A flexible quantum efficiency measurement device for photosensors testing

This paper presents a new quantum efficiency setup based on a 2D motorized stage, a wide spectrum xenon lamp, a beam splitter system, and two calibrated photodiodes for measuring the quantum efficiency (QE) of photosensors from PMTs (1 to 10 inches) to SIPM and photodiodes. The large area covered by the 2D stages permit to study the quantum efficiency of a matrix of multichannel photosensors in an automated way and PMTs with diameter up to ten inches. The setup offers high precision and accuracy in characterizing the quantum efficiency versus wavelength over the range of 250 nm to 1100 nm and in two dimensions with a positioning precision of ten microns. The setup monitors the light intensity synchronously with the output current yield from photosensors under test. This ensures the accuracy and repeatability of the measurements. The motorized stage allows precise positioning of the light source with respect to the active area. Moreover, the emission spectrum of the xenon lamp provides a broad range of illumination in terms of dynamics and wavelength span

NASA follow-on to the Bangladesh Agro-Climatic Environmental Monitoring Project

The NASA responsibility and activities for the follow-on to the original Agro-Climatic Environmental Monitoring Project (ACEMP) which was completed during 1987 is described. Five training sessions which comprise the NASA ACEMP follow-on are: Agrometeorology, Meteorology of Severe Storms Using GEMPAK, Satellite Oceanography, Hydrology, and Meteorology with TOVS. The objective of the follow-on is to train Bangladesh Government staff in the use of satellite data for remote sensing applications. This activity also encourages the scientific connection between NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and The Bangladesh Space and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO)

The onset and solidification path of a basaltic melt by in situ differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and ex situ investigations

The in situ differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique has been applied to investigate the solidification paths of a basaltic liquid. The starting glass was heated up to 1300◦C, kept at this superliquidus temperature for 2 h and cooled at rates (∆T/∆t) of 7, 60, 180, 1000, and 1800◦C/h, down to 800 and 600◦C. Glass transition temperature (Tg), crystallization temperature (Tx_HR) and melting temperature (Tm) were measured by in situ DSC spectra on heating. Tx measured along the cooling paths (Tx_CR) shows exothermic peaks that change from a single symmetric shape (7 and 60◦C/h) to multi-component patterns (180, 1000, and 1800◦C/h). The recovered products characterized by field emission gun source of the scanning electron microscopy and electron probe micro-analyzer-wavelength dispersive spectrometers show a phase assemblage of spinel (sp), clinopyroxene (cpx), melilite (mel), plagioclase (plg), and glass. Moreover, crystal size distributions (CSDs) and growth rates (Gmax and GCSD) were also determined. The crystal content slightly increases from 7 to 1800◦C/h. Faceted sp are present in all the run products with an amount always <2 area%. Cpx increases from 7 to 1800◦C/h, changing its texture from almost faceted to dendritic between 60 and 180◦C/h. The area% of mel follows an asymmetric Gaussian trend, while plg nucleates only at 7◦C/h with a content <2 area%. The coupling of DSC and SEM outcomes indicate that sp nucleate first, followed by cpx and mel (and/or plg). The increment of ∆T/∆t causes an increase of the CSD slope (m) and crystal population density per size (n0 ), as well as a decrease of the crystal size, for both cpx and sp. The log-linear CSD segments with different slopes at 7 and 60◦C/h suggest multiple nucleation events and crystal growth by coarsening. Gmax and GCSD for cpx and sp directly measured on the actual crystallization time by DSC spectra, both increase with the increasing of ∆T/∆t. The onset temperature of crystallization (Txi ) decreases as ∆T/∆t increases, following an exponential trend that defines the uppermost portion of a time-transformation-temperature-like curve. This analytical model allows us to quantitatively model the kinetic crystallization paths of dry basalts

