Thematic Maps for Land-Use Planning and Policy Decisions in the Calaggio Stream Catchment Area

Abstract Please click here to download the map associated with this article. Thematic maps of elevation, slope angle, lithology, soil slips and landslides, land-use and stream erosional effects are presented for the description of the geoenvironmental features of the Calaggio Stream catchment area. The Calaggio basin is 314 km2 and is located in the Campanian Apennines (Southern Italy) between the Campania and Puglia regions. The maps were produced within a Geographical Information System (GIS) based on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived from cartographic digitization. The maps presented report the main territorial features of the studied area, which will be used for landuse management and mapping of: landslides and susceptibility to water runoff erosion, desertification vulnerability, landscape conservation, Physical Environmental and Territorial Unit determinations (PET Unit sensu Amatucci et al., 2005), etc. In this paper we show, as a final product of various GIS environment operations, the PET U..

Safety and efficacy of nilotinib after 10 years of interferon

Here we describe a case of a woman with chronic myeloid leukemia at high risk, according to the Sokal Index. The patient started interferon alfa-2b (IFN) at standard dose obtaining a major molecular response after about four years of treatment. After about 10 years the patient presented a toxicity from IFN and different comorbidities, so she was switched to nilotinib and achieved a complete molecular response (MR4). This case shows how nilotinib is effective and tolerable also in patients with multiple comorbidities. Keywords: Chronic myeloid leukemia; Optimal response; Nilotinib; Interferon alfa-2

Platelet-activating factor mediates CD40-dependent angiogenesis and endothelial-smooth muscle cell interaction.

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether stimulation of CD40 expressed by endothelial or smooth muscle cells triggers the synthesis of platelet-activating factor (PAF), an inflammatory mediator with angiogenic properties, and whether PAF contributes to CD40-induced neoangiogenesis. The results obtained indicate that the interaction of CD40 with soluble CD154 or with CD154 expressed on the membrane of leukocytes (CD154-transfected J558 cells) or of activated platelets, stimulated the synthesis of PAF by endothelial cells but not by smooth cells. The synthesis of PAF triggered by activated platelets was inhibited by a soluble CD40-murine Ig fusion protein that prevents the interaction between membrane CD40 and CD154. Studies with specific inhibitors and evaluation of protein phosphorylation indicated the involvement in PAF synthesis of two intracellular signaling pathways leading to cytosolic phospholipase A 2 activation: a phospholipase Cγ-protein kinase C-Raf-p42/p44-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and a MAPK kinase-3/6-dependent activation of p38 MAPK. PAF synthesized by endothelial cells after CD40 stimulation was instrumental in the in vitro migration and vessel-like organization of endothelial cells, and in the interaction between endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, as inferred by the inhibitory effect of two different PAF receptor antagonists, WEB2170 and CV3988. In vivo, blockade of PAF receptors prevented the angiogenic effect triggered by CD40 stimulation in a murine model of s.c. Matrigel implantation. In conclusion, these observations indicate that PAF synthesis induced by stimulation of endothelial CD40 contributes to the formation and organization of new vessels. This may be relevant in the vascular remodeling associated with tumor and inflammatory neoangiogenesis

energy retrofit of historic buildings in the mediterranean area the case of the palaeontology museum of naples

Abstract This paper aims to identify some optimal system solutions for the energy refurbishment of a specific historic building, through energy simulations in dynamic conditions performed with a suitable software. The analysis is carried out by the evaluation of energy requirements of the building, in terms of both primary and electric energy. The hypotheses of intervention regard only the air conditioning system components and take into account the existing architectural constraints. The case study refers to the Palaeontology Museum of Naples (Southern Italy), whose rooms are currently in a historic building located in the ancient centre of the city

A Smart Battery Management System for Photovoltaic Plants in Households Based on Raw Production Forecast

A basic battery management system (BMS) permits the safe charge/discharge of the batteries and the supply of loads. Batteries are protected to avoid fast degradation: the minimum and maximum state-of-charge (SOC) limits are not exceeded and fast charge/discharge cycles are not permitted. A more sophisticated BMS connected to a photovoltaic (PV) generator could also work with the double purpose of protecting storage and reducing peak demand. Peak reduction by storage generally requires the forecast of consumption and PV generation profiles to perform a provisional energy balance. To do it, it is required to have accurate information about production profiles, that is, to have at disposal accurate weather forecasts, which are not easily available. In the present work, an efficient BMS in grid-connected PV plants for residential users is described. Starting from raw 1-day ahead weather forecast and prediction of consumption, the proposed BMS preserves battery charge when it is expected high load and low PV production and performs peak shaving with a negligible reduction in self-sufficiency

A new method for discovering disease-specific miRNA-target regulatory networks

Genes and their expression regulation are among the key factors in the comprehension of the genesis and development of complex diseases. In this context, microRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators that play an important role in gene expression since they are frequently deregulated in pathologies like cardiovascular disease and cancer. In vitro validation of miRNA - targets regulation is often too expensive and time consuming to be carried out for every possible alternative. As a result, a tool able to provide some criteria to prioritize trials is becoming a pressing need. Moreover, before planning in vitro experiments, the scientist needs to evaluate the miRNA-target genes interaction network. In this paper we describe the miRable method whose purpose is to identify new potentially relevant genes and their interaction networks associate to a specific pathology. To achieve this goal miRable follows a system biology approach integrating together general-purpose medical knowledge (literature, Protein-Protein Interaction networks, prediction tools) and pathology specific data (gene expression data). A case study on Prostate Cancer has shown that miRable is able to: 1) find new potential miRNA-targets pairs, 2) highlight novel genes potentially involved in a disease but never or little studied before, 3) reconstruct all possible regulatory subnetworks starting from the literature to expand the knowledge on the regulation of miRNA regulatory mechanisms