0000000000137951

AUTHOR

Giuseppe Aiello

A multi-objective approach to facility layout problem by genetic search algorithm and Electre method

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A multi objective genetic algorithm for the facility layout problem based upon slicing structure encoding

This paper proposes a new multi objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) for solving unequal area facility layout problems (UA-FLPs). The genetic algorithm suggested is based upon the slicing structure where the relative locations of the facilities on the floor are represented by a location matrix encoded in two chromosomes. A block layout is constructed by partitioning the floor into a set of rectangular blocks using guillotine cuts satisfying the areas requirements of the departments. The procedure takes into account four objective functions (material handling costs, aspect ratio, closeness and distance requests) by means of a Pareto based evolutionary approach. The main advantage of the propos…

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Propulsion monitoring system for digitized ship management: Preliminary results from a case study

Abstract The paradigm of Industry 4.0 a fundamental driver of innovation in marine industry, where the new digital era will see the development of smart cyber-ships equipped with advanced automation systems that will progressively evolve towards fully autonomous vessels. Although the journey towards such technological frontier has started, most companies operating in the maritime sector still appear un-prepared to face the future scenario. In the maritime sector, in fact, empirical models and oversimplified approaches are still largely employed for the management of fleet operations. There is thus the necessity of developing and providing operative models for digitized ship management, whic…

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Copper nanowires as higly sensitivite electrode for nitrate ions in water

Agricultural and livestock sectors are the main sources of nitrate ions contamination in water and foodstuff. [1]. High nitrate concentration is dangerous for both environment (algae overgrowth) and human health. Nitrate ions can be converted in different harmful nitrogen based compound such as NO2-, NO, N-nitroso compounds [2] that are responsible of several diseases such as cancer, Parkinson [3-4]. For these reasons, the Environmental Protection Agency, has established the maximum amount of nitrate ions in drinkable water at 44 mg/l, limit that is valid in many European countries [5]. Generally, spectroscopy techniques are the most used because allow to carry out analyses with high precis…

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A linear programming model for optimal subassembly level determination in shipbuilding industry

Shipbuilding industry is an industrial sector characterized by a customized make-to-order production process. The shipbuilding process can be roughly divided into four steps: design, assembly planning, manufacturing and final assembly. In this paper assembly planning is investigated: it consists in subdividing the ship structure into blocks and grand-blocks, thus involving a two levels subassembly generation. Any mechanical assembly process can be decomposed into a set of tasks, each task involving joining two or more components or subassemblies together. The sequence of assembly tasks has a major influence on completion time and resource utilization and it drastically impacts costs and eff…

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Safety in the use of portable olive harvesters

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Facility management, outsourcing and contracting overview

The discipline of facility management has basically originated from the experience of the field and most of the business models are driven from the American market. The majority of surveys agree that organizational objectives vary according to different business environments. The link between a given company and its facility management department has been studied in details with a widespread agreement on the importance of tailoring to the specific context the facility management organizational model and the approach to the relationships with suppliers. In Europe two Technical Committees of the Comite Europeen de Normalisation (CEN) are currently adding to the body of knowledge terminologies…

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Ni alloy nanowires for alkaline electrolysers

In recent years, the interest towards green hydrogen has drastically increased due to the global decarbonization process. Green hydrogen is obtained by water electrolysis using only electricity from renewable sources. It is considered one of the best storage systems in terms of environmental sustainability but not in economic ones. Nowadays, the research is focused on improving the Alkaline Water Electrolysis (AE) to reduce the cost of production. An approach to improve AE performance is based on nanostructured electrodes characterized by high electrocatalytic activity due to the very high surface area. In fact, the development of more efficient electrolysers with low-cost electrode-electro…

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Reduced graphene oxide decorated with metals nanoparticles electrode as electrochemical sensor for dopamine

Dopamine (DA) is one of the most important neurotransmitters that influences the processes that involve memory, sleep, mood, learning among others [1]. In fact, in the last years, dopamine concentration in human body fluids has been related to some neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson and Alzheimer's diseases [2]. The possibility to have a bio-marker for these disease is of extreme importance because, disease related with dementia, are diagnosed when they are already developed and their management become almost impossible. The possibility to continuously monitor DA level in fluids, such as blood and urine, could accelerate the early diagnosis of these diseases. The principal analyt…

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COMPUTER MODEL OF ARTERIAL BIO-MECHANICS.EVALUATION OF RUPTURED ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM WALL THROUGH FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

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Electrodeposited nickel–zinc alloy nanostructured electrodes for alkaline electrolyzer

Abstract Over the last decade, as a consequence of the global decarbonization process, the interest towards green hydrogen production has drastically increased. In particular a substantial research effort has focused on the efficient and affordable production of carbon-free hydrogen production processes. In this context, the development of more efficient electrolyzers with low-cost electrode/electrocatalyst materials can play a key role. This work, investigates the fabrication of electrodes of nickel-zinc alloys with nanowires morphology cathode for alkaline electrolyzers. Electrodes are obtained by the simple method of template electrosynthesis that is also inexpensive and easily scalable.…

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Nanostructured Ni–Co alloy electrodes for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline electrolyzer

Abstract Ni–Co alloy nanostructured electrodes with high surface area were investigated both as a cathode and anode for an alkaline electrolyzer. Electrodes were obtained by template electrosynthesis at room temperature. The electrolyte composition was tuned in order to obtain different NiCo alloys. The chemical and morphological features of nanostructured electrodes were evaluated by EDS, XRD and SEM analyses. Results show that electrodes with different composition of Ni and Co, made of nanowires well anchored to the substrate, were obtained. For both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, electrochemical and electrocatalytic tests, performed in 30% w/w KOH aqueous solution, were carried…

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Controlled solution-based fabrication of perovskite thin films directly on conductive substrate

Abstract Organometallic perovskites are one of the most investigated materials for high-efficiency thin-film devices to convert solar energy and supply energy. In particular, methylammonium lead iodide has been used to realize thin-film perovskite solar cells, achieving an efficiency higher than 20%. Different fabrication procedures based on the spin-coating technique have been proposed, which do not ensure homogenous morphologies. In this work, we present a scalable process to fabricate methylammonium lead iodide thin films directly on conductive substrates, consisting of electrodeposition and two subsequent chemical conversions. A thorough investigation of the morphological, structural an…

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A decision support system based on multisensor data fusion for sustainable greenhouse management

