Optimized clusters for disaggregated electricity load forecasting

To account for the variation of EDF’s (the French electrical company) portfolio following the liberalization of the electrical market, it is essential to disaggregate the global load curve. The idea is to disaggregate the global signal in such a way that the sum of disaggregated forecasts significantly improves the prediction of the whole global signal. The strategy is to optimize, a preliminary clustering of individual load curves with respect to a predictability index. The optimized clustering procedure is controlled by a forecasting performance via a cross-prediction dissimilarity index. It can be assimilated to a discrete gradient type algorithm. Key-Words

Fate and effect of naphthenic acids in biological systems

Naphthenic acids (NAs) are carboxylic acids found in crude oil and petroleum products. The objectives of the research presented here were to: a) assess the occurrence and fate of NAs in crude oil and refinery wastewater streams; b) evaluate the biotransformation potential and inhibitory effects of NAs under nitrifying, denitrifying and methanogenic/fermentative conditions; c) investigate the factors affecting NA biotransformation under aerobic conditions and the microbes involved; and d) assess the toxicity of individual model NAs using quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) and examine the effect of structure on NA biotransformation potential. NAs are ubiquitous in refinery wastewater streams and the desalter brine was found to be the main source of NAs in refinery wastewater. A commercial NA mixture was not biodegraded under nitrate-reducing or methanogenic/fermentative conditions. NAs were degraded under aerobic conditions by an NA-enriched culture; however, a residual fraction was not degraded under all conditions studied. The results indicated that NAs are not inherently recalcitrant and the residual fraction was due to the individual NA concentrations being below the minimum substrate concentrations at which they are no longer degraded. A fraction of the NA mixture was completely mineralized to carbon dioxide, with the remaining portion biotransformed to more oxidized intermediates. Overall, the results indicated that NAs were degraded under aerobic conditions; however, biological treatment of NA-bearing wastewater will not completely remove NA concentrations and thus, biological treatment must be combined with physical/chemical treatment to achieve complete NA removal.PhDCommittee Chair: Spyros G. Pavlostathis; Committee Member: Ching-Hua Huang; Committee Member: Jim Spain; Committee Member: Sotira Yiacoumi; Committee Member: Sujit Banerje

Practicing Outdoor Physical Activity: Is It Really a Good Choice? Short- and Long-Term Health Effects of Exercising in a Polluted Environment

Background: Air pollution is an environmental risk factor for mortality and the fifth largest risk factor for all causes of death. The practice of regular physical activity is strongly encouraged to achieve a healthy lifestyle. During a physical exercise session, the volume of inhaled pollutants increases. The present study aims to report the evidence about the interaction between polluted air, physical activity, and the interactive effects of these two variables on individuals’ health in the light of the significant changes occurring in the daily routine of individuals practicing sport and physical activities after the end of the pandemic. Methods: A mapping review was performed on electronic databases to summarize studies reporting the effects of pollutants on specific health outcomes. A further analysis investigated how physical habits and air quality changed following the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The current literature suggests that air pollution alters both short- and long-term health outcomes. Nonetheless, exercising is a protective factor against the harmful effects of air pollution. Conclusions: It is necessary for those who train outdoors to evaluate the external environmental conditions. The change should be aimed at improving air quality by implementing stricter legislative guidelines on air pollution thresholds

Immigrazione, nuove famiglie e ruoli di genere a scuola, in famiglia e nella societ? di Lucca

Not yet availableIl rapporto ? il frutto di una collaborazione tra il Comune di Lucca e l'Istituto di Ricerca sulla Popolazione e le Politiche Sociali che gi? nel 2003 ha dato luogo ad un primo rapporto di ricerca sugli studenti del Comune. La seconda fase di indagini, un follow up della prima, ci ha offerto l'opportunit? di realizzare un osservatorio privilegiato delle dinamiche riferite agli atteggiamenti dell'intera galassia che orbita all'interno dell'universo-giovani: dalle famiglie agli insegnanti, dalle istituzioni locali alla scuola, ai soggetti che hanno una relazione significativa in grado di influenzare, o essere influenzata, dagli atteggiamenti del mondo giovanile. L'opportunit? di poter utilizzare i risultati delle indagini come strumenti per leggere le dinamiche, non solo sul gruppo sul quale si ? focalizzata l'attenzione, ma sulla pi? vasta rete sociale all'interno della quale il gruppo sviluppa rapporti diversi di natura relazionale (istituzionali, educativi, amicali, parentali, ?) ? una circostanza del tutto peculiare e interessante che ha dato risultati importanti anche in un'ottica di intervento. La strategia di ricerca ha previsto diverse fasi di indagine che hanno richiesto l'uso di diversi strumenti metodologici: 1.Indagine sui genitori di studenti frequentanti l'ultimo anno delle scuole medie e l'intero ciclo delle scuole superiori. L'indagine ? stata effettuata attraverso la somministrazione telefonica con metodo CATI di un questionario costruito attorno ai principali temi dell'indagine. Le interviste sono state 448, corrispondenti ad un campione delle famiglie di Lucca, stratificato per sesso ed et? dei ragazzi.; 2.Indagine sugli insegnanti, attraverso la conduzione di due focus group con docenti delle scuole medie e superiori, centrati sull'interesse degli insegnanti verso l'introduzione dei temi dell'indagine, la disponibilit? verso una formazione specifica, informazioni su eventuali esperienze pregresse ed esigenze sulla necessit? di dotarsi di strumenti didattici ad hoc; 3.Studenti e genitori a confronto sui temi dell'indagine mediante la conduzione di due focus group; 4. Focus group con operatori del tempo libero

