371 research outputs found
Effect of an electronic nicotine delivery device (e-Cigarette) on smoking reduction and cessation: a prospective 6-month pilot study
BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking is a tough addiction to break. Therefore, improved approaches to smoking cessation are necessary. The electronic-cigarette (e-Cigarette), a battery-powered electronic nicotine delivery device (ENDD) resembling a cigarette, may help smokers to remain abstinent during their quit attempt or to reduce cigarette consumption. Efficacy and safety of these devices in long-term smoking cessation and/or smoking reduction studies have never been investigated. METHODS: In this prospective proof-of-concept study we monitored possible modifications in smoking habits of 40 regular smokers (unwilling to quit) experimenting the 'Categoria' e-Cigarette with a focus on smoking reduction and smoking abstinence. Study participants were invited to attend a total of five study visits: at baseline, week-4, week-8, week-12 and week-24. Product use, number of cigarettes smoked, and exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) levels were measured at each visit. Smoking reduction and abstinence rates were calculated. Adverse events and product preferences were also reviewed. RESULTS: Sustained 50% reduction in the number of cig/day at week-24 was shown in 13/40(32.5%) participants; their median of 25 cigs/day decreasing to 6 cigs/day (p < 0.001). Sustained 80% reduction was shown in 5/40(12.5%) participants; their median of 30 cigs/day decreasing to 3 cigs/day (p = 0.043). Sustained smoking abstinence at week-24 was observed in 9/40(22.5%) participants, with 6/9 still using the e-Cigarette by the end of the study. Combined sustained 50% reduction and smoking abstinence was shown in 22/40 (55%) participants, with an overall 88% fall in cigs/day. Mouth (20.6%) and throat (32.4%) irritation, and dry cough (32.4%) were common, but diminished substantially by week-24. Overall, 2 to 3 cartridges/day were used throughout the study. Participants' perception and acceptance of the product was good. CONCLUSION: The use of e-Cigarette substantially decreased cigarette consumption without causing significant side effects in smokers not intending to quit (http://ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01195597)
Eddy Covariance flux errors due to random and systematic timing errors during data acquisition
Modern eddy covariance (EC) systems collect
high-frequency data (10–20 Hz) via digital outputs of instru ments. This is an important evolution with respect to the tra ditional and widely used mixed analog/digital systems, as
fully digital systems help overcome the traditional limita tions of transmission reliability, data quality, and complete ness of the datasets
A comparison of different methods for assessing leaf area index in four canopy types
The agreement of Leaf Area Index (LAI) assessments from three indirect methods, i.e. the LAI–2200 Plant Canopy
Analyzer, the SS1 SunScan Canopy Analysis System and Digital Hemispherical Photography (DHP) was evaluated
for four canopy types, i.e. a short rotation coppice plantation (SRC) with poplar, a Scots pine stand, a Pedunculate
oak stand and amaize field. In the SRC and in the maize field, the indirect measurements were compared with direct
measurements (litter fall and harvesting). In the low LAI range (0 to 2) the discrepancies of the SS1 were partly
explained by the inability to properly account for clumping and the uncertainty of the ellipsoidal leaf angle distribu tion parameter. The higher values for SS1 in the medium (2 to 6) to high (6 to 8) ranges might be explained by gap
fraction saturation for LAI–2200 and DHP above certain values. Wood area index –understood as the woody light blocking elements from the canopy with respect to diameter growth– accounted for overestimation by all indirect
methods when compared to direct methods in the SRC. The inter-comparison of the three indirect methods in the
four canopy types showed a general agreement for all methods in the medium LAI range (2 to 6). LAI–2200 and
DHP revealed the best agreement among the indirect methods along the entire range of LAI (0 to 8) in all canopy
types. SS1 showed some discrepancies with the LAI–2200 and DHP at low (0 to 2) and high ranges of LAI (6 to 8
Case study: ENVRI science demonstrators with D4Science
