A simple framework for investigating the properties of policy games

The paper extensively studies the static model of non-cooperative linear quadratic games in which a set of agents chooses their instruments strategically to minimize their linear quadratic criterion. We first derive the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a Nash equilibrium as well as for multiple equilibria to arise. Furthermore, we study the general condition for policy neutrality and Pareto efficiency of the equilibrium by introducing a new concept of decisiveness.Conflict of interest, Nash equilibrium existence, multiplicity, policy invariance, controllability, Pareto efficiency

The ECB's asset purchase programme: Theory, effects, and risks

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the European Central Bank (ECB) has relaunched a massive asset purchase programme within its combined-arms monetary strategy. This paper surveys and discusses the theory and the evidence of the central bank's unconventional monetary tools for the euro area. It analyses the role of the asset purchase programmes in the ECB's toolkit and the associated risks, focusing specifically on the gradual unwinding of these unconventional initiatives. Finally, the paper offers some insight into the possible evolution of the ECB's monetary policy

Patient adherence to tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia: influence of coping strategies and psychological factors

BACKGROUND: Medication non-adherence is associated with poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs. Although the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) treatment is satisfactory in clinical results, it is subject to non-adherence. In this study, we intend to verify if there are psychological factors, such as anxiety, depression, and coping style that can influence medication adherence.METHODS: The study was conducted on 120 patients with CML receiving long-term TKI therapy. The sample was collected in the years 2016-2017 at Department of Oncology-Hematology in Pescara, Italy. Adherence behaviour was measured with the eight-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) and psychological factors investigated included: anxiety and depression symptoms [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)] and coping strategies [abbreviated version of the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE)]. T-test and logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate factors associated with medication adherence.RESULTS: The participants, 74 men and 46 women, reported a mean age of 56.65 ± 15.80 years. The results showed that 71.67% of the patients were adherent while 28.33% were non-adherent. Furthermore, adherence was positively associated with active coping (P < 0.050) and instrumental support (P < 0.001). Also, depression symptoms were risk factor for non-adherence (P < 0.050).CONCLUSION: This study suggests that active coping strategies with a good level of instrumental support are factors associated with greater adherence to long-term therapy. The results of this study support paying attention to factors identified as being helpful in monitoring patients with a risk of non-adherence. There is a need to provide increased psychosocial support for patients with chronic disease by planning effective client‐focused interventions

Tongue cancer following hematopoietic cell transplantation for Fanconi anemia

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the incidence and the clinical outcome of tongue cancer (TC) in patients affected by Fanconi anemia (FA) who received an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Materials and methods: The patient database from the Bone Marrow Transplant Center of Pescara was reviewed to enroll FA patients. Patients', donors', HCT's, and screening's data were collected as well to look for the incidence and the treatment of TC. Results: Twelve patients affected by FA were identified. Three patients died for transplant-related causes. Five of nine surviving patients were diagnosed with TC at a median of 21.7 years since transplantation and at a median age of 32.10 years. Interestingly, no patient manifested graft-versus-host-disease (GvHD). The 28-year cumulative incidence function of TC was 46.9% (95% CI, 36.9-56.9%). Two patients were treated with chemotherapy alone, two patients were treated with surgery alone, and one with surgery followed by chemotherapy. Overall, 4 patients with TC showed a clinical course characterized by a marked aggressiveness of the tumor disease which led to death due to cancer progression between 2 and 13 months. One patient is surviving 8 months after diagnosis of TC. Conclusions: Our study confirms the high incidence of tumors and in particular tongue tumors in allotransplanted FA patients. A careful screening has to be life-long maintained. Clinical relevance: Considering the rarity of FA and the frailty of FA patients, this study may add important information for the cancer management of these patients

Acquiring, archiving, analyzing and exchanging seismic data in real time at the Seismological Research Center of the OG S in Italy: an updated view

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Center) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake (magnitude M=6.4) occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the North-east Italy (NI) seismic network: it currently consists of 11 very sensitive broad band and 22 more simple short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS-CRS data center in Udine. Real time data exchange agreements in place with other Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Swiss seismological institutes lead to a total number of 90 seismic stations acquired in real time, which makes the OGS the reference institute for seismic monitoring of Northeastern Italy. Since 2002 OGS-CRS is using the Antelope software suite as the main tool for collecting, analyzing, archiving and exchanging seismic data in the framework of the EU Interreg IIIA project “ Trans-national seismological networks in the South-Eastern Alps”. SeisComP is also used as a real time data exchange server tool. At OGS-CRS we then adapted existing programs and created new ones like: a customized web-accessible server to manually relocate earthquakes, a script for automatic moment tensor determination, scripts for web publishing of earthquake parametric data, waveforms, state of health parameters and shaking maps, noise characterization by means of automatic spectra analysis, plus scripts for mail/SMS/fax alerting. A new OGS-CRS real time web site has also been recently designed and made operative in the framework of the Italian P C-INGV S3 P roject

