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Background: The phenotype profiling of individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) according to impairments in body composition and level of physical activity in daily life (PADL) needs to be determined.Objective: To verify if individuals with COPD classified as physically active/inactive present different characteristics within different body composition phenotypes.Methods: Individuals with COPD were cross-sectionally stratified into four groups according to fat-free and fat mass indexes: Normal Body Composition (NBC), Obese (Ob), Sarcopenic (Sarc), and Sarcopenic/Obese (Sarc/Ob). Additionally, individuals had their PADL level objectively assessed through activity monitoring during two weekdays for at least 10 h/day, and then were classified as physically active (Act) or inactive (Inact) according to international recommendations. Lung function (spirometry), exercise capacity (6-minute walking test [6MWT]) and peripheral muscle strength (1-repetition maximum [1RM]) were also assessed. 176 individuals with COPD (mean +/- standard deviation age: 67 +/- 8 years, body mass index 26 +/- 6 kg/m(2), FEV1 47 +/- 16%predicted) were classified as: NBC + Act (17%), NBC + Inact( 22%), Ob + Act (6%), Ob + Inact (10%), Sarc + Act (12%), Sarc + Inact (9%), Sarc/Ob + Act (8%) and Sarc/ Ob + Inact (16%). The Sarc/Ob + Inact group presented lower 6MWT and 1RM for knee extension compared to NBC + Act, NBC + Inact, and Ob + Act groups (p < 0.05). The Sarc/Ob + Inactgroup also presented lower FEV1% predicted, 1RM for elbow flexion and elbow extension compared to the NBC + Act and NBC + Inact groups and lower 1RM for elbow extension compared to Ob + Inact group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: The combination of sarcopenia, obesity, and physical inactivity was shown to be detrimental in individuals with COPD. Therefore, this profile is a main therapeutic target for improving PADL level and/or body composition. (C) 2020 Associacao Brasileira de Pesquisa e Pos-Graduacao em Fisioterapia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

In the health domain, well-being is primarily assessed as autonomy and mental distress, whereas the quality of daily experience is rarely investigated. In this study, the relationship between autonomy levels and daily experience was explored. Thirty-five Italian adults with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia provided for one week real-time descriptions of daily activities and associated experiences through the Experience Sampling Method procedure. Participants were grouped based on autonomy levels assessed through Barthel Index. The relationships between activity typologies, the experiential dimensions, perceived challenges and skills, and autonomy level were analysed. Participants’ predominant activities were personal care, associated with global disengagement, and leisure, associated with high control and desirability, but low perceived relevance. During social interactions participants reported engagement and emotional well-being, and during productive activities high activation but negative affect. Multi-level analysis highlighted that this association between activity type and experiential patterns recurred across autonomy levels. In addition, perceived challenges in the activity were lower that perceived personal skills across activities and autonomy levels. Findings suggest that persons with motor disabilities, regardless of their autonomy level, would benefit from more challenging opportunities for action in daily life, in order to attain well-being through active skill mobilisation.

Family caregivers are essential assets in the rehabilitation process, and their psychophysical health should represent a concern for healthcare services. This study aims to investigate the psychometric properties of the Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire, Italian version, and its convergent-discriminant validity with measures of caring burden, resilience, health, and well-being.Participants were 591 parents (89.2% females; aged 25-69) of children treated as outpatients in 14 centers of "Istituto Medea - La Nostra Famiglia", an Italian rehabilitation institution. They completed: Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire, a 40-item scale assessing care-related challenges, resources, and benefits; Caregiver Burden Inventory; Resilience Scale for Adults; Satisfaction With Life Scale; Health Survey SF-36. The psychometric properties of the Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire were investigated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability evaluation; correlation coefficients assessed convergent and discriminant validity with burden and well-being measures.The original eight-factor structure of the Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire showed good adequacy and internal consistency; convergent and discriminant validity with measures of burden, resilience, satisfaction, physical and mental health were satisfactory.The Italian version of the Adult Carer Quality of Life Questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument to assess caregivers' perceived challenges and resources. As a parsimonious and easily administrable tool, it can be used to evaluate caregivers' quality of life and related interventions. Implications for Rehabilitation Family caregivers are essential assets for the rehabilitation process, and their challenges and resources need to be considered by healthcare services. Information on caregivers' frailties to be reduced and strengths to be empowered allows to design interventions promoting well-being and social integration of people with disabilities and their families. The Adult Carer Quality of Life is a comprehensive measure of burden and well-being dimensions that can be easily administered to caregivers of any age.

