Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca- Università del Salento
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Geothermal–Peltier Hybrid System for Air Cooling and Water Recovery
No full textThis study proposes a new air treatment system that integrates dehumidification, cooling, and water recovery using a Horizontal Air–Ground Heat Exchanger (HAGHE) combined with Peltier cells. The airflow generated by a fan flows through an HAGHE until it meets a septum on which Peltier cells are placed, and then separates into two distinct streams that lap the two surfaces of the Peltier cells: one stream passes through the cold surfaces, undergoing both sensible and latent cooling with dehumidification; the other stream passes through the hot surfaces, increasing its temperature. The two treated air streams may then pass through a mixing chamber, where they are combined in the appropriate proportions to achieve the desired air supply conditions and ensure thermal comfort in the indoor environment. A Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis was carried out to simulate the thermal interaction between the HAGHE and the surrounding soil. The simulation focused on a system installed under the subtropical climate conditions of Nairobi, Africa. The simulation results demonstrate that the HAGHE system is capable of reducing the air temperature by several degrees under typical summer conditions, with enhanced performance observed when the soil is moist. Condensation phenomena were triggered when the relative humidity of the inlet air exceeded 60%, contributing additional cooling through latent heat extraction. The proposed HAGHE–Peltier system can be easily powered by renewable energy sources and configured for stand-alone operation, making it particularly suitable for off-grid applications
L'officina della glossematica
No full textLa vicenda dell'elaborazione della teoria glossematica a partire da Louis Hjelmslev, "Lectures on Language Theory 1942-1943", translated by Francis J. Whitfield, Amsterdam/Philadelphia, John Benjamins, 2024
Streaming entropy for dynamic modelling in psychological measurement
No full textThe contribution introduces an entropy-based method to explore the dynamic evolution in psychological measurements. The streaming entropy (Stre-GCE) approach is described and tested on a relevant clinical scenario, that is, the psychotherapy process, to investigate the dynamic behaviour formalised by simultaneous equations describing the mutual interactions between patient and therapist. Textual data are obtained from psychotherapy transcripts, whose word blocks have been processed and classified according to their positive, negative, or abstract valence. The Stre-GCE algorithm computes model parameters for each interaction component, then parameters get updated, describing the effect of the therapist on the patient and vice versa. The results show that Stre-GCE is able to take into account the modulating nature of the psychotherapy interaction
Highways and detours: routes for protein and polysaccharide secretion into the plant cell wall
No full textPlant cell wall assembly is a highly dynamic and regulated process involving a complex network of secretory pathways that coordinate the delivery of proteins, polysaccharides and various other components to the apoplast. While the conventional endomembrane route—comprising the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, trans-Golgi network, and plasma membrane—has long been recognized as the primary trafficking highway, recent discoveries have evidenced the relevance of alternative and unconventional routes, including Golgi bypassing, exocyst-positive organelles, and multivesicular bodies. These findings have expanded our understanding of the molecular logistics underlying wall construction, remodeling, and defense. This review synthesizes classical and emerging models of exocytosis in plant cells, highlighting mechanisms of protein and polysaccharide trafficking, with special attention to cellulose synthase complex dynamics, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins, and leaderless protein secretion. Dedicated to Professor Gabriella Piro, whose insightful contributions have significantly advanced our understanding of polysaccharide and protein secretion, as well as the interplay between trafficking specificity and cell wall biosynthesis. Her scientific legacy continues to inspire current research into the secretory pathways that shape the plant cell wall, a vital interface for growth, development, and environmental adaptation
Age and growth of bamboo coral Isidella elongata (Esper, 1788): a Mediterranean Vulnerable Marine Ecosystem indicator taxa
No full textThe General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognises bamboo coral forests as Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems due to their high ecological importance (e.g., habitat-forming, shelter-role, and hot-spot biodiversity). The major cause of bamboo coral vulnerability lies in their slow growth rate, which limits their ability to recover from fisheries-related damage. This is particularly true for the bamboo coral Isidella elongata in the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the need to take action to ensure the conservation of the I. elongata forests, crucial information regarding life-history traits such as age, growth rate, and life span is still limited. This study takes advantage of the incidental catch of 751 I. elongata colonies (basal diameter 0.36–7.3 mm) through experimental trawl fishing surveys (2012–2023) in South Adriatic Sea. We modelled the species’ growth through thin sections (basal diameter 4 mm). The estimated ages, considering both methods, ranged between 1 and 59 years, while the species’ lifespan in the area was predicted to be from 57.5 to 59 years. Age data were fitted to seven different growth models, with the exponential model proving to be the most accurate in describing the species’ growth with significant difference between two groups of age data ( 48.8 years). Our findings are the first providing direct ageing of I. elongata in the Mediterranean Sea, which is a critical aspect in determining the species’ long-term population dynamics and recovery capacity from an ecosystem-based fishery management perspective
