Room temperature strong light-matter coupling in three dimensional terahertz meta-atoms

We demonstrate strong light-matter coupling in three dimensional terahertz meta-atoms at room temperature. The intersubband transition of semiconductor quantum wells with a parabolic energy potential is strongly coupled to the confined circuital mode of three-dimensional split-ring metal-semiconductor-metal resonators that have an extreme sub-wavelength volume (λ/10). The frequency of these lumped-element resonators is controlled by the size and shape of the external antenna, while the interaction volume remains constant. This allows the resonance frequency to be swept across the intersubband transition and the anti-crossing characteristic of the strong light-matter coupling regime to be observed. The Rabi splitting, which is twice the Rabi frequency (2ΩRabi), amounts to 20% of the bare transition at room temperature, and it increases to 28% at low-temperatur

A brief overview on valorization of industrial tomato by-products using the biorefinery cascade approach

The industrial processing of tomato leads to substantial amounts of residues, typically known as tomato pomace or by-products, which can represent as much as 10% by weight of fresh tomatoes. At present, these residues are either used as feedstock for animals or, in the worst case, disposed of in landfills. This represents a significant waste because tomato pomace contains high-value compounds like lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, cutin, which can be used as a starting material for biopolymers, and pectin, a gelling agent. This article presents an overview of technologies that valorize tomato by-products by recovering added-value compounds as well as generating fuel for energy production. These technologies include operations for extraction, separation, and exploitation of lycopene, cutin and pectin, as well as the processes for conversion of the solid residues to fuels. Data collected from the review has been used to develop a biorefinery scheme with the related mass flow balance, for a scenario involving the tomato supply chain of Regione Campania in Italy, using tomato by-products as feedstock

Patients’ Experience on a Supportive Group Therapy in an Italian Psychiatric Residential Facility During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives Italy is one of the most affected countries in the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recurring waves of the epidemic largely compromised routine activities of the Italian Depart ments of Mental Health, significantly reducing outpatient and day service activities. Psychi atric facility and hospital treatments have also been maintained, albeit widely remodeled and conditioned by the fear of contagion. The aim of this paper was to report the subjective expe riences on group activities offered in an Italian psychiatric facility for intensive interventions (the Santi Center) during the second wave of the pandemic in the fall of 2020. Methods The format of these group activities included weekly face-to-face meetings using supportive, psychoeducational, motor and relaxing techniques, all conducted by mental health profes sionals. Here we reported the participants’ subjective experiences written during the two months of these meetings, all of which merged into the special 2020 Christmas edition of the Santi’s magazine. Results All participants (8 out of 12 inpatients hospitalized in the facility at that time) were affected by psychotic disorders. Patients’ experiences on group activities were uniformly positive. In this paper we reported the most significant passages. Conclusions Inpatients with psychotic disorder found our group activities very beneficial. Our real-world experience is a useful witness to contrast the general paralysis of mental healthcare interven tions, which too much often affected Italian mental healthcare services during the pandemic. Moreover, it advances our understanding of the usefulness of group activities for increasing patient’s resilience also in an epidemic era and in a forced social isolation

Nuclear Distributions of NUP62 and NUP214 Suggest Architectural Diversity and Spatial Patterning among Nuclear Pore Complexes

The shape of nuclei in many adherent cultured cells approximates an oblate ellipsoid, with contralateral flattened surfaces facing the culture plate or the medium. Observations of cultured cell nuclei from orthogonal perspectives revealed that nucleoporin p62 (NUP62) and nucleoporin 214 (NUP214) are differentially distributed between nuclear pore complexes on the flattened surfaces and peripheral rim of the nucleus. High resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) immunofluorescence microscopy resolved individual NPCs, and suggested both heterogeneity and microheterogeneity in NUP62 and NUP214 immunolabeling among in NPC populations. Similar to nuclear domains and interphase chromosome territories, architectural diversity and spatial patterning of NPCs may be an intrinsic property of the nucleus that is linked to the functions and organization of underlying chromatin

Towards reconciling structure and function in the nuclear pore complex

The spatial separation between the cytoplasm and the cell nucleus necessitates the continuous exchange of macromolecular cargo across the double-membraned nuclear envelope. Being the only passageway in and out of the nucleus, the nuclear pore complex (NPC) has the principal function of regulating the high throughput of nucleocytoplasmic transport in a highly selective manner so as to maintain cellular order and function. Here, we present a retrospective review of the evidence that has led to the current understanding of both NPC structure and function. Looking towards the future, we contemplate on how various outstanding effects and nanoscopic characteristics ought to be addressed, with the goal of reconciling structure and function into a single unified picture of the NPC

Estudo energético da produção de biocombustível a partir do milho

This research analyzed the energetic consumption of etanol from the corn crops (Zea mays 14 The field surveys were carried out in the Midle Paranapanema River Region, São Paulo state, Brazil, in the period from January to December 2007 The energy consumption on stage of production and industrial processing of grain were evaluated It was verified that the total energetic cost of the crop production corresponded to 15,633 7MJ ha(-1), and the most onerous item was the inputs (77 5%) In the industrial step, the energetic consumption was equivalent to 3.882.2MJ r(-1) The operations of hydrolysis, saccharification and treatment of the broth represented 50 2% of the total energetic expenditure It was also observed an energetic cost of 7 9MJ L(-1) in relation to the atonal produced in the main crop production operations, and II 8MJ L(-1) in the industrial processing The energy balance of crop production and industrialization was of 1 2MJ.Agencia Paulista Tecnol Agronegocios APTA, BR-17515400 Marilia, SP, BrazilSecretaria Extensao Agroflorestal Prod Famihar SE, Rio Branco, AC, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista Julio Mesquista Filho UNES, Ctr Raises & Amidos Tropicais CERAT, Botucatu, SP, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista Julio Mesquista Filho UNES, Ctr Raises & Amidos Tropicais CERAT, Botucatu, SP, Brazi

