Film based on Y2O3: Eu3+ (5 mol% of Eu3+) for flat panel display

This paper reports on Y2O3:Eu3+ containing 1 mol% of Ag-0 nanoparticle films recovered with a SiO2 layer by using glass foil as a substrate for a possible optical display device application. The obtained film showed an intense emission at 612 nm due to the Eu3+ 5D0 -> F-7(2) hypersensitive transition, a high transmittance in that emission range, an excellent optical quality, and a high absorption only below 300 nm. Moreover, despite the presence of the SiO2 layer used to improve the phosphor adhesion on Corning (R) foil substrates, the intensity ratios between the emissions assigned to Eu3+ D-5(0) -> F-7(2) (dipole electric transition) and D-5(0) -> F-7(1) (dipole magnetic transition) were not affected by it. The x and y coordinate values found in the 1931 Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage Chromaticity Diagram for this film reveal that it has a suitable pure red color emission for optical displays devices. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.

Quantum motion in superposition of Aharonov-Bohm with some additional electromagnetic fields

The structure of additional electromagnetic fields to the Aharonov-Bohm field, for which the Schrodinger, Klein-Gordon, and Dirac equations can be solved exactly are described and the corresponding exact solutions are found. It is demonstrated that aside from the known cases (a constant and uniform magnetic field that is parallel to the Aharonov-Bohm solenoid, a static spherically symmetrical electric field, and the field of a magnetic monopole), there are broad classes of additional fields. Among these new additional fields we have physically interesting electric fields acting during a finite time or localized in a restricted region of space. There are additional time-dependent uniform and isotropic electric fields that allow exact solutions of the Schrodinger equation. In the relativistic case there are additional electric fields propagating along the Aharonov-Bohm solenoid with arbitrary electric pulse shape. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4714352]

Optimal Supervisory Control of Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid vehicles (HV), comprising a conventional ICE-based powertrain and a secondary energy source, to be converted into mechanical power as well, represent a well-established alternative to substantially reduce both fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions of passenger cars. Several HV architectures are either being studied or already available on market, e.g. Mechanical, Electric, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Hybrid Vehicles. Among the others, Electric (HEV) and Mechanical (HSF-HV) parallel Hybrid configurations are examined throughout this Thesis. To fully exploit the HVs potential, an optimal choice of the hybrid components to be installed must be properly designed, while an effective Supervisory Control must be adopted to coordinate the way the different power sources are managed and how they interact. Real-time controllers can be derived starting from the obtained optimal benchmark results. However, the application of these powerful instruments require a simplified and yet reliable and accurate model of the hybrid vehicle system. This can be a complex task, especially when the complexity of the system grows, i.e. a HSF-HV system assessed in this Thesis. The first task of the following dissertation is to establish the optimal modeling approach for an innovative and promising mechanical hybrid vehicle architecture. It will be shown how the chosen modeling paradigm can affect the goodness and the amount of computational effort of the solution, using an optimization technique based on Dynamic Programming. The second goal concerns the control of pollutant emissions in a parallel Diesel-HEV. The emissions level obtained under real world driving conditions is substantially higher than the usual result obtained in a homologation cycle. For this reason, an on-line control strategy capable of guaranteeing the respect of the desired emissions level, while minimizing fuel consumption and avoiding excessive battery depletion is the target of the corresponding section of the Thesis.

Vancomycin-resistente Enterokokken (VRE) bei Patienten und in der aquatischen Umwelt

