"Star coverage": a simple tool to schedule an observation when FOV rotation matters

During a tracking mode observation, every telescope with an alt-azimuthal mount shows a rotation in the field of view (FoV) due to the diurnal motion of the Earth. The angular extension of the rotation depends mainly on the time length of the observation, but also on the telescope's latitude and pointing, because it is determined by the evolution of the parallactic angle of the target, which is a function of those two parameters. In many cases, the rotation of the FoV can be exploited to assess some optomechanical properties of the telescope, e.g. the alignment of the optical elements or the motors' precision during the tracking. As a consequence, it could happen that a proper simulation of the FoV rotation is crucial to program an observation aiming at calibrating the whole system. We present a tool to simulate the apparent rotation of the FoV, calculating the actual "star coverage" exploitable for scientific goals. Given the FoV and the pointing direction, the software calculates the angular extension of the rotation, considering only the stars observable by the telescope below the magnitude limit. This tool will be adopted to schedule the pointing calibration runs of the innovative ASTRI-Horn Cherenkov telescope, developed by INAF for gamma-ray ground-based astronomy, but with the potentiality to produce sky images as an ancillary output, using the so-called Variance method. By exploiting the FoV rotation with the Variance method, the critical assessment of the camera axis can be successfully performed.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of the 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2021), Berlin, German

Drilling and testing geothermal wells in an active volcanic domain, Puna geothermal field, Hawaii, USA

Thermal Power Company, Operator for the Puna Geothermal Venture which includes AMFAC and Dillingham, has drilled and tested two geothermal wells in the Puna Geothermal Field, Hawaii, USA. The field is located in the East Rift Zone of Kilauea which is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. The wells were drilled to a depth of 7,290 and 8,005 feet and completed with 9 5/8" production casing to 4,200 feet and 7" perforated liner extending to bottom. A high temperature, 660°F plus, two-phase geothermal reservoir was encountered. Noncondensible gas concentration is only 0.2% by weight but contains 1,100 ppm H2S which must be abated to meet environmental concerns. Flow testing proved to be a complex affair. However, 100% steam production has been identified in both wells with the assistance of a separator. These two wells, along with the U.S. Department of Energy/University of Hawaii HGP-A well which now generates 3 MW of electric power, have defined a 25 MW reserve capacity on the Puna Geothermal Venture leasehold. A third well with substantially improved casing design will be drilled by Thermal later in 1984 to refine plans for the wellfield and generating plant

Astro-photography as an effective tool for Outreach and Education: IACT in exposition

In our epoch, images are a powerful way to convey a message to a large audience. Through the use of amazing astronomical photographs, science can be communicated effectively at different levels, to a very diverse audience of all ages. In fact, astrophotography combines aesthetic appeal with the illustration of the science behind astronomical phenomena. This is the aim of the exhibit "A che Punto \`e la NOTTE - A scientific exhibition of astrophotography" organized by us in Italy, in October 2020, with the partnership of the cultural association PhysicalPub. Many different authors, both single individuals and professional or amateur observatories, were asked to send their best pictures. The 54 astronomical images chosen by a scientific committee, categorised in three different topics (night landscape, deep sky, instrumentation), were seen by more than 2000 visitors and 11 school groups (despite the difficult period due to the COVID pandemic). A free audio-guide, available on-line through a web-application developed on purpose, delivered scientific explanations of images for self-guided tours. Conferences and guided tours were also organized. The highlight of the exhibit were four mirrors from the MAGIC telescope and an ASTRI scale-model that allowed an in-depth description of how an Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) works, introducing the science of VHE cosmic radiation. We will summarize the main difficulties in organizing this event and the feedback we had from the visitors. The exhibit is still available online, visiting the website mostrascientifica.it or via the web audio-guide (english and italian) at guida.mostrascientifica.it.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of the 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2021), Berlin, German

Effective pointing of the ASTRI-Horn telescope using the Cherenkov camera with the Variance method

Cherenkov telescope cameras are not suitable to perform astrometrical pointing calibration since they are not designed to produce images of the sky, but rather to detect nanosecond atmospheric flashes due to very high-energy cosmic radiation. Indeed, these instruments show only a moderate angular resolution (fractions of degrees) and are almost blind to the steady or slow-varying optical signal of starlight. For this reason, auxiliary optical instruments are typically adopted to calibrate the telescope pointing. However, secondary instruments are possible sources of systematic errors. Furthermore, the Cherenkov camera is the only one framing exactly the portion of the sky under study, and hence its exploitation for pointing calibration purposes would be desirable. In this contribution, we present a procedure to assess the pointing accuracy of the ASTRI-Horn telescope by means of its innovative Cherenkov camera. This instrument is endowed with a statistical method, the so-called Variance method, implemented in the logic board and able to provide images of the night sky background light as ancillary output. Taking into account the convolution between the optical point spread function and the pixel distribution, Variance images can be used to evaluate the position of stars with sub-pixel precision. In addition, the rotation of the field of view during observations can be exploited to verify the alignment of the Cherenkov camera with the optical axis of the telescope, with a precision of a few arcminutes, as upper limit. This information is essential to evaluate the effective pointing of the telescope, enhancing the scientific accuracy of the system.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of the 37th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2021), Berlin, German

