Archivio Istituzionale della Ricerca- Università del Piemonte Orientale
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Elliptic anisotropy measurement of the f0(980) hadron in proton-lead collisions and evidence for its quark-antiquark composition
No full textDespite the f(0)(980) hadron having been discovered half a century ago, the question about its quark content has not been settled: it might be an ordinary quark-antiquark (q (q) over bar) meson, a tetraquark (q (q) over barq (q) over bar) exotic state, a kaon-antikaon (K (K) over bar) molecule, or a quark-antiquark-gluon (q (q) over barg) hybrid. This paper reports strong evidence that the f(0)(980) state is an ordinary q (q) over bar meson, inferred from the scaling of elliptic anisotropies (v(2)) with the number of constituent quarks (n(q)), as empirically established using conventional hadrons in relativistic heavy ion collisions. The f(0)(980) state is reconstructed via its dominant decay channel f(0)(980) -> pi(+)pi(-), in proton-lead collisions recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC, and its v(2) is measured as a function of transverse momentum (p(T)). It is found that the n(q) = 2 (q (q) over bar state) hypothesis is favored over n(q) = 4 (q (q) over barq (q) over bar or K (K) over bar states) by 7.7, 6.3, or 3.1 standard deviations in the p(T) g hybrid state) by 3.5 standard deviations in the p(T) < 8GeV/c range. This result represents the first determination of the quark content of the f(0)(980) state, made possible by using a novel approach, and paves the way for similar studies of other exotic hadron candidates
La Carta di Nizza
No full textScheda breve sulla Carta dei diritti fondamentali dell'Unione europea (c.d. Carta di Nizza
Visible Light–Excited Pt(II) Acetylide Complexes Bearing red Emission: Synthesis, Characterization, X‐Ray Structure Analysis, Photoluminescence, and TD‐DFT Investigations
No full textThe advancement of visible-light harvesting Pt(II) complexes with extended excited state lifetimes is crucial, as these properties are essential for their applications in photocatalysis, nonlinear optics, photodynamic therapy, among other areas. In this study, we synthesized platinum complexes with main ligands bearing sulfur (S) donor atoms, which not only shifted the absorption into the visible range but also increased the excited state lifetimes in solution as well as in solid state. In this context, two series of platinum complexes (C1a–C6a and C1b–C6b) were synthesized in excellent isolated yields in a single step reaction catalyzed by CuI in the presence of base from precursor complexes (PC1a–PC6a and PC1b–PC6b) bearing chloride ancillary ligand. These complexes were characterized by multiple analytical techniques, among them five complexes (C1a, C5a, C6a, C2b, and C6b) were analyzed in solid state by single crystal X-ray analysis that showed the exact orientation of the ligands around Pt and intramolecular/intermolecular bonding in these complexes. The solid-state structure demonstrated dimeric structures interacting through noncovalent π⋯π stacking that could be responsible for extended lifetime, longer wavelength emission, and phosphorescence. These complexes absorbed mainly around 240 to 260 and 420 to 500-nm visible region assigned to ligand–ligand charge transfer (LLCT) and metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), respectively. The photoluminescence was observed in 630-nm region when excited at 450-nm visible wavelength in both solution and solid state. The absorption and emission properties of all these complexes were further investigated by time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations that rationalized the effect of different constituents on the main SNO donor ligand. The strong absorption in the visible region and emission in the near-infrared (NIR) region in both solid and solution state suggested that these complexes could have potential applications in various fields of optoelectronics, materials science, and photodynamic therapy
Factors influencing the diagnostic basis in pancreatic cancer. A study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort
No full textBackground and aims: Substantial differences have been reported in risk estimates for etiologic factors of pancreatic cancer among subjects with different degrees of diagnostic certainty. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of some personal and social characteristics on the diagnostic basis in individuals with pancreatic cancer. Methods: We analyzed 393 participants from the EPIC cohort with a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer and information on the basis of diagnosis. Two main groups of cases were compared: one in which microscopic confirmation (MC) was available to diagnose pancreatic cancer (including autopsy, histology, cytology or hematology), and one in which non-microscopic methods were used (biochemical, immunological or image tests, exploratory surgery, clinical observation, self-report, or death certificate). Results: The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer of 73% of participants was achieved through MC. While, overall, over 82% of men had MC, this figure was 65% in women (p<0.001). Subjects with MC, both men and women, were younger at diagnosis than participants diagnosed by non-microscopic methods. Younger women (<60 years) had a higher probability of having their cancer diagnosed with MC (OR=2.54, 95% CI 1.04-6.17) than women ≥70 years. After the year 2000 the chances of having the disease diagnosed through MC increased more than 2-fold in women and more than 5-fold in men. No significant differences in diagnostic basis were observed by educational level, comorbidities or established risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Conclusion: The rates of MC in subjects diagnosed with pancreatic cancer continued to be relatively low. Age and sex are the two main factors that powerfully influence MC. Hence, age and sex must be considered when designing and analyzing clinical and epidemiological studies, as well as in clinical practice. The consistently lower rates of MC in female patients suggest an ingrained sex-related diagnostic bias, which may require specific policies to be counterbalanced
Reconstructing smoking history through dental cementum analysis - A preliminary investigation on modern and archaeological teeth
