Le emissioni in atmosfera dalle combustioni in Lombardia

Il lavoro presenta le stime delle emissioni in atmosfera di polveri fini, precursori di polveri fini e gas serra in Lombardia provenienti dalle attività di combustione di combustibili e carburanti, come stimate dall’inventario regionale INEMAR per l’anno 2003. I dati dei consumi elaborati nell’inventario derivano da informazioni raccolte sia mediante questionari relativi alle principali sorgenti puntuali della regione, sia consultando le diverse fonti statistiche. Le emissioni in atmosfera sono stimate sia attraverso dati derivanti da misure effettuate presso gli impianti che tramite fattori di emissione proposti in letteratura e utilizzati in ambito EMEP-Corinair e IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). La combustione nel settore del trasporto stradale risulta essere la principale sorgente per numerosi inquinanti, fra cui PM10, NOx, SO2 e CO. L’olio combustibile utilizzato per la produzione di energia è la maggiore fonte di SO2 (56% delle emissioni totali regionali), mentre il gasolio per autotrazione fornisce il principale contributo alle emissioni di NOx (44% del totale). Per le emissioni di polveri (sia PM10 che PM2,5), oltre ai determinanti contributi della combustione del gasolio per autotrazione e della legna in ambito domestico, sono rilevanti anche i processi di usura nel traffico stradale (pneumatici, freni, abrasione dell’asfalto) e le attività relative al settore agro-zootecnico. La benzina è la principale fonte di CO (50%), mentre il metano costituisce una sorgente di grande importanza (45%) per la CO2 e di interesse anche per gli ossidi di azoto (21% del totale regionale). Il lavoro fornisce altresì una valutazione dei fattori di emissione medi dalle attività di combustione in Lombardia a diverse scale di dettaglio

Visualization of Endothelial Actin Cytoskeleton in the Mouse Retina

Angiogenesis requires coordinated changes in cell shape of endothelial cells (ECs), orchestrated by the actin cytoskeleton. The mechanisms that regulate this rearrangement in vivo are poorly understood - largely because of the difficulty to visualize filamentous actin (F-actin) structures with sufficient resolution. Here, we use transgenic mice expressing Lifeact-EGFP to visualize F-actin in ECs. We show that in the retina, Lifeact-EGFP expression is largely restricted to ECs allowing detailed visualization of F-actin in ECs in situ. Lifeact-EGFP labels actin associated with cell-cell junctions, apical and basal membranes and highlights actin-based structures such as filopodia and stress fiber-like cytoplasmic bundles. We also show that in the skin and the skeletal muscle, Lifeact-EGFP is highly expressed in vascular mural cells (vMCs), enabling vMC imaging. In summary, our results indicate that the Lifeact-EGFP transgenic mouse in combination with the postnatal retinal angiogenic model constitutes an excellent system for vascular cell biology research. Our approach is ideally suited to address structural and mechanistic details of angiogenic processes, such as endothelial tip cell migration and fusion, EC polarization or lumen formation

Quantitative abilities in a reptile (Podarcis sicula)

The ability to identify the largest amount of prey available is fundamental for optimizing foraging behaviour in several species. To date, this cognitive skill has been observed in all vertebrate groups except reptiles. In this study we investigated the spontaneous ability of ruin lizards to select the larger amount of food items. In Experiment 1, lizards proved able to select the larger food item when presented with two alternatives differing in size (0.25, 0.50, 0.67 and 0.75 ratio). In Experiment 2 lizards presented with two groups of food items (1 versus 4, 2 versus 4, 2 versus 3 and 3 versus 4 items) were unable to select the larger group in any contrast. The lack of discrimination in the presence ofmultiple items represents an exception in numerical cognition studies, raising the question as to whether reptiles' quantitative abilities are different from those of other vertebrate groups

Endothelial alpha-parvin controls integrity of developing vasculature and is required for maintenance of cell-cell junctions

RATIONALE: Angiogenesis and vessel integrity depend on the adhesion of endothelial cells (EC) to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to adjacent ECs. The focal adhesion protein alpha-parvin (alpha-pv) is essential for vascular development. However, the role of alpha-pv in ECs in vivo is not known. OBJECTIVE: To determine the function of alpha-pv in ECs during vascular development in vivo and the underlying mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS: We deleted the alpha-pv gene specifically in ECs of mice to study its role in angiogenesis and vascular development. Here we show that endothelial-specific deletion of alpha-pv in mice results in late embryonic lethality associated with hemorrhages and reduced vascular density. Postnatal induced EC-specific deletion of alpha-pv leads to retinal hypovascularization due to reduced vessel sprouting and excessive vessel regression. In the absence of alpha-pv, blood vessels display impaired VE-cadherin junction morphology. In vitro, alpha-pv deficient ECs show reduced stable adherens junctions, decreased monolayer formation and impaired motility, associated with reduced formation of integrin-mediated cell-ECM adhesion structures and an altered actin cytoskeleton. CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial alpha-pv is essential for vessel sprouting and for vessel stability

Metabolic changes of salicylic acid-elicited Catharanthus roseus cell suspension cultures monitored by NMR-based metabolomics

The effect of salicylic acid (SA) on the metabolic profile of Catharanthus roseus suspension cells throughout a time course (0, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment) was investigated using NMR spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis. When compared to control cell lines, SA-treated cells showed a high level of sugars (glucose and sucrose) up to 48 h after treatment, followed by a dynamic change in amino acids, phenylpropanoids, and tryptamine. Additionally, one compound—2,5-dihydroxybenzoic-5-O-glucoside—was detected solely in SA-treated cells

International Perspectives on the Legal Environment for Selection

Perspectives from 22 countries on aspects of the legal environment for selection are presented in this article. Issues addressed include (a) whether there are racial/ethnic/religious subgroups viewed as "disadvantaged,” (b) whether research documents mean differences between groups on individual difference measures relevant to job performance, (c) whether there are laws prohibiting discrimination against specific groups, (d) the evidence required to make and refute a claim of discrimination, (e) the consequences of violation of the laws, (f) whether particular selection methods are limited or banned, (g) whether preferential treatment of members of disadvantaged groups is permitted, and (h) whether the practice of industrial and organizational psychology has been affected by the legal environmen

Consensus guidelines for the use and interpretation of angiogenesis assays

The formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is a complex process that plays important roles in growth and development, tissue and organ regeneration, as well as numerous pathological conditions. Angiogenesis undergoes multiple discrete steps that can be individually evaluated and quantified by a large number of bioassays. These independent assessments hold advantages but also have limitations. This article describes in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro bioassays that are available for the evaluation of angiogenesis and highlights critical aspects that are relevant for their execution and proper interpretation. As such, this collaborative work is the first edition of consensus guidelines on angiogenesis bioassays to serve for current and future reference