Site, artefacts and landscape: Prehistoric Borg in-Nadur, Malta

This paper presents an exhaustive catalogue of finds recovered from the site of Borġ in-Nadur and now stored in the National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta. Seventeen objects are dated to the Bronze Age whereas two date to the Late Neolithic (Temple period). Artefacts which have not been traced are also considered. Part of the discussion looks for comparative material from contemporary contexts, both local and foreign. The functional aspect of the objects is dealt with briefly.peer-reviewe

Polymeric Carbon Nanocomposites - Preparation, Characterization, and Properties

Excellent thermal properties of carbon nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and newly discovered graphene make them the filler of choice for the development of thermal management materials. Graphene has been viewed as “ unrolled single-walled carbon nanotube and as a wonder material with many superlatives to its name ” thus there is an excessive interest in developing new synthetic routes towards large scale production of high quality graphene nanosheets. In this dissertation, we report different methods that could further exfoliate the commercially available expanded graphite to nanometer sized carbon structures, “carbon nanosheets ”, for their use in highly thermal conductive polymeric nanocomposites. Initially, an overview of recent advances in the development of thermal conductive polymeric/carbon nanocomposites is provided. Then, the “ carbon nanosheets ” from the specific processes will carefully be characterized by spectroscopic techniques and the effectiveness of the processing methods is demonstrated in terms of polymeric carbon nanocomposites thermal diffusivity. While the focus of this manuscript will be on the enhancement of thermal diffusivity we will also discuss the chemical modification and functionalization of these “ carbon nanosheets ” with matrix polymer. Finally, the critical research opportunities and challenges in the development of functional graphene nanocomposites for thermal management materials will be discussed

Extracting Windows event logs using memory forensics

Abstract Microsoft’s Windows Operating System provides a logging service that collects, filters and stores event messages from the kernel and applications into log files (.evt and .evtx). Volatility, the leading open source advanced memory forensic suite, currently allows users to extract these events from memory dumps of Windows XP and Windows 2003 machines. Currently there is no support for users to extract the event logs (.evtx) from Windows Vista, Win7 or Win8 memory dumps, and Volatility users have to rely on outside software in order to do this. This thesis discusses a newly developed evtxlogs.py plugin for Volatility, which allows users the same functionality with Windows Vista, Win7 and Win8 that they had with Windows XP and Win 2003’s evtlogs.py plugin. The plugin is based on existing mechanisms for parsing Windows Vista-format event logs, but adds fully integrated support for these logs to Volatility

Sul liberalismo politico e la giustizia come equità

The author focuses on the fundamental lines of his interpretation of political liberalism and its relation to the idea of justice as fairness. In Sections 1-7, the liberal theory of the just society is delineated in relation to the historical, academic and political context in which the ideas of political liberalism were formulated. In Sections 8-10, the author introduces the question of global justice, considered as the main conundrum of contemporary political philosophy.The author focuses on the fundamental lines of his interpretation of political liberalism and its relation to the idea of justice as fairness. In Sections 1-7, the liberal theory of the just society is delineated in relation to the historical, academic and political context in which the ideas of political liberalism were formulated. In Sections 8-10, the author introduces the question of global justice, considered as the main conundrum of contemporary political philosophy

Experimental Analysis of Heat Transfer in Passive Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage Systems for CSP Plants

Abstract Thermal energy storage is a key factor for efficiency, dispatchability and economic sustainability of concentrated solar plants. The latent heat storage systems could ensure a significant reduction in construction costs and environmental impact, because of its high storage energy density. In LHTES, the heat transfer between the heat transfer fluid and the storage system is strongly limited by the reduced thermal conductivity of the storage media. For operating temperatures between 200 and 600 °C, the most used storage media are salts. In order to evaluate solutions which promote the thermal conductivity, by increasing the exchange surface and/or the addition of nanoparticles to the storage media, Enea set up a small facility to test some storage concepts. In this facility, a diathermic oil flows through three elementary "shell-and-tube" storage systems, connected in series, reaching a maximum temperature of about 280 °C. The elementary storage systems are filled with a mixture of sodium and potassium nitrates salts, which melt at about 225 °C. Moreover a small percentage of alumina and silica nanoparticles were added to this mixture. The results of the experiments show an increase of the thermal diffusivity of the medium not only for the presence of fins on the heat transfer tubes but also because of convective flows within the melted fraction were established. These phenomena strongly reduce the charging times of the system (by about 30%). Instead, the presence of nanoparticles increases the thermal capacity and the thermal conductivity of the storage system but seems not to have a relevant effect on the thermal diffusivity of the mixture. This behavior depends on the type of used nanoparticles, which can significantly change over time some characteristics of the storage medium, in which they are dispersed, leaving other characteristics unchanged, according to mechanisms which are still to be well understood

Highly Thermal Conductive Nanocomposites

Disclosed are methods for forming carbon-based fillers as may be utilized in forming highly thermal conductive nanocomposite materials. Formation methods include treatment of an expanded graphite with an alcohol/water mixture followed by further exfoliation of the graphite to form extremely thin carbon nanosheets that are on the order of between about 2 and about 10 nanometers in thickness. Disclosed carbon nanosheets can be functionalized and/or can be incorporated in nanocomposites with extremely high thermal conductivities. Disclosed methods and materials can prove highly valuable in many technological applications including, for instance, in formation of heat management materials for protective clothing and as may be useful in space exploration or in others that require efficient yet light-weight and flexible thermal management solutions

