How to fold intricately: using theory and experiments to unravel the properties of knotted proteins

Over the years, advances in experimental and computational methods have helped us to understand the role of thermodynamic, kinetic and active (chaperone-aided) effects in coordinating the folding steps required to achieving a knotted native state. Here, we review such developments by paying particular attention to the complementarity of experimental and computational studies. Key open issues that could be tackled with either or both approaches are finally pointed out

Non-Gaussianity Consistency Relation for Multi-field Inflation

While detection of the "local form" bispectrum of primordial perturbations would rule out all single-field inflation models, multi-field models would still be allowed. We show that multi-field models described by the $\delta N$ formalism obey an inequality between $f_{\rm NL}$ and one of the local-form {\it trispectrum} amplitudes, $\tau_{\rm NL}$, such that $\tau_{\rm NL}>\frac12(\frac65f_{\rm NL})^2$ with a possible logarithmic scale dependence, provided that 2-loop terms are small. Detection of a violation of this inequality would rule out most of multi-field models, challenging inflation as a mechanism for generating the primoridal perturbations.Comment: 5 pages. Accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

optimization of plasma actuator excitation waveform and materials for separation control in turbomachinery

Abstract Different input waveforms applied to a Single Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuator (SDBDPA) were compared for flow separation control on low-pressure turbines (LPTs). The investigated Reynolds number (Re) was 2·104. The work aim was the device optimization in terms of materials and excitation conditions for enhancing its durability and performances. The SDBDPA was manufactured by microfabrication techniques. Device materials that could withstand the plasma environment were selected. Sine, square and triangle waveforms were compared in terms of actuator dissipated power and induced velocity. At comparable peak-to-peak applied voltage, the sinus outperformed the other waveforms, while the square dissipated the most

LESSON LEARNED ON MONITORING CULTURAL HERITAGE AT RISK UNDER CLIMATE CHANGES: STRATEGY, TECHNIQUES AND RESULTS

Rising damp is a recurrent cause of damage, and the climatic changes are going towards the increase of humidity (quantity and spreading distribution) in the historic masonry: at 40/50° latitudes, at continental/Mediterranean climatic conditions, the alternance of dry seasons and almost monsoon seasons dramatically affects the distribution of rising damp in porous materials, as well as the water content. Monitoring the presence and distribution of the water is useful to support the choice of the most appropriate intervention, reducing the risk to apply not effective and expensive products and preventing an oversize intervention.The evaluation of the increase of rising damp is a critical issue for preventing the damages, because the presence of the water can sharply, naturally decrease in the dry seasons, as well as rapidly increases one month or more after the beginning of heavy and constant rain.The study cases will show the interaction between climate changes and the inadequacy of the present plant for collecting and drain rain in archaeological areas and historic buildings and as well as the nearby infrastructures that should prevent stagnant rain close to the bottom of the masonry.</p

COVID-19 infection, vaccine status, and avoidance behaviors in adults with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveWe aim to examine infection risk and vaccine status of COVID-19 in attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and evaluate the impact of demographic, clinical, and COVID-19-related factors on the infection status and behavioral avoidance of COVID-19. MethodsThis cross-sectional study assessed adults with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder recruited from an outpatient psychiatry clinic. Patients and healthy controls completed a survey on sociodemographic data, COVID-19 infection status, and vaccine status. COVID-19 Disease Perception Scale, COVID-19 Avoidance Attitudes Scale, Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccine Scale, Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Self-report Screening Scale for DSM-5, Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale Symptoms Checklist, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were applied. ResultsNinety patients and 40 healthy controls participated. Patients did not differ from controls in COVID-19 infection and vaccine status, and behavioral avoidance of COVID-19. No demographic and clinical factor significantly affected the COVID-19 infection status. Patients scored higher than controls in the perception of COVID-19 as contagious (p = 0.038), cognitive avoidance of COVID-19 (p = 0.008), and positive attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine (p = 0.024). After adjustment of possible factors, a positive perception of the COVID-19 vaccine and a perception of COVID-19 as dangerous were the two factors significantly affecting behavioral avoidance of COVID-19 [R-2 = 0. 17, F(2) = 13.189, p < 0.0001]. ConclusionInfection and vaccine status of COVID-19 in patients did not significantly differ from controls. No demographic and clinical factor significantly affected the COVID-19 infection status. Approximately four-fifths of the patients were fully vaccinated as recommended by national and global health organizations. This has increased the knowledge base showing that the COVID-19 vaccine is acceptable and receiving the vaccine is endorsed by ADHD patients. Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder itself may provoke no kind of mental disturbance in sense of perception of the danger of this disease. Our findings have increased the knowledge base showing that the COVID-19 vaccine is acceptable and the actual practice of receiving the vaccine is endorsed in this population. Our message for practice would be to take into account not only the core symptoms and the comorbidities of the disorder but also the perception of the disease while exploring its link with COVID-19

