Nonequilibrium relaxation of a trapped particle in a near-critical Gaussian field

We study the non-equilibrium relaxational dynamics of a probe particle linearly coupled to a thermally fluctuating scalar field and subject to a harmonic potential, which provides a cartoon for an optically trapped colloid immersed in a fluid close to its bulk critical point. The average position of the particle initially displaced from the position of mechanical equilibrium is shown to feature long-time algebraic tails as the critical point of the field is approached, the universal exponents of which are determined in arbitrary spatial dimensions. As expected, this behavior cannot be captured by adiabatic approaches which assume fast field relaxation. The predictions of the analytic, perturbative approach are qualitatively confirmed by numerical simulations.Comment: 33 pages, 11 figure

Quantum neural networks for data-efficient image classification

In our constantly evolving world, an overwhelming influx of data permeates every moment—be it daily, hourly, or even by the second. We communicate, share links, images, and opinions, disseminating a trail of traces, representing not just the vastness of our natural surroundings but also reflecting our thoughts, preferences, and sentiments. Recognizing the significance of these data, the field of Data Science has emerged, dedicated to unveiling the concealed insights embedded within. Machine Learning (ML) has become a captivating realm of research, gaining prominence for its capacity to extract knowledge from extensive datasets. ML has played a pivotal role in bridging the gap between our understanding of nature and its intricacies. Deep Learning (DL), particularly Neural Networks (NNs), has revolutionized classical ML, serving as non-linear structures for modeling statistical data. NNs, and notably Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), simulate intricate relationships between inputs and outputs, excelling at tasks such as image-based pattern recognition inspired by the structure of the visual cortex. While NNs, especially multilayered ones, have demonstrated remarkable power, their trainability posed challenges. The advent of back-propagation mitigated this issue, but training difficulties persisted, necessitating solutions like rectifier neuron activation functions and layer-wise training. Quantum Machine Learning (QML) has introduced new avenues, leveraging noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers for computational problems involving quantum data. Variational quantum algorithms (VQAs) and quantum neural networks (QNNs) offer promising applications, utilizing classical optimizers to train parameters in a quantum circuit. They present a distinctive advantage over classical models by analyzing systems with polynomial complexity, which would be exponentially complex in classical ML, providing a computational edge. This thesis wants to investigate their abilities

Nutritional modulation of the gut microbiome in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) represents a potentially curative strategy for many oncological and non-oncological diseases, but it is associated with marked morbidity and mortality. The disruption of gut microbiota (GM) eubiosis has been linked to major allo-HSCT complications, including infections and acute graft vs. host disease (aGvHD), and correlates with mortality. This increasing knowledge on the role of the GM in the allo-HSCT procedure has led to fascinating ideas for modulating the intestinal ecosystem in order to improve clinical outcomes. Nutritional strategies, either by changing the route of nutritional supplementation or by administering specific molecules, are increasingly being considered as cost- and risk-effective methods of modulating the GM. Nutritional support has also emerged in the past several years as a key feature in supportive care for allo-HSCT recipients, and deterioration of nutritional status is associated with decreased overall survival and higher complication rates during treatment. Herein we provide a complete overview focused on nutritional modulation of the GM in allo-HSCT recipients. We address how pre transplant diet could affect GM composition and its ability to withstand the upsetting events occurring during transplantation. We also provide a complete overview on the influence of the route of nutritional administration on the intestinal ecosystem, with a particular focus on the comparison between enteral and parenteral nutrition (PN). Moreover, as mounting evidence are showing how specific components of post-transplant diet, such as lactose, could drastically shape the GM, we will also summarize the role of prebiotic supplementation in the modulation of the intestinal flora and in allo-HSCT outcomes

Life Cycle Assessment of an Industrial Laundry: a Case Study in the Italian Context

