Bessel Functions in Mass Action. Modeling of Memories and Remembrances

Data from experimental observations of a class of neurological processes (Freeman K-sets) present functional distribution reproducing Bessel function behavior. We model such processes with couples of damped/amplified oscillators which provide time dependent representation of Bessel equation. The root loci of poles and zeros conform to solutions of K-sets. Some light is shed on the problem of filling the gap between the cellular level dynamics and the brain functional activity. Breakdown of time-reversal symmetry is related with the cortex thermodynamic features. This provides a possible mechanism to deduce lifetime of recorded memory.Comment: 16 pages, 9 figures, Physics Letters A, 2015 in pres

The Impact of Migration on Productivity:Evidence from the United Kingdom

The UK saw a sharp rise in work-related migration, particularly from the EU, in the 2000s and 2010s, with profound impacts on the labour market. We investigate the relationship between migration and productivity in Great Britain between 2002 and 2018, using an instrumental variable approach which follows the commonly used shift-share methodology. Our results, which are robust to a variety of tests, suggest that immigration has a positive and significant impact (in both the statistical sense and more broadly) on productivity, as measured by GVA per job at the Travel-to-Work-Area level. We indeed find that a 1 p.p. increase in the share of migrants is associated with a 0.84 % increase in productivity in 2SLS estimates. We discuss the implications for post-Brexit immigration policy.</p

THE EFFECTS OF FOOD AESTHETICS ON CONSUMERS. VISUAL STIMULI AND FOOD MARKETING

In this study we analyze how the visual impact influences consumers, in particular considering the way a food is presented, exploring in this way how food marketing is also a question of food appearance. Do we eat firstly with our eyes? And if yes, which are the consequences of this process on food marketing strategies? Literature highlights that the way food is presented produces effects from a celebral and a physiological point of view, but also how it affects taste. In the first part of this research literature has been explored, paying attention in particular on hunger as a process which begins from eyes and, secondly,on how neatness makes food more desiderable. The second part of the study shows our experiment on consumers. Specifically 71 subjects were involeved, divided into four groups, that had to observe and evaluate some plates of fruit and bresaola, once arranged neatly, once disorderly. Data have been gathered and analyzed, in particular highlighting consumers’ expectation about the tastiness of the food and how much they would have spent to eat that food. Finally we discuss about the findings, in particular underlining how neatness counts in the presentation. From the point of view of managerial implications, these findings may be useful to understand the role of appearance to implement a winning food marketing strategy

Enhancing the Energy Efficiency of Wastewater Treatment Plants through the Optimization of the Aeration Systems

The current geopolitical landscape of the European Union has made it clear that the energy sector must be a top priority in EU policy, especially in light of the sudden escalation of Russian– Ukrainian conflicts. Energy efficiency has been used as the first tool of EU policy to tackle energy and climate crises, given the issues surrounding energy vulnerability and the need to limit gas emissions that contribute to climate change. The white certificate mechanism in Italy has played a pivotal role in encouraging measures to achieve the country’s energy-saving goals. Given the high energy requirements of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs), especially for aeration in the biological section, this paper examines the replacement of the air distribution system for a large WWTP as a viable intervention. In order to provide economic perspective for the plant, both the discounted Payback Period (dPBP) and the Net Present Value (NPV) were calculated for the investment. When viewed through an economic lens, the dPBP metric exhibits values that span from less than 1 year to nearly 4.5 years. Additionally, the investment’s cost-effectiveness was emphasized by the NPV, which, depending on the factors considered, can exceed 17.5 million euros. Finally, given the centrality of the theme of climate change, the avoided greenhouse gas emissions generated by the efficiency intervention were calculated, according to the GHG Protocol, resulting in a quantity of avoided emissions equivalent to over 57,770 tonnes of CO2e. These results highlight important achievements in terms of both the cost-effectiveness of the plant and the reduction of greenhouse gas emission

Efficacy of treatment with glycosaminoglycans on experimental collagen-induced arthritis in rats

