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Inscriptiones Medii Aevi Italiae (saec. VI-XII), VI. Veneto – Padova e Rovigo, I
No full textIl volume è il primo dei due dedicati alle epigrafi greche e latine delle province di Padova e Rovigo
On the psycho-biological and environmental determinants of cooperative behaviors from school age children to young adults
No full textCooperation is a fundamental human ability that underpins our societies, manifesting in various forms from simple group projects to complex international collaborations. Defined as engaging in joint actions to achieve shared goals, cooperation requires a common objective, mutual commitment, and coordinated roles among participants. Psychological research shows that human beings are “born” cooperative, and this capacity evolves through childhood, reaching maturity by adolescence. Despite the innate tendency for cooperation, there is significant variability in its expression. This dissertation adopts a biopsychosocial framework to explore how biological, psychological, and environmental factors contribute to differences in cooperative behaviors from childhood to young adulthood. The primary aim is to investigate the interplay between biological factors (i.e., Cardiac Vagal Tone; CVT), individual (i.e., age and Environmental Sensitivity), and socio-environmental factors (i.e., family unpredictability and childhood adversities).
The first two empirical chapters focus on CVT and its association with cooperative behaviors in both children and adults. Specifically, we examined whether the relationship between CVT and cooperation follows a linear or quadratic pattern and tested whether and how individual characteristics like age (Chapter 2) and environmental sensitivity (ES; Chapter 3) moderate this association. We found evidence in support of the quadratic vagal activity-prosociality hypothesis, identifying a non-linear association between CVT and cooperation. Moreover, we found that this association may depend on individual characteristics. Subsequent chapters address environmental influences on cooperation, particularly how early adolescents perceived stress (Chapter 4) and how childhood experiences (Chapter 5), such as exposure to childhood adversities and family unpredictability, impact cooperative behaviors. Results reveal that cooperation can be hindered by overwhelming stress perception. Additionally, early life experiences significantly shape cooperative dynamics. Moreover, physiological self-regulation (i.e., CVT) moderates the association between environmental factors and cooperation, such that lower levels of CVT may represent a risk factor when early adolescents are facing higher levels of perceived stress or when an individual has faced higher levels of family unpredictability. The present dissertation also explores the broader implications of cooperative behaviors on psychological outcomes (Chapter 6). It investigates the relationship between cooperation and internalizing symptoms in early and late adolescent. In contrast with the prevalent findings of research on this topic, higher levels of prosociality (i.e., taking fewer resources) were associated with greater reported internalizing symptoms in late adolescents and no association in early adolescents. Moreover, we found evidence of the moderating function of CVT on the relation between prosocial behaviors and internalizing symptoms. Overall, the findings illustrate that cooperation is influenced by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. They emphasize the need for an interactional perspective when examining cooperative behavior. These insights are valuable for clinicians and educators aiming to promote effective interventions tailored to individual needs, considering the intricate determinants of cooperative behavior and its mental health implications
Compensated LGAD — an innovative design of thin silicon sensors for very high fluences
No full textThis contribution presents a new development of radiation-resistant silicon sensors based on Low Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD) technology, combined with 30 μm-thick substrate, intrinsically less affected by radiation. The key feature of LGAD technology is its internal gain, which generates large and fast signals, suitable to track temporally charged particles with excellent time precision (∼30 ps). An innovative design of the multiplication layer has been developed and fabricated, exploiting the compensation of acceptor and donor dopants, to recreate the effective acceptor gain implant of standard LGAD technology. The proof of concept of compensated LGADs was produced by Fondazione Bruno Kessler, at the end of 2022. In this contribution, more relevant characterization measurements on first irradiated prototypes of compensated LGADs, in the presence of external stimulus by particle beam for signal generation, will be presented and discussed. The compensated LGAD technology has the ultimate goal to operate in radiation environments where the irradiation fluence will exceed 10^17 n_eq/cm^2, maintaining the time-tracking capability of standard LGAD sensors
Formation of Topological Bigels in Mixtures of Colloidal Rings and Polymers
