The Quantum Hall Effect with Wilczek's charged magnetic flux tubes instead of electrons

Composites formed from charged particles and magnetic flux tubes, proposed by Wilczek, are one model for anyons - particles obeying fractional statistics. Here we propose a scheme for realizing charged flux tubes, in which a charged object with an intrinsic magnetic dipole moment is placed between two semi-infinite blocks of a high permeability ($\mu_r$) material, and the images of the magnetic moment create an effective flux tube. We show that the scheme can lead to a realization of Wilczek's anyons, when a two-dimensional electron system, which exhibits the integer quantum Hall effect (IQHE), is sandwiched between two blocks of the high-$\mu_r$ material with a temporally fast response (in the cyclotron and Larmor frequency range). The signature of Wilczek's anyons is a slight shift of the resistivity at the plateau of the IQHE. Thus, the quest for high-$\mu_r$ materials at high frequencies, which is underway in the field of metamaterials, and the quest for anyons, are here found to be on the same avenue.Comment: are welcom

The Harper-Hofstadter Hamiltonian and conical diffraction in photonic lattices with grating assisted tunneling

We introduce a grating assisted tunneling scheme for tunable synthetic magnetic fields in photonic lattices, which can be implemented at optical frequencies in optically induced one- and two-dimensional dielectric photonic lattices. We demonstrate a conical diffraction pattern in particular realization of these lattices which possess Dirac points in $k$-space, as a signature of the synthetic magnetic fields. The two-dimensional photonic lattice with grating assisted tunneling constitutes the realization of the Harper-Hofstadter Hamiltonian.Comment: are welcome; figures 2c,d obtained with somewhat better parameter value

Synchrophasors Determination Based on Interpolated FFT Algorithm

Within the standard IEEE C37.118 applications and proposed hardware structure of a phasor measurement unit (PMU) are described. This paper presents the concept of the system for measuring and transferring synchrophasors from a theoretical aspect. Synchrophasor algorithms are developed in MATLAB/Simulink for the purpose of easier verification and hardware deployment on today’s market available and affordable real time development kits. Analysis of the synchrophasor measurement process is performed gradually. Firstly, by defining the synchrophasor based on three-phase to αβ-transformation and then introducing a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) based on synchrophasor estimation algorithm. Later, accompanying adverse effects resulting from its application are analyzed by means of simulation. To increase accuracy and improve estimation algorithm interpolated discrete Fourier transform (IpDFT) with and without windowing technique is used. To further optimize algorithm performance convolution sum in recursive form has been implemented instead of classical DFT approach. This study was carried out in order to validate described measurement system for the monitoring of transients during island operation of a local power electric system. Finally, simulation and experimental results including error analysis are also presented

The tower of London (tol) in Italy. standardization of the tol test in an Italian population

Deficit in planning and problem-solving, affecting a wide range of neuropsychological patients, has been widely investigated using the Tower of London (ToL) test, as developed by Shallice (Philos Trans R Soc Lond Ser B Biol Sci 298:199-209, 1). The ToL taps on several executive functions (EF), such as planning, time for planning or rule breaks, which may be usefully indexed by different ToL measurements. However, in its original version, the different aspects involved in ToL are not evaluated in a specific way.Here, we report the standardization of the ToL, on 896 individuals aged 15-86 years, taking in account individual factors (i.e. gender, age, years of education) which may affect performances on ToL. We computed several indexes on the ToL including score, planning and execution times, perseverations, rule breaks and self-monitoring. We found that these indexes were affected by individual factors such as gender, age and education. Present results not only provide extensive normative data according to gender, as well as different age and education ranges, but also represent a very useful instrument for a more fine-grained diagnosis of EF deficits in a wide range of neuropsychological patients, including traumatic brain injury and brain-damaged patients, as well as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease patients

Alternativni pristup mjerenju koncentracije nanočestica ZnO u kulturama humanih limfocita - spoj elektrokemije i testova genotoksičnosti

