Capture barrier distributions: Some insights and details

The “experimental barrier distribution” provides a parameter-free representation of experimental heavy-ion capture cross sections that highlights the effects of entrance-channel couplings. Its relation to the s-wave transmission is discussed, and in particular it is shown how the full capture cross section can be generated from an $l=0$ coupled-channels calculation. Furthermore, it is shown how this transmission can be simply exploited in calculations of quasifission and evaporation-residue cross sections. The system ^{48}Ca+^{154}Sm is studied in detail. A calculation of the compound-nucleus spin distribution reveals a possible energy dependence of barrier weights due to polarization arising from target and projectile quadrupole phonon states; this effect also gives rise to an entrance-channel “extra-push.

Pyromellitic dianhydride crosslinked cyclodextrin nanosponges for curcumin controlled release; formulation, physicochemical characterization and cytotoxicity investigations

Aim: In this study, a nanosponge structure was synthesised with capability of encapsulating curcumin as a model polyphenolic compound and one of the herbal remedies that have widely been considered due to its ability to treat cancer. Methods: FTIR, DSC and XRD techniques were performed to confirm the formation of the inclusion complex of the nanosponge-drug. Results: DSC and XRD patterns showed an increasing stability and a decreasing crystallinity of curcumin after formation of inclusion complex. Encapsulation efficiency was 98% (w/w) and a significant increase was observed in loading capacity (184% w/w). The results of cytotoxicity assessments demonstrated no cell toxicity on the healthy cell line, while being toxic against cancer cells. Haemolysis test was performed to evaluate the blood-compatibility characteristic of nanosponge and complex and the results showed 0.54% haemolysis in the lowest complex concentration (50μgml−1) and 5.09% at the highest concentration (200μgml−1). Conclusions: Thus, the introduced system could be widely considered in cancer treatment as a drug delivery system

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: where are we now?

When dealing with neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (NPSLE) there are still many controversial topics. In 1999 the American College of Rheumatology gave classification criteria for 19 clinical syndromes. However major problems are still related to low specificity of some of them such as headache, cognitive impairment or mood disorders. Even though a frequency of CNS involvement from 14 to 75% has been described, depending on both the population studied and the methodology of assessment, a lower frequency ranging from 21 to 28 % derived by larger case series seems more realistic. The introduction of the concept of "borderline cases", proposed by Italian Study Group for NP-SLE, is based both on clinical and instrumental evaluation and could represent a useful tool when dealing with conditions which do not fulfil ACR classification. Also the relationship between SLE activity and NP involvement is a debated issue. Concerning pathogenesis, it seems reasonable to consider multifactorial mechanisms related to antibody-mediated damage, antiphospholipid pro-thrombotic effect, non-inflammatory vasculopathy and cytokines mediated cytotoxycity. However, direct and unequivocal evidence for the implication of any of the above-mentioned mechanisms is still lacking. Although a wide range of neuroimaging tools have been used to evaluate CNS involvement, no single technique has proven to be definitive and, when dealing with a patient with suspected NPSLE, it is important to combine different diagnostic techniques. Due to the lack of effective imaging along with limitation in knowledge of underlying pathogenetic mechanisms and paucity of histopathologic findings, therapeutic approach in NPSLE remains a difficult issue and is currently based on personal experience. Italian Study Group for NP-SLE proposes the creation of a national registry on NPSLE to validate ACR classification criteria. Furthermore, the possibility to collect large series and stratifying them for each of the included neuro-psychiatric syndromes seems a good strategy for planning multicentric controlled therapeutic trials in the near future

A novel algorithm and hardware architecture for fast video-based shape reconstruction of space debris

In order to enable the non-cooperative rendezvous, capture, and removal of large space debris, automatic recognition of the target is needed. Video-based techniques are the most suitable in the strict context of space missions, where low-energy consumption is fundamental, and sensors should be passive in order to avoid any possible damage to external objects as well as to the chaser satellite. This paper presents a novel fast shape-from-shading (SfS) algorithm and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based system hardware architecture for video-based shape reconstruction of space debris. The FPGA-based architecture, equipped with a pair of cameras, includes a fast image pre-processing module, a core implementing a feature-based stereo-vision approach, and a processor that executes the novel SfS algorithm. Experimental results show the limited amount of logic resources needed to implement the proposed architecture, and the timing improvements with respect to other state-of-the-art SfS methods. The remaining resources available in the FPGA device can be exploited to integrate other vision-based techniques to improve the comprehension of debris model, allowing a fast evaluation of associated kinematics in order to select the most appropriate approach for capture of the target space debris

Self-consistent modeling of the energetic storm particle event of November 10, 2012

It is thought that solar energetic ions associated with coronal/interplanetary shock waves are accelerated to high energies by the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. For this mechanism to be efficient, intense magnetic turbulence is needed in the vicinity of the shock. The enhanced turbulence upstream of the shock can be produced self-consistently by the accelerated particles themselves via streaming instability. Comparisons of quasi-linear-theory-based particle acceleration models that include this process with observations have not been fully successful so far, which has motivated the development of acceleration models of a different nature. The aim of this work is to test how well our self-consistent quasi-linear SOLar Particle Acceleration in Coronal Shocks (SOLPACS) simulation code, developed earlier to simulate proton acceleration in coronal shocks, models the particle foreshock region. We applied SOLPACS to model the energetic storm particle (ESP) event observed by the STEREO A spacecraft on November 10, 2012. In the simulations, all but one main input parameter of SOLPACS are fixed by the in-situ plasma measurements from the spacecraft. By comparing a simulated proton energy spectrum at the shock with the observed one, we were able to fix the last simulation input parameter related to the efficiency of particle injection to the acceleration process. A subsequent comparison of simulated proton time-intensity profiles in a number of energy channels with the observed ones shows a very good correspondence throughout the upstream region

