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This paper describes an experiment carried out within the project “URBAN GEOmatics for Bulk data Generation, Data Assessment and Technology Awareness (URBAN GEO BIG DATA)” on novel technological solutions for encouraging the use of time series of big geodata by scientists, public administrators, and the citizens of urban areas. In this experiment, we focus on fostering the use of ground deformation time series derived through the Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) measurements in urban areas (i.e., Naples, Milan, and Turin) through visualization. Two visualization applications are developed within the project. First, mean deformation velocity maps are visualized; second, the cumulative deformation time series is animated to enable the comprehension of deformation of eighteen years at a glance. The experiment allows experts and non-experts to discover spatio-temporal patterns of deformation. The paper focuses on the characteristics and implementation details of this experiment. Both visualizations are overlaid on a three-dimensional map, i.e., a virtual globe. We use open standards and free and open source software (FOSS) for Web to enable interoperability, replicability, and reusability.

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the surface deformation retrieval capability of the Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) algorithm, referred to as Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) technique, in the context of active volcanic areas. In particular, after a brief description of the algorithm some experiments relevant to three selected case-study areas are presented. First, we concentrate on the application of the SBAS algorithm to a single-orbit scenario, thus considering a set of SAR data composed by images acquired on descending orbits by the European Remote Sensing (ERS) radar sensors and relevant to the Long Valley caldera (eastern California) area. Subsequently, we address the capability of the SBAS technique in a multipleorbit context by referring to Mt. Etna volcano (southern Italy) test site, with respect to which two different ERS data set, composed by images acquired both on ascending and descending orbits, are available. Finally, we take advantage of the capability of the algorithm to work in a multi-platform scenario by jointly exploiting two different sets of SAR images collected by the ERS and the Environment Satellite (ENVISAT) radar sensors in the Campi Flegrei caldera (southern Italy) area. The presented results demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm to investigate the deformation field in active volcanic areas and the potential of the DInSAR methodologies within routine surveillance scenario.

Role clarity and workplace autonomy are always considered a dilemma for employees to perform better to achieve their desired targets, which can affect organizational performance. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of role clarity and work autonomy on the performance of employees with the mediating influence of organizational commitment. Classical organization theory and role theory constitute the methodological framework of the study. Structural equation modelling and confirmatory factor analysis were used as research methods. Data is gathered from 311 employees of five different multinational telecommunication organizations operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Islamabad and Rawalpindi City, Punjab, Pakistan through a convenience sampling. We used AMOS for data analysis. The research results revealed that role clarity and work autonomy have a significant positive effect on the work performance of individuals. Similarly, organizational commitment demonstrated the partial mediation between the association of role clarity and work autonomy with work performance among employees of multinational telecommunication organizations. Employees who are uncertain about their job responsibilities are unable to be engaged and motivated at work. Organizations, therefore, should eradicate role ambiguities and conflicts to boost staff commitment by propping a clear role for the enhancement of work performance. This research extends the role theory, and our findings can give companies insights into how to customize autonomy levels for maximum productivity.

