A local Gaussian filter and adaptive morphology as tools for completing partially discontinuous curves

This paper presents a method for extraction and analysis of curve--type structures which consist of disconnected components. Such structures are found in electron--microscopy (EM) images of metal nanograins, which are widely used in the field of nanosensor technology. The topography of metal nanograins in compound nanomaterials is crucial to nanosensor characteristics. The method of completing such templates consists of three steps. In the first step, a local Gaussian filter is used with different weights for each neighborhood. In the second step, an adaptive morphology operation is applied to detect the endpoints of curve segments and connect them. In the last step, pruning is employed to extract a curve which optimally fits the template

Growth and electronic and magnetic structure of iron oxide films on Pt(111)

Ultrathin (111)-oriented polar iron oxide films were grown on a Pt(111) single crystal either by the reactive deposition of iron or oxidation of metallic iron monolayers. These films were characterized using low energy electron diffraction, scanning tunneling microscopy and conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy. The reactive deposition of Fe led to the island growth of Fe3O4, in which the electronic and magnetic properties of the bulk material were modulated by superparamagnetic size effects for thicknesses below 2 nm, revealing specific surface and interface features. In contrast, the oxide films with FeO stoichiometry, which could be stabilized as thick as 4 nm under special preparation conditions, had electronic and magnetic properties that were very different from their bulk counterpart, w\"ustite. Unusual long range magnetic order appeared at room temperature for thicknesses between three and ten monolayers, the appearance of which requires severe structural modification from the rock-salt structure.Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures, 50 reference

Interleukin 1-β, Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist, and Interleukin 18 in Children with Acute Spontaneous Urticaria

Very little is known about the role of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) in urticaria. Material and Methods. Serum levels of IL-1β, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), and IL-18 were measured in 56 children with urticaria and in 41 healthy subjects. Results. Serum IL-1β did not differ between children with acute urticaria and controls. Children with single episode of urticaria had higher levels of IL-1RA and IL-18 than healthy subjects. In children with single episode of urticaria, level of IL-1RA correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP), D-dimer, and IL-1β levels. In subjects with recurrence of urticaria IL-1RA was positively correlated with WBC and D-dimer levels. No correlation of cytokine levels and urticaria severity scores (UAS) in all children with urticaria was observed. In children with single episode of urticaria UAS correlated with CRP level. In the group with single episode of urticaria and in children with symptoms of upper respiratory infection, IL-1RA and IL-18 levels were higher than in controls. The former was higher than in noninfected children with urticaria. In conclusion, this preliminary study documents that serum IL-1RA and IL-18 levels are increased in some children with acute urticaria. However further studies are necessary to define a pathogenic role of IL-1β, IL-1RA, and IL-18 in urticaria

Substrate quality and spontaneous revegetation of extracted peatland: case study of an abandoned Polish mountain bog

If peatland is left without any restoration treatments after mechanical peat extraction ceases, the process of secondary transformation of peat continues. The resulting changes in peat properties severely impede the recovery of vegetation on cutover peatland. The aim of this study was to assess how secondary transformation of peat affects spontaneous revegetation, and the relative importance of different factors in controlling the re-establishment of raised bog species on previously cutover peat surfaces. The study was conducted on two sectors of a raised bog in southern Poland where peat extraction ended either 20 or 30 years ago. Where the residual peat layer was thin (~ 40 cm or less) and the water table often dropped into the mineral substratum, the development of vascular plants (including trees) was favoured, and this further promoted the secondary transformation of peat. In such locations the vegetation tended towards a pine and birch community. Revegetation by Sphagnum and other raised bog species (Eriophorum vaginatum, Vaccinium uliginosum, Ledum palustre, Oxycoccus palustris) was associated with thicker residual peat and higher water table level which, in turn, were strongly correlated with hydrophysical properties of the soil. A species - environmental factor redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that any single factor (of those considered) was not important in determining the revegetation pattern, because of their intercorrelations. However, water table level appeared to be the most important abiotic factor in determining the degree of soil aeration and, consequently, the stage of secondary transformation attained by the peat

Measurements, Models, Systems and Design

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Evolution and environment of the eastern linear pottery culture: A case study in the site of Polgár-Piócási-Dűlő

A salvage excavation preceding a major investment project was conducted in 2006–2007, during which associated settlement features of a Middle Neolithic, Eastern Linear Pottery Culture (Alföld Linearbandkeramik – ALBK) were uncovered in an area called Piócási-dűlő on the eastern outskirts of Polgár. The features of the ALBK settlement date from two periods. The cluster of multi-functional pits yielding a rich assortment of finds, the handful of post-holes and an unusual ritual well found in the southern part of the investigated area formed one unit from the earliest phase of the Middle Neolithic (ALBK I). The settlement’s other occupation can be assigned to the late phase of the Middle Neolithic (ALBK IV). Five houseplans representing the remains of timber-framed buildings outlined a distinct area with three multi-functional pits. Associated with the above features were 8 burials. The preliminary archaeobotanical results from Polgár–Piócási-dűlő are based on the plant material found within the sediments of 11 archaeological structures, which mainly represent pits and a welI. It can be stated that the natural environment offered habitats in which oak trees dominated in the local vegetation, forming floodplain forests and wooded steppes. They also provided food in the form of fruits and formed an optimal habitat for domestic animals. Arable fields were probably also established in the vicinity of the settlements, suggested by findings of macroscopic plant remains that represented cultivated species. In both settlement phases lithic production activities are manifested both by the local on-site lithic production and – most importantly – by the presence of imported, mainly mesolocal, raw materials that point to contacts with deposit areas, or off-site preliminary working of obsidian and limnoquartzites. The kit of harvesting tools and a large number of grinding stones – especially in the younger phase – for the preparation of plant food suggest a major role of plant cultivation

Microclimatological consequences for plant and microbial composition in Sphagnum-dominated peatlands

In three Scandinavian peatlands we studied to what extent plant and microbial community compositions are governed by local-scale microhabitat, with a special interest in the effect of aspect (i.e. exposition of slopes). Despite differences in solar irradiance between the south- and north-facing slopes, maximum temperature was elevated in the south-facing slopes at the most northern site only. Pore-water nutrient concentrations were not affected by aspect, yet dissolved organic carbon concentrations were higher in the south-facing microhabitats. This was likely caused by higher vascular plant biomass. Plant and microbial community composition clearly differed among sites. In all three sites, microhabitat (i.e. prevailing water-table depth) affected the plant and microbial community compositions. Aspect, however, did not affect community composition, even though microclimate significantly differed between the south- and the north-facing aspects at the northernmost site. Our results highlight the complex link between plant community composition, microbial community and environmental conditions, which deserves much more attention than currently in order to fully understand the effects of climate change on peatland ecosystem function.I