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The Mixed-Fleet Vehicle Routing Problem with Low Emission Zones
No full textMany cities initiated new measures to restrict the access of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to urban centers because of increasing concerns in societies regarding carbon emissions and noise. A common restriction is referred to as low emission zone (LEZ) where ICEVs are either banned from entering or required to pay a daily toll to enter, whereas green vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) are exempt from any access restriction and toll payment. Therefore, delivery companies operating in LEZs face new challenges to determine their fleet configurations and make route plans. In this paper, we tackle this issue by adopting an optimization-based approach, which deals with routing a mixed fleet of vehicles that serves customers located inside and outside the LEZ. The fleet consists of ICEVs and EVs that are allowed to recharge en route. The objective is to minimize total operating costs that comprises the charging cost of EVs, fuel cost of ICEVs, and tolls paid by ICEVs that enter the LEZ. We present the mixed integer linear programming formulation of the problem and use it to solve small-size instances. For solving large-size instances, we develop an Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search method that benefits from new problem-specific mechanisms. An extensive experimental campaign is carried out on a set of benchmark instances derived from the literature and a case study based on real data is provided. Numerical results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method and provide managerial insights
Curare: voci del mondo antico
No full textIl presente contributo riguarda la cura nel mondo antico e mira a rispondere alle seguenti domande: chi cura, chi è curato, qual è il rapporto tra medico e paziente e come si evolve nel tempo? Particolare attenzione è riservata al ruolo delle donne come protagoniste della cura e dell’assistenza, come pure sono trattati i seguenti temi, l’interruzione di gravidanza e il fine vita.This contribution concerns care in the ancient world and aims to answer the following questions: who cures, who is cured, what is the relationship between doctor and patient and how does it evolve over time? Particular attention is given to the role of women as protagonists of care and assistance, as well as the following bioethical issues, the termination of pregnancy and the end of life
Impact of Complex Anatomy and Patient Risk Profile in Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Surgery
No full textBackground: We aimed to assess the impact of complex mitral valve disease and patient risk profile on operative outcomes in the large cohort of the Mini-Mitral International Registry. Methods: Patients were assigned to categories of complex degenerative mitral valve regurgitation (DMR; bileaflet or anterior mitral leaflet prolapse/flail) and simple DMR (posterior mitral leaflet prolapse/flail). Subgroup analyses was performed in low-risk (EuroSCORE II <8%) and high-risk (EuroSCORE II >8%) cohorts. A logistic regression model was applied to investigate the impact of valve anatomy and patient risk factors on valve repair rate and operative risk. Results: The study cohort consisted of 4524 patients with DMR (complex DMR, 1296; simple DMR, 3228). Valve repair rate was 87.3% and 91% in complex DMR and simple DMR, respectively. Predictors of valve replacement were anterior leaflet prolapse/flail, bileaflet flail, female sex, age, and reoperation, whereas Barlow disease was protective. Clinical results were comparable between complex DMR and simple DMR. On subgroup analyses, high-risk patients showed less satisfactory outcomes with respect to both the valve repair and operative mortality rates. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that complex DMR can be satisfactorily addressed by minimally invasive techniques. However, whereas complex disease was associated with low operative risk, anterior leaflet lesions and bileaflet flail remain negative predictors of successful valve repair. Conversely, valve repair rate was less satisfactory in high-risk patients, regardless of DMR complexity
A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Spatial Sound Reproduction based on Physiological Responses and Facial Expressions of the Listener
No full textSpatial audio systems have received nowadays great attention not only from the academic sector but also from the market. Many techniques have been studied for the creation of an immersive scenario, but the development of a large zone, where more than one listener can perceive an immersive audio experience, is based on the use of multichannel approaches and sound field technologies. In this context, the presented study aims at an objective analysis of the listeners' sound experience based on their physiological responses and facial expressions to recognize variations in the subject mental and physical status and in their emotional reactions. Several experiments have been conducted using an immersive loudspeakers sphere installed in a semi-anechoic chamber exploiting Ambisonics technology and monitoring the listeners with a camera-based system equipped with a Facial Coding (FAC) and an advanced multimodal acquisition system to measure different physiological signals
