Fitting Skyrme functionals using linear response theory

Recently, it has been recently shown that the linear response theory in symmetric nuclear matter can be used as a tool to detect finite size instabilities for different Skyrme functionals. In particular it has been shown that there is a correlation between the density at which instabilities occur in infinite matter and the instabilities in finite nuclei. In this article we present a new fitting protocol that uses this correlation to add new additional constraint in Symmetric Infinite Nuclear Matter in order to ensure the stability of finite nuclei against matter fluctuation in all spin and isospin channels. As an application, we give the parameters set for a new Skyrme functional which includes central and spin-orbit parts and which is free from instabilities by construction.Comment: Proceeding of 19th Nuclear Physics Workshop "Marie & Pierre Curie" Kazimierz 201

Nuclear response for the Skyrme effective interaction with zero-range tensor terms. III. Neutron matter and neutrino propagation

The formalism of the linear response for the Skyrme energy density functional including tensor terms derived in articles [1,2] for nuclear matter is applied here to the case of pure neutron matter. As in article [2] we present analytical results for the response function in all channels, the Landau parameters and the odd-power sum rules. Special emphasis is given to the inverse energy weighted sum rule because it can be used to detect non physical instabilities. Typical examples are discussed and numerical results shown. Moreover, as a direct application, neutrino propagation in neutron matter is investigated through its neutrino mean free path at zero temperature. This quantity turns out to be very sensitive to the tensor terms of the Skyrme energy density functional

The Hybrid Integrated Circuit of the ALICE Inner Tracking System upgrade

The upgrade of the Inner Tracking System scheduled during the second long shutdown is an important milestone of the ALICE upgrade and it will provide a high improvement of its performances. In this contribution the smallest operator unit of the detector, the Hybrid Integrated Circuits, is presented

Object-Oriented Techniques for Land Use/Cover Classification:Application of Metaponto Area (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

Sustainable management of natural resources requires constant and detailed monitoring of various aspects of the environment. Land use/cover mapping is considered a key element for planning protection, management and monitoring of semi-natural areas in urban ecosystems. Hence the importance of the information acquired through Remote Sensing, airplane and satellite, has been recognized for decades. The Remote Sensing data offers notable advantages for territorial monitoring, particularly of the vegetated areas, in comparison with data collected on the ground. The study of the spectral response of vegetation gained from airplanes or satellites makes it possible to obtain useful information about plant species and their conditions (density, vegetative state, etc.) in repetitive synoptic images. The research was carried out over an area of study in southern Italy (Basilicata, Metaponto area) near the mouth of the Basento River. For this area, synchronous and geometrically corecorded aerial photographs and Landsat TM image covering the period May 2004, were developed. Firstly a preliminary analysis was carried out using unsupervised means of classification with the aim of grouping together clusters of multi-band spectral responses that are statistically distinctive. Following this and after having properly defined the levels of segmentation of Landsat images using aerial photographs as a reference, a supervised classification procedure was applied, first pixel-oriented and then object-oriented, obtaining a marked improvement both in accuracy and in the reduction of the “salt&papper” effect of the map obtained by the Maximum Likelihood classifier

E-ABR in patients with cochlear implant: A comparison between patients with malformed cochlea and normal cochlea

