"Hot" Surface Activation of Molecular Complexes: Insight from Modeling Studies

Rock-and-roll over hot floors: Theoretical modeling of the first activation stages of a Cu complex on top of a heated surface (750 K) revealed two mobility regimes, a slow bump-and-rock diffusion over the surface and a fast roll-and-go motion accompanied by significant temperature-induced bond oscillations. This study enables a deeper insight into "hot" surface molecular activation processes.Tanz auf dem Vulkan: Das Modellieren der ersten Aktivierungsstufen eines Cu-Komplexes auf einer beheizten Oberfl\ue4che (750\u2005K) enth\ufcllte zwei Bewegungsarten: eine langsame Diffusion durch \u201eAnsto fen und Taumeln\u201c und eine schnelle Rollbewegung, die mit deutlichen temperaturinduzierten Bindungsoszillationen einhergeht. Diese Befunde geben einen Einblick in die Prozesse bei der Aktivierung durch \u201ehei fe\u201c Oberfl\ue4chen

Determination of Selected Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry for the Analysis of Wood to Establish the cause of Sinking of an Old Vessel (Scauri wreck) by Fire

The aimof this paper was to establish the cause of sinking of an old wooden vessel by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) analyses because wood combustion is a source of PAHs. In particular, the molecular PAH patterns generated by each source are like fingerprints and it is possible to determine the processes that generate PAHs by studying their distribution in wood samples. The relative abundance of high molecular weight PAHs, together with the PAH compound ratios and with total index (proposed by us) has demonstrated that samples owe their PAHs in wood archaeological material to a predominant single mode of origin, i.e. combustion processes, therefore we can say that the sinking of the vessel was caused by a fire

Aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition of Ga-doped ZnO films for energy efficient glazing: effects of doping concentration on the film growth behaviour and opto-electronic properties

S.Q. Chen would like to thank the China Scholarship Council/Queen Mary University of London Joint PhD scholarship program. G.C. and D.B. kindly acknowledge the financial support from Padova University PRAT 2010 project (no. CPDA102579) and grant no. CPDR132937/13 (SOLLEONE)

Electron transport through single Mn12 molecular magnets

We report transport measurements through a single-molecule magnet, the Mn12 derivative [Mn12O12(O2C-C6H4-SAc)16(H2O)4], in a single-molecule transistor geometry. Thiol groups connect the molecule to gold electrodes that are fabricated by electromigration. Striking observations are regions of complete current suppression and excitations of negative differential conductance on the energy scale of the anisotropy barrier of the molecule. Transport calculations, taking into account the high-spin ground state and magnetic excitations of the molecule, reveal a blocking mechanism of the current involving non-degenerate spin multiplets.Comment: Accepted for Phys. Rev. Lett., 5 pages, 4 figure

Nanoarchitectonics of metal oxide materials for sustainable technologies and environmental applications

Sustainable development compliant with environment and human health protection motivates researchers to explore green solutions towards improved economic and social wellbeing. These objectives, still very far from being achieved especially in developing countries, must necessarily be pursued through the tailored fabrication of low-cost, eco-friendly, efficient and stable multi-functional materials. In particular, nanostructures based on first-row transition metal oxides are amenable candidates for clean energy production, air purification and self-cleaning/anti-fogging purposes, especially if obtained through fabrication strategies allowing a careful modulation of their characteristics. In this highlight, after a brief introduction of the above issues, we provide selected representative examples of green oxide-based nanoarchitectures for the targeted end-uses. Attention is focused on the interplay between the material chemico-physical properties and the resulting functional performances, with the aim of providing some hints to control material behavior by design. In addition, we provide a critical outlook not only on the unique opportunities, but also on the main open challenges related to the use of the above multi-functional materials, in an attempt to stimulate further advancements in these emerging research areas

Critical evaluation of hazardous pollutants in edible insects: A simple review

The use of edible insects offers significant environmental benefits, particularly in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and minimising water and land use. Recently, some species of edible insects have been recognised as novel foods in the European Union, regulated by Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 until the end of 2022. In this context, it is necessary to pay close attention to the assessment of the health risks posed by the contaminants ingested by insects. Indeed, there are numerous risks associated with the consumption of insects for human consumption. This review highlights the importance of assessing the health risks associated with contaminants in edible insects. Similar to other animal-derived foods, insects can accumulate hazardous substances such as heavy metals, pesticides, dioxins and flame retardants. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of contaminant levels in edible insects, based on studies published over the last two decades, in order to assess the potential health risks associated with their consumption

Estimating GDP at the Parish (County) Level: An Evaluation of Alternative Approaches (Bulletin #890)

Gross Domestic Product or GDP is estimated for each parish from earnings and employment data from more than 60 industries in Louisiana.https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/agcenter_bulletins/1005/thumbnail.jp

Fiscal inequality and social (in)justice: evidence from the real estate market in Turin | [Iniquità fiscale e (in)giustizia sociale: evidenze dal mercato immobiliare a Torino]

The Italian government cyclically debates the critical issues related to property taxation, which for many years needs to be reformed due to the high fiscal inequality level that currently generates. This paper aims to analyze Italian fiscal inequality by exploring its spread within different urban zones of a city. A three-step methodological approach is proposed and applied to the city of Turin in the northern part of Italy. An extensive data sampling from 2021 real estate advertisements provides the basis for calculating cadastral values and four innovative fiscal inequality indicators. Descriptive statistics and spatial analyses are performed to study the relations between property prices and cadastral values, as well as to highlight the fiscal inequality level in relation to the real estate market. Findings show that current cadastral values are not related to property prices and that the fiscal inequality level is significant in most of the analyzed urban zones. These criticalities are due to a series of issues that confirm the urgency of the Italian Cadastre reform for its important consequences on property taxation. Particular attention is paid to the attribution, often incorrect, of the cadastral categories, and the possibility of redefining the property tax rates for calculating the IMU tax. Results, in fact, highlight that a random relationship between property tax rates and property prices exists and confirm that redistributive policies are necessary in the Italian context. The results of this research can be shared and discussed with the Agenzia delle Entrate and local authorities to be used to debate the territorial polarization between weak, degraded urban zones with limited services, and prestigious ones. The proposed methodological approach can be further developed and tested in other urban or rural contexts to really support local authorities to reduce the currently high fiscal inequality levels, the territorial and socio-economic injustices and to invest in new urban redevelopment strategies and thus foster territorial welfare

A multilayer panel in cork and natural phase change materials: thermal and energy analysis

This paper presents thermal and energy analysis of a multilayer panel in bio-based cork material and natural phase change materials (PCMs) for the development of prefabricated, recyclable and energy-efficient and autonomous building modules. For this purpose, a calculation tool is developed for the dynamic simulation of the thermal and energy behaviour of the sandwich panel. In particular, through an extensive parametric survey, the panel is sized with the identification of the arrangement of the layers, PCM temperature, and layer thicknesses to optimize the insulating and damping properties, considering typical climatic conditions of the Mediterranean climates of Southern Italy. From the conducted simulations, the types of sandwich panels that have the best insulating and storage characteristics for the building module construction were chosen. The results of these simulations will be used in future research for the preliminary design of tests to be carried out in a climatic chamber and to build a building module in real conditions to be constantly monitored through the automatic instrumental survey of internal and external physical quantities such as temperature, humidity and radiant temperature