In this work, we present a novel approach for improving the energy resolution from particles impinging on the interstrip regions of silicon strip detectors. We employed three double-sided strip ...detectors from the GRIT array and a triple α-source under laboratory conditions. The results showed that the interstrip resolution depends not only on the impinging side but also on whether it is a P- or an N-interstrip. We obtained the interstrip energy resolution down to 0.4%, and, depending on the scenario, the resolution was enhanced by a factor of 2. We believe that this new rotation method allows for the possibility of applying particle identification methods on interstrip events, which in most cases are dismissed during data recording.
This work deals with the characteristics of highly segmented double-sided silicon detectors. These are fundamental parts in many new state-of-the-art particle detection systems, and therefore they ...must perform optimally. We propose a test bench that can handle 256 electronic channels with off-the-shelf equipment, as well as a detector quality control protocol to ensure that the detectors meet the requirements. Detectors with a large number of strips bring new technological challenges and issues that need to be carefully monitored and understood. One of the standard 500 μm thick detectors of the GRIT array was investigated, undergoing studies that revealed its IV curve, charge collection efficiency, and energy resolution. From the data obtained, we calculated, among other things, the depletion voltage (110 V), the resistivity of the bulk material (9 kΩ·cm), and the electronic noise contribution (8 keV). We present, for the first time, a methodology called "the energy triangle'' to visualize the effect of charge sharing between two adjacent strips and to study the hit distribution with the interstrip-to-strip hit ratio (ISR).
•Magnetic fields have an increasing influence on cold water evaporation rate.•The motion of purified water does not contribute greatly to the evaporation rate.•An empirical triadic model correlating ...evaporation rate with ambient parameters.
Over the past decades researchers have described what happens to the water when a polarizing external field is applied to it and changes the bonding forces existing in it. Water evaporation, an essential process in nature, has been targeted in a great number of studies. In this paper, static magnetic fields ranging from 30-to-200 mT were applied to circulating purified water to study their effect on how the evaporation rate changed under different ambient conditions. A statistical approach was employed to verify the significance of the magnetically induced effect. Our results showed that by applying a static magnetic field to the water, the evaporation rate increased at lower temperatures, yielding an evaporation increase for magnetized water of up to 20% at 6 °C. We found too that the circulation of the water did not contribute significantly to the evaporation rate. We used an empirical triadic model to correlate the applied magnetic field with the ambient parameters of temperature and humidity.
The nasal epithelium is a plausible entry point for SARS-CoV-2, a site of pathogenesis and transmission, and may initiate the host response to SARS-CoV-2. Antiviral interferon (IFN) responses are ...critical to outcome of SARS-CoV-2. Yet little is known about the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and innate immunity in this tissue. Here we apply single-cell RNA sequencing and proteomics to a primary cell model of human nasal epithelium differentiated at air-liquid interface. SARS-CoV-2 demonstrates widespread tropism for nasal epithelial cell types. The host response is dominated by type I and III IFNs and interferon-stimulated gene products. This response is notably delayed in onset relative to viral gene expression and compared to other respiratory viruses. Nevertheless, once established, the paracrine IFN response begins to impact on SARS-CoV-2 replication. When provided prior to infection, recombinant IFNβ or IFNλ1 induces an efficient antiviral state that potently restricts SARS-CoV-2 viral replication, preserving epithelial barrier integrity. These data imply that the IFN-I/III response to SARS-CoV-2 initiates in the nasal airway and suggest nasal delivery of recombinant IFNs to be a potential chemoprophylactic strategy.
The glass transition dynamics and the charge transport for blends composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and the ionic liquid (IL) 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) ...imide, EmimTFSI have been investigated as a function of different IL content (0, 10, 25 and 40 % wt) by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) and broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (BDS) in wide frequency and temperature ranges (0.1 Hz–1 MHz and −120 to 150 °C, respectively). The inclusion of the IL in the polymer matrix affected the main relaxation process (β-relaxation) of the amorphous phase of the polymer matrix detected with all the techniques employed. It is demonstrated, that the chain segments of PVDF and the IL are mixed at the nanometer range. The blends were homogeneous regardless of the amount of IL and the glass transition temperature (Tg) shifted to lower temperatures as the IL content was increased. A good agreement between the Tg measured by BDS and DSC was observed for all PVDF/IL samples. The conductivity formalism revealed significant contributions of the IL concentration to the conductivity behavior of the blends in that is described by charge motion and electrode polarization effects. The activation energy of all the PVDF/IL samples, calculated by Dyre model, decreased with IL addition with respect to that of neat PVDF.
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•Glass transition dynamics and charge transport of the PVDF/IL blends is studied.•IL and PVDF are miscible the chain segments and the IL being mixed at the nanometer range.•The inclusion of IL into PVDF affects the β-relaxation process.•The effect of IL in the conductivity behavior is described in terms of charge motion and electrode polarization.•The activation energy of the PVDF/IL samples decreases with IL addition.
Blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and ionic liquids (ILs) with different cations and anions have been prepared by solvent casting. The IL content was the same in all blends of the series. ...Molecular relaxation and ionic conductivity have been systematically studied by broadband dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (BDS) in wide frequency (0.1 Hz–1 MHz) and temperature ranges (−120 to 150 °C) and the results have been analysed in terms of dielectric modulus M*(ω) and conductivity σ*(ω) formalisms. The main relaxation process (β-relaxation) of the amorphous phase of the blend that integrates amorphous polymer chain segments and IL molecules was observed. Significant differences in the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann (VFT) fitting parameters in the PVDF/IL blends with different anions were detected. The conductivity σ*(ω) formalism shows that it is strongly dependent on the miscibility of the IL with the amorphous PVDF chains and the type of anion. The Barton-Namikawa-Nakajima (BNN) relation σ0 ∼ ωc is fulfilled for all PVDF/IL blends except for that containing 1-ethyl-3- methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate, EmimHSO4. The activation energy of the ac conductivity, calculated according to the Dyre model, decreases for all PVDF/IL blends with respect to neat PVDF. The structure of the cation of the IL has been found to exert less influence on the dielectric and conductivity properties of the blends.
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•The electrical response of PVDF/IL blends with different anions and cations is reported.•The miscibility between IL and PVDF is homogeneous in the amorphous phase.•The structure of the cation of the IL has little influence on dielectric response and ionic conductivity.•Anion size strongly affects ionic conductivity behavior and mobility parameters.
In this paper we describe a compact and large solid-angle silicon array, the GLObal ReactIon Array (GLORIA), designed to study direct nuclear reactions induced by exotic nuclei at energies close to ...the Coulomb barrier. The detector array consists of six particle-telescopes arranged in a very close geometry around a 30° rotated-target system, allowing for the measurement of reaction fragments in a continuous angular range from 15° to 165° (Lab). GLORIA has been used for first time at the SPIRAL/GANIL facility at Caen (France) to study the scattering of the system 8He+208Pb at the collision energies of 16 and 22MeV.
► Agaricus blazei (APF) and Lentinus edodes (LPF) powder formulations were studied. ► The samples were chemically characterised for the first time. ► They contain essential nutrients, e.g. proteins, ...carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids. ► APF showed higher antioxidant activity, tocopherols and phenolic compounds content. ► Both formulations might be used as antioxidant-rich supplements.
Several mushroom species have been pointed out as sources of antioxidant compounds, in addition to their important nutritional value. Agaricus blazei and Lentinus edodes are among the most studied species all over the world, but those studies focused on their fruiting bodies instead of other presentations, such as powdered preparations, used as supplements. In the present work the chemical composition (nutrients and bioactive compounds) and antioxidant activity (free radical scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition) of dried powder formulations of the mentioned mushroom species (APF and LPF, respectively) were evaluated. Powder formulations of both species revealed the presence of essential nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, they present a low fat content (<2g/100g) and can be used in low-calorie diets, just like the mushrooms fruiting bodies. APF showed higher antioxidant activity and higher content of tocopherols and phenolic compounds (124 and 770μg/100g, respectively) than LPF (32 and 690μg/100g). Both formulations could be used as antioxidant sources to prevent diseases related to oxidative stress.
The FAZIA apparatus exploits Pulse Shape Analysis (PSA) to identify nuclear fragments stopped in the first layer of a Silicon-Silicon-CsI(Tl) detector telescope. In this work, for the first time, we ...show that the isotopes of fragments having atomic number as high as Z∼20 can be identified. Such a remarkable result has been obtained thanks to a careful construction of the Si detectors and to the use of low noise and high performance digitizing electronics. Moreover, optimized PSA algorithms are needed. This work deals with the choice of the best algorithm for PSA of current signals. A smoothing spline algorithm is demonstrated to give optimal results without requiring too much computational resources.
The study of a
Posidonia oceanica mat (a peat-like marine sediment) core has provided a record of changes in heavy metal abundances (Fe, Mn, Ni, Cr, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn, As and Al) since the Mid-Holocene ...(last 4470
yr) in Portlligat Bay (NW Mediterranean). Metal contents were determined in
P. oceanica. Both, the concentration records and the results of principal components analysis showed that metal pollution in the studied bay started ca. 2800
yr
BP and steadily increased until present. The increase in Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and As concentrations since ca. 2800
yr
BP and in particular during Greek (ca. 2680–2465
cal
BP) and Roman (ca. 2150–1740
cal
BP) times shows an early anthropogenic pollution rise in the bay, which might be associated with large- and short-scale cultural and technological development. In the last ca. 1000
yr the concentrations of heavy metals, mainly derived from anthropogenic activities, have significantly increased (e.g. from ~
15 to 47
μg
g
−
1
for Pb, ~
23 to 95
μg
g
−
1
for Zn and ~
8 to 228
μg
g
−
1
for As). Our study demonstrates for the first time the uniqueness of
P. oceanica meadows as long-term archives of abundances, patterns, and trends of heavy metals during the Late Holocene in Mediterranean coastal ecosystems.
►
P. oceanica mat records changes in heavy metal abundances over the recent Holocene. ►
P. oceanica acts as a pollution filter and long-term metal sink in the Mediterranean. ► A Metal Abundance Index supports increasing anthropogenic pollution during the last 1600
yr. ► Pre-anthropic reference metal abundances are proposed. ► Metal content in
P. oceanica detritus might make it unsuitable for human uses.
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