The Use of Radio Frequency Identification Technology in Packaging Systems: Experimental Research on Traceability

This paper focuses on the analysis of the internal flow traceability of goods (products and/or packages) along the supply chain by Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) technology. Traditionally, the traceability system is performed through the asynchronous fulfilment of checkpoints (i.e. doorways) by materials. In such cases, the tracking is manual, executed by operators that manually trace the path. Often, companies are not aware of the inefficiencies because of these traceability systems such as low precision and accuracy in measurements (i.e. no information between doorways), more time spent by operators and costs (due to the full effort of operators who have to search for the good positions and movements). In order to overcome these limitations, automatic identification procedures have been introduced in many service industries, purchasing and distribution logistics, manufacturing companies and material flow systems. Automatic identification procedures can also be applied to the packaging of products, instead of to each item contained in the package. Sometimes, products are very expensive, and packages contain important and critical goods (e.g. dangerous or explosive materials); thus, the tracking of goods – and packages in particular – is a critical function. In order to analyse the traceability of the packaging system, the authors have developed an innovative system based on Radio Frequency IDentification‐Ultra Wide Band (RFID‐UWB) technology. A prototype of this system has been realized and used for an experimental research that has consisted of several tests (static and dynamic), tracing the position (static) and movements (dynamic) of products and in particular packages in indoor environments, in continuous and in real time. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Role of Higher Lying Electronic States in Charge Photogeneration in Organic Solar Cells

The role of excess photon energy on charge generation efficiency in bulk heterojunction solar cells is still an open issue for the organic photovoltaic community. Here, the spectral dependence of the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) for a poly[2,6‐(4,4‐bis‐(2‐ethylhexyl)‐4H‐cyclopenta[2,1‐b;3,4‐b]­dithiophene)‐alt‐4,7‐(2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole)]:6,6‐phenyl‐C₆₁‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCPDTBT:PC60BM)‐based solar cell is derived combining accurate optoelectronic characterization and comprehensive optical modeling. This joint approach is shown to be essential to get reliable values of the IQE. Photons with energy higher than the bandgap of the donor material can effectively contribute to enhance the IQE of the solar cell. This holds true independently of the device architecture, reflecting an intrinsic property of the active material. Moreover, the nanomorphology of the bulk heterojunction plays a crucial role in determining the IQE spectral dependence: the coarser and more crystalline, the lesser the gain in IQE upon high energy excitation.     

Biological effects and photodegradation by TiO(2) of terpenes present in industrial wastewater

The aim of this work was to study the biological effects of four monoterpenes, i.e. α-pinene, β-pinene, 3-carene and D-limonene present in the wastewater of a citrus transformation factory. The study was carried out by exposing V79 Chinese hamster cells to single terpene or to the mixture of four terpenes at concentrations corresponding to those in the wastewater evaluated by head space solid phase micro extraction and gas chromatography (HS-SPME-GC) analyses. Treatments with single or combined terpenes similarly affected cell vitality, but only the combined treatments induced the 6-thioguanine resistant mutants. Moreover the photocatalytic degradation of the four terpenes was successfully achieved with the photocatalyst TiO(2) Degussa P25 in both the actual effluent and in synthetic solutions.     

A metatheory of a mechanized object theory

In this paper we propose a metatheory, MT, which represents the computation which implements its object theory, OT, and, in particular, the computation which implements deduction in OT. To emphasize this fact we say that MT is a metatheory of a mechanized object theory. MT has some “unusual” properties, e.g. it explicitly represents failure in the application of inference rules, and the fact that large amounts of the code implementing OT are partial, i.e. they work only for a limited class of inputs. These properties allow us to use MT to express and prove tactics, i.e. expressions which specify how to compose possibly failing applications of inference rules, to interpret them procedurally to assert theorems in OT, to compile them into the system implementation code, and, finally, to generate MT automatically from the system code. The definition of MT is part of a larger project which aims at the implementation of self-reflective systems, i.e. systems which are able to introspect their own code, to reason about it and, possibly, to extend or modify it.     

