250 research outputs found
Una biblioteca virtualedi speleologia lombarda
Grazie a recenti sviluppi nella condivisione di informazioni
editoriali in rete, Ăš possibile presentare un prototipo di bibliografia
ragionata e biblioteca virtuale relativo alla speleologia
lombarda, con le seguenti caratteristiche:
â impiego di Google Earth© come interfaccia utente per
posizionare le cavitĂ sul territorio e come punto di partenza
per lâinterrogazione bibliografica;
â generazione statica di pagine web che rappresentano
la bibliografia di una singola cavitĂ ;
â riferimenti internet (URL) diretti ai singoli testi disponibili
in rete, in modo da consentirne la consultazione immediata.
Al momento la bibliografia lombarda si compone di 4400
titoli relativi a 4100 cavitĂ . 700 titoli sono liberamente disponibili
in rete. Vengono discussi i problemi riscontrati ed
i potenziali sviluppi.Thanks to recent developments in Internet editorial information
sharing, a prototype of Lombardy caving reference
bibliography and virtual library is proposed. It relies on the
following components:
â the Google Earth© tool as a user interface, in order to
position caves on the land and as a starting point toward
bibliographic queries;
â static generation of web pages representing single caves
bibliography and references to titles;
â Internet references (URL) pointing to specific titles
available in the Internet, so as to quickly browse them.
Presently, the Lombardy caving bibliography collects 4400
titles related to 4100 caves. 700 titles are freely available
in the Internet. Problems and potential developments are
discussed
Il bimillenario dellâacquedotto augusteo di Serino
Una galleria romana poco nota, posta in localitĂ Scalandrone
(comune di Bacoli â NA), contiene unâiscrizione
parietale che celebra lâapertura di un cunicolo di collegamento
fra la galleria stessa ed un ramo dellâantico acquedotto
augusteo di Serino. Lâiscrizione riporta una data corrispondente
al 30 dicembre 10 d.C. Si tratta del piĂč antico
riferimento ante quem relativo allâacquedotto augusteo.
Grazie ad una collaborazione fra A.R.I.N. S.p.A (Azienda
Risorse Idriche Napoli) e la Soprintendenza Speciale ai
Beni Archeologici di Napoli e Pompei, Ăš stato ideato e
realizzato un progetto comprendente lâesecuzione di un
modello digitale della galleria e dellâiscrizione con tecnologie
laser-scan ed a luce strutturata; dal modello sono
state ricavate due copie su pietra dellâiscrizione, che sono
state esposte nel Museo Archeologico dei Campi Flegrei e
nella sede di Napoli dellâA.R.I.N. Infine, il 30 dicembre 2010
Ăš stato organizzato un evento-convegno di celebrazione
del bimillenario, culminato nel taglio di una spettacolare
torta-monumento. Gli autori hanno partecipato allâideazione
ed alla realizzazione del progetto in veste di consulenti
operativi e scientifici.A little known roman tunnel is placed in the municipality
of Bacoli (Naples, Italy), in an area historically called Scalandrone.
Bacoli is part of the renowned Phlegraean Field,
visited by thousands of foreigners as part of a Grand Tour
in the XVI-XIX centuries. However, the Scalandrone tunnel
was not mentioned in local guides and foreign reports.
The tunnel contains an inscription which celebrates the
opening of an Haustus (passage intended as a water catchment)
connected to the Augustean aqueduct. The date
of the event is reported as December 30th 10 A.D. So, on
last December we celebrated the bimillennial birthday of
the Haustus. Thanks to the cooperation between A.R.I.N.
(Naples water resources company) and the Special Archaeological
Superintendency of Naples and Pompei, an
event was planned in order to celebrate the tunnel and the
inscription at the same time. The on-field work was performed
by the ASAstudio company, with laser-scan and
structured light techniques. A digital model of the inscription
was produced, together with a 3D model of the main
tunnel. Finally, on December 30th 2010 the birthday celebration
summed up with a monumental cake inspired to
the renowned Piscina mirabilis.
