Evidence Gaps in Assessments of the Healthiness of Online Supermarkets Highlight the Need for New Monitoring Tools: a Systematic Review

Purpose of Review: Online grocery shopping is increasingly popular, but the extent to which these food environments encourage healthy or unhealthy purchases is unclear. This review identifies studies assessing the healthiness of real-world online supermarkets and frameworks to support future efforts. Recent Findings: A total of 18 studies were included and 17 assessed aspects of online supermarkets. Pricing and promotional strategies were commonly applied to unhealthy products, while nutrition labelling may not meet regulated requirements or support consumer decision-making. Few studies investigated the different and specific ways online supermarkets can influence consumers. One framework for comprehensively capturing the healthiness of online supermarkets was identified, particularly highlighting the various ways retailers can tailor the environment to target individuals. Summary: Comprehensive assessments of online supermarkets can identify the potential to support or undermine healthy choices and dietary patterns. Common, validated instruments to facilitate consistent analysis and comparison are needed, particularly to investigate the new opportunities the online setting offers to influence consumers

Enhancing the stability of Organic Photovoltaics through Machine Learning

A machine learning approach for extracting information from organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar cell data is presented. A database consisting of 1850 entries of device characteristics, performance and stability data is utilised and a sequential minimal optimisation regression (SMOreg) model is employed as a means of determining the most influential factors governing the solar cell stability and power conversion efficiency (PCE). This is achieved through the analysis of the acquired SMOreg model in terms of the attribute weights. Significantly, the analysis presented allows for identification of materials which could lead to improvements in stability and PCE for each thin film in the device architecture, as well as highlighting the role of different stress factors in the degradation of OPVs. It is found that, for tests conducted under ISOS-L protocols the choice of light spectrum and the active layer material significantly govern the stability, whilst for tests conducted under ISOS-D protocols, the primary attributes are material and encapsulation dependent. The reported approach affords a rapid and efficient method of applying machine learning to enable material identification that possess the best stability and performance. Ultimately, researchers and industries will be able to obtain invaluable information for developing future OPV technologies so that can be realised in a significantly shorter period by reducing the need for time-consuming experimentation and optimisation

Covalent functionalization enables good dispersion and anisotropic orientation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a poly(l-lactic acid) electrospun nanofibrous matrix boosting neuronal differentiation

A biocompatible porous scaffold obtained via electrospinning a nanocomposite solution of poly(l-lactic acid) and 4-methoxyphenyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes is presented here for the first time for the enhancement of neurite outgrowth. Optimization of blend preparation and deposition parameters paves the way to the obtainment of defect-free random networks of nanofibers with homogeneous diameters in the hundreds of nanometers length scale. The tailored covalent functionalization of nanotube surfaces allows a homogeneous dispersion of the nanofillers within the polymer matrix, diminishing their natural tendency to aggregate and form bundles. This results in a remarkable effect on the crystallization temperature, as evidenced through differential scanning calorimetry. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy shows carbon nanotubes anisotropically aligned along the fiber axes, a feature believed to enhance neurite adhesion and growth. Indeed, microscopy images show neurites extension along the direction of nanofibers, highlighting the extreme relevance of scaffold morphology in engineering complex tissue environments. Furthermore, a remarkable effect on increasing the neurite outgrowth results when using the fibrous scaffold containing dispersed carbon nanotubes in comparison with an analogous one made of only polymer, providing further evidence of the key role played by carbon nanostructures in inducing neuronal differentiation

Thisis MY SQUARE. Reweave the city, generating public space and building citizenship

