Testing creation of matter with neutrinoless double beta decay

In this brief review, the importance of the so called neutrinoless double beta decay transition in the search for physics beyond the Standard Model is emphasized. The expectations for the transition rate are examined in the assumption that ordinary neutrinos have Majorana masses. We stress the relevance of cosmological measurements and discuss the uncertainties implied by nuclear physics.Comment: 9 pages. Based on the review paper Neutrinoless double beta decay: 2015 review, Adv.High Energy Phys. 2016 (2016) 2162659. To appear in the proceedings of the XVII International Workshop on Neutrino Telescopes 13-17 March 2017, Venice, Ital

Presentation of Graves' orbitopathy within European Group On Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) centres from 2012 to 2019 (PREGO III)

Background: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is subject to epidemiological and care-related changes. Aim of the survey was to identify trends in presentation of GO to the European Group On Graves' Orbitopathy (EUGOGO) tertiary referral centres and initial management over time. Methods: Prospective observational multicentre study. All new referrals with diagnosis of GO within September-December 2019 were included. Clinical and demographic characteristics, referral timelines and initial therapeutic decisions were recorded. Data were compared with a similar EUGOGO survey performed in 2012. Results: Besides age (mean age: 50.5±13 years vs 47.7±14 years; p 0.007), demographic characteristics of 432 patients studied in 2019 were similar to those in 2012. In 2019, there was a decrease of severe cases (9.8% vs 14.9; p<0.001), but no significant change in proportion of active cases (41.3% vs 36.6%; p 0.217). After first diagnosis of GO, median referral time to an EUGOGO tertiary centre was shorter (2 (0-350) vs 6 (0-552) months; p<0.001) in 2019. At the time of first visit, more patients were already on antithyroid medications (80.2% vs 45.0%; p<0.001) or selenium (22.3% vs 3.0%; p<0.001). In 2019, the initial management plans for GO were similar to 2012, except for lid surgery (2.4% vs 13.9%; p<0.001) and prescription of selenium (28.5% vs 21.0%; p 0.027). Conclusion: GO patients are referred to tertiary EUGOGO centres in a less severe stage of the disease than before. We speculate that this might be linked to a broader awareness of the disease and faster and adequate delivered treatment

Borexino : geo-neutrino measurement at Gran Sasso, Italy

Geo-neutrinos, electron anti-neutrinos produced in beta-decays of naturally occurring radioactive isotopes in the Earth, are a unique direct probe of our planet's interior. After a brief introduction of the geo-neutrinos' properties and of the main aims of their study, we discuss the features of a detector which has recently provided breakthrough achievements in the field, Borexino, a massive, calorimetric liquid scintillator detector installed at the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory. With its unprecedented radiopurity levels achieved in the core of the detection medium, it is the only experiment in operation able to study in real time solar neutrino interactions in the challenging sub-MeV energy region. Its superior technical properties allowed Borexino also to provide a clean detection of terrestrial neutrinos. Therefore, the description of the characteristics of the detected geo-neutrino signal and of the corresponding geological implications are the main core of the discussion contained in this work

Clinical Features, Cardiovascular Risk Profile, and Therapeutic Trajectories of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Candidate for Oral Semaglutide Therapy in the Italian Specialist Care

Introduction: This study aimed to address therapeutic inertia in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) by investigating the potential of early treatment with oral semaglutide. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2021 and April 2022 among specialists treating individuals with T2D. A scientific committee designed a data collection form covering demographics, cardiovascular risk, glucose control metrics, ongoing therapies, and physician judgments on treatment appropriateness. Participants completed anonymous patient questionnaires reflecting routine clinical encounters. The preferred therapeutic regimen for each patient was also identified. Results: The analysis was conducted on 4449 patients initiating oral semaglutide. The population had a relatively short disease duration (42%  60% of patients, and more often than sitagliptin or empagliflozin. Conclusion: The study supports the potential of early implementation of oral semaglutide as a strategy to overcome therapeutic inertia and enhance T2D management

Borexino: from the Sun to the Earth

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Non coherent demodulation of BPSK secure symbols

From the communication channel and implementation aspects of communications, the transmission environment may be sufficiently degraded that introduces practical difficulties in acquiring and tracking a coherent demodulation reference signal. Coherent receivers require exact knowledge of the channel phase for optimum performance. Due to the difficult task of estimating the channel phase, non-coherent as well as differential detection is an attractive alternative to coherent detection. A conventional differential detector uses the signal received in the previous symbol interval as a phase reference for the received signal in the current interval. As long as the phase distortion introduced by channel varies slowly relative to the symbol rate, conventional differential detection will work quite well. This assumption is not always true, and, in addition, differentially coherent detection is based on the premise that there is no intersymbol interference (ISI) in the received signal. In this paper we present a new modulation technique which allows to transmit coherent secure symbols and demodulate them incoherently. The main advantages is the use of simpler receiver while still having information carried by the phase of the radio signal. In practise, an incoherent detector can be used, while having optimum performance as a coherent detector. No reference signal or symbol is needed to automatically compensate the total phase rotation at the receiver. It will be shown that the total phase rotation can be easily and accurately estimated (and compensated) at the receiver side, without relying on any phase reference from a transmitted pilot signal or from the received modulated signal