Experimental effects on dynamics and thermodynamics in nuclear reactions on the symmetry energy as seen by the CHIMERA 4π\pi detector

Heavy ion collisions have been widely used in the last decade to constraint the parameterizations of the symmetry energy term of nuclear equation of state (EOS) for asymmetric nuclear matter as a function of baryonic density. In the Fermi energy domain one is faced with variations of the density within a narrow range of values around the saturation density $\rho_0$=0.16 fm$^{-3}$ down towards sub-saturation densities. The experimental observables which are sensitive to the symmetry energy are constructed starting from the detected light particles, clusters and heavy fragments that, in heavy ion collisions, are generally produced by different emission mechanisms at different stages and time scales of the reaction. In this review the effects of dynamics and thermodynamics on the symmetry energy in nuclear reactions are discussed and characterized using an overview of the data taken so far with the CHIMERA multi-detector array.Comment: 21 pages, 25 figures. Review to appear in EPJA special volume on nuclear symmetry energ

Total thyroidectomy associated to chemotherapy in primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid

Primary squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid (PSCCT) is a rare malignant disease with rapid fatal prognosis. The onset is generally characterized by sudden bilateral latero-cervical lymphadenopathy. The Authors report patient of 58-year-old who referred for evaluation of rapidly aggravating bilateral latero-cervical lymphadenopathy. The US highlighted the presence of a hypoechoic nodular lesion characterized by peri and intra-nodular vascularization. Multilayer CT showed diffused involvement of mediastinal and bilateral latero-cervical lymph nodes, with no evidence of primary pulmonary neoplasia or elsewhere. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy. The peri-isthmic tissue was removed due to the presence of a small roundish formation, that was due to lymph node metastasis at histological examination. Histological diagnosis: PSCCT. The immunohistochemical panel of the thyroid lesion was indispensable for the differential diagnosis between PSCCT, medullary carcinoma, anaplastic carcinoma, and thyroid metastasis of neoplasia with unknown primitiveness. The patient underwent chemotherapeutic treatment with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel with modest improvement of dysphagia symptoms and reduction of 10-15% of the target lesions. The clinical course was characterized by loco-regional progression of the disease with exitus in 10 months after diagnosis. Survival and quality of life after surgical therapy and chemotherapy were like that of patients undergoing only chemotherapy. Due to the extreme rarity of the neoplasia, 60 cases described in Literature, no exclusive guidelines are reported for PSCCT. More extensive case studies are needed to evaluate the effects of total thyroidectomy with intent R0/R1 on improving survival and quality of life of patients with PSCCT

Effect of Heat Source and Imperfect Contact on Simultaneous Estimation of Thermal Properties of High-Conductivity Materials

In the current paper a novel methodology accounting for both the heater heat capacity and the imperfect thermal contact between a thin heater and a specimen is proposed. In particular, the volumetric heat capacity of the heater is considered by modelling it as a lumped capacitance body, while the imperfect thermal contact is considered by means of a contact resistance. Thus, the experimental apparatus consisting of three layers (specimen-heater-specimen) is reduced to a single finite layer (sample) subject to a "nonclassical" boundary condition at the heated surface, known as sixth kind. Once the temperature solution is derived analytically using the Laplace transform method, the scaled sensitivity coefficients are computed analytically at the interface between the heater and the sample (heater side and sample side) and at the sample backside. By applying the proposed methodology to a lab-controlled experiment available in the specialized literature, a reduction of the thermal properties values of about 1.4% is observed for a high-conductivity material (Armco iron)

Lean practices implementation, their criticalities and their relationships with operational responsiveness and firm performance

In the last few years, at European Union level, companies are facing many obstacles due to macroeconomic instability. In order to stay competitive and survive in the present world turmoil, companies must seek to new ways of reducing costs, increase the quality of the products and meet the ongoing changes in the market. Driven by the success performed by Toyota and several other organizations worldwide, a growing number of firms have been adopting Lean manufacturing practices to fulfill market needs, reduce costs, and gain competitive advantages over competitors. But, although many firms report large benefits from Lean implementation, Lean is not a panacea. Through an overview of Lean strategy implementation in Italian manufacturing industries, and a classification in "low"/"medium" and "high lean performers" we are able to see whether lean thinking could be a way for improving operational performance. Moreover, combining field interviews with the literature review, theoretical connections have been developed among Lean manufacturing techniques, operational responsiveness and firm growth performances. A conceptual model has been proposed and represented. The aim is investigating the network of influences among lean best practices (supplier practices, workforce practices, production efficiency practices and quality practices), operational responsiveness (Product mix variety, Product innovation and Time effectiveness) and firm growth performances

