Statistics of football dynamics

We investigate the dynamics of football matches. Our goal is to characterize statistically the temporal sequence of ball movements in this collective sport game, searching for traits of complex behavior. Data were collected over a variety of matches in South American, European and World championships throughout 2005 and 2006. We show that the statistics of ball touches presents power-law tails and can be described by $q$-gamma distributions. To explain such behavior we propose a model that provides information on the characteristics of football dynamics. Furthermore, we discuss the statistics of duration of out-of-play intervals, not directly related to the previous scenario.Comment: 7 page

On the dynamics of bubbles in boiling water

We investigate the dynamics of many interacting bubbles in boiling water by using a laser scattering experiment. Specifically, we analyze the temporal variations of a laser intensity signal which passed through a sample of boiling water. Our empirical results indicate that the return interval distribution of the laser signal does not follow an exponential distribution; contrariwise, a heavy-tailed distribution has been found. Additionally, we compare the experimental results with those obtained from a minimalist phenomenological model, finding a good agreement.Comment: Accepted for publication in Chaos, Solitons & Fractal

THE IFC FILE FORMAT AS A MEANS OF INTEGRATING BIM AND GIS: THE CASE OF THE MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF UNDERGROUND NETWORKS

Abstract. The construction sector is undergoing an important digital revolution. The integration between Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Geographical Information System (GIS) is a key component of this revolution and is increasingly discussed. Although benefits are already recognised, several challenges still remain. The purpose of this paper is to present the method proposed by the GEOBIMM project to overcome the existing barriers towards the integration between BIM and GIS domains and to present the first results applied to the maintenance of underground networks. The results are a set of guidelines essential for the integration of BIM files in GIS platforms within the GEOBIMM domain, to ensure: the appropriate geometric description of the elements; the correct georeferencing; the geospatial semantic and topological interoperability between the two systems; the appropriate definition of the information parameters. These pillars are further used to develop a guideline for planners and construction companies supporting them in developing compliant BIM models

The New Control and Interlock System for the SPS Main Power Converters

The Control and Interlock System (CIS) of the SPS main power converters was designed in the mid-70s and became increasingly difficult to maintain. A new system based on Programmable Logic Controllers has been developed by an external contractor in close collaboration with CERN. The system is now operational and fully integrated in the SPS/LEP control infrastructure. The CIS is the first major contracted industrial solution used to control accelerator equipment directly involved in the production of particle beams at CERN. This paper gives an overview of the SPS main power converter installation and describes both the contractual and technical solution adopted for the CIS. It first explains how the system was specified and how the contractual relationship was defined to respect CERNs purchasing rules and the operational requirements of the SPS accelerator. The architectural design of the new system is presented with special emphasis on how the conflict between safety and availability has been addressed

Control and interlock system for the SPS main power converters

The control and interlock system of the main power converters was 20 years old and needed to be replaced. In order to face the shrinking resources of CERN, it was decided to adopt, as far as possible, standard industrial solutions and to contract out the development of the new system to industry. A tender was sent to European firms and the contract was awarded to GTD, a Spanish Engineering Firm, in May 1997. The SPS accelerator restarted in March 98 with the new Control and Interlock System

Influenza molecular diagnostic testing in a 1000-bed academic Italian hospital during the 2018\u201319 influenza season

Aim: The aims of this study were to examine the requests for influenza molecular tests processed by the Virology Laboratory of the University Hospital of Udine during the 2018\u201319 influenza season and to assess the test results and to estimate costs. Subjects and methods: We analyzed various administrative databases of the hospital health information system, which can be deterministically linked at the individual level through an anonymous stochastic key. Requests for influenza molecular tests from November 1, 2018, to April 15, 2019, and test results were described by week and, for hospitalized patients, hospital ward. Previous vaccination status of tested patients, outcomes and estimated test costs were assessed. Results: In the 2018\u201319 influenza season, 979 influenza A and B virologic tests were processed by the laboratory, corresponding to 758 patients. Requests had more than doubled compared with the previous influenza season. Rapid real-time PCR tests, routinely available at the University Hospital of Udine since January 2019, represented 17% of requests. Six hundred forty-eight patients were hospitalized. Medical wards requested the test after a median of 1 day after admission, whereas requests were delayed for surgical and oncologic patients. The number of tests, proportion of positivity and consumption of rapid tests varied by medical specialty. Overall consumption of oseltamivir was similar to that of the previous influenza season. Conclusions: This analysis, benefiting from the availability of integrated health administrative databases, provided useful information to support public health decision-making and managing the supply and demand for diagnostic tests

The Contribution of the Smectic-Nematic Interface to the Surface Energy

The contribution of the smectic-nematic interface to the surface energy of a nematic liquid crystal sample is analyzed. By means of a simple model it is shown that the surface energy depends on the thickness of the region over which the transition smectic-nematic takes place. For perfectly flat substrates this thickness is of the order of the correlation length entering in the transition. An estimate of this contribution shows that it is greater than the one arising from the nematic-substrate interaction. Moreover, it is also shown that the surface energy determined in this way presents a non-monotonic behavior with the temperature.Comment: 10 pages, revte