Impactos ambientais da água do mar remediada utilizando nanocompósitos e a influência das alterações climáticas em bivalves

Recently, different approaches have been applied for water remediation purposes, including the use of nanoparticles (NPs) to remove metals and metalloids from water as advantageous alternatives to traditional water treatment methods. Among these new NPs, the synthesis of multifunctional nanocomposites based on graphene and on manganese-ferrite has received considerable attention due to their huge capacity to remove metal(loid)s from waters. However, research dedicated to new and specific environmental risks related to these nanomaterials is limited. Furthermore, impacts induced by the combination of climatic change factors (namely salinity shifts and increase of temperature) and contaminants such as metal(loid)s (e.g. mercury, arsenic and lead) in aquatic systems, are yet unidentified. To evaluate the impacts of all these factors, benthonic species can be a good model as they are affected by several environmental constraints. Particularly, bivalves as Mytilus galloprovincialis (mussels) and Ruditapes philippinarum (clams) have been identified by several authors as bioindicators that respond quickly to environmental disturbances, with a wide spatial distribution and economic relevance. Thus, the present thesis evaluated the ecotoxicological safety of remediated seawater previously contaminated with metal(loid)s and remediated by using graphene oxide functionalized with polyethyleneimine (GO-PEI) or/and manganese-ferrite NPs (MnFe2O4-NPs) on M. galloprovincialis and R. philippinarum species. For this, histopathological and biochemical alterations were carried out, towards a deeper understanding of the alterations induced in both species by these materials after the remediation. Results obtained showed that organisms exposed to noncontaminated (control condition) and remediated seawater treatments presented similar biological patterns, with no considerable differences expressed in terms of biochemical and histopathological alterations. Moreover, the present findings revealed increased toxicological effects in bivalves under climatic changes in comparison to those under control temperature and salinity. These results confirm the capability of GO-PEI and MnFe2O4-NPs to adsorb metal(loid)s from water with no noticeable toxic effects, although temperature rise and salinity shifts could affect the responses of bivalves to remediated seawater. Although, bivalves exposed to these NPs showed slight oxidative stress, cellular damage and neurotoxicity as well as histopathological alterations in comparison to the control, the materials seem to be a promising eco-friendly approach to decontaminated wastewater.Recentemente, têm sido aplicadas diferentes abordagens para fins de remediação de água, incluindo o uso de nanopartículas (NPs) para remover metais e metaloides da água como alternativas vantajosas aos métodos tradicionais de tratamento de água. Entre essas novas NPs, tem sido dedicado um grande esforço à síntese de nanocompósitos multifuncionais à base de grafeno e de ferrita de manganês tem recebido considerável atenção devido á sua enorme capacidade de remoção de metais (loid) s das águas. No entanto, a investigação dedicada a novos riscos ambientais e específicos relacionados a estes nanomateriais é limitada. Além disso, ainda não foram identificados os impactos induzidos pela combinação de fatores de alterações climáticas (nomeadamente, mudanças de salinidade e aumento de temperatura) e contaminantes, tais como metais (loid) s (por exemplo, mercúrio, arsénio e chumbo), em sistemas aquáticos. Para avaliar os impactos de todos estes fatores, as espécies bentónicas podem ser um bom modelo, pois são afetadas por diversas condições ambientais. Em particular, bivalves como Mytilus galloprovincialis (mexilhão) e Ruditapes philippinarum (amêijoa) foram identificados por diversos autores como bioindicadores que respondem rapidamente a distúrbios ambientais, possuindo ainda uma ampla distribuição espacial e relevância económica. Assim, a presente tese avaliou a segurança ecotoxicológica da água do mar, previamente contaminada com metais (loid) s, remediada, usando para tal óxido de grafeno funcionalizado com polietilenoimina (GO-PEI) ou / e NPs de ferrita de manganês (MnFe2O4-NPs), nas espécies M. galloprovincialis e R. philippinarum. Para tal, foram realizadas análises histopatológicas e bioquímicas, visando obter um maior conhecimento das alterações induzidas em ambas as espécies, por estes materiais, após a remediação. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que os organismos expostos a tratamentos não contaminados (condição controlo) e a água do mar remediada apresentaram padrões biológicos semelhantes, sem diferenças consideráveis expressas em termos de alterações bioquímicas e histopatológicas. Além disso, os resultados presentes revelaram aumentos dos efeitos toxicológicos em bivalves expostos a alterações climáticas, em comparação a organismos expostos a condições controladas de temperatura e salinidade. Estes resultados confirmam a capacidade do GO-PEI e MnFe2O4-NPs de adsorver metais (loid) s da água sem efeitos tóxicos percetíveis, no entanto, o aumento da temperatura e alterações de salinidade podem afetar as respostas dos bivalves à água do mar remediada. Embora os bivalves expostos às NPs tenham apresentado leves alterações relacionadas com stress oxidativo, dano celular e neurotoxicidade, bem como alterações histopatológicas reduzidas, em comparação ao controlo, os materiais testados aparentam ser uma abordagem promissora e ecologicamente adequada na descontaminação de águas residuais.Programa Doutoral em Biologia e Ecologia das Alterações Globai

