371 research outputs found
CNS-Sparing Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist as a Candidate to Prevent the Diabetes-Associated Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Approccio alla caratterizzazione di un lembo di bosco vetusto: il caso di Monte Egitto
An integrated approach to characterize an old growth forest patch; the Monte Egitto case study
Old growth forests, i.e. forests which have achieved a remarkable age without or with a
very limited disturbance, are nowadays subject of detailed studies in order to understand their
characters and capacity of ecosystems services providing. In Sicily only few wooded areas are
classified as old growth forest, following the heavy land use change toward agriculture during
the centuries. This paper reports the results of a study carried out to characterize the vegetation
of a little crater on the Mount Etna, where a residual open wood of Quercus congesta (an endemic
oak of Southern Italy) survived the year 1651 lava flows surrounding the crater. About
35 years ago inside the crater some areas were planted with Calabrian Black Pine. As a consequence
today there is a remarkable competition between trees of the two species. An integrated
approach monitoring was adopted, taking into account both trees and understory (herbs,
shrubs and tree regeneration) characters as well as bird fauna, in order to describe the current
situation and monitor the effect of pine plantation thinning aimed at favouring oak regeneration
and reducing pine-oak competition
UAV Thermal Infrared Remote Sensing of an Italian Mud Volcano
Extreme environments like active volcanoes exhibit many difficulties in being studied by in situ techniques. For exam-ple, during eruptions, summit areas are very hard to be accessed because of logistics problems and/or volcanic hazards. The use of remote sensing techniques in the last 20 years by satellite or airborne platforms has proven their capabilities in mapping and monitoring the evolution of volcanic activity. This approach has become increasingly important, as much interest is actually focused on understanding precursory signals to volcanic eruptions. In this work we verify the use of cutting-edge technology like unmanned flying system thermally equipped for volcanic applications. We present the results of a flight test performed by INGV in collaboration with the University of Bologna (Aerospace Division) by using a multi-rotor aircraft in a hexacopter configuration. The experiment was realized in radio controlled mode to overcome many regulation problems which, especially in Italy, limit the use of this system in autonomous mode. The overall goal was not only qualitative but also quantitative oriented. The system flew above an Italian mud volcano, named Le Salinelle, located on the lower South West flank of Mt. Etna volcano, which was chosen as representative site, providing not only a discrimination between hot and cold areas, but also the corresponding temperature values. The in-flight measurements have been cross-validated with contemporaneous in-situ acquisition of thermal data and from independent measurements of mud/water temperature
Glial metabotropic glutamate receptor-4 increases maturation and survival of oligodendrocytes
Dual Effect of 17β-Estradiol on NMDA-Induced Neuronal Death: Involvement of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1
Volcanic tremor at Mt. Etna, Italy, preceding and accompanying the eruption of July-August, 2001
The July 17 â August 9, 2001 flank eruption of Mt. Etna was preceded and accompanied
by remarkable changes in volcanic tremor. Based on the records of stations belonging to the permanent
seismic network deployed on the volcano, we analyze amplitude and frequency content of the seismic
signal. We find considerable changes in the volcanic tremor which mark the transition to different styles of
eruptive activity, e.g., lava fountains, phreatomagmatic activity, Strombolian explosions. In particular, the
frequency content of the signal decreases from 5 Hz to 3 Hz at our reference station ETF during episodes
of lava fountains, and further decreases at about 2 Hz throughout phases of intense lava emission. The
frequency content and the ratios of the signal amplitude allow us to distinguish three seismic sources, i.e.,
the peripheral dike which fed the eruption, the reservoir which fed the lava fountains, and the central
conduit. Based on the analysis of the amplitude decay of the signal, we highlight the migration of the dike
from a depth of ca. 5 km to about 1 km between July 10 and 12. After the onset of the effusive phase, the
distribution of the amplitude decay at our stations can be interpreted as the overall result of sources
located within the first half kilometer from the surface. Although on a qualitative basis, our findings shed
some light on the complex feeding system of Mt. Etna, and integrate other volcanological and geophysical
studies which tackle the problem of magma replenishment for the JulyâAugust, 2001 flank eruption. We
conclude that volcanic tremor is fundamental in monitoring Mt. Etna, not only as a marker of the different
sources which act within the volcano edifice, but also of the diverse styles of eruptive activity
