To understand the formation and evolution of solar-type stars in the solar neighborhood, we need to measure their stellar parameters to high accuracy. We present a catalogue of accurate stellar ...parameters for 451 stars that represent the HARPS Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) "high precision" sample. Spectroscopic stellar parameters were measured using high signal-to-noise (S / N) spectra acquired with the HARPS spectrograph. The spectroscopic analysis was completed assuming LTE with a grid of Kurucz atmosphere models and the recent ARES code for measuring line equivalent widths. We show that our results agree well with those ones presented in the literature (for stars in common). We present a useful calibration for the effective temperature as a function of the index color B-V and Fe/H. We use our results to study the metallicity-planet correlation, namely for very low mass planets. The results presented here suggest that in contrast to their jovian couterparts, neptune-like planets do not form preferentially around metal- rich stars. The ratio of jupiter-to-neptunes is also an increasing function of stellar metallicity. These results are discussed in the context of the core-accretion model for planet formation.
Context. The spatial distribution of elemental abundances in the disc of our Galaxy gives insights both on its assembly process and subsequent evolution, and on the stellar nucleogenesis of the ...different elements. Gradients can be traced using several types of objects as, for instance, (young and old) stars, open clusters, HII regions, planetary nebulae. Aims. We aim to trace the radial distributions of abundances of elements produced through different nucleosynthetic channels – the α-elements O, Mg, Si, Ca and Ti, and the iron-peak elements Fe, Cr, Ni and Sc – by use of the Gaia-ESO IDR4 results for open clusters and young-field stars. Methods. From the UVES spectra of member stars, we have determined the average composition of clusters with ages > 0.1 Gyr. We derived statistical ages and distances of field stars. We traced the abundance gradients using the cluster and field populations and compared them with a chemo-dynamical Galactic evolutionary model. Results. The adopted chemo-dynamical model, with the new generation of metallicity-dependent stellar yields for massive stars, is able to reproduce the observed spatial distributions of abundance ratios, in particular the abundance ratios of O/Fe and Mg/Fe in the inner disc (5 kpc <RGC< 7 kpc), with their differences, that were usually poorly explained by chemical evolution models. Conclusions. Oxygen and magnesium are often considered to be equivalent in tracing α-element abundances and in deducing, for example, the formation timescales of different Galactic stellar populations. In addition, often α/Fe is computed combining several α-elements. Our results indicate, as expected, a complex and diverse nucleosynthesis of the various α-elements, in particular in the high metallicity regimes, pointing towards a different origin of these elements and highlighting the risk of considering them as a single class with common features.
Nitrosyl ruthenium complexes have emerged as promising platforms for the controlled delivery of nitric oxide (NO) and nitroxyl (HNO), both of which possess significant therapeutic implications. ...Considering this scenario, we synthesized and characterized the metal complex cis‐RuNO(phen)2(2MIM)3+ and its precursors, where phen and 2MIM correspond to 1,10‐phenantroline and 2‐methylimidazole, respectively. Comprehensive structural elucidation was undertaken using a combination of spectroscopic and electrochemical methodologies, including XANES/EXAFS experiments. This structural data was further validated through DFT computational analyses. We demonstrated that such compound can release NO and HNO in the presence of thiol‐based substrates. Not only this, but the same metal complex can also delivery nitric oxide under irradiation with visible light (λ=460 nm). The nitrosyl complex and its derivatives displayed marked vasodilatory capabilities as evidenced in assays involving isolated rat aorta rings. They also exhibited commendable antioxidant activity in free radical scavenging assays. Collectively, based on these data, this nitrosyl ruthenium compound is a potential therapeutic candidate, especially in the field of cardiovascular pathology like atherosclerosis, thereby deserving further in‐depth investigations.
Nitrosyl Ruthenium compounds are promising platforms for nitric oxide (NO) delivery. A novel nitrosyl ruthenium complex containing the ligand 2‐methylimidazole was synthetized and characterized through spectroscopic techniques, including X‐ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). That compound showed promising NO releasing capabilities and promoted vasodilation together with free radical scavenging. Such properties are desirable for the treatments of cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
Living cells are constantly exchanging momentum with their surroundings. So far, there is no consensus regarding how cells respond to such external stimuli, although it reveals much about their ...internal structures, motility as well as the emergence of disorders. Here, we report that twelve cell lines, ranging from healthy fibroblasts to cancer cells, hold a ubiquitous double power-law viscoelastic relaxation compatible with the fractional Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic model. Atomic Force Microscopy measurements in time domain were employed to determine the mechanical parameters, namely, the fast and slow relaxation exponents, the crossover timescale between power law regimes, and the cell stiffness. These cell-dependent quantities show strong correlation with their collective migration and invasiveness properties. Beyond that, the crossover timescale sets the fastest timescale for cells to perform their biological functions.
► Short-term exposures to ozone have been proven to affect childhood asthma. ► Epidemiological studies confirmed that ozone exposure influence asthma development. ► Causality between ozone and ...childhood asthma is still to prove.
Protecting the health of children and the environment is an essential objective for the health policies of any modern society, being also crucial for a sustainable development, according to the World Health Organization. Evaluating the risk of developing childhood asthma is one of the four priority issues identified by the European Commission, according to the European Union Environment and Health Action Plan.
