We describe a globalization construction for the Rozansky–Witten model in the BV-BFV formalism for a source manifold with and without boundary in the classical and quantum case. We define an AKSZ ...sigma model, which, upon globalization through notions of formal geometry extended appropriately to our case, is shown to reduce to the Rozansky–Witten model. The relations with other relevant constructions in the literature are discussed. Moreover, we split the model as a BF-like theory and we construct a perturbative quantization of the model in the quantum BV-BFV framework. In this context, we are able to prove the modified differential Quantum Master Equation and the flatness of the quantum Grothendieck BFV operator. Additionally, we provide a construction of the BFV boundary operator in some cases.
A cell-resolved model that simulates the dynamic thermal behavior of a Vanadium Redox Flow Battery during charge and discharge is presented. It takes into account, at a cell level, the reversible ...entropic heat of the electrochemical reactions, irreversible heat due to overpotentials, self-discharge reactions due to ion crossover, and shunt current losses. The model accounts for the heat transfer between cells and toward the environment, the pump hydraulic losses and the heat transfer of piping and tanks. It provides the electrolyte temperature in each cell, at the stack inlet and outlet, along the piping and in the tanks. Validation has been carried out against the charge/discharge measurements from a 9kW/27 kWh VRFB test facility. The model has been applied to study a VRFB with the same stack but a much larger capacity, operating at ±400 A for 8 h, in order to identify critical thermal conditions which may occur in next-generation industrial VRFB stacks capable to operating at high current density. The most critical condition has been found at the end of a long discharge, when temperatures above 50 °C appeared, possibly resulting in VO2+ precipitation and battery faults. These results call for heat exchangers tailored to assist high-power VRFB systems.
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•A cell-resolved dynamic thermal model of a VRFB system is presented.•Reversible entropic heat of main electrochemical reactions is taken into account.•Losses due to overpotentials, shunt currents, and species crossover are considered.•Model successfully validated on a 9 kW experimental VRFB stack.•Insights are given on the thermal behavior of next-generation compact stacks.
Background: In children, nutritional status of vitamin D (vitD), frequency of vitD receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and their associations with overweight and asthma remain controversial. ...Objectives: To evaluate the nutritional status of vitD and the frequency of VDR gene polymorphisms, as well as identify their associations with nutritional status and asthma. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with schoolchildren (n = 262; mean age = 8.7 ± 1.3 years). Clinical history, anthropometric measurements, and serum 25-hydroxy vitD were evaluated. Four VDR gene polymorphisms were identified and genotypes, alleles, and haplotypes were calculated. Results: The serum vitD levels were found at 85.1%, within normal range. The FokI AA genotype was more frequent in asthmatics compared to healthy controls (10 vs. 1%, p < 0.05), while the GG genotype was less frequent (45.0 vs. 55.2%, p < 0.05). The frequency of the TT allele for the ApaI was higher among asthmatic eutrophic children (60.9 vs. 29.4%, p < 0.05) and that of the TT allele for the BsmI was higher among asthmatic overweight children (35.3 vs. 4.4%, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Insufficiency in vitD was low. Two wild-type alleles (AA) of FokI were identified as risk factor for the development of asthma, while GG alleles appears to be a protective factor. To have polymorphic alleles (TT) of ApaI seems to be a risk factor for asthma in children with normal weight, while that of BsmI seems to be a risk factor for asthma in overweight condition. Serum vitD was not different among analyzed genotypes.
Enhancing vaccine uptake is a critical public health challenge
. Overcoming vaccine hesitancy
and failure to follow through on vaccination intentions
requires effective communication strategies
. ...Here we present two sequential randomized controlled trials to test the effect of behavioural interventions on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccines. We designed text-based reminders that make vaccination salient and easy, and delivered them to participants drawn from a healthcare system one day (first randomized controlled trial) (n = 93,354 participants; clinicaltrials number NCT04800965) and eight days (second randomized controlled trial) (n = 67,092 individuals; clinicaltrials number NCT04801524) after they received a notification of vaccine eligibility. The first reminder boosted appointment and vaccination rates within the healthcare system by 6.07 (84%) and 3.57 (26%) percentage points, respectively; the second reminder increased those outcomes by 1.65 and 1.06 percentage points, respectively. The first reminder had a greater effect when it was designed to make participants feel ownership of the vaccine dose. However, we found no evidence that combining the first reminder with a video-based information intervention designed to address vaccine hesitancy heightened its effect. We performed online studies (n = 3,181 participants) to examine vaccination intentions, which revealed patterns that diverged from those of the first randomized controlled trial; this underscores the importance of pilot-testing interventions in the field. Our findings inform the design of behavioural nudges for promoting health decisions
, and highlight the value of making vaccination easy and inducing feelings of ownership over vaccines.