Au/ZrO2 catalysts (1.5 wt% Au loading) undergone to a final calcination at different temperature (423, 573, 773 and 923 K) to opportunely modulate the Au size were proven to be highly active and selective in furfural oxidative esterification to methyl-2-furoate. The catalysts were tested according to previously optimized reaction conditions, employing O2 as benign oxidant and without any base co-catalyst. The strong dependence of the catalytic activity on the Au size was previously ascribed to the presence of Au clusters able to dissociate O2 and producing atomic O that can activate methanol. However, despite the absence of clusters, also the catalysts containing larger Au nanoparticles were active, even if conversion and selectivity were remarkably lower if compared to the other samples. The nature and the role of Au active sites exposed at the surface of clusters and nanoparticles were then investigated by HR-TEM, CO chemisorption and FTIR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO, molecular oxygen, methanol and furfural to establish structure-activity relationships. Metal nanoparticles can activate oxygen and form superoxo species and atomic O, whereas experiments performed on the pre-hydrated samples revealed that Au perimeter sites at the metal-support interface play a key role in methanol activation during furfural oxidative esterification.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) is a form of additive manufacturing that can directly make metal components and has begun to be employed in a variety of industrial situations. Moreover, the erosion characteristics of SLM-produced items have been documented relatively infrequently. In the current work, the erosion behavior of a heat-treated Al-Si-10% Mg alloy generated via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) has been investigated. The samples were printed in three directions (horizontal (0o), vertical (90o), and inclined (45o) on the build platform using the Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) system (EOS M 290) machine. Al%Si-10%Mg samples were given treatment (T5, T6). Optical and scanning electron microscopes (SEM) were used to examine the microstructure under both printed and heat-treated conditions. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) were used to investigate the alloy's elemental composition and compound production. The erosion test was executed in each of the three orientations, plus heat-treated samples and as-printed samples. The selected input parameters were impingement angle and flow velocity. The erosion rate was examined and contrasted across orientations for printed and heat-treated conditions to establish the best orientation. The post-eroded surface was analysed using SEM, EDS, and XRD to evaluate possible erosion processes. The key findings were: T5 heat-treated samples sustain well and have the least mass loss; Horizontal (0°) oriented samples undergo less erosion compared to other orientations; T6 heat-treated samples show maximum erosion on printed samples, and hence it is not recommended. T5 heat treatment is proven to be superior in providing high erosion resistance, followed by printed and T6 heat-treatment, respectively. The heat treatment effects are more significant than the orientation effects in determining the erosion resistance of the Al10SiMg alloy. The erosion mechanisms, such as ploughing, melting, and cratering, were identified.

Using state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods, we study straintronic properties of a single MoS_{2} monolayer. 2D MoS_{2} is a quintessential straintronic material for which many experiments have been performed. First, we determine the equilibrium atomic structure which is not known experimentally and is strictly needed to correctly determine the straintronic properties. That enables us to precisely analyze the quasiparticle band gaps for any applied biaxial strain, which we describe by a bivariate paraboloid function of lattice constant and internal structural parameter. Using the fixed-node QMC calculations fitted by analytical formulas, we localize the following excited state crossings between the direct, K→K, and indirect Γ→X and K→K/2 excitations. Based on this highly accurate many-body treatment, we predict a gauge factor of 136 meV/% for the K→K transition and a fairly narrow window of ≈2.8% from compressive to mildly tensile strains, accounting for only ≈0.3 eV band gap change maintaining the direct character of the gap. Consequently, we suggest that, compared to other 2D materials, such as phosphorene, there is only a limited straintronic tuneability in this material often studied for its straintronic properties. QMC results are compared to results of standard DFT modeling, which reveal insights into the corresponding inaccuracies and therefore open a window for educated use of rapid DFT approaches.

Straintronics is an emerging field enabling novel tuneable functionalities of electronic, optical, magnetic, or spin devices with advances being fuelled by new developments in van der Walls (vdW) heterostructure engineering and materials design. Here we show, using state-of-the-art quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) methods, that a single phosphorene monolayer exhibits outstanding straintronics functionalities due to discovered colossal strain tunability of its semiconducting electronic gap. First, we determine the equilibrium atomic structure that differs appreciably from available bulk phosphorene experimental data. That enables us to precisely analyze the quasiparticle band gaps for any uniaxial (armchair and zigzag) and biaxial strains which we describe by a quadrivariate paraboloid function of lattice and internal structure parameters. Using the fixed-node QMC calculations fitted by analytical formulas we localize the following excited state crossings: (i) between the direct (Γ→Γ) and direct but reordered (Γ→Γ^{′}) excitations that also imply substantial differences of corresponding transport properties; and (ii) between the direct Γ→Γ and indirect Γ→X excitations. Based on this highly accurate many-body treatment, we predict the gauge factor ≈100 meV/% and an unusual behavior with the band gap remaining direct even if strained by several percent. Consequently, we suggest there is a colossal band gap tunability window, larger by an order of magnitude when compared to quintessential straintronic materials such as MoS_{2}. In addition, we ascertain that the ground state deformation energies exhibit an out-of plane negative Poisson's ratio and auxetic behavior.

