Pseudo-Dirac Dark Matter Leaves a Trace

Pseudo-Dirac Dark Matter is a viable type of dark matter which originates from a new Dirac fermion whose two Weyl states get slightly split in mass by a small Majorana term. The decay of the heavier to the lighter state naturally occurs over a detectable length scale. Thus, whenever pseudo-Dirac Dark Matter is produced in a collider, it leaves a clear trace: a visible displaced vertex in association with missing energy. Moreover, pseudo-Dirac Dark Matter behaves Dirac-like for relic abundance and Majorana-like in direct detection experiments: it has efficient s-wave annihilations but it lacks of dangerous vector interactions with the quarks in the nuclei. We provide a general treatment using an effective field theory approach, then specializing to the supersymmetric situation of a pseudo-Dirac Bino. The dark matter mass and the mass splitting can be extracted from measurements of the decay length and the invariant mass of the products, even in presence of missing energy.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures. Extended version of the letter published in PR

Relevant phenomena and process parameters in granulation for manufacturing of pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and zootechnical products

2017 - 2018Wet granulation is a size enlargement process used in many fields, such as pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, zootecnichal, etc., due its ability to improve technological properties of the final product, compared to the powder form, and/or to realize suitable delivery systems for drug/functional molecules for oral administrations/food preparations and/or to produce intermediate processing products. In spite of its widespread use, economic importance and almost 50 years of research, granulates manufacture is still based on empirical approach. Moreover, phenomena involved in powders aggregation are not well understood, and thus it is difficult to successfully obtain a product with tailored features without extensive experimental tests. In the scientific literature the approach to the granulation study is based on experimental tests, to investigate the impact of formulation and process variables on granules properties, or on modeling activities, to mathematically describe the involved phenomena. The two approaches, experimental and theoretical, are rarely applied together. In this study a novel integrate strategy of investigation was applied to elucidate the role of the phenomenological aspects, and their connection with the main operating parameters in granulation process, on the granules final properties, in order to develop physical-mathematical descriptions of the size enlargement unit operation, which can indubitably constitute a starting point for scale up purposes. ... [edited by Author]XXXI cicl

Inside the Phenomenological Aspects of Wet Granulation: Role of Process Parameters

Granulation is a size-enlargement process by which small particles are bonded, by means of various techniques, in coherent and stable masses (granules), in which the original particles are still identifiable. In wet granulation processes, the powder particles are aggregated through the use of a liquid phase called binder. The main purposes of size-enlargement process of a powder or mixture of powders are to improve technological properties and/or to realize suitable forms of commercial products. A modern and rational approach in the production of granular structures with tailored features (in terms of size and size distribution, flowability, mechanical and release properties, etc.) requires a deep understanding of phenomena involved during granules formation. By this knowledge, suitable predictive tools can be developed with the aim to choose right process conditions to be used in developing new formulations by avoiding or reducing costs for new tests. In this chapter, after introductive notes on granulation process, the phenomenological aspects involved in the formation of the granules with respect to the main process parameters are presented by experimental demonstration. Possible mathematical approaches in the granulation process description are also presented and the one involving the population mass balances equations is detailed

Teoria dos letramentos críticos aplicada no ensino de língua inglesa para formação integral dos discentes

