Stochastic filtering of a pure jump process with predictable jumps and path-dependent local characteristics

The objective of this paper is to study the filtering problem for a system of partially observable processes $(X, Y)$, where $X$ is a non-Markovian pure-jump process representing the signal and $Y$ is a general jump-diffusion which provides observations. Our model covers the case where both processes are not necessarily quasi left-continuous, allowing them to jump at predictable stopping times. By introducing the Markovian version of the signal, we are able to compute an explicit equation for the filtering process via the innovations approach

La prospettiva medico-legale nell’analisi del disturbo da lutto complicato: considerazioni su 58 casi peritali

The authors deal with the theme of the medico-legal assessment of the biological damage due to complicated grief through a retrospective analisys of 58 forensic cases observed during the 2000-2004 quinquennial at the Section of Criminolgy and Forensic Psychiatry of the University of Genoa, concerning to 13 fathers (22,4%), 20 mathers (34,5%), 9 widows/widowers (15,5%), 10 sons (17,3%), 6 siblings (10,3%) suffering from complicated grief. The main critical areas of this medico-legal investigation are highlighted, especially the problems concerning both the clinical/diagnostical and the forensic stage of the causality demonstration. The lack of specific diagnostic criteria for complicated grief in DSM-IV-TR is considered the main cause of the frequent use of less specific diagnostic categories such as: major depressive disorder (46,6%), adjustment disorders (17,3%), dysthymic disorder (10,3%), post-traumatic stress disorder (8,6%), generalized anxiety disorder (8,6%), separation anxiety disorder (8,6%). This implicate possible mistakes both in the comprehension of the real disorder’s nature and in the quantitative estimation of the damage because of the frequent instrumental use of the nosologic diagnosis for the biological damage quantification. The results confirm the relevance of the main risk factors described in most grief  literature, suggest the absence of proportionality between gravity of disorder and demand of medical care and indicate the family of the victim as the main resource to obtain indications useful for comprehension and causal explanation. Indeed, the family characteristics and the special dinamics that follow the loss of a member often play a key role in following grief devolopment. Despite the small sample size, this study may however encourage a more concrete discussion around medico-legal criteria useful to evaluate biological damage of relatives with problems of coping with grief, regardless of DSM diagnosisGli Autori affrontano il tema della valutazione medico legale del danno biologico da lutto complicato attraverso l’analisi retrospettiva di 58 osservazioni peritali effettuate nel quinquennio 2000-2004 presso la Sezione di Criminologia e Psichiatria forense dell’Università di Genova, relative a 13 padri (22,4%), 20 madri (34,5%), 9 vedovi (15,5%), 10 figli (17,3%), 6 fratelli (10,3%), vittime di lutto complicato. Vengono evidenziate le aree di maggiore criticità che connotano questo tipo di indagini peritali, in cui sovente le difficoltà sono apprezzabili ben prima del momento della spiegazione causale, coinvolgendo assai spesso la fase clinico-diagnostica, quella cioè della qualificazione, anche nosologica, della specifica condizione afflittiva (espressione ancora fisiologica del lutto vs manifestazione patologica). Da un punto di vista nosografico è stato ampiamente sottolineato che il DSM-IV-TR non riconosce uno spazio categoriale definito entro cui inscrivere i disturbi conseguenti al fallimento dell’elaborazione del lutto (disturbo da lutto complicato) e che in questi casi è perciò frequente il ricorso alle categorie meno specifiche del disturbo depressivo maggiore (46,6%), dei disturbi dell’adattamento (17,3%), del disturbo distimico (10,3%), del disturbo post-traumatico da stress (8,6%), del disturbo d’ansia generalizzato (8,6%), del disturbo d’ansia da separazione (8,6%), con possibili conseguenze erronee sia sul piano della comprensione reale del disturbo, sia sul piano della valutazione quantitativa del danno, stante l’uso spesso strumentale della definizione nosologica ai fini della quantificazione del danno biologico. La casistica esaminata, oltre che confermare l’importanza dei principali fattori di rischio descritti da gran parte della letteratura sul lutto, suggerisce l’assenza di proporzionalità tra rilevanza del disturbo e richiesta di cure, ed evidenzia come la famiglia della vittima debba considerarsi la più importante risorsa cui attingere elementi preziosi ai fini della comprensione ed anche della spiegazione causale, in quanto le caratteristiche della famiglia e le specifiche dinamiche che si innescano in seguito al lutto spesso assumono un ruolo fondamentale nel determinismo del decorso, della significazione e della peculiarità del lutto della vittima e del gruppo familiare nel suo complesso. La presentazione dei dati di questa casistica medico-legale, pur nella sua ristrettezza numerica, può comunque fornire lo stimolo per una più concreta discussione circa i criteri da considerare per formulare un parere valutativo in merito alla dimensione del danno biologico, nei casi in cui la morte del congiunto abbia realmente menomato la capacità di un individuo di progredire verso nuovi traguardi di vita, di recuperare nuovi significati ed aspettative nel futuro, di sentirsi adeguato e soddisfatto nel suo percorso esistenziale, indipendentemente dalla diversa categoria diagnostica di volta in volta utilizzata a semplici fini di classificazione e, a volte, in modo “forzato”, se non unicamente “strumentale”

