University of Palermo

About: University of Palermo is a education organization based out in Palermo, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 15621 authors who have published 40250 publications receiving 964384 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Palermo & Universita degli Studi di Palermo.

A technique for power supply harmonic impedance estimation using a controlled voltage disturbance

Abstract: A method for power system impedance estimation is presented. The method employs a power converter to inject a voltage transient onto the supply system. As the technique employs controlled power electronic devices it may be used as a stand alone piece of a portable measurement equipment, or it may be embedded into the functions of an active shunt filter for improved harmonic control. The impedance is estimated through correlation of the measured voltage and current transients. Simulations and experimental results demonstrate the measurement technique is highly accurate and effective.

Serotonin modulation of the basal ganglia circuitry: therapeutic implication for Parkinson's disease and other motor disorders.

Abstract: Several recent studies have emphasized a crucial role for the interactions between serotonergic and dopaminergic systems in movement control and the pathophysiology of basal ganglia These observations are supported by anatomical evidence demonstrating large serotonergic innervation of all the basal ganglia nuclei In fact, serotonergic terminals have been reported to make synaptic contacts with both substantia nigra dopamine-containing neurons and their terminal areas such as the striatum, the globus pallidus and the subthalamus These brain areas contain a high concentration of serotonin (5-HT), with the substantia nigra pars reticulata receiving the greatest input In this chapter, the distribution of different 5-HT receptor subtypes in the basal ganglia nuclei will be described Furthermore, evidence demonstrating the serotonergic control of basal ganglia activity will be reviewed and the contribution of the different 5-HT receptor subtypes examined The new avenues that the increasing knowledge of 5-HT in motor control has opened for exploring the pathophysiology and pharmacology of Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders will be discussed It is clear that these avenues will be fruitful, despite the disappointing results so far obtained by clinical studies with selective 5-HT ligands Nevertheless, these studies have led to a great increase in the attention given to the neurotransmitters of the basal ganglia and their connections

Atom-field dressed states in slow-light waveguide QED

Abstract: We discuss the properties of atom-photon bound states in waveguide QED systems consisting of single or multiple atoms coupled strongly to a finite-bandwidth photonic channel. Such bound states are formed by an atom and a localized photonic excitation and represent the continuum analog of the familiar dressed states in single-mode cavity QED. Here we present a detailed analysis of the linear and nonlinear spectral features associated with single- and multiphoton dressed states and show how the formation of bound states affects the waveguide-mediated dipole-dipole interactions between separated atoms. Our results provide both a qualitative and quantitative description of the essential strong-coupling processes in waveguide QED systems, which are currently being developed in the optical and microwave regimes.

Fiscal Policy Responsiveness, Persistence and Discretion

Abstract: We decompose fiscal policy in three components: i) responsiveness, ii) persistence and iii) discretion. Using a sample of 132 countries, our results point out that fiscal policy tends to be more persistent than to respond to output conditions. We also found that while the effect of cross-country covariates is positive (negative) for discretion, it is negative (positive) for persistence thereby suggesting that countries with higher persistence have lower discretion and vice versa. In particular, while government size, country size and income have negative effects on the discretion component of fiscal policy, they tend to increase fiscal policy persistence.