Cosmic Star Formation: a simple model of the SFRD(z)

We investigate the evolution of the cosmic star formation rate density (SFRD) from redshift z=20 to z=0 and compare it with the observational one by Madau and Dickinson derived from recent compilations of UV and IR data. The theoretical SFRD(z) and its evolution are obtained using a simple model which folds together the star formation histories of prototype galaxies designed to represent real objects of different morphological type along the Hubble sequence and the hierarchical growing of structures under the action of gravity from small perturbations to large scale objects in \Lambda-CDM cosmogony, i.e. the number density of dark matter halos N(M,z). Although the overall model is very simple and easy to set up, it provides results that well mimic those obtained from large scale N-body simulations of great complexity. The simplicity of our approach allows us to test different assumptions for the star formation law in galaxies, the effects of energy feedback from stars to interstellar gas and the efficiency of galactic winds, and also the effect of N(M,z). The result of our analysis is that in the framework of the hierarchical assembly of galaxies the so-called time-delayed star formation under plain assumptions mainly for the energy feedback and galactic winds can reproduce the observational SFRD(z).Comment: ApJ (accepted for publication

One can be some but some cannot be one: ERP correlates of numerosity incongruence are different for singular and plural

Humans can communicate information on numerosity by means of number words (e.g., one hundred, a couple), but also through Number morphology (e.g., through the singular vs the plural forms of a noun). Agreement violations involving Number morphology (e.g., *one apples) are well known to elicit specific ERP components such as the Left Anterior Negativity (LAN); yet, the relationship between a morphological Number value (e.g., singular vs plural) and its referential numerosity has rarely been considered in the literature. Moreover, even if agreement violations have been proven to be very useful, they do not typically characterise everyday language usage, thus narrowing the scope of the results. In this study we investigated Number morphology from a different perspective, by focusing on the ERP correlates of congruence and incongruence between a depicted numerosity and noun phrases. To this aim we designed a picture\u2013phrase matching paradigm in Italian. In each trial, a picture depicting one or four objects was followed by a grammatically well-formed phrase made up of a quantifier and a content noun inflected either in the singular or in the plural. When analysing ERP time-locked to the content noun, plural phrases after pictures presenting one object elicited a larger negativity, similar to a LAN effect. No significant congruence effect was found in the case of the phrases whose morphological Number value conveyed a numerosity of one. Our results suggest that: 1) incongruence elicits a LAN-like negativity independently from the grammaticality of the utterances and irrespectively of the P600 component; 2) the reference to a numerosity can be partially encoded in an incremental way when processing Number morphology; and, most importantly, 3) the processing of the morphological Number value of plural is different from that of singular as the former shows a narrower interpretability than the latter

One can be some but some cannot be one: ERP correlates of numerosity incongruence are different for singular and plural

Humans can communicate information on numerosity by means of number words (e.g. one hundred, a couple), but also through Number morphology (e.g. through the singular vs. the plural forms of a noun). Agreement violations involving Number morphology (e.g. *one apples) are well known to elicit specific ERP components such as the Left Anterior Negativity (LAN); yet, the relationship between a morphological Number value (e.g. singular vs. plural) and its referential numerosity has been scantly considered in the literature. Moreover, even if agreement violations have been proved very useful, they do not typically characterise the everyday language usage, thus narrowing the scope of the results. In this study we investigated Number morphology from a different perspective, by focusing on the ERP correlates of congruence and incongruence between a depicted numerosity and noun phrases. To this aim we designed a picture–phrase matching paradigm in Italian. In each trial, a picture depicting one or four objects was followed by a grammatical phrase made up of a quantifier and a content noun inflected either in the singular or in the plural. When analysing ERP time-locked to the content noun, plural phrases after pictures presenting one object elicited a larger negativity, similar to a LAN effect. No significant congruence effect was found in the case of the phrases whose morphological Number value conveyed a numerosity of one. Considering the LAN as an index of morpho-syntactic incongruence, these results suggest that 1) LAN-like effects can be triggered independently from the grammaticality of the utterances and irrespective the P600 component; 2) the reference to a numerosity can be partially encoded in an incremental way when processing Number morphology; and, most importantly, 3) the processing of the morphological Number value of plural is different from that of singular as the former shows a narrower interpretability than the latter

An audiological perspective on ''Two further patients with Warsaw breakage syndrome. Is a mild phenotype possible?"

n/

Kompetencje międzykulturowe dla wszystkich. Przygotowanie do życia w różnorodnym świecie

książka dla nauczyciel

Satellite Navigation System with Pulsars.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility of a navigation system for satellite aided with pulsars. Pulsar navigation system can provide an autonomous method for the determination of position, velocity and attitude of spacecraft for any interplanetary missions

Improving Auditory Perception in Pediatric Single-Sided Deafness: Use of Cochlear Implants' Direct Connection for Remote Speech Perception Rehabilitation

Purpose: Unilateral cochlear implants (CIs) can restore binaural hearing in single-sided deafness (SSD). Direct stimulation of the CI can be obtained via the Bluetooth connection of a device to the CI, thus excluding the typical-hearing ear. This study aims to investigate the use of CI connectivity features as a rehabilitative strategy in a small cohort of children affected by SSD. Method: A newly developed training protocol was presented to children with SSD who have less than 2 years of experience with CI. We developed a user-friendly and short-term (six sessions within 20 days) training protocol for speech perception that patients themselves can manage independently at home using CI connectivity systems. Children were telematically tested before and after the training by trained speech and language therapists. Results: Four patients met the inclusion criteria. They all showed better results in the final online assessment, when compared with the initial one. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first clinical focus article presenting an auditory training protocol for SSD patients with CI using the Bluetooth connectivity systems for teletherapy. The results, although preliminary, support the efficacy of this rehabilitative strategy. Further research is needed to support our findings

