Defect characterization in infrared non-destructive testing with learning machines

It is well known that thermal contrast-based quantification methods are strongly affected by the non-uniform heating, the sample shape and the chosen sound area. In this work we propose a reference-free thermal contrast by using the thermal quadrupoles theory and evaluate the limits of defect detection in composite samples by using dynamic principal components analysis (DPCA) and k-nearest neighbor algorithm. Additionally, we propose and validate the radial basis functions (RBF) networks and support vector machines (SVM) for the detection and quantification of defect depth in composite material samples affected by non-uniform heating and with complex shapes.     

Dynamic Characterization Test of the New Law Court in Naples

The New Law Court in Naples, Italy is a group of buildings where all the law activities of the city are conducted. Load tests on the structure were required for the final acceptance of the purchaser after the construction was complete. Given the particular type and shape of the structure, traditional load tests were not possible so it was decided: (1) to conduct a dynamic test of the structure; (2) to analyze its dynamic behavior; and (3) to verify its seismic reliability. The investigation focused on the skylight of the central portion of the building complex, formed by steel frames supported by a concrete structure. The structural behavior was quite complex. Frequencies associated with both the global modal shapes of the whole structure (which were often coupled themselves) and the local resonances of single members were identified. The seismic test showed a non-negligible reduction of the first structural frequency when increasing the level of stress. This behavior is related to the contribution given by the nonstructural components which cannot be neglected, when service stresses are low. The structural characterization allowed the calibration of the finite-element model, whose dynamic characteristics were very close to the experimental ones.     

Interactive movie elements in a pervasive game

This paper presents our research initiatives around new user experiences in the area of pervasive mixed reality crossmedia gaming. In a prototypical game, The Epidemic Menace, we combined static and interactive story telling elements to create a mixed reality experience. As part of this research initiative we also investigated how elements of the real world and virtual worlds could produce a new environment where physical and digital objects can co-exist and interact with each other, we wanted to evaluate how linear stories could be integrated into a game flow and how they could be used to extend game experiences. A new form of interactive entertainment that is not limited to hardware based games or linear storylines but includes a truly interactive TV experience was one of our goals.     

Mapping the impact of papers on various status groups in excellencemapping.net: a new release of the excellence mapping tool based on citation and reader scores

Scientometrics - In over five years, Bornmann, Stefaner, de Moya Anegon, and Mutz (2014b) and Bornmann, Stefaner, de Moya Anegón, and Mutz (2014c, 2015) have published several releases of the...     

Effect of catecholamines and β-blockers on linoleic acid desaturation activity

The effect of catecholamines and adrenergic blocking agents on the oxidative desaturation of linoleic acid in rat liver microsomes was studied. Epinephrine (1 mg/kg/body weight) produced a significant decrease on the conversion of [1-¹⁴C]linoleic acid to γ-linolenic acid. The effect of epinephrine was blocked by single injections of the β blockers propranolol (10 mg/kg body weight) or dichloroisoproterenol 30 min before the hormone treatment. Isoproterenol (100 μg/kg body weight) produced a significant decrease on the activity of the linoleyl-CoA desaturase. The effect of the catecholamines was postulated to be mediated through β receptors by an enhancement of the intracellular levels of cyclic AMP.     

Development of Novel Quinoline-Based Sulfonamides as Selective Cancer-Associated Carbonic Anhydrase Isoform IX Inhibitors

A new series of quinoline-based benzenesulfonamides (QBS) were developed as potential carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs). The target QBS CAIs is based on the 4-anilinoquinoline scaffold where the primary sulphonamide functionality was grafted at C4 of the anilino moiety as a zinc anchoring group (QBS 13a–c); thereafter, the sulphonamide group was switched to ortho- and meta-positions to afford regioisomers 9a–d and 11a–g. Moreover, a linker elongation approach was adopted where the amino linker was replaced by a hydrazide one to afford QBS 16. All the described QBS have been synthesized and investigated for their CA inhibitory action against hCA I, II, IX and XII. In general, para-sulphonamide derivatives 13a–c displayed the best inhibitory activity against both cancer-related isoforms hCA IX (K_Is = 25.8, 5.5 and 18.6 nM, respectively) and hCA XII (K_Is = 9.8, 13.2 and 8.7 nM, respectively), beside the excellent hCA IX inhibitory activity exerted by meta-sulphonamide derivative 11c (K_I = 8.4 nM). The most promising QBS were further evaluated for their anticancer and pro-apoptotic activities on two cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7). In addition, molecular docking simulation studies were applied to justify the acquired CA inhibitory action of the target QBS.