Modelling strategies for the reduction of fat dormice in northern Italian hazel groves.

The production of hazelnuts represents an important resource for several Italian rural areas. Sicily and Piedmont, two of the most important producers of hazelnuts, are affected by the presence of the dormouse (Glis glis), that has considerably severely harmed the production of hazelnuts. This study aims to analyse the issue in the Province of Cuneo in Piedmont and to evaluate the sustainability of the policies implemented by using the System Dynamics (SD) methodology. An SD predator-prey microworld was built to reproduce the main relevant cause and effect relationships between the development of the dormouse population and local hazelnut production. The results of the SD microworld simulation show the effects of reduction policies on hazelnut production over time. The findings and further research recommendations are briefly reported in the conclusion section

Modelling and assessing public health policies to counteract Italian measles outbreaks

This study aims to understand, through explanatory research, the key factors that led to the 2017 measles outbreak in Italy, the causes of the low level of immunisation and the causes of possible cyclical phenomena of measles epidemics. This topic's comprehension has required a holistic approach, merging epidemiological aspects, socioeconomic aspects (including the evolution of mistrust in vaccinations, infodemy and fake news) and health law constraints. A specific SIR System Dynamics (SD) model was built to reproduce the relevant cause-and-effect relationships between social interactions, the public institutions behaviour and the measles outbreaks. SD results permit the assessment of the health policies to counteract the measles outbreaks. Findings, limits and further research recommendations are briefly reported in the conclusions

Functional fatigue of NiTi Shape Memory wires for a range of end loadings and constraints

The availability of engineering strength data on shape memory alloys (SMAs) under cyclic thermal activation (functional fatigue) is central to the rational design of smart actuators based on these materials. Test results on SMAs under functional fatigue are scarce in the technical literature and the few data available are mainly limited to constant-stress loading. Since the SMA elements used within actuators are normally biased by elastic springs or by another SMA element, their stress state is far from constant in operation. The mismatch between actual working conditions and laboratory arrangements leads to suboptimal designs and undermines the prediction of the actuator lifetime. This paper aims at bridging the gap between experiment and reality. Four test procedures are planned, covering most of the typical situations occurring in practice: constant-stress, constant-strain, constant-stress with limited maximum strain and linear stress-strain variation with limited maximum strain. The paper describes the experimental apparatus specifically designed to implement the four loading conditions and presents fatigue results obtained from commercial NiTi wires tested under all those protocols

Analytical Design of Superelastic Ring Springs for High Energy Dissipation

Classical ring springs are mechanical elements used in industrial applications and in transport for shock absorption and energy dissipation. They are constituted by a stack of internal and external metal rings (typically high strength steel), with tapered surfaces in contact with one another. Under the action of an axial load these surfaces slide, the rings are deformed circumferentially and energy is dissipated due to friction. The main advantages of these springs are the high specific energy stored and the large damping capacity due to sliding friction. Furthermore, the stiffness and damping are independent on the strain rate and the temperature, which limits or avoids the occurrence of any resonance problems. The superelastic materials, characterized by an almost flat stress plateau and large reversible deformation, can be used to replace traditional steels in ring springs giving a significant performance increase. Compared to the traditional version where energy is dissipated only due to friction, in superelastic ring springs there is an increase of the dissipated energy thanks to the internal hysteresis of the material. This paper studies analytically the ring springs in traditional material and in superelastic material, providing equations to dimension these mechanical elements, which enable the designer to customize this useful structural element

Closed-form modal analysis of flexural beam resonators ballasted by a rigid mass

The work deals with the study of free flexural vibrations of constant cross-section elastic beams ballasted by a rigid mass with rotary inertia at any longitudinal position. We analyze five sets of boundary conditions of the beam (fixed-free, fixed-fixed, fixed-pinned, pinned-pinned, and free-free) and hypothesize that the structure is perfectly rigid, where the rigid mass is applied. By employing the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory, a single parametric matrix is obtained, which provides the characteristic equation of motion of the structure. When applied to specific configurations, the proposed analytical model predicts the eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes of the beam as accurately as ad-hoc analytical models available in the literature. The accuracy of the results is also confirmed by comparison with detailed two- and three-dimensional finite element analyses of a test case. By means of a 3D finite element model, the applicability of the rigid mass hypothesis to continuous beams with a composite thickened portion is finally assessed