The authors acted as designers and promoters of the project;
in the on-field work the authors acted as operative
and scientific consultants
The seismological correspondence at the Observatory of the Alberoni College in Piacenza
The Observatory of Collegio Alberoni in Piacenza boasts a long tradition of observations in the field of the Earth Sciences. Founded first of all as an astronomical observatory in 1751 it gradually specialized also in meteorological observation starting in 1802 and that of instrumental seismology starting in 1861. The instrumental observation of earthquakes in the modern sense started in the 1920s and is documented by an epistolary archive of some 200 letters (1913-1972) described here in brief. The Observatory has a broad-ranging initiative ongoing for the recovery of the historical scientific wealth of its long tradition in which the letters themselves play a very important role
Comparison of Bacterial and Archaeal Microbiome in Two Bioreactors Fed with Cattle Sewage and Corn Biomass
The bacterial and archaeal communities of two full-scale biogas producing plants (P1 and P2), associated with a 999 kW
cogeneration unit, both located in North Italy, were analyzed at start up and fully operating phases, by means of various
molecular approaches: (i) Automated Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis; (ii) cloning and sequencing of PCR amplicons
of archaeal genes 16Srrna and mcrA; (iii) 16S rDNA high throughput next generation sequencing. P1 and P2 use the same
technology and both were fed with cattle manure and corn silage. During the study of P1 also the post digester (fed with
pig manure) was analyzed. The aim of this research was to characterize the bacterial and archaeal communities in two very
similar plants to profile the core microbiota. The results of this analysis highlighted that the two plants (producing comparable
quantities of volatile fatty acids, biogas, and energy) differed in anerobic microbiota (Bacteria and Archaea). Notably
the methanogenic community of P1 was dominated by the strict acetoclastic Methanosaeta (Methanothrix) (up to 23.05%)
and the unculturable Candidatus Methanofastidiosum (up to 32.70%), while P2 was dominated by the acetoclastic, but more
substrate-versatile, Methanosarcina archaeal genus (49.19%). The data demonstrated that the performances of plants with
identical design, in similar operating conditions, yielding comparable amount of biogas (average of 7237 m3
dayâ1 and 7916 m3 dayâ1 respectively for P1 and P2), VFA (1643 mg Lâ
1 and 1634 mg Lâ1) and energy recovery (23.90â24 MWh dayâ1), depend on the stabilization of effective and functionally optimized methanogenic communities, but these communities aretaxonomically different in the two biodigesters
Regulation of ob gene expression: evidence for epinephrine-induced suppression in human obesity
Leptin acts as satiety factor and increases energy expenditure. Studies conducted on animals and in vitro on adipocytes culture have shown that infusion of catecholamines leads to a significant reduction of ob gene expression; it appears of interest to evaluate the in vivo effects of adrenergic activation on the expression of the ob gene in humans. We studied ob gene expression in adipose tissue samples from 13 obese subjects before and after epinephrine (25 ng/min x kg ideal body weight for 3 h) and 6 obese patients during saline infusion. Hormonal infusion led to a significant increase in epinephrine plasma levels (from 27 +/- 4 to 339 +/- 75 pg/mL; P < 0.001), plasma free fatty acids (from 0.73 +/- 0.05 to 0.98 +/- 0.07; P < 0.05), heart rate (13.5 +/- 3.1 beats/min; F = 2.9; P < 0.03), and systolic blood pressure (F = 2.7; P < 0.05), whereas diastolic blood pressure did not show significant variation. Plasma leptin levels decreased by the end of the infusion (from 63 +/- 13 to 49 +/- 11 ng/mL; P < 0.05), and ob messenger ribonucleic acid levels were significantly reduced (decrease amounting to 47 +/- 5% of basal values). Our study shows that adrenergic activation contributes to regulate ob messenger ribonucleic acid levels in humans. The interaction between epinephrine and leptin may operate during metabolic and psychological stress to regulate energy expenditure and food intake
"Dynamic Mediterraneanâ: an educational path through Earth science and geophysical research at Genova Science Festival 2010
Science Festivals are events world wide organized, and they have became more and more one of the most effective
playground where science meet people.
Genova Science Festival, held since 2003, is the Italian most interesting event of that type.
The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), one of the largest European scientific institution deal-
ing with Earth Sciences research and real-time surveillance, early warning, and forecast activities in geophysics
and volcanology, participates every year developing a specific educational path, concerning some of its research
areas.
For the 2010 Genova Science Festival, the INGV has produced an educational exhibition called âMediterraneo
Dinamicoâ (Dynamic Mediterranean). This is a journey in the geodynamical history of the Mediterranean
region from 200 million years ago till present. This long process took place also through some instantaneous
dramatic events as eruptions, tsunami, earthquakes, whose studies have revealed their strong impact on cultural
Mediterranean evolution as well as on environmental aspects as climate.