Various high and medium entropy oxides with rock salt structures were prepared and studied as anodes for lithium batteries. All the systems had complex reaction mechanisms involving conversion reactions. Their capacity and reduction potential depend on the number of components and microstructure of the initial materials. However, the dependence is difficult to rationalize based on simple stability logic. This paper discusses the implication of our findings in the wider context of the science of high entropy materials.

The coastal environment is among the most fragile regions on our planet. Its efficient monitoring is crucial to properly manage human and natural resources located in this environment where a large portion of our population lives. The objective of this contribution is to design and develop a new set of methods suitable for detecting and tracking the coastline. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technology is chosen because of the characteristic response from water and the acquisition consistency allowed by constant illumination, day-and-night, and all-weather functioning. The proposed iterative detection method is based on superpixel segmentation. The resulting superpixels are filtered and then partitioned in land and water classes based on their median backscattering with Otsu’s algorithm. The rationale is that the segmentation can follow the coastline before the filtering can degrade the spatial resolution. A quantitative assessment of the results measures the distance to a manually-detected shoreline for the Lizard Island case study; the average distance is 12.63 m, with 80% of the sampled points within 20 m. The innovative coastline monitoring process exploits the consistency of SAR by analyzing a long time series. After a season-wise grouping, the land-water index is introduced to erase the time oscillation of water backscattering caused by different sea states. The proposed index is modeled in time on a pixel basis. A visualization technique that exploits the HSV codification of the color space highlights where and when changes happened. A case study for this technique is carried out over the Reentrancias Maranhenses natural area. A quality assessment shows good accordance with optical data that depicts the region’s dynamic.

Mapping the exact extent of urban areas is a critical prerequisite in many remote sensing applications, such as hazard evaluation and change detection. The usage of Synthetical Aperture Radar (SAR) data has gained popularity due to the unique characteristics of the backscattered radio signal from human-made targets. The Sentinel-1 (S1) constellation, with a global revisit time of 6–12 days in Interferometric Wide Swath (IW) mode and free and open access to the data, allows the development of new applications to monitor urban sites. However, S1 is rarely considered when fine resolution is required due to the large pixel size and the need for spatial averaging to obtain robust estimators. We propose a method to improve Sentinel-1 urban classification performance by exploiting one Multi-Spectral (MS) image acquired by Sentinel-2 (S2). MS data is used for tracing the precise natural boundaries in a scene through superpixels segmentation. A machine learning approach is then applied to interpret the thematic context of each segment from short temporal stacks of coregistered SAR data. We use a short sensing period (around two months), so rapid changes can be traces. The proposed fusion of S1 and S2 data was tested in the area of Milan (Italy), with a total accuracy of about 90%. The ability to follow high-resolution details in a mixed environment is demonstrated, opening the possibility of efficiently tracing the human footprint.

The knowledge of tropospheric water vapor distribution can significantly improve the accuracy of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) models. The present work proposes an automatic and fast procedure for generating reliable water vapor products from the synergic use of Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations. Moreover, a compression method able to drastically reduce, without significant accuracy loss, the water vapor dataset dimension has been implemented to facilitate the sharing through cloud services. The activities have been carried in the EU H2020 TWIGA project framework, aimed at providing water vapor maps at Technology Readiness Level 7.

Abstract Nowadays food borne illness is most common in people due to their epidemic nature. These diseases affect the human digestive system through bacteria, viruses and parasites. The agents of illness are transmitted in our body through various types of food items, water and uncooked. Pathogens show drastic changes in immunosuppressant people. This review gives general insights to harmful microbial life. Pakistan is a developed country and because of its improper food management, a lot of gastrointestinal problems are noted in many patients. Bacteria are most common agents to spread diarrhoea, villi infection, constipation and dysenteric disease in human and induce the rejection of organ transplant. Enhancement of their lifestyle, properly cooked food should be used and to overcome the outbreak of the diseases.

