Analytic Design Techniques for MPT Antenna Arrays

Solar Power Satellites (SPS) represent one of the most interesting technological opportunities to provide large scale, environmentally clean and renewable energy to the Earth [1]‐[3]. A fundamental and critical component of SPSs is the Microwave Power Transmission (MPT) system, which is responsible for the delivery of the collected solar power to the ground rectenna [2]. Towards this end, the MPT array must exhibit a narrow main beam width (), a high beam efficiency (BWBE), and a low peak sidelobe level (). Moreover, reduced realization costs and weights are also necessary [3]. To reach these contrasting goals, several design techniques have been investigated including random methods [4] and hybrid deterministic‐random approaches [2][3]. On the contrary, well‐established design tools based on stochastic optimizers [5][6] are difficult to be employed, due to their high computational costs when dealing with large arrays as those of interest in SPS [3]

La informació física no específica: el best-seller de la quimiometria

En aquesta conferència, homenatge al Prof. Enric Casassas, el Prof. Forina exposa de manera molt didàctica, tres idees importants a tenir presents per tots els que treballen en Quimiometria o utilitzen tècniques quimiomètriques. L'objectiu sempre ha de ser resoldre una situació química real, procurant emprar eines de qualitat coneguda i no cal tenir recança en aplicar-les a situacions com ara la informació física no específica.This lecture, a tribute to Prof. Enric Casassas, Prof. Forina presents in a very didactic way, three important ideas to take into account for all those who are working in chemometrics or use chemometric techniques. The main goal should always be to resolve a real chemistry situation, trying to use tools of known quality and we should not afraid to apply Chemometrics to situations such as non-specific physical information

Electrochemical immunosensor based on ensemble of nanoelectrodes for immunoglobulin Y detection: Application to identify hen's egg yolk in tempera paintings

A nanostructured electrochemical biosensor for detecting proteins of interest in work of art, in particular in tempera paintings, is presented. To determine egg yolk we focus here on the determination of immunoglobulin IgY. The transducers are nanoelectrode ensemble (NEEs), prepared via membrane templated electroless deposition of gold. Because of their geometrical and diffusion characteristics, NEEs are characterized by significantly low detection limits, moreover they display the capability of capturing proteins by interaction with the polycarbonate membrane of the NEE. At first, the proteic component of the paint is extracted by ultrasonication in aqueous buffer, then IgY is captured by incubation on the NEE. The immunoglobulin is detected by treatment with anti-IgY labelled with horse radish peroxidase (Anti-IgY-HRP). The binding of the Anti-IgY-HRP is detected by recording the electrocatalytic signal caused by addition of H2O2 and methylene blue. The sensor detection capabilities are tested by analyzing both paint models, prepared in the lab, and real samples, from paintings of the XVIII- XX century. Multivariate exploratory analysis is applied to classify the voltammetric patterns, confirming the capability to differentiate egg-yolk tempera from other kind of tempera binders as well as from acrylic or oil paints

Exploring public attitude toward biofeedback technologies: Knowledge, preferences and personality tendencies

Background: Biofeedback is increasingly used in the clinical area and in daily health monitoring through wearable devices (e.g. smart watches). Nevertheless, it remains rather unknown. This study aimed to assess, in a sample of Italian citizens, the level of knowledge, attitudes, perceived efficacy and personality tendencies which could affect the uptake of biofeedback technologies. Design and Methods: Participants were recruited by advertising the survey on the social networks, from March to May 2019. 160 subjects filled in an ad hoc online questionnaire assessing socio-demographic variables, clinical status, physical activity, knowledge and attitude towards biofeedback, psychological tendencies toward health.Results: Data showed a good level of interest in biofeedback training in spite of poor knowledge about such technologies. Sport and chronic diseases were not correlated to a greater use of biofeedback. People informed about biofeedback technologies were more interested in undergoing biofeedback training and had higher scores in the Health Locus of Control. Finally, people who showed a positive perception of their own health (Health Esteem) did not rely on these technologies.Discussion: Despite the huge spread of biofeedback technologies, our results disconfirmed the expectation that people having an active lifestyle or a disease were more familiar with biofeedback systems. The attitude toward such technologies seems to depend on individual tendencies.Conclusions: This study suggests the importance to improve general public literacy on biofeedback technologies, tailor tools on their needs and characteristics, empower people’s sense of internal health control for promoting a valid use and a proper knowledge of biofeedback

Cultivo de cobertura de centeno: efecto del momento de secado y fertilización nitrogenada sobre agua útil, evolución de biomasa aérea y control de malezas para siembras tempranas y tardías de maíz

