Severi Varieties and Brill-Noether theory of curves on abelian surfaces

Severi varieties and Brill-Noether theory of curves on K3 surfaces are well understood. Yet, quite little is known for curves on abelian surfaces. Given a general abelian surface $S$ with polarization $L$ of type $(1,n)$, we prove nonemptiness and regularity of the Severi variety parametrizing $\delta$-nodal curves in the linear system $|L|$ for $0\leq \delta\leq n-1=p-2$ (here $p$ is the arithmetic genus of any curve in $|L|$). We also show that a general genus $g$ curve having as nodal model a hyperplane section of some $(1,n)$-polarized abelian surface admits only finitely many such models up to translation; moreover, any such model lies on finitely many $(1,n)$-polarized abelian surfaces. Under certain assumptions, a conjecture of Dedieu and Sernesi is proved concerning the possibility of deforming a genus $g$ curve in $S$ equigenerically to a nodal curve. The rest of the paper deals with the Brill-Noether theory of curves in $|L|$. It turns out that a general curve in $|L|$ is Brill-Noether general. However, as soon as the Brill-Noether number is negative and some other inequalities are satisfied, the locus $|L|^r_d$ of smooth curves in $|L|$ possessing a $g^r_d$ is nonempty and has a component of the expected dimension. As an application, we obtain the existence of a component of the Brill-Noether locus $\mathcal{M}^r_{p,d}$ having the expected codimension in the moduli space of curves $\mathcal{M}_p$. For $r=1$, the results are generalized to nodal curves.Comment: 29 pages, 3 figures. Comments are welcome. 2nd version: added some references in Rem. 7.1

Analisi ed implicazioni cliniche degli stimoli attivanti il Binge Eating in pazienti af-fetti da Disturbi della Condotta Alimentare

Premessa: Il binge eating o “abbuffata compulsiva” è un sintomo altamente egodistonico che può avere luogo in tutti i disturbi alimentari. Obiettivo: L’obiettivo del presente studio è quello di esaminare i diversi fattori (esterni, emozionali, cognitivi e fisiologici) che possono innescare la crisi di binge eating in pazienti con disturbi alimentari e confrontare la frequenza di questi stimoli attivanti o “binge eating triggers” nei sottocampioni appartenenti a categorie diagnostiche differenti. Metodologia: L’analisi è stata condotta attraverso la somministrazione del Binge Eating Trigger Checklist (BETCH), un questionario che valuta il tipo di situazioni (e il disagio provato per ciascuna di esse) che il soggetto riconosce come antecedenti dell’episodio di binge eating. Risultati: La combinazione di triggers più rappresentata nel campione risulta composta da stimoli attivanti emozionali, combinati con stimoli esterni ambientali. I triggers più frequenti sono quelli che comportano anche il maggior disagio. Dal confronto tra i 3 gruppi diagnostici, è risultato che pazienti con BN riportano non solo un numero di triggers medio per abbuffata maggiore, ma anche il relativo disagio associato appare più marcato. Inoltre, è emerso che i pazienti con AN provano minore impulso all’abbuffata a confronto con i BN quando percepiscono un senso di solitudine, mentre i pazienti con BED attribuiscono le loro crisi decisamente più all’umore depresso. Conclusioni: Il binge eating, come percepito e riferito dai pazienti con disturbi alimentari, non è precipitato da un unico specifico trigger, ma da una combinazione di stimoli attivanti diversi che non differiscono significativamente tra gruppi diagnostici diversi

Rise of pediatric robotic surgery in Italy: a multicenter observational retrospective study

open15noAbstract Background: The minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in term of robot-assisted surgery changed in a dramatic way the surgical approach either in adults or children. For many specialties (urology, gynecology, general surgery) robotic surgery rapidly became the gold standard for some procedures, while the experience in pediatric population is not wide for some reasons. The aim of this study is to retrospective analyze trends of application of robotic surgery in pediatric patients across the country, focusing on indications, limitations, development, and training acquired by national experience and in comparison to the literature. Methods: We made a retrospective multicenter study on behalf of Italian Society of Pediatric Surgery. We performed a census among all pediatric surgery units in the country to enroll those performing robotic surgery on children between 2013 and 2019. Results: We enrolled 7 pediatric surgery referral Centers (Ancona, Bologna, Brescia, Genova, Pavia, Pescara, Siena). A total of 303 patients were included in the study, 164 males (54%) and 139 females (46%). The most commonly performed interventions for each anatomic area were respectively atypical pulmonary resection (38%), pyeloplasty (49%), and fundoplication (30%). Conclusions: Since its first application in Italy, about 10 years ago, several considerations were made about application and feasibility of robotics in children.openAngotti, Rossella; Raffaele, Alessandro; Molinaro, Francesco; Riccipetitoni, Giovanna; Chiesa, Pierluigi Lelli; Lisi, Gabriele; Mattioli, Girolamo; Alberti, Daniele; Boroni, Giovanni; Mariscoli, Francesca; Martino, Ascanio; Pelizzo, Gloria; Maffi, Michela; Messina, Mario; Lima, MarioAngotti, Rossella; Raffaele, Alessandro; Molinaro, Francesco; Riccipetitoni, Giovanna; Chiesa, Pierluigi Lelli; Lisi, Gabriele; Mattioli, Girolamo; Alberti, Daniele; Boroni, Giovanni; Mariscoli, Francesca; Martino, Ascanio; Pelizzo, Gloria; Maffi, Michela; Messina, Mario; Lima, Mari

Long-Term Follow-Up of Testicular Microlithiasis in Children and Adolescents: Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of the Italian Society of Pediatric Urology.

