New and revised parameters for several southern OB binaries

Using ESO FEROS archive spectra of several southern OB-type binaries, we derived periods for three SB2 spectroscopic binaries, HD 97166, HD 115455, and HD 123590, and two SB1 systems, HD 130298 and HD 163892. It was also possible to use new FEROS spectra to improve the parameters of the known binaries, KX Vel and HD 167263. For KX Vel, we determined a dynamic mass of the primary of 16.8 M$_{\odot}$, while the evolutionary model suggests a higher value of 20.2 M$_{\odot}$. We derived an improved period for HD 167263, and in its spectra, we recognized contributions of both of its interferometric components.Comment: 9 pages, A&A accepte

FutureFarm vision

This paper defines the first version of a vision of Future Farming project and also a knowledge management system used by European farms which will be designed and developed by the Future Farm project. An important part of the vision is a definition of external drivers and their influence on farm business in future. Paper is looking on a situation in three periods: short (2013), middle (2020) and long-term (2030). Our vision expects that the farming system will continuously converge to the situation of two types of farm: an industrial farm, which will guarantee both the food safety and the food security for European citizens, and multifunctional farms focused on environment protection. The recommendation proposes an architecture based on communication of interoperable services, so called Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), for easy integration of different levels and components of farm management.Farming, external drivers, future vision, knowledge management, SOA, Farm Management,

Physical properties of seven binary and higher-order multiple OB systems

Analyses of multi-epoch, high-resolution (~ 50000) optical spectra of seven early-type systems provided various important new insights with respect to their multiplicity. First determinations of orbital periods were made for HD 92206C (2.022 d), HD 112244 (27.665 d), HD 164438 (10.25 d), HD 123056A (~ 1314 d) and HD 123056B (< 2 d); the orbital period of HD 318015 could be improved (23.445975 d). Concerning multiplicity, a third component was discovered for HD 92206C by means of He I line profiles. For HD 93146A, which was hitherto assumed to be SB1, lines of a secondary component could be discerned. HD 123056 turns out to be a multiple system consisting of a high-mass component A (~ O8.5) displaying a broad He II 5411 A feature with variable radial velocity, and of an inner pair B (~ B0) with double He I lines. The binary HD 164816 was revisited and some of its system parameters were improved. In particular, we determined its systemic velocity to be -7 km/s, which coincides with the radial velocity of the cluster NGC 6530. This fact, together with its distance, suggests the cluster membership of HD 164816. The OB system HD 318015 (V1082 Sco) belongs to the rare class of eclipsing binaries with a supergiant primary (B0.5/0.7). Our combined orbital and light-curve analysis suggests that the secondary resembles an O9.5III star. Our results for a limited sample corroborate the findings that many O stars are actually massive multiple systems.Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, to appear in Astronomy and Astrophysic

3D printing of inherently nanoporous polymers via polymerization-induced phase separation

3D printing offers enormous flexibility in fabrication of polymer objects with complex geometries. However, it is not suitable for fabricating large polymer structures with geometrical features at the sub-micrometer scale. Porous structure at the sub-micrometer scale can render macroscopic objects with unique properties, including similarities with biological interfaces, permeability and extremely large surface area, imperative inter alia for adsorption, separation, sensing or biomedical applications. Here, we introduce a method combining advantages of 3D printing via digital light processing and polymerization-induced phase separation, which enables formation of 3D polymer structures of digitally defined macroscopic geometry with controllable inherent porosity at the sub-micrometer scale. We demonstrate the possibility to create 3D polymer structures of highly complex geometries and spatially controlled pore sizes from 10 nm to 1000 µm. Produced hierarchical polymers combining nanoporosity with micrometer-sized pores demonstrate improved adsorption performance due to better pore accessibility and favored cell adhesion and growth for 3D cell culture due to surface porosity. This method extends the scope of applications of 3D printing to hierarchical inherently porous 3D objects combining structural features ranging from 10 nm up to cm, making them available for a wide variety of applications

Exploiting Combinatorics to Investigate Plasmonic Properties in Heterogeneous Ag-Au Nanosphere Chain Assemblies

Chains of coupled metallic nanoparticles are of special interest for plasmonic applications because they can sustain highly dispersive plasmon bands, allowing strong ballistic plasmon wave transport. Whereas early studies focused on homogeneous particle chains exhibiting only one dominant band, heterogeneous assemblies consisting of different nanoparticle species came into the spotlight recently. Their increased configuration space principally allows engineering multiple bands, bandgaps, or topological states. Simultaneously, the challenge of the precise arrangement of nanoparticles, including their distances and geometric patterns, as well as the precise characterization of the plasmonics in these systems, persists. Here, the surface plasmon resonances in heterogeneous Ag-Au nanoparticle chains are reported. Wrinkled templates are used for directed self-assembly of monodisperse gold and silver nanospheres as chains, which allows assembling statistical combinations of more than 109 particles. To reveal the spatial and spectral distribution of the plasmonic response, state-of-the-art scanning transmission electron microscopy coupled with electron energy loss spectroscopy accompanied by boundary element simulations is used. A variety of modes in the heterogeneous chains are found, ranging from localized surface plasmon modes occurring in single gold or silver spheres, respectively, to modes that result from the hybridization of the single particles. This approach opens a novel avenue toward combinatorial studies of plasmonic properties in heterosystems. © 2021 The Authors. Advanced Optical Materials published by Wiley-VCH Gmb

