The ceramic evidence. The stratigraphic deposits and their chronology

Nell'ambito dell'edizione delle ricerche condotte dal Gabii Project presso l'antica città di Gabii (Roma), il contributo analizza i reperti ceramici relativi ad una domus realizzata nella prima metà del III secolo a.C. e abbandonata nel I secolo a.C. (Tinku House). Vengono presentati i contesti nel loro complesso, con particolare attenzione agli elementi necessari per fissare la cronologia assoluta degli interventi documentati

Puzzles in charm spectroscopy

We briefly analyze aspects of open and hidden charm resonances, discussing in particular the mesons $D_{sJ}(2860)$ and X(3872).Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures. Invited talk given at the YKIS Seminar on New Frontiers in QCD: Exotic Hadrons and Hadronic Matter, Kyoto, Japan, 20 Nov. - 8 Dec. 200

FCNC BsB_s and Λb\Lambda_b transitions: Standard Model versus a single Universal Extra Dimension scenario

We study the FCNC $B_s \to \phi \gamma, \phi \nu \bar \nu$ and $\Lambda_b \to \Lambda \gamma, \Lambda \nu \bar \nu$ transitions in the Standard Model and in a scenario with a single Universal Extra Dimension. In particular, we focus on the present knowledge of the hadronic uncertainties and on possible improvements. We discuss how the measurements of these modes can be used to constrain the new parameter involved in the extra dimensional scenario, the radius $R$ of the extra dimension, completing the information available from B-factories. The rates of these $b \to s$ induced decays are within the reach of new experiments, such as LHCb.Comment: LaTex, 8 pages, 7 eps figures. Version to be published in Physical Review

The first extensive study of an Imperial Roman Garden in the city of Rome. The Horti Lamiani

This paper presents the first systematic results of integrated plant macrofossil and pollen analyses from the Horti Lamiani (1st-3rd century ce), an aristocratic residence with a luxury garden which was established on the Esquilino (Esquiline Hill) in Rome during the time of the first Emperor, Caesar Augustus (27 bce-14 ce) and later became one of the most famous Imperial gardens around the ancient city. Different types of plant remains such as charcoal, seeds and fruits and pollen were recovered from pits and pots in the garden and reflect the presence of plants there. There seem to have been ornamental shrubs which were probably grown as decorative modelled hedges and/or isolated bushes, as well as cultivated trees. Several ornamental flowering plants grew in pots. Although this archaeobotanical assemblage could represent some patches of wild vegetation still growing in the study area at the time of the Imperial garden, it is likely that most of the identified plants were intentionally planted and organised to create a glimpse of the past wild landscape of Rome. They have special characteristics, such as bearing coloured flowers or fruits and offering shade, that made them suitable for embellishing a magnificent garden. Moreover this reflects the Roman desire to control nature, testified by the expansion of luxury gardens during the Imperial period and the spread of decorative horticultural techniques, like the miniaturisation of trees and shaping of trees and shrubs by topiary

Estimating Form Factors of Bs→Ds(∗)B_s\rightarrow D_s^{(*)} and their Applications to Semi-leptonic and Non-leptonic Decays

$B_s^0\rightarrow D_s^{-}$ and $B_s^0\rightarrow D_s^{*-}$ weak transition form factors are estimated for the whole physical region with a method based on an instantaneous approximated Mandelstam formulation of transition matrix elements and the instantaneous Bethe-Salpeter equation. We apply the estimated form factors to branching ratios, CP asymmetries and polarization fractions of non-leptonic decays within the factorization approximation. And we study the non-factorizable effects and annihilation contributions with the perturbative QCD approach. The branching ratios of semi-leptonic $B_s^0\rightarrow D_s^{(*)-}l^+\nu_l$ decays are also evaluated. We show that the calculated decay rates agree well with the available experimental data. The longitudinal polarization fraction of $B_s\rightarrow D_s^*V(A)$ decays are $\sim0.8$ when $V(A)$ denotes a light meson, and are $\sim0.5$ when $V(A)$ denotes a $D_q$ ($q=d,s$) meson.Comment: Final version published in J Phys. G 39 (2012) 045002 (Title also changed

