Metrological performances of voltage and current instrument transformers in harmonics measurements

In the new electrical system scenario, the increasing presence of non-linear loads and renewable energy sources makes the measurement of harmonics an essential task. The accuracy of harmonic measurement firstly depends on the used instrument transformers for voltage and current sensing. Since the behavior of instrument transformers in non-sinusoidal conditions is not always well defined, this paper presents an experimental study on the metrological performances of current and voltage instrument transformers (CTs and VTs) in the presence of harmonics. Proper tests procedures are defined and measurement setups are developed for both CTs and VTs calibration. The analysis is carried out by usin…

Core-Collapse Supernovae

Analisi della dieta di Discoglossus pictus (Otth, 1837) in Sicilia (Anura: Alytidae).

Analysis of diet in Discoglossus pictus (Otth, 1837) from Sicily (Anura: Alytidae). The Painted frog (Discoglossus pictus Otth, 1837) (Alytidae) is a monotypic species distributed in North Africa, Sicily and Malta. Many studies have been made in the past about morphological and genetical aspects, but as regards the diet very little can be found in bibliography. This study shows data of a sample of individuals from a breeding site of western Sicily. Samplings were taken from November 2009 to June 2010, during the night. A total of 82 specimens were collected (67 MM and 15 FF). From these we obtained 50 stomachal contents by using the stomach-flushing technique. From stomach contents analysis…

Credenze metacognitive, strategie di apprendimento e procrastinazione decisionale: un modello di mediazione (Metacognitive beliefs, learning strategies, and decisional procrastination: a mediational model)

Affrontare un percorso formativo universitario in un contesto di scenari preoccupanti, che vanno dall’insicurezza per il futuro all’assenza dei contenitori affettivi e cognitivi, sta producendo effetti innegabili sugli studenti, bloccati in posizioni agnostiche di fronte alle scelte. Questo studio valuta un modello di path analysis in cui le strategie di apprendimento autoregolato mediano la relazione tra credenze metacognitive sulla procrastinazione e la procrastinazione decisionale. 297 studenti universitari hanno compilato un questionario volto a valutare le credenze metacognitive sulla procrastinazione, l’ansia, la gestione del tempo, l’elaborazione delle informazioni e la procrastinazi…

Leach-Proof Sol–Gel Microcapsules as Curing Agents for One-Pot Thermosetting Resins

The sol-gel microencapsulation of free-radical initiator benzoyl peroxide in sol-gel methyl-modified silica microcapsules of core/shell geometry allows curing of acrylate-based polyurethane and polyester resin formulations sprayed from a pressurized can without the need to compartmentalize reactants from the initiator to cross-link. These results open the route to widespread application of sol-gel microcapsules to efficiently cure polymer and composite mixtures that are widely used as functional coatings, molding compounds, adhesives, and sealants.

Behavior-modifying and insecticidal effects of plant extracts on adults of Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera Tephritidae)

The Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata is a major pest of fruit orchards worldwide. In order to develop control methods based on natural products, particularly required in organic farming, a laboratory study was carried out to evaluate the response of adults to leaf extracts from four plant species: Ruta graveolens, Eriobotrya japonica, Rubus ulmifolius, and Ficus carica. Air-dried leaf powders were subjected to an ethanolic cold extraction. Chemical composition was assessed by GC/MS analysis. Extracts were tested in laboratory bioassays to assess the electroantennographic (EAG) response, attraction/repellence toward ovipositing females, and induced mortality toward adults. Among th…

Distribution of sea urchins living near shallow water CO2 vents is dependent upon species acid-base and ion-regulatory abilities.

