Gene silencing and large-scale domain structure of the E. coli genome

The H-NS chromosome-organizing protein in E. coli can stabilize genomic DNA loops, and form oligomeric structures connected to repression of gene expression. Motivated by the link between chromosome organization, protein binding and gene expression, we analyzed publicly available genomic data sets of various origins, from genome-wide protein binding profiles to evolutionary information, exploring the connections between chromosomal organization, genesilencing, pseudo-gene localization and horizontal gene transfer. We report the existence of transcriptionally silent contiguous areas corresponding to large regions of H-NS protein binding along the genome, their position indicates a possible relationship with the known large-scale features of chromosome organization

The orientation of the Mithraea in Ostia Antica

We conducted an investigation on the orientations and geometrical content of the Mithraea of Ostia Antica. A geometrical CAD study based on the most reliable plans from the Archives of the Sovrintendenza Speciale per il Colosseo, il MNR e l’Area Archeologica di Roma – Ostia Antica, aside with the identification of geometrical and numerical schemes and associated length units, allowed us to identify the axes of the Mithraea. Then the orientations of the axes were measured on field by means of a professional compass with ± 0.5° uncertainty. The distribution of these measured azimuths follows the topography of the city. On the contrary, the Decumanus, the main street of the town, presents an indubitable orientation toward the Winter Solstice Sunset. This was ascertained by measuring the coordinates of four significant points along the street with the help of a palmar Trimble GPS which averages 100 measures per point. The exceptional density of Mithraea in Ostia led us to suppose that a symbolic cosmic-solar value is to be searched in the orientation as a whole of the town itself, founded half a millennium before the first presence of Mithraism in Rome. The Decumanus could be considered the very holder of this symbolic value with its orientation toward the Winter Solstice Sunset, possibly making of Ostia a very special place for Mithraicism

On a Microlocal Version of Young's Product Theorem

A key result in distribution theory is Young's product theorem which states that the product between two H\"older distributions $u\in\mathcal{C}^\alpha(\mathbb{R}^d)$ and $v\in\mathcal{C}^\beta(\mathbb{R}^d)$ can be unambiguously defined if $\alpha+\beta>0$. We revisit the problem of multiplying two H\"older distributions from the viewpoint of microlocal analysis, using techniques proper of Sobolev wavefront set. This allows us to establish sufficient conditions which allow the multiplication of two H\"older distributions even when $\alpha+\beta\leq 0$.Comment: 18 pages. Section 2 and Section 3 revise

L'importanza di un approccio multidisciplinare coordinato nelle indagini sui monumenti dell'antichità

An in-depth preliminary knowledge of a cultural heritage is necessary to protect and preserve the cultural heritage itself. For this purpose, today we can use a lot of methodologies developed by scholars of different disciplines: archaeologists, historians of Art, architects, engineers, biologists, chemists, physicists. Also two other new disciplines, Archaeoastronomy and Analysis of the geometries, can complete and integrate this knowledge. This work collects the results of the investigation on geometrical and numerical schemes and associated length units and on orientation and astronomical meaning of some artefact belonging to different eras: the hypogeal Neo-Pytagorean Basilica at Porta Maggiore in Roma and the Mithraea in Ostia Antica