Comparison between methods for the determination of the primary cosmic ray mass composition from the longitudinal profile of atmospheric cascades

The determination of the primary cosmic ray mass composition from the longitudinal development of atmospheric cascades is still a debated issue. In this work we discuss several data analysis methods and show that if the entire information contained in the longitudinal profile is exploited, reliable results may be obtained. Among the proposed methods FCC ('Fit of the Cascade Curve'), MTA ('Multiparametric Topological Analysis') and NNA ('Neural Net Analysis') with conjugate gradient optimization algorithm give the best accuracy.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figures, accepted by Astroparticle Physics, minor misprints and an extra figure remove

UAV LOW-COST SYSTEM FOR EVALUATING AND MONITORING THE GROWTH PARAMETERS OF CROPS

New generation sensors (RGB, thermal, NIR and multispectral cameras) on unmanned aerial vehicles are continuously being developed for precision farming applications. In particular, this paper presents a study and an experimentation linked to the determination of viticulture growth indices by integrating the innovative techniques of digital photogrammetry from UAV platform, GPS satellite technique and traditional measures. Furthermore we demonstrate that the products from the processed raw-data represent good quality support to determine health state of the crop, and provide in addition a quantitative evaluation of the observed data. Through the use of such a technology it is possible to improve productivity between 15% and 17%, reducing the market price of the product and the costs of control and management. In particular, during the monitoring campaign lasting three years from 2015 to 2017, it was possible to observe that vine cultivation increased the growth index by about 12% following the corrections resulting from the critical interpretation of the results

Eddy covariance and sap flow measurement of energy and mass exchanges of woody crops in a Mediterranean environment

Evapotranspiration estimation by micrometeorological techniques through the assessment of mass and energy exchanges in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) is a very active research area, involving both well-known and novel measurement techniques. A crucial aspect in validating experimental results is the integration of independent measurements of mass and energy exchanges in the SPAC. To this aim, the development and validation of an integrated approach in major tree crop species, involving different independent techniques, are presented. Eddy covariance estimates of ET fluxes were compared to up-scaled sap flow measurements in olive, orange and grapevine, three important Mediterranean tree crop species with contrasting ecophysiological characteristics and responses to water deficits. These differences can affect directly the degree of coupling of the tree to the environment and, consequently, the degree of correspondence between instantaneous transpirational flux at tree level and the micrometeorological measurement of ET at orchard level. Data were analyzed to verify to what extent, in the three species, transpirational flow at orchard level is regulated by tree conductance, capacitance effects related to tree size or by environmental demand. Hourly observations were helpful in detecting physiological processes of the three species only when data were analyzed taking into consideration their diurnal changes

Clinical characteristics and long-term response to mood stabilizers in patients with bipolar disorder and different age at onset

INTRODUCTION : bipolar disorder (BD) is a prevalent, comorbid, and impairing condition. Potential predictors of response to pharmacological treatment are object of continuous investigation in patients with BD. The present naturalistic study was aimed to assess clinical features and long-term response to mood stabilizers in a sample of bipolar subjects with different ages at onset METHODS : the study sample included 108 euthymic patients, diagnosed as affected by BD, either type I or II, according to the DSM-IV-TR, who were started on mood stabilizer treatment. Patients were followed-up for 24 months and the occurrence of any mood episode collected. At the end of the follow-up, patients were divided in 3 subgroups according to the age at onset (early-onset 30-45 years, respectively) and the long-term response to mood stabilizers was compared between them along with other clinical features RESULTS : the three subgroups showed significant differences in terms of clinical and demographic features and, with respect to long-term response to mood stabilizers, the early-onset subgroup showed a better outcome in terms of reduction of major depressive episodes during the 24-month follow-up compared to the other subgroups (one way ANOVA, F = 3.57, p = 0.032) CONCLUSIONS : even though further controlled studies are needed to clarify the relationship between age at onset and outcome in BD, the present follow-up study suggests clinical peculiarities and different patterns of response to mood stabilizers across distinct subgroups of patients with BD and different ages at onset

Hidroquímica de la cuenca del río Calera, provincia de Tucumán, República Argentina

