Multicomponent Electron-Hole Superfluidity and the BCS-BEC Crossover in Double Bilayer Graphene

Superfluidity in coupled electron-hole sheets of bilayer graphene is predicted here to be multicomponent because of the conduction and valence bands. We investigate the superfluid crossover properties as functions of the tunable carrier densities and the tunable energy band gap E_g. For small band gaps there is a significant boost in the two superfluid gaps, but the interaction-driven excitations from the valence to the conduction band can weaken the superfluidity, even blocking the system from entering the Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) regime at low densities. At a given larger density, a band gap E_g∼80-120  meV can carry the system into the strong-pairing multiband BCS-BEC crossover regime, the optimal range for realization of high-T_c superfluidity

Communication policy in European projects: to what extent non-expert users can better and easier perceive and understand the European legal framework

Effective and clear communication on legal issues and related implications in EU-funded research and innovation projects is a fundamental requirement which allows partners to achieve project outcomes according to the EU legislation. As a matter of fact, law permeates every aspect of society and it has an undeniable impact in every daily activity under European projects tasks. Partners without legal background and expertise should be considered as “non-experts” when facing with legal information. In particular, the use of a specialized terminology, as it is language of the law, accentuates communication difficulties and prevents to this target group to understand and be understood

Universal newborn hearing screening in the Lazio region, Italy

Background: The introduction of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) programs has drastically contributed to the early diagnosis of hearing loss in children, allowing prompt intervention with significant results on speech and language development in affected children. UNHS in the Lazio region has been initially deliberated in 2012; however, the program has been performed on a universal basis only from 2015. The aim of this retrospective study is to present and discuss the preliminary results of the UNHS program in the Lazio region for the year 2016, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the program. Methods: Data from screening facilities in the Lazio region for year 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Data for Level I centers were supplied by the Lazio regional offices; data for Level II and III centers were provided by units that participated to the study. Results: During 2016, a total of 44,805 babies were born in the Lazio region. First stage screening was performed on 41,821 children in 37 different birth centers, with a coverage rate of 93.3%. Of these, 38.977 (93.2%) obtained a "pass" response; children with a "refer" result in at least one ear were 2844 (6.8%). Data from Level II facilities are incomplete due to missing reporting, one of the key issues in Lazio UNHS. Third stage evaluation was performed on 365 children in the three level III centers of the region, allowing identification of 70 children with unilateral (40%) or bilateral (60%) hearing loss, with a prevalence of 1.6/1000. Conclusions: The analysis of 2016 UNHS in the Lazio region allowed identification of several strengths and weaknesses of the initial phase of the program. The strengths include a correct spread and monitoring of UNHS among Level I facilities, with an adequate coverage rate, and the proper execution of audiological monitoring and diagnosis among Level III facilities. Weakness, instead, mainly consisted in lack of an efficient and automated central process for collecting, monitoring and reporting of data and information

The e-learning approach and visualisation techniques in the judicial area

Online courses, webinars and other digital media open up a wide range of convenient, cost-effective training options for law professionals. Myriad combinations of technology, platforms, content and classrooms are nowadays possible. In particular, the e-learning approach can be considered as a tailored-made mean that aims to meet the needs of a specific target group, at the same time, reach the majority of stakeholders, and ensure the continuity of the acquired abilities and skills. The positive result of this approach depends largely on the way the content is presented. Thus, the visual design of materials and the way the content is structured and displayed are important elements when designing the e-learning modules. The article tries to point out how visual techniques interact with e-learning legal programmes, specifically focusing on legal practitioners (judges, prosecutors and lawyers)

