Power consumption evaluation of circuit-switched versus packet-switched optical backbone networks

While telecommunication networks have historically been dominated by a circuit-switched paradigm, the last decades have seen a clear trend towards packet-switched networks. In this paper we evaluate how both paradigms perform in optical backbone networks from a power consumption point of view, and whether the general agreement of circuit switching being more power-efficient holds. We consider artificially generated topologies of various sizes, mesh degrees and not yet previously explored in this context transport linerates. We cross-validate our findings with a number of realistic topologies. Our results show that, as a generalization, packet switching can become preferable when the traffic demands are lower than half the transport linerate. We find that an increase in the network node count does not consistently increase the energy savings of circuit switching over packet switching, but is heavily influenced by the mesh degree and (to a minor extent) by the average link length

Structural health monitoring and earthquake early warning: preliminary studies for application in eastern Sicily

In this work, the reduction of seismic hazard in eastern Sicily is addressed by both studying the fundamental resonant frequency of strategic buildings through low cost geophysical investigation techniques, and exploring a practical approach to earthquake early warning EEW) system. The fundamental period and the corresponding amplification of some selected strategic buildings has been estimated using ambient vibration and earthquake data. We analyzed the basic dynamic parameters of buildings chosen as target, by using continuous vibration measurements at different floors. The dynamic behavior of structures was evaluated considering both small strains induced by ambient vibrations and larger excitation levels due to the earthquakes occurrence. A practical approach to earthquake early warning in the investigated area was dealt with by using empirical relationships between parameters measured on the initial portion of seismic recordings and related to the earthquake magnitude and peak ground motion. In particular, we performed the first preliminary tests by using empirical relationships calibrated for the considered area and taking into account the geometry of the existing permanent seismic network deployed in the eastern Sicily. The estimated relationships have been used to provide onsite warning around a given seismic station and evaluate the potential damaging effects. The joint of EEW system and geophysical investigation shown in this work may be deemed a useful guide for the future implementation of the in real time seismic monitoring in the region.This work has been supported by the following project: “Attività di sviluppo sperimentale finalizzata alla riduzione del rischio sismico nella Sicilia Orientale” inside the PO-FESR 2007-2013 Sicilia; MED-SUV funded from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) under Grant agreement n°308665. This work is sponsored by European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement n° 798480. We are thankful to Salvatore Rapisarda and Danilo Contrafatto to support us in the field work

Reducción de los descartes en la pesca con trasmallo: resultados experimentales utilizando trasmallo con “faldón” en la pesca artesanal del camarón, Penaeus kerathurus, en el mar Ligur (Mediterráneo Occidental)

This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a “guarding net”, a device placed at the bottom of a trammel net, for reducing unwanted catches in the caramote prawn trammel net fishery of the Ligurian Sea. This specialized and profitable fishery is affected by unwanted catches that generate high discard rates and damage to the nets, with environmental impacts and costs for fishermen. The experimental study consisted in comparing the catches of a standard trammel net (STN) with those of two “experimental” trammel nets, e.g. STNs provided with a guarding net of 19 cm (TGN20) and 24 cm height (TGN25), respectively. The guarding net, a strip of gillnet placed at the bottom of the net, can be considered a by-catch reducer device (BRD). Some fishermen of the investigated fishery have been using this device for several years. The results of the 15 experimental fishing trials performed from June to July 2016 indicate that the guarding nets significantly reduce discards (e.g. crabs and other invertebrates); the biomass of the unwanted species caught was 75% lower than that produced by the STN. The catch rates of the target species obtained with TGN20 and TGN25 were also significantly lower than those of the STN, though of a lesser amount. Nonetheless, this economic loss can be compensated by the decrease in sorting time and material and labour costs that can be achieved using the guarding net.El objetivo de este trabajo fue testar los efectos de un “faldón”, una red colocada en la parte inferior de un trasmallo, para reducir los descartes en la pesquería del camarón del mar Ligur. Se trata de una pesquería especializada y rentable, afectada por capturas no deseadas, que generan descartes y daños a las redes, con impacto ambiental y costes para los pescadores. Se llevaron a cabo pescas experimentales, para comparar la captura de un trasmallo estándar (STN) con la de dos trasmallos “experimentales”, construidos a partir de un trasmallo estándar, con el ajuste de un faldón de 19 cm de altura (TGN20), y de un faldón de 24 cm (TGN25). Este faldón, una banda de red de enmalle, se puede considerar como un dispositivo reductor de capturas accesorias (BRD). Algunos pescadores de la pesquería investigada ya utilizan este dispositivo desde hace algunos años. Los resultados de las quince pruebas experimentales, realizadas de junio a julio 2016, muestran que el faldón de red de enmalle contribuye significativamente a reducir los descartes (cangrejos y otros invertebrados), con una reducción de la biomasa de las especies descartadas hasta el 75%, respecto al trasmallo estándar. Al mismo tiempo, también las tasas de captura de las especies objetivo obtenidas con TGN20 y TGN25 fueron significativamente más bajas que las del STN, aunque de menor magnitud. Sin embargo, esta pérdida económica puede ser compensada por la disminución del tiempo de trabajo, de los costes del material y de la mano de obra, que se pueden lograr utilizando un trasmallo con “faldón”