The sustainable exploitation of natural resources is nowadays an important challenge for governments and institutions, considering the expected increase of the world population. In order to respond to this emergent criticality, the principles of green economy have been introduced in the European policy discussion to achieve a good compromise between the sustainability and the profitability of productions by increasing the efficiency of farming operations. Such approach poses some technical and financial challenges for small-sized enterprises because they generally do not possess adequate internal knowledge, nor they can acquire external expertise due to their budget restrictions. Decision S…

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Pd-Co-Based Electrodes for Hydrogen Production by Water Splitting in Acidic Media

To realize the benefits of a hydrogen economy, hydrogen must be produced cleanly, efficiently and affordably from renewable resources and, preferentially, close to the end-users. The goal is a sustainable cycle of hydrogen production and use: in the first stage of the cycle, hydrogen is produced from renewable resources and then used to feed a fuel cell. This cycle produces no pollution and no greenhouse gases. In this context, the development of electrolyzers producing high-purity hydrogen with a high efficiency and low cost is of great importance. Electrode materials play a fundamental role in influencing electrolyzer performances; consequently, in recent years considerable efforts have b…

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Risk Assessment of Hand-Arm Vibration in Different Types of Portable Shakers for Olives Harvesting

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Nanostructured nickel–zinc alloy electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline electrolyzer

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La shelf life per la gestione delle scorte

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An expert system for vineyard management based upon pervasive computer technologies

Determining the optimal maturity level for performing viticulture operations and harvesting activities is a difficult task, because, depending on the variety, the climatic conditions and cultural practices, the phenologic maturation process occurs at different times. Recently, ubiquitous computing technologies allow an extremely precise and cost effective monitoring of environmental conditions by means of an RFID based sensor networks. The implementation of such technologies in vineyard management is nowadays under development, however, besides the possibility of gathering data, the need is perceived of developing decision support tools to fully exploit the potential opportunities of these …

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PANI-Based Wearable Electrochemical Sensor for pH Sweat Monitoring

Nowadays, we are assisting in the exceptional growth in research relating to the development of wearable devices for sweat analysis. Sweat is a biofluid that contains useful health information and allows a non-invasive, continuous and comfortable collection. For this reason, it is an excellent biofluid for the detection of different analytes. In this work, electrochemical sensors based on polyaniline thin films deposited on the flexible substrate polyethylene terephthalate coated with indium tin oxide were studied. Polyaniline thin films were abstained by the potentiostatic deposition technique, applying a potential of +2 V vs. SCE for 90 s. To improve the sensor performance, the electronic…

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Controlled temperature grinding under modified atmosphere for Almond (Prunus Dulcis) paste production

The quality of the raw material and the processing conditions have a great influence on the nutritional properties of finished products. This research is focused on almond paste production and aims at developing a new production process to deliver the high nutritional content of the raw almonds into the finished product. Raw almonds are composed mainly of fats (approx. 50%) and proteins (approx. 25%), and are particularly rich in omega 6 fatty acids, and are hence exposed to denaturation and oxidation phenomena during the traditional grinding/homogenization process. The study involved the analysis of six different local cultivars based upon the main nutritional indicators (protein content, …

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EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF THE ACCURACY OF RFID BASED LOCALIZATION SYSTEMS FOR INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSES

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Ascorbic Acid determination using linear sweep voltammetry on flexible electrode modified with gold nanoparticles and reduced graphene oxide

Indium tin oxide (ITO) coated on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate electrode was modified with reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles by simple co-electrodeposition performed at -0.8 V vs SCE for 200 s. All samples were characterized by electron scan microscopy. The as prepared electrode was used as electrochemical sensor to selective detection of ascorbic acid using linear sweep voltammetry. Excellent results were obtained in a linear range from 20 to 150 µM of ascorbic acid with a limit of detection of about 3.1 µM (S/N=3.3). The sensors have a reproducibility of about 5.5% and also show high selectivity towards different interferents such as chlorine, calcium, ma…

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A decision support system to assure high-performance maintenance service

PurposeThis study aims to propose a decision support system (DSS) for maintenance management of a service system, namely, a street cleaning service vehicle. Referring to the information flow management, the blockchain technology is integrated in the proposed DSS to assure data transparency and security.Design/methodology/approachThe DSS is designed to efficiently handle the data acquired by the network of sensors installed on selected system components and to support the maintenance management. The DSS supports the decision makers to select a subset of indicators (KPIs) by means of the DEcision-MAaking Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method and to monitor the efficiency of performed prevent…

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A novel device for assessing the health risk caused by hand-arm vibrations in olives harvesting

The mechanization of olive harvesting is very important both to reduce the costs of production and to assure the oil quality because the manual harvest does not allow to operate at the right time and also need a long period to be completed. The use of portable shakers, that are spreading more than others typologies, can give a solution to the problem. However, the use of such equipment may involve risk of exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. The aim of this study was to assess the level of exposure to hand-arm vibration of the operators using portable shakers (reference standards UNI EN ISO 5349-1:2004, Italian Low Decree 81/2008). The research presented here concerns the definition of a…

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The Employment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Analyzing and Mitigating Disaster Risks in Industrial Sites

Effective safety procedures play a fundamental role in high-risk industrial contexts, because the occurrence of an accident can cause environmental catastrophes, severe damages to the structures, and fatal injuries to the workers. In particular, maintaining detailed and up-to-date information about potential accident areas is a crucial issue to prevent the occurrence of disasters and to safely plan the rescue process. In such contexts, periodic safety inspections are therefore performed on a regular basis, although they may expose the inspection personnel to harsh or hazardous environments. The employment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in such situations can provide unprecedented opport…

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Drone based inspection services in industrial contexts: Risk assessment and market opportunities

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is an emerging technology with the potential of introducing disruptive innovation in a large number of industrial and civil applications. In particular, many studies have highlighted the achievable advantages for “three Ds” (i.e., dull, dirty, or dangerous) missions, which actually represent their natural market niche. A huge potential market in such sense is constituted by high-risk industrial installations including Oil&Gas, chemical, power generation, shipbuilding, etc. where significant improvements can be achieved in terms of safety and ergonomics. This paper proposes a comparison between traditional inspection approaches and innovative drone-based s…

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Simulation analysis of cold chain performance based on time–temperature data

Perishable goods are a fundamental source of revenue for the retail sector; their management, however, constitutes a severe challenge for retailers and supply chain partners. A significant cost in particular is the fraction of products perished through the supply chain, which also constitutes an ethical and environmental concern. Supply chain organisation and operative characteristics have a significant influence on this matter, as in fact ensuring suitable temperature conditions for the stock-keeping units throughout the supply chain is mandatory for perishable products. Recent developments in sensing and communication technologies allow detailed monitoring and control of cold chain; howev…

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Taravana: documentation of bubbles by computerized tomography.

