761 research outputs found
Single-Particle Self-Excited Oscillator
Electronic feedback is used to self-excite the axial oscillation of a single electron in a Penning trap. Large, stable, easily detected oscillations arise even in an anharmonic potential. Amplitudes are controlled by adjusting the feedback gain, and frequencies can be made nearly independent of amplitude fluctuations. Quantum jump spectroscopy of a perpendicular cyclotron motion reveals the absolute temperature and amplitude of the self-excited oscillation. The possibility to quickly measure parts per billion frequency shifts could open the way to improved measurements of e-, e+, p, and [overline p] magnetic moments
Optimal Exploitation of the Sentinel-2 Spectral Capabilities for Crop Leaf Area Index Mapping
The continuously increasing demand of accurate quantitative high quality information on land surface properties will be faced by a new generation of environmental Earth observation (EO) missions. One current example, associated with a high potential to contribute to those demands, is the multi-spectral ESA Sentinel-2 (S2) system. The present study focuses on the evaluation of spectral information content needed for crop leaf area index (LAI) mapping in view of the future sensors. Data from a field campaign were used to determine the optimal spectral sampling from available S2 bands applying inversion of a radiative transfer model (PROSAIL) with look-up table (LUT) and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches. Overall LAI estimation performance of the proposed LUT approach (LUTNâ
â) was comparable in terms of retrieval performances with a tested and approved ANN method. Employing seven- and eight-band combinations, the LUTNâ
â approach obtained LAI RMSE of 0.53 and normalized LAI RMSE of 0.12, which was comparable to the results of the ANN. However, the LUTN50 method showed a higher robustness and insensitivity to different band settings. Most frequently selected wavebands were located in near infrared and red edge spectral regions. In conclusion, our results emphasize the potential benefits of the Sentinel-2 mission for agricultural applications
Measurement of spontaneous emission from a two-dimensional photonic band gap defined microcavity at near-infrared wavelengths
An active, photonic band gap-based microcavity emitter in the near infrared is demonstrated. We present direct measurement of the spontaneous emission power and spectrum from a microcavity formed using a two-dimensional photonic band gap structure in a half wavelength thick slab waveguide. The appearance of cavity resonance peaks in the spectrum correspond to the photonic band gap energy. For detuned band gaps, no resonances are observed. For devices with correctly tuned band gaps, a two-time enhancement of the extraction efficiency was demonstrated compared to detuned band gaps and unpatterned material
A simple approach for CTAB-free and biofunctionalized gold nanorods to construct photothermal active nanomedicine for potential in vivo applications in cancer cells and scar treatment
Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a surfactant commonly used in the synthesis of gold nanorods (AuNR), presents challenges owing to cytotoxicity in biological applications, limiting their biomedical applicability, particularly in cancer therapy. This study introduces a straightforward methodology for the effective removal of CTAB by utilizing a combination of ligand replacement and surface bioconjugation processes that efficiently eliminates CTAB and simultaneously functionalizes nanorods with hyaluronic acid (HA) to enhance biocompatibility and introduce targeting capabilities toward cancer cells. The surface chemistry modification of CTAB-capped and CTAB-free AuNR, before and after the functionalization with HA, was scrutinized by UVâvisible, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron (XPS) spectroscopies. The surface charge, size, and morphology of the different plasmonic nanoparticles were characterized by zeta potential, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The photothermal response was assessed by laser irradiation and thermal camera measurements. Proof-of-work in vitro cellular experiments of cytotoxicity and oxidative stress were carried out on prostate cancer cells, PC-3, overexpressing the CD44 cell surface receptor specifically recognized by HA, in comparison with the CD44-negative murine fibroblasts (3T3 cell line) by MTT and MitoSOX assays, respectively. Cellular uptake and organelle alteration were scrutinized by confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM), while the perturbative effects on cell migration were studied by optical microscopy (wound scratch assay). The studyâs findings offer a promising pathway to tune the gold nanorod properties in cancer treatment by reducing cytotoxicity and enhancing targeted therapeutic efficacy, as well as in the control of scar tissue formation
RGB-D based framework to Acquire, Visualize and Measure the Human Body for Dietetic Treatments