College Students’ Personality Traits in Relation to Career Readiness

This study examined sixty-one Gettysburg College juniors and seniors (31 males, 30 females) to measure how the Big Five personality traits, and whether a student has Type D characteristics, determines if a student is career ready. We collected data through an in-person survey, with questions about personality traits, ambition, career readiness, and demographics. Regression was used to statistically analyze our first hypothesis. The results found that there is a significant positive association between conscientiousness and career readiness, but there is no significant association between extraversion and career readiness. For the second hypothesis, a mediation model was used. We found that ambition is not a mediator between Type D personality characteristics and career readiness. However, there is a significant positive association between Type D personality traits and career readiness. We explored whether gender plays a role in ambition responses. We concluded that there were no significant differences between males and females

Threatening levels of cumulative stress due to hydroclimatic extremes in the 21st century

Summary Wet and dry hydroclimatic extremes can pose severe stress to human societies under global warming. A new metric of cumulative stress due to hydroclimatic extremes is introduced, expressed in "equivalent reference stress years (ERSY)" i.e. the mean annual stress (e.g. potential for damage) in present climate conditions. 21st century climate projections show that, under the high-end RCP8.5 greenhouse gas scenario, by 2100, increases in wet and dry extremes add ~155 ERSY over global land areas (~125 for wet and ~30 for dry extremes), with wet hotspots over Asia, Eastern Africa and the Americas, and dry hotspots throughout Central and South America, Europe, West Africa and coastal Australia. Consideration of population exposure yields potential stress hotspots exceeding 400 added ERSY over Africa, North America, and Australia. The hydroclimatic stress is considerably reduced under the RCP2.6 scenario

Soglie autobiografiche: Memorias habladas, memorias armadas (1990) di Concha Méndez

Autobiographical thresholds: Memorias habladas, memorias armadas (1990) by Concha Méndez The purpose of this work is to study the autobiography of Concha Méndez –Memorias habladas, memorias armadas (1990): an account of her life experience initially told orally to her niece Paloma and then transcribed by the latter in an attempt to redeem, to save from oblivion, not just a familiar figure, but one of the most unique female personalities from of the Generation of 27. The text –pervaded by interspersed stories, temporal comings and goings, multiple thresholds of memory– provides a peculiar testimony of the changes that cross the literature of the self in the 20th century. Changes that it is useful to investigate in order to probe, on the one hand, the role and status of the author as a literary subject and the secret intentions that are hidden, behind it, in the act of the referenced recounted speech; on the other hand, the degree of fiction orchestrated by the present narrator who, turning his gaze eye to the past, selects and assembles the subtle joints of his autobiographical enterprise.Il proposito di questo lavoro è uno studio dell’autobiografia di Concha Méndez –Memorias habladas, memorias armadas (1990)– raccontata prima a voce alla nipote Paloma e poi trascritta da quest’ultima nel tentativo di riscattare, dall’oblio, non solo una figura familiare, ma una delle personalità femminili più singolari della Generazione del 27. Il testo –attraversato da storie intercalate, andirivieni temporali, molteplici soglie del ricordo– fornisce una testimonianza peculiare dei cambiamenti del racconto del sé nel Novecento. Cambiamenti che si è ritenuto utile indagare per sondare, da un lato, il ruolo e lo statuto dell’autrice in quanto soggetto letterario e le intenzioni recondite che, dietro di esso, si celano all’atto del discorso riferito; dall’altro, il grado di finzione orchestrata dall’io narrante del tempo presente il quale, volgendo lo sguardo al passato, seleziona e assembla le giunture sottili della sua impresa autobiografica

Realizzazione di un protocollo operativo per la "liberazione" in natura delle istrici (Hystrix cristata L.,1758) provenienti da centri di recupero, nell'ambito delle procedure autorizzative previste dalla normativa vigente.

