Neutrino oscillations and Lorentz Invariance Violation in a Finslerian Geometrical model

Neutrino oscillations are one of the first evidences of physics beyond the Standard Model (SM). Since Lorentz Invariance is a fundamental symmetry of the SM, recently also neutrino physics has been explored to verify the eventual modification of this symmetry and its potential magnitude. In this work we study the consequences of the introduction of Lorentz Invariance Violation (LIV) in the high energy neutrinos propagation and evaluate the impact of this eventual violation on the oscillation predictions. An effective theory explaining these physical effects is introduced via Modified Dispersion Relations. This approach, originally introduced by Coleman and Glashow, corresponds in our model to a modification of the special relativity geometry. Moreover, the generalization of this perspective leads to the introduction of a maximum attainable velocity which is specific of the particle. This can be formalized in Finsler geometry, a more general theory of space-time. In the present paper the impact of this kind of LIV on neutrino phenomenology is studied, in particular by analyzing the corrections introduced in neutrino oscillation probabilities for different values of neutrino energies and baselines of experimental interest. The possibility of further improving the present constraints on CPT-even LIV coefficients by means of our analysis is also discussed.Comment: Accepted for publication with minor revisions, will appear on European Physics Journal

The Impact of School Tasks on the Leadership Self-Efficacy of Principals and Assistant Principals

State and federal accountability standards for student achievement and school improvement have increased the focus on school leadership, specifically the leadership of school principals and assistant principals. The pressure to lead schools effectively while fulfilling instructional leadership and school management tasks could impact school administrators’ perceptions of their leadership capabilities. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional study was to identify the relationship between the instructional leadership tasks and school management tasks of school administrators and their leadership self-efficacy across multiple demographics. Survey data were collected from 73 school administrators, which quantified the leadership self-efficacy of principals and assistant principals based upon the completion of instructional leadership tasks and school management tasks and their use of time completing instructional leadership tasks and school management tasks. The major findings of the study indicated a positive, linear relationship between leadership self-efficacy and the instructional leadership tasks and school management tasks of school administrators. There was no statistically significant difference between leadership self-efficacy for instructional leadership tasks and school management tasks based upon the role of the school administrator. There was no statistically significant difference between the use of time on instructional leadership tasks and school management tasks based upon the role of the school administrator. The outcomes of this study provide insight into the types of tasks that impact the leadership self-efficacy of principals and assistant principals and could drive the professional learning content of school administrators and the delegation of their tasks. Future research on the leadership self-efficacy of school administrators could involve larger demographic subgroups and extend the study to include additional demographic factors impacting the work of principals and assistant principals

Fast method for the determination of short-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (scl-PHAs) in bacterial samples by In Vial-Thermolysis (IVT)

none8siA new method based on the GC–MS analysis of thermolysis products obtained by treating bacterial samples at a high temperature (above 270 C) has been developed. This method, here named “In-Vial- Thermolysis” (IVT), allowed for the simultaneous determination of short-chain-length polyhydrox- yalkanoates (scl-PHA) content and composition. The method was applied to both single strains and microbial mixed cultures (MMC) fed with different carbon sources. The IVT procedure provided similar analytical performances compared to previous Py-GC–MS and Py- GC-FID methods, suggesting a similar application for PHA quantitation in bacterial cells. Results from the IVT procedure and the traditional methanolysis method were compared; the correlation between the two datasets was fit for the purpose, giving a R2 of 0.975. In search of further simplification, the rationale of IVT was exploited for the development of a “field method” based on the titration of thermolyzed samples with sodium hydrogen carbonate to quantify PHA inside bacterial cells. The accuracy of the IVT method was fit for the purpose. These results lead to the possibility for the on-line measurement of PHA productivity. Moreover, they allow for the fast and inexpensive quantification/characterization of PHA for biotechnological process control, as well as investigation over various bacterial communities and/or feeding strategies.mixedF. Abbondanzi; G. Biscaro; G. Carvalho; L. Favaro; P. Lemos; M. Paglione; C. Samorì; C. TorriF. Abbondanzi; G. Biscaro; G. Carvalho; L. Favaro; P. Lemos; M. Paglione; C. Samorì; C. Torr

Clustering Italian medical texts: a case study on referrals

In the medical domain, there is a large amount of valuable information that is stored in textual format. These unstructured data have long been ignored, due to the difficulties of introducing them in statistical models, but in the last years, the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) has seen relevant improvements, with models capable of achieving relevant results in various tasks, including information extraction, classification and clustering. NLP models are typically language-specific and often domain-specific, but most of the work to date has been focused on the English language, especially in the medical domain. In this work, we propose a pipeline for clustering Italian medical texts, with a case study on clinical questions reported in referral

Immunometabolic status of covid-19 cancer patients

Cancer patients appear to be more likely to be diagnosed with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This is supported by the understanding of immuno-metabolic pathways that intersect patients with infection and cancer. However, data derived by case series and retrospective studies do not offer a coherent interpretation, since data from China suggest an increased risk of COVID-19, while data from the United States and Italy show a prevalence of COVID-19 in cancer patients comparable with the general population. Noteworthy, cancer and COVID-19 exploit distinct patterns of macrophage activation that promote disease progression in the most severe forms. In particular, the alternative activation of M2-polarized macrophages plays a crucial role in cancer progression. In contrast, the macrophage-activation syndrome appears as the source of M1-related cytokine storm in severe COVID-19 disease, thus indicating macrophages as a source of distinct inflammatory states in the two diseases, nonethe-less as a common therapeutic target. New evidence indicates that NAMPT/NAD metabolism can direct both innate immune cell effector functions and the homeostatic robustness, in both cancer and infection. Moreover, a bidirectional relationship exists between the metabolism of NAD and the protective role that angiotensin converting enzyme 2, the COVID-19 receptor, can play against hyperinflammation. Within this immunometabolic framework, the review considers possible inter-ference mechanisms that viral infections and tumors elicit on therapies and provides an overview for the management of patients with cancer affected by COVID-19, particularly for the balance of risk and benefit when planning normally routine cancer treatments and follow-up appointments