An approach based on Support Vector Machines and a K-D Tree search algorithm for identification of the failure domain and safest operating conditions in nuclear systems

The safety of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is verified by analyzing the system responses under normal and accidental conditions. This is done by resorting to a Best-Estimate (BE) Thermal-Hydraulic (TH) code, whose outcomes are compared to given safety thresholds enforced by regulation. This allows identifying the limit-state function that separates the failure domain from the safe domain. In practice, the TH model response is affected by uncertainties (both epistemic and aleatory), which make the limit-state function and the failure domain probabilistic. The present paper sets forth an innovative approach to identify the failure domain together with the safest plant operating conditions. The approach relies on the use of Reduced Order Models (ROMs) and K-D Tree. The model failure boundary is approximated by Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and, then, projected onto the space of the controllable variables (i.e., the model inputs that can be manipulated by the plant operator, such as reactor control-rods position, feed-water flow-rate through the plant primary loops, accumulator water temperature and pressure, repair times, etc.). The farthest point from the failure boundary is, then, computed by means of a K-D Tree-based nearest neighbor algorithm; this point represents the combination of input values corresponding to the safest operating conditions. The approach is shown to give satisfactory results with reference to one analytical example and one real case study regarding the Peak Cladding Temperature (PCT) reached in a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) during a Station-Black-Out (SBO), simulated using RELAP5-3D

Allylic alcohols: Valuable synthetic equivalents of non-activated alkenes in gold-catalyzed enantioselective alkylation of indoles

none6The recent booming of gold catalysis has demonstrated that unprecedented transformations can be realized in a highly selective manner. Moreover, due to the growing availability of chiral organic ligands, gold-catalysis can be considered as one of most dynamic hot spots in asymmetric synthesis. However, in this context, the use of non-activated olefinic CeC double bonds is still largely unexplored due to the intrinsic inertness of C]C (respect to allenes and alkynes) in taking part in nucleophilic additions assisted by p-electrophilic activations. Allylic alcohols have been demonstrated to be feasible “surrogates” of non-activated alkenes for the enantioselective allylic alkylation of indoles catalyzed by chiral gold(I) complexes. In this investigation, a full account addressing efficiency and substrate scope of such a process is presented.openM. Bandini; A. Gualandi; M. Monari; A. Romaniello; D. Savoia; M. TragniM. Bandini; A. Gualandi; M. Monari; A. Romaniello; D. Savoia; M. Tragn

Recyclable GO-Arginine Hybrids for CO2 Fixation into Cyclic Carbonates

New covalently modified GO-guanidine materials are realized on a gram-scale synthesis and purified via an innovative microfiltration. The use of these composites in the fixation of CO2into cyclic carbonates is demonstrated. Mild operating conditions, high yields (up to 85%), wide scope (15 examples) and recoverability/reusability (up to 5 cycle) of the material account for the efficiency of the protocol. Dedicated control experiments contributed to shed light on the activation modes exerted by the GO-Arg (Arg: arginine) during the ring-opening/closing synthetic sequence

Synthesis of Indenes via Graphene Oxide Mediated Manipulation of Morita-Baylis-Hillman Alcohols

A new metal-free synthetic approach to functionalized indenes is documented. The use of commercially available graphene oxide (GO) allowed the direct access to indenyl cores (yield up to 80%) via intramolecular Friedel-Crafts-type allylic alkylations with readily available Morita-Baylis-Hillman alcohols. Combined experimental and spectroscopic investigations contributed to shed light on the reaction mechanism dealing with a nanostructured carbon material-based C-C bond forming reaction

L’indagine psichiatrico-forense sulla vittima di stalking: dagli “atti persecutori” al danno psichico