Omeprazole reduces the response to capsaicin but not to methacholine in asthmatic patients with proximal reflux

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationships between airway responsiveness to methacholine and capsaicin, proximal or distal reflux and the effects of short-term acid inhibition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-nine asthmatics, not taking steroids regularly, underwent respiratory symptom measurements, 24-h dual-probe pH monitoring, and challenges with methacholine and capsaicin. Challenges and symptom measurements were repeated after 12 days' omeprazole treatment (20 mg b.i.d.). The results (median and range) were expressed as PD20 methacholine (mg) and PD5 capsaicin (dose causing five coughs, nmol). RESULTS: Seventeen patients presented pathological reflux in the distal esophagus, and 17 in the proximal esophagus. At baseline no correlation was found between PD20 or PD5 and reflux. Treatment with omeprazole did not change bronchial responsiveness to methacholine (basal: 0.16 mg, 0.02-1.27; omeprazole: 0.15 mg, 0.02-1.60); omeprazole decreased the tussive response to capsaicin (basal: 0.08 nmol, 0.08-2.46; omeprazole: 0.61 nmol, 0.08-9.84, p<0.001) only in patients with pathological reflux. The decrease was positively correlated with proximal acid exposure (r2=0.70, p<0.001). Omeprazole reduced asthma symptoms in patients with proximal reflux, cough in those with proximal or distal reflux. CONCLUSIONS: In asthmatics, inhibition of gastric acid secretion does not influence bronchial hyperresponsiveness but decreases tussive sensitivity and this effect is related to proximal reflux

Rhinencephalon changes in tuberous sclerosis complex.

none15noPurpose: Despite complex olfactory bulb embryogenesis, its development abnormalities in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) have been poorly investigated. Methods: Brain MRIs of 110 TSC patients (mean age 11.5 years; age range 0.5-38 years; 52 female; 26 TSC1, 68 TSC2, 8 without mutation identified in TSC1 or TSC2, 8 not tested) were retrospectively evaluated. Signal and morphological abnormalities consistent with olfactory bulb hypo/aplasia or with olfactory bulb hamartomas were recorded. Cortical tuber number was visually assessed and a neurological severity score was obtained. Patients with and without rhinencephalon abnormalities were compared using appropriate parametric and non-parametric tests. Results: Eight of110 (7.2%) TSC patients presented rhinencephalon MRI changes encompassing olfactory bulb bilateral aplasia (2/110), bilateral hypoplasia (2/110), unilateral hypoplasia (1/110), unilateral hamartoma (2/110), and bilateral hamartomas (1/110); olfactory bulb hypo/aplasia always displayed ipsilateral olfactory sulcus hypoplasia, while no TSC patient harboring rhinencephalon hamartomas had concomitant forebrain sulcation abnormalities. None of the patients showed overt olfactory deficits or hypogonadism, though young age and poor compliance hampered a proper evaluation in most cases. TSC patients with rhinencephalon changes had more cortical tubers (47 ± 29.1 vs 26.2 ± 19.6; p = 0.006) but did not differ for clinical severity (p = 0.45) compared to the other patients of the sample. Conclusions: Olfactory bulb and/or forebrain changes are not rare among TSC subjects. Future studies investigating clinical consequences in older subjects (anosmia, gonadic development etc.) will define whether rhinencephalon changes are simply an imaging feature among the constellation of TSC-related brain changes or a feature to be searched for possible implications in the management of TSC subjects.noneManara R, Brotto D, Bugin S, Pelizza MF, Sartori S, Nosadini M, Azzolini S, Iaconetta G, Parazzini C, Murgia A, Peron A, Canevini P, Labriola F, Vignoli A, Toldo I.Manara, R; Brotto, D; Bugin, S; Pelizza, Mf; Sartori, S; Nosadini, M; Azzolini, S; Iaconetta, G; Parazzini, C; Murgia, A; Peron, Anita; Canevini, P; Labriola, F; Vignoli, A; Toldo, I

Medical professionalism e costruzione dell'identità professionale negli studenti di medicina. Riflessioni e proposte didattiche per la formazione in Italia

Il tema della professionalità medica, o medical professionalism, da anni è presente nel contesto internazionale, ma in Italia non ha ancora un testo di riferimento per l’insegnamento universitario. I Corsi di laurea in Medicina e Chirurgia italiani stanno dedicando un’attenzione crescente ai temi della buona comunicazione medico-paziente, alle medical humanities, ai temi eticamente sensibili, nonché alle dimensioni socioeconomiche della professione medica. Il volume curato da Montagna e Consorti è il primo che riunisce e analizza le diverse componenti di un costrutto così complesso come quello del medical professionalism e – ancora di più – della nascente identità professionale medica negli studenti. Si tratta, quindi, di una prospettiva innovativa, da anni presente nella letteratura internazionale, e che trova in questo manuale il suo spazio, insieme a molte indicazioni di metodo didattico. Il libro, nascendo dalla passione per l’insegnamento, dall’interesse profondo verso l’educazione medica e dalla curiosità di confrontarsi sempre con la letteratura internazionale più recente, è pensato sia come un manuale di studio e di approfondimento per gli studenti di medicina, sia come uno strumento didattico per i docenti