Binding of magnetic monopoles and atomic nuclei

Abstract We discuss the possibility that magnetic monopoles bind to atomic nuclei. We estimate the binding energy of these systems to be in the range 10–100 keV and the formation cross section to be σ for ≳ 10 −28 cm 2 . We find that most likely monopoles reaching Earth are bound to a proton and present bounds on the monopole flux

Helioseismology and screening of nuclear reactions in the Sun

We show that models for screening of nuclear reactions in the Sun can be tested by means of helioseismology. As well known, solar models using the weak screening factors are in agreement with data. We find that the solar model calculated with the anti screening factors of Tsytovitch is not consistent with helioseismology, both for the sound speed profile and for the depth of the convective envelope. Moreover, the difference between the no-screening and weak screening model is significant in comparison with helioseismic uncertainty. In other words, the existence of screening can be proved by means of helioseismology

Interactions of Magnetic Monopoles With Nuclei and Atoms: Formation of Bound States and Phenomenological Consequences

Abstract We discuss the binding of magnetic monopoles to nuclear and atomic systems. The energy spectrum is calculated, by assuming an interaction with a hard core. The formation process of monopole-nucleus bound states is analysed and it is shown that monopoles reaching Earth are most likely bound to a proton. We also discuss phenomenological implications of the existence of bound states in connection with the monopole catalysis of proton decay

Geo-Neutrinos: from Theory to the KamLAND Results

Earth shines in antineutrinos produced from long-lived radioactive elements: detection of this signal can provide a direct test of the Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE) model and fix the radiogenic contribution to the terrestrial heat flow. In this paper we present a systematic approach to geo-neutrino production based on global mass balance, supplemented by a detailed geochemical and geophysical study of the region near the detector, in order to build theoretical constraints on the expected signal. We show that the prediction is weakly dependent on mantle modeling while it requires a good description of the crust composition in the region of the detector site. In 2005 the KamLAND experiment proved that the technique for exploiting geo-neutrinos in the investigation of the Earth's interior is now available. After performing an analysis of KamLAND data which includes recent high precision measurements of the 13C(α, n)16O cross section, we discuss the potential of future experiments for assessing the amount of uranium and thorium in different reservoirs (crust, mantle and core) of the Earth

Helioseismic constraints to the central solar temperature and neutrino fluxes

The central solar temperature T and its uncertainties are calculated in helioseismologically-constrained solar models. From the best fit to the convective radius, density at the convective radius and seismically determined helium abundance the central temperature is found to be T=1.58x10^7 K, in excellent agreement with Standard Solar Models. Conservatively, we estimate that the accuracy of this determination is Delta T/T=1.4 %, better than that in SSM. Neutrino fluxes are calculated. The lower limit to the boron neutrino flux, obtained with maximum reduction factors from all sources of uncertainties, is 2 sigma higher than the flux measured recently by SuperKamiokande

Proposte per una revisione del finanziamento e dell’offerta dei servizi odontoiatrici in Italia. L’intervento pubblico e i fondi integrativi.

Le cure odontoiatriche sono una componente di rilievo in un servizio sanitario ispirato al principio della globalità assistenziale. Tuttavia, i volumi di prestazioni odontoiatriche erogate dal servizio sanitario sono relativamente modesti e il 90% della spesa odontoiatrica privata è costituita da pagamenti diretti interamente a carico dei pazienti. Vi sono quindi problemi di disuguaglianza nell’accesso alle cure odontoiatriche. Dal lato dell’offerta le strutture sono parcellizzate con prevalenza di studi con pochi professionisti. L’entrata di nuovi soggetti imprenditoriali dall’estero e il fenomeno del turismo odontoiatrico sembrano introdurre incentivi a ridurre la frammentazione e ad adottare nuovi modelli organizzativi. La ricerca intende approfondire le possibilità di un’estensione dell’accesso alle cure odontoiatriche favorendo una riorganizzazione della domanda, modificando la regolamentazione dell’offerta e incentivando i meccanismi di finanziamento integrativi alle disponibilità del servizio sanitario pubblico. Infine, vengono analizzati diversi modelli di fondi integrativi aperti e la loro efficacia nell’ampliare il grado di copertura complessivo del rischio odontoiatrico.assistenza odontoiatrica; fondi integrativi; Lea odontoiatrici; fondi aperti; incentivi fiscali

