A Possible Circular Approach for Social Perception of Climate Adaptation Action Planning in Metropolitan Cities

AbstractOne of the factors that will affect the livability of cities and the overall citizens' quality of life in the future is certainly climate change. Urban areas will play a fundamental role in the commitment against climate change and will have to develop appropriate adaptation actions, in accordance with the European Strategy against climate change, including the planning and implementation of Green Infrastructures (GIs). They produce various environmental and social benefits in the urban context. Various studies have shown that citizenship involvement at all levels is necessary for the evaluation of the sharing of the proposed projects. The research proposes an innovative methodological model to support administrations in the strategic planning choice of GIs according to a shared and circular approach. To perform a multi-layer assessment, the multi-criteria evaluation will be combined with the circular evaluation model called Green City Circle. The evaluation is set up as a circular process, followed by a first investigative phase, followed by a proactive phase of solutions and an implementation phase up to a final stage of evaluation of the results and strategies for long-term sustainability. The study was carried out in the city of Catania to test a planning and management tool for GIs envisaged by the administration as win–win climate adaptation measures

Типы отношения к болезни у пациентов с желчнокаменной болезнью

ЖЕЛЧНОКАМЕННАЯ БОЛЕЗНЬЖЕЛЧНЫХ ПУТЕЙ БОЛЕЗНИтестированиеБОЛЕЗНЬВЫЗДОРОВЛЕНИЕпсихоэмоциональные факторыпсиходиагностик

Extended defects in 3C-SiC: Stacking faults, threading partial dislocations, and inverted domain boundaries

Abstract The presence of extended bi-dimensional defects is one of the key issues that hinder the use of wide band-gap materials hetero-epitaxially grown on silicon. In this work, we investigate, by STEM measurements and molecular dynamic simulations, the structure of two of the most important extended defect affecting the properties of cubic silicon carbide, 3C-SiC, hetero-epitaxially grown on (001) silicon substrates: (1) stacking faults (SFs) with their bounding threading dislocation arms, even along with unusual directions, and (2) inverted domain boundaries (IDBs). We found that these two defects are strictly correlated: IDBs lying in {111} planes are intrinsically coupled to one or more SFs. Moreover, we observed that threading partial dislocations (PDs), limiting the SFs, appear to have non-conventional line directions, such as [112], [123], and [134]. Molecular dynamics simulations show that [110] and [112] directions allow for stable dislocation structures, while in the unusual [123] and [134] directions, the PDs are composed of zig-zag dislocation lines in the [112] and [110] directions

Expression of Parkin isoforms in human lymphomonocyte

Parkin (PARK2) is one of the largest gene in the human genome. Its mutations cause a form of autosomal recessive juvenile-onset of Parkinson disease (ARJPD) (1). To date, a repertoire of 21 parkin alternative splice variants has been identified. In the past, the role of the full-length parkin protein was extensively investigated and assessed also in human blood samples (2, 3). In contrast, less attention has been put on the other isoforms. In the present study, we investigated for the first time, the expression profile of parkin isoforms in three lymphomonocyte (LMN) subpopulations: T lymphocyte (CD2+), monocyte (CD14+) and B lymphocyte (CD19+). The expression of H1/H5 and H6 isoforms has been observed in total LMN homogenate, whereas H20 and H1/H5 variants were detected in all three LMN subpopulations by western blot analysis. The cellular distribution of parkin isoforms has been evaluated by immunofluorescence analysis. Although parkin is predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm, immunoreactivity has also been detected at nuclear and perinuclear level. Our data suggest that, the discovery of a specific expression profile of these isoforms into LMN of ARJP patients might allow developing new diagnostic tools for this neurodegenerative disease

Star Cluster Formation and Disruption Time-Scales -- I. An empirical determination of the disruption time of star clusters in four galaxies

We present a new method to derive the cluster disruption time in selected regions of galaxies from the mass or age distribution of magnitude-limited cluster samples. If the disruption time of clusters in a region of a galaxy depends on their initial mass as t_4 x (M_cluster/10^4 M_sun)^gamma and if the cluster formation rate is constant, then the mass and age distributions of the observed clusters will each show two powerlaw relations. The values of t_4 and gamma can be derived from these relations. We used this method to derive the cluster disruption time in specific regions in four galaxies: the inner region of M51, a region of M33, the SMC and the solar neighbourhood. The values of gamma are the same in the four galaxies within the uncertainty and the mean value is gamma= 0.62 +- 0.06. However the disruption time t_4 of a cluster of 10^4 M_sun is very different in the different galaxies. The clusters in the SMC have the longest disruption time, t_4 = 8 Gyr, and the clusters at 1 to 3 kpc from the nucleus of M51 have the shortest disruption time of t_4 = 0.04 Gyr. The disruption time of clusters 1 to 5 kpc from the nucleus of M33 is t_4 = 0.13 Gyr and for clusters within 1 kpc from the Sun we find t_4 = 1.0 Gyr.Comment: 18 pages, 18 figures. Accepted for publication by Monthly Notice