Vancomycin-resistente Enterokokken (VRE) treten als Erreger von nosokomialen Infektionen immer häufiger auf und schränken die Therapiemöglichkeiten deutlich ein. In den eigenen Untersuchungen wurde das Vorkommen von Vancomycin-resistenten Enterococcus faecium (VREf) bei Patienten und in der aquatischen Umwelt (Abwasser und Oberflächenwasser) über einen Zeitraum von sechs Jahren (2004 bis 2009) untersucht. Eine Genotypisierung mittels Pulsfeld-Gelelektrophorese (PFGE) von 294 VREf sollte Aufschluss über genetische Verwandtschaften geben. rnEs konnte gezeigt werden, dass VREf in der aquatischen Umwelt weit verbreitet sind. In Bezug auf ihre genetische Diversität zeigten sie ein breites Spektrum an Variabilität. Ebenso konnte im zeitlichen Auftreten von VREf-Typen eine Dynamik beobachtet werden, wodurch sich Veränderungen der Population mit zeitlichem Wechsel ergaben. Enge Verwandtschaften zwischen VREf von Patienten und VREf aus der aquatischen Umwelt konnten nachgewiesen werden. Für zwei VREf gelang der Nachweis des Eintrags in die aquatische Umwelt, von Patienten aus dem Krankenhaus als Eintragsquelle ausgehend, während Zeiten eines Ausbruchs mit nosokomialen Erregern auf den Stationen. rnZusätzlich zur VREf-Population wurden außerdem die Wirkungsweise und Effizienz einer Elektroimpulsanlage untersucht, um ein zukunftsorientiertes Verfahren zur Desinfektion von bakteriell belasteten Abwässern zu entwickeln. Weiterführend wurde getestet, inwiefern sich verschiedene klinisch relevante VREf durch ein gepulstes elektrisches Feld abtöten lassen. rnEs konnte gezeigt werden, dass das synergistische Zusammenwirken des elektrischen Feldes und der Prozesstemperatur die Höhe der Keimzahlreduktion der Enterokokken beeinflussen. Dabei wurde eine isolatabhängige Elektroresistenz der VREf gegenüber gepulsten elektrischen Feldern bewiesen. Die untersuchten VREf ließen sich, im Gegensatz zu einem Vancomycin-sensiblen Stamm, nicht effizient durch die Elektroimpulsanlage abtöten, was den praktischen Einsatz einer solchen Elektroimpulsanlage als wirkungsvolles Desinfektionsverfahren in Frage stellte.

Feasibility studies of the pp pi 0 e + e - electromagnetic channel at PANDA

Among all possible realizations of quark and antiquark assembly, the nucleon (the proton and the neutron) is the most stable of all hadrons and consequently has been the subject of intensive studies. Mass, shape, radius and more complex representations of its internal structure are measured since several decades using different probes. The proton (spin 1/2) is described by the electric GE and magnetic GM form factors which characterise its internal structure. The simplest way to measure the proton form factors consists in measuring the angular distribution of the electron-proton elastic scattering accessing the so-called Space-Like region where q2 < 0. Using the crossed channel antiproton proton <--> e+e-, one accesses another kinematical region, the so-called Time-Like region where q2 > 0. However, due to the antiproton proton <--> e+e- threshold q2th, only the kinematical domain q2 > q2th > 0 is available. To access the unphysical region, one may use the antiproton proton --> pi0 e+ e- reaction where the pi0 takes away a part of the system energy allowing q2 to be varied between q2th and almost 0. This thesis aims to show the feasibility of such measurements with the PANDA detector which will be installed on the new high intensity antiproton ring at the FAIR facility at Darmstadt. To describe the antiproton proton --> pi0 e+ e- reaction, a Lagrangian based approach is developed. The 5-fold differential cross section is determined and related to linear combinations of hadronic tensors. Under the assumption of one nucleon exchange, the hadronic tensors are expressed in terms of the 2 complex proton electromagnetic form factors. An extraction method which provides an access to the proton electromagnetic form factor ratio R = |GE|/|GM| and for the first time in an unpolarized experiment to the cosine of the phase difference is developed. Such measurements have never been performed in the unphysical region up to now. Extended simulations were performed to show how the ratio R and the cosine can be extracted from the positron angular distribution. Furthermore, a model is developed for the antiproton proton --> pi0 pi+ pi- background reaction considered as the most dangerous one. The background to signal cross section ratio was estimated under different cut combinations of the particle identification information from the different detectors and of the kinematic fits. The background contribution can be reduced to the percent level or even less. The corresponding signal efficiency ranges from a few % to 30%. The precision on the determination of the ratio R and of the cosine is determined using the expected counting rates via Monte Carlo method. A part of this thesis is also dedicated to more technical work with the study of the prototype of the electromagnetic calorimeter and the determination of its resolution.

