15,837 research outputs found
Cancer-Associated Thrombosis in Cirrhotic Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
It is common knowledge that cancer patients are more prone to develop venous thromboembolic complications (VTE). It is therefore not surprising that patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) present with a significant risk of VTE, with the portal vein being the most frequent site (PVT). However, patients with HCC are peculiar as both cancer and liver cirrhosis are conditions that can perturb the hemostatic balance towards a prothrombotic state. Because HCC-related hypercoagulability is not clarified at all, the aim of the present review is to summarize the currently available knowledge on epidemiology and pathogenesis of non-malignant thrombotic complications in patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC. They are at increased risk to develop both PVT and non-splanchnic VTE, indicating that both local and systemic factors can foster the development of site-specific thrombosis. Recent studies have suggested multiple and often interrelated mechanisms through which HCC can tip the hemostatic balance of liver cirrhosis towards hypercoagulability. Described mechanisms include increased fibrinogen concentration/polymerization, thrombocytosis, and release of tissue factor-expressing extracellular vesicles. Currently, there are no specific guidelines on the use of thromboprophylaxis in this unique population. There is the urgent need of prospective studies assessing which patients have the highest prothrombotic profile and would therefore benefit from early thromboprophylaxis
Classical resolution of singularities in dilaton cosmologies
For models of dilaton-gravity with a possible exponential potential, such as
the tensor-scalar sector of IIA supergravity, we show how cosmological
solutions correspond to trajectories in a 2D Milne space (parametrized by the
dilaton and the scale factor). Cosmological singularities correspond to points
at which a trajectory meets the Milne horizon, but the trajectories can be
smoothly continued through the horizon to an instanton solution of the
Euclidean theory. We find some exact cosmology/instanton solutions that lift to
black holes in one higher dimension. For one such solution, the singularities
of a big crunch to big bang transition mediated by an instanton phase lift to
the black hole and cosmological horizons of de Sitter Schwarzschild spacetimes.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figure
Cosmological D-instantons and Cyclic Universes
For models of gravity coupled to hyperbolic sigma models, such as the
metric-scalar sector of IIB supergravity, we show how smooth trajectories in
the `augmented target space' connect FLRW cosmologies to non-extremal
D-instantons through a cosmological singularity. In particular, we find closed
cyclic universes that undergo an endless sequence of big-bang to big-crunch
cycles separated by instanton `phases'. We also find `big-bounce' universes in
which a collapsing closed universe bounces off its cosmological singularity to
become an open expanding universe.Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures. v2: minor change
Solid particle erosion and viscoelastic properties of thermoplastic polyurethanes
The wear resistance of several thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) having different chemical nature and micronscale
arrangement of the hard and soft segments has been investigated by means of erosion and abrasion tests. The goal was
correlating the erosion performances of the materials to their macroscopic mechanical properties. Unlike conventional tests,
such as hardness and tensile measurements, viscoelastic analysis proved to be a valuable tool to study the erosion resistance
of TPUs. In particular, a strict correlation was found between the erosion rate and the high-frequency (~10^7 Hz) loss modulus.
The latter reflects the actual ability of TPU to dissipate the impact energy of the erodent particles
On the Prior Sensitivity of Thompson Sampling
The empirically successful Thompson Sampling algorithm for stochastic bandits
has drawn much interest in understanding its theoretical properties. One
important benefit of the algorithm is that it allows domain knowledge to be
conveniently encoded as a prior distribution to balance exploration and
exploitation more effectively. While it is generally believed that the
algorithm's regret is low (high) when the prior is good (bad), little is known
about the exact dependence. In this paper, we fully characterize the
algorithm's worst-case dependence of regret on the choice of prior, focusing on
a special yet representative case. These results also provide insights into the
general sensitivity of the algorithm to the choice of priors. In particular,
with being the prior probability mass of the true reward-generating model,
we prove and regret upper bounds for the
bad- and good-prior cases, respectively, as well as \emph{matching} lower
bounds. Our proofs rely on the discovery of a fundamental property of Thompson
Sampling and make heavy use of martingale theory, both of which appear novel in
the literature, to the best of our knowledge.Comment: Appears in the 27th International Conference on Algorithmic Learning
Theory (ALT), 201
Two Dimensional Quantum Dilaton Gravity and the Positivity of Energy
Using an argument due to Regge and Teitelboim, an expression for the ADM mass
of 2d quantum dilaton gravity is obtained. By evaluating this expression we
establish that the quantum theories which can be written as a Liouville-like
theory, have a lower bound to energy, provided there is no critical boundary.
This fact is then reconciled with the observation made earlier that the Hawking
radiation does not appear to stop. The physical picture that emerges is that of
a black hole in a bath of quantum radiation. We also evaluate the ADM mass for
the models with RST boundary conditions and find that negative values are
allowed. The Bondi mass of these models goes to zero for large retarded times,
but becomes negative at intermediate times in a manner that is consistent with
the thunderpop of RST.Comment: 16 pages, phyzzx, COLO-HEP-309. (Confusing points in previous version
clarified, discussion of ADM and Bondi masses in RST case added.
