Pseudo Goldstone Bosons Phenomenology in Minimal Walking Technicolor

We construct the non-linear realized Lagrangian for the Goldstone Bosons associated to the breaking pattern of SU(4) to SO(4). This pattern is expected to occur in any Technicolor extension of the standard model featuring two Dirac fermions transforming according to real representations of the underlying gauge group. We concentrate on the Minimal Walking Technicolor quantum number assignments with respect to the standard model symmetries. We demonstrate that for, any choice of the quantum numbers, consistent with gauge and Witten anomalies the spectrum of the pseudo Goldstone Bosons contains electrically doubly charged states which can be discovered at the Large Hadron Collider.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure

First Principles Simulations of Boron Diffusion in Graphite

Boron strongly modifies electronic and diffusion properties of graphite. We report the first ab initio study of boron interaction with the point defects in graphite, which includes structures, thermodynamics, and diffusion. A number of possible diffusion mechanisms of boron in graphite are suggested. We conclude that boron diffuses in graphite by a kick-out mechanism. This mechanism explains the common activation energy, but large magnitude difference, for the rate of boron diffusion parallel and perpendicular to the basal plane. © 2007 The American Physical Society

Les pratiques pastorales d'un berger sur l'alpage de la Vieille Selle: un modèle reproductible?

Des critères de structuration et de gestion de l’espace sont retenus pour caractériser les pratiques pastorales d’un berger sur un alpage

Molecular Research on Platelet Activity in Health and Disease 2.0

Hsia and collaborators [...

Dietary Strategies for Management of Metabolic Syndrome: Role of Gut Microbiota Metabolites

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex pathophysiological state with incidence similar to that of a global epidemic and represents a risk factor for the onset of chronic non-communicable degenerative diseases (NCDDs), including cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, and some types of cancer. A plethora of literature data suggest the potential role of gut microbiota in interfering with the host metabolism, thus influencing several MetS risk factors. Perturbation of the gut microbiota's composition and activity, a condition known as dysbiosis, is involved in the etiopathogenesis of multiple chronic diseases. Recent studies have shown that some micro-organism-derived metabolites (including trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Gram-negative bacteria, indoxyl sulfate and p-cresol sulfate) induce subclinical inflammatory processes involved in MetS. Gut microbiota's taxonomic species or abundance are modified by many factors, including diet, lifestyle and medications. The main purpose of this review is to highlight the correlation between different dietary strategies and changes in gut microbiota metabolites. We mainly focus on the validity/inadequacy of specific dietary patterns to reduce inflammatory processes, including leaky gut and subsequent endotoxemia. We also describe the chance of probiotic supplementation to interact with the immune system and limit negative consequences associated with MetS

Comparative Analysis of Phenolic Composition of Six Commercially Available Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) Extracts: Potential Biological Implications

Several phytochemical-containing herbal extracts are increasingly marketed as health-promoting products. In particular, chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) is well known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antitumor properties. Here, we evaluated differences in chemical composition among six commercially available products and their potential impact on biological activity in human immortalized colonocytes. Our investigation encompassed: (i) preparation of dry extracts and yield evaluation; (ii) qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenol content; (iii) modulation of redox state; and (iv) bioavailability of main bioactive compounds. We demonstrated that apparently identical products showed huge heterogeneity, in terms of yield extraction, chemical composition, and antioxidant effects. All samples contained high amounts of flavonoids and cinnamic acid derivatives, but differentially concentrated in the six extracts. Depending on polyphenol content, chamomile samples possessed variable antioxidant potential, in terms of decreased radical generation and increased reduced glutathione levels. The observed effects might be ascribed to flavones (apigenin, luteolin, and their glycones) highly represented in the six extracts. Nonetheless, chamomile extracts exerted cytotoxic effects at high concentrations, suggesting that a herbal medicine is not always safe. In conclusion, due to the complexity and variability of plant matrices, studies evaluating effectiveness of chamomile should always be accompanied by preliminary characterization of phytochemical composition

European Non-native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme - a summary of assessment protocols and decision support tools for use of alien species in aquaculture

The European Non-native Species in Aquaculture Risk Analysis Scheme (ENSARS) was developed in response to European 'Council Regulation No. 708/2007 of 11 June 2007 concerning use of alien and locally absent species in aquaculture' to provide protocols for identifying and evaluating the potential risks of using non-native species in aquaculture. ENSARS is modular in structure and adapted from non-native species risk assessment schemes developed by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation and for the UK. Seven of the eight ENSARS modules contain protocols for evaluating the risks of escape, introduction to and establishment in open waters, of any non-native aquatic organism being used (or associated with those used) in aquaculture, that is, transport pathways, rearing facilities, infectious agents, and the potential organism, ecosystem and socio-economic impacts. A concluding module is designed to summarise the risks and consider management options. During the assessments, each question requires the assessor to provide a response and confidence ranking for that response based on expert opinion. Each module can also be used individually, and each requires a specific form of expertise. Therefore, a multidisciplinary assessment team is recommended for its completion

Subacute pericardial abscess after aortic valve replacement: a case report

BACKGROUND: Purulent pericarditis is an infectious disease, frequently caused by gram-positive bacteria, that is rarely observed in healthy individuals, and is often associated with predisposing conditions. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present the case of an Escherichia coli post-surgical localized purulent pericarditis complicated by transient constrictive pericarditis and its diagnostic and therapeutic management. CONCLUSIONS: Our case report focuses on the importance of imaging-guided treatment of purulent pericardial diseases, in particular on the emerging role of 18\u2009F-labelled 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in pericardial diseases and on the management of transient constrictive pericarditis, often seen after thoracic surgery

VERSATIL TOOLS: DIGITAL SURVEY AND VIRTUAL REALITY FOR DOCUMENTATION, ANALYSIS AND FRUITION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN SEISMIC AREAS

Abstract. The paper deals with an interdisciplinary research activity aiming at developing a digital and integrated tool able to collect several data concerning the cultural heritage, and to manage and communicate them to a wide community. The small church of San Menna, located in the hamlet with same name in the municipality of Lucoli not so far from L'Aquila city, was the object of the research. The church has been chosen for its historical significance, its architectural peculiarity and for the valuable artworks that it preserves. Based on a photogrammetric model of the church, also used for the remote analysis of cultural asset (planimetric and evolutionary hypotheses, three-dimensional stratigraphic analysis, etc.) a virtual word usable in Virtual Reality (VR) has been developed. The VR setting allows the accessibility of a digital semantic model with information that can be activated with special interactive hotspots (images, texts and audio), which are able to provide an immersive and all-encompassing experience to the tourist. The potentialities of the same tool in the context of diagnosis and conservation process related to cultural heritage in seismic areas, such as those of the Abruzzi Apennines, have also been investigated through the integration of forms concerning the significant features of the artistic assets surveyed in the construction

MetaTel: Ongoing work on a meta-material sub-THz telescope for Earth observing

We report on ongoing technology development activities in the build and testing of a refractive telescope composed of metamaterial Gradient Index (GrIn) lenses based on photolithographic meshes. This concept is tailored for Earth Observation, and more precisely limb-scanning in the sub- THz bands addressing emission lines between 50 and 190 GHz. A single GrIn lens design which includes in-built anti-reflection coating layers, allows us to produce sufficient refraction to allow an optical design of a set of compound lenses to create the first THz range telescope fully composed of metamaterials. First lens prototypes have been built and tested spectrally and spatially and compared to analytical models showing good agreement. Prediction of telescope performance is discussed as well as future developments