Nanoparticle use has increased radically raising concern about possible adverse effects in humans. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are among the most common nanomaterials in consumer and medical products. Several studies indicate problems with their safe use. The aim of our study was to see at which levels ZnO NPs start to produce adverse cytogenetic effects in human lymphocytes as an early attempt toward establishing safety limits for ZnO NP exposure in humans. We assessed the genotoxic effects of low ZnO NP concentrations (1.0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 μg mL-1) in lymphocyte cultures over 14 days of exposure. We also tested whether low and high-density lymphocytes differed in their ability to accumulate ZnO NPs in these experimental conditions. Primary DNA damage (measured with the alkaline comet assay) increased with nanoparticle concentration in unseparated and high density lymphocytes. The same happened with the fragmentation of TP53 (measured with the comet-FISH). Nanoparticle accumulation was significant only with the two highest concentrations, regardless of lymphocyte density. High-density lymphocytes had significantly more intracellular Zn2+ than light-density ones. Our results suggest that exposure to ZnO NPs in concentrations above 5 μg mL-1 increases cytogenetic damage and intracellular Zn2+ levels in lymphocytes.S naglim porastom primjene nanočestica raste i mogućnost njihova štetna djelovanja u ljudi. Nanočestice cinkova oksida najčešći su oblik nanomaterijala u potrošačkim proizvodima i lijekovima. Nekoliko je istraživanja već upozorilo na probleme vezane uz njihovu sigurnu primjenu. Cilj je ovoga istraživanja bio utvrditi pri kojim razinama nanočestice ZnO počinju štetno citogenetski djelovati na humane limfocite i time otvoriti pitanje utvrđivanja graničnih razina za sigurnu primjenu nanočestica ZnO u ljudi. Stoga smo istražili genotoksične učinke niskih koncentracija nanočestica ZnO (1,0; 2,5; 5 i 7,5 μg mL-1) izloživši kulture humanih limfocita njihovu djelovanju tijekom 14 dana. Uz to smo izmjerili razlikuju li se limfociti niske gustoće od onih visoke gustoće u sposobnosti akumuliranja nanočestica ZnO pri istim eksperimentalnim uvjetima. Primarno oštećenje DNA (izmjereno alkalnim komet-testom) povećalo se s rastom koncentracije nanočestica u limfocitima koje nismo razdvojili po gustoći te u limfocitima visoke gustoće. Slično smo povećanje zamijetili s fragmentacijom tumorskoga supresorskoga gena TP53 (izmjereno komet-FISH testom). Nakupljanje Zn2+ iona u stanicama bilo je značajno samo kod primjene dviju najviših koncentracija nanočestica ZnO, bez obzira na gustoću limfocita. Osim toga, limfociti visoke gustoće iskazali su i značajno više razine unutarstaničnoga Zn2+ od limfocita niske gustoće. Naši rezultati upozoravaju na to da se izlaganjem razinama nanočestica ZnO višima od 5 μg mL-1 značajno povisuju razine Zn2+ u limfocitima te se povećava oštećenje tih stanica i njihova genoma

Web-Based Specialist Support for Spinal Cord Injury Person's Care: Lessons Learned

Persons with disability from spinal cord injury (SCI) are subject to high risk of pathological events and need a regular followup even after discharge from the rehabilitation hospital. To help in followup, we developed a web portal for providing online specialist as well as GP support to SCI persons. After a feasibility study with 13 subjects, the portal has been introduced in the regional healthcare network in order to make it compliant with current legal regulations on data protection, including smartcard authentication. Although a number of training courses have been made to introduce SCI persons to portal use (up to 50 users), the number of accesses remained very low. Reasons for that have been investigated by means of a questionnaire submitted to the initial feasibility study subjects and included the still easier use of telephone versus our web-based smartcard-authenticated portal, in particular, because online communications are still perceived as an unusual way of interacting with the doctor. To summarize, the overall project has been appreciated by the users, but when it is time to ask for help to, the specialist, it is still much easier to make a phone call

Confirmation of increased and more severe adolescent mental health-related in-patient admissions in the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath: A 2-year follow-up study

: COVID-19 pandemic may have affected youth's mental wellbeing. Youth admissions for mental health emergencies over the 2-year period following the COVID-19 outbreak (March 2020-February 2022) were compared to those occurring in the same period of 2018-2020, with reference to individual and clinical data. The study identified 30 admissions in the pre-pandemic period and 65 (+116.7%) in the post-pandemic period, with the latter being younger, less likely to have a personal psychiatric history, and more likely to receive psychopharmacological treatment. A higher likelihood of earlier, ex novo psychiatric manifestations, requiring medication to reach clinical stability, in the post-COVID era, is suggested