1,276 research outputs found

    Soft capacitor fibers using conductive polymers for electronic textiles

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    A novel, highly flexible, conductive polymer-based fiber with high electric capacitance is reported. In its crossection the fiber features a periodic sequence of hundreds of conductive and isolating plastic layers positioned around metallic electrodes. The fiber is fabricated using fiber drawing method, where a multi-material macroscopic preform is drawn into a sub-millimeter capacitor fiber in a single fabrication step. Several kilometres of fibers can be obtained from a single preform with fiber diameters ranging between 500um -1000um. A typical measured capacitance of our fibers is 60-100 nF/m and it is independent of the fiber diameter. For comparison, a coaxial cable of the comparable dimensions would have only ~0.06nF/m capacitance. Analysis of the fiber frequency response shows that in its simplest interrogation mode the capacitor fiber has a transverse resistance of 5 kOhm/L, which is inversely proportional to the fiber length L and is independent of the fiber diameter. Softness of the fiber materials, absence of liquid electrolyte in the fiber structure, ease of scalability to large production volumes, and high capacitance of our fibers make them interesting for various smart textile applications ranging from distributed sensing to energy storage

    A Survey of Saxophone Literature

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    In preparing a graduate recital the writer had to select a variety of music for his program. In reviewing several small lists of saxophone music, one comprehensive collection would have been more helpful. Many hours of research in comparing smaller catalogues could have been spared the writer, if one complete survey had been available. Music teachers, students and professional musicians also could use one comprehensive list extensively and from it obtain the needed music more quickly and efficiently

    Interleukine-33 and Lipid Profile in Cardiovascular Diseases Patients and Healthy Subjects

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    Interleukine-33 (IL-33), a newly described member of the IL-1 family, is expressed by many cell types, but the precise source of IL-33 remains so far unclear. IL-33 is implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. However, IL-33 is a multifaceted mediator with both pro- and anti- inflammatory activities, it presents an extracellular and nuclear – bound from, each of them performing distinct activities of their own.The objective of the present study is to evaluate the serum level of IL-33 in patients suffering from diverse cardiovascular diseases (CVD) with different body mass index (BMI), and to compare those with healthy control subjects with matched BMI. In an attempt to find the contribution of IL-33 and obesity to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.The study was carried on( 30) patients with cardiovascular diseases, who were divided to three equal groups according to their BMI as G1 with BMI (20-24.9), G2 with BMI (25-29.9) and G3 with BMI > 30. Healthy individuals were included (10) for each patients group matched BMI and age. All subjects performed serum tests for lipid profile and IL-33 after an overnight fast.The results showed a significant rise in total cholesterol and triglyceride only for G3 when compared to their healthy control, while significant differences were found for LDL, VLDL and IL-33 for all patient groups when compared with their matched age and BMI control groups. Also a significant elevation for G3 compared to G1 and G2 in triglyceride, LDL and IL-33 were found.A conclusion could be made that IL-33 and LDL are significantly affected by BMI in patients groups only and not in the control subjects. This confirms the synergistic effect of the obesity and cardiovascular events on IL-33, while no effect of the disease could be detected from the present study

    El terciario del Baix Ebre: Aportaciones estratigráficas y sedimentológicas

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    EFFECTS OF PEA STARCH YEAST FERMENTATION ON GLYCEMIC INDEX, PALATABILITY, METABOLIC STATUS AND INTESTINAL HEALTH OF DOGS AND CATS FED A PEA BASED DIET

