1,334 research outputs found
Thermoelectric efficiency of nanoscale devices in the linear regime
We study quantum transport through two-terminal nanoscale devices in contact with two particle reservoirs at different temperatures and chemical potentials. We discuss the general expressions controlling the electric charge current, heat currents, and the efficiency of energy transmutation in steady conditions in the linear regime. With focus in the parameter domain where the electron system acts as a power generator, we elaborate workable expressions for optimal efficiency and thermoelectric parameters of nanoscale devices. The general concepts are set at work in the paradigmatic cases of Lorentzian resonances and antiresonances, and the encompassing Fano transmission function: the treatments are fully analytic, in terms of the trigamma functions and Bernoulli numbers. From the general curves here reported describing transport through the above model transmission functions, useful guidelines for optimal efficiency and thermopower can be inferred for engineering nanoscale devices in energy regions where they show similar transmission functions
Applications of Magnetic PsiDO Techniques to Space-adiabatic Perturbation Theory
In this review, we show how advances in the theory of magnetic
pseudodifferential operators (magnetic DO) can be put to good use in
space-adiabatic perturbation theory (SAPT). As a particular example, we extend
results of [PST03] to a more general class of magnetic fields: we consider a
single particle moving in a periodic potential which is subjectd to a weak and
slowly-varying electromagnetic field. In addition to the semiclassical
parameter \eps \ll 1 which quantifies the separation of spatial scales, we
explore the influence of additional parameters that allow us to selectively
switch off the magnetic field.
We find that even in the case of magnetic fields with components in
, e. g. for constant magnetic fields, the results of
Panati, Spohn and Teufel hold, i.e. to each isolated family of Bloch bands,
there exists an associated almost invariant subspace of and an
effective hamiltonian which generates the dynamics within this almost invariant
subspace. In case of an isolated non-degenerate Bloch band, the full quantum
dynamics can be approximated by the hamiltonian flow associated to the
semiclassical equations of motion found in [PST03].Comment: 32 page
Making precise predictions of the Casimir force between metallic plates via a weighted Kramers-Kronig transform
The possibility of making precise predictions for the Casimir force is
essential for the theoretical interpretation of current precision experiments
on the thermal Casimir effect with metallic plates, especially for sub-micron
separations. For this purpose it is necessary to estimate very accurately the
dielectric function of a conductor along the imaginary frequency axis. This
task is complicated in the case of ohmic conductors, because optical data do
not usually extend to sufficiently low frequencies to permit an accurate
evaluation of the standard Kramers-Kronig integral used to compute . By making important improvements in the results of a previous paper by
the author, it is shown that this difficulty can be resolved by considering
suitable weighted dispersions relations, which strongly suppress the
contribution of low frequencies. The weighted dispersion formulae presented in
this paper permit to estimate accurately the dielectric function of ohmic
conductors for imaginary frequencies, on the basis of optical data extending
from the IR to the UV, with no need of uncontrolled data extrapolations towards
zero frequency that are instead necessary with standard Kramers-Kronig
relations. Applications to several sets of data for gold films are presented to
demonstrate viability of the new dispersion formulae.Comment: 18 pages, 15 encapsulated figures. In the revised version important
improvements have been made, which affect the main conclusions of the pape
Environmental Impact of Dietary Choices: Role of the Mediterranean and Other Dietary Patterns in an Italian Cohort
Background: Current scientific literature suggests healthy dietary patterns may have less
environmental impact than current consumption patterns, but most of the studies rely on theoretical
modeling. The aim of this study was to assess the impact on resources (land, water, and energy)
use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of healthy dietary patterns in a sample of Italian adults.
Methods: Participants (n = 1806) were recruited through random sampling in the city of Catania,
southern Italy. Dietary consumption was assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire
(FFQ); dietary patterns were calculated through dietary scores. The specific environmental footprints
of food item production/processing were obtained from various available life-cycle assessments; a
sustainability score was created based on the impact of the four environmental components calculated.
Results: The contribution of major food groups to the environmental footprint showed that animal
products (dairy, egg, meat, and fish) represented more than half of the impact on GHG emissions and
energy requirements; meat products were the stronger contributors to GHG emissions and water
use, while dairy products to energy use, and cereals to land use. All patterns investigated, with
the exception of the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH), were linearly associated with
the sustainability score. Among the components, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet and
Alternate Diet Quality Index (AHEI) was associated with lower GHG emissions, dietary quality
index-international (DQI-I) with land use, while Nordic diet with land and water use. Conclusions:
In conclusion, the adoption of healthy dietary patterns involves less use of natural resources and
GHG emissions, representing eco-friendlier options in Italian adults
Long-Term Coffee Consumption Is Associated with Decreased Incidence of New-Onset Hypertension: A Dose–Response Meta-Analysis
Objective: To perform a dose–response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies investigating
the association between long-term coffee intake and risk of hypertension. Methods: An online systematic
search of studies published up to November 2016 was performed. Linear and non-linear dose–response
meta-analyses were conducted; potential evidence of heterogeneity, publication bias, and confounding
effect of selected variables were investigated through sensitivity and meta-regression analyses.
Results: Seven cohorts including 205,349 individuals and 44,120 cases of hypertension were included.
