Contact and Momentum Distribution of the Unitary Fermi Gas

A key quantity in strongly interacting resonant Fermi gases is the contact C, which characterizes numerous properties such as the momentum distribution at large momenta or the pair correlation function at short distances. The temperature dependence of C was measured at unitarity, where existing theoretical predictions differ substantially even at the qualitative level. We report accurate data for the contact and the momentum distribution of the unitary gas in the normal phase, obtained by bold diagrammatic Monte Carlo and Borel resummation. Our results agree with experimental data within error bars and provide crucial benchmarks for the development of advanced theoretical treatments and precision measurements.

Improvement of the shadow tracking setup as a method to measure the velocities values of dark dust in order to reduce the risks of radioactive releases or explosions

The mobilisation of dust is a key security issue in nuclear and industrial plants because it can provoke both explosions (in particular temperature and pressure conditions) and dangerous radioactive releases. This work is focused on the tungsten dust resuspension inside small tank for aerosol removal and DUST (STARDUST)-Upgrade, an experimental facility used to reproduce different conditions typical of the loss of vacuum accidents. In this paper, the authors present the facility and the materials used to mount the experimental setup together with the methods and algorithms implemented to track the dust velocity vectors. Tungsten dust is also analyzed through scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to find some correlation between the variation of the dust morphology, due to the different experimental conditions, with the dust mobilisation paths. The materials and methods together with the experimental results are analyzed and discussed to demonstrate the implementation with the shadow tracking setup presented in the previous facility STARDUST.

Inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers in alkaptonuria: data from the DevelopAKUre project

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this work was to assess baseline serum levels of established biomarkers related to inflammation and oxidative stress in samples from alkaptonuric subjects enrolled in SONIA1 (n = 40) and SONIA2 (n = 138) clinical trials (DevelopAKUre project).

METHODS

Baseline serum levels of Serum Amyloid A (SAA), IL-6, IL-1β, TNFα, CRP, cathepsin D (CATD), IL-1ra, and MMP-3 were determined through commercial ELISA assays. Chitotriosidase activity was assessed through a fluorimetric method. Advanced Oxidation Protein Products (AOPP) were determined by spectrophotometry. Thiols, S-thiolated proteins and Protein Thiolation Index (PTI) were determined by spectrophotometry and HPLC. Patients' quality of life was assessed through validated questionnaires.

RESULTS

We found that SAA serum levels were significantly increased compared to reference threshold in 57.5% and 86% of SONIA1 and SONIA2 samples, respectively. Similarly, chitotriosidase activity was above the reference threshold in half of SONIA2 samples, whereas CRP levels were increased only in a minority of samples. CATD, IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, MMP-3, AOPP, thiols, S-thiolated protein and PTI showed no statistically significant differences from control population. We provided evidence that alkaptonuric patients presenting with significantly higher SAA, chitotriosidase activity and PTI reported more often a decreased quality of life. This suggests that worsening of symptoms in alkaptonuria (AKU) is paralleled by increased inflammation and oxidative stress, which might play a role in disease progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Monitoring of SAA may be suggested in AKU to evaluate inflammation. Though further evidence is needed, SAA, chitotriosidase activity and PTI might be proposed as disease activity markers in AKU.

Study of inelastic nuclear interactions of 400 GeV/c protons in bent silicon crystals for beam steering purposes

Inelastic nuclear interaction probability of 400 GeV/c protons interacting with bent silicon crystals was investigated, in particular for both types of crystals installed at the CERN Large Hadron Collider for beam collimation purposes. In comparison to amorphous scattering interaction, in planar channeling this probability is ∼ 36 % for the quasi-mosaic type (planes (111)), and ∼ 27 % for the strip type (planes (110)). Moreover, the absolute inelastic nuclear interaction probability in the axial channeling orientation, along the ⟨ 110 ⟩ axis, was estimated for the first time, finding a value of 0.6 % for a crystal 2 mm long along the beam direction, with a bending angle of 55 μ rad. This value is more than two times lower with respect to the planar channeling orientation of the same crystal, and increases with the vertical angular misalignment. Finally, the correlation between the inelastic nuclear interaction probability in the planar channeling and the silicon crystal curvature is reported.

