PhotoRaptor - Photometric Research Application To Redshifts

Due to the necessity to evaluate photo-z for a variety of huge sky survey data sets, it seemed important to provide the astronomical community with an instrument able to fill this gap. Besides the problem of moving massive data sets over the network, another critical point is that a great part of astronomical data is stored in private archives that are not fully accessible on line. So, in order to evaluate photo-z it is needed a desktop application that can be downloaded and used by everyone locally, i.e. on his own personal computer or more in general within the local intranet hosted by a data center. The name chosen for the application is PhotoRApToR, i.e. Photometric Research Application To Redshift (Cavuoti et al. 2015, 2014; Brescia 2014b). It embeds a machine learning algorithm and special tools dedicated to preand post-processing data. The ML model is the MLPQNA (Multi Layer Perceptron trained by the Quasi Newton Algorithm), which has been revealed particularly powerful for the photo-z calculation on the base of a spectroscopic sample (Cavuoti et al. 2012; Brescia et al. 2013, 2014a; Biviano et al. 2013). The PhotoRApToR program package is available, for different platforms, at the official website (http://dame.dsf.unina.it/dame_photoz.html#photoraptor).Comment: User Manual of the PhotoRaptor tool, 54 pages. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1501.0650

Photometric redshift estimation based on data mining with PhotoRApToR

Photometric redshifts (photo-z) are crucial to the scientific exploitation of modern panchromatic digital surveys. In this paper we present PhotoRApToR (Photometric Research Application To Redshift): a Java/C++ based desktop application capable to solve non-linear regression and multi-variate classification problems, in particular specialized for photo-z estimation. It embeds a machine learning algorithm, namely a multilayer neural network trained by the Quasi Newton learning rule, and special tools dedicated to pre- and postprocessing data. PhotoRApToR has been successfully tested on several scientific cases. The application is available for free download from the DAME Program web site.Comment: To appear on Experimental Astronomy, Springer, 20 pages, 15 figure

Ainda a regionalização da NATO

Portugal não é um país apenas ibérico, é também atlântico, e o mais atlântico da Europa, pelas suas especiais Geografia e História. A sua inserção geográfica na Aliança Atlântica, e o papel funcional que foi reconhecido ao seu território na Guerra Fria e na II Guerra Mundial, no Atlântico Norte, atesta-o bem. Por outro lado, a Espanha tem expressão territorial mais continental e mais mediterrânica, do que decorre a importância que ela, correctamente, atribui ao eixo estratégico Baleares-Estreito de Gibraltar-Canárias. Daí que, para preservar o que de melhor a NATO tem, que é a promoção de confiança e de solidariedade entre os seus membros - que são vitais para as suas imprescindíveis aceitabilidade e coesão - se não deva aceitar impen.sadamente a ideia de que a chamada área ibero-atlântica é uma unidade estratégica indivisível

The essence of yeast quiescence

Like all microorganisms, yeast cells spend most of their natural lifetime in a reversible, quiescent state that is primarily induced by limitation for essential nutrients. Substantial progress has been made in defining the features of quiescent cells and the nutrient-signaling pathways that shape these features. A view that emerges from the wealth of new data is that yeast cells dynamically configure the quiescent state in response to nutritional challenges by using a set of key nutrient-signaling pathways, which (1) regulate pathway-specific effectors, (2) converge on a few regulatory nodes that bundle multiple inputs to communicate unified, graded responses, and (3) mutually modulate their competences to transmit signals. Here, I present an overview of our current understanding of the architecture of these pathways, focusing on how the corresponding core signaling protein kinases (i.e. PKA, TORC1, Snf1, and Pho85) are wired to ensure an adequate response to nutrient starvation, which enables cells to tide over decades, if not centuries, of famin

Hermeneutics of “Revealed Morality” in the Document of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, “The Bible and Morality: Biblical Roots of Christian Conduct”

