Equations of motion approach to the spin-1/2 Ising model on the Bethe lattice

We exactly solve the ferromagnetic spin-1/2 Ising model on the Bethe lattice in the presence of an external magnetic field by means of the equations of motion method within the Green's function formalism. In particular, such an approach is applied to an isomorphic model of localized Fermi particles interacting via an intersite Coulomb interaction. A complete set of eigenoperators is found together with the corresponding eigenvalues. The Green's functions and the correlation functions are written in terms of a finite set of parameters to be self-consistently determined. A procedure is developed, that allows us to exactly fix the unknown parameters in the case of a Bethe lattice with any coordination number z. Non-local correlation functions up to four points are also provided together with a study of the relevant thermodynamic quantities.Comment: RevTex, 29 pages, 13 figure

Blind encoding into qudits

We consider the problem of encoding classical information into unknown qudit states belonging to any basis, of a maximal set of mutually unbiased bases, by one party and then decoding by another party who has perfect knowledge of the basis. Working with qudits of prime dimensions, we point out a no-go theorem that forbids shift operations on arbitrary unknown states. We then provide the necessary conditions for reliable encoding/decoding.Comment: To appear in Physics Letters

Comparative analysis of SAOCOM and Sentinel-1 data for surface soil moisture retrieval using a change detection method in a semiarid region (Douro River's basin, Spain)

The growing interest in low-frequency SAR for soil parameter retrieval has led to the development of new active L-band satellites, that will provide novel surface soil moisture products and retrieval possibilities; however, due to data unavailability so far, limited applications have investigated the use of change detection models using L-band satellite SAR data. Since July 2020, high revisit time, high-resolution acquisitions by the Satelite Argentino de Observacion COn Microondas (SAOCOM) Argentinian-Italian constellation have become accessible over Europe. Therefore, this research presents an investigation of the potential of multi-temporal L-band SAOCOM-1 for monitoring soil moisture variations underneath low and sparse agricultural vegetation. Moreover, it proposes a procedure for the mitigation of roughness contribution, by exploiting the entropy parameter derived from the dual-polarimetric decomposition. L-band sensitivity to soil moisture has been jointly evaluated in respect of Sentinel-1 C-band data by (1) comparing the temporal profiles of the backscattering coefficient, gamma(0), at VV and VH polarization, with the support of decomposition parameters (entropy and alpha), NDVI and precipitation data; (2) regression analysis with in situ soil moisture measurements, obtained by the REMEDHUS network in the Douro River basin (Spain); 3) evaluating the soil moisture retrievals obtained at C- and L- band using a change detection method. Finally, the effectiveness of the roughness normalization procedure for SAOCOM data has been validated using in situ data. L-band co-polarized gamma(0) has proved to be the best configuration for soil moisture inversion, being relatively insensitive to vegetation, as demonstrated by decomposition results and trend interpretation. Overall, regressions detected an R-2 22% higher at L-band than C-band, with values up to 0.74 for VV ((R) over bar (2)=0.32) and up to 0.47 for the VH band ((R) over bar (2)=0.14). Co-polarized data obtained R-2 on average 62.1% and 74.7% higher for SAOCOM and Sentinel-1. The retrieval models show an ubRMSD of 7.1% for SAOCOM data and 8.3% for Sentinel-1. The application of the proposed roughness normalization procedure to SAOCOM led to an ubRMSD of 6.7% improving the retrieved soil moisture trend by 7.9%. This exploratory analysis demonstrated SAOCOM data potential for soil moisture mapping and would serve as a foundation for more advanced retrieval procedures

Motional Squashed States

We show that by using a feedback loop it is possible to reduce the fluctuations in one quadrature of the vibrational degree of freedom of a trapped ion below the quantum limit. The stationary state is not a proper squeezed state, but rather a ``squashed'' state, since the uncertainty in the orthogonal quadrature, which is larger than the standard quantum limit, is unaffected by the feedback action.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the special Issue "Quantum Correlations and Fluctuations" of J. Opt.