DISTRIBUZIONE STORICA E ATTUALE DELLE SPECIE DEL GENERE JUNIPERUS (Cupressaceae) IN SICILIA

The distribution of the three juniper species occurring in Sicily, namely Juniperus communis, J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata, was updated. The setup of a critical inventory of the vernacular plant names referring to these species has also allowed to carry out a systematic search for place names reported on ancient and recent cartographic documents and to identify other coastal juniper populations neglected by botanists or certainly extinct. This paper points out the probable extinction of several stands of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata, reported in the literature or documented by herbarium specimens. Sporadic references made in the past two centuries to the presence of J. sabina L. in Sicily and of J. communis on the Nebrodi and Erei Mountains have not been confirmed by the surveys carried out over the past decades. Finally, several occurrence and demographic data are presented concerning several unpublished or poorly known nuclei of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata; some of them have been recently discovered, such as the one near Rasocolmo on the northeastern coast of Sicily, while others, documented by herbarium specimens or already reported in old publications, had been neglected by the most recent botanical literature devoted to these conifers. Numerous field surveys enabled the authors to provide updated and detailed information on the current distribution of J. communis on Mount Etna and of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa and J. turbinata in the coastal and hillside areas of the provinces of Caltanissetta and Ragusa, previously available information on these areas being generic, dated and fragmentary. Moreover, some populations of J. oxycedrus subsp. macrocarpa found along the sandy beaches of the Agrigento and Ragusa areas probably derive from the widespread use of this species in the reforestations carried out during the last century on the dune systems once widespread along the coast of the Strait of Sicily. All the traditional local uses of the different juniper species are reported, too. Focusing on the Sicilian territory, thanks to its interdisciplinary approach and the effort to provide a spatial-temporal perspective as complete as possible, this work may represent a replicable model for conducting similar research, aimed at reconstructing the past and potential distribution of other forest species, in order to better direct future reforestation interventions and the restoration of native vegetation on a regional scale

Insulator-metal transition in biased finite polyyne systems

A method for the study of the electronic transport in strongly coupled electron-phonon systems is formalized and applied to a model of polyyne chains biased through metallic Au leads. We derive a stationary non equilibrium polaronic theory in the general framework of a variational formulation. The numerical procedure we propose can be readily applied if the electron-phonon interaction in the device hamiltonian can be approximated as an effective single particle electron hamiltonian. Using this approach, we predict that finite polyyne chains should manifest an insulator-metal transition driven by the non-equilibrium charging which inhibits the Peierls instability characterizing the equilibrium state.Comment: to appear at EPJ

Acute Ketamine Facilitates Fear Memory Extinction in a Rat Model of PTSD Along With Restoring Glutamatergic Alterations and Dendritic Atrophy in the Prefrontal Cortex

Stress represents a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recently, we dissected the destabilizing effects of acute stress on the excitatory glutamate system in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, we assessed the effects of single subanesthetic administration of ketamine (10 mg/kg) on glutamate transmission and dendritic arborization in the PFC of footshock (FS)-stressed rats, along with changes in depressive, anxious, and fear extinction behaviors. We found that ketamine, while inducing a mild increase of glutamate release in the PFC of na\uefve rats, blocked the acute stress-induced enhancement of glutamate release when administered 24 or 72 h before or 6 h after FS. Accordingly, the treatment with ketamine 6 h after FS also reduced the stress-dependent increase of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) amplitude in prelimbic (PL)-PFC. At the same time, ketamine injection 6 h after FS was found to rescue apical dendritic retraction of pyramidal neurons induced by acute stress in PL-PFC and facilitated contextual fear extinction. These results show rapid effects of ketamine in animals subjected to acute FS, in line with previous studies suggesting a therapeutic action of the drug in PTSD models. Our data are consistent with a mechanism of ketamine involving re-establishment of synaptic homeostasis, through restoration of glutamate release, and structural remodeling of dendrites

Historical Sunspot Observations: A Review

Early observations of sunspot were realised by the naked eye. Possible utilization of these records for studying the long-term change in the Sun is discussed here. Other historical sunspot observations with camera obscuras are also discussed. Moreover, the best record of the behaviour of the Sun exists for the last four centuries thanks to the observations of sunspots with telescope. These observations should allow us to know the number, position, and area of sunspots as well as some relevant episodes (Maunder Minimum, optical flares, etc.). Rudolf Wolf developed the first reconstruction of solar activity in the 19th century. The next reconstruction was made by Hoyt and Schatten in 1998 by improving the database and using a new methodological approach. Here some mistakes, pending tasks and minor improvements are discussed.Comment: 19 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Adv. Space Re