Analytic pulse design for selective population transfer in many-level quantum systems: maximizing amplitude of population oscillations

State selective preparation and manipulation of discrete-level quantum systems such as atoms, molecules or quantum dots is a the ultimate tool for many diverse fields such as laser control of chemical reactions, atom optics, high-precision metrology and quantum computing. Rabi oscillations are one of the simplest, yet potentially quite useful mechanisms for achieving such manipulation. Rabi theory establishes that in the two-level systems resonant drive leads to the periodic and complete population oscillations between the two system levels. In this paper an analytic optimization algorithm for producing Rabi-like oscillations in the general discrete many-level quantum systems is presented.Comment: Published in Phys.Rev.A. This is the final published versio

Traumatic myiasis in farmed animals caused by Wohlfahrtia magnifica in southern Italy (Diptera: Sarcophagidae)

Ten herds of sheep and goats (455 heads) were inspected for the presence of traumatic myiasis between May and September 2013 in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, southern Italy. Nine cases were discovered in sheep, goats and a sheepdog. Infested body sites included external genitalia, wounds (sheep and sheepdog) and hooves (goats). Larvae were removed from the infested body areas and reared to adult stage in the laboratory. Both the larvae and the adults were identified as belonging to the Mediterranean screwworm fly Wohlfahrtia magnifica (Schiner, 1862) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), an obligatory parasite of humans and warm-blooded vertebrates. To our knowledge, these are the first cases of wohlfahrtiosis in sheep and goats to be reported from Calabria. The infested animals were living outdoors in spring and summer, and enclosed in sheds during the autumn and winter months. Observed effects of the myiases included severely impeded walking and tissue damage. Wohlfahrtiosis can cause significant economic loss to farmers. Data about the local distribution, seasonality and types of infestation caused by W. magnifica are useful to farmers and vets to improve control systems, in Calabria as elsewhere within the distributional range of the species.The file attached is the publishes (publishers PDF) version of the article. Open Access journal

Smart working as an organisational process or as a social change? An Italian pandemic experience

Purpose: Along the coronavirus pandemic, huge business challenges are facing as a result of collapsing customer demand and organisational significant changes supported by digital development, while the increasing social and environmental needs involve business and individuals. The authors argue that this trend is modifying organisational and market logic, replacing them with values and practices linked to community-based models. The present work aims to study the impact that smart working (SW) has on the worker, seen both as a member of the organisation and the social community. Design/methodology/approach: The study data were collected from a computer-assisted web interview administered in 2020 to public employees working for health agencies across the Campania region, in South Italy. To test the conceptual model, partial least squares-structural equation modelling is used. Considering the abductive soul of the research, the study represents a pilot survey that will deliver stochastic results to be subsequently replicated in all Italian health agencies. Findings: The results of the research highlighted how the evolutionary dynamics of SW employees tend towards a reconceptualisation of workspaces, a redefinition of time and emotions and a better balance between work and personal life, thus creating a greater space for social and community aspects and determining a greater involvement in their working life. Originality/value: This research introduces a new win-win logic in the labour market, one capable of generating advantages for people, organisations and the entire social system by allowing workers to better reconcile working times with their personal needs and with flexibility demands coming from companies

Volatile anesthetic agent pollution in operating rooms in a large Roman hospital. A preliminary note

Gli autori riportano i risultati di un'indagine, effettuata in alcune sale operatorie di un nosocomio romano, per determinare le concentrazioni di agenti anestetici volatili e verificare la relazione tra i diversi sistemi di bonifica ambientale presenti ed il grado di inquinamento. Vengono discussi i risultati ed individuate le possibili soluzioni del problem

Investigations on Arthropods Associated with Decay Stages of Buried Animals in Italy

Burial could be used by criminals to conceal the bodies of victims, interfering with the succession of sarcosaprophagous fauna and with the evaluation of post-mortem interval. In Italy, no experimental investigation on arthropods associated with buried remains has been conducted to date. A first experimental study on arthropods associated with buried carcasses was carried out in a rural area of Arcavacata di Rende (Cosenza), Southern Italy, from November 2017 to May 2018. Six pig carcasses (Sus scrofa Linnaeus) were used, five of which were buried in 60-cm deep pits, leaving about 25-cm of soil above each carcass, and one was left above ground. One of the buried carcasses was periodically exhumed to evaluate the effects of disturbance on decay processes and on arthropod fauna. The other four carcasses were exhumed only once, respectively after 43, 82, 133, and 171 days. As expected, the decay rate was different among carcasses. Differences in taxa and colonization of arthropod fauna were also detected in the above ground and periodically exhumed carcasses. In carcasses exhumed only once, no arthropod colonization was detected. The results showed that a burial at about 25 cm depth could be sufficient to prevent colonization by sarcosaprophagous taxa and these data could be relevant in forensic cases involving buried corpses

Hemp Flour Particle Size Affects the Quality and Nutritional Profile of the Enriched Functional Pasta

