Test of non-standard neutrino properties with the BOREXINO source experiments

We calculate the event rates induced by high-intensity radioactive sources of nu_e (51Cr) and of anti-nu_e (90Sr), to be located near the BOREXINO detector. Calculations are performed both in the standard case and assuming non-standard properties of neutrinos, including flavor oscillations, neutrino electromagnetic interactions, and deviations from the standard vector and axial couplings in the nu_e-e interaction. It is shown that, in some cases, the current limits on non-standard neutrino properties can be significantly improved.Comment: 15 pages (RevTeX) + 4 figures (postscript) included with epsfig.sty. Minor changes and corrections, 3 references added. Final version to be published in Europ. Phys. Jour.

Molecular study of the lung microbiome in patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: the contribution of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection to clinical outcomes

Introduction: Bronchiectasis is a chronic disease characterized by a pathologic dilation of the bronchi and bronchioles, due to a repetitive cycle of inflammation followed by infections causing structural damage and recurrent exacerbations. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common bacteria detected in bronchiectasis in Southern Europe and could acquire a mucoid phenotype due to mutations in mucA (mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa - mPA) that is a hallmark of poor prognosis. Despite the higher prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in bronchiectasis, how mPA phenotype could affect viscoelastic properties of sputum is unknown. Bronchiectasis exacerbations are often treated with prolonged antibiotic use, even though there is limited evidence for this approach. More severe and frequent exacerbations are associated with worse quality of life and respiratory function, more hospital admissions, higher mortality, and increased economic burden. Aims: Our aims were: 1) to determine the relationship between Pseudomonas aeruginosa phenotypes isolation, the viscoelastic properties of sputum and the clinical outcomes in patients with bronchiectasis; 2) to investigate the baseline clinical and microbiological findings associated with long courses of antibiotic treatment in exacerbated bronchiectasis patients; 3) to evaluate patient characteristics during an exacerbation requiring hospital admission associated with mortality during a one-year period. Methods: A cross-sectional first study was conducted of sputum samples obtained by spontaneous expectoration and sent for microbiology and rheology analysis. Elasticity and viscosity were measured at two oscillatory frequencies (1 and 100 rad/s). Furthermore, we conducted a second bi-centric prospective observational study of bronchiectasis exacerbated adults. We compared groups receiving short (<14 days) and long (15–21 days) courses of antibiotic treatment. Previous medical history, radiological features, symptoms, and laboratory and microbiological were recorded. 3 Finally, all patients were re-examined one year after hospital discharge to assess mortality. Results: Firstly, we analyzed 17 patients with mPA, 14 with non-mPA and 17 with no organism reported (NOR). Compared with the NOR group, the mPA group showed higher elasticity (median 10.30 vs. 5.70, p=0.023), viscosity (2.40 vs. 1.50, p=0.039), and stiffness (10.70 vs. 6.00, p=0.024). Values in the mPA group tended to be higher compared with non-mPA. Clinically, the mPA group showed greater hospitalizations during the previous year and greater affected lobes than the non-mPA and NOR groups. Secondly, we enrolled 191 patients (mean age 72 (63, 79) years; 108 (56.5%) females), of whom 132 (69%) and 59 (31%) received short and long courses of antibiotics, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression of the baseline variables showed that long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT), moderate–severe exacerbations, and microbiological isolation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were associated with long courses of antibiotic therapy. When we excluded patients with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia (n = 49), in the model we found that an etiology of Pseudomonas aeruginosa remained as factor associated with longer antibiotic treatment, with a moderate and a severe FACED score and the presence of arrhythmia as comorbidity at baseline. Thirdly, we followed up 185 exacerbated bronchiectasis patients admitted to hospital (94 females, 71.8 (11.8) years, 66.5% BSI stage severe) for one-year. Twenty-three (12.4%) patients died during the one-year follow up. The major causes of death were respiratory related (68%), cardiovascular (18%), and septic shock (14%). LTOT, mechanical ventilation and white blood cell count at day 1 of hospitalization >13.64x 109/L are variables associated with an increased risk of one-year mortality in patients hospitalized with moderate or severe bronchiectasis exacerbation. On the other hand, influenza vaccination appears as a protective factor. Conclusions: The mPA phenotype is associated with increased elasticity, viscosity and stiffness of bronchiectatic sputum. Viscoelastic properties could be used as a marker of poor mucociliary clearance in mPA, with potentially important clinical implications. 4 Decisions about the duration of antibiotic therapy should be guided by clinical and microbiological assessments of patients with infective exacerbations. A future study addressing the risk of one-year mortality after a hospitalization for moderate to severe bronchiectasis exacerbation is desirable