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    The premium pet food market has expanded substantially over the past few years, which is related to the growing pet owners concerns with animals welfare and longevity. To address this new market niche, the pet food industry invested in ingredients and formulations that aim to provide health benefits for dogs and cats. Among these new ingredients are peas. Peas are low glycemic index carbohydrates that have become popular in pet food formulation. Despite evidence showing that peas benefit pets metabolic status,the use of peas in cat food formulation still a challenge as cats tend to refuse the taste of pea based diets. Fermentation is a millenary technique used to improve food flavour and texture. Among the microbes used to ferment food are yeasts. Yeast fermentation yields amino acids that are potent flavour enhancers. Furthermore, yeast fermentation lowers the levels of antinutrients, which may inhibit the bitter taste of peas. In addition, the yeast cell wall contains prebiotics that might benefit intestinal health. The purpose of this thesis was to create a novel pet food using yeast fermented pea starch and to investigate the effects of this diet on palatability, glycemic index and intestinal health of dogs and cats. To research these objectives, four studies were conducted. The first study describes the methodology used to ferment the pea starch and compares pea starch composition before and after being fermented. The second study investigates whether yeast fermentation impacts dogs and cats postprandial glucose response to unfermented and fermented pea starches and diets. The third study investigates whether fermentation enhances the palatability of pea based diets formulated for dogs and cats. The last study investigates whether dogs and cats metabolic status and intestinal health benefits from diets formulated with unfermented and fermented pea starch over a diet formulated with a more traditional carbohydrate source (namely corn). Besides showing that pea starch can successfully be fermented using a common yeast used in human food processing (C. utilis), the results of the first study show that pea starch fermentation slightly increases protein and crude fibre content. The second study reveals that fermentation does not significantly impact dogs and cats glucose response to pea products (starch or diet). The third study results show that dogs and cats have preference for a diet formulated with fermented pea starch over a diet formulated with unfermented pea starch. The results of the last study show that dogs and cats fed peas instead of corn have improved metabolic status (regardless of fermentation). Moreover, when compared to a diet formulated with corn, consumption of pea based diets led to a more diverse bacterial intestinal community and increased population of Faecalibacterium, genera often associated with improved intestinal health. In conclusion, the results of this thesis show that yeast fermentation improves the palatability of pea based diets without compromising the health benefits associated with the consumption of peas in dogs and cats

    Assessing meso- and microplastic pollution in the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas

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    As the production of plastic products continues to increase, determining the fate of plastic waste in the environment is of high importance. Densely populated areas, such as Mediterranean coastlines, represent locations of high pollution risk for surrounding environments. Thus, this study aims to assess the abundance, size, and composition of floating meso- and microplastics collected during four weeks in 2018 in the Ligurian and Tyrrhenian Seas. The results show average meso- and microplastic particle concentrations of 28,376 ± 28,917 particles km−2, and an average mass of 268.61 ± 421.18 g km−2. The particle shape ratio was 65% fragments, 19% films, 10% lines, 4% foams, and 2% pellets. Microplastic particles comprised 65% of the sample. Analysis with attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed predominant polymer types included polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and polyamide. These data are an important starting point for long-term monitoring of plastic pollution levels within this region

    Las disciplinas del discurso: Hermenéutica, semiótica y análisis textual

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    En este articulo se aborda el análisis del discurso desde una perspectiva semiótica y hermenéutica y se desarrolla una metodologia para su análisis basada en la lingüística textual. Para ello se consideran los procesos de producció y comprensión de los textos y se especifican con abundantes ejemplos los procedimientos de análisis textual. Se apuntan igualmente distintas aplicaciones del método de análisis textual en el ámbito de la psicologia clínica y de las ciencias humanas y sociales en general

    El terciario del Baix Ebre: Aportaciones estratigráficas y sedimentológicas

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    Cenozoic rocks which crop out near Sant Onofre in Baix Ebre area, Tarragona, Spain, have been studied. Seven lithoestratigraphic units are diferenciated. The lowermost unit (<<Pisolitic Clay>> unit) is attributed to the Paleocene. The overlying units are Neogene in age: the <<Conglomerates of the Venta Ranxero >>  unit wich is attributed to the Miocene corresponds to midle alluvial fan deposits. The <<Siliceous Conglomerates of Anguera>> unit is attributed to Late Miocene (Turolian) and records fluvial braided sedimentation. Pliocene sedimentation began with the <<Gravels and Sands with Oysters, unit. This is a transgresive unit where we can diferentiate foreshore and shoreface deposits. The <<Blue Marls of Carnpredó>> unit is attributed to shallow marine deposits. Sandstone deposited by high and medium storm density flows occur in this unit. The <<Sant Onofre Limestones>> unit corresponds to palustrine and lacustrine deposits whit expansive and retractive sequences. The uppermost unit (<<Roca Corba Conglomerates>> unit) corresponds to debris flow and braided fluvial deposites attributed to the Villafranchian
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