Are bad health and pain making us grumpy? An empirical evaluation of reporting heterogeneity in rating health system responsiveness

This paper considers the influence of patients’ characteristics on their evaluation of a health system’s responsiveness, that is, a system’s ability to respond to the legitimate expectations of potential users regarding non-health enhancing aspects of care (Valentine et al. 2003a). Since responsiveness is evaluated by patients on a categorical scale, their selfevaluation can be affected by the phenomenon of reporting heterogeneity (Rice et al. 2012). A few studies have investigated how standard socio-demographic characteristics influence the reporting style of health care users with regard to the question of the health system’s responsiveness (Sirven et al. 2012, Rice et al. 2012). However, we are not aware of any studies that focus explicitly on the influence that both the patients’ state of health and their experiencing of pain have on the way in which they report on system responsiveness. This paper tries to bridge this gap by using data regarding a sample of patients hospitalized in four Local Health Authorities (LHA) in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region between 2010 and 2012. These patients have evaluated 27 different aspects of the quality of care, concerning five domains of responsiveness (communication, social support, privacy, dignity and quality of facilities). Data have been stratified into five sub-samples, according to these domains. We estimate a generalized ordered probit model (Terza, 1985), an extension of the standard ordered probit model which permits the reporting behaviour of respondents to be modelled as a function of certain respondents’ characteristics, which in our analysis are represented by the variables “state of health” and “pain”. Our results suggest that unhealthier patients are more likely to report a lower level of responsiveness, all other things being equal, while patients experiencing pain are more likely to make use of the extreme categories of responsiveness, that is, to choose the category “completely dissatisfied” or the category “completely satisfied”. These results hold across all five domains of responsiveness

Building of a molecular beam epitaxy system

Orientadores: Marco Antonio Robert Alves, Gilberto Medeiros RibeiroDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: O crescimento epitaxial de nanoestruturas semicondutoras e metálicas é algo de grande interesse atualmente em ciência e tecnologia devido às propriedades singulares apresentadas pela matéria na escala nanométrica. Esta dissertação teve como objetivo principal a construção de um sistema de crescimento epitaxial baseado na técnica de epitaxia por feixe molecular (MBE, do inglês Molecular Beam Epitaxy). Inicialmente, aspectos básicos sobre a física e a tecnologia envolvidas em um sistema de MBE foram analisados. O que é MBE e quais são os princípios que governam seu funcionamento são perguntas intrigantes a um aluno do curso de engenharia elétrica. No decorrer do trabalho, todo o complexo sistema vácuo (bombeamento e monitoramento) teve de ser cuidadosamente montado e ajustado até que se obtivesse as condições ótimas de trabalho dados os componentes disponíveis bem como suas características e limitações. Conceitos teóricos e práticos foram aplicados de forma a tornar o sistema o mais simples, eficiente e amigável possível. As evaporadoras por feixe de elétrons foram montadas, testadas e ajustadas até que se pudesse alcançar os parâmetros de funcionamento desejados para estes dispositivos tão importantes dentro de um sistema de MBE. Toda a instrumentação envolvida no acionamento e no monitoramento destas fontes foi desenvolvido com base em conceitos simples de eletrônica analógica e, em alguns momentos, digital, além de soluções de software, sempre usando LabView. Os resultados do trabalho de construção do sistema puderam ser caracterizados posteriormente de maneira a aferir a confiabilidade dos parâmetros utilizados e das amostras crescidas. Estes resultados foram baseados em técnicas de microscopia de varredura por pontas (SPM, do inglês Scanning Probe Microscopy), as quais forneceram informações detalhadas sobre as nanoestruturas formadas e as superfícies dos substratos, dados estes muito importantes e que podem ser utilizados como indicadores das codições de funcionamento do sistema de crescimentoAbstract: The epitaxial growth of semiconductor and metallic nanostructures is a target of great interest nowadays in science and technology due to the unique properties presented by the matter at the nanometer scale. This dissertation had as the main goal the construction of a system for epitaxial growth based on the Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) technique. First of all, basic aspects about the physics and the technology involved in a MBE system were analyzed. What is MBE and what are the principles that govern its operation are intriguing questions for an electrical engineering student. During this work, the entire complex vacuum system (pumping and monitoring) had to be carefully mounted and adjusted until the optimum conditions were obtained for the available components as well as their characteristics and limitations. Theoretical and practical concepts were applied so that the system become as simple, efficient and friendly as possible. The electron beam evaporation sources were mounted, tested and adjusted until the desired working parameters for these important devices were achieved. The whole instrumentation involved in the driving and in the monitoring of these sources was developed based on simple concepts of analog and, in some cases, digital electronics, besides software solutions, always using LabView. The performance of the system was evaluated by structural characterization using scanning probe microscopy techniques (SPM), which gave detailed information about the formed nanostructures and the substrates surfaces. These data can be used as indicators of the growth system operation conditionsMestradoEletrônica, Microeletrônica e OptoeletrônicaMestre em Engenharia Elétric

