Revisiting the 16 Cygni planet host at unprecedented precision and exploring automated tools for precise abundances

The binary system 16 Cygni is key in studies of the planet-star chemical composition connection, as only one of the stars is known to host a planet. This allows us to better assess the possible influence of planet interactions on the chemical composition of stars that are born from the same cloud and thus, should have a similar abundance pattern. In our previous work, we found clear abundance differences for elements with Z$\leq30$ between both components of this system, and a trend of these abundances as a function of the condensation temperature (T$_{c}$), which suggests a spectral chemical signature related to planet formation. In this work we show that our previous findings are still consistent even if we include more species, like the volatile N and neutron capture elements (Z $>$ 30). We report a slope with T$_{c}$ of $1.56 \pm 0.24 \times 10^{-5}$ dex K$^{-1}$, that is good agreement with both our previous work and recent results by Nissen and collaborators. We also performed some tests using ARES and iSpec to automatic measure the equivalent width and found T$_c$ slopes in reasonable agreement with our results as well. In addition, we determine abundances for Li and Be by spectral synthesis, finding that 16 Cyg A is richer not only in Li but also in Be, when compared to its companion. This may be evidence of planet engulfment, indicating that the T$_{c}$ trend found in this binary system may be a chemical signature of planet accretion in the A component, rather than a imprint of the giant planet rocky core formation on 16 Cyg B.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Salsalate treatment improves glycemia without altering adipose tissue in nondiabetic obese hispanics.

ObjectiveSalsalate treatment has well-known effects on improving glycemia, and the objective of this study was to examine whether the mechanism of this effect was related to changes in adipose tissue.MethodsA randomized double-blind and placebo-controlled trial in obese Hispanics (18-35 years) was conducted. The intervention consisted of 4 g day(-1) of salsalate (n = 11) versus placebo (n = 13) for 4 weeks. Outcome measures included glycemia, adiposity, ectopic fat, and adipose tissue gene expression and inflammation.ResultsIn those receiving salsalate, plasma fasting glucose decreased by 3.4% (P < 0.01), free fatty acids decreased by 42.5% (P = 0.06), and adiponectin increased by 27.7% (P < 0.01). Salsalate increased insulin AUC by 38% (P = 0.01) and HOMA-B by 47.2% (P < 0.01) while estimates of insulin sensitivity/resistance were unaffected. These metabolic improvements occurred without changes in total, abdominal, visceral, or liver fat. Plasma markers of inflammation/immune activation were unchanged following salsalate. Salsalate had no effects on adipose tissue including adipocyte size, presence of crown-like structures, or gene expression of adipokines, immune cell markers, or cytokines downstream of NF-κB with the exception of downregulation of IL-1β (P < 0.01).ConclusionsFindings suggest that metabolic improvements in response to salsalate occurred without alterations in adiposity, ectopic fat, or adipose tissue gene expression and inflammation

METRIC DOCUMENTATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE: RESEARCH DIRECTIONS FROM THE ITALIAN GAMHER PROJECT

GAMHer is a collaborative project that aims at exploiting and validating Geomatics algorithms, methodologies and procedures in the framework of new European regulations, which require a more extensive and productive use of digital information, as requested by the Digital Agenda for Europe as one of the seven pillars of the Europe 2020 Strategy. To this aim, GAMHer focuses on the need of a certified accuracy for surveying and monitoring projects with photogrammetry and laser scanning technologies, especially when used in a multiscale approach for landscape and built heritage documentation, conservation, and management. The approach used follows a multi-LoD (level of detail) transition that exploits GIS systems at the landscape scale, BIM technology and "point cloud based" 3d modelling for the scale of the building, and an innovative BIM/GIS integrated approach to foster innovation, promote users' collaboration and encourage communication between users. The outcomes of GAMHer are not intended to be used only by a community of Geomatics specialists, but also by a heterogeneous user community that exploit images and laser scans in their professional activities

New Selective Processing Technique for Solar Cells

Abstract A new selective processing technique based on a confined dynamic liquid drop\meniscus is presented. This approach is based on localized wet treatment of silicon wafers using confined and dynamic liquid drop that while in contact with the wafer forms a dynamic liquid meniscus. Such new technique allows to touch in specific defined positions the silicon wafer (front and/or back) in order to perform any kind of wet processing without the need of protective photo-resist. The new selective processing technique allows the metallizations (front and back) of mono and multi crystalline silicon solar cells. The front grid contacts are obtained by locally etching the silicon nitride, forming in a thin layer of meso-porous silicon and totally filling the meso-porous layer by pulse reverse plating a Nickel film. Copper and Tin are then electroplated using the same selective processing. This technology provides an effective solution to avoid silver pastes for front contact grid, as it guarantees low specific contact resistivity (550 μΩcm 2 on a 75 Ω/□ n-type doped emitter) and good adhesion to the silicon substrate (i.e. greater than 550 g/mm). The Al back side of the solar cell are also treated by the new selective process. Tin is directly deposited on Aluminum back contact showing adhesion higher than silver on silicon (i.e. > 1N/mm)

