Magnetism and pairing of two-dimensional trapped fermions

The emergence of local phases in a trapped two-component Fermi gas in an optical lattice is studied using quantum Monte Carlo simulations. We treat temperatures that are comparable or lower than those presently achievable in experiments and large enough systems that both magnetic and paired phases can be detected by inspection of the behavior of suitable short-range correlations. We use the latter to suggest the interaction strength and temperature range at which experimental observation of incipient magnetism and d-wave pairing are more likely and evaluate the relation between entropy and temperature in two-dimensional confined fermionic systems.Comment: 4 pages + supplementary materia

Rational and affordable concepts of Landing Gear for small reentry vehicle demonstrators

The paper proposes an innovative solution for landing gear of small space vehicles, in particular of technological demonstrators of reentry space vehicles. After explaining why small space vehicles can benefit from landing gears, the work investigates a solution, which avoids the use of fluidic systems and minimizes constraints on the whole vehicle, thus limiting cost raising and making the installation of the landing gear easier on vehicles that originally did not envisage landing gears

Fetal and early neonatal interleukin-6 response

In 1998, a systemic fetal cytokine response, defined as a plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) value above 11 pg/mL, was reported to be a major independent risk factor for the subsequent development of neonatal morbid events even after adjustments for gestational age and other confounders. Since then, the body of literature investigating the use of blood concentrations of IL-6 as a hallmark of the fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS), a diagnostic marker of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS) and a risk predictor of white matter injury (WMI), has grown rapidly. In this article, we critically review: IL-6 biological functions; current evidence on the association between IL-6, preterm birth, FIRS and EONS; IL-6 reference intervals and dynamics in the early neonatal period; IL-6 response during the immediate postnatal period and perinatal confounders; accuracy and completeness of IL-6 diagnostic studies for EONS (according to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy statement); and recent breakthroughs in the association between fetal blood IL-6, EONS, and WMI

The Crip, The Fat and The Ugly in an Age of Austerity: Resistance, Reclamation and Affirmation

Welcome to this special forum, The Crip, The Fat and The Ugly in an Age of Austerity: Resistance, Reclamation and Affirmation. Our original desire in putting out this call was to critically explore the processes and politics of austerity upon diverse and marginalized embodiments in neoliberal and advanced capitalist times. Global austerity has a far reach, often into, around, behind, beyond and alongside the body. Global austerity routinely categorizes body-minds[i] in terms of productivity, value, cost, ability and aesthetics. Body-minds are positioned vis-a-vis global austerity as a site for social order, economic possibility, progression, and big business. Whereas “[a]n able body is the body of a citizen; deformed deafened, amputated, obese, female, perverse, crippled, maimed and blinded bodies do not make up the body politic” (Davis, 1995, pp. 71–72). In devising this forum, we yearned for space to contemplate the aesthetics, experiences and the reification of body-minds - how capitalism makes sense of and shapes body-minds; the ways in which austerity both marks and produces bodies and selves, and the means through which these are further shaped by disability, race, class, gender, age, size, sexuality, and nation. Although we explore aspects of these in our own work (Liddiard, 2018; Slater, 2015), we wanted to create a space to connect with others and think about diverse and marginalized embodiments in austere times. In this introduction, we story the process through which we put the issue together, from our original decision making and putting out the call, to supporting authors to revise their contributions. We do so because we feel it’s a fitting way to speak to the inclusions and exclusions made in this forum. At the same time, we feel it offers a broader commentary as to the “state” of global disability studies today

Whole-body heat stress and exercise stimulate the appearance of platelet microvesicles in plasma with limited influence of vascular shear stress

Intense, large muscle mass exercise increases circulating microvesicles, but our understanding of microvesicle dynamics and mechanisms inducing their release remains limited. However, increased vascular shear stress is generally thought to be involved. Here, we manipulated exercise-independent and exercise-dependent shear stress using systemic heat stress with localized single-leg cooling (low shear) followed by single-leg knee extensor exercise with the cooled or heated leg (Study 1, n = 8) and whole-body passive heat stress followed by cycling (Study 2, n = 8). We quantified femoral artery shear rates (SRs) and arterial and venous platelet microvesicles (PMV-CD41+) and endothelial microvesicles (EMV-CD62E+). In Study 1, mild passive heat stress while one leg remained cooled did not affect [microvesicle] (P ≥ 0.05). Single-leg knee extensor exercise increased active leg SRs by ~12-fold and increased arterial and venous [PMVs] by two- to threefold, even in the nonexercising contralateral leg (P < 0.05). In Study 2, moderate whole-body passive heat stress increased arterial [PMV] compared with baseline (mean±SE, from 19.9 ± 1.5 to 35.5 ± 5.4 PMV.μL-1.103, P < 0.05), and cycling with heat stress increased [PMV] further in the venous circulation (from 27.5 ± 2.2 at baseline to 57.5 ± 7.2 PMV.μL-1.103 during cycling with heat stress, P < 0.05), with a tendency for increased appearance of PMV across exercising limbs. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that whole-body heat stress may increase arterial [PMV], and intense exercise engaging either large or small muscle mass promote PMV formation locally and systemically, with no influence upon [EMV]. Local shear stress, however, does not appear to be the major stimulus modulating PMV formation in healthy humans

