SIPLIC forms of hourly precipitation data - Casper, Cheyenne, Lander, Sheridan, 1949-1951

Hourly precipitation data from four weather stations over a 13-year period presented in SIPLIC form with aid of IBM 1620 compute

Lithium in the Symbiotic Mira V407 Cyg

We report an identification of the lithium resonance doublet LiI 6708A in the spectrum of V407 Cyg, a symbiotic Mira with a pulsation period of about 745 days. The resolution of the spectra used was R~18500 and the measured equivalent width of the line is ~0.34A. It is suggested that the lithium enrichment is due to hot bottom burning in the intermediate mass AGB variable, although other possible origins cannot be totally ruled out. In contrast to lithium-rich AGB stars in the Magellanic clouds, ZrO 5551A, 6474A absorption bands were not found in the spectrum of V407Cyg. These are the bands used to classify the S-type stars at low-resolution. Although we identified weak ZrO 5718A, 6412A these are not visible in the low-resolution spectra, and we therefore classify the Mira in V407 Cyg as an M type. This, together with other published work, suggests lithium enrichment can precede the third dredge up of s-process enriched material in galactic AGB stars.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to be published in MNRA

Numerical simulations challenged on the prediction of massive subhalo abundance in galaxy clusters: the case of Abell 2142

In this Letter we compare the abundance of member galaxies of a rich, nearby ($z=0.09$) galaxy cluster, Abell 2142, with that of halos of comparable virial mass extracted from sets of state-of-the-art numerical simulations, both collisionless at different resolutions and with the inclusion of baryonic physics in the form of cooling, star formation, and feedback by active galactic nuclei. We also use two semi-analytical models to account for the presence of orphan galaxies. The photometric and spectroscopic information, taken from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 12 (SDSS DR12) database, allows us to estimate the stellar velocity dispersion of member galaxies of Abell 2142. This quantity is used as proxy for the total mass of secure cluster members and is properly compared with that of subhalos in simulations. We find that simulated halos have a statistically significant ($\gtrsim 7$ sigma confidence level) smaller amount of massive (circular velocity above $200\,{\rm km\, s^{-1}}$) subhalos, even before accounting for the possible incompleteness of observations. These results corroborate the findings from a recent strong lensing study of the Hubble Frontier Fields galaxy cluster MACS J0416 \citep{grillo2015} and suggest that the observed difference is already present at the level of dark matter (DM) subhalos and is not solved by introducing baryonic physics. A deeper understanding of this discrepancy between observations and simulations will provide valuable insights into the impact of the physical properties of DM particles and the effect of baryons on the formation and evolution of cosmological structures.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures. Modified to match the version published in ApJ

Management and Exploitation of Macroalgal Biomass as a Tool for the Recovery of Transitional Water Systems

Aquatic angiosperms favor the development of ecosystems services, the welfare of marine organisms and people. Generally, the presence of angiosperms in transitional water systems (TWS) are indicators of good ecosystem status. Presently, these environments are densely populated and often are so highly degraded that angiosperms have almost disappeared, replaced by tionitrophilic macroalgae responsible of anoxic events that deteriorate the environment furtherly. Although this trend is hardly reversible because the anthropogenic impact is increasing and the restoring of damaged environments within a reasonable time is difficult, recent studies have shown that by managing the harvesting of the natural algal species of commercial interest a progressive environmental recovery is achievable. Biomass-harvesting can contribute both to the removal of high amounts of nutrients and the generation of economic revenues for a sustainable, self-financed environmental restoration. In fact, unlike clam-farming which destroys the seabed and re-suspends large amounts of sediments, the proper management of the macroalgal biomass, can favor the nutrient abatement and the recolonization of aquatic angiosperms which help restore the conditions necessary for the conservation of the benthic and fish fauna and birds, and produce valuable economic resources

Evaluating GAIA performances on eclipsing binaries. III. Orbits and stellar parameters for UW LMi, V432 Aur and CN Lyn

The orbits and physical parameters of three detached F and G-type eclipsing binaries have been derived combining Hipparcos H(P) photometry with 8480-8740 Ang ground-based spectroscopy, simulating the photometric+spectroscopic observations that the GAIA mission will obtain. Tycho B(T) and V(T) light curves are too noisy to be modeled for the three targets, and only mean Tycho colors are retained to constrain the temperature. No previous combined photometric+spectroscopic solution exists in literature for any of the three targets. Quite remarkably, CN Lyn turned out to be an equal masses F5 triple system. Distances from the orbital solutions agree within the astrometric error with the Hipparcos parallaxes.Comment: A&A, accepted in pres

Multiannual trend of micro-pollutants in sediments and benthic community response in a mediterranean lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Italy)

Long-term variations of ecological status in a Mediterranean coastal lagoon (Sacca di Goro, Northern Adriatic) were investigated, combining data on the concentration of surface sediment contaminants and on the structure of the macrobenthic community. The aim was to assess any amount of chemical contamination and check the response of the macrobenthic community to sediment contamination. Over the studied period, the sediments of the lagoon showed contamination by trace metals and organochlorine pesticides, with most of them exceeding the thresholds indicated by the Italian legislation in many samples. Contamination by polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) instead never exceeded the threshold. The ecological status based on the macrobenthic community, evaluated through biotic indices (AMBI and M-AMBI), fell below the Good/Moderate threshold in most samples. The results indicate a possible influence of toxic compounds in sediment on benthic organisms, but most of the variability shown by the macrobenthic community is probably due to other factors. The difficulty in establishing a cause/effect relationship was due to the co-occurrence and variability of various stressors (both natural and anthropogenic) and their interactions. The methods currently used for monitoring transitional waters thus seem insufficient to disentangle the effect of pollutants and other environmental variables on the benthos. Integrated approaches (e.g., bioaccumulation and toxicity tests) are thus needed for a more precise identification of the risk posed by a high concentration of pollutants in such environments

