Multiphysics Finite\u2013Element Modelling of an All\u2013Vanadium Redox Flow Battery for Stationary Energy Storage

All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs) are emerging as a novel technology for stationary energy storage. Numerical models are useful for exploring the potential performance of such devices, optimizing the structure and operating condition of cell stacks, and studying its interfacing to the electrical grid. A one-dimensional steady-state multiphysics model of a single VRFB, including mass, charge and momentum transport and conservation, and coupled to a kinetic model for electrochemical reactions, is first presented. This model is then extended, including reservoir equations, in order to simulate the VRFB charge and discharge dynamics. These multiphysics models are discretized by the finite element method in a commercial software package (COMSOL). Numerical results of both static and dynamic 1D models are compared to those from 2D models, with the same parameters, showing good agreement. This motivates the use of reduced models for a more efficient system simulation

Multiphysics finite – element modelling of an all – vanadium redox flow battery for stationary energy storage

All-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFBs) are emerging as a novel technology for stationary energy storage. Numerical models are useful for exploring the potential performance of such devices, optimizing the structure and operating condition of cell stacks, and studying its interfacing to the electrical grid. A one-dimensional steady-state multiphysics model of a single VRFB, including mass, charge and momentum transport and conservation, and coupled to a kinetic model for electrochemical reactions, is first presented. This model is then extended, including reservoir equations, in order to simulate the VRFB charge and discharge dynamics. These multiphysics models are discretized by the finite element method in a commercial software package (COMSOL). Numerical results of both static and dynamic 1D models are compared to those from 2D models, with the same parameters, showing good agreement. This motivates the use of reduced models for a more efficient system simulation

Influence of laser-lok surface on immediate functional loading of implants in single-tooth replacement: a 2-year prospective clinical study.

he purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of a Laser-Lok microtexturing surface on clinical attachment level and crestal bone remodeling around immediately functionally loaded implants in single-tooth replacement. Seventy-seven patients were included in a prospective, randomized study and divided into two groups. Group 1 (control) consisted of non-Laser-Lok type implants (n = 39), while in group 2 (test), Laser-Lok type implants were used (n = 39). Crestal bone loss (CBL) and clinical parameters including clinical attachment level (CAL), Plaque Index (PI), and bleeding on probing were recorded at baseline examinations and at 6, 12, and 24 months after loading with the final restoration. One implant was lost in the control group and one in the test group, giving a total survival rate of 96.1% after 2 years. PI and BOP outcomes were similar for both implant types without statistical differences. A mean CAL loss of 1.10 ± 0.51 mm was observed during the first 2 years in group 1, while the mean CAL loss observed in group 2 was 0.56 ± 0.33 mm. Radiographically, group 1 implants showed a mean crestal bone loss of 1.07 ± 0.30 mm compared with 0.49 ± 0.34 mm for group 2. The type of implant did not influence the survival rate, whereas Laser-Lok implants resulted in greater CAL and in shallower radiographic peri-implant CBL than non-Laser-Lok implants

Automatic synthesis of OSCI TLM-2.0 models into RTL bus-based IPs

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Periodontal evaluation of palatally impacted maxillary canines treated by closed approach with ultrasonic surgery and orthodontic treatment: a retrospective pilot study

Aim of this study is the evaluation of the periodontal status of impacted canines treated by closed approach with ultrasonic surgery and orthodontic treatment compared with contralateral spontaneously erupted teeth. The periodontal conditions of the teeth adjacent to the canines (lateral incisors and first premolar) were also considered. 17 patients (9 females and 8 males; mean age: 15.2 years) with unilateral palatal impaction of maxillary canine were selected. All patients were treated by closed-flap surgery with ultrasonic instruments. Periodontal status was evaluated by assessing probing depth (PD), gingival recession and width of keratinized tissue (KT) 4.6 months after the end of the orthodontic treatment, on average. Test group was composed by impacted elements and adjacent teeth and control group by contralateral spontaneously erupted canines and adjacent teeth. Student's t-test was used to compare test and control group values of PD and width of KT. Significance threshold for Student's t-test was set at p < 0.05. The average probing depth values show no significant clinical differences between the test and control groups. Probing depths recorded at the mesiovestibular and distopalatal sides of the impacted canine were statistically significant compared to the control elements (p < 0.05). No gingival recession was detected on the treated canines. The measurement of KT did not differ significantly between the test and the control groups. In conclusion, the ultrasonic surgery for disinclusion associated with a closed approach and orthodontic traction allows the alignment of an impacted palatal canine without damaging the periodontium

FAVOR (FAst Variability Optical Registration) -- A Two-telescope Complex for Detection and Investigation of Short Optical Transients

An astronomical complex intended to detect optical transients (OTs) in a wide field and follow them up with high time resolution investigation is described.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To be published in "Il Nuovo Cimento", Proceedings of the 4th Rome Workshop on Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Afterglow Era, eds. L. Piro, L. Amati, S. Covino, B. Gendr

