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.     

Study design of a total reference diet for a population in Northern Italy

A market based of 91 food items was purchased in Northern Italy, based on a list taken from a food survey previously conducted in the same area. The food items from the survey were grouped into 14 categories. Food samples were collected, homogenized, and frozen for the analysis of both the nutrient content and the levels of mineral contaminants. The study design and decision processes behind the choice of type and quantity of each food are explained. The relative quantities of each food group were compared with those from two similar studies. Finally, energy, nutrients, and mineral contaminants obtained by direct analysis were compared with the calculations given on the food composition tables. The comparison between the analyzed and calculated data only showed marked differences in phosphorus, sodium, potassium, and copper intakes.     

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     

Buckling of cracked thin-plates under tension or compression

Plates are easily susceptible to buckling under compression, in particular when plate's thickness becomes sufficiently small with respect to others plate's sizes; such a mode of failure is often prevalent with respect to strength failure. The buckling phenomena under tension loading can also occur, especially in plates containing defects such as cracks or holes; when the buckling load is reached, complex wrinkling deflection patterns in compressed regions develops around such imperfections.In the present paper, the buckling analysis of variously cracked rectangular elastic thin-plates under tension and compression is considered. A short explanation of the buckling phenomena in plates is recalled and several numerical analyses, carried out by using the Finite Element Method (FEM), are performed in order to determine the critical load multiplier, both in compression and in tension, by varying some plates' parameters. In particular, the critical load multiplier is determined for different relative crack length, crack orientation and Poisson's coefficient of the plate's material which is made to range between 0.1 and 0.49.Moreover a simple approximate theoretical model to explain and predict the buckling phenomena in cracked plates under tension is proposed and some comparisons are made with FE numerical results in order to assess its reliability in predicting buckling load multipliers.Finally, the obtained results are graphically summarised (in dimensionless form) in several graphs and some interesting conclusions are drawn.     

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.