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Towards Shipping 4.0. A preliminary gap analysis

Abstract The paradigm of Industry 4.0 involves a substantial innovation to the value creation approach thought the supply chain and the application of digital enabling technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analytics (BDA) and cloud computing. The fourth industrial revolution is thus expected to have a disruptive impact on maritime transport and shipping sectors, where smart ships and autonomous vessels well be part of a new and fully interconnected maritime ecosystem. Specific hardware components, such as sensors, actuators, or processors will be embedded in the ship’s key systems in order to provide valuable information to increase the efficiency, sustainability and safe…

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Evaluation of maintenance service procurement contracts

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Ni alloy nanowires as high efficiency electrode materials for alkaline electrolysers

Abstract The fabrication and characterization of nickel-alloy electrodes for alkaline electrolysers is reported. Three different alloys (Ni–Co, Ni–Zn and Ni–W) at different composition were studied in order to determine the optimum condition. Nanostructured electrodes were obtained by template electrodeposition into a nanoporous membrane, starting from aqueous solution containing the two elements of the alloy at different concentrations. Composition of alloys can be tuned by electrolyte composition and also depends on the difference of the redox potential of elements and on the presence of complexing agents in deposition bath. Electrochemical and electrocatalytic tests, aimed at establishin…

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Worker safety in agriculture 4.0: A new approach for mapping operator's vibration risk through Machine Learning activity recognition

While being a fundamental driver of competitiveness in agroindustry, technological innovation has also introduced new critical elements related, for example, to the sustainability of the production processes as well as to the safety of workers. In such regard, the advent of the 4th industrial revolution (Agriculture 4.0) based on digitalization, is an unprecedented opportunity of rethinking the role of innovation in a new human-centric perspective. In particular, the establishment of an interconnected work environment and the augmentation of the operator’s physical, sensorial, and cognitive capabilities, are two technologies which can be effectively employed for substantially improving the …

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Nanostructured Ni Based Anode and Cathode for Alkaline Water Electrolyzers

Owing to the progressive abandoning of the fossil fuels and the increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration, the use of renewable energies is strongly encouraged. The hydrogen economy provides a very interesting scenario. In fact, hydrogen is a valuable energy carrier and can act as a storage medium as well to balance the discontinuity of the renewable sources. In order to exploit the potential of hydrogen it must be made available in adequate quantities and at an affordable price. Both goals can be potentially achieved through the electrochemical water splitting, which is an environmentally friendly process as well as the electrons and water are the only reagents. However, these devices stil…

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A multi-objective approach to facility layout problem by genetic search algorithm and Electre method

Abstract Classical approaches to layout design problem tend to maximise the efficiency of layout, measured by the handling cost related to the interdepartmental flow and to the distance among the departments. However, the actual problem involves several conflicting objectives hence requiring a multi-objective formulation. Multi-objective approaches, recently proposed, in most cases lead to the maximisation of a weighted sum of score functions. The poor practicability of such an approach is due to the difficulty of normalising these functions and of quantifying the weights. In this paper, this difficulty is overcome by approaching the problem in two subsequent steps: in the first step, the P…

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Ythdf is a N6‐methyladenosine reader that modulates Fmr1 target mRNA selection and restricts axonal growth in Drosophila

Abstract N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) regulates a variety of physiological processes through modulation of RNA metabolism. This modification is particularly enriched in the nervous system of several species, and its dysregulation has been associated with neurodevelopmental defects and neural dysfunctions. In Drosophila, loss of m6A alters fly behavior, albeit the underlying molecular mechanism and the role of m6A during nervous system development have remained elusive. Here we find that impairment of the m6A pathway leads to axonal overgrowth and misguidance at larval neuromuscular junctions as well as in the adult mushroom bodies. We identify Ythdf as the main m6A reader in the nervous system,…

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FLEXIBLE ELECTRODE BASED ON GOLD NANOPARTICLES AND REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE FOR URIC ACID DETECTION USING LINEAR SWEEP VOLTAMMETRY

In this work, an electrochemical sensor for uric acid determination is shown with a preliminary study for its validation in real samples (milk and urine). Uric acid can be electrochemically oxidized in aqueous solutions and thus it is possible to obtain electrochemical sensors for this chemical by means of this electrooxidation reaction. Indium tin oxide coated on flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate, modified with reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles by co-electrodeposition, was used. Electrodeposition was performed at -0.8V vs SCE for 200 s. All samples were characterized by electron scan microscopy and electron diffraction spectroscopy. A careful investigation on the ef…

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La filiera ittica siciliana e la valorizzazione dei prodotti. Prospettive e orientamenti strategici

Una delle maggiori criticità per la sostenibilità dei processi produttivi di filiera è rappresentata oggi da una complessiva scarsa redditività dei processi legati al comparto primario; per far fronte a ciò è necessario promuovere nuovi modelli organizzativi in grado di garantire un maggiore equilibrio nella distribuzione dei margini di profitto tra le imprese della filiera. La dimensione spaziale ottimale delle configurazioni relazionali tra imprese varia notevolmente in funzione delle caratteristiche dei flussi che le riguardano, dei soggetti considerati e del tipo di tecnologia. L’approccio territoriale presenta, infatti, dei limiti come unico strumento esplicativo dei fenomeni evolutivi…

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ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM WALL RUPTURE RISK EVALUATION THROUGH COMPUTERIZED FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS MODEL AND FUZZY-TOPSIS DECISION METHOD

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High-Performance Lead-Acid Batteries Enabled by Pb and PbO2 Nanostructured Electrodes: Effect of Operating Temperature

Lead-acid batteries are now widely used for energy storage, as result of an established and reliable technology. In the last decade, several studies have been carried out to improve the performance of this type of batteries, with the main objective to replace the conventional plates with innovative electrodes with improved stability, increased capacity and a larger active surface. Such studies ultimately aim to improve the kinetics of electrochemical conversion reactions at the electrode-solution interface and to guarantee a good electrical continuity during the repeated charge/discharge cycles. To achieve these objectives, our contribution focuses on the employment of nanostructured electr…