No full text: Acellular extrinsic fibre cementum (AEFC) has been widely utilised in cementochronology to estimate age at death, seasonality, and for life-history reconstruction. Smoking has been commonplace in the UK since the 17th century and is known to compromise oral health and to modulate physiological processes. This study aimed to investigate whether AEFC analysis could identify smoking activity in both modern and archaeological populations. A modern sample (70 teeth from 46 donors) with known age, sex, and smoking status was compared with an archaeological sample (18 teeth from 18 individuals), dating from the 18th/19th centuries in Coventry, UK, whose biographical information was recorded from coffin plates where available. Smoking status for the archaeological individuals was inferred from pipe notches and dental staining. AEFC analysis that was blinded to smoking status measured increment count, overall width and the presence of irregularities within the cementum microstructure in both samples. Results demonstrated that the AEFC width was significantly lower (p = 0.008) in current smokers compared to ex-smokers. Additionally, individuals with a history of smoking were significantly more likely to display disrupted incremental patterns within their AEFC (p < 0.001). This research suggests an association between smoking and periodontal ligament health, which influences AEFC formation and shows that the AEFC provides a record of smoking-related oral health damage. This research expands the potential applications of cementochronology to forensic and archaeological investigations for life history reconstruction
Nucleolar FRG2 lncRNAs inhibit rRNA transcription and cytoplasmic translation, linking FSHD to dysregulation of muscle-specific protein synthesis
No full textFacioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a hereditary myopathy linked to deletions of the tandemly arrayed D4Z4 macrosatellite at human chromosome 4q35. These deletions cause local chromatin changes and anomalous expression of nearby transcripts FRG2A, DBET, and D4Z4. We discovered that FRG2A is part of a family of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) expressed in skeletal muscle cells, with levels varying among patients. FRG2A localizes in the nucleolus and associates with repetitive DNA at ribosomal DNA (rDNA) loci and centromeres. Elevated FRG2A expression in FSHD cells alters the three-dimensional architecture of heterochromatin at the nucleolar periphery and reduces rDNA transcription and translation rates, resulting in decreased synthesis of skeletal muscle proteins. We also show that myoblasts from FSHD patients display reduced synthesis of skeletal muscle proteins during differentiation. Our results support a disease model in which nucleolar accumulation of D4Z4-driven lncRNA impairs protein synthesis and contributes to muscle wasting
Scienza e riserva di scienza
No full textScheda breve di inquadramento della posizione della scienza nella Costituzione italiana e sul concetto di "riserva di scienza" nella dottrina costituzionalistic
Il custode del terrore. Sessant’anni di Diabolik secondo Mario Gomboli
No full textIntervista allo sceneggiatore ed editore Mario Gomboli a proposito di Diabolik, di cui è oggi curatore e autore principal
Quality of life in low-risk prostate cancer under active surveillance or following radical treatments: the START cohort study
No full textBackground: Real-world evidence on quality of life (QoL) changes associated with treatment decisions is crucial for informed choices by patients with low-risk prostate cancer (LRPC). Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta Regional Oncology Network, NW Italy (4.5 million population), including nearly all urology (N = 22) and radiation oncology (N = 6) centres. Patients newly diagnosed with LRPC, eligible for radical treatments, received balanced information on risks and benefits of available options and could choose among active surveillance (AS), radical prostatectomy (RP), or radiotherapy (RT). Longitudinal changes in QoL were assessed via patient-reported outcomes in four domains: general QoL, mental health, sexual function and urinary/bowel symptoms. The main comparison was between AS and RP. A secondary comparison was between AS and all radical treatments (RP or RT). Data were analysed by multivariable generalised linear or logistic models, following the intention-to-treat principle and accounting for correlation within centres and subjects. Results: A total of 651 patients (76.4% of those enrolled, 559 in AS, 76 in RP and 16 in RT) with baseline questionnaires were included (median [IQR] age, 70 [64–74] years). During a median follow-up of 37 months, no differences in general QoL or mental health were observed between AS and RP. Men in AS had better scores for sexual function (β = 8.27, 95% CI: 5.57–10.96) and activity (β = 6.70, 95% CI: 4.19–9.20). Use of incontinence aids was significantly lower in the AS group (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.09–0.23). Prostatic obstructive symptoms remained stable in AS but decreased in the RP group (OR = 2.77; 95% CI: 1.52–5.06). Results were similar comparing AS to RP or RT. Conclusions: Compared to radical prostatectomy, AS preserved urinary continence and sexual function but was associated with persistent obstructive symptoms, without differences in general QoL or mental health. This real-world study supports existing evidence, aiding LRPC patients in making informed decisions
Observation of the Charged-Particle Multiplicity Dependence of (Formula presented) in (Formula presented)-Pb Collisions at 8.16 TeV
No full textBound states of charm and anticharm quarks, known as charmonia, have a rich spectroscopic structure that can be used to probe the dynamics of hadron production in high-energy hadron collisions. Here, the cross section ratio of excited (Formula presented) and ground state (Formula presented) vector mesons is measured as a function of the charged-particle multiplicity in proton-lead ((Formula presented)) collisions at a center-of-mass (CM) energy per nucleon pair of 8.16 TeV. The data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of (Formula presented) were collected using the CMS detector. The ratio is measured separately for prompt and nonprompt charmonia in the transverse momentum range (Formula presented) and in four rapidity ranges spanning (Formula presented). For the first time, a statistically significant multiplicity dependence of the prompt cross section ratio is observed in proton-nucleus collisions. There is no clear rapidity dependence in the ratio. The prompt measurements are compared with a theoretical model which includes interactions with nearby particles during the evolution of the system. These results provide additional constraints on hadronization models of heavy quarks in nuclear collisions