Data acquisition system for volcano monitoring with real-time transmission, low cost and low power consumption

Postprint (published version

Gasoline pre-blending processes for efficient ethanol recovery: effects of process parameters and process modifications for improved performance

With over 20 billion gallons of bio-ethanol produced annually, optimization of bio-ethanol production processes is a major priority for sustainability research. Recent research has made great strides toward improving the efficiency of bio-ethanol production through the development of gasoline pre-blending processes which use liquid–liquid phase separation to eliminate excess water with minimal energy input. This paper investigates the effects of process parameters on the performance and efficiency of this class of processes, offering a design basis for engineers developing new processes along with a broader understanding of their potential performance and economic value. Also explored are a range of process modifications capable of improving process performance. It has been found that blending ratio and initial alcohol concentration are the key parameters in determining ethanol recovery, with the number of liquid–liquid contact stages and the temperature also being significant. It has also been shown that temperature-swing decanting can significantly improve alcohol recovery, reducing ethanol losses by as much as 33% in a typical gasoline pre-blending setup.The authors would like to thank Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability (IDEAS) and the National Research Foundation of South Africa for providing financial support for carrying out this work. Dr. M.J. Fernandez-Torres thanks the visiting researcher program, at the University of South Africa, for financial support

The Transit Light Curve Project. VI. Three Transits of the Exoplanet TrES-2

Of the nearby transiting exoplanets that are amenable to detailed study, TrES-2 is both the most massive and has the largest impact parameter. We present z-band photometry of three transits of TrES-2. We improve upon the estimates of the planetary, stellar, and orbital parameters, in conjunction with the spectroscopic analysis of the host star by Sozzetti and co-workers. We find the planetary radius to be 1.222 +/- 0.038 R_Jup and the stellar radius to be 1.003 +/- 0.027 R_Sun. The quoted uncertainties include the systematic error due to the uncertainty in the stellar mass (0.980 +/- 0.062 M_Sun). The timings of the transits have an accuracy of 25s and are consistent with a uniform period, thus providing a baseline for future observations with the NASA Kepler satellite, whose field of view will include TrES-2.Comment: 15 pages, including 2 figures, accepted Ap

Astrocytes require insulin-like growth factor I to protect neurons against oxidative injury

Oxidative stress is a proposed mechanism in brain aging, making the study of its regulatory processes an important aspect of current neurobiological research. In this regard, the role of the aging regulator insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in brain responses to oxidative stress remains elusive as both beneficial and detrimental actions have been ascribed to this growth factor. Because astrocytes protect neurons against oxidative injury, we explored whether IGF-I participates in astrocyte neuroprotection and found that blockade of the IGF-I receptor in astrocytes abrogated their rescuing effect on neurons. The protection mediated by IGF-I against oxidative stress (H2O2) in astrocytes is probably needed for these cells to provide adequate neuroprotection. Indeed, in astrocytes but not in neurons, IGF-I helps decrease the pro-oxidant protein thioredoxin-interacting protein 1 and normalizes the levels of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, IGF-I cooperates with trophic signals produced by astrocytes in response to H2O2 such as stem cell factor (SCF) to protect neurons against oxidative insult. After stroke, a condition associated with brain aging where oxidative injury affects peri-infarcted regions, a simultaneous increase in SCF and IGF-I expression was found in the cortex, suggesting that a similar cooperative response takes place in vivo. Cell-specific modulation by IGF-I of brain responses to oxidative stress may contribute in clarifying the role of IGF-I in brain aging

A New Spectroscopic and Photometric Analysis of the Transiting Planet Systems TrES-3 and TrES-4