To reduce the negative effect of climate change on Biodiversity, the use of geological CO2 sequestration has been proposed; however leakage from underwater storages may represent a risk to marine life. As extracellular homeostasis is important in determining species' ability to cope with elevated CO2, we investigated the acid-base and ion regulatory responses, as well as the density, of sea urchins living around CO2 vents at Vulcano, Italy. We conducted in situ transplantation and field-based laboratory exposures to different pCO2/pH regimes. Our results confirm that sea urchins have some ability to regulate their extracellular fluid under elevated pCO2. Furthermore, we show that even in cl…

Introduction: Intertextualizing Shakespeare's Text

Impiego dei sottodomini via SBEM nell’analisi delle murature

Retrieval of characteristic parameters for water vapour transmittance in the development of ground based Sun-Sky radiometric measurements of columnar water vapour

Abstract. Sun–sky radiometers are instruments created for aerosol study, but they can measure in the water vapour absorption band allowing the estimation of columnar water vapour in clear sky simultaneously with aerosol characteristics, with high temporal resolution. A new methodology is presented for estimating calibration parameters (i.e. characteristic parameters of the atmospheric transmittance and solar calibration constant) directly from the sun–sky radiometer measurements. The methodology is based on the hypothesis that characteristic parameters of the atmospheric transmittance are dependent on vertical profiles of pressure, temperature and moisture occurring at each site of measurem…

Graph-theoretical derivation of brain structural connectivity

Brain connectivity at the single neuron level can provide fundamental insights into how information is integrated and propagated within and between brain regions. However, it is almost impossible to adequately study this problem experimentally and, despite intense efforts in the field, no mathematical description has been obtained so far. Here, we present a mathematical framework based on a graph-theoretical approach that, starting from experimental data obtained from a few small subsets of neurons, can quantitatively explain and predict the corresponding full network properties. This model also changes the paradigm with which large-scale model networks can be built, from using probabilisti…

Academic domains as political battlegrounds: A global enquiry by 99 academics in the fields of education and technology

WOS: 000401148100005

EVpedia: a community web portal for extracellular vesicles research

Abstract Motivation: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are spherical bilayered proteolipids, harboring various bioactive molecules. Due to the complexity of the vesicular nomenclatures and components, online searches for EV-related publications and vesicular components are currently challenging. Results: We present an improved version of EVpedia, a public database for EVs research. This community web portal contains a database of publications and vesicular components, identification of orthologous vesicular components, bioinformatic tools and a personalized function. EVpedia includes 6879 publications, 172 080 vesicular components from 263 high-throughput datasets, and has been accessed more tha…

Step-by-Step Growth of HKUST-1 on Functionalized TiO2 Surface: An Efficient Material for CO2 Capture and Solar Photoreduction

The present study reports on a simple preparation strategy of a hybrid catalyst, TiO2/HKUST-1, containing TiO2 anatase nanoparticles (NPs) with tailored morphology and photocatalytic activity coupled with a porous metal-organic framework (MOF), namely HKUST-1, as an advanced material for the CO2 photocatalytic reduction. In detail, TiO2/HKUST-1 catalyst was prepared via an easy slow-diffusion method combined with a step-by-step self-assembly at room temperature. The growth of crystalline HKUST-1 onto titania surface was achieved by functionalizing TiO2 nanocrystals, with phosphoesanoic acid (PHA), namely TiO2-PHA, which provides an intimate contact between MOF and TiO2. The presence of a cr…

Interactions of fungi with other organisms.

Living organisms establish complex networks of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions in nature, which impact strongly on their own survival and on the stability of the whole population. Fungi, in particular, can shape natural as well as man-managed ecosystems due to their ubiquitous occurrence and the range of interactions they establish with plants, animals and other microbes. This review describes some examples of mutualistic and antagonistic fungal interactions that are of particular interest for their ecological role, or because they can be exploited by man to improve plant health and/or productivity in sustainable agriculture and forestry.

Effects of neutron richness on the behavior of nuclear systems at intermediate energies

We discuss results concerning the behavior of hot nuclear sources formed in 40 ,48Ca+40 ,48Ca reactions at 25 MeV/nucleon. A correlation between the neutron-to-proton ratio of the total systems and heavy residue production is found. This correlation underlines the strong role played by the neutron-to-proton ratio degree of freedom on the behavior of hot nuclei at intermediate energies. Comparisons of our data with Constrained Molecular Dynamics calculations confirm that a moderately stiff behavior of the symmetry potential must be used to reproduce experimental data. These findings open the way for future investigations with exotic beams at radioactive ion beam facilities. © 2012 American P…