An EpiDoc ontological perspective: the epigraphs of the Castello Ursino Civic Museum of Catania via CIDOC CRM
The rich epigraphic heritage of the Castello Ursino Civic Museum of Catania has been studied by the EpiCUM project that encoded it in EpiDoc TEI XML, an XML based standard digital representation for cultural heritage contents. The project made the epigraphic heritage available in a digital museum: under the guise of the âVoci di Pietraâ exhibition, a selection of epigraphs were presented, implementing innovative presentation modalities thanks to a smart use of technological and digital means. Information contained in the epigraphs was semantically reorganized in a unique homogeneous container, the EpiONT ontology, constructed according to the Linked Open Data paradigm and to consolidated international standards. The encoding of the ancient texts, by the TEI standard and its EpiDoc subset, is wedded to the paradigmatic semantic web model for museums and cultural heritage. The EpiONT ontology is currently populated by 580 epigraphs collected in the Castello Ursino Civic Museum. Designed according to the CIDOC CRM standard, it makes use of the SKOS vocabularies of the EAGLE project concerning material, execution technique, type of inscription, and type of support of an epigraph. The EpiONT ontology additionally can handle any uncertainty in the origin and place of discovery of the epigraphs
Comparative Genomics of Leuconostoc carnosum
Leuconostoc carnosum is a known colonizer of meat-related food matrices. It reaches remarkably high loads during the shelf life in packaged meat products and plays a role in spoilage, although preservative effects have been proposed for some strains. In this study, the draft genomes of 17 strains of L. carnosum (i.e., all the strains that have been sequenced so far) were compared to decipher their metabolic and functional potential and to determine their role in food transformations. Genome comparison and pathway reconstruction indicated that L. carnosum is a compact group of closely related heterofermentative bacteria sharing most of the metabolic features. Adaptation to a nitrogen-rich environment, such as meat, is evidenced by 23 peptidase genes identified in the core genome and by the autotrophy for nitrogen compounds including several amino acids, vitamins, and cofactors. Genes encoding the decarboxylases yielding biogenic amines were not present. All the strains harbored 1â4 of 32 different plasmids, bearing functions associated to proteins hydrolysis, transport of amino acids and oligopeptides, exopolysaccharides, and various resistances (e.g., to environmental stresses, bacteriophages, and heavy metals). Functions associated to bacteriocin synthesis, secretion, and immunity were also found in plasmids. While genes for lactococcin were found in most plasmids, only three harbored the genes for leucocin B, a class IIa antilisterial bacteriocin. Determinants of antibiotic resistances were absent in both plasmids and chromosomes
Phenotypic Traits and Immunomodulatory Properties of Leuconostoc carnosum Isolated From Meat Products
Twelve strains of Leuconostoc carnosum from meat products were investigated in
terms of biochemical, physiological, and functional properties. The spectrum of sugars
fermented by L. carnosum strains was limited to few mono- and disaccharides,
consistently with the natural habitats of the species, including meat and fermented
vegetables. The strains were able to grow from 4 to 37C with an optimum of
approximately 32.5C. The ability to grow at temperatures compatible with refrigeration
and in presence of up to 60 g/L NaCl explains the high loads of L. carnosum frequently
described in many meat-based products. Six strains produced exopolysaccharides,
causing a ropy phenotype of colonies, according to the potential involvement on
L. carnosum in the appearance of slime in packed meat products. On the other side,
the study provides evidence of a potential protective role of L. carnosum WC0321 and
L. carnosum WC0323 against Listeria monocytogenes, consistently with the presence
in these strains of the genes encoding leucocin B. Some meat-based products intended
to be consumed without cooking may harbor up to 108 CFU/g of L. carnosum;
therefore, we investigated the potential impact of this load on health. No strains survived
the treatment with simulated gastric juice. Three selected strains were challenged
for the capability to colonize a mouse model and their immunomodulatory properties
were investigated. The strains did not colonize the intestine of mice during 10 days
of daily dietary administration. Intriguingly, despite the loss of viability during the
gastrointestinal transit, the strains exhibited different immunomodulatory effect on the
maturation of dendritic cells in vivo, the extent of which correlated to the production of
exopolysaccharides. The ability to stimulate the mucosal associated immune system in
such probiotic-like manner, the general absence of antibiotic resistance genes, and the
lack of the biosynthetic pathways for biogenic amines should reassure on the safety of
this species, with potential for exploitation of selected starters
Caratterizzazione sismica del sistema strutturale Pernicana - Provenzana (settore NE dell'Etna) attraverso l'utilizzo di differenti tecniche di rilocalizzazione.