Questo lavoro di tesi nasce dall’idea di dare un contributo alla conoscenza della biologia dell’istrice e alla delineazione di linee guida per la “liberazione” in natura di istrici detenuti e/o cresciuti presso centri di recupero (C.R.A.S.). Linee guida utili all’aumento della probabilità per la sopravvivenza dell’animale post-“liberazione”. Questa indagine è basata sul monitoraggio di un istrice nella sua attività post-“liberazione” da un centro di recupero. In particolare sono stati indagati l’uso delle tane e le interazioni sociali con la popolazione di istrici residenti mediante video-fototrappolaggio e l’uso dello spazio, mediante l’ausilio di un radiocollare GPS con teconologia GSM integrato con un radiocollare VHF Le fototrappole posizionate nell’area di studio ci hanno permesso di studiare la popolazione di istrici residenti in loco, acquisendo importanti informazioni su alcuni comportamenti riscontrati in natura come quelli di interazione con la mammalofauna presente, avente la stessa attitudine all’uso di tane sotterranee e su alcuni comportamenti intraspecifici. Trattandosi di sperimentazione animale ed essendo l’istrice un animale protetto dalla legislazione vigente in Italia dal 1981, inizialmente con la L.N. 503/81, poi con la L.N. 157/92, per poter procedere allo studio è stato necessario ottenere le relative autorizzazioni previste dalla normativa vigente. Il periodo di monitoraggio è stato di circa 5 mesi, durante i quali si è potuto osservare che l’animale si è adattato senza problemi apparenti all’ambiente selvatico, mostrando fin da subito comportamenti tipici della specie. L’istrice, infatti, fatta eccezione di brevi periodi in cui è stata raminga, ha utilizzato le buche come luogo di rifugio diurno, ha scavato in una buca già esistente e si è accompagnata con un esemplare maschio con il quale fa coppia stabilmente, abitando in tana. I dati utilizzati per l’analisi degli home range sono il risultato della combinazione di due tecniche di monitoraggio, la telemetria satellitare e la radiotelemetria, che ha ovviato ai limiti del radiocollare GPS. Dall’analisi degli spostamenti è emerso che durante tutto il periodo di monitoraggio l’animale durante il giorno ha vissuto prevalentemente all’interno delle tane presenti, mentre durante le ore notturne si è mosso rimanendo sempre a stretto contatto con la bassa e fitta vegetazione sotto una copertura arborea tipica degli ambienti boschivi dell’area di studio. Occasionalmente l’istrice è uscito in spazi aperti alla ricerca di cibo ma non ha mai frequentato gli orti e i coltivi presenti all’interno dell’area di studio. Pertanto, sebbene l’impatto dell’istrice sulle coltivazioni agricole e in particolare sulle produzioni orticole sia notevole in numerose parti del suo areale di distribuzione, nell’area di studio questo non sembra rappresentare un problema rilevante. Tale fenomeno è presumibilmente associabile alla ricchezza di fonti alimentari disponibili proprie dell’habitat dell’area di studio o del particolare momento climatico favorevole. Per la determinazione dell' home range è stato utilizzato il software Quantum Gis, utilizzando il metodo kernel al 95% e il metodo del Minimo Poligono Convesso o MCP al 95% e al 100% perl’analisi dell’home range totale e per l’analisi dell’home range diviso per decadi. A conclusione di questo lavoro di tesi è stato possibile redarre un protocollo operativo per la “liberazione” in natura di istrici provenienti da centri di recupero. Questo protocollo è da considerarsi preliminare e certamente non esaustivo ma è auspicabile che possa rappresentare in parte una base conoscitiva sulla quale possono essere aggiunte, integrate e/o emendate informazioni provenienti da ulteriori studi, utili alla gestione e alla comprensione della biologia di questo prezioso animale selvatico della nostra fauna

«¡Qué cuerpo deshabitado, piel de desértica vida!» : Quevedo en la poesía del exilio de Rafael Alberti

