Static density response of one-dimensional soft bosons across the clustering transition

One-dimensional bosons interacting via a soft-shoulder potential are investigated at zero temperature. The flatness of the potential at short distances introduces a typical length, such that, at relatively high densities and sufficiently strong interactions, clusters are formed, even in the presence of a completely repulsive potential. We evaluate the static density response function of this system across the transition from the liquid to the cluster liquid phases. Such quantity reveals the density modulations induced by a weak periodic external potential, and is maximal at the clustering wavevector. It is known that this response function is proportional to the static structure factor in the classical regime at high temperature, while for this zero-temperature quantum systems, we extract it from the dynamical structure factor evaluated with quantum Monte Carlo methods.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures. Proceedings of the "Recent Progress in Many-Body Theories" international conference, Pohang, South Korea, 201

Efficacy of adalimumab in young children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and chronic uveitis: A case series

Background: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis is a relatively common chronic disease of childhood, and is associated with persistent morbidity and extra-articular complications, one of the most common being uveitis. The introduction of biologic therapies, particularly those blocking the inflammatory mediator tumor necrosis factor-α, provided a new treatment option for juvenile idiopathic arthritis patients who were refractory to standard therapy such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and/or methotrexate. Case presentations. The first case was a 2-year-old girl with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and uveitis who failed to respond to treatment with anti-inflammatories, low-dose corticosteroids and methotrexate, and had growth retardation. Adalimumab 24 mg/m2 every 2 weeks and prednisone 0.5 mg/kg/day were added to methotrexate therapy; steroid tapering and withdrawal started after 1 month. After 2 months the patient showed good control of articular and ocular manifestations, and she remained in remission for 1 year, receiving adalimumab and methotrexate with no side effects, and showing significant improvement in growth. Case 2 was a 9-year-old boy with an 8-year history of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and uveitis that initially responded to infliximab, but relapse occurred after 2 years off therapy. After switching to adalimumab, and adjusting doses of both adalimumab and methotrexate based on body surface area, the patient showed good response and corticosteroids were tapered and withdrawn after 6 months; the patient remained in remission taking adalimumab and methotrexate. The final case was a 5-year-old girl with juvenile idiopathic arthritis for whom adalimumab was added to methotrexate therapy after three flares of uveitis. The patient had two subsequent episodes of uveitis that responded well to local therapy, but was then free of both juvenile idiopathic arthritis and uveitis symptoms, allowing methotrexate and then adalimumab to be stopped; the patient remained in drug-free remission. Conclusion: This report includes the first published case of the use of adalimumab in a child aged <3 years. Our clinical experience further supports the use of biologic therapy for the management of juvenile idiopathic arthritis and uveitis in children as young as two years of age. © 2014 La Torre et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Tail Risk and Systemic Risk Estimation of Cryptocurrencies: an Expectiles and Marginal Expected Shortfall based approach

The issue related to the quantification of the tail risk of cryptocurrencies is considered in this paper. The statistical methods used in the study are those concerning recent developments in Extreme Value Theory (EVT) for weakly dependent data. This research proposes an expectile-based approach for assessing the tail risk of dependent data. Expectile is a summary statistic that generalizes the concept of mean, as the quantile generalizes the concept of the median. We present the empirical findings for a dataset of cryptocurrencies. We propose a method for dynamically evaluating the level of the expectiles by estimating the level of the expectiles of the residuals of a heteroscedastic regression, such as a GARCH model. Finally, we introduce the Marginal Expected Shortfall (MES) as a tool for measuring the marginal impact of single assets on systemic shortfalls. In our case of interest, we are focused on the impact of a single cryptocurrency on the systemic risk of the whole cryptocurrency market. In particular, we present an expectile-based MES for dependent data.Comment: 16 pages and 6 figure

