Global constraints on absolute neutrino masses and their ordering

Within the standard three-neutrino framework, the absolute neutrino masses and their ordering (either normal, NO, or inverted, IO) are currently unknown. However, the combination of current data coming from oscillation experiments, neutrinoless double beta decay searches, and cosmological surveys, can provide interesting constraints for such unknowns in the sub-eV mass range, down to O(0.1) eV in some cases. We discuss current limits on absolute neutrino mass observables by performing a global data analysis, that includes the latest results from oscillation experiments, neutrinoless double beta decay bounds from the KamLAND-Zen experiment, and constraints from representative combinations of Planck measurements and other cosmological data sets. In general, NO appears to be somewhat favored with respect to IO at the level of ~2 sigma, mainly by neutrino oscillation data (especially atmospheric), corroborated by cosmological data in some cases. Detailed constraints are obtained via the chi^2 method, by expanding the parameter space either around separate minima in NO and IO, or around the absolute minimum in any ordering. Implications for upcoming oscillation and non-oscillation neutrino experiments, including beta-decay searches, are also discussed.Comment: 17 pages, including 3 tables and 11 figure

Quasideterministic generation of maximally entangled states of two mesoscopic atomic ensembles by adiabatic quantum feedback

We introduce an efficient, quasideterministic scheme to generate maximally entangled states of two atomic ensembles. The scheme is based on quantum nondemolition measurements of total atomic populations and on adiabatic quantum feedback conditioned by the measurements outputs. The high efficiency of the scheme is tested and confirmed numerically for ideal photodetection as well as in the presence of losses.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, title changed, revised version published on Phys. Rev

Multi-agent quality of experience control

In the framework of the Future Internet, the aim of the Quality of Experience (QoE) Control functionalities is to track the personalized desired QoE level of the applications. The paper proposes to perform such a task by dynamically selecting the most appropriate Classes of Service (among the ones supported by the network), this selection being driven by a novel heuristic Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) algorithm. The paper shows that such an approach offers the opportunity to cope with some practical implementation problems: in particular, it allows to face the so-called “curse of dimensionality” of MARL algorithms, thus achieving satisfactory performance results even in the presence of several hundreds of Agents

Entanglement of two atomic samples by quantum non-demolition measurements

This paper presents simulations of the state vector dynamics for a pair of atomic samples which are being probed by phase shift measurements on an optical beam passing through both samples. We show how measurements, which are sensitive to different atomic components, serve to prepare states which are close to being maximally entangled.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, REVTeX

Chemotherapy cardiotoxicity: cardioprotective drugs and early identification of cardiac dysfunction.

Background: Chemotherapy cardiotoxicity is an emerging problem and it is very important to prevent cardiac dysfunction caused by anticancer drugs. The aim of this study was to assess the alterations of the cardiac function induced by chemotherapy in a follow-up of 2 years and to evaluate the cardioprotective role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) in the prevention of cardiac dysfunction. Methods: A prospective study was carried out using patients with breast cancer (85 women; median age 57W12years) and other inclusion and exclusion criteria. On the basis of treatment, patients were divided into six groups: fluorouracil-epirubicincyclophosphamide, FEC (group A); FEC and trastuzumab (B); trastuzumab (C); FEC and taxotere (D); FEC, paclitaxel and trastuzumab (E); and chemotherapy and cardioprotective drugs (F). Cardiological evaluation including electrocardiogram and conventional echocardiogram with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) was carried out at T0 (before starting chemotherapy), T1 (after 6months from the start of chemotherapy) and T2 (2 years after the end of chemotherapy). Results: Significant changes in the TDI parameters of systolic and diastolic function were observed at T1 and T2 in all patients. A significant reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was observed only at T2. In the patients treated with ACEI (F), these changes were less significant than in other groups and they do not have significant changes in the indices of diastolic function. Conclusion: TDI is more sensitive than conventional echocardiogram in the early diagnosis of cardiac dysfunction and ACEIs seem to have an important role in the prevention of cardiotoxicity

Quadrature-dependent Bogoliubov transformations and multiphoton squeezed states

We introduce a linear, canonical transformation of the fundamental single--mode field operators $a$ and $a^{\dagger}$ that generalizes the linear Bogoliubov transformation familiar in the construction of the harmonic oscillator squeezed states. This generalization is obtained by adding to the linear transformation a nonlinear function of any of the fundamental quadrature operators $X_{1}$ and $X_{2}$, making the original Bogoliubov transformation quadrature--dependent. Remarkably, the conditions of canonicity do not impose any constraint on the form of the nonlinear function, and lead to a set of nontrivial algebraic relations between the $c$--number coefficients of the transformation. We examine in detail the structure and the properties of the new quantum states defined as eigenvectors of the transformed annihilation operator $b$. These eigenvectors define a class of multiphoton squeezed states. The structure of the uncertainty products and of the quasiprobability distributions in phase space shows that besides coherence properties, these states exhibit a squeezing and a deformation (cooling) of the phase--space trajectories, both of which strongly depend on the form of the nonlinear function. The presence of the extra nonlinear term in the phase of the wave functions has also relevant consequences on photon statistics and correlation properties. The non quadratic structure of the associated Hamiltonians suggests that these states be generated in connection with multiphoton processes in media with higher nonlinearities.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figure

Switch to maraviroc with darunavir/r, both QD, in patients with suppressed HIV-1 was well tolerated but virologically inferior to standard antiretroviral therapy: 48-Week results of a randomized trial

Objectives Primary study outcome was absence of treatment failure (virological failure, VF, or treatment interruption) per protocol at week 48. Methods Patients on 3-drug ART with stable HIV-1 RNA <50 copies/mL and CCR5-tropic virus were randomized 1:1 to maraviroc with darunavir/ritonavir qd (study arm) or continue current ART (continuation arm).Results In June 2015, 115 patients were evaluable for the primary outcome (56 study, 59 continuation arm). The study was discontinued due to excess of VF in the study arm (7 cases, 12.5%, vs 0 in the continuation arm, p = 0.005). The proportion free of treatment failure was 73.2% in the study and 59.3% in the continuation arm. Two participants in the study and 10 in the continuation arm discontinued therapy due to adverse events (p = 0.030). At VF, no emergent drug resistance was detected. Co-receptor tropism switched to non-R5 in one patient. Patients with VF reported lower adherence and had lower plasma drug levels. Femoral bone mineral density was significantly improved in the study arm. Conclusion Switching to maraviroc with darunavir/ritonavir qd in virologically suppressed patients was associated with improved tolerability but was virologically inferior to 3-drug therap