WARFARE AND WOMEN IN THE ANCIENT WORLD

The present article explores the often ambivalent relationship ourancient sources had with the role of women in times of war, from theHomeric to the early Byzantine period. The article takes the view thatthese roles were not something invariably imposed by men, but werepart of a more general societal development, in which women as much as men supported the status quo, and for a variety of reasons

Angular dependence of magnetoresistivity in c-oriented MgB2 thin film

The anisotropy of MgB2 is still under debate: its value, strongly dependent on the sample and on the measuring method, ranges between 1.2 and 13. In this work we present our results on a MgB2 c-oriented superconducting thin film. To evaluate the anisotropy, we followed two different approaches. Firstly, magnetoresistivity was measured as a function of temperature at selected magnetic fields applied both parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis; secondly, we measured magnetoresistivity at selected temperatures and magnetic fields, varying the angle q between the magnetic field and the c-axis. The anisotropy estimated from the ratio between the upper critical fields parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis and the one obtained in the framework of the scaling approach within the anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau theory are different but show a similar trend in the temperature dependence. The obtained results are compared and discussed in the light of the two-band nature of MgB2. A comparison between critical fields in thin films and single crystal is also performed.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, European Physical Journal B in pres

Thermoelectric behavior of Ruddlesden-Popper series iridates

The goal of this work is studying the evolution of thermoelectric transport across the members of the Ruddlesden-Popper series iridates Srn+1IrnO3n+1, where a metal-insulator transition driven by bandwidth change occurs, from the strongly insulating Sr2IrO4 to the metallic non Fermi liquid behavior of SrIrO3. Sr2IrO4 (n=1), Sr3Ir2O7 (n=2) and SrIrO3 (n=inf.) polycrystals are synthesized at high pressure and characterized by structural, magnetic, electric and thermoelectric transport analyses. We find a complex thermoelectric phenomenology in the three compounds. Thermal diffusion of charge carriers accounts for the Seebeck behavior of Sr2IrO4, whereas additional drag mechanisms come into play in determining the Seebeck temperature dependence of Sr3Ir2O7 and SrIrO3. These findings reveal close relationship between magnetic, electronic and thermoelectric properties, strong coupling of charge carriers with phonons and spin fluctuations as well as relevance of multiband description in these compounds.Comment: main paper + supplementary informatio

Large phonon-drag enhancement induced by narrow quantum confinement at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface

The thermoelectric power of the two-dimensional electron system (2DES) at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface is explored below room temperature, in comparison with that of Nb-doped SrTiO3 single crystals. For the interface we find a region below T =50 K where thermopower is dominated by phonon-drag, whose amplitude is hugely amplified with respect to the corresponding bulk value, reaching values ~mV/K and above. The phonon-drag enhancement at the interface is traced back to the tight carrier confinement of the 2DES, and represents a sharp signature of strong electron-acoustic phonon coupling at the interface

Tc=21K in epitaxial FeSe0.5Te0.5 thin films with biaxial compressive strain

High purity epitaxial FeSe0.5Te0.5 thin films with different thickness were grown by Pulsed Laser Ablation on different substrates. By varying the film thickness, Tc up to 21K were observed, significantly larger than the bulk value. Structural analyses indicated that the a axis changes significantly with the film thickness and is linearly related to the Tc. The latter result indicates the important role of the compressive strain in enhancing Tc. Tc is also related to both the Fe-(Se,Te) bond length and angle, suggesting the possibility of further enhancement

