Confining properties of QCD at finite temperature and density

A disorder parameter detecting dual superconductivty of the vacuum is used as a probe to characterize the confining properties of the phase diagram of two color QCD at finite temperature and density. We obtain evidence for the disappearing of dual superconductivity (deconfinement) induced by a finite density of baryonic matter, as well as for a coincidence of this phenomenon with the restoration of chiral symmetry both at zero and finite density. The saturation transition induced by Pauli blocking is studied as well, and a general warning is given about the possible effects that this unphysical transition could have on the study of the QCD phase diagram at strong values of the gauge coupling.Comment: 13 pages, 23 figure

Tracking of the origin of recurrent mutations of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in the North-East of Italy and improved mutation analysis strategy

14noopenopenCini, Giulia; Mezzavilla, Massimo; Della Puppa, Lara; Cupelli, Elisa; Fornasin, Alessio; D'Elia, Angela Valentina; Dolcetti, Riccardo; Damante, Giuseppe; Bertok, Sara; Miolo, Gianmaria; Maestro, Roberta; de Paoli, Paolo; Amoroso, Antonio; Viel, AlessandraCini, Giulia; Mezzavilla, Massimo; Della Puppa, Lara; Cupelli, Elisa; Fornasin, Alessio; D'Elia, Angela Valentina; Dolcetti, Riccardo; Damante, Giuseppe; Bertok, Sara; Miolo, Gianmaria; Maestro, Roberta; de Paoli, Paolo; Amoroso, Antonio; Viel, Alessandr

The digital reconstruction of the Minims’ Convent in Place Royale and its optical-perspective games

The Parisian Convent of the Minims at Place Royale (today's Place des Vosges) has always attracted the curiosity of architectural historians and scholars of representation, having been almost completely destroyed between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Its story begins in 1609, when the religious Order managed to buy 7500 square meters of former Hotel des Tournelles’ land. Even if already in possession of other two Convents in the rural areas of Nigeon and Vincennes (fig. 1), the Minims aspired to have their own institutional headquarters in city center, to better spread their apostolic work and to expand their researches between art and science. Starting from the faint traces survived to the present day, an unprecedented digital reconstruction of the entire Convent have been attempted. The intersection of archival sources was laborious and not without exegetical risks implicit in the choices made to produce a model compatible with the material collected and with the urban limits identified in the historical layout of the city. The main focus of this work of anastylosis, however, was the reconstruction of the lost optical-perspective marvels there contained, praised for their virtuosity and technical-expressive mastery. These, depicting St. John the Evangelist and the Penitent Magdalene, were executed in the first half of the 17th century by Jean François Niceron, and completed by Emmanuel Maignan. This essay is dedicated to the reconstruction of these and other projective, catoptrical and astrolabic tour de forces, offering scholars an unprecedented and surprising journey into one of the most mysterious places of the baroque Paris

Face pareidolia is enhanced by 40 Hz transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) of the face perception network

Abstract Pareidolia refers to the perception of ambiguous sensory patterns as carrying a specific meaning. In its most common form, pareidolia involves human-like facial features, where random objects or patterns are illusionary recognized as faces. The current study investigated the neurophysiological correlates of face pareidolia via transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). tACS was delivered at gamma (40 Hz) frequency over critical nodes of the “face perception” network (i.e., right lateral occipito-temporal and left prefrontal cortex) of 75 healthy participants while completing four face perception tasks (‘Mooney test’ for faces, ‘Toast test’, ‘Noise pareidolia test’, ‘Pareidolia task’) and an object perception task (‘Mooney test’ for objects). In this single-blind, sham-controlled between-subjects study, participants received 35 min of either Sham, Online, (40Hz-tACS_ON), or Offline (40Hz-tACS_PRE) stimulation. Results showed that face pareidolia was causally enhanced by 40Hz-tACS_PRE in the Mooney test for faces in which, as compared to sham, participants more often misperceived scrambled stimuli as faces. In addition, as compared to sham, participants receiving 40Hz-tACS_PRE showed similar reaction times (RTs) when perceiving illusory faces and correctly recognizing noise stimuli in the Toast test, thus not exhibiting hesitancy in identifying faces where there were none. Also, 40Hz-tACS_ON induced slower rejections of face pareidolia responses in the Noise pareidolia test. The current study indicates that 40 Hz tACS can enhance pareidolic illusions in healthy individuals and, thus, that high frequency (i.e., gamma band) oscillations are critical in forming coherent and meaningful visual perception

