Spatial Distribution of the Incompressible Strips at Aharonov-Bohm Interferometer

In this work, the edge physics of an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer (ABI) defined on a two dimensional electron gas, subject to strong perpendicular magnetic field B, is investigated. We solve the three dimensional Poisson equation using numerical techniques starting from the crystal growth parameters and surface image of the sample. The potential profiles of etched and gate defined geometries are compared and it is found that the etching yields a steeper landscape. The spatial distribution of the incompressible strips is investigated as a function of the gate voltage and applied magnetic field, where the imposed current is confined to. AB interference is investigated due to scattering processes between two incompressible "edge-states".Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Group Scheduling in a Cellular Manufacturing Shop to Minimise Total Tardiness and nT: a Comparative Genetic Algorithm and Mathematical Modelling Approach

In this paper, family and job scheduling in a cellular manufacturing shop is addressed where jobs have individual due dates. The objectives are to minimise total tardiness and the number of tardy jobs. Family splitting among cells is allowed but job splitting is not. Two optimisation methods are employed in order to solve this problem, namely mathematical modelling (MM) and genetic algorithm (GA). The results showed that GA found the optimal solution for most of the problems with high frequency. Furthermore, the proposed GA is efficient compared to the MM especially for larger problems in terms of execution times. Other critical aspects of the problem such as family preemption only, impact of family splitting on common due date scenarios and dual objective scenarios are also solved. In short, the proposed comparative approach provides critical insights for the group scheduling problem in a cellular manufacturing shop with distinctive cases

An application of EMS98 in a medium-sized city: The case of L’Aquila (Central Italy) after the April 6, 2009 Mw 6.3 earthquake

This paper describes the damage survey in the city of L’Aquila after the 6 April 2009 earthquake. The earthquake, whose magnitude and intensity reached Mw=6.3 and Imax=9–10 MCS, struck the Abruzzi region of Central Italy producing severe damage in L’Aquila and in many villages along theMiddle Aterno River valley. After the event, a building- to-building survey was performed in L’Aquila downtown aiming to collect data in order to perform a strict evaluation of the damage. The survey was carried out under the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS98) to evaluate the local macroseismic intensity. This damage survey represents the most complex application of the EMS98 in Italy since it became effective. More than 1,700 buildings (99% of the building stock) were taken into account during the survey at L’Aquila downtown, highlighting the difficult application of the macroseismic scale in a large urban context. The EMS98 revealed itself to be the best tool to perform such kind of analysis in urban settings. The complete survey displayed evidence of peculiar features in the damage distribution. Results revealed that the highest rate of collapses occurred within a delimited area of the historical centre and along the SW border of the fluvial terrace on which the city is settled. Intensity assessed for L’Aquila downtown was 8–9 EMS.Published67-801.11. TTC - Osservazioni e monitoraggio macrosismico del territorio nazionaleJCR Journalrestricte

The Emilia 2012 sequence: a macroseismic survey

On May 20, 2012, at 4:03 local time (2:03 UTC), a large part of the Po Valley between the cities of Ferrara, Modena and Mantova was struck by a damaging earthquake (Ml 5.9). The epicenter was located by the Istituto Nazionale di Geo-fisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) seismic network [ISIDe 2010] at 44.889 ˚N and 11.228 ˚E, approximately 30 km west of Ferrara (Figure 1). The event was preceded by a foreshock that occurred at 01:13 local time, with a magnitude of Ml 4. The mainshock started an intense seismic sequence that lasted for weeks, counting more than 2,000 events, six of which had Ml >5. The strongest earthquakes of this sequence occurred on May 29, 2012, with Ml 5.8 and Ml 5.3, recorded at 9:00 and 12:55 local time, respectively. The epicenters of the May 29, 2012, events were located at the westernmost part of the rupture zone of the May 20, 2012, earthquake (Figure 2). The May 20 and 29, 2012, earthquakes were felt through the whole of northern and central Italy, and as far as Switzerland, Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, south-eastern France and southern Germany. Historical information reveals that the seismic activity in the Po Valley is moderate […

Connexins in epidermal health and diseases: insights into their mutations, implications, and therapeutic solutions

The epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, serves as a protective barrier against external factors. Epidermal differentiation, a tightly regulated process essential for epidermal homeostasis, epidermal barrier formation and skin integrity maintenance, is orchestrated by several players, including signaling molecules, calcium gradient and junctional complexes such as gap junctions (GJs). GJ proteins, known as connexins facilitate cell-to-cell communication between adjacent keratinocytes. Connexins can function as either hemichannels or GJs, depending on their interaction with other connexons from neighboring keratinocytes. These channels enable the transport of metabolites, cAMP, microRNAs, and ions, including Ca2+, across cell membranes. At least ten distinct connexins are expressed within the epidermis and mutations in at least five of them has been linked to various skin disorders. Connexin mutations may cause aberrant channel activity by altering their synthesis, their gating properties, their intracellular trafficking, and the assembly of hemichannels and GJ channels. In addition to mutations, connexin expression is dysregulated in other skin conditions including psoriasis, chronic wound and skin cancers, indicating the crucial role of connexins in skin homeostasis. Current treatment options for conditions with mutant or altered connexins are limited and primarily focus on symptom management. Several therapeutics, including non-peptide chemicals, antibodies, mimetic peptides and allele-specific small interfering RNAs are promising in treating connexin-related skin disorders. Since connexins play crucial roles in maintaining epidermal homeostasis as shown with linkage to a range of skin disorders and cancer, further investigations are warranted to decipher the molecular and cellular alterations within cells due to mutations or altered expression, leading to abnormal proliferation and differentiation. This would also help characterize the roles of each isoform in skin homeostasis, in addition to the development of innovative therapeutic interventions. This review highlights the critical functions of connexins in the epidermis and the association between connexins and skin disorders, and discusses potential therapeutic options