Bounding effective parameters in the chiral Lagrangian for excited heavy mesons

We use recent experimental data on charmed mesons to constrain three coupling constants in the effective lagrangian describing the interactions of excited heavy-light mesons with light pseudoscalar mesons at order $m_Q^{-1}$. Predictions in the beauty sector are also derived.Comment: LaTex, 11 pages, 1 eps figur

Short-latency afferent inhibition and somato-sensory evoked potentials during the migraine cycle: surrogate markers of a cycling cholinergic thalamo-cortical drive?

BACKGROUND: Short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI) consists of motor cortex inhibition induced by sensory afferents and depends on the excitatory effect of cholinergic thalamocortical projections on inhibitory GABAergic cortical networks. Given the electrophysiological evidence for thalamo-cortical dysrhythmia in migraine, we studied SAI in migraineurs during and between attacks and searched for correlations with somatosensory habituation, thalamocortical activation, and clinical features. METHODS: SAI was obtained by conditioning the transcranial magnetic stimulation-induced motor evoked potential (MEP) with an electric stimulus on the median nerve at the wrist with random stimulus intervals corresponding to the latency of individual somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) N20 plus 2, 4, 6, or 8\u2009ms. We recruited 30 migraine without aura patients, 16 between (MO), 14 during an attack (MI), and 16 healthy volunteers (HV). We calculated the slope of the linear regression between the unconditioned MEP amplitude and the 4-conditioned MEPs as a measure of SAI. We also measured SSEP amplitude habituation, and high-frequency oscillations (HFO) as an index of thalamo-cortical activation. RESULTS: Compared to HV, SAI, SSEP habituation and early SSEP HFOs were significantly reduced in MO patients between attacks, but enhanced during an attack. There was a positive correlation between degree of SAI and amplitude of early HFOs in HV, but not in MO or MI. CONCLUSIONS: The migraine cycle-dependent variations of SAI and SSEP HFOs are further evidence that facilitatory thalamocortical activation (of GABAergic networks in the motor cortex for SAI), likely to be cholinergic, is reduced in migraine between attacks, but increased ictally

Recommendations for pre-symptomatic genetic testing for hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis in the era of effective therapy: a multicenter Italian consensus

Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv, v for variant) is a late-onset, autosomal dominant disease caused by progressive extracellular deposition of transthyretin amyloid fibrils, leading to organ damage and death. For other late-onset fatal diseases, as Huntington's disease, protocols for pre-symptomatic genetic testing (PST) are available since decades. For ATTRv, limited experience has been reported to date, mostly gathered before the availability of approved therapies. We aimed at developing recommendations for a safe and feasible PST protocol in ATTRv in the era of emerging treatments, taking also into account Italian patients' characteristics and healthcare system rules. After an initial survey on ongoing approaches to PST for ATTRv in Italy, two roundtable meetings were attended by 24 experts from 16 Italian centers involved in the diagnosis and care of this disease. Minimal requirements for PST offer and potential critical issues were highlighted. By November 2019, 457 families affected by ATTRv with 209 molecularly confirmed pre-symptomatic carriers were counted. The median age at PST was 41.3years of age, regardless of the specific mutation. Half of the Italian centers had a multidisciplinary team, including a neurologist, an internist, a cardiologist, a medical geneticist and a psychologist, although in most cases not all the specialists were available in the same center. A variable number of visits was performed at each site. Experts agreed that PST should be offered only in the context of genetic counselling to at risk individuals aged 18 or older. Advertised commercial options for DNA testing should be avoided. The protocol should consist of several steps, including a preliminary clinical examination, a pre-test information session, an interval time, the genetic test and a post-test session with the disclosure of the test results, in the context of an experienced multidisciplinary team. Recommendations for best timing were also defined. Protocols for PST in the context of ATTRv can be refined to offer at risk individuals the best chance for early diagnosis and timely treatment start, while respecting autonomous decisions and promoting safe psychological adjustment to the genetic result