Magnetic properties of commensurate Bose-Bose mixtures in one-dimensional optical lattices

We investigate magnetic properties of strongly interacting bosonic mixtures confined in one dimensional geometries, focusing on recently realized Rb-K gases with tunable interspecies interactions. By combining analytical perturbation theory results with density-matrix-renormalization group calculations, we provide quantitative estimates of the ground state phase diagram as a function of the relevant microscopic quantities, identifying the more favorable experimental regimes in order to access the various magnetic phases. Finally, we qualitatively discuss the observability of such phases in realistic setups when finite temperature effects have to be considered.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, to be published in EPJ ST special issue on "Novel Quantum Phases and Mesoscopic Physics in Quantum Gases

Right ventricular dysfunction after thrombolysis in patients with right ventricular infarction

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Coffee and caffeine consumption in women affected by hypertension

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Prognostic value of Iron, Nutritional Status Indexes and Acute Phase Protein in Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Background. The relation between the inflammatory status during unstable angina and nutritional parameters has not been well described. We sought to investigate the relation between the acute inflammatory status, as evaluated on the basis of high C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A levels and laboratory indexes of iron and nutritional status in patients with unstable angina, and whether the variations in iron levels have a prognostic significance.Methods. The study population consisted of 98 patients admitted to our facility with unstable (group 1: 64 consecutive patients, 52 males, 12 females, mean age 66 \ub1 10 years) or stable angina(group 2: 34 patients, 30 males, 4 females, mean age 65 \ub1 9 years). The hemoglobin levels, the erythrocyte mean cell volume, serum iron levels, the increase in transferrin levels, the decrease in the percent transferrin saturation, ferritin levels, the nutritional status, and the CRP and serum amyloid A levels were measured.Results. On the basis of a CRP value > 1 mg/dl, 47 patients with unstable angina and 4 patients with stable angina were identified as having active inflammatory disease. The presence of inflammation was associated with significantly lower mean values of hemoglobin, erythrocyte mean cell volume, serum iron and transferrin levels, and percent transferrin saturation in comparison with patients without inflammation. A significant inverse correlation coefficient between a CRP level > 1 mg/dl and hemoglobin, transferrin levels and percent transferrin saturation was observed: the strongest correlation was with serum iron levels. The relative risk of total cardiac events was significantlygreater in patients with low serum iron levels than in those with high serum iron levels.Conclusions. Patients with acute inflammation present altered iron status indexes. Increased CRP levels and reduced serum iron levels are associated with a worse outcome in patients with unstable angina

Homm-sw Networks-of-stories to value tangible and intangible heritage in museums

Social inclusion, lifelong learning and the regeneration of competence networks are key processes which foster innovation. Museums may play an important role in these processes and ICT can strongly support the effectiveness of the interventions required. Among them, digital tools used to tell stories are becoming increasingly popular. Narratives in new dimensions enable the formation of personal and community identities, and the construction of meanings [1] [2 ]. Hommsw supports multimedia narratives which enhance tangible and intangible heritage in education and cultural mediation, as well as in tourism. Developed by Officina Emilia (Italy) and Crafts Museum (India), the application is online at www.homm-museums-software.org. So far, it implements the engine for creating and managing the activity ‘networks-of-stories’, to create a nonlinear and open multimedia narration. [3],[4] In the last decade, digital storytelling has spread rapidly due to the growth and possibilities offered by new ICT devices [5] [6]. Together with crowd sourcing it can enrich the understanding of tangible and intangible heritage. Digital storytelling still faces some critical challenges: creation of content on tangible and intangible heritage, classification and re-use of existing documents and clips, cooperative and coordinated production of new content. Moreover, for effective exploratory paths and a more analytical approach to browsing material, contents must be set in the overall perspective of the narrations, to ensure narration is coherent. Finally, validation and dissemination of related outcomes must respect scientific standards. Homm-sw has tools that: support educators, also in contrasting learning difficulties, in developing inclusive and collaborative educational practices; support curators; facilitate crowd sourcing; create a personal web repository of contents and connections; share contents to be published, if approved by the administrator; create a network of contents and applications, at different levels for different users and specific needs. Homm-sw extends the museum experience. Before the visit: users can have a general look at museum contents and note, in their online personal desktop, what they are interested in. During the visit: users can retrieve their notes and add what is available on the museum’s exhibits and augmented reality, hands-on activities and multimedia contents, living laboratories, demonstration programs. Homm-sw in the onsite-mode allows only notes and memos, to fully enjoy what the museum uniquely offers. After the visit: users access their online workspace to retrieve and explore their notes, and any other content, as much as they wish. Beyond those common to other ICT tools in use in museums, Homm-sw has two key innovative functions. First, recording and retrieval of users' activities: during the visit in a museum, the visitor accessing her account may browse and take notes in her personal workspace and then retrieve and explore them, and many more, as much as she likes after the visit. Second, narratives presented through a set of related clips (videos, albums, texts) are easily seen in the conceptual map proposed by the curators. Homm-sw can be shared with non-profit organizations which intend to develop new features and share the upgrade with previous users and with new users, on the same conditions. Other engines will be implemented according to the demands of users, together with multi-channel and multilingual extension. As a tool for digital storytelling, integration with other software applications is welcome

A calcareous nannofossil and organic geochemical study of marine palaeoenvironmental changes across the Sinemurian/Pliensbachian (early Jurassic, ~191Ma) in Portugal

The Sinemurian/Pliensbachian boundary (~ 191 Ma) is acknowledged as one of the most important steps in the radiation of planktonic organisms, especially primary producers such as dinoflagellates and coccolithophores. To date, there is no detailed study documenting changes in planktonic assemblages related to palaeoceanographic changes across this boundary. The aim of this study is to characterize the palaeoenvironmental changes occurring across the Sinemurian/Pliensbachian boundary at the São Pedro de Moel section (Lusitanian Basin, Portugal) using micropalaeontology and organic geochemistry approaches. Combined calcareous nannofossil assemblage and lipid biomarker data document for a decrease in primary productivity in relation to a major sea-level rise occurring above the boundary. The Lusitanian Basin was particularly restricted during the late Sinemurian with a relatively low sea level, a configuration that led to the recurrent development of black shales. After a sharp sea-level fall, the basin became progressively deeper and more open during the earliest Pliensbachian, subsequently to a major transgression. This sea-level increase seems to have been a global feature and could have been related to the opening of the Hispanic Corridor that connected the Tethys and palaeo-Pacific oceans. The palaeoceanographic and palaeoclimatic changes induced by this opening may have played a role in the diversification of coccolithophores with the first occurrence or colonization of Tethyan waters by placolith-type coccoliths

High performance NbN nanowire superconducting single photon detectors fabricated on MgO substrates

We demonstrate high-performance nanowire superconducting single photon detectors (SSPDs) on ultrathin NbN films grown at a temperature compatible with monolithic integration. NbN films ranging from 150nm to 3nm in thickness were deposited by dc magnetron sputtering on MgO substrates at 400C. The superconducting properties of NbN films were optimized studying the effects of deposition parameters on film properties. SSPDs were fabricated on high quality NbN films of different thickness (7 to 3nm) deposited under optimal conditions. Electrical and optical characterizations were performed on the SSPDs. The highest QE value measured at 4.2K is 20% at 1300nm