1,721,011 research outputs found
Thermodynamic and metrological issues in environmental measurements
No full textEnvironmental measurements represent a phenomenal societal and scientific challenge of ever-growing importance in the light of the ongoing and future climate variability. Thermal quantities (air, sea, snow and soil temperature, humidity, permafrost depth) are key among the Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) as defined by the WMO Global Climate Observing System in these areas. In order to accurately capture climatic trends and enable early detection, metrological rigor in terms of sensor calibration and uncertainty budget evaluation are of paramount importance. For this reason, the metrology and meteo/climatic communities have started a decade-long ongoing cooperation through the mutual recognition accords between the WMO and BIPM, which led to the exchange of representatives in WGs, the co-hosting of a series of joint workshops (“Metrology for Climate Action”), and a general strict cooperation, through the development of new measurement techniques and instruments; the understanding of uncertainty components both for laboratory calibration and for field conditions; the accurate evaluation of quantities of influence; and the development guidelines, best practices and recommendations
Hormone-dependent gynaecological disorders: a pathophysiological perspective for appropriate treatment
No full textMeasurement system for experimental determination of acoustic properties of gels at INRIM
No full text
HIFU Ultrasound Power Measurements at INRiM
No full textIn this work the new system for the ultrasound power measurement of High Intensity Focused Ultrasound transducers realized at INRIM ultrasounds laboratory is presented. The system is based on a submersible load cell that takes the place of the balance. This solution presents essentially two advantages. The first one, of mechanical nature, is relevant to the fact that the target is directly connected to the force transducer, eliminating unwanted target motion at high power. The second, of electric nature, concerns the possibility to reduce the insonation time (the ON period of the electric driving signal to the HIFU transducer) under of 2 s, and is allowed for by the faster response of the force transducer (700 Hz bandwidth). The main components of uncertainty and the overall budget of the measurement system are presented together with the results of measures of conductance, G, carried on a HIFU transducer, at the work frequencies 2.0 MHz and 6.38 MHz, for values of power ranging from 10 W to 100 W. The results of the ultrasonic conductance, G, obtained with the new system are compared with values obtained using the traditional measuring system for low powers (P ≤ 20W)
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Hormone-dependent gynaecological disorders: a pathophysiological perspective for appropriate treatment
No full textHormonal changes are involved in several gynaecological disorders. Correct functioning of the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis is critical for ovulatory function, as well as the growth and differentiation of uterine tissue (myometrium and endometrium). However, the correct functioning of other endocrine glands (thyroid, adrenal cortex, pancreas) is also crucial for correct reproductive function. Genes and environmental factors have an influence on women's fertility through their effect on hormonal function. Consequently, dysfunction of the HPO axis and/or other endocrine systems may cause infertility and gynaecological disorders. The pathogenetic basis can be used to help make the correct clinical decision for treating these diseases. Disturbances related to the menstrual cycle, i.e. amenorrhoea, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), have a close correlation with hypo- or hypersecretion of hormones of the HPO axis. The roles of hypothalamic neurohormones and neurotransmitters in the various forms of amenorrhoea and PMS are well established. PCOS has a complex endocrine/metabolic origin, so a variety of hormonal treatments have been proposed. Hormone derangement has also been proposed as the cause of endometriosis and uterine fibroids. These disorders do not have hyper- or hyposecretion of reproductive hormones, but hyperactivity of oestrogen receptors coupled with a genetic predisposition. The relevance of the endocrine changes is confirmed by the clinical effectiveness of hormonal treatments. In order to establish the correct treatment approach in gynaecological disorders, it is important to understand the endocrine pathophysiology
- …