The exhibition path aim is to illustrate and explain to general public, and especially to teachers and students, the
results from researches conducted by INGV also in collaboration with other Italian and International partners,
as well as from the real time Mediterranean sea water monitoring. The chosen exhibition instruments are wide
colourful illustrated posters, greatly illustrated, together with smart interactive exhibits. In particular the path starts
with a âTime Machineâ, that allows visitors to retrace the main steps of the Mediterranean geological evolution,
supported by posters. The following section concerning the âMediterranean catastrophic eventâ welcome visitors
with a glass pyramid projecting a virtual eruption almost as an âologrammaâ, and side panels with two short
videos explaining two great explosive eruptions and a tsunami event.
The section on Mediterranean Tsunami are equipped with an interactive large map of the location of Mediteranean
where occurred tsunami events, illustrated posters and also a microscope with a camera where visitors can analyse
a core with a tsunami deposits. Also an interactive model of a GEOSTAR - Geophisical and Oceanographic
Station of Abyssal Research provide visitors an entertaining approach on how a submarine observatory works with
all his sensors, while a computer station permits visitors to read real time measures of some marine environmental
indicators.
The exhibition journey trough the Mediterranean geo-history and Earth Science and Geophysical research shows
how the continuous knowledge and monitoring of to this Region dynamics are fundamental to design a future
bearable development for the 30 million people living along the Mediterranean shores
Motor Properties of Peripersonal Space in Humans
Background: A stimulus approaching the body requires fast processing and appropriate motor reactions. In monkeys, fronto-parietal networks are involved both in integrating multisensory information within a limited space surrounding the body (i.e. peripersonal space, PPS) and in action planning and execution, suggesting an overlap between sensory representations of space and motor representations of action. In the present study we investigate whether these overlapping representations also exist in the human brain. Methodology/Principal Findings: We recorded from hand muscles motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by single-pulse of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) after presenting an auditory stimulus either near the hand or in far space. MEPs recorded 50 ms after the near-sound onset were enhanced compared to MEPs evoked after far sounds. This near-far modulation faded at longer inter-stimulus intervals, and reversed completely for MEPs recorded 300 ms after the sound onset. At that time point, higher motor excitability was associated with far sounds. Such auditory modulation of hand motor representation was specific to a hand-centred, and not a body-centred reference frame. Conclusions/Significance: This pattern of corticospinal modulation highlights the relation between space and time in the PPS representation: an early facilitation for near stimuli may reflect immediate motor preparation, whereas, at later time intervals, motor preparation relates to distant stimuli potentially approaching the body
A novel network analysis approach reveals DNA damage, oxidative stress and calcium/cAMP homeostasis-associated biomarkers in frontotemporal dementia
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is the form of neurodegenerative dementia with the highest prevalence after Alzheimer\u2019s disease, equally distributed in men and women. It includes several variants, generally characterized by behavioural instability and language impairments. Although few mendelian genes (MAPT, GRN, and C9orf72) have been associated to the FTD phenotype, in most cases there is only evidence of multiple risk loci with relatively small effect size. To date, there are no comprehensive studies describing FTD at molecular level, highlighting possible genetic interactions and signalling pathways at the origin FTD-associated neurodegeneration. In this study, we designed a broad FTD genetic interaction map of the Italian population, through a novel network-based approach modelled on the concepts of disease-relevance and interaction perturbation, combining Steiner tree search and Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis. Our results show a strong connection between Calcium/cAMP metabolism, oxidative stress-induced Serine/Threonine kinases activation, and postsynaptic membrane potentiation, suggesting a possible combination of neuronal damage and loss of neuroprotection, leading to cell death. In our model, Calcium/cAMP homeostasis and energetic metabolism impairments are primary causes of loss of neuroprotection and neural cell damage, respectively. Secondly, the altered postsynaptic membrane potentiation, due to the activation of stress-induced Serine/Threonine kinases, leads to neurodegeneration. Our study investigates the molecular underpinnings of these processes, evidencing key genes and gene interactions that may account for a significant fraction of unexplained FTD aetiology. We emphasized the key molecular actors in these processes, proposing them as novel FTD biomarkers that could be crucial for further epidemiological and molecular studies
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