Metronomic Chemotherapy with Vinorelbine Produces Clinical Benefit and Low Toxicity in Frail Elderly Patients Affected by Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. The treatment choice for advanced stage of lung cancer may depend on histotype, performance status (PS), age, and comorbidities. In the present study, we focused on the effect of metronomic vinorelbine treatment in elderly patients with advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. From January 2016 to December 2016, 44 patients affected by non-small cell lung cancer referred to our oncology day hospital were progressively analyzed. The patients were treated with oral vinorelbine 30 mg x 3/wk or 40 mg x 3/wk meaning one day on and one day off. The patients were older than 60, stage IIIB or IV, ECOG PS ≥ 1, and have at least one important comorbidity (renal, hepatic, or cardiovascular disease). The schedule was based on ECOG-PS and comorbidities. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). PFS was used to compare patients based on different scheduled dosage (30 or 40 mg x3/weekly) and age (more or less than 75 years old) as exploratory analysis. We also evaluated as secondary endpoint toxicity according to Common Toxicity Criteria Version 2.0. Results. Vinorelbine showed a good safety profile at different doses taken orally and was effective in controlling cancer progression. The median overall survival (OS) was 12 months. The disease control rate (DCR) achieved 63%. The median PFS was 9 months. A significant difference in PFS was detected comparing patients aged below with those over 75, and the HR value was 0.72 (p<0.05). Not significant was the difference between groups with different schedules. Conclusions. This study confirmed the safety profile of metronomic vinorelbine and its applicability for patients unfit for standard chemotherapies and adds the possibility of considering this type of schedule not only for very elderly patients

Time dependent nonclassical properties of even and odd nonlinear coherent states

We construct even and odd nonlinear coherent states of a parametric oscillator and examine their nonclassical properties.It has been shown that these superpositions exhibit squeezing and photon antibunching which change with time.Comment: 3 eps figure

Cognitive function in people with and without freezing of gait in Parkinson’s disease

Freezing of gait (FOG) is common in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) which is extremely debilitating. One hypothesis for the cause of FOG episodes is impaired cognitive control, however, this is still in debate in the literature. We aimed to assess a comprehensive range of cognitive tests in older adults and people with Parkinson’s with and without FOG and associate FOG severity with cognitive performance. A total of 227 participants took part in the study which included 80 healthy older adults, 81 people with PD who did not have FOG and 66 people with PD and FOG. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological assessments tested cognitive domains of global cognition, executive function/attention, working memory, and visuospatial function. The severity of FOG was assessed using the new FOG questionnaire and an objective FOG severity score. Cognitive performance was compared between groups using an ANCOVA adjusting for age, gender, years of education and disease severity. Correlations between cognitive performance and FOG severity were analyzed using partial correlations. Cognitive differences were observed between older adults and PD for domains of global cognition, executive function/attention, and working memory. Between those with and without FOG, there were differences for global cognition and executive function/attention, but these differences disappeared when adjusting for covariates. There were no associations between FOG severity and cognitive performance. This study identified no significant difference in cognition between those with and without FOG when adjusting for covariates, particularly disease severity. This may demonstrate that complex rehabilitation programs may be undertaken in those with FOG

Electron-radiation interaction in a Penning trap: beyond the dipole approximation

We investigate the physics of a single trapped electron interacting with a radiation field without the dipole approximation. This gives new physical insights in the so-called geonium theory.Comment: 12 pages, RevTeX, 6 figures, Approved for publication in Phys. Rev.

Looking back to see the future: building nuclear power plants in Europe

The so-called ‘nuclear renaissance’ in Europe is promulgated by the execution of two large engineering projects involving the construction of two European Pressurized Reactors (EPRs) in Flamanville, France and Olkiluoto in Finland. As both projects have faced budget overruns and delays, this paper analyses their governance and history to derive lessons useful for the construction of future projects. Analysis indicates that the reasons for these poor outcomes are: overoptimistic estimations, first-of-a-kind (FOAK) issues and undervaluation of regulation requirements. These pitfalls have the potential to impact on many other engineering construction projects and highlight fruitful areas of further research into project performance