We report new spectroscopic and photometric observations of the parent stars of the recently discovered transiting planets TrES-3 and TrES-4. A detailed abundance analysis based on high-resolution spectra yields [Fe/H] = –0.19 ± 0.08, T_(eff) = 5650 ± 75 K, and log g = 4.4 ± 0.1 for TrES-3, and [Fe/H] = +0.14 ± 0.09, T_(eff) = 6200 ± 75 K, and log g = 4.0 ± 0.1 for TrES-4. The accuracy of the effective temperatures is supported by a number of independent consistency checks. The spectroscopic orbital solution for TrES-3 is improved with our new radial velocity measurements of that system, as are the light-curve parameters for both systems based on newly acquired photometry for TrES-3 and a reanalysis of existing photometry for TrES-4. We have redetermined the stellar parameters taking advantage of the strong constraint provided by the light curves in the form of the normalized separation a/R_* (related to the stellar density) in conjunction with our new temperatures and metallicities. The masses and radii we derive are M_* = 0.928^(+0.028)_(–0.048) M_⊙, R_* = 0.829^(+0.015)_(–0.022) R_⊙, and M_* = 1.404^(+0.066)_(–0.134) M_⊙, R_* = 1.846^(+0.096)_(–0.087) R_⊙ for TrES-3 and TrES-4, respectively. With these revised stellar parameters, we obtain improved values for the planetary masses and radii. We find M_p = 1.910^(+0.075)_(–0.080) M_(Jup), R_p = 1.336^(+0.031)_(–0.036) R_(Jup) for TrES-3, and M_p = 0.925 ± 0.082 M_(Jup), R_p = 1.783^(+0.093)_(–0.086) R_(Jup) for TrES-4. We confirm TrES-4 as the planet with the largest radius among the currently known transiting hot Jupiters

Mass and radius determinations for five transiting M-dwarf stars

We have derived masses and radii for both components in five short-period single-lined eclipsing binary stars discovered by the TrES wide-angle photometric survey for transiting planets. All these systems consist of a visible F-star primary and an unseen M-star secondary (M_A > 0.8 M_sun, M_B < 0.45 M_sun). The spectroscopic orbital solution combined with a high precision transit light curve for each system gives sufficient information to calculate the density of the primary star and the surface gravity of the secondary. The masses of the primary stars were obtained using stellar evolution models. The solutions were compared with results obtained by calculating the radius of the primary stars under the assumption of rotational synchronization with the orbital period and alignment between their spin axis and the axis of the orbit. Four systems show an acceptable match between the two sets of results, but one system shows a clear mismatch between the two solutions, which may indicate the absence of synchronization or a misalignment between the rotational and orbital axis. When compared to low-mass stellar evolution models, the derived masses and radii of the unseen M dwarfs are inconsistent (three only marginally) with the predicted values, with all of the radii being larger than expected for their masses. These results confirm the discrepancy shown in previous work between the predicted and observed radii on low-mass binary stars. This work also shows that reliance on the assumption of synchronization to derive the mass and radius of stars in eclipsing single--lined F+M binaries is a useful tool, but may not always be warranted and should be carefully tested against stellar evolution models.Comment: 36 pages: 20 pages of text, 13 tables, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Effect of previous hamstring injury and limb dominance on kicking biomechanics in elite female soccer players

The hamstring injury is one of the most common injuries occurring in soccer. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of a previous hamstring injury and limb dominance on the kicking pattern of elite female soccer players. 14 players belonging to a top first division soccer team volunteered to take part in the study. They were asked about their injury history and leg dominance in a questionnaire, and they performed 5 instep soccer kicks with either limb into a target 7m away. The results showed that limb dominance had no effect on the kicking pattern in elite players. Significant differences were found in the maximum hip angular velocity while kicking with a previously injured limb as compared to a previously uninjured limb. This indicates that rehabilitation programs probably should treat the injury differently in female soccer players. KEY WORDS: inverse dynamics, motion analysis

Diseño y construcción de un microcosmos para evaluar el efecto del cambio climático en la fisiología de organismos marinos