The meaning of equivocal pancreatic cytology in patients thought to have pancreatic cancer

INTRODUCTION: Fine needle aspirations (FNAs) and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)-guided brushings (BRUSH) are useful tools in the differentiation between malignant and benign disease of the pancreas. Once the decision to obtain a cytologic confirmation of one's clinical suspicion is made, the interpretation of the findings, especially an equivocal or negative cytology finding, can be unclear. This study seeks to evaluate the utility of cytologic studies in the evaluation of a patient with suspected pancreatic malignancy. METHODS: A retrospective review of 224 cytologic reports, including 174 FNAs and 50 BRUSHs, from all pancreatic FNAs and BRUSHs performed between January 1989 and June 1995, was performed. Subsequent confirmation of the cytologic diagnosis was made either by histologic or strict clinical criteria. RESULTS: Forty-three percent of the cytologic reports were read as malignant, all others reported as suspicious, atypical, or negative. All cytology studies read as malignant and all FNAs reported as suspicious were histologically or clinically confirmed to be malignant. Of those reported as atypical or negative, 55% and 49% were confirmed to be malignant. Both FNA and BRUSH were 100% specific, 75% sensitive, and 80% accurate. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that a cytological diagnosis of malignant or suspicious is reliable and useful for further therapy planning in the patient suspected to have a pancreatic malignancy. The reason for the cytologic tests was a strong clinical suspicion, therefore, a high incidence of cancer was found in the patients with atypical or negative readings. A diagnosis of atypical or negative is equivocal and requires further diagnostic maneuvers, frequently including surgery, to make the definitive diagnosis.     

A quantitative study of air-borne particulate matter collected on membrane filters by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The capability of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XPS or ESCA, in analysing oxidation states and measuring the concentration of elements present in air pollution particulates collected on membrane filters is evaluated. Semi-quantitative data are compared with those from XRF and wet chemical analysis. Differences of about a factor of 2.0–2.5 are found which are critically discussed in relation to particle size and the distribution of ionic species. The importance of intrinsic properties of matrix materials and instrumental factors is also discussed.     

A multicontext architecture for formalizing complex reasoning

We propose multicontext systems (MC systems) as a formal framework for the specification of complex reasoning. MC systems provide the ability to structure the specification of “global” reasoning in terms of “local” reasoning subpatterns. Each subpattern is modeled as a deduction in a context, formally defined as an axiomatic formal system. the global reasoning pattern is modeled as a concatenation of contextual deductions via bridge rules, i.e., inference rules that infer a fact in one context from facts asserted in other contexts. Besides the formal framework, in this article we propose a three-layer architecture designed to specify and automatize complex reasoning. At the first level we have object-level contexts (called s-contexts) for domain specifications. Problem-solving principles and, more in general, meta-level knowledge about the application domain is specified in a distinct context, called Problem-Solving Context (PSC). On top of s-contexts and PSC, we have a further context, called MT, where it is possible to specify strategies to control multicontext reasoning spanning through s-contexts and PSC. We show how GETFOL can be used as a computer tool for the implementation of MC systems and for the automatization of multicontext deductions. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Impact of diet supplemented with microencapsulated condensed tannins on cow milk nutritional profile

Feed production systems should consider more sustainable solutions to reduce the pressure on earth's finite resources. In this work, we investigated the effect of microencapsulated condensed tannins (MCTs)-enhanced diet on the cow milk characteristics. The diet reduced the urea content, while preserved and the n-3 and n-6 portion of fatty acids. Aside from the rising of vitamin C level, MCTs had a negative effect on the amount of B group vitamins. MCTs may be considered a promising feed supplement that offers a good trade-off in terms of milk chemical quality while increasing the environmental sustainability of cattle livestock.