491 research outputs found
LabVIEW interface with Tango control system for a multi-technique X-ray spectrometry IAEA beamline end-station at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste
A new synchrotron beamline end-station for multipurpose X-ray spectrometry applications has been recently commissioned and it is currently accessible by end-users at the XRF beamline of Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. The end-station consists of an ultra-high vacuum chamber that includes as main instrument a seven-axis motorized manipulator for sample and detectors positioning, different kinds of X-ray detectors and optical cameras. The beamline end-station allows performing measurements in different X-ray spectrometry techniques such as Microscopic X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (µXRF), Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (TXRF), Grazing Incidence/Exit X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (GI-XRF/GE-XRF), X-Ray Reflectometry (XRR), and X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). A LabVIEW Graphical User Interface (GUI) bound with Tango control system consisted of many custom made software modules is utilized as a user-friendly tool for control of the entire end-station hardware components. The present work describes this advanced Tango and LabVIEW software platform that utilizes in an optimal synergistic manner the merits and functionality of these well-established programming and equipment control tools
Comparative analysis of viral shedding in pediatric and adult subjects with central nervous system-associated enterovirus infections from 2013 to 2015 in Switzerland.
Several enterovirus (EV) genotypes can result in aseptic meningitis, but their routes of access to the central nervous system remain to be elucidated and may differ between the pediatric and adult populations.
To assess the pattern of viral shedding in pediatric and adult subjects with acute EV meningitis and to generate EV surveillance data for Switzerland.
All pediatric and adult subjects admitted to the University Hospitals of Geneva with a diagnosis of EV meningitis between 2013 and 2015 were enrolled. A quantitative EV real-time reverse transcriptase (rRT)-PCR was performed on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, stool, urine and respiratory specimens to assess viral shedding and provide a comparative analysis of pediatric and adult populations. EV genotyping was systematically performed.
EV positivity rates differed significantly between pediatric and adult subjects; 62.5% of pediatric cases (no adult case) were EV-positive in stool and blood for subjects for whom these samples were all collected. Similarly, the EV viral load in blood was significantly higher in pediatric subjects. Blood C-reactive protein levels were lower and the number of leucocytes/mm3 in the CSF were higher in non-viremic than in viremic pediatric subjects, respectively. A greater diversity of EV genotypes was observed in pediatric cases, with a predominance of echovirus 30 in children ≥3 years old and adults.
In contrast to adults, EV-disseminated infections are predominant in pediatric subjects and show different patterns of EV viral shedding. This observation may be useful for clinicians and contribute to modify current practices of patient care
Displaying the Heterogeneity of the SN 2002cx-like Subclass of Type Ia Supernovae with Observations of the Pan-STARRS-1 Discovered SN2009ku
SN2009ku, discovered by Pan-STARRS-1, is a Type Ia supernova (SNIa), and a
member of the distinct SN2002cx-like class of SNeIa. Its light curves are
similar to the prototypical SN2002cx, but are slightly broader and have a later
rise to maximum in g. SN2009ku is brighter (~0.6 mag) than other SN2002cx-like
objects, peaking at M_V = -18.4 mag - which is still significantly fainter than
typical SNeIa. SN2009ku, which had an ejecta velocity of ~2000 kms^-1 at 18
days after maximum brightness is spectroscopically most similar to SN2008ha,
which also had extremely low-velocity ejecta. However, SN2008ha had an
exceedingly low luminosity, peaking at M_V = -14.2 mag, ~4 mag fainter than
SN2009ku. The contrast of high luminosity and low ejecta velocity for SN2009ku
is contrary to an emerging trend seen for the SN2002cx class. SN2009ku is a
counter-example of a previously held belief that the class was more homogeneous
than typical SNeIa, indicating that the class has a diverse progenitor
population and/or complicated explosion physics. As the first example of a
member of this class of objects from the new generation of transient surveys,
SN2009ku is an indication of the potential for these surveys to find rare and
interesting objects.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure
Fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background I: Form Factors and their Calculation in Synchronous Gauge
It is shown that the fluctuation in the temperature of the cosmic microwave
background in any direction may be evaluated as an integral involving scalar
and dipole form factors, which incorporate all relevant information about
acoustic oscillations before the time of last scattering. A companion paper
gives asymptotic expressions for the multipole coefficient in terms of
these form factors. Explicit expressions are given here for the form factors in
a simplified hydrodynamic model for the evolution of perturbations.Comment: 35 pages, no figures. Improved treatment of damping, including both
Landau and Silk damping; inclusion of late-time effects; several references
added; minor changes and corrections made. Accepted for publication in Phys.
Rev. D1
Dynamics of Void and its Shape in Redshift Space
We investigate the dynamics of a single spherical void embedded in a
Friedmann-Lema\^itre universe, and analyze the void shape in the redshift
space. We find that the void in the redshift space appears as an ellipse shape
elongated in the direction of the line of sight (i.e., an opposite deformation
to the Kaiser effect). Applying this result to observed void candidates at the
redshift z~1-2, it may provide us with a new method to evaluate the
cosmological parameters, in particular the value of a cosmological constant.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figure
Deviation From \Lambda CDM With Cosmic Strings Networks
In this work, we consider a network of cosmic strings to explain possible
deviation from \Lambda CDM behaviour. We use different observational data to
constrain the model and show that a small but non zero contribution from the
string network is allowed by the observational data which can result in a
reasonable departure from \Lambda CDM evolution. But by calculating the
Bayesian Evidence, we show that the present data still strongly favour the
concordance \Lambda CDM model irrespective of the choice of the prior.Comment: 15 Pages, Latex Style, 4 eps figures, Revised Version, Accepted for
publication in European Physical Journal
Relativistic anisotropic charged fluid spheres with varying cosmological constant
Static spherically symmetric anisotropic source has been studied for the
Einstein-Maxwell field equations assuming the erstwhile cosmological constant to be a space-variable scalar, viz., . Two
cases have been examined out of which one reduces to isotropic sphere. The
solutions thus obtained are shown to be electromagnetic in origin as a
particular case. It is also shown that the generally used pure charge
condition, viz., is not always required for constructing
electromagnetic mass models.Comment: 15 pages, 3 eps figure
Tomography from the Next Generation of Cosmic Shear Experiments for Viable f(R) Models
We present the cosmic shear signal predicted by two viable cosmological
models in the framework of modified-action f(R) theories. We use f(R) models
where the current accelerated expansion of the Universe is a direct consequence
of the modified gravitational Lagrangian rather than Dark Energy (DE), either
in the form of vacuum energy/cosmological constant or of a dynamical scalar
field (e.g. quintessence). We choose Starobinsky's (St) and Hu & Sawicki's (HS)
f(R) models, which are carefully designed to pass the Solar System gravity
tests. In order to further support - or rule out - f(R) theories as alternative
candidates to the DE hypothesis, we exploit the power of weak gravitational
lensing, specifically of cosmic shear. We calculate the tomographic shear
matrix as it would be measured by the upcoming ESA Cosmic Vision Euclid
satellite. We find that in the St model the cosmic shear signal is almost
completely degenerate with LCDM, but it is easily distinguishable in the HS
model. Moreover, we compute the corresponding Fisher matrix for both the St and
HS models, thus obtaining forecasts for their cosmological parameters. Finally,
we show that the Bayes factor for cosmic shear will definitely favour the HS
model over LCDM if Euclid measures a value larger than ~0.02 for the extra HS
parameter n_HS.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables; tomographic and Bayesian analyses
updated and modified according to reviewer's suggestions; references update
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