No full textWe study a spherically confined mixture of polymers and colloidal rings. Unlike in standard colloidpolymer mixtures, the polymers interact topologically with the rings by threading them. We find that, above a critical value of the ring radius, threading yields a topological transition from a fluid to a gel-like phase characterized by a space-spanning network of interlocked polymers and rings, which we refer to as a bicomponent gel, or bigel. By exploiting the mixture dual character (rings and polymers), we predict analytically the value of the critical radius. We also show that the mobility of entanglements in the mixture slows down upon entering the gel phase, due to topological hindrance arising from threadings, while the transition rates between topological states of the colloidal probes provide another strong dynamical signature of the gel phase
Quantitative targeted proteomics for occult cancer screening in patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism: results from the prospective PLATO-VTE study
No full textBackground: About 5% of patients with unprovoked venous thromboembolism (VTE) have occult cancer. Despite standard cancer screening, 50% of cancers remain undetected. Objectives: We used quantitative targeted proteomics to identify novel cancer biomarkers among patients with unprovoked VTE. Methods: Patients aged ≥40 years with a first unprovoked VTE and without a malignancy in the preceding 5 years were invited to an international prospective cohort study. Plasma samples were collected within 10 days after VTE. The primary outcome was an adjudicated cancer diagnosis during 12-month follow-up. Concentrations of 269 plasma proteins covering coagulation, complement, and cancer-associated pathways were measured using quantitative mass spectrometry-based targeted proteomics. In a nested case-control study, protein profiles of patients with cancer were compared with those of randomly sampled unique control patients (ratio 3:1). Proteins with an unadjusted P value < .05 and fold change ≥15% were combined in a multivariable logistic regression model. To address the variability in the obtained model, the protein selection and model-building approach were replicated in 250 bootstrap samples, and an optimism-adjusted c-statistic was calculated. Results: Of the 476 included participants, 28 (5.9%) were newly diagnosed with cancer. Plasma samples were available for 24 cases, which were compared with those of 75 control patients. Concentrations of P-selectin, β-2 microglobulin, complement component 7, intracellular adhesion molecule 1, and lumican were higher in cases than in controls, whereas coagulation factor (F)VII, FX, and FXII, β-Ala-His dipeptidase, and kalistatin were lower. The optimism-adjusted c-statistic of the multivariable logistic regression model including these proteins was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.70-0.87). Conclusion: Ten differentially abundant proteins were identified in patients with occult cancer, suggesting potential of plasma proteomic tests as novel biomarker for occult cancer in patients with unprovoked VTE
Antibiotic treatment of pediatric infections in primary healthcare setting: evaluation and comparison of 80 national treatment guidelines with the WHO AWaRe book recommendations
Full text linkBackground: Antibiotic recommendations for pediatric infections in national standard treatment guidelines (STGs) vary widely, particularly for Access and Watch antibiotics. The WHO AWaRe book recommends Access antibiotics as first-line treatment for over 80% of common infections managed in primary healthcare. This study aims to evaluate the agreement between first and second-line antibiotics in national STGs with AWaRe book recommendations and the inclusion of these antibiotics in Essential Medicine Lists (EMLs). Methods: National STGs of 80 countries were systematically collected from databases and grey literature (up to May 2025). Antibiotic recommendations for the ten most common primary healthcare infections in children were compared with the WHO AWaRe book (2022), the WHO Essential Medicines List for children (EMLc) and national Essential Medicines Lists (nEMLs) where available. Findings: A median of eight STGs per country were collected, with higher numbers in LMICs due to guidelines for cholera and enteric fever. A total of 1124 first-line and 841 second-line antibiotic recommendations were identified. Over 70% of first-line recommended treatments were Access antibiotics, while Watch antibiotics accounted for more than 50% of second-line recommended treatments. First-line recommendations showed strong agreement with WHO guidance, whereas second-line treatments exhibited lower agreement and greater variability across regions. More than 80% of first-line antibiotics were included in the EMLc and nEMLs, although some high-income countries lacked nEMLs. Interpretation: First-line antibiotic recommendations in national pediatric STGs largely align with the WHO AWaRe book guidance focusing on Access antibiotic use. In contrast, second-line treatments vary considerably, commonly recommending Watch antibiotics. Strengthening the evidence base of national STGs and aligning second-line recommendations with the WHO AWaRe book could help meet the 79th UNGA High-Level Meeting on AMR target, which aims for 70% of all human antibiotic use to come from the Access group. Funding: PRIN 2022 “A Cluster randomized clinical trial to change Antibiotic Prescribing behavior in Outpatient pediatric primary care setting in Italy (CAPO project)", funded in the framework of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.1, funded by the European Union–Next Generation EU, Project 2022A7LA2W, CUP C53D23006050006