El objetivo de este trabajo es exponer una experiencia en proceso de la Secretaría de Desarrollo Urbano Obras y Servicios Públicos para intervenir en plazas, con la intención de lograr la sustentabilidad del espacio público, el fortalecimiento del tejido social y la construcción de vínculos entre comunidad y gobierno. Dada la diversidad territorial y social de las intervenciones, en conjunto con estudiantes de la Facultad de Arquitectura, se genera una metodología flexible. A partir de la solicitud del vecino se identifican los referentes barriales, se realiza una investigación histórica, transmitida mediante un primer taller participativo donde se receptan las necesidades. Losestudiantes, en colaboración con los técnicos del municipio, elaboran un anteproyecto. En sucesivos encuentros se discuten mecanismos de avance y colaboración para la ejecución. El trayecto recorrido ha demostrado lo fundamental de estos ámbitos para la participación ciudadana en el espacio público, posibilitando la construcción de una ciudad sostenible.The object of this job is to expose an in progress experience from the secretary of urban development and public services to operates in squares, in order to achieve the sustainability of public space, the strengthening of social fabric and the construction of links between community and government. Because of the diversity of territorial and social interventions, together with architecture students, is generated a flexible methodologic. Since the neighbours request and the identification of neighbourhood referents, a historical investigation is shown at the first participative workshop and major needs are catched. Students in collaboration with the town technics made a preliminary project. In the following workshops advancing mechanisms are discussed. The way followed have demonstrated the importance of this participative politics in public space, enabling the construction of a sustainable city.Eje: Sustentabilidad urbana (Comunicaciones).Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism

Produção e características físico-químicas dos cachos da videira 'BRS Clara' sob cobertura plástica e sombrite em safra fora de época.

Devido às condições climáticas favoráveis à ocorrência de doenças fúngicas em uvas de mesa, tem-se buscado a adoção de tecnologias que propiciem a redução nos custos de produção, sendo uma alternativa o cultivo de uvas sob cobertura plástica. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a produção e as características físico-químicas dos cachos da videira 'BRS Clara' enxertada sobre o porta-enxerto IAC-766'?Campinas', em cultivo protegido durante a safra fora de época, visando à redução da aplicação de fungicidas para o controle do míldio. Os experimentos foram realizados em pomares comerciais localizados em Uraí e Marialva-PR. As videiras foram conduzidas no sistema latada, em espaçamento de 4,0 x 4,0 m, em Uraí, e de 2,0 x 5,0 m, em Marialva. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, com dois sistemas de cultivo protegido (sob cobertura plástica e sob sombrite) e sete repetições. No experimento conduzido em Uraí, não foram verificadas diferenças entre os sistemas de cultivo protegido quanto às características produtivas e químicas das bagas, como o teor de sólidos solúveis totais, índice de maturação e pH. Verificou-se a ocorrência do míldio somente nas folhas, sendo a incidência e a severidade menor nas videiras sob cobertura plástica (0,5 e 0,02%, respectivamente). Em Marialva, também não houve influência das coberturas nas características produtivas das videiras. Entretanto, o teor de sólidos solúveis totais das bagas sob cobertura plástica foi superior em relação àquelas sob sombrite (19,6 e 17,2oBrix, respectivamente). Não foi detectada a ocorrência de míldio em nenhum dos sistemas de cultivo protegido nessa localidade. Conclui-se que o uso da cobertura plástica permite a redução do número de aplicações de fungicidas para o controle do míldio, sem alterar as características produtivas da uva 'BRS Clara'

Systematic search for VHE gamma-ray emission from X-ray bright high-frequency BL Lac objects

All but three (M87, BL Lac and 3C 279) extragalactic sources detected so far at very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays belong to the class of high-frequency peaked BL Lac (HBL) objects. This suggested to us a systematic scan of candidate sources with the MAGIC telescope, based on the compilation of X-ray blazars by Donato et al. (2001). The observations took place from December 2004 to March 2006 and cover sources on the northern sky visible under small zenith distances zd < 30 degrees at culmination. The sensitivity of the search was planned for detecting X-ray bright F(1 keV) > 2 uJy) sources emitting at least the same energy flux at 200 GeV as at 1 keV. In order to avoid strong gamma-ray attenuation close to the energy threshold, the redshift of the sources was constrained to values z<0.3. Of the fourteen sources observed, 1ES 1218+304 and 1ES 2344+514 have been detected in addition to the known bright TeV blazars Mrk 421 and Mrk 501. A marginal excess of 3.5 sigma from the position of 1ES 1011+496 was observed and has been confirmed as a source of VHE gamma-rays by a second MAGIC observation triggered by a high optical state (Albert et al. 2007). For the remaining sources, we present here the 99% confidence level upper limits on the integral flux above ~200 GeV. We characterize the sample of HBLs (including all HBLs detected at VHE so far) by looking for correlations between their multi-frequency spectral indices determined from simultaneous optical, archival X-ray, and radio luminosities, finding that the VHE emitting HBLs do not seem to constitute a unique subclass. The absorption corrected gamma-ray luminosities at 200 GeV of the HBLs are generally not higher than their X-ray luminosities at 1 keV.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables, submitted to ApJ (revised version

