A patient is described who was affected by degenerative dementia and who developed severe constructional apraxia. She showed a dissociation between the construction of horizontal lines (impaired) and ...oblique or vertical lines (spared) which has never been reported previously. A battery of tests disclosed that this phenomenon was consistent across a range of experimental conditions and that a similar dissociation was evident in perceptual and representational domains. This peculiar clinical finding suggests that mental representations of horizontal and vertical spatial relations in an egocentric coordinate system are functionally dissociated.
PTFE latexes with particles in the submicrometer size range were employed as seeds in the emulsifier-free styrene emulsion polymerization to obtain PTFE−polystyrene (PS) core−shell nanospheres. ...Stable latexes were generally obtained. Neither residual PTFE nor secondary nucleation was observed, thus leading to PTFE−PS core−shell latexes. By appropriately choosing the ratio between the styrene monomer and the PTFE seed in the reaction mixture, it is possible to obtain spheres with predetermined sizes and narrow size distribution. In all cases, a slightly hemispherical morphology was observed. Peculiar effects related to the high degree of segregation of PTFE cores and their small size, and possibly to the PTFE/PS interface, were observed.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Aims.We study the geometry and kinematics of the circumstellar environment of the Be star κ CMa in the Brγ emission line and its nearby continuum. Methods.We use the AMBER/VLTI instrument operating ...in the K band, which provides a spatial resolution of about 6 mas with a spectral resolution of 1500, to study the kinematics within the disk and to infer its rotation law. To obtain more kinematical constraints we also use a high spectral resolution Paβ line profile obtain in December 2005 at the Observatorio do Pico do Dios, Brazil and we compile $V/R$ line profile variations and spectral energy distribution data points from the literature. Results.Using differential visibilities and differential phases across the Brγ line we detect an asymmetry in the disk. Moreover, we found that κ CMa seems difficult to fit within the classical scenario for Be stars, illustrated recently by α Arae observations, i.e. a fast rotating B star close to its breakup velocity surrounded by a Keplerian circumstellar disk with an enhanced polar wind. We discuss the possibility that κ CMa is a critical rotator with a Keplerian rotating disk and examine whether if the detected asymmetry can be interpreted within the “one-armed” viscous disk framework.
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The soil sorption partition coefficient (logK sub(o) sub(c)) of a heterogeneous set of 643 organic non-ionic compounds, with a range of more than 6log units, is predicted by a statistically validated ...QSAR modeling approach. The applied multiple linear regression (ordinary least squares, OLS) is based on a variety of theoretical molecular descriptors selected by the genetic algorithms-variable subset selection (GA-VSS) procedure. The models were validated for predictivity by different internal and external validation approaches. For external validation we applied self organizing maps (SOM) to split the original data set: the best four-dimensional model, developed on a reduced training set of 93 chemicals, has a predictivity of 78% when applied on 550 validation chemicals (prediction set). The selected molecular descriptors, which could be interpreted through their mechanistic meaning, were compared with the more common physico-chemical descriptors logK sub(o) sub(w) and logS sub(w). The chemical applicability domain of each model was verified by the leverage approach in order to propose only reliable data. The best predicted data were obtained by consensus modeling from 10 different models in the genetic algorithm model population.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
We report 0.9-1.4 μm spectroscopic observations of NGC 1068 collected during the commissioning phase of the near infrared camera spectrometer (NICS) of the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). These ...yielded the first extragalactic measurement of P$ $II (1.188 μm) line emission. In the central $0.75\arcsec\times2\arcsec$ the Fe$ $II / P$ $II line-intensity ratio is close to unity, similar to that measured in the Orion bar and a factor of $\la$20 smaller than in supernova remnants. This indicates that most of iron is locked into grains and, therefore, argues against shock excitation being the primary origin of Fe$ $II line emission in the central regions of NGC 1068. We propose the Fe$ $II / P$ $II ratio as a simple and effective tool to study and perhaps resolve the long debated questions related to the origin of Fe$ $II line emission and, more generally, to constrain the role of shock excitation in active galaxies.
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The use of vegetal organisms as indicators of contamination of the environment is partially replacing traditional monitoring techniques. Amongst the vegetal organisms available, mosses appear to be ...good bioindicators and are used for monitoring anthropogenic and natural fall-out on soils. This study has two objectives: the evaluation of the concentrations of heavy metals in soils and mosses of the Sicily Region, in Italy and the identification of the origin of fall-out of heavy metals.
Mosses and the surface soil were sampled at 28 sites, only the youngest segments of Hylocomium splendens and Hypnum cupressiforme, corresponding to the plant tissues produced during the last 3 years, were taken. The elements Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were analysed by ICP-MS and Hg by AAS. Statistical analysis was by PCA and spatial representation by GIS.
In the mosses sampled in Sicily, the highest concentrations of Cd were found around the cities of Palermo and Messina. The highest concentrations of Hg were recorded in the northern part of the island between Trapani and Messina, similar to the distribution of Cu. Different areas with the highest concentrations of Ni were found near the south coast, in the vicinity of Palermo and around the Volcano Etna. The highest concentrations of Pb were found in the south-west coast near Agrigento, where important chemical plants and petroleum refineries are located. Except for a few locations, Zn fall-out was found to be evenly distributed throughout Sicily.
The sites where the concentrations of heavy metals cause greatest concern have been revealed by the PCA analysis and portrayed using GIS. Also of some concern is the diffuse and anthropogenic origin of Hg and Cd. The combined approach of using soil and mosses, together with pedological interpretation and application of multivariate statistical techniques has provided valuable insight into the environmental aspects of heavy metal deposition in a region of southern Europe.
Further insight into the deposition of heavy metals will require more detailed sampling of soils and mosses in both new and previous study areas. This needs to be complemented by detailed pedological investigations in the study areas. Future research programmes will address these issues.
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CEKLJ, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Aims.This paper describes the design goals and engineering efforts that led to the realization of AMBER (Astronomical Multi BEam combineR) and to the achievement of its present performance. ...Methods.On the basis of the general instrumental concept, AMBER was decomposed into modules whose functions and detailed characteristics are given. Emphasis is put on the spatial filtering system, a key element of the instrument. We established a budget for transmission and contrast degradation through the different modules, and made the detailed optical design. The latter confirmed the overall performance of the instrument and defined the exact implementation of the AMBER optics. Results.The performance was assessed with laboratory measurements and commissionings at the VLTI, in terms of spectral coverage and resolution, instrumental contrast higher than 0.80, minimum magnitude of 11 in K, absolute visibility accuracy of 1%, and differential phase stability of 10-3 rad over one minute.
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We have developed a new method for quantifying teicoplanin in complex matrixes, a receptor-antibody sandwich assay (RASA). The method is based on bioselective adsorption of teicoplanin onto ...microtiter plates coated with albumin-epsilon-aminocaproyl-D-alanyl-D-alanine, a synthetic analog of its biological target, and reaction with anti-teicoplanin antibodies. The sandwich complexes are detected by incubation with peroxidase-labeled goat antibodies to rabbit IgGs and chromogenic reaction with o-phenylenediamine. The dose-response curve was linear for teicoplanin concentrations in the range from 0 to 0.15 mg/L. We used the assay to measure teicoplanin concentrations in various biological matrixes. Analytical recovery from serum was 99.5%, the interassay CV was 5.1%, and the detection limit was 30 micrograms/L (P less than 0.01). Mean analytical recoveries from other biological specimens were 98% from ascitic fluid, 100% from pleuric liquid, 104.8% from prostate homogenate, and 98.5% from bronchial expectorate.
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