Presentations of major peripheral arterial disease and risk of major outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes: results from the ADVANCE-ON study.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is known to be associated with high cardiovascular risk, but the individual impact of PAD presentations on risk of macrovascular and microvascular events has not been reliably compared in patients with type 2 diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the impact of major PAD, and its different presentations, on the 10-year risk of death, major macrovascular events, and major clinical microvascular events in these patients. METHODS: Participants in the action in diabetes and vascular disease: PreterAx and DiamicroN modified-release controlled evaluation (ADVANCE) trial and the ADVANCE-ON post-trial study were followed for a median of 5.0 (in-trial), 5.4 (post-trial), and 9.9 (overall) years. Major PAD at baseline was subdivided into lower-extremity chronic ulceration or amputation secondary to vascular disease and history of peripheral revascularization by angioplasty or surgery. RESULTS: Among 11,140 participants, 516 (4.6 %) had major PAD at baseline: 300 (2.7 %) had lower-extremity ulceration or amputation alone, 190 (1.7 %) had peripheral revascularization alone, and 26 (0.2 %) had both presentations. All-cause mortality, major macrovascular events, and major clinical microvascular events occurred in 2265 (20.3 %), 2166 (19.4 %), and 807 (7.2 %) participants, respectively. Compared to those without PAD, patients with major PAD had increased rates of all-cause mortality (HR 1.35, 95 % CI 1.15-1.60, p = 0.0004), and major macrovascular events (1.47 [1.23-1.75], p < 0.0001), after multiple adjustments for region of origin, cardiovascular risk factors and treatments, peripheral neuropathy markers, and randomized treatments. We have also observed a trend toward an association of baseline PAD with risk of major clinical microvascular events [1.31 (0.96-1.78), p = 0.09]. These associations were comparable for patients with a lower-extremity ulceration or amputation and for those with a history of peripheral revascularization. Furthermore, the risk of retinal photocoagulation or blindness, but not renal events, increased in patients with lower-extremity ulceration or amputation [1.53 (1.01-2.30), p = 0.04]. CONCLUSIONS: Lower-extremity ulceration or amputation, and peripheral revascularization both increased the risks of death and cardiovascular events, but only lower-extremity ulceration or amputation increased the risk of severe retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes. Screening for major PAD and its management remain crucial for cardiovascular prevention in patients with type 2 diabetes (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00949286)

Estimation of individual beneficial and adverse effects of intensive glucose control for patients with type 2 diabetes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Intensive glucose control reduces the risk of vascular complications while increasing the risk of severe hypoglycaemia at a group level. We sought to estimate individual beneficial and adverse effects of intensive glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We performed a post hoc analysis of the Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron MR Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial, a randomised controlled trial evaluating standard vs intensive glucose control (HbA1c target ≤6.5% [48 mmol/mol]). In 11,140 participants, we estimated the individual 5 year absolute risk reduction (ARR) for the composite outcome of major micro- and macrovascular events and absolute risk increase (ARI) for severe hypoglycaemia for intensive vs standard glucose control. Predictions were based on competing risks models including clinical characteristics and randomised treatment. RESULTS: Based on these models, 76% of patients had a substantial estimated 5 year ARR for major vascular events (>1%, 5 year number-needed-to-benefit [NNTB5] 200). Similarly, 36% of patients had a substantial estimated ARI for severe hypoglycaemia (5 year number-needed-to-harm [NNTH5] 200). When assigning similar or half the weight to severe hypoglycaemia compared with a major vascular event, net benefit was positive in 85% or 99% of patients, respectively. Limiting intensive treatment to the 85% patient subgroup had no significant effect on the overall incidence of major vascular events and severe hypoglycaemia compared with treating all patients. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Taking account of the effects of intensive glucose control on major micro- and macrovascular events and severe hypoglycaemia for individual patients, the estimated net benefit was positive in the majority of the participants in the ADVANCE trial. The estimated individual effects can inform treatment decisions once individual weights assigned to positive and adverse effects have been specified. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00145925

Enhanced flux pinning in neutron irradiated MgB2

We study the effect of neutron irradiation on the critical current density Jc of isotopically pure polycrystalline Mg11B2 samples. For fluences in the range 1017-1018 cm-2, Jc is enhanced and its dependence on magnetic field is significantly improved: we demonstrate that, in this regime, point-like pinning centers are effectively introduced in the system proportionally to the neutron fluence. Instead, for larger fluences, a strong suppression of the critical temperature accompanied by a decrease of both the upper critical field Bc2 and Jc is found.Comment: 13 pages, 3 igure

A Mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana with a Reduced Response to Fusicoccin. I

Because fusicoccin (FC) has the the capacity to promote solute uptake, a selective procedure for isolating mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana with a reduced response to the toxin has been developed. The procedure is based on the incubation of A. thaliana seedlings in a solution containing the cation Paraquat (Pq) at a concentration that per se does not produce bleaching of the leaves upon illumination but does in the presence of FC because of the increased uptake of the toxic cation. Using this procedure, we identified, among the progenies of 2010 M1 ethyl methanesulfonate-mutagenized plants, two mutants that stay green after exposure to FC and Pq. Some properties and inheritance of one of the two mutants (5\u20132) are described. Morphology of mutant plants is almost indistinguishable from that of the wild type. However, 5\u20132 seeds germinate and produce viable seedlings in the presence of FC plus the aminoglycoside antibiotic hygromycin B: plants of the mutant do not wilt when exposed to FC and stomata do not open or open only partially. In the presence of FC, the mutant appears less responsive than the wild type as far as the increment in fresh weight, the enlargement of leaf disc area, or the stimulation of H+ extrusion is concerned. Inheritance of the trait is monogenic dominant or semidominant, depending on the test used