‘Pole Test’ Measurements in Critical Leg Ischaemia

AbstractBackgroundFor the quantification of critical limb ischaemia (CLI) most vascular surgery units use sphygmo-manometric and transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) measurements. However, measurements obtained by cuff-manometry can be overestimated especially in diabetic patients because of medial calcification that makes leg arteries less compressible. TcPO2 measurements present a considerable overlap in the values obtained for patients with different degrees of ischaemia and its reproducibility has been questioned. Arterial wall stiffness has less influence on the pole test, based on hydrostatic pressure derived by leg elevation, and this test seems to provide a reliable index of CLI.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate the pole pressure test for detection of critical lower limb ischaemia, correlating results with cuff-manometry and transcutaneous oxygen pressure.DesignUniversity hospital-prospective study.Materials and methodsSeventy-four patients (83 legs) with rest pain or gangrene were evaluated by four methods: pole test, cuff-manometry, TcPO2 and arteriography. CLI was present if the following criteria were met: (a) important arteriographic lesions+rest pain with an ankle systolic pressure (ASP) ≤40mmHg and/or a TcPO2 ≤30mmHg, or (b) important arteriographic lesions+tissue loss with an ASP ≤60mmHg and/or a TcPO2 ≤40mmHg. Fifty-seven lower limbs met the criteria for CLI.ResultsMeasurements obtained by cuff-manometry were significantly higher to those obtained by pole test (mean pressure difference: 40mmHg, p<0.001). The difference between the two methods remained statistically significant for both diabetics (50.73, p<0.001) and non-diabetics (31.46, p<0.001). Mean TcPO2 value was 15.51mmHg and there was no important difference between patients with and without diabetes. Overall, there was a correlation between sphygmomanometry and pole test (r=0.481). The correlation persisted for patients without diabetes (r=0.581), but was not evident in patients with diabetes. Correlation between pole test and TcPO2 was observed only for patients with diabetes (r=0.444). There was no correlation between cuff-manometry and TcPO2. The pole test offered an accuracy of 88% for the detection of CLI. The sensitivity of this test was 95% and the specificity 73%

Preliminary observations of caulerpin accumulation from the invasive Caulerpa cylindracea in native Mediterranean fish species

Recent studies have shown that the Mediterranean white sea bream Diplodus sargus includes the invasive green alga Caulerpa cylindracea in its diet, with consequent metabolic and enzymatic alterations. As a result of this novel alimentary habit, the bioactive algal red pigment caulerpin has been detected in its tissues. However, this may not be an isolated case: other fish species have also been reported to feed on C. cylindracea, although the possible accumulation of caulerpin in their tissues has not yet been investigated. In this report, we analysed stomach contents and caulerpin levels in the native sparid species Spondyliosoma cantharus, Sarpa salpa, and Diplodus vulgaris, and in the scarid Sparisoma cretense, along with the Lessepsian siganid Siganus luridus. C. cylindracea was found in the stomachs of all but one fish species, the exception being S. cretense, in which prey items could not be determined due to the high degree of digestion. Chemical analysis of fish tissues revealed that only S. cantharus and S. salpa accumulated caulerpin, while no traces of the compound were detected in the other species. Despite intense research efforts on natural products obtained from C. cylindracea, a complete picture of the impacts caused by fish including this alga in their diet has not been elucidated. The identification of caulerpin in other Mediterranean native fish suggests a need for further research in order to assess the possible transfer of such molecules to humans through seafood consumption

Issues of sustainability on the Brazilian broiler meat production chain.

Abstract. Brazil is the world's largest broiler meat export. The sanitary control, knowledge and technology, as well as the natural aspects of the country are pointed as the key for the success of the product on the market. In this paper, an overview on the ammonia emission of the Brazilian broiler meat production chain from 2005 to 2010 is presented. The emission of ammonia was estimated on 700 thousand tons per year, which may implicate in the decay in the surrounding environment near the production areas. Brazilian broiler production creates jobs and has a significant social rule in Brazilian economy; however in the other hand, the implications of emitting this amount of ammonia to the atmosphere may be undesirable. Advances in developing new fodder technology are needed, in order to mitigate this issue.ID: 175 - APMS 2012

L’identité professionnelle des enseignants face aux changement. Analyses empiriques dans le contexte italienne

La finalité de cet article est de proposer, à partir d’un certain nombre des donnés empiriques récoltées dans le contexte éducatif italien, une explication psychosociale de l’élaboration de l’identité professionnelle des enseignants en situation de changement. Une telle explication sera orientée à mettre en évidence le rôle essentiel (et l’articulation) des éléments biographiques, des représentations sociales et des pratiques éducatives dans le processus d’adaptation identitaire sollicité par les changements qui caractérisent le contexte éducatif au point de vue institutionnel, social et individuel (nouveaux processus de migration, introduction des nouvelles technologies à l’école, plusieurs reformes de la loi scolaire et de l’organisation de l’enseignement). Deux recherches ont été conduites dans une région de l’Italie du Sud (Campanie) en utilisant un entretien narratif semi structuré (Bruner, 1992; Vermersch, 1994) avec deux groupes d’enseignants (52 et 43 respectivement). Les résultats permettent de décrire un certain nombre d’éléments identitaires du « métier » enseignant (représentations, biographies, pratiques) qui semblent jouer un rôle important dans le processus d’adaptation aux changements considérés