This research aims to improve dietetic-nutritional treatment using
state-of-the-art RGB-D sensors and virtual reality (VR) technology. Recent
studies show that adherence to treatment can be improved using multimedia
technologies. However, there are few studies using 3D data and VR technologies
for this purpose. On the other hand, obtaining 3D measurements of the human
body and analyzing them over time (4D) in patients undergoing dietary treatment
is a challenging field. The main contribution of the work is to provide a
framework to study the effect of 4D body model visualization on adherence to
obesity treatment. The system can obtain a complete 3D model of a body using
low-cost technology, allowing future straightforward transference with
sufficient accuracy and realistic visualization, enabling the analysis of the
evolution (4D) of the shape during the treatment of obesity. The 3D body models
will be used for studying the effect of visualization on adherence to obesity
treatment using 2D and VR devices. Moreover, we will use the acquired 3D models
to obtain measurements of the body. An analysis of the accuracy of the proposed
methods for obtaining measurements with both synthetic and real objects has
been carried out
The Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Central Laser Facility is located near the middle of the Pierre Auger
Observatory in Argentina. It features a UV laser and optics that direct a beam
of calibrated pulsed light into the sky. Light scattered from this beam
produces tracks in the Auger optical detectors which normally record nitrogen
fluorescence tracks from cosmic ray air showers. The Central Laser Facility
provides a "test beam" to investigate properties of the atmosphere and the
fluorescence detectors. The laser can send light via optical fiber
simultaneously to the nearest surface detector tank for hybrid timing analyses.
We describe the facility and show some examples of its many uses.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to 29th ICRC Pune Indi
The dire disregard of measurement invariance testing in psychological science
In psychological science, self-report scales are widely used to compare means in targeted latent constructs across time points, groups, or experimental conditions. For these scale mean comparisons (SMC) to be meaningful and unbiased, the scales should be measurement invariant across the compared time points or (experimental) groups. Measurement invariance (MI) testing checks whether the latent constructs are measured equivalently across groups or time points. Since MI is essential for meaningful comparisons, we conducted a systematic review to check whether MI is taken seriously in psychological research. Specifically, we sampled 426 psychology articles with openly available data that involved a total of 918 SMCs to (1) investigate common practices in conducting and reporting of MI testing, (2) check whether reported MI test results can be reproduced, and (3) conduct MI tests for the SMCs that enabled sufficiently powerful MI testing with the shared data. Our results indicate that (1) 4% of the 918 scales underwent MI testing across groups or time and that these tests were generally poorly reported, (2) none of the reported MI tests could be successfully reproduced, and (3) of 161 newly performed MI tests, a mere 46 (29%) reached sufficient MI (scalar invariance), and MI often failed completely (89; 55%). Thus, MI tests were rarely done and poorly reported in psychological studies, and the frequent violations of MI indicate that reported group differences cannot be solely attributed to group differences in the latent constructs. We offer recommendations on reporting MI tests and improving computational reproducibility practices
Tebaldo Jorge Ricaldoni: Âżinventor o cientĂfico?
A fines del siglo XIX era reconocido en Argentina como sabio y maestro, inventor de un receptor de telegrafĂa sin hilos que se habrĂa anticipado a Marconi, creador de un proyecto de submarino revolucionario que hubiera sido pionero en el mundo. Enrolado en el positivismo y allegado a la alta sociedad porteña, el ingeniero uruguayo Tebaldo Ricaldoni fue elegido por JoaquĂn V. GonzĂĄlez para crear el Instituto de FĂsica de la naciente Universidad Nacional de La Plata. DespuĂ©s de una breve y conflictiva gestiĂłn, Ricaldoni fue desplazado por la contrataciĂłn de cientĂficos alemanes, que convirtieron el Instituto de FĂsica en un centro cientĂfico al estilo europeo. A partir de entonces Ă©l se dedicĂł al dictado de clases en la UNLP y el Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires, y al trabajo en su taller particular, con fondos propios y aporte privado. PublicĂł veinticinco libros de texto y desarrollĂł numerosos inventos, entre los que se destacan el submarino, un receptor de telegrafĂa sin hilos, un reductor de voltaje, una boya de salvataje, un panoramoscopio y un desvĂa torpedos. La trayectoria de Ricaldoni bien merece un lugar entre los que hicieron la historia de la ciencia en el rĂo de La Plata.Museo de FĂsic
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