Fungi are the principal wood decomposers in forest ecosystems and their activity provides wood necromass to other living organisms. However, the wood decay mechanisms and the associated microbial community are largely unknown, especially in Alpine areas. In this study, the culturable fraction of fungal communities associated with the decomposition of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst) deadwood in subalpine forest soils were determined using microbiological methods coupled with molecular identification. Fungal communities were evaluated using in-field mesocosms after one year of exposition of P. abies wood blocks along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 1200 up to 2000 m a.s.l. comprising eight subalpine sites, four of them located at north- and other four at south-facing slopes. Although many saprotrophic species were isolated from the wood blocks, several white-rot species as the pathogenic fungi Armillaria cepistipes and Heterobasidion annosum, along with soft-rot fungi such as Lecytophora sp. were identified. Our results further indicated that the wood-inhabiting fungal community was mainly influenced by topographic features and by the chemical properties of the wood blocks, providing first insights into the effect of different slope exposure on the deadwood mycobiome in the subalpine forest ecosystem.

While several studies have highlighted the negative consequences of trauma exposure on rescuers’ health, the psychological factors promoting rescuers’ well-being have rarely been investigated. The present study aimed at analyzing the quality of rescuing experience among professionals and volunteers of the Italian Red Cross. The experiences of 14 professional and 11 volunteer ambulance rescuers were examined through the repeated assessment of their subjective evaluations of daily activities and contexts in real time. Their experience fluctuation pattern was analyzed based on the levels of environmental challenges and personal skills perceived during daily activities. Both professionals and volunteers reported frequent exposure to highly challenging situations while rescuing and associated this activity with high concentration, involvement, and control. Perceptions of anxiety were significantly more frequent among volunteers. For both groups, first-aid activities were reported to provide optimal ex...

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of ultra-low-dose computed tomography (ULDCT) in comparison to standard coronary calcium score (CCS) acquisition for the evaluation of coronary artery calcification (CAC).Standard CCS acquisition and ULDCT were performed in patients referred for coronary CT angiography for the evaluation of coronary artery disease. CAC in ULDCT was graded subjectively using a four-point scale (from 0, no calcification, to 3, severe calcification) for the complete study and for each individual coronary segment. The summation of all individual coronary segment scores generated an ULDCT total CAC score. ULDCT results were compared to standard Agatston score and sensitivity and specificity of ULDCT were calculated.CCS and ULDCT were performed in 74 patients, with a mean DLP of 77.7 mGy·cm (±12.1) and 9.3 mGy·cm (±0.6), respectively (p0.001). Coronary calcification was detected in 47 patients (63.5%) in standard CCS acquisition (median Agatston score of 41; interquartile range [IQR]:0263), in comparison to 42 patients (56.8%) in ULDCT (p0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the ULDCT total CAC score ≥1 was 80.9% and 85.2%, respectively, with an accuracy of 82.4%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the presence of CAC was 0.87.ULDCT shows good sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy for the detection of coronary calcification with a markedly lower radiation dose in comparison to CCS. ULDCT is unlikely to miss coronary calcification in individuals with at least moderate calcium load (Agatston score100).

Objective:Measurement of aldosterone is the cornerstone in Primary aldosteronism (PA) workup, for both screening and final diagnosis (as confirmatory test). Albeit several automated aldosterone chemiluminescent assays have become recently available as reliable alternatives to the well-established ra

Objective:Urinary extracellular vescicles (UVs) secreted by renal tubular epithelial cells carry proteins, nucleic acids and lipids and can be easily detected in urineUVs including exosomes have been widely recognized as a preferred source to study the renal Na Chloride Cotrasporter (NCC). NCC is ma

The feasibility of an electron-polarized, active target to be used as detector in neutrino scattering experiments, suggested by several theoretical papers, has been investigated. We report on the properties of the paramagnetic crystal Gd2SiO5 (GSO), in which 7.7% of the total number of electrons present can be polarized by lowering the temperature and applying an intense external magnetic field. The material magnetic susceptibility has been measured down to cryogenic temperatures showing that for H¼ 5 T and T¼ 4 K about 80% of the maximum allowed magnetization can be attained. Also the spectral and time response of the crystal have been characterized and the scintillation process has been studied using a photomultiplier to measure the response to gamma rays irradiation and cosmic rays operating the GSO crystal at 13.5 K. An avalanche photodiode (APD) readout of the scintillation signal from the GSO crystal has also been performed, since the magnetic field-independent response of this device allows it to be placed close to the crystal in the cryogenic environment.

