I Quaderni di Careggi- Fifth issue- Landscape Observatories

Having regard to Recommendation CM/Rec (2008)3 on the Guidelines for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, “landscape observatories, centers and institutes” are one of the main instruments for the implementation of landscape policies (II.3.3). They facilitate the collection and exchange of information and study protocols between states and local communities. This issue of the Quaderni di Careggi presents an international overview of the activities of landscape observatories, a reflection on their mission and effectiveness with regard to the ELC objectives, and a reflection on the relationships between the different subjects, thanks to the participation of institutional bodies, public officials as well as researchers and representatives of civil society. It reflects part of the scientific contributions which will be presented during the V Careggi Seminar (Florence, 27-28th June 2013)

A Metal-Insulator transition induced by Random Dipoles

We study the localization properties of a test dipole feeling the disordered potential induced by dipolar impurities trapped at random positions in an optical lattice. This random potential is marked by correlations which are a convolution of short-range and long-range ones. We show that when short-range correlations are dominant, extended states can appear in the spectrum. Introducing long-range correlations, the extended states, if any, are wiped out and localization is restored over the whole spectrum. Moreover, long-range correlations can either increase or decrease the localization length at the center of the band, which indicates a richer behavior than previously predicted.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

Three decades of nucleic acid aptamer technologies: Lessons learned, progress and opportunities on aptamer development

Aptamers are short single-stranded nucleic acid sequences capable of binding to target molecules in a way similar to antibodies. Due to various advantages such as prolonged shelf life, low batch to batch variation, low/no immunogenicity, freedom to incorporate chemical modification for enhanced stability and targeting capacity, aptamers quickly found their potential in diverse applications ranging from therapy, drug delivery, diagnosis, and functional genomics to bio-sensing. Aptamers are generated by a process called SELEX. However, the current overall success rate of SELEX is far from being satisfactory, and still presents a major obstacle for aptamer-based research and application. The need for an efficient selection strategy consisting of defined procedures to deal with a wide variety of targets is significantly important. In this work, by analyzing key aspects of SELEX including initial library design, target preparation, PCR optimization, and single strand DNA separation, we provide a comprehensive analysis of individual steps to facilitate researchers intending to develop personalized protocols to address many of the obstacles in SELEX. In addition, this review provides suggestions and opinions for future aptamer development procedures to address the concerns on key SELEX steps, and post-SELEX modifications

Landscape Observatories in Europe from the ELC Recommendations to Local Initiatives. Rationale and Issues of the Seminar

Having regard to Recommendation CM/Rec (2008)3 on the Guidelines for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention, “landscape observatories, centers and institutes” are one of the main instruments for the implementation of landscape policies (II.3.3). They facilitate the collection and exchange of information and study protocols between states and local communities. This issue of the Quaderni di Careggi presents an international overview of the activities of landscape observatories, a reflection on their mission and effectiveness with regard to the ELC objectives, and a reflection on the relationships between the different subjects, thanks to the participation of institutional bodies, public officials as well as researchers and representatives of civil society. It reflects part of the scientific contributions which will be presented during the V Careggi Seminar (Florence, 27-28th June 2013

Rapid quantification of 4-ethylphenol in wine using high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorimetric detector

A rapid method was established for quantifying 4-ethylphenol in wine using HPLC with a detector usually present in wine laboratories. It does not require sample preparation and carries out chromatographic separation in less than 5 min, making control of wine production processes easier. The method is linear up to 2000 μg·l-1 with RSD < 3 % over 20 μg·L-1 and gives a detection limit of 4.0 μg·L-1. It was validated in comparison with the HPLC-coulometric array detector, giving comparable results. Its application to the analysis of 720 DOC and table Italian red wines revealed that the 45 % of them had contents of 4-ethylphenol potentially affecting sensory perception of the aroma.

Thermal Modeling of a Historical Building Wall: Using Long-Term Monitoring Data to Understand the Reliability and the Robustness of Numerical Simulations

Thermal modeling of building components plays a crucial role in designing energy efficiency measures, assessing living comfort, and preventing building damages. The accuracy of the modeling process strongly depends on the reliability of the physical models and the correct selection of input parameters, especially for historic buildings where uncertainties on wall composition and material properties are higher. This work evaluates the reliability of building thermal modeling and identifies the input parameters that most affect the simulation results. A monitoring system is applied to a historic building wall to measure the temperature profile. The long-term dataset is compared with the result of a simulation model. A sensitivity analysis is applied for the determination of the influential input parameters. A two-step optimization is performed to calibrate the numerical model: the first optimization step is based on an optimized selection of the database materials, while the second optimization step uses a particle swarm algorithm. The results indicate that the output of the simulation model is largely influenced by the coefficients describing the coupling with the boundary conditions and by the thermal conductivities of the materials. Very good results are obtained already after the first optimization step ((Formula presented.) while the second optimization step improves further the agreement ((Formula presented.). The parameter values reported in the datasheets do not match those found through optimization. Even with extensive optimization using an algorithm, starting with monitoring data is insufficient to identify material parameter values