1,223 research outputs found
A hybrid ensemble-based approach for process parameter estimation and degradation assessment in offshore oil platforms
Beneficial effects of bunch-zone late defoliations and shoot positioning on berry composition and colour components of wines undergoing aging in an organically-managed and rainfed Sangiovese vineyard
n the context of climate change, where high temperatures are frequent in the first phases of ripening, protecting grapevine bunches from solar radiation is essential for preserving berry composition and wine colour. The effects of bunch-zone late defoliations (DEFs) and âsemi-ballerinaâ shoot positioning (SB) on vine physiology and grape and wine quality of organic cv. Sangiovese wines during storage were assessed in two contrasting seasons (2013 and 2014). The treatments altered neither vine physiology (leaf photosynthetic activity and stomatal conductance, stem water potential) nor vine phenology, yield, budburst and fruitfulness. Defoliations imposed at post-veraison (DEF I) and pre-harvest (DEF II), but not shoot positioning imposed at post-veraison, enhanced the concentration of berry skin flavonols at harvest, compared to an untreated control. Late defoliations and SB did not change berry weight, anthocyanins, soluble solids, pH or titratable acidity at harvest.
The severity of Botrytis bunch rot was assessed in both seasons. In 2013, it was negligible regardless of the treatment.
In 2014 (characterised by higher rainfall and lower average temperatures than in 2013), late defoliations (DEF I and DEF II), especially DEF I, and SB to a minor extent, limited the severity of Botrytis bunch rot. The oenological benefits of late defoliations and shoot positioning were observed during wine storage. These canopy management practices positively influenced wine components (polymeric pigments; namely short polymeric pigments) that might have a marked effect on the final colour intensity, without altering the basic chemical characteristics of the wine. When choosing the timing for carrying out defoliation in order to improve grape quality and bunch rot containment, the meteorological conditions should be properly considered. Our results may contribute to providing further recommendations for canopy management for grape growers who produce organic Sangiovese wines that undergo aging
Structural investigation of the Rh(110)-c(2x2)-CN phase
The Rh(110)-c(2x2)-CN phase has been examined by means of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and full dynamical low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). From STM large c(2x2) domains are observed. The detailed LEED-IV structural analysis indicates that CN is located in the grooves of the (110) surface, approximately atop second layer rhodium atoms. The CN molecules lie almost flat with their bond axes oriented perpendicular to the rhodium troughs. An outward relaxation of the first substrate interlayer distance and a strong buckling of the second Rh layer are induced by CN adsorption. Calculated and experimental intensity curves are in good agreement. An exhaustive set of other possible adsorption sites and configurations was tested and excluded on the basis of reliability-factor analysis
Invasive and non-invasive analyses for knowledge and conservation of Roman wall paintings of the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum
none7noThe Villa of the Papyri is one of the most imposing architectural examples of Herculaneum dated before the eruption occurred on 79 A.D. During the earliest years of the excavation of the site (18th century), the Villa has been explored through a thick network of tunnels dug into the hard bank of tuff rock. Recent excavations went on discontinuously between 1990s and 2008, until the discovery of a room located in the lower floor of the build- ing, showing serious phenomena of colour change of some areas of the painted walls. Some dark green parts of mural paintings after volcanic mud removal became white and powdered, detaching from the plaster.
During the last restoration works a scientific approach became necessary in order to acquire detailed information about the wall painting technique and the degradation phenomena occurring in some decorative elements in the vault of the Basis Villa (a room in the lower floor of the building); it was established to perform a scientific recognition.
Integrated investigations â carried out by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis (EDS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), ion chromatography (IC), FT-IR spectroscopy, gas chromatog- raphy mass spectrometry (GC-MS) â had primarily the goal to characterize the materials used for the realization of the these impressive wall paintings, as well as to assess their state of conservation.
A second aim of the research was to test the reliability of non-invasive analyses that are sometimes performed in situ to study mural paintings, like reflectance spectrometry in the visible range (vis-RS), X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and micro-Raman spectroscopy, as well as imaging analyses like false colour IR (IRC) and visible induced IR luminescence (VIL).
The whole set of analyses allowed to identify a typical Vitruvian plaster with the following pigments: Egyptian blue, red and yellow ochre, goethite and hematite particles, green earth and carbon black particles.
The high content of soluble salts, which is related to the sulphur-rich water in the site located few metres above water level in the walls and floors, caused a worsening in the state of conservation of mural paintings.openM. L. Amadori; P. Baraldi; S. Barcelli; G. Poldi; F. Ferrucci; A. Andreotti; M.P. ColombiniAmadori, MARIA LETIZIA; P., Baraldi; S., Barcelli; G., Poldi; Ferrucci, Fabiano; A., Andreotti; M. P., Colombin
Surface Core Level Shifts of Clean and Oxygen Covered Ru(0001)
We have performed high resolution XPS experiments of the Ru(0001) surface,
both clean and covered with well-defined amounts of oxygen up to 1 ML coverage.