Markov State Modeling of 2D Nanofrictional Sliding, on Smooth and Rough Surfaces

Despite studies from several perspectives, friction still lacks a general theory or approach, mainly due to the complexity in identifying a few relevant variables for the frictional dynamics, among a macroscopic number of degrees of freedom, suitable for the description of the main slow modes of the system. The main goal of the following PhD research project is to try to fill this gap using statistically-based techniques developed in the fields of data science and biomolecular simulations, like clustering algorithms and Markov State Modeling, here extended to non-equilibrium phenomena. Their combined effect is to reduce the dimensionality of the system, by singling out a few, slow, and most relevant time scales and the observables that best describe them. The method we have developed comprises three main steps: a long atomistic Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulation of steady-state frictional sliding, a dimensional reduction and finally an analysis of the time scales that underlie the transitions between the main events. To develop the new method, systems of increasing complexity were successfully considered, from a 1D model to a realistic three-dimensional (3D) system of an island of graphene sliding on a rough substrate of gold

Consumer Assessment of New Creative Products Across China and the United States

This cross-cultural research investigates how consumers assess creativity in new products and if their assessment impacts desire to own. Implicit and explicit scale-based measures were tested in China and the U.S. in online consumer samples and were positively correlated. Novelty, affect and importance dimensions of creative products were tested through Horn and Salvendy’s (2006, 2009) Product Creativity Measurement (PCM) scale. Findings point to a different role of novelty in determining desirability of creative new products across-cultures.In fact, novelty and affect are key to explain desire to own in China, while affect and importance are the drivers in the U.S. Affect, which can be viewed as hedonic value, is the key driver of desire to own creative new products across-cultures. Individual differences related to demographics, tolerance of ambiguity and interest in the study product category were also examined. Findings related to novelty, affect and tolerance of ambiguity suggest that traditional cross-cultural views need to be reconsidered. The study has been administered to a sample of 502 consumers aged 18 or older, evenly distributed between genders

Investigating STEM course choices through physics knowledge surveys

The choice of STEM courses is often influenced by previous educational career. In particular, in the scientific field, the learning of specific and at the same time paradigmatic topics plays a fundamental role. This research aims to assess nuclear physics knowledge in a sample of high school and university students through a multiple-choice survey. We analyzed and compared the results between the two samples and against a fixed threshold value. We also examined subgroups within the high school and university samples. The study considered influences from school background, learning continuity, and gender differences. We found a significant correlation between teaching hours and test results. The analysis provides insights into physics education and the quantitative relationship between teaching and knowledge acquisition. A specialistic knowledge that students can use as a tool for orientation towards STEM university choices

A Graph-based Framework for Complex System Simulating and Diagnosis with Automatic Reconfiguration

Fault detection has a long tradition: the necessity to provide the most accurate diagnosis possible for a process plant criticality is somehow intrinsic in its functioning. Continuous monitoring is a possible way for early detection. However, it is somehow fundamental to be able to actually simulate failures. Reproducing the issues remotely allows to quantify in advance their consequences, causing literally no real damage. Within this context, signed directed graphs have played an essential role within the years, managing to model with a relatively simple theory diverse elements of an industrial network, as well as the logic relations between them.\\ In this work we present a quantitative approach, employing directed graphs to the simulation and automatic reconfiguration of a fault in a network. To model the typical operation of industrial plants, we propose several additions with respect to the standard graphs: 1. a quantitative measure to control the overall residual capacity, 2. nodes of different categories - and then different behaviors - and 3. a fault propagation procedure based on the predecessors and the redundancy of the system. The obtained graph is able to mimic the behaviour of the real target plant when one or more faults occur. Additionally, we also implement a generative approach capable to activate a particular category of nodes in order to contain the issue propagation, equipping the network with the capability of reconfigure itself and resulting then in a mathematical tool useful not only for simulating and monitoring, but also to design and optimize complex plants. The final asset of the system is provided in output with its complete diagnostics, and a detailed description of the steps that have been carried out to obtain the final realization

An experience of innovative learning with multimodal teaching techniques in nuclear physics education in Italy