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Effect of Vibration on the Quality of Strawberry Fruits Caused by Simulated Transport

Mechanical damage of agricultural products is one of the main problems in the harvest and postharvest chain due to the large economic loss that the shelf life reduction could generate. Measurements of change in the chemical components of highly perishable products and microbial growth under different static and dynamic loads is the first step in the development of intelligent logistic units that could help in predicting the residual shelf life in order to minimize losses along the supply chain. In our research, the effects of vibration along the supply chain of a case study were analyzed on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) and woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) in terms of microbiological…

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Solving type-2 Assembly Line Balancing Problem with Fuzzy Binary Linear Programming

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A non dominated ranking Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm and electre method for unequal area facility layout problems

The unequal area facility layout problem (UA-FLP) comprises a class of extremely difficult and widely applicable optimization problems arising in diverse areas and meeting the requirements for real-world applications. Genetic Algorithms (GAs) have recently proven their effectiveness in finding (sub) optimal solutions to many NP-hard problems such as UA-FLP. A main issue in such approach is related to the genetic encoding and to the evolutionary mechanism implemented, which must allow the efficient exploration of a wide solution space, preserving the feasibility of the solutions and ensuring the convergence towards the optimum. In addition, in realistic situations where several design issues…

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Ni-Fe alloy nanostructured electrodes for water splitting in alkaline electrolyser

Abstract In this work, nickel-iron alloy nanostructured electrodes obtained by template electrosynthesis method are investigated for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. Electrodes consist of nanowire arrays with high surface area that are able to ensures a high electrolytic activity. To obtain different alloy compositions, the concentration of the elements in the deposition baths is appropriately tuned. Results show that the composition of nanowires does not change linearly with the composition of deposition bath but are richer in Fe. Nanostructured electrodes are tested as both cathodes and anodes in 30 wt% KOH aqueous solution, at room temperature to determine the best alloy com…

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Nanostructured Lead Electrodes with Reduced Graphene Oxide for High-Performance Lead–Acid Batteries

Nanostructured Pb electrodes consisting of nanowire arrays were obtained by electrodeposition, to be used as negative electrodes for lead–acid batteries. Reduced graphene oxide was added to improve their performances. This was achieved via the electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide directly on the surface of nanowire arrays. The electrodes with and without reduced graphene oxide were tested in a 5 M sulfuric acid solution using a commercial pasted positive plate and an absorbed glass mat separator in a zero-gap configuration. The electrodes were tested in deep cycling conditions with a very low cut-off potential. Charge–discharge tests were performed at 5C. The electrode wi…

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Optimising the efficiency of olive harvesting considering operator safety

Mechanical-assisted harvesting of olives, which is carried out using hand-held harvesting units that detach the drupes through vibration supplied by electric motor or combustion engines, is a widespread method used in southern Italy. Such machines are able to harvest more than 80% of the overall quantity of olives available per tree in 5–10 min, but their performance is influenced by several factors related to the mechanical characteristics of the device and to the features of the trees. Here the problem of optimising harvesting efficiency whilst minimising the health risks to the operators is investigated, with the aim of demonstrating that it is possible to determine an optimum harvesting…

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Controller temperature grinding under atmosphere for Almond (Prunus Dulcis) Paste production

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A multi-objective approach to solid waste management

The issue addressed in this paper consists in the localization and dimensioning of transfer stations, which constitute a necessary intermediate level in the logistic chain of the solid waste stream, from municipalities to the incinerator. Contextually, the determination of the number and type of vehicles involved is carried out in an integrated optimization approach. The model considers both initial investment and operative costs related to transportation and transfer stations. Two conflicting objectives are evaluated, the minimization of total cost and the minimization of environmental impact, measured by pollution. The design of the integrated waste management system is hence approached i…

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Nanostructured Nickel alloy electrodes for alkaline electrolysers

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Coverage analysis of RFID indoor localization system for refrigerated warehouse based on 2-D Ray tracing

Due to the ever increasing diffusion of Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) in logistic processes, the localization of the tags in the environment is becoming an important feature for many RFID-based inventory management systems. RFID-based Location system will allow offering value-added services logistics operators, and RFID tags can be used for more than just labeling items. This paper proposes a Received Signal Strength (RSS) based positioning system for perishable products equipped with active UHF RFID tags inside a refrigerated warehouse (4C°). The major performance metrics of interest for indoor positioning systems are the accuracy and the precision in estimating signal strength wit…

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Phosphate ions detection by using an electrochemical sensor based on laser-scribed graphene oxide on paper

In this work, electrodes based on laser-scribed reduced graphene oxide were fabricated using filter paper as the substrate. To fabricate the electrodes, a water suspension of graphene oxide was filtered to produce a continuous and uniform film of graphene oxide on the filter paper surface. Subsequently, a CO2 laser was used to "write" the working, counter and reference eelctroes by reducing graphene oxide in specific areas to define complete sensors. Referecnce electrodes were then coated with a commercial Ag/AgCl conductive paste to produce a quasi Ag/AgCl reference. As fabricated devices were employed as electrochemical sensors for detection of phosphate ions in water by employing the mol…

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a diagnostic and prognostic system to enhance the operational readiness of mission critical systems

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A system for detecting hand-arm vibration in the use of portable shakers for olives harvesting

The mechanization of olive harvesting is very important both to reduce the costs of production and to assure the oil quality because the manual harvest does not allow to operate at the right time and also need a long period to be completed. The use of portable shakers, that are spreading more than others typologies, can give a solution to the problem. However, the use of such equipment may involve risk of exposure to hand-transmitted vibration. The aim of this study was to assess the level of exposure to hand-arm vibration of the operators using portable shakers (reference standards UNI EN ISO 5349-1:2004, Italian Low Decree 81/2008). An effective approach would rather involve to equip the …

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Controlled temperature grinding under modified atmosphere for Almond (Prunus Dulcis)paste production

The research is focused on almond paste production and aims at developing a new production process to deliver the high nutitional content of the raw almonds into finished product

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Machine Learning approach towards real time assessment of hand-arm vibration risk

Abstract In industry 4,0, the establishment of an interconnected environment where human operators cooperate with the machines offers the opportunity for substantially improving the ergonomics and safety conditions of the workplace. This topic is discussed in the paper referring to the vibration risk, which is a well-known cause of work-related pathologies. A wearable device has been developed to collect vibration data and to segment the signals obtained in time windows. A machine learning classifier is then proposed to recognize the worker’s activity and to evaluate the exposure to vibration risks. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the methodology pr…

