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 demonstrator’s 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 “InnoScore© Service” 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 materials’ 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

Degradation of Promoter-bound p65/RelA Is Essential for the Prompt Termination of the Nuclear Factor κB Response

Transcription factors of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB/Rel family translocate into the nucleus upon degradation of the IκBs. Postinduction repression of NF-κB activity depends on NF-κB–regulated resynthesis of IκBα, which dissociates NF-κB 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 binding–dependent manner. If proteasome activity is blocked, NF-κB is not promptly removed from some target genes in spite of IκBα 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