Magnetic Prospection of a Tumulus in the Ancient Histria Necropolis

Abstract. Near surface geophysical investigations are employed in archaeology in order to estimate the location, depth, shape and physical properties of buried ancient structures. The geophysical study initiated in 2008 on tumuli located in the Histria necropolis was based on magnetics, the measurements being carried out with a proton precession magnetometer / gradientmeter. The networks where measurements of total magnetic field and magnetic vertical gradient were performed covered each tumulus and small adjacent areas. The magnetic measurement points situated at 2 m interval represented detailed rectangular networks. The necropolis is situated at ca 2 km north-west of Histria ancient Greek city and includes a great number of tumuli of various dimensions and trends. Previous archaeological studies evidenced different rituals of burial for the ca 1300 years of continuous inhabitation during Greek colonization and Roman / Byzantine empires. The magnetic data obtained for the tumulus analyzed in this paper, located toward the north-western limit of the Histria necropolis, suggest quite complex archaeological features, similar to those observed in the excavations. Generally, metallic artifacts, a clay layer affected by fire or active magnetic rocks employed in the buried infrastructures may represent sources of high magnetic anomalies. The magnetic total field and vertical gradient anomalies are interpreted as being here mainly due to burnt materials and buried greenshist structure (high anomalies), or to an outer stone belt made of limestone boulders (low anomalies)

Figures of Merit and Fundamental Processes in the Analysis of Ca from Liquid Samples Using an r.f. CCP Torch with Tubular and Ring Electrodes

A radiofrequency capacitively coupled Ar plasma, obtained with a molybdenum tubular electrode placed inside a quartz tube and one or two copper ring electrodes placed outside the tube, was used as spectral source for determination of atoms, ions and molecular radicals of calcium. A simultaneous spectrometer equipped with a photodiode array was used for detection of emission spectra. The atomization and ionization processes of Ca species were studied in the presence and absence of NaCl and H3PO4 matrix, with both single ring and two rings electrode torches. The limits of detection are 250 ng mL–1 for CaII 393 nm, 100 ng mL–1 for CaI 423 nm, 230 and 100 ng mL–1 for CaOH 555 nm and 622 nm. The recovery degree for certified plasma serum samples was 99.4 ± 4.4% and the RSD was between 3.8–4.9%. For 5 blood samples the RSD of Ca content is 2.9–4.4%

Interplay between Hypoxia, Inflammation and Adipocyte Remodeling in the Metabolic Syndrome

Obesity, a major social and health problem in many countries, is due to the accumulation of white adipose tissue in subcutaneous and visceral depots. The discovery of adipocytes capacity of synthesis of numerous adipocytokines and growth factors and the cross talk between adipocytes and cells of the adipose stromo-vascular fraction had highlighted the role of adipose tissue dysfunction in obesity. In visceral obesity the unbalanced synthesis of pro- and anti-inflammatory adipocytokines contributes to the development of the metabolic syndrome which cumulates the factors that increase the risk for ischemic heart disease and cerebral stroke. Adipose tissue accumulation is associated with a state of chronic inflammation, and local hypoxia is considered its underlying cause due to the hypertrophic or/and the hyperplasic growth of the fat pad. Adipose tissue hypoxia is one of the first pathophysiological changes and was placed as a missing link between obesity and low-grade inflammation present in the metabolic syndrome. Hypoxia is a major trigger for adipose tissue remodeling including adipocyte death, inflammation, tissue fibrosis, and angiogenesis. Recently, the role of hypoxia in brown adipose tissue dysfunction, a tissue presumed as the biologic counterbalance of the metabolic disturbances in human obesity, is discussed

Implementation of the EU CCS Directive in Europe: results and development in 2013

Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament on the geological storage of carbon dioxide, entered into force on June 25th 2009. By the end 2013 the CCS Directive has been fully transposed into national law to the satisfaction of the EC in 20 out of 28 EU Member States, while six EU countries (Austria, Cyprus, Hungary, Ireland, Sweden and Slovenia) had to complete transposing measures. In July 2014 the European Commission closed infringement procedures against Cyprus, Hungary and Ireland, which have notified the EC that they have taken measures to incorporate the CCS Directive into national law. Among other three countries Sweden has updated its legislation and published a new law in their country in March 2014, permitting CO2 storage offshore. The evaluation of the national laws in Poland, which were accepted at national level in November 2013, and Croatia, which entered the EU on 7 July 2013 and simultaneously transposed the CCS directive, is still ongoing in 2014. The first storage permit under the Directive (for the ROAD Project in the offshore Netherlands) has been approved by the EC. While CO2 storage is permitted in a number of European countries, temporary restrictions were applied in Czech Republic, Denmark and Poland. CO2 storage is prohibited except for research and development in Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg, two regions in Belgium and Slovenia due to their geological conditions, but also forbidden in Austraia, Ireland and Latvia. The size of exploration areas for CO2 storage sites is limited in Bulgaria and Hungary. In Germany, only limited CO2 storage will be permitted until 2018 (up to 4 Mt CO2 annually)