Los cambios en las condiciones climáticas resultantes de las elevadas emisiones de CO2 a la atmósfera y el consecuente calentamiento de los océanos alterarán la estructura y función de los ecosistemas marinos, conduciendo a una disminución de la productividad pesquera. El objetivo de este trabajo fue diseñar y construir un microcosmos que permitiera evaluar el efecto conjunto del aumento de la temperatura y pCO2 sobre la fisiología de organismos marinos, con el fin de mejorar la proyección de sus futuras distribuciones y productividad. Se diseñó y construyó un sistema que consiste en dos circuitos de agua, uno abierto que controla el nivel de pCO2 (pH) en acuarios individuales y otro cerrado que regula la temperatura del baño en que estos acuarios son sumergidos. El sistema fue puesto a prueba mediante la simulación de un experimento sin animales con el fin de testear la estabilidad de las condiciones experimentales elegidas (T1= 4ºC, T2= 10ºC, pH1= 7,5, pH2= 8) a lo largo de 30 días. Esta experiencia resultó exitosa, con valores estables para las temperaturas (T1= 4,49 ± 0,11ºC, T2= 10,54 ± 0,42ºC) y pH testeados (pH1= 7,48 ± 0,06, pH2= 8,04 ± 0,04), así como para la salinidad en todo el microcosmos (24,06 ± 0,24). Este microcosmos es el primero de su tipo en la Argentina y la información resultante de su empleo permitirá realizar comparaciones con otras especies de importancia ecológica y/o comercial de distintas regiones del mundo.Fil: Rubel, Maximiliano David. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Río Grande; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Lattuca, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina. Universidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Río Grande; ArgentinaFil: Manriquez, Patricio H.. Centro de Estudios Avanzados En Zonas Áridas; ChileFil: Torres, Rodrigo. Centro de Investigacion En Ecosistemas de la Patagonia; ChileFil: Fernandez, Daniel Alfredo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaI Congreso Nacional de Ingeniería Pesquera y V Jornadas de Ingeniería PesqueraPuerto MadrynArgentinaUniversidad Tecnológica Nacional. Facultad Regional Chubu

Efecto de previa lesión de isquiotibiales y pierna de dominancia en el golpeo de futbolistas femeninas de elite

La lesión de isquiotibiales representa un 37% de todas las lesiones musculares de fútbol profesional [1] y también tiene una alta probabilidad de recaída [2]. El efecto de esta lesión ha sido estudiado en profundidad en la carrera [3] pero hay pocos estudios que vean el efecto de la lesión en el golpeo [4]. Por otra parte, el efecto de la pierna dominante en el golpeo aún no ha sido estudiado en detalle con futbolistas femeninas. Teniendo en cuenta lo anterior, el objetivo del estudio ha sido estudiar el efecto de la lesión de isquiotibiales en la técnica del golpeo en fútbol femenino

Antioxidant and Antibacterial Effect of Agaricus brasiliensis Extract on Raw and Cooked Pork Patties during Storage

Edible mushrooms have been proposed as a natural ingredient to prevent loss of quality in meat products. This study aimed to compare the antioxidant and antibacterial effects of Agaricus brasiliensis aqueous-ethanol extract (ABE, at 0, 0.5, and 1.0%) versus butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT, 0.02% on a fat basis) added to raw and cooked pork patties to prolong shelf-life under chilled storage. All samples were stored at 2 C for 9 days and subjected to physicochemical (pH, water-holding capacity, and color), chemical (lipid oxidation and antioxidant status), and microbiological evaluation (mesophilic and psychrophilic). Phenolic compounds (TPC) in ABE exert a reducing power ability (Fe3+ reduction), free-radical (DPPH), and radical-cation scavenging activity (ABTS), as well as antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative. Furthermore, incorporating ABE in raw and cooked pork patties reduced (p < 0.05) pH and color changes, lipid oxidation, and microbial growth during storage in concentration dependence. No differences (p > 0.05) were observed in the WHC and b* values. In addition, the presence of TPC and the antioxidant status (Fe3+ reduction, DPPH, and ABTS activity) of pork patties increased (p < 0.05) by the ABE incorporation. ABE can be a natural additive to improve the storage stability of pork pattie