Multiple-Input-Multiple Output (MIMO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) along-track formations can be used to fraction the power resources into compact, lightweight and cost-effective satellites, or to extend the swath coverage beyond the limit provided by a small antenna. In this second case, the Pulse Repetition Frequency (PRF) is kept low by implementing an inversion that solves up to N−1 ambiguities, given N observations. The simultaneous illumination – that allows for the N² gain due to the coherent combination of the N transmitters and the N receivers, is analyzed and shown not to be critical, as the more than N=2 sensors are assumed. Performance is evaluated for the N=2 and N=3 cases and compared with the Single Input Multiple Output formations, where one sensor is transmitting, and all are receiving. Finally, the impact of the across-track deviation from the orbit is modeled and evaluated.

The identification of changes in urban settlements is of great interest for damage assessment after natural disasters, cadastral mapping and monitoring urban development and illegal activities.Radar-based remote sensing from space-borne platforms is quite useful in this scenario and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is attractive due to its wide coverage, the day and night all-weather availability, and the sensitivity to slight changes in the scene structure. In this context, the launch of the European Space Agency (ESA) constellation Sentinel-1 has played a significant role: the exact repetition of the acquisition geometry, the repeated illumination and the sensitivity to centimetric changes thanks to the C-Band (5.4GHz) radar payload make Sentinel-1 the perfect instrument to monitor urban settlements.Coherent Change Detection (CCD) techniques are able to detect even the finest change in the structure of a target, so small to be comparable with the wavelength. This sensibility is an advantage, but turns into a drawback especially in an urban environment where every subtle change may cause an unwanted detection.This paper tackles the problem of the huge amount of triggered detections over urbanized areas with a combination of a high-resolution coherent multi-change detection technique and Geospatial Information System (GIS) post-processing. The final result is a map of buildings that are changed in the scene due to relevant variation of their structure. In this contribution, the complete workflow is explained, and a preliminary validation is carried out by means of a set of images gathered by Sentinel-1 and a set of optical images over the city of Manchester.

Detecting temporal changes is one of the most important applications of satellite sensors. In recent years, the increasing availability of regular time-series of SAR imagery, provided by the Sentinel-1 mission of the European Space Agency (ESA), has drawn increasing attention to these techniques, especially in earth environment monitoring and risk management. Within this paper, a coherent change detection analysis for evaluating the risk due to movements of dunes and sand sheets in desertic areas is proposed. To this purpose, we introduce a novel, coherence-based index, named Temporal Stability Index (TSI), that is suited for characterizing the percentage of stability of a target with time. TSI maps can be generated over areas as wide as hundreds of kilometers, in a short time, and mostly by exploiting available software tools (plus some simple coding). The information provided is complementary to the average of the short-term coherence, here shown. Results of analysis performed on two desertic regions (the United Arab Emirates and Egypt) document the usefulness of TSI for the identification of dune movements and areas subject to sand accumulation, supporting risk mitigation measures.

The titanium alloy is one of the prime materials for many engineering applications. It has been recommended for the components in automotive engines, power sector, biomedical industries, and more applications. It is due to the unique properties of the material with good strength and corrosion resistance. However, it is very challenging to handle Ti-based materials in manufacturing sectors without damaging the metallurgical quality. Thus, an attempt made to study the deformability of the CP-Ti material through ball–punch test to represent the stress, strain, and formability limit during mechanical loading and plastic deformation. The experiments are conducted following the ASTM E643 standards to study the material behavior. The maximum cupping reached to a height of 8.69 mm and got teared at the peak of doom. The separation has induced grain detachment due to tensile loading. The same condition is used to simulate with PAM STAMP™ software and 8.48 mm is the maximum cupping height achieved. The different is 0.21 mm. The results are interesting with similar observations and found acceptable to study the deformation.

Abstract Development of insecticides resistance mainly hinge with managements techniques for the control of Jassid, Amrasca biguttutla biguttutla. Five insecticides were applied against field collected and laboratory rared jassid populations during the years of 2017 to 2019 to profile their resistance level against field population of jassid through leaf dip method. Very low resistance level was found in jassid against confidor whereas high level of resistance was observed by pyriproxyfen against other test insecticides. Gradual resistance was observed against diafenthiuron. It is concluded that for the management of Jassid repetition of same insecticide should be avoided. The use of confidor may be reduced to overcome resistance against Jassid.

