Scale detection via keypoint density maps in regular or near-regular textures

In this paper we propose a new method to detect the global scale of images with regular, near regular, or homogenous textures. We define texture “scale” as the size of the basic elements (texels or textons) that most frequently occur into the image. We study the distribution of the interest points into the image, at different scale, by using our Keypoint Density Maps (KDMs) tool. A “mode” vector is built computing the most frequent values (modes) of the KDMs, at different scales. We observed that the mode vector is quasi linear with the scale. The mode vector is properly subsampled, depending on the scale of observation, and compared with a linear model. Texture scale is estimated as the one which minimizes an error function between the related subsampled vector and the linear model. Results, compared with a state of the art method, are very encouraging.     

Effect of standard phenolic compounds and olive oil phenolic extracts on acrylamide formation in an emulsion system

In this work the effect of standard phenolic compounds such as trolox, phenolic acids (ferulic, gallic, protocatechuic and caffeic acid) and secoiridoids, extracted from virgin olive oil (VOO), on acrylamide formation in an emulsion system was investigated. The emulsion system was heated in an oil bath at different temperatures and for different periods of time. At 105 and 115 °C the generated amounts of acrylamide were negligible during the monitoring time. At 125 °C addition of standard phenolic compounds reduced acrylamide formation which was more pronounced at initial time of heating (20 min) reaching up to 70%. Protocatechuic and gallic acid were more effective than trolox, caffeic and ferulic acid in acrylamide reduction at the final time intervals of heating (30–60 min). On the contrary, addition of VOO extract in the emulsion system resulted in a remarkable increase of acrylamide level, which was ascribed to secoiridoids’ structure containing aldehydic groups.     

Energy savings and better performances through variable speed drive application in desalination plant brine blowdown pump service

Brine blowdown represents an essential service for thermal desalination (both MSF and MED) and its operation is linked to the overall process reliability and availability.

Even if the brine blowdown pump represents a relatively minor utility in MSF plants, this utility is often the object of a service of very delicate nature. Different options are available in the market to design the blowdown pumping system, reducing EPC and operating costs and increasing reliability.

In this paper, the use of variable speed drive has been analysed for a centrifugal pump brine blowdown service in a desalination plant application. Today, the price of variable speed drive up to 250 kW is lower than 10 years ago, allowing the application of these devices in industrial applications with no price increase for the customer.

Due to the particular nature of the service (level regulation inside evaporator), the combination of low head and large capacity imposes the selection of high Nq hydraulics with consequently a flat performance curve. Under these conditions, regulation by throttling is awkward because a small variation in the system losses results in a large variation of pumped quantity. Moreover, high Nq hydraulics show a relatively narrower operating range that increases the regulation problem.

Therefore, the centrifugal pump selection is difficult because the machine works badly when too far away from the design point and, thus, the use of an inverter associated to the pump’s electric motor could allow to regulate the pump speed according to the pump requested performances. This solution improves performance because it allows the machine to work not too far away from the best efficiency point thus reducing power absorption. In addition, the pump works at BEP with less vibration and requires less maintenance over time.

Briefly, the main characteristics of the most used pump in this kind of service have been analysed and a simple type of control logic has been proposed. Furthermore, the present paper aims at overviewing the different project options, comparing costs and taking corrective actions on the factors causing operational troubles.     

H∞ generalized minimum sensitivity control design

This paper presents a two-stage approach to the H_∞ generalized sensitivity minimization problem (H_∞-GSM) for SISO, continuous-time plants. Besides some possible advantages in the control law evaluation with respect to alternative polynomial methods, the proposed approach provides a direct link with the solution of an underlying generalized minimum variance (H₂-GMV) problem and allows one to identify the class of the joint H₂/H_∞-GMV (equalizing H₂-GMV) optimal controllers.     

Characterization of Conventional,Biodynamic, and Organic Purple Grape Juices by Chemical Markers,Antioxidant Capacity,and Instrumental Taste Profile

The objectives of this study were to characterize organic, biodynamic, and conventional purple grape juices (n = 31) produced in Europe based on instrumental taste profile, antioxidant activity, and some chemical markers and to propose a multivariate statistical model to analyze their quality and try to classify the samples from the 3 different crop systems. Results were subjected to ANOVA, correlation, and regression analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA), and partial least‐squares discriminant analysis (PLSDA). No statistical significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed among juices from the 3 crop systems. Using PCA and HCA, no clear separation among crop systems was observed, corroborating the ANOVA data. However, PCA showed that the producing region highly affects the chemical composition, electronic tongue parameters, and bioactivity of grape juices. In this sense, when organic and biodynamic were grouped as “nonconventional” juices, SIMCA model was able to discriminate 12 out of 13 organic/biodynamic juices and 17 out of 18 conventional juices, presenting an efficiency of 93.5%, while 11 out of 13 non‐conventional and 100% conventional grape juices were correctly classified using PLSDA. The use of electronic tongue and the determination of antioxidant properties and major phenolic compounds have shown to be a quick and accurate analytical approach to assess the quality of grape juices.     

