Accurate near-threshold model for ultracold KRb dimers from interisotope Feshbach spectroscopy

We investigate magnetic Feshbach resonances in two different ultracold K-Rb mixtures. Information on the K(39)-Rb(87) isotopic pair is combined with novel and pre-existing observations of resonance patterns for K(40)-Rb(87). Interisotope resonance spectroscopy improves significantly our near-threshold model for scattering and bound-state calculations. Our analysis determines the number of bound states in singlet/triplet potentials and establishes precisely near threshold parameters for all K-Rb pairs of interest for experiments with both atoms and molecules. In addition, the model verifies the validity of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation at the present level of accuracy.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Sodium Nitrite Intoxication and Death: Summarizing Evidence to Facilitate Diagnosis

Background: Over the years, forensic pathology has registered the spread of new methods of suicide, such as the ingestion of sodium nitrite. Sodium nitrite causes increased methemoglobin, resulting in systemic hypoxia, metabolic acidosis, and cyanosis. Since sodium nitrite is a preservative, the ingestion of foods containing an excessive amount of this substance can also cause acute intoxication up to death. The present review is aimed at guiding health professionals in the identification and management of sodium-nitrite-related intoxications and deaths. Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out on PubMed by following the PRISMA statement’s criteria. A total of 35 studies with 132 cases were enrolled, and the data were cataloged in Microsoft Excel. To establish the causal correlation between sodium nitrite ingestion and death, the Naranjo Adverse Drug Reaction Probability Scale was used. Results: In addition to the small number of cases that have currently been published, the study demonstrated that there was a general methodological discrepancy in the diagnostic process. However, some interesting results have emerged, especially in post-mortem diagnostics. Conclusion: Sodium-nitrite-related deaths represent a challenge for forensic pathologists; therefore, it is important to promptly recognize the essential features and perform the necessary and unrepeatable examinations for the correct diagnosis of the cause of death

PRAME Expression in Mucosal Melanoma of the Head and Neck Region

PRAME (PReferentially expressed Antigen in MElanoma), a cancer-testis antigen expressed in normal and neoplastic tissues with several functions, proved to be a useful diagnostic tool in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant melanocytic lesions. The current study aims to perform PRAME stain on a retrospective case series of mucosal melanocytic tumors of the head and neck region to compare 3 different scores and evaluate the most reliable one in this diagnostic set. Immunohistochemical analysis for PRAME was performed in 54 benign and malignant mucosal melanocytic tumors of the head and neck region collected from 41 patients. The best-performing cutoff of PRAME-positive cells (nuclear stain) to differentiate benign and malignant mucosal melanocytic tumors of the head and neck region is that proposed by Raghavan and colleagues (<60%/≥60% of PRAME-positive cells), with 100% and 77.8% of benign lesions and malignant tumors respectively correctly identified. Applying this score, PRAME stain showed the best results (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values) for the diagnosis of head and neck melanocytic tumors. However, a subset of PRAME-negative malignant tumors was identified, especially located in the palatal area (hard and soft palate). Finally, high PRAME expression (≥60%) was associated with specific sites (nasal cavity/nasal septum/turbinates nasopharynx, and the maxillary sinus), nodular histotype, and female sex

Predicting needlestick and sharps injuries in nursing students: Development of the SNNIP scale

© 2020 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aim: To develop an instrument to investigate knowledge and predictive factors of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) in nursing students during clinical placements. Design: Instrument development and cross-sectional study for psychometric testing. Methods: A self-administered instrument including demographic data, injury epidemiology and predictive factors of NSIs was developed between October 2018–January 2019. Content validity was assessed by a panel of experts. The instrument's factor structure and discriminant validity were explored using principal components analysis. The STROBE guidelines were followed. Results: Evidence of content validity was found (S-CVI 0.75; I-CVI 0.50–1.00). A three-factor structure was shown by exploratory factor analysis. Of the 238 participants, 39% had been injured at least once, of which 67.3% in the second year. Higher perceptions of “personal exposure” (4.06, SD 3.78) were reported by third-year students. Higher scores for “perceived benefits” of preventive behaviours (13.6, SD 1.46) were reported by second-year students

One-Dimensional Disordered Bosonic Systems

Disorder is everywhere in nature and it has a fundamental impact on the behavior of many quantum systems. The presence of a small amount of disorder, in fact, can dramatically change the coherence and transport properties of a system. Despite the growing interest in this topic, a complete understanding of the issue is still missing. An open question, for example, is the description of the interplay of disorder and interactions, which has been predicted to give rise to exotic states of matter such as quantum glasses or many-body localization. In this review, we will present an overview of experimental observations with disordered quantum gases, focused on one-dimensional bosons, and we will connect them with theoretical predictions

Electricity Demand Elasticity, Mobility, and COVID-19 Contagion Nexus in the Italian Day-Ahead Electricity Market

The magnitude of the impact of the pandemic on key variables, such as electricity demand, mobility of people and number of COVID-19 hospitalization cases, has been unprecedented. Existing economic models have not estimated the impact of sucokh events. This paper fills this gap, investigating the nexus among electricity demand elasticity, shifting behaviors of mobility and COVID-19 contagion with econometric estimation techniques. Firstly, using the single bids to purchase recorded in the Italian day-ahead wholesale electricity market in 2020, we estimate hourly electricity demand and price elasticity directly from short-run consumer behavior. Then, we analyze the effects of the main aspects of the pandemic, the health situation and the mobility contraction at the national level, on the estimated price elasticities. The period of heavy lockdown between 10 March and 3 June recorded a reduction in the price elasticity of electricity demand. However, when the pandemic broke out again at the beginning of October, elasticity increased, highlighting how companies and economic activities had adopted countermeasures to avoid the arrest of the economy and, consequently, the sharp contraction in electricity demand

Electricity Demand Elasticity, Mobility, and COVID-19 Contagion Nexus in the Italian Day-Ahead Electricity Market

The magnitude of the impact of the pandemic on key variables, such as electricity demand, mobility of people and number of COVID-19 hospitalization cases, has been unprecedented. Existing economic models have not estimated the impact of sucokh events. This paper fills this gap, investigating the nexus among electricity demand elasticity, shifting behaviors of mobility and COVID-19 contagion with econometric estimation techniques. Firstly, using the single bids to purchase recorded in the Italian day-ahead wholesale electricity market in 2020, we estimate hourly electricity demand and price elasticity directly from short-run consumer behavior. Then, we analyze the effects of the main aspects of the pandemic, the health situation and the mobility contraction at the national level, on the estimated price elasticities. The period of heavy lockdown between 10 March and 3 June recorded a reduction in the price elasticity of electricity demand. However, when the pandemic broke out again at the beginning of October, elasticity increased, highlighting how companies and economic activities had adopted countermeasures to avoid the arrest of the economy and, consequently, the sharp contraction in electricity demand

Redox-Phen solution: A water equivalent dosimeter for UVA, UVB and X-rays radiation

Polysulphone films are the only type of UV passive dosimeters that are widely adopted for research and personal monitoring. Even though many studies concentrated on the development and characterization of these films, they still present some shortcomings. The more important limitations of them are that they can measure only UVB radiations and that they change color at 330 nm, requiring special equipment to read them. To overcome these limitations we developed an aqueous dosimeter that is sensitive to UVA, UVB and X-rays named Redox-Phen solution. This dosimeter is inexpensive and water equivalent, being made of more than 99 wt % of water. It changes color in the visible region upon irradiation, thus it can be measured via simple optical method, and an evaluation of the exposition can be made also by naked eyes