Network Entropy measures applied to different systemic perturbations of cell basal state

NOTE: includes supplementary materialNOTE: includes supplementary materialNOTE: includes supplementary materialWe characterize different cell states, related to cancer and ageing phenotypes, by a measure of entropy of network ensembles, integrating gene expression values and protein interaction networks. The entropy measure estimates the parameter space available to the network ensemble, that can be interpreted as the level of plasticity of the system for high entropy values (the ability to change its internal parameters, e.g. in response to environmental stimuli), or as a fine tuning of the parameters (that restricts the range of possible parameter values) in the opposite case. This approach can be applied at different scales, from whole cell to single biological functions, by defining appropriate subnetworks based on a priori biological knowledge, thus allowing a deeper understanding of the cell processes involved. In our analysis we used specific network features (degree sequence, subnetwork structure and distance between gene profiles) to obtain informations at different biological scales, providing a novel point of view for the integration of experimental transcriptomic data and a priori biological knowledge, but the entropy measure can also highlight other aspects of the biological systems studied depending on the constraints introduced in the model (e.g. community structures)

COVID-19 emergency in the hospital: How the clinical psychology unit is responding

The present commentary describes the main care services implemented by the clinical psychology unit of an Italian hospital to cope with the COVID-19 emergency outbreak. The unit's main goal has been to support and protect health care professionals, relatives of hospitalized patients, and patients themselves from further psychological distress. Details and insights are shared. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)

A Crucial Test for Color-Octet Production Mechanism in Z^0 Decays

The direct production rates of $D$-wave charmonia in the decays of $Z^0$ is evaluated. The color-octet production processes $Z^0\rightarrow ^3D_J(c\bar c) q\bar q$ are shown to have distinctively large branching ratios, the same order of magnitude as that of $J/\psi$ prodution, as compared with other $D$-wave charmonium production mechanisms. This may suggest a crucial channel to test the color-octet mechanism as well as to observe the $D$-wave charmonium states in $Z^0$ decays. In addition, a signal for the $^3D_J$ charmonium as strong as $J/\psi$ or $\psi^\prime$ with large transverse momentum at the Tevatron should also be observed.Comment: 14 pages in LaTex (3 figures in PS-file