Aggregation and remuneration in Demand-Response with a blockchain-based framework

This paper describes the possibility to use the blockchain technology for load and generation aggregation in a new distributed Demand Response (DR) service and customers remuneration system. The blockchain technology and the use of smart contracts for DR allow the creation of a distributed system in which customers can communicate directly, in a transparent, secure and traceable way, with the grid operator to provide their flexibility. In this paper, the DR problem formulation takes into account several aspects, which are periodically executed. First, the blockchain records customers’ energy consumption or production, then, the smart contract starts calculating the baseline and the potential support provided by each customer to fulfil the requested load adaptation. Customers’ availability for generation and load profile modulation is also taken into account, as well as their privacy and an updated definition of the roles of grid and market operators in a new Demand-Response scenario supported by the blockchain technology. The blockchain used is Hyperledger Fabric, since it turned to be flexible for smart contracts implementation while supporting multi-tenancy. Results show the possibility to successfully apply the blockchain technology to this particular topic, even considering privacy-preserving issues

Immunometabolism pathways as the basis for innovative anti-viral strategies (INITIATE): a Marie Sklodowska-Curie innovative training network

The past century has witnessed major advances in the control of many infectious diseases, yet outbreaks and epidemics caused by (re-) emerging RNA viruses continue to pose a global threat to human health. As illustrated by the global COVID19 pandemic, high healthcare costs, economic disruption and loss of productivity reinforce the unmet medical need to develop new antiviral strategies to combat not only the current pandemic but also future viral outbreaks. Pivotal for effective anti-viral defense is the innate immune system, a first line host response that senses and responds to virus infection. While molecular details of the innate immune response are well characterized, this research field is now being revolutionized with the recognition that cell metabolism has a major impact on the antiviral and inflammatory responses to virus infections. A detailed understanding of the role of metabolic regulation with respect to antiviral and inflammatory responses, together with knowledge of the strategies used by viruses to exploit immunometabolic pathways, will ultimately change our understanding and treatment of pathogenic viral diseases. INITIATE is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions Innovative Training Network (MSCA-ITN), with the goal to train 15 early stage PhD researchers (ESRs) to become experts in antiviral immunometabolism (https://initiate-itn.eu/). To this end, INITIATE brings together a highly complementary international team of academic and corporate leaders from 7 European countries, with outstanding track records in the historically distinct research fields of virology, immunology and metabolism. The ESRs of INITIATE are trained in these interdisciplinary research fields through individual investigator-driven research projects, specialized scientific training events, workshops on academia-industry interactions, outreach & communication. INITIATE will deliver a new generation of creative and entrepreneurial researchers who will be able to face the inevitable future challenges in combating viral diseases

Rettorragia severa dopo biopsia prostatica transrettale ecoguidata. Case report

Caso clinico. Gli autori riportano un caso di rettorragia severa in seguito a biopsia prostatica transrettale ecoguidata (BPTE). Intervento. Dopo aver posto la diagnosi, il paziente è stato sottoposto a trattamento endoscopico risolutivo (fallimento delle manovre meccaniche di emostasi, colonscopia in urgenza, emostasi mediante soluzione adrenalinata, coagulazione bipolare e Argon Plasma Coagulation). Risultati. Guarigione completa. Follow-up ad 1 anno negativo. Conclusioni. Il sanguinamento emodinamicamente significativo post-BPTE costituisce una entità nosologica importante, che può mettere a rischio la vita del paziente. La maggiore conoscenza dei fattori di rischio e delle cause ne potrà in futuro limitare l?incidenza. La BPTE resta comunque senza dubbio la migliore procedura per lo screening del tumore della prostata nella popolazione generale, sempre in associazione al dosaggio del PSA

Mechanics of Ageing\u2014From Building to Biological Materials

In this work, we present a general model for the analysis of concrete and biological tissues as multiphase porous materials, with particular regard to their ageing. Such problems are typically multiphysics ones with overlapping domains where diffusion, advection, adsorption, phase changes, deformation, chemical reactions and other phenomena take place in the porous medium. For the analysis of such a complex system, the model here proposed is obtained from the microscopic scale by applying the Thermodynamically Constrained Averaging Theory (TCAT) which guarantees the satisfaction of the second law of thermodynamics for all constituents both at micro- and macrolevels. Moreover, one can obtain some important thermodynamic restrictions imposed on the evolution equations describing the material deterioration. Two specific forms of the general model adapted to the cases of cementitious and biological materials respectively are shown. Some numerical simulations, aimed at proving the validity of the approach adopted, are also presented and discussed

A new architecture for Smart Contracts definition in Demand Response Programs

The present paper shows the possibility to use a smart contract for defining a distributed Demand Response mechanism. The use of the blockchain and smart contracts for the Demand Response mechanism allows the creation of an automatic system, where network users can communicate with the DSO to provide their flexibility. The blockchain ensures that the same information is shared among the users of the grid, while preserving user privacy. The DSO notifies the request to increase or reduce the load in a given period of the day using channels, a native abstraction of Hyperledger Fabric. The smart contract computes the support provided by each user to fulfill the requested load adaptation and automatically remunerates users proportionally to their contribution. The first step is to record the energy consumptions of the users in order to evaluate the own daily baseline. Finished this phase, the Demand Response smart contract can start. The blockchain platform used for this application is Hyperledger Fabric since it turned to be flexible for smart contracts implementation and supports multi-tenancy. Results show the possibility to successfully apply the blockchain technology to this particular topic, even considering privacy preserving issues