35 research outputs found
Thermodynamic performance bounds for radiative heat engines
This paper discusses the performance limits of heat engines exchanging heat
radiatively with a hot source while in thermal contact with a cold sink.
Starting from solar energy conversion models, we derive power-versus-efficiency
upper bounds for both reciprocal and nonreciprocal radiative heat engines. We
find that nonreciprocal engines may allow significantly better performance than
reciprocal ones, particularly for low emitter temperatures or when operating
close to Carnot efficiency. The results give valuable guidelines for the design
and optimization of thermophotovoltaic systems.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Repulsion of polarized particles from two-dimensional materials
Repulsion of nanoparticles, molecules and atoms from surfaces can have
important applications in nanomechanical devices, microfluidics, optical
manipulation and atom optics. Here, through the solution of a classical
scattering problem, we show that a dipole source can experience a robust and
strong repulsive force when its near-field interacts with a two-dimensional
material that has a metallic character. As an example, the case of graphene is
considered, showing that a broad bandwidth of repulsion can be obtained
spanning the frequency range , where is the
chemical potential of graphene, tuneable electrically or by chemical doping
Directional scattering from particles under evanescent wave illumination: the role of reactive power
Study of photonic spin-orbital interactions, which involves control of the
propagation and spatial distributions of light with the polarization of
electromagnetic fields, is not only important at the fundamental level but also
has significant implications for functional photonic applications that require
active tuning of directional light propagation. Many of the experimental
demonstrations have been attributed to the spin-momentum locking characteristic
of evanescent waves. In this letter, we show another property of evanescent
waves: the polarization dependent direction of the imaginary part of the
Poynting vector, i.e. reactive power. Based on this property, we propose a
simple and robust way to tune the directional far-field scattering from
nanoparticles near a surface under evanescent wave illumination by controlling
linear polarization and direction of the incident light
Experimental demonstration of linear and spinning Janus dipoles for polarisation and wavelength selective near-field coupling
The electromagnetic field scattered by nano-objects contains a broad range of
wave vectors and can be efficiently coupled to waveguided modes. The dominant
contribution to scattering from subwavelength dielectric and plasmonic
nanoparticles is determined by electric and magnetic dipolar responses. Here,
we experimentally demonstrate spectral and phase selective excitation of Janus
dipoles, sources with electric and magnetic dipoles oscillating out of phase,
in order to control near-field interference and directional coupling to
waveguides. We show that by controlling the polarisation state of the dipolar
excitations and the excitation wavelength to adjust their relative
contributions, directionality and coupling strength can be fully tuned.
Furthermore, we introduce a novel spinning Janus dipole featuring cylindrical
symmetry in the near and far field, which results in either omnidirectional
coupling or noncoupling. Controlling the propagation of guided light waves via
fast and robust near-field interference between polarisation components of a
source is required in many applications in nanophotonics and quantum optics
The characteristics and activities of child and adolescent mental health services in Italy: a regional survey
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To date, no studies have assessed in detail the characteristics, organisation, and functioning of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This information gap represents a major limitation for researchers and clinicians because most mental disorders have their onset in childhood or adolescence, and effective interventions can therefore represent a major factor in avoiding chronicity. Interventions and mental health care are delivered by and through services, and not by individual, private clinicians, and drawbacks or limitations of services generally translate in inappropriateness and ineffectiveness of treatments and interventions: therefore information about services is essential to improve the quality of care and ultimately the course and outcome of mental disorders in childhood and adolescence.</p> <p>The present paper reports the results of the first study aimed at providing detailed, updated and comprehensive data on CAMHS of a densely populated Italian region (over 4 million inhabitants) with a target population of 633,725 subjects aged 0-17 years.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Unit Chiefs of all the CAMHS filled in a structured 'Facility Form', with activity data referring to 2008 (data for inpatient facilities referred to 2009), which were then analysed in detail.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eleven CAMHS were operative, including 110 outpatient units, with a ratio of approximately 20 child psychiatrists and 23 psychologists per 100,000 inhabitants aged 0-17 years. All outpatient units were well equipped and organized and all granted free service access. In 2008, approximately 6% of the target population was in contact with outpatient CAMHS, showing substantial homogeneity across the eleven areas thereby. Most patients in contact in 2008 received a language disorder- or learning disability diagnosis (41%). First-ever contacts accounted for 30% of annual visits across all units. Hospital bed availability was 5 per 100,000 inhabitants aged 0-17 years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The percentage of young people in contact with CAMHS for mental disorders is in line with those observed in previous epidemiological studies. The overall number of child psychiatrists per 100,000 inhabitants is one of the highest in Europe and it is comparable with the most well equipped areas in the US. This comparison should be interpreted with caution, however, because in Italy, child psychiatrists also treat neurological disorders. Critical areas requiring improvement are: the uneven utilisation of standardised assessment procedures and the limited availability of dedicated emergency services during non-office hours (e.g., nights and holidays).</p
Serum Albumin Is Inversely Associated With Portal Vein Thrombosis in Cirrhosis
We analyzed whether serum albumin is independently associated with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in liver cirrhosis (LC) and if a biologic plausibility exists. This study was divided into three parts. In part 1 (retrospective analysis), 753 consecutive patients with LC with ultrasound-detected PVT were retrospectively analyzed. In part 2, 112 patients with LC and 56 matched controls were entered in the cross-sectional study. In part 3, 5 patients with cirrhosis were entered in the in vivo study and 4 healthy subjects (HSs) were entered in the in vitro study to explore if albumin may affect platelet activation by modulating oxidative stress. In the 753 patients with LC, the prevalence of PVT was 16.7%; logistic analysis showed that only age (odds ratio [OR], 1.024; P = 0.012) and serum albumin (OR, -0.422; P = 0.0001) significantly predicted patients with PVT. Analyzing the 112 patients with LC and controls, soluble clusters of differentiation (CD)40-ligand (P = 0.0238), soluble Nox2-derived peptide (sNox2-dp; P < 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (P = 0.0078) were higher in patients with LC. In LC, albumin was correlated with sCD4OL (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient [r(s)], -0.33; P < 0.001), sNox2-dp (r(s), -0.57; P < 0.0001), and urinary excretion of isoprostanes (r(s), -0.48; P < 0.0001) levels. The in vivo study showed a progressive decrease in platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and urinary 8-iso prostaglandin F2 alpha-III formation 2 hours and 3 days after albumin infusion. Finally, platelet aggregation, sNox2-dp, and isoprostane formation significantly decreased in platelets from HSs incubated with scalar concentrations of albumin. Conclusion: Low serum albumin in LC is associated with PVT, suggesting that albumin could be a modulator of the hemostatic system through interference with mechanisms regulating platelet activation
Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy
IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical
attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced
colorectal cancers at diagnosis.
OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced
oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all
17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December
31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period),
in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was
30 days from surgery.
EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery,
palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer
at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as
cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding,
lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery,
and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes
was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster
variable.
RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years)
underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142
(56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was
significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR],
1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic
lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients
undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for
these patients