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Traditional and Virtual Congress Meetings During the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Post-COVID-19 Era: Is it Time to Change the Paradigm?
The speed and reach of the COVID-19 pandemic have forced rapid changes in how we conduct medical practice and research. The rapid evolution in how scientific meetings are conducted may have long-term benefits. A new reality in which technology and sociality are merged may offer a more engaging and adaptable scientific congress experience with more flexible and dynamic use of content modulated to the needs of each attendee
A deep XMM-Newton serendipitous survey of a middle-latitude area
The radio quiet neutron star 1E1207.4-5209 has been the target of a 260 ks
XMM-Newton observation, which yielded, as a by product, an harvest of about 200
serendipitous X-ray sources above a limiting flux of 2E-15 erg/cm2/s, in the
0.3-8 keV energy range. In view of the intermediate latitude of our field (b~10
deg), it comes as no surprise that the logN-logS distribution of our
serendipitous sources is different from those measured either in the Galactic
Plane or at high galactic latitudes. Here we shall concentrate on the analysis
of the brightest sources in our sample, which unveiled a previously unknown
Seyfert-2 galaxy.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication by Astronomy &
Astrophysic
Protein cargo of salivary small extracellular vesicles as potential functional signature of oral squamous cell carcinoma
The early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still an investigative challenge. Saliva has been proposed as an ideal diagnostic medium for biomarker detection by mean of liquid biopsy technique. The aim of this pilot study was to apply proteomic and bioinformatic strategies to determine the potential use of saliva small extracellular vesicles (S/SEVs) as a potential tumor biomarker source. Among the twenty-three enrolled patients, 5 were free from diseases (OSCC_FREE), 6 were with OSCC without lymph node metastasis (OSCC_NLNM), and 12 were with OSCC and lymph node metastasis (OSCC_LNM). The S/SEVs from patients of each group were pooled and properly characterized before performing their quantitative proteome comparison based on the SWATH_MS (Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical Mass Spectra) method. The analysis resulted in quantitative information for 365 proteins differentially characterizing the S/SEVs of analyzed clinical conditions. Bioinformatic analysis of the proteomic data highlighted that each S/SEV group was associated with a specific cluster of enriched functional network terms. Our results highlighted that protein cargo of salivary small extracellular vesicles defines a functional signature, thus having potential value as novel predict biomarkers for OSCC
A novel algorithm for integrated control model using swarm robots for intruder detection and rescue schedules
Due to the development of computer controlled tools and expansion of integrated computing applications, more and more controller functions are turning to software implementations. A novel controlling algorithm is designed for continuous optimization tasks. However, they are used to thoroughly optimize and apply different areas. The most intelligent swarm algorithms have been designed for continuous optimization problems. However, they have been applied to discreet optimization and applications in different areas. This article gives experimental results on the control of swarm robots with the help of integrated control model (ICM), around its own axis. Such methodology is quite impressive in development of applications for surveillance, path planning, intruder and obstacle detection, model errors in communication to remove uncertainty. The ICM control design performance is based on comprehensive swarm robot model for the identification of actuators from testing data. The same ICM controllers are designed to be compared with the PID controllers in a variety of tests and collected feedback found 12.37%, 8.69% and 12.09% improved on the basis of thrust produced in the propellers for surveillance
Morphological and population aspects of Diabrotica speciosa speciosa (Germar) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) under laboratory conditions
Diabrotica speciosa speciosa (Germar) es uno de los crisomélidos más ampliamente distribuídos en cultivos de la Argentina. Se estudió la morfología de los estados preimaginales, tabla de vida y el comportamiento reproductivo. El desarrollo se llevó a cabo bajo condiciones controladas de laboratorio. Bajo estas condiciones se establecieron los siguientes parámetros poblacionales: tiempo de desarrollo, tasa reproductiva, tasa de crecimiento intrínseco y se confeccionó una tabla de vida horizontal.Diabrotica speciosa speciosa (Germar) is one of the most widely distributed chrysomelid in crops in Argentina. The morphology of preimaginal stages, life span and reproductive behavior were studied. The development were carried out under controlled conditions. Under these conditions the following population parameters were computed: generation time, reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase and an horizontal life table was made.Fil: Defagó, María Teresa. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cabrera, Nora Clara. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Departamento Científico de Entomologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Laguzzi, Stella M.. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba; ArgentinaFil: Novara, Claudia R.. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones Entomológicas de Córdoba; Argentin
The effects of post-pasture woody plant colonization on soil and aboveground litter carbon and nitrogen along a bioclimatic transect.