A multi-instrumental approach to the study of equatorial ionosphere over South America

An extensive study of the morphology and the dynamics of the equatorial ionosphere over South America is presented here. A multi parametric approach is used to describe the physical characteristics of the ionosphere in the regions where the combination of the thermospheric electric field and the horizontal geomagnetic field creates the so-called Equatorial Ionization Anomalies. Ground based measurements from GNSS receivers are used to link the Total Electron Content (TEC), its spatial gradients and the phenomenon known as scintillation that can lead to a GNSS signal degradation or even to a GNSS signal ‘loss of lock’. A new algorithm to highlight the features characterizing the TEC distribution is developed in the framework of this thesis and the results obtained are validated and used to improve the performance of a GNSS positioning technique (long baseline RTK). In addition, the correlation between scintillation and dynamics of the ionospheric irregularities is investigated. By means of a software, here implemented, the velocity of the ionospheric irregularities is evaluated using high sampling rate GNSS measurements. The results highlight the parallel behaviour of the amplitude scintillation index (S4) occurrence and the zonal velocity of the ionospheric irregularities at least during severe scintillations conditions (post-sunset hours). This suggests that scintillations are driven by TEC gradients as well as by the dynamics of the ionospheric plasma. Finally, given the importance of such studies for technological applications (e.g. GNSS high-precision applications), a validation of the NeQuick model (i.e. the model used in the new GALILEO satellites for TEC modelling) is performed. The NeQuick performance dramatically improves when data from HF radar sounding (ionograms) are ingested. A custom designed algorithm, based on the image recognition technique, is developed to properly select the ingested data, leading to further improvement of the NeQuick performance.

Analisi idrogeologica dell'area carsica dei Monti Alburni (Salerno, Campania)

The Alburni Massif is the most important karstic area in southern Italy and It contains about 250 caves. Most of these caves are located on the plateau, between 1500 m a.s.l. and 700 m a.s.l., and only a few reach the underground streams that feed the springs and the deep aquifer. The main springs are Grotta di Pertosa-Auletta (CP1) and Auso spring (CP31), both located at 280 m a.s.l., the first on the south-eastern margin whereas the second on south-west margin, and the springs present in Castelcivita area, the Castelcivita-Ausino system (CP2) and Mulino di Castelcivita spring (CP865), located at 60 m a.s.l.. Some other secondary springs are present too. We have monitored Pertosa-Auletta’s spring with a multiparameter logger. This logger has registered data from November 2014 to December 2015 regarding water level, electric conductivity and temperature. The hydrodynamic monitoring has been supported by a sampling campaign in order to obtain chemical water analyses. The work was done from August 2014 to December 2015, not only at Pertosa but also at all the other main springs, and in some caves. It was possible to clarify the behavior of Pertosa-Auletta’s spring, almost exclusively fed by full charge conduits, only marginally affected by seasonal rains. Pertosa-Auletta showed a characteristic Mg/Ca ratio and Mg2+ enrichment, as demonstrated by its saturation index that always showed a dolomite saturation. All other spring have characteristic waters from a chemical point of view. In particular, it highlights the great balance between the components dissolved in the waters of Mulino’ spring opposed to the variability of the nearby Castelcivita-Ausino spring. Regarding the Auso spring the variable behavior in terms of discharge and chemistry is confirmed, greatly influenced by rainfall and, during drought periods, by full charge conduits. Rare element concentrations were also analyzed and allowed to characterize further the different waters. Based on all these data an updated hydrogeological map of the Alburni massif has been drawn, that defines in greater detail the hydrogeological complexes on the basis of lithologies, and therefore of their chemical characteristics.

Heart failure gene therapy: the path to clinical practice

Gene therapy, aimed at the correction of key pathologies being out of reach for conventional drugs, bears the potential to alter the treatment of cardiovascular diseases radically and thereby of heart failure. Heart failure gene therapy refers to a therapeutic system of targeted drug delivery to the heart that uses formulations of DNA and RNA, whose products determine the therapeutic classification through their biological actions. Among resident cardiac cells, cardiomyocytes have been the therapeutic target of numerous attempts to regenerate systolic and diastolic performance, to reverse remodeling and restore electric stability and metabolism. Although the concept to intervene directly within the genetic and molecular foundation of cardiac cells is simple and elegant, the path to clinical reality has been arduous because of the challenge on delivery technologies and vectors, expression regulation, and complex mechanisms of action of therapeutic gene products. Nonetheless, since the first demonstration of in vivo gene transfer into myocardium, there have been a series of advancements that have driven the evolution of heart failure gene therapy from an experimental tool to the threshold of becoming a viable clinical option. The objective of this review is to discuss the current state of the art in the field and point out inevitable innovations on which the future evolution of heart failure gene therapy into an effective and safe clinical treatment relies.

