Aspetti di Teoria dell'Informazione nel Fenomeno della Distorsione Non Lineare di Segnali Dati

In questo lavoro di tesi si è analizzata l'informazione mutua che passa in un sistema OFDM su canale satellitare, tenendo conto delle non-linearità introdotte dall'amplificatore di potenza di tipo TWT. Dopo un analisi di tali non linearità, si è provveduto a simulare il sistema e graficare i vari andamenti dell'informazione mutua al variare dell'input backoff, output backoff e rapporto Es/No, alla ricerca del punto di massimo trasferimento informativo. Successivamente si è applicato un turbo codice al sistema di trasmissione per analizzare le prestazioni in termini di BER per determinati punti di lavoro ai limiti della capacità di canale ricavata in precedenz

Organic matter contents and degradation in a highly trawled area during fresh particle inputs (Gulf of Castellammare, southwestern Mediterranean)

Bottom trawling in the deep sea is one of the main drivers of sediment resuspension, eroding the seafloor and altering the content and composition of sedimentary organic matter (OM). The physical and biogeochemical impacts of bottom trawling were studied on the continental slope of the Gulf of Castellammare, Sicily (southwestern Mediterranean), through the analysis of two triplicate sediment cores collected at trawled and untrawled sites (∼550 m water depth) during the summer of 2016. Geochemical and sedimentological parameters (excess 210Pb, excess 234Th, 137Cs, dry bulk density, and grain size), elemental (organic carbon and nitrogen) and biochemical composition of sedimentary OM (proteins, carbohydrates, lipids), as well as its freshness (phytopigments) and degradation rates were determined in both coring locations. The untrawled site had a sedimentation rate of 0.15 cm yr−1 and presented a 6 cm thick surface mixed layer that contained siltier sediment with low excess 210Pb concentrations, possibly resulting from the resuspension, posterior advection, and eventual deposition of coarser and older sediment from adjacent trawling grounds. In contrast, the trawled site was eroded and presented compacted century-old sediment highly depleted in OM components, which were between 20 % and 60 % lower than those in the untrawled site. However, the upper 2 cm of the trawled site consisted of recently accumulated sediments enriched in excess 234Th, excess 210Pb, and phytopigments, while OM contents were similar to those from the untrawled core. This fresh sediment supported protein turnover rates of 0.025 d−1, which doubled those quantified in surface sediments of the untrawled site. The enhancement of remineralization rates in surface sediment of the trawled site was associated with the arrival of fresh particles on a chronically trawled deep-sea region that is generally deprived of OM. We conclude that the detrimental effects of bottom trawling can be temporarily and partially abated by the arrival of fresh and nutritionally rich OM, which stimulate the response of benthic communities. However, these ephemeral deposits are likely to be swiftly eroded due to the high trawling frequency over fishing grounds, highlighting the importance of establishing science-based management strategies to mitigate the impacts of bottom trawling

SECURITY RISK ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF INTEGRATING CUSTOMER ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS INTO SMART DISTRIBUTION GRIDS

ABSTRAC

Caracterización de grandes estructuras sismogénicas y tsunamogénicas del Golfo de Cádiz con tecnologías de muy alta resolución : Cruise Report INSIGHT-Leg 1

Cruise Report INSIGHT-Leg 1 R/V Sarmiento de Gamboa (SDG-68) 29th April - 18th May 2018.-- 139 pages, figures, tables, 2 annexesLarge earthquakes, submarine landslides and the tsunami they might originate are geohazards of great societal concern because they may impact world economies and struck coastal populations. Examples of these events are the 2004 northern Sumatra and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes and respective tsunamis. However, earthquakes of magnitude Mw > 8.0 in areas of relatively slow tectonic deformation and with long recurrence intervals, such as the external part of the Gulf of Cadiz, might also have a significant impact. The most relevant is the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, related submarine landslides and destructive tsunami. The occurrence of faults and landslides able to trigger a catastrophic tsunami reveals that the Gulf of Cadiz is one of the highest geohazard areas in Europe. Migration of sub-seafloor fluids has also been widely documented in the Gulf of Cadiz and such fluids are strongly related to the earthquake cycle and to the occurrence of submarine landslides. Understanding of these active processes can only be developed by using ultra-high-resolution tools able to map with unprecedented detail faults, submarine landslides and fluid escape structures. State-of-the-art techniques are used during INSIGHT-Leg 1, such as microbathymetry obtained from an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), sub-bottom profiles, HR multi-channel seismic data (MCS), and groundtruthing using sediment coresWe gratefully acknowledge financial support from Ministerio Economia y Competividad through national project INSIGHT “ImagiNg large SeismogenIc and tsunamiGenic structures of the Gulf of Cadiz with ultra-High resolution Technologies (INSIGHT-Leg1)” (CGL2011-30005-C02-02, PIs: Roger Urgeles and Eulàlia Gràcia) and Ocean Facilities Exchange Group (OFEG) for allowing us to use the AUVs “Abyss” from GEOMAR (Germany

