Kinetics of mobile impurities and correlation functions in one-dimensional superfluids at finite temperature

We scrutinize the hydrodynamic approach for calculating dynamical correlations in one-dimensional superfluids near integrability and calculate the characteristic time scale {\tau} beyond which this approach is valid. For time scales shorter than {\tau} hydrodynamics fails and we develop an approach based on kinetics of fermionic quasiparticles described as mobile impurities. New universal results for the dynamical structure factor relevant to experiments in ultracold atomic gases are obtained.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Supplemental material included. Version 3: Minor typos correcte

Bio-based building components: A newly sustainable solution for traditional walls made of Arundo donax and gypsum

To contribute to the use of bio-based materials in the building sector, a novel bio-based wall panel, with a high thermal performance level, is proposed in this work. The panel is based on an ancient rural technique, widely diffused in southern Italy, which makes use of Arundo donax L. canes combined with gypsum plaster to build walls and ceilings of rural buildings. The enhancement of the thermal capacity of these panels by means of the introduction in the canes of a natural wax oleogel (WO) is proposed in this paper. A specific experimental campaign aiming at the comparison of traditional and innovative panels was carried out to assess the enhanced thermal performance of the proposed solution. The maximum value of heat flow absorbed from the panel with WO was 61.08 W/m(2) around a mean panel temperature of 24 & DEG;C, corresponding to the melting temperature range of the WO. The panel without WO at the same temperature absorbed an incoming heat flow of 34.64 W/m(2) which is about 57% of the panel with WO. The panel with WO released at a temperature of about 27.5 & DEG;C, a heat flow of 43.42 W/m(2). At the same temperature of about 27.5 & DEG;C, the panel without WO released a heat flow of 34.38 W/m(2) which is about 80% that of the panel with WO. The results highlighted that the addition of natural WO has enhanced the thermal capacity of the panel facilitating heat dissipation through the borders. These characteristics make the panel a suitable component for internal partitions of controlled temperature zones such as residential rooms, storage food areas, livestock buildings, and where it is necessary to obtain a constant environmental temperature. In particular, the null or low toxicity of the panel's materials allows for partition use, also in hygienically safe environments

Epidemiology and In Vitro Activity of Ceftazidime/Avibactam, Meropenem/Vaborbactam and Imipenem/Relebactam against KPC-Producing K. pneumoniae Collected from Bacteremic Patients, 2018 to 2020

The management of KPC-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC-Kp) in bloodstream infections (BSIs) represent a serious clinical challenge. In this study, the aim is to assess the incidence of resistance to novel β-lactams-β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (βL-βLICs), such as ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI), meropenem-vaborbactam (MER-VAB) and imipenem-relebactam (IMI-REL), in KPC-Kp strains collected during a three-year period from patients with bacteremia. KPC-Kp strains resistant to βL-βLICs were selected for whole-genome sequencing. A total of 133 K. pneumoniae strains were isolated, and KPC-Kp strains were the most represented (87.2%). In 2018, resistance to CAZ-AVI and MER-VAB was 6.5% and 14.5%, respectively. In 2019, KPC-Kp resistance to CAZ-AVI and MER-VAB remained at low levels, with values of 12.9% and 3.2%, respectively. During 2020, CAZ-AVI resistance was detected in 2/23 of KPC-Kp strains (8.7%). IMI-REL was the most active βL-βLIC, inhibiting >98% of the isolates, while CAZ-AVI and MER-VAB inhibited 87-93% and 85-97% of the KPC producers, respectively. Correlations between genotypic traits and resistance to βL-βLICs showed that KPC-Kp strains resistant to CAZ-AVI harbored a mutation within the blaKPC-3 gene, while all KPC-Kp strains resistant to CAZ-AVI, MER-VAB and/or IMI-REL carried the blaKPC-3 gene. Moreover, genetic analysis of porin genes showed that 14/16 of KPC-Kp resistant isolates possessed a truncated OmpK35 and glycine (G) and aspartic acid (D) insertions at positions 134-135 within OmpK36, whereas 2/16 displayed truncated OmpK35 and OmpK36 porins. Novel βL-βLICs are promising agents against KPC-Kp infections; however, the emergence of resistance to these agents highlights the need for continuous surveillance and application of enhanced antimicrobial stewardship

Investigation of ABO Gene Variants across More Than 60 Pig Breeds and Populations and Other Suidae Species Using Whole-Genome Sequencing Datasets

Polymorphisms in the human ABO gene determine the major blood classification system based on the three well-known forms: A; B; and O. In pigs that carry only two main alleles in this gene (A and O), we still need to obtain a more comprehensive distribution of variants, which could also impact its function. In this study, we mined more than 500 whole-genome sequencing datasets to obtain information on the ABO gene in different Suidae species, pig breeds, and populations and provide (i) a comprehensive distribution of the A and O alleles, (ii) evolutionary relationships of ABO gene sequences across Suidae species, and (iii) an exploratory evaluation of the effect of the different ABO gene variants on production traits and blood-related parameters in Italian Large White pigs. We confirmed that allele O is likely under balancing selection, present in all Sus species investigated, without being fixed in any of them. We reported a novel structural variant in perfect linkage disequilibrium with allele O that made it possible to estimate the evolutionary time window of occurrence of this functional allele. We also identified two single nucleotide polymorphisms that were suggestively associated with plasma magnesium levels in pigs. Other studies can also be constructed over our results to further evaluate the effect of this gene on economically relevant traits and basic biological functions

Stability Analysis of a Landslide Scarp by Means of Virtual Outcrops: The Mt. Peron Niche Area (Masiere di Vedana Rock Avalanche, Eastern Southern Alps)

We investigated the Mt. Peron niche area of the Masiere di Vedana rock avalanche (BL), one of the major mass movements that affected the Eastern Southern Alps in historical times. So far, a geomechanical characterization and a stability analysis of the niche area, where potential rockfall sources are present, are lacking. The Mt. Peron niche area is a rocky cliff almost inaccessible to field-based measurements. In order to overcome this issue, we performed a geo-structural characterization of a sector of the cliff by means of a UAV-based photogrammetric survey. From the virtual outcrop, we extracted the orientation of 159 fractures that were divided into sets based on a K-means clustering algorithm and field-checked with some measurements collected along a rappelling descent route down to the cliff. Finally, with the aim of evaluating the stability of the volume under investigation, we performed a stability analysis of three rock pillars included in our survey by means of a distinct element numerical simulation. Our results indicate that two out of the three pillars are characterized by a stable state, under the simulation assumptions, whereas the third is close to failure, and for this reason, its condition needs further investigation

Whole Genome Sequencing Provides Information on the Genomic Architecture and Diversity of Cultivated Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) Broodstock Nuclei

The gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) is a species of relevance for the Mediterranean aquaculture industry. Despite the advancement of genetic tools for the species, breeding programs still do not often include genomics. In this study, we designed a genomic strategy to identify signatures of selection and genomic regions of high differentiation among populations of farmed fish stocks. A comparative DNA pooling sequencing approach was applied to identify signatures of selection in gilthead seabream from the same hatchery and from different nuclei that had not been subjected to genetic selection. Identified genomic regions were further investigated to detect SNPs with predicted high impact. The analyses underlined major genomic differences in the proportion of fixed alleles among the investigated nuclei. Some of these differences highlighted genomic regions, including genes involved in general metabolism and development already detected in QTL for growth, size, skeletal deformity, and adaptation to variation of oxygen levels in other teleosts. The obtained results pointed out the need to control the genetic effect of breeding programs in this species to avoid the reduction of genetic variability within populations and the increase in inbreeding level that, in turn, might lead to an increased frequency of alleles with deleterious effects

Population genomic structures and signatures of selection define the genetic uniqueness of several fancy and meat rabbit breeds

Following the recent domestication process of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), many different breeds and lines, distinguished primarily by exterior traits such as coat colour, fur structure and body size and shape, have been constituted. In this study, we genotyped, with a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism panel, a total of 645 rabbits from 10 fancy breeds (Belgian Hare, Champagne d'Argent, Checkered Giant, Coloured Dwarf, Dwarf Lop, Ermine, Giant Grey, Giant White, Rex and Rhinelander) and three meat breeds (Italian White, Italian Spotted and Italian Silver). ADMIXTURE analysis indicated that breeds with similar phenotypic traits (e.g. coat colour and body size) shared common ancestries. Signatures of selection using two haplotype-based approaches (iHS and XP-EHH), combined with the results obtained with other methods previously reported that we applied to the same breeds, we identified a total of 5079 independent genomic regions with some signatures of selection, covering about 1777 Mb of the rabbit genome. These regions consistently encompassed many genes involved in pigmentation processes (ASIP, EDNRA, EDNRB, KIT, KITLG, MITF, OCA2, TYR and TYRP1), coat structure (LIPH) and body size, including two major genes (LCORL and HMGA2) among many others. This study revealed novel genomic regions under signatures of selection and further demonstrated that population structures and signatures of selection, left into the genome of these rabbit breeds, may contribute to understanding the genetic events that led to their constitution and the complex genetic mechanisms determining the broad phenotypic variability present in these untapped rabbit genetic resources

Perceived Realism of Pedestrian Crowds Trajectories in VR

Crowd simulation algorithms play an essential role in populating Virtual Reality (VR) environments with multiple autonomous humanoid agents. The generation of plausible trajectories can be a significant computational cost for real-time graphics engines, especially in untethered and mobile devices such as portable VR devices. Previous research explores the plausibility and realism of crowd simulations on desktop computers but fails to account the impact it has on immersion. This study explores how the realism of crowd trajectories affects the perceived immersion in VR. We do so by running a psychophysical experiment in which participants rate the realism of real/synthetic trajectories data, showing similar level of perceived realism

Relationship between the prevalence of hemoglobin S and the ethnic background of blood donors in Paraná state Relação entre prevalência da hemoglobina S e origem étnica de doadores de sangue no estado do Paraná

aBStRaCt Introduction: Hemoglobin S (HbS) is one of the most common inherited hematological disorders in humans. In Brazil, the sickle-cell disease (SCD) has significant epidemiological importance due to its prevalence and the morbidity-mortality and, therefore, it has been identified as a matter of public health. Objective: To determine the prevalence of HbS among Asian Brazilian, Afro Brazilian, and Euro Brazilian individuals of a blood bank in Curitiba. Material and method: The study was conducted from January 2008 to December 2009, and included 83,213 donors seen at the Instituto Paranaense de Hemoterapia e Hematologia. Results and discussion: The prevalence of HbS in the studied population was 0.9%, among them, 0% Asian Brazilians, 2.7% Afro Brazilians, and 0.7% Euro Brazilians. There was a positive association, statistically significant for the sickle cell trait in Afro-descendants, with odds ratio (OR) 4.01; confidence interval (CI) 3.42-4.72; and 95% confidence. Conclusion: This study showed higher rates of sickle cell trait in Afro Brazilians, which corroborates data published in other Brazilian regions and states