Submillimetre observations of galaxy clusters with the BLAST: the star formation activity in Abell 3112

We present observations at 250, 350 and 500 μm of the nearby galaxy cluster Abell 3112 (z = 0.075) carried out with the Balloon-borne Large Aperture Submillimeter Telescope. Five cluster members are individually detected as bright submillimetre (submm) sources. Their far-infrared spectral energy distributions and optical colours identify them as normal star-forming galaxies of high mass, with globally evolved stellar populations. They all have (B−R) colours of 1.38 ± 0.08, transitional between the blue, active population and the red, evolved galaxies that dominate the cluster core. We stack to estimate the mean submm emission from all cluster members, which is determined to be 16.6 ± 2.5, 6.1 ± 1.9 and 1.5 ± 1.3 mJy at 250, 350 and 500 μm, respectively. Stacking analyses of the submm emission of cluster members reveal trends in the mean far-infrared luminosity with respect to clustercentric radius and K_(S-)band magnitude. We find that a large fraction of submm emission comes from the boundary of the inner, virialized region of the cluster, at clustercentric distances around R_(500). Stacking also shows that the bulk of the submm emission arises in intermediate-mass galaxies with K_S magnitude ~1 mag fainter than the characteristic magnitude K^*_s. The results and constraints obtained in this work will provide a useful reference for the forthcoming surveys to be conducted on galaxy clusters by Herschel

High brightness 100 W-50 μm delivery blue laser diode module

Blue laser diodes are emerging as the next revolution in laser material processing, especially for high reflective materials, such as copper and gold. The paper presents the most recent evolution of a family of medium-high power and high brightness devices specifically conceived for micro-machining applications. The modules make use of a proprietary architecture based on the combination of commercial laser diodes in TO9 package. The diodes are first organized in rows staggered along the fast axis, then the rows are multiplexed along the fast axis; finally, wavelength and polarization multiplexing are exploited to achieve up to 100W of power into a 50 μm/0.22NA fiber

Online Motion Planning for Safe Human–Robot Cooperation Using B-Splines and Hidden Markov Models

When humans and robots work together, ensuring safe cooperation must be a priority. This research aims to develop a novel real-time planning algorithm that can handle unpredictable human movements by both slowing down task execution and modifying the robot’s path based on the proximity of the human operator. To achieve this, an efficient method for updating the robot’s motion is developed using a two-fold control approach that combines B-splines and hidden Markov models. This allows the algorithm to adapt to a changing environment and avoid collisions. The proposed framework is thus validated using the Franka Emika Panda robot in a simple start–goal task. Our algorithm successfully avoids collision with the moving hand of an operator monitored by a fixed camera

Fibre probe for tumour laser thermotherapy with integrated temperature measuring capabilities

The development and preliminary characterisation of a novel fibre probe for laser thermotherapy of solid tumours are presented. The probe introduces two innovative features: the tailoring of the laser irradiation pattern to adapt it also for larger tumour applications, and the all-optical real time evaluation of the induced temperature increase. These features are simultaneously obtained by integrating in a single capillary tube a laser delivery fibre with properly micro-structured tip surface together with some fibre Bragg gratings. Preliminary validation examples in human liver phantoms have demonstrated the viability of the proposed approach for the development of a whole set of new probes for laser ablation in medical applications

Investigation of collimating and focusing lenses impact on laser diode stack beam parameter product

The paper presents a new expression for determining the beam parameter product of a multi-emitter laser diode module made by stacking several single emitter chips. The proposed formula takes into account the effect of collimating and focusing lenses and has been validated experimentally, obtaining excellent agreement between theoretical expectations and measurements. A practical application to optimize the lenses’ configuration for the design of a fiber-coupled multi-emitter module is also reported

Assessing molecular diversity among 87 species of the Quercus L. genus by RAPD markers

Oaks (Quercus sp.) are among the most ecologically and economically important woody Angiosperms of the northern hemisphere. Nowadays, the reduction of Quercus biodiversity is becoming a matter of global concern, and several oak species have been included in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Consequently, characterization and preservation strategies for the oak germplasm are largely promoted. Thus, in this work, the genetic diversity existing among 87 different Quercus species was assessed using the RAPD markers, in order to better typify these specimens, to show the amazing DNA variability of this plant genus, and to confirm or infer new putative molecular correlations. Our data were discussed taking into consideration the phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships previously proposed by the literature. In general, the obtained results corroborated that the evolutionary pattern of Quercus genus has been extremely intricate and continues to change rapidly, making it difficult to be fully resolved. The evidence collected in the present investigation would confirm the complex evolution of the oaks, due to their high migration capacity, divergence rate, and hybridization propensity. This research, performed on a so large series of species, represents a positive contribution for highlighting the genetic diversity within collections of Quercus germplasm and favouring ex-situ conservation programmes

Electronic Properties of Ti Sites in Ziegler-Natta Catalysts

Although Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalysts play a major role in the polyolefin market, a true understanding of their properties at the molecular level is still missing. In particular, there is a lack of knowledge on the electronic properties of Ti sites. Theoretical calculations predict that the electron density of the Ti sites in the precatalysts correlates with the activation energy for olefin insertion in the Ti-alkyl bond generated at these sites after activation by Al-alkyls. It is also well known that the effective charge on the Ti sites in the activated catalysts affects the olefin π-complexation. In this contribution, we exploit two electronic spectroscopies, UV-vis and Ti L2,3-edge near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), complemented with theoretical simulation to investigate three ZN precatalysts of increasing complexity (up to an industrial system) and the corresponding catalysts activated by triethylaluminum (TEAl). We provide compelling evidence for the presence of monomeric 6-fold-coordinated Ti4+ species in all of the precatalysts, which however differ in the effective charge on the Ti sites. We also unambiguously demonstrate that these sites are reduced by TEAl to two types of monomeric 5-coordinated Ti3+, either alkylated or not, and that the former are involved in ethylene polymerization. In addition, small TiCl3 clusters are formed in the industrial catalyst, likely due to the occurrence of severe reducing conditions within the catalyst pores. These data prove the potential of these two techniques, coupled with simulation, in providing an accurate description of the electronic properties of heterogeneous ZN catalysts