Family history of cancer as surrogate predictor for immunotherapy with anti-PD1/PD-L1 agents: preliminary report of the FAMI-L1 study.

Aim: Tumors related to hereditary susceptibility seem to have an immunosensitive phenotype. Materials & methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study, to investigate if family history of cancer, multiple neoplasms and early onset of cancer could be related to clinical outcomes of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy. Activity and efficacy data of 211 advanced cancer patients (kidney, non-small-cell lung cancer, melanoma, urothelium, colorectal and HeN), treated at seven Italian centers with anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents, were analyzed. Results: In this preliminary report at multivariate analyses, positive family history of cancer showed a statistically significant relationship with a better objective response rate (p = 0.0024), disease control rate (p = 0.0161), median time to treatment failure (p = 0.0203) and median overall survival (p = 0.0221). Diagnosis of multiple neoplasms significantly correlates only to a better disease control rate, while interestingly non-early onset of cancer and sex (in favor of female patients) showed significant correlation with a better median overall survival (p = 0.0268 and p = 0.0272, respectively). Conclusion: This pilot study seems to individuate easily available patient's features as possible predictive surrogates of clinical benefit for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatments. These preliminary results need to be confirmed with a greater sample size, in prospective trials with immunotherapy

CHK1 inhibitor sensitizes resistant colorectal cancer stem cells to nortopsentin

Limited therapeutic options are available for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). Herein, we report that exposure to a neo-synthetic bis(indolyl)thiazole alkaloid analog, nortopsentin 234 (NORA234), leads to an initial reduction of proliferative and clonogenic potential of CRC sphere cells (CR-CSphCs), followed by an adaptive response selecting the CR-CSphC-resistant compartment. Cells spared by the treatment with NORA234 express high levels of CD44v6, associated with a constitutive activation of Wnt pathway. In CR-CSphC-based organoids, NORA234 causes a genotoxic stress paralleled by G2-M cell cycle arrest and activation of CHK1, driving the DNA damage repair of CR-CSphCs, regardless of the mutational background, microsatellite stability, and consensus molecular subtype. Synergistic combination of NORA234 and CHK1 (rabusertib) targeting is synthetic lethal inducing death of both CD44v6-negative and CD44v6-positive CRC stem cell fractions, aside from Wnt pathway activity. These data could provide a rational basis to develop an effective strategy for the treatment of patients with CRC

Cancer cell targeting by CAR-T cells: A matter of stemness

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy represents one of the most innovative immunotherapy approaches. The encouraging results achieved by CAR-T cell therapy in hematological disorders paved the way for the employment of CAR engineered T cells in different types of solid tumors. This adoptive cell therapy represents a selective and efficacious approach to eradicate tumors through the recognition of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). Binding of engineered CAR-T cells to TAAs provokes the release of several cytokines, granzyme, and perforin that ultimately lead to cancer cells elimination and patient’s immune system boosting. Within the tumor mass a subpopulation of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells (CSCs), plays a crucial role in drug resistance, tumor progression, and metastasis. CAR-T cell therapy has indeed been exploited to target CSCs specific antigens as an effective strategy for tumor heterogeneity disruption. Nevertheless, a barrier to the efficacy of CAR-T cell-based therapy is represented by the poor persistence of CAR-T cells into the hostile milieu of the CSCs niche, the development of resistance to single targeting antigen, changes in tumor and T cell metabolism, and the onset of severe adverse effects. CSCs resistance is corroborated by the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), which includes stromal cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and immune cells. The relationship between TME components and CSCs dampens the efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy. To overcome this challenge, the double strategy based on the use of CAR-T cell therapy in combination with chemotherapy could be crucial to evade immunosuppressive TME. Here, we summarize challenges and limitations of CAR-T cell therapy targeting CSCs, with particular emphasis on the role of TME and T cell metabolic demands