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare the electrical auditory brainstem response (EABR) following cochlear implant (CI) surgery in pediatric subjects with cochlear malformation and a normal cochlea, in order to assess the sensitivity of EABR and to evaluate the surgery outcome. MATERIALS and METHODS: A total of 26 pediatric subjects who were deaf and scheduled for CI surgery were enrolled into this case control study. Group A (n=20) included subjects with a normo-conformed cochlea. Group B (n=6) included subjects with cochlear malformation. Subjects were evaluated with EABR immediately (T0) and 6 months (T1) post-CI surgery. The EABR Waves III and V average amplitude and latency were compared across time, separately for each group, and across groups, separately for each time. RESULTS: Auditory brainstem response (ABR) could only be recorded in Group A. We were able to record EABR from all subjects at T0 and T1, and waves III and V were present in all the recorded signals. There were no statistically significant differences between T0 and T1 in EABR Waves III and V in terms of average amplitude and latency in neither group. When comparing Groups A and B, the only statistically significant difference was the average amplitude of wave V, both at T0 and T1. CONCLUSION: EABR is a valid tool to measure the auditory nerve integrity after CI surgery in patients with a normal and malformed cochlea, as shown by its ability to measure waves III and V when ABR is absent. The EABR testing should be performed before and after CI surgery, and EABR should be used as a measure of outcome, especially in patients with a malformed cochlea

Radiogenomics in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: correlations between advanced CT imaging (texture analysis) and microRNAs expression

Purpose: A relevant challenge for the improvement of clear cell renal cell carcinoma management could derive from the identification of novel molecular biomarkers that could greatly improve the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment choice of these neoplasms. In this study, we investigate whether quantitative parameters obtained from computed tomography texture analysis may correlate with the expression of selected oncogenic microRNAs. Methods: In a retrospective single-center study, multiphasic computed tomography examination (with arterial, portal, and urographic phases) was performed on 20 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma and computed tomography texture analysis parameters such as entropy, kurtosis, skewness, mean, and standard deviation of pixel distribution were measured using multiple filter settings. These quantitative data were correlated with the expression of selected microRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-210-3p, miR-185-5p, miR-221-3p, miR-145-5p). Both the evaluations (microRNAs and computed tomography texture analysis) were performed on matched tumor and normal corticomedullar tissues of the same patients cohort. Results: In this pilot study, we evidenced that computed tomography texture analysis has robust parameters (eg, entropy, mean, standard deviation) to distinguish normal from pathological tissues. Moreover, a higher coefficient of determination between entropy and miR-21-5p expression was evidenced in tumor versus normal tissue. Interestingly, entropy and miR-21-5p show promising correlation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma opening to a radiogenomic strategy to improve clear cell renal cell carcinoma management. Conclusion: In this pilot study, a promising correlation between microRNAs and computed tomography texture analysis has been found in clear cell renal cell carcinoma. A clear cell renal cell carcinoma can benefit from noninvasive evaluation of texture parameters in adjunction to biopsy results. In particular, a promising correlation between entropy and miR-21-5p was found

QoL in Southtyrol T1D Pediatric Patients Psycho-social Well-being, Quality of Life, Health Status and Family Conflicts in a South-tyrolean Group of Pediatric Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type I

Background:Psychological well-being and metabolic control in pediatric patients with diabetes mellitus type I (T1D) could be negatively influenced by adolescence current age, age at the diagnosis, lower economic condition and lower education status and by higher family conflict. However, they reported lower or comparable levels of emotional difficulties compared with normative population.Objective:To understand psycho-social symptoms, quality of life, health status and family conflicts of pediatric patients with T1D in the unique cultural environment of South-Tyrol. The present study has two goals. The first is to understand psychological symptoms and to investigatethe possible risk factors. The second deals with the subgroup of adolescents, comparing their psychological functioning with a healthy control group.Methods:Patients (n=59) with a mean age of 13.19 years (SD=3.26; range 8\u201318) were contacted at the Day Hospital check-ups and self-and proxy-reported questionnaires were administered: CBCL/ YSR, DFCS-R, DQOLY-SF. From this group, 45 patients aged 11\u201318 were matched by gender and age in months with a control group of healthy peers. Results:Glycemic control was severely inadequate and a subgroup of patients showed lower indexes of total competencies and activities performed, especially if they were of poor economic condition and had the illness for a longer duration. The adolescent patients self-reported better psychological functioning than their healthy peers, except for conduct problems. Conclusions:Specific psycho-social interventions should address the dangerous levels of metabolic control indexes and mitigate the patients\u2019 conduct problems