The high volumes of wastewater from industrial laundry with known toxicological concerns represent a relevant source of pollution for water bodies. Moreover, the unavailability of a detailed and specific Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) referring to the use of detergent within the laundry system could undermine the overall quality of the environmental assessment. This is related to the use of a substitutional product or proxy dataset for specific processes like the use of detergents. Laundry services are also known as highly energy consuming sites. This paper thus aims to make a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and Assessment (LCA) for an industrial laundry to provide the environmental profile for an Italian case study. The primary data input to finalize the LCI came from data collected directly from an Italian industrial laundry, integrated with literature, data provided from supporting databases (i.e. Ecoinvent 3.8), and data specifically obtained from the technical datasheets of detergents. The industrial laundry system considers the product’s overall supply chain: extraction and manufacturing of raw materials, including the detergent, transportation and logistics, the industrial process associated with the laundry activity, wastewater treatment, recirculation packaging, and final disposal stages. The calculated environmental profiles refer to the functional unit of 1 kg of linen washed by a standard washing cycle. The system boundaries of this study include the production stages of the process. The analysed activities are the transportation for the delivery and collection of linen, the purchase of raw materials, and the sanitization and washing processes. SimaPro 9.2 software and the ReCiPe 2016 H method are used for the LCA study. The baseline scenario has been compared with an alternative scenario introducing renewable energy technology (i.e. solar PV panel). The result shows a total impact of 12.77 mPt. The most impacting activities are the washing phase (4.62 mPt), the ironing phase (4.29 mPt), and the drying phase (1.56 mPt). The greatest impact in the washing phase is caused by the use of detergents and washing products. It is observed that most of the impacts fall into the categories of ‘Global Warming, Human Health’, ‘Fine Particulate Formation’, ‘Carcinogenic Human Toxicity’, ‘Non- Carcinogenic Human Toxicity’, ‘Fossil Resource Scarcity’. The midpoint category with the highest impact is ‘Fine Particulate Formation’ with a value of 5.18 mPt. The alternative scenario introducing renewable energy technology (i.e. solar PV panel) reduces the impact by 19.7 %. Sensitivity analyses have been performed to evaluate the LCA model’s uncertainty, with specific reference to the washing agents, the transportation of raw materials, and the energy consumption

Cholesterol crystal embolism (atheroembolism)

Cholesterol crystal embolism, known as atheroembolic disease, is caused by showers of cholesterol crystals from an atherosclerotic plaque that occludes small arteries. Embolization can occur spontaneously or as an iatrogenic complication from an invasive vascular procedure (angiography or vascular surgery) and after anticoagulant therapy. The atheroembolism can give rise to different degrees of renal impairment. Some patients show a moderate loss of renal function, others severe renal failure requiring dialysis. Renal outcome can be variable: some patients deteriorate or remain on dialysis, some improve and some remain with chronic renal impairment. Clinically, three types of atheroembolic renal disease have been described: acute, subacute or chronic. More frequently a progressive loss of renal function occurs over weeks. Atheroembolization can involve the skin, gastrointestinal system and central nervous system. The diagnosis is difficult and controversial for the protean extrarenal manifestations. In the past, the diagnosis was often made post-mortem. In the last 10 yrs, awareness of atheroembolic renal disease has improved. The correct diagnosis requires the clinician to be alert. The typical patient is a white male aged >60 yrs with a history of hypertension, smoking and arterial disease. The presence of a classic triad (precipitating event, renal failure and peripheral cholesterol crystal embolization) suggests the diagnosis. This can be confirmed by a biopsy of the target organs. A specific treatment is lacking; however, it is an important diagnosis to make because an aggressive therapeutic approach can be associated with a more favorable clinical outcome

Sex differences in the effect of type 2 diabetes on major cardiovascular diseases: results from a population-based study in Italy.

The aim of the study is to assess sex difference in association between type 2 diabetes and incidence of major cardiovascular events, that is, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure, using information retrieved by diabetes register. The inhabitants of Reggio Emilia (Italy) aged 30\u201384 were followed during 2012\u20132014. Incidence rate ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using multivariate Poisson model. The age- and sex-specific event rates were graphed. Subjects with type 2 diabetes had an excess risk compared to their counterparts without diabetes for all the three major cardiovascular events. The excess risk is similar in women and men for stroke (1.8 times) and heart failure (2.7 times), while for myocardial infarction, the excess risk in women is greater than the one observed in men (IRR 2.58, 95% CI 2.22\u20133.00 and IRR 1.78, 95% CI 1.60\u20132.00, resp.; P of interaction < 0.0001). Women had always a lesser risk than men, but in case of myocardial infarction, the women with type 2 diabetes lost part of advantage gained by women free of diabetes (IRR 0.61, 95% CI 0.53\u20130.72 and IRR 0.36, 95% CI 0.33\u20130.39, resp.). In women with type 2 diabetes, the risk of major cardiovascular events is anticipated by 20\u201330 years, while in men it is by 15\u201320

Hand Hygiene Knowledge, Hand Contamination and Practice of Italian Nursing and Medical Students