The Calera river basin is located at the north of Tucumán Province, northwest of Argentina. In this region, there is a population dedicated almost exclusively to cattle and agricultural exploitations. The aim of the present work is to carry out the hydrochemical study of the Calera river basin evaluating their physical-chemical parameters, in order to determine water quality for human supply and its aptitude for irrigation. The obtained results were plotted in hydrochemical diagrams and maps to classify the type of water and to know its evolutionary state. Different types of waters were detected. Sulphated calcic waters prevail over sodium sulphated and bicarbonated ones in all superficial waters, phreatic and semi-confined aquifers. The chemical parameters obtained in the water samples are inside the potability range established by the World Health Organization.La cuenca del río Calera se ubica al norte de la provincia de Tucumán, en el noroeste de Argentina. En esta región existe un asentamiento poblacional dedicado casi exclusivamente a la explotación agrícola- ganadera. El objetivo del presente trabajo es realizar el estudio hidroquímico de la cuenca del río Calera, mediante la evaluación de sus parámetros físico-químicos, con el fin de determinar la calidad del agua para el abastecimiento humano y su aptitud para riego. Los resultados obtenidos fueron volcados en diagramas y mapas hidroquímicos para clasificar el tipo de agua y conocer su estado evolutivo. De esta manera, se detectaron diferentes tipos de aguas, donde las sulfatadas-cálcicas predominan sobre las sulfatadas-sódicas y bicarbonatadas, tanto en las aguas superficiales, como en los acuíferos libres y semiconfinados. Los valores de los parámetros químicos obtenidos se encuentran dentro del rango de potabilidad establecido por la Organización Mundial de la Salud

Microstructural evaluation of solid state welds obtained by means of flat rolling process

In extrusion operations based on the use of porthole dies, for the fabrication of tubes and hollow profiles ingeneral, material solid state welding takes place thanks to the very high pressure and temperature at whichthe material undergoes. Nevertheless, the most important aspect in this process still remains the quality of thewelds, also because the testing of extruded tubes is still today an un-regulated matter. A technique based onthe flat rolling process is applied in this paper, in combination with micrographic and macrographic analyses, toassess the quality of solid-state welds obtained using different process conditions. Flat rolling experimental testsexecuted on sandwiches made of two rectangular specimens in AA6060 and AA6082 aluminium alloys wereperformed. The specimens were characterized by different heights in order to consider different compressionratios that mean different interface pressure and effective stress distributions. All the tests were repeatedat different temperature. By verifying if, the material bonding took place or not, it was possible to identify thewelding limits conditions in terms of pressure and temperature. Particular attention was paid to the study of boththe macrostructure and microstructure of the rolled specimens in order to identify the influence of the processparameters on both the material weldability and the metallurgical weld quality.Keywords: Extrusion - Flat rolling - Solid state bonding - Aluminum alloys - Metallurgical analysi

Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial on Fasting and Plant-Based Diet in Rheumatoid Arthritis (NutriFast): Nutritional Supply and Impact on Dietary Behavior

This study aimed at comparing the nutrient supply and dietary behaviors during a plant-based diet (PBD) combined with time-restricted eating (TRE) to standard dietary recommendations in rheumatoid arthritis patients. In this open-label, randomized, controlled clinical trial, patients were assigned to either a 7-day fast followed by an 11-week PBD including TRE (A) or a 12-week anti-inflammatory diet following official German guidelines (German Nutrition Society, DGE) (B). Dietary habits were assessed by 3-day food records at weeks -1, 4 and 9 and food frequency questionnaires. 41 out of 53 participants were included in a post-hoc per protocol analysis. Both groups had similar energy, carbohydrate, sugar, fiber and protein intake at week 4. Group A consumed significantly less total saturated fat than group B (15.9 +/- 7.7 vs. 23.2 +/- 10.3 g/day; p = 0.02). Regarding micronutrients, group B consumed more vitamin A, B-12, D, riboflavin and calcium (each p <= 0.02). Zinc and calcium were below recommended intakes in both groups. Cluster analysis did not show clear group allocation after three months. Hence, dietary counselling for a PBD combined with TRE compared to a standard anti-inflammatory diet does not seem to lead to two different dietary clusters, i.e., actual different dietary behaviors as expected. Larger confirmatory studies are warranted to further define dietary recommendations for RA

ChiMiCapisce

This year, for the first time, the Young Chemists Group of the Italian Chemical Society (SCI) organized a national communication contest dedicated to chemists under 35. The contest, called ChiMiCapisce—a play on "Chimica", Italian for chemistry, and "Chi Mi Capisce?", which literally means "Who can understand me?"—was planned as the launch event of the recently established “Dissemination of Chemical Culture” Division of the Italian Chemical Society