Leaf deposition of PM10–100, PM2.5–10, PM0.2–2.5 and of 21 elements was investigated in a roadside vegetation barrier formed by i) two evergreen shrub species (Photinia × fraseri, Viburnum lucidum), ...with ii) two planting densities (0.5, 1.0 plant m−2), at iii) three distances from the road (2.0, 5.5, 9.0 m), at iv) two heights from the ground (1.5, 3.0 m), and on v) three dates (Aug, Sep, Oct).
The presence of black and brown on-leaf PM10–100 and their element composition were detected by microscopy and image analysis. Pollutant deposition was also measured using passive samplers at five distances from the road (2.0, 5.5, 9.0, 12.5, 19.5 m) in the area of the barrier and in an adjacent lawn area.
V. lucidum had more PM2.5–10 and PM0.2–2.5 on leaves than P. × fraseri, while most elements were higher in P. × fraseri. Most pollutants decreased at increasing distances from the road and were higher at 1.5 m from the ground compared to 3.0 m.
Higher planting density in P. × fraseri enhanced the deposition of PM10–100 and PM2.5–10, while in V. lucidum, the planting density did not affect the depositions.
Black PM10–100 decreased a long distance from the road and was entirely composed of carbon and oxygen, which was thus identified as black carbon from fuel combustion.
The vegetation barrier had a higher deposition of most PM fractions at 5.5–12.5 m, while in the lawn area, depositions did not change. At 19.5 m, the PM10–100 was 32% lower behind the barrier than in the lawn area. In conclusion, the vegetation barrier changed the deposition dynamics of pollutants compared to the lawn area. These results strengthen the role of vegetation barriers and shrub species against air pollution and may offer interesting insights for the use of new road green infrastructures to improve air quality.
Display omitted
•Higher LAI induced higher deposition, while planting density was not a determinant.•Vegetation barrier changed deposition dynamics in the experimental site.•Image analysis differentiated between on-leaf PM with different colorations.•On-leaf PM with different colorations had a different element composition.
Scientific objectives of Einstein Telescope Abernathy, M; Ajith, P; Astone, P ...
Classical and quantum gravity,
06/2012, Letnik:
29, Številka:
12
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The advanced interferometer network will herald a new era in observational astronomy. There is a very strong science case to go beyond the advanced detector network and build detectors that operate ...in a frequency range from 1 Hz to 10 kHz, with sensitivity a factor 10 better in amplitude. Such detectors will be able to probe a range of topics in nuclear physics, astronomy, cosmology and fundamental physics, providing insights into many unsolved problems in these areas.
EuPRAXIA Conceptual Design Report Weikum, M. K.; Alexandrova, A. S.; Anania, M. P. ...
The European physical journal. ST, Special topics,
12/2020, Letnik:
229, Številka:
24
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
This report presents the conceptual design of a new European research infrastructure EuPRAXIA. The concept has been established over the last four years in a unique collaboration of 41 laboratories ...within a Horizon 2020 design study funded by the European Union. EuPRAXIA is the first European project that develops a dedicated particle accelerator research infrastructure based on novel plasma acceleration concepts and laser technology. It focuses on the development of electron accelerators and underlying technologies, their user communities, and the exploitation of existing accelerator infrastructures in Europe. EuPRAXIA has involved, amongst others, the international laser community and industry to build links and bridges with accelerator science — through realising synergies, identifying disruptive ideas, innovating, and fostering knowledge exchange. The Eu-PRAXIA project aims at the construction of an innovative electron accelerator using laser- and electron-beam-driven plasma wakefield acceleration that offers a significant reduction in size and possible savings in cost over current state-of-the-art radiofrequency-based accelerators. The foreseen electron energy range of one to five gigaelectronvolts (GeV) and its performance goals will enable versatile applications in various domains, e.g. as a compact free-electron laser (FEL), compact sources for medical imaging and positron generation, table-top test beams for particle detectors, as well as deeply penetrating X-ray and gamma-ray sources for material testing. EuPRAXIA is designed to be the required stepping stone to possible future plasma-based facilities, such as linear colliders at the high-energy physics (HEP) energy frontier. Consistent with a high-confidence approach, the project includes measures to retire risk by establishing scaled technology demonstrators. This report includes preliminary models for project implementation, cost and schedule that would allow operation of the full Eu-PRAXIA facility within 8—10 years.
The dynamics of magnetic fields with an amplitude of several tens of megagauss, generated at both sides of a solid target irradiated with a high-intensity (~10(19) W/cm(2)) picosecond laser pulse, ...has been spatially and temporally resolved using a proton imaging technique. The amplitude of the magnetic fields is sufficiently large to have a constraining effect on the radial expansion of the plasma sheath at the target surfaces. These results, supported by numerical simulations and simple analytical modeling, may have implications for ion acceleration driven by the plasma sheath at the rear side of the target as well as for the laboratory study of self-collimated high-energy plasma jets.