Microscopic construction of the chiral Luttinger liquid theory of the quantum Hall edge

We give a microscopic derivation of the chiral Luttinger liquid theory for the Laughlin states. Starting from the wave function describing an arbitrary incompressibly deformed Laughlin state (IDLS) we quantize these deformations. In this way we obtain the low-energy projections of local microscopic operators and derive the quantum field theory of edge excitations directly from quantum mechanics of electrons. This shows that to describe experimental and numeric deviations from chiral Luttinger liquid theory one needs to go beyond Laughlin's approximation. We show that in the large N limit the IDLS is described by the dispersionless Toda hierarchy.Comment: 5 pages, revtex, several clarifying comments adde

Study of the Fusion-Fission Process in the 35Cl+24Mg^{35}Cl+^{24}Mg Reaction

Fusion-fission and fully energy-damped binary processes of the $^{35}$Cl+$^{24}$Mg reaction were investigated using particle-particle coincidence techniques at a $^{35}$Cl bombarding energy of E$_{lab}$ $\approx$ 8 MeV/nucleon. Inclusive data were also taken in order to determine the partial wave distribution of the fusion process. The fragment-fragment correlation data show that the majority of events arises from a binary-decay process with a relatively large multiplicity of secondary light-charged particles emitted by the two primary excited fragments in the exit channel. No evidence is observed for ternary-breakup processes, as expected from the systematics recently established for incident energies below 15 MeV/nucleon and for a large number of reactions. The binary-process results are compared with predictions of statistical-model calculations. The calculations were performed using the Extended Hauser-Feshbach method, based on the available phase space at the scission point of the compound nucleus. This new method uses temperature-dependent level densities and its predictions are in good agreement with the presented experimental data, thus consistent with the fusion-fission origin of the binary fully-damped yields.Comment: 30 pages standard REVTeX file, 10 eps Figures; to be published at the European Physical Journal A - Hadrons and Nucle

Alternative linear structures for classical and quantum systems

The possibility of deforming the (associative or Lie) product to obtain alternative descriptions for a given classical or quantum system has been considered in many papers. Here we discuss the possibility of obtaining some novel alternative descriptions by changing the linear structure instead. In particular we show how it is possible to construct alternative linear structures on the tangent bundle TQ of some classical configuration space Q that can be considered as "adapted" to the given dynamical system. This fact opens the possibility to use the Weyl scheme to quantize the system in different non equivalent ways, "evading", so to speak, the von Neumann uniqueness theorem.Comment: 32 pages, two figures, to be published in IJMP

Nuclear Matter and Nuclear Dynamics

Highlights on the recent research activity, carried out by the Italian Community involved in the "Nuclear Matter and Nuclear Dynamics" field, will be presented.Comment: Proceedings of the 12th Conference on Problems in Theoretical Nuclear Physics, to appear in Journal of Physics, Conference Serie

Comparison of bioelectrical impedance analysis and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry for the assessment of appendicular body composition in anorexic women

Objective: To establish the accuracy of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for the assessment of appendicular body composition in anorexic women. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient University Clinic. Subjects: A total of 39 anorexic and 25 control women with a mean (s.d.) age of 21 (3) y. Methods: Total, arm and leg fat-free mass (FFM) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and predicted from total and segmental BIA at 50 kHz. The predictor variable was the resistance index (Rl), that is, the ratio of height 2 to body resistance for the whole body and the ratio of length2/limb resistance for the arm and leg. Results: Predictive equations developed on controls overestimated total, arm and leg FFM in anorexics (Po0.0001). Populationspecific equations gave a satisfactory estimate of total and appendicular FFM in anorexics (P\ubcNS) but had higher percent root mean square errors (RMSEs%) as compared to those developed on controls (8% vs 5% for whole body, 12% vs 10% for arm and 10% vs 8% for leg). The accuracy of the estimate of total and leg FFM in anorexics was improved by adding body weight (Wt) as a predictor with Rl (RMSE%\ubc5% vs 8% and 7% vs 10%, respectively). However, the same accuracy was obtained using Wt alone, suggesting that in anorexics, BIA at 50 kHz is not superior to Wt for assessing total and leg FFM. Conclusion: BIA shows some potential for the assessment of appendicular body composition in anorexic women. However, Wt is preferable to BIA at 50 kHz on practical grounds. Further studies should consider whether frequencies 450 kHz give better estimates of appendicular composition in anorexics as compared to Wt