Crystallization from a melt and crystallization at subsolidus conditions: comparison from crystal size distribution study on Gennargentu Rocks (Sardinia, Italy)

Plagioclase crystal size distribution (CSD) has been investigated in a quartz-diorite body, in the leucosome of migmatites and in the melanosome of un-melted contact metamorphic rocks from Gennargentu Complex (Sardinia, Italy). During the crystallization of the dioritic magma, a variety of competing kinetic processes determine the evolution of the igneous microstructure, but the relative contribution of each process remains elusive. Our approach was aimed to study the plagioclase crystallisation from a liquid (quartz-diorites and migmatite leucosomes), comparing it to a crystallisation at subsolidus conditions. CSD indicates that plagioclase in the quartz-diorite nucleated and grew in a cooling system at a constant cooling rate, producing straight-line CSD in a diagram of ln of population density vs. size range. The plagioclase crystallisation continued until the latent heat was available and the temperature was high enough to allow the plagioclase growing. This can occur only when a crystal is held at temperature close to its liquidus for a long period of time. Under these conditions, the plagioclase nucleation rate is zero, but growth rate is high for crystal larger than the critical size. This does not necessarily mean that the temperature was held constant, just that the undercooling remained small (Ostwald ripening process). The aggregated small crystals, due to their high surface energy per unit volume, to minimise energy in the system dissolved and“fed” the growth of larger crystals. This process occurs because small grains have a higher surface energy per unit volume than do larger grains. The crystallisation temperature (~900 °C, 100 MPa) allows the formation of plagioclase as liquidus phase. From CSD measurements we calculated the different cooling ages for the different sample types

A stereocontrolled synthesis of (−)-detoxinine from L -ascorbic acid

none3A stereoselective synthesis of (−)-detoxinine, the core unit of the detoxifying agent detoxin D1, is presented. The approach, characterized by the use of an inexpensive starting material and by the easy and stereoselective preparation of the key 4,5-disubstituted oxazolidin-2-one 11, proves to be a suitable alternative to the known procedures.openDELLE MONACHE G.; MISITI D.; ZAPPIA G.DELLE MONACHE, G.; Misiti, D.; Zappia, Giovann

Il problema della remunerazione degli amministratori nelle Società Quotate

Il problema delle retribuzioni degli amministratori è al centro di un ampio dibattito sul piano internazionale essendo ritenuta una delle concause più rilevanti tra le bad practices gestorie di grossi colossi aziendali. Il pericolo maggiore discende non solo dalle dimensioni esorbitanti dei compensi attribuiti ai CEO, ma anche e soprattutto dal ricorso a particolari forme di retribuzioni: incentivi azionari, bonus monetari, clausole contrattuali particolarmente agevoli anche in caso di interruzione del rapporto di lavoro. Compensi alti e benefit adeguati sono necessari per dotarsi di un management capace e competente. Stante la relazione conflittuale tra management e proprietà, configurabile come tipico rapporto di agenzia, il dibattito della governance si concentra sull’intenzione di orientare gli interessi della società e quelli dei manager verso una direzione univoca, così da attenuare le due principali problematiche che minano il rapporto: ovvero incertezza e asimmetria informativa. Il problema non è solo economico-quantitativo. L’equa remunerazione di prestazioni soddisfacenti è favorita dalla preesistenza nell’azienda di processi ed attività diretti a motivare le risorse umane, a favorire i relativi processi di crescita, a puntare sui soggetti migliori e a valorizzarne le potenzialità