The purpose of this paper is the critical analysis of the document of Pontifical Biblical Commission (PBC): Bible and Morality. Biblical Roots of Christian conduct (2008) and specifically the hermeneutical reflection on the “revealed morality”. The nature of consideration on the dokument is especially hermeneutical, beginning with the key concept, namely “revealed morality”. The article is divided into two parts and preceded by a brief contextualization. In Part I is present the analysis of the document, highlighting the most important points for the biblical and moral reflection. In Part II we shall focus on the hermeneutics of the document and the developments that these indications can offer us today, in order to clarify the roles of the two disciplines and thereby contribute to a fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue.Hermeneutyka “Moralności objawionej” w dokumencie Papieskiej Komisji Biblijnej “Biblia a moralność. Biblijne korzenie postępowania moralnego”Celem niniejszego artykułu jest krytyczna analiza dokumentu Papieskiej Komisji Biblijnej: „Biblia a moralność. Biblijne korzenie postepowania moralnego” i w szczególności hermeneutyczna refleksja nad „moralnością objawioną”. Natura rozważań nad dokumentem jest przede wszytskim heremeneutyczna, poczynając od kluczowego konceptu, nazwanego „moralnością objawieniową”. Artkuł jest podzielony na dwie częsci, poprzedzony krótką kontekstualizacją. W części pierwszej jest zaprezentowana anliaza dokumentu, a w sposób szczególny najważaniejsze punkty nad biblijną i moralną refleksją. Część druga konecntruje się na hermeneutyce dokumentu i rozwoju tezy, że przesłanie dokumentu może ofiarować wkład w dialog między biblistyką i teologią moralną

L’esilio e la frontiera nell’italianità letteraria

Full Article in ItalianOriginally, exile was a punishment implying a permanent or temporary banishment from homeland. In modern times as it was not regarded as a penalty anymore, it turned into a self-imposed, voluntary, castigation. In this paper, the main characteristics and consequences of exile is examined from the Italian point of view, notwithstanding the historical events which led to the unification of Italy in a state. The parameters upon which ‘Italianity’ has been predicated are constituted both by language and literature, which – contrary to many European nations (where the national history intertwines with the literary and cultural history) – have paradoxically developed as foreign to any idea of state and/or political entity

Autoimmunity and otolaryngology diseases

Many systemic autoimmune diseases have otolaryngology manifestations that could represent a diagnostic challenge for clinicians, as they often constitute an early sign of an otherwise asymptomatic autoimmune condition and may lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. In other cases, otolaryngology manifestations can be overlooked in patients with previously diagnosed autoimmune diseases. The pres- ence of concomitant conditions, the heterogeneity of studies available in the literature, and the lack of randomized trials are factors that may limit the prompt diagnosis of otolaryn- gology manifestations in systemic autoimmune diseases, with underestimation of the problem and undertreatment of the related condition

Biological activity of Citrus spp. metabolites on Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann).

The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is one of the most injurious pest at global level. During the last years, several electrophysiological and behavioural studies have been carried out in order to investigate plant volatile compound-insect interactions with the aim to use this knowledge in sustainable control techniques. It has been observed that lemons are not attacked by medfly, probably because of the peel oil, that is toxic to other fruit flies. In the present paper electrophysiological recordings were conducted to evaluate the insect sensitivity to peel extract and peel oil of two Sicilian cultivars (Interdonato and Lunario) of Citrus x limon (L.) Burm.f. on C. capitata females. Behavioural bioassays were also performed to show their possible biological activity (repellent, antioviposition, insecticidal). C. limon peel extracts in different solvents (petroleum ether, dichloromethane and methanol) were investigated at various concentrations using a single cell recording technique (stimulation of tarsal taste chemosensilla). Different tarsal taste cell responses to the two cultivars were recorded. The higher sensitivity was evoked by C. limon Interdonato, particularly to the methanol extract, which elicited significant increases in the spike frequency at increasing concentrations. The peel oil of the same cultivars as well as that ones of other two C. limon varieties (Monachello and Femminello) have been tested by EAG techniques. The EAG data showed a high sensitivity (about -8.0/8.5mV) of the medfly antennae to the oils of Citrus spp. and a clear dose-response relationship. Responses of adult females (virgin and mated) to Citrus spp. peel extract were quantified in a double-choice test using yellow spheres (diameter 7.0cm) housed in field cages. Preliminary tests conducted on three extracts of C. limon Interdonato and Lunario have provided interesting results. It was recorded a general decrease of the oviposition on treated spheres compared to control and in the case of the cultivar Lunario, a mortality of insects

Letter to the editor: autoimmune pathogenic mechanisms in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The innate immune system may affect the function and survival of motor neurons in ALS by at least three mechanisms. First, there is evidence to suggest that aggregates of mutant SOD1—which is derived from microglial and astroglial cells—activate neighbouring microglia by binding to TLR2, TLR4, and CD14, and subsequently promote neuronal cell death [9]. Second, the release of pro- inflammatory cytokines may drive motor neuron damage. Third, although poorly understood, a mechanism has been suggested on the basis of the functional analysis of microglial cells that express mutant SOD1 [10]. These cells showed impaired overall motility and a reduced capacity to clear neuronal cell debris. Impairment of microglial cell phagocytosis may therefore contribute to the accumulation of further immunostimulatory proteins, including mutant SOD1, chromogranin A, and dsRNA, thereby resulting in disease progression