1,314 research outputs found

    Oncological and Functional Outcomes of Radical Cystectomy and Orthotopic Bladder Replacement in Women. Editorial comment

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    During the last decades, orthotopic bladder substitution (OBS) after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer in women has been increasingly proposed. Meanwhile, strict patient selection criteria, improved surgical techniques, long-term follow-up in large patient cohorts, and validated evaluation have defined the role of OBS in men. Several issues must be clarified in women: oncological outcome, complication rates, functional results, quality of life, and sexual function. As a matter of fact, the results of OBS in women are substantially unchanged in the last decade as stated in this paper. From the oncological standpoint, the patient outcome seems objectively satisfactory but selection criteria are different in the published series. Fortunately, the problem of urethra recurrence seems less relevant in properly selected patients. However several issues are still a matter of debate. Functional results in terms of continence and hypercontinence are still unsatisfactory because the optimal way to reconstruct the pelvic anatomy is still undefined. Early and late complication rates are poorly evaluated. Little data are also available about the quality of life and sexual function. Validated evaluation criteria in a large patient cohort are needed to objectively evaluate the results and to improve the substantially unchanged results reported in last decade. It's time to move forward!!

    A quad-core 15GHz BiCMOS VCO with -124dBc/Hz phase noise at 1MHz offset, -189dBc/Hz FOM, and robust to multimode concurrent oscillations

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    The relentless development of next-generation communication and radar systems sets increasingly stringent requirements on the spectral purity of local oscillators. Decreasing phase noise is crucial to support efficient modulation formats with large symbol constellations, as well as to enable innovative radar applications, e.g., anti-collision, gesture recognition, and medical imaging. To minimize phase noise, bipolar transistors offer some advantages over ultra-scaled CMOS: higher supply voltage (thus larger oscillation amplitudes), lower 1/f noise, higher-Q passives (due to higher resistivity substrate and, possibly, thicker metals), and higher f T , f max for a given technology node, which results in a cost advantage for a variety of medium-volume applications (e.g., infrastructure transceivers). For a given supply voltage, a tank showing a smaller resistance at resonance yields lower phase noise. As a result, the minimum phase noise achievable by a single voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is ultimately bounded by the smaller realizable inductor displaying the highest Q. To achieve significantly lower phase noise levels, bilaterally coupling N oscillators [1-3] is a viable option. However, to fully preserve the 10log(N) phase-noise advantage, while avoiding undesired multi-tone concurrent oscillations, the coupling network must be carefully designed. This work presents a quad-core bipolar VCO achieving phase noise as low as -124dBc/Hz at 1MHz offset from the 15GHz carrier, -189dBc/Hz figure-of-merit (FOM), and 16% tuning range. Insights are given into the design of the resistive network employed to couple the four oscillators, a key element in achieving the reported performance

    Principe

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    Maximizing energy transfer and RES integration using dynamic thermal rating. Italian TSO experience

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    The production of electricity from wind and other renewable sources is rapidly increasing all over the world, causing significant changes in the management of electrical systems. The current structural asset is not adequate to manage this growing generation of energy. The hypothesis of construction of new power lines would mean taking into consideration economic, political and social problems. The following paper reports the experience gained by the Italian TSO, Terna S.p.A, on the use of the DTR (Dynamic Thermal Rating), which is able to dynamically calculate the real transport capacity of an overhead power line. The results obtained are en- couraging as they show how it is possible to increase, in safety, the energy flows on the lines compared to the static limit evaluations. There are many advantages for electric systems: optimizing energy vectors, reducing congestions, increasing reliability, developing smart grids. In this document, after a brief illustration of the architecture of the DTR system, the authors report the results of two successful applications in the Italian HV electrical system for RES integration: a wind case and a hydroelectric one

    Energy Saving Strategies for Electric Motor Based Appliances

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    The role of electric motors and actuators in a domestic environment is explored, by reviewing the more common solutions adopted and by suggesting possible innovation aimed at increasing the energy saving, while maintaining the specifications of the appliances market. A significant contribution in this direction is obtained from a large use of electric drives, instead of simple electric motors, which also means to take advantage from the supply flexibility offered by static converters and from the intelligent algorithms that allow for variable speed at high efficiency. Thanks to more sophisticated algorithms, able to reconstruct important variables with little or no physical sensors, AC machines seem taking over DC or universal motors, and also the integration technology favors more compact and efficient devices. A non secondary impulse is also given by home and building automation technology, that uses system communication and status knowledge sharing to optimize the overall system performance

    Crambus varii Bassi & I- & To 2012, n.sp.