Central Venous Stenosis after Hemodialysis: Case Reports and Relationships to Catheters and Cardiac Implantable Devices

The appropriate vascular access for hemodialysis in patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) is undefined. We describe two cases of end-stage renal disease patients with CIED and tunneled central venous catheter (CVC) who developed venous cava stenosis: (1) a 70-year-old man with sinus node disease and pacemaker in 2013, CVC, and a Brescia-Cimino forearm fistula in 2015; (2) a 75-year-old woman with previous ventricular arrhythmia with implanted defibrillator in 2014 and CVC in 2016. In either case, after about 1 year from CVC insertion, patients developed superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome due to stenosis diagnosed by axial computerized tomography. In case 1, the patient was not treated by angioplasty of SVC and removed CVC with partial resolving of symptoms. In case 2, a percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with placement of a new CVC was required. To analyze these reports in the context of available literature, we systematically reviewed studies that have analyzed the presence of central venous stenosis associated with the simultaneous presence of CIED and CVC. Five studies were found; two indicated an increased incidence of central venous stenosis, while three did not find any association. While more studies are definitely needed, we suggest that these patients may benefit from epicardial cardiac devices and the insertion of devices directly into the ventriculus. If the new devices are unavailable or contraindicated, peritoneal dialysis or intensive conservative treatment in older patients may be proposed as alternative options

Biliverdin Protects against Liver Ischemia Reperfusion Injury in Swine

Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) in organ transplantation remains a serious and unsolved problem. Organs that undergo significant damage during IRI, function less well immediately after reperfusion and tend to have more problems at later times when rejection can occur. Biliverdin has emerged as an agent that potently suppress IRI in rodent models. Since the use of biliverdin is being developed as a potential therapeutic modality for humans, we tested the efficacy for its effects on IRI of the liver in swine, an accepted and relevant pre-clinical animal model. Administration of biliverdin resulted in rapid appearance of bilirubin in the serum and significantly suppressed IRI-induced liver dysfunction as measured by multiple parameters including urea and ammonia clearance, neutrophil infiltration and tissue histopathology including hepatocyte cell death. Taken together, our findings, in a large animal model, provide strong support for the continued evaluation of biliverdin as a potential therapeutic in the clinical setting of transplantation of the liver and perhaps other organs

The PLASMONX Project for advanced beam physics experiments

The Project PLASMONX is well progressing into its design phase and has entered as well its second phase of procurements for main components. The project foresees the installation at LNF of a Ti:Sa laser system (peak power > 170 TW), synchronized to the high brightness electron beam produced by the SPARC photo-injector. The advancement of the procurement of such a laser system is reported, as well as the construction plans of a new building at LNF to host a dedicated laboratory for high intensity photon beam experiments (High Intensity Laser Laboratory). Several experiments are foreseen using this complex facility, mainly in the high gradient plasma acceleration field and in the field of mono- chromatic ultra-fast X-ray pulse generation via Thomson back-scattering. Detailed numerical simulations have been carried out to study the generation of tightly focused electron bunches to collide with laser pulses in the Thomson source: results on the emitted spectra of X-rays are presented

A vision for science education in Malta : the national curriculum framework 2011 : consultation document 2011

The current document was prepared by a working group of science and science education experts set up in November 2008 by Prof Grace Grima, Director General for Quality and Standards. The brief was to analyse the current situation of science education in Malta and to suggest a way forward that adequately addresses current as well as future national needs in the area.peer-reviewe

NEMO-SN1 Abyssal Cabled Observatory in the Western Ionian Sea

The NEutrinoMediterranean Observatory—Submarine Network 1 (NEMO-SN1) seafloor observatory is located in the central Mediterranean Sea, Western Ionian Sea, off Eastern Sicily (Southern Italy) at 2100-m water depth, 25 km from the harbor of the city of Catania. It is a prototype of a cabled deep-sea multiparameter observatory and the first one operating with real-time data transmission in Europe since 2005. NEMO-SN1 is also the first-established node of the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor Observatory (EMSO), one of the incoming European large-scale research infrastructures included in the Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) since 2006. EMSO will specifically address long-term monitoring of environmental processes related to marine ecosystems, marine mammals, climate change, and geohazards