SETI in Sardinia: status of scientific and technological developments

Since 2013, several staff members of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory have been involved with SETI activities, both from a technological and a scientific perspective. One major asset related to this research area is the presence, in the territory, of one of the most modern single-dish antennas: the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT). In this paper, we outline all aspects of our initiatives in the framework of the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence. We describe the development of SRT instrumentation for the purpose of receiving data that could potentially contain signs of life, as well as the directions that we are investigating for studying and analyzing these data, including in an international context

SETI scientific activities in Sardinia: Search for ET, pulsars and Fast Radio Bursts

The Sardinia Radio Telescope, which was inaugurated in 2013, is getting ready to participate in the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) observations. This involves, in collaboration with the SETI collaboration and the ``Breakthrough Listen initiative", the onsite installation of the SERENDIP VI setup for SETI observations. In parallel, a scientific team at the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory is becoming acquainted with SETI search algorithms: both standard algorithms using the Fast Fourier Transform; and more versatile algorithms using the Kahrunen-Loève Transform (KLT) as well as Wavelets. The team is also investigating the possibility to pursue, with the SERENDIP VI setup, the simultaneous search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, pulsars and Fast Radio Bursts

SRT performance measurements (2018-2021)

Tests of characterization are periodically performed at SRT in order to check the status of the antenna, ensure a good functioning of the different components (e.g. active surface, receivers, backends, etc), and improve the observing performances at the different frequencies. In particular, the tests include measurements of beam shape, pointing, gain curves and focus for the different receivers (L, C, X and K-bands). We report the results of the main tests carried out after a long stop of the antenna due to the reparation of the main servo motors chillers in 2020 and compare them with those carried out during the recommissioning in 2018 (after the change of the actuators of the active surface). These results will be useful in order to compare the new status of the antenna after the upgrade of the new receivers at higher frequency (PON)

Genome-wide Analyses Identify KIF5A as a Novel ALS Gene

To identify novel genes associated with ALS, we undertook two lines of investigation. We carried out a genome-wide association study comparing 20,806 ALS cases and 59,804 controls. Independently, we performed a rare variant burden analysis comparing 1,138 index familial ALS cases and 19,494 controls. Through both approaches, we identified kinesin family member 5A (KIF5A) as a novel gene associated with ALS. Interestingly, mutations predominantly in the N-terminal motor domain of KIF5A are causative for two neurodegenerative diseases: hereditary spastic paraplegia (SPG10) and Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2 (CMT2). In contrast, ALS-associated mutations are primarily located at the C-terminal cargo-binding tail domain and patients harboring loss-of-function mutations displayed an extended survival relative to typical ALS cases. Taken together, these results broaden the phenotype spectrum resulting from mutations in KIF5A and strengthen the role of cytoskeletal defects in the pathogenesis of ALS.Peer reviewe

Multi-messenger observations of a binary neutron star merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ~1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40+8-8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 Mo. An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ~40 Mpc) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One- Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ~10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ~9 and ~16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta

Multi-messenger Observations of a Binary Neutron Star Merger

On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ∼ 1.7 {{s}} with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of {40}-8+8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 {M}ȯ . An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ∼ 40 {{Mpc}}) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One-Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ∼10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ∼ 9 and ∼ 16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta.</p

Variazioni e varianti nell' oralità creazione musicale sperimentale : il linguaggio musicale di Franco Oppo, Horatiu Radulescu e Alessandro Milia