The CLUE experiment, located in La Palma island at 2200 m a.s.l., is an array of 3×3 telescope, detecting the UV (190 – 230 nm ) Cerenkov light produced by atmospheric showers. Since atmospheric absorption in the UV range is higher than in the visible range, CLUE cannot apply existing algorithms normally used in IACT experiments to determine primary cosmic ray direction. In this paper we present a new method developed by CLUE. The algorithm performances were evaluated using simulated showers. Using the new technique, preliminary results of last two years observational campaigns on the Crab Nebula and on Markarian 421 are presented, showing a clear signal on both sources. The CLUE experiment collected also data with the telescopes aiming directly at the Moon: we expect improvements also on the Moon Shadow measurement adopting the new method.

This study focuses on the biological and morphological development of humus profiles in forested Italian Alpine soils as a function of climate. Humus form description, systematic investigation of microannelid communities and polyphasic biochemical fingerprinting of soil microbial communities (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA)) were performed to compare sites differing in mean annual temperature due to different altitude and exposure. Although the soil biota showed complex responses, several differences in soil biological properties seem to be due to thermal differences. Although soil acidity also determines biological properties, it is not a state factor but rather influenced by them. The thickness of the organic layer and the acidification of the subjacent mineral horizon increased under cooler conditions (north-exposure; higher altitude), whereas the thickness of the A horizon inversely decreased. Species richness of microannelid assemblages was higher under warmer conditions (south-exposure; lower altitude) and the vertical distribution of microannelids shifted along the gradient to lower temperatures from predominant occurrence in the mineral soil to exclusive occurrence in the organic layer. Microbial biomass (total PLFA) was higher at the cooler sites; the prevalence of Gram-negative bacteria could be ascribed to their better adaptation to lower temperature, pH and nutrient contents. The δ13C signatures of the PLFA markers suggested a lower decomposition rate at the cooler sites, resulting in a lower respiratory loss and an accumulation of weakly decomposed organic material. DGGE data supported the PLFA results. Both parameters reflected the expected thermal sequence. This multidisciplinary case study provided indications of an association of climate, mesofauna and microbiota using the humus form as an overall link. More data are however needed and further investigations are encouraged.

We have investigated the fluorescence emission in the Near Infrared from the air and its main components, nitrogen and oxygen. The gas was excited by a 95kV electron beam and the fluorescence light detected by an InGaAs photodiode, sensitive down to about 1700nm. We have recorded the emission spectra by means of a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer. The light yield was also measured by comparing the Near Infrared signal with the known Ultraviolet fluorescence, detected by a Si photodiode. The possibility of using the Near Infrared fluorescence of the atmosphere to detect Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays is discussed, showing the pros and the cons of this novel method., 11 pages, 8 figures. Vers.2 with minor changes. Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics. Vers.3 with correction of a misprinted formula

l-Methyl-cis, cis-cyclooctadiene-1,5 was obtained by mixed butadiene-isoprene dimerization in the presence of a catalyst prepared by treating nickel acetylacetonate with lithium boron hydride in the presence of triphenyl phosphite. In analogy with cis, cis-cyclooctadiene-1,5, methyleyclooctadiene can be polymerized, in the presence of the Al(iC4H9)3 + TiCl4 eatalytic system (molar ratio of Al to Ti = 0.5), to an essentially saturated product. Also in this case a transannular polymerization of the following type occurs: In the terpolymerization with ethylene and propylene, on the contrary, methyl cyclo-octadiene reacts, in the presence of catalysts prepared from vanadium and alkyl aluminum compounds, by opening of the nonsubstituted double bond. The IR spectra of the monomer and of the polymers are here described.