A partir del complejo concepto del «hombre deshabitado», el presente artículo realiza un análisis comparado de siete poemas escritos por Rafael Alberti, representativos de la influencia que sobre este ejerció la producción literaria de Francisco de Quevedo. De acuerdo con la crítica, esta recepción quevedesca se circunscribe a los años 1927-1936; nuestra hipótesis, en cambio, es que las afinidades entre los dos autores se reiteran a lo largo de gran parte de la obra albertiana, sobre todo en la de los años del exilio, revelan-do una deuda con su fuente clásica sobre la cual todavía no se ha hecho suficientemente hincapié.Starting from the complex concept of the «hollow man» the article realizes a comparati-ve analysis of seven poems written by Rafael Alberti, representative of the influence that Francisco de Quevedo's literary production exerted over him. According to critics, this quevedian effect is limited to the years 1927-1936. On the contrary, our hypothesis is that the similarity of imagery linking the two poets keeps repeating throughout the ma-jority of the Albertian works, especially in those belonging to the years of exile, revealing a debt to its classical source that needs to be further investigated

Excitability of the motor cortex in patients with migraine changes with the time elapsed from the last attack

BACKGROUND: Motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) produced by single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of the motor cortex can be an objective measure of cortical excitability. Previously, MEP thresholds were found to be normal, increased, or even reduced in patients with migraine. In the present study, we determined whether the level of cortical excitability changes with the time interval from the last migraine attack, thereby accounting for the inconsistencies in previous reports. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with untreated migraine without aura (MO) underwent a MEP study between attacks. Their data were then compared to the MEP data collected from a group of 24 healthy volunteers (HVs). During the experiment, the TMS figure-of-eight coil was positioned over the left motor area. After identifying the resting motor threshold (RMT), we delivered 10 single TMS pulses (rate: 0.1 Hz, intensity: 120% of the RMT) and averaged the resulting MEP amplitudes. RESULTS: The mean RMTs and MEP amplitudes were not significantly different between the MO and HV groups. In patients with MO, the RMTs were negatively correlated with the number of days elapsed since the last migraine attack (rho = -0.404, p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the threshold for evoking MEPs is influenced by the proximity of an attack; specifically, the threshold is lower when a long time interval has passed after an attack, and is higher (within the range of normative values) when measured close to an attack. These dynamic RMT variations resemble those we reported previously for visual and somatosensory evoked potentials and may represent time-dependent plastic changes in brain excitability in relation to the migraine cycle

Top-1 CORSMAL Challenge 2020 Submission: Filling Mass Estimation Using Multi-modal Observations of Human-robot Handovers

Human-robot object handover is a key skill for the future of human-robot collaboration. CORSMAL 2020 Challenge focuses on the perception part of this problem: the robot needs to estimate the filling mass of a container held by a human. Although there are powerful methods in image processing and audio processing individually, answering such a problem requires processing data from multiple sensors together. The appearance of the container, the sound of the filling, and the depth data provide essential information. We propose a multi-modal method to predict three key indicators of the filling mass: filling type, filling level, and container capacity. These indicators are then combined to estimate the filling mass of a container. Our method obtained Top-1 overall performance among all submissions to CORSMAL 2020 Challenge on both public and private subsets while showing no evidence of overfitting. Our source code is publicly available: https://github.com/v-iashin/CORSMALComment: Code: https://github.com/v-iashin/CORSMAL Docker: https://hub.docker.com/r/iashin/corsma

Women Face to Fear and Safety Devices During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: Impact of Physical Distancing on Individual Responsibility, Intimate, and Social Relationship

The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 in Italy had its first epidemic manifestations on January 31, 2020. The socio-sanitary rules imposed by the government concerned the social distance and management of intimate relationships, the sense of individual responsibility toward public health. Physical distancing and housing isolation have produced new representations of intrafamily, generational, neighborhood, community responsibility, bringing out a new “medicalized dimension” of society. In light of this contextual framework, the research aims are to analyze how: the perception of individual responsibility for public and familial health and physical distancing has redrawn the relation between subjects-family-community; the State’s technical-health intervention has reformulated the idea of social closeness, but also how the pandemic fear and social confinement has re-evaluated a desire for community, neighborhood, proximity; during the lockdown families, friends, neighbors have reconstructed feelings of closeness and forms of belonging. The methodology used is quanti-qualitative and involved 300 women through an online questionnaire. The data collected highlight how the house during the lockdown is perceived as a safe place and how women implement both the recommendations and the behaviors aimed at preventing contagion, but also ways that allow coