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The long term production planning for a large chemical production site, where 10+ different chemical plants share raw materials, infrastructure (e.g., tank farm, filling stations) and utilities (e.g. steam, electricity, technical gasses) might prove to be a challenging task. This paper introduces a data driven approach to build a digital twin of a chemical production site to aid the relevant decision makers in defining and evaluating the economic impact of a long term (i.e. several months ahead) production planning. Each chemical plant and energy production unit on site is represented by simple regression models relating the consumption of raw materials and utilities to its products. The resulting system of algebraic equations has been inserted in an optimization environment with the objective of maximizing the profit. In the optimization, also the electricity and steam generation were introduced to obtain a global energy balance of the production site. This combination resulted in a multi period Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem. The effect of electricity price and external temperature on the optimization results are also investigated.

In this paper, we present the first realisation and experimentation of a new eye tracking system using an infrared (iR) laser pointer embedded into a wireless smart contact lens. We denote this contact lens prototype as the cyclops lens, in reference to the famous hero of the X-Men comics. The full eye tracker device combines the smart contact lens and its eyewear, which provides a primary source of energy and the beam detection system. We detail the assembling and encapsulation process of the main functionalities into the contact lens and present how a gaze tracking system is achieved, compared to existing conventional eye-tracking ones. Finally, we discuss future technical improvements.

A metamodelling technique for the efficient design optimisation of the electromagnetic response of metasurfaces is proposed. Metamodels are built starting from data samples of design performance parameters properly extracted from a few electromagnetic simulations using a system identification approach. The metamodels are then used to optimise the metasurface electromagnetic response with respect to some design specifications. Numerical results validate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed metamodelling technique.

Our aim was to evaluate the desmin content in the myocardial tissue of patients with end-stage heart failure of ischaemic origin and to assess its role on cardiac function. We studied 18 explanted hearts from patients transplanted for end-stage heart failure due to ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM). Control myocardial tissue was obtained from the cardiac biopsies of six women with breast cancer taken prior to commencing chemotherapy with anthracyclines, four male donors for heart transplantation and two autoptic hearts from patients who died due to non-cardiac events. Myocardial tissue, obtained from the left ventricle (remote zone from infarcted area), was analyzed by light and confocal immunochemistry (desmin) microscopy. The desmin content of myocardial tissue was obtained by real-time PCR. Cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiographic and right heart catheterization data, obtained before heart transplantation. Confocal microscopy evaluation showed a significant decrease in the number of desmin-positive myocytes (P

This paper discusses the need to study the criteria for the design and installation of electrical power systems in buildings subject to seismic hazards. Nowadays, all the recommended seismic requirements (according to the Uniform Building Code [UBC], Structural Engineers Association of California [SEAOC] and National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program [NEHRP]) do not specifically take into account the electrical or technological power systems. This paper analyzes the problems an earthquake can cause with regard to the functional reliability and continuity of supply of electrical power systems. Therefore, it proposes design and installation requirements, to be graduated according to building occupancy categories. Basically, the criteria relative to the installation of the electrical equipment are an appropriate extension of those general static ones for nonstructural components. Their consideration is essential for the settlement of the design criteria, which, as far as the configuration and the size of the electrical power system are concerned, aim at limiting the same installation problems. Other general design criteria, designed as a guarantee for supply continuity and power system reliability, have a particular use in these appliances.

Purpose: To correlate results of quantitative analysis of real time elastographyimages (RTEI) with ascerted diagnosis to discriminate malignant from benign breast lesions. Method and Materials: More than 100 images of women (median age 52 yrs) were analyzed in this study. Images in DICOM format were exported into a home‐made software written in Visual Basic especially developed. A pixel by pixel substraction of B‐mode images from color elasticityimages was performed. The matrix of RGB values obtained from subtraction was transformed into a matrix of tone of grey (whose values vary from 0 to 255). The regions of interest (ROIs) were delineated and the color spectrum and the parameters of interest (mean value, standard deviation and softness) were calculated for each lesion. Diagnosis (gold‐standard) was assessed by an expert radiologist on the basis of conventional B‐mode US and/or mammography and in some cases by cytophatologic analysis. ROC analysis was used to assess sensitivity and specificity of quantitative approach. Results: The mean values, the standard deviation and softness calculated inside the ROIs resulted statistically different at the t test (p=0.0015, p= 0.0144 and p< 0.0001, respectively) between malignant and benign lesions. The shape and distribution of the color spectrum inside the ROIs resulted statistically different (p< 0.0001, Mann‐Whitney test) between malignant and benign lesions. The ROC analysis for the mean and the softness inside the ROIs indicated sensitivity of 95.6% and 84.4% and specificity of 30.6% and 69.4%, respectively. The area under the curve resulted 0.690 (p=0.0016) and 0.856 (p

8232 Background: increasing education and surveillance among high-risk individuals is crucial. However, how subjects experience counselling and screening is under investigation. Methods: cancer pts...

The implementation of Natura 2000, Ecological Network of protected areas established in the European territory under Council Directive 92/43/EEC, has encountered serious problems in many European States. This is proven by conspicuous juridical interventions initiated by the European Union against Member States failing to comply with the Directive’s requirements; by the aversion of stakeholders involved in the use of protected areas and by the criticisms that environmental non-governmental organizations expressed about the governmental approaches towards the network’s realization. This paper presents a critical reflection on the problems in the realization of Natura 2000 Network, by analysing and comparing the experiences of two Member States: the Netherlands and Italy. Despite the differences in national natural heritages and nature conservation policy traditions, the two Natura 2000 implementation processes present interesting similarities. These allowed the authors to identify theoretical and practical obstacles that are making the network’s implementation problematic and to reflect on the most important challenges to the realization of Natura 2000 Network in the two countries, as well as in other Member States that experienced similar implementation problems.