Direct Observation of Plasmon Band Formation and Delocalization in Quasi-Infinite Nanoparticle Chains

Chains of metallic nanoparticles sustain strongly confined surface plasmons with relatively low dielectric losses. To exploit these properties in applications,such as waveguides, the fabrication of long chains of low disorder and a thorough understanding of the plasmon-mode properties, such as dispersion relations, are indispensable. Here, we use a wrinkled template for directed self-assembly to assemble chains of gold nanoparticles. With this up-scalable method, chain lengths from two particles (140 nm) to 20 particles (1500 nm) and beyond can be fabricated. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy supported by boundary element simulations, finite-difference time-domain, and a simplified dipole coupling model reveal the evolution of a band of plasmonic waveguide modes from degenerated single-particle modes in detail. In striking difference from plasmonic rod-like structures, the plasmon band is confined in excitation energy, which allows light manipulations below the diffraction limit. The non-degenerated surface plasmon modes show suppressed radiative losses for efficient energy propagation over a distance of 1500 nm

Calidad en el sector textil de Lima Metropolitana

Esta investigación buscó identificar el nivel de la calidad, a través de los nueve factores de la Administración de la Calidad Total (TQM, por sus siglas en inglés) en las empresas del sector textil de Lima Metropolitana. Asimismo, explicó si existen o no diferencias significativas entre los resultados de las empresas que sí cuentan con un Sistema de Gestión de Calidad (SGC) y aquellas que no lo tienen. Esto permitió ver que la variable independiente es el sistema de gestión de calidad, mientras que la variable dependiente es el nivel de la calidad, medido a través de los siguientes factores: (a) Alta Gerencia, (b) Planeamiento de la Calidad, (c) Auditoría y Evaluación de la Calidad, (d) Diseño del Producto, (e) Gestión de la Calidad, (f) Control y Mejoramiento del Proceso, (g) Entrenamiento y Educación, (h) Círculos de Calidad e (i) Enfoque hacia la Satisfacción del Cliente (Benzaquen, 2013). Asimismo, esta investigación fue de alcance descriptiva y explicativa, con un enfoque cuantitativo, lo que brindó objetividad y permitió probar la hipótesis planteada a través de un análisis estadístico. Para obtener los datos se aplicó una encuesta a una muestra compuesta por 234 empresas, que se seleccionaron con un nivel de error del 6% y de forma aleatoria a partir de una población de 1,552 empresas dedicadas a la confección textil en Lima Metropolitana. Finalmente, los resultados permitieron concluir que no existen diferencias significativas en el nivel de calidad que tienen las empresas que han logrado implementar sistemas de gestión de calidad y aquellas que no lo han hecho. Una de las posibles razones es que estos sistemas que se han implementado pueden ser no validados o reconocidos por organizaciones internacionales, como sí es el caso de las normas ISO 9000This investigation looked for identify the level of quality, through the nine factors of Total Quality Management (TQM, for its acronym in English) in the textile companies of Lima. Also explained if there are significant differences between the results of companies that do have a Quality Management System (QMS) and those that do not. This allowed to analyze that the independent variable is the Quality Management System, while the dependent variable is the level of quality, as measured by the following factors (Benzaquen, 2013): (a) Senior Management, (b) Quality Planning ( c) Audit and Quality Assessment, (d) Product Design, (e) Quality Management (f) Control and Improvement Process (g) Training and Education, (h) Quality Circles and (i) Approach to Customer Satisfaction. Also, this research was descriptive and explanatory, with a quantitative approach, which provided objectivity and allowed to prove the hypothesis through statistical analysis. For obtained data we applied a survey to a sample of 234 companies, which were selected with an error level of 6% and at random from a population of 1,552 companies engaged in textiles in Lima. Finally, the results allowed concluding that there are no significant differences in the level of quality that have companies that have implemented quality management systems and those that have not. One possible reason is that these systems have been implemented cannot be validated or recognized by international organizat ions, as it is the case of the ISO 9000 standardsTesi

Corticosteroid-free immunosuppression with tacrolimus following induction with daclizumab: A large randomized clinical study

n/

Tomographic Separation of Composite Spectra. X. The Massive Close Binary HD 101131

We present the first orbital elements for the massive close binary, HD 101131, one of the brightest objects in the young, open cluster, IC 2944. This system is a double-lined spectroscopic binary in an elliptical orbit with a period of 9.64659 +/- 0.00012 days. It is a young system of unevolved stars (approximately 2 million years old) that are well within their critical Roche surfaces. We use a Doppler tomography algorithm to reconstruct the individual component optical spectra, and we apply well known criteria to arrive at classifications of O6.5 V((f)) and O8.5 V for the primary and secondary, respectively. We compare the reconstructed spectra of the components to single star, spectrum standards to determine a flux ratio of f_2/f_1 = 0.55 +/- 0.08 in the V-band. Both components are rotating faster than synchronously. We estimate the temperatures and luminosities of the components from the observed spectral classifications, composite V magnitude, and cluster distance modulus. The lower limits on the masses derived from the orbital elements and the lack of eclipses are 25 solar masses and 14 solar masses for the primary and secondary, respectively. These limits are consistent with the larger masses estimated from the positions of the stars in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram and evolutionary tracks for single stars.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Ap