2,879 research outputs found
Analysis of food supplement with unusual raspberry ketone content
In recent years food supplement market increased constantly, including slimming products and against obesity. The case of rasberry ketone (RK) is here reported. HPTLC and HPLC-DAD analyses on a marketed product containing raspberry juice evidenced an abnormal quantity of RK, not in accordance with the juice natural content. The reported data confirm the need of adequate controls on marketed food supplements and the necessity of a complete adherence between labelling and real constitution of the product. Practical Applications: Determining the natural origin and assuring the consumers' safety for raspberry-based food supplement
Peptide selfâassembled nanostructures: from models to therapeutic peptides
: Self-assembly is the most suitable approach to obtaining peptide-based materials on the nano- and mesoscopic scales. Applications span from peptide drugs for personalized therapy to light harvesting and electron conductive media for solar energy production and bioelectronics, respectively. In this study, we will discuss the self-assembly of selected model and bioactive peptides, in particular reviewing our recent work on the formation of peptide architectures of nano- and mesoscopic size in solution and on solid substrates. The hierarchical and cooperative characters of peptide self-assembly will be highlighted, focusing on the structural and dynamical properties of the peptide building blocks and on the nature of the intermolecular interactions driving the aggregation phenomena in a given environment. These results will pave the way for the understanding of the still-debated mechanism of action of an antimicrobial peptide (trichogin GA IV) and the pharmacokinetic properties of a peptide drug (semaglutide) currently in use for the therapy of type-II diabetes
Palladium catalyzed hydrodechlorination of *-chloroacetophenones by hydrogen transfer from the H2O-CO system
Advertisements for gambling products have historically been restricted due to their potential to normalize gambling and contribute to excessive gambling behaviours among vulnerable populations. However, social media enables gambling operators to promote products and brands with fewer constraints than in traditional forms of media. This study investigated how social media is used by gambling operators to promote gambling activities including an analysis of the latent messages that are conveyed. A representative sample of major land-based and online gambling venues and operators, including casinos, clubs, hotels, lottery and wagering operators (n = 101), was obtained. Websites and social media profiles of gambling operators were audited to investigate the types of social media used, content of promotions, and prevalence of responsible gambling messaging. The results showed that Facebook and Twitter were the dominant platforms used, most commonly by casinos and online wagering operators. A key finding was that online gambling operators included gambling content in conjunction with related news and events, as well as unrelated content, as way of normalizing gambling within a broader social context. Unlike land-based gambling promotions, responsible gambling information tended not to feature in operatorsâ posts and profiles. The key messages propagated in social media gambling promotions were positively framed, and tended to encourage gambling using a range of cross-promotional tactics to emphasize the winning aspect of gambling. The implications of freely accessible and pervasive gambling promotions via social media are discussed with respect to the general community as well as vulnerable populations.This study was commissioned by Gambling Research Australiaâa partnership between the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments. GRA had no involvement in the research design, conduct, analysis or the preparation of this paper
Energy performance assessment of HVAC systems by inspection and monitoring
The paper discusses the collection and processing of energy performance data as part of the
inspection of HVAC systems, aimed at identifying technically feasible and cost-effective
Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECO), as required by EPBD. Case studies developed by
the HARMONAC project have shown that low-cost or no-cost ECOâs - mostly related to
system operation and management - can be identified with an effective system monitoring.
Building Management Systems (BMS) may be a powerful tool for this task, provided their
HW and SW architecture is designed with adequate attention to energy monitoring. Dedicated
instrumentation â such as electricity meters and temperature loggers â may also be employed
as an alternative / integration to BMS monitoring. The paper also discusses the application of
data analysis tools â such as âcarpet plotsâ and âenergy signaturesâ â to the identification of
component malfunctioning, control problems, inadequate maintenance, or system schedule
optimization, and to the evaluation of achieved energy savings
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Probability Distortion Depends on Choice Sequence in Rhesus Monkeys.
