Search results for "PICO"

Structure and characteristics of laser crystallized thin amorphous Si films

2011

Abstract Pure amorphous Si thin films deposited on oxidized crystalline Si surface (111) were crystallized by picosecond UV laser pulses. The Raman scattering spectra show that pulse energy of 330 mJ/cm2 is enough to fully crystallize Si film and further increase of the energy does not improve crystallinity. A large grained polycrystalline Si was obtained as revealed by surface analysis. A significant increase in carrier mobility was observed after laser crystallization.

Oltre Omero. Aspetti storico-letterari del Ciclo epico troiano

Picosecond Time Resolved Analysis of the Fast and Slow Reversible Non-Photochemical Chlorophyll Fluorescence Quenching

1998

Photosystem II, which is a potential target of adverse effects of supersaturating light, is strongly dependent on a mechanism, which allows to switch over between efficient photochemical energy conversion at limiting light intensity and efficient photothermal energy conversion under strong light. The mechanisms for the thermal dissipation of light absorbed in excess are reflected by the socalled non-photochemical quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence (NPQ). Under excessive illumination two major components contribute to the overall NPQ which can be distinguished by their different kinetics of dark relaxation. The fast reversible component is supposed to be linked to the light-induced format…

Novel RNA viruses producing simultaneous covert infections in Ceratitis capitata. Correlations between viral titers and host fitness, and implication…

2017

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata is a highly polyphagous pest, which infests multiple species of fruits and vegetables worldwide. In addition to the traditional control with chemical insecticides, sterile insect technique (SIT) has been implemented in integrated programs worldwide, and has become an essential measure for the control of this pest. A key issue for SIT is to release sterile males that are sufficiently competitive with males from the wild population. Using sequence information available in public databases, three novel picornaviruses infecting medflies were discovered and named as C. capitata iflavirus 1 and 2 (CcaIV1 and CcaIV2), and C. capitata noravir…

Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence varies by cat breed.

2017

Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread zoonotic parasite that is relevant for veterinary and public health. The domestic cat, the definitive host species with the largest worldwide population, has become evolutionarily and epidemiologically the most important host of T. gondii. The outcome of T. gondii infection is influenced by congenital and acquired host characteristics. We detected differences in T. gondii seroprevalence by cat breed in our previous studies. The aims of this study were to estimate T. gondii seroprevalence in selected domestic cat breeds, and to evaluate whether being of a certain breed is associated with T. gondii seropositivity, when the age and lifestyle of the cat are tak…

Friend or foe? The apparent benefits of gregarine (Apicomplexa: Sporozoa) infection in the European earwig

2020

International audience; Studying the costs and benefits of host-parasite interactions is of central importance to shed light on the evolutionary drivers of host life history traits. Although gregarines (Apicomplexa: Sporozoa) are one of the most frequent parasites in the gut of invertebrates, the diversity of its potential impacts on a host remains poorly explored. In this study, we addressed this gap in knowledge by investigating the prevalence of natural infections by the gregarine Gregarina ovata and testing how these infections shape a large set of morphological, behavioural and physiological traits in the European earwig Forficula auricularia. Our results first show that G. ovata was p…

Treatments used for obsessive-compulsive disorder-An international perspective.

2018

Objective The objective of this study was to characterise international trends in the use of psychotropic medication, psychological therapies, and novel therapies used to treat obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Methods Researchers in the field of OCD were invited to contribute summary statistics on the characteristics of their samples. Consistency of summary statistics across countries was evaluated. Results The study surveyed 19 expert centres from 15 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States) providing a total sample of 7,340 participants. Fluoxetine (n = 972; 13…

Serological Survey of Rodent-Borne Viruses in Finnish Field Voles

2014

In northern Europe, rodent populations display cyclic density fluctuations, which can be correlated with the human incidence of zoonotic diseases they spread. During density peaks, field voles (Microtus agrestis) become one of the most abundant rodent species in northern Europe, yet little is known of the viruses they host. We screened 709 field voles, trapped from 14 sites over three years, for antibodies against four rodent-borne, potentially zoonotic viruses or virus groups: hantaviruses, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), Ljungan virus (LV) and orthopoxviruses (OPV). Antibodies against all four viruses were detected. However, seroprevalence of hantaviruses, LV and LCMV was low. …

Asthmatic bronchial epithelial cells have a deficient innate immune response to infection with rhinovirus

2005

Rhinoviruses are the major trigger of acute asthma exacerbations and asthmatic subjects are more susceptible to these infections. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of this increased susceptibility, we examined virus replication and innate responses to rhinovirus (RV)-16 infection of primary bronchial epithelial cells from asthmatic and healthy control subjects.Viral RNA expression and late virus release into supernatant was increased 50- and 7-fold, respectively in asthmatic cells compared with healthy controls. Virus infection induced late cell lysis in asthmatic cells but not in normal cells. Examination of the early cellular response to infection revealed impairment of virus induc…

Circadian variation in shedding of the oocysts of Isospora turdi (Apicomplexa) in blackbirds (Turdus merula): an adaptative trait against desiccation…

2009

5 pages; International audience; Many parasite species spend part of their life cycle in the external environment waiting for a new host. Emergence of parasites often occurs once a day, which may help to minimise mortality in an inhospitable environment and increase transition rates. Many intestinal parasites in birds are released in faeces only in the late afternoon. However, the adaptative significance of this pattern is unclear. One hypothesis is that a particular time of emergence may prevent parasite desiccation and therefore increase the parasite's life expectancy in the external environment. We tested this hypothesis experimentally using the blackbird (Turdus merula) infected with Is…