Two massive star-forming regions at early evolutionary stages

We report sensitive ATCA radio-continuum observations toward IRAS 15596-5301 and 16272-4837, two luminous objects (> 2x10^4 Lsun) thought to represent massive star-forming regions in early stages of evolution (due to previously undetected radio emission at the 1-sigma level of 2 mJy per beam). Also reported are 1.2-millimeter continuum and a series of molecular-line observations made with the SEST telescope. For IRAS 15596-5301, the observations reveal the presence of three distinct compact radio-continuum sources associated with a dense molecular core. We suggest that this core contains a cluster of B stars which are exciting compact HII regions that are in pressure equilibrium with the dense molecular surroundings. No radio continuum emission was detected from IRAS 16272-4837 (3-sigma limit of 0.2 mJy). However, a dense molecular core has been detected. The high luminosity and lack of radio emission from this massive core suggests that it hosts an embedded young massive protostar that is still undergoing an intense accretion phase. This scenario is supported by the observed characteristics of the line profiles and the presence of a bipolar outflow detected from observations of the SiO emission. We suggest that IRAS 16272-4837 is a bona fide massive star- forming region in a very early evolutionary stage, being the precursor of an ultra compact HII region.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

effect of porosity and cell topology on elastic plastic behavior of cellular structures

Abstract In this work we study the mechanical behavior of Ti6Al4V cellular structures by varying the randomness in the cell topology from regular cubic to completely random and the porosity of the structure. The porosity of the structure is altered by changing the strut thickness and the pore size to obtain a stiffness value between 0.5-12Gpa. The geometrical deviation in the structures from the as-designed values is studied by morphological characterization. The samples are subjected to compression and tensile loading to obtain the stiffness and the elastic-plastic behavior of the samples. Finite element modelling (FEM) is carried out on the as-designed structures for both tensile and compressive loading to study the effect of deviation between the as-designed and as-built structures. FEM is also carried out for as-built regular structures, by introducing the geometrical deviation to match the porosity of the as-built structures. Comparison of FEM and experimental results indicated that the effect of cell topology depends on the porosity values. Simulation results of as-built structures demonstrated the importance of defects in the structure

Raman signatures of classical and quantum phases in coupled dots: A theoretical prediction

We study electron molecules in realistic vertically coupled quantum dots in a strong magnetic field. Computing the energy spectrum, pair correlation functions, and dynamical form factor as a function of inter-dot coupling via diagonalization of the many-body Hamiltonian, we identify structural transitions between different phases, some of which do not have a classical counterpart. The calculated Raman cross section shows how such phases can be experimentally singled out.Comment: 9 pages, 2 postscript figures, 1 colour postscript figure, Latex 2e, Europhysics Letters style and epsfig macros. Submitted to Europhysics Letter

Test of a dispersion sweep correction system using a centroid in the DIRAC beam line

A new proton beam position detector named "centroid" is placed in the DIRAC target situation and is aligned with respect to the beam. Behind it there is a set of various targets used for the DIRAC experiment. The "centroid" itself collects the secondary electrons, which are emitted by the target when hit by the proton beam. This provides an on-line verification of the beam position without obstructing the beam path by a screen, and without perturbing the experiment. A computer application then calculates the corrections needed to centre the beam in both planes as a function of time. This report will explain how this is done

Tensile and compression properties of variously arranged porous Ti-6Al-4V additively manufactured structures via SLM

Abstract Additively manufactured porous structures find increasing applications in the biomedical context to produce orthopedic prosthesis and devices. In comparison with traditional bulk metallic implants, they permit to tailor the stiffness of the prosthesis to that of the surrounding bony tissues, thus limiting the onset of stress shielding and resulting implant loosening, and to favor the bone in-growth through the interconnected pores. Mechanical and biological properties of these structures are strongly influenced by the size and spatial arrangement of pores and struts. In the present work irregular and regular cellular as well as fully random porous structures are investigated through tensile and compression uniaxial tests. Specific point of novelty of this work is that, beside classical compressive tests, which are standard characterization methods for porous/ cellular materials, tensile tests are carried out. Mechanical tests are complemented with morphological analysis and porosity measurements. An attempt is made to find correlations between cell arrangements, porosity and mechanical properties

