Environmental Effects on Local Active Galactic Nuclei

Using an extensive sample of nearby galaxies (the Nearby Galaxies Catalog, by Tully), we investigate the environment of the galaxies hosting low-luminosity AGNs (Seyferts and LINERs). We define the local galaxy density, adopting a new correction for the incompleteness of the galaxy sample at large distances. We consider both a complete sample of bright and nearby AGNs, identified from the nuclear spectra obtained in available wide optical spectroscopic surveys, and a complete sample of nearby Seyferts. Basically, we compare the local galaxy density distributions of the AGNs with those of non-AGN samples, chosen in order to match the magnitude and morphological type distributions of the AGN samples. We find, only for the early-type spirals more luminous than $\sim M^*$, that both LINERs and Seyferts tend to reside in denser environments on all the scales tested, from tenths of Mpc to a few Mpc; moreover Seyferts show an enhanced small-scale density segregation with respect to LINERs. This gives support to the idea that AGNs can be stimulated by interactions. On larger scales, tens of Mpc, we find that the AGNs hosted in luminous early-type spirals show a tendency to stay near the center of the Local Supercluster. Finally we discuss the interpretations of our findings and their consequences for some possible scenarios of AGN formation and evolution and for the problem of how AGNs trace the large-scale structures.Comment: 16 pages+3 figures, uuencoded postscript file, preprint SISSA 76/94/A , ApJ November 20, 199

Good news or bad news, which do you want first? The importance of the sequence and organization of Information for financial decision-making: a neuro-electrical imaging study

Investment decisions are largely based on the information investors received from the target firm. Thaler introduced the hedonic editing framework, in which suggests that integration/segregation of information influence individual's perceived value. Meanwhile, when evaluating the evidence and information in a sequence, order effect and biases have been found to have an impact in various areas. In this research, the influence of the Organization of Information (Integration vs. Segregation) and the Sequence of Information (Negative-Positive order vs. Positive-Negative order) on individual's investment decision-making both at the behavioral level (decision) and neurometrix level (measured by an individual's emotion and Approach Withdraw tendency) was assessed for the three groups of information: a piece of Big Positive Information and a piece of Small Negative Information, a piece of Big Negative Information and a piece of Small Positive Information, and a piece of Small Negative information. The behavioral results, which are an individual's final investment decision, were consistent for all three scenarios. In general, individuals will invest more/retire less when receiving two pieces of information in a Negative-Positive order. However, the neurometric results (Emotional Index, Approach Withdraw Index and results from LORETA) show differences among information groups. An effect of the Sequence of Information and the Organization of Information was found for the different scenarios. The results suggest that in the scenarios that involve large-scale information, the organization of information (Integration vs. Segregation) influences the emotion and Approach Withdraw tendency. The results of this investigation should provide insight for effective communication of information, especially when large-scale information is involved

Multi-Party Media Partisanship Attention Score. Estimating Partisan Attention of News Media Sources Using Twitter Data in the Lead-up to 2018 Italian Election

The ongoing radical transformations in communication ecosystems have brought up concerns about the risks of partisan selective exposure and ideological polarization. Tra- ditionally, partisan selective exposure is measured by cross-tabulating survey responses to questions on vote intentions and media consumption. This process is expensive, limits the number of news outlets taken into account and is prone to the typical biases of self-reported data. Building upon previous works and with a specific focus on the online media environment, we introduce a new method to measure partisan media attention in a multi-party political system using Twitter data from 2018 Italian general election. Our first research question addresses the effectiveness of this method by measuring the extent to which our estimates correlate with partisan newspaper consumption measured by the latest Italian National Election Studies (ITANES) survey. Once established the reliability of our method, we employ these scores and measures to analyze the Italian digital media ecosystem in the lead-up to March 2018 election. The traditionally high level of political parallelism that characterizes both the Italian press and TV sectors is only partially reflected in a digital media ecosystem where partisan news sources seem to coexist with cross-partisan outlets. Results also point out that certain online partisan communities tend to rely more on exclusive news media sources

Low- to high-velocity frictional properties of the clay-rich gouges from the slipping zone of the 1963 Vaiont slide, northern Italy

