Integrated GIS data set and 3d analysis for environmental impact assessment in the Castelfranco Emilia area (Modena Province, Northern Italy).

In this work is presented a database sets in order in order to analyse an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Geographical Information System (GIS), Geomorphology, Castelfranco Emilia, Modena Provinc

Conservation status of the threatened Iberian Peninsula narrow endemic Antirrhinum lopesianum Rothm. (Scrophulariaceae)

Antirrhinum lopesianum Rothm. is a narrow endemic of the Lusitan Duriensean biogeographical sector (central western Spain and north-eastern Portugal). The species is listed as threatened in several Spanish documents, although it does not figure as such in any Portuguese document. This paper provides a detailed study of its distribution, estimates of the sizes of its populations, the threats it faces, and its current conservation status. The total number of individuals thought to exist is only 768, distributed along the valley of the River Duero on the Spanish – Portuguese border (562, 71.2%), and in the Portuguese Sabor River valley (206, 26.8%). The main threat to the species is loss of habitat: about one third of the Iberian populations can be considered threatened; one population containing 37.6% of all these plants (289) is severely threatened. To determine the Area of Occupancy and the Extent of Occurrence, an exhaustive bibliographical survey was carried out, and herbarium specimens deposited in several institutions were revised. It is, therefore, classifiable as Critically Endangered in Portugal and Endangered in Spai

The origin of the Acheulean: the 1.7 million-year-old site of FLK West, Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)

The appearance of the Acheulean is one of the hallmarks of human evolution. It represents the emergence of a complex behavior, expressed in the recurrent manufacture of large-sized tools, with standardized forms, implying more advance forethought and planning by hominins than those required by the precedent Oldowan technology. The earliest known evidence of this technology dates back to c. 1.7 Ma. and is limited to two sites (Kokiselei [Kenya] and Konso [Ethiopia]), both of which lack fauna. The functionality of these earliest Acheulean assemblages remains unknown. Here we present the discovery of another early Acheulean site also dating to c. 1.7 Ma from Olduvai Gorge. This site provides evidence of the earliest steps in developing the Acheulean technology and is the oldest Acheulean site in which stone tools occur spatially and functionally associated with the exploitation of fauna. Simple and elaborate large-cutting tools (LCT) and handaxes co-exist at FLK West, showing that complex cognition was present from the earliest stages of the Acheulean. Here we provide a detailed technological study and evidence of the use of these tools on the butchery and consumption of fauna, probably by early Homo erectus sensu lato

A system of three transiting super-Earths in a cool dwarf star

We present the detection of three super-Earths transiting the cool star LP415-17, monitored by K2 mission in its 13th campaign. High resolution spectra obtained with HARPS-N/TNG showed that the star is a mid-late K dwarf. Using spectral synthesis models we infer its effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity and subse- quently determined from evolutionary models a stellar radius of 0.58 R Sun. The planets have radii of 1.8, 2.6 and 1.9 R Earth and orbital periods of 6.34, 13.85 and 40.72 days. High resolution images discard any significant contamination by an intervening star in the line of sight. The orbit of the furthest planet has radius of 0.18 AU, close to the inner edge of the habitable zone. The system is suitable to improve our understanding of formation and dynamical evolution of super-Earth systems in the rocky - gaseous threshold, their atmospheres, internal structure, composition and interactions with host stars.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

Experimental analysis of the effect of local base blowing on three-dimensional wake modes

Wake modes of a three-dimensional blunt-based body near a wall are investigated at a Reynolds number . The targeted modes are the static symmetry-breaking mode and two antisymmetric periodic modes. The static mode orientation is aligned with the horizontal major -axis of the base and randomly switches between a positive and a negative state leading to long-time bistable dynamics of the turbulent wake. The modifications of these modes are studied when continuous blowing is applied at different locations through four slits along the base edges (denoted L for left, R for right, T for top and B for bottom) in either four single asymmetric configurations or two double symmetric configurations (denoted LR and TB). Two regimes, referred to as mass and momentum, are clearly identifiable for all configurations. The mass regime, which is fairly insensitive to blowing momentum and location, is characterized by the growth of the recirculating bubble as the total injected flow rate is increased, and is associated with a base drag reduction and interpreted as resulting from the equilibrium between mass fluxes feeding and emptying the recirculating region. A simple budget model is shown to be in agreement with entrainment velocities measured for isolated turbulent mixing layers. The strength of the static mode is reduced up to 20 % when the bubble length is maximum, whereas no change in the periodic mode frequencies is found. On the other hand, the momentum regime is characterized by the deflating of the recirculating bubble, leading to base drag increase, and it is interpreted by the free shear layer forcing, which increases the entrainment velocity, thus emptying the recirculating bubble. In this regime the static mode orientation is imposed by the blowing symmetry. Lateral L and R (respectively top/bottom T and B) blowing configurations select or states in the horizontal (respectively vertical) direction, while bistable dynamics persists for the symmetric LR and TB configurations. The shape of periodic modes follows the changes in wake static orientation. The transition between the two regimes is governed by both the total injected flow rate and the location of the injection