Current exposure of Italian women of reproductive age to PFOS and PFOA: a human biomonitoring study

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) concentrations were determined in serum samples collected in 2011-2012 from 549 nulliparous Italian women of reproductive age who resided in six different Italian Regions. Assessment of exposure to perfluorinated compounds was part of a large human biomonitoring study (Project Life Plus "Womenbiopop") that aimed at examining the exposure of women of reproductive age to priority organic pollutants. The median concentrations of PFOS and PFOA were 2.43, and 1.55ngg-1, respectively. Significant differences in the concentrations of both compounds were observed among the six Regions. Women from central Italy had the highest levels of both compounds, followed by women from northern Italy, and southern Italy. No differences in the PFOS concentrations were found between women from urban/industrial areas and women from rural areas, whereas the levels of PFOA were significantly higher in women residing in urban/industrial areas than in women residing in rural areas. Taken together, the observed concentrations confirm that the overall exposure of the Italian population is among the lowest observed in industrialized countries. A downward temporal trend in exposure was observed for both compounds when comparing the results from the present study with those assessed in a study conducted in 2008

AERIAL PLATFORMS (UAV) SURVEYS IN THE VIS AND TIR RANGE. APPLICATIONS ON ARCHAEOLOGY AND AGRICULTURE

The paper presents multi-sensor applications of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) on three different cases of study, belonging to the wide category of Cultural Heritage (CH). The contribution aims to examine the efficacy of different methodological approach of surveys made in VIS and TIR range with aerial platforms. The use of UAV on two archaeological areas, Çatalhöyük site (Konya, Turkey) and the Medicean Villa of Pratolino (Florence, Italy) and an application of precision agriculture in Lamole (Greve in Chianti, Italy) will be presented. In particular, the analysis will focus on the accuracy of the obtained data, in terms of both metric and image quality, the possible information to extract from the IR imaging, the relationship between costs and benefits and the total amount of information that can be gained. The two different fields of research (archaeological and agricultural one) show that there are some similarities in the approaches and which could be the improving to obtain using the aerial survey in the visual and IR bands

Decentralised agrobiodiversity conservation: A multi stakeholder participatory experiment

Cultivated plant species and domesticated animal species, including their genetic variants and associated plant and animal diversity, are collectively called ‘agrobiodiversity’. These resources are at risk with the expansion of industrial agriculture, and maintaining locally adapted native seed materials in micro agro-ecosystems will be vital for ensuring crop resilience to climate change. This study narrates the learning experiences of a 3-year participatory project – Networking traditional farmers and local self-governments for agro-biodiversity conservation and Wayanad community seed festival – implemented with local communities and local governments. The aim of the project was to democratise agrobiodiversity conservation efforts through a seed conservation movement in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India

Pedestrians moving in dark: Balancing measures and playing games on lattices

We present two conceptually new modeling approaches aimed at describing the motion of pedestrians in obscured corridors: * a Becker-D\"{o}ring-type dynamics * a probabilistic cellular automaton model. In both models the group formation is affected by a threshold. The pedestrians are supposed to have very limited knowledge about their current position and their neighborhood; they can form groups up to a certain size and they can leave them. Their main goal is to find the exit of the corridor. Although being of mathematically different character, the discussion of both models shows that it seems to be a disadvantage for the individual to adhere to larger groups. We illustrate this effect numerically by solving both model systems. Finally we list some of our main open questions and conjectures