Analysis of switched diversity TCM-MPSK systems on Nakagami fadingchannels

Space diversity reception and forward-error correction coding are powerful techniques to combat multipath fading encountered in mobile radio communications. In this paper, we analyze the performance of a discrete-time switched diversity system using trellis-coded modulation multiple phase-shift keying (TCM-MPSK) on slow, nonselective correlated Nakagami (1960) fading channels. Analytical upper bounds using the transfer function bounding technique are obtained and illustrated by several numerical examples. A simple integral expression for calculating the exact pairwise error probability is presented. The use of optimum adaptive and fixed switching thresholds is considered. Monte Carlo simulation results, which are more indicative of the exact system performance, are also given     

Coalgebraic Description of Generalized Binary Methods

We extend the Reichel-Jacobs coalgebraic account of specification and refinement of objects and classes in Object Oriented Programming to (generalized) binary methods. These are methods that take more than one parameter of a class type. Class types include sums and (possibly infinite) products type constructors. We study and compare two solutions for modeling generalized binary methods, which use purely covariant functors. In the first solution, which applies when we already have a class implementation, we reduce the behaviour of a generalized binary method to that of a bunch of unary methods. These are obtained by freezing the types of the extra class parameters to constant types. The bisimulation behavioural equivalence induced on objects by this model amounts to the greatest congruence w.r.t method application. Alternatively, we treat binary methods as graphs instead of functions, thus turning contravariant occurrences in the functor into covariant ones.     

Harmful dinoflagellate Ostreopsis cf. ovata Fukuyo: detection of ovatoxins in field samples and cell immunolocalization using antipalytoxin antibodies

Ostreopsis cf. ovata, a benthic dinoflagellate often blooming along the Mediterranean coasts, has been associated with toxic events ranging from dyspnea to mild dermatitis. In late September 2009, an Ostreopsis cf. ovata bloom occurred in the Gulf of Trieste (Northern Adriatic Sea; Italy), causing pruritus and mild dermatitis in beachgoers. An integrated study was initiated to characterize Ostreopsis cells by light and confocal microscopy, PCR techniques, immunocytochemistry, and high resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HR LC-MS). The presence of Ostreopsis cf. ovata of the Atlantic/Mediterranean clade was unambiguously established by morphological and genetic analyses in field samples. Several palytoxin-like compounds (ovatoxin-a,-b,-c,-d,-e) were identified by HR LC-MS, ovatoxin-a being the most abundant (45-64 pg/cell). Surprisingly, no palytoxin was detected. For the first time, monoclonal and polyclonal antipalytoxin antibodies revealed the intracellular cytoplasmic localization of ovatoxins, suggesting their cross-reactivity with these antibodies. Since harmful dinoflagellates do not always produce toxins, the immunocytochemical localization of ovatoxins, although qualitative, can provide an early warning for toxic Ostreopsis cells before their massive diffusion and/or concentration in seafood.     

Computational aspects of the mechanics of complex materials

Summary Bodies with exotic properties display material substructural complexity from nano to meso-level. Various models have been built up in condensed matter physics to represent the behavior of special classes of complex bodies. In general, they fall within the setting of an abstract model building framework which is not only a unifying structure of existing models but—above all—atool to construct special models of new exotic materials. We describe here basic elements of this framework, the one ofmultifield theories, trying to furnish a clear idea of the subtle theoretical and computational problems arising within it. We present the matter in a form that allows one to construct appropriate algorithms in special cases of physical interest. We discuss also issues related to the construction of compatible and mixed finite elements in linearized setting, the extension of extended finite element methods to analyze the influnce of material substructures on crack growth, the evolution of sharp discontinuity surfaces in complex bodies. Concrete examples of complex bodies are also presented with a number of details. Dedicated to Gianfranco Capriz on occasion of his eightieth birthday     

Digestive protection of probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus in Ricotta cheese by monoglyceride structured emulsions

