1,284 research outputs found
Self-adaptive loop for external disturbance reduction in differential measurement set-up
We present a method developed to actively compensate common-mode magnetic
disturbances on a multi-sensor device devoted to differential measurements. The
system uses a field-programmable-gated-array card, and operates in conjunction
with a high sensitivity magnetometer: compensating the common-mode of magnetic
disturbances results in a relevant reduction of the difference-mode noise. The
digital nature of the compensation system allows for using a numerical approach
aimed at automatically adapting the feedback loop filter response. A common
mode disturbance attenuation exceeding 50 dB is achieved, resulting in a final
improvement of the differential noise floor by a factor of 10 over the whole
spectral interval of interest.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, 26 ref
Restoring Narrow Linewidth to a Gradient-Broadened Magnetic Resonance by Inhomogeneous Dressing
We study the possibility of counteracting the line-broadening of atomic
magnetic resonances due to inhomogeneities of the static magnetic field by
means of spatially dependent magnetic dressing, driven by an alternating field
that oscillates much faster than the Larmor precession frequency. We
demonstrate that an intrinsic resonance linewidth of 25~Hz that has been
broadened up to hundreds Hz by a magnetic field gradient, can be recovered by
the application of an appropriate inhomogeneous dressing field. The findings of
our experiments may have immediate and important implications, because they
facilitate the use of atomic magnetometers as robust, high sensitivity
detectors in ultra-low-field NMR imaging.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, 33 refs. This is the unedited versio
Simultaneous Detection of H and D NMR Signals in a micro-Tesla Field
We present NMR spectra of remote-magnetized deuterated water, detected in an
unshielded environment by means of a differential atomic magnetometer. The
measurements are performed in a T field, while pulsed techniques are
applied -following the sample displacement- in a 100~T field, to tip both
D and H nuclei by controllable amounts. The broadband nature of the detection
system enables simultaneous detection of the two signals and accurate
evaluation of their decay times. The outcomes of the experiment demonstrate the
potential of ultra-low-field NMR spectroscopy in important applications where
the correlation between proton and deuteron spin-spin relaxation rates as a
function of external parameters contains significant information.Comment: 7 pages (letter, 4 pages) plus supplemental material as an appendix.
This document is the unedited author's version of a Submitted Work that was
subsequently accepted for publication in Journal of Phys. Chem. Lett.,
copyright American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final
edited and published work see:
pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jpclett.7b0285
The impact assessment of thermal pollution on subtidal sessile assemblages: a case study from Mediterranean rocky reefs
Coastal power plants generally use seawater as cooling fluid, discharging heated waters into the sea after the cooling process. The ensuing increase in seawater temperature could affect the marine biota in the nearby areas, causing alterations at different level of biological organization, from individuals to populations and assemblages. In the Mediterranean Sea, few attempts have been made to assess the effects of this point sources of thermal pollution, especially on rocky habitats. Here, we investigated the putative impact of a thermal effluent from one of the largest European coal-fired coastal power plants on sessile assemblages of subtidal rocky reefs. Sessile assemblages on rocky substrates were photographically sampled at one location near the effluent (I), and at two control locations (Cs) virtually unaffected by thermal discharge. An asymmetrical after-control impact experimental design was employed to test the hypothesis that the thermal discharge significantly modified sessile assemblages at I if compared to Cs. We detected significant differences in assemblages at I versus Cs, indicating a clear effect of the effluent on assemblage structure. Such differences were mostly due to shift in dominance among macroalgae between I and Cs, which likely depended on different tolerance limits of species to increased seawater temperature and other sources of disturbance associated to the effluent, such as increased sedimentation rates and water turbidity. Our findings stressed the need for further investigations of the impact of thermal effluents on marine communities, considering the potential synergistic effects of climate change especially in the Mediterranean Sea
Best Practicable Aggregation of Species: a step forward for species surrogacy in environmental assessment and monitoring
The available taxonomic expertise and knowledge of species is still inadequate to cope with the urgent need for cost-effective methods to quantifying community response to natural and anthropogenic drivers of change. So far, the mainstream
approach to overcome these impediments has focused on using higher taxa as surrogates for species. However, the use of such taxonomic surrogates often limits inferences about the causality of community patterns, which in turn is essential for effective environmental management strategies. Here, we propose an alternative approach to species surrogacy, the “Best Practicable
Aggregation of Species” (BestAgg), in which surrogates exulate from fixed taxonomic schemes. The approach uses null models from random aggregations of species to minimizing the number of surrogates without causing significant losses of information on community patterns. Surrogate types are then selected in order to maximize ecological information. We applied the approach to real case studies on natural and human-driven gradients from marine benthic communities.
