3B circumscribed masses: to assess or not to assess?

[No abstract available]; Lette

Frequency modulation of spin torque oscillator pairs

The current controlled modulation of nano-contact based spin torque oscillator (STO) pairs is studied in both the synchronized and non-synchronized states. The synchronized state shows a well behaved modulation and demonstrates robust mutual locking even under strong modulation. The power distribution of the modulation sidebands can be quantitatively described by assuming a single oscillator model. However, in the non-synchronized state, the modulation sidebands are not well described by the model, indicating interactions between the two individual nano-contact STOs. These findings are promising for potential applications requiring the modulation of large synchronized STO arrays

A rate-independent gradient system in damage coupled with plasticity via structured strains

This contribution deals with a class of models combining isotropic damage with plasticity. It has been inspired by a work by Freddi and Royer-Carfagni [FRC10], including the case where the inelastic part of the strain only evolves in regions where the material is damaged. The evolution both of the damage and of the plastic variable is assumed to be rate-independent. Existence of solutions is established in the abstract energetic framework elaborated by Mielke and coworkers (cf., e.g., [Mie05, Mie11b])

Malignant metastasizing solitary fibrous tumors of the liver: a report of three cases.

Solitary fibrous tumors are rare neoplasms of mesenchymal origin that have been reported in various other extrathoracic sites, including the liver. We present a case series of three malignant solitary fibrous tumors of the liver, occurring in two women 74 and 80 years old and one 65-year-old man. No clinical features were predictive of malignancy except the large sizes and synchronous presence of lung metastases in two of the three cases. Histological examinations revealed the presence of high pleomorphic cellularity with nuclear atypia, necrosis and high mitotic ratios. All patients died of disease progression

Performance of a Y-Ba-Cu-O superconducting filter/GaAs low noise amplifier hybrid circuit

A superconducting 7.3 GHz two-pole microstrip bandpass filter and a GaAs low noise amplifier (LNA) were combined into an active circuit and characterized at liquid nitrogen temperatures. This superconducting/semiconducting circuit's performance was compared to a gold filter/GaAs LNA hybrid circuit. The superconducting filter/GaAs LNA hybrid circuit showed higher gain and lower noise figure than its gold counterpart

Photon Mass Limits from Fast Radio Bursts

The frequency-dependent time delays in fast radio bursts (FRBs) can be used to constrain the photon mass, if the FRB redshifts are known, but the similarity between the frequency dependences of dispersion due to plasma effects and a photon mass complicates the derivation of a limit on $m_\gamma$. The dispersion measure (DM) of FRB 150418 is known to $\sim 0.1$%, and there is a claim to have measured its redshift with an accuracy of $\sim 2$%, but the strength of the constraint on $m_\gamma$ is limited by uncertainties in the modelling of the host galaxy and the Milky Way, as well as possible inhomogeneities in the intergalactic medium (IGM). Allowing for these uncertainties, the recent data on FRB 150418 indicate that $m_\gamma \lesssim 1.8 \times 10^{-14}$eV c$^{-2}$ ($3.2 \times 10^{-50}$kg), if FRB 150418 indeed has a redshift $z = 0.492$ as initially reported. In the future, the different redshift dependences of the plasma and photon mass contributions to DM can be used to improve the sensitivity to $m_\gamma$ if more FRB redshifts are measured. For a fixed fractional uncertainty in the extra-galactic contribution to the DM of an FRB, one with a lower redshift would provide greater sensitivity to $m_\gamma$.Comment: 13 pages; 1 figure; dedicated to the memory of Lev Okun, an expert on photon mass; version accepted for publication in PL

Unified gradient flow structure of phase field systems via a generalized principle of virtual powers

In this paper we introduce a general abstract formulation of a variational thermomechanical model by means of a unied derivation via a generalization of the principle of virtual powers for all the variables of the system, possibly including the thermal one. In particular, through a suitable choice of the driv- ing functional, we formally get a gradient ow structure (in a suitable abstract setting) for the whole nonlinear PDE system. In this framework, the equations may be interpreted as internal balance equations of forces (e.g., thermal or me- chanical ones). We prove a global in time existence of (a suitably dened weak) solutions for the Cauchy problem associated to the abstract PDE system as well as uniqueness in case of suitable smoothness assumptions on the functionals

Putting cells in motion: Advantages of endogenous boosting of BDNF production

Motor exercise, such as sport or musical activities, helps with a plethora of diseases by modulating brain functions in neocortical and subcortical regions, resulting in behavioural changes related to mood regulation, well-being, memory, and even cognitive preservation in aging and neurodegenerative diseases. Although evidence is accumulating on the systemic neural mechanisms mediating these brain effects, the specific mechanisms by which exercise acts upon the cellular level are still under investigation. This is particularly the case for music training, a much less studied instance of motor exercise than sport. With regards to sport, consistent neurobiological research has focused on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), an essential player in the central nervous system. BDNF stimulates the growth and differentiation of neurons and synapses. It thrives in the hippocampus, the cortex, and the basal forebrain, which are the areas vital for memory, learning, and higher cognitive functions. Animal models and neurocognitive experiments on human athletes converge in demonstrating that physical exercise reliably boosts BDNF levels. In this review, we highlight comparable early findings obtained with animal models and elderly humans exposed to musical stimulation, showing how perceptual exposure to music might affect BDNF release, similar to what has been observed for sport. We subsequently propose a novel hypothesis that relates the neuroplastic changes in the human brains after musical training to genetically-and exercise-driven BDNF levels

Critical structure factor in Ising systems

We perform a large-scale Monte Carlo simulation of the three-dimensional Ising model on simple cubic lattices of size L^3 with L=128 and 256. We determine the corresponding structure factor (Fourier transform of the two-point function) and compare it with several approximations and with experimental results. We also compute the turbidity as a function of the momentum of the incoming radiation, focusing in particular on the deviations from the Ornstein-Zernicke expression of Puglielli and Ford.Comment: 16 page