Training in Colposcopy: Experience with a Videocolposcopy Test

The authors evaluate the results of a videocolposcopy test (330 total cases, 12 cases of histologically confirmed CIN2 or more severe lesions) taken by 9 accredited and 17 unaccredited colposcopists during 1995. Seven of 9 accredited and 4 of 13 unaccredited colposcopists reached the requested standard (sensitivity >90%, biopsy rate «60%). Performance was definitely better when the test was not blind to the cytologic report (4 of 13 reached the requested standard) with respect to blind reading (none of 17). The study confirmed that colposcopy at unaccredited practices is poorly accurate. Colposcopy assessment of patients with abnormal smears should be centralized in accredited practices, which should undergo periodic quality control to guarantee screening efficacy. Tape-recorded videocolposcopy tests are a good, simple, practical and inexpensive method for interobserver quality control of colposcopic performance.

Ozonation of Blood during Extracorporeal Circulation. I. Rationale, Methodology and Preliminary Studies

We investigated whether exposure of blood ex-vivo to oxygen-ozone (O2-O3) through a gas exchanger is feasible and practical. We first evaluated the classical dialysis-type technique but we soon realized that semipermeable membranes are unsuitable because they are hydrophilic and vulnerable to O3. We therefore adopted a system with hydrophobic O3-resistant hollow fibers enclosed in a polycarbonate housing with a membrane area of about 0.5 m2. First we tested the system with normal saline, determining the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) at O3 concentrations from 5 to 40 μg/ml. We then evaluated critical parameters by circulating swine blood in vitro; this revealed that heparin is not an ideal anticoagulant for this system. Finally, we performed several experiments in sheep and defined optimal anticoagulant dose (sodium citrate, ACD), priming solution, volume of blood flow per min, volume and concentration of O2-O3 mixture flowing counter-current with respect to blood and the time necessary for perfusion in vivo. The biochemical parameters showed that an O3 concentration as low as 10 μg/ml is effective; this means that gas exchange and O3 reactivity are rapid and capable of inducing biological effects. The sheep showed no adverse effects even after 50 min of extracorporeal circulation at higher O3 concentrations (20 to 40 μg/ml) but the exchanger became less effective (low pO2 values) due to progressive clogging with cells.

MS2/Cardio: Towards a Multi-Service Medical Software for Cardiology

Many clinics are interested to use software packages in daily practice, but lack of integration of such packages seriously limits their scope. In practice this often entails switching between programs and interrupting the run of an individual program. A multi-task approach would not solve this problem as it would not eliminate the need to input the same data many times, as often occurs when using separate packages. The construction of a Multi-Service Medical Software package (MSx2) is described, which was also developed as an example of practical integration of some clinically relevant functions. The package runs on a personal computer in an MS-DOS environment and integrates a time-oriented medical record management unit (TOMRU) for data of ambulatory patients, and a drug information management unit (DIMU) concerning posology, content, effects, and possible interactions. Of the possible database configurations allowed by MSx2, the cardiology patient database (MSx2/C) and hypertensive patient database (MSx2/H) were developed and described here. Clinical information to be included in the configurations was obtained after discussion and consensus of clinical practitioners. MSx2/C was distributed to several hundred clinical centers during computerized courses to train future users. MSx2 can easily transfer patient data to statistical processing packages.

Il Suino Nero delle Alpi – Salvataggio e Allevamento

Tutte le razze che non hanno rispettato gli standard produttivi sono scomparse. Ciò è accaduto in particolare nell’ambito suinicolo. Fino a poco tempo fa erano tutti convinti della completa perdita di tutte le razze suine alpine autoctone! Ma nel 2013 alcuni membri della Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria di Parma hanno trovato, in una fattoria didattica, un ultimo gruppo di maiali Valtellinesi (chiamato anche maiale Grigione). La rete alpina Pro Patrimonio Montano* ne ha continuato l’allevamento e ha trovato, dopo intense ricerche, altri due gruppi residui da includere ed evitarne la consanguineità. Questi tre gruppi, con diversa provenienza, costituiscono oggi il pool genetico che rappresenta tutte le razze suine alpine. Dopo tre anni, ci sono di nuovo 73 animali allevati distribuiti in 27 gruppi di allevamento in tre paesi. Precedentemente il Suino Nero e maculato delle Alpi era diffuse tra le montagne delle regioni centrali e sud-orientali delle Alpi Svizzere a nord-ovest della Slovenia. Eppure non sono ancora disponibili dati scientifici ma gli studi sono attualmente intraprese.