Record litter size in the eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

In the literature, litter size in red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris ranges between 1-6 offspring. Here we report a record litter size, in Europe, of 7 young (6 males, 1 female), marked in the nest when 10-14 days old, in a high-elevation mountain pine habitat, Lombardy Alps (Northern Italy). We discuss implications of extreme winter conditions for lifehistory strategies and possible trade-offs between high reproductive investment and short life-spa

pT3 N0 Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Oncologic Outcomes and Prognostic Factors of Surgically Treated Patients

Objectives/Hypothesis: To assess the disease control, survival rates, and prognostic factors of exclusive surgical treatment for patients with pT3 N0 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Study Design: Multicentric retrospective cohort study. Methods: Multicentric retrospective case series of previously untreated patients with pT3 R0N0 LSCC, who received exclusive surgery between 2011 and 2019. Tumor location; subsite involvement; grading; and lymphatic, vascular, and perineural invasion were reported. Overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were measured. Results: Fifty-four patients (mean age 67.1; male sex 83.3%; mean follow-up period 37 months) underwent total laryngectomy (48.1%) or partial laryngectomy (51.9%). Ipsilateral or bilateral neck dissection was performed in 46 (85.2%) cases. Perineural invasion was more frequent in case of supraglottic involvement than glottic involvement (85.7% vs. 14.3%, P =.03). Five (9.3%) patients experienced recurrence (3 local recurrences, 1 nodal recurrence, 1 distant recurrence). Rate of recurrence differed between glottic (0%), supraglottic (80%), and transglottic (20%) tumors (P =.01), with a lower risk yielded by glottic involvement (odds ratio [OR], 0.05, 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.01–0.56, P =.01). A higher risk was recorded in case of perineural invasion (OR, 66.0, 95% CI, 1.41–3085.3, P =.03). The OS, DSS, and DFS were 79.6%, 96.3%, and 90.7%, without differences regarding the type of surgery. The DFS was lower in case of supraglottic involvement when compared to purely glottic LSCC (83.9% vs. 100%, P = 0.02). Conclusions: Exclusive surgery is a safe option for patients with pT3 R0N0 LSCC. Adjuvant treatments or closer follow-up monitoring might be considered in case of supraglottic involvement or perineural invasion. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 131:2262–2268, 2021

The Impact of Psychological Flexibility on Psychological Well-Being in Adults With Obesity

Obesity is a global health problem that affects both physical and psychological health and well-being. Psychological flexibility is one of the key components related to psychological health. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the impact of psychological flexibility on psychological well-being in a sample of 220 individuals with obesity. Multivariate analysis was performed to investigate the role of psychological flexibility in explaining psychological well-being, controlling for confounding factors (sex, age, and Body Mass Index). According to the results, psychological flexibility significantly explained psychological well-being. Our study provides additional evidence of the impact of psychological flexibility on psychological well-being. It also provides further support for the importance of integrating psychological flexibility in the psychological interventions for obesity

A low-cost laser-based nano-3D polymer printer for rapid surface patterning and chemical synthesis of peptide and glycan microarrays

A low-cost laser-based printing setup is presented, which allows for the spot-wise patterning of surfaces with defined polymer nanolayers. These nanolayer spots serve as a “solid solvent,” embedding different chemicals, chemical building blocks, materials, or precursors and can be stacked on top of each other. By melting the spot pattern, the polymer-embedded molecules are released for chemical reaction. This enables researchers to quickly pattern a surface with different molecules and materials, mixing them directly on the surface for high-throughput chemical synthesis to generate and screen diverse microarray libraries. In contrast to expensive ink-jet or contact printing, this approach does not require premixing of inks, which enables in situ combinatorial mixing. Easy access and versatility of this patterning approach are shown by generating microarrays of various biomolecules, such as glycans for the first time, to screen interactions of antibodies and lectins. In addition, a layer-by-layer solid-phase synthesis of peptides directly on the microarray is presented. Amino acid–containing nanolayers are repeatedly laser-transferred and reacted with the functionalized acceptor surface in defined patterns. This simple system enables a reproducible array production, down to spot-to-spot distances of 100 μm, and offers a flexible and cheap alternative to expensive spotting robot technology