Successful surgical resection in non-lesional operculo-insular epilepsy without intracranial monitoring

Pre-operative assessment and surgical management of patients with non-lesional extratemporal epilepsy remain challenging due to a lack of precise localisation of the epileptic zone. In most cases, invasive recording with depth or subdural electrodes is required. Here, we describe the case of 6.5-year-old girl who underwent comprehensive non-invasive phase I video-EEG investigation for drug-resistant epilepsy, including electric source and nuclear imaging. Left operculo-insular epilepsy was diagnosed. Post-operatively, she developed aphasia which resolved within one year, corroborating the notion of enhanced language plasticity in children. The patient remained seizure-free for more than three years.

Ion channel macromolecular complexes in cardiomyocytes: roles in sudden cardiac death.

The movement of ions across specific channels embedded on the membrane of individual cardiomyocytes is crucial for the generation and propagation of the cardiac electric impulse. Emerging evidence over the past 20 years strongly suggests that the normal electric function of the heart is the result of dynamic interactions of membrane ion channels working in an orchestrated fashion as part of complex molecular networks. Such networks work together with exquisite temporal precision to generate each action potential and contraction. Macromolecular complexes play crucial roles in transcription, translation, oligomerization, trafficking, membrane retention, glycosylation, post-translational modification, turnover, function, and degradation of all cardiac ion channels known to date. In addition, the accurate timing of each cardiac beat and contraction demands, a comparable precision on the assembly and organizations of sodium, calcium, and potassium channel complexes within specific subcellular microdomains, where physical proximity allows for prompt and efficient interaction. This review article, part of the Compendium on Sudden Cardiac Death, discusses the major issues related to the role of ion channel macromolecular assemblies in normal cardiac electric function and the mechanisms of arrhythmias leading to sudden cardiac death. It provides an idea of how these issues are being addressed in the laboratory and in the clinic, which important questions remain unanswered, and what future research will be needed to improve knowledge and advance therapy.

AN INVESTIGATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC AIR CONTAMINANTS IN THE INDOOR MANUFACTURED HOUSING ENVIRONMENT (TEXAS)

Manufactured housing has been found to have substantial levels of formaldehyde in the indoor air. Because mobile homes are more affordable than conventional housing, there has been a large increase in their use in the U.S. This increase in mobile home use has been substantial in the sunbelt regions such as Texas, where high temperatures and humidities may enhance out-gassing of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds from construction and furnishing materials and increase any potential health hazards.^ The influences of environmental, architectural and temporal factors on the presence of indoor formaldehyde and other organic compounds were investigated in conjunction with the Texas Indoor Air Quality Study of manufactured housing. A matched pair of mobile homes, one with electric heating and cooking utilities and the other with propane gas utilities, were used for a series of controlled experiments over a fourteen month period from October, 1982 through November, 1983.^ Over this fourteen month period formaldehyde levels decreased approximately 33%. Daily fluctuations of 20% to 40% were observed even with a constant indoor temperature. An increase in indoor temperature of 8(DEGREES)C doubled the measured formaldehyde concentration. Opening windows resulted in decreases of indoor formaldehyde levels of up to 50%. Studies of the impact of propane as a cooking source showed no increase in formaldehyde levels with stove use.^ The presence and concentration of selected volatile organic compounds is influenced greatest by occupancy. Occupants continually open and close windows and doors, vary the operation and settings (temperature) of air control systems, and vary in their selection of furnishings and use of consumer products, which may act as sources of indoor air contaminants. ^

Estado, cooperativismo eléctrico y electrificación rural. La experiencia cordobesa entre 1930 y 1980

