and multi-target tracking, to detect and estimate, with high accuracy, the position of individual fibers in a volume of the imaged composite. In the current implementation, the segmentation algorithm was based on Global Nearest Neighbor data-association architecture, a Kalman filter estimator, and several novel algorithms for virtualfiber stitching, smoothing, and overlap removal. The segmentation algorithm was used on a sub-volume of the imaged composite, detecting 508 individual fibers. The segmentation data were qualitatively compared to the tomographic data, demonstrating high accuracy of the numerical reconstruction. Moreover, the data were used to quantify a) the relative distribution of individual-fiber cross sections within the imaged sub-volume, and b) the local fiber misorientation relative to the global fiber axis. Finally, the segmentation data were converted using commercially available finite element (FE) software to generate a detailed FE mesh of the composite volume. The methodology described herein demonstrates the feasibility of realizing an FE-based, virtual-testing framework for graphite/fiber composites at the constituent level
Carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa with acquired bla(vim) metallo-beta-lactamase determinants, Italy.
6nonenoneROSSOLINI G.M.; RICCIO M.L.; CORNAGLIA G.; PAGANI L.; LAGATOLLA C.; SELAN L. AND FONTANA R.Rossolini, G. M.; Riccio, M. L.; Cornaglia, G.; Pagani, L.; Lagatolla, Cristina; Selan, L. AND FONTANA R
Metabolites of the new Caledonian sponge Cladocroce incurvata
The deep-water New Caledonian sponge #Cladocroce incurvata$ contains two "polyketide" metabolites. Cladocrocin A (1) appears to be derived from fatty acid with ethyl side chains, thus incorporating butyrate units. Cladocroic acid (2) is a straight chain fatty acid which incorporates a terminal enyne functionality and a cycloproprane ring directly attached to the carboxylic acid function. The structures were elucidated by interpretation of spectral data, and the cis stereochemistry of the cyclopropane ring in cladocroic acid (2) was derived after the synthesis of cis - and trans - 2, 3 - methanohexanoic acid models and nmr spectral comparisons. (Résumé d'auteur
Indeterminacy of Spatiotemporal Cardiac Alternans
Cardiac alternans, a beat-to-beat alternation in action potential duration
(at the cellular level) or in ECG morphology (at the whole heart level), is a
marker of ventricular fibrillation, a fatal heart rhythm that kills hundreds of
thousands of people in the US each year. Investigating cardiac alternans may
lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias and
eventually better algorithms for the prediction and prevention of such dreadful
diseases. In paced cardiac tissue, alternans develops under increasingly
shorter pacing period. Existing experimental and theoretical studies adopt the
assumption that alternans in homogeneous cardiac tissue is exclusively
determined by the pacing period. In contrast, we find that, when calcium-driven
alternans develops in cardiac fibers, it may take different spatiotemporal
patterns depending on the pacing history. Because there coexist multiple
alternans solutions for a given pacing period, the alternans pattern on a fiber
becomes unpredictable. Using numerical simulation and theoretical analysis, we
show that the coexistence of multiple alternans patterns is induced by the
interaction between electrotonic coupling and an instability in calcium
cycling.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Stepwise shortening of agalsidase beta infusion duration in Fabry disease: Clinical experience with infusion rate escalation protocol
Background: Although enzyme replacement therapy with agalsidase beta resulted in a variety of clinical benefits, life-long biweekly intravenous infusion may impact on patients’ quality of life. Moreover, regular infusions are time-consuming: although a stepwise shortening of infusion duration is allowed up to a minimum of 1.5 hr, in most centers it remains ≥3 hr, and no data exists about the safety and tolerability of agalsidase beta administration at maximum tolerated infusion rate. Methods: In this study, we reported our experience with a stepwise infusion rate escalation protocol developed in our center in a cohort of 53 Fabry patients (both already receiving and treatment-naΪve), and explored factors predictive for the infusion rate increase tolerability. Results: Fifty-two patients (98%) reduced infusion duration ≤3 hr; of these, 38 (72%) even reached a duration ≤2 hr. We found a significant difference between the mean duration reached by already treated and naΪve patients (p <.01). More severely affected patients (male patients and those with lower enzyme activity) received longer infusions for higher risk of infusion-associated reactions (IARs). A significant correlation between anti-agalsidase antibodies and IARs was found. Conclusion: Our infusion rate escalation protocol is safe and could improve patient compliance, satisfaction and quality of life
The slippery slope of dust attenuation curves: Correlation of dust attenuation laws with star-to-dust compactness up to z = 4
Aims. We investigate dust attenuation of 122 heavily dust-obscured galaxies
detected with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and Herschel in the
COSMOS field. We search for correlations between dust attenuation recipes and
the variation of physical parameters, mainly the effective radii of galaxies,
their star formation rates (SFR), and stellar masses, and aim to understand
which of the commonly used laws best describes dust attenuation in dusty
star-forming galaxies at high redshift. Methods. We make use of the extensive
photometric coverage of the COSMOS data combined with highly-resolved dust
continuum maps from ALMA. We use CIGALE to estimate various physical properties
of these dusty objects, mainly their SFR, their stellar masses and their
attenuation. We infer galaxy effective radii (Re) using GALFIT in the Y band of
HSC and ALMA continuum maps. We use these radii to investigate the relative
compactness of the dust continuum and the extension of the rest-frame
UV/optical Re(y)/Re(ALMA). Results. We find that the physical parameters
calculated from our models strongly depend on the assumption of dust
attenuation curve. As expected, the most impacted parameter is the stellar
mass, which leads to a change in the "starburstiness" of the objects. We find
that taking into account the relative compactness of star-to-dust emission
prior to SED fitting is crucial, especially when studying dust attenuation of
dusty star-forming galaxies. Shallower attenuation curves did not show a clear
preference of compactness with attenuation, while the Calzetti attenuation
curve preferred comparable spatial extent of unattenuated stellar light and
dust emission. The evolution of the Re(UV)/Re(ALMA) ratio with redshift peeks
around the cosmic noon in our sample of DSFGs, showing that this compactness is
correlated with the cosmic SFR density of these dusty sources.Comment: 18 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in A&A. Abstract
abridged for arXiv submissio
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