Coupling excavator hydraulic system and internal combustion engine models for the real-time simulation

Rising energy costs and emissions restrictions force manufacturers to exploit new techniques to reduce fuel consumption and pollutant production. Many solutions have been proposed for off-road vehicles, mainly based on reduction of hydraulic losses, better control strategies and introduction of hybrid architectures. In these applications the optimization of the matching between hydraulic system and thermal engine is a major concern to improve system overall efficiency. The work presented in the paper is focused on the development of a method for the simulation of typical mobile machinery where hydraulic systems are powered by internal combustion engines; the proposed co-simulation approach can be useful in the development cycle of this machinery

Outcome of Allogeneic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation by Donor Graft CD3+/Tregs Ratio: A Single-Center Experience

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Extending the hydrogen storage limit in fullerene

Li6C60 has been chosen as the most representative system to study the hydrogenation mechanism in alkali-cluster intercalated fullerides. We present here a muon spin relaxation (mu SR) experiment that hints the chance to achieve a higher storage capacity on fullerene with respect to the values suggested in literature. Moreover, a linear relationship between the muonium adduct radical hyperfine frequency and the level of C-60 hydrogenation was found and it can be exploited to probe the C-60 hydrogenation level, giving more credit to this technique in the field of hydrogen storage materials. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Role of colchicine treatment in Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Associated Periodic Syndrome (TRAPS): real-life data from the AIDA Network

Objective: To analyze the potential role of colchicine monotherapy in patients with tumor necrosis factor receptor associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS) in terms of control of clinical and laboratory manifestations. Methods: Patients with TRAPS treated with colchicine monotherapy were retrospectively enrolled; demographic, clinical and therapeutic data were collected and statistically analysed after having clustered patients according to different times at disease onset, penetrance of mutations, dosage of colchicine, and different disease manifestations. Results: 24 patients (14 males; 15 with pediatric disease onset) treated with colchicine monotherapy were enrolled. Colchicine resulted in a complete response in 3 (12.5%) cases, partial response in 14 (58.3%) patients, and lack of response in 7 (29.2%) patients. There were not significant differences in colchicine response between pediatric and adult disease onset (p = 0.42), between low- and high-penetrance mutations (p = 0.62), and according to different dosages (p = 0.66). No significant differences were identified in the frequency of specific disease manifestations between patients experiencing any response to colchicine and patients with lack of response. Conclusions: Colchicine monotherapy is useful in a low percentage of TRAPS patients; nevertheless, it could be attempted in patients with milder phenotypes and at a lower risk of developing reactive amyloidosis

Optical and Electronic NOx Sensors for Applications in Mechatronics

Current production and emerging NOx sensors based on optical and nanomaterials technologies are reviewed. In view of their potential applications in mechatronics, we compared the performance of: i) Quantum cascade lasers (QCL) based photoacoustic (PA) systems; ii) gold nanoparticles as catalytically active materials in field-effect transistor (FET) sensors, and iii) functionalized III-V semiconductor based devices. QCL-based PA sensors for NOx show a detection limit in the sub part-per-million range and are characterized by high selectivity and compact set-up. Electrochemically synthesized gold-nanoparticle FET sensors are able to monitor NOx in a concentration range from 50 to 200 parts per million and are suitable for miniaturization. Porphyrin-functionalized III-V semiconductor materials can be used for the fabrication of a reliable NOx sensor platform characterized by high conductivity, corrosion resistance, and strong surface state coupling

Exclusive Photoproduction of the Cascade (Xi) Hyperons

We report on the first measurement of exclusive Xi-(1321) hyperon photoproduction in gamma p --> K+ K+ Xi- for 3.2 < E(gamma) < 3.9 GeV. The final state is identified by the missing mass in p(gamma,K+ K+)X measured with the CLAS detector at Jefferson Laboratory. We have detected a significant number of the ground-state Xi-(1321)1/2+, and have estimated the total cross section for its production. We have also observed the first excited state Xi-(1530)3/2+. Photoproduction provides a copious source of Xi's. We discuss the possibilities of a search for the recently proposed Xi5-- and Xi5+ pentaquarks.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Study of an intrinsically safe infrastructure for training and research on nuclear technologies

Within European Partitioning & Transmutation research programs, infrastructures specifically dedicated to the study of fundamental reactor physics and engineering parameters of future fast-neutron-based reactors are very important, being some of these features not available in present zero-power prototypes. This presentation will illustrate the conceptual design of an Accelerator-Driven System with high safety standards, but ample flexibility for measurements. The design assumes as base option a 70MeV, 0.75mA proton cyclotron, as the one which will be installed at the INFN National Laboratory in Legnaro, Italy and a Beryllium target, with Helium gas as core coolant. Safety is guaranteed by limiting the thermal power to 200 kW, with a neutron multiplication coefficient around 0.94, loading the core with fuel containing Uranium enriched at 20% inserted in a solid-lead diffuser. The small decay heat can be passively removed by thermal radiation from the vessel. Such a system could be used to study, among others, some specific aspects of neutron diffusion in lead, beam-core coupling, target cooling and could serve as a training facility

Co-simulation and “control-oriented” modelling in the development of a hydraulic hybrid system.