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Biomass power plants in western Sicily, Italy

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Standardization of islet isolation outcome- A new automatic system to determine pancreatic islet viability

Pancreatic islet transplantation is emerging as a therapeutic approach for patients affected by diabetes. This approach consists of a minimally invasive procedure replacing insulin-producing cells (pancreatic islets). The technique has been proven successful, but limitations have been identified. One of the major challenges of the procedure is the counting of the isolated pancreatic islets, which is currently jeopardized by subjectivity and inaccuracy. Determination of the accurate islet number is a crucial factor in determining the correlation between the isolation product and clinical outcome. In the proposed study, we have developed software capable of objectively evaluating islet number…

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Multi-Criteria Decision Making support system for pancreatic islet transplantation

Pancreatic islet transplantation consists of replacing insulin-producing cells to restore normal glycemia in diabetic patients. This is a minimal invasive procedure that has been proved successful. Unfortunately unpredictability of islet transplant outcome remains a frustrating and costly issue limiting the clinical implementation of this procedure. Multiple variables are involved in the procedure and assessment is subjective to individual operators. The aim of this study was to generate a system expressing the probability of transplant success in relation to four classes of identified variables (donor, organ, isolation and recipient). We have proposed the utilization of Multi-Criteria Deci…

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Electrochemical Quantification of H2O2 Released by Airway Cells Growing in Different Culture Media

Quantification of oxidative stress is a challenging task that can help in monitoring chronic inflammatory respiratory airway diseases. Different studies can be found in the literature regarding the development of electrochemical sensors for H2O2 in cell culture medium to quantify oxidative stress. However, there are very limited data regarding the impact of the cell culture medium on the electrochemical quantification of H2O2. In this work, we studied the effect of different media (RPMI, MEM, DMEM, Ham’s F12 and BEGM/DMEM) on the electrochemical quantification of H2O2. The used electrode is based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and was obtained by co-electrode…

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Electrochemical sensor based on rGO/Au nanoparticles for monitoring H2O2 released by human macrophages

Abstract Increased oxidative burden contributes to the pathogenesis of most inflammatory diseases and is associated with aging and chronic inflammation. Macrophages contribute to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within inflamed tissues. Currently, ROS generation is measured using fluorescent probes and colorimetric/fluorimetric biochemical assays. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) diffuses through the cell membrane and can be monitored in the extracellular space. Herein, we present a sensor for H2O2 detection released by cells in culture supernatants. H2O2 sensing performance was evaluated using chronoamperometric detection. A sensitivity of 0.0641 μA μM−1 cm−2 with a limit of detecti…

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A Fuzzy Inference Expert System to Support the Decision of Deploying a Military Naval Unit to a Mission

Naval military units are complex systems required to operate in fixed time frames in offshore tasks where maintenance operations are drastically limited. A failure during a mission is a critical event that can drastically influence the mission success. The decision of switching a unit to a mission hence requires complex judgments involving information about the health status of machineries and the environmental conditions. The present procedure aims to support the decision about switching a unit to a mission considering the vagueness and uncertainty of information by means of fuzzy theory and emulates the decision process of a human expert by means of a rule-based inference engine. A numeri…

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Copper nanowire array as highly selective electrochemical sensor of nitrate ions in water

Contamination of water with nitrate ions is a significant problem that affects many areas of the world. The danger from nitrates is not so much their toxicity, rather low, as their transformation into nitrites and in particular into nitrosamines, substances considered to be a possible carcinogenic risk. For this reason, European legislation has set the maximum permissible concentration of nitrates in drinking water at 44 mg/l. Thus, it is clear that a continuous monitoring of nitrate ions is of high technological interest but it must be rapid, easy to perform and directly performed in situ. Electrochemical detection is certainly among the best techniques to obtain the above requirements. In…

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Approccio multicriterio al problema del layout con ELECTRE

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Cellular and Molecular Signatures of Oxidative Stress in Bronchial Epithelial Cell Models Injured by Cigarette Smoke Extract

Exposure of the airways epithelium to environmental insults, including cigarette smoke, results in increased oxidative stress due to unbalance between oxidants and antioxidants in favor of oxidants. Oxidative stress is a feature of inflammation and promotes the progression of chronic lung diseases, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Increased oxidative stress leads to exhaustion of antioxidant defenses, alterations in autophagy/mitophagy and cell survival regulatory mechanisms, thus promoting cell senescence. All these events are amplified by the increase of inflammation driven by oxidative stress. Several models of bronchial epithelial cells are used to study the molec…

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Coverage analysis of RFID indoor localization system for refrigerated warehouses based on 2D-ray tracing

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The Design of Effective Maintenance Outsourcing Contracts

Recent developments in maintenance planning and management demonstrate that the establishment of optimized maintenance policies may drastically improve the performance and reduce the operating cost of facilities. However maintenance activities are typically outside of the core business of production facilities, hence enterprises often fail to catch the opportunities that may originate by properly optimized management strategies. A strategic maintenance management should hence encompass the possibility of outsourcing maintenance activities to ensure the necessary perfomance of production systems, while allowing enterprises to concentrate their resources on their core activities. In order to …

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Standardization of islet isolation outcome: a new automatic system to determine pancreatic islet viability

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Vertical standing copper nanowires for electrochemical sensor of nitrate in water

Nitrogen, in the forms of nitrate (NO3-), nitrite, or ammonium, is a nutrient needed for plant growth and it is a common constituent of fertilizers [1]. When fertilizers are overused, they contaminate the ground water and then the food chain. For humans, a low level of nitrate is advisable because it increases the blood flow and has a good effect on both blood pressure and cardiovascular system. On the contrary, a high concentration of nitrate can be dangerous for humans. Nitrate ions undergoes different chemical transformations (i.e. to nitrite ions by Escherichia coli) producing different nitrogen-based compound such as nitrite ions, nitric oxide and ammonia [2]. These chemicals lead to s…

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An Innovative Malaxer Equipped with SCADA Platform for Improving Extra Virgin Olive Oil Quality

Agriculture 4.0 is gaining more attention, and all companies are thinking about innovating machines to increase income and improve the quality of the final products. In the agro-food sector, there is space for innovation, as it is far behind the industrial sector. This paper reports an industrial-scale study on the application of an innovative system for the extraction of Sicilian EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) to improve both process management and the quality of the product. Based on previous studies, the authors suggested an innovative machine equipped with a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition system) for oxygen and process duration monitoring and control. The objective of th…