Background: Our objective was to measure hand bacterial contamination in a group of Italian nursing and medical students attending clinical wards for practical training, in order to verify the reliability of the information on hand hygiene (HH) adherence obtained by a self-reporting questionnaire. This questionnaire was administered with the aim of exploring the effectiveness of basic education. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, an anonymous questionnaire designed to investigate HH knowledge and practices was administered to a convenience sample of 100 nursing and 100 medical students. Data collected was combined with hand bacterial contamination measured both at the point of entry and exit from the ward. Results: HH practices and knowledge were significantly higher in nursing compared to medical students. The most effective procedure in reducing bacterial contamination was the alternate use of hand washing and hand rubbing compared to only one practice and the absence of hand hygiene (geom. mean: 180.3, 410.2 and 907.4 CFU/hand respectively, p<0.001). Hand contamination was significantly higher in students who declared to have hardly ever/never implemented HH teaching during clinical practice compared to those who stated to have done it frequently/always (geom. mean: 716 vs 277.1 CFU/hand, p<0.02). ConclusionS: Our investigation adds something new to the topic of HH that is the measure of bacterial hand contamination to verify the reliability of the information obtained by questionnaire. The findings, pointing out some critical aspects in HH teaching among healthcare students, highlight that solid knowledge results in correct behaviour, and consequently in a reduction of hand contamination

The eccentric phase in unilateral resistance training enhances and preserves the contralateral knee extensors strength gains after detraining in women: a randomized controlled trial

The current randomized controlled study investigated whether or not the inclusion of the eccentric phase in resistance training favors the contralateral strength gains after different unilateral protocols, and whether such gains are retained after detraining. Sixty healthy women were randomly assigned to a unilateral concentric-only (CONC), eccentric-only (ECC), concentric-eccentric (TRAD) volume-equated knee extension training or control group (CON). The participants trained 2 days/week for 8 weeks and then did not train for further 8 weeks. Knee extensors isokinetic concentric, eccentric, and isometric peak torque and vastus lateralis muscle thickness were assessed in the contralateral limb at baseline, post-training, and post-detraining. At post-training, concentric peak torque increased in CONC [+9.2%, 95%CI (+6.2/+12.3), p &lt; 0.001, ES: 0.70, 95%CI (0.01/1.39)], ECC [+11.0% (+7.7/+14.2), p &lt; 0.001: ES: 0.66(0.09/1.23)] and TRAD [+8.5%(+5.7/+11.6), p &lt; 0.001, ES: 0.50(0.02/0.98)]. Eccentric peak torque increased in ECC in ECC [+15.0%(+11.4/+20.7), p &lt; 0.001, ES: 0.91(0.14/1.63)] and TRAD [+5.5%(+0.3/10.7), p = 0.013, ES: 0.50(0.05/0.95)]. Isometric peak torque increased in ECC [+11.3(+5.8/16.8), p &lt; 0.001, ES: 0.52(0.10/0.94)] and TRAD [+8.6%(+3.4/+13.7), p &lt; 0.001, ES: 0.55(0.14/0.96)]. No change in eccentric and isometric peak torque occurred in CONC (p &gt; 0.05). Muscle thickness did not change in any group (p &gt; 0.05). At post-detraining, all groups preserved the contralateral strength gains observed at post-training (p &lt; 0.05). The findings showed that ECC and TRAD increased contralateral knee extensors strength in concentric, eccentric, and isometric modality, while CONC only increased concentric strength. The eccentric phase appears to amplify the cross-education effect, permitting a transfer in strength gaining toward multiple testing modalities. Both eccentric-based and traditional eccentric-concentric resistance protocols are recommended to increase the contralateral retention in strength gains after a detraining period

The emerging role of nutritional support in the supportive care of pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (allo-HSCT) represents a potentially curative strategy for many oncological, hematological, metabolic, and immunological diseases in children. The continuous effort in ameliorating supportive care represents one of the cornerstones in the improvement of outcome in these patients. Nowadays, more than ever nutritional support can be considered a key feature. Oral feeding in the early post-transplant period is severely impaired because of mucositis due to conditioning regimen, characterized by, mainly by vomiting, anorexia, and diarrhea. Gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD), infections and associated treatments, and other medications, such as opioids and calcineurin inhibitors, have also been correlated with decreased oral intake. The consequent reduction in caloric intake combined with the catabolic effect of therapies and transplantation-related complications with consequent extended immobilization, results in a rapid deterioration of nutritional status, which is associated with decreased overall survival and higher complication rates during treatment. Thus, nutritional support during the early post-transplantation period becomes an essential and challenging issue for allo-HSCT recipients. In this context, the role of nutrition in the modulation of the intestinal flora is also emerging as a key player in the pathophysiology of the main complications of HSCT. The pediatric setting is characterized by less evidence, considering the challenge of addressing nutritional needs in this specific population, and many questions are still unanswered. Thus, we perform a narrative review regarding all aspects of nutritional support in pediatric allo-HSCT recipients, addressing the assessment of nutritional status, the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes and the evaluation of the nutritional support, ranging from specific diets to artificial feeding