A critical assessment of MILD and plasma-enhanced combustion for net-zero energy systems using green hydrogen and ammonia
No full textThe transition to sustainable and smart urban energy systems requires combustion technologies that combine high efficiency with near-zero emissions. Moderate or intense low-oxygen dilution (MILD) combustion has emerged as a promising solution, offering volumetric heat release, reduced peak temperatures, and strong NOX suppression, ideal for integrating green hydrogen carriers such as ammonia and ammonia–hydrogen blends into stationary energy systems. While MILD combustion is well-studied for hydrocarbons, its application to carbon-free fuels presents challenges including high ignition temperatures, low reactivity, and potential NOX formation. This review examines the behavior of ammonia-based fuels under MILD conditions, mapping combustion regimes across reactor types and operating parameters. To address ignition and stability issues, the review also explores plasma-assisted MILD combustion (PAMC). Non-equilibrium plasma (NEP) discharges promote radical generation, reduce ignition delay times, and enhance flame stability under lean, highly diluted conditions. Recent experimental and numerical studies demonstrate that plasma activation can reduce ignition delay times by up to an order of magnitude, lower flame lift-off heights by over 30 % in certain configurations, and enhance OH radical concentrations and heat release intensity. The extent of these improvements depends on factors such as plasma energy input, fuel type, and dilution level. This review synthesizes key findings, identifies technical gaps, and highlights the potential of MILD and PAMC as clean, flexible, and scalable solutions for low-emission stationary energy generation in smart city environments
A Classification of the Flag‐Transitive 2‐(v,3,λ) Designs With v≡1,3(mod6) and v≡6(modλ)
No full textSearch for Magnetic Monopole Pair Production in Ultraperipheral Pb+Pb Collisions at sqrt(sNN) = 5.36 TeV with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC
No full textThis Letter presents a search for highly ionizing magnetic monopoles in 262 μb-1 of ultraperipheral Pb+Pb collision data at sqrt(sNN)=5.36 TeV collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. A new methodology that exploits the properties of clusters of hits reconstructed in the innermost silicon detector layers is introduced to study highly ionizing particles in heavy-ion data. No significant excess above the background, which is estimated using a data-driven technique, is observed. Using a nonperturbative semiclassical model, upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the cross section for pair production of monopoles with a single Dirac magnetic charge in the mass range of 20–150 GeV. Depending on the model, monopoles with a single Dirac magnetic charge and mass below 80–120 GeV are excluded
Trade unions and the foundational economy: understanding shifting boundaries, politics and functions of economic participation and social action within industrial relations
No full textThis article focuses on the changing role of trade unions in relation to 'the foundational economy' - the infrastructures and services that provide the basis for everyday life. While such initiatives have sometimes been considered as falling beyond the traditional remit of union action, examples of trade union engagement in and for the foundational economy are historically and currently evident across countries. The article argues that these are important in the realm of trade union strategies with attempts to widen engagement and participation in broader economic issues, particularly in post-2008 economic austerity and after the pandemic and the cost-of-living crises. The article explores these issues based on the intersection between different dimensions and levels of union action.Cet article est consacr & eacute; & agrave; l'& eacute;volution du r & ocirc;le des syndicats par rapport & agrave; > - & agrave; savoir les infrastructures et les services qui constituent la base de la vie quotidienne. M & ecirc;me si ces initiatives ont parfois & eacute;t & eacute; consid & eacute;r & eacute;es comme sortant du cadre traditionnel de l'action syndicale, des exemples d'engagement syndical dans et pour l'& eacute;conomie fondamentale sont attest & eacute;s tant dans l'histoire que dans le pr & eacute;sent, & agrave; travers diff & eacute;rents pays. L'article souligne l'importance de ces exemples dans le cadre des strat & eacute;gies syndicales visant & agrave; & eacute;largir l'engagement et la participation & agrave; des questions & eacute;conomiques plus larges, en particulier dans le contexte de l'aust & eacute;rit & eacute; & eacute;conomique de l'apr & egrave;s-2008 et apr & egrave;s les crises de la pand & eacute;mie et du co & ucirc;t de la vie. Ces questions sont examin & eacute;es & agrave; partir de l'intersection entre diff & eacute;rentes dimensions et diff & eacute;rents niveaux de l'action syndicale.Der vorliegende Artikel beschreibt die sich ver & auml;ndernde Rolle der Gewerkschaften in Bezug auf die ,,Alltags & ouml;konomie" (foundational economy), d. h. die Infrastrukturen und Dienstleistungen, die die Grundlagen f & uuml;r unser allt & auml;gliches Leben bilden. Obwohl solche Initiativen nicht unbedingt als Teil der traditionellen expliziten Ziele gewerkschaftlichen Handelns betrachtet werden, gibt es in Geschichte und Gegenwart vieler L & auml;nder Belege daf & uuml;r, wie Gewerkschaften innerhalb und f & uuml;r die Alltags & ouml;konomie agieren. Der Artikel unterstreicht deren Bedeutung f & uuml;r gewerkschaftliche Strategien mit dem Bestreben, Mitwirkung und Partizipation an umfassenderen & ouml;konomischen Fragen zu erweitern, insbesondere mit Blick auf die Zeit seit Beginn der Austerit & auml;tspolitik 2008 und nach den Krisen der Pandemie und der rasant steigenden Lebenshaltungskosten. Der Artikel untersucht diese Fragen an der Schnittstelle unterschiedlicher Dimensionen und Ebenen gewerkschaftlichen Handelns