PD1, CTLA4 and TIGIT Expression on T and NK Cells in Granulomatous Diseases: Sarcoidosis and ANCA-Associated Vasculitis

Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous diseases affecting the lungs. Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) is a histologically granulomatous B-mediated disorder characterized by activated T cells. The expression of immune checkpoint (IC) molecules (PD1, CTLA4, TIGIT) on T- and NK-cells negatively regulate the T-cell immune function. The present study aimed to explore the peripheral distribution of IC molecules to better elucidate their peripheral tolerance failure, which might reflect the development of diseases. Patients referred to Respiratory Diseases and Rheumatology Unit of Siena University Hospital were prospectively and consecutively enrolled. Healthy subjects were also enrolled as a control group. Multicolor flow cytometric analysis was performed to detect IC molecules in the peripheral blood of patients. Twenty-three patients were consecutively and prospectively enrolled in the study: 11 patients had an AAV diagnosis and 12 had sarcoidosis. CD4⁺PD1⁺ cells were higher in sarcoidosis and GPA than in HC (p = 0.0250 and p = 0.0253, respectively). CD56⁺CTLA4⁺ were higher in sarcoidosis than GPA, MPA and HC (p = 0.0085, p = 0.0042 and p = 0.0004, respectively). CTLA4⁺NK cells clustered for 100% of sarcoidosis patients according to decision tree analysis, while PD1⁺CD4 and CD8 cells for clustered for 100% of GPA patients. Our analyses showed substantial differences between sarcoidosis and AAV, further confirming the immunological peculiarity of this disease. Despite these advances, the pathogenesis remains incompletely understood, indicating an urgent need for further research to reveal the distinct immunological events in this process, with the hope to open up new therapeutic avenues and, if possible, to develop preventive measures.     

Artificial-turf playing fields: contents of metals, PAHs, PCBs, PCDDs and PCDFs, inhalation exposure to PAHs and related preliminary risk assessment

The artificial-turf granulates made from recycled rubber waste are of health concern due the possible exposure of users to dangerous substances present in the rubber, and especially to PAHs. In this work, we determined the contents of PAHs, metals, non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs), PCDDs and PCDFs in granulates, and PAH concentrations in air during the use of the field. The purposes were to identify some potential chemical risks and to roughly assess the risk associated with inhalation exposure to PAHs. Rubber granulates were collected from 13 Italian fields and analysed for 25 metals and nine PAHs. One further granulate was analysed for NDL-PCBs, PCDDs, PCDFs and 13 PAHs. Air samples were collected on filter at two fields, using respectively a high volume static sampler close to the athletes and personal samplers worn by the athletes, and at background locations outside the fields. In the absence of specific quality standards, we evaluated the measured contents with respect to the Italian standards for soils to be reclaimed as green areas. Zn concentrations (1 to 19 g/kg) and BaP concentrations (0.02 to 11 mg/kg) in granulates largely exceeded the pertinent standards, up to two orders of magnitude. No association between the origin of the recycled rubber and the contents of PAHs and metals was observed. The sums of NDL-PCBs and WHO-TE PCDDs + PCDFs were, respectively, 0.18 and 0.67 × 10^− 5 mg/kg. The increased BaP concentrations in air, due to the use of the field, varied approximately from < 0.01 to 0.4 ng/m³, the latter referring to worst-case conditions as to the release of particle-bound PAHs. Based on the 0.4 ng/m³ concentration, an excess lifetime cancer risk of 1 × 10^− 6 was calculated for an intense 30-year activity.     

ENERGY LEVELS AND RADIATIVE TRANSITIONS IN MUONIC HYDROGEN

The physics of muonic hydrogen is a powerful tool to test QED at short distances and—assuming the validity of QED—to probe the properties of the proton, deuteron, and triton at low momentum transfer. This paper contains several tables that are useful in planning experiments on muonic hydrogen.     

Knowledge-Based Jobs and the Boundaries of Firms Agent-based Simulation of Firms Learning and Workforce Skill Set Dynamics

The article explores emergence and survival of human resource management strategies and organisational types in a knowledge-based job market. The analysis considers a dynamic environment in which skill requirements change rapidly. We built an agent-based model to simulate a market where firms post job offers to fill vacancies and decide how to select and reward employees; employees, bearing skills, select firms comparing job offers. Taking an evolutionary approach, we explore how hiring strategies, which guarantee survival, emerge from interconnected variation, selection and retention processes. The simulation experiments suggest that, as the rate of change of the environment increases, long-term employment and firm-specific knowledge building emerge as the survival strategy.