Descrição da série caudal de um titanosaurídeo do Grupo Bauru, Cretáceo Superior do Brasil

A new titanosaurid, Baurutitan britoi n. gen., n. sp., is described and compared with other taxa of that sauropod clade. The specimen (MCT 1490-R) consists of the last sacral followed by a sequence of 18 caudal vertebrae that were found in the continental deposits of the Late Cretaceous Bauru Group that outcrop at the Peirópolis region, near the town of Uberaba, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This new taxon is distinguished from other titanosaurians by several features, including subrectangular to square outline of the anterior articulation surface of the anterior and middle caudals, strongly pointed laterally directed process intercepting the spinoprezygapophyseal lamina in caudal 1; dorsal prezygapophyseal tuberosity on the lateral margin of the prezygapophyses of caudals 2-4, that smoothens out in midcaudals. This material demonstrates that the horizontal ridge present in middle and posterior caudals of some titanosaurs, inBaurutitan britoi is homologous with a dorsal tuberosity and not with the transverse process.Um novo titanossaurídeo, Baurutitan britoi n. gen., n. sp., é descrito e comparado com outros membros desse clado de saurópodes. O espécime é composto por uma última vértebra sacral seguida de uma seqüência de 18 vértebras caudais (MCT 1490-R) proveniente das cercanias do povoado de Peirópolis, no Município de Uberaba (Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil), tendo sido encontrado nos depósitos continentais do Grupo Bauru (Cretáceo Superior). Entre as características que distinguem esse novo táxon dos demais Titanosauria estão a face subretangular ou quadrada da articulação anterior das caudais, processo lateral bem desenvolvido interceptando a lamina espinopré-zigapofisiária da caudal 1, tubérculo dorsal na margem lateral das pré-zigapófises das caudais 2-4, que se torna em uma rugosidade que tende a se tornar menos pronunciada nas caudais médias. Este material também demonstra que em Baurutitan britoi n. gen., n. sp. a crista lateral nos centros das caudais medianas é o resultado de uma diminuição de um processo dorsal e não é homólogo do processo transverso

A Bayesian study of the primordial power spectrum from a novel closed universe model

We constrain the shape of the primordial power spectrum using recent measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) from the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) 7-year data and other high-resolution CMB experiments. We also include observations of the matter power spectrum from the luminous red galaxy (LRG) subset DR7 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). We consider two different models of the primordial power spectrum. The first is the standard nearly scale-invariant spectrum in the form of a generalised power-law parameterised in terms of the spectral amplitude $A_{\rm s}$, the spectral index $n_{\rm s}$ and (possibly) the running parameter $n_{\rm run}$. The second spectrum is derived from the Lasenby and Doran (LD) model. The LD model is based on the restriction of the total conformal time available in a closed Universe and the predicted primordial power spectrum depends upon just two parameters. An important feature of the LD spectrum is that it naturally incorporates an exponential fall-off on large scales, which might provide a possible explanation for the lower-than-expected power observed at low multipoles in the CMB. In addition to parameter estimation, we compare both models using Bayesian model selection. We find there is a significant preference for the LD model over a simple power-law spectrum for a CMB-only dataset, and over models with an equal number of parameters for all the datasets considered.Comment: minor corrections to match accepted version to MNRA

Engineering of quantum dot photon sources via electro-elastic fields

The possibility to generate and manipulate non-classical light using the tools of mature semiconductor technology carries great promise for the implementation of quantum communication science. This is indeed one of the main driving forces behind ongoing research on the study of semiconductor quantum dots. Often referred to as artificial atoms, quantum dots can generate single and entangled photons on demand and, unlike their natural counterpart, can be easily integrated into well-established optoelectronic devices. However, the inherent random nature of the quantum dot growth processes results in a lack of control of their emission properties. This represents a major roadblock towards the exploitation of these quantum emitters in the foreseen applications. This chapter describes a novel class of quantum dot devices that uses the combined action of strain and electric fields to reshape the emission properties of single quantum dots. The resulting electro-elastic fields allow for control of emission and binding energies, charge states, and energy level splittings and are suitable to correct for the quantum dot structural asymmetries that usually prevent these semiconductor nanostructures from emitting polarization-entangled photons. Key experiments in this field are presented and future directions are discussed.Comment: to appear as a book chapter in a compilation "Engineering the Atom-Photon Interaction" published by Springer in 2015, edited by A. Predojevic and M. W. Mitchel

Wind-wave characteristics and extremes along the Emilia-Romagna coast

This study examines the wind-wave characteristics along the Emilia-Romagna coasts (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy) with a 10-year wave simulation for the period 2010-2019 performed with the high-resolution unstructured-grid WAVEWATCH III (WW3) coastal wave model. The wave parameters (significant wave height, mean and peak wave period, and wave direction) were validated with the in situ measurements at a coastal station, Cesenatico. In the coastal belt, the annual mean wave heights varied from 0.2-0.4 m, and the seasonal mean was highest for the winter period (> 0.4 m). The Emilia-Romagna coastal belt was characterized by wave and spectra seasonal signals with two dominant frequencies of the order of 10 and 5-6 s for autumn and winter and 7-9 and 4 s for spring and summer. The wavelet power spectra of significant wave height for 10 years show considerable variability, having monthly and seasonal periods. This validated and calibrated data set enabled us to study the probability distributions of the significant wave height along the coasts and define a hazard index based on a fitted Weibull probability distribution function