Energy Demand and Temperature: A Dynamic Panel Analysis

This paper is a first attempt to investigate the effect of climate on the demand for different energy vectors from different final users. The ultimate motivation for this is to arrive to a consistent evaluation of the impact of climate change on key consumption goods and primary factors such as energy vectors. This paper addresses these issues by means of a dynamic panel analysis of the demand for coal, gas, electricity, oil and oil products by residential, commercial and industrial users in OECD and (a few) non-OECD countries. It turns out that temperature has a very different influence on the demand of energy vectors as consumption goods and on their demand as primary factors. In general, residential demand responds negatively to temperature increases, while industrial demand is insensitive to temperature increases. As to the service sector, only electricity demand displays a mildly significant negative elasticity to temperature changes.Energy Demand, Temperature, Dynamic Panels

Optimization of force-limiting seismic devices connecting structural subsystems

This paper is focused on the optimum design of an original force-limiting floor anchorage system for the seismic protection of reinforced concrete (RC) dual wall-frame buildings. This protection strategy is based on the interposition of elasto-plastic links between two structural subsystems, namely the lateral force resisting system (LFRS) and the gravity load resisting system (GLRS). The most efficient configuration accounting for the optimal position and mechanical characteristics of the nonlinear devices is obtained numerically by means of a modified constrained differential evolution algorithm. A 12-storey prototype RC dual wall-frame building is considered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the seismic protection strategy

Energy harvesting from earthquake for vibration-powered wireless sensors

Wireless sensor networks can facilitate the acquisition of useful data for the assessment and retrofitting of existing structures and infrastructures. In this perspective, recent studies have presented numerical and experimental results about self-powered wireless nodes for structural monitoring applications in the event of earthquake, wherein the energy is scavenged from seismic accelerations. A general computational approach for the analysis and design of energy harvesters under seismic loading, however, has not yet been presented. Therefore, this paper proposes a rational method that relies on the random vibrations theory for the electromechanical analysis of piezoelectric energy harvesters under seismic ground motion. In doing so, the ground acceleration is simulated by means of the Clough-Penzien filter. The considered piezoelectric harvester is a cantilever bimorph modeled as Euler-Bernoulli beam with concentrated mass at the free-end, and its global behavior is approximated by the dynamic response of the fundamental vibration mode only (which is tuned with the dominant frequency of the site soil). Once the Lyapunov equation of the coupled electromechanical problem has been formulated, mean and standard deviation of the generated electric energy are calculated. Numerical results for a cantilever bimorph which piezoelectric layers made of electrospun PVDF nanofibers are discussed in order to understand issues and perspectives about the use of wireless sensor nodes powered by earthquakes. A smart monitoring strategy for the experimental assessment of structures in areas struck by seismic events is finally illustrated

Zika virus and the never-ending story of emerging pathogens and transfusion medicine

In the last few years, the transfusion medicine community has been paying special attention to emerging vector-borne diseases transmitted by arboviruses. Zika virus is the latest of these pathogens and is responsible for major outbreaks in Africa, Asia and, more recently, in previously infection-naïve territories of the Pacific area. Many issues regarding this emerging pathogen remain unclear and require further investigation. National health authorities have adopted different prevention strategies. The aim of this review article is to discuss the currently available, though limited, information and the potential impact of this virus on transfusion medicine

How we treat bleeding associated with direct oral anticoagulants

Direct oral anticoagulants are at least as effective as vitamin K antagonists for the prevention and treatment of thromboembolism. Unfortunately, differently from vitamin K antagonists, they have the great drawback of lacking specific antidotes in the case of bleeding or emergency situations such as trauma, stroke requiring thrombolysis, and urgent surgery. The progressive development of antidotes for these new drugs, which, it is hoped, will become available in the near future, will allow better and safer management of the rapid reversal of their anticoagulant effect

The Role of ABO Blood Type in Thrombosis Scoring Systems

In addition to their major role in transfusion medicine, there is increasing evidence that ABO blood group antigens (complex carbohydrate molecules widely expressed on the surface of red blood cells and several other cell types) are implicated in the development of a wide array of pathologic conditions. In particular, intense research has been dedicated over the last 50 years to the study of the association between non-O blood type and the risk of developing cardiovascular disorders. Several pathways have been hypothesized to explain this relationship, the most reasonable implying the influence of the ABO blood group on circulating plasma levels of von Willebrand factor, factor VIII, and several inflammatory cytokines. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge on the role of ABO antigens in both venous and arterial thromboses, focusing on their association with clinical scoring systems evaluating thrombotic risk

Application of a Machine Learning Algorithm for the Structural Optimization of Circular Arches with Different Cross-Sections

Arches are employed for bridges. This particular type of structures, characterized by a very old use tradition, is nowadays, widely exploited because of its strength, resilience, cost-effectiveness and charm. In recent years, a more conscious design approach that focuses on a more proper use of the building materials combined with the increasing of the computational capability of the modern computers, has led the research in the civil engineering field to the study of optimization algorithms applications aimed at the definition of the best design parameters. In this paper, a differential formulation and a MATLAB code for the calculation of the internal stresses in the arch structure are proposed. Then, the application of a machine learning algorithm, the genetic algorithm, for the calculation of the geometrical parameters, that allows to minimize the quantity of material that constitute the arch structures, is implemented. In this phase, the method used to calculate the stresses has been considered as a constraint function to reduce the range of the solutions to the only ones able to bear the design loads with the smallest volume. In particular, some case studies with different cross-sections are reported to prove the validity of the method and to compare the obtained results in terms of optimization effectiveness

The management of a blood donor bitten by a snake

The worldwide burden of snakebite is high and venomous snakes are found in many regions of the world and are a threat to public health. In Italy, for instance, viper bites are an infrequent but not negligible event. Although people who have been bitten by a snake rarely wish to donate blood within a "short" time, it is however important to evaluate their eligibility to donate blood or blood components as their donation could be a problem for donor management, especially if a specific policy is not in place. The aim of this manuscript is to summarise the worldwide existing donor deferral policy for snakebites and to provide some indications in order to facilitate decision-making and to guarantee maximum safety for the donors as well as for the recipients

Stochastic Multi-objective Optimisation of Exoskeleton Structures

In this study, a structural optimisation problem, addressed through a stochastic multi-objective approach, is formulated and solved. The problem deals with the optimal design of exoskeleton structures, conceived as vibration control systems under seismic loading. The exoskeleton structure is assumed to be coupled to an existing primary inner structure for seismic retrofit: the aim is to limit the dynamic response of the primary structure to prevent structural damage. A non-stationary filtered Gaussian white noise stochastic process is taken as the seismic input. Design variables pertain to the mechanical properties (stiffness, damping) of the exoskeleton structure. Two concurrent and competing objective functions are introduced, in order to take into account not only safety performance but also economic cost considerations. The resulting trade-off is solved searching the Pareto front by way of a controlled elitist genetic algorithm, derived from the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II. Sensitivities of Pareto fronts and Pareto optimal sets to different system parameters are finally investigated by way of a numerical application