Astrophysical implications of GW190412 as a remnant of a previous black-hole merger

Two of the dominant channels to produce merging stellar-mass black-hole binaries are believed to be the isolated evolution of binary stars in the field and dynamical formation in star clusters. The first reported black-hole binary event from the third LIGO/Virgo observing run (GW190412) is unusual in that it has unequal masses, nonzero effective spin, and nonzero primary spin at 90\% confidence interval. We show that this event should be exceedingly rare in the context of both the field and cluster formation scenarios. Interpreting GW190412 as a remnant of a previous black-hole merger provides a promising route to explain its features. If GW190412 indeed formed hierarchically, we show that the region of the parameter space that is best motivated from an astrophysical standpoint (low natal spins and light clusters) cannot accommodate the observation. We analyze public GW190412 LIGO/Virgo data with a Bayesian prior where the more massive black hole resulted from a previous merger, and find that this interpretation is equally supported by the data. If the heavier component of GW190412 is indeed a merger remnant, then its spin magnitude is $\chi_1=0.56_{-0.21}^{+0.19}$, which is higher than the value previously reported by the LIGO/Virgo collaboration.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. Published in PR

Immunization against Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) in a Cohort of Nursing Students Two Decades after Vaccination: Surprising Feedback

Health-care students can be exposed to biological risks during university training. The persistence of long-term immunogenicity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) was analyzed in a cohort of nursing students two decades after primary vaccination. A total of 520 students were enrolled at the University of Palermo and were evaluated for levels of anti-HBsAg antibodies. ThestudentswereexaminedduringthefirstyearoftheirDegreeCourseandwerecheckedtwoyears later. All students with anti-HBsAg <10 mIU/mL during their first or third year were boosted within onemonth. Theproportionofstudentsthatwerevaccinatedduringadolescenceshowinganti-HBsAg ≥10 mIU/mL was higher than that observed in students who were vaccinated during infancy (69% versus31.7%;p-value<0.001). ReceivingHBVvaccinationatadolescencewassignificantlyassociated with a fourfold increased possibility of having anti-HBsAg titers≥10 mIU/mL (adj-OR = 4.21, 95% CI: 2.43–7.30). Among the students who were checked at the third year and boosted after the first year (n = 279), those who were vaccinated during infancy showed a higher percentage of antibody titers <10 mIU/mL (20.3% versus 8.7% among vaccinated during adolescence; p < 0.01). This study confirms that HBV vaccination at adolescence might determine a higher long-term persistence of anti-HBsAg titers≥10 mIU/mL and that anti-HBV booster could increase levels of anti-HBsAg over a relatively short period, especially in subjects who were vaccinated during infancy

Elusioni e delusioni. Inerzie organizzative e sfide regulative di uno strumento di politica sociale

Spesso alla fine di grossi tomi sull’analisi dell’andamento delle politiche sociali nei mille territori italiani si rimane come attoniti a fronte del livello di frammentazione delle prestazioni e della incapacità di ridurre le diseguaglianze e promuovere il benessere dei cittadini, soprattutto i più fragili e deprivati. Immediata sorge in tutti una domanda elementare, ma non per questo meno importante: “E quindi?” (...)

Dalla parte dei cittadini: programmazione partecipata e qualità dei servizi

L’analisi sistematica dei Piani di zona della terza triennalità, e delle interviste condotte con i responsabili degli Uffici di Piano e le parti sociali, può sembrare di scarso interesse ai non addetti alla materia. E anche fra gli operatori più interessati a ragionare sui Piani di zona e le forme di programmazione partecipata, si pone spesso il dubbio che una ricerca sui rapporti fra enti locali e cittadini non possa fornire opportunità di apprendimento. Che tutto sia noto, prevedibile, scontato (...)

