Negative electronic compressibility and nanoscale inhomogeneity in ionic-liquid gated two-dimensional superconductors

When the electron density of highly crystalline thin films is tuned by chemical doping or ionic liq- uid gating, interesting effects appear including unconventional superconductivity, sizeable spin-orbit coupling, competition with charge-density waves, and a debated low-temperature metallic state that seems to avoid the superconducting or insulating fate of standard two-dimensional electron systems. Some experiments also find a marked tendency to a negative electronic compressibility. We suggest that this indicates an inclination for electronic phase separation resulting in a nanoscopic inhomo- geneity. Although the mild modulation of the inhomogeneous landscape is compatible with a high electron mobility in the metallic state, this intrinsically inhomogeneous character is highlighted by the peculiar behaviour of the metal-to-superconductor transition. Modelling the system with super- conducting puddles embedded in a metallic matrix, we fit the peculiar resistance vs. temperature curves of systems like TiSe2, MoS2, and ZrNCl. In this framework also the low-temperature debated metallic state finds a natural explanation in terms of the pristine metallic background embedding non-percolating superconducting clusters. An intrinsically inhomogeneous character naturally raises the question of the formation mechanism(s). We propose a mechanism based on the interplay be- tween electrons and the charges of the gating ionic liquid.Comment: substantially modified presentation: 12 pages 7 figure

Creation of a system for the coding of medical devices

Medical devices have different nomenclatures for their classification. Some of the most significant nomenclatures are the Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System (UMDNS) and the Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) by the Emergency Care Research Institute (ECRI). In Italy the main are CIVAB and “Classificazione Nazionale Dispositivi Medici” (National Classification for Medical Devices - CND). The aim of this study is to create a system to automatically decode several device models from CIVAB to UMDNS code. All medical devices are coded with a table which is based on their definitions presented in these nomenclatures. The coding is lastly applied to a list of models of medical devices, developed by different companies

Soil-structure interaction effects on the seismic response of multi-span viaducts

The paper focuses on the effects of soil-structure interaction in the seismic response of multi-span viaducts on pile foundations. Analyses are performed by means of the substructure approach: the soil-foundation systems are studied in the frequency domain to obtain the foundation input motion and the dynamic impedance functions; inertial interaction analyses are carried out in the time domain accounting for the material nonlinear behaviour. Suitable lumped parameter models are introduced to simulate the frequency dependent behaviour of the soilfoundation system. A specific procedure for selecting and scaling real ground motions is proposed and used for the definition of the spatial seismic input. The seismic response of bridges on compliant base is compared with that obtained from fixed base analyses discussing the significance of soil-structure interaction effects

Acute occlusion of descending thoracic aorta

Acute aortic occlusion is a rare but potentially devastating clinical event, which requires a prompt diagnosis and emergency treatment. Only 5 cases of native thoracic aorta acute occlusion have so far been reported with different pathologic causes. The clinical features depend on the level of occlusion. Sometimes the diagnosis could be misinterpreted as a stroke or other diseases of the central nervous system. This could lead to a delay in the diagnosis and revascularization procedure, followed by a morbidity or mortality increase. Open surgery has been considered the first-line approach. This study is of a female patient suffering from acute descending thoracic aorta occlusion undergoing, for the first time to our knowledge, endovascular surgical treatment

Seismic Response of Bridges Accounting for Soil-Structure Interaction effects and the Non-Synchronous Ground Motion due to 1D and 2D site analysis.

This work focuses on the effects of soil-structure interaction and the spatial variability of seismic motion due to site effects on the seismic response of a multi-span viaduct on pile foundations. In particular, site effects induced in a soft clay deposit by an inclined bedrock layout are evaluated through different models, characterised by an increasing level of accuracy, which allows determining the free-field motion that is adopted to perform soilstructure interaction analyses in the frame of the substructure approach. The seismic input is represented at the outcropping bedrock by a set of suitably selected and scaled real accelerograms. After a brief presentation of the adopted numerical procedure, analyses results are presented focusing on both site and structural response. Amplifications effects obtained from simplified linear equivalent 1D and nonlinear 2D site response models are compared, discussing the applicability of the simplified approach. Structural responses, obtained by considering the non-synchronous motion resulting from the local stratigraphic conditions, in conjunction with soil-structure interaction effects, are shown in terms of piers displacement and ductility demands. Furthermore, the role of soil structure interaction is clarified comparing results with those obtained from fixed base bridge models, proving that its contribution is more significant if the simplified model for site response is adopted

Simultaneous effect of spatial variability of ground motion due to site conditions and SSI on the seismic response of multi-span viaducts

This work focuses on the effects of the spatial variability of the seismic motion due to site effects on the seismic response of multi-span viaducts on pile foundations. A methodology is proposed to include the effects of both soil-structure interaction and non-synchronous seismic actions in the nonlinear response of bridges. Then, some results of nonlinear dynamic analyses performed on a multi-span bridge founded on soft soil are presented. The deposit is characterized by an inclined layout of the bedrock and the seismic input is represented by a set of suitably selected real accelerograms. Comparisons with results obtained considering synchronous seismic motions demonstrate the influence of site effects on the response of long bridges