Outcomes from BestAgg were also compared with those obtained using classic taxonomic surrogates. Results showed that BestAgg surrogates are effective in detecting community changes. In contrast to classic taxonomic surrogates,
BestAgg surrogates allow retaining significantly higher information on species-level community patterns than what is expected to occur by chance and a potential time saving during sample processing up to 25% higher. Our findings showed that BestAgg surrogates from a pilot study could be used successfully
in similar environmental investigations in the same area, or for subsequent long-term monitoring programs. BestAgg is virtually applicable to any environmental context, allowing exploiting multiple surrogacy schemes beyond stagnant perspectives strictly relying on taxonomic relatedness among species. This
prerogative is crucial to extend the concept of species surrogacy to ecological traits of species, thus leading to ecologically meaningful surrogates that, while cost effective in reflecting community patterns, may also contribute to unveil underlying processes. A specific R code for BestAgg is provided
Selection of Yeasts as Starter Cultures for Table Olives: A Step-by-Step Procedure
The selection of yeasts intended as starters for table olives is a complex process, including a characterization step at laboratory level and a validation at lab level and factory-scale. The characterization at lab level deals with the assessment of some technological traits (growth under different temperatures and at alkaline pHs, effect of salt, and for probiotic strains the resistance to preservatives), enzymatic activities, and some new functional properties (probiotic traits, production of vitamin B-complex, biological debittering). The paper reports on these traits, focusing both on their theoretical implications and lab protocols; moreover, there are some details on predictive microbiology for yeasts of table olives and on the use of multivariate approaches to select suitable starters
Use of Essential Oils to Inhibit Alicyclobacillus Acidoterrestris: A Short Overview of the Literature
Essential oils (EOs) are promising and friendly antimicrobials for the prolongation of the shelf life of many foods. They have been extensively used to inhibit spoiling and pathogenic microorganisms of many kinds of products like fruit juices and acidic drinks. Therefore, they could be used successfully to control the germination of spores of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris, that finds in these products an optimal environment for growth. This paper reports a brief overview of the literature available, focusing on the effects of EOs toward alicyclobacilli
Commentary on a microfluidic platform to design crosslinked hyaluronic acid nanoparticles (cHANPs) for enhanced MRI
Strategies to enhance the relaxometric properties of gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (CAs) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), without the chemical modification of chelates, have recently had a strong impact on the diagnostic field. We have taken advantage of the interaction between Gadolinium diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) and the hydrogel structure of hyaluronic acid to design cross-linked hyaluronic acid nanoparticles down to 35 nm for use in MRI applications. The proposed bioformulations enable the control of the relaxometric properties of CAs, thus boosting the relaxation rate of T1. Our results led us to identify this approach as an adjustable scenario to design intravascularly injectable hydrogel nanoparticles entrapping Gd-DTPA. This approach overcomes the general drawbacks of clinically approved CAs having poor relaxivity and toxic effects
Selection of Promising Bacterial Strains as Potential Tools for the Bioremediation of Olive Mill Wastewater
The main objective of this paper was the selection of promising bacterial strains to be used as potential tools to remove phenols in olive mill wastewater (OMW) or in other food wastes. Therefore, 12 OMW samples were analyzed and 119 isolates were collected. After a preliminary screening on a medium containing vanillic and cinnamic acids, three isolates were selected to evaluate their viability in presence of different compounds (cinnamic, vanillic and caffeic acids, rutin, tyrosol and oleuropein) and a possible bioremediation effect. The isolates generally survived with phenols added and exerted a significant bioremediation activity in some samples (reduction of phenols by 20%). The last step was focused on the evaluation of the combined effects of pH, cinnamic and vanillic acids on the viability of a selected isolate (13M); the combination of the acids exerted a strong effect on the target, but alkaline pH played a protective role
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