645 research outputs found
Exploring the infiltrative and degradative ability of Fusarium oxysporum on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using correlative microscopy and deep learning
No full textAbstract Managing the worldwide steady increase in the production of plastic while mitigating the Earth’s global pollution is one of the greatest challenges nowadays. Fungi are often involved in biodegradation processes thanks to their ability to penetrate into substrates and release powerful catabolic exoenzymes. However, studying the interaction between fungi and plastic substrates is challenging due to the deep hyphal penetration, which hinders visualisation and evaluation of fungal activity. In this study, a multiscale and multimodal correlative microscopy workflow was employed to investigate the infiltrative and degradative ability of Fusarium oxysporum fungal strain on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fragments. The use of non-destructive high-resolution 3D X-ray microscopy (XRM) coupled with a state-of-art Deep Learning (DL) reconstruction algorithm allowed optimal visualisation of the distribution of the fungus on the PET fragment. The fungus preferentially developed on the edges and corners of the fragment, where it was able to penetrate into the material through fractures. Additional analyses with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) allowed the identification of the different phases detected by XRM. The correlative microscopy approach unlocked a more comprehensive understanding of the fungus-plastic interaction, including elemental information and polymeric composition
Preservation and Reproduction of an Ancient Human Humerus through X-ray Microscopy and 3D Printing
No full textThe combination of X-ray Microscopy (XRM) and three-dimensional virtual reconstruction has enabled the digitization and restoration of broken artifacts. By scanning, acquiring, and virtually stitching together the 3D reconstructions of individual broken pieces, damaged relics can be visualized as if they were intact objects. These virtually reconstructed samples can then be reproduced as physical copies through 3D printing, allowing for the sharing of rare findings in museum exhibits worldwide so that printed copies can be displayed for public exposure, while the original pieces remain preserved. This paper aims to demonstrate the application of these reconstruction principles to an artificially modified human humerus belonging to the II–I millennium BC. The humerus was bent into the shape of a serpent for ritual purposes related to the ancient "Snake Cult", which was widespread in the Persian Gulf area during the Iron Age. Following the scanning and software elaboration processes, the pieces were printed in PLA (Polylactic Acid) as a single object and made available to the public, thus giving new life to a unique piece of history
Preservation and reproduction of an ancient human humerus through x-ray microscopy and 3D printing
No full textThe combination of X-ray Microscopy (XRM) and three-dimensional virtual reconstruction has enabled the digitization and restoration of broken artifacts. By scanning, acquiring, and virtually stitching together the 3D reconstructions of individual broken pieces, damaged relics can be visualized as if they were intact objects. These virtually reconstructed samples can then be reproduced as physical copies through 3D printing, allowing for the sharing of rare findings in museum exhibits worldwide so that printed copies can be displayed for public exposure, while the original pieces remain preserved. This paper aims to demonstrate the application of these reconstruction principles to an artificially modified human humerus belonging to the II–I millennium BC. The humerus was bent into the shape of a serpent for ritual purposes related to the ancient “Snake Cult”, which was widespread in the Persian Gulf area during the Iron Age. Following the scanning and software elaboration processes, the pieces were printed in Polylactic Acid (PLA) as a single object and made available to the public, thus giving new life to a unique piece of history
“but I am also influenced by no such thing”-The Radical Pietist and Theological Author Johanna Eleonora Petersen
No full textJohanna Eleonora von und zu Merlau, verheiratete Petersen, von jeher tief gläubig, veränderte die religiöse Welt des 17. Jahrhunderts. Sie bekannte sich zur Bewegung des Pietismus und vertrat radikale Ansichten, nicht nur im privaten Kreis, sondern als anerkannte und heftig kritisierte theologische Autorin. Ihrem Werk ist eine Studie gewidmet, in der neue Forschungsergebnisse vorgestellt und Leben und Werk dieser bedeutenden Autorin in zeitgenössische Diskurse eingebunden werden.The deeply devout Johanna Eleonora Petersen, whose maiden name was „von und zu Merlau,” changed the religious world of the seventeenth century. She avowed herself to Pietism and held radical views, not only in private but also as an acknowledged and sharply criticized theological author. This study attends to her work. It presents new research results and weaves the life and work of this important author into contemporary discourses
La notion de défectuosité du produit dans les jurisprudences des pays européens
