The influence of the ECTHR on the CJEU with respect to the interplay between EU competition law and fundamental rights : the case of the right to privacy

Aquesta ponència forma part del Workshop internacional de doctorands organitzat pel Programa de Doctorat en Dret de la UAB i la Facultat de Dret de la UAB, amb el suport de l'École Européenne de Droit de l'Université Toulouse Capitol

PulsarSpectrum: simulating gamma-ray pulsars for the GLAST mission

We present here an overview of PulsarSpectrum, a program that simulates the gamma ray emission from pulsars. This simulator reproduces not only the basic features of the observed gamma ray pulsars, but it can also simulate more detailed effects related to pulsar timing. It is a very useful tool to understand the GLAST capabilities in the pulsar science.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, contribution for "Third Workshop on Science with the New Generation of High Energy Gamma-ray Experiments", May 2005, Cividale del Friuli (UD), Ital

Quality of reporting on the vegetative state in Italian newspapers. The case of Eluana Englaro.

Background: Media coverage of the vegetative state (VS) includes refutations of the VS diagnosis and describes behaviors inconsistent with VS. We used a quality score to assess the reporting in articles describing the medical characteristics of VS in Italian newspapers. Methodology/Principal Findings: Our search covered a 7-month period from July 1, 2008, to February 28, 2009, using the online searchable databases of four major Italian newspapers: Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, La Stampa, and Avvenire. Medical reporting was judged as complete if three core VS characteristics were described: patient unawareness of self and the environment, preserved wakefulness (eyes open), and spontaneous respiration (artificial ventilator not needed). We retrieved 2,099 articles, and 967 were dedicated to VS. Of these, 853 (88.2%) were non-medical and mainly focused on describing the political, legal, and ethical aspects of VS. Of the 114 (11.8%) medical articles, 53 (5.5%) discussed other medical problems such as death by dehydration, artificial nutrition, neuroimaging, brain death, or uterine hemorrhage, and 61 (6.3%) described VS. Of these 61, only 18 (1.9%) reported all three CORE characteristics and were judged complete. We found no differences among the four investigated newspapers (Fisher’s exact = 0.798), and incomplete articles were equally distributed between journalistic pieces and expert opinions (x2 = 1.8854, P = 0.170). Incorrect descriptions of VS were significantly more common among incomplete articles (13 of 43 vs. 1 of 18; Fisher’s exact P = 0.047). Conclusions/Significance: Core VS characteristics are rarely reported in Italian newspaper articles, which can alter adequate comprehension of new developments and (mis)inform political, legal, and ethical decisions

Reading a GEM with a VLSI pixel ASIC used as a direct charge collecting anode

In MicroPattern Gas Detectors (MPGD) when the pixel size is below 100 micron and the number of pixels is large (above 1000) it is virtually impossible to use the conventional PCB read-out approach to bring the signal charge from the individual pixel to the external electronics chain. For this reason a custom CMOS array of 2101 active pixels with 80 micron pitch, directly used as the charge collecting anode of a GEM amplifying structure, has been developed and built. Each charge collecting pad, hexagonally shaped, realized using the top metal layer of a deep submicron VLSI technology is individually connected to a full electronics chain (pre-amplifier, shaping-amplifier, sample and hold, multiplexer) which is built immediately below it by using the remaining five active layers. The GEM and the drift electrode window are assembled directly over the chip so the ASIC itself becomes the pixelized anode of a MicroPattern Gas Detector. With this approach, for the first time, gas detectors have reached the level of integration and resolution typical of solid state pixel detectors. Results from the first tests of this new read-out concept are presented. An Astronomical X-Ray Polarimetry application is also discussed.Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, presented at the Xth Vienna Conference on Instrumentation (Vienna, February 16-21 2004). For a higher resolution paper contact [email protected]