Decree 5.154 / 04, which regulates Technical Professional Education at secondary level, is considered an improvement over previous ones because it allows Technical Professional Education to be offered in the Integrated modality to High School under the articulation of the axes work, science, technology and culture. Thus, it allows the pedagogical practices for this modality of education to surpass the purely technical knowledge and be directed with a view to the broad formation of the subjects. In this sense, the Curricular Guidelines for Secondary Education in the Foreign Language session - OCEM-LE, (BRASIL, 2006), suggest that foreign language teaching practices should be based on the theory of Critical Literacies, seeking to form creative, critical and open mind individuals for the exercise of plural citizenship. Thereby, this research investigated in what ways, when based on the theory of Critical Literacies, the teaching practices in English language classes of the Technical Course in Farming Integrated to High School can contribute to the integral formation of the students of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará (IFPA) – Castanhal Campus. The collected data come from participant observation and audio recording of English language classes during the execution of a didactic sequence elaborated for the research based on these theoretical principles and using multimodal texts. Theoretical studies and research have shown that pedagogical practices guided by Critical Literacies principles can contribute to an education beyond linguistic instrumentation and job market preparation by encouraging students to read themselves and the world critically.O Decreto 5.154/04, que regulamenta a Educação Profissional Técnica de Nível Médio, é considerado um avanço em relação aos anteriores por permitir que a Educação Profissional Técnica seja ofertada na modalidade Integrada ao Ensino Médio sob a articulação dos eixos trabalho, ciência, tecnologia e cultura. Assim, possibilita que as práticas pedagógicas para essa modalidade de ensino superem os conhecimentos puramente técnicos e sejam encaminhadas com vistas à formação ampla dos sujeitos. Nesse sentido, as Orientações Curriculares para o Ensino Médio, na sessão Língua Estrangeira – OCEM-LE, (BRASIL, 2006), sugerem que as práticas de ensino de língua estrangeira sejam embasadas na teoria dos Letramentos Críticos buscando formar indivíduos criativos, críticos e de mente aberta para o exercício de cidadania plural. Assim, esta pesquisa investigou de que modos, ao serem balizadas na teoria dos Letramentos Críticos, as práticas docentes em aulas de Língua Inglesa do Curso Técnico em Agropecuária Integrado ao Ensino Médio podem contribuir para a formação integral dos alunos do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará (IFPA) – Campus Castanhal. Os dados coletados provêm de observação participante e gravação de áudio das aulas de Língua Inglesa durante a execução de uma sequência didática elaborada para a pesquisa com base nesses princípios teóricos e utilizando textos multimodais. A investigação demonstrou que práticas pedagógicas direcionadas por princípios dos Letramentos Críticos podem contribuir com uma formação para além da instrumentação linguística e a preparação para o mercado de trabalho, pois estimulam os alunos a lerem a si mesmos e ao mundo criticamente

Neurobehavioral Alterations from Noise Exposure in Animals: A Systematic Review

Ecosystems are increasingly involved and influenced by human activities, which are ever-increasing. These activities are mainly due to vehicular, air and sea transportation, thus causing possible repercussions on the fauna that exists there. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate the possible consequences that these activities may have in the field of animal neurobehavior, with special emphasis on the species involved, the most common environment concerned, the noise source and the disturbance that is caused. This research includes articles published in the major databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase, Web of Sciences); the online search yielded 1901 references. After selection, 49 articles (14 reviews and 35 original articles) were finally scrutinized. The main problems that were reported were in relation to movement, reproduction, offspring care and foraging. In live experiments carried out, the repercussions on the marine environment mainly concerned altered swimming, shallower descents, less foraging and an escape reaction for fear of cetaceans and fish. In birds, alterations in foraging, vocalizations and nests were noted; laboratory studies, on the other hand, carried out on small mammals, highlighted spatio-temporal cognitive alterations and memory loss. In conclusion, it appears that greater attention to all ecosystems should be given as soon as possible so as to try to achieve a balance between human activity and the well-being of terrestrial fauna

Pregnancy after sexuality preserving cystectomy with urinary diversion for bladder cancer. case report and review of the literature

Background: Radical cystectomy for bladder cancer represents a high demolitive surgical procedure with a significative impact on quality of life. Sexuality preserving techniques have been proposed in order to improve functional outcomes. Although sex-sparing techniques would provide women with the chance of having pregnancy, experience is still limited when malignant conditions are considered. We report the outcomes of pregnancy and delivery in a 43-year-old woman with a Padua ileal orthotopic neobladder after robot-assisted sexuality preserving cystectomy for muscle-invasive urothelial bladder cancer performed four years earlier, at age 39. Case presentation: Since pregnancy was confirmed, the patient had been under close urological and gynecological observation. Hydronephrosis and voiding-relating complications were reported and treated by inserting a nephrostomy tubes and indwelling bladder catheter. At the time of delivery, elective caesarian section was performed without complications. Conclusions: Sexuality preserving cystectomy could be an option in selected and highly motivated young patients with diagnosis of bladder cancer. A multidisciplinary team of experts included gynecologists, urologists, radiologists, anesthesiologists and neonatologists is required for the optimal management of pregnancy and peripartum care in women with urinary diversion