TNFα expressed on the surface of microparticles modulates endothelial cell fate in rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with a high prevalence of atherosclerosis. Recently increased levels of microparticles (MPs) have been reported in patients with RA. MPs could represent a link between autoimmunity and endothelial dysfunction by expressing tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), a key cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of RA, altering endothelial apoptosis and autophagy. The aim of this study was to investigate TNFα expression on MPs and its relationship with endothelial cell fate. Methods: MPs were purified from peripheral blood from 20 healthy controls (HC) and from 20 patients with RA, before (time (T)0) and after (T4) 4-month treatment with etanercept (ETA). Surface expression of TNFα was performed by flow cytometry analysis. EA.hy926 cells, an immortalized endothelial cell line, were treated with RA-MPs purified at T0 and at T4 and also, with RA-MPs in vitro treated with ETA. Apoptosis and autophagy were then evaluated. Results: RA-MPs purified at T0 expressed TNFα on their surface and this expression significantly decreased at T4. Moreover, at T0 RA-MPs, significantly increased both apoptosis and autophagy levels on endothelial cells, in a dose-dependent manner. RA-MPs did not significantly change these parameters after 4 months of in vivo treatment with ETA. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that MPs isolated from patients with RA exert a pathological effect on endothelial cells by TNFα expressed on their surface. In vivo and in vitro treatment with ETA modulates this effect, suggesting anti-TNF therapy protects against endothelial damage in patients with RA

Assessment of the risk and characterization of non-melanoma skin cancer in Kindler syndrome: study of a series of 91 patients.

BACKGROUND: Kindler Syndrome (KS) is a rare genodermatosis characterized by skin fragility, skin atrophy, premature aging and poikiloderma. It is caused by mutations in the FERMT1 gene, which encodes kindlin-1, a protein involved in integrin signalling and the formation of focal adhesions. Several reports have shown the presence of non-melanoma skin cancers in KS patients but a systematic study evaluating the risk of these tumors at different ages and their potential outcome has not yet been published. We have here addressed this condition in a retrospective study of 91 adult KS patients, characterizing frequency, metastatic potential and body distribution of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in these patients. SCC developed in 13 of the 91 patients. RESULTS: The youngest case arose in a 29-year-old patient; however, the cumulative risk of SCC increased to 66.7% in patients over 60 years of age. The highly aggressive nature of SCCs in KS was confirmed showing that 53.8% of the patients bearing SCCs develop metastatic disease. Our data also showed there are no specific mutations that correlate directly with the development of SCC; however, the mutational distribution along the gene appears to be different in patients bearing SCC from SCC-free patients. The body distribution of the tumor appearance was also unique and different from other bullous diseases, being concentrated in the hands and around the oral cavity, which are areas of high inflammation in this disease. CONCLUSIONS: This study characterizes SCCs in the largest series of KS patients reported so far, showing the high frequency and aggressiveness of these tumors. It also describes their particular body distribution and their relationship with mutations in the FERMT-1 gene. These data reinforce the need for close monitoring of premalignant or malignant lesions in KS patients

Compound Adjectives In English. A descriptive approach to their morphology and functions

Lo studio esamina il fenomeno degli aggettivi composti in inglese(Compound adjectives)da una prospettiva morfologico-funzionale, atta ad individuare le proprietà morfologiche dei vari pattern combinatori, nonché ad investigarne il grado di aggettivalità e prototipicità. Lo studio ha principalmente uno scopo descrittivo di un fenomeno che, pur particolarmente produttivo e variegato, ha destato poco interesse negli studiosi fino a questo momento, tanto da essere ancora terreno inesplorato e adatto ad ulteriori investigazioni. Il capitolo I tratta i concetti basilari della composizione in inglese, il capitolo 2 costituisce un breve stato dell’arte sugli aggettivi composti, mentre i capitoli 3 e 4 sono più specificamente dedicati all’analisi sia morfologica (cap. 3)che funzionale(cap,4), su dati tratti dal BNC e da due sotto corpora dell’Icame Collection(FROWN e FLOB)