Atualização em etiologia, diagnóstico e manejo da precocidade sexual

Precocious puberty is defined as the development of secondary sexual characteristics before the age of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys. Gonadotropin-dependent precocious puberty (GDPP) results from the premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and mimics the physiological pubertal development, although at an inadequate chronological age. Hormonal evaluation, mainly through basal and GnRH-stimulated LH levels shows activation of the gonadotropic axis. Gonadotropin-independent precocious puberty (GIPP) is the result of the secretion of sex steroids, independently from the activation of the gonadotropic axis. Several genetic causes, including constitutive activating mutations in the human LH-receptor gene and activating mutations in the Gs protein a-subunit gene are described as the etiology of testotoxicosis and McCune-Albright syndrome, respectively. The differential diagnosis between GDPP and GIPP has direct implications on the therapeutic option. Long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs are the treatment of choice in GDPP. The treatment monitoring is carried out by clinical examination, hormonal evaluation measurements and image studies. For treatment of GIPP, drugs that act by blocking the action of sex steroids on their specific receptors (cyproterone, tamoxifen) or through their synthesis (ketoconazole, medroxyprogesterone, aromatase inhibitors) are used. In addition, variants of the normal pubertal development include isolated forms of precocious thelarche, precocious pubarche and precocious menarche. Here, we provide an update on the etiology, diagnosis and management of sexual precocity.A puberdade precoce é definida como o desenvolvimento dos caracteres sexuais secundários antes dos 8 anos nas meninas e dos 9 anos nos meninos. A puberdade precoce dependente de gonadotrofinas (PPDG) resulta da ativação prematura do eixo hipotálamo-hipófise-gonadal e mimetiza o desenvolvimento puberal fisiológico, embora em idade cronológica inadequada. A avaliação hormonal, principalmente os valores de LH basal e após estímulo com GnRH exógeno confirmam a ativação do eixo gonadotrófico. A puberdade precoce independente de gonadotrofinas (PPIG) é o resultado da secreção de esteróides sexuais independentemente da ativação do eixo gonadotrófico. Diversas causas genéticas, incluindo mutações ativadoras constitutivas no gene do receptor do LH humano e mutações ativadoras no gene da subunidade a da proteína G representam as etiologias da testotoxicose e da síndrome de McCune Albright, respectivamente. O diagnóstico diferencial entre PPDG e PPIG tem implicação direta na opção terapêutica. Análogos de GnRH de ação prolongada é o tratamento de escolha da PPDG. A monitorização do tratamento da PPDG é realizada pelo exame clínico, avaliação hormonal e exames de imagem. Para o tratamento da PPIG, são usadas drogas que bloqueiam a ação dos esteróides sexuais nos seus receptores específicos (ciproterona, tamoxifeno) ou bloqueiam a sua síntese (cetoconazol, medroxiprogesterona e inibidores da aromatase). Variantes do desenvolvimento puberal normal incluem as formas isoladas de telarca, pubarca e menarca precoces. Nesta revisão, atualizamos a etiologia, o diagnóstico e tratamento da precocidade sexual.Universidade de São Paulo (USP) - Fundação Faculdade de Medicin

Visualizing Impending Cerebral Circulatory Arrest Caused by Intracranial Hypertension Following Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Intracranial hypertension may represent an important complication during the early phase following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. 1 Timely diagnosis of intracranial hypertension is essential to avoid secondary brain ischemia; however, intracranial pressure (ICP) monitoring requires the insertion of catheters either within the brain ventricles or parenchyma, and hence, invasive ICP monitoring is not frequently utilized.2 Transcranial Doppler can be used for noninvasive ICP estimation through calculation of the pulsatility index (PI).3 We describe a case where noninvasive ICP monitoring with transcranial colorcoded Doppler (TCCD) rapidly identified a condition of severe intracranial hypertension, which led to a life-saving treatment

Spectral and polarimetric characterization of the Gas Pixel Detector filled with dimethyl ether

The Gas Pixel Detector belongs to the very limited class of gas detectors optimized for the measurement of X-ray polarization in the emission of astrophysical sources. The choice of the mixture in which X-ray photons are absorbed and photoelectrons propagate, deeply affects both the energy range of the instrument and its performance in terms of gain, track dimension and ultimately, polarimetric sensitivity. Here we present the characterization of the Gas Pixel Detector with a 1 cm thick cell filled with dimethyl ether (DME) at 0.79 atm, selected among other mixtures for the very low diffusion coefficient. Almost completely polarized and monochromatic photons were produced at the calibration facility built at INAF/IASF-Rome exploiting Bragg diffraction at nearly 45 degrees. For the first time ever, we measured the modulation factor and the spectral capabilities of the instrument at energies as low as 2.0 keV, but also at 2.6 keV, 3.7 keV, 4.0 keV, 5.2 keV and 7.8 keV. These measurements cover almost completely the energy range of the instrument and allows to compare the sensitivity achieved with that of the standard mixture, composed of helium and DME.Comment: 20 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for publication by NIM