In the non-linear analysis, there was a 9% significant decreased risk of hypertension per seven cups of
coffee a day, while, in the linear dose–response association, there was a 1% decreased risk of hypertension
for each additional cup of coffee per day. Among subgroups, there were significant inverse associations for
females, caffeinated coffee, and studies conducted in the US with longer follow-up. Analysis of potential
confounders revealed that smoking-related variables weakened the strength of association between coffee
consumption and risk of hypertension. Conclusions: Increased coffee consumption is associated with
a modest decrease in risk of hypertension in prospective cohort studies. Smoking status is a potential
effect modifier on the association between coffee consumption and risk of hypertension
Observation of Exclusive Gamma Gamma Production in p pbar Collisions at sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV
We have observed exclusive \gamma\gamma production in proton-antiproton
collisions at \sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV, using data from 1.11 \pm 0.07 fb^{-1}
integrated luminosity taken by the Run II Collider Detector at Fermilab. We
selected events with two electromagnetic showers, each with transverse energy
E_T > 2.5 GeV and pseudorapidity |\eta| < 1.0, with no other particles detected
in -7.4 < \eta < +7.4. The two showers have similar E_T and azimuthal angle
separation \Delta\phi \sim \pi; 34 events have two charged particle tracks,
consistent with the QED process p \bar{p} to p + e^+e^- + \bar{p} by two-photon
exchange, while 43 events have no charged tracks. The number of these events
that are exclusive \pi^0\pi^0 is consistent with zero and is < 15 at 95% C.L.
The cross section for p\bar{p} to p+\gamma\gamma+\bar{p} with |\eta(\gamma)| <
1.0 and E_T(\gamma) > 2.5$ GeV is
2.48^{+0.40}_{-0.35}(stat)^{+0.40}_{-0.51}(syst) pb.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure
Current drive at plasma densities required for thermonuclear reactors
Progress in thermonuclear fusion energy research based on deuterium plasmas magnetically confined in toroidal tokamak devices requires the development of efficient current drive methods. Previous experiments have shown that plasma current can be driven effectively by externally launched radio frequency power coupled to lower hybrid plasma waves. However, at the high plasma densities required for fusion power plants, the coupled radio frequency power does not penetrate into the plasma core, possibly because of strong wave interactions with the plasma edge. Here we show experiments performed on FTU (Frascati Tokamak Upgrade) based on theoretical predictions that nonlinear interactions diminish when the peripheral plasma electron temperature is high, allowing significant wave penetration at high density. The results show that the coupled radio frequency power can penetrate into high-density plasmas due to weaker plasma edge effects, thus extending the effective range of lower hybrid current drive towards the domain relevant for fusion reactors
Corrigendum: Current drive at plasma densities required for thermonuclear reactors
Nature Communications 1: Article number: 55 (2010); Published: 10 August 2010; Updated:19 September 2013. In Fig. 3 of this Article, the colours of the blue and green curves were accidentally interchanged while the manuscript was being revised. In addition, the x axis labels on Fig. 4 should have read 'Frequency (MHz)'
COVID-19 in patients with thoracic malignancies (TERAVOLT): first results of an international, registry-based, cohort study
Background: Early reports on patients with cancer and COVID-19 have suggested a high mortality rate compared with the general population. Patients with thoracic malignancies are thought to be particularly susceptible to COVID-19 given their older age, smoking habits, and pre-existing cardiopulmonary comorbidities, in addition to cancer treatments. We aimed to study the effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on patients with thoracic malignancies.
Methods: The Thoracic Cancers International COVID-19 Collaboration (TERAVOLT) registry is a multicentre observational study composed of a cross-sectional component and a longitudinal cohort component. Eligibility criteria were the presence of any thoracic cancer (non-small-cell lung cancer [NSCLC], small-cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, thymic epithelial tumours, and other pulmonary neuroendocrine neoplasms) and a COVID-19 diagnosis, either laboratory confirmed with RT-PCR, suspected with symptoms and contacts, or radiologically suspected cases with lung imaging features consistent with COVID-19 pneumonia and symptoms. Patients of any age, sex, histology, or stage were considered eligible, including those in active treatment and clinical follow-up. Clinical data were extracted from medical records of consecutive patients from Jan 1, 2020, and will be collected until the end of pandemic declared by WHO. Data on demographics, oncological history and comorbidities, COVID-19 diagnosis, and course of illness and clinical outcomes were collected. Associations between demographic or clinical characteristics and outcomes were measured with odds ratios (ORs) with 95% CIs using univariable and multivariable logistic regression, with sex, age, smoking status, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease included in multivariable analysis. This is a preliminary analysis of the first 200 patients. The registry continues to accept new sites and patient data.
Findings: Between March 26 and April 12, 2020, 200 patients with COVID-19 and thoracic cancers from eight countries were identified and included in the TERAVOLT registry; median age was 68·0 years (61·8-75·0) and the majority had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1 (142 [72%] of 196 patients), were current or former smokers (159 [81%] of 196), had non-small-cell lung cancer (151 [76%] of 200), and were on therapy at the time of COVID-19 diagnosis (147 [74%] of 199), with 112 (57%) of 197 on first-line treatment. 152 (76%) patients were hospitalised and 66 (33%) died. 13 (10%) of 134 patients who met criteria for ICU admission were admitted to ICU; the remaining 121 were hospitalised, but were not admitted to ICU. Univariable analyses revealed that being older than 65 years (OR 1·88, 95% 1·00-3·62), being a current or former smoker (4·24, 1·70-12·95), receiving treatment with chemotherapy alone (2·54, 1·09-6·11), and the presence of any comorbidities (2·65, 1·09-7·46) were associated with increased risk of death. However, in multivariable analysis, only smoking history (OR 3·18, 95% CI 1·11-9·06) was associated with increased risk of death.
Interpretation: With an ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19, our data suggest high mortality and low admission to intensive care in patients with thoracic cancer. Whether mortality could be reduced with treatment in intensive care remains to be determined. With improved cancer therapeutic options, access to intensive care should be discussed in a multidisciplinary setting based on cancer specific mortality and patients' preference
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