Flame: A Flexible Data Reduction Pipeline for Near-Infrared and Optical Spectroscopy

We present flame, a pipeline for reducing spectroscopic observations obtained with multi-slit near-infrared and optical instruments. Because of its flexible design, flame can be easily applied to data obtained with a wide variety of spectrographs. The flexibility is due to a modular architecture, which allows changes and customizations to the pipeline, and relegates the instrument-specific parts to a single module. At the core of the data reduction is the transformation from observed pixel coordinates (x, y) to rectified coordinates (lambda, gamma). This transformation consists in the polynomial functions lambda(x,y) and gamma(x,y) that are derived from arc or sky emission lines and slit edge tracing, respectively. The use of 2D transformations allows one to wavelength calibrate and rectify the data using just one interpolation step. Furthermore, the gamma(x,y) transformation includes also the spatial misalignment between frames, which can be measured from a reference star observed simultaneously with the science targets. The misalignment can then be fully corrected during the rectification, without having to further resample the data. Sky subtraction can be performed via nodding and/or modeling of the sky spectrum; the combination of the two methods typically yields the best results. We illustrate the pipeline by showing examples of data reduction for a near-infrared instrument (LUCI at the Large Binocular Telescope) and an optical one (LRIS at the Keck telescope).Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, published in MNRAS. The pipeline is available at https://github.com/siriobelli/flam

Progesterone Profiles During the Estrous Cycle and Pregnancy of Grazing Bali Cows Supplemented with Concentrate

The influence of concentrate during estrous cycle and pregnancy on pattern of progesterone were studied. Seventeen calf-rearing cows were devided randomly into two groups, group A (N=9 were grazed on natural pasture as basal diet, whereas goup B (n=8) received additional 2.4 kg concentrate consists of 1.2 kg corn meal, 0.6 kg rice bran and 0.6 coconut cake. Animals from each group were closely observed for estrous characteristics i.e. estrus detection two times a day by two experienced technisians. Blood sample taken 3-times per week from jugular vein were used for assessing plasma progesterone concentrations using RIA procedure. Plasma progesterone concentrations were not influenced by concentrate supplementation neither during successive estrous cycles nor during pregnancy. The concentrations began to rise on day 4 of the cycle (1.9 ng/mL and 1.8 ng/mL) and increased to concentrations as high as 5.4 ng/mL and 5.1 ng/mL for supplemented and non-supplemented cows during the luteal phase (day 12) before returning to basal levels i.e. 0.1 ng/mL and 0.1 ng/mL, before ovulation. Following conception, plasma progesterone increased from 0,16 ng/mL and 0.21 ng/mL at estrus to 3.6 ng/mL and 2.73 ng/mL at week-1 and then rose to 5.09 and 4.57 ng/mL at week-2 for NS and S groups, respectively. Aftewards, progesterone continued to rise to 5,46 ng/mL and 5.17 ng/mL on week-3, and then reached 6.25 and 5.3 ng/mL for non-supplemented and supplemented cow, respectively. During 10 weeks pre-calving period, progesterone levels declined gradualli achieving levels 2.83 ng/mL and 2.87 ng/mL in the non-supplemented and supplemented groups, respectively, declined markedly 1 to 2 days prior to parturition and remained at these levels before reaching the basal level after parturition. (Animal Production 11(2): 79-87 (2009

Analisis Framing Episode mereka Ramai-ramai Menggugat Kpk pada Program Realitas Metro TV

Early 2015 in Indonesia is dominated by the feud between the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the Indonesian National Police (INP). Realitas is an investigative news program in Metro TV that review more into the news. Realitas review the feud between the KPK and the National Police in the episode "They are busy to sue KPK" that aired on January 27, 2014. Authors interested to know more framing done by Reality related dispute between the Commission and the National Police. The aim of this study was to determine the framing analysis episode "They are busy to sue KPK" on Metro TV program Realitas.This study uses a qualitative method analysis model framing Robert Entman. Data collection techniques used is through observation and documentation. As for the examination of the validity of data researchers used a technique of persistence observation.Results of the study found that Realitas framed the the KPK case as a group or individual efforts to weaken the KPK. The weakening over attacks and reporting to the KPK dignitaries. Weakening efforts has any connection with the determination of Commissioner General Budi Gunawan as a suspect by the KPK. President Joko Widodo urged to mediate in case of dispute the KPK and the National Police. The issue of criminalization of the KPK that appear in this episode so that the people think it is an attempt to criminalize the the KPK dignitaries.Keyword : Analysis Framing, KPK, Polr

Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings of the Lombardy Region (Italy), a Case Study of High-Energy Performance Buildings