FoodPackLab 2.0 lessons learned and best practices

This is the second deliverable of Workpackage 5. It aims to provide tips and tools for the organization of international events for SMEs, both online and in presence. At the time of the proposal writing, almost all the events were designed for running in presence, and the experience of the clusters (partners of the project) was mainly related to the organization of this kind of networking and business events. The clusters are used to face Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA): four main challenges in the cluster mission to support European SMEs in increasing their competitiveness and resilience. These challenges were exacerbated by Covid 19 pandemic and made the whole consortium to re-think and re-build the organization of events and networking opportunities for SMEs. The management of the typical cluster activities thus changed during the project duration, and the partners had the possibility to explore new ways of building relationships with SMEs and with the selected countries outside Europe, carefully evaluating the changing travelling conditions due to the sanitary emergency and also studying new and innovative tools for creating business meeting. During the pandemic, clusters constantly monitored markets in search for new challenges and trends to develop, test, and evaluate targeted services for their members. Lastly, they established strategic partnerships with other ecosystems as gateways to go-to-market opportunities and support for companies. By acting this way, clusters became an important tool for SMEs to stay connected with the markets. This was done by organizing webinars to provide market insights, enhance companies´ visibility and matchmaking opportunities. Moreover, by strengthening the exchange of information between organizations, clusters acted as a marketplace with collaboration offers and hints on funding opportunities for their members. All these changes also affected the FoodPackLab 2.0 activities and the planned events. In this deliverable we are thus presenting the know-how of the consortium partners in the organization of in-presence events (i.e. before pandemic); the new digital tools that were adopted for networking during pandemic; new approaches for b2b meetings to face travelling restrictions; tips and tricks for hybrid meetings organized in the last months of the project. In the final conclusion paragraph a new way of managing this kind of projects is highlighted

Infrared study on the thermal evolution of solid state formamide

Laboratory experiments have shown that the energetic processing, i.e. ion bombardment and UV photolysis, of interstellar grain mantles and cometary surfaces is efficient in the production of formamide. To explain its presence in the gas-phase in these astrophysical environments, a desorption mechanism has to be taken into account. In this work we show experimental results on the thermal evolution of formamide when deposited at 17 K as pure and in mixture with water or carbon monoxide. In these samples, we observed formamide desorption at 220 K. Moreover, we discuss its synthesis in a mixture containing molecular nitrogen, methane and water (N2:CH4:H2O) deposited at 17 K and bombarded with 200 keV H+. Heating the sample, we observed that the newly formed formamide remains trapped in the refractory residue produced after the ion bombardment up to 296 K. To analyse the samples we used Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) that allowed us to study the infrared spectra between the deposition and the complete desorption of formamide. Here we discuss the experimental results in view of their astrophysical relevance

Evolution and alteration of organic material on Ceres, a pathway towards the understanding of complex geological and chemical history of a wet small body

Ceres is the largest object in the Solar System main belt. Clearly, Ceres experienced extensive water-related processes and geochemical differentiation and nowadays it is a body with a complex geological and chemical history. Its surface is characterized by dark materials, phyllosilicates, ammonium-bearing minerals, carbonates, water ice, and salts. In addition to a global presence of carbon bearing chemistry, local concentration of aliphatic organics has been detected by Dawn. In this context, we have started a series of laboratory spectroscopy measurements targeted to study the physicochemical interactions between organic material and minerals possibly present on Ceres. The goal is to understand the transformations induced on these samples by ultraviolet radiation, neutral atoms, and fast ions, under experimental conditions that simulate the environment of Ceres. The spectroscopic data obtained in laboratory experiments allow, through the comparison with the observations of the VIR spectrometer aboard the Dawn mission, to clarify the nature and origin of organic material identified on Ceres

Photoprocessing of Organic Material on Ceres: Laboratory Studies on Chemical Evolution of a Wet Small Body

We studied the UV irradiation of minerals, water, and organic material mixture deriving clues on the origin and evolution of materials present on Ceres

Photoprocessing of Organic Material on Ceres: Laboratory Studies on Chemical Evolution of the Inner Dwarf Planet

Ceres is the largest object of the Solar System main belt with a complex geological and chemical history, which experienced extensive water related processes and geochemical differentiation. Ceres' surface is characterized by dark materials, phyllosilicates, ammonium-bearing minerals, carbonates, water ice, and salts. In addition to a global presence of carbon-bearing chemistry, local concentration of aliphatic organics has been detected by Dawn mission. The mission, thanks to the data collected by the Italian instrument VIR, showed clear evidence of a high amount of aliphatic organic material on the surface of Ceres. This has raised new questions about the origin and preservation of this material, especially when considering its high estimated abundance. We started a series of laboratory studies on physicochemical evolution of organic material interacting with minerals thought to be present on Ceres. The goal is to understand the transformations induced on these samples by processing with ultraviolet radiation