No full textThis work analyses the notion of defective product originally developed by US Courts, then ambiguously defined by the European directive n. 374 of 1985 and differently interpreted and applied by the respective domestic Courts. In particular, some European jurisdictions apply the risk / utility test introduced by the US Courts for design defects cases, although this test is not mentioned by the European Directive. The author, having highlighted the inconsistences of the risk / utility test, proposes an alternative model of classification of defective products according to the elements actually used by judges in order to allocate the liability, as emerging from the text of their decisions. This classification leads to held the manufacturer strictly liable not only for manufacturing defects, but also for those design defects which he was aware of (as in some cases of defective vaccine).Cette étude examine la notion de défectuosité du produit initialement élaborée par les Cours américaines, définie de manière ambigüe par le législateur européen avec la directive n° 374 de 1985, puis différemment interprétée et appliquée par les Cours respectives des pays membres. Notamment certains systèmes juridiques européens appliquent le risk/ utility test élaboré par les Cours américaines pour les cas de défaut de conception du produit, bien que ce test ne soit pas mentionné par la directive européenne. L’auteur, après avoir mis en évidence les incongruences du risk/ utility test, propose un modèle alternatif de classification des cas de produits défectueux sur la base des critères d’imputation de la responsabilité qui sont concrètement utilisés par les juges et tels qu’imagés dans les textes de leurs décisions. Cette reconstruction amène à imputer au fabricant une responsabilité objective non seulement pour les cas de défaut de production, mais aussi pour les cas de défaut de conception dont il était averti (tel que certain cas de vaccin défectueux).Rajneri Karageorgevitch Eleonora. La notion de défectuosité du produit dans les jurisprudences des pays européens. In: Revue internationale de droit comparé. Vol. 67 N°1,2015. pp. 185-205
Hair analysis in order to evaluate drug abuse in driver's license regranting procedures
No full textIn Italy, driving under the influence of drugs determines the suspension of the offender’s driver’s license. To regain the license the person must be drug free during an observation period. People whose license has been revoked or suspended can obtain, or re-obtain their driver’s license subject to the judgment of a medical commission. The exclusion of illicit drug use is determined by means of toxicological analysis, mainly on urine or hair matrices. We reported the results of several years of experience of the forensic toxicology laboratory of the University of Macerata in the use of hair analysis for the assessment of past exposure to drugs in people suspected of driving under the influence of drugs. From 2004 to 2013, 8,612 hair samples, were analyzed for opiates, cocaine and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) using gas chromatography /mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. We used a cutoff (SoHT or national guidelines) to determine the positive data, regardless of the hair sample concentrations. 1,213 samples resulted positive, 71.7% were positive for cocaine and metabolites, 19.8 % for morphine and metabolites, 8.5% for delta-Δ9-THC. We also studied the timeframe of the abuse, as well as gender and age distribution of positive subjects. Moreover, we analyzed the possible deterrent effect of the hair analysis on driving under the influence of psychoactive substances
TO THE JUBILEE OF PROFESSOR STEPANOVA ELEONORA FEDOROVNA
No full textThe article is devoted to the anniversary of Professor Eleonora Fedorovna Stepanova – a bright representative of the Russian intelligentsia: a talented lecturer, an inventor, an author of numerous books, an internationally recognized scholar
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No full textHebb's idea of a cell assembly as the fundamental unit of neural information processing has dominated neuroscience like no other theoretical concept within the past 60 years. A range of different physiological phenomena, from precisely synchronized spiking to broadly simultaneous rate increases, has been subsumed under this term. Yet progress in this area is hampered by the lack of statistical tools that would enable to extract assemblies with arbitrary constellations of time lags, and at multiple temporal scales, partly due to the severe computational burden. Here we present such a unifying methodological and conceptual framework which detects assembly structure at many different time scales, levels of precision, and with arbitrary internal organization. Applying this methodology to multiple single unit recordings from various cortical areas, we find that there is no universal cortical coding scheme, but that assembly structure and precision significantly depends on the brain area recorded and ongoing task demands
Rescate y conservación del Acervo Histórico del Palacio de Minería: Informe de las labores de conservación preventiva e intervenciones menores en material Bibliohemerográfico y actividades en apoyo al Acervo Histórico : octubre 2011 - febrero 2012
No full textEl presente informe tiene como finalidad dar constancia de los trabajos realizados en el Acervo Histórico del Palacio de Minería, por los restauradores Roderick Palacios, Isabel Ritter y Eleonora Cruz, pasantes de la Licenciatura en Restauración de Bienes Culturales como prestación de su servicio social.</p
Tra quadro e cornice
No full textThe author presents a reconstruction of the experience she had in Pontedera when she saw some performances of the Workcenter of Jerzy Grotowski and Thomas Richards and took part to some works of the group. The text is composed by two parts: a descriptive and a theoretical one. In the first part, that she called “paintings”, the author tries to present his memory of what she saw and of what happened. Two plays are described, namely L’heure fugitive and The Underground, from the Focused Research Team in Art as a Vehicle, directed by Thomas Richards. After that, there is a description of open rehearsal of Thomas Richards’ group, in which the actors did singing exercises. The last activity was instead a singing session with Mario Biagini and his team, where the author and her colleagues participated actively. In the theoretical part, the author exposes her reflections concerning performances and other experiences, by focusing in particular on their meaning as well as on their major points of interest
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