I tempi nel sistema verbale greco antico e il caso dell'imperativo

Premessa: Il sistema verbale greco, che \ue8 stato fin dall\u2019antichit\ue0 oggetto di studio, presenta tuttora questioni controverse, sulle quali non esiste un\u2019interpretazione unanime. La definizione del valore dei Tempi del verbo, alla luce delle teorie linguistiche contemporanee, costituisce ancora un fecondo campo di indagine. Il Modo Imperativo, sulla cui analisi si concentra la presente ricerca, rappresenta un esempio interessante di tale problematica, a causa della sua particolare natura semantica, che rende ardua l\u2019assegnazione di un esatto valore ai suoi Tempi verbali. Con questo lavoro si intende dare un contributo alla comprensione dei Tempi dell\u2019Imperativo e della posizione di questo Modo all\u2019interno del sistema verbale greco. Allo scopo di chiarire i punti spinosi della questione, si \ue8 ritenuto necessario intraprendere un esame sistematico, i cui risultati, per le implicazioni di carattere generale, possono rivelarsi utili al chiarimento della questione dei Tempi nel sistema verbale greco considerato nel suo complesso, e alla verifica dell\u2019ipotesi aspettuale. Il presente studio \ue8 diviso in due parti: da un lato vengono prese in considerazione le riflessioni teoriche sul verbo svolte dagli stessi antichi greci \u2013 nell\u2019ambito degli studi filosofici e grammaticali, dall\u2019et\ue0 alessandrina fino a quella bizantina \u2013; dall\u2019altro viene esaminato l\u2019uso dei Tempi dell\u2019Imperativo in un serie di testi letterari di autori di et\ue0 classica. La prima parte \ue8 dedicata ad un\u2019analisi approfondita di tutte le fonti grammaticali antiche riguardanti la definizione del verbo e la descrizione dei Tempi verbali, dei loro valori e del loro uso nei vari Modi. Si \ue8 inteso presentare una rassegna il pi\uf9 possibile completa dei testi grammaticali a noi pervenuti, e mostrare cos\uec l\u2019effettiva estensione del materiale su cui ci si pu\uf2 basare per la ricostruzione delle teorie antiche. L\u2019approfondito esame e il confronto tra le varie fonti hanno permesso di valutare attentamente i risultati raggiunti dai grammatici greci. Le loro articolate riflessioni si sono rivelate un valido strumento per l\u2019interpretazione dei Tempi verbali in generale e per la successiva indagine dell\u2019Imperativo. La seconda parte ha come suo principale scopo quello di chiarire i valori dei Tempi dell\u2019Imperativo, sia alla luce delle riflessioni degli antichi che, soprattutto, dell\u2019ampio dibattito teorico contemporaneo intorno ai problemi tempo-aspettuali. Si \ue8 ritenuto necessario svolgere un\u2019indagine sistematica su un corpus molto vasto e definito cronologicamente di forme imperative, data la mancanza di studi incentrati sulla verifica di tali ipotesi teoriche in campioni ampi e omogenei di dati. Sono state esaminate in modo esaustivo tutte le forme imperative presenti in cinque testi di quattro autori: il primo libro delle Storie di Erodoto, le Rane e le Tesmoforiazuse di Aristofane, il Simposio di Platone, l\u2019orazione Sulla corona di Demostene. Queste opere sono state scelte secondo i seguenti criteri: per la loro appartenenza a diversi generi, per la presenza di ampie porzioni di dialogo, e perch\ue9 si inseriscono in una fase cronologica delimitata, che va dal V al IV secolo. Sulle forme imperative, inserite e catalogate in un\u2019apposita banca-dati, sono state svolte analisi di diverso tipo, mediante l\u2019applicazione di numerosi parametri morfologici, sintattici e semantici, che hanno permesso di individuare alcune particolari caratteristiche nel funzionamento del Modo Imperativo e di far luce su aspetti meno chiari nell\u2019uso dei Tempi. I risultati ottenuti sono ampiamente illustrati, al termine di questo lavoro, con la discussione dei casi e il commento di un ricco apparato di esempi