The topic of nearly zero-energy buildings (n-ZEB), introduced by the Directive 2010/31/EU will direct the building market toward ever greater energy efficiency of new buildings. In some contexts, however, the building market for high-efficiency buildings has evolved, in recent years, on the basis of national and regional laws that have contributed to the acceleration of the process. This paper analyses the case study of the Lombardy Region (Italy), which transposed and assimilated the Directive 91/2002 (Energy Performance Building Directive), as of 2006, with regional legislation for energy efficiency of buildings. Within a few years the market for high energy-performance of buildings in the Lombardy Region had grown substantially: to date nearly 7500 energy performance certificates for buildings of Class A and Class A+ have been issued. The paper therefore analyses a success story in what is a field of great current interest, namely n-ZEB buildings. In the first part of the work, the evolution in terms of energy efficiency of the housing market in the Lombardy Region has been analyzed, with particular reference to the high energy-performance of buildings. The second part focuses on a sample of 20 n-ZEB buildings in order to highlight the design choices applied to them

Final results of an experiment to search for 2beta processes in zinc and tungsten with the help of radiopure ZnWO4 crystal scintillators

A search for the double beta decay of zinc and tungsten isotopes has been performed with the help of radiopure ZnWO4 crystal scintillators (0.1-0.7 kg) at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN. The total exposure of the low background measurements is 0.529 kg yr. New improved half-life limits on the double beta decay modes of 64Zn, 70Zn, 180W, and 186W have been established at the level of 10^{18}-10^{21} yr. In particular, limits on double electron capture and electron capture with positron emission in 64Zn have been set: T_{1/2}(2\nu 2K) > 1.1 10^{19} yr, T_{1/2} (0\nu 2\epsilon) > 3.2 10^{20} yr, T_{1/2} (2\nu \epsilon \beta^+) > 9.4 10^{20} yr, and T_{1/2} (0\nu \epsilon \beta^+) > 8.5 10^{20} yr, all at 90% C.L. Resonant neutrinoless double electron capture in 180W has been restricted on the level of T_{1/2} (0\nu 2\epsilon) > 1.3 10^{18} yr. A new half-life limit on alpha transition of 183W to the metastable excited level 1/2^- 375 keV of 179Hf has been established: T_{1/2} > 6.7 10^{20} yr.Comment: This is an author-created, un-copyedited version of an article published in J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. IOP Publishing Ltd is not responsible for any errors or omissions in this version of the manuscript or any version derived from it. The definitive publisher authenticated version is available online at doi: 10.1088/0954-3899/38/11/11510

Investigation of rare nuclear decays with BaF2_2 crystal scintillator contaminated by radium

The radioactive contamination of a BaF$_2$ scintillation crystal with mass of 1.714 kg was measured over 101 hours in the low-background DAMA/R&D set-up deep underground (3600 m w.e.) at the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of INFN (LNGS, Italy). The half-life of $^{212}$Po (present in the crystal scintillator due to contamination by radium) was measured as $T_{1/2}(^{212}$Po) = 298.8$\pm$0.8(stat.)$\pm$1.4(syst.) ns by analysis of the events' pulse profiles. The $^{222}$Rn nuclide is known as 100% decaying via emission of $\alpha$ particle with $T_{1/2}$ = 3.82 d; however, its $\beta$ decay is also energetically allowed with $Q_\beta = 24\pm21$ keV. Search for decay chains of events with specific pulse shapes characteristic for $\alpha$ or for $\beta/\gamma$ signals and with known energies and time differences allowed us to set, for the first time, the limit on the branching ratio of $^{222}$Rn relatively to $\beta$ decay as $B_\beta < 0.13$% at 90% C.L. (equivalent to limit on partial half-life $T_{1/2}^\beta > 8.0$ y). Half-life limits of $^{212}$Pb, $^{222}$Rn and $^{226}$Ra relatively to $2\beta$ decays are also improved in comparison with the earlier results.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 2 table

Cystic Dilation of Extrahepatic Bile Ducts in Adulthood: Diagnosis, Surgical Treatment and Long. Term Results

To evaluate the long-term results of surgery for choledohal cyst in adulthood, a series of 13 patients over the age of 16 operated on for choledochal cyst during a period of six years and followed-up for a minimum of 3 years was analyzed. Patients with type I and IVa cysts underwent extrahepatic cyst resection and Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy. Choledochoceles (type III) were managed endoscopically. No operative mortality or morbidity occurred. Type I and III cysts showed almost ideal follow-up with no sign of stricture on HIDA scan. One type IVa cyst patients developed recurrent cholangitis due to anastomotic stricture, managed percutaneously. Whenever possible, complete cyst resection and Roux-en-Y reconstruction is the treatment of choice for all extrahepatic biliary cysts. Intra- and extrahepatic dilatations are adequately treated by extrahepatic resection and careful endoscopic or radiologic surveillance. Small choledochoceles can be safely managed by endoscopic sphincterotomy

Search for double beta decay of 136^{136}Ce and 138^{138}Ce with HPGe gamma detector

Search for double $\beta$ decay of $^{136}$Ce and $^{138}$Ce was realized with 732 g of deeply purified cerium oxide sample measured over 1900 h with the help of an ultra-low background HPGe $\gamma$ detector with a volume of 465 cm$^3$ at the STELLA facility of the Gran Sasso National Laboratories of the INFN (Italy). New improved half-life limits on double beta processes in the cerium isotopes were set at the level of $\lim T_{1/2}\sim 10^{17}-10^{18}$~yr; many of them are even two orders of magnitude larger than the best previous results.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables; version accepted for publication on Nucl. Phys.