987 research outputs found
Phase diagram of soft-core bosons in two dimensions
The low temperature phase diagram of Bose soft disks in two dimensions is
studied by numerical simulations. It is shown that a supersolid cluster phase
exists, within a range of the model parameters, analogous to that recently
observed for a system of aligned dipoles interacting via a softened potential
at short distance. These findings indicate that a long-range tail of the
interaction is unneeded to obtain such a phase, and that the soft-core
repulsive interaction is the minimal model for supersolidity
Analysis of the existing barriers for the market development of power to hydrogen (P2H) in Italy
New technological solutions are required to control the impact of the increasing presence of renewable energy sources connected to the electric grid that are characterized by unpredictable production (i.e., wind and solar energy). Energy storage is becoming essential to stabilize the grid when a mismatch between production and demand occurs. Among the available solutions, Power to Hydrogen (P2H) is one of the most attractive options. However, despite the potential, many barriers currently hinder P2H market development. The literature reports general barriers and strategies to overcome them, but a specific analysis is fundamental to identifying how these barriers concretely arise in national and regional frameworks, since tailored solutions are needed to foster the development of P2H local market. The paper aims to identify and to analyze the existing barriers for P2H market uptake in Italy. The paper shows how several technical, regulatory and economic issues are still unsolved, resulting in a source of uncertainty for P2H investment. The paper also suggests possible approaches and solutions to address the Italian barriers and to support politics and decision-makers in the definition and implementation of the national hydrogen strategy
Techno-economic assessment of the innovative ejectors plant technology for sediment management in harbours
Purpose: The paper aims to show the monitoring results of an innovative technology, the ejectors plant, tested in the MARINAPLAN PLUS LIFE project framework for sustainable sediment management in harbours. Materials and methods: A monitoring plan has been designed to evaluate the technical, economic and environmental impact of the ejectors plant demonstrator for 15 months, located in Cervia (Italy). In particular, the demonstratorâs effectiveness and efficiency have been assessed to determine the yearly operation and maintenance costs. Results and discussion: The techno-economic analysis shows promising results in terms of efficacy and efficiency of the ejectors plant. The ejectors plant guaranteed navigability for the whole period of operation with a yearly cost reduction compared with traditional dredging. Conclusions: The innovative technology promoted by the MARINAPLAN PLUS LIFE project is a promising solution to manage sedimentation in harbours through a cost-effective and a low environmental impact technology. The monitoring actions validated the technology fully and demonstrated its efficacy and sustainability, highlighting the further improvements needed
Antecedents of service innovation in manufacturing SMEs: an empirical research
Services have become an increasingly important competitive lever for manufacturing firms. Service innovation, therefore, emerges as a critical capability also for manufacturing companies. An empirical research was carried out in business-to-business markets, based on the âInnoScore© Serviceâ methodology, developed at the Fraunhofer IAO. Through the analysis of collected data, the paper aims at understanding the role of an-tecedents of service innovation, such as the company strategy and the ex-istence of a service oriented culture. These factors should support the def-inition of processes, tools and organizational practices for service innovation and end up in improved business results. The evidence ob-tained through the data analysis, described and discussed in the paper, support these claims
Low temperature district heating: An expert opinion survey
Among the available solutions for building heating and cooling, district heating (DH) and district cooling (DC) systems are considered some of the best options since they can ensure a better control of pollutant emissions and greater efficiency than individual systems. Nevertheless, improvements are needed to increase their sustainability and reliability. The so-called \u201clow temperature district heating\u201d (LTDH) concept has been introduced in recent years in an attempt i) to reduce the distribution heat losses through a temperature decrease in the DH network, ii) to favor the integration with renewable energy sources, and iii) to create the conditions required for the development of future smart energy systems. However, many concerns have been raised about its implementation in both existing and new systems. For this reason, this paper aims to identify the stakeholders\u2019 ranking of the barriers against LTDH system development and implementation over the next few years. Aiming to this, a questionnaire was designed, including an analysis of current gaps and strengths, and then submitted to more than 50 Italian and international experts in the field of DH. An in-depth analysis of the received answers was performed, focusing in particular on the Italian experts\u2019 answers. Comments and suggestions on how to promote the transition to the new LTDH approach are reported
Geopolymers reinforced with natural fibers: A comparison among different sources
The performance of different natural fibers (hemp, kenaf and bamboo) used to formulate composites with an alkali-activated matrix based on metakaolin is evaluated. Short fibers were randomly dispersed up to about 3% of the binder weight, and the fresh and cured properties of the derived composites were determined. Up to the investigated fraction, it is still possible to obtain adequate workability without the supply of additional water or additives. Upon modification with fibers, the mechanical behavior changes from completely brittle to pseudoplastic with increased toughness. The flexural strength increases by up to 80% at the highest bamboo amount and up to 20% for kenaf. Hemp fibers have a negligible effect on flexural strength but strongly improve the materialsâ toughness. Moreover, the addition of fibers does not change the manner in which the material interacts with moisture. Indeed, the water uptake of the modified samples was comparable to that of the unmodified samples, and the composites showed a decreased rate of water diffusion as the amount of fiber increased
Electrical properties and microstructure of glass-ceramic materials from CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system
The electrical (volume conductivity) and dielectric (loss factor and dielectric constant) properties of glass-ceramics belonging to the CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 system have been studied, as a function of microstructure, in their glassy and ceramized forms on samples obtained as bulk materials or sintered powders. A possible application of these materials as substrates for electronic devices can be envisaged, on account of their low conductivities (<10(-14) Scm(-1) up to 250 degrees C), loss factor and permittivity values
Redefinition of the ligurian units at the alpsâapennines junction (NW Italy) and their role in the evolution of the ligurian accretionary wedge: Constraints from mĂ©langes and broken formations
Degradation of Promoter-bound p65/RelA Is Essential for the Prompt Termination of the Nuclear Factor ÎșB Response
Transcription factors of the nuclear factor (NF)-ÎșB/Rel family translocate into the nucleus upon degradation of the IÎșBs. Postinduction repression of NF-ÎșB activity depends on NF-ÎșBâregulated resynthesis of IÎșBα, which dissociates NF-ÎșB from DNA and exports it to the cytosol. We found that after activation, p65/RelA is degraded by the proteasome in the nucleus and in a DNA bindingâdependent manner. If proteasome activity is blocked, NF-ÎșB is not promptly removed from some target genes in spite of IÎșBα resynthesis and sustained transcription occurs. These results indicate that proteasomal degradation of p65/RelA does not merely regulate its stability and abundance, but also actively promotes transcriptional termination
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