Non-conventional Cu thin films deposited on Y substrate by sputtering

Copper (Cu) thin films were deposited on yttrium (Y) substrate by sputtering. During the deposition, a small central area of the Y substrate was shielded to avoid the film deposition and was successively used to study its photoemissive properties. This configuration has two advantages: the cathode presents (i) the quantum efficiency and the work function of Y and (ii) high electrical compatibility when inserted into the conventional radio-frequency gun built with Cu bulk. The photocathode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy to determine surface morphology. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy studies were performed to compare the structure and surface properties of the deposited film. The measured electrical resistivity value of the Cu film was similar to that of high purity Cu bulk. Film to substrate adhesion was also evaluated using the Daimler–Benz Rockwell-C adhesion test method. Finally, the photoelectron performance in terms of quantum efficiency was obtained in a high vacuum photodiode cell before and after laser cleaning procedures. A comparison with the results obtained with a twin sample prepared by pulsed laser deposition is presented and discussed

Non conventional photocathodes based on Cu thin films deposited on Y substrate by sputtering

Copper (Cu) thin films were deposited on yttrium (Y) substrate by sputtering. During the deposition, a small central area of the Y substrate was shielded to avoid the film deposition and was successively used to study its photoemissive properties. This configuration has two advantages: the cathode presents (i) the quantum efficiency and the work function of Y and (ii) high electrical compatibility when inserted into the conventional radio-frequency gun built with Cu bulk. The photocathode was investigated by scanning electron microscopy to determine surface morphology. X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy studies were performed to compare the structure and surface properties of the deposited film. The measured electrical resistivity value of the Cu film was similar to that of high purity Cu bulk. Film to substrate adhesion was also evaluated using the Daimler-Benz Rockwell-C adhesion test method. Finally, the photoelectron performance in terms of quantum efficiency was obtained in a high vacuum photodiode cell before and after laser cleaning procedures. A comparison with the results obtained with a twin sample prepared by pulsed laser deposition is presented and discussed

Misure critiche. Nuova Serie. A. 19, n. 1-2 (2020)