Assessing natural capital value in the network of Italian marine protected areas: A comparative approach
Marine and coastal natural capital stocks provide a bundle of ecosystem services vital for human well-being. The biophysical and economic assessment of the value of natural capital stocks is much needed for achieving nature conservation goals, while ensuring the sustainable exploitation of marine resources. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly being established worldwide to protect and conserve natural capital stocks from anthropogenic threats. In this study, a biophysical and trophodynamic model based on the emergy accounting method was used to assess the value of natural capital for a set of Italian MPAs. In particular, the assessment focused on four main macro-habitats: 1) sciaphilic hard bottom (SHB), 2) photophilic hard bottom (PHB), 3) soft bottom (SB), and 4) Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds (PSB). The emergy method allowed the assessment of natural capital stocks in terms of direct and indirect solar energy flows invested by nature for their generation. The SHB habitat showed the highest emergy density value in most of the investigated MPAs, confirming the high convergence of input resource flows in the formation of this habitat. When considering extensive indicators, the contribution of the PSB habitat to the total value of natural capital was higher than other habitats in most MPAs. In addition, to facilitate the understanding of the results in socio-economic contexts, the biophysical values of natural capital stocks were converted into monetary units. The total value of natural capital in the investigated MPAs ranged from about 8 to 1163 M€. In conclusion, assessing the value of natural capital can support local managers and policy makers in charge for achieving nature conservation targets while ensuring the sustainable exploitation of natural resources
Specific mindfulness traits protect against negative effects of trait anxiety on medical student wellbeing during high-pressure periods
Medical education is highly demanding and evidence shows that medical students are three times more susceptible to deteriorating physical and mental health than the average college student. While trait anxiety may further increase such risk, little is known about the role of trait mindfulness in mitigating these effects. Here we examine the protective role of specific mindfulness facets as mediators in pathways from trait anxiety to perceived stress, psychosomatic burden and sleep-wake quality in medical students, across repeated measurements throughout the first trimester of the school year. Preclinical medical students enrolled in the second year of the Medical School of University of Bologna completed self-report questionnaires examining personality traits as well as physical and psychological wellbeing. Data were collected at the beginning (Time 1: N = 349) and the end of the first trimester (Time 2: N = 305). As students approached the end of the trimester and upcoming exams, reported levels of perceived stress, psychosomatic problems and difficulties in wakefulness increased significantly compared to the beginning of the trimester. Mediation results showed that trait anxiety predicted such outcomes whereas the protective role of mindfulness facets in mitigating these effects was significant only at Time 2. Specific facets of Nonjudging of inner experience and Acting with awareness proved to be the most effective mediators. Findings highlight that the beneficial role of mindfulness facets in mitigating negative consequences of trait anxiety on medical student wellbeing is revealed in high-pressure periods and when self-regulation is needed the most. Cultivating awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance of one’s inner experiences is a crucial self-regulation resource that can help medical students sustain their wellbeing as they learn and throughout their high-pressure education and professional careers
DEVELOPMENT POLICIES IN SOUTHERN ITALY BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE
The paper has analysed outputs generated by the development policies implemented in last decades in the South of Italy, starting from the Extraordinary Intervention (since 1950, until 1992) to the European cohesion policy (since 1996). The first one was a high-centralized development policy. Differently, the European cohesion policy is based on multilevel governance, and follows a bottom-up approach oriented to stimulate local stakeholders’ participation. The analysis, exposed in previous paragraphs, has described these two different policy experiences, the related effects on local development and on convergence between North and South of Italy and among European regions. The paper has tried to answer to a fundamental question: what factors have negatively affected the implementation of these policies, generating unexpected effects
Supersymmetry and Positive Energy in Classical and Quantum Two-Dimensional Dilaton Gravity
An supersymmetric version of two dimensional dilaton gravity coupled
to matter is considered. It is shown that the linear dilaton vacuum
spontaneously breaks half the supersymmetries, leaving broken a linear
combination of left and right supersymmetries which squares to time
translations. Supersymmetry suggests a spinorial expression for the ADM energy
, as found by Witten in four-dimensional general relativity. Using this
expression it is proven that is non-negative for smooth initial data
asymptotic (in both directions) to the linear dilaton vacuum, provided that the
(not necessarily supersymmetric) matter stress tensor obeys the dominant energy
condition. A {\it quantum} positive energy theorem is also proven for the
semiclassical large- equations, despite the indefiniteness of the quantum
stress tensor. For black hole spacetimes, it is shown that is bounded from
below by , where is the value of the dilaton at the
apparent horizon, provided only that the stress tensor is positive outside the
apparent horizon. This is the two-dimensional analogue of an unproven
conjecture due to Penrose. Finally, supersymmetry is used to prove positive
energy theorems for a large class of generalizations of dilaton gravity which
arise in consideration of the quantum theory.Comment: 21 page
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