Pese a que el movimiento cooperativo eléctrico de Córdoba es uno de los más importantes del país y en la actualidad mueve gran parte de la economía del interior provincial, su surgimiento y desarrollo es una cuestión que aún no ha sido suficientemente tratada por la historiografía local. De allí la decisión de abordar tal temática que en este artículo se analiza desde la perspectiva de las relaciones entre el desarrollo del cooperativismo eléctrico y la expansión de la intervención del Estado en el sector eléctrico, pero prestando especial atención a los avances de la electrificación en el sector rural. Ese análisis abarca un amplio periodo de medio siglo, entre la aparición de las primeras cooperativas eléctricas y el momento en que, desde el punto de vista eléctrico, la provincia mediterránea deja de constituir un sistema independiente y se incorpora al sistema interconectado nacional, y muestra el papel jugado por esas entidades en el proceso de electrificación del campo que es un capítulo importante en el desarrollo eléctrico argentino y en el que las cooperativas eléctricas fueron precursoras, mucho antes de que el tema preocupase a los poderes públicos y cuando la política de las empresas privadas, atenidas a la rentabilidad, no planificó ni un metro de línea rural. Las cooperativas, en cambio, demostraron ser capaces de hacer electrificación rural con eficiencia.

La Cooperativa de Luz y Fuerza de Río Tercero: una institución al servicio de su comunidad, 1933- 1953

En nuestro país, las cooperativas eléctricas surgieron a partir de la década de 1920 como reacción popular frente a las elevadas tarifas y al deficiente servicio proporcionado por las empresas de capital extranjero que tenían a su cargo la generación y la distribución de energía. La provincia de Córdoba no fue ajena a este fenómeno, en este artículo nos proponemos mostrar las circunstancias en que surgió la Cooperativa de Luz y Fuerza de Río Tercero en 1933, la que a diferencia de otras de la provincia de Córdoba no generaba la energía que distribuía sino que la compraba a la usina hidráulica del dique Río Tercero, y al mismo tiempo resaltar también su evolución y las repercusiones de su gestión durante las dos primeras décadas de vida en las que prestó el servicio de energía eléctrica y comenzó con las gestiones encaminadas a concretar la provisión de agua corriente a la población de Río Tercero, convirtiéndose en la Cooperativa de Luz y Fuerza y Agua Potable de Río Tercero Limitada inaugurando ese servicio en 1953.

Estado, cooperativismo eléctrico y electrificación rural. La experiencia cordobesa entre 1930 y 1980

Pese a que el movimiento cooperativo eléctrico de Córdoba es uno de los más importantes del país y en la actualidad mueve gran parte de la economía del interior provincial, su surgimiento y desarrollo es una cuestión que aún no ha sido suficientemente tratada por la historiografía local. De allí la decisión de abordar tal temática que en este artículo se analiza desde la perspectiva de las relaciones entre el desarrollo del cooperativismo eléctrico y la expansión de la intervención del Estado en el sector eléctrico, pero prestando especial atención a los avances de la electrificación en el sector rural. Ese análisis abarca un amplio periodo de medio siglo, entre la aparición de las primeras cooperativas eléctricas y el momento en que, desde el punto de vista eléctrico, la provincia mediterránea deja de constituir un sistema independiente y se incorpora al sistema interconectado nacional, y muestra el papel jugado por esas entidades en el proceso de electrificación del campo que es un capítulo importante en el desarrollo eléctrico argentino y en el que las cooperativas eléctricas fueron precursoras, mucho antes de que el tema preocupase a los poderes públicos y cuando la política de las empresas privadas, atenidas a la rentabilidad, no planificó ni un metro de línea rural. Las cooperativas, en cambio, demostraron ser capaces de hacer electrificación rural con eficiencia.

La Cooperativa de Luz y Fuerza de Río Tercero: una institución al servicio de su comunidad, 1933- 1953

En nuestro país, las cooperativas eléctricas surgieron a partir de la década de 1920 como reacción popular frente a las elevadas tarifas y al deficiente servicio proporcionado por las empresas de capital extranjero que tenían a su cargo la generación y la distribución de energía. La provincia de Córdoba no fue ajena a este fenómeno, en este artículo nos proponemos mostrar las circunstancias en que surgió la Cooperativa de Luz y Fuerza de Río Tercero en 1933, la que a diferencia de otras de la provincia de Córdoba no generaba la energía que distribuía sino que la compraba a la usina hidráulica del dique Río Tercero, y al mismo tiempo resaltar también su evolución y las repercusiones de su gestión durante las dos primeras décadas de vida en las que prestó el servicio de energía eléctrica y comenzó con las gestiones encaminadas a concretar la provisión de agua corriente a la población de Río Tercero, convirtiéndose en la Cooperativa de Luz y Fuerza y Agua Potable de Río Tercero Limitada inaugurando ese servicio en 1953.