Mapping the evidence of the effects of environmental factors on the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the non-built environment: Protocol for a systematic evidence map

Background: Human, animal, and environmental health are increasingly threatened by the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Inappropriate use of antibiotic treatments commonly contributes to this threat, but it is also becoming apparent that multiple, interconnected environmental factors can play a significant role. Thus, a One Health approach is required for a comprehensive understanding of the environmental dimensions of antibiotic resistance and inform science-based decisions and actions. The broad and multidisciplinary nature of the problem poses several open questions drawing upon a wide heterogeneous range of studies. Objective: This study seeks to collect and catalogue the evidence of the potential effects of environmental factors on the abundance or detection of antibiotic resistance determinants in the outdoor environment, i.e., antibiotic resistant bacteria and mobile genetic elements carrying antibiotic resistance genes, and the effect on those caused by local environmental conditions of either natural or anthropogenic origin. Methods: Here, we describe the protocol for a systematic evidence map to address this, which will be performed in adherence to best practice guidelines. We will search the literature from 1990 to present, using the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, Embase, and the Web of Science Core Collection as well as the grey literature. We shall include full-text, scientific articles published in English. Reviewers will work in pairs to screen title, abstract and keywords first and then full-text documents. Data extraction will adhere to a code book purposely designed. Risk of bias assessment will not be conducted as part of this SEM. We will combine tables, graphs, and other suitable visualisation techniques to compile a database i) of studies investigating the factors associated with the prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the environment and ii) map the distribution, network, cross-disciplinarity, impact and trends in the literature.This work was supported by funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 773830: One Health European Joint Programme. The funder had no role in the development of this protocol.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Open Science @ UNIBO: il servizio di supporto a rete per le comunità di ricerca

Le forti spinte globali a favore dell’Open Access (OA) e dell’Open Science (OS) hanno sollecitato i sistemi bibliotecari delle università a rivedere servizi e competenze in funzione dei nuovi bisogni delle loro comunità di riferimento. Il Sistema Bibliotecario dell’Università di Bologna ha risposto a questi stimoli definendo un modello a rete a supporto dell’Open Access avviato sperimentalmente nella seconda metà del 2018. L’obiettivo strategico condiviso e co-gestito dall’intera comunità accademica è la promozione di prassi che consentano il libero accesso e il riuso delle pubblicazioni e dei dati della ricerca scientifica. Il servizio si struttura come una rete decentrata di punti di supporto collocati nelle biblioteche con il coordinamento centrale a cura della Biblioteca Digitale di Ateneo, AlmaDL. AlmaDL si occupa della formazione dei bibliotecari del servizio di supporto, fornisce loro assistenza specialistica anche in materia di diritto d’autore, coordina, monitora e sostiene il servizio con personale dedicato, oltre a offrire assistenza per la gestione FAIR dei dati di ricerca nel data repository di Ateneo e a garantire il raccordo istituzionale partecipando al Gruppo di lavoro Open Science di Ateneo. I punti di servizio offrono alle loro comunità scientifiche consulenza e orientamento, validano le pubblicazioni scientifiche depositate nel repository istituzionale, organizzano campagne di sensibilizzazione e rispondono alle esigenze specifiche delle comunità scientifiche. Ad oggi i bibliotecari coinvolti nel servizio sono 61; quasi 24.000 le pubblicazioni in OA e oltre 200 i dataset depositati nei repository istituzionali; 4830 le consulenze e 178 ore di formazione a cui hanno partecipato 1307 utenti. Il modello adottato ha presentato numerosi vantaggi rivelandosi sostenibile e attento alle specificità dei diversi ambiti disciplinari. Inoltre il continuo scambio di informazioni tra i nodi della rete permette lo sviluppo delle competenze e delle conoscenze in una continua ridefinizione del modello organizzativo e dei contenuti del servizio

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London