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Electrochemical sensor for evaluating oxidative stress in airway epithelial cells

Cigarette smoke exposure induces oxidative stress within the airways. Increased oxidative burden contributes to the pathogenesis of chronic lung disorders and is associated with aging and chronic inflammation. Airway epithelial cells highly contribute to Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) generation within injured and inflamed lung tissues. Among ROS, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can be monitored in the extracellular space. Herein, we present an amperometric/voltammetric sensor based on gold nanoparticles and graphene oxide able to detect H2O2 with good sensitivity and selectivity. Using this sensor, H2O2 release was measured in conditioned medium from primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC), bron…

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Distribution of biomass and site location of combustion and gasification power plants in western Sicily

The substitution of conventional fossil fuels with biomass for energy production results both in the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions and in the replacement of non-renewable energy sources. The use of biomass for energy production responds to the growing pressure of government policies towards the achievement of better environmental sustainability of power generation processes. This is particularly true for the agricultural areas of Sicily, where the realization of new economic dynamics can lead to development of a local economic system. However, at present, generating energy from biomass is rather expensive due to both technological limits related to low conversion efficiencies, and…

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Abdominal aortic aneurysm wall rupture risk evaluation through computerized element analysis model and fuzzy-tosis decision method.

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Industry 4.0: Advanced digital solutions implemented on a close power loop test bench

Abstract The paradigm of Industry 4.0 allows to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the production. Companies that will implement advanced solutions in production systems will increase their level of competitiveness and will be able reach high market shares. The present paper is focused on the development of advanced digital solutions to be implemented on a close power loop test bench designed to test high power transmissions for naval unit. In particular, the test configuration consists of a back-to-back connection between two identical mechanical reducers. Since the efficiency of these systems are very high, it is not necessary to use large electric motors, thus managing to conta…

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The expected value of the traceability information

Abstract Recent regulations on agri-food traceability prescribe traceability throughout the entire supply chain, in order to ensure consumers’ safety and product quality. This has led producers and retailers to consider the opportunity to improve the firm's reputation and consumer confidence through the implementation of traceability systems designed not only to satisfy the legal requirements, but also to track the quality of the products through the supply chain for optimization purposes. However the actual implementation of such systems depends on the possibility of gathering specific information related to the product quality. Nowadays, innovative and non invasive technologies such as th…

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Silver based sensors from CD for chloride ions detection

This preliminary work shows a new and innovative way to produce silver based electrodes from compact discs and its application towards the detection of chloride ions. A complete sensor was obtained from the compact discs with working, reference and counter electrode made of silver. Chloride ions were detected by exploiting the high affinity of silver with this anion to produce silver chloride. This electrochemical oxidation of silver can be monitored by using an electrochemical technique such as linear scan voltammetry. Indeed, during linear scan voltammetry the oxidation of silver to silver chloride lead to a peak current that increases linearly with chloride concentration. Using this tech…

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Ni alloy nanowires as high efficiency electrode materialsnfor alkaline electrolysers

Hydrogen production by water electrolysis (WE) is a very promising technology because it is a pollution-free process especially if renewable sources are employed to energy supply. Nowadays, the cost of hydrogen production by WE is higher than other available technologies, which makes WE not competitive. Many efforts have been made to improve WE performance, through the use of electrodes made of transition metal alloys as cathode and compound of metal oxide as anode [1]. In the field of water-alkaline electrolyzer, the development of cheap nanoporous based nickel electrodes with high electrocatalytic features is one of the potential approaches to increase the WE performance [2]. A facile met…

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Metodo per la realizzazione di sensori elettrochimici con materiali recuperati da dispositivi di memorizzazione di scarto e sensore elettrochimico ottenibile con tale metodo

Metodo per la realizzazione di sensori elettrochimici con materiali recuperati da dispositivi di memorizzazione di scarto, quali CD e DVD

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An oxygen monitoring and control system inside a malaxation machine to improve extra virgin olive oil quality

In recent years, oxygen content regulation during malaxation has been noted as a process parameter. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal time during the malaxation process of the olives of the Sicilian cultivar Nocellara del Belice when the presence of oxygen in the machine headspace activates the enzyme complex in favour of the volatile compounds, without compromising the phenolic composition. During the malaxation process, the atmosphere inside the malaxation machine was modified by blowing pure oxygen from cylinders at specific stages of the process (i.e., 5, 15, 25, and 35 min after the start of malaxation), using a system that allows the automatic and continuous maintenanc…

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First results of iButton® loggers and infrared camera application inside a greenhouse

Greenhouse microclimate management (temperature, relative humidity) plays a very important role in order to optimize the production process improving pest and disease control, irrigation and energy efficiency. The systems mostly used in Sicily (south Italy) to record the ambient parameters are made up of fixed measuring stations able to give useful information about the climate inside the greenhouse limited to some pre-fixed points. In this study we texted a novel system made up of humidity and temperature data loggers (iButton®) placed inside a greenhouse. The iButton® temperature/humidity logger (DS1923) is a rugged, self-sufficient system that measures temperature and/or humidity and r…

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Un sistema innovativo per la misura in tempo reale delle vibrazioni trasmesse al sistema mano-braccio da scuotitori portatili per la raccolta agevolata delle olive

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Industry 4.0: smart test bench for shipbuilding industry

AbstractIndustry 4.0 promises to increase the efficiency of production plants and the quality of the final product. Consequently, companies that implement advanced solutions in production systems will have a competitive advantage in the future. The principles of Industry 4.0 can also be applied to shipyards to transform them into “smart shipyards” (Shipyard 4.0). The aim of this research is to implement an interactive approach by Internet of Things on a closed power-loop test bench equipped with sophisticated sensors that is specifically designed to test high-power thrusters before they are installed on high-speed crafts, which are used in passenger transport. The preliminary results of the…

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Optimization of Electrodeposited Nickel-Zinc Alloys for Alkaline Electrolyzer with Nanostructured Electrodes

It is common opinion that hydrogen will become increasingly important over time. However, many research efforts still need to be made to develop efficient, low-cost and carbon-free hydrogen production. In this context, electrolysers will play a key role, but it is necessary to develop efficient and low-cost electrode/electrocatalyst materials. In this work, Nickel-Zinc alloy electrodes with nanowires morphology were investigated as cathode for alkaline electrolyzer. Electrodes were obtained by the simple method of template electrosynthesis that is also inexpensive and scalable. Nanostructured electrodes were analysed by morphological and chemical analyses. The nanowires composition is depen…