Measurement of the Forward-Backward Asymmetry in the B -> K(*) mu+ mu- Decay and First Observation of the Bs -> phi mu+ mu- Decay

We reconstruct the rare decays $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$, $B^0 \to K^{*}(892)^0\mu^+\mu^-$, and $B^0_s \to \phi(1020)\mu^+\mu^-$ in a data sample corresponding to $4.4 {\rm fb^{-1}}$ collected in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96 {\rm TeV}$ by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Using $121 \pm 16$ $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$ and $101 \pm 12$ $B^0 \to K^{*0}\mu^+\mu^-$ decays we report the branching ratios. In addition, we report the measurement of the differential branching ratio and the muon forward-backward asymmetry in the $B^+$ and $B^0$ decay modes, and the $K^{*0}$ longitudinal polarization in the $B^0$ decay mode with respect to the squared dimuon mass. These are consistent with the theoretical prediction from the standard model, and most recent determinations from other experiments and of comparable accuracy. We also report the first observation of the $B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^- decay and measure its branching ratio${\mathcal{B}}(B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^-) = [1.44 \pm 0.33 \pm 0.46] \times 10^{-6}$using$27 \pm 6$signal events. This is currently the most rare$B^0_s$ decay observed.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Search for a New Heavy Gauge Boson Wprime with Electron + missing ET Event Signature in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

We present a search for a new heavy charged vector boson $W^\prime$ decaying to an electron-neutrino pair in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96\unit{TeV}. The data were collected with the CDF II detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.3\unit{fb}^{-1}. No significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed and we set upper limits on $\sigma\cdot{\cal B}(W^\prime\to e\nu)$. Assuming standard model couplings to fermions and the neutrino from the $W^\prime$ boson decay to be light, we exclude a $W^\prime$ boson with mass less than 1.12\unit{TeV/}c^2 at the 95\unit{%} confidence level.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures Submitted to PR

Measurements of the properties of Lambda_c(2595), Lambda_c(2625), Sigma_c(2455), and Sigma_c(2520) baryons

We report measurements of the resonance properties of Lambda_c(2595)+ and Lambda_c(2625)+ baryons in their decays to Lambda_c+ pi+ pi- as well as Sigma_c(2455)++,0 and Sigma_c(2520)++,0 baryons in their decays to Lambda_c+ pi+/- final states. These measurements are performed using data corresponding to 5.2/fb of integrated luminosity from ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV, collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Exploiting the largest available charmed baryon sample, we measure masses and decay widths with uncertainties comparable to the world averages for Sigma_c states, and significantly smaller uncertainties than the world averages for excited Lambda_c+ states.Comment: added one reference and one table, changed order of figures, 17 pages, 15 figure

Search for heavy bottom-like quarks decaying to an electron or muon and jets in ppˉp\bar{p} collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

We report the most sensitive direct search for pair production of fourth-generation bottom-like chiral quarks ($b'$) each decaying promptly to $tW$. We search for an excess of events with an electron or muon, at least five jets (one indentified as due to a $b$ or $c$ quark) and an imbalance of transverse momentum using data from $p\bar{p}$ collisions collected by the CDF II detector at Fermilab with an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb$^{-1}$. We observe events consistent with background expectation and calculate upper limits on the $b'$ pair production cross section ($\sigma_{b\bar{b'}}\lesssim 30$ fb for $m_{b'}>$375 GeV/$c^2$) and exclude $m_{b'}<372$ \gevcc at 95% confidence level.Comment: For submission to PR

First Measurement of the Angular Coefficients of Drell-Yan e(+)e(-) Pairs in the Z Mass Region from p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We report on the first measurement of the angular distributions of final state electrons in p (p) over bar -> gamma*/Z -> e(+)e(-) + X events produced in the Z boson mass region at root s = 1.96 TeV. The data sample collected by the CDF II detector for this result corresponds to 2.1 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The angular distributions are studied as a function of the transverse momentum of the electron-positron pair and show good agreement with the Lam-Tung relation, consistent with a spin-1 description of the gluon, and demonstrate that, at high values of the transverse momentum, Z bosons are produced via quark-antiquark annihilation and quark-gluon Compton processes