N.S. A. 19, n. 1-2 (2020) : Grimaldi E., Dalle variazioni in progress al libero arbitrio. Alcune riflessioni sul «sacrato poema», P. 5 ; Vaccaro L., La partnership coniugale e letteraria di Muzio e Ippolita Manfredi nelle relazioni col duca di Mantova. Documenti inediti dall’Archivio Gonzaga, P. 39 ; Bottone A., Per una morfologia del dialogo nel Settecento italiano, P. 71 ; Chirico I., Uso e invenzione della tradizione nel romanzo ‘narcotico’ di Francesco Gritti (1740-1811), P. 98 ; Martellini M., Una inedita novella in versi di Luigi Cicconi, P. 115 ; Ferrauto E., Gli artisti e la Prima guerra mondiale attraverso documenti inediti. Il Teatro del Soldato al fronte. La Federazione degli Artisti del Varietà Italiano contro la chiusura dei teatri, P. 136 ; Pietropaoli A., Note sulla metrica di Govoni, P. 175 ; Genna G., Il Montale di Gadda: attimi iridati, «femmine», «cocci» e «fagiuoli», P. 185 ; Bilia M., Un epigramma inedito di Giorgio Caproni all’amico e poeta Siro Angeli, P. 201 ; Caterina Falotico, Anna Maria Ortese. Étrangère per vita e destino, P. 214 ; Paolino L., In ricordo di Marco Santagata, P. 241 ; Zanardi M., I trent’anni di Cronopio, P. 249 ; Benelli G., Trieste nella prosa di Serena Castro Stera, P. 253 ; Esposito E., Tà-kài-tà (Eduardo per Eduardo) di Enzo Moscato, P. 269 ; Maurutto A., ‘Rabboni,’ Cornelio Bentivoglio d’Aragona e il teatro a Ferrara tra Sei e Settecento, P. 279 ; Tuscano P., La ‘parola evocatrice’ di Antonio Chilà, P. 286 ; Striano P., La letteratura militante nel Mezzogiorno assediato, P. 290 ; Montanile M., Orazio Longo tra musica, immagini e parole, P. 296 ; Resio L., recensione a, Santorre Di Santa Rosa, Confessions (1801-1813), a cura di Chiara Tavella, Alessandria, Edizioni dell’Orso, 2020, P. 305 ; Bottone A., recensione a, Antonio Lucio Giannone (a cura di), Tra realtà storica e finzione letteraria. Studi su Sigismondo Castromediano, Lecce, Pensa Multimedia, 2019, P. 308 ; D’Elia A., recensione a, Michele Bianco, L’estetismo nella poesia di Giovanni Pascoli con una lettura ritmica, morfologico, fonica, metrica, sintattica e logico-formale, con un saggio introduttivo di Carlo Santoli, Alessandria, Edizioni dell’Orso, 2020, P. 311 ; Anelli C., recensione a, Elena Rampazzo, Futurista al chiaro di luna. La poesia di Paolo Buzzi fra tra-dizione e avanguardia, Trieste, Edizioni Università di Trieste, 2020, P. 314 ; Nassi F., recensione a, Claudio Gigante, Una coscienza europea. Zeno e la tradizione moderna, Roma, Carocci, 2020, P. 316 ; Tuscano F., recensione a, Alessandro Niero, Residenza fittizia, Milano, Marcos y Marcos, 2019, P. 320 ; Biot É., recensione a, Gius Gargiulo, Frontières et clôtures du western, Paris, Michel Houdiard, 2020, P. 323 ; Benelli G., recensione a, Bruno Pompili, Il fratello lontano, San Cesareo di Lecce, Manni, 2020, P. 327 ; D’Ambrosio A., recensione a, Alfonso Tramontano Guerritore, Gli Stati dell’Acqua, Faloppio (CO), LietoColle, 2019, P. 328 ; Fiorile A., recensione a, Rosario Palazzolo, La vita schifa, Cagliari, Arkadia Editore, 2020, P. 331 ; Giusti P., recensione a, Amici di Doccia, La collezione del Polo Museale della Campania, Quaderni (XII, 2019), Firenze, Polistampa, 2019, P. 333 ; Nigro P., recensione a, Daniela Bombara, Milagro Martin Clavijo (a cura di), La Sicilia a firma femminile: uno sguardo diacronico e sincronico dal XV al XXI secolo, «Rivista di studi italiani», XXXVIII, 1, aprile 2020, P. 335 ; Cataudella S., recensione a, Maria Rosaria Pelizzari (a cura di), Moda & Mode. Tradizioni e innovazione (Secoli XI-XXI), Milano, FrancoAngeli, 2019, voll. 3, P. 338

Characterization of a Transmon Qubit in a 3D Cavity for Quantum Machine Learning and Photon Counting

In this paper, we report the use of a superconducting transmon qubit in a 3D cavity for quantum machine learning and photon counting applications. We first describe the realization and characterization of a transmon qubit coupled to a 3D resonator, providing a detailed description of the simulation framework and of the experimental measurement of important parameters, such as the dispersive shift and the qubit anharmonicity. We then report on a Quantum Machine Learning application implemented on a single-qubit device to fit the u-quark parton distribution function of the proton. In the final section of the manuscript, we present a new microwave photon detection scheme based on two qubits coupled to the same 3D resonator. This could in principle decrease the dark count rate, favoring applications like axion dark matter searches

Disease-specific and general health-related quality of life in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients: The Pros-IT CNR study

BACKGROUND: The National Research Council (CNR) prostate cancer monitoring project in Italy (Pros-IT CNR) is an observational, prospective, ongoing, multicentre study aiming to monitor a sample of Italian males diagnosed as new cases of prostate cancer. The present study aims to present data on the quality of life at time prostate cancer is diagnosed. METHODS: One thousand seven hundred five patients were enrolled. Quality of life is evaluated at the time cancer was diagnosed and at subsequent assessments via the Italian version of the University of California Los Angeles-Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). RESULTS: At diagnosis, lower scores on the physical component of the SF-12 were associated to older ages, obesity and the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities. Lower scores on the mental component were associated to younger ages, the presence of 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities and a T-score higher than one. Urinary and bowel functions according to UCLA-PCI were generally good. Almost 5% of the sample reported using at least one safety pad daily to control urinary loss; less than 3% reported moderate/severe problems attributable to bowel functions, and sexual function was a moderate/severe problem for 26.7%. Diabetes, 3+ moderate/severe comorbidities, T2 or T3-T4 categories and a Gleason score of eight or more were significantly associated with lower sexual function scores at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Data collected by the Pros-IT CNR study have clarified the baseline status of newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A comprehensive assessment of quality of life will allow to objectively evaluate outcomes of different profile of care