The study of spontaneous symmetry breaking patterns in theories in which the ground state is determined by the minima of a potential invariant under the symmetry group of the system may be traced back to the solution of two classes of problems, that we shall quote in Toledano and Dmitriev’s suggestive words [P. Toledano, V. Dmitriev, Reconstructive Phase Transitions in Crystals and Quasicrystals, World Scientific, Singapore, 1996] as angular and radial problem, respectively. Whilst the former problem, i.e., the determination of the isotropy-type stratification, has been extensively treated both in condensed matter physics and in particle physics, the radial problem, in particular the construction of the phenomenological potential allowing the realization of all the symmetry allowed symmetry phases, has up to now substantially been disregarded in gauge field theory, because renormalizability limits to four the degree of the Higgs potential and it is widely thought that spontaneous radiative mass generation can anyway fix the issue. Through a rigorous analysis in the framework of geometric invariant theory ( P ^ -matrix approach) we review these facts, focussing our attention on the role of radiative corrections. Then, we propose a way of reconciling renormalizability requirement and tree-level observability of all the phases allowed by the symmetry. The idea will be illustrated in simple extensions of two-Higgs-doublet SM, with additional scalar singlets and discrete symmetries. This will allow us to explain the rationale behind all the extensions of the Higgs sectors so far proposed to generate the observed Baryon asymmetry of our Universe at the EW Phase Transition.

We review the proposal of a constructive axiomatic approach to the determination of the orbit spaces of all the real compact linear groups, obtained through the computation of a metric matrix \(\widehat{P}(p)\) , which is defined only in terms of the scalar products between the gradients ∂p1(x),. . .,∂pq(x) of the elements of a minimal integrity basis (MIB) for the ring ℝ[ℝn]G of G-invariant polynomials. The domain of semi-positivity of \(\widehat{P}(p)\) is known to realize the orbit space ℝn/G of G as a semi-algebraic variety in the space ℝq spanned by the variables p1,. . .,pq.

Two soil sequences in northern Italy (Val di Fiemme and Val Genova) along an elevational gradient ranging from moderate (950 m a.s.l.) to high alpine (2440 m a.s.l.) climate zones were investigated with respect to element losses (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Al, Si, Mn) and development of clay minerals. Soils formed on paleo-rhyolitic parent material in Val di Fiemme and on tonalitic-granodioritic morainic material in Val Genova. All the soils have a similar age (∼12,000 y) and have been classified as Podzols. The soils are very acid and the pH values tend to increase with decreasing altitude. Podzolization processes were most intense in the range of the subalpine forest up to the timberline (1400–1900 m above sea-level (a.s.l.)). Element leaching was greatest in this range and weathering rates decrease with both higher and lower altitudes. Due to the different lithologies and precipitations between the two valleys, the total amount of chemical weathering was slightly different, although the same trends with altitude could be observed. Imogolite-type materials (ITM) are generally of minor importance. Greater concentrations of ITM were observed in the Bhs or Bs horizons of the Episkeleti-Entic Podzols at the lower altitudes. Iron eluviation was similar in all Podzols while larger amounts of eluviated Al were detected in Val Genova. The pattern of smectite distribution along the climosequences had similarities to the trend of cation losses. The largest amount of low-charge expandable minerals seems to exist in the range of the subalpine forest up to the timberline. The development of clay minerals with a smaller layer charge was more advanced in Podzols on rhyolitic material where smectite could be detected in the Bhs and Bs horizon. Parent material influenced chemical weathering in the soils along the two climosequences and essentially determined the degree of weathering and the formation of clay minerals.

We discuss the imaging properties of Hybrid Photon Detectors (HPDs) in the framework of an Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope experiment. We present also some preliminary results on Night Sky Background measurements, made with an HPD located in the focal plane of a single CLUE telescope.