The rheological and chemical quality of pasta samples, which were obtained using the durum wheat semolina fortified with the hemp seed solid residue, after oil extraction, sieved at 530 mu m (Hemp 1) or 236 mu m (Hemp 2) at different percentages of substitution (5%, 7.5%, and 10%, were evaluated. The total polyphenolic content in hemp flour was quantified in the range of 6.38-6.35 mg GAE/g, and free radical scavenging was included in the range from 3.94-3.75 mmol TEAC/100 g in Hemp 1 and Hemp 2, respectively. The phenolic profiles determined by UHPLC-ESI/QTOF-MS showed that cannabisin C, hydroxycinnamic and protocatechuic acids were the most abundant phenolic compounds in both hemp flours. Among the amino acids, isoleucine, glutamine, tyrosine, proline, and lysine were the most abundant in raw materials and pasta samples. Although the hemp seeds were previously subjected to oil extraction, hemp flours retain about 8% of oil, and the fatty acids present in the largest amount were linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. Characterization of the minerals showed that the concentration of macro and trace elements increased according to fortification percentage. Sensory evaluation and cooking quality indicated that the best performance in terms of process production and consumer acceptance was obtained using Hemp 2 at 7.5%. Hemp supplementation could be a potential option for producing high-quality, nutritionally rich, low-cost pasta with good color and functionality

Necrodes littoralis (Coleoptera: Silphidae) visiting and breeding on a carcass in Italy

The community that progressively colonizes a decaying corpse can be considered a small ecosystem mostly composed of sarcosaprophagous arthropods belonging to the orders Diptera and Coleoptera. Studies on these species are often performed through animal models to obtain data on their succession, behaviour and life cycle, together with information on habitat, corpse conditions, season and association with other species. These data may be relevant for forensic investigations, especially concerning the estimation of Post Mortem Interval (PMI). An investigation on the sarcosaprophagous insect community in a rural area was set in Calabria (Southern Italy), using a pig, Sus scrofa Linnaeus, 1758 (Artiodactyla: Suidae) as experimental model. Analyses of the community of Diptera and Coleoptera revealed the massive presence of Necrodes littoralis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Adults of this species reached the carcass during the bloated stage and a large amount of larvae was detected from the decay stage onwards, simultaneous to the sharp decrease in dipteran larvae and pupae. The occurrence and the activity of N. littoralis should be considered to avoid misinterpretation and errors in estimating PMI in forensic investigation

LRP1-Mediated AggLDL Endocytosis Promotes Cholesteryl Ester Accumulation and Impairs Insulin Response in HL-1 Cells

The cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently developed during metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes mellitus is associated with increased levels of aggregation-prone small LDL particles. Aggregated LDL (aggLDL) internalization is mediated by low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1) promoting intracellular cholesteryl ester (CE) accumulation. Additionally, LRP1 plays a key function in the regulation of insulin receptor (IR) and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) activities. Nevertheless, the link between LRP1, CE accumulation, and insulin response has not been previously studied in cardiomyocytes. We aimed to identify mechanisms through which aggLDL, by its interaction with LRP1, produce CE accumulation and affects the insulin-induced intracellular signaling and GLUT4 trafficking in HL-1 cells. We demonstrated that LRP1 mediates the endocytosis of aggLDL and promotes CE accumulation in these cells. Moreover, aggLDL reduced the molecular association between IR and LRP1 and impaired insulin-induced intracellular signaling activation. Finally, aggLDL affected GLUT4 translocation to the plasma membrane and the 2-NBDG uptake in insulin-stimulated cells. We conclude that LRP1 is a key regulator of the insulin response, which can be altered by CE accumulation through LRP1-mediated aggLDL endocytosis

Myiasis in domestic cats: A global review

Myiasis is an infestation caused by larvae of Diptera in humans and other vertebrates. In domestic cats, Felis silvestris catus L. (Carnivora: Felidae), four dipteran families have been reported as agents of obligatory and facultative myiasis: Oestridae, Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae and Muscidae. Among agents of obligatory myiasis, the most frequent genus is Cuterebra Clark (Oestridae) and the most frequent species is Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) (Calliphoridae). Among the agents of facultative myiasis, the most frequent species is Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Calliphoridae). A survey of myiasis in cats reported in literature shows that the cases are distributed worldwide and linked to the geographical range of the dipteran species. Factors favouring the occurrence of myiasis in cats are prowling in infested areas, poor hygiene conditions due to diseases and/or neglect, and wounds inflicted during territorial or reproductive competition. The aim of the review is to provide an extended survey of literature on myiasis in cats, as general information and possible development of guidelines for veterinarians, entomologists and other researchers interested in the field

Gap Opening in Double-Sided Highly Hydrogenated Free-Standing Graphene

Conversion of free-standing graphene into pure graphane-where each C atom is sp3bound to a hydrogen atom-has not been achieved so far, in spite of numerous experimental attempts. Here, we obtain an unprecedented level of hydrogenation (≈90% of sp3bonds) by exposing fully free-standing nanoporous samples-constituted by a single to a few veils of smoothly rippled graphene-to atomic hydrogen in ultrahigh vacuum. Such a controlled hydrogenation of high-quality and high-specific-area samples converts the original conductive graphene into a wide gap semiconductor, with the valence band maximum (VBM) ∼3.5 eV below the Fermi level, as monitored by photoemission spectromicroscopy and confirmed by theoretical predictions. In fact, the calculated band structure unequivocally identifies the achievement of a stable, double-sided fully hydrogenated configuration, with gap opening and no trace of πstates, in excellent agreement with the experimental results