The problem of non-compliant concrete and its influence on the reliability of reinforced concrete columns

The discussion about the fact that the concrete provided by concrete companies for the Brazilian construction sites is not meeting the compressive strength specified in the structural design is growing rapidly. These are the so-called non-compliant concretes. This paper discusses the influence of non-compliance of the compressive strength specified in the design (f_ck) on the structural safety level of reinforced concrete columns. The simulation of the column behavior was carried out by a numerical model based on the finite element method. The nonlinear finite element model used was presented and validated by comparison with experimental results obtained by different researchers. The Monte Carlo method was adopted for the determination of the reliability index (β) of reinforced concrete columns. The results show that many factors should be considered in the assessment of the actual damage caused by a non-compliant concrete to the column safety level.     

A method for defining analog circuits for the minimization of discrete functionals: An image processing application

The solutions of many physical-mathematical problems can be obtained by minimizing proper functionals. In the literature, some methods for the synthesis of analog circuits (mainly cellular neural networks) are presented that find the solution of some of these problems by implementing the discretized Euler-Lagrange equations associated with the pertinent functionals.In this paper, we propose a method for defining analog circuits that directly minimize (in a parallel way) a class of discretized functionals in the frequently occurring case where the solution depends on two spatial variables. The method is a generalization of the one presented in Parodi et al.,Internat. J. Circuit Theory Appl., 26, 477–498, 1998. The analog circuits consist of both a (nonlinear) resistive part and a set of linear capacitors, whose steady-state voltages represent the discrete solution to the problem. The method is based on the potential (co-content) functions associated with voltage-controlled resistive elements. es an example, we describe an application in the field of image processing: the restoration of color images corrupted by additive noise.This work was supported by the M.U.R.S.T. research project, Neural and non-linear circuits for one- and multi-dimensional signal processing applications, and by the University of Genoa.     

Synthesis and sintering of (Mg,Co, Ni,Cu, Zn)O entropy-stabilized oxides obtained by wet chemical methods

Entropy-stabilized oxides represent a novel family of advanced ceramic materials with attractive functional properties. In this work, entropy-stabilized oxides, in the system (Mg, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn)O, were produced by co-precipitation and hydrothermal synthesis. Although TG/DTA and XRD analyses of as-synthetized powders point out complex thermal evolution, in both cases the desired single-phase rock salt solid solution was obtained after a proper thermal treatment. The dilatometric analysis points out the excellent sinterability of the obtained powders, which were successfully consolidated for the first time reaching nearly full density (~ 97%) at relatively low temperature (1050 °C).     

Gut Microbiota and Bipolar Disorder: An Overview on a Novel Biomarker for Diagnosis and Treatment

The gut microbiota is the set of microorganisms that colonize the gastrointestinal tract of living creatures, establishing a bidirectional symbiotic relationship that is essential for maintaining homeostasis, for their growth and digestive processes. Growing evidence supports its involvement in the intercommunication system between the gut and the brain, so that it is called the gut–brain–microbiota axis. It is involved in the regulation of the functions of the Central Nervous System (CNS), behavior, mood and anxiety and, therefore, its implication in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this paper, we focused on the possible correlations between the gut microbiota and Bipolar Disorder (BD), in order to determine its role in the pathogenesis and in the clinical management of BD. Current literature supports a possible relationship between the compositional alterations of the intestinal microbiota and BD. Moreover, due to its impact on psychopharmacological treatment absorption, by acting on the composition of the microbiota beneficial effects can be obtained on BD symptoms. Finally, we discussed the potential of correcting gut microbiota alteration as a novel augmentation strategy in BD. Future studies are necessary to better clarify the relevance of gut microbiota alterations as state and disease biomarkers of BD.     

Self‐Assembled Dual Dye‐Doped Nanosized Micelles for High‐Contrast Up‐Conversion Bioimaging

Sensitized triplet–triplet annihilation based photon up‐conversion (TTA‐UC) greatly improves the scope and applicability of fluorescence bioimaging by enabling anti‐Stokes detection at low powers, thus eliminating the background autofluorescence and limiting the potential damage of the living tissues. Here the authors present a facile, one‐step protocol to prepare dual dye‐doped, TTA‐UC active nanomicelles starting from the commercially available surfactant Kolliphor EL, a component of several FDA approved preparations. These nanosized micelles show an unprecedented up‐conversion yield of 6.5% under 0.1 W cm^?2 excitation intensity in an aqueous, nondeaerated dispersion. The supramolecular architecture obtained preserves the embedded dyes from oxygen quenching, allowing satisfactory anti‐Stokes fluorescence imaging of 3T3 cells. This is the first example of efficient multicomponent up‐converters prepared using highly biocompatible materials approved by the international authority, paving the way for the development of new complex and multifunctional materials for advanced theranostics.     

Euler characteristics of oceanic sea states

We present an application of a novel Variational Wave Acquisition Stereo System (VWASS) for the estimation of the wave surface height of oceanic sea states. Specifically, we show that VWASS video technology combined with statistical techniques based on Euler Characteristics of random fields provides a new paradigm for the prediction of wave extremes expected over a given area of the ocean.     

Advancing the Water Footprint into an Instrument to Support Achieving the SDGs – Recommendations from the “Water as a Global Resources” Research Initiative (GRoW)

Water Resources Management - The water footprint has developed into a widely-used concept to examine water use and resulting local impacts caused during agricultural and industrial...     

Vision‐based control architecture for human–robot hand‐over applications

Human–robot collaboration will be an essential part of the production processes in the factories of tomorrow. In this paper, a human–robot hand‐over control strategy is presented. Human and robot can be both giver and receiver. A path‐planning algorithm drives the robotic manipulator towards the hand of the human and permits to adapt the pose of the tool center point of the robot to the pose of the hand of the human worker. The movements of the operator are acquired with a multi 3D‐sensors setup so to avoid any possible occlusion related to the presence of the robot or other dynamic obstacles. Estimation of the predicted position of the hand is performed to reduce the waiting time of the operator during the hand‐over task. The hardware setup is described, and the results of experimental tests, conducted to verify the effectiveness of the control strategy, are presented and discussed.     

Antibacterial silver treatments on polymeric membranes for fouling control and disinfection in water filtration

Over the past several decades, a lot of emerging contaminants have been detected in water and wastewater effluents. Their release should be minimized since their presence in the environment can result in toxic effects for water and human life. Many different technologies have been used to remove contaminants from drinking water; among them, filtration is one of the most commonly used methods. This study investigated the antibacterial capability of silver water filters and their potential application in the reduction of bacterial fouling and proliferation in water treatment. Poly(ether sulfone) membranes commonly used in water filtration were coated with silver nanoparticles synthesized via the in situ photoreduction method. The morphology of the coating and the distribution of silver clusters were studied by scanning electron microscopy. The amount of silver on the surface was quantified by thermogravimetric analysis, and the silver released from the substrate was analyzed through inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The antibacterial capability of the silver‐treated filters was demonstrated through microbiological tests defined for the specific application on Escherichia coli, as the representative coliform bacterium and pathogenic microorganism commonly associated with contaminated drinking water. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43848.