The ALMANACH Project: Preliminary results and potentiality from Afghanistan

INTRODUCTION

ALMANACH (ALgorithms for the MANagement of Acute CHildhood illnesses) is an electronic version of IMCI (Integrated Management of Childhood Illness) running on tablets. ALMANACH enhances its concept, it integrates well into health staff's daily consultation work and facilitates diagnosis and treatment. ALMANACH informs when to refer a child or to perform a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), recommends the right treatment dosage and synchronizes collected data real time with a Health Management Information System (DHIS2) for epidemiological evaluation and decision making.

OBJECTIVES

Since May 2016, ALMANACH is under investigational deployment in three primary health care facilities in Afghanistan with the goal to improve the quality of care provided to children between 2 months and 5 years old.

METHODS

IMCI's algorithms were updated in considering latest scientific publications, national guidelines, innovations in RDTs, the target population's epidemiological profile and the local resources available. Before the implementation of the project, a direct observation of 599 consultations was carried out to assess the daily performance at three selected health facilities in Kabul.

RESULTS

The baseline survey showed that nutritional screening, vitamin A supplementation and deworming were not systematically performed: few patients were diagnosed for malnutrition (1.8%), received vitamin A (2.7%) or deworming (7.5%). Physical examination was appropriate only for 23.8% of the diagnoses of respiratory or gastrointestinal diseases, ear infection and sore throat. Respiratory rate was checked only in 33.5% of the children with fever and cough, dehydration status was assessed in only 16.5% of the diarrhoea cases. Forty-seven percent of patients received incorrect treatment. Sixty-four percent of the children, before the introduction of ALMANACH, received at least one antibiotic, although for 87.1% antibiotic therapy was unnecessary. The review of 8'047 paediatric consultations between May 2016 and September 2017 showed that with ALMANACH, malnutrition detection, deworming and Vitamin A supplementation increased respectively to 4.4%, 50.2% and 27.5%. Antibiotic prescription decreased to 21.83% and all children were examined and treated in compliance with the protocols.

CONCLUSION

A survey will be conducted one year after the implementation to validate these initial promising results. If the efficacy of the approach is confirmed, ALMANACH could establish as a powerful innovation for primary health care.

Effects of antioxidant mixtures in the diet of finishing pigs on the oxidative status and shelf life of longissimus dorsi muscle packaged under modified atmosphere

The effect of pig dietary supplementation with an antioxidant mixture (AOX), containing vitamin E and verbascoside, on animal oxidative status, meat quality parameters, and shelf life of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was examined. Seventy pigs with an average live weight of 95.2 ± 1.2 kg were selected and assigned to 2 dietary treatments. The control (CTR) group was fed a commercial diet, and the AOX group was fed the same diet supplemented with the AOX, containing vitamin E and verbascoside from Verbenaceae extract, for 45 d before slaughter. At the beginning and at the end of the trial, blood samples were collected to determine oxidative status, using the Kit Radicaux Libres test. At slaughter, carcass weight was recorded and LD muscles from 10 pigs per treatment were sampled. Physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensory parameters and oxidative stability of LD muscle were assessed for up to 21 d of storage at 4°C under modified atmosphere packaging. Dietary AOX positively affected ( < 0.05) oxidative status and carcass dressing percentage. The oxidative and color stability of the LD muscle were improved ( < 0.05) in the AOX group compared with the control. The sensory shelf life revealed that at 15 d of storage, meat from the AOX group was comparable ( < 0.05) to the fresh meat in appearance and aroma. A lower ( < 0.05) spp. load was observed in the AOX samples than in the control samples. No other microbiological parameters were affected by dietary treatment. Overall, the present data showed that dietary AOX supplementation in pigs improved in vivo antioxidant status and exerted antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, thus enhancing the shelf life of raw pork under commercial conditions.