Dynamic RF Beam Steering Using Photo-Induced Fresnel Zone Plates on Solar Cells
Get PDFOptically reconfigurable beam steering at millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequencies requires engineered semiconductor surfaces with high-power optical sources. This article presents the first demonstration of beam steering using a commercially available monocrystalline silicon solar cell, directly exploiting its intrinsic photovoltaic properties for electromagnetic wave modulation. Dynamically reconfigurable Fresnel zone plate (FZP) patterns are projected onto the solar cell with low-power visible light (0.043 W/cm2), enabling reconfigurable beam steering across the Ka-band (26.4-40 GHz). The solar cell's back-contact design preserves RF transparency while providing polarization isolation up to -25 dB, and measurements show 10-dB modulation depth under illumination. Simulations and experiments confirm diffraction-based steering of a 30-GHz source. Furthermore, a 5G new radio (NR) data-link experiment at 28.03 GHz using 256-QAM modulation demonstrates the system's capability to sustain high-rate communication links. This fabrication-free and accessible approach establishes a practical path toward reconfigurable mm-wave beam steering and adaptive RF devices
L'acquisizione/utilizzo del fattore lavoro
No full textSulla base delle modifiche intervenute nella legislazione e nei principi contabili nazionali, si descrivono le modalità di contabilizzazione e di rappresentazione in bilancio relativamente all'acquisizione e all'utilizzo del fattore lavor
Insect-based dinner products for meat substitution in ordinary diets: Developing the quality criteria and experimental products for consumer interventions
Get PDFThe growing environmental impact of livestock farming has emphasised the need for more sustainable diets with lower meat consumption, identifying insects as a potential alternative protein source. The Sustainable Insect Chain (SUSINCHAIN) project aimed to incorporate six new insect protein products into regular dinner meals, aiming to replace 20% of meat protein through a six-week dietary intervention in Denmark and Portugal, namely a randomised controlled study targeting families with children and young and childless couples respectively. This paper presents the process undertaken by project partners to develop the specifications and establish the quality criteria for the six study products. Quality criteria focused on the immediate appeal and sensory properties of edible insects as food ingredients, particularly taste, texture, and appearance to promote acceptability. Initial sensory evaluations of product prototypes provided essential feedback for improvement. The development of insect-based food products, including those mimicking traditionalmeat products, highlighted the significance of sensory quality and consumer perception in product acceptance. Non-meat mimicking items had high sensory appeal, but were not perceived as meat replacements, typically being later added as side dishes or supplements by intervention participants. Balancing insect protein content with sensory appeal presented challenges, highlighting the need to consider portion sizes and presentation. Overall, animal meat protein replacement in dinner meals using insectbased foods requires an integrated approach that combines innovative product development, ongoing quality assessments, and a deep understanding of consumer preferences, crucial for market acceptance and adoption
The Social Capital of a Higher Education Institution and the 2030 Agenda
No full textThe 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which encompasses the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), calls for collective action for a more sustainable world, engaging governments and civil society. This research focused on how the Western Paraná State University (Unioeste) is engaging with this agenda. Through qualitative research with 14 management leaders of Unioeste and analysis of institutional documents, this study examined how the institution mobilizes social capital to implement the SDGs. The conclusions suggest that Unioeste has social capital, but not enough to fully implement the SDGs, so there is room for improvement. Thus, placing social capital at the center of this effort is a possible approach for such implementation. This research provides valuable information on the complex process of integrating the SDGs into universities and contributes to the theoretical understanding of SDG implementation in academic settings. Furthermore, this study has practical implications for helping decision-makers to manage sustainability issues
