Present knowledge of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix

A complete review of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix elements and of the experimental methods for their determination is presented. A critical analysis of the relevant experimental results, and in particular of the most recent ones, allows to improve the accuracies of all the matrix elements. A chi-square minimization with the three-family unitarity constraint on the CKM matrix is performed to test the current interpretation of the CP violating phenomena inside the Standard Model. A complete and unambiguous solution satisfying all the imposed constraints is found. As a by-product of the fit, the precision on the values of the matrix elements is further increased and it is possible to obtain estimates for the important CP violation observables $sin 2\beta$, $sin 2\alpha$ and $\gamma$. Finally, an independent estimation of the CKM elements based on a Bayesian approach is performed. This complementary method constitutes a check of the results obtained, providing also the probability functions of the CKM elements and of the related quantities.Comment: 81 pages, 1 file (with 15 figures); v2: misprints corrected on pages 32 & 3

Stopping and Radial Flow in Central 58Ni + 58Ni Collisions between 1 and 2 AGeV

The production of charged pions, protons and deuterons has been studied in central collisions of 58Ni on 58Ni at incident beam energies of 1.06, 1.45 and 1.93 AGeV. The dependence of transverse-momentum and rapidity spectra on the beam energy and on the centrality of the collison is presented. It is shown that the scaling of the mean rapidity shift of protons established for AGS and SPS energies is valid down to 1 AGeV. The degree of nuclear stopping is discussed; the IQMD transport model reproduces the measured proton rapidity spectra for the most central events reasonably well, but does not show any sensitivity between the soft and the hard equation of state (EoS). A radial flow analysis, using the midrapidity transverse-momentum spectra, delivers freeze-out temperatures T and radial flow velocities beta_r which increase with beam energy up to 2 AGeV; in comparison to existing data of Au on Au over a large range of energies only beta_r shows a system size dependence

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age

Novel n-3 Docosapentaneoic Acid-Derived Pro-resolving Mediators Are Vasculoprotective and Mediate the Actions of Statins in Controlling Inflammation

“This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of a chapter published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series (AEMB, volume 1161). The final publication is available athttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21735-8_7

Treatment with green tea extract attenuates secondary inflammatory response in an experimental model of spinal cord trauma

In this study, we evaluated the effect of green tea extract (that was administered 25 mg/kg intraperitoneal at 1 and 6 h after injury) in experimental animal model of spinal cord injury. The spinal cord trauma was induced by the application of vascular clips to the dura via a four-level T5–T8 laminectomy. Spinal cord injury in mice resulted in severe trauma characterised by oedema, neutrophilic infiltration and apoptosis. Also, immunohistochemical examination demonstrated a marked increase in immune reactivity for nitrotyrosine. All parameters of inflammation were attenuated by green tea extract. The degree of spinal cord inflammation, nitrotyrosine, poli (ADP-ribosio) synthetase (PARS) and neutrophilic infiltration was markedly reduced. Green tea extract significantly ameliorated the recovery of limb function. Values shown are mean ± SE mean of ten mice for each group. *p < 0.01 versus sham, °p < 0.01 versus spinal cord injury. Taken together, our results clearly demonstrate that green tea extract treatment ameliorates spinal cord injury oxidative stress

Genomica in Sanità Pubblica. Evidenze scientifiche e prospettive di integrazione nella pratica della prevenzione