Humans and other primates share many decision biases, among them our subjective distortion of objective probabilities. When making choices between uncertain rewards we typically treat probabilities nonlinearly: overvaluing low probabilities of reward and undervaluing high ones. A growing body of evidence, however, points to a more flexible pattern of distortion than the classical inverse-S one, highlighting the effect of experimental conditions in shifting the weight assigned to probabilities, such as task feedback, learning, and attention. Here we investigated the role of sequence structure (the order in which gambles are presented in a choice task) in shaping the probability distortion patterns of rhesus macaques: we presented 2 male monkeys with binary choice sequences of MIXED or REPEATED gambles against safe rewards. Parametric modeling revealed that choices in each sequence type were guided by significantly different patterns of probability distortion: whereas we elicited the classical inverse-S-shaped probability distortion in pseudorandomly MIXED trial sequences of gamble-safe choices, we found the opposite pattern consisting of S-shaped distortion, with REPEATED sequences. We extended these results to binary choices between two gambles, without a safe option, and confirmed the unique influence of the sequence structure in which the animals make choices. Finally, we showed that the value of gambles experienced in the past had a significant impact on the subjective value of future ones, shaping probability distortion on a trial-by-trial basis. Together, our results suggest that differences in choice sequence are sufficient to reverse the direction of probability distortion.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our lives are peppered with uncertain, probabilistic choices. Recent studies showed how such probabilities are subjectively distorted. In the present study, we show that probability distortions in macaque monkeys differ significantly between sequences in which single gambles are repeated (S-shaped distortion), as opposed to being pseudorandomly intermixed with other gambles (inverse-S-shaped distortion). Our findings challenge the idea of fixed probability distortions resulting from inflexible computations, and points to a more instantaneous evaluation of probabilistic information. Past trial outcomes appeared to drive the "gap" between probability distortions in different conditions. Our data suggest that, as in most adaptive systems, probability values are slowly but constantly updated from prior experience, driving measures of probability distortion to either side of the S/inverse-S debate.Funding sources: Wellcome Grants: WT 095495, WT 204811; ERC Advanced Grant: 29354
Antioxidant properties of humic acids extracted from saltmarsh soils (Marano and Grado Lagoon, northern Adriatic Sea)
Three-micron spectroscopy of highly reddened field stars
Broad absorption features centered at 3.45 microns and at 3.0-3.0 microns towards a number of late-type supergiants in the vicinity of the galactic center were repeatedly reported. Here, 2.0 to 2.5 and 3.0 to 4.0 micron spectra are presented for field late-type highly reddened (A sub V is approximately 17-27) stars located in different regions of the galactic plane more than 20 deg away from the galactic center direction. The observations, made with the 3.6, 2.2, and 1.0 m ESO telescopes at La Silla, Chile, consists of CVF spectra with resolution lambda/delta lambda is approximately or equal to 100 and IRSPEC spectra with resolution lambda/delta lambda is approximately or equal to 700. In the direction of the most highly reddened stars, definitive detections of the 3.45 and the 3.0 to 3.1 micron absorption features are reported. The 3.45 micron feature was attributed to absorption arising in a vibrational transition resulting from the C-H stretching in organic compounds, while the 3.0 to 3.1 micron broader feature are tentatively attributed to O-H bonds. The observations strongly support that the agent producing the 3.45 micron feature, presumably organic molecules, is an important component of the diffuse interstellar medium and is not characteristic only of the galactic center environment
Mid Infrared Photometry of Mass-Losing AGB Stars
We present ground-based mid-infrared imaging for 27 M-, S- and C-type
Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) stars. The data are compared with those of the
database available thanks to the IRAS, ISO, MSX and 2MASS catalogues. Our goal
is to establish relations between the IR colors, the effective temperature
, the luminosity and the mass loss rate , for improving
the effectiveness of AGB modelling. Bolometric (absolute) magnitudes are
obtained through distance compilations, and by applying previously-derived
bolometric corrections; the variability is also studied, using data accumulated
since the IRAS epoch. The main results are: i) Values of and for C
stars fit relations previously established by us, with Miras being on average
more evolved and mass losing than Semiregulars. ii) Moderate IR excesses (as
compared to evolutionary tracks) are found for S and M stars in our sample:
they are confirmed to originate from the dusty circumstellar environment. iii)
A larger reddening characterizes C-rich Miras and post-AGBs. In this case, part
of the excess is due to AGB models overestimating for C-stars, as a
consequence of the lack of suitable molecular opacities. This has a large
effect on the colors of C-rich sources and sometimes disentangling the
photospheric and circumstellar contributions is difficult; better model
atmospheres should be used in stellar evolutionary codes for C stars. iv) The
presence of a long-term variability at mid-IR wavelengths seems to be limited
to sources with maximum emission in the 8 -- 20 m region, usually Mira
variables (1/3 of our sample). Most Semiregular and post-AGB stars studied here
remained remarkably constant in mid-IR over the last twenty years.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal - 35 pages (in
preprint), 9 figures, 5 table
Sagavanirktok River Spring Breakup Observations 2015
Alaskaâs economy is strongly tied to oil production, with most of the petroleum coming from the
Prudhoe Bay oil fields. Deadhorse, the furthest north oil town on the Alaska North Slope,
provides support to the oil industry. The Dalton Highway is the only road that connects
Deadhorse with other cities in Interior Alaska. The road is heavily used to move supplies to and
from the oil fields.