Chaplygin gas with non-adiabatic pressure perturbations

Perturbations in a Chaplygin gas, characterized by an equation of state $p = -A/\rho$, may acquire non-adiabatic contributions if spatial variations of the parameter $A$ are admitted. This feature is shown to be related to a specific internal structure of the Chaplygin gas. We investigate how perturbations of this type modify the adiabatic sound speed and influence the time dependence of the gravitational potential which gives rise to the Integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect in the anisotropy spectrum of the cosmic microwave background.Comment: 16 pages, comments and references added, accepted for publication in Class.Quantum Gra

Detection/estimation of the modulus of a vector. Application to point source detection in polarization data

Given a set of images, whose pixel values can be considered as the components of a vector, it is interesting to estimate the modulus of such a vector in some localised areas corresponding to a compact signal. For instance, the detection/estimation of a polarized signal in compact sources immersed in a background is relevant in some fields like astrophysics. We develop two different techniques, one based on the Neyman-Pearson lemma, the Neyman-Pearson filter (NPF), and another based on prefiltering-before-fusion, the filtered fusion (FF), to deal with the problem of detection of the source and estimation of the polarization given two or three images corresponding to the different components of polarization (two for linear polarization, three including circular polarization). For the case of linear polarization, we have performed numerical simulations on two-dimensional patches to test these filters following two different approaches (a blind and a non-blind detection), considering extragalactic point sources immersed in cosmic microwave background (CMB) and non-stationary noise with the conditions of the 70 GHz \emph{Planck} channel. The FF outperforms the NPF, especially for low fluxes. We can detect with the FF extragalactic sources in a high noise zone with fluxes >= (0.42,0.36) Jy for (blind/non-blind) detection and in a low noise zone with fluxes >= (0.22,0.18) Jy for (blind/non-blind) detection with low errors in the estimated flux and position.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Phase separation in coupled chaotic maps on fractal networks

The phase ordering dynamics of coupled chaotic maps on fractal networks are investigated. The statistical properties of the systems are characterized by means of the persistence probability of equivalent spin variables that define the phases. The persistence saturates and phase domains freeze for all values of the coupling parameter as a consequence of the fractal structure of the networks, in contrast to the phase transition behavior previously observed in regular Euclidean lattices. Several discontinuities and other features found in the saturation persistence curve as a function of the coupling are explained in terms of changes of stability of local phase configurations on the fractals.Comment: (4 pages, 4 Figs, Submitted to PRE

Rituximab in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide in the treatment of patients with recurrent follicular lymphoma

The current study was conducted to asses the safety profile and clinical activity of rituximab in combination with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide in patients with recurrent follicular lymphoma (FL). METHODS: This study was a noncomparative, multicenter, phase II study. Between March 2000 and December 2002, 54 patients with recurrent FL were enrolled in the FC+R trial. Patients received fludarabine at a dose of 25 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide at a dose of 300 mg/m(2) daily for 3 consecutive days, every 3 weeks for 4 cycles. Rituximab was administered at a dose of 375 mg/m(2) beginning 2 weeks after the first course of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide and then on Day 1 of each cycle thereafter. The planned treatment duration was 10 weeks. RESULTS: Overall, 92% of patients completed the planned therapy in 10 to 14 weeks and 74% achieved a complete response (CR). Among patients with BCL2-positive bone marrow, 86% obtained a molecular disease remission (MR). The median survival from treatment (SFT), the duration of disease remission (DR), and time to disease progression (TTP) had not been reached after a median follow-up of 45 months. Of the baseline characteristics, >2 previous treatments, BCL2-positive bone marrow, and low Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) score were found to be associated with better DR and/or TTP. Hematologic toxicity was transient and reversible, with the exception of 3 patients with severe and prolonged neutropenia. Three patients presented with infections, 1 of whom died of bronchopneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: The FC+R scheme, a nonanthracycline-containing regimen lasting up to 10 weeks, was found to be relatively well-tolerated and demonstrated significant antilymphoma activity with excellent clinical CR and molecular response rates

Antecipação do período de diagnose foliar em laranjeira 'Pêra' no Amazonas.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a possibilidade de se antecipar o período de realização da diagnose foliar em laranjeira 'Pêra'. Vinte e sete pomares representativos da região produtora de laranja do Estado do Amazonas foram monitorados durante o ano agrícola de 2011/2012. Foram realizadas diagnoses da composição nutricional (CND) em amostras foliares retiradas durante a floração e quando a árvore apresentava frutos com três e seis meses de idade (época tradicional para o monitoramento nutricional). Pomares com produtividade superior a 25 Mg ha‑1 foram selecionados para o estabelecimento dos padrões de referência. O estado nutricional da laranja variou com o estádio fenológico no qual se realizou a amostragem foliar, o que fez com que fosse necessário estabelecer normas CND para cada período. Com a antecipação da diagnose para o período de floração, observouse aumento nas concentrações foliares de N, P, K e Cu diminuição e nas de Ca. A antecipação da diagnose foliar em laranja 'Pêra' depende da geração de padrões nutricionais CND específicos para cada época de amostragem