WeproposetouseanewlargephotocathodicareaUVRb 2 TeHPDdevelopedatCERN(TOMcollaboration)asadetectorwellsuitedforIACTexperiments.SomeaspectsofUVatmospherictransmissionarepresented.r 2003ElsevierScienceB.V.Allrightsreserved. PACS: 95.55.Ka;95.85.Pw;96.40.PqKeywords: IACT;UVCherenkovlight;HPD 1. IntroductionCLUE[1]isanImagingAtmosphericCheren-kovTelescope(IACT)array(9telescopes)locatedatLaPalmaIsland(2.2kmasl).TheobservationoftheUVCherenkovlightoftheatmosphericshowersproducedbyVHE(10GeV–l0TeV)cos-mic-andg-rays,allowsIACTexperimentstohavelongduty-cycle,totakemeasurementinbrightlyskyzones(likeMilkyWayCenter)andtopointdirectlytothemoon.CLUE[2]hasdetectedtheclassA(T.Weekescatalog)extragalacticVHEsourceAGNMkn421at17s significancelevel,using a Multi Wire Proportional Chamber(MWPC)intherange190–220nmasUVdetector.ThelightyieldbyVHEatmosphericshowersissuppressedbytheozonelayersothatthenumberofsignalphotonsonthemirrorfocalplaneisrelatively low (C80ph/m 2 @2.2kmasl). We areinvestigatingthepossibilitytouseanewlargephotocathodicareaUVRb

A round 10-in. diameter Hybrid Photodiode (HPD) with spherical entrance window is under development for Cherenkov imaging applications in cosmic ray astronomy. The HPD adopts the fountain focusing electron optics, which, as already demonstrated in the 5 inch Pad HPD, allows for a linear demagnification of the image over practically the full tube diameter. Self-triggering front-end electronics providing also sparse readout capability, has been tested. High-efficiency Rb 2 Te cathodes have been produced on a UV extended borosilicate glass windows with very thin conductive underlayers of Indium Tin Oxide. We report on the design of the 10-in. HPD, the fabrication procedure and first tests of a 5-in. HPD with Rb 2 Te photocathode and 2048 channels.

A soil sequence in northern Italy along an elevational gradient ranging from moderate (950 m a.s.l.) to high alpine (2440 m a.s.l.) climate zones was investigated with respect to element losses (Ca, Mg, K, Na, Fe, Al, Si, Mn) and the development of clay minerals. Element losses were derived from mass balance calculations that are based on enrichment/depletion factors using immobile element contents (Ti). Mass balance calculations indicated that extensive mineral weathering resulted in significant leaching losses of major base cations (with losses up to >80% of the initial content in the parent material), Al (particularly, from upper horizons) and Si. Element denudation was greatest in subalpine forests near the timberline. Weathering rates decreased with both higher and lower altitudes. The pattern of smectite distribution along the climosequence has strong similarities to the Al, Si, Na and K losses, while an inverse trend could be detected for clay minerals with a high amount of interlayered Al. Highest smectite contents with up to 30% of the clay fraction and also highest weathering rates were found at sites in subalpine forest near the timberline. Higher precipitation rates and the production of chelating compounds in the soil are believed to promote the appearance of smectites. Weathering rates of Na and K were additionally modelled as a function of precipitation and temperature. The relationship between climate and element weathering is strongly nonlinear and is thought to be overshadowed by the pronounced podzolisation effect near the timberline.

The formation of clay minerals was investigated in Spodosols developed in the subalpine belt, with similar exposure, climate and age, but deriving from different parent materials. All the soils were classified as Haplic Podzols and showed the characteristic eluviation and illuviation features of Fe, Al and organic carbon. However, varying parent material lithology led to different clay mineral assemblages in the soil. Smectite could be found in the E horizons of soils developed from granodiorite and tonalite materials. Its formation was strongly dependent on the presence of chlorite in the parent material. If nearly no other 2:1 mineral components, such as chlorite, are present in the lower soil horizons, then a residual micaceous mineral becomes the dominant clay mineral. The latter derives from a mica-vermiculite interstratified mineral.

Functions which are covariant or invariant under the transformations of a reductive linear algebraic group can be advantageously expressed in terms of functions defined in the orbit space of the group, i.e. as functions of a finite set of basic invariant polynomials. This fact and the tools of geometric invariant theory can be exploited in many physical contexts where the study of covariant or invariant functions is important, for instance in the determination of patterns of spontaneous symmetry and/or supersymmetry breaking in possibly supersymmetric quantum field theories of elementary particles, in the analysis of phase spaces and structural phase transitions in solid state physics (Landau's theory), in covariant bifurcation theory, in crystal field theory and in most areas of solid state theory where use is made of symmetry adapted functions. We shall present some elements of geometric invariant theory and illustrate some of the possible applications in the study of spontaneous symmetry and supersymmetry breaking.