Nuestros sistemas productivos han experimentado un proceso de agriculturización con predominancia de cultivos de verano, principalmente de soja. Esto ha significado una importante reducción en el aporte de residuos y en los contenidos de materia orgánica (MO), debido a su aporte de biomasa limitado. Por otra parte, los barbechos químicos invernales a base de Glifosato han generado resistencia y tolerancia en algunas malezas. En este contexto la inclusión de cultivos de cobertura (CC) sería una alternativa viable por su aporte de residuos en superficie atenuando la pérdida de MO, mejorando la eficiencia de uso de agua (EUA) y contribuyendo al control de malezas. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar producción de materia seca (MS), EUA, MO del suelo, relación C/N '1 control de malezas bajo CC de centeno con diferentes manejos. El estudio fue realizado en la Facultad de Agronomía de la UNLPam. Se valuaron dos fechas de secado (agosto y septiembre) y dos tratamientos de fertilización nitrogenada para dos fechas de siembra de un cultivo de Maíz (octubre y diciembre). También se incluyó un barbecho químico siempre limpio. Se hallaron diferencias en cuanto a producción de MS y EUA, debido a los efectos de la fecha de quemado y la fertilización, siendo el centeno fertilizado y quemado en septiembre el que presentó los mayores valores en estos dos parámetros. En cuanto nivel de agua útil y MO no se observaron diferencias para las dos fechas de siembra de maíz. Por su parte, solo los CC quemados en septiembre evitaron la emergencia de malezas para la fecha temprana de siembra de maíz. La mayor relación C/N se observó en centenos testigos quemados en septiembre

Editorial : new approaches in forensic analytical chemistry

Some place their faith in forensic science to the degree that they are under the impression that it is absolute, infallible and unassailable. In truth it is a manmade construct, dependent on manmade machinery, man-calibrated accuracy, man-led action under manmade protocols and analyzed by man – an altogether human construct (American Academy of Forensic Sciences cited in Pyrek, 2007). People have always strived to discover and understand the world, and the scientific quest to provide explanations fuels technological progress. This drive has fuelled forensic chemistry, where information is obtained through the examination of various evidentialmaterials to assist the justice systempiece together stories of the past. Concurrently, the validity and reliability of the information provided by forensic experts, its ability to discriminate between the standpoints of defense and prosecution, is being questioned and challenged as never before (Pyrek, 2007; Fraser andWilliams, 2009)(...

Interhemispheric Asymmetries of Motor Cortex Excitability in the Postacute Stroke Stage

Background and Purpose— Changes in the intracortical inhibition (ICI) and facilitation (ICF) of motor cortex paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation were reported in the affected (AH) and unaffected (UH) hemispheres of stroke patients and reflect some of the mechanisms related to motor cortex plasticity and different degrees of functional recovery. The interhemispheric differences of the ICI/ICF slopes have been found to have a nearly identical time course in the 2 hemispheres of healthy subjects, and whether such symmetry is modified after monohemispheric stroke has not yet been examined. Our goal was to investigate the interhemispheric asymmetries of the time course of ICI/ICF between the AH and UH of stroke patients in the postacute phase of recovery. Methods— ICI/ICF recovery curves to subthreshold-conditioning suprathreshold-test magnetic stimuli were recorded from the paretic and nonparetic hand muscles of 10 well-recovered stroke patients and compared with those of a population of 10 control subjects. Results— In the healthy subjects, ICI/ICF showed a symmetrical time evolution between the 2 hemispheres. In stroke patients, the ICI/ICF slopes were significantly different between the UH and AH; the intracortical inhibition was reduced in the AH and normal in the UH. Conclusions— The defective AH ICI associated with the effective UH ICI could represent a marker of poststroke cortical plasticity implicated as a mechanism relevant to functional recovery. Analysis of the interhemispheric asymmetries of the ICI/ICF recovery curves might provide a valuable neurophysiological parameter in the prognosis and follow-up of patients with monohemispheric stroke

Structure–property relationships in bionanocomposites for pipe extrusion applications

In this work, bionanocomposites based on different biodegradable polymers and two types of nanofillers, namely a nanosized calcium carbonate and an organomodified nanoclay, were produced through melt extrusion, with the aim to evaluate the possible applications of these materials as a potential alternative to traditional fossil fuel-derived polyolefins, for the production of irrigation pipes. The rheological behavior of the formulated systems was thoroughly evaluated by exploiting different flow regimes, and the obtained results indicated a remarkable effect of the introduced nanofillers on the low-frequency rheological response, especially in nanoclay-based bionanocomposites. Conversely, the shear viscosity at a high shear rate was almost unaffected by the presence of both types of nanofillers, as well as the rheological response under nonisothermal elongational flow. In addition, the analysis of the mechanical properties of the formulated materials indicated that the embedded nanofillers increased the elastic modulus when compared to the unfilled counterparts, notwithstanding a slight decrease of the material ductility. Finally, the processing behavior of unfilled biopolymers and bionanocomposites was evaluated, allowing for selecting the most suitable material and thus fulfilling the processability requirements for pipe extrusion applications