EDGE: explorer of diffuse emission and gamma-ray burst explosions

How structures on various scales formed and evolved from the early Universe up to present time is a fundamental question of astrophysical cosmology. EDGE will trace the cosmic history of the baryons from the early generations of massive star by Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) explosions, through the period of cluster formation, down to very low redshifts, when between a third and one half of the baryons are expected to reside in cosmic filaments undergoing gravitational collapse by dark matter (Warm Hot Intragalactic Medium: WHIM). In addition EDGE, with its unprecedented observational capabilities, will provide key results on several other topics. The science is feasible with a medium class mission …

Multifunctional properties of nanocomposites made by 1D and 2D graphene based fillers

High aspect ratio graphene based fillers with different dimensionalities showed the ability to greatly modify rheological, mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of polymers at very low content. In this work, the effect of filler dimensionality on the multifunctional properties of an epoxy matrix reinforced by both carbon nanotubes (1D) and graphite nanoplatelets (2D) have been investigated across the percolation region. Keywords-- Carbon nanotube, Graphite nanoplatelet, nanocomposites, mechanical properties, ...

Two new natural begomovirus recombinants associated with the tomato yellow leaf curl disease co-exist with parental viruses in tomato epidemics in Italy

Two tomato geminivirus species co-exist in protected crops in Sicily, Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV, found in 1989) and Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV, found in 2002), and mixed infections have been detected. In a field survey conducted in 2004, the viral intergenic region (IR) was amplified from infected plants, and molecules apparently hybrid between the two species were found, but only in plants where one or both parental species were also present. Two of these hybrids, named 2/2 and 2/5, were isolated and infectious clones were obtained. They were both readily whitefly-transmitted to tomato plants; clone 2/5 produced symptoms typical of TYLCSV and TYLCV, while clo…

l ruolo dell’apprendimento autoregolato nella procrastinazione accademica (The role of self-regulated learning in academic procrastination)

Tra le varie tipologie di procrastinazione quella accademica è una delle più studiate a causa dei suoi effetti negativi sulle performance degli studenti. Considerata come forma di fallimento nell’autoregolazione, è stata indagata all’interno del modello teorico dell’apprendimento autoregolato. Al fine di fornire maggiore evidenza empirica del ruolo svolto dalle strategie di apprendimento autoregolato nell’influenzare la procrastinazione accademica, questo studio ha esaminato in un campione di studenti universitari se, oltre alla gestione del tempo, l’autoregolazione metacognitiva e il pensiero critico aggiungono varianza nel predire la procrastinazione. Il fattore maggiormente determinante …

Iconocrash

Matematica e Musica: l’Apprendimento di base

Il percorso sperimentale descritto nell’articolo4 vuol porre in evidenza come, attraverso un approccio significativo all’educazione musicale, intesa nello specifico come analisi sistematica degli indici di articolazione strutturale, che ne caratterizzano e qualificano il linguaggio, si possano sviluppare le capacità d’intuizione, analisi e sintesi tipiche del pensiero logico- deduttivo. Gli approfondimenti svolti in tale prospettiva, hanno permesso di evidenziare come un iter siffatto promuova in maniera evidente il passaggio tra registri semiotici diversi (Linguaggio Naturale, iconografico, musicale, geometrico e pre-algebrico), favorendo l’acquisizione di una buona competenza nell’analisi…

Sportspersonship In Martial Arts

Studies on psychological outcomes related to individual differences have increased showing contradictory results, especially in martial arts. The difficulty to provide conclusive evidence for the psychological outcomes of martial arts practice and to determine if and to what extent martial arts trainings explain the above mentioned effects needs a more in-depth analysis of those dispositional aspects which can impact adaptive behaviors in terms of sportspersonship. Since no studies on sportspersonship and goal orientations has been carried out in the specific context of martial arts, the current research aimed at examining the role of goal orientations and trait aggressiveness as predictors…

A single tube PCR assay for detecting viruses and their recombinants that cause tomato yellow leaf curl disease in Mediterranean basin