Environmental Impact Study of Projects Affecting the Quality of Marine Ecosystems

According to the EEC Directive 85/337, an Environmental Impact Assessment (E.I.A.) procedure must be implemented to evaluate the effect of major projects on the environment. Several environmental activities are required by the E.I.A. procedure during various phases of the life cycle of the project, including construction, start up, operation and decommissioning. The Environmental Impact Study (E.I.S.) is a basic component of the E.I.A. procedure delivered by the engineering Company to the competent Authority for approval. Besides providing information needed for E.I.A., the E.I.S. also represents a tool for supporting decision as it defines project criteria, identifies mitigation measures and monitoring design. Owing to the complexity of the interactions among biotic and abiotic components, the application of E.I.S. to the marine environment generally implies an interdisciplinary and integrated approach. Two typologies of E.I.S. recently developed are discussed and compared, concerning the construction of three submarine tunnels crossing the Strait of Messina and building of a Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) terminal for the liquid methane re-gasification at a coastal site of the Gulf of Trieste (Panzano Bay), North Adriatic Sea

Acoustically enhanced remediation of contaminated soil and ground water

This program systematically evaluates the use of acoustic excitation fields (AEFs) to increase fluid and contaminant extraction rates from a wide range of unconsolidated soils. Successful completion of this program will result in a commercially-viable, advanced in-situ remediation technology that will significantly reduce clean-up times and costs. This technology should have wide applicability since it is envisioned to augment existing remediation technologies, such as traditional pump and treat and soil vapor extraction, not replace them. The overall program has three phases: Phase 1--laboratory scale parametric investigation; Phase 2--technology scaling study; Phase 3--field demonstration. Phase 1 of the program, corresponding to this period of performance, has as its primary objectives to provide a laboratory-scale proof of concept, and to fully characterize the effects of AEFs on fluid and contaminant extraction rates in a wide variety of soil types. The laboratory measurements of the soil transport properties and process parameters will be used in a computer model of the enhanced remediation process. A Technology Merit and Trade Study will complete Phase 1

Improvement of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines pharmacokinetic properties: Nanosystem approaches for drug delivery

Pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines are a class of compounds with a good activity against several cancer cell lines. Despite the promising anticancer activity, these molecules showed a poor aqueous solubility. This issue could threat the future development of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines as clinical drug candidates. With the aim of improving their solubility profile and consequently their pharmacokinetic properties, we have chosen four compounds (1-4) on the base of their anti-neuroblastoma activity and we have developed albumin nanoparticles and liposomes for the selected candidates. Albumin nanoparticles and liposomes were prepared and characterized regarding size and ? -potential distribution, polidispersity index, entrapment efficiency and activity against SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. The most promising nanosystem, namely LP-2, was chosen to perform further studies: confocal microscopy, stability and drug release in physiological conditions, and biodistribution. Altogether, the obtained data strongly indicate that the encapsulation of pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines in liposomes represent an effective method to overcome the poor water solubility

Unregulated Custody Transfers: Why the Practice of Rehoming Should Be Considered a Form of Illegal Adoption and Human Trafficking

In this work, the authors prepared and characterized two different graphene oxides: one chemically synthesized (GO sample) and the other one electrochemically synthesized (GO(LiCl)). Both samples were fully characterized with atomic force microscopy (AFM), Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies, X-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal analysis (TG/DTA), and Z-potential. The antibacterial properties of both graphene oxides were studied using Gram-negative Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 by spectrophotometer and viable cell count as indirect and direct methods, respectively. Results demonstrated that the GO(LiCl) exhibited a significant antibacterial activity compared to GO that showed a bacteriostatic effect on both pathogens. Electron microscopy analysis confirmed the antibacterial effects of both graphene oxides toward the pathogens, especially working at 80 μg/mL, for 24 h. Additional studies were also performed and both GO samples were not cytotoxic at 2 μg/mL toward neuroblastoma cells. Moreover, 2 μg of GO was suitable to carry the minimum effective dose (5.74 ng/mL) of kinase inhibitor S29 (1-(2-chloro-2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethyl)-N-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d] pyrimidin-4-amine), providing negligible side effects related to the S29 treatment (this latter being specifically active on the neuroblastoma cell lines (SK-N-BE(2)))