Four-year follow-up study in a NF1 Boy with a focal pontine hamartoma

Neurofibromatosis is a collective name for a group of genetic conditions in which benign tumours affect the nervous system. Type 1 is caused by a genetic mutation in the NF1 gene (OMIM 613113) and symptoms can vary dramatically between individuals, even within the same family. Some people have very mild skin changes, whereas others suffer severe medical complications. The condition usually appears in childhood and is diagnosed if two of the following are present: six or more café-au-lait patches larger than 1.5 cm in diameter, axillary or groin freckling, 2 or more Lisch nodules (small pigmented areas in the iris of the eye), 2 or more neurofibromas, optic pathway gliomas, bone dysplasia, and a first-degree family relative with Neurofibromatosis type 1. The pattern of inheritance is autosomal dominant, however, half of all NF1 cases are 'sporadic' and there is no family history. Neurofibromatosis type 1 is an extremely variable condition whose morbidity and mortality is largely dictated by the occurrence of the many complications that may involve any of the body systems. We describe a family affected by NF1 in whom genetic molecular analysis identified the same mutation in the son and father. Routine MRI showed pontine focal lesions in the eight-year-old son, though not in the father. We performed a four years follow-up study and at follow-up pontine hamartoma size remained unchanged in the son, and the father showed still no brain lesions, confirming thus an intra-familial phenotype variability

Highly nonperturbative nature of the Mott metal-insulator transition: Two-particle vertex divergences in the coexistence region

We thoroughly analyze the divergences of the irreducible vertex functions occurring in the charge channel of the half-filled Hubbard model in close proximity to the Mott metal-insulator transition (MIT). In particular, by systematically performing dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) calculations on the two-particle level, we determine the location and the number of the vertex divergences across the whole coexistence region adjacent to the first-order metal-to-insulator transition. We find that the lines in the parameter space, along which the vertex divergences occur, display a qualitatively different shape in the coexisting metallic and insulating phase, which is also associated to an abrupt jump of the number of divergences across the MIT. Physically, the systematically larger number of divergences on the insulating side of the transition reflects the sudden suppression of local charge fluctuation at the MIT. Further, a systematic analysis of the results demonstrates that the number of divergence lines increases as a function of the inverse temperature ${\beta\!=\!(k_\mathrm{B} T)^{-1}}$ by approaching the Mott transition in the zero temperature limit. This makes it possible to identify the zero-temperature MIT as an accumulation point of an infinite number of vertex divergence lines, unveiling the highly nonperturbative nature of the underlying transition.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figure

MOBILIZING PRIVATE FINANCE FOR PUBLIC GOOD: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF SOCIAL IMPACT BONDS

Social Impact Investing (SII), defined as investment that aims to create a positive social impact in addition to a financial return, is a promising approach to solving pressing social issues. One of the key topics in this context is a new “pay-for-performance” financing instrument for social services that has been implemented in the UK, the US and Australia to facilitate impact investments: Social Impact Bonds (SIBs). The extension of the scope of the SIB outcomes-based model to achieve improved social outcomes in developing countries implies the use of Developing Impact Bonds (DIBs). The adaption of the SIB approach for developing countries is the most recent financial innovation derived from the impact investing industry. This work using a multiple case study approach, provides an analysis of the role of typical financial instruments of SIIin welfare policies through a descriptive and explorative analysis of the contractual scheme and of the technical and economic aspects of some currently existing SIBs and DIBs and provides a comparison of SIBs and DIBs by highlighting their similarities, differences, opportunities and challenges. The results offer practical suggestions for professionals and policy makers to support suitable strategies for the evolution of these instruments in the delivery of welfare services

Non-perturbative intertwining between spin and charge correlations: A "smoking gun" single-boson-exchange result

We study the microscopic mechanism controlling the interplay between the local charge and local spin fluctuations in correlated electron systems, via a thorough investigation of the generalized on-site charge susceptibility of several fundamental many-electron models, such as the Hubbard atom, the Anderson impurity model and the Hubbard model. By decomposing the numerically determined generalized susceptibility in terms of physically transparent single-boson exchange processes, we unveil the microscopic mechanisms responsible for the breakdown of the self-consistent many-electron perturbation expansion. In particular, we unambiguously identify the origin of the significant suppression of its diagonal entries in (Matsubara) frequency space and the slight increase of the off-diagonal ones which cause the breakdown. The suppression effect on the diagonal elements directly originates from the electronic scattering on local magnetic moments, reflecting their increasingly longer lifetime as well as their enhanced effective coupling with the electrons. The slight and diffuse enhancement of the off-diagonal terms, instead, can be mostly ascribed to multiboson scattering processes. The strong intertwining between the spin and charge sector is partly weakened at the Kondo temperature due to a progressive reduction of the effective spin-fermion coupling of local magnetic fluctuations in the low frequency regime. Our analysis, thus, clarifies the precise way in which the physical information between different scattering channels of interacting electron problems is transferred and highlights the pivotal role played by such an intertwining in the physics of correlated electrons beyond the perturbative regime.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figures, submission to SciPos