V, J, H and K Imaging of the Metal Rich Globular Cluster NGC 6528

New near-infrared observations of NGC6528 are presented. The JHK observations complement a previous HST/NICMOS data set by Ortolani et al. (2001), in that they sample a larger area, contain a more numerous sample of red giant stars, and include the K band. Also, archival HST data sets (separated by 6.093 years) were used to proper-motion decontaminate the near-infrared sample and extract a clean VJHK catalogue. Using the present wide colour baseline, we compared the cleaned colour-magnitude diagrams of NGC6528 with those of NGC 6553 and NGC104 and derived new estimates of reddening and distance, E(B-V)=0.55 and (m-M)o=14.44 (7.7 kpc). Moreover, the morphology and location of the cleaned red giant branch were used to derive a photometric estimate of the cluster metallicity. The average of 10 metallicity indicators yields a mean value of [M/H] ~ 0.0, and [Fe/H] ~-0.20 and +0.08 on the Zinn & West (1984) and Carretta & Gratton (1997) revised metallicity scale, respectively. The best isochrone fit to the cleaned K,V-K diagram is obtained for a 12.6 Gyr and Z=0.02 isochrone, i.e. the derived metallicity of NGC6528 turns out to be very close to the mean of stars in the Baade's Window. Five AGB variable star candidates, whose membership has to be confirmed spectroscopically, are bolometrically as bright as the known long period variable stars in NGC6553. As discussed in Guarnieri et al. (1997) for NGC6553, this may indicate that an `intermediate age' population is not needed to account for the brightest stars in external galaxies such as M32.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, A&A accepte

Are we ready for scaling up restoration actions? An insight from Mediterranean macroalgal canopies

Extensive loss of macroalgal forests advocates for large-scale restoration interventions, to compensate habitat degradation and recover the associated ecological functions and services. Yet, restoration attempts have generally been limited to small spatial extensions, with the principal aim of developing efficient restoration techniques. Here, the success of outplanting Cystoseira amentacea v. stricta germlings cultured in aquaria was experimentally explored at a scale of tens of kms, by means of a multifactorial experimental design. In the intertidal rocky shores of SE Italy, locations with a continuous distribution for hundreds of meters or with few thalli forming patches of few centimeters of C. amentacea canopy were selected. In each location, the effects of adult conspecifics and the exclusion of macrograzers (salema fish and sea urchins) on the survival of germlings were tested. We evaluated the most critical determinants of mortality for germlings, including the overlooked pressure of mesograzers (e.g. amphipods, small mollusks, polychaetes). Despite the high mortality observed during outplanting and early settlement stages, survival of C. amentacea germlings was consistently favored by the exclusion of macrograzers, while the presence of adult conspecifics had no effects. In addition, the cost analysis of the interventions showed the feasibility of the ex-situ method, representing an essential tool for preserving Cystoseira forests. Large scale restoration is possible but requires baseline information with an in-depth knowledge of the species ecology and of the areas to be restored, together with the development of specific cultivation protocols to make consistently efficient restoration interventions

A novel mutation in calcium-sensing receptor gene associated to hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria.

Background: Familial Hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and Familial benign Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia (FHH) are the most common causes of hereditary hypercalcemia. FHH has been demonstrated to be caused by inactivating mutations of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) gene, involved in PTH regulation as well as in renal calcium excretion.Case presentation: In two individuals, father and son, we found a novel heterozygous mutation in CaSR gene. The hypercalcemia was present only in father, which, by contrast to the classic form of FHH showed hypercalciuria (from 300 to 600 mg/24 h in different evaluations) and a Calcium/Creatinine ratio of 0.031, instead of low or normal calciuria (<0.01 typical finding in FHH). His son showed the same mutation in CaSR gene, but no clinical signs or hypercalcemia although serum ionized calcium levels were close to the upper limit of normal values (1.30 mmol/L: normal range: 1.12-1.31 mmol/L). Sequence analysis revealed a point mutation at codon 972 of CaSR gene (chromosome 3q), located within cytoplasmic domain of the CaSR, that changes Threonine with Methionine. The father was treated with Cinacalcet 90 mg/day, with a decrease of total serum calcemia from an average value of 12.2 mg/dl to 10.9 mg/dl.Conclusion: This is a case of a novel inactivating point mutation of CaSR gene that determines an atypical clinical presentation of FHH, characterized by hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria and inadequate normal PTH levels. Functional assay demonstrated that the 972 M variant influenced the maturation of the protein, in terms of the post-translational glycosylation. The impairment of the receptor activity is in keeping with the specific localization of the 972 residue in the C-terminal tail, assigned to the intracellular signalling, that on the basis of the our findings appears to be differently modulated in parathyroid gland and in kidne

DATASET FOR POSITIONING AND TRACKING CARS AND PEDESTRIANS FROM UAV IMAGERY AND STATIC LIDAR

The development of autonomous vehicles, both terrestrial and aerial ones (unmanned aerial system (UAS)), is causing the need of properly formulating appropriate solutions for ensuring a safe interaction between them, human beings and the infrastructures and environment in their operating area. To such aim, the knowledge of the positions of different platforms moving in the considered area is fundamental. GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) is by far the most used positioning technique in order to determine positions all over the world. Nevertheless, there are several conditions in which its use is unfortunately impossible or unreliable. Hence, different techniques, based on the use of sensors either mounted on the moving platforms or on an ad-hoc infrastructure, shall be used in order to determine the absolute and relative positions of the involved platforms. To this aim, this work proposes the use of vision, in particular from UAS imagery, static LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and UWB (Ultra Wide-Band) transceivers, with initial encouraging results