Reverse engineering is a new technique employed in product design wherein original drawings or pertinent technical data are not available. Reverse engineering technology acquires the conceptual designs from the existing products and consequently creates digital product models. In the product design these digital products are employed with optimization principles. The investigation in this paper encompasses 3-D reconstruction of products by the reverse engineering technique and consequently identifying the deviations between the original product and the reverse engineered model. Design of experiments is a systematic study in the consideration of the governing parameters and there by arriving at the optimization stage. In this investigation response surface methodology method is employed by taking the input parameters viz noise level, smoothing level and triangle count %; and there by identified the responses namely deviation and curvature deviation occurred from the existing physical model. The deviations and curvature deviations are in the range 0.0266 to 0.0621 mm and 0.543 (54.3%) to 0.645 (64.5%) respectively which indicate that the reverse engineered freeform surface is not exhibiting significant difference when compared to the original CAD model. Response surface contours are constructed for determining the optimum process conditions.

Detailed physical, chemical, thermal and circular vibrational investigations have been made on FT-IR, FT-Raman, NMR and UV–Visible spectra of m-xylene-4-sulphonic acid. The modification of the basic property of the base compound favoured by the asymmetric orientation of the charge levels among the atoms of the compound has been discussed in detail. The transitional pattern among the natural bond orbitals emphasized the inducement of the antibacterial and antifungal activity in the compound. Strong interpretations of the physical and chemical properties by intense observation using excitations between the electronic energy levels within the molecule have been carried out. The arrangement of the dipole moment of the bonds and the change of the resultant magnetic moment were observed from the average polarizability first-order diagonal hyperpolarizability. The receptor and inhibition property of the molecule were interpreted by the identification of reactive sites from the molecular electrostatic potential contour map. The chemical reaction continuity is keenly observed from thermodynamic analysis.

The ability of soil microorganisms and organic manure to convert insoluble phosphorus (P) to an accessible form offers a biological rescue system for improving P utilization efficiency in soil–plant systems. Our objective was to examine the P mineralization potential of two soluble P fertilizers (SPF), i.e., single superphosphate (SSP) and diammonium phosphate (DAP), and of insoluble rock phosphate (RP) with and without phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and poultry manure (PM) and their subsequent effect on the growth, yield and P utilization efficiency (PUE) of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.). An incubation study was carried out on a loam (slightly alkaline) soil with 12 treatments: T0 – control; T1 – RP; T2 – SSP; T3 – DAP; T4 – PM; T5 – 1/2 RP+1/2 SSP; T6 – 1/2 RP+1/2 DAP; T7 – 1/2 RP+1/2 PM; T8 – RP+PSB; T9 – 1/2 RP+1/2 SSP+PSB; T10 – 1/2 RP+1/2 DAP+PSB; and T11 – 1/2 RP+1/2 PM+PSB. Phosphorus mineralization was measured by analyzing extractable P from the amended soil incubated under controlled conditions at 25 °C for periods of 0, 5, 15, 25, 35 and 60 days. A complementary greenhouse experiment was conducted in pots with chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) as a test crop. Growth, yield, P uptake and PUE of the chilli was determined during the study. Results indicated that P mineralization in soil amended with RP was 6.0–11.5 mg kg−1, while both soluble P fertilizers resulted in 68–73 mg P kg−1 at day 0, which decreased by 79–82 % at the end of incubation. The integrated use of PSB and PM with RP in T11 stimulated P mineralization by releasing a maximum of 25 mg P kg−1 that was maintained at high levels without any loss. Use of PSB decreased soil pH. In the greenhouse experiment, RP alone or RP+PSB did not have a significant impact on plant growth. However, the combined use of RP, PM and PSB in T11 resulted in similar growth, yield and P uptake of chilli as DAP. The PUE of applied P varied from 4 to 29 % and was higher in the treatments that included PSB. We conclude that the use of PSB and PM with insoluble RP or with soluble P fertilizers could be a promising approach to enhance P availability from both low-grade RP and SPF for crop production in intensive cropping systems.

