109 research outputs found
Prediction of Pesticide Distribution on the Ground Based on Boom Sprayer Movements
Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M UniversityThis is a Technical Paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 4 (2002): D. Pochi and D. Vannucci. Prediction of Pesticide Distribution on the Ground Based on Boom Sprayer Movements. Vol. IV. December 2002
Proposal of an inspection methodology for pneumatic drills
In recent years the contribution of pneumatic drills to the dispersion in the environment of insecticides particles derived from the abrasion of dressed seeds has been studied and different devices aimed at reducing the dust drift have been proposed. The European Directive 128/09 on the sustainable use of pesticides aims to achieve a more sustainable use of pesticides and introduces the compulsory inspection of equipment for pesticide application.At the present time, an official methodology to inspect both new and in use drills and the effectiveness of drift reducing devices is still lacking. The aim of the paper is to present a simplified methodology that can be applied to periodical inspection of the above mentioned equipment. Such a methodology has been elaborated basing on the results of a three-year activity, carried out at CRA-ING within the APENET research project
Frozen light in periodic stacks of anisotropic layers
We consider a plane electromagnetic wave incident on a periodic stack of
dielectric layers. One of the alternating layers has an anisotropic refractive
index with an oblique orientation of the principal axis relative to the normal
to the layers. It was shown recently (A. Figotin and I. Vitebskiy, Phys. Rev.
E68, 036609 2003) that an obliquely incident light, upon entering such a
periodic stack, can be converted into an abnormal axially frozen mode with
drastically enhanced amplitude and zero normal component of the group velocity.
The stack reflectivity at this point can be very low, implying nearly total
conversion of the incident light into the frozen mode with huge energy density,
compared to that of the incident light. Supposedly, the frozen mode regime
requires strong birefringence in the anisotropic layers - by an order of
magnitude stronger than that available in common anisotropic dielectric
materials. In this paper we show how to overcome the above problem by
exploiting higher frequency bands of the photonic spectrum. We prove that a
robust frozen mode regime at optical wavelengths can be realized in stacks
composed of common anisotropic materials, such as YVO₄, LiNb,
CaCO₃, and the like.Comment: to be submitted to Phys. Rev.
Frozen light in photonic crystals with degenerate band edge
Consider a plane monochromatic wave incident on a semi-infinite periodic
structure. What happens if the normal component of the transmitted wave group
velocity vanishes? At first sight, zero normal component of the transmitted
wave group velocity simply implies total reflection of the incident wave. But
we demonstrate that total reflection is not the only possible outcome. Instead,
the transmitted wave can appear in the form of a frozen mode with very large
diverging amplitude and either zero, or purely tangential energy flux. The
field amplitude in the transmitted wave can exceed that of the incident wave by
several orders of magnitude. There are two qualitatively different kinds of
frozen mode regime. The first one is associated with a stationary inflection
point of electromagnetic dispersion relation. This phenomenon has been analyzed
in our previous publications. Now, our focus is on the frozen mode regime
related to a degenerate photonic band edge. An advantage of this new phenomenon
is that it can occur in much simpler periodic structures. This spectacular
effect is extremely sensitive to the frequency and direction of propagation of
the incident plane wave. These features can be very attractive in a variety
practical applications, such as higher harmonic generation and wave mixing,
light amplification and lasing, highly efficient superprizms, etc
Slow wave resonance in periodic stacks of anisotropic layers
We consider transmission band edge resonance in periodic layered structures
involving birefringent layers. Previously we have shown that the presence of
birefringent layers with misaligned in-plane anisotropy can dramatically
enhance the performance of the photonic-crystal Fabry-Perot resonator. It
allows to reduce its size by an order of magnitude without compromising on its
performance. The key characteristic of the enhanced photonic-crystal cavity is
that its Bloch dispersion relation displays a degenerate photonic band edge,
rather than only regular ones. This can be realized in specially arranged
stacks of misaligned anisotropic layers. On the down side, the presence of
birefringent layers results in the Fabry-Perot resonance being coupled only
with one (elliptic) polarization component of the incident wave, while the
other polarization component is reflected back to space. In this paper we show
how a small modification of the periodic layered array can solve the above
fundamental problem and provide a perfect impedance match regardless of the
incident wave polarization, while preserving the giant transmission resonance,
characteristic of a degenerate photonic band edge. Both features are of
critical importance for a variety of practical applications, including
antennas, light amplification, optical and microwave filters, etc.Comment: To be submitted to Phys. Rev.