We searched for the emission of microwave radiation in the Ku band generated by a 95 keV electron beam in air. We unequivocally detected the radiation, and measured its yield and angular dependence. Both the emitted power and its angular pattern are well described by a model, where microwave photons are generated via bremsstrahlung in the free-electron atomic-nucleus collisions, during the slowdown of the electrons. As a consequence, the radiation is not isotropic but peaked in the forward direction. The emission yield scales proportionally with the number of electrons. This contrasts a previous claim that the yield scales with the number squared, due to coherence. With a Monte Carlo simulation we extrapolate our results to the Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray energy range., 5 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys.Rev.D

In studies on caregiving, high levels of perceived burden are commonly considered as synonymous with poor well-being. This study aimed at better disentangling the relationship between burden and well-being dimensions through their joint investigation. To this purpose, perceived well-being and social resources were evaluated among caregivers reporting different levels of burden. Participants were 91 caregivers (mean age=50.4; SD=9.6), parents of people diagnosed with severe neuromotor and cognitive disorders. Participants completed a semi-structured interview and a set of scaled questionnaires: Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation, Resilience Scale for Adults, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Participants were divided into two groups according to their perceived burden level, assessed through CBI. In both groups, the subjective components of burden accounted for the major fraction of the total burden level. Participants perceiving high burden reported higher levels of depression related emotions, lower life satisfaction and lower resilience than participants perceiving low burden. No group difference emerged in perceived meaningfulness and social support. A regression analysis showed that the best predictor of perceived burden was life satisfaction, followed to a lesser extent by resilience, while depression related emotions did not provide significant contribution. Findings suggest that the joint assessment of burden and well-being dimensions, that are co-existing in caregivers' experience, allow for the identification of personal and relational resources that can be usefully included in interventions addressed to caregivers.

Purpose/Objective: Motor rehabilitation programs in hospital aim at promoting patients' highest attainable recovery of body functions and capabilities. Well-being is predominantly identified with physical autonomy, yet the psychological dimensions of rehabilitation are often overlooked. Research Method/Design: To partially fill this gap, the quality of daily experience reported by 50 adult participants hospitalized in an Italian rehabilitation unit was investigated. Data were gathered through Experience Sampling Method, (ESM), providing repeated real-time assessments of the experience associated with daily activities. Before analysis, participants were divided into 3 groups, according to their low, moderate, or high levels of autonomy assessed through Barthel Index. Results: Participants predominantly associated rehabilitation activities with optimal experience, characterized by high concentration, engagement, control of the situation, and by the perception of high challenges matched with adequate personal skills. During personal care and leisure-the most frequent daily activities-participants reported instead low challenging experiences of apathy and boredom. During social interactions perceived high challenges prevailed. Multilevel analysis showed that the type of activity performed was a significant predictor of participants' quality of experience, and the level of autonomy had a modest impact on it. Conclusions/Implications: Results highlighted the potential added value of rehabilitation tasks as opportunities to promote patients' well-being. The predominantly negative experiences associated with the other daily activities point instead to the need for changes in hospital organization in order to more effectively promote patients' autonomy and resource mobilization. © 2014 American Psychological Association.

A complete and rigorous determination of the possible ground states for D-wave pairing Bose condensates is presented, using a geometrical invariant theory approach to the problem. The order parameter is argued to be a vector, transforming according to a ten dimensional real representation of the group $G=${\bf O}$_3\otimes${\bf U}$_1\times $. We determine the equalities and inequalities defining the orbit space of this linear group and its symmetry strata, which are in a one-to-one correspondence with the possible distinct phases of the system. We find 15 allowed phases (besides the unbroken one), with different symmetries, that we thoroughly determine. The group-subgroup relations between bordering phases are pointed out. The perturbative sixth degree corrections to the minimum of a fourth degree polynomial $G$-invariant free energy, calculated by Mermin, are also determined., Comment: 27 revtex pages, 2 figures, use of texdraw; minor changes in the bibliography and in Table III

The coregular real representations of the compact simple Lie groups are classified and the equalities and inequalities defining their orbit spaces are determined in the case of 2, 3 and 4 basic polynomial invariants. The results are obtained making use of the classification of the complex coregular simple Lie groups given by G. W. Schwarz and of the determination of all the allowable metric matrices for q-dimensional (q⩽4) orbit spaces of compact coregular linear groups, recently obtained by the present authors. The results are used to determine in a rigorous way the minima of two SO(10) and E6 invariant Higgs potentials.