Aluminium based metal matrix composites have drawn more attraction due to their improved properties in structural applications for the past two decades. The fatigue behaviour of composite materials needs to be studied for their structural applications. In this work, powder metallurgy based aluminium (AA2014) alloy reinforced with micro and nano-sized alumina particles were fabricated and consolidated with the hot extrusion process. The evaluation of mechanical properties in the extruded composite was carried out. This composite was subjected to low cycle fatigue test with a constant strain rate. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) images were used to evaluate the fatigue behaviour of aluminium-nano composite samples. Enhanced mechanical properties were exhibited by the nano alumina reinforced aluminium composites, when compared to the micron sized alumina reinforced composites. The failure cycle is observed to be higher for the nano alumina reinforced composites when compared with micron sized alumina composites due to a lower order of induced plastic strain.

In Italy, differently from others European Countries (Switzerland) where the use of helicopters is more diffuse, log transportation in slop land is generally performed by cable crane although its use is generally difficult and high time consuming for mounting/dismounting the line. With the aim to evaluate the possible use of the helicopter in North West Italian forest an overview of the present use of the helicopter in Italy followed by an operating and economical comparison of wood transport with helicopter and cable crane was made and reported in this paper. The yarding comparison between helicopter and cable crane has been made in a forestry with an average slope of 40 % located at an altitude ranking from 1,150 to 1,450 m. The average tree diameter considered was about 400 mm with a total volume harvested of 750 m3. In this study, the comparison was performed considering a helicopter with an engine power of 624 kW (useful load of 1,076 kg and a market price of 1,200,000 €) and a cable crane with a nominal power of 104 kW equipped with a motorized carriage. The overview has pointed out that the helicopter in Italy is mostly employed for transport by the use of the barycentre hook (80 %), but only 1% of this transport system is used for wood due to its higher hourly cost (1,200 € h-1). In the forestry situation examined, logging carried out using the cable crane required a working time of 20 days, while using the helicopter are necessary only 5 days. In contrast, logging performed with the helicopter has a cost of about 60 € m3 that is 4 times higher of the cable crane one (about 15 € m3).

The fruit seed oils from four varieties of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), namely, Halmas, Nari, Travet and Charmagzi were analyzed for different physico-chemical characteristics. The oil yield from the apricot seeds (kernels) ranged from 32.23-42.51%, while the protein, fiber and ash contents ranged from 13.21-20.90%, 5.13-9.81% and 2.11-3.89%, respectively. The extracted oils had an average iodine value (g of I/100 g of oil) of 96.4-106.3; density at 24 °C, 0.87-0.93 mg/mL; refractive index (40 °C), 1.4655-1.4790; saponification value, 189.1-199.4 mg of KOH/g oil; unsaponifiable matter, 0.59-0.88%; free fatty acid (mg of KOH/g oil), 0.41-1.28; and color (1-inch cell), 1.31-2.96R 1 14.8-29.8Y. With regard to the oxidation state, the tested oils showed values for specific extinction at 232 and 268 nm, 2.30-3.42 and 0.82-1.04, respectively, while the peroxide value was 1.0-2.32 meq O2/kg and, p-anisidine was 1.22-1.90. The major fatty acid found in the oils was oleic acid (62.34-80.97%) followed by linoleic (13.13-30.33%), palmitic (3.35-5.93%), linolenic (0.73-1.03%) and stearic (1.10-1.68%) acids. The contents of α-, γ-, and δ-, tocopherols in the oils ranged from 14.8-40.4, 330.8-520.8 and 28.5-60.2 mg/kg, respectively. The results of our present investigation revealed that apricot seed is a potential source of oil which can be used both for edible and oleochemical applications.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in respect to all farming residues, including orchard pruning residues. The masses and dimensional characteristics of branches pruned, depend on several factors such as fruit variety, active strength plant, training systems, intensity and periodicity pruning. Many studies were done to fix this type of biomass availability, however they’re not up-to-date, and usually they are lacking of accurate surveys. A detailed knowledge of current pruning biomass availability, both qualitative and quantitative, is also necessary for the evaluation of the economic sustainability of their energetic exploitation. In this context, in order to provide an assessment of the real chain potential of energy renewable production, from Cuneo territory pruning residues, a research was conducted on two different orchards species Actinidia (Kiwi tree) and Malus (Apple tree) pruned in two different ways: “traditional system” and “taille longue system”. For each species, pruning residues amount were quantified together with their diameter. The surveys were performed at least on four half trees placed on the same row spacing with three randomized replications in the crop. The amount of pruning residues were determined by a dynamometer (precision 0.02N) whereas the diameter of individual cut-off branches has been detected at the base of the same using a twentieths calliper. Subsequently were performed pruning residues windrowing by rotating rake and the harvest of the same by fixed chamber round baler suitably modified. At the end of these operations have been determined harvesting losses with the same methodology used for the initial quantification of residues. The first result shows that with the “traditional pruning system” the biomass average availability is of 2.5t DM ha–1 and 3.0t DM ha–1, respectively for kiwi tree and apple tree. For the latter, the average values are significantly lower 0.5t DM ha–1 with “taille longue” pruning system. The harvesting losses have been nearly 19% in kiwi tree and 16% for apple tree (from 95% to 11% according to the variety). In both crops the variation of harvester losses are due mainly to the size and conformation (straight) of pruned branches.