Il fianco nord-orientale dellâEtna è interessato da un noto sistema strutturale denominato Pernicana-Provenzana, che ha un andamento WNWâESE. Esso è collegato ad ovest ad un altro importante elemento strutturale, il Rift di Nord-Est, che mostra avere un ruolo importante nel controllo dei fenomeni di instabilitĂ del fianco orientale del vulcano. La sismicitĂ associata a questo sistema strutturale è di tipo superficiale (max 2-3 km b.s.l.) e rilevanti fenomeni di creeping sono rilevabili sul suo segmento orientale. I terremoti associati a questo sistema di faglie, che possono raggiungere magnitudo sino a 4.3, qualche volta con fenomeni di fagliazione superficiale, hanno provocato danni importanti alle principali strutture alberghiere ed ai paesi ubicati in prossimitĂ della struttura.
Nel presente lavoro, sono riportati i risultati di uno studio di dettaglio della sismicitĂ localizzata lungo tale sistema strutturale, nel periodo 1999-2009. I terremoti registrati dalla rete sismica permanente dellâIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia â Sezione di Catania, localizzati con un modello 1D utilizzando lâalgoritmo Hypoellipse (Gruppo Analisi Dati Sismici, 2010), sono stati rilocalizzati applicando due differenti tecniche di localizzazione: NonLinLoc sviluppato da Lomax et al. (2000) e HypoDD proposto da Waldhauser & Ellsworth (2000). La prima metodologia è basata su un processo di ricerca globale, nello spazio 3D, dei parametri di localizzazione che possono essere ottenuti utilizzando diversi algoritmi. Il metodo HypoDD, che non prevede lâutilizzo di un modello 3D, è invece basato sullâalgoritmo della doppia differenza che minimizza i residui tra le differenze dei traveltime osservati e calcolati per coppie di terremoti a stazioni comuni. Lâapplicazione di tali tecniche ha permesso di ottenere localizzazioni ipocentrali di migliore qualitĂ , fondamentali per la caratterizzazione sismica della struttura.
Lâapplicazione di queste differenti metodologie ha permesso di evidenziare che il sistema strutturale Pernicana- Provenzana risulta composto da segmenti caratterizzati da differenti rilasci di energia sismica. Sono stati individuati due cluster principali di terremoti, la cui distribuzione spaziale ha evidenziato un differente verso nellâimmersione dei piani di faglia collegabili a questa sismicitĂ . Infine, lâapplicazione di tecniche di cross-correlazione delle forme dâonda registrate nel periodo indagato ha consentito di individuare âfamiglieâ di terremoti.
Lâanalisi spazio â temporale delle famiglie individuate ha evidenziato per alcune di esse, una ricorrenza temporale ed ha permesso di ipotizzare che lâapplicazione di un campo di stress sul sistema Pernicana-Provenzana potrebbe essere capace di attivare le stesse sorgenti sismiche in differenti periodi
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