Design of all electric secondary power system for future advanced MALE UAV

SAvE (Systems for UAV Alternative Energy) is a research project funded in 2007 by Piemonte Regional Government, Italy, and assigned to Politecnico di Torino and Alenia Aeronautica. Aim of the project is the study of new, more efficient, more effective and more environmentally friendly on board systems for future advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), particularly for future advanced MALE UAVs. The paper deals with the analysis and design of the all electric Secondary Power System of a future advanced MALE UAV, that we consider as “reference aircraft”. After a thorough trade-off analysis of different configurations of the Secondary Power System, the hybrid configuration, characterized by generators (or better, starter/generators), fuel cells and traditional and innovative batteries, has been selected as the most promising. Detailed investigations to find the best way to apportion the supply of secondary power, considering the various power sources (generators or starter/generators, batteries and fuel cells) in the different modes of operations, have been performed thanks to an integrated simulation environment, where physical, functional and mission scenario simulations continuously exchange data and results

Recent developments in near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for the assessment of local skeletal muscle microvascular function and capacity to utilise oxygen

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Continuous wave near infrared spectroscopy (CW NIRS) provides non-invasive technology to measure relative changes in oxy- and deoxy-haemoglobin in a dynamic environment. This allows determination of local skeletal muscle O2 saturation, muscle oxygen consumption (View the MathML source) and blood flow. This article provides a brief overview of the use of CW NIRS to measure exercise-limiting factors in skeletal muscle. RECENT FINDINGS: NIRS parameters that measure O2 delivery and capacity to utilise O2 in the muscle have been developed based on response to physiological interventions and exercise. NIRS has good reproducibility and agreement with gold standard techniques and can be used in clinical populations where muscle oxidative capacity or oxygen delivery (or both) are impaired. CW NIRS has limitations including: the unknown contribution of myoglobin to the overall signals, the impact of adipose tissue thickness, skin perfusion during exercise, and variations in skin pigmentation. These, in the main, can be circumvented through appropriate study design or measurement of absolute tissue saturation. SUMMARY: CW NIRS can assess skeletal muscle O2 delivery and utilisation without the use of expensive or invasive procedures and is useable in large population-based samples, including older adults

Feasibility Study of a Technological Demonstrator of Reduced Size for Sub-Orbital Flight

The Unmanned Space Vehicles program (USV), managed by the Italian Aerospace Research Centre (CIRA), is a science and technology knowledge development program, oriented towards future generations of Reusable Launch Vehicles, capable of performing frequent, and affordable launches into space. The USV program has been defined based on the belief that future space access and re-entry will be guaranteed by aviation-like vehicles. The USV program therefore aims at the development of innovative technologies for future space vehicles. The program pursues an approach characterized by increasing mission complexity: three Flying Test Beds (FTBs) will be designed and built to perform four experimental flight tests. The planned missions are: Dropped Transonic Flight Test (DTFT), Sub-orbital Re-entry Test (SRT), Hypersonic Flight Test (HFT) and Orbital Re-entry Test (ORT). As these FTBs are thought as vehicles of considerable size, about 7.5 meters long, the study and development of smaller technological demonstrators, conceived to lead to the realization of bigger ones, appear attractive thanks to their high benefit-to-cost ratio. The aerospace system research group at Politecnico di Torino has been working at the design of small and affordable technological demonstrators for many years now and different configurations have been developed. In collaboration with CIRA, Università di Napoli “Federico II” and Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, our research group has carried out the feasibility study of a small vehicle oriented towards the execution of the SRT mission. The vehicle has been called “Mini-FTB” and its mission “Mini-SRT“. The CIRA demonstrator for the original SRT mission (FTB_2) is powered by one solid rocket engine. It will be dropped from a stratospheric balloon at an altitude of about 35 km. After that, the rocket is ignited to accelerate the vehicle along a sub-orbital trajectory up to a maximum altitude of about 120 km. Then the vehicle starts the re-entry phase along a trajectory designed to maximize heat fluxes, that remain higher than 650 kW/sqm for about 15 seconds, achieving the maximum value at about 25 km. A parachute system allows the recovery of the vehicle. Main target of the Mini-SRT mission is to improve technological and scientific knowledge useful to reduce risks connected to the SRT mission by means of a low cost and thus low risk system. The paper starts with an overview of the design process and the proceeds with the description of requirements, mission profile and system configuration. The paper then focuses on subsystems sizing and investigate the aerothermodynamics issue. Eventually preliminary cost estimations are show and main conclusions are drawn. Results are encouraging as the feasibility study has shown that the Mini-FTB can be built and tested