Acquiring, archiving, analyzing and exchanging seismic data in real time at the Seismological Research Center of the OGS in Italy

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Center) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake (magnitude M=6.4) occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the North-east Italy (NI) seismic network: it currently consists of 11 very sensitive broad band and 23 more simple short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS-CRS data center in Udine. Real time data exchange agreements in place with other Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Swiss seismological institutes lead to a total number of 89 seismic stations acquired in real time, which makes the OGS the reference institute for seismic monitoring of Northeastern Italy. Since 2002 OGS-CRS is using the Antelope software suite as the main tool for collecting, analyzing, archiving and exchanging seismic data in the framework of the EU Interreg IIIA project “Trans-national seismological networks in the South-Eastern Alps”. SeisComP is also used as a real time data exchange server tool. At OGS-CRS we then adapted existing programs and created new ones like: a customized web-accessible server to manually relocate earthquakes, a script for automatic moment tensor determination, scripts for web publishing of earthquake parametric data, waveforms, state of health parameters and shaking maps, noise characterization by means of automatic spectra analysis, plus scripts for email/SMS/fax alerting. A new OGS-CRS real time web site has also been recently designed and made operative in the framework of the DPC-INGV S3 Project

Graphene field effect transistors with Niobium contacts and asymmetric transfer characteristics

We fabricate back-gated field effect transistors using Niobium electrodes on mechanically exfoliated monolayer graphene and perform electrical characterization in the pressure range from atmospheric down to 10-4 mbar. We study the effect of room temperature vacuum degassing and report asymmetric transfer characteristics with a resistance plateau in the n-branch. We show that weakly chemisorbed Nb acts as p-dopant on graphene and explain the transistor characteristics by Nb/graphene interaction with unpinned Fermi level at the interface.Comment: 10 pages, Research Pape

Improving the seismic monitoring of North-eastern Italy: the state of the art of the North-eastern Italy (NI) Seismic Network run by OGS

The Centro di Ricerche Sismologiche (CRS, Seismological Research Center) of the Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale (OGS, Italian National Institute for Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics) in Udine (Italy) after the strong earthquake of magnitude Mw=6.4 occurred in 1976 in the Italian Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, started to operate the North-eastern Italy (NI) Seismic Network: it currently consists of 12 very sensitive broad band and 21 simpler short period seismic stations, all telemetered to and acquired in real time at the OGS-CRS data center in Udine. Real time data exchange agreements in place with other Italian, Slovenian, Austrian and Swiss seismological institutes lead to a total number of 93 seismic stations acquired in real time, which makes the OGS the reference institute for seismic monitoring of North-eastern Italy. Since 2002 OGS-CRS is using the Antelope software suite on a SUN SPARC cluster as the main tool for collecting, analyzing, archiving and exchanging seismic data, initially in the framework of the EU Interreg IIIA project “Trans-national seismological networks in the South-Eastern Alps”. SeisComP is also used as a real time data exchange server tool. In order to improve the seismological monitoring of the North-eastern Italy area, at OGS-CRS we tuned existing programs and created ad hoc ones like: a customized web server named PickServer to manually relocate earthquakes, a script for automatic moment tensor determination, scripts for web publishing of earthquake parametric data, waveforms, state of health parameters and shaking maps, noise characterization by means of automatic spectra analysis, and last but not least scripts for email/SMS/fax alerting. A new OGS-CRS real time seismological website (http://rts.crs.inogs.it/) has also been operative since more than one year in the framework of the Italian DPC-INGV S3 Project: the website shows classic earthquake locations parametric data plus shakemap and moment tensor information; recently also daily PSD quality check of seismic stations plots have been added. At OGS-CRS we also spent a considerable amount of efforts in improving the long-period performances of broadband seismic stations, either by carrying out full re-installations and/or applying thermal insulations to the seismometers: the example of the new PRED broad band seismic station installation in the cave tunnel of Cave del Predil using a Quanterra Q330HR high resolution digitizer and a Sterckeisen STS-2 broadband seismometer will be illustrated. Efforts have been put also in strengthening the reliability of data links, exploring the use of redundant satellite/radio/GPRS links