In this paper, we demonstrated multimode laser emission from a dome shaped micro-scale resonator encapsulated in a flexible polymer film. The resonator with a radius of ~60 microns was made of Norland Blocking Adhesive (NBA 107) doped with a solution of rhodamine 6G and ethanol. The dome was encapsulated in a flexible polymeric film made of polydymethylsiloxane (PDMS) with a thickness of 1 mm. The micro-scale laser was optically pumped using a frequency doubled Q-switch Nd:YAG laser with pulse repetition of 10 Hz and pulse duration of 9 ns. Experiments were carried out to investigate the lasing properties of this laser structure. The pumping threshold for multimode laser emission was below 100 µJ cm−2. The average optical quality factor for all observed laser modes was of the order of 104. Using a fluence of 315.8 µJ cm−2 it was observed that the intensity of the laser emission dropped by 62% after 5 min of operation. These results showed that these solid state flexible lasers are easy to fabricate and can be integrated into novel flexible photonic devices and novel photonic sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological studies searching for drivers of biodiversity variation have frequently focused on taxonomic richness. However, more aspects of biodiversity, namely diversity facets can be considered to properly assess biotic-environment relationships. Here, we explore the environmental factors that could control the four biodiversity facets of aquatic Coleoptera from 93 regionally sampled Patagonian ponds. We also explore which are the ponds with high diversity values of all facets to prioritize them with a high conservation value. We fitted generalized additive models (GAM) to test relationships among environment (i.e., local and climatic variables) and aquatic beetles diversity facets (i.e., richness (SD), functional diversity (FD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and local contribution to local beta diversity (LCBD). Climatic drivers were the most important predictors of beetle diversity facets, which exhibited linear and nonlinear responses. Thus, ponds from warmer Patagonia exhibited the highest values of SD and PD, whereas LCBD also peaked on colder sites suggesting that ponds under extreme temperatures sustain unique beetle assemblages. Moreover, ponds located in areas with higher precipitation variability exhibit the highest values of LCBD (i.e., unique assemblages). This result in addition to arid conditions in Patagonia prevailing since 16 m.y.a made us think that Patagonian beetle pond-dwellers are basally adapted to aridity. We calculated an index that summarizes the four facets patterns, to assign high conservation value to those ponds with higher index values. The relative importance of each facet varies from pond to pond. Hence, this multifaceteded approach not only allows us to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation but also focuses on the importance of including multiple facets to understand biodiversity spatial patterns.

