More than 30 years after Malvinas; war in film and television

The Malvinas War of 1982 was the only Argentine war in the 20th century. It took a toll of 649 deaths in the area of operations and over a thousand wounded. Moreover, as estimated by veteran organizations, it led to the suicide of some 500 soldiers ?an approximation, as there is no official data? over the course of the 30 following years. The war was a breaking point not only for foreign policy, but also for domestic policy, as it precipitated the end of the military dictatorship.publishedVersionOtras Humanidade

Progettazione e Analisi Strutturale di Generatori Solari d'Alta Potenza per Veicoli Spaziali

La presente tesi riguarda l'analisi di alcuni parametri fondamentali per determinare il comportamento dinamico della struttura gonfiabile di un pannello solare per applicazioni spaziali

Origin of backstreaming electrons within the quasi-perpendicular foreshock region: Two-dimensional self-consistent PIC simulation

International audienceThe foreshock region is populated by energetic backstreaming particles (electrons and ions) issued from the shock after having interacted with it. Several aspects concerning the origin of these high-energy particles and their corresponding acceleration mechanisms are still unresolved. The present study is focused on a quasi-perpendicular curved shock and associated electron foreshock region (i.e., for 90° ≥ θBn ≥ 45°, where θBn is the angle between the shock normal and the upstream magnetostatic field). Two-dimensional full-particle simulation is used in order to include self-consistently the electron and ion dynamics, the full dynamics of the shock, the curvature effects and the time-of-flight effects. All expected salient features of the bow shock are recovered both for particles and for electromagnetic fields. Present simulations evidence that the fast-Fermi acceleration (magnetic mirror) mechanism, which is commonly accepted, is certainly not the unique process responsible for the formation of energetic backstreaming electrons. Other mechanisms also contribute. More precisely, three different classes of backstreaming electrons are identified according to their individual penetration depth within the shock front: (i) “magnetic mirrored” electrons which only suffer a specular reflection at the front, (ii) “trapped” electrons which succeed to penetrate the overshoot region and suffer a local trapping within the parallel electrostatic potential at the overshoot, and (iii) “leaked” electrons which penetrate even much deeper into the downstream region. “Trapped” and “leaked” electrons succeed to find appropriate conditions to escape from the shock and to be reinjected back upstream. All these different types of electrons contribute together to the formation of energetic field-aligned beam. The acceleration mechanisms associated to each electron class and/or escape conditions are analyzed and discussed

Effect on Nanoindentation in La2O3-reinforced W and W–V alloys produced by hot isostatic pressing

W is a principal candidate material for fabricating plasma facing components (PFC) in a future fusion power reactor due to its high melting temperature, good thermal conductivity, thermal stress resistance, low tritium retention and high temperature strength [1]. For these applications, the structural materials should have an operating temperature window 873-1600 K and a ductile brittle transition temperature (DBTT) in the interval 573-673 K, as well as a recrystallization temperature (RT) above1600 K [2]. La2O3 dispersion or Al, K, Si doping can improve the mechanical strength and increase the tungsten RT, although the DBTT appears not to be lowered [3]. Most of these W alloys were prepared by powder metallurgy methods, in particular by ball milling and subsequent pressure less sintering or hot isostatic pressing (HIP) [3]. Recently, W and WTi alloys reinforced with Y2O3 have been sintered by HIP [4]. The use of Ti as sintering activator and the Y2O3 dispersion result in full dense materials exhibiting improved mechanical properties and oxidation resistance [5]. However, the Y2O3 particles in a W matrix appear to be unstable at temperatures above 1600 K becoming into coarse particles of complex W-Y and W-Y-Ti oxides, which could worsen the mechanical properties. This drawback may be avoided if V is used as sintering activator. The V-W system exhibits an isomorphous phase diagram with a continuous range of solid solution [6]. The aim of the present work is to produce W and W-V alloys reinforced with La2O3 particles and investigate their microstructure and thermal stability in order to obtain a structural material with favor able properties to be used for developing PFC. W and W-V alloys reinforced with La2O3 particles have been produced by MA and subsequent HIP at 1573 K and 195 MPa. The microstructure of the consolidated alloys has been characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses and X-ray diffraction. The mechanical properties were studied by nanoindentation measurements. The results show that practically full dense billets of W-V, W-V-La2O3 and W-La2O3 alloys can be produced. The microstructure analysis has shown that islands of V are present in W V and W V-1La2O3 alloys. In W-1La2O3 islands of La2O3 are also present. The nanohardness of the W matrix increases with the addition of V, while decreases with the addition of La2O3. References [1] Davis JW, Barabash VR, Makhankov A, Plöchl L, Slattery KT. Assessment of tungsten for use in the ITER plasma facing components. J Nucl Mater 1998;258–263: 308–12. [2] Bolt H, Barabash V, Krauss W, Linke J, Neu R, Suzuki S, et al. Materials for the plasma-facing components of fusion reactors. J Nucl Mater 2004;329–333:66–73. [3] M. Rieth, B. Dafferner, J. Nucl. Mater. 342 (2005) 20. [4] M.A. Monge, M.A. Auger, T. Leguey, Y. Ortega, L. Bolzoni, E. Gordo, R. Pareja, J. Nucl. Mater. 386–388 (2009) 613. [5] M.V. Aguirre, A. Martín, J.Y. Pastor, J. LLorca, M.A. Monge, R. Pareja, Metall. Mater. Trans. 40A (2009) 2283–2290. [6] S.V. Nagender Naidu, A.M. Sriramamurthy, M. Vijayakumar, P. Rama Rao, in: J.F. Smith (Ed.), Phase Diagrams of Vanadium Alloys, Monograph Series on Alloy Phase Diagrams, ASM International, Metal Parks, Ohio, 1989, p. 313