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how to increase ship real time operational capabilities by integration of CBM, reliability presdiction, mission tasks and DSS: an overview of the eolon project

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Fabrication of CZTSe/CIGS Nanowire Arrays by One-Step Electrodeposition for Solar-Cell Application

The paper reports some preliminary results concerning the manufacturing process of CuZnSnSe (CZTSe) and CuInGaSe (CIGS) nanowire arrays obtained by one-step electrodeposition for p-n junction fabrication. CZTSe nanowires were obtained through electrodeposition in a polycarbonate membrane by applying a rectangular pulsed current, while their morphology was optimized by appropriately setting the potential and the electrolyte composition. The electrochemical parameters, including pH and composition of the solution, were optimized to obtain a mechanically stable array of nanowires. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and energy-dispersion spectros…

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Ni-Based Alloy Nanostructured Electrodes for Alkaline Electrolyzers

In water alkaline electrolyzer field, the development of Nickel-based nanostructured electrode is one of the possible ways to improve the water electrolysis efficiency

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Optimum scheduling of dual gripper robots

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Strategic resource management for human intensive project based up on a multi-mode multi objective genetic scheduler

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Energy consumption model of aerial urban logistic infrastructures

In the last decade, logistic systems based on small aerial vehicles (drones) have become attractive for urban delivery operations as a sustainable alternative to ground vehicles because they are not affected by the congestion of the road network, thus allowing for faster and more reliable services. Aerial logistic systems, however, require a substantially different approach to operations management and need specifically designed supportive infrastructures. While the research on urban aerial delivery mostly focuses on the optimization vehicle operations, the appropriate design of supportive infrastructures is seldom considered. This paper focuses on the energy efficiency of aerial logistic s…

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Optimization of urban delivery systems based on electric assisted cargo bikes with modular battery size, taking into account the service requirements and the specific operational context

The implementation of new forms of urban mobility is a fundamental challenge for improving the performance of city logistic systems in terms of efficiency and sustainability. For such purposes, the exploitation of electric vehicles is currently being investigated as an alternative to traditional internal combustion engines. In particular, the employment of lightweight electric cargo bikes is seen as an attractive possibility for designing improved city distribution systems. Such vehicles, however, present substantial limitations related to their endurance, speed, power, and recharging times; therefore, their configuration must be optimized considering the actual operational context and the …

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Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm for multimode job shop scheduling problem

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A multi-objective approach to facility layout problem by genetic search algotithm an ELECTRE method

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A survey on the supply chain risk exposure and treatment strategies in SMEs

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Real time assessment of hand-arm vibration system based on capacitive MEMS accelerometers

Vibrations are a well known potential cause of health diseases and therefore constitute a main concern for the safety of workers in a large number of activities. In order to prevent health hazards, national and international institutions have issued laws and directives which establish recommended limits to the workers' exposure to vibrations during operations. Consequently, if the amount of adsorbed vibration exceeds the allowable daily limits the worker has to stop his job. Recent wireless sensing and communicating technologies can effectively be employed for such purpose, allowing to develop monitoring customized devices at affordable cost which could be easily employed during the workers…

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DOPAMINE ELECTROCHEMICAL SENSOR BASED ON REDUCED GRAPHENE OXIDE AND METAL NANOPARTICLES

Dopamine (DA) is one of the most important neurotransmitters released from the brain, and is involved in many different biological processes. This neurotransmitter influences the processes that involve memory, sleep, mood, learning, and so on. Besides, in the last years, dopamine concentration in human body fluids has been related to some neurodegenerative pathologies, such as Parkinson and Alzheimer’s diseases [1]. It is well known that these pathologies are due to the formation of amyloids plaques that block part of the brain. Many literature data reports that DAergic neurons (areas of midbrain where DA is synthesized) shows a different activity when amyloid plaques are present with a con…

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Green and Integrated Wearable Electrochemical Sensor for Chloride Detection in Sweat

Wearable sensors for sweat biomarkers can provide facile analyte capability and monitoring for several diseases. In this work, a green wearable sensor for sweat absorption and chloride sensing is presented. In order to produce a sustainable device, polylactic acid (PLA) was used for both the substrate and the sweat absorption pad fabrication. The sensor material for chloride detection consisted of silver-based reference, working, and counter electrodes obtained from upcycled compact discs. The PLA substrates were prepared by thermal bonding of PLA sheets obtained via a flat die extruder, prototyped in single functional layers via CO2 laser cutting, and bonded via hot-press. The effect of co…

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Preliminary analysis of warehouse localization systems based on RFID technology

In the industrial warehouse design domain, today's computerized information systems have gained a relevant interest due to the issues related to asset tracking and traceability. In such context, the employment of new information technologies on warehouse management systems has opened new business opportunities due to the sensible price reduction in the last years. This paper focuses on the technical issues related to the realization of wireless localization systems for warehouses, which are necessary for the implementation of random allocation policies, and in particular investigates the opportunities offered by RFID technology in such context. The enforcement of random allocation policies …

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CROSS-DOCKING TRANSSHIPMENT PROBLEM APPROACHED BY NON LINEAR PROGRAMMING AND SIMULATION ANALYSIS

The need for fast product delivery causes the attention of supply chain is addressed to strategies able to optimize the distribution process. In this field the crossdocking seems to be an efficient strategy which makes possible to reduce or eliminate the storage phase by meeting customer demand. In this paper a transshipment problem for cross-docking strategy is considered by means of a deterministic model studied through the non linear programming technique. The solution found allows to determine the optimal quantities to ship, the number of routes activated and the optimal truck number when the constraint on truck capacity is enforced. The influence of the demand fluctuation is also addre…

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Clean Agent Selection Approached by Fuzzy TOPSIS Decision-Making Method

Abstract. It is well known that halons are ozone-depleting substances and their release into the atmosphere has contributed in the last decades to the reduction in the ozone layer. In consequence to the Montreal Protocol, an international agreement designed to gradually eliminate the use of such substances, fire protection industry researchers faced the challenge of finding effective solutions to replace halon extinguishers. This research aims to provide a method to support the decision maker in the selection of the most suitable extinguisher substance for a specific application. According to such framework, a set of quantitative and qualitative criteria has been established in the decision…