Archaeometric approach for studying architectural earthenwares from the archaeological site of s. Omobono (Rome-Italy)

This paper reports the findings of an archaeometric study performed on 14 architectural earthenwares from the archaeological site of S. Omobono, located in the historic center of Rome (Italy). The archaeological site, accidentally discovered in 1937, includes the remains of a sacred area previously occupied by two temples, one of which was converted into the church of S. Omobono, in 1575. The samples, dated between the 7th and the 6th century BC, belong to different sectors of the site. Their petrographic, mineralogical and geochemical characterization was performed by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), and Raman spectroscopy (RS). The compositional data obtained were also subjected to the principal component analysis (PCA) in order to highlight similarities and differences among the samples. By combining geochemical and petrographic data, we were able to identify several different fabrics. Furthermore, the study provided valuable information on the firing temperatures of some samples and the provenance of the raw materials, by analyzing the chemical composition of clinopyroxenes present as non-plastic inclusions. View Full-Tex

Electron Microscopy for 3D Scaffolds–Cell Biointerface Characterization

Cell fate is largely determined by interactions that occur at the interface between cells and their surrounding microenvironment. For this reason, especially in the field of tissue-engineering, there is a growing interest in developing techniques that allow evaluating cell–material interaction at the nanoscale, particularly focusing on cell adhesion processes. While for 2D culturing systems a consolidated series of tools already satisfy this need, in 3D environments, more closely recapitulating complex in vivo structures, there is still a lack of procedures furthering the comprehension of cell–material interactions. Here, the use of scanning electron microscopy coupled with a focused ion beam (SEM/FIB) for the characterization of cell interactions with 3D scaffolds obtained by different fabrication techniques is reported for the first time. The results clearly show the capability of the developed approach to preserve and finely resolve scaffold–cell interfaces highlighting details such as plasma membrane arrangement, extracellular matrix architecture and composition, and cellular structures playing a role in cell adhesion to the surface. It is anticipated that the developed approach will be relevant for the design of efficient cell-instructive platforms in the study of cellular guidance strategies for tissue-engineering applications as well as for in vitro 3D models

Clinical characteristics of patients with endometrial cancer and adenomyosis

open11noA better endometrial cancer (EC) prognosis in patients with coexistent adenomyosis has been reported. Unfortunately, it is still unclear if this better prognosis is related to a more favorable clinical profile of adenomyosis patients. We aimed to evaluate differences in the clinical profiles of EC patients with and without adenomyosis. A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed by searching seven electronics databases for all studies that allowed extraction of data about clinical characteristics in EC patients with and without adenomyosis. Clinical characteristics assessed were: age, Body Mass Index (BMI), premenopausal status, and nulliparity. Mean difference in mean ± standard deviation (SD) or odds ratio (OR) for clinical characteristics between EC patients with and without adenomyosis were calculated for each included study and as a pooled estimate, and graphically reported on forest plots with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The Z test was used for assessing the overall effect by considering a p value &lt; 0.05 as significant. Overall, eight studies with 5681 patients were included in the qualitative analysis, and seven studies with 4366 patients in the quantitative analysis. Pooled mean difference in mean ± SD between EC women with and without adenomyosis was −1.19 (95% CI: −3.18 to 0.80; p = 0.24) for age, and 0.23 (95% CI: −0.62 to 1.07; p = 0.60) for BMI. When compared to EC women without adenomyosis, EC women with adenomyosis showed a pooled OR of 1.53 (95% CI: 0.92 to 2.54; p = 0.10) for premenopausal status, and of 0.60 (95% CI: 0.41 to 0.87; p = 0.007) for nulliparity. In conclusion, there are not significant differences in clinical characteristics between EC patients with and without adenomyosis, with the exception for nulliparity. Clinical features seem to not underlie the better EC prognosis of patients with adenomyosis compared to patients without adenomyosis.openCasadio P.; Raffone A.; Maletta M.; Travaglino A.; Raimondo D.; Raimondo I.; Santoro A.; Paradisi R.; Zannoni G.F.; Mollo A.; Seracchioli R.Casadio P.; Raffone A.; Maletta M.; Travaglino A.; Raimondo D.; Raimondo I.; Santoro A.; Paradisi R.; Zannoni G.F.; Mollo A.; Seracchioli R