Ugo Spirito e la riforma penale italiana

Il tormentato interesse di Ugo Spirito per il diritto penale costituiva da sempre una costante, un punto di riferimento, - o, per meglio dire, di orientamento decisivo - per i suoi totalizzanti itinerari speculativi. La riflessione penalistica, per quell'eminente filosofo, era un fatto centrale, una scelta ineludibile. Come tale, essa continuava a costituire una sorta di fiume carsico che nel dipanarsi del suo pensiero, nel susseguirsi delle opere date alle stampe, periodicamente riaffiorava

The evolution of the number density of compact galaxies

We compare the number density of compact (small size) massive galaxies at low and high redshift using our Padova Millennium Galaxy and Group Catalogue (PM2GC) at z=0.03-0.11 and the CANDELS results from Barro et al. (2013) at z=1-2. The number density of local compact galaxies with luminosity weighted (LW) ages compatible with being already passive at high redshift is compared with the density of compact passive galaxies observed at high-z. Our results place an upper limit of a factor ~2 to the evolution of the number density and are inconsistent with a significant size evolution for most of the compact galaxies observed at high-z. The evolution may be instead significant (up to a factor 5) for the most extreme, ultracompact galaxies. Considering all compact galaxies, regardless of LW age and star formation activity, a minority of local compact galaxies (<=1/3) might have formed at z<1. Finally, we show that the secular decrease of the galaxy stellar mass due to simple stellar evolution may in some cases be a non-negligible factor in the context of the evolution of the mass-size relation, and we caution that passive evolution in mass should be taken into account when comparing samples at different redshifts.Comment: ApJ in pres

Heavy Quark Parameters and Vcb from Spectral Moments in Semileptonic B Decays

We extract the heavy quark masses and non-perturbative parameters from the Delphi preliminary measurements of the first three moments of the charged lepton energy and hadronic mass distributions in semileptonic B decays, using a multi-parameter fit. We adopt two formalisms, one of which does not rely on a 1/mc expansion and makes use of running quark masses. The data are consistent and the level of accuracy of the experimental inputs largely determines the present sensitivity. The results allow to improve on the uncertainty in the extraction of Vcb.Comment: 13 pages, 2 figure

Characterization of the Hamamatsu R11265-103-M64 multi-anode photomultiplier tube

The aim of this paper is to fully characterize the new multi-anode photomultiplier tube R11265-103-M64, produced by Hamamatsu. Its high effective active area (77%), its pixel size, the low dark signal rate and the capability to detect single photon signals make this tube suitable for an application in high energy physics, such as for RICH detectors. Four tubes and two different bias voltage dividers have been tested. The results of a standard characterization of the gain and the anode uniformity, the dark signal rate, the cross-talk and the device behaviour as a function of temperature have been studied. The behaviour of the tube is studied in a longitudinal magnetic field up to 100 Gauss. Shields made of a high permeability material are also investigated. The deterioration of the device performance due to long time operation at intense light exposure is studied. A quantitative analysis of the variation of the gain and the dark signals rate due to the aging is described.Comment: 22 page

On the Use of Wavelet Transform for Quench Precursors Characterisation in the LHC Superconducting Dipole Magnets

Premature training quenches are caused by transient energy released within the magnet coil while it is energized. Signals recorded across the so-called quench antenna carry information about these disturbances. A new method for identifying and characterizing those events is proposed, which applies the wavelet transform approach to the recorded signals. Such an approach takes into account the time of occurrence as well as frequency content of the events. The choice of the optimal mother wavelet is discussed, and the results obtained from the application of the method to actual signals are given. The criteria to recognize the interesting events are presented as well as the methodology to classify their global behavior

The cell biology underlying juvenile ceroid lipofuscinoses (Batten Disease).