Introduction Testicular microlithiasis (TM), characterized by the presence of intratubular calcifications in a single or both the gonads, is an uncommon entity with unknown etiology and outcome in pediatric and adolescent age. In this study, the results of a multicenter long-term survey are presented. Materials and Methods From 11 units of pediatric urology/surgery, patients with TM were identified and yearly, followed up in a 7-year period, adopting a specific database. The recorded items were: age at diagnosis, presenting symptoms/associated abnormalities, ultrasonographic finding, surgery and histology at biopsy, if performed. Results Out of 85 patients, 81 were evaluated yearly (4 patients lost to follow-up). TM was bilateral in 66.6% of the patients. Associate genital abnormalities were present in 90%, more frequently undescended/retractile testis (23.4%) and varicocele (22.2%). TM remained unchanged at 4.7 years follow-up in 77 patients (93.8%) and was reduced in 4 patients after 1 to 5 years of inguinoscrotal surgery. Orchiectomy was performed in three patients (3.7%), one for severe testicular hypoplasia and two for seminoma (2.5%), respectively, concurrent and metachronous to diagnosis of TM. Tumorectomy with parenchymal sparing surgery was performed in a teratoma associated with TM. Conclusion TM is a controversial entity, often associated with several inguinogenital features, which rarely can recover. Testicular malignancy, although present in TM, has not proven definitively associated to microliths. Proper counseling, yearly ultrasound, and self-examination are long-term recommended

Wall divisors and algebraically coisotropic subvarieties of irreducible holomorphic symplectic manifolds

Rational curves on Hilbert schemes of points on $K3$ surfaces and generalised Kummer manifolds are constructed by using Brill-Noether theory on nodal curves on the underlying surface. It turns out that all wall divisors can be obtained, up to isometry, as dual divisors to such rational curves. The locus covered by the rational curves is then described, thus exhibiting algebraically coisotropic subvarieties. This provides strong evidence for a conjecture by Voisin concerning the Chow ring of irreducible holomorphic symplectic manifolds. Some general results concerning the birational geometry of irreducible holomorphic symplectic manifolds are also proved, such as a non-projective contractibility criterion for wall divisors

Severi varieties and Brill\u2013Noether theory of curves on abelian surfaces

Severi varieties and Brill\u2013Noether theory of curves on K3 surfaces are well understood. Yet, quite little is known for curves on abelian surfaces. Given a general abelian surface S with polarization L of type (1,n), we prove nonemptiness and regularity of the Severi variety parametrizing \u3b4-nodal curves in the linear system |L| for 0 64\u3b4 64n 121=p 122 (here p is the arithmetic genus of any curve in |L|). We also show that a general genus g curve having as nodal model a hyperplane section of some (1,n)-polarized abelian surface admits only finitely many such models up to translation; moreover, any such model lies on finitely many (1,n)-polarized abelian surfaces. Under certain assumptions, a conjecture of Dedieu and Sernesi is proved concerning the possibility of deforming a genus g curve in S equigenerically to a nodal curve. The rest of the paper deals with the Brill\u2013Noether theory of curves in |L|. It turns out that a general curve in |L| is Brill\u2013Noether general. However, as soon as the Brill\u2013Noether number is negative and some other inequalities are satisfied, the locus |L|rd of smooth curves in |L| possessing a grd is nonempty and has a component of the expected dimension. As an application, we obtain the existence of a component of the Brill\u2013Noether locus Mrp,d having the expected codimension in the moduli space of curves Mp. For r=1, the results are generalized to nodal curves

Decisional Capacity to Consent to Clinical Research Involving Placebo in Psychiatric Patients

Evidence from a few studies indicates the existence of several issues related to psychiatric patients' decisional capacity to give informed consent to clinical research. Clinicians often face difficulties in acquiring valid informed consent in clinical practice and even more so in drug trials. Participants often fail to fully understand or retain information regarding the actual implications of research protocols. The Brief Assessment for Consent to Clinical Research (BACO) was developed to investigate capacity to consent to clinical trials and further compare patients with schizophrenia and healthy comparisons' decisional capacity. A method to avoid possible confounding effects of choosing a treatment regarding a current disease was applied. The study groups were administered the BACO and the MacArthur Competence Assessment Tool for Clinical Research. Psychiatric patients performed poorer in comprehending, appreciating, and reasoning abilities, than their healthy counterparts. Impaired cognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms severity were associated with reduced capacity to consen