Effects of an intravaginal GnRH analogue administration on rabbit reproductive parameters and welfare

Abstract On commercial farms, rabbit does are subjected to a reproductive rhythm that does not account for their welfare or physiology, leading to reduced longevity and consequently high annual replacement. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends limited and infrequent use of hormone treatments, and suggests replacement with alternative methods that do not threaten animal welfare when possible. In the present study, we aimed to determine whether the GnRH analogue lecirelin acetate could be administered by inclusion in the seminal dose during insemination. Twenty 9-month-old does (Grigio del Monferrato, autochthonous Italian breed),each having two previous deliveries, were individually housed and divided into two groups at artificial insemination. The control group received 0.2 mL of intramuscular lecirelin (Dalmarelin, Fatro®, Italy) prior to insemination. The intravaginal group was inseminated with a seminal dose that included 0.3 mL Dalmarelin. The experiment was performed for six consecutive reproductive cycles at 42-day intervals, and included a total of 120 inseminations. Prior to each insemination, the heterospermic pooled semen samples were assessed for sperm motility and morphology. Each ejaculate was divided into two samples, with and without lecirelin addition. Compared to the control group, the does with intravaginal Dalmarelin administration showed equal or greater sexual receptivity, which resulted in a higher fertility rate over increasing cycles. The seminal dose volume was very low, possibly explaining the better results in the intravaginal group, which received a similar amount of hormone (0.3 mL/doe) as the control group (0.2 mL/doe). The negative performance of the control group may have also been due to anti-GnRH formation, and the more stressful method of ovulation induction. The number of live-born kits did not significantly differ between groups. Progressive motility was significantly positively correlated with motility characteristics, including VAP, VSL, ALH, BCF, STR, and LIN. Overall, our present findings supported that the incorporation of GnRH in a seminal dose could be used for ovulation induction in rabbit does. Further studies should identify the optimal dose of GnRH for intravaginal administration, taking into account that the intravaginal absorption capacity is about 10 times smaller than the intramuscular absorption capacity

Memory effect in melting behaviour, crystallization kinetics and morphology of poly(propylene terephthalate)

Crystallization kinetics and melting behaviour of poly(propylene terephthalate) (PPT) were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry and hot-stage optical microscopy. Isothermal crystallization kinetics was analysed according to the Avrami treatment. The effects of temperature and duration of melting on the overall rate of isothermal crystallization were studied: the rate was found to decrease with increasing melting temperature and melting time. This result was discussed on the basis of the gradual destruction of predetermined athermal nuclei. Values of the Avrami exponent close to 3 were obtained, regardless of the adopted thermal treatment and the crystallization temperature, Tc, in agreement with a crystallization process originating from predetermined nuclei and characterized by three-dimensional spherulitic growth. As a matter of fact, spacefilling spherulites were observed by optical microscopy at all Tc's, independent of the applied thermal treatments. For each of them, the rate of crystallization became lower as Tc increased, as usual at low undercooling where the crystallization process is controlled by nucleation. The observed multiple endotherms, which are commonly displayed by polyesters, were influenced by Tc and ascribed to melting and recrystallization processes. Linear and non-linear treatments were applied in order to estimate the equilibrium melting temperature for PPT, by using the corrected melting temperatures. The non-linear estimation yielded an about 33°C higher value with respect to the one obtained by means of the linear approach. Through the analysis of secondary nucleation theory, the classical II→III transition was found to occur at a temperature of 194°C. The average work of chain folding for nucleation was determined to be c. 5.2 kcal/mol. The heat of fusion was correlated to the specific heat increment for samples with different degree of crystallinity and the results were interpreted on the basis of the existence of an interphase, whose amount was found to depend on the thermal treatment the polymer was subjected to

Accumulation of trace metals in crayfish tissues: is Procambarus clarkii a vector of pollutants in Po Delta inland waters?

Concentrations of trace elements (Cd, Pb, As, Cu and Zn) were determined in superficial sediments and in hepatopancreas, exoskeleton, and abdominal muscle of the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii from several canals of the Po River Delta area. Sediments of the studied canals exhibited some metal pollution. The hepatopancreas of the crayfish showed a higher concentration of trace metals in comparison to the other tissues at all sites under scrutiny. Concentrations of As and Pb, either in sediment and P. clarkii tissues, were probably related to the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Moreover, the levels of certain metals accumulated in the abdominal muscle (Pb, Cu and Zn) exceeded the threshold values considered harmful to human health. The Toxic Contamination Index, depending on the bioaccumulation data of hepatopancreas and abdominal muscle, allowed us to assess the toxicity by heavy metals of sediments measuring the stress level of the detoxification organ, and resulted in >1 only at two sampling canals. We hypothesize that P. clarkii in the Po River Delta aquatic communities can act as a vector of pollutants, as crayfish can transfer their relatively high amount of heavy metals to higher trophic levels