Persistent organic pollutants in farmed European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax,Linnaeus, 1758) from Sicily (Italy)

Farmed European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus, 1758) were collected during 2016 from one Sicilian fish farm that uses two different rearing systems – sea cage and concrete tank – for determination of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), organochlorine pesticides (OCP) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) residues by HRGC-MS/MS. Moreover, commercial feed was analysed. This study aimed to determine whether the different rearing systems affect the concentration of these compounds, and to assess the safety of cultured fish. PCBs represent the pollutants with the highest concentration; in particular, PCB138 and 153 have the highest concentration in almost all samples. Among OCPs, only 4,4′-DDE, 4,4′-DDD and 4,4′-DDT residues have been detected. Concerning PAHs, only fluorene and phenanthrene were detected, in both rearing systems. Although some residues of organic pollutants were found in the analysed samples, they were always below the MRLs, so the results suggest that farmed sea bass are safe for human consumption.     

Phase Information and Space Filling Curves in Noisy Motion Estimation

This correspondence presents a novel approach for translational motion estimation based on the phase of the Fourier transform. It exploits the equality between the averaging of a group of successive frames and the convolution of the reference one with an impulse train function. The use of suitable space filling curves allows to reduce the error in motion estimation making the proposed approach robust under noise. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms available techniques in terms of objective (PSNR) and subjective quality with a lower computational effort.     

An optimal approach to the connection admission control problem

The paper considers the connection admission control (CAC), which is a key resource management procedure, and proposes a solution to the problem based on modelling and control methodologies. The CAC problem will be formulated as an optimal control problem subject to a set of constraints. As a matter of fact, the proposed controller, modelling the CAC mechanism, computes the above-mentioned control variables so that (i) a set of proper constraints, which model the quality of service (QoS) requirements (link availability, blocking probability and dropping probability), are respected and (ii) a proper performance index, which models the exploitation degree of the available bandwidth, is maximized. The proposed CAC successfully compares with other CACs proposed in the literature, and in particular significantly extends the upper limit of the accepted traffic rate.     

Push &; Pull: autonomous deployment of mobile sensors for a complete coverage

Mobile sensor networks are important for several strategic applications devoted to monitoring critical areas. In such hostile scenarios, sensors cannot be deployed manually and are either sent from a safe location or dropped from an aircraft. Mobile devices permit a dynamic deployment reconfiguration that improves the coverage in terms of completeness and uniformity. In this paper we propose a distributed algorithm for the autonomous deployment of mobile sensors called Push & Pull. According to our proposal, movement decisions are made by each sensor on the basis of locally available information and do not require any prior knowledge of the operating conditions or any manual tuning of key parameters. We formally prove that, when a sufficient number of sensors are available, our approach guarantees a complete and uniform coverage. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the algorithm execution always terminates preventing movement oscillations. Numerous simulations show that our algorithm reaches a complete coverage within reasonable time with moderate energy consumption, even when the target area has irregular shapes. Performance comparisons between Push & Pull and one of the most acknowledged algorithms show how the former one can efficiently reach a more uniform and complete coverage under a wide range of working scenarios.     

The leaky lens: a broad-band fixed-beam leaky-wave antenna

A novel type of leaky-wave antenna is presented. Differently from previously reported leaky-wave antennas, it is characterized by a constant beam direction over a very wide range of frequencies. The radiation originates at a slot etched at the interface between air and a dense dielectric, which is shaped to form a cylinder of elliptical cross sections of decreasing dimensions. Two prototypes have been designed, manufactured, and tested. The measurements are in very good agreement with the expectations, demonstrating the potentials of the leaky lens concept to realize integrated transmitters or receivers that are extremely broadband and directive.     

Relation Between the North-Atlantic Oscillation and Hydroclimatic Conditions in Mediterranean Areas

Mediterranean basins are known for their susceptibility to water stress conditions resulting from a reduction in winter-season precipitation. This region is also prone to the effects of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a large-scale climatic pattern associated with a displacement of air mass between the arctic and the subtropical Atlantic. Even though previous studies have demonstrated the impact of the NAO on winter climate conditions in Europe and Northern Africa, it is still unclear to what extent the NAO is related to hydroclimatic patterns in Mediterranean areas and whether it can explain its recent drought history. To this end, this study investigates the interdependence between the NAO and winter precipitation, river flow and temperature in two Mediterranean regions: Southern Italy and Nile Delta (Egypt). The outcomes show the presence of significant connections between the NAO, winter rainfall and river discharge.     

Progress on large area n‐type silicon solar cells with front laser doping and a rear emitter

We report on the progress of imec's n‐type passivated emitter, rear totally diffused rear junction silicon solar cells. Selective laser doping has been introduced in the flow, allowing the implementation of a shallow diffused front surface field and a reduction of the recombination current in the contact area. Simplifications have been implemented towards a more industrial annealing sequence, by replacing expensive forming gas annealing steps with a belt furnace annealing. By applying these improvements, together with an advanced texturing process and emitter passivation by atomic layer deposition of Al₂O₃, 22.5% efficient cells (three busbars) have been realized on commercial 156 · 156 mm² Czochralski‐Si. This result has been independently confirmed by ISE CalLab. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non-positive autoimmune responses against CYP2E1 in refrigeration mechanics exposed to halogenated hydrocarbons

The aim of the study was to determine if occupational exposure to hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) generates autoimmune responses against CYP2E1. HFCs and HCFCs have replaced the chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) in e.g. refrigeration installations and air-conditioning systems. During the substitution period, refrigeration mechanics reported symptoms like asthma, influenza-like reactions, and joint troubles. These symptoms resemble those of chronic inflammatory diseases with an autoimmune component. Since exposure to structurally similar chemicals, e.g. halothane, has previously been associated with autoimmune responses and diseases, autoimmunity among the refrigeration mechanics might hypothetically explain the reported inflammatory symptoms. Serum from 44 Swedish men, occupationally exposed to halogenated hydrocarbons, was screened for antibodies against CYP2E1 with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Thirty of the workers had asthma, joint problems or influenza-like symptoms whereas 14 of them had no such symptoms. They were all selected from a cohort of 280 refrigeration mechanics. Unexposed, healthy, Swedish men (n=35) constituted control group. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee at Karolinska Institutet. No increase in autoantibodies against CYP2E1 was detected among the occupationally exposed workers as compared to the unexposed controls. Further, there was no difference in antibody titer between the exposed workers with symptoms and the exposed, asymtomatic workers or the unexposed controls. The present study does not completely exclude a connection between exposure and effect but makes the relation less likely at these exposure levels.