396 research outputs found
A local Gaussian filter and adaptive morphology as tools for completing partially discontinuous curves
This paper presents a method for extraction and analysis of curve--type
structures which consist of disconnected components. Such structures are found
in electron--microscopy (EM) images of metal nanograins, which are widely used
in the field of nanosensor technology.
The topography of metal nanograins in compound nanomaterials is crucial to
nanosensor characteristics. The method of completing such templates consists of
three steps. In the first step, a local Gaussian filter is used with different
weights for each neighborhood. In the second step, an adaptive morphology
operation is applied to detect the endpoints of curve segments and connect
them. In the last step, pruning is employed to extract a curve which optimally
fits the template
Growth and electronic and magnetic structure of iron oxide films on Pt(111)
Ultrathin (111)-oriented polar iron oxide films were grown on a Pt(111)
single crystal either by the reactive deposition of iron or oxidation of
metallic iron monolayers. These films were characterized using low energy
electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy and conversion electron
Mossbauer spectroscopy. The reactive deposition of Fe led to the island growth
of Fe3O4, in which the electronic and magnetic properties of the bulk material
were modulated by superparamagnetic size effects for thicknesses below 2 nm,
revealing specific surface and interface features. In contrast, the oxide films
with FeO stoichiometry, which could be stabilized as thick as 4 nm under
special preparation conditions, had electronic and magnetic properties that
were very different from their bulk counterpart, w\"ustite. Unusual long range
magnetic order appeared at room temperature for thicknesses between three and
ten monolayers, the appearance of which requires severe structural modification
from the rock-salt structure.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 50 reference
Substrate quality and spontaneous revegetation of extracted peatland: case study of an abandoned Polish mountain bog
If peatland is left without any restoration treatments after mechanical peat extraction ceases, the process of secondary transformation of peat continues. The resulting changes in peat properties severely impede the recovery of vegetation on cutover peatland. The aim of this study was to assess how secondary transformation of peat affects spontaneous revegetation, and the relative importance of different factors in controlling the re-establishment of raised bog species on previously cutover peat surfaces. The study was conducted on two sectors of a raised bog in southern Poland where peat extraction ended either 20 or 30 years ago. Where the residual peat layer was thin (~ 40 cm or less) and the water table often dropped into the mineral substratum, the development of vascular plants (including trees) was favoured, and this further promoted the secondary transformation of peat. In such locations the vegetation tended towards a pine and birch community. Revegetation by Sphagnum and other raised bog species (Eriophorum vaginatum, Vaccinium uliginosum, Ledum palustre, Oxycoccus palustris) was associated with thicker residual peat and higher water table level which, in turn, were strongly correlated with hydrophysical properties of the soil. A species - environmental factor redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that any single factor (of those considered) was not important in determining the revegetation pattern, because of their intercorrelations. However, water table level appeared to be the most important abiotic factor in determining the degree of soil aeration and, consequently, the stage of secondary transformation attained by the peat
An analysis of fungal propagules transported to the Henryk Arctowski Antarctic Station
During three austral summer seasons, dust and soil from clothes, boots and equipment of members of scientific expeditions and tourists visiting the Polish Antarctic Station Henryk Arctowski were collected and analysed for the presence of fungal propagules. Of a total of 60 samples, 554 colonies of fungi belonging to 19 genera were identified. Colonies of the genus Cladosporium, Penicillium and non−sporulating fungus (Mycelia sterilia) dominated in the examined samples. The microbiological assessment of air for the presence of fungi was also conducted at two points in the station building and two others outside the station. A total of 175 fungal colonies belonging to six genera were isolated. Colonies of the genus Penicillium were the commonest in the air samples. The potential epidemiological consequences for indigenous species as a result of unintentional transport of fungal propagules to the Antarctic biome are discussed in the light of rapid climate change in some parts of the Antarctic and adaptation of fungi to extreme conditions
Mn clusterisation in Ga1-xMnxN
Local structure of Mn atoms in Ga1-xMnxN has been investigated by the Mn L3
edge x-ray absorption spectrum (XAS) at total electron yield mode, which
preferentially looks at atoms near the surface. A modeling defects
configuration, the Mn5 micro-clusters complexed with substitutional MnGa and
interstitial MnI is found for the higher Mn doping concentration. This new
configuration is also confirmed by the total energy calculations.Comment: 17 pages, 5 figures, to be published in Solid. State Commu
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