1,245 research outputs found
Production of the front-end boards of the LHCb muon system
This note describes the production of the front end boards CARDIAC, for the 1368 MWPC, and CARDIAC-GEM, for the 12 triple-GEM chambers, of the LHCb muon system. The PCB structure and component layout and the production issues, such as component soldering, quality assurance at the company and delivery rates, are described. The performance of these boards will be the subject of a future publication
Robustness and modularity properties of a non-covalent DNA catalytic reaction
The biophysics of nucleic acid hybridization and strand displacement have been used for the rational design of a number of nanoscale structures and functions. Recently, molecular amplification methods have been developed in the form of non-covalent DNA catalytic reactions, in which single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules catalyze the release of ssDNA product molecules from multi-stranded complexes. Here, we characterize the robustness and specificity of one such strand displacement-based catalytic reaction. We show that the designed reaction is simultaneously sensitive to sequence mutations in the catalyst and robust to a variety of impurities and molecular noise. These properties facilitate the incorporation of strand displacement-based DNA components in synthetic chemical and biological reaction networks
Guest Editorial of the FGCS Special Issue on Advances in Intelligent Systems for Online Education
Roles of Education and IQ in Cognitive Reserve in Parkinson's Disease-Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Background/aimsThe role of cognitive reserve in Parkinson's disease (PD)-mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is incompletely understood.MethodsThe relationships between PD-MCI, years of education, and estimated premorbid IQ were examined in 119 consecutive non-demented PD patients using logistic regression models.ResultsHigher education and IQ were associated with reduced odds of PD-MCI in univariate analysis. In multivariable analysis, a higher IQ was associated with a significantly decreased odds of PD-MCI, but education was not.ConclusionThe association of higher IQ and decreased odds of PD-MCI supports a role for cognitive reserve in PD, but further studies are needed to clarify the interaction of IQ and education and the impact of other contributors such as employment and hobbies
A remote sensing and modeling integrated approach for constructing continuous time series of daily actual evapotranspiration
Satellite remote sensing-based surface energy balance (SEB) techniques have emerged as useful tools for quantifying spatialized actual evapotranspiration at various temporal and spatial scales. However, discontinuous data acquisitions and/or gaps in image acquisition due to cloud cover can limit the applicability of satellite remote sensing (RS) in agriculture water management where continuous time series of daily crop actual evapotranspiration (ETc act) are more valued. The aim of the research is to construct continuous time series of daily ETc act starting from temporal estimates of actual evapotranspiration obtained by SEB modelling (ETa eb) on Landsat-TM images. SEBAL model was integrated with the FAO 56 evaporation model, RS-retrieved vegetative biomass dynamics (by NDVI) and on-field measurements of soil moisture and potential evapotranspiration. The procedure was validated by an eddy covariance tower on a vineyard with partial soil coverage in the south of Sardinia Island, Italy. The integrated modeling approach showed a good reproduction of the time series dynamics of observed ETc act (R2 =0.71, MAE=0.54 mm d-1, RMSE=0.73 mm d-1). A daily and a cumulative monthly temporal analysis showed the importance of integrating parameters that capture changes in the soil-plant-atmosphere (SPA) continuum between Landsat acquisitions. The comparison with daily ETc act obtained by the referenced ET fraction (ETrF) method that considers only weather variability (by ETo) confirmed the lead of the proposed procedure in the spring/early summer periods when vegetation biomass changes and soil water evaporation have a significant weight in the ET process. The applied modelling approach was also robust in constructing the missing ETc act data under scenarios of limited cloud-free Landsat acquisitions. The presented integrated approach has a great potential for the near real time monitoring and scheduling of irrigation practices. Further testing of this approach with diverse dataset and the integration with the soil water modeling is to be analyzed in future work
Solvent-Free Synthesis of Quaternary Oxazolidine-2-thione β3-Amino Ester Analogs
A solvent-free organocatalyzed intermolecular cyclization reaction starting from β-substituted γ-hydroxy-α,β-unsaturated esters and aryl isothiocyanates proceeds via an aza-Michael addition to provide previously unknown quaternary oxazolidine-2-thione β3 amino ester analogs. A panel of diversely-substituted esters was investigated, including β,γ-disubstituted examples which provided the target molecules with very high cis diastereoselectivity
A bacterial formula with native strains as alternative to chemical fertiliser for tomato crop
Global tomato productivity is threatened by biotic and abiotic stressors. To support and guarantee an adequate yield of tomato crops, agricultural practices have been based on the intensive use of fertilisers with negative impacts on the environment. This study presents a simple and effective strategy of functional bioaugmentation, suitable for different varieties, to replace chemical fertilisation. A tailored microbial formula composed by eight indigenous strains (including the genera Delftia, Pseudomonas, Paenarthrobacter, Phyllobacterium, Bacillus, and Acinetobacter) was developed as biofertilizer. Strains were selected from native soil for their plant growth-promoting (PGP) functions, and combined respecting the taxonomic composition of the original PGP heterotrophic community structure. The effect of the bio-fertilisation vs chemical fertilisation was tested in three successive field trials in the company greenhouse, with different tomato varieties (Camone, Oblungo, Cherry). When bio-fertilisation was applied only twice during the Camone's life cycle, tomato yield was significantly reduced (0.8 vs 2.1 kg per plant, p = 0.0003). However, monthly inoculation during plant growth led to a fruit yield comparable to that obtained with chemical fertilisers (about 1.5 kg per plant for Oblungo, and about 2 kg per plant for Cherry variety, p = 0.9999). Bio-fertilization did not significantly affect plant height; only during the last growing period of the Cherry variety, a significantly higher average plant height (p < 0.0001) was observed with chemical fertiliser. The results indicate that a knowledge-based bacterial formula and monthly inoculation during the plant growth can be a successful bio-fertilisation strategy. These findings may pave the way towards more sustainable tomato production, since farming practices are becoming increasingly crucial, in accordance with Agenda 2030 and the UE "Farm to Fork" strategy.[GRAPHICS]
Infection and Risk of Parkinson\u27s Disease
Parkinson\u27s disease (PD) is thought to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Bacterial or viral infection has been proposed as a potential risk factor, and there is supporting although not entirely consistent epidemiologic and basic science evidence to support its role. Encephalitis caused by influenza has included parkinsonian features. Epidemiological evidence is most compelling for an association between PD and hepatitis C virus. Infection with Helicobacter pylori may be associated not only with PD risk but also response to levodopa. Rapidly evolving knowledge regarding the role of the microbiome also suggests a role of resident bacteria in PD risk. Biological plausibility for the role for infectious agents is supported by the known neurotropic effects of specific viruses, particular vulnerability of the substantia nigra and even the promotion of aggregation of alpha-synuclein. A common feature of implicated viruses appears to be production of high levels of cytokines and chemokines that can cross the blood-brain barrier leading to microglial activation and inflammation and ultimately neuronal cell death. Based on multiple avenues of evidence it appears likely that specific bacterial and particularly viral infections may increase vulnerability to PD. The implications of this for PD prevention requires attention and may be most relevant once preventive treatments for at-risk populations are developed
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