This work is based on the study of 150 majolica vases dated back to the mid XVII century that once preserved medicinal remedies prepared in the ancient Pharmacy annexed to the Ospedale Maggiore Ca’ ...Granda in Milan (Lombardy, Italy). The Hortus simplicium was created in 1641 as a source of plant-based ingredients for those remedies. The main objective of the present work is to lay the knowledge base for the restoration of the ancient Garden for educational and informative purposes. Therefore, the following complementary phases were carried out: (i) the analysis of the inscriptions on the jars, along with the survey on historical medical texts, allowing for the positive identification of the plant ingredients of the remedies and their ancient use as medicines; (ii) the bibliographic research in modern pharmacological literature in order to validate or refute the historical uses; (iii) the realization of the checklist of plants potentially present in cultivation at the ancient Garden, concurrently with the comparison with the results of a previous in situ archaeobotanical study concerning pollen grains. For the species selection, considerations were made also regarding drug amounts in the remedies and pedoclimatic conditions of the study area. Out of the 150 vases, 108 contained plant-based remedies, corresponding to 148 taxa. The remedies mainly treated gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders. At least one of the medicinal uses was validated in scientific literature for 112 out of the 148 examined species. Finally, a checklist of 40 taxa, presumably hosted in the Hortus simplicium, was assembled.
Status of the Virgo project Accadia, T; Acernese, F; Antonucci, F ...
Classical and quantum gravity,
06/2011, Letnik:
28, Številka:
11
Journal Article, Conference Proceeding
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
We describe the present state and future evolution of the Virgo gravitational wave detector, realized by the Virgo Collaboration at the European Gravitational Observatory, in Cascina near Pisa in ...Italy. We summarize basic principles of the operation and the design features of the Virgo detector. We present the sensitivity evolution due to a series of intermediate upgrades called Virgo+ which is being completed this year and includes new monolithic suspensions. We describe the present scientific potential of the detector. Finally we discuss the plans for the second generation of the detector, called Advanced Virgo, introducing its new features, the expected sensitivity evolution and the scientific potential.
Clubfoot is the most frequent congenital malformation of the foot, affecting more than 1-2 subjects per 1.000 newborns. Without appropriate treatment, a child with congenital clubfoot will never be ...able to walk physiologically with a dramatic impact on the quality of life. In the last decades, different corrective solutions have been proposed, and there is rising scientific evidence that the Ponseti non-invasive method is safe and effective in the treatment of the clubfoot. So, what should a general paediatrician know about this condition and what should he concretely do in the suspect of a congenital clubfoot?
Horizon 2020 EuPRAXIA design study Walker, P A; Alesini, P D; Aschikhin, A ...
Journal of physics. Conference series,
07/2017, Letnik:
874, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The Horizon 2020 Project EuPRAXIA ("European Plasma Research Accelerator with eXcellence In Applications") is preparing a conceptual design report of a highly compact and cost-effective European ...facility with multi-GeV electron beams using plasma as the acceleration medium. The accelerator facility will be based on a laser and/or a beam driven plasma acceleration approach and will be used for photon science, high-energy physics (HEP) detector tests, and other applications such as compact X-ray sources for medical imaging or material processing. EuPRAXIA started in November 2015 and will deliver the design report in October 2019. EuPRAXIA aims to be included on the ESFRI roadmap in 2020.
This paper presents a complete description of Virgo, the French-Italian gravitational wave detector. The detector, built at Cascina, near Pisa (Italy), is a very large Michelson interferometer, with ...3 km-long arms. In this paper, following a presentation of the physics requirements, leading to the specifications for the construction of the detector, a detailed description of all its different elements is given. These include civil engineering infrastructures, a huge ultra-high vacuum (UHV) chamber (about 6000 cubic metres), all of the optical components, including high quality mirrors and their seismic isolating suspensions, all of the electronics required to control the interferometer and for signal detection. The expected performances of these different elements are given, leading to an overall sensitivity curve as a function of the incoming gravitational wave frequency. This description represents the detector as built and used in the first data-taking runs. Improvements in different parts have been and continue to be performed, leading to better sensitivities. These will be detailed in a forthcoming paper.
The efficacy of NAFL in the treatment of striae distensae (SD) has been demonstrated. Nevertheless, the base for this improvement has not been clarified yet. The aim of this study is to describe in ...vivo variations occurring in the skin after the treatment, using reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM). Ten patients asking for the treatment of SD were enrolled. Clinical and RCM images were acquired before the treatment, immediately after 1 and 6 months after the first treatment. One thousand five hundred forty-nanometer laser treatments were performed every 4 weeks for 6 sessions. Efficacy was estimated through the evaluation of pre- and post-treatment clinical pictures by two expert and independent physicians and with GAIS. Improvement of SD was observed in 80% of patients. Temporary erythema and edema were reported. RCM revealed the dissolution of collagen bundles and the appearance of new papillae, as compared to baseline. NAFL represents an effective and safe treatment modality for SD. We report herein in vivo variations occurring in SD after NAFL treatment.
PDF
