The effect of baffles on tank sloshing, part i

Testing of cantilevered flexible, hinged, and slamming baffles by subjection to sinusoidal variation in water far from free surface - effect on tank sloshin

Operational modules for space station construction

Identification of an effective space construction concept is a current objective of NASA studies. One concept, described in this memorandum, consists of repetitive use of operational modules, which minimizes on-orbit stay time for the shuttle. A space station constructed of operational modules may benefit from fabrication and system checkout in ground-based facilities, and since the modules are the primary structure of the space station, a minimum of additional structure, and trips and on-orbit stay time of the shuttle are required

Optical monitoring of gamma-ray source fields

The three gamma-ray burst source fields GBS1028+46, GBS1205+24, and GBS2252-03 have been monitored for transient optical emission for a combined total of 52 hours. No optical events were seen. The limiting magnitude for the search was M sub V = 15.8 longer and M sub V = 17.0 for 6.0 s or longer

News from the front: Estimation of excess mortality and life expectancy in the major epicenters of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy

Existing studies commonly rely on national official reports to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on human life. This is problematic because classification, estimation and reporting of COVID-19 mortality are not consistent across countries. To overcome these problems, this study exploits all cause daily death registrations data provided by the Italian Statistical Office (ISTAT) from January 1 to April 15, 2020. This allows us to: 1) calculate excess mortality in 2020 compared to the average of the years 2015 to 2019; and 2) estimate life expectancy on a seasonal and annual basis. Focusing on the five most severely hit provinces in Italy (Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Lodi and Piacenza) and Lombardy region, this analysis captures the impact of COVID-19 on mortality and life expectancy, which are likely to be underestimated when only national level data are considered. We find that seasonal life expectancy in 2020 in the five provinces reduced by 5.1 to 7.8 and 3.2 to 5.8 years for men and women, respectively. For annual life expectancy for the year 2020, in a scenario with no harvesting effect i.e. mortality rates resume to an average level of the years 2015-2019 after the end of the first epidemic wave, the years of life lost is equivalent to 2 to 3.5 years for men and 1.1. to 2.5 years for women in the five provinces. This represents the largest decline in life expectancy after the 1918 influenza pandemic and the Second World War

Pulsed laser deposition of SrTiO3/LaGaO3 and SrTiO3/LaAlO3: plasma plume effects

Pulsed laser deposition of SrTiO3/LaGaO3 and SrTiO3/LaAlO3 interfaces has been analyzed with a focus on the kinetic energy of the ablated species. LaGaO3 and LaAlO3 plasma plumes were studied by fast photography and space-resolved optical emission spectroscopy. Reflection high energy electron diffraction was performed proving a layer-by-layer growth up to 10-1 mbar oxygen pressure. The role of the energetic plasma plume on the two-dimensional growth and the presence of interfacial defects at different oxygen growth pressure has been discussed in view of the conducting properties developing at such polar/non-polar interfaces

The motivating operation and negatively reinforced problem behavior. A systematic review.

The concept of motivational operations exerts an increasing influence on the understanding and assessment of problem behavior in people with intellectual and developmental disability. In this systematic review of 59 methodologically robust studies of the influence of motivational operations in negative reinforcement paradigms in this population, we identify themes related to situational and biological variables that have implications for assessment, intervention, and further research. There is now good evidence that motivational operations of differing origins influence negatively reinforced problem behavior, and that these might be subject to manipulation to facilitate favorable outcomes. There is also good evidence that some biological variables warrant consideration in assessment procedures as they predispose the person's behavior to be influenced by specific motivational operations. The implications for assessment and intervention are made explicit with reference to variables that are open to manipulation or that require further research and conceptualization within causal models

Analysis of melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene polymorphisms in some cattle breeds: their usefulness and application for breed traceability and authentication of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