The juvenile form of Batten Disease (JNCL) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused by mutations in the CLN3 protein, an integral membrane protein of unknown function. The hallmark of JNCL is the accumulation of storage material in lysosomes consisting predominantly of subunit c of mitochondrial ATP synthase. CLN3 protein is present primarily in endosomes and lysosomes in non- neuronal cells, whereas in neuronal cells it is also reported to be in presynaptic vesicles and along the neurites. The current best evidence is that it traffics through the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus to the endosome and lysosome, sorted by a dileucine motif which binds the adaptor complexes AP-1 and AP-3. The effects of loss of CLN3 protein function on membrane trafficking were investigated in the Cln3Aexl'6 knockout mouse model and in human cell lines deficient for CLN3 due to siRNA-mediated gene silencing. Morphological analysis and immunostaining of CLN3-deficient fibroblasts and neurons revealed the presence of normal lysosomes but also an accumulation of aberrant organelles of autophagic origin. Endocytic tracer analysis indicated that the aberrant organelles accumulate due to a defect in fusion between autophagosomes and lysosomes. Phagocytic defects involving a failure to recruit late endocytic markers were also defined. Together these findings indicate a similar defect in both these cellular pathways, involving defective maturation of autophagosomes and phagosomes which is accompanied by accumulation of undigested material in CLN3-deficient cells. As well as impairments in the mechanism of endosome fusion with autophagosomes and phagosomes, defects in an additional cellular mechanism were detected in CLN3-deficient cells. The route of protein trafficking from the trans-golgi network (TGN) to endosomes is interrupted after CLN3 gene silencing, resulting in retention of the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor in the TGN accompanied by defective processing of lysosome hydrolases. This investigation of the cellular pathology underlying Batten disease reveals a role for CLN3 in two distinct but related cellular pathways: autophagyc and phagocytosis and it also plays a role in TGN to endosome trafficking. This contributes to the understanding of the cellular phenotype underlying CLN3/Batten disease and most likely other forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

ATR-FTIR chemical screening for adulterants and sugar characterisation in honeys

The search for improvements in honey analysis is an important topic due to the relevance that adulterations and variations of sugar composition have in this food. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) is a reliable and fast analytical instrumentation for analysis of liquids, semi-solids and solids, which is currently used in food chemistry for qualitative and quantitative investigations. This work is aimed to build a fast analytical method, using ATR-FTIR and Partial Least Square (PLS) chemometric tool, to quantitative determination of glucose, fructose and sucrose present in honeys. We analyzed 25 honeys from Trentino and Sicily and a significant spectral range from the whole ATR-FTIR spectra were selected. Then a PLS multivariate calibration model was built by using mixtures of glucose, fructose and sucrose at various concentration. Samples for cross-validation were selected, thereby allowing quantitative evaluation of glucose, fructose and sucrose in all samples. Furthermore, a representative number of honeys were mixed with common adulterant syrups to simulate adulteration procedures and to verify the reliability of the ATR-FTIR technique in recognizing them. Preliminary results revealed not only the quantitative reliability of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy in the evaluation of sugars in honeys, but also its ability in recognizing honey adulteration

Impact of the First Powering Cycles on the LHC Superconducting Dipole Coil Geometry

The impact of the first powering cycles on the LHC superconducting dipoles coil geometry has been investigated. Dedicated magnetic measurements have been performed to estimate the changes in the geometric component of the harmonics, caused by the last highest Lorentz force the coil has ever experienced. Several magnets have been powered at increasing current steps while the field quality has been measured to quantify the changes in geometry. The effect of the thermal cycles has been also considered as well as the systematic differences between measurements before and after the quench training. The reconstruction of the coil geometry variations is discussed in terms of continuous modes of deformation as well as single block displacements

Design and validation of a hardware-in-the-loop test bench for evaluating the performance of an active mass damper

The purpose of this study is to propose an innovative solution for evaluating the performance of a full-scale Active Mass Damper (AMD). The AMD adopted is a custom hydraulic actuator, developed for active control of existing buildings against earthquakes. For vibration control, a sky-hook algorithm was implemented. Its characteristics ensure good robustness, which is fundamental in structural engineering since buildings are subjected to significant variation in dynamic properties in presence of damage or ambient conditions. A Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) test bench was specifically designed to simulate the actual working condition of the anti-seismic system. The HIL setup consists of a shaking table moved by a hydraulic actuator in accordance with the roof's displacement, evaluated using a structural numerical model of the building to which the AMD is fixed. The presence of two distinct active systems (HIL and AMD) could generate control issues; therefore, a Triple Variable Control logic was introduced to reduce the interaction delay. The effectiveness of the proposed AMD is validated comparing the roof's displacement in an uncontrolled structure with that in a controlled one. Also, the robustness of the control algorithm was verified using a non-linear structural model and applying seismic excitation at different intensities