L’essere umano da sempre si interroga sull’origine della sofferenza e sulla ricerca della felicita. In seno alle tradizioni filosofiche e religiose di tutte le culture sono state elaborate risposte che permettessero di soddisfare tale ricerca di causa e di senso, squisitamente e ineludibilmente umana.

Flexsorb HP is a new, sterically hindered amine-promoted, potassium carbonate-based process for CO2 absorption from gases. Compared to the conventional diethanolamine (DEA) promoted process, it offers considerable capacity and rate advantages. It has outstanding stability toward the corrosion inhibitor V5+, which degrades DEA. Its amine promoter aging resistance is much superior to that of DEA. It can serve as a “drop in” technology that can be used in an existing plant, leading to capacity increase without any equipment modification. For grassroots applications it requires lower investments than DEA-promoted units. ∗ Presented in part at the AIChE 1994 Spring National Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

The CLUE experiment studies primary cosmic rays (E > 2 TeV) by detecting UV (190-230 nm) Cherenkov light produced by atmospheric showers. Since atmospheric absorption in the UV range is higher than in the visible range, CLUE cannot apply algorithms normally used in IACT(1) experiments to determine primary cosmic-ray direction. Tn this paper, we present a new method developed by CLUE. The algorithm performances were evaluated using simulated showers. Preliminary results of the source analysis using this new method are shown, (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

International audience; This paper deals with the dual-space adaptive control of R4 redundantly actuated parallel manipulator for applications with very high accelerations. This controller is compared experimentally with a dual-space feedforward controller (which may have good performances for specific cases, but has crucial losses of performance when there is any operational change (such as a change of load)), for a pick-and-place task with accelerations of 30G (without payload) and 20G (with a payload of 200g). The objective of this paper is to show that the proposed dual-space adaptive controller not only keeps a very good performance independently of the operational case, but also has a better performance than the dual-space feedforward controller even when this last one is best configured to the given case.

We present a case of well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the epididymis occurring in a 60-year-old man who came to urologic consult after recurrent episodes of haematospermia. The patient denied pain, fever and trauma in genitals. Local examination revealed indolent swelling at the right testicle and ecography localised a well-circumscribed nodule at the epididymis tail, measuring 2 cm in greater diameter, with associated haemorrhagic hydrocele. A nodulectomy was performed and the patient is alive with no evidence of disease 17 months following surgery.

The Electron Beam Instrument (F6) on Freja is the first attempt to apply the electron drift technique in a region of large ambient magnetic fields. The paper describes the operational principles, the technical realization, and the difficulties encountered in the derivation of the electric fields.

New measurements to test the neutrality of matter by acoustic means are reported. The apparatus is based on a spherical capacitor filled with gaseous SF$_6$ excited by an oscillating electric field. The apparatus has been calibrated measuring the electric polarizability. Assuming charge conservation in the $\beta$ decay of the neutron, the experiment gives a limit of $\epsilon_\text{p-e}\lesssim1\cdot10^{-21}$ for the electron-proton charge difference, the same limit holding for the charge of the neutron. Previous measurements are critically reviewed and found incorrect: the present result is the best limit obtained with this technique.

ARGO-YBJ (Astrophysical Radiation with Ground-based Observatory at YangBaJing) is a detector optimized to study small size air showers. It consists of a layer of Resistive Plate Counters (RPCs) covering an area of similar to 6500 m(2) and will be located in the Yangbajing Laboratory (Tibet, China) at 4300 m a.s.l. ARGO-YBJ will be devoted to a wide range of fundamental issues in cosmic rays and astroparticle physics, including in particular gamma-ray astronomy and gamma-ray bursts physics in the range 10 GeV divided by 500 TeV. The sensitivity of ARGO-YBJ to detect high energy GRBs is presented.