Vita da manager: Vita da Uomo

Because we are all in this fight that we fight even without knowing it. We are all in the world, under the stars, we are managers of the life and of ourselves. If not, we are nothing. Manager is not only a work. It is being themselves

Superfund Reauthorization: Impact on State Environmental Enforcement

Branch predictor (BP) is an essential component in modern processors since high BP accuracy can improve performance and reduce energy by decreasing the number of instructions executed on wrong-path. However, reducing the latency and storage overhead of BP while maintaining high accuracy presents significant challenges. In this paper, we present a survey of dynamic branch prediction techniques. We classify the works based on key features to underscore their differences and similarities. We believe this paper will spark further research in this area and will be useful for computer architects, processor designers, and researchers

Capacitive Displacement Sensor for a Self-Sensing Shock-Absorber Piston-Cylinder Mechanism

Measurement of piston displacement is a common problem for any pneumatic or hydraulic device, like shock-absorber. Direct measurements are not always feasible because of mechanical constraints; most recent techniques rely on magnetic phenomena, introducing considerable complexity. In an attempt to achieve an economical and feasible solution, an intrinsic capacitive sensor is developed. Such sensors measure the capacitance between piston and cylinder, which is directly proportional to displacement. It is developed an oscillator stage to measure the unknown capacitance. The oscillator’s output is acquired by a microcontroller, conditioned and transformed into the estimated displacement. This paper focuses on the design methodology of the measurement stage, highlighting tradeoffs and optimizations. The sensor was developed for an automotive application in a commercial shock absorber: however, it can be extended to other devices where proper electrical isolation between cylinder and piston is provided. Mathematical models and experimental results are reported compared to a commercial position sensor

Grapevine phyllosphere community analysis in response to elicitor application against powdery mildew

The reduction of antimicrobial treatments and mainly the application of environmentally friendly compounds, such as resistance elicitors, is an impelling challenge to undertake more sustainable agriculture. We performed this research to study the effectiveness of non-conventional compounds in reducing leaf fungal attack and to investigate whether they influence the grape phyllosphere. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on potted Vitis vinifera “Nebbiolo” and “Moscato” cultivars infected with the powdery mildew agent (Erysiphe necator) and treated with three elicitors. Differences in the foliar microbial community were then evaluated by community-level physiological profiling by using BiologTM EcoPlates, high throughput sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region, and RNA sequencing for the viral community. In both cultivars, all products were effective as they significantly reduced pathogen development. EcoPlate analysis and ITS sequencing showed that the microbial communities were not influenced by the alternative compound application, confirming their specific activity as plant defense elicitors. Nevertheless, “Moscato” plants were less susceptible to the disease and presented different phyllosphere composition, resulting in a richer viral community, when compared with the “Nebbiolo” plants. The observed effect on microbial communities pointed to the existence of distinct genotype-specific defense mechanisms independently of the elicitor application

Sensitivity to Anilinopyrimidines and Phenylpyrroles in «Botrytis cinerea» in North-Italian Vineyards

Several commercial vineyards, located in Piedmont (Northern Italy), were monitored in order to evaluate the sensitivity of Botrytis cinerea Pers., the causal agent of grey mould, to five classes of botryticides: benzimidazoles, dicarboximides, phenylcarbamates, anilinopyrimidines and phenylpyrroles. Strains of B. cinerea resistant to anilinopyrimidines were easily detected, particularly in 1999, a year characterized by high disease pressure, even in vineyards not sprayed with that class of fungicides. Fludioxonil-resistance, on the contrary, was not detected. Resistance to benzimidazoles and dicarboximides was at previous observed levels. For the first time, resistance to phenylcarbamates was detected in the field. Strains of B. cinerea showing multiple resistance to benzimidazoles, dicarboximides and anilinopyrimidines and maintaining a good level of virulence, as shown by tests carried out on wounded apples, are present in Italian vineyards. Strategies in the use of the botryticides are discussed, in order to avoid a loss of disease control