Due to rising energy costs and emissions restrictions, vehicles manufacturers are con- tinuously forced to exploit new techniques to reduce fuel consumption and pollutant production through energy-saving solutions. In this direction hybrid architectures based on hydraulic systems seems to be promising for energy recovery strategies, but their real effectiveness is tightly related to the level of integration between sub- systems. In this work methods for mathematical simulation of hydraulic hybrid system pow- ered by internal combustion engines (ICEs) are proposed: co-simulation techniques have been applied coupling models developed both in AMESim® for the hydraulic system and in Simulink® for the engine to build up a first application on a basic hy- draulic-hybrid architecture. Taking properly care to the definition of components boundary and causality, and choosing consistently the integration time step, physical- based models can be developed to simulate the steady-state and transient behaviour of complex systems with limited computation burden (i.e., faster than real-time). A model of a basic hydraulic-hybrid system powered by an ICE is presented in the paper and its performance with reference to a given working cycle was estimated. Re- sults reported in the paper show clearly how the proposed approach can be useful to improve energy savings through the optimisation of system layout and related man- agement strategies using existing models of main components

Real-Life Data on the Efficacy of Canakinumab in Patients with Adult-Onset Still’s Disease

Background. Interleukin-1 inhibition has revealed to be a successful treatment approach for patients with adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD). However, real-life experience is focused on the use of anakinra, while data about canakinumab (CAN) are mainly based on case reports and small case series. Patients and Methods. Patients classified with AOSD according to Yamaguchi criteria and treated with CAN were consecutively enrolled. Their clinical and therapeutic data were retrospectively collected and statistically analysed to assess the role of CAN as a therapeutic opportunity in AOSD patients in terms of clinical and laboratory disease control along with corticosteroid-sparing effect. Results. Nine AOSD patients (8 females and 1 male) treated with CAN for 15.00±12.3 months were enrolled. Resolution of clinical manifestations was reported in 8/9 cases at the 3-month assessment; a significant decrease in the number of tender joints (p=0.009), swollen joints (p=0.027), and disease activity score on 28 joints-C-reactive protein (DAS28-CRP) (p=0.044) was observed during the study period. The systemic score of disease activity significantly decreased at the 3-month and 6-month assessments and at the last visit compared to the start of treatment (p=0.028, p=0.028, and p=0.018, respectively). The daily corticosteroid dosage was significantly reduced at the 3-month and at the last follow-up visits (p=0.017 and p=0.018, respectively). None of the patients experienced adverse events or severe adverse events during the follow-up. Conclusions. CAN has shown prompt and remarkable effectiveness in controlling AOSD activity in a real-life contest, with a significant glucocorticoid-sparing effect and an excellent safety profile

Medical error consciousness and perception among clinicians and surgeons. Results of a cross-sectional study in a Teaching Hospital in Rome

Introduction The study was aimed to explore the consciousness of medical error among health professionals stratified by clinicians and surgeons, within the Teaching Hospital Gemelli in Rome. Materials and Methods A questionnaire, consisting of two questions about most serious and frequent mistakes, was administered to participants of a course. Data were collected, stratified in macro-categories and analysed applying \uf063\ub2-test. Statistical significance was set at p 640.05. Results A total number of 988 questionnaires was collected; 2340 errors referred as the most serious and 2111 as the most frequent were indicated. The errors considered as the most serious are represented by: exchanges (18.7%); therapy administration (16.5%); communication (11.3%). The errors considered as the most frequent are represented by: communication (15.2%); exchanges (14.2%); therapy administration (11.5%); prescription (10.9%). The analysis of error macro-categories showed significant differences between clinical and surgical departments for both the most serious (p=0.038) and the most frequent errors (p=0.004). In particular procedures/protocols mistakes represent the errors mostly perceived as frequent with the highest percentage (29%) among clinicians, but not among surgeons (23.4%). Discussion and conclusions Differences between clinicians and surgeons about procedures/protocols mistakes may be due to an higher standardization of surgical processes than clinical, which contributes to a reduction of the number of related errors and near misses. The weight of communication and information seems to be predominant versus other error classes. The engagement is to promote and encourage clinical risk management culture and to try Clinical Governance tools allowing to monitor, limit and prevent medical errors