An Overview on the Current Status and Future Perspectives of Smart Cars

In recent years, the smart car sector has been increasing enormously in the Internet of Things (IoT) market. Furthermore, the number of smart cars seems set to increase over the next few years. This goal will be achieved because the application of recent IoT technologies to the automotive sector opens up innovative opportunities for the mobility of the future, in which connected cars will be more and more prominent in smart cities. This paper aims to provide an overview of the current status and future perspectives of smart cars, taking into account technological, transport, and social features. An analysis concerning the approaches to making smart a generic car, the possible evolutions that could occur in the coming decades, the characteristics of 5G, ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), and the power sources is carried out in this paper. Document type: Articl

USE OF THE JONASSON'S MODEL TO ESTIMATE THE VAN GENUCHTEN PARAMETERS FROM TEXTURAL DATA OF SOME SOILS IN SOUTHERN ITALY

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BIOPOLÍTICA EM PLENA DEMOCRACIA: A (IN)DIGNIDADE NO DIREITO

RESUMOObjetivos: O artigo trata do biopoder nos regimes democráticos, traçando paralelo nas reflexões de Foucault e Agamben, a propósito do poder e da função do direito na gestão dos corpos, mantendo um regime de inclusão e exclusão permanentes. O Estudo busca  ainda refletir sobre o estado de exceção que marca a racionalidade contemporâneo no cenário político-jurídico com o artifício da dignidade da pessoa humana.Metodologia: Para o desenvolvimento da pesquisa adotou-se uma abordagem indutiva, foi utilizada como técnica para a pesquisa a bibliográfica com objetivo metodológico exploratório.Resultados:   O artigo propõe que o primeiro passo para que se articule um novo episódio em prol das liberdades dos seres humanos, seja o direito entendido como  ideologia e ferramenta de extrema violência que opera com sanções explorando a culpa.Contribuições: O estudo possibilita uma análise crítica da estrutura de poder em âmbito democrático que lança mão do direito como ferramenta de inclusão e exclusão constantes, permitindo uma reflexão acadêmico-jurídica sobre a racionalidade contemporânea e o princípio da dignidade da pessoa humana.Palavras-chave:  Direito; biopolítica; democracia.  ABSTRACTObjective: The article deals with biopower in democratic regimes, drawing a parallel in the reflections of Foucault and Agamben, regarding the power and function of law in the management of bodies, maintaining a regime of permanent inclusion and exclusion. The Study also seeks to reflect on the state of exception that marks contemporary rationality in the political-legal scenario with the artifice of human dignity.Methodology: For the development of the research, an inductive approach was adopted, the bibliography was used as a research technique with an exploratory methodological objective.Results: The article proposes that the first step in articulating a new episode in favor of the freedoms of human beings, is the right understood as an ideology and a tool of extreme violence that operates with sanctions exploiting guilt.Contributions: The study allows a critical analysis of the power structure in a democratic context that makes use of law as a tool for constant inclusion and exclusion, allowing an academic-legal reflection on contemporary rationality and the principle of human dignityKeywords: Right; biopolitics; democracy

Honey, bee pollen and vegetable oil unsaponifiables in wound healing

We would like to remark on the mechanisms and therapeutic properties of honey, bee pollen and unsaponifiable fractions of vegetable oils in wound healing

A spatial analysis model to assess the feasibility of short rotation forestry fertigated with urban wastewater: Basilicata region case study

The large-scale cultivation of energy crops irrigated with non-conventional water resources could reduce the negative impacts of fossil fuel use, while still saving potable supplies and decreasing pollution in surface water, particularly in water-deficient environments, like the Mediterranean region. Energy planning is a complex process involving multiple decision makers and criteria. Given the spatial nature of the problem, the research proposes a spatial analysis model to assess the agronomic and economic feasibility of vegetation filter systems in Basilicata region, southern Italy. The model chosen for land suitability analysis is the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) with the use of linguistic quantifiers. The suitability map obtained from the OWA model was used as input in the spatial analysis functions to quantify the productivity and irrigation needs of the species, the potential irrigable service area of the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), as well as the distances between them and SRF, which are all key elements in the economic evaluation. The results show that the distance is the main element that influences the feasibility: only 25 out of 163 WWTPs are cost-effective and can actually irrigate 864 ha of SRF. The research demonstrates that there is a great potential for bio-energy development in the region with significant economic advantages; in fact, there is a large number of sites with positive NPV up to 50,876.43 €/ha and payback period between 3 and 10 years. The implementation of vegetation filter systems could create chains with a high number of local actors (farmers, intermediaries, forest nurseries, etc.) and contribute to promoting territorial development and employment