The importance of screening in children who snore

It is important to screen for OSAS in children who snore, as early treatment of OSAS can prevent neurocognitive, behavioural, cardiovascular and metabolic consequences. Paediatricians should always investigate sleep habits and the possible presence of snoring, respiratory efforts or pauses during routine examination of children. These instruments may be effectively used to identify patients with OSAS, and the specificity and positive predictive value may be increased by adding other screening instruments such as nocturnal pulse oximetry [10]. The sleep questionnaires are instruments that can be used to screen patient candidates for a PSG study for suspected OSAS, and to identify those with a mild form of SDB, enabling early treatment

Comment on "Theoretical design of molecular nanomagnets for magnetic refrigeration" [Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 202410 (2013)]

Garlatti et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 202410 (2013)] report theoretical simulations aimed at showing that the best molecular nanomagnets for magnetic refrigeration between T = 10 K and sub-Kelvin region are those made of strongly ferromagnetically-coupled magnetic ions. This Comment revises such conclusion based on results that, apparently, contrast with the established belief in this research field.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figure

Dynamical Correlations after a Quantum Quench

In many integrable models static (equal time) correlation functions of local observables after a quantum quench relax to stationary values, which are described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble (GGE). Here we establish that the same holds true for dynamic (non equal time) correlation functions. More generally we show that in the absence of long-range interactions in the final Hamiltonian, the dynamics is determined by the same ensemble that describes static correlations. When the latter is a GGE the basic form of the fluctuation dissipation theorem holds, although the absorption and emission spectra are not simply related as in the thermal case. For quenches in the transverse field Ising chain (TFIC) we derive explicit expressions for the time evolution of dynamic order parameter correlators after a quench.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Life cycle assessment of nanocellulose-reinforced advanced fibre composites

The research and development of nanocellulose-reinforced polymer composites have dramatically increased in the recent years due to the possibility of exploiting the high tensile stiffness and strength of nanocellulose. In the work, the environmental impacts of bacterial cellulose (BC)- and nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC)-reinforced epoxy composites were evaluated using life cycle assessment (LCA). Neat polylactide (PLA) and 30% randomly oriented glass fibre-reinforced polypropylene (GF/PP) composites were used as benchmark materials for comparison. Our cradle-to-gate LCA showed that BC- and NFC-reinforced epoxy composites have higher global warming potential (GWP) and abiotic depletion potential of fossil fuels (ADf) compared to neat PLA and GF/PP even though the specific tensile moduli of the nanocellulose-reinforced epoxy composites were higher than neat PLA and GF/PP. However, when the use phase and the end-of-life of nanocellulose-reinforced epoxy composites were considered, the “green credentials” of nanocellulose-reinforced epoxy composites were comparable to that of neat PLA and GF/PP composites. Our life cycle scenario analysis showed that the cradle-to-grave GWP and ADf of BC- and NFC-reinforced epoxy composites could be lower than neat PLA when the composites contains more than 60 vol.-% nanocellulose. Our LCA model suggests that nanocellulose-reinforced epoxy composites with high nanocellulose loading is desired to produce materials with “greener credentials” than the best performing commercially available bio-derived polymer

Modular invariance in the gapped XYZ spin 1/2 chain

We show that the elliptic parametrization of the coupling constants of the quantum XYZ spin chain can be analytically extended outside of their natural domain, to cover the whole phase diagram of the model, which is composed of 12 adjacent regions, related to one another by a spin rotation. This extension is based on the modular properties of the elliptic functions and we show how rotations in parameter space correspond to the double covering PGL(2,Z)of the modular group, implying that the partition function of the XYZ chain is invariant under this group in parameter space, in the same way as a Conformal Field Theory partition function is invariant under the modular group acting in real space. The encoding of the symmetries of the model into the modular properties of the partition function could shed light on the general structure of integrable models.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, 1 table. Accepted published versio

Pratiche discorsive cristiane e razionalità dell'arena civile degli scambi. Matrici patristiche e analisi prodotte dal francescanesimo mediterraneo