Whenever a community of practice starts developing an IT solution for its use case(s) it has to face the issue of carefully selecting “the platform” to use. Such a platform should match the requirements and the overall settings resulting from the specific application context (including legacy technologies and solutions to be integrated and reused, costs of adoption and operation, easiness in acquir- ing skills and competencies). There is no one-size-fits-all solution that is suitable for all application context, and this is particularly true for scientific communities and their cases because of the wide heterogeneity characterising them. However, there is a large consensus that solutions from scratch are inefficient and services that facilitate the development and maintenance of scientific community-specific solutions do exist. This chapter describes how a set of diverse communities of practice efficiently developed their science demonstrators (on analysing and pro- ducing user-defined atmosphere data products, greenhouse gases fluxes, particle formation, mosquito diseases) by leveraging the services offered by the D4Science infrastructure. It shows that the D4Science design decisions aiming at streamlin- ing implementations are effective. The chapter discusses the added value injected in the science demonstrators and resulting from the reuse of D4Science services, especially regarding Open Science practices and overall quality of service
Prokaryotic Diversity of the Composting Thermophilic Phase: The Case of Ground Coffee Compost
Waste biomass coming from a local coffee company, which supplied burnt ground coffee
after an incorrect roasting process, was employed as a starting material in the composting
plant of the Experimental Station of the University of Naples Federico II at Castel Volturno (CE).
The direct molecular characterization of compost using 13C-NMR spectra, which was acquired
through cross-polarization magic-angle spinning, showed a hydrophobicity index of 2.7% and an
alkyl/hydroxyalkyl index of 0.7%. Compost samples that were collected during the early “active
thermophilic phase” (when the composting temperature was 63 C) were analyzed for the prokaryotic
community composition and activities. Two complementary approaches, i.e., genomic and
predictive metabolic analysis of the 16S rRNA V3–V4 amplicon and culture-dependent analysis,
were combined to identify the main microbial factors that characterized the composting process. The
whole microbial community was dominated by Firmicutes. The predictive analysis of the metabolic
functionality of the community highlighted the potential degradation of peptidoglycan and the ability
of metal chelation, with both functions being extremely useful for the revitalization and fertilization
of agricultural soils. Finally, three biotechnologically relevant Firmicutes members, i.e., Geobacillus
thermodenitrificans subsp. calidus, Aeribacillus pallidus, and Ureibacillus terrenus (strains CAF1, CAF2,
and CAF5, respectively) were isolated from the “active thermophilic phase” of the coffee composting.
All strains were thermophiles growing at the optimal temperature of 60 C. Our findings contribute
to the current knowledge on thermophilic composting microbiology and valorize burnt ground coffee
as waste material with biotechnological potentialities
Eddy covariance flux errors due to random and systematic timing errors during data acquisition
Modern eddy covariance (EC) systems collect high-frequency data (10–20 Hz)
via digital outputs of instruments.
This is an important evolution with respect to the traditional and widely
used mixed analog/digital systems, as fully digital systems help overcome
the traditional limitations of transmission reliability, data quality, and
completeness of the datasets.However, fully digital acquisition introduces a new problem for guaranteeing
data synchronicity when the clocks of the involved devices themselves cannot
be synchronized, which is often the case with instruments providing data via
serial or Ethernet connectivity in a streaming mode. In this paper, we
suggest that, when assembling EC systems in-house, aspects related to
timing issues need to be carefully considered to avoid significant flux
biases.By means of a simulation study, we found that, in most cases, random timing
errors can safely be neglected, as they do not impact fluxes significantly.
At the same time, systematic timing errors potentially arising in
asynchronous systems can effectively act as filters leading to significant
flux underestimations, as large as 10 %, by means of attenuation of
high-frequency flux contributions. We characterized the transfer function of
such filters as a function of the error magnitude and found cutoff
frequencies as low as 1 Hz, implying that synchronization errors can
dominate high-frequency attenuations in open- and enclosed-path EC systems.