Dye diffusion during laparoscopic tubal patency tests may suggest a lymphatic contribution to dissemination in endometriosis: A prospective, observational study

Aim Women with adenomyosis are at higher risk of endometriosis recurrence after surgery. This study was to assess if the lymphatic vessel network drained from the uterus to near organs where endometriosis foci lied. Methods A prospective, observational study, Canadian Task Force Classification II-2, was conducted at Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Italy. 104 white women aged 18–43 years were enrolled consecutively for this study. All patients underwent laparoscopy for endometriosis and a tubal dye test was carried out. Results Evidence of dye dissemination through the uterine wall and outside the uterus was noted in 27 patients (26%) with adenomyosis as it permeated the uterine wall and a clear passage of the dye was shown in the pelvic lymphatic vessels regardless whether the tubes were unobstructed. Histological assessment of the uterine biopsies confirmed adenomyosis. Conclusion Adenomyosis is characterized by ectatic lymphatics that allow the drainage of intrauterine fluids (the dye and, perhaps, menstrual blood) at minimal intrauterine pressure from the uterine cavity though the lymphatic network to extrauterine organs. Certainly, this may not be the only explanation for endometriosis dissemination but the correlation between the routes of the dye drainage and location of endometriosis foci is highly suggestive

Autonomous Support and Efficiency Optimization of Series Resonant Converter

As the electrical grid moves towards modernization and the prevalence of DC architectures, microgrids, and distributed generation increases, the interactions and performances of these DC topologies must be understood and evaluated. Focusing on microgrids, these independent electrical entities typically have distributed generation, local load, some form of energy storage, and a connection with the electrical grid. When instabilities arise on either the grid or the microgrid, the connection can be severed, allowing the microgrid to operate self-sufficiently. While the microgrid is in isolation, resource management is of primary importance as the grid is no longer electrically connected to make up deficits in power that might arise. This research focuses on utilizing a power management algorithm to maximize the efficiency of an isolated microgrid, as to minimize the losses of the system while limited resources are available. The microgrid consists of photovoltaic generation, local load, a series resonant load converter, and energy storage. The energy storage is placed in parallel with the load converter and is interfaced via bi-directional converters to the front and back ends of the load converter. Utilizing the energy storage as a functional load or source, the operational point of the load converter can be adjusted and consequently the efficiency of the converter can be optimized. In the work that follows, the design, control, and operation of the aforementioned system are detailed, as well as the autonomous power management logic, which governs the allocation of microgrid resources for optimization of the load converter and thus the microgrid system

A global analysis of the atmospheric neutrino data

Abstract The recent observations of atmospheric ν events from the Super-Kamiokande experiment are compatible with two-flavor oscillations in the ν μ ↔ ν τ channel ("standard" interpretation). Among the possible deviations from this standard picture, we investigate two cases: (1) three-flavor oscillations and (2) a specific solution without oscillations (namely, neutrino decay). While the first solution appears perfectly viable, provided that the 3 ν oscillations occur dominantly in the ν μ ↔ ν τ channel and subdominantly in the ν μ ↔ ν e channel, the second is shown to be incompatible with the data. The derivation of such results is based on an updated analysis, including the latest 45 kTy data sample from Super-Kamiokande. A comparison with our previous results, based on 33 kTy data, shows that the oscillation evidence is strengthened, and that the neutrino mass-mixing parameters are constrained in smaller ranges

Wavelet Analysis of Blood Pressure Waves in Vasovagal Syncope

We describe the multiresolution wavelet analysis of blood pressure waves in vasovagal syncope affected patients compared with healthy people one. We argue that there exist subtle discriminating criteria which allow us to isolate particular features, common to the syncope-affected patients sample, indicating an alternative diagnosis method for this syndrome. The approach is similar to that followed by Thurner et al. but on a different temporal data series