Search results for "nomo"

Near zero energy islands in the Mediterranean: Supporting policies and local obstacles

2014

Abstract Based on a recent technical–economical analysis on the island of Pantelleria, a policy feasibility study for a complete upgrading of the energy system of this Mediterranean Island is carried out. Pantelleria, situated between Sicily and Africa, owns a large potential in terms of renewable energy resources, although there are some obstacles in turning it into a Near Zero Energy system. Starting from a deep energy system audit, the study proposes the project for a near zero energy island, through the efficient transformation of the different existing natural energy resources into electrical energy and heat: the solar, the wind-based and the geothermal systems. In this way, the island…

Depositional environment and biofacies characterisation of the Triassic (Carnian to Rhaetian) carbonate succession of Punta Bassano (Marettimo Island…

2007

AThe aims of this study are to reconstruct the geological setting of the Punta Bassano series (Marettimo Island, Egadi Archipelago, western Sicily) and its palaeogeographic evolution. The reference section for the Upper Triassic of Marettimo shows an alternation of marl and limestone beds together with brecciated levels. The limestones are both homogeneous mudstones with evaporite pseudomorphs and laminated with fenestrae. Foraminiferal, palynomorph, and ostracod associations constrain the Punta Bassano sequence to the Carnian-Rhaetian interval. The Punta Bassano succession represents a shallow inner ramp, ranging from open-marine environment with good water circulation to lagoonal and peri…

An adaptation of the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale in Spanish youth

2020

Abstract Background Enhancing students’ critical thinking (CT) is an essential goal of higher education. Although there are many instruments to assess its cognitive dimension, this is not so in the case of dispositional thinking. Our aim is to examine the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS; Sosu, 2013). Method Data come from 1064 students in their final years at high school and university in Spain. We report validity evidence based on its internal structure by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and an estimation of reliability and measurement invariance by gender. Additionally, nomological validity study with a multiple-indicator …

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Explosives Detection

2019

As of 2017, there are an estimated 100 million abandoned land mines littered across 61 countries. Following the wars in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine, there has been a rise in casualties due to the triggering of previously-abandoned explosive devices. The above institutions combined specialties to develop a remotely-operable, multisensor, robotic device for the detection of land mines, UXO (1), and IEDs (2). The robotic detection device uses novel subsurface radar with imaging and target classification to differentiate between threatening landmines and innocuous clutter. The expected outcome of this research is the creation of a multi-sensor system on a semi-autonomous vehic…

Land invertebrates of Columbretes Islands : new species

2020

Este artículo se encuentra disponible en la siguiente URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/4/1776 La fauna terrestre de invertebrados del archipiélago protegido de Columbretes es poco conocida. Además, los pocos estudios existentes se centran en su isla principal, Illa Grossa. Aquí presentamos el listado de espe-cies de invertebrados no registradas, hasta el momento, en el archipiélago, resultados obtenidos mediante una combinación de capturas con trampas de caída, avistamientos y recolecciones aleatorias realizadas tanto en Illa Grossa como en otros tres islotes de este archipiélago. Mediante el primer método se recolectaron un total de 14.830 especímenes entre 2008-2011. La mayor cantid…

Are functional gi disorders gastroenterological or neurological diseases?

2009

On Leonov’s method for computing the linearization of the transverse dynamics and analysis of Zhukovsky stability

2019

The paper focuses on a comprehensive discussion of G. A. Leonov’s results aimed at analyzing the Zhukovsky stability of a solution to a nonlinear autonomous system by linearization. The main contribution is deriving the linear system that approximates dynamics of the original nonlinear systems transverse to the vector-flow on a nominal behavior. As illustrated, such a linear comparison system becomes instrumental in the analysis and re-design of classical feedback controllers developed previously for the stabilization of motions of nonlinear mechanical systems.

Interpretable Option Discovery Using Deep Q-Learning and Variational Autoencoders

2021

Deep Reinforcement Learning (RL) is unquestionably a robust framework to train autonomous agents in a wide variety of disciplines. However, traditional deep and shallow model-free RL algorithms suffer from low sample efficiency and inadequate generalization for sparse state spaces. The options framework with temporal abstractions [18] is perhaps the most promising method to solve these problems, but it still has noticeable shortcomings. It only guarantees local convergence, and it is challenging to automate initiation and termination conditions, which in practice are commonly hand-crafted.

Disrupting immune regulation incurs transient costs in male reproductive function.

2014

9 pages; International audience; BACKGROUND: Immune protection against pathogenic organisms has been shown to incur costs. Previous studies investigating the cost of immunity have mostly focused on the metabolic requirements of immune maintenance and activation. In addition to these metabolic costs, the immune system can induce damage to the host if the immune response is mis-targeted or over-expressed. Given its non-specific nature, an over-expressed inflammatory response is often associated with substantial damage for the host. Here, we investigated the cost of an over-expressed inflammatory response in the reproductive function of male mice. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We experimenta…

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers detect a single phenotype in Lysimachia minoricensis J.J. Rodr. (Primulaceae), a wild extinct plant

2000

Lysimachia minoricensis is a Mediterranean (Balearic Islands) endemic that is extinct in the wild but extant in botanical gardens. Previously, no variation at 22 isozyme loci was revealed in more than 150 analysed plants. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis was used to examine genetic variation among five individuals from each of eight botanical garden accessions (40 plants). No polymorphisms were detected at 201 amplified bands. This is the first report of RAPD monomorphism in a nonapomictic vascular plant. The lack of detectable genetic variation suggests that an extremely reduced gene pool was recovered in the field before its extinction. Although the screening of other geno…