Cette thèse de doctorat se situe à la frontière entre deux disciplines : la musicologie et la composition musicale. Nous proposons d'aborder l'étude de quelques systèmes compositionnels axés sur la notion de variation et plus particulièrement sur le processus de modification d'une unité sonore de sens par des variantes. L'un des objectifs est d'observer comment les courants expérimentaux les plus importants du XXe siècle – en particulier le spectralisme et la cybernétique – ont été synthétisés, vers la fin du siècle dernier, avec des aspects de la tradition. L'oralité et l'expérimentation récente ont en commun le procédé de composition par variantes. Cette notion est au centre de notre étude musicologique et caractérise également la partie de notre thèse consacrée à la pratique compositionnelle et à la transmission du savoir compositionnel. Après une recherche sur la technique des variantes dans les langages musicaux de Horatiu Radulescu (Bucarest 1942-Paris 2008) et de Franco Oppo (Nuoro 1935) ainsi que dans l'oralité sarde et roumaine, nous avons expérimenté d'autres possibilités de composition en essayant de dépasser les notions étudiées et d'en proposer une utilisation personnelle. Nous aborderons notre approche compositionnelle par variantes en analysant notre pièce pour piano Sonata (2013), « lieu » spatio-temporel où la mémoire de l'auditeur est appelée à reconstruire une linéarité temporelle transformée par notre stratégie des répétitions variées éparpillées dans l'œuvre. Notre démarche compositionnelle a quelque chose de similaire à la figure rhétorique classique de la digressionThis Ph.D thesis is placed half way between two disciplines: musicology and musical composition. We propose to take up the study of compositional systems based on the notion of variation and more precisely on the process of modification of one sound meaning unit by variants. One of the objectives is to observe how the experimental currents of the XXth century- the Spectralism and the Cybernetic in particular- have been synthesized, at the end of the last century, by some aspects of the tradition. Orality and recent experimentation share the same composition process by variants. This notion is central in our musicology study and characterizes the chapters of the thesis dedicated to the compositional practice and to the transmission of the compositional knowledge. After having investigated the technique of variants in the musical language of Horatiu Radulescu(Bucarest 1942-Paris 2008) and Franco Oppo (Nuoro 1935). as well as the Sardinian and Romanian orality, we could test other possibilities of composition by trying to go beyond the notions studied and by proposing a personal usage. We will take up our compositional approach by variants by analyzing our piece Sonata for piano, spatio-temporal space where the memory of the audience is called to rebuild a temporal linearity transformed by our strategy of variable repetitions spread all over the work. Our compositional method shares the classical rhetorical figure of digression

Exploiting Inter-Processor-Interrupts for Virtual-Time Coordination in Speculative Parallel Discrete Event Simulation

Reducing the waste of resource usage (e.g., CPU-cycles) when a causality error occurs in speculative parallel discrete event simulation (PDES) is still a core objective. In this article, we target this objective in the context of speculative PDES run on top of shared-memory machines. We propose an Operating System approach that is based on the exploitation of the Inter-Processor-Interrupt (IPI) facility offered by off-the-shelf hardware chipsets, which enables cross-CPU-core control of the execution flow of threads. As soon as a thread T produces a new event placed in the past virtual time of a simulation object currently run by another thread T′, our IPI-based support allows T to change the execution flow of T′—with very minimal delay—so to enable the early squash of the currently processed (and no longer consistent) event. Our solution is fully-transparent to the application level code, and is coupled with a lightweight heuristic-based mechanism that determines the actual goodness of killing thread T′ via the IPI (rather than skipping the IPI send) depending on the expected residual execution time of the incorrect event being processed. We integrated our proposal within the speculative open-source USE (Ultimate Share Everything) PDES package, and we report experimental results obtained by running various PDES models on top of two shared-memory hardware architectures equipped with 32 and 24 (48 Hyper-threads) CPU-cores, which demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposal

Determination of Pesticide Residues in IV Range Artichoke (<i>Cynara cardunculus</i> L.) and Its Industrial Wastes

Fourth-range products are those types of fresh fruit and vegetables that are ready for raw consumption or after cooking, and belong to organic or integrated cultivations. These products are subject to mild post-harvesting processing procedures (selection, sorting, husking, cutting, and washing), and are afterwards packaged in packets or closed food plates, with an average shelf life of 5–10 days. Artichokes are stripped of the leaves, stems and outer bracts, and the remaining heads are washed with acidifying solutions. The A LC-MS/MS analytical method was developed and validated following SANTE guidelines for the detection of 220 pesticides. This work evaluated the distribution of pesticide residues among the fraction of artichokes obtained during the industrial processing, and the residues of their wastes left on the field were also investigated. The results showed quantifiable residues of one herbicide (pendimethalin) and four fungicides (azoxystrobin, propyzamide, tebuconazole, and pyraclostrobin). Pendimethalin was found in all samples, with the higher values in leaves 0.046 ± 8.2 mg/kg and in field waste 0.30 ± 6.7 mg/kg. Azoxystrobin was the most concentrated in the outer bracts (0.18 ± 2.9 mg/kg). The outer bracts showed the highest number of residues. The industrial waste showed a significant decrease in the number of residues and their concentration