Toxic plants and companion animals.

Poisoning by substances of plant origin is unusual in both dogs and cats, yet it is possible; as many veterinarians do not know which plants can contain toxic active principles, the possibility of intoxication by ornamental plants commonly used to decorate houses, gardens and parks cannot be considered in clinical practice; on the other hand, overestimating the problem is the opposite risk. Being aware of the conditions under which these poisonings can occur and carrying out all the necessary preventive measures, poisoning incidence can be reduced. The aim of the present work is to help veterinarians to know which plants can be responsible, even occasionally, for intoxication in companion animals. This review is not a botanical report, so specific works are suggested for a more detailed description of the plants mentioned; nevertheless, for each plant, the parts responsible for the intoxication, toxic principles and clinical symptoms following the ingestion of the latter and the correct therapeutic practice in cases of such poisoning are described

Optimal Collocation Nodes for Fractional Derivative Operators

Spectral discretizations of fractional derivative operators are examined, where the approximation basis is related to the set of Jacobi polynomials. The pseudo-spectral method is implemented by assuming that the grid, used to represent the function to be differentiated, may not be coincident with the collocation grid. The new option opens the way to the analysis of alternative techniques and the search of optimal distributions of collocation nodes, based on the operator to be approximated. Once the initial representation grid has been chosen, indications on how to recover the collocation grid are provided, with the aim of enlarging the dimension of the approximation space. As a results of this process, performances are improved. Applications to fractional type advection-diffusion equations, and comparisons in terms of accuracy and efficiency are made. As shown in the analysis, special choices of the nodes can also suggest tricks to speed up computations

Inferences on modeling rainfall-induced shallow landslides from experimental observations on stratified soils

