A Wick rotation for EPRL spin foam models

We show that the Euclidean and Lorentzian EPRL vertex amplitudes of covariant Loop Quantum Gravity are related through a ``Wick rotation'' of the real Immirzi parameter to purely imaginary values. Our result follows from the simultaneous analytic continuation of the algebras, group elements and unitary irreducible representations of the gauge groups $Spin(4)$ and $SL(2,\mathbb{C})$, applied to the decomposition of the two models in terms of $SU(2)$ invariants and booster functions.Comment: 25 pages, 1 figur

Thermal behaviour of ski-boot liners: effect of materials on thermal comfort in real and simulated skiing conditions

The choice of the appropriate material for the construction of ski-boot liners is of fundamental importance in order to achieve ergonomic comfort and high thermal insulation. In this work the effect on thermal comfort of different materials used for commercial ski-boot liners has been analysed. The thermal insulation and the moisture management of liners made of different materials have been tested both in a climatic chamber and in outdoor conditions using wireless sensors combined with infrared thermography. The results obtained show substantial differences in terms of thermal comfort between the liners in the same environmental conditions, showing that closed cell ethylene vinyl acetate foams provide the best thermal comfor

Gate-Bias Induced RON Instability in p-GaN Power HEMTs

In this letter, we investigate the on-resistance ( RON ) instability in p-GaN power HEMTs induced by a positive or negative gate bias ( VGB ), following the application of a quasi-static initialization voltage ( VGP ) of opposite sign. The transient behavior of this instability was characterized at different temperatures in the 90–135 °C range. By monitoring the resulting drain current transients, the activation energy as well as time constants of the processes are characterized. Not trivially, both RON increase/decrease were found to be thermally activated and with same activation energy. We attribute the thermal activation of both RON increase/decrease to the charging/discharging of hole traps present in the AlGaN barrier in the region below the gate

Thermal behaviour of ski-boot liners: effect of materials on thermal comfort in real and simulated skiing conditions

The choice of the appropriate material for the construction of ski-boot liners is of fundamental importance in order to achieve ergonomic comfort and high thermal insulation. In this work the effect on thermal comfort of different materials used for commercial ski-boot liners has been analysed. The thermal insulation and the moisture management of liners made of different materials have been tested both in a climatic chamber and in outdoor conditions using wireless sensors combined with infrared thermography. The results obtained show substantial differences in terms of thermal comfort between the liners in the same environmental conditions, showing that closed cell ethylene vinyl acetate foams provide the best thermal comfort

Status of the Local Monitor and Control System of SKA Dishes

The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project aims at building the world's largest radio observatory to observe the radio sky with unprecedented sensitivity and collecting area. In the SKA1 phase of the project, two dish arrays are to be built, one in South Africa (SKA1-Mid) and the other in Western Australia (SKA1-Survey). Each antenna will be provided with a local monitor and control system, enabling remote operations to engineers and to the Telescope Manager system. In this paper we present the current status of the software system being designed to monitor and control the dish subsystem. An overview of the dish instrumentation is reported, along with details concerning the software architecture, functional interfaces, prototyping and the evaluated technologies

The design of the local monitor and control system of SKA dishes

The Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project aims at building the world's largest radio observatory to observe the sky with unprecedented sensitivity and collecting area. In the first phase of the project (SKA1), an array of dishes, SKA1-MID, will be built in South Africa. It will consist of 133 15m-dishes, which will include the MeerKAT array, for the 0.350-20 GHz frequency band observations. Each antenna will be provided with a local monitor and control system (LMC), enabling operations both to the Telescope Manager remote system, and to the engineers and maintenance staff; it provides different environment for the telescope control (positioning, pointing, observational bands), metadata collection for monitoring and database storaging, operational modes and functional states management for all the telescope capabilities. In this paper we present the LMC software architecture designed for the detailed design phase (DD), where we describe functional and physical interfaces with monitored and controlled sub-elements, and highlight the data flow between each LMC modules and its sub-element controllers from one side, and Telescope Manager on the other side. We also describe the complete Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) created in order to optimize resources allocation in terms of calculus and memory, able to perform required task for each element according to the proper requirements. Among them, time response and system reliability are the most important, considering the complexity of SKA dish network and its isolated placement. Performances obtained by software implementation using TANGO framework will be discussed, matching them with technical requirements derived by SKA science drivers

Erratum to nodal management and upstaging of disease. Initial results from the Italian VATS Lobectomy Registry

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.06.12.]

Ag/ZnO/PMMA nanocomposites for efficient water reuse

This work attempts to produce photocatalytic surfaces for large-scale applications by depositing nanostructured coatings on polymeric substrates. ZnO/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites were prepared by low-temperature atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZnO on PMMA substrates. In addition, to increase the photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of ZnO films, Ag nanoparticles were added on ZnO surfaces using plasma-enhanced ALD. The morphology, crystallinity, and chemical composition of the specimens were meticulously examined by scanning and transmission electron microscopies, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analyses. The noteworthy photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was proved by the degradation of the following organic pollutants in aqueous solution: methylene blue, paracetamol, and sodium lauryl sulfate. The antibacterial properties of the samples were tested using Escherichia coli as a model organism. Moreover, the possible toxic effects of the specimens were checked by biological tests. The present results unambiguously indicate the Ag/ZnO/PMMA nanocomposite as a powerful tool for an advanced wastewater treatment technology.peer-reviewe