Nafion/Pt-based ionic polymer metal composites can be considered smart materials with characteristics that allow it to be used as soft actuators. Its working mechanism is based on solvated ...counterions moving through hydrophilic sites of the polymer membrane, making it an electrochemical device. Since a minimum of 2 V is needed to actuate, water electrolysis is a drawback that must be overcome, once its occurrence inhibits the properly working of ionomeric polymer/metal composite (IPMC). With individually four distinct counterions incorporated H
+
, Li
+
, Na
+
and BMIM
+
— an organic cation from ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium chloride — Nafion/Pt-based IPMCs had their electrochemical properties investigated through cyclic voltammetry, multi-step chronoamperometry and electrical impedance, as well as mass change during exhaustive actuation cycles and their chemical affinity with hydrophilic sites were analysed by quantum mechanics simulation. From the collected data, it was possible to infer that the physical-chemical aspects of counterions play a key role in device-measured property, and BMIM
+
prevented early water electrolysis, providing electrochemical stability to the device. Real-time mass-monitored actuation shows that water loss occurs excessively on smaller radius counterions and although the fast reabsorption kinetics, molecular diffusion to the innermost regions of the membrane is slow and does not lead to a recovery of device’s performance. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data corroborate the fact that mass transport is strongly affected by both the limited ionomeric channel width and the interaction between the species and the Nafion side chains.
Perinatal loss may deeply affect the attachment relationships of mothers and their next-born children. The aim was to explore the subjective perceptions of mothers, who had fetal death during the ...first pregnancy, and their adult subsequent firstborn children regarding the impact of the perinatal loss on the mother-child relationship and children’s self-perception. Fifteen mothers who experienced a fetal death during the first pregnancy and their adult subsequent firstborn children were interviewed. A Grounded Theory approach was used. Five main themes were identified: fetal death as a real loss producing prolonged grief; the importance of the communication about the dead sibling; creating and maintaining a relationship with the lost sibling; the mother-subsequent child relationship: between detachment and overprotection; significant effects of fetal death on adult subsequent children’s self-perception. Results highlighted a deep impact of fetal death on the subsequent mother-child relationship, as perceived by both mothers and adult children.
Abstract
Italy is party to seven inheritance/estate tax treaties, concluded with Denmark, France, Greece, Israel, Sweden, the USA and the UK. The treaty with France also covers gift tax. The article ...describes the ramifications of such treaties in terms of the elimination of double taxation, by either restricting Italian taxation as the State of situs of the assets or dealing with dual residence cases. The article also highlights both the interpretation issues raised by these (old) treaties and the limits of such treaties in eliminating double taxation.
To describe the participation of the environment in the childhood obesity epidemic, since childhood obesity currently represents a great challenge, with high prevalence worldwide, including in ...Brazil.
Survey of articles published in the last 10 years in PubMed, evaluating the interface between the environment and childhood obesity.
Recent studies show that the environment is very important in the etiopathogenesis of obesity and its comorbidities. Therefore, factors such as air pollution, exposure to chemical substances that interfere with the metabolism, excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods, changes in the intestinal microbiota, and sedentary lifestyle are associated with increased obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and changes in lipid metabolism. These factors have a greater impact on some stages of life, such as the first thousand days, as they affect the expression of genes that control the adipogenesis, energy expenditure, and the mechanisms for hunger/satiety control.
Environmental aspects must be taken into account in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, both from the individual and the population point of view, with adequate and comprehensive public health policies.
•Dynamic growth model captured microalgae response to light cycles on the s timescale.•The dynamics of the photosynthetic units and biomass productivity are both simulated.•48 pulsed and 16 ...continuous light conditions used to calibrate and validate the model.•For Chlorella sp. short (3 s) light cycles improved microalgae biomass productivities.•Simulations are in agreement with pilot scale microalgae biomass productivity data.
Light-dark cycles on the s timescale are typical of cell cycling through photobioreactors and high-rate ponds and can significantly impact microalgae cultivation efficiency. Here, a novel formulation of the Camacho-Rubio microalgae growth model was developed to simulate dynamic growth under pulsed light (s timescale). It simultaneously captures the dynamics of the photosynthetic units (PSUs: open, closed and photoinhibited) and their impact on biomass productivity over time. Theoretical knowledge of PSU mediated processes operating on characteristic timescales was used to identify intra- and inter-light cycle variable dynamics and guide the model formulation. For model calibration, dynamic profiles of microalgae growth under pulsed light in a High-Throughput Screening platform were employed, after Principal Component Analysis (PCA), to remove biological noise. Model parameters were estimated for Chlorella sp., and the model validated against additional data under both pulsed and continuous light. The average prediction error for OD750 (measure of biomass) was 8% under pulsed light and 15% under continuous light. For OD680/OD750 (measure of Chlorophyll cell−1) it was 8% under pulsed and continuous light, demonstrating the model’s ability to represent highly variable conditions with good accuracy.
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