This research aimed at studying the potential use of monoglyceride (MG) structured emulsions (MSEs) as delivery and protective systems for probiotic bacteria in Ricotta cheese. To this purpose, a low-fat commercial Ricotta cheese was added with MSEs formulated with milk, as water phase, and sunflower oil (MSE-SO) or anhydrous milk fat (MSE-AMF), as lipid phase. A commercial whole milk Ricotta cheese (W-RC) was considered as reference. A probiotic Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus strain was inoculated as free cells in W-RC or embedded into the MSEs and added to the low-fat Ricotta at the same reference fat content. After physico-chemical characterisation, L. rhamnosus viability and sample destructuring behaviour upon in vitro digestion were evaluated. At the end of in vitro digestion, both W-RC and sample containing MSE-SO were unable to protect cells. By contrast, sample with AMF ensured a sufficient probiotic viability, even after 14 days of storage at 4 °C. This result was attributed to system composition and structure. During the gastric phase, the presence of caseins and MG-AMF mixed structures induced the formation of clots, entrapping and protecting cells against the acidic pH of the stomach, as confirmed by confocal micrographs and particle size. During the intestinal phase, cell viability was guaranteed by the formation of mixed micelles promoted by MG. It was demonstrated that microbial cells located near MG structures where they found protection.     

Zirconium oxide regulates RNA interfering of osteoblast-like cells

Zirconium oxide (ZO) has outstanding mechanical properties, high biocompatibility and high resistance to scratching. Since dental implants are made with ZO and the genetic effects of ZO on osteoblasts are incompletely understood, we used microRNA microarray techniques to investigate the translation process in osteoblasts exposed to ZO. By using miRNA microarrays containing 329 probes designed from Human miRNA sequences, we identified in osteoblast-like cells line (MG-63) cultured on ZO disks several miRNA whose expression was significantly modified. The most notable regulated genes acting on osteoblasts are: NOG, SHOX, IGF1, BMP1 and FGFR1. The data reported below represent the first study on translation regulation in osteoblasts exposed to zirconium and one in which the effect of ZO on bone formation has been detected.     

An experimental intercomparison of gas meter calibrations

This paper presents four calibrations carried out in four different, independent, metrological accredited laboratories, on six diaphragm gas meters for domestic use (G4). The aim of this study is to evaluate the degree of metrological agreement among different calibration results, by means of the assessment of suitable factors (compatibility index, also known as normalized error). This application study is quite interesting in the field of “legal metrology”, when often conformity assessment are requested in order to assure the adequate behavior of a domestic gas meter. The six gas meters were calibrated in four different laboratories, each of them characterized by different values of the calibration uncertainty (also called CMC = Calibration and Measurement Capability, or BMC = Best Measurement Capability, or Minimum Uncertainty). Two alternative approaches about the metrological compatibility are introduced: a quantitative approach and a qualitative approach. The calibration results show that for diaphragm gas meters for domestic use, the metrological agreement should be preferable by means of the qualitative approach.     

Evaluation of antioxidant capacity of some fruit and vegetable foods: efficiency of extraction of a sequence of solvents

All methods for assessing the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of food samples are strongly affected by the solvents used during extraction. In recent years a sequential solvent extraction procedure utilising water and acetone has been widely used for TAC measurements of foods. To better understand the efficiency of this procedure in terms of the amount of extracted antioxidants and the subsequent measurement of TAC, two vegetables (onion and spinach) and two fruits (orange and tomato) were sequentially extracted with water, acetone and chloroform. Each extract fraction was analysed separately for its content of known antioxidant compounds by specific procedures and for its TAC by the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assay. The results showed that the compounds in the water and acetone extracts were the main contributors to TAC. The chloroform extracts did not contribute to TAC, with the exception of the spinach extract, owing to the presence of low levels of carotenoids. In conclusion, the analysed extraction procedure was more effective for foods rich in water‐soluble antioxidants than for those rich in lipid‐soluble antioxidants. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry