627 research outputs found
Precision limits of the twin-beam multiband URSULA
URSULA is a multiband astronomical photoelectric photometer which minimizes errors introduced by the presence of the atmosphere. It operates with two identical channels, one for the star to be measured and the other for a reference star. After a technical description of the present version of the apparatus, some measurements of stellar sources of different brightness, and in different atmospheric conditions are presented. These measurements, based on observations made with the 91 cm Cassegrain telescope of the Catania Astrophysical Observatory, are used to check the photometer accuracy and compare its performance with that of standard photometers
Determination of the level of defective beans in coffee samples by using array of nanostructured sensors.
Performance evaluation of Border irrigation method for cotton field
Performance evaluation of Border irrigation method was carried out for cotton field in village Kirarkot, Sirsa (Haryana). Water application, storage and distribution efficiency were estimated using measurements of soil moisture (%), infiltration rate (cm/hr), water advance and recession time (minute) during different irrigation events. The advance time increased during the growing season due to increased infiltration rate and increased resistance to flow by the growing crops. The water application efficiency of cotton field was 100 per cent as average applied depth (8.26 cm for canal irrigation and 9.06 cm for tubewell irrigation) of irrigation was less than the average required depth (10.30 cm for canal irrigation and 10.98 cm for tubewell irrigation) throughout the field plots. The observed water storage efficiency in different cotton fields varied from 72.92 - 90.08 per cent indicating under irrigation. Water distribution efficiency of cotton fields (97.8 -99.2per cent) indicated a relatively high degree of uniformity of water application. Stratified soil profile (sandy loam: 0-30 cm and sandy clay loam: 30-120 cm) of the selected fields reduced the infiltration rate to relatively very low value after 10-15 minutes creating favourable condition for uniformity of water application under border irrigation
Leucocyte-and platelet-rich fibrin block: Its use for the treatment of a large cyst with implant-based rehabilitation
The management of critical-size bone defects is still demanding. Recently, autologous platelet concentrates in combination with bone substitute have been applied and reported in a few studies. Our aim is to report the healing of a critical-size alveolar bone defect treated with a new bone regeneration technique by means of L-PRF and L-PRF blocks. A 45-year-old woman presented a large cystic lesion; the extraction of three teeth, a cyst removal procedure, and bone regeneration procedures with L-PRF and L-PRF blocks were planned. The L-PRF block was prepared by mixing a bone substitute with a piece of L-PRF membrane and liquid fibrinogen. Additionally, after bone healing an implant-based rehabilitation was optimally performed. On the basis of the positive results, in terms of bone healing and tissue regeneration in a large bone defect, the application of LPRF and L-PRF blocks, in agreement with the scarce literature, is suggested as a feasible procedure in selected cases
EVALUATION OF ARABICA (Coffea arabica L.) AND CONILON (Coffea canephora P.) COFFEE BEVERAGES USING AN ELECTRONIC TONGUE (ET)
Electro-responsivity in electrolyte-free and solution processed Bragg stacks
Achieving an active manipulation of colours has huge implications in optoelectronics, as colour engineering can be exploited in a number of applications, ranging from display to lightning. In the last decade, the synergy of the highly pure colours of 1D photonic crystals, also known as Bragg stacks, with electro-tunable materials have been proposed as an interesting route to attain such a technologically relevant effect. However, recent works rely on the use of liquid electrolytes, which can pose issues in terms of chemical and environmental stability. Here, we report on the proof-of-concept of an electrolyte free and solution-processed electro-responsive Bragg stack. We integrate an electro-responsive plasmonic metal oxide, namely indium tin oxide, in a 1D photonic crystal structure made of alternating layers of ITO and TiO2 nanoparticles. In such a device, we observed a maximum of 23 nm blue-shift upon the application of an external bias (10 V). Our data suggest that electrochromism can be attained in all-solid state systems by combining a judicious selection of the constituent materials with device architecture optimisation. This journal i
Endurance training damages small airway epithelium in mice.
RATIONALE: In athletes, airway inflammatory cells were found to be increased in
induced sputum or bronchial biopsies. Most data were obtained after exposure to
cold and dry air at rest or during exercise. Whether training affects epithelial
and inflammatory cells in small airways is unknown.
OBJECTIVES: To test whether endurance training under standard environmental
conditions causes epithelial damage and inflammation in the small airways of
mice.
METHODS AND MEASUREMENTS: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lung sections were
obtained in sedentary (n = 14) and endurance-trained (n = 16) Swiss mice at
baseline and after 15, 30, and 45 days of training. The following variables were
assessed (morphometry and immunohistochemistry) in small airways (basement
membrane length < 1 mm): (1) integrity, proliferation, and apoptosis of
bronchiolar epithelium; and (2) infiltration, activation, and apoptosis of
inflammatory cells.
MAIN RESULTS: Compared with sedentary mice, bronchiolar epithelium of trained
mice showed progressive loss of ciliated cells, slightly increased thickness,
unchanged goblet cell number and appearance, and increased apoptosis and
proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) (p < 0.001 for all variables).
Leukocytes (CD45(+) cells) infiltrated airway walls (p < 0.0001) and accumulated
within the lumen (p < 0.001); however, apoptosis of CD45(+) cells did not differ
between trained and sedentary mice. Nuclear factor-kappaB translocation and
inhibitor-alpha of NF-kappaB (IkappaBalpha) phosphorylation were not increased in
trained compared with sedentary mice.
CONCLUSIONS: Bronchiolar epithelium showed damage and repair associated with
endurance training. Training increased inflammatory cells in small airways, but
inflammatory activation was not increased. These changes may represent an
adaptive response to increased ventilation during exercise
Internal rotation of the red-giant star KIC 4448777 by means of asteroseismic inversion
In this paper we study the dynamics of the stellar interior of the early
red-giant star KIC 4448777 by asteroseismic inversion of 14 splittings of the
dipole mixed modes obtained from {\it Kepler} observations. In order to
overcome the complexity of the oscillation pattern typical of red-giant stars,
we present a procedure which involves a combination of different methods to
extract the rotational splittings from the power spectrum. We find not only
that the core rotates faster than the surface, confirming previous inversion
results generated for other red giants (Deheuvels et al. 2012,2014), but we
also estimate the variation of the angular velocity within the helium core with
a spatial resolution of and verify the hypothesis of a sharp
discontinuity in the inner stellar rotation (Deheuvels et al. 2014). The
results show that the entire core rotates rigidly with an angular velocity of
about ~nHz and provide evidence for an
angular velocity decrease through a region between the helium core and part of
the hydrogen burning shell; however we do not succeed to characterize the
rotational slope, due to the intrinsic limits of the applied techniques. The
angular velocity, from the edge of the core and through the hydrogen burning
shell, appears to decrease with increasing distance from the center, reaching
an average value in the convective envelope of
~nHz. Hence, the core in KIC~4448777 is
rotating from a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 17 times faster than the envelope.
We conclude that a set of data which includes only dipolar modes is sufficient
to infer quite accurately the rotation of a red giant not only in the dense
core but also, with a lower level of confidence, in part of the radiative
region and in the convective envelope.Comment: accepted for publication on Ap
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