University of Florence

About: University of Florence is a education organization based out in Florence, Toscana, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Carbonic anhydrase. The organization has 27292 authors who have published 79599 publications receiving 2341684 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli studi di Firenze & Universita degli studi di Firenze.

EULAR recommendations for the treatment of systemic sclerosis: a report from the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research group (EUSTAR)

Abstract: Purpose: Optimal treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a challenge because the pathogenesis of SSc is unclear and it is an uncommon and clinically heterogeneous disease affecting multiple organ systems. The aim of the EUSTAR (EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research) group was to develop evidence-based, consensus-derived recommendations for the treatment of SSc. Methods: To obtain and maintain a high level of intrinsic quality and comparability of this approach, EULAR standard operating procedures were followed. The task force comprised 18 SSc experts from Europe, United States and Japan, 2 SSc patients and 3 fellows for literature research. The preliminary set of research questions concerning SSc treatment was provided by 74 EUSTAR centers. Results: Based on discussion of the clinical research evidence from published literature, and combining this with current expert opinion and clinical experience, 14 recommendations for the treatment of SSc were formulated. The final set includes the following recommendations: 3 on SSc-related digital vasculopathy (Raynaud’s phenomenon and ulcers), 4 on SSc-related pulmonary arterial hypertension, 3 on SSc-related gastrointestinal involvement, 2 on scleroderma renal crisis, 1 on SSc-related interstitial lung disease and 1 on skin involvement. Experts also formulated several questions for a future research agenda. Conclusions: Evidence-based, consensus-derived recommendations are useful for rheumatologists to help guide treatment for patients with SSc. These recommendations may also help to define directions for future clinical research in SSc.

Description and performance of track and primary-vertex reconstruction with the CMS tracker

Abstract: A description is provided of the software algorithms developed for the CMS tracker both for reconstructing charged-particle trajectories in proton-proton interactions and for using the resulting tracks to estimate the positions of the LHC luminous region and individual primary-interaction vertices. Despite the very hostile environment at the LHC, the performance obtained with these algorithms is found to be excellent. For tt events under typical 2011 pileup conditions, the average track-reconstruction efficiency for promptly-produced charged particles with transverse momenta of p_T > 0.9GeV is 94% for pseudorapidities of |η| < 0.9 and 85% for 0.9 < |η| < 2.5. The inefficiency is caused mainly by hadrons that undergo nuclear interactions in the tracker material. For isolated muons, the corresponding efficiencies are essentially 100%. For isolated muons of p_T = 100GeV emitted at |η| < 1.4, the resolutions are approximately 2.8% in p_T, and respectively, 10μm and 30μm in the transverse and longitudinal impact parameters. The position resolution achieved for reconstructed primary vertices that correspond to interesting pp collisions is 10–12μm in each of the three spatial dimensions. The tracking and vertexing software is fast and flexible, and easily adaptable to other functions, such as fast tracking for the trigger, or dedicated tracking for electrons that takes into account bremsstrahlung.

Synthesis and surface modification of uniform MFe2O4 (M = Fe, Mn, and Co) nanoparticles with tunable sizes and functionalities

Abstract: Cubic monodisperse MFe2O4 ferrite nanoparticles (M = Fe, Co, and Mn) with tunable sizes between 7 and 20 nm and a narrow size distribution have been achieved in a one step synthesis by thermal decomposition of Fe(III), Co (II), and Mn(II) oleates. These nanoparticles have been functionalized with dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA), and bis(carboxymethyl)(2-maleimidylethyl)ammonium 4-toluenesulfonate (MATS) to grant them aqueous stability and the possibility for further functionalization with different biomolecules. Their structural, magnetic, and colloidal properties have also been studied to determine their chemical and physical properties and the degree of stability under physiological conditions that will determine their future use in biomedical applications.

KLAIM: a kernel language for agents interaction and mobility

Abstract: We investigate the issue of designing a kernel programming language for mobile computing and describe KLAIM, a language that supports a programming paradigm where processes, like data, can be moved from one computing environment to another. The language consists of a core Linda with multiple tuple spaces and of a set of operators for building processes. KLAIM naturally supports programming with explicit localities. Localities are first-class data (they can be manipulated like any other data), but the language provides coordination mechanisms to control the interaction protocols among located processes. The formal operational semantics is useful for discussing the design of the language and provides guidelines for implementations. KLAIM is equipped with a type system that statically checks access right violations of mobile agents. Types are used to describe the intentions (read, write, execute, etc.) of processes in relation to the various localities. The type system is used to determine the operations that processes want to perform at each locality, and to check whether they comply with the declared intentions and whether they have the necessary rights to perform the intended operations at the specific localities. Via a series of examples, we show that many mobile code programming paradigms can be naturally implemented in our kernel language. We also present a prototype implementation of KLAIM in Java.