Structural Covariance in the Hard Sphere Fluid

We study the joint variability of structural information in a hard sphere fluid biased to avoid crystallisation and form fivefold symmetric geometric motifs. We show that the structural covariance matrix approach, originally proposed for on-lattice liquids [Ronceray and Harrowell, JCP 2016], can be meaningfully employed to understand structural relationships between different motifs and can predict, within the linear-response regime, structural changes related to motifs distinct from that used to bias the system

Language as purposeful: functional varieties of texts

This volume, "Language as Purposeful: Functional Varieties of Texts", is the third of the first three e-books of a new series entitled, "Functional Grammar Studies for Non-Native Speakers of English", which is contained within the superordinate: "Quaderni del Centro di Studi Linguistico-Culturali (CeSLiC)", a research center in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages of the University of Bologna. The series proposes a metalinguistic description of English grammar in a functional, socio-semiotic perspective and is proving to be an effective teaching/learning resource for improving English literacy in the L2 pedagogic setting. The principal ‘consumers’ of the series are the students of the English Language Studies Program (ELSP) in Bologna’s Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature, for whom it provides the basic course-book in each of their three years of the first-level degree course. This third volume applies the descriptive model taught in the first two years to the analysis of diverse text-types, and thus at the same time seeks to empower students through an increasing awareness of the typical functions of the English language in a variety of concrete situational and cultural contexts

Comparative analysis of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 post-translational modifications of Tax proteins in relation to their intracellular localization and activation of gene expression

Poster presentatio

Exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls and hexachlorobenzene, semen quality and testicular cancer risk

PURPOSE: We carried out a case-control study to investigate the possible role of occupational and environmental exposure to endocrine disruptors in the onset of testicular cancer (TC). METHODS: We evaluated 125 TC patients and 103 controls. Seminal fluid examination and organochlorine analysis were performed in all subjects. Cases and controls were also interviewed using a structured questionnaire to collect demographic information, residence, andrological medical history and dietary information. RESULTS: We found that a higher level of reproductive tract birth defects was associated with a higher risk of TC. With regard to diet, cases reported a higher consumption of milk and dairy products than controls. Overall, there was a statistically significant increase in TC risk in cases with detectable values of total polychlorinated organic compounds against controls (14.4 vs. 1.0 %; p < 0.001). TC patients with detectable levels of organochlorines had lower mean semen parameters than those with undetectable levels, although this difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The International Agency for Research on Cancer recently included dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in Group 1 of known human carcinogens. Our study confirmed and identified various risk factors for testicular cancer: cryptorchidism, consumption of milk and dairy products, parents' occupation and serum concentration of hexachlorobenzene and PCBs and, for the first time, we showed the correlation between semen quality and the serum concentration of these pollutants

Transport on a Lattice with Dynamical Defects

Many transport processes in nature take place on substrates, often considered as unidimensional lanes. These unidimensional substrates are typically non-static: affected by a fluctuating environment, they can undergo conformational changes. This is particularly true in biological cells, where the state of the substrate is often coupled to the active motion of macromolecular complexes, such as motor proteins on microtubules or ribosomes on mRNAs, causing new interesting phenomena. Inspired by biological processes such as protein synthesis by ribosomes and motor protein transport, we introduce the concept of localized dynamical sites coupled to a driven lattice gas dynamics. We investigate the phenomenology of transport in the presence of dynamical defects and find a novel regime characterized by an intermittent current and subject to severe finite-size effects. Our results demonstrate the impact of the regulatory role of the dynamical defects in transport, not only in biology but also in more general contexts

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

Studio comparativo di oli essenziali ed idrolati di specie e selezioni di Monarda spp.: un biennio di sperimentazione

Introduzione. Da diversi anni le tre specie: Monarda fistulosa, M. didyma e M. citriodora (Lamiaceae) sono coltivate nei campi sperimentali dell’Area del Plesso Serricolo Scarabelli di Imola (Università di Bologna) al fine di verificare le potenzialità degli oli essenziali (OE) ed idrolati (ID) da esse ottenuti in diversi settori applicativi (Microbiologia, Fitopatologia, Entomologia, Nematologia, Medicina umana e Conservazione dei Beni Culturali). Si tratta, infatti, di sperimentazioni che, in linea con la sempre più crescente esigenza di limitare l’utilizzo di prodotti fitosanitari di sintesi ed antibiotici, hanno lo scopo di favorire lo sviluppo di metodi alternativi a basso impatto sulla salute umana e sull’ambiente. Numerosi studi hanno messo in evidenza l’“efficacia” di OE ed ID estratti dalle tre specie del genere Monarda e l’importanza del chemotipo ai fini di una specifica applicazione. Scopo. L’obiettivo principale del presente lavoro è stato la caratterizzazione chimica di OE e ID ottenuti dalle tre specie e due selezioni clonali di M. didyma (“Rossa” e “Viola”), coltivate nel medesimo ambiente, nell’arco di tempo di 2 anni, in determinate fasi fenologiche delle piante (fioritura e non fioritura). Materiali e metodi. Nel biennio 2017-2018 sono stati allestiti 5 campi sperimentali costituiti da M. citriodora (da seme), M. fistulosa (da seme), M. didyma (da seme), selezioni “Rossa” e “Viola” (da talee radicali). Gli impianti sono stati monitorati dal punto di vista agronomico-colturale e fitosanitario fino alla raccolta del materiale vegetale da sottoporre a distillazione in corrente di vapore. Tutti gli OE ed ID, ottenuti da piante non fiorite (M. didyma e M. fistulosa da seme, 2017) e fiorite (M. citriodora, M. didyma e M. fistulosa da seme 2018, M. didyma “Rossa” e “Viola” da talee) sono stati sottoposti ad analisi GC-MS per la determinazione del profilo della frazione volatile. Risultati. La resa maggiore in OE è stata ottenuta da M. fistulosa in entrambi gli anni; inoltre, distillando le infiorescenze (2018) piuttosto che solo fusti e foglie (2017), la resa è aumentata, fino a raddoppiare, sia per M. didyma, sia per M. fistulosa. La composizione chimica di OE e ID varia con la fase fenologica: ad es., i contenuti relativi di timolo e carvacrolo aumentano durante la fase vegetativa. In fioritura, timol metil etere era presente solo nell’OE di M. didima mentre p-cimene-2-ol-metil etere solo in quelli di M. didyma e M. fistulosa e non di M. citriodora. Differenze nei profili della frazione volatile sono state osservate anche fra le due selezioni: la “Rossa” era più ricca in linalolo; inoltre, il miscuglio fiorito di M. didyma (da seme) mostrava un contenuto maggiore di carvacrolo e timolo rispetto alle selezioni da talee. Conclusioni. Lo studio conferma che le tre specie del genere Monarda hanno buone potenzialità di utilizzo come piante aromatiche per l’ottenimento di OE ed ID particolarmente ricchi di composti bioattivi. Le differenze esistenti nei profili terpenici di specie e selezioni diverse suggeriscono un loro impiego diversificato in funzione delle esigenze specifiche di ciascun settore applicativo. Pertanto, per pianificare un loro utilizzo mirato, sono indispensabili studi volti ad accertare l’attività biologica dei diversi chemotipi