Solvable Models for radiating Black Holes and Area-preserving Diffeomorphisms

Solvable theories of 2D dilaton gravity can be obtained from a Liouville theory by suitable field redefinitions. In this paper we propose a new framework to generate 2D dilaton gravity models which can also be exactly solved in the semiclassical approximation. Our approach is based on the recently introduced scheme to quantize massless scalar fields coupled to 2D gravity maintaining invariance under area-preserving diffeomorphisms and Weyl transformations. Starting from the CGHS model with the new effective action we reestablish the full diffeomorphism invariance by means of an adequate family of field redefinitions. The original theory is therefore mapped into a large family of solvable models. We focus our analysis on the one-parameter class of models interpolating between the Russo-Susskind-Thorlacius model and the Bose-Parker-Peleg model. Finally we shall briefly indicate how can we extend our approach to spherically symmetric Einstein gravity coupled to 2D conformal matter.Comment: 10 pages, plain LaTeX, uses amssymb.st

Monitoring of arthropod infestations on high quality hard wheat in southern Italy

The results of a survey in 2006-2009 on high quality hard wheat, coming from 31 different storage centers located in Southern Italy, are reported. About 300 samples were analyzed by visual test, while 891 by both sieving and biological test. For the three different kinds of test the infesting species are listed and their relative incidence on the samples is reported. The most widespread species in the samples belonged to the order Coleoptera, i.e. Sitophilus granarius, Rhyzopertha dominica and Oryzaephilus spp., while Lepidoptera were less abundant. The results are discussed with the aim of providing the storage centre operators with helpful information on the correct monitoring strategies to adopt in case of arthropod infestations in high-quality hard-wheat warehouses.Keywords: Stored grain, Insects, Sampling, Coleoptera, Ital

Rheological and mechanical characterization of dual-curing thiol-acrylate-epoxy thermosets for advanced applications

Mechanical and rheological properties of novel dual-curing system based on sequential thiol-acrylate and thiol-epoxy reactions are studied with the aim of addressing the obtained materials to suitable advanced applications. The crosslinking process is studied by rheological analysis in order to determine conversion at gelation and the critical ratio. These parameters are used to discuss the intermediate material structure for each acrylate proportion and their possible application in the context of dual-curing and multi-step processing scenarios. Results from dynamo-mechanical analysis and mechanical testing demonstrate the high versatility materials under investigation and revealed a wide range of achievable final properties by simply varying the proportion between acrylate and thiol group. The intermediate stability between curing stages has been analysed in terms of their thermal and mechanical properties, showing that these materials can be stored at different temperatures for a relevant amount of time without experiencing significant effects on the processability. Experimental tests were made to visually demonstrate the versatility of these materials. Qualitative tests on the obtained materials confirm the possibility of obtaining complex shaped samples and highlight interesting shape-memory and adhesive properties.Postprint (published version

Dehydration of fructose to 5-HMF over acidic TiO2 catalysts

Different solid sulfonic titania-based catalysts were investigated for the hydrothermal dehydration of fructose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). The catalytic behavior of the materials was evaluated in terms of fructose conversion and selectivity to 5-HMF. The surface and structural properties of the catalysts were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption isotherms, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and acid capacity measurements. Special attention was focused on the reaction conditions, both in terms of 5-HMF selectivity and the sustainability of the process, choosing water as the solvent. Among the various process condition studied, TiO2-SO3H catalyzed a complete conversion (99%) of 1.1M fructose and 5-HMF selectivity (50%) and yield (50%) at 165 °C. An important improvement of the HMF selectivity (71%) was achieved when the reaction was carried out by using a lower fructose concentration (0.1M) and lower temperature (140 °C). The catalytic activities of the materials were related to their acid capacities as much as their textural properties. In particular, a counterbalance between the acidity and the structure of the pores in which the catalytic sites are located, results in the key issue for switch the selectivity towards the achievement of 5-HMF

Extracellular vesicles in the Chronic Myeloid Leukemia scenario: an update about the shuttling of disease markers and therapeutic molecules

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are various sets of cell-derived membranous structures containing lipids, nucleic acids, and proteins secreted by both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. It is now well recognized that EVs are key intercellular communication mediators, allowing the functional transfer of bioactive chemicals from one cell to another in both healthy and pathological pathways. It is evident that the condition of the producer cells heavily influences the composition of EVs. Hence, phenotypic changes in the parent cells are mirrored in the design of the secreted EVs. As a result, EVs have been investigated for a wide range of medicinal and diagnostic uses in different hematological diseases. EVs have only recently been studied in the context of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML), a blood malignancy defined by the chromosomal rearrangement t(9;22) and the fusion gene BCR-ABL1. The findings range from the impact on pathogenesis to the possible use of EVs as medicinal chemical carriers. This review aims to provide for the first time an update on our understanding of EVs as carriers of CML biomarkers for minimal residual disease monitoring, therapy response, and its management, as well as the limited reports on the use of EVs as therapeutic shuttles for innovative treatment approaches