Notas sobre los artropodos que viven en el pijuayo (Bactris gasipaes H.B.K. : Palmae) en la Amazonia peruana

The peachpalm, #Bactris gasipaes$ H.B.K. is cultivated in the Amazon basin and in Central America for its fruits and for the production of heart palm. Several insects and mites attack it. Some observations in Peruvian Amazonia on those pests and other associated insects are reported. Some species are new for Peru. (Résumé d'auteur

Frequency Dynamics in Fully Non-Synchronous Electrical Grids: A Case Study of an Existing Island

The operation of a power system with 100% converter-interfaced generation poses several questions and challenges regarding various aspects of the design and the control of the system. Existing literature on the integration of renewable energy sources in isolated systems mainly focuses on energy aspects or steady-state issues, and only a few studies examine the dynamic issues of autonomous networks operated with fully non-synchronous generation. A lack of research can be found in particular in the determination of the required amount of grid-forming power, the selection of the number and rated power of the units which should implement the grid-forming controls, and the relative locations of the grid-forming converters. The paper aims to address those research gaps starting from a theoretical point of view and then by examining the actual electrical network of an existing island as a case study. The results obtained from the investigations indicate specific observations and design opportunities, which are essential for securing the synchronization and the stability of the grid. Possible solutions for a fully non-synchronous operation of autonomous systems, in terms of dynamic characteristics and frequency stability, are presented and discussed

Electrochemical nanolithography on silicon: An easy and scalable method to control pore formation at the nanoscale

Lithography on a sub-100 nm scale is beyond the diffraction limits of standard optical lithography but is nonetheless a key step in many modern technological applications. At this length scale, there are several possible approaches that require either the preliminary surface deposition of materials or the use of expensive and time-consuming techniques. In our approach, we demonstrate a simple process, easily scalable to large surfaces, where the surface patterning that controls pore formation on highly doped silicon wafers is obtained by an electrochemical process. This method joins the advantages of the low cost of an electrochemical approach with its immediate scalability to large wafers

Root Bacteria Recruited by Phragmites australis in Constructed Wetlands Have the Potential to Enhance Azo-Dye Phytodepuration

The microbiome associated with plants used in phytodepuration systems can boost plant growth and services, especially in ecosystems dealing with recalcitrant compounds, hardly removed via traditional wastewater (WW) treatments, such as azo-dyes used in textile industry. In this context, we aimed to study the cultivable microbiome selected by Phragmites australis plants in a Constructed Wetland (CW) in Morocco, in order to obtain candidate inoculants for the phytodepuration of azo-dye contaminated WW. A collection of 152 rhizospheric and endophytic bacteria was established. The strains were phylogenetically identified and characterized for traits of interest in the phytodepuration context. All strains showed Plant Growth Promotion potential in vitro and 67% of them significantly improved the growth of a model plant in vivo compared to the non bacterized control plants. Moreover, most of the isolates were able to grow in presence of several model micropollutants typically found in WW, indicating their potential use in phytodepuration of a wide spectrum of effluents. The six most promising strains of the collection were tested in CW microcosms alone or as consortium: the consortium and two single inocula demonstrated to significantly increase the removal of the model azo-dye Reactive Black 5 compared to the non bacterized controls

Comparison and interpretation of impressed marks left by a firearm on cartridge cases - Towards an operational implementation of a likelihood ratio based technique.

Firearm examination is subject to increased scrutiny regarding its foundational validity and inherent subjective nature. The increased use of automatic comparison systems may help to reduce subjectivity. In this paper, we present the performance and limits of an automatic comparison system that assigns a weight to the forensic findings for the comparisons between firing pin marks, breechface marks, or a combination of the two. This weight is expressed by a likelihood ratio (LR) based on 3D topographical measurements coupled with a bi-dimensional statistical model. As the performance of such systems may depend on the reference databases used to inform the model, we investigated the impact of the brand of ammunition and the number of samples. We show that reference databases used to calculate LRs should ideally consist of the same type of ammunition as is seen in the case under investigation and that 7 specimens fired by the same firearm are enough to obtain rates of misleading evidence of a similar magnitude compared to those obtained when far more specimens (60) are used. Additionally, the automatic system was used to assess the outcomes of 7 cases with known same-source or different-source ground truths. These cases were also examined by 8 qualified firearm examiners. In all cases, the experts' appraisals were in line with the ground truth. The automatic system showed some limitations in cases were the data were not sufficient to calculate a robust LR, but also that it can assist and enhance the examiners in their decision process

Mental disorders and work integration: a retrospective study in a northern italian town.

OBJECTIVES: THE PRESENT STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN A VOCATIONAL INTEGRATION SERVICE OF A NORTHERN ITALIAN TOWN WITH TWO MAJOR AIMS: to assess vocational integration programs undertaken from 1(st) January 2004 to 1(st) January 2007; and to identify job tenure-associated predictors. METHODS: This is a retrospective study; we collected data such as gender, age, duration, type and outcome of the vocational integration program, and number of interventions performed by the vocational integration service. Self-report questionnaires were also used to assess the satisfaction of users, caregivers, practitioners, and of the company contacts involved in the study. RESULTS: The service has enrolled 84 users during the observation period. Out of these users, 64.3% of them still had their jobs after three years. Users, caregivers and company contacts expressed high levels of satisfaction for the support received by the vocational integration service. The company expressed less satisfaction for the collaboration received by the Departments of Mental Health (DMHs) that coached the users. The only variable associated to the outcome was the number of interventions that the users received before their placement on the job. CONCLUSIONS: Despite all the limits of this study, its results show that the chance of taking advantage of a supported job placement service has likely proven itself effective in helping people with mental disorders to obtain and maintain a competitive employment. Our results, however, also point to the necessity of implementing newer strategies meant to develop a greater integration among all services dealing with mentally ill people