The highly prevalent BRCA2 mutation c.2808_2811del (3036delACAA) is located in a mutational hotspot and has multiple origins

BRCA2-c.2808_2811del (3036delACAA) is one of the most reported germ line mutations in non-Ashkenazi breast cancer patients. We investigated its genetic origin in 51 Spanish carrier families that were genotyped with 11 13q polymorphic markers. Three independent associated haplotypes were clearly distinguished accounting for 23 [west Castilla y León (WCL)], 20 [east Castilla y León (ECL)] and 6 (South of Spain) families. Mutation age was estimated with the Disequilibrium Mapping using Likelihood Estimation software in a range of 45–68 and 45–71 generations for WCL and ECL haplotypes, respectively. The most prevalent variants, c.2808_2811del and c.2803G > A, were located in a double-hairpin loop structure (c.2794–c.2825) predicted by Quikfold that was proposed as a mutational hotspot. To check this hypothesis, random mutagenesis was performed over a 923 bp fragment of BRCA2, and 86 DNA variants were characterized. Interestingly, three mutations reported in the mutation databases (c.2680G > A, c.2944del and c.2957dup) were replicated and 20 affected the same position with different nucleotide changes. Moreover, five variants were placed in the same hairpin loop of c.2808_2811del, and one affected the same position (c.2808A > G). In conclusion, our results support that at least three different mutational events occurred to generate c.2808_2811del. Other highly prevalent DNA variants, such as BRCA1-c.68_69delAG, BRCA2- c.5946delT and c.8537delAG, are concentrated in hairpin loops, suggesting that these structures may represent mutational hotspots

A novel oxidovanadium(V) compound with an isonicotinohydrazide ligand: A combined experimental and theoretical study and cytotoxity against K562 cells

The interaction of oxidovanadium(V) with INHOVA (the condensation product of isoniazid and o-vanillin) lead to the formation of the ester-like complex [VO(INHOVA)EtO(OH2)]Cl·H2O (1). Crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction methods were obtained. The complex crystallizes as a dimer in the space group P21/c of the monoclinic system. A detailed analysis, including solid-state vibrational spectroscopy and electronic spectroscopy in DMSO solution, was performed for both INHOVA and complex (1). A complete theoretical study based on DFT was also carried out. The calculations were of valuable assistance in the spectra assignments and interpretation. The electrochemical characterization allows determining the redox behavior of INHOVA and complex (1). Cytotoxicity was assayed against the chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cell line. The IC50 values obtained denote that both the ligand and complex (1) are good candidates for further studies.Fil: Gonzalez Baro, Ana Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Química Inorgánica ; ArgentinaFil: Ferraresi Curotto, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Química Inorgánica ; ArgentinaFil: Pis Diez, Reinaldo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Química Inorgánica ; ArgentinaFil: Parajón Costa, Beatriz Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Química Inorgánica ; ArgentinaFil: Resende, Jackson A. L. C.. Cua/ufmt; . Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; BrasilFil: de Paula, Flávia C. S.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Pereira Maia, Elene C.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Rey, Nicolás A.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

HIFI observations of warm gas in DR21: Shock versus radiative heating

The molecular gas in the DR21 massive star formation region is known to be affected by the strong UV field from the central star cluster and by a fast outflow creating a bright shock. The relative contribution of both heating mechanisms is the matter of a long debate. By better sampling the excitation ladder of various tracers we provide a quantitative distinction between the different heating mechanisms. HIFI observations of mid-J transitions of CO and HCO+ isotopes allow us to bridge the gap in excitation energies between observations from the ground, characterizing the cooler gas, and existing ISO LWS spectra, constraining the properties of the hot gas. Comparing the detailed line profiles allows to identify the physical structure of the different components. In spite of the known shock-excitation of H2 and the clearly visible strong outflow, we find that the emission of all lines up to > 2 THz can be explained by purely radiative heating of the material. However, the new Herschel/HIFI observations reveal two types of excitation conditions. We find hot and dense clumps close to the central cluster, probably dynamically affected by the outflow, and a more widespread distribution of cooler, but nevertheless dense, molecular clumps.Comment: Accepted for publication by A&