O Dammuso de Pantelleria : um exemplo de arquitetura mediterrânica sustentável

Dissertação de mestrado integrado em Arquitectura, Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, 2014Exame público realizado em 7 de Maio de 2014O tema deste trabalho tem como objeto de estudo o dammuso da ilha de Pantelleria (Itália), enquanto exemplo de arquitetura espontânea mediterrânica. Partindo de uma análise histórica e ambiental de caráter geográfico, geomorfológico e climático sobre a ilha, tenta-se fazer uma leitura completa destas construções tradicionais, pondo em evidência as principais características arquitetónicas, os materiais locais e as principais técnicas construtivas utilizadas. Devido a um processo evolutivo empírico, passa-se pelas diferentes fases e transformações morfológicas e tipológicas, das origens até aos nossos dias. Ainda o presente estudo quer mostrar como, só através de soluções arquitetónicas e construtivas tradicionais muito simples, pode-se alcançar o conforto e o bem-estar do homem, tanto no inverno como no verão, sem utilizar qualquer tecnologia ou equipamento de climatização. O objectivo deste estudo pretende que seja possível entender o dammuso como um sistema edificado eficiente, perfeitamente integrado no meio ambiente, numa relação de equilíbrio entre forma geométrica, materialidade e função. Trata-se, portanto, de enquadrar o dammuso como um modelo bioclimático de referência que contribui para a poupança energética, a preservação do ambiente e para o desenvolvimento durável

Highly Thermal Conductive Nanocomposites

Disclosed are methods for forming carbon-based fillers as may be utilized in forming highly thermal conductive nanocomposite materials. Formation methods include treatment of an expanded graphite with an alcohol/water mixture followed by further exfoliation of the graphite to form extremely thin carbon nanosheets that are on the order of between about 2 and about 10 nanometers in thickness. Disclosed carbon nanosheets can be functionalized and/or can be incorporated in nanocomposites with extremely high thermal conductivities. Disclosed methods and materials can prove highly valuable in many technological applications including, for instance, in formation of heat management materials for protective clothing and as may be useful in space exploration or in others that require efficient yet light-weight and flexible thermal management solutions

Innovative processing route combining fused deposition modelling and laser writing for the manufacturing of multifunctional polyamide/carbon fiber composites

An innovative manufacturing method, based on Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Laser Writing (LW) technologies, was developed to integrate electrically conductive tracks within high strength 3D printed parts. Carbon fibers reinforced polyamide composites were processed by FDM according to three different printing architectures by varying the raster angle in the layer sequence. Laser writing was then performed to obtain conductive tracks on the surface of the printed parts. The process-structure-property relationship of components before and after the writing of conductive tracks was investigated. The tensile behaviour and the track resistance of samples were correlated to the direction of filament extrusion within the layers, and consequently to fibers orientation. Tracks showing good aesthetic quality and the lowest electrical resistance were obtained on samples with [±45] architecture. These tracks displayed the lowest electrical resistance ever reached by laser writing on metal-free polymer composites (0.008 kΩ/cm). Samples with [±45] architecture also showed high strength (72.9 MPa) and stiffness (7.7 GPa). The integration of FDM and LW emerges as a new approach to transform the surface of high strength polymer composites parts into a highly valuable system. These multifunctional components can find applications in several industrial fields such as automotive, aeronautics, and appliances

I RIMBOSCHIMENTI DI CEDRO DELL’ATLANTE [Cedrus atlantica (ENDL.) MANETTI EX CARRIÈRE] IN SICILIA

Il cedro dell’Atlante [Cedrus atlantica (ENDL.) MANETTI EX CARRIÈRE], introdotto in Europa come pianta ornamentale, ha trovato largo impiego nei rimboschimenti in Francia, Spagna e Portogallo, mentre in Italia la sua diffusione è stata più recente e a oggi interessa oltre 2600 ettari, dimostrando ottime potenzialità, senza comportamenti invasivi. In Sicilia, benché poco diffusa, la specie sembra avere potenzialità di adattamento e di produzione interessanti. Il presente lavoro prende in considerazione 7 popolamenti di cedro dell'Atlante dislocati in ambiti diversi rappresentativi delle condizioni ambientali locali, compatibili con le esigenze ecologiche della specie, tra questi un rimboschimento sottoposto a interventi di diradamento. Sono state esaminate le caratteristiche dendro-auxometriche dei popolamenti al fine di valutarne le potenzialità produttive. I risultati mostrano che i popolamenti in esame hanno ottima capacità di affermazione, seguono gli sviluppi tipici della specie e hanno possibilità di produzione elevate, pari a quelle riscontrate in letteratura per le piantagioni realizzate in Francia. Inoltre si nota l'interessante ruolo paesaggistico, sia pur considerandone la natura alloctona, che questi popolamenti possono svolgere in ambiti di non facile colonizzazione per specie arboree. Infine si suggeriscono alcuni indirizzi di gestione volti ad assicurarne la migliore affermazione e la possibilità di rinnovazione, sia pur su scala locale. Atlas cedar (ENDL.) MANETTI EX CARRIÈRE] plantations in Sicily Atlas Cedar has been widely diffused in reforestation in Europe, particularly in France. In Italy, the Atlas Cedar cover about 2600 ha. This paper examines 7 cedar plantations in Sicily, in the various typical condition of the island, evaluating their dendrometric characters in order to estimate productivity and growth capacity. The results show that this specie is both highly suitable for wood production, and has a landscape restoration role in difficult ecological conditions such as the Mediterranean mountain environment is. The stand production is comparable with the better results reported for the French plantations. Some cultivation advices in order to better manage these stands and locally assure natural regeneration are also addressed