Despite significant recent advances in applied nuclear physics (NP) research, the teaching of these topics in high schools has remained largely unchanged and often marginal. We have developed an educational pathway on NPs for high school students that combines active innovative methodologies including puzzles, questionnaires, inclusive teaching, and an inquiry-based learning approach. The content is presented differently from traditional textbooks and established practices. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, we implemented the activity in a final-year high school class (13th grade) composed of low-performing students. We present the outcomes of oral examinations, written tests, and satisfaction surveys

Impatti sui sistemi e sulle infrastrutture energetiche lombarde dei cambiamenti climatici

LAUREA MAGISTRALEL’indagine oggetto della presente tesi ha inteso analizzare le relazioni tra i cambiamenti climatici e il settore energetico della Lombardia, con particolare riferimento alla produzione di energia idroelettrica a livello regionale. Nel contesto delle attività di ricerca in materia climatica in corso presso la Fondazione Lombardia per l’Ambiente (FLA), e in funzione degli obiettivi del lavoro di tesi, si sono preliminarmente analizzati struttura e risultati sia del Piano Energetico Ambientale Regionale (PEAR) recentemente elaborato dalla Regione Lombardia (2014) che della Strategia Regionale di Adattamento ai Cambiamenti Climatici (SRACc) per valutare i migliori approcci al problema delle correlazioni tra i drivers climatici, i loro impatti e le vulnerabilità dei sistemi-bersaglio. In riferimento ai cambiamenti climatici in atto sul territorio della Regione Lombardia sono stati analizzati, alla luce delle serie storiche di dati disponibili, i trend delle variabili climatiche (temperature, precipitazioni, eventi meteorologici estremi) più rilevanti ai fini del loro impatto sui sistemi di produzione e trasformazione dell’energia. Si sono poi valutati tutti possibili impatti che i cambiamenti climatici potranno avere sul sistema energetico lombardo alla luce delle sue maggiori vulnerabilità. Si sono ricavate , ove possibile, stime qualitative e quantitative per ognuno degli impatti elencati, deducendole anche dai più recenti studi svolti in materia. Sono poi stati analizzati in dettaglio due dei suddetti studi, per meglio valutare le metodologie più appropriate per l’analisi di questi parametri. Le ricerche prese in considerazione sono state il progetto ACQUA (caso-studio della Valle d’Aosta) svolto da RSE e l’indagine svolta da F. Koch et al. sul bacino del Danubio Superiore. Infine, si è indirizzata l’analisi al settore idroelettrico lombardo studiando in particolare gli effetti della variabilità delle precipitazioni in scenari climatici a medio e lungo periodo, in relazione a tre centrali idroelettriche site nella provincia di Sondrio.My dissertation focuses on the analysis of the relationship between climate changes and energy sector in Lombardia, with particular attention paid to the regional hydroelectric energy production. Taking into account the several studies carried out by FLA (Fondazione Lombardia per l’Ambiente) in regards to this particular topic, I analyse both PEAR (Piano Energetico Ambientale Regionale) and SRACc (Strategia Regionale di Adattamento ai Cambiamenti Climatici) in order to identify the connection between climatic drivers and their impact on energy system. In reference to the ongoing climate change on the territory of the Region of Lombardy, were analysed, in the light of historical data available, the trend of climatic variables (temperature, precipitation, extreme weather events) most relevant to their impact on production systems and energy transformation. They are then evaluated all possible impacts that climate change will have on the energy system in the light of its major vulnerability. It is derived, where possible, qualitative and quantitative estimates of the impacts listed for each, the deduction even by the most recent studies on the subject. Were then analyzed in detail two of these studies, to better evaluate the methodologies most appropriate for the analysis of these parameters. The research took into account were the WATER project (case study of the Valle d'Aosta) done by the RSE and the survey carried out by F. Koch et al. the basin of the Upper Danube. Finally, the analysis is directed to the hydropower sector Lombard studying in particular the effects of rainfall variability in climate scenarios in the medium and long term, in relation to three hydroelectric site in the province of Sondrio