Sparks fade with distance: The effect of electric field distribution on global motion perception using different tES techniques
No full textPrevious evidence has shown that high-frequency transcranial random noise stimulation (hf-tRNS) reduces motion coherence thresholds when applied with a cephalic montage (i.e., return electrode over Cz). Extracephalic montages, which avoid stimulating regions under the return electrode, have also been used to modulate behavioral performance. In this study, we investigated the effects of different transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) protocols on visual motion discrimination, placing the return electrode on the ipsilateral arm. We assessed the impact of electrode positioning using hf-tRNS, anodal, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and Sham stimulation over hMT+, a brain region involved in global motion perception. Motion direction discrimination was measured using random dot kinematograms (RDKs). Given the increased distance between the stimulation and return electrodes in this montage, we expected a smaller reduction in motion discrimination thresholds compared to our previous study. Our results suggest that increasing interelectrode distance alters current flow characteristics-such as current distribution and focality-within the cortical areas under the target electrode, producing different effects. Additionally, no significant effects were observed with the other tES protocols tested. Our findings suggest that change in the interelectrode distance influences current flow characteristics, such as current distribution and focality, within the cortical areas under the target electrode, resulting in differential neuromodulatory effects. These results highlight the importance of stimulation configuration on performance, particularly a potential electric field shift due to the change in the interelectrode distance. Given the widespread application of brain stimulation techniques in clinical and cognitive research, our results can guide future studies carefully considering this further aspect of stimulation montage configurations. (c) 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Thermal stability of hyper-doped n-type Ge and Si0.15Ge0.85 epilayers obtained by in situ doping and pulsed laser melting
Full text linkThe thermal stability of hyper-doped Ge-on-Si and SiGe-on-Si films featuring carrier concentrations exceeding 5 x 1019 cm-3 obtained by in situ doping and pulsed laser melting has been studied. The deactivation kinetics was systematically analysed through rapid thermal annealing, reflection spectroscopy and electrical characterization. The results demonstrate that, while hyper-doped Ge films exhibit rapid deactivation at temperatures above 300 degrees C, SiGe offers enhanced thermal stability. Surface morphology analysis confirms the preservation of flatness after pulsed laser melting and thermal treatments, suggesting possible exploitation of these materials as substrates for further growth. These findings provide insights into optimizing hyper-doped material platforms for mid-infrared photonic devices and advanced semiconductor applications, emphasizing the trade-offs between the initial carrier concentration and the thermal resilience
The North Dobrogea Orogen revisited: Late Miocene structural reactivation along the Trans-European Suture Zone
No full textThe Northern Dobrogea Orogen is the onshore segment of the southeastern termination of the Trans-European Suture Zone, the most prominent tectonic boundary of Europe, and was affected by multiple superposed deformation episodes in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. Contrary to the widely held notion that the North Dobrogea Orogen has experienced only very mild and local deformation since the mid-Cretaceous, our (U-Th)/He analyses on apatites from Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Triassic basement and cover rocks indicate a well-defined and widespread episode of cooling/exhumation starting in the late Miocene. The high level of data coherence and the fact that all tectonic units of North Dobrogea have been affected by such episode warrants a geological explanation of supra-regional extent. Miocene cooling/exhumation in Dobrogea can be placed in a larger framework of coeval intraplate compressional deformation affecting a wide area ranging from the Greater Caucasus to the Romanian sector of the Black Sea continental shelf. We propose that the structural inversion of inherited structures in the study area is a distant echo of the Arabia-Eurasia hard collision, which started in the mid-Miocene some 1200 km away to the southeast. Low-temperature thermochronologic data for the area north of the Bitlis-Pütürge suture zone of SE Anatolia indicate that the tectonic stresses related to the Arabian collision were transmitted efficiently in the Eurasian hinterland over large distances, focusing preferentially at rheological discontinuities located as far as the northern shores of the Black Sea. Late Miocene far-field deformation in the hinterland of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone decreases gradually westward from the rapidly exhuming Greater Caucasus, located in front of the area of maximum indentation, through Crimea, to the Odessa shelf and Dobrogea, where deformation has been significantly less and therefore remained underestimated until now