In late March and early April 2015, the Dalton Highway near Deadhorse was affected by ice and
winter overflow from the Sagavanirktok River, which caused the roadâs closure two times, for a
total of eleven days (four and seven days, respectively). In mid-May, the Sagavanirktok River at
several reaches flooded the Dalton from approximately milepost (MP) 394 to 414 (Deadhorse).
The magnitude of this event, the first recorded since the road was built in 1976, was such that the
Dalton was closed for nearly three weeks. During that time, a water station and several pressure
transducers were installed to track water level changes on the river. Discharge measurements
were performed, and water samples were collected to estimate suspended sediment
concentration.
Water levels changed from approximately 1 m near MP414 to around 3 m at the East Bank
station, located on the riverâs east bank (about MP392). Discharge measurements ranged from
nearly 400 to 1560 m3/s, with the maximum measurement roughly coinciding with the peak.
Representative sediment sizes (D50) ranged from 10 to 14 microns. Suspended sediment
concentrations ranged from a few mg/L (clear water in early flooding stages) to approximately
4500 mg/L.
An analysis of cumulative runoff for two contiguous watershedsâthe Putuligayuk and
Kuparukâindicates that 2014 was a record-breaking year in both watersheds. Additionally, an
unseasonable spell of warm air temperatures was recorded during mid-February to early March.
While specific conditions responsible for this unprecedented flood are difficult to pinpoint,
runoff and the warm spell certainly contributed to the flood event.ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................................... i
LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................................... iii
LIST OF TABLES .......................................................................................................................... v
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DISCLAIMER .......................................................................... vi
CONVERSION FACTORS, UNITS, WATER QUALITY UNITS, VERTICAL AND
HORIZONTAL DATUM, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS ............................................ vii
ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS ................................................................ ix
1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 1
2 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................ 5
3 METHODOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT ................................................................................ 9
3.1 Ice Elevations Prior to Breakup (GPS Surveys)............................................................. 10
3.2 X-Band SAR Analysis ................................................................................................... 11
3.3 Water Levels .................................................................................................................. 12
3.4 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler ................................................................................. 14
3.5 Discharge Measurements ............................................................................................... 15
3.6 Suspended Sediments ..................................................................................................... 17
4 RESULTS .............................................................................................................................. 18
4.1 Air Temperature ............................................................................................................. 18
4.2 Annual Precipitation ....................................................................................................... 20
4.3 Cold Season Precipitation .............................................................................................. 22
4.4 Warm Season Precipitation ............................................................................................ 23
4.5 Surface Water Hydrology............................................................................................... 27
4.5.1 Ice Elevations .......................................................................................................... 28
4.5.2 X-Band SAR Analysis ............................................................................................ 31
4.5.3 Water Levels ........................................................................................................... 37
4.5.4 Discharge Measurements ........................................................................................ 43
4.5.5 Additional Field Observations ................................................................................ 49
4.5.6 Cumulative Volumetric Warm Season Runoff ....................................................... 59
4.5.7 Suspended Sediment ............................................................................................... 63
5 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................... 66
6 REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................... 68
7 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................... 72
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