In most cases, such timing errors neither be detected nor characterized
a posteriori. Therefore, it is important to test the ability of traditional
and prospective EC data logging systems to assure the required synchronicity
and propose a procedure to implement such a test relying on readily
available equipment.</p
Near Real Time Data Processing In ICOS RI
This paper describes the implementation of (near)
real-time (NRT) data processing in the recently launched
European environmental research infrastructure ICOS. NRT
applications include handling of raw sensor data (including safe
storage and quality control), processing and evaluation of
greenhouse gas mixing ratios and exchange fluxes, and the
provision of data to the RI’s user communities
Macro- and micro-geographic variation of short-beaked common dolphin’s whistles in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 20113. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Taylor & Francis for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Ethology Ecology & Evolution 26 (2014): 392-404, doi:10.1080/03949370.2013.851122.Genetic studies have shown that there are small but significant differences
between the short-beaked common dolphin populations in the Atlantic Ocean and
those in the Mediterranean Sea. The short-beaked common dolphin is a highly vocal
species with a wide sound production repertoire including whistles. Whistles are
continuous, narrowband, frequency-modulated signals that can show geographic
variation in dolphin species. This study tests whether the differences, highlighted by
genetic studies, are recognisable in the acoustic features of short-beaked common
dolphin’s whistles in the two adjacent areas of the Atlantic Ocean and the
Mediterranean Sea. From a selected sample of good quality whistles (514 recorded
in the Atlantic and 193 in the Mediterranean) 10 parameters of duration, frequency
and frequency modulation were measured. Comparing data among basins, differences
were found for duration and all frequency parameters except for minimum
frequency. Modulation parameters showed the highest coefficient of variation.
Through discriminant analysis we correctly assigned 75.7% of sounds to their basins.
Furthermore, micro-geographic analysis revealed similarity between the sounds
recorded around the Azores and the Canary archipelagos and between the Bay of
Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea. Results are in agreement with the hypothesis
proposed by previous genetic studies that two distinct populations are present, still supposing a gene flow between the basins. This study is the first to compare shortbeaked
common dolphin’s whistles of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean
areas.Data collection and processing in the Azores was conducted
under projects POCTI/BSE/38991/01, PTDC/MAR/74071/2006 and M2.1.2/F/012/2011, supported by
FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) and DRCTC/SRCTE (Secretaria Regional de
CiĂŞncia, Tecnologia e Equipamentos), FEDER funds, the Competitiveness Factors Operational
(COMPETE), QREN European Social Fund and Proconvergencia Açores Program. We acknowledge
funds provided by FCT to LARSyS Associated Laboratory & IMAR-University of the Azores/
the Thematic Area E of the Strategic Project (OE & Compete) and by the DRCTC – Government of
the Azores pluriannual funding. M.A. Silva was supported by an FCT postdoctoral grant (SFRH/
BPD/29841/2006). I. CascĂŁo and R. Prieto were supported by FCT doctoral grants (SFRH/BD/
41192/2007 and SFRH/BD/32520/2006, respectively) and R. Prieto by a research grant from the Azores Regional Fund for Science and Technology (M3.1.5/F/115/2012). Data collection by SECAC
(Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Archipelago) was funded by the U.E. LIFE
programme – project LIFE INDEMARES (LIFE 07/NAT/E/000732)- and the Fundación
Biodiversidad, under the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs (project
ZEC-TURSIOPS).2014-11-0
Atmosphere Revitalization Technology Development for Crewed Space Exploration
As space exploration objectives extend human presence beyond low Earth orbit, the solutions to technological challenges presented by supporting human life in the hostile space environment must build upon experience gained during past and present crewed space exploration programs. These programs and the cabin atmosphere revitalization process technologies and systems developed for them represent the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) past and present operational knowledge base for maintaining a safe, comfortable environment for the crew. The contributions of these programs to the NASA s technological and operational working knowledge base as well as key strengths and weaknesses to be overcome are discussed. Areas for technological development to address challenges inherent with the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) are presented and a plan for their development employing unit operations principles is summarize
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