Governo collaborativo e catene relazionali di innovazione. Spunti a partire dal caso di Milano

L’articolo affronta il tema dell’emergere di esperienze di innovazione sociale a livello urbano e di quale ruolo possa giocare il governo urbano nella promozione di un ecosistema favorevole a questo sviluppo. Dopo un’introduzione sulla parabola del terzo settore come soggetto di innovazione sociale, verrà affrontato il tema di quali siano le caratteristiche delle forme emergenti di innovazione sociale, a partire dal caso milanese. Verrà quindi messo a fuoco il ruolo delle amministrazioni locali nella loro nascita e fioritura. Infine ci si soffermerà sui meccanismi relazionali messi in campo per produrre emulazione di settore in settore e creare catene di interazioni capaci di favorire una strategia globale di inclusione e contrasto alla disoccupazione. Il tipo di integrazione prodotta a Milano fra settore del welfare e settore dello sviluppo economico, e fra intervento e intervento, presenta molti tratti innovativi e forieri di apprendimenti. La sua efficacia risulta tuttavia limitata dall’assenza di un quadro compiuto di sussidiarietà, e dalla debolezza delle relazioni verticali fra livelli di governo.This paper deals with the issue of social innovation at the urban scale and the role played by local governance to promote a positive ecosystem for development. After presenting third sector organizations as traditional subjects of social innovation, the paper focuses on the emerging forms of social innovation in the case of Milan and the role played by its local government in supporting a favourable milieu for it. We will show the relational mechanisms used to produce emulation among sectors and the chain of interactions which allowed to promote a local strategy for inclusion and job creation. The innovative integration mode produced in Milan in-between welfare and economic development can be seen as a source of learning. Nonetheless, its effects are limited by the lack of an integrated institutional framework of multilevel governance and subsidiarity

Evaluation of varicella vaccine effectiveness as public health tool for increasing scientific evidence and improving vaccination programs

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Appendice metodologica. Analizzare la programmazione sociale come strumento di governo attraverso la selezione di leverage variables

Il presente volume è basato su un lavoro di ricerca promosso dalla Camera del lavoro di Milano, al fine di analizzare il funzionamento e gli esiti dell’attività di programmazione delle politiche di welfare condotte sui territori della provincia di Milano (...)

I Piani di zona e l’azione collettiva: innovazioni e criticità

Quali sono gli esiti dei processi programmatori dei Piani di Zona in merito alla capacità di attivare competenze e partecipazione ed attivare risorse? Presentiamo qui una sintesi della ricerca “Programmare i territori del welfare. Attori, meccanismi ed effetti” relativa ai Piani di Zona della Provincia di Milan

No Need to Stick Together to Be Connected: Multiple Types of Enhancers' Networking

Simple Summary: Transcription regulation programs require the functional interaction of distal and proximal regulatory regions, interacting by specific 3D chromatin configurations. Enhancers are cis-acting regulatory elements able to promote gene expression regardless their orientation and distance from the transcription starting site. Their systematic mapping by genome-wide chromatin profiling and chromosome conformation analysis, combined with the development of gene-editing approaches to modulate their function, revealed that many enhancers work together to fine-tune the expression of their target genes. This review aim to describe the functions of different types of enhancers and the modalities of enhancers' interaction, focusing on their role in the regulation of complex biological processes like cancer development.The control of gene expression at a transcriptional level requires a widespread landscape of regulatory elements. Central to these regulatory circuits are enhancers (ENHs), which are defined as cis-acting DNA elements able to increase the transcription of a target gene in a distance- and orientation-independent manner. ENHs are not independent functional elements but work in a complex and dynamic cooperative network, constituting the building blocks of multimodular domains of gene expression regulation. The information from each of these elements converges on the target promoter, contributing to improving the precision and sharpness of gene modulation. ENHs' interplay varies in its nature and extent, ranging from an additive to redundant effect depending on contexts. Moving from super-enhancers that drive the high expression levels of identity genes, to shadow-enhancers, whose redundant functions contribute to buffering the variation in gene expression, this review aims to describe the different modalities of ENHs' interaction and their role in the regulation of complex biological processes like cancer development

Les justes et les brutes : la littérature de témoignage sur les violences de Gênes 2001

Les évènements, survenus à Gênes en juillet 2001 lors de la contestation du G8, se sont constitués progressivement comme référence politique et culturelle dans l'histoire en train de se faire - à la fois identité et récit partagé - du mouvement altermondialiste et, en particulier, de sa composante italienne. On analyse ici un genre de récit qui a connu un essor exceptionnel en Italie après les évènements de Gênes : le témoignage de la violence subie. Des récits qui ont fortement contribué à définir l'" après-Gênes ", c'est-à-dire un nouveau rapport entre le mouvement altermondialiste italien comme acteur politique et l'État comme appareil répressif