La Rete Integrata Nazionale GPS (RING) dell' INGV: una infrastruttura aperta per la ricerca scientifica

Since 2004, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) is investing important energies for the creation of a continuous GPS network dislocated all over the Italian territory. Data transmission will occur in real time, integrating the experiences already existing in the different INGV institutes and developing a 3-yrs strategy for the new installations. The main targets of the network are represented by active tectonics studies, including also the seismological part as strain accumulation on faults. Within a 3-yrs funding project, it is expected, to realize for the scientific community an infrastructure which is comparable to those existing in countries where advanced crustal deformation studies are carried out. Thus, INGV have co-located the classical seismological instrumentation (broad band seismometers and accelerometers) with GPS receivers to observe and quantify the whole seismic cycle. In this short paper, we describe the CGPS network, the technological choices for the monumentation and the data transmission, the data and metadata management and, finally, the data policy and the deliverables.INGVUnpublishedreserve

Enhanced antiviral function of magnesium chloride-modified Heparin on a broad spectrum of viruses

Previous studies reported on the broad-spectrum antiviral function of heparin. Here we investigated the antiviral function of magnesium-modified heparin and found that modified heparin displayed a significantly enhanced antiviral function against human adenovirus (HAdV) in immortalized and primary cells. Nuclear magnetic resonance analyses revealed a conformational change of heparin when complexed with magnesium. To broadly explore this discovery, we tested the antiviral function of modified heparin against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and found that the replication of HSV-1 was even further decreased compared to aciclovir. Moreover, we investigated the antiviral effect against the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and measured a 55-fold decreased viral load in the supernatant of infected cells associated with a 38-fold decrease in virus growth. The advantage of our modified heparin is an increased antiviral effect compared to regular heparin

Rilievo macrosismico del terremoto emiliano del 23 dicembre 2008

Questa nota presenta una sintesi delle attività svolte durante il rilievomacrosismico del terremoto avvenuto tra le province di Parma e Reggio Emilia il 23 dicembre 2008. La scossa di Ml 5.2 è stata localizzata a sud di Parma ed è stata avvertita in tutta l’Italia settentrionale e in gran parte della Liguria e della Toscana. Il presente rapporto illustra lemodalità di intervento del teamQUEST, relative al rilievo degli effetti e alla valutazione in intensità MCS in particolare per le località della zona epicentrale. L’ampia documentazione fotografica illustra alcuni dettagli delle tipologie di danneggiamento rilevate e consente di comprendere meglio le valutazioni dell’intensità macrosismica. This paper presents an overview of the activities performed during the macroseismic field survey of the earthquake that occurred in the Parma and Reggio Emilia region on December 23, 2008. The mainshock (Ml=5.2), was located south of the city of Parma and was resolutely felt through Northern Italy. The report here presented shows the procedures carried out by QUEST (Quick Earthquake Survey Team), concerning the survey. QUEST has been engaged in gathering the damage information and in assessing the macroseismic intensity, in particular about the epicentral area. A copious photo collection shows details of the observed damage nature and allows to better illustrate the intensit

An application of EMS98 in a medium-sized city: the case of l’Aquila (Central Italy) after the april 6, 2009 mw 6.3 earthquake

This paper describes the damage survey in the city of L’Aquila after the 6 April 2009 earthquake. The earthquake, whose magnitude and intensity reached Mw=6.3 and Imax=10 MCS, struck the Abruzzi region of Central Italy producing severe damage in L’Aquila and in many villages along the Middle Aterno River valley. After the event, a building-to-building survey was performed in L’Aquila downtown aiming to collect data in order to perform a strict evaluation of the damage. The survey was carried out under the European Macroseismic Scale (EMS98) to evaluate the local macroseismic intensity. This damage survey represents the most complex application of the EMS98 in Italy since it became effective. More than 1700 buildings (99% of the building stock) were taken into account during the survey at L’Aquila downtown, highlighting the difficult application of the macroseismic scale in a large urban context. The EMS98 revealed itself to be the best tool to perform such kind of analysis in urban settings. The complete survey displayed evidence of peculiar features in the damage distribution. Results revealed that the highest rate of collapses occurred within a delimited area of the historical centre and along the SW border of the fluvial terrace on which the city is settled. Intensity assessed for L’Aquila downtown was 8-9 EMS