We investigated the effects of woody plant colonization of abandoned pastures
on soil and litter organic carbon (C) stocks and nitrogen (N) content along a
bioclimatic transect in a semi-arid environment (Sicily, Italy). Soil samples
were taken in three successional stages (grazed pasture, shrubland, forest)
within each of three bioclimates (supramediterranean - \u201csupra\u201d, mesomediterranean
- \u201cmeso\u201d, thermomediterranean - \u201cthermo\u201d). Organic C and N in litter
and soil (0-10 cm and 10-30 cm depth) were determined, as well as soil bulk
density. Especially at 0-10 cm depth, changes in C and N contents along successional
stages differed among bioclimates. Soil organic carbon (SOC) stock
decreased from pasture to shrubland and increased from shrubland to forest in
\u201csupra\u201d, increased from pasture to shrubland and then remained stable in
\u201cthermo\u201d, and was stable in \u201cmeso\u201d. Soil C/N ratio decreased with succession
in \u201csupra\u201d, showed no significant trend in \u201cmeso\u201d, and increased with succession
in \u201cthermo\u201d. Litter C stock increased with succession in \u201cmeso\u201d, increased
from pasture to shrubland and decreased from shrubland to forest in
\u201cthermo\u201d, and increased from pasture to shrubland and then remained stable
in \u201csupra\u201d. Litter C/N ratio increased in \u201cthermo\u201d and \u201csupra\u201d from pasture to
shrubland and from shrubland to forest, but did not change significantly with
succession in \u201cmeso\u201d. The different trends in SOC among bioclimates may be
caused by changes in the importance of litter input, litter decay rate and mineralization.
Successional changes in \u201cmeso\u201d and \u201csupra\u201d appeared to be most
affected by litter quality, while those in \u201cthermo\u201d appeared to be strongly influenced
by limited litter decay due to low soil moisture and high temperature
Carbon input threshold for soil carbon budget optimization in eroding vineyards
Previous studies have documented that, relative to conventional tillage (CT), alternative soil management (reduced tillage, mulching, or cover crops) decreases soil erosion and increases soil organic matter (SOM) in vineyards. These previous studies, however, failed to consider the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) with erosion that could occur with the adoption of agro-environmental measures (AEM) in a semiarid environment. Accordingly, the aims of this study were to determine whether changes in SOC content under AEM management are always positive and to develop a conceptual model for estimating the "SOC threshold". The SOC threshold was defined as that level of SOC in an AEM-managed vineyard above which erosion will result in greater loss of C than occur in a comparable vineyard with CT management. SOC was analyzed at a 100 paired sites (vineyards with AEM management vs. CT). The results showed that in some cases the loss of C was higher with AEM than with CT. Overall, the results indicate that the SOC threshold may be a key parameter in determining the best AEM measures for vineyards that are on slopes and therefore vulnerable to erosion
Multi-wavelength observations of 1RXH J173523.7-354013: revealing an unusual bursting neutron star
On 2008 May 14, the Burst Alert Telescope aboard the Swift mission triggered
on a type-I X-ray burst from the previously unclassified ROSAT object 1RXH
J173523.7-354013, establishing the source as a neutron star X-ray binary. We
report on X-ray, optical and near-infrared observations of this system. The
X-ray burst had a duration of ~2 h and belongs to the class of rare,
intermediately long type-I X-ray bursts. From the bolometric peak flux of
~3.5E-8 erg/cm^2/s, we infer a source distance of D<9.5 kpc. Photometry of the
field reveals an optical counterpart that declined from R=15.9 during the X-ray
burst to R=18.9 thereafter. Analysis of post-burst Swift/XRT observations, as
well as archival XMM-Newton and ROSAT data suggests that the system is
persistent at a 0.5-10 keV luminosity of ~2E35 (D/9.5 kpc)^2 erg/s. Optical and
infrared photometry together with the detection of a narrow Halpha emission
line (FWHM=292+/-9 km/s, EW=-9.0+/-0.4 Angstrom) in the optical spectrum
confirms that 1RXH J173523.7-354013 is a neutron star low-mass X-ray binary.