Accordingly, this review aimed to update information concerning the effects of exposure to ozone on childhood asthma, thus helping in the development of strategies for further research. Studies have been demonstrating strong associations between the exposure to ozone and asthma. However, the complexity of exposure patterns, the changes in the vulnerability of children at various stages of development, and the practical limitations of research, lead to a still incomplete understanding of the ozone impact on the health of children. Difficulties on the interpretation of epidemiological studies to evaluate chronic effects are mainly due to an absence of studies designed specifically to address this question and to inherent limitations in characterizing exposure. The more rigorous studies provided new evidences for chronic effects of ozone on small airway function and possibly on asthma, but substantial uncertainties remain.
This study aims to increase knowledge regarding the association of sarcopenia with hospitalization costs among a wide-ranging sample of adult hospitalized patients.
A prospective study was conducted ...among hospitalized adult patients. Sarcopenia was identified according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, as low muscle mass, assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis and low muscle function evaluated by handgrip strength. Hospitalization cost was calculated for each patient based on discharge diagnosis-related group codes and determined on the basis of a relative weight value. Costs were defined as the percentage of deviation from the cost of a patient with a relative weight equal to one. Multivariable linear regression models were performed to identify the factors independently associated with hospitalization costs.
A total of 656 hospitalized patients aged ⩾18 years (24.2% sarcopenic) composed the study sample. Sarcopenia increased hospitalization costs by euro 1240 (95% confidence interval (CI): euro 596-1887) for patients aged <65 years and euro 721 (95% CI: euro 13-1429) for patients aged ⩾65 years. Sarcopenic overweight was related to an increase in hospitalization costs of euro 884 (95% CI: euro 295-1476).
Sarcopenia is independently related to hospitalization costs. This condition is estimated to increase hospitalization costs by 58.5% for patients aged <65 years and 34% for patients aged ⩾65 years.
Maritime sector is expected to continue growing significantly in line with world trade, however its impacts on environmental, social and human health are not yet fully known. Thus, this study aimed ...to estimate the external costs of in-port shipping emissions (NOx, SO2, CO2, VOCs and PM2.5) and accomplish a comprehensive eco-efficiency evaluation of four ports in Portugal (Leixões, Setúbal, Sines and Viana do Castelo) during 2013. External costs were based on the external cost factors from BeTa, CAFE and NEEDS projects and from Song (2014). Eco-efficiency evaluation was based on environmental, social and economic criteria. Results showed higher externalities for Sines and Setúbal (2.0E+02 million €), followed by Leixões (1.8E+02 million €), and Viana do Castelo (6.3 million €). NOx, SO2, and PM2.5 were the pollutants with the highest externalities. Sines port showed the best overall eco-efficiency. Although Setúbal port showed higher performance than Viana do Castelo port based on the economic data, when social and environmental aspects were considered the results changed. This shows the importance of performing a more comprehensive analysis using social and environmental indicators. The combination of all these indicators is highly important to support the implementation of policies for the abatement of shipping in-port emissions.
•Eco-efficiency evaluation was based on environmental, social and economic criteria.•External costs were based on the external cost factors from BeTa, CAFE and NEEDS projects.•NOx, SO2, and PM2.5 were the pollutants with the highest externalities.•Findings of this study can support new port policies to control ship emissions.
Shoulder rehabilitation is a process that requires physical therapy sessions to recover the mobility of the affected limbs. However, these sessions are often limited by the availability and cost of ...specialized technicians, as well as the patient's travel to the session locations. This paper presents a novel smartphone-based approach using a pose estimation algorithm to evaluate the quality of the movements and provide feedback, allowing patients to perform autonomous recovery sessions. This paper reviews the state of the art in wearable devices and camera-based systems for human body detection and rehabilitation support and describes the system developed, which uses MediaPipe to extract the coordinates of 33 key points on the patient's body and compares them with reference videos made by professional physiotherapists using cosine similarity and dynamic time warping. This paper also presents a clinical study that uses QTM, an optoelectronic system for motion capture, to validate the methods used by the smartphone application. The results show that there are statistically significant differences between the three methods for different exercises, highlighting the importance of selecting an appropriate method for specific exercises. This paper discusses the implications and limitations of the findings and suggests directions for future research.
The accuracy of forecasting models for the prediction of an infrastructure's deterioration process plays a significant role in the estimation of optimal maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement ...strategies. Numerous approaches have been developed to overcome the limitations of existing forecasting models. In this article, a direct comparison is made between different models using the same input data to derive conclusions of their distinct performance. The models selected for the comparison were Markov, semi‐Markov, and hidden Markov models together with artificial neural networks (ANNs), which have been reported in literature as reliable deterioration prediction models. A quality of fit was performed to measure how well the observed data corresponded to the predicted values, and therefore objectively compare the performance of each model. The results demonstrated that the most accurate prediction was accomplished by the ANN model. Nevertheless, all models presented differences with respect to typical values of concrete decks life expectancy, which is attributed to the inherent difficulties of the database. Additionally, the problem of the visual inspection subjectivity was also regarded as one of the potential causes for the found deviations. Therefore, this article also discusses the shortcomings of current condition assessment practices and encourages future bridge management systems to replace the classical methods by more sophisticated and objective tools.
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