Photoluminescence-Based Techniques for the Detection of Micro- and Nanoplastics

The growing numbers related to plastic pollution are impressive, with ca. 70 % of produced plastic (>350 tonnes/year) being indiscriminately wasted in the environment. The most dangerous forms of plastic pollution for biota and human health are micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs), which are ubiquitous and more bioavailable. Their elimination is extremely difficult, but the first challenge is their detection since existing protocols are unsatisfactory for microplastics and mostly absent for nanoplastics. After a discussion of the state of the art for MNPs detection, we specifically revise the techniques based on photoluminescence that represent very promising solutions for this problem. In this context, Nile Red staining is the most used strategy and we show here its pros and limitations, but we also discuss other more recent approaches, such as the use of fluorogenic probes based on perylene-bisimide and on fluorogenic hyaluronan nanogels, with the added values of biocompatibility and water solubility.     

Extremal Curves in Nilpotent Lie Groups

We classify extremal curves in free nilpotent Lie groups. The classification is obtained via an explicit integration of the adjoint equation in Pontryagin maximum principle. It turns out that abnormal extremals are precisely the horizontal curves contained in algebraic varieties of a specific type. We also extend the results to the nonfree case.     

Lipschitz and path isometric embeddings of metric spaces

We prove that each sub-Riemannian manifold can be embedded in some Euclidean space preserving the length of all the curves in the manifold. The result is an extension of Nash C ¹ Embedding Theorem. For more general metric spaces the same result is false, e.g., for Finsler non-Riemannian manifolds. However, we also show that any metric space of finite Hausdorff dimension can be embedded in some Euclidean space via a Lipschitz map.     

Calibration of a multifactor model for the forward markets of several commodities

We propose a model for the evolution of forward prices of several commodities, which is an extension of the factor forward model in [1, 2], to a market where multiple commodities are traded. We calibrate this model in a market where forward contracts on multiple commodities are present, using historical forward prices. First, we calibrate separately the four coefficients of each individual commodity, using an approach based on quadratic variation/covariation of forward prices. Then, with the same technique, we pass to the estimation of the mutual correlation among the Brownian motions driving the different commodities. This calibration is compared to a calibration method used by practitioners, which uses rolling time series and requires a modification of the model, but turns out to be more accurate in practice, especially with a low frequency of observed transaction. We present efficient methods to perform the calibration with both methods, as well as the calibration of the intercommodity correlation matrix. Then we calibrate our model to WTI, ICE Brent and ICE Gasoil forward prices. Finally we present a method for estimating spot volatility from forward parameters, with an application to the WTI spot volatility.     

Logics for belief functions on MV-algebras

In this paper we present a generalization of belief functions over fuzzy events. In particular we focus on belief functions defined in the algebraic framework of finite MV-algebras of fuzzy sets. We introduce a fuzzy modal logic to formalize reasoning with belief functions on many-valued events. We prove, among other results, that several different notions of belief functions can be characterized in a quite uniform way, just by slightly modifying the complete axiomatization of one of the modal logics involved in the definition of our formalism.     

Hausdorff measures of subgroups of \mathbb{R }/\mathbb{Z } and \mathbb{R }

For a sequence $\underline{u}=(u_n)_{n\in \mathbb{N }}$ of integers, let $t_{\underline{u}}(\mathbb{T })$ be the group of all topologically $\underline{u}$ -torsion elements of the circle group $\mathbb{T }:=\mathbb{R }/\mathbb{Z }$ . We show that for any $s\in ]0,1[$ and $m\in \{0,+\infty \}$ there exists $\underline{u}$ such that $t_{\underline{u}}(\mathbb{T })$ has Hausdorff dimension $s$ and $s$ -dimensional Hausdorff measure equal to $m$ (no other values for $m$ are possible). More generally, for dimension functions $f,g$ with $f(t)\prec g(t), f(t)\prec \!\!\!\prec t$ and $g(t)\prec \!\!\!\prec t$ we find $\underline{u}$ such that $t_{\underline{u}}(\mathbb{T })$ has at the same time infinite $f$ -measure and null $g$ -measure.     

Duality in Function Spaces

In this paper we use Bartle’s technique to study duality between a topological space and a function space. Normally such a duality forms an essential part of Functional Analysis. We introduce several new topologies such as the topology of even convergence T_e, the closed-cocompact topology T_{k ′}, the (strong) local proximal convergence. We explore the topological groups of self-homeomorphisms of a topological space and shed light on the earlier work of Arens, Dieudonné, Di Concilio. We also study the concepts such as evenly equidistant, functionally equicontinuous, due to Bouziad-Troallic and topologically equicontinuous due to Royden. In memory of Professor Enrico Meccariello who made a considerable contribution to this work and who suddenly passed away before his time     

Twist points of planar domains

We establish a potential theoretic approach to the study of twist points in the boundary of simply connected planar domains.

     

Reference frames in harmonic coordinates: geometric and physical aspects

This work is focused on the geometrical and physical characteristics of the class of reference frames associated to harmonic coordinates. Precisely, we express in relative form the harmonicity conditions and consider the so called ??spatially harmonicity?? of a reference frame in spherical symmetry. The initial data problem is then analyzed in polar coordinates and the obtained results are applied to special cases of exact solutions.