Sex differences in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: insights from the DiAPAson study using a data-driven approach

Purpose Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) display notable sex differences: males have an earlier onset and more severe negative symptoms, while females exhibit affective symptoms, better verbal abilities, and a more favourable prognosis. Despite extensive research, areas such as time perception and positivity remain underexplored, and machine learning has not yet been adequately utilised. This study aims to address these gaps by examining sex differences in a sample of Italian patients with SSD using a data-driven approach. Methods As part of the DiAPAson project, 619 Italian patients with SSD (198 females; 421 males) were assessed using standardised clinical tools. Data on socio-demographics, clinical characteristics, symptom severity, functioning, positivity, quality of life (QoL), and time perspective were collected. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) was used to define data-driven clusters. A leave-one-group-out validation was performed. Results Males were more likely to be single (p < 0.001) and less educated (p = 0.006), while females smoked more tobacco (p = 0.011). Males were more frequently prescribed antipsychotics (p = 0.022) and exhibited more severe psychiatric (p = 0.004) and negative symptoms (p = 0.013). They also had a less negative perception of past events (p = 0.047) and a better view of their psychological condition (p = 0.004). Females showed better interpersonal functioning (p = 0.008). PCA and GMM revealed two main clusters with significant sex differences (p = 0.027). Conclusion This study identifies sex differences in SSD, suggesting tailored treatments such as enhancing interpersonal skills for females and maintaining positive self-assessment for males. Using machine learning, we highlight distinct SSD phenotypes, emphasising the need for sex-specific interventions to improve outcomes and QoL. Our findings stress the importance of a multifaceted, interdisciplinary approach to address sex-based disparities in SSD. Trial registration ISRCTN registry ID ISRCTN21141466

Tolerância de diferentes cultivares de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum spp.) A herbicidas

Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a tolerância de cultivares de cana-de-açúcar aos herbicidas sulfentrazone, imazapic, isoxaflutole, clomazone e ametryn+trifloxysulfuronsodium. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos ao acaso, em esquema de parcelas subdivididas com quatro repetições. Os cultivares foram alocados nas parcelas, e os herbicidas, nas subparcelas, constituídas por cinco linhas de 8 m, espaçadas de 1,5 m. Os cultivares utilizados foram: IACSP94-2094, IACSP94-2101, IACSP93-3046, IACSP94-4004, IAC86-2480 e RB72454. Os tratamentos herbicidas foram constituídos por sulfentrazone (0,8 kg ha-1), imazapic (0,147 kg ha-1), isoxaflutole (0,1125 kg ha-1), clomazone (1,1 kg ha-1) e ametryn (1,463 kg ha-1) + trifloxysulfuron-sodium (0,037 kg ha-1), aplicados em pós-emergência sobre as socas da cana de ano no seu terceiro corte. Avaliaram-se, nas três linhas centrais de cada subparcela, os sintomas visuais de toxicidade nas folhas; teor de clorofila total e eficiência fotoquímica (Fv/Fm) aos 15, 30 e 60 dias após aplicação (DAA); altura (cm) aos 30 e 270 DAA; e estande de plantas (colmos m-1) aos 30 e 180 DAA. Aos 270 DAA foram avaliados o diâmetro (cm), a estimativa de produtividade (t ha-1) e os demais parâmetros qualitativos. Os cultivares de cana-de-açúcar IACSP94-2094, IACSP93-3046, IACSP94-4004, IAC86-2480 e RB72454, especialmente IACSP94-2101, foram suscetíveis ao herbicida clomazone até os 30 dias após aplicação, por apresentarem manchas cloróticas nas folhas e menor teor de clorofila, porém com posterior recuperação, sem que houvesse comprometimento da produtividade e das características tecnológicas. Os cultivares também apresentaram elevado grau de tolerância aos herbicidas estudados.This work aimed to evaluate the tolerance of sugarcane cultivars to sulfentrazone, imazapic, isoxaflutole, clomazone and ametryn + trifloxysulfuron-sodium. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design in a split-plot scheme. The cultivars were allocated to the plots and the herbicides to the sub-plots (five 8.0 m long rows and 1.5 m spacing, with 4 repetitions. The herbicides sulfentrazone (0.8 kg ha-1), imazapic (0.147 kg ha-1), isoxaflutole (0.1125 kg ha-1), clomazone (1.1 kg ha-1), ametryn (1.463 kg ha-1) + trifloxysulfuron sodium (0.037 kg ha-1) and control were evaluated on 3-yr-old ratoons of the cultivars IACSP94-2094, IACSP94-2101, IACSP93-3046, IACSP94-4004, IAC86-2480 and RB72454 in post emergence. The traits evaluated were: plant toxicity symptoms in the plant leaves; total chlorophyll content and photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm) at 15, 30 and 60 days after application (DAA); height (cm) at 30 and 270 DAA, and plant stand (stalk m-1) at 30 and 180 DAA. Diameter (cm), estimated productivity (t ha-1) and quality analysis were evaluated at 270 DAA. The sugarcane cultivars IACSP94-2094, IACSP93-3046, IACSP94-4004, IAC86-2480, RB72454, and IACSP94-2101 especially, were susceptible to clomazone up to 30 DAA, due to leaf chlorosis and lower chlorophyll content, but had no effect on quality characteristics and productivity. The cultivars were also tolerant to other herbicides