Nella storiografi a contemporanea, politica ed economica, continua a prevalere una lettura dell'opera di Weber secondo cui la nascita dell'economia di mercato costituisce un novum dirompente della e per la christianitas in quanto società costruita sulla caritas e sulla communitas. Si analizzano qui due testi patristici, esemplifi cativi della tradizione orientale ed occidentale, dove la chiave interpretativa dell'esistenza cristiana è tutta condotta in un orizzonte creditizio e contrattualistico, a partire dalla riflessione sul Cristo, modello caritativo e redentivo. Nella seconda parte del saggio questo portato patristico viene messo in luce attraverso gli affi oramenti e gli sviluppi rintracciabili nei testi del XIV secolo prodotti in area catalano-aragonese. Testi scritti in latino ed in volgare da esponenti che appartengono all'Ordo di Francesco d'Assisi od hanno nei Minori un punto di riferimento identitario. In queste opere sezioni significative dedicate alla Passio Christi, al suo valore pedagogico per l'agire cristiano, diventano esplicitamente codici etici e normativi per l'azione politica e di governo, per la corretta gestione dell'economia e dei mercati. Si tratta di analisi puntuali che interrogano gli oggetti indagati, moneta, contratto, pratiche mercantili, per comprenderne il signifi cato ed il valore politico e per formulare codici destinati ai cives, ai mercatores ma, in primis, ai governanti. Siamo dunque dinanzi a testi che - anche per il tramite della rifl essione cristologica - forniscono alle comunità politiche dell'Europa medievale, occidentale e cristiana, un vocabolario politico, ma anche precise strutture dottrinali e di legittimazione dell'agire economico le quali si connettono direttamente ad una testualità politica che affi orerà in un arco cronologico compreso quantomeno tra Biel ed Althusius.In the political and economical historiography, the interpretation of the Weberian analysis about the origin of market economy, is still read, in a large number of texts, as an upsetting novum for the Christianitas. Because the Christian society is considered as a social structure which is built on, and into, the charitas (charity) and communitas (community). Here we examine two Patristic texts, as illustrative examples of the Eastern and Western tradition, where the Christian life is interpreted and analyzed through a pattern of words and concepts derived from the world of credit and contract, words that are firstly employed to explain the life of Christ Redeemer, as a model of charity (charitas) and largesse (largitio). In the second part of the essay this Patristic heritage comes out through the appearances and developments that we can read in the 14th century texts produced in the territories of the Aragonese Crown. These texts are written in Latin and in vulgar languages by representatives of the Ordo of St. Francis or by people who have very close relationship with it. Important parts of these works -which are devoted to the Passio Christi, to his pedagogical value for Christian life- become unequivocally ethical and normative codices for the governmental and political activities, for the correct handling of economy and markets. All of these passages are precise analysis that investigate the role of money, contract and the merchant practices, to understand their meaning and political value, to formulate a codex of discipline for merchants, citizens, but in primis, for government leaders. So these texts provide the political communities of the Western Medieval Christian Europe -even through the Christological reflection- with a lexicon, but also with precise doctrinal structures and tools of legitimation for the economic actions. These kind of structures and tools are directly connected with a political textuality which will surface during the age dating from Gabriel Biel until Johannes Althusius

Il valore di Cristo. L'autocomprensione della comunità politica in Francesc Eiximenis

Els conceptes de res publica i monarquia d'Eiximenis són de gran interès per conèixer la matriu medieval del pensament polític. L'autor analitza de quina manera «la doctrina dada per Jesucrist» defineix en clau pactista la relació entre cives i monarquia i estableix alhora una fidelització entre el rei i el ciutadà. Eiximenis construeix una sèrie de símbols identitaris, els quals, a partir del valor polític de Crist, esdevenen un element essencial del lligam entre els cives-fideles i la res publica. El model del Crist de la passió i de la creu esdevé el paradigma que justifica la legitimitat del mercat i de la pràctica financera en les comunitats cristianes.Eiximenis's concepts of res publica and monarchy are of great interest for knowing the medieval matrix of political thinking. The author analyses the way in which «the doctrine given by Jesus Christ» defines with spirit of agreement the relation between cives and monarchy and at the same time establishes a certain faithfulness between the king and the citizen. Eiximenis constructs a series of identity symbols, which, by means of Christ's political value, become an essential feature of the link between cives-fideles and the res publica. Christ's model of passion and cross becomes the paradigm that justifies the legitimacy of the market and the financial practice in the Christian communities