For the clean surface we detected two distinct components in the Ru 3d_{5/2}
core level spectra, for which a definite assignment was made using the high
resolution Angle-Scan Photoelectron Diffraction approach. For the p(2x2),
p(2x1), (2x2)-3O and (1x1)-O oxygen structures we found Ru 3d_{5/2} core level
peaks which are shifted up to 1 eV to higher binding energies. Very good
agreement with density functional theory calculations of these Surface Core
Level Shifts (SCLS) is reported. The overriding parameter for the resulting Ru
SCLSs turns out to be the number of directly coordinated O atoms. Since the
calculations permit the separation of initial and final state effects, our
results give valuable information for the understanding of bonding and
screening at the surface, otherwise not accessible in the measurement of the
core level energies alone.Comment: 16 pages including 10 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. B. Related
publications can be found at http://www.fhi-berlin.mpg.de/th/paper.htm
Effects of pidotimod and bifidobacteria mixture on clinical symptoms and urinary metabolomic profile of children with recurrent respiratory infections: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
Many preschool children develop recurrent respiratory tract infections (RRI). Strategies to prevent RRI include the use of immunomodulators as pidotimod or probiotics, but there is limited evidence of their efficacy on clinical features or on urine metabolic profile
Physics of the Be(101Ì 0) Surface Core Level Spectrum
Photoelectron diffraction has been utilized to confirm the theoretical prediction that the surface core level shifts observed for Be(101Ì
0) have been improperly assigned. The original assignment based upon the relative intensity of the shifted components was intuitively obvious: the peak with the largest shift of â0.7eV with respect to the bulk was associated with the surface plane, the next peak shifted by â0.5eV stems from the second layer, and the third peak at â0.22eV from the third and fourth layers. First-principles theory and our experimental data show that the largest shift is associated with the second plane, not the first plane
Early Light Chains Removal and Albumin Levels with a Double Filter-Based Extracorporeal Treatment for Acute Myeloma Kidney
Renal impairment in Multiple Myeloma (MM) represents one of the most important factors that influences patient survival. In fact, before the introduction of modern chemotherapy, less than 25% of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and MM who required dialysis recovered sufficient renal function to become independent from dialysis, with a median overall survival of less than 1 year. There are many other factors involved in determining patient survival. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of double filter-based extracorporeal treatment for removal of serum free light chains (sFLC) in acute myeloma kidney (AKI for MM) and to evaluate patient overall survival. All patients received Bortezomib-based chemotherapy and extracorporeal treatment for sFLC removal. For each session 2 dialyzers of the same kind were used. The dialytic dose was not related to the degree of renal function but to the removal of sFLC. The factors that have been found to be significantly associated with lower mortality were reduction of sFLC at day 12 and day 30, >50% reduction of sFLC at day 30, number of sessions and independence from dialysis. Among baseline characteristics, albumin level was statistically associated with the patientsâ outcome. Our analysis highlights the importance of the early treatment for removal of sFLC in AKI for MM. These results indicate that the early removal of sFLC can improve patientâs outcome
On morphological hierarchical representations for image processing and spatial data clustering
Hierarchical data representations in the context of classi cation and data
clustering were put forward during the fties. Recently, hierarchical image
representations have gained renewed interest for segmentation purposes. In this
paper, we briefly survey fundamental results on hierarchical clustering and
then detail recent paradigms developed for the hierarchical representation of
images in the framework of mathematical morphology: constrained connectivity
and ultrametric watersheds. Constrained connectivity can be viewed as a way to
constrain an initial hierarchy in such a way that a set of desired constraints
are satis ed. The framework of ultrametric watersheds provides a generic scheme
for computing any hierarchical connected clustering, in particular when such a
hierarchy is constrained. The suitability of this framework for solving
practical problems is illustrated with applications in remote sensing
A correlation analysis of Light Microscopy and X-ray MicroCT imaging methods applied to archaeological plant remainsâ morphological attributes visualization
In this work, several attributes of the internal morphology of drupaceous fruits found in the archaeological site Monte Castelo (Rondonia, Brazil) are analyzed by means of two different imaging methods. The aim is to explore similarities and differences in the visualization and analytical properties of the images obtained via High Resolution Light Microscopy and X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray MicroCT) methods. Both provide data about the three-layered pericarp (exo-, meso- and endocarp) of the studied exemplars, defined by cell differentiation, vascularisation, cellular contents, presence of sclerenchyma cells and secretory cavities. However, it is possible to identify a series of differences between the information that can be obtained through each of the methods. These variations are related to the definition of contours and fine details of some characteristics, their spatial distribution, size attributes, optical properties and material preservation. The results obtained from both imaging methods are complementary, contributing to a more exhaustive morphological study of the plant remains. X-ray MicroCT in phase-contrast mode represents a suitable non-destructive analytic technique when sample preservation is required
- âŠ