Investigation of the vibrations transmitted by agricultural tractor to the driver under operative conditions
Professional risk from mechanical vibrations is contemplated, in the national legislation, by the Legislative Decree 187/05, receiving the 2002/44/CE Directive that indicates the minimum prescriptions, in safety and health matter, concerning workers\u2019 exposure to the risk from
vibrations.
From an health point of view, the vibrations transmitted to the workers are traditionally
classified as whole body vibrations or hand harm system vibrations.
The present paper took into consideration the levels of the whole body vibrations transmitted to
the drivers by a series of agricultural tractors of different dimensions and power, under typical
conditions of utilisation. The tests have been conducted according to the ISO 2631-1:1997
standard concerning the measurement of vibration levels at the driver seat.
Each tractor has been used in two operations typical for its characteristics, using proper
operating machines, with the aim of characterizing the level of vibrations produced by each
operation, in terms of total acceleration, axial acceleration and time of exposure, calculated by means of a suitable Excel data-sheet, providing both the \u201climit value\u201d and the \u201csafety value\u201d
Slow light in photonic crystals
The problem of slowing down light by orders of magnitude has been extensively
discussed in the literature. Such a possibility can be useful in a variety of
optical and microwave applications. Many qualitatively different approaches
have been explored. Here we discuss how this goal can be achieved in linear
dispersive media, such as photonic crystals. The existence of slowly
propagating electromagnetic waves in photonic crystals is quite obvious and
well known. The main problem, though, has been how to convert the input
radiation into the slow mode without loosing a significant portion of the
incident light energy to absorption, reflection, etc. We show that the
so-called frozen mode regime offers a unique solution to the above problem.
Under the frozen mode regime, the incident light enters the photonic crystal
with little reflection and, subsequently, is completely converted into the
frozen mode with huge amplitude and almost zero group velocity. The linearity
of the above effect allows to slow light regardless of its intensity. An
additional advantage of photonic crystals over other methods of slowing down
light is that photonic crystals can preserve both time and space coherence of
the input electromagnetic wave.Comment: 96 pages, 12 figure
Sebomic identification of sex- and ethnicity-specific variations in residual skin surface components (RSSC) for bio-monitoring or forensic applications
Background: “Residual skin surface components” (RSSC) is the collective term used for the superficial layer of sebum, residue of sweat, small quantities of intercellular lipids and components of natural moisturising factor present on the skin surface. Potential applications of RSSC include use as a sampling matrix for identifying biomarkers of disease, environmental exposure monitoring, and forensics (retrospective identification of exposure to toxic chemicals). However, it is essential to first define the composition of “normal” RSSC. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to characterise RSSC to determine commonalities and differences in RSSC composition in relation to sex and ethnicity. Methods: Samples of RSSC were acquired from volunteers using a previously validated method and analysed by high-pressure liquid chromatography–atmospheric pressure chemical ionisation–mass spectrometry (HPLC-APCI-MS). The resulting data underwent sebomic analysis. Results: The composition and abundance of RSSC components varied according to sex and ethnicity. The normalised abundance of free fatty acids, wax esters, diglycerides and triglycerides was significantly higher in males than females. Ethnicity-specific differences were observed in free fatty acids and a diglyceride. Conclusions: The HPLC-APCI-MS method developed in this study was successfully used to analyse the normal composition of RSSC. Compositional differences in the RSSC can be attributed to sex and ethnicity and may reflect underlying factors such as diet, hormonal levels and enzyme expression.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio
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