I miglioramenti registrati negli ultimi anni nella qualità del sequenziamento di nuova generazione, nella riduzione dei costi associati e in una complessiva evoluzione delle scienze omiche, hanno favorito lo sviluppo della medicina personalizzata o di precisione. Ad oggi, anche a livello di popolazione si possono ottenere dei benefici rilevanti attraverso tale approccio. La Sanità Pubblica di precisione consiste nel fornire il giusto intervento, alla popolazione che ne ha necessità, nel momento e con le modalità opportune. Significa, quindi, promuovere metodologie accurate per identificare e misurare le patologie ma anche le esposizioni, i comportamenti e la suscettibilità. La Sanità Pubblica di precisione è in evoluzione e non è legata semplicemente a geni, trattamenti e malattia ma alla precisa identificazione e risposta ai bisogni di salute. È necessario, quindi, discutere dell’inclusione delle scienze omiche in Sanità Pubblica. La medicina si è evoluta da un modello di diagnosi e trattamento basato essenzialmente sui sintomi ad uno sempre più dipendente dalla definizione bioinformatica di profili di rischio e/o patologici. Tali profili sono delineati mediante la produzione di informazioni attingendo a solide banche dati biologiche con il supporto dell’intelligenza artificiale. D’altra parte l’evoluzione nella pratica sanitaria è un processo complesso che include, tra l’altro, la sostenibilità dei costi sanitari, la valutazione dell’efficienza nella pratica clinica, l'integrazione dei nuovi progressi tecnologici e la rimodulazione dell'organizzazione dei servizi. Nel Gruppo di Lavoro Genomica in Sanità Pubblica della SItI, attivo dal 2012, sono coinvolti prevalentemente docenti universitari ma anche operatori del Ministero della Salute e dei Dipartimenti di Prevenzione. In questo special issue illustriamo alcuni argomenti di ricerca trattati. Non stupirà l’eterogeneità dei temi proposti vista la trasversalità delle scienze omiche in molteplici aspetti della salute umana. In particolare sono illustrati esempi che vanno dalla prevenzione di tumori ad alta incidenza, alla prevenzione di patologie infettive, sia per gli aspetti acuti che cronici, tenendo conto di caratteristiche genetiche ed epigenetiche della popolazione. Inoltre, illustriamo le prospettive di integrazione offerte allo studio del microbiota umano nella prevenzione. Procediamo con la discussione delle modalità di valutazione dei test genetici e genomici per la loro integrazione nell’offerta del Servizio Sanitario Nazionale. Infine, è illustrato il coinvolgimento della popolazione nell’impiego delle tecnologie omiche al fine di promuovere un cambiamento culturale nei confronti delle tecnologie disponibili e nella tutela della salute individuale e collettiva

Deep-sea deployment of the KM3NeT neutrino telescope detection units by self-unrolling

KM3NeT is a research infrastructure being installed in the deep Mediterranean Sea. It will house a neutrino telescope comprising hundreds of networked moorings — detection units or strings — equipped with optical instrumentation to detect the Cherenkov radiation generated by charged particles from neutrino-induced collisions in its vicinity. In comparison to moorings typically used for oceanography, several key features of the KM3NeT string are different: the instrumentation is contained in transparent and thus unprotected glass spheres; two thin Dyneema® ropes are used as strength members; and a thin delicate backbone tube with fibre-optics and copper wires for data and power transmission, respectively, runs along the full length of the mooring. Also, compared to other neutrino telescopes such as ANTARES in the Mediterranean Sea and GVD in Lake Baikal, the KM3NeT strings are more slender to minimise the amount of material used for support of the optical sensors. Moreover, the rate of deploying a large number of strings in a period of a few years is unprecedented. For all these reasons, for the installation of the KM3NeT strings, a custom-made, fast deployment method was designed. Despite the length of several hundreds of metres, the slim design of the string allows it to be compacted into a small, re-usable spherical launching vehicle instead of deploying the mooring weight down from a surface vessel. After being lowered to the seafloor, the string unfurls to its full length with the buoyant launching vehicle rolling along the two ropes. The design of the vehicle, the loading with a string, and its underwater self-unrolling are detailed in this paper

Sex differences in self-construal and in depressive symptoms: predictors of cross-national variation

Sex differences in aspects of independent versus interdependent self-construal and depressive symptoms were surveyed among 5,320 students from 24 nations. Men were found to perceive themselves as more self-contained whereas women perceived themselves as more connected to others. No significant sex differences were found on two further dimensions of self-construal, or on a measure of depressive symptoms. Multilevel modeling was used to test the ability of a series of predictors derived from a social identity perspective and from evolutionary theory to moderate sex differences. Contrary to most prior studies of personality, sex differences in self-construal were larger in samples from nations scoring lower on the Gender Gap Index, and the Human Development Index. Sex differences were also greater in nations with higher pathogen prevalence, higher self-reported religiosity, and in nations with high reported avoidance of settings with strong norms. The findings are discussed in terms of the interrelatedness of self-construals and the cultural contexts in which they are elicited and the distinctiveness of student samples

Correlações entre ambientes baseadas na produtividade de híbridos de milho avaliados na safra e safrinha.

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