Gatekeeper Improves Voluntary Contractility in Patients With Fecal Incontinence

Background. Gatekeeper (GK) has shown to be safe and effective in patients with fecal incontinence (FI). We aimed to understand its mechanism of action by comparing pre- and post-implant change in the external anal sphincter (EAS) contractility. Methods. Study of EAS contractility was conducted in 16 FI females (median age = 69 years) before and after implant of 6 GK prostheses. Muscle tension (Tm), expressed in millinewtons per centimeter squared, mN(cm2) 121, was calculated using the equation Tm = P(ri)(tm) 121, where P is the average maximum squeeze pressure and ri and tm the inner radius and thickness of the EAS, respectively. The effect of a predefined set of covariates on Tm was tested by restricted maximum likelihood models. Results. Compared with baseline, despite unchanged tm (2.7 [2.5-2.8] vs 2.5 [2.2-2.8] mm; P =.31 mm), a significant increase in P (median = 45.8 [26.5-75.8] vs 60.4 [43.1-88.1] mm Hg; P =.017), and ri (12.4 [11.5-13.4] vs 18.7 [17.3-19.6] mm; P <.001) resulted in an increase in Tm (233.2 [123.8-303.2] vs 490.8 [286.9-562.4] mN(cm2) 121; P <.001) at 12 months after GK implant. Twelve-month follow-up improvements were also observed on Cleveland Clinic FI score (8-point median decrease; P =.0001), St Marks FI score (10-point median decrease; P <.0001), and American Medical Systems score (39-point median decrease; P <.0001). Restricted maximum likelihood models showed that years of onset of FI was negatively associated with change in Tm (P =.048). Conclusions. GK-related EAS compression positively influences muscle contractility by increasing ri, with consequent increase in Tm (length-tension relationship). Further studies are needed to confirm the long-term effectiveness of GK

Achados clínicos-laboratoriais em sete cães com resposta sorológica a leptospirose

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Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome/Veno-Occlusive Disease after Autologous or Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Children: A Retrospective Study of the Italian Hematology-Oncology Association–Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Group

Abstract Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), also known as veno-occlusive disease (VOD), is a potentially life-threatening complication that may develop after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The aims of this retrospective multicenter study were to evaluate the incidence of SOS/VOD in a large cohort of children transplanted in centers across Italy by applying the new European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) criteria and to analyze the risk factors underlying this complication. We retrospectively reviewed data of pediatric HSCTs performed in 13 AIEOP (Associazione Italiana di Ematologia e Oncologia Pediatrica)-affiliated centers between January 2000 and April 2016. The new pediatric EBMT criteria were retrospectively applied for diagnoses of SOS/VOD and severity grading. Among 5072 transplants considered at risk for SOS/VOD during the study period, 103 children (2%) developed SOS/VOD, and the grade was severe or very severe in all patients. The median time of SOS/VOD occurrence was 17 days after HSCT (range, 1 to 104). Sixty-nine patients (67%) were treated with defibrotide for a median time of 16 days (range, 4 to 104). In multivariable analysis age P  = .0033), and this difference disappeared 5 years after HSCT. Nonrelapse mortality was significantly higher 1 and 5 years after transplantation in patients who developed SOS/VOD (

Trends in the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis in Italy between 1991 and 2010

The prevalence of asthma increased worldwide until the 1990s, but since then there has been no clear temporal pattern. The present study aimed to assess time trends in the prevalence of current asthma, asthma-like symptoms and allergic rhinitis in Italian adults from 1990 to 2010. The same screening questionnaire was administered by mail or phone to random samples of the general population (age 20–44 yrs) in Italy, in the frame of three multicentre studies: the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) (1991–1993; n56,031); the Italian Study on Asthma in Young Adults (ISAYA) (1998–2000; n518,873); and the Gene Environment Interactions in Respiratory Diseases (GEIRD) study (2007–2010; n510,494). Time trends in prevalence were estimated using Poisson regression models in the centres that repeated the survey at different points in time. From 1991 to 2010, the median prevalence of current asthma, wheezing and allergic rhinitis increased from 4.1% to 6.6%, from 10.1% to 13.9% and from 16.8% to 25.8%, respectively. The prevalence of current asthma was stable during the 1990s and increased (relative risk 1.38, 95% CI 1.19–1.59) from 1998–2000 to 2007–2010, mainly in subjects who did not report allergic rhinitis. The prevalence of allergic rhinitis has increased continuously since 1991. The asthma epidemic is not over in Italy. During the past 20 yrs, asthma prevalence has increased by 38%, in parallel with a similar increase in asthma-like symptoms and allergic rhiniti