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Wearable sensor for real-time monitoring of oxidative stress

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Wearable sensor for real-time monitoring of hydrogen peroxide in simulated breath

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Electrochemical detection of uric acid and ascorbic acid using r-GO/NPs based sensors

Abstract A sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor, based on reduced graphene oxide and gold nanoparticles obtained by simple co-electrodeposition, was developed for the detection of uric acid and ascorbic acid. Because of the electrochemical oxidation of both uric and ascorbic acid depending on the pH, the sensor performances were studied at different pH values. Excellent results were obtained for uric acid detection in a linear range from 10 to 500 µmol dm−3 with a sensitivity of 0.31 µA cm−2 µM−1. A limit of detection and quantification of 3.6 µM and 10.95 µmol dm−3, respectively, was calculated. Sensors showed good selectivity toward different interfering species present in the m…

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Electrochemical Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanostructures on Flexible Substrate and Application as an Electrochemical Immunoglobulin-G Immunosensor

Immunoglobulin G (IgG), a type of antibody, represents approximately 75% of serum antibodies in humans, and is the most common type of antibody found in blood circulation. Consequently, the development of simple, fast and reliable systems for IgG detection, which can be achieved using electrochemical sandwich-type immunosensors, is of considerable interest. In this study we have developed an immunosensor for human (H)-IgG using an inexpensive and very simple fabrication method based on ZnO nanorods (NRs) obtained through the electrodeposition of ZnO. The ZnO NRs were treated by electrodepositing a layer of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to ensure an easy immobilization of the antibodies. On I…

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An expert system for vineyard management based upon ubiquitous network technologies

Vineyard operations for quality wines production are currently based upon costly and time-consuming manual sampling operations required to assess the maturity phases of grapevines. The ripening process however is significantly influenced by the environmental parameters which nowadays can be effectively monitored by means of ubiquitous computing technologies. Besides the possibility of gathering data, hence, suitable tools are required to support the vineyard management process. The present research concerns the development of an expert system to effectively manage the vineyard operations. The methodology is based on the analysis of the time series of indices related to the maturation phases…

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Electrochemical detection of dopamine with negligible interference from ascorbic and uric acid by means of reduced graphene oxide and metals-NPs based electrodes.

Abstract Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter involved in many human biological processes as well as in different neurodegenerative diseases. Monitoring the concentration of dopamine in biological fluids, i.e., blood and urine is an effective way of accelerating the early diagnosis of these types of diseases. Electrochemical sensors are an ideal choice for real-time screening of dopamine as they can achieve fast, portable inexpensive and accurate measurements. In this work, we present electrochemical dopamine sensors based on reduced graphene oxide coupled with Au or Pt nanoparticles. Sensors were developed by co-electrodeposition onto a flexible substrate, and a systematic investigati…

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Sistema de monitorización en continuo a tiempo real de la concentración de oxígeno durante el batido para la producción de aceite de oliva virgen

During the mechanical extraction process of Virgin Olive Oil (VOO) some important physical phenomena and enzymatic transformations occur which influence the quality of the final product. The control of process parameters is crucial to ensure the quality of VOO, therefore process monitoring and control is a fundamental requirement in the modern VOO processing industry. The present work proposes an innovative Real-Time Monitoring System (RTMS) aimed at continuously measuring the oxygen concentration during the malaxation process in order to establish a correlation with the quality of the final product obtained. This monitoring system is based on an oxygen concentration sensor directly connect…

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Computer Model fo arterial bio-mechanics. Evaluation of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm wall through Finite Element Analysis

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Electrochemical detection of chloride ions using Ag-based electrodes obtained from compact disc

Abstract In this work electrochemical sensors fabricated from compact disc material (waste or new) are used to quantify chloride ions in different types of samples. All three electrodes, working, counter, and pseudo-reference electrodes, were fabricated from the compact disc and directly used. Different parameters were studied in order to demonstrate the possibility of using this waste material for efficient and low-cost electrochemical sensors. Chloride sensing performance was evaluated using linear scan voltammetry as the detection technique. A sensitivity of 0.174 mA mM−1 cm−2 with a limit of detection of 20 μM and excellent selectivity against many interferents was observed. Selectivity…

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MODELLO COMPUTERIZZATO DI BIOMECCANICA ARTERIOSA: VALUTAZIONE DELLA PARETE DI ANEURISMA ROTTO DELL’AORTA ADDOMINALE TRAMITE ANALISI AGLI ELEMENTI FINITI

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ANALYSIS OF A WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM BY MEANS OF SIMULATION EXPERIMENTS

The supply chains for perishable products are nowadays affected by significant wastes and losses. Their management hence requires optimized approaches in order to remove such inefficiencies. In particular optimized warehouse management policies is a well established research topic which has been recently enriched with specific formulations for deteriorating stocks and shelf life based picking rules. In such context the proposed research aims at investigating the optimal warehouse management policy, taking into account the effects of uncertainty by means of simulation and approaching the effect of optimal picking rules. In the proposed approach, on the basis of a Weibull deterioration proces…

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Nanostructured Electrodes For Biosensing: An Innovative Technology With Huge Potential Applications

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fuzzy approach to the robust facility layout in uncertain production environments

The proposed method approaches the problem of the optimal facility layout using fuzzy theory. The optimal layout is a robust layout that minimizes the total material handling cost, when the product market demands are uncertain variables, which are defined as fuzzy numbers. Since each department has a limited production capacity, not all possible combinations, deriving from each product's market demand, are taken into account because some combination could exceed the overall department's productivity. Therefore, the optimal solution results by solving a 'constrained' fuzzy optimization problem, in which the fuzzy material handling costs corresponding to the layouts are evaluated, and a ranki…

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Monitoring Risk Factors and Improving Adherence to Therapy in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease (Smit-CKD Project): Pilot Observational Study

Background Chronic kidney disease is a major public health issue, with about 13% of the general adult population and 30% of the elderly affected. Patients in the last stage of this disease have an almost uniquely high risk of death and cardiovascular events, with reduced adherence to therapy representing an additional risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Considering the increased penetration of mobile phones, a mobile app could educate patients to autonomously monitor cardiorenal risk factors. Objective With this background in mind, we developed an integrated system of a server and app with the aim of improving self-monitoring of cardiovascular and renal risk factors and…

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Experimental analysis of shelf life based inventory management policies for RIFD enabled supply chains

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