Finite temperature phase transition, adjoint Polyakov loop and topology in SU(2) LGT

We investigate the phase structure of pure SU(2) LGT at finite temperature in the mixed fundamental and adjoint representation modified with a Z2 monopole chemical potential. The decoupling of the finite temperature phase transition from unphysical zero temperature bulk phase transitions is analyzed with special emphasis on the continuum limit. The possible relation of the adjoint Polyakov loop to an order parameter for the finite temperature phase transition and to the topological structure of the theory is discussed.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures LaTeX file. Uses espcrc2 style and amssymb package. Talk given at Lattice2001, Berli

Generation and decay of Higgs mode in a strongly interacting Fermi gas

We investigate the life cycle of the large amplitude Higgs mode in strongly interacting superfluid Fermi gas. Through numerical simulations with time-dependent density-functional theory and the technique of the interaction quench, we verify the previous theoretical predictions on the mode's frequency. Next, we demonstrate that the mode is dynamically unstable against external perturbation and qualitatively examine the emerging state after the mode decays. The post-decay state is characterized by spatial fluctuations of the order parameter and density at scales comparable to the superfluid coherence length scale. We identify similarities with FFLO states, which become more prominent at higher dimensionalities and nonzero spin imbalances.Comment: Ancillary files contain reproducibility packs of numerical calculation

Effects of Social Conditions in a Virtual Exergame for Cognitive Rehabilitation in Multiple Sclerosis

Rehabilitation is essential for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) to improve their quality of life and mitigate the progression of the disease. Cognitive deficits, which commonly affect MS patients, significantly impact daily functioning and well-being. This paper focuses on the development of a digital version of the Tangram puzzle using virtual reality (VR) to promote logical reasoning, attention, and social interactions to enhance engagement in cognitive rehabilitation for MS patients. The developed simulation integrates social presence in the form of a non-playable character (NPC) intending to improve player performance and motivation to ultimately promote engagement and adherence to treatment. A user study involving different game modes with the NPC in either a supporting or interfering role, was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and usability of the Tangram VR exergame. After collecting and analyzing questionnaire scores and performance data, our results suggest that the application was well-received by users, and the introduction of an NPC had an impact in terms of execution times and sense of frustration, depending on its behaviour. Nonetheless, only a limited set of significant differences between modes was found, suggesting that further study is necessary to validate the results fully

Image Segmentation and 3D reconstruction for improved prediction of the sublimation rate during freeze drying

[EN] In a freeze drying process, the freezing step determines the pore size distribution within the product, which, in turn, affects the sublimation rate. Traditionally, pore analysis is carried out on SEM images by means of a manual, time-consuming approach. Here, an image segmentation technique was used to automatize this process and improve its reliability. A 3D structure of the cake was then reconstructed from the distribution of the super-pixels. We show that the approach herein proposed can remarkably improve prediction of the sublimation rate with respect to traditional methods.Computational resources were provided by ISCRA-Cineca HPC CLASS-C Grant to L.C.C. (ParticLy - HP10CQRVJV)Capozzi, L.; Arsiccio, A.; Sparavigna, A.; Pisano, R.; Barresi, A. (2018). Image Segmentation and 3D reconstruction for improved prediction of the sublimation rate during freeze drying. En IDS 2018. 21st International Drying Symposium Proceedings. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 411-418. https://doi.org/10.4995/IDS2018.2018.7646OCS41141

Assessment of antioxidant and drug releasing properties of cellulose fabrics functionalized with polymeric nanoparticles as potential biofunctional garments

Drug administration through skin raised a great interest as a not invasive and sustained method to deliver active substances both at topical and systemic levels. Biofunctional textiles are a new class of materials that combine conventional fabrics with advanced drug delivery systems in order to develop a wearable functional biomaterial [1]. The present research aims to functionalize cellulosic fabrics (e.g. cotton and viscose) with curcumin (CUR)-loaded polycaprolactone (PCL) nanoparticles (NPs) in order to assess their potential as biofunctional garments. The NPs were produced by the flash nanoprecipitation technique in a confined impinging jet mixer. Such technology was proven to be a simple and scalable approach to produce polymeric nanoparticles; moreover it was successfully applied to curcumin encapsulation [2]. Nanoparticles were then characterized in terms of size and zeta potential by dynamic light scattering (DLS), while the loading capacity (LC%) and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) were measured by exploiting fluorescence spectroscopy. Cotton and viscose fabrics were functionalized by imbibition with the NPs suspensions and the effectiveness of the treatment was observed under wide-field fluorescence microscopy. The release properties of the nanoparticles suspensions were studied in vitro in a multicompartment rotating cell, while the curcumin release from textile support was tested ex vivo in a Franz diffusion cell using porcine skin as membrane. Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of the NPs and of the functionalized fabrics was measured by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Curcumin loaded NPs were successfully prepared with good control of particle size and loading capacity, high stability over several days and encapsulation efficiency higher than 99%. Nanoparticles were successfully attached to the textiles material as evidenced by fluorescent imaging. The prepared materials showed an improved antioxidant activity and the capability of controlling curcumin release both in vivo and ex vivo. The present research shows the possibility of producing biofunctional materials by simple and scalable process and opens a route for a new generation of garments that can benefit people health