Abstract Background Knowledge of immature habitats is an important focus for investigations of mosquito community ecology, and may improve our understanding of how environmental variables increase risk of mosquito-borne diseases by influencing the distributions and abundances of species. In Patagonia region, where climatic and ecological factors could be only borderline suitable for mosquito development, relatively little is known about larval ecology. The present study focuses on associations of environmental conditions in natural aquatic habitats with abundances of mosquito species that have colonized such habitats in Patagonia. Methods We described the mosquito community composition within 26 natural temporary pools, and assessed the general relationships between environmental variables (pH, water temperature, conductivity, salinity, dissolved oxygen, aquatic plant cover and main nutrients) and larval abundances using redundancy analysis (RDA). Additionally, we compiled monthly climate data and vegetation indices for each larval habitat, and estimated the probability of presence for two of the most abundant species, describing through generalized linear models (GLM) the environmental, climatic and landscape variables-probability of occurrence relationships. Results Seven species belonging to the genera Culex and Aedes were identified, with Culex apicinus, Cx. acharistus and Aedes albifasciatus being the most abundant. Mean larval densities were low (6.8 ± 2.8 larvae/dip), and the highest species richness and larval densities were recorded in northern and central areas. Aedes albifasciatus, a species of sanitary importance, was widely distributed, being the only one collected south of the 45th parallel of S latitude. RDA indicated that aquatic conductivity, pH, water depth, dissolved oxygen, ammonia and soluble reactive phosphorous accounted for the main part of the variation in the species composition. According to GLMs, wind speed was the variable that best described the presence of Ae. albifasciatus, and the probability of finding this species was positively associated with high wind speed values. On the other hand, the EVI vegetation index was the only variable included in the Cx. apicinus model, whereby there was a great probability of presence in arid areas with lower EVI values. Conclusions Our results enhance our knowledge of larval habitat ecology under the extreme environmental conditions of Patagonia and will guide future efforts to understand how multiple effects can affect mosquito ecology and public health at higher latitudes.

In a simple procedure, the intramolecular hydroarylation of N-propargyl-pyrrole-2-carboxamides was accomplished with the aid of gold(III) catalysis. The reaction led to differently substituted pyrrolo[2,3-c]pyridine and pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridine derivatives arising either from direct cyclization or from a formal rearrangement of the carboxamide group. Terminal alkynes are essential to achieve bicyclic pyrrolo-fused pyridinones by a 6-exo-dig process, while the presence of a phenyl group at the C–C triple bond promotes the 7-endo-dig cyclization giving pyrrolo-azepines.

l-Arabinose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.4) (l-AI) from Enterococcus faecium DBFIQ E36 was overproduced in Escherichia coli by designing a codon-optimized synthetic araA gene. Using this optimized gene, two N- and C-terminal His-tagged-l-AI proteins were produced. The cloning of the two chimeric genes into regulated expression vectors resulted in the production of high amounts of recombinant N-His-l-AI and C-His-l-AI in soluble and active forms. Both His-tagged enzymes were purified in a single step through metal-affinity chromatography and showed different kinetic and structural characteristics. Analytical ultracentrifugation revealed that C-His-l-AI was preferentially hexameric in solution, whereas N-His-l-AI was mainly monomeric. The specific activity of the N-His-l-AI at acidic pH was higher than that of C-His-l-AI and showed a maximum bioconversion yield of 26% at 50 °C for d-tagatose biosynthesis, with Km and Vmax parameters of 252 mM and 0.092 U mg−1, respectively. However, C-His-l-AI was more active and stable at alkaline pH than N-His-l-AI. N-His-l-AI follows a Michaelis-Menten kinetic, whereas C-His-l-AI fitted to a sigmoidal saturation curve.

This paper discusses the fabrication and characterization of electrospun nanofiber mats made up of poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) polymer. The polymer was electrospun in different weight concentrations. The mats were characterized by their basis weight, fiber diameter distribution, contact angles, contact angle hysteresis, and air permeability. All of the electrospun nonwoven fiber mats had water contact angles greater than 150 degrees making them superhydrophobic. The permeabilities of the mats were empirically fitted to the mat basis weight by a linear relation. The experimentally measured air permeabilities were significantly larger than the permeabilities predicted by the Kuwabara model for fibrous media.