Search results for "CONST"
showing 10 items of 7706 documents
The Discursive Constitution of a World-Spanning Region and the Role of Empty Signifiers: The Case of Francophonia
2007
The cultural turn in political science, history, and political geography has opened new perspectives on the division of the world into geographic entities. Nation-states, regions, districts, etc., are no longer qualified as quasi-natural objects based upon intrinsic qualities but, rather, as contingent results of social or accordingly discursive processes. The Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) defines Francophonia as an “geocultural space” (espace geoculturel) and an international community of more than 50 states. In this contribution, the concept of political communities as “imagined communities” and the advancements of discourse theory by Laclau and Mouffe are used in o…
Chemical Constituents and Biological Properties of Genus Doronicum (Asteraceae)
2021
The genus Doronicum, belonging to tribe Senecioneae (Fam. Asteraceae), is found mainly in the Asia, Europe and North Africa. This genus of plant has always been used in traditional medicinal treatments due to the many biological properties shown such as killing parasitic worms and for relieving constipation, as well as to improve heart health, to alleviate pain and inflammation, to treat insect bites, etc. According to the World Flora the genus Doronicum contains 39 subordinate taxa.[1-3] The purpose of this article, which covers data published from 1970 to 2021 with more than 110 articles, aims to carry out a complete and critical review of the Doronicum genus, examining traditional uses a…
Flow resistance in gravel-bed channels with large-scale roughness
2003
A previously published mixing length (ML) model for evaluating the Darcy–Weisbach friction factor for a large-scale roughness condition (depth to sediment height ratio ranging from 1 to 4) is briefly reviewed and modified (MML). Then the MML model and a modified drag (MD) model are experimentally tested using laboratory measurements carried out for gravel-bed channels and large-scale roughness condition. This analysis showed that the MML gives accurate estimates of the Darcy–Weisbach coefficient and for Froude number values greater than 0·5 the MML model coincides with the ML one. Testing of the MD model shows limited accuracy in estimating flow resistance. Finally, the MML and MD models are com…
Constructal law optimization of a boiler
2017
The paper aims at the optimization of the design of a biomass boiler under the inspiration of the Constructal Law by Bejan. The boiler is of the smoke tubes typology, fuel being biomass pellets. The smoke tubes are 16 and are placed in a staggered configuration. A model is built in MATLAB environment, based on empirical correlations and the mean log temperature methodology. The analysis is based on the development of a wide parametric analysis that involves variations of diameters, numbers and positioning of the tubes. Results are based on the concept of the overall performance coefficient methodology and investigate both the pressure drops variation and the thermal power generated in the d…
Efficient finite-difference scheme for solving some heat transfer problems with convection in multilayer media
2000
Abstract An efficient finite-difference method for solving the heat transfer equation with piecewise discontinuous coefficients in a multilayer domain is developed. The method may be considered as a generalization of the finite-volumes method for the layered systems. We apply this method with the aim to reduce the 3D or 2D problem to the corresponding series of 2D or 1D problems. In the case of constant piecewise coefficients, we obtain the exact discrete approximation of the steady-state 1D boundary-value problem.
An MAS-based subjective model for indoor adaptive thermal comfort
2015
The achievement of high level personalized sets of comfort parameters is contemplated within the more general context of the so-called smart buildings, where people, by means of the new communication technologies, become active actors to the process of the singling out and control of the best indoor conditions. This Dynamic Intelligence approach would usefully contribute to a better energy efficient and environmental friendly management of buildings. Multi-Agent schemes are suitable tools in this aim, since they are able to manage the user-building-plant system where the adaptivity of people to the indoor conditions is suitably achieved. In this paper a contribution to a development of the …
A Constructal Law optimization of a boiler inspired by Life Cycle thinking
2018
Abstract The aim of the paper is to explore how design optimization contributes to a technology's ecological evolution. The article develops this concept through an application of Constructal Law, used to account for the “evolution” of technologies design (configuration, shape, structure, pattern, rhythm), and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), used for quantifying the environmental impacts of the design choices. The combination of both methods assesses how technology evolution affects the environment during its life, extending the concept of evolution of design. The study is applied to a case study of a real biomass boiler. The study analyses basic case and a series of alternative scenarios opti…
Stochastic multicriteria evaluation of district heating systems considering the uncertainties
2018
It is of great importance to choose a suitable district heating (DH) system for a specific DH area from the economics, environment and energy (3E) points of view. This is a multicriteria decision making problem, in which the criteria performance values (PVs) and weighting are characterized by uncertain or imprecise information. In this study, seven candidate DH systems are evaluated from the viewpoints of 3E by the stochastic multicriteria acceptability analysis (SMAA) method. SMAA is able to handle the uncertainties of the criteria PVs and the weighting at the same time. These uncertainties are very common and typical in real-life, but in most cases are not treated judiciously or just negl…
Constraints on the spatial variation of Planck constant
2021
AbstractInspired by recently published researches, we present two protocols for setting an upper limit to the claimed variation of$$\hbar $$ħupon the position. The protocols, both within today state of art, involve the use of two delayed laser pulses driving an atom. The distinct positions of the laboratory, due to the Earth motion, affects$$\hbar $$ħand hence the atomic dynamics. The first protocol measures the difference in population of the atomic ground state while the second one the red-shift of the harmonics emitted by the atom in the two moments of the experiment. The protocols improve the reported upper limit of$$\varDelta \hbar /\hbar $$Δħ/ħ. The theory shows that$$\hbar (\varvec{r…
The Virtual Reconstruction of the Aesculapius and Hygeia Statues from the Sanctuary of Isis in Lilybaeum: Methods and Tools for Ancient Sculptures’ E…
2022
Thanks to recent technological developments in 3D surveys, computer graphics and virtual reality, new scenarios have been opened for the documentation and enhancement of ancient sculptures. When not totally preserved, sculptures can be digitally reproduced, modified and visualized to simulate their physical or virtual reconstruction in a non-invasive way for specialists or for dissemination aims. The virtual sculptural reconstruction process starts usually from the 3D survey of real fragments, and then continues by integrating missing parts with 3D modelling techniques by means of source evaluation. Along with primary data sources (reality-based model), secondary data sources (photos, drawi…