MAGIC upper limits on the very high energy emission from GRBs

The fast repositioning system of the MAGIC Telescope has allowed during its first data cycle, between 2005 and the beginning of year 2006, observing nine different GRBs as possible sources of very high energy gammas. These observations were triggered by alerts from Swift, HETE-II, and Integral; they started as fast as possible after the alerts and lasted for several minutes, with an energy threshold varying between 80 and 200 GeV, depending upon the zenith angle of the burst. No evidence for gamma signals was found, and upper limits for the flux were derived for all events, using the standard analysis chain of MAGIC. For the bursts with measured redshift, the upper limits are compatible with a power law extrapolation, when the intrinsic fluxes are evaluated taking into account the attenuation due to the scattering in the Metagalactic Radiation Field (MRF).Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, final version accepted by ApJ. Changet title to "MAGIC upped limits on the VERY high energy emission from GRBs", re-organized chapter with description of observation, removed non necessaries figures, added plot of effective area depending on zenith angle, added an appendix explaining the upper limit calculation, added some reference

Unfolding of differential energy spectra in the MAGIC experiment

The paper describes the different methods, used in the MAGIC experiment, to unfold experimental energy distributions of cosmic ray particles (gamma-rays). Questions and problems related to the unfolding are discussed. Various procedures are proposed which can help to make the unfolding robust and reliable. The different methods and procedures are implemented in the MAGIC software and are used in most of the analyses.Comment: Submitted to NIM

Discovery of VHE Gamma Radiation from IC443 with the MAGIC Telescope

We report the detection of a new source of very high energy (VHE, E_gamma >= 100GeV) gamma-ray emission located close to the Galactic Plane, MAGIC J0616+225, which is spatially coincident with SNR IC443. The observations were carried out with the MAGIC telescope in the periods December 2005 - January 2006 and December 2006 - January 2007. Here we present results from this source, leading to a VHE gamma-ray signal with a statistical significance of 5.7 sigma in the 2006/7 data and a measured differential gamma-ray flux consistent with a power law, described as dN_gamma/(dA dt dE) = (1.0 +/- 0.2)*10^(-11)(E/0.4 TeV)^(-3.1 +/- 0.3) cm^(-2)s^(-1)TeV^(-1). We briefly discuss the observational technique used and the procedure implemented for the data analysis. The results are put in the perspective of the multiwavelength emission and the molecular environment found in the region of IC443.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letter

Discovery of Very High Energy gamma-rays from 1ES 1011+496 at z=0.212

We report on the discovery of Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from the BL Lacertae object 1ES1011+496. The observation was triggered by an optical outburst in March 2007 and the source was observed with the MAGIC telescope from March to May 2007. Observing for 18.7 hr we find an excess of 6.2 sigma with an integrated flux above 200 GeV of (1.58$\pm0.32) 10^{-11}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$. The VHE gamma-ray flux is >40% higher than in March-April 2006 (reported elsewhere), indicating that the VHE emission state may be related to the optical emission state. We have also determined the redshift of 1ES1011+496 based on an optical spectrum that reveals the absorption lines of the host galaxy. The redshift of z=0.212 makes 1ES1011+496 the most distant source observed to emit VHE gamma-rays up to date.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, minor changes to fit the ApJ versio