l legame tra un prodotto di origine animale e la razza da cui questo \ue8 originato rappresenta un aspetto importante per la valorizzazione di alcune produzioni. Il maggior prezzo che questi prodotti spuntano sul mercato fa emergere l\u2019esigenza di poter autenticare o tracciare i prodotti mono-razza per smascherare e scoraggiare possibili frodi. A questo scopo sono stati proposti sistemi di analisi del DNA, alcuni dei quali utilizzano marcatori in geni che determinano il colore del mantello, che \ue8 uno dei principali caratteri che differenziano tra di loro le razze. Diverse mutazioni nel gene melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) sono gi\ue0 state associate a particolari effetti sul colore del mantello nella specie bovina. In questa ricerca abbiamo studiato la presenza dei principali alleli al locus MC1R, per valutare la possibilit\ue0 di utilizzare questo gene per l\u2019autenticazione e la tracciabilit\ue0 di razza dei prodotti lattiero-caseari. Le mutazioni che permettono di distinguere questi alleli sono state analizzate utilizzando protocolli di PCR-RFLP e PCR-APLP su un totale di 1360 animali appartenenti a 18 razze bovine. Per ognuna delle seguenti razze, Frisona Italiana, Bruna Italiana, Pezzata Rossa Italiana, Jersey, Rendena, Reggiana e Modenese, \ue8 stato possibile analizzare pi\uf9 di 70 animali. L\u2019allele Ed \ue8 stato identificato nella razza Frisona Italiana con una frequenza dello 0,886. L\u2019allele E (nomenclatura che include tutti gli alleli tranne che e, Ed e E1) \ue8 stato identificato con alta frequenza nella Bruna Italiana (0,591), Rendena (0,738), Jersey (0,955) e Modenese (0,961) e con bassa frequenza nella Pezzata Rossa Italiana (0,029). Inoltre, questo allele \ue8 stato osservato nella Rossa Svedese, Rossa Danese, Grigio Alpina, Piemontese, Romagnola, Marchigiana e Chianina. In alcune di queste razze (Bruna Italiana, Rendena, Grigio Alpina, Piemontese, Rossa Svedese e Rossa Danese) \ue8 stato identificato anche l\u2019allele E1. L\u2019allele e \ue8 risultato fissato nella razza Reggiana e quasi fissato nella razza Pezzata Rossa Italiana. Inoltre, con bassa frequenza, \ue8 stato identificato in tutte le altre razze analizzate, tranne che nella Marchigiana. Le differenze osservate tra razze esaminate indicano che, almeno in alcuni casi, \ue8 possibile utilizzare i polimorfismi del gene MC1R per escludere o confermare l\u2019impiego di latte di una determinata razza nella produzione di un prodotto lattiero-caseario. Il caso pi\uf9 interessante \ue8 quello del formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano prodotto con l\u2019uso esclusivo di latte di bovine di razza Reggiana. Infatti, essendo presente in questa razza soltanto l\u2019allele e il rilievo analitico di qualsiasi altro allele nel DNA estratto dal formaggio rivela l\u2019uso di latte proveniente da altre razze. La messa a punto di un metodo PCR-RFLP per l\u2019analisi del DNA estratto da prodotti lattiero caseari, incluso il Parmigiano Reggiano di oltre 24 mesi di stagionatura, rappresenta uno strumento importante per la difesa di questo prodotto mono-razza da eventuali frodi. I risultati ottenuti su 10 forme di formaggio prodotto esclusivamente con latte di bovine di razza Reggiana e su 15 forme di Parmigiano Reggiano commerciale ottenuto senza restrizione della razza di origine del latte hanno mostrato la validit\ue0 del metodo del quale \ue8 stata valutata anche la sensibilit\ue0n cattle, the MC1R gene has been the subject of several studies with the aim to elucidate the biology of coat colour. Then, polymorphisms of this gene have been proposed as tools for breed identification and animal products authentication. As a first step to identify breed specific DNA markers that can be used for the traceability of mono-breed dairy cattle products we investigated, using PCR-RFLP and PCR-APLP protocols, the presence and distribution of some alleles at the MC1R locus in 18 cattle breeds for a total of 1360 animals. For each of seven breeds (Italian Holstein, Italian Brown, Italian Simmental, Rendena, Jersey, Reggiana and Modenese) a large number of animals (>70) was genotyped so the obtained results can be considered with more confidence. Allele Ed was identified only in black pied cattle (Italian Holstein and Black Pied Valdostana). Allele E (this nomenclature includes all alleles except Ed, E1 and e) was observed in Italian Brown, Rendena, Jersey, Modenese, Italian Simmental, Grigio Alpina, Piedmontese, Chianina, Romagnola, Marchigiana, Swedish Red and White and Danish Red. Allele E1 was identified in Italian Brown, Rendena, Grigio Alpina, Piedmontese, Swedish Red and White and Danish Red. The recessive allele e, known to cause red coat colour, was fixed in Reggiana and almost fixed in Italian Simmental. This allele was observed also in Italian Holstein, Italian Brown, Rendena, Jersey and Modenese albeit with low frequency. Moreover, this allele was detected in Valdostana, Pezzata Rossa d\u2019Oropa, Piedmontese, Romagnola, Swedish Red and White, Danish Red, Charoleis and Salers. In the case of the Reggiana breed, which is fixed for allele e, the MC1R locus is highly informative with respect to breeds that carry other alleles or in which allele e is at very low frequency. In theory, using the MC1R locus it is possible to identify the presence of milk from some other breeds in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese labelled as exclusively from the Reggiana breed. This possibility was practically tested by setting up protocols to extract and analyse polymorphisms of the MC1R locus in several dairy products, including Parmigiano Reggiano cheese cured for 30 months. The lower detection limit was estimated to be 5% of non expected DNA. This test can represent a first deterrent against fraud and an important tool for the valorisation and authentication of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese obtained from only Reggiana milk

Charge density waves enhance the electronic noise of manganites

The transport and noise properties of Pr_{0.7}Ca_{0.3}MnO_{3} epitaxial thin films in the temperature range from room temperature to 160 K are reported. It is shown that both the broadband 1/f noise properties and the dependence of resistance on electric field are consistent with the idea of a collective electrical transport, as in the classical model of sliding charge density waves. On the other hand, the observations cannot be reconciled with standard models of charge ordering and charge melting. Methodologically, it is proposed to consider noise-spectra analysis as a unique tool for the identification of the transport mechanism in such highly correlated systems. On the basis of the results, the electrical transport is envisaged as one of the most effective ways to understand the nature of the insulating, charge-modulated ground states in manganites.Comment: 6 two-column pages, 5 figure