Post-Traumatic Outcomes among Survivors of the Earthquake in Central Italy of August 24, 2016. A Study on PTSD Risk and Vulnerability Factors

Central Italy suffered from the earthquake of 2016 resulting in great damage to the community. The purpose of the present study was to determine the long-term traumatic outcomes among the population. A preliminary study aimed at obtaining the Italian translation of the first 16 item of HTQ IV part [1] which was administered, 20 months after the disaster, at 281 survivors. In backward stepwise logistic regressions models, we estimated among the respondent’s characteristics and event-related variables the best predictors of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) revealed a HTQ five-factors solution as best model, with satisfactory indexes of fit. HTQ held a positive correlation with both the SQD-P (r =.65, p <.05) and SQD-D subscales (r =.47, p <.05). ROC analysis suggested an area of.951 (95% CI =.917–.985) for the PTSD prediction. Basing on sensibility (.963) and specificity (.189), the best cut-off of 2.0 allowed discriminating for PTSD positive cases. After 20 months of the earthquake, the estimate prevalence of PTSD among the survivors is of 21.71% with a consistent and graded association between exposure variables and vulnerability factors (gender, age, exposure to death and home damage) and PTSD symptoms

Statistics of Raman-Active Excitations via Masurement of Stokes-Anti-Stokes Correlations

A general fundamental relation connecting the correlation of Stokes and anti-Stokes modes to the quantum statistical behavior of vibration and pump modes in Raman-active materials is derived. We show that under certain conditions this relation can be used to determine the equilibrium number variance of phonons.Time and temperature ranges for which such conditions can be satisfied are studied and found to be available in todays' experimental standards. Furthermore, we examine the results in the presence of multi-mode pump as well as for the coupling of pump to the many vibration modes and discuss their validity in these cases.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figure, accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.

Slow group velocity and Cherenkov radiation

We theoretically study the effect of ultraslow group velocities on the emission of Vavilov-Cherenkov radiation in a coherently driven medium. We show that in this case the aperture of the group cone on which the intensity of the radiation peaks is much smaller than that of the usual wave cone associated with the Cherenkov coherence condition. We show that such a singular behaviour may be observed in a coherently driven ultracold atomic gas.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Comparative Chromosome Maps of Neotropical Rodents Necromys lasiurus and Thaptomys nigrita (Cricetidae) Established by ZOO-FISH

This work presents chromosome homology maps between Mus musculus (MMU) and 2 South American rodent species from the Cricetidae group: Necromys lasiurus (NLA, 2n = 34) and Thaptomys nigrita (TNI, 2n = 52), established by ZOO-FISH using mouse chromosome-specific painting probes. Extending previous molecular cytogenetic studies in Neotropical rodents, the purpose of this work was to delineate evolutionary chromosomal rearrangements in Cricetidae rodents and to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships among the Akodontini species. Our phylogenetic reconstruction by maximum parsimony analysis of chromosomal characters confirmed one consistent clade of all Neotropical rodents studied so far. In both species analyzed here, we observed the syntenic association of chromosome segments homologous to MMU 8/13, suggesting that this chromosome form is a synapomorphic trait exclusive to Neotropical rodents. Further, the previously described Akodontini-specific syntenic associations MMU 3/18 and MMU 6/12 were observed in N. lasiurus but not in T. nigrita, although the latter species is considered a member of the Akodontini tribe by some authors. Finally, and in agreement with this finding, N. lasiurus and Akodon serrensis share the derived fission of MMU 13, which places them as basal sister clades within Akodontini. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Entanglement transformation at absorbing and amplifying four-port devices

Dielectric four-port devices play an important role in optical quantum information processing. Since for causality reasons the permittivity is a complex function of frequency, dielectrics are typical examples of noisy quantum channels, which cannot preserve quantum coherence. To study the effects of quantum decoherence, we start from the quantized electromagnetic field in an arbitrary Kramers--Kronig dielectric of given complex permittivity and construct the transformation relating the output quantum state to the input quantum state, without placing restrictions on the frequency. We apply the formalism to some typical examples in quantum communication. In particular we show that for entangled qubits the Bell-basis states $|\Psi^\pm>$ are more robust against decoherence than the states $|\Phi^\pm>$.Comment: 12 pages, revtex, 10 eps figures, minor corrections in Appendi

Comparative cytogenetics among populations of Astyanax altiparanae (Characiformes, Characidae, Incertae sedis)

Cytogenetic data are presented for Astyanax altiparanae populations from three Brazilian hydrographic systems. The chromosomal data obtained in A. altiparanae support the hypothesis of diploid number conservation. However, small differences in the karyotype formula and number of nucleolar organizer regions were observed in these populations. The apparent karyotypical similarity among the studied populations strongly suggests a close relationship among them with some chromosomal divergences due to gene flow restriction

Measurement of the properties of Higgs boson production at √s = 13 TeV in the H → γγ channel using 139 fb−1 of p p collision data with the ATLAS experiment

Measurements of Higgs boson production cross-sections are carried out in the diphoton decay channel using 139 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√=13 TeV collected by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. The analysis is based on the definition of 101 distinct signal regions using machine-learning techniques. The inclusive Higgs boson signal strength in the diphoton channel is measured to be 1.04+0.10−0.09. Cross-sections for gluon-gluon fusion, vector-boson fusion, associated production with a W or Z boson, and top associated production processes are reported. An upper limit of 10 times the Standard Model prediction is set for the associated production process of a Higgs boson with a single top quark, which has a unique sensitivity to the sign of the top quark Yukawa coupling. Higgs boson production is further characterized through measurements of Simplified Template Cross-Sections (STXS). In total, cross-sections of 28 STXS regions are measured. The measured STXS cross-sections are compatible with their Standard Model predictions, with a p-value of 93%. The measurements are also used to set constraints on Higgs boson coupling strengths, as well as on new interactions beyond the Standard Model in an effective field theory approach. No significant deviations from the Standard Model predictions are observed in these measurements, which provide significant sensitivity improvements compared to the previous ATLAS results

Exclusive dielectron production in ultraperipheral Pb+Pb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV with ATLAS

Exclusive production of dielectron pairs, γγ → e + e −, is studied using Lint = 1.72 nb−1 of data from ultraperipheral collisions of lead nuclei at sNN = 5.02 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The process of interest proceeds via photon–photon interactions in the strong electromagnetic fields of relativistic lead nuclei. Dielectron production is measured in the fiducial region defined by following requirements: electron transverse momentum pTe > 2.5 GeV, absolute electron pseudorapidity |η e | < 2.5, dielectron invariant mass mee > 5 GeV, and dielectron transverse momentum pTee < 2 GeV. Differential cross-sections are measured as a function of mee, average pTe , absolute dielectron rapidity |yee|, and scattering angle in the dielectron rest frame, |cos θ *|, in the inclusive sample, and also with a requirement of no activity in the forward direction. The total integrated fiducial cross-section is measured to be 215±1(stat.)−20+23(syst.)±4(lumi.) μb. Within experimental uncertainties the measured integrated cross-section is in good agreement with the QED predictions from the Monte Carlo programs Starlight and SuperChic, confirming the broad features of the initial photon fluxes. The differential cross-sections show systematic differences from these predictions which are more pronounced at high |yee | and |cos θ * | values. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]