We argue that results on deep inelastic e-A scattering show partial deconfinement of nucleons inside the nuclear matter enhancing therefore the role played by the partonic degrees of freedom. In particular, we show that magnitude of the nuclear Fermi motion is sensitive to the residual interactions between partons, influencing both the nucleon structure function and the value of nucleon mass in the nuclear medium.

PACS numbers: 12.38.Aw, 12.38.Lg, 12.39.-x