Universal divergenceless scaling between structural relaxation and caged dynamics in glass-forming systems

On approaching the glass transition, the microscopic kinetic unit spends increasing time rattling in the cage of the first neighbours whereas its average escape time, the structural relaxation time $\tau_\alpha$, increases from a few picoseconds up to thousands of seconds. A thorough study of the correlation between $\tau_\alpha$ and the rattling amplitude, expressed by the Debye-Waller factor (DW), was carried out. Molecular-dynamics (MD) simulations of both a model polymer system and a binary mixture were performed by varying the temperature, the density $\rho$, the potential and the polymer length to consider the structural relaxation as well as both the rotational and the translation diffusion. The simulations evidence the scaling between the $\tau_\alpha$ and the Debye-Waller factor. An analytic model of the master curve is developed in terms of two characteristic length scales pertaining to the distance to be covered by the kinetic unit to reach a transition state. The model does not imply $\tau_\alpha$ divergences. The comparison with the experiments supports the numerical evidence over a range of relaxation times as wide as about eighteen orders of magnitude. A comparison with other scaling and correlation procedures is presented. The study suggests that the equilibrium and the moderately supercooled states of the glassformers possess key information on the huge slowing-down of their relaxation close to the glass transition. The latter, according to the present simulations, exhibits features consistent with the Lindemann melting criterion and the free-volume model.Comment: 8 pages, 11 figure

Kratkotrajni učinci izloženosti niskim koncentracijama didušikova oksida u anesteziologa

The aim of this study was to assess whether a sample of 37 anaesthetists occupationally exposed only to N2O showed any deterioration in vigilance and/or mood. The anaesthetists were examined with three neurobehavioural tests (Simple Reaction Time and Colour Word Vigilance to measure the vigilance and Mood Rating Scale to evaluate the level of stress and arousal) and underwent N2O biological monitoring (to correlate the test results with the N2O exposure) on the first and on the last day of the work week, before and after work in the operating room. No significant relationship was found between the biological monitoring and the test results. The only significant statistical difference was found between the beginning and the end of each workday in the arousal level, regardless of the result of the biological monitoring.Cilj je ovoga ispitivanja bio utvrditi do kakvih promjena budnosti i raspoloženja dolazi u 37 anesteziologa profesionalno izloženih didušikovu oksidu. Promjene u budnosti ispitane su s pomoću zadatka jednostavnog vremena reagiranja i zadatka pozornosti, a promjene u raspoloženju s pomoću skale procjene različitih raspoloženja. Mjerenja su izvršena na početku i na kraju prvog i zadnjeg radnog dana u tjednu, a mjerenja didušikova oksida u urinu izvršena su samo na kraju radnog vremena prvoga i posljednjeg radnog dana u tjednu. Nije utvrđena povezanost između rezultata biološkog monitoringa i psihologijskog ispitivanja. Konzistentne statistički značajne razlike utvrđene su jedino u subjektivnim procjenama budnosti na početku i na kraju radnog dana