To evaluate the antioxidant activity of the glycosaminoglycans hyaluronic acid (HYA) and chondroitin-4-sulphate (C4S), we used a rat model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Arthritis was induced in Lewis rats by multiple intradermal injections of 250 μl of emulsion containing bovine type II collagen in complete Freund's adjuvant at the base of the tail and into three to five other sites on the back. Rats were challenged again with the same antigen preparation 7 days later. Disease developed about 11 days after the second immunization. The effects of treatment in the rats were monitored by biochemical parameters and by macroscopic and histological evaluations in blood, synovial tissue and articular cartilage. Arthritis produced the following symptoms: severe periarticular erythema, edema and inflammation in the hindpaws; membrane peroxidation in the cartilage of the joints; endogenous antioxidant wasting; high tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plasma levels; and synovial neutrophil accumulation. Treatment with HYA and C4S, starting at the onset of arthritis for 10 days, limited the erosive action of the disease in the articular joints of knee and paw, reduced lipid peroxidation, restored the endogenous antioxidants reduced glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase, decreased plasma TNF-α levels, and limited synovial neutrophil infiltration. These data confirm that erosive destruction of the joint cartilage in CIA is due at least in part to free radicals released by activated neutrophils and produced by other biochemical pathways. The beneficial effects obtained with the treatment suggest that HYA and C4S could be considered natural endogenous macromolecules to limit erosive damage in CIA or as a useful tool with which to study the involvement of free radicals in rheumatoid arthritis

MLL rearrangements in pediatric acute lymphoblastic and myeloblastic leukemias: MLL specific and lineage specific signatures

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The presence of <it>MLL </it>rearrangements in acute leukemia results in a complex number of biological modifications that still remain largely unexplained. Armstrong et al. proposed <it>MLL </it>rearrangement positive ALL as a distinct subgroup, separated from acute lymphoblastic (ALL) and myeloblastic leukemia (AML), with a specific gene expression profile. Here we show that MLL, from both ALL and AML origin, share a signature identified by a small set of genes suggesting a common genetic disregulation that could be at the basis of mixed lineage leukemia in both phenotypes.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using Affymetrix^®HG-U133 Plus 2.0 platform, gene expression data from 140 (training set) + 78 (test set) ALL and AML patients with (24+13) and without (116+65) <it>MLL </it>rearrangements have been investigated performing class comparison (SAM) and class prediction (PAM) analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We identified a <it>MLL </it>translocation-specific (379 probes) signature and a phenotype-specific (622 probes) signature which have been tested using unsupervised methods. A final subset of 14 genes grants the characterization of acute leukemia patients with and without <it>MLL </it>rearrangements.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study demonstrated that a small subset of genes identifies <it>MLL</it>-specific rearrangements and clearly separates acute leukemia samples according to lineage origin. The subset included well-known genes and newly discovered markers that identified ALL and AML subgroups, with and without <it>MLL </it>rearrangements.</p

Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) Urinary Excretion and Assumption of Water with Different Mineral Content in Healthy Subjects

The aquaporin-2 (AQP2) plays a key role in AVP-induced absorption of water, and its urinary excretion is related to its function. We aimed to test if the assumption of water with different mineral content can modify the expression of AQP2, leading to a change in AQP2 urinary concentration, in 20 healthy young subjects. Each subject received an oral water load (LM or HM) of 250 mL/hour for four hours, and several variables were measured. Plasmatic osmolality after water assumption was significantly reduced with no differences after the low (LM) or the high mineral (HM) water load. Urinary osmolality and plasmatic vasopressin concentration were significantly reduced after an assumption of both kinds of water. However, serum vasopressin was lower after HM water assumption than after LM. AQP2 urinary excretion was significantly reduced after water assumption with respect to the basal level and it was lower after LM than after HM water assumption. The different mineral content of water was investigated as a factor contributing to the development of hypertension. Considering that AQP2 can play a role in pathogenesis of hypertension, our demonstration that AVP-mediated AQP2 urinary excretion is strictly influenced by the consumption of water with different mineral content suggests a new, interesting field of investigation related to the link between blood pressure alterations and nutritional habits