Ultra-Mutation in IDH Wild-Type Glioblastomas of Patients Younger than 55 Years is Associated with Defective Mismatch Repair, Microsatellite Instability, and Giant Cell Enrichment

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are classified into isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutants and IDH wild-types (IDH-wt). This study aimed at identifying the mutational assets of IDH-wt GBMs in patients aged 18-54 years for which limited data are available

Morphology and Molecular Features of Rare Colorectal Carcinoma Histotypes

Several histopathological variants of colorectal carcinoma can be distinguished, some associated with specific molecular profiles. However, in routine practice, ninety/ninety-five percent of all large bowel tumors are diagnosed as conventional adenocarcinoma, even though they are a heterogeneous group including rare histotypes, which are often under-recognized. Indeed, colorectal cancer exhibits differences in incidence, location of tumor, pathogenesis, molecular pathways and outcome depending on histotype. The aim is therefore to review the morphological and molecular features of these rare variants of intestinal carcinomas which may hold the key to differences in prognosis and treatment

Mutations in KCNK4 that Affect Gating Cause a Recognizable Neurodevelopmental Syndrome

Aberrant activation or inhibition of potassium (K+) currents across the plasma membrane of cells has been causally linked to altered neurotransmission, cardiac arrhythmias, endocrine dysfunction, and (more rarely) perturbed developmental processes. The K+ channel subfamily K member 4 (KCNK4), also known as TRAAK (TWIK-related arachidonic acid-stimulated K+ channel), belongs to the mechano-gated ion channels of the TRAAK/TREK subfamily of two-pore-domain (K2P) K+ channels. While K2P channels are well known to contribute to the resting membrane potential and cellular excitability, their involvement in pathophysiological processes remains largely uncharacterized. We report that de novo missense mutations in KCNK4 cause a recognizable syndrome with a distinctive facial gestalt, for which we propose the acronym FHEIG (facial dysmorphism, hypertrichosis, epilepsy, intellectual disability/developmental delay, and gingival overgrowth). Patch-clamp analyses documented a significant gain of function of the identified KCNK4 channel mutants basally and impaired sensitivity to mechanical stimulation and arachidonic acid. Co-expression experiments indicated a dominant behavior of the disease-causing mutations. Molecular dynamics simulations consistently indicated that mutations favor sealing of the lateral intramembrane fenestration that has been proposed to negatively control K+ flow by allowing lipid access to the central cavity of the channel. Overall, our findings illustrate the pleiotropic effect of dysregulated KCNK4 function and provide support to the hypothesis of a gating mechanism based on the lateral fenestrations of K2P channels

IDH-wild type glioblastomas featuring at least 30% giant cells are characterized by frequent RB1 and NF1 alterations and hypermutation

: Giant cell glioblastoma (GC-GBM) is a rare variant of IDH-wt GBM histologically characterized by the presence of numerous multinucleated giant cells and molecularly considered a hybrid between IDH-wt and IDH-mutant GBM. The lack of an objective definition, specifying the percentage of giant cells required for this diagnosis, may account for the absence of a definite molecular profile of this variant. This study aimed to clarify the molecular landscape of GC-GBM, exploring the mutations and copy number variations of 458 cancer-related genes, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI) in 39 GBMs dichotomized into having 30-49% (15 cases) or\u2009 65\u200950% (24 cases) GCs. The type and prevalence of the genetic alterations in this series was not associated with the GCs content (<\u200950% or 65\u200950%). Most cases (82% and 51.2%) had impairment in TP53/MDM2 and PTEN/PI3K pathways, but a high proportion also featured TERT promoter mutations (61.5%) and RB1 (25.6%) or NF1 (25.6%) alterations. EGFR amplification was detected in 18% cases in association with a shorter overall survival (P\u2009=\u20090.004). Sixteen (41%) cases had a TMB\u2009>\u200910 mut/Mb, including two (5%) that harbored MSI and one with a POLE mutation. The frequency of RB1 and NF1 alterations and TMB counts were significantly higher compared to 567 IDH wild type (P\u2009<\u20090.0001; P\u2009=\u20090.0003; P\u2009<\u20090.0001) and 26 IDH-mutant (P\u2009<\u20090.0001; P\u2009=\u20090.0227; P\u2009<\u20090.0001) GBMs in the TCGA PanCancer Atlas cohort. These findings demonstrate that the molecular landscape of GBMs with at least 30% giant cells is dominated by the impairment of TP53/MDM2 and PTEN/PI3K pathways, and additionally characterized by frequent RB1 alterations and hypermutation and by EGFR amplification in more aggressive cases. The high frequency of hypermutated cases suggests that GC-GBMs might be candidates for immune check-point inhibitors clinical trials

A finite temperature investigation of the Georgi-Glashow model in 3D

We study the SU(2) gauge theory with scalar matter in the adjoint representation in 3D at finite temperature. We find evidence for a finite temperature phase transition both in the symmetric and in the broken phase; such transitions are consistent with the universality class of Ising 2D, in agreement with recent analytical arguments