Tomato yellow leaf curl disease (TYLCD) is well known in Mediterranean countries, where it has been causing severe losses in tomato crops for decades. Until recently, two viruses (with several isolates) in the genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae, have been associated with the epidemics: Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV). However, recombinants between these, such as Tomato yellow leaf curl Malaga virus (TYLCMalV), are spreading, and new methods for detecting all viruses present in the region are needed. By considering all DNA sequences available of viruses causing TYLCD in the Mediterranean basin, a PCR/RFLP protocol was developed t…

Effect of moisture on elastic and viscoelastic properties of epoxy and epoxy-based carbon fibre reinforced plastic filled with multiwall carbon nanotubes

Abstract In this study, we investigated the peculiarities of moisture absorption and moisture-induced effects on the elastic and viscoelastic flexural properties of epoxy resin and carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) filled with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Short-term cyclic creep-recovery tests of moistened epoxy and CFRP filled with MWCNTs revealed improvements in creep resistance for both materials. The addition of MWCNTs to the epoxy resin suppressed the moisture absorption by the material, causing a reduction in the diffusion coefficient by 31% and equilibrium moisture content by 15%. The addition of MWCNTs reduced the flexural strength of moistened epoxy and CFRP samples by…

Analisi della struttura genetica di popolazioni siciliane di Merluccius merluccius (Teleostei: Merluccidae) attraverso l’uso di microsatelliti.

Beyond the Reformation: Italian Intertexts of the Ransom Plot in Measure for Measure

http://books.google.it/books?id=HgfJe5zFMzIC&printsec=frontcover&hl=it&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Prefazione

Spread of tomato yellow leaf curl virus in Sicily: partial displacement of another geminivirus originally present.

The geminivirus Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) was reported for the first time in Italy in 2002. We have followed its spread in Sicily, where Tomato yellow leaf curl Sardinia virus (TYLCSV), another tomato-infecting geminivirus, is endemic and has been causing severe crop losses since 1989. The presence of the two viruses was monitored in the main tomato growing area, the Ragusa province, analyzing samples with yellow leaf curling symptoms. At first (spring-summer 2002) both viruses were always found in mixed infections, but in 2003 and 2004 18-35% of plants were found infected by TYLCV alone and 8-28% by TYLCSV alone, with 41-69% carrying both viruses. TYLCV has spread quickly in th…

Ca-rich carbonates associated with ultrabasic-ultramafic melts. Carbonatite or limestone xenoliths? A case study from the late Miocene Morron de Villamayor volcano (Calatrava Volcanic Field, central Spain)

The volcanic products of the late Miocene Morron de Villamayor volcano (Calatrava Volcanic Field, central Spain) are known for being one of the few outcrops of leucitites in the entire circum-Mediterranean area. These rocks are important because aragonite of mantle origin has been reported as inclusion in olivine macrocrysts. We use petrographic observations, mineral compositions, as well as oxygen and carbon isotope ratios coupled with experimental petrology to understand the origin of carbonate phase in these olivine-phyric rocks. Groundmass and macrocryst olivines range from δ18OVSMOW of +4.8‰, typical of mantle olivine values, to +7.4‰, indicating contamination by sedimentary carbonate.…

Family reunification: the case of the Muslim migrant children in Europe

Adopting a child is not a legal concept recognized in Islamic law, who however giving a great importance to orphans and children's rights, has introduced the legal institute of the "Kafala". This institute can be defined as a commitment by the "kafil" to ensure maintenance, education and protection of a minor "makfoul" until his legal majority, in the same way as would a father to his son, but without creating any family relationship. For these reasons the “Kafala” can not be compared to an international adoption, which, contrariwise, entails the creation of a parent-child relationship. If, in one side the Kafala is a legal concept recognized by International Law, in particular by the Unite…

International Law, War and Human Rights: The Humanitarian Response

One of the most important issues in the international political and legal system comprises the interaction between human rights and humanitarian law. In particular, the separate treatment of such areas of law allows to delineate different contents and application procedures, while the joint consideration is not simple, in view of the reasons for which each of the two has been created. Humanitarian law is a set of rules of conduct limited to a political and legal situation pathological, and presumably temporary. Against this regulatory system, the international law of human rights is the establishment of a political and legal concept of man as endowed with certain inalienable rights that con…