Le frane superficiali indotte da pioggia (quali soil slips o debris-flows) sono una tipologia di movimento franoso che può coinvolgere i primi 2-3 metri di terreno, in genere rappresentato da coltri di alterazione eluvio-colluviali. Tali fenomeni costituiscono un serio rischio per le attività antropiche se si considerano sia le elevate velocità che si possono raggiungere durante la fase di trasporto che gli ingenti volumi di terreno che possono essere mobilizzati per effetto dell'erosione sul fondo del canale. Per questo motivo, negli ultimi anni sono stati dedicati molti sforzi all'elaborazione di tecniche e metodologie funzionali alla predizione spazio-temporale di questi eventi. Tra le nuove metodologie in fase di sviluppo, rivestono particolare importanza i cosiddetti modelli numerici fisicamente basati. Tali modelli tentano di riprodurre i processi fisici che conducono all'instabilità mettendo in relazione pioggia, pressione interstiziale e condizioni di resistenza del terreno. In particolare, molti di questi modelli adottano uno schema di pendio infinito per bilanciare le forze agenti e resistenti sul volume di terreno, usando un modello di infiltrazione per determinare gli effetti della pioggia sulle variazioni di pressione interstiziale. Oltretutto, questo tipo di modelli, tenendo conto della variabilità spaziale dei parametri coinvolti (es: caratteristiche fisico-meccaniche del terreno, intensità di pioggia), possono risultare particolarmente utili per predire l'occorrenza di frane superficiali alla scala di bacino. Tuttavia, l'utilizzo di questi strumenti non sempre consente di risalire alle reali condizioni di innesco, perlopiù a causa della complessità del fenomeno simulato e dell'ingente numero di parametri in esso coinvolto. Tra i vari aspetti che necessitano di essere approfonditi, c'è anche quello del contributo alla stabilità del terreno per effetto della coesione apparente indotta dalla matrice di suzione presente in condizioni non sature. Tale effetto non può non essere preso in considerazione, soprattutto nel caso di terreni caratterizzati da una granulometria limoso-argillosa. Sebbene in letteratura esistano alcuni metodi e formule empiriche per caratterizzare la resistenza di un terreno in condizioni non sature, allo stato attuale sono ben pochi gli studi inerenti l'analisi delle condizioni idraulico-meccaniche basati su osservazioni reali. Da questo punto di vista, alcuni autori hanno evidenziato come la modellazione fisica di laboratorio su modelli di pendio in scala possa rappresentare uno strumento estremamente utile per questa tematica. Tuttavia, solo in pochissimi casi si è tentato di utilizzare i risultati sperimentali per validare e/o migliorare modelli numerici fisicamente basati dedicati alla predizione dell'innesco di frane superficiali alla scala di bacino. Pertanto, l'obiettivo di questo lavoro è quello di verificare, attraverso prove sperimentali di laboratorio, alcune assunzioni di SLIP (Shallow Landslides Instability Prediction), un modello numerico fisicamente basato finalizzato alla predizione di frane superficiali indotte da pioggia. Nello specifico il modello calcola le condizioni di stabilità, espresse in termini di Fattore di Sicurezza (FS), simulando il processo di saturazione del suolo per effetto di uno specifico input di pioggia e tenendo specificatamente conto del contributo alla resistenza indotto dalla parziale saturazione del terreno per effetto delle piogge antecedenti. Sono stati quindi analizzati i risultati di differenti prove effettuate su un profilo di terreno ricostituito all'interno di una canaletta sperimentale, con l'obiettivo di descrivere e quantificare alcuni aspetti particolari concernenti la modellazione del processo di innesco. Nello specifico, è stata analizzata l'influenza sull'insorgere dell'instabilità dello spessore di due differenti strati presenti all'interno del profilo di terreno, di cui uno dei due caratterizzato da un comportamento coesivo. Per simulare l'effetto della coesione, è stato infatti utilizzato uno strato di sabbia parzialmente saturo, mentre la stessa sabbia (ma in condizioni asciutte) è stata utilizzata per realizzare il secondo strato. Il modello di pendio così costituito è stato sottoposto a differenti tilt tests, e in ciascuna prova è stato variato lo spessore degli strati in modo tale da verificare l'influenza di questo parametro sulle condizioni di stabilità. I risultati ottenuti sono stati quindi utilizzati non solo per corroborare alcune assunzioni del modello, ma anche per verificare la relazione matematica proposta dal modello stesso, e che lega resistenza del terreno e spessore degli strati attraverso il parametro della coesione apparente.In this work, we analyzed the results of different soil laboratory tests performed in a flume test apparatus with the aim to describe and quantify some particular aspects of the modelling of soil slip phenomena. In particular, we analyzed the influence, in terms of slope stability, of the thickness of two strata (a cohesive one and a not cohesive one) composing the slope model. To simulate the presence of cohesion, a partially saturated sand was employed, while the same sand but in dry conditions was used to reproduce the not cohesive stratum. The so-constituted slope laboratory model was then submitted to tilting tests, and in each test the thickness of these layers has been varied in order to investigate the influence of this parameter on slope stability. The obtained results have been used to calibrate several parameters and verify specific assumptions of SLIP, a simplified physically-based and well-tested model for the prediction of shallow landslides occurrence

The Discovery of a Second Luminous Low Mass X-ray Binary in the Globular Cluster M15

We report an observation by the Chandra X-ray Observatory of 4U2127+119, the X-ray source identified with the globular cluster M15. The Chandra observation reveals that 4U2127+119 is in fact two bright sources, separated by 2.7". One source is associated with AC211, the previously identified optical counterpart to 4U2127+119, a low mass X-ray binary (LMXB). The second source, M15-X2, is coincident with a 19th U magnitude blue star that is 3.3" from the cluster core. The Chandra count rate of M15-X2 is 2.5 times higher than that of AC211. Prior to the 0.5" imaging capability of Chandra the presence of two so closely separated bright sources would not have been resolved. The optical counterpart, X-ray luminosity and spectrum of M15-X2 are consistent with it also being an LMXB system. This is the first time that two LMXBs have been seen to be simultaneously active in a globular cluster. The discovery of a second active LMXB in M15 solves a long standing puzzle where the properties of AC211 appear consistent with it being dominated by an extended accretion disk corona, and yet 4U2127+119 also shows luminous X-ray bursts requiring that the neutron star be directly visible. The resolution of 4U2127+119 into two sources suggests that the X-ray bursts did not come from AC211, but rather from M15-X2. We discuss the implications of this discovery for understanding the origin and evolution of LMXBs in GCs as well as X-ray observations of globular clusters in nearby galaxies.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap J Letter