Innovation of Products and Varieties for Organic Rice Production: a Ph.D. project

departmental bulletin pape

Non-invasive intestinal biomarkers: a new ELISA test for Pancreatitis Associated Protein detection in pig

Feed additives are commonly used to improve pig performance and health, but they need to be tested so new biomarkers for intestinal health, non- or minimally invasive, are under investigations.The quantification of Myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Pancreatitis Associated Protein (PAP) in feces could prove useful to non-invasively monitor intestinal health (Niewold, 2015). MPO is an enzyme that permits to quantify the number of inflammatory cells present in tissues and feces (Prokopowicz et al., 2012) , while PAP is a protein mainly produced in the small intestine with anti-inflammatory and bactericidal activity (Cash et al., 2006; Mukherjee et al., 2014). Because of the lack of a commercial ELISA kit for porcine PAP detection, the main aim of this study was to develop and validate a new sandwich ELISA test for the quantification of PAP in pig fecal samples. Our study consisted of two phases: test development and test validation. During the development phase we used polyclonal antibodies previously immunized from rabbit serum with a pure peptide containing the N-terminus of pig PAP (Soler et al., 2015). The validation of the test was then performed with fecal extraction samples derived from animals with known high or low growth performance.Moreover, the temperature stability of PAP in feces and the optimal extraction method was tested. Even if only preliminary, our results seem to show a fair relationship between fecal consistency, used as health indicator, and PAP fecal concentrations. Furthermore, no relevant differences in PAP concentration after 24h of incubation at 37 °C, 4°C or room temperature were detected.To date, the present results suggest that PAP seems to be exceptionally stable in feces and is a very promising candidate as a non-invasive (fecal) biomarker for intestinal health and growth

An albumin-derived peptide scaffold capable of binding and catalysis

We have identified a 101-amino-acid polypeptide derived from the sequence surrounding the IIA binding site of human albumin. The polypeptide contains residues that make contact with ligands as warfarin in the parent protein, and eight cysteine residues to form disulfide bridges, which stabilize the polypeptide structure. Seventy-four amino acids are located in six [alpha]-helical regions, with the remaining amino acids forming six connecting coil/loop regions. Codon usage optimization was used to express a GST fusion protein in E. coli in yields as high as 4 mg/l. This fusion protein retains its structural integrity and aldolase activity, the ability to direct the stereochemical outcome of a diketone reduction, and its binding capacity to warfarin and efavirenz. Notably, this newly cloned polypeptide represents a valuable starting point for the construction of libraries of binders and catalysts with improved proficiency

Plasma α-tocopherol content and its relationship with milk somatic cells count in Italian commercial herds.

This work was aimed to investigate relationship between plasma vitamin E concentration and milk somatic cell count in healthy cows in commercial herds. 49 multiparous cows from two commercial dairy herds were monitored from the day of dry off until 90 DIM. BCS was assessed and blood samples were collected at dry off, day 0, 30, 60 and 90 postpartum. Plasma was analyzed for α-tocopherol content. Quantification of NEFA, BOHB, Zn and Se was performed in serum samples. Milk production and composition was obtained from routinely test-day of Italian milk producers association. Somatic Cell Score (SCS) was calculated and included in the dataset. Analysis of data was performed using MIXED repeated and CORR procedures of SAS.We did not observe a correlation between plasmatic vitamin E and somatic cell score, and this can be explained by the low level of somatic cell score (averages 1.64 and 1.26). The lowest value of vitamin E was observed at parturition (1.64 µg/ml and 1.95 µg/ml). A significant (P<0.01) negative (-20%) correlation was observed between NEFA serum content and α-tocopherol plasma concentration. Serum selenium content was positively correlated (+42%, P<0.0001) to zinc concentration. Grouping cows on the basis of their plasma α-tocopherol content higher or lower than 3 μg/mL at dry off, SCS at 30 and 60 DIM tended to be higher in lactating animals with lower content of α-tocopherol (1.12 vs. 1.72, P=0.18 at 30d; 0.92 vs. 1.72, P=0.07 at 60d). However, plasma α-tocopherol content at dry off could be usefully correlated with somatic cell count in fresh cows