The ongoing infringement of personal freedom which takes place in cases of stalking can lead to psychological reactions in victims that might even determine psychopathological disturbances requiring proper medico-legal evaluation. Such repeated, intrusive, undesired behaviours have recently been defined by Law 23rd of April 2009, n. 38, which has introduced in the penal code the offence of “persecutory acts”. We are going to discuss the aspects relating to forensic psychiatry of this new penal offence, starting from the analysis of recent verdicts concerning the compensation of non pecuniary losses in a medico-legal light. Afterwards we are going to analyze the methodologic-evaluative prospects of the psychic damage consequent to stalking. We underline the fact that the true crux of the matter is to collect and analyze all information about the negative consequences deriving from the offence, elucidating their seriousness and their compatibility with the harm experienced by the victim. The forensic psychiatrist can often rule out real psychological consequences in the stalking victim, yet he is able to find and describe alterations in the area of feelings and emotions which constitute a damage and a limit to the plaintiff’s possibilities to freely live his / her life. The cogency which is proper of legal medicine and, in particular, of forensic psychiatry, will lead the technical adviser to adequately advise the judge as to make it possible for him/her to get to an objective evaluation of the harm suffered by the victim of persecutory acts.La sistematica violazione della libertà personale posta in essere mediante stalking può condurre a reazioni psichiche delle vittime, a volte tali da comportare un vero e proprio disturbo psicopatologico e rendere necessaria un’indagine medico-legale di valutazione del danno alla persona. Tali comportamenti ripetuti, intrusivi ed indesiderati, recentemente hanno trovato una specifica definizione normativa con la Legge 23 aprile 2009 n. 38, che ha introdotto nell’ordinamento penale italiano il reato di “atti persecutori”. Gli Autori analizzano alcuni aspetti di interesse psichiatrico forense di questa nuova fattispecie penale e, partendo dall’analisi in chiave medico legale dei recenti approdi giurisprudenziali in tema di risarcimento del danno non patrimoniale, sottolineano le prospettive metodologico-valutative del pregiudizio psichico conseguente a stalking. Viene evidenziato, in particolare, come il vero nodo da sciogliere non sia quello di stabilire se un’alterazione dell’integrità psichica sia o meno riconducibile ad una determinata casella di patologia-normalità, bensì quello di raccogliere e analizzare più informazioni possibili circa le conseguenze negative determinate dall’evento dannoso, illustrandone la gravità e la compatibilità con le lesioni riportate. Molte volte, infatti, lo psichiatra forense, nella valutazione della vittima di stalking, riesce ad escludere la presenza di conseguenze psicopatologiche vere e proprie, ma evidenzia e descrive importanti modificazioni ed alterazioni della sfera emotiva, affettiva e relazionale, che rappresentano comunque un danno ed una limitazione delle possibilità della persona di realizzarsi autonomamente e di vivere positivamente la propria vita. Il rigore metodologico proprio della medicina legale e, nello specifico, della psicopatologia forense, a fronte della portata omnicomprensiva del danno alla persona, dovrà quindi cercare di offrire un ausilio tecnico in grado di permettere al Giudice una valutazione obiettiva di tutti i pregiudizi subiti dalla vittima di comportamenti persecutori

Allylic and Allenylic Dearomatization of Indoles promoted by Graphene Oxide via Covalent Grafting Activation Mode

The site‐selective allylative and allenylative dearomatization of indoles with alcohols is performed under carbocatalytic regime in the presence of graphene oxide (GO, 10 wt% loading) as the promoter. Metal‐free conditions, absence of stoichiometric additive, environmentally friendly conditions (H2O/CH3CN, 55 \ub0C, 6 h), broad substrate scope (33 examples, yield up to 92%) and excellent site‐ and stereoselectivity characterize the present methodology. Moreover, a covalent activation model exerted by GO functionalities was corroborated by spectroscopic, experimental and computational evidences. Recovering and regeneration of the GO catalyst via simple acidic treatment was also documented

Direct Synthesis of α-Aryl-α-Trifluoromethyl Alcohols via Nickel Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Coupling

A nickel-catalyzed reductive cross-electrophile coupling between the redox-active N-trifluoroeth-oxyphthalimide and iodoarenes is documented. The protocol reproduces a formal arylation of trifluoroacetaldehyde under mild conditions in high yields (up to 88 %) and with large functional group tolerance (30 examples). A combined computational and experimental investigation revealed a pivotal solvent assisted 1,2-Hydrogen Atom Transfer (HAT) process to generate a nucleophilic α-hydroxy-α-trifluoromethyl C-centered radical for theC sp2Csp3 bond forming process

Growth Inhibition of Retinoblastoma Cell Line by Exosome-Mediated Transfer of miR-142-3p

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common ocular paediatric malignancy and is caused by a mutation of the two alleles of the tumor suppressor gene, RB1. The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a complex system whose function is not yet well defined and where microvesicles, such as exosomes, play a key role in intercellular communication. Micro-RNAs (mRNAs) have emerged as important modifiers of biological mechanisms involved in cancer and been able to regulate tumor progression. Methods: Co-culture of monocytes with retinoblastoma cell lines, showed a significant growth decrease. Given the interaction between Rb cells and monocytes, we investigated the role of the supernatant in the cross-talk between cell lines, by taking the product of the co-culture and then using it as a culture medium for Rb cells. Results: miR-142-3p showed to be particularly over-expressed both in the Rb cell line and in the medium used for their culture, comparing to control cell line and the normal supernatant, respectively. Therefore, we provided evidence that miR-142-3p is released by monocytes in the co-culture medium's exosomes and that it is subsequently up-taken by Rb cells, causing the inhibition of proliferation of Rb cell line by affecting cell cycle progression. Conclusion: This study highlights the role of exosomic miR-142-3p in the TME of Rb and identifies new molecular targets, which are able to control tumor growth aiming the development of a forward-looking miR-based strategy