The final slip of about 450 m at about 30 m/s of the 1963 Vaiont landslide (Italy) was preceded by >3 year long creeping phase which was localized in centimeter-thick clay-rich layers (60–70% smectites, 20–30% calcite and quartz). Here we investigate the frictional properties of the clay-rich layers under similar deformation conditions as during the landslide: 1–5 MPa normal stress, 2 × 10^(−7) to 1.31 m/s slip rate and displacements up to 34 m. Experiments were performed at room humidity and wet conditions with biaxial, torsion and rotary shear apparatus. The clay-rich gouge was velocity-independent to velocity-weakening in both room humidity and wet conditions. In room humidity experiments, the coefficient of friction decreased from 0.47 at v 0.70 m/s: full lubrication results from the formation of a continuous water film in the gouge. The Vaiont landslide occurred under wet to saturated conditions. The unstable behavior of the landslide is explained by the velocity-weakening behavior of the Vaiont clay-rich gouges. The formation of a continuous film of liquid water in the slipping zone reduced the coefficient of friction to almost zero, even without invoking the activation of thermal pressurization. This explains the extraordinary high velocity achieved by the slide during the final collapse

Systemic candidiasis in farm-reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) caused by Leucosporidium spp

BACKGROUND: This report describes the results of radiological, histological and molecular examination of three farm-reared red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) affected by candidiasis. CASE PRESENTATION: Three juvenile farm-reared red-legged partridges in a batch of 100 of the same species were sent for clinical and pathological investigations. The owner referred of a sudden isolation of the sick animals, with apathy, diarrhea, ruffled plumage and respiratory rattles. Post mortem total body lateral projection radiograph showed an increased perihilar interstitial pattern and air bronchogram signs due to lung edema. At necropsy, carcasses showed cachexia; the pericloacal region was soiled by diarrheic fecal material. From the mouth to the intestine, a mucous yellowish fluid was present on a slightly reddish mucosa. Histopathology showed slight edema and congestion with different free fungal elements, referable to blastospores, hyphae and pseudohyphae. Biomolecular exam identified the most similar sequences as belonging to Leucosporidium scottii. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this case report describes for the first time this fungal species as a causative agent of candidiasis in birds

Gymnema sylvestre R. Br., an Indian medicinal herb: traditional uses, chemical composition, and biological activity

Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. is one of the most important medicinal plants that grows in tropical forests in India and South East Asia. Its active ingredients and extracts of leaves and roots are used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments and they are present in the market for pharmaceutical and parapharmaceutical products. Commercial products based on substances of plant origin that are generally connoted as natural have to be subjected to monitoring and evaluation by health authorities for their potential impacts on public health. The monitoring and evaluation of these products are critical because the boundary between a therapeutic action and a functional or healthy activity has not yet been defined in a clear and unambiguous way. Therefore, these products are considered borderline products, and they require careful and rigorous studies, in order to use them as complement and/or even replacement of synthetic drugs that are characterized by side effects and high economic costs. This review explores the traditional uses, chemical composition and biological activity of G. sylvestre extracts, providing a general framework on the most interesting extracts and what are the necessary studies for a complete definition of the range of activities

Cluster mass estimation through Fair Galaxies

We analyse a catalogue of simulated clusters within the theoretical framework of the Spherical Collapse Model (SCM), and demonstrate that the relation between the infall velocity of member galaxies and the cluster matter overdensity can be used to estimate the mass profile of clusters, even though we do not know the full dynamics of all the member galaxies. In fact, we are able to identify a limited subset of member galaxies, the 'fair galaxies', which are suitable for this purpose. The fair galaxies are identified within a particular region of the galaxy distribution in the redshift (line-of-sight velocity versus sky-plane distance from the cluster centre). This 'fair region' is unambiguously defined through statistical and geometrical assumptions based on the SCM. These results are used to develop a new technique for estimating the mass profiles of observed clusters and subsequently their masses. We tested our technique on a sample of simulated clusters; the mass profiles estimates are proved to be efficient from 1 up to 7 virialization radii, within a typical uncertainty factor of 1.5, for more than 90 per cent of the clusters considered. Moreover, as an example, we used our technique to estimate the mass profiles and the masses of some observed clusters of the Cluster Infall Regions in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey catalogue. The technique is shown to be reliable also when it is applied to sparse populated clusters. These characteristics make our technique suitable to be used in clusters of large observational catalogues.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables - Slightly revised to match the version published on MNRAS; abstract update

Has Delaware Become the New Eastern District of Texas? The Unforeseen Consequences of the AIA

To stem the rising tide of patent suits brought by non-practicing entities (NPEs), Congress enacted the anti-joinder provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) while, at nearly the same time, the Federal Circuit issued a series of decisions making it easier for defendants to transfer multi-defendant cases filed by NPEs away from the Eastern District of Texas. The unexpected result of these initiatives, however, has been that NPEs have selected the District of Delaware as their new “forum of choice,” making it the most popular forum for patent litigation in the country and displacing the Eastern District of Texas