The Halpha emission demonstrates that the donor star is hydrogen-rich, which
effectively rules out that this system is an ultra-compact X-ray binary.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 13 pages, 6 figures, 5 table
Highly absorbed X-ray binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud
Many of the high mass X-ray binaries (HMXRBs) discovered in recent years in
our Galaxy are characterized by a high absorption, most likely intrinsic to the
system, which hampers their detection at the softest X-ray energies. We have
undertaken a search for highly-absorbed X-ray sources in the Small Magellanic
Cloud (SMC) with a systematic analysis of 62 XMM-Newton SMC observations. We
obtained a sample of 30 sources showing evidence for an equivalent hydrogen
column density larger than 3x10^23 cm^-2. Five of these sources are clearly
identified as HMXRBs: four were already known (including three X-ray pulsars)
and one, XMM J005605.8-720012, reported here for the first time. For the
latter, we present optical spectroscopy confirming the association with a Be
star in the SMC. The other sources in our sample have optical counterparts
fainter than magnitude ~16 in the V band, and many of them have possible NIR
counterparts consistent with highly reddened early type stars in the SMC. While
their number is broadly consistent with the expected population of background
highly-absorbed active galactic nuclei, a few of them could be HMXRBs in which
an early type companion is severely reddened by local material.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication by Astronomy
& Astrophysic
Carbon stock increases up to old growth forest along a secondary succession in Mediterranean island ecosystems
The occurrence of old-growth forests is quite limited in Mediterranean islands, which have been subject to particularly pronounced human impacts. Little is known about the carbon stocks of such peculiar ecosystems compared with different stages of secondary succession. We investigated the carbon variation in aboveground woody biomass, in litter and soil, and the nitrogen variation in litter and soil, in a 100 years long secondary succession in Mediterranean ecosystems. A vineyard, three stages of plant succession (high maquis, maquis-forest, and forest-maquis), and an old growth forest were compared. Soil samples at two soil depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm), and two litter types, relatively undecomposed and partly decomposed, were collected. Carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass increased from 6 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to 105 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. Along the secondary succession, soil carbon considerably increased from about 33 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to about 69 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. Soil nitrogen has more than doubled, ranging from 4.1 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to 8.8 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. Both soil parameters were found to be affected by successional stage and soil depth but not by their interaction. While the C/N ratio in the soil remained relatively constant during the succession, the C/N ratio of the litter strongly decreased, probably following the progressive increase in the holm oak contribution. While carbon content in litter decreased along the succession, nitrogen content slightly increased. Overall, carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass, litter and soil increased from about 48 Mg ha-1 in the vineyard to about 198 Mg ha-1 in old growth forest. The results of this study indicate that, even in Mediterranean environments, considerable amounts of carbon may be stored through secondary succession processes up to old growth forest.The occurrence of old-growth forests is quite limited in Mediterranean islands, which have been subject to particularly pronounced human impacts. Little is known about the carbon stocks of such peculiar ecosystems compared with different stages of secondary succession. We investigated the carbon variation in aboveground woody biomass, in litter and soil, and the nitrogen variation in litter and soil, in a 100 years long secondary succession in Mediterranean ecosystems. A vineyard, three stages of plant succession (high maquis, maquis-forest, and forest-maquis), and an old growth forest were compared. Soil samples at two soil depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm), and two litter types, relatively undecomposed and partly decomposed, were collected. Carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass increased from 6 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to 105 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. Along the secondary succession, soil carbon considerably increased from about 33 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to about 69 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. Soil nitrogen has more than doubled, ranging from 4.1 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to 8.8 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. Both soil parameters were found to be affected by successional stage and soil depth but not by their interaction. While the C/N ratio in the soil remained relatively constant during the succession, the C/N ratio of the litter strongly decreased, probably following the progressive increase in the holm oak contribution. While carbon content in litter decreased along the succession, nitrogen content slightly increased. Overall, carbon stock in aboveground woody biomass, litter and soil increased from about 48 Mg ha(-1) in the vineyard to about 198 Mg ha(-1) in old growth forest. The results of this study indicate that, even in Mediterranean environments, considerable amounts of carbon may be stored through secondary succession processes up to old growth forest
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