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    Crambus varii n.sp. Figs 10, 24, 26 HOLOTYPE: TMSA, without registration number; ♀; [RSA, Western Cape, 33°57’S, 22°32’E] Saasveld George, C [ape] P[rovince], South Africa, H. Geertsema; 26.8.1964; Holotype Crambus varii n. sp. G. Bassi det. 1995, TMSA, (not dissected). PARATYPES (all from RSA): TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; same data as holotype. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 2.2.[19]65 - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 1-10.II.1965. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 5.I.1965. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; idem, 26.XII.1964. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; idem, 1.1.1965. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; idem, 16.9.1964, De Fin. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; Kogelberg C [ape] P[rovince], Nature Reserve; 6-13.III.1983; Kroon & Molekane, GS 3330 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; Cape Prov[ince], Kogelberg (34 18 BD), 23 Mar[ch] 1981, D.M. Kroon, GS 4193 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; Stellenbosch; 3.3.’[19]21; Ch. K. Brain. - TMSA, without registration number; 13; 1♀, Vyeboom, Caledon Distr[ict]; 10.II.1954; L. Vári, GS 3300 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; Saasveld; 5.I.[19]65. - MFNB, without registration number; 2♀♀; RSA, Bontebok NP, Swellendam; 14. 16.XI.1993; leg. Mey & Ebert. - CB, without registration number; 13; Saasveld, C.P.; 23.XII.1964; H. Geertsema, GS 5235 GB. - CB, without registration number; 1♀; Algeria Forestry, Clanwilliam Distr.; 4-10.III.1969; Potgieter & Strydom, GS 5240 GB. - MHNG, without registration number; 1♀, Worcester, Amandel spruit; 18.X.1966; Vári & Potgieter. – TMSA and CB (13), without registration number; 233; 2♀♀, Tsitsikam[m]a Goesabos Forestry; 13-22.III.1979; Potgieter & Scoble. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; Cape Prov[ince], Tsitsikam[m]a forest, Goesabos, 33 23 DD; 13-22 Mar 1979; J. Potgieter & M. Scoble, GS 3850 GB. - TMSA, without registration number; 1♀; Tsitsikam [m]a, Ou-brug; 17.III.1979; Potgieter & Scoble. ETYMOLOGY: The species is dedicated to Lajos Vári of the TMSA, author of very valuable entomological collections in Southern Africa. DIAGNOSIS: The combination of forewings without separated submarginal area, male genitalia with fully developed uncus, phallus with dorsoapical tooth and strong cornuti, and female genitalia with very large and strongly sclerotized ostium characterize this species among African Crambus. DESCRIPTION (Fig. 10): Wingspan: male 20-21 mm, female 25-27 mm. Labial palpi 4 X longer than widest diameter of eye, with inner side white and outer side brown with upper margin and tip white. Maxillary palpi white with brown basis. Frons clearly produced, rounded, white. Antennae brown, with silvery costa, serrate in male, simple in female. Ocelli and chaetosemata moderately developed. Head white, with few chestnut brown scales in middle. Patagium laterally brown, white medially. Tegulae dark brown. Thorax white. Abdomen bronze brown to whitish, suffused brown. Forewings ground color bronze brown, lighter in dorsal area; costal area white, wide, and white suffused with chestnut brown toward apex; female with more pointed apex; medial stripe wide, white, reaching outer margin; veins marked by white scales toward outer margin; outer margin with seven subterminal dots, more developed in female; fringes with both short and long scales white with silvery bronzed tip, thus appearing white with medial and terminal lines silvery bronzed. Hindwings white with brown suffusion; fringes white. Fore and midlegs bronze brown; hindlegs whitish, suffused bronze brown. MALE GENITALIA (Fig. 26): Uncus long, sinuous, pointed, moderately bent downward and sclerotized. Two large and spatulate socii cover up to two thirds of length of uncus. Gnathos one third longer than uncus, with apex rounded and bent downward. Tegumen with large base, partially fused with vinculum. Vinculum stout, with large subtriangular dorsal extension. Pseudosaccus small. Valva wide, with membranous cucullus, with well developed and pointed costal and saccular processes and small medial process lamellar. Phallus slightly shorter than whole apparatus, with large subapical tooth; vesica with 5 subtriangular cornuti. FEMALE GENITALIA (Fig. 24): Papillae anales divided into two lobes and apophyses posteriores of medium size. Apophyses anteriores absent. Abdominal segment VIII with narrow tergite and strong and complex sternite. Ostium bursae very large and sclerotized. Ductus bursae longer than corpus bursae, sinuous, sclerotized in proximal two thirds, then fibrous. Ostium and ductus bursae spiculate. Ductus seminalis opening in distal third of ductus bursae. Corpus bursae with two well developed signa. DISTRIBUTION: RSA, Western Cape and Eastern Cape at Tsitsikamma. REMARKS: The presence of socii and both costal and saccular processes relates this species to C. pascuella; female genitalia are also reminiscent of some other Crambus, such as heringiellus Herrich-Schäffer.Published as part of Bassi, Graziano, 2012, New Afrotropical species of the genus Crambus Fabricius, 1798 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae, Crambinae), pp. 269-286 in Revue suisse de Zoologie 119 (3) on pages 284-286, DOI: 10.5962/bhl.part.150195, http://zenodo.org/record/611826
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