A model for liquid-striped liquid phase separation in liquids of anisotropic polarons

The phase separation between a striped polaron liquid at the particular density and a high density polaron liquid is described by a modified Van der Waals scheme. The striped polaron liquid represents the pseudo gap matter or Wigner-like polaron phase at 1/8 doping in cuprate superconductors. The model includes the tendency of pseudo- Jahn-Teller polarons to form anisotropic directional bonds at a preferential volume with the formation of different liquid phases. The model gives the coexistence of a first low density polaron striped liquid and a second high density liquid that appears in cuprate superconductors for doping larger than 1/8. We discuss how the strength of anisotropic bonds controls the variation the phase separation scenarios for complex systems in the presence of a quantum critical point where the phase separation vanishes.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Experimental Signals of Phase Transition

The connection between the thermodynamics of charged finite nuclear systems and the asymptotically measured partitions is presented. Some open questions, concerning in particular equilibrium partitions are discussed. We show a detailed comparison of the decay patterns in Au+ C,Cu,Au central collisions and in Au quasi-projectile events. Observation of abnormally large fluctuations in carefully selected samples of data is reported as an indication of a first order phase transition (negative heat capacity) in the nuclear equation of state.Comment: 8 pages, 8th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions, Moscow 200

Nanoscale phase separation in the iron chalcogenide superconductor K0.8Fe1.6Se2 as seen via scanning nanofocused x-ray diffraction

Advanced synchrotron radiation focusing down to a size of 300 nm has been used to visualize nanoscale phase separation in the K0.8Fe1.6Se2 superconducting system using scanning nanofocus single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results show an intrinsic phase separation in K0.8Fe1.6Se2 single crystals at T< 520 K, revealing coexistence of i) a magnetic phase characterized by an expanded lattice with superstructures due to Fe vacancy ordering and ii) a non-magnetic phase with an in-plane compressed lattice. The spatial distribution of the two phases at 300 K shows a frustrated or arrested nature of the phase separation. The space-resolved imaging of the phase separation permitted us to provide a direct evidence of nanophase domains smaller than 300 nm and different micrometer-sized regions with percolating magnetic or nonmagnetic domains forming a multiscale complex network of the two phases.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Zipf's law in Multifragmentation

We discuss the meaning of Zipf's law in nuclear multifragmentation. We remark that Zipf's law is a consequence of a power law fragment size distribution with exponent $\tau \simeq 2$. We also recall why the presence of such distribution is not a reliable signal of a liquid-gas phase transition

The Multifragmentation Freeze--Out Volume in Heavy Ion Collisions

The reduced velocity correlation function for fragments from the reaction Fe + Au at 100 A~MeV bombarding energy is investigated using the dynamical--statistical approach QMD+SMM and compared to experimental data to extract the Freeze--Out volume assuming simultaneous multifragmentation.Comment: 8 pages; 3 uuencoded figures available with figures command, LateX, UCRL-J-1157

The demographic and clinical characteristics of an Italian population of adult outpatients with chronic cough

Background Chronic cough is a major health problem worldwide and patients are best managed in specialised tertiary centres. Little information is available on the characteristics of chronic cough patients in several European countries, including Italy. Aims We report on the demographic, anthropometric and clinical features of a large Italian population of adult chronic cough outpatients (about 1200), who were referred to a specialised clinic in Florence, Italy, from 2008 to 2018. Methods Demographic, environmental, lifestyle and clinical information was collected at enrolment by means of a custom-designed electronic questionnaire that only allowed for uniform responses. A subjective measure of cough-related discomfort (cough score) was also obtained using a modified Borg Scale. A multivariable logistic regression model was defined to identify the patients' characteristics associated with the cough score. Results The characteristics of the examined population (n = 1204 outpatients) were strikingly similar to those described elsewhere. Female patients outnumbered the males [n = 847 females, (70.0%)]; both females and males displayed the same average cough score. The median age of outpatients was 61 (quartile 1 = 48; quartile 3 = 70) years; age and cough duration were unrelated to the cough score. Nasal obstruction, coughing during consultation, coughing during meals, throat clearing and the presence of respiratory abnormalities were correlated with the degree of discomfort caused by coughing. Discussion The features of chronic cough patients are similar worldwide. The process of cough reflex hypersensitisation may soothe sex-related perceptual differences, leading to similar levels of discomfort. Conclusions There seem to be clinical indicators that help in assessing the level of cough-related discomfort

Sc substitution for Mg in MgB2: effects on Tc and Kohn anomaly

Here we report synthesis and characterization of Mg_{1-x}Sc_{x}B_{2} (0.12T_{c}>6 K. We find that the Sc doping moves the chemical potential through the 2D/3D electronic topological transition (ETT) in the sigma band where the ``shape resonance" of interband pairing occurs. In the 3D regime beyond the ETT we observe a hardening of the E_{2g} Raman mode with a significant line-width narrowing due to suppression of the Kohn anomaly over the range 0<q<2k_{F}.Comment: 8 pages, 4 EPS figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Nonlocal reflection by photonic barriers

The time behaviour of microwaves undergoing partial reflection by photonic barriers was measured in the time and in the frequency domain. It was observed that unlike the duration of partial reflection by dielectric layers, the measured reflection duration of barriers is independent of their length. The experimental results point to a nonlocal behaviour of evanescent modes at least over a distance of some ten wavelengths. Evanescent modes correspond to photonic tunnelling in quantum mechanics.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Cholesterol Serum Levels and Use of Statins in Graves&apos; Orbitopathy: A New Starting Point for the Therapy.

Graves' Orbitopathy (GO) is the most frequent extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease (GD). Its ultimate cause remains unclear, but it is commonly considered an autoimmune disorder due to self recognition of autoantigens constitutively expressed by orbital fibroblasts (OFs), and thyroid epithelial cells. High dose intravenous glucocorticoids (ivGC) are the most commonly used treatment for moderately severe and active GO. However, based on the complex pathogenesis of GO, a number of factors may have a protective and maybe a therapeutic role. The use of other medications improving the effect of GC may increase the overall effectiveness of the therapy and reduce GC doses, thereby limiting side effects. Recently, a possible protective role of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme reductase inhibitors, the so-called statins, and perhaps of lowering cholesterol levels, has been proposed. Thus, statins have been reported to be associated with a reduced frequency of GO in GD patients and in recent cross-sectional and retrospective studies a significant correlation was found between the occurrence of GO and both total and LDL-cholesterol in patients with a GD of relatively recent onset, suggesting a role of cholesterol in the development of GO. Moreover, a correlation was found between the GO clinical activity score and total as well as LDL-cholesterol in untreated GO patients, depending on GO duration, indicating a role of cholesterol on GO activity. Therefore, statin treatment may be beneficial for GO. Here we review this subject, which offers new therapeutic perspectives for patients with GO