Comment on "Origin of cosmic magnetic fields"

We argue that the result presented in "Origin of cosmic magnetic fields" by L. Campanelli [arXiv:1304.6534] is unphysical.Comment: 1 page, 1 figure. Typos fixed, minor corrections, a comment added, version published in PR

Neutron Transverse-Momentum Distributions and Polarized 3He within Light-Front Hamiltonian Dynamics

The possibility to extract the quark transverse-momentum distributions in the neutron from semi-inclusive deep inelastic electron scattering off polarized 3He is illustrated through an impulse approximation analysis in the Bjorken limit. The generalization of the analysis at finite momentum transfers in a Poincare' covariant framework is outlined. The definition of the light-front spin-dependent spectral function of a J=1/2 system allows us to show that within the light-front dynamics only three of the six leading twist T-even transverse-momentum distributions are independent.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Presented at the 20th International IUPAP Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, 20 - 25 August, 2012, Fukuoka, Japa

Safety and Efficacy of Perampanel as Adjunctive Therapy in Patients with Refractory Focal Epilepsy Over 12 Months: Clinical Experience in a Real-World Setting

Abstract Background The main purpose of this study is to assess efficacy and tolerability of perampanel (PER), a noncompetitive α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor antagonist, as an add-on treatment in adult patients with refractory focal-onset seizures. Patients and Methods A prospective, open label, observational study was conducted in patients with refractory focal-onset seizures treated with PER at our Epilepsy Unit, from May 2015 to February 2016. Patients were followed up for 1 year. Frequency of seizure and tolerability was assessed every 3 months. Patients were under a polytherapy, and the mean number of concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at PER initiation was 2.9. Results We consecutively enrolled 52 patients (M/F = 18/34). Three were lost on follow-up. Mean age was 38.7 years, with a mean duration of disease of 28.1 years. After 1 year of treatment, 57.14% reported a 50% or greater reduction in seizure frequency; five (10.21%) were seizure free. Six (12.25%) patients reported a reduction lower than 50%. Mean dosage of PER was 7.57 mg. Thirty-one patients were taking enzyme-inducing AEDs (carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin). In this subgroup, the responder rate was 45.2%. Twenty-one patients reported side-effects, most frequently somnolence (11), vertigo/ataxia (6), and aggressiveness (5). Eleven (22.4%) patients reduced or discontinued at least one concomitant AED, while the electroencephalography improved in four (8.16%). Sixteen (32.65%) patients withdrew PER, after a mean duration of 163 days, the mean dosage being 6.4 mg (range 4–12). Conclusions Adjunctive PER can achieve clinically meaningful improvement, or even seizure freedom, in almost two-thirds of patients suffering from refractory focal-onset epilepsies. It seems similarly safe and well-tolerated. Enzyme-inducing AEDs may limit the efficacy of PER

Minimizing Breaks by Maximizing Cuts

Jean Charles Régin and Michael Trick have proposed to solve the schedule generation problem for sports leagues in two phases in which the first generates a tournament schedule and the second fixes the home-away pattern so as to minimize the number of breaks. While constraint programming techniques appear to be the methods of choice for the first phase, we propose to solve the break minimization problem in sports scheduling by transforming it into a maximum cut problem in an undirected graph and applying a branch-and-cut algorithm. Our approach outperforms previous approaches with constraint programming and integer programming techniques

Minimizing Breaks by Maximizing Cuts

Jean Charles Régin and Michael Trick have proposed to solve the schedule generation problem for sports leagues in two phases in which the first generates a tournament schedule and the second fixes the home-away pattern so as to minimize the number of breaks. While constraint programming techniques appear to be the methods of choice for the first phase, we propose to solve the break minimization problem in sports scheduling by transforming it into a maximum cut problem in an undirected graph and applying a branch-and-cut algorithm. Our approach outperforms previous approaches with constraint programming and integer programming techniques

The Traveling Salesman Problem

This paper presents a self-contained introduction into algorithmic and computational aspects of the traveling salesman problem and of related problems, along with their theoretical prerequisites as seen from the point of view of an operations researcher who wants to solve practical problem instances. Extensive computational results are reported on most of the algorithms described. Optimal solutions are reported for instances with sizes up to several thousand nodes as well as heuristic solutions with provably very high quality for larger instances

Practical Performance of Efficient Minimum Cut Algorithms

In the late eighties and early nineties, three major exciting new developments (and some ramifications) in the computation of minimum capacity cuts occurred and these developments motivated us to evaluate the old and new methods experimentally. We provide a brief overview of the most important algorithms for the minimum capacity cut problem and compare these methods both on problem instances from the literature and on problem instances originating from the solution of the traveling salesman problem by branch-and-cut

Offshore Renewable Energy

Offshore renewable technologies hold the potential to satisfy a considerable amount of the global energy demand in the coming years. In this chapter, the main sources of renewable energy related to the oceans (waves, tides, and offshore winds) will be characterized and discussed, with reference to the challenges related to their use. Thus, the main devices capable of exploiting these resources will be presented. Their working principal, together with operational and technological requirements, will be described, highlighting strengths and weaknesses of each technology and providing examples of the past and current experiences. The elements of project management, as well as environmental impact and public perception, will be included. Finally, conclusions on the current viability of ocean energy devices will be drawn, together with guidelines for their future exploitation