Daytime REM sleep affects emotional experience but not decision choices in moral dilemmas

Moral decision-making depends on the interaction between automatic emotional responses and rational cognitive control. A natural emotional regulator state seems to be sleep, in particular rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. We tested the impact of daytime sleep, either with or without REM, on moral decision. Sixty participants were presented with 12 sacrificial (6 Footbridge-and 6 Trolley-type) and 8 everyday-type moral dilemmas at 9 AM and at 5 PM. In sacrificial dilemmas, participants had to decide whether or not to kill one person to save more people (utilitarian choice), and to judge how morally acceptable the proposed choice was. In everyday-type dilemmas, participants had to decide whether to endorse moral violations involving dishonest behavior. At 12 PM, 40 participants took a 120-min nap (17 with REM and 23 with NREM only) while 20 participants remained awake. Mixed-model analysis revealed that participants judged the utilitarian choice as less morally acceptable in the afternoon, irrespective of sleep. We also observed a negative association between theta activity during REM and increased self-rated unpleasantness during moral decisions. Nevertheless, moral decision did not change across the day and between groups. These results suggest that although both time and REM sleep may affect the evaluation of a moral situation, these factors did not ultimately impact the individual moral choices

Effects of four Fusarium toxins (fumonisin B(1), alpha-zearalenol, nivalenol and deoxynivalenol) on porcine whole-blood cellular proliferation.

The in vitro effects of four Fusarium toxins, fumonisin B1 (FB1), a-zearalenol (a-ZEA), nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON), on mitogen-induced cell proliferation were determined in swine whole-blood cultures. Considering the lack of sufficient toxicological data both on single and in combination effects, in vitro studies may contribute to risk assessment of these toxins. Incubation with increasing concentrations of FB1 did not produce any consequence on proliferation; in contrast a-ZEA, NIV and DON showed an inhibitory effect. Dose–response curves for each mycotoxin were generated. NIV was found to be the most potent toxin followed by DON and a-ZEA. The effects of both FB1 þ a-ZEA and NIVþ DON mixtures were also analysed to investigate possible interactions. The results indicated that combination of FB1þ a-ZEA produces a synergistic inhibition of porcine cell proliferation; whereas there is no interaction between DON and NIV on porcine wholeblood proliferation, at tested concentrations

A corpus-based investigation of language change in Italian: The case of grazie/ringraziare di and grazie/ringraziare per

In Italian, grazie ‘thanks’ and ringraziare ‘to thank’ historically introduce a recipient by means of the preposition di ‘of’ (Renzi et al 1991: 545-548); when grazie and ringraziare introduce a subordinate infinite clause, they may all the same be followed by either di or per ‘for’, the latter being the habitual preposition introducing an implicit causal subordinate (Renzi et al ibid.). In light of these considerations, a general lower frequency of occurrence of collocations with per would be expected. However, a number of authors (e.g., Renzi 2000, Alfieri et al 2008: 331) have reported an increase in the use of constructions with per; though with differences in the approach and the framework employed, they have also hypothesised that such an increase may be due to language contact with English. A careful exploration of the relevant literature, however, has revealed that such claims of both an increase in the use of grazie/ringraziare per in Italian and of an influence from English as the cause of the increase have so far outpaced empirical substantiation. This study, on the contrary, uses verifiable and objective data such as diachronic language corpora of written, spoken and dubbed Italian to empirically investigate the distribution of both constructions through the history of Italian. The results will reveal that, from 1200 to 2011, the frequency of use of forms with per has indeed more than octupled in writing and that, from 1965 to 2004, has more than doubled in speech. Moreover, by analysing the distribution of the studied constructions in a corpus of dubbed Italian from (American) English, the article will also explore the possibility that language contact with English, mainly via dubbing translations, may have played a concurrent fundamental role for such changes