319 research outputs found
Editorial for the special issue on 2d nanomaterials processing and integration in miniaturized devices
Initially considered little more than a scientific curiosity, the family of 2D nanomaterials has become increasingly popular over the last decade [...]
Identification of D179H, a novel missense GJB2 mutation in a Western Sicily family
The main purpose of this study was to describe a novel missense mutation (p.D179H) found in a Western Sicily family and to examine the genetic and audiologic profiles of all family members by performing a GJB2 and GJB6 mutations analysis and a complete audiologic assessment. The proband was a 3-month-old infant with a
congenital profound sensorineural hearing loss; direct sequencing of the GJB2 revealed the presence of a
c.35delG mutation in the heterozygous state and a heterozygous G[C transition at nucleotide 535 in trans; this novel mutation, called p.D179H, resulted in an aspartic acid to histidine change at codon 179. It was also evidenced in the heterozygous state in two members of this family, both with normal hearing. No GJB6 mutations were evidenced in all subjects studied. Considering the genotypic and phenotypic analysis of all family members, we suggest, differently from the p.D179 N mutation previously reported, a recessive mode of inheritance. Functional studies on p.D179H have to be performed to confirm our hypothesis
Psoas abscess ten years after ipsilateral nephrectomy for pyonephrosis
Pyogenic abscess of the psoas muscle is a rare disease. The Authors
report a recently observed case which developed 10 years after ipsilateral nephrectomy for pyonephrosis, reviewing the pertinent literature.
The culture of the pus extracted only reproduced Proteus mirabilis. The
relation between psoas abscess and nephrectomy is unclear. To make
diagnosis is important to consider this condition in differential diagnosis in presence of fever and flank tenderness in a nephrectomized patient
Transversity distributions and tensor charges of the nucleon: extraction from dihadron production and their universal nature
We perform the first global quantum chromodynamics (QCD) analysis of dihadron
production for a comprehensive set of data in electron-positron annihilation,
semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering, and proton-proton collisions, from
which we extract simultaneously the transversity distributions of the nucleon
and dihadron fragmentation functions. We incorporate in our fits
known theoretical constraints on transversity, namely, its small- asymptotic
behavior and the Soffer bound. We furthermore show that lattice-QCD results for
the tensor charges can be successfully included in the analysis. This resolves
the previously reported incompatibility between the tensor charges extracted
from dihadron production data and lattice QCD. We also find agreement with
results for the transversity and tensor charges obtained from measurements on
single-hadron production. Overall, our work demonstrates for the first time the
universal nature of all available information for the transversity
distributions and the tensor charges of the nucleon
First Simultaneous Global QCD Analysis of Dihadron Fragmentation Functions and Transversity Parton Distribution Functions
We perform a comprehensive study within quantum chromodynamics (QCD) of
dihadron observables in electron-positron annihilation, semi-inclusive
deep-inelastic scattering, and proton-proton collisions, including recent cross
section data from Belle and azimuthal asymmetries from STAR. We extract
simultaneously for the first time dihadron fragmentation functions
(DiFFs) and the nucleon transversity distributions for up and down quarks as
well as antiquarks. For the transversity distributions we impose their
small- asymptotic behavior and the Soffer bound. In addition, we utilize a
new definition of DiFFs that has a number density interpretation to then
calculate expectation values for the dihadron invariant mass and momentum
fraction. Furthermore, we investigate the compatibility of our transversity
results with those from single-hadron fragmentation (from a transverse momentum
dependent/collinear twist-3 framework) and the nucleon tensor charges computed
in lattice QCD. We find a universal nature to all of this available
information. Future measurements of dihadron production can significantly
further this research, especially, as we show, those that are sensitive to the
region of large parton momentum fractions.Comment: 34 pages, 24 figure
Isovector EMC effect from global QCD analysis with MARATHON data
We report the results of a Monte Carlo global QCD analysis of unpolarized
parton distribution functions (PDFs), including for the first time constraints
from ratios of He to H structure functions recently obtained by the
MARATHON experiment at Jefferson Lab. Our simultaneous analysis of nucleon PDFs
and nuclear effects in and nuclei reveals the first indication for
an isovector nuclear EMC effect in light nuclei. We find that while the
MARATHON data yield relatively weak constraints on the neutron to
proton structure function ratio and on the PDF ratio, they suggest an
enhanced nuclear effect on the -quark PDF in the bound proton, questioning
the assumptions commonly made in nuclear PDF analyses.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
Life Fertility Tables of Piophila casei L. (Diptera: Piophilidae) Reared at Five Different Temperatures
Abstract Piophila casei L. or cheese skipper is a well-known fly with a controversial role: it is considered harmful in the food industries but important in nature as a detritivore and useful for studies in forensic entomology. The temperature response of P. casei was studied at five constant temperatures: 15, 19, 25, 28, and 32°C. The lowest mortality percentage of eggs was recorded at 15°C and the highest at 32°C. Conversely, less mortality was observed for maggots at higher temperatures. The developmental time from first instar to adult decreased with temperature reaching the lowest value at 32°C (13.7 d). Adult longevity was strongly affected by temperature, decreasing from 20.5 d at 15°C to 6.6 d at 32°C. Mean total fecundity per female was higher at 25°C and lower at 15 and 19°C, whereas the best performance in mean daily total fecundity per female was recorded at 32°C. Male longevity followed a similar trend to the one observed for females. The net reproductive rate (R0) was greatest at 25°C, where..
Post laryngectomy speech rehabilitation outcome in elderly patients
The aim of our work has been to evaluate the different options of tracheoesophageal voice rehabilitation in over 70-year-old patients, who had undergone laryngectomy, assessing advantages and drawbacks of this method of vocal recovery. A retrospective study has been carried out. This has included 40 subjects, all aged more than 70 years old, who have been referred to tracheoesophageal voice rehabilitation. It has been realized a phonatory fistula between trachea and esophagus with prosthesis positioning by means of a primary puncture in 18 cases and it has been realized a secondary puncture in 22 cases. The results gathered in these patients were compared with data obtained from a group made of 39 patients, less than 70 years of age that therefore represented our control group. In primary tracheoesophageal puncture (TEP), the short-term success was 67 %, while in the 22 cases who underwent secondary TEP, the short-term success was 64 %. After 2 years from TEP, the long-term success was 82.5 %. In the control group, the short-term success was 65 % in primary TEP and 73 % in secondary TEP. After 2 years from TEP, the long-term success was 77 %. The evaluation of the results has shown the absence of a statistically significant difference both as regards complications incidence, during and after surgery (p > 0.9) and as regards overall success ratio of prosthesis implants between the two groups (p > 0.7). The possibilities of tracheoesophageal recovery of elderly patients do not show dissimilarities in comparison with the results in younger subjects
Catalytic Abatement of Volatile Organic Compounds and Soot over Manganese Oxide Catalysts
A set of manganese oxide catalysts was synthesized via two preparation techniques: solution combustion synthesis (Mn3O4/Mn2O3-SCS and Mn2O3-SCS) and sol-gel synthesis (Mn2O3-SG550 and Mn2O3-SG650). The physicochemical properties of the catalysts were studied by means of N2-physisorption at −196◦ C, X-ray powder diffraction, H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), soot-TPR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The high catalytic performance of the catalysts was verified in the oxidation of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) probe molecules (ethene and propene) and carbon soot in a temperature-programmed oxidation setup. The best catalytic performances in soot abatement were observed for the Mn2O3-SG550 and the Mn3O4/Mn2O3-SCS catalysts. The catalytic activity in VOC total oxidation was effectively correlated to the enhanced low-temperature reducibility of the catalysts and the abundant surface Oα-species. Likewise, low-temperature oxidation of soot in tight contact occurred over the Mn2O3-SG550 catalyst and was attributed to high amounts of surface Oα-species and better surface reducibility. For the soot oxidation in loose contact, the improved catalytic performance of the Mn3O4/Mn2O3-SCS catalyst was attributed to the beneficial effects of both the morphological structure that—like a filter—enhanced the capture of soot particles and to a probable high amount of surface acid-sites, which is characteristic of Mn3O4 catalysts
Catalytic Oxidation of Soot and Volatile Organic Compounds over Cu and Fe Doped Manganese Oxides Prepared via Sol-Gel Synthesis
A set of manganese oxide catalysts was synthesized and doped with Cu and/or Fe by means of the citric acid sol-gel preparation method. The samples were studied by means of several characterization techniques: field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), N2-physisorption at -196 °C, H2 and soot temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR, soot-TPR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalytic performance of the prepared catalysts was investigated in the oxidation of a probe VOC molecule (propylene) and carbon soot singularly and simultaneously. The catalytic performances were studied as well assuring a content of 5 vol.% of water in the gaseous reactive mix. The investigations evidenced that the best soot catalytic oxidation rates occurred over the Mn2O3 sample, while the copper-doped manganese oxide (i.e. the MnCu15) showed the best performance in the decomposition of propylene. The soot conversion rates of the samples were positively correlated to the Mn3+/Mn2+ ratio of the samples, while the activity in the oxidation of propylene could be attributed to the reducibility enhancement caused by the insertion of Cu species in the structure of Mn2O3. The most active samples in soot oxidation demonstrated only a slight catalytic activity deactivation after thermal aging and practically no deactivation during the tests with humidity. Interestingly, the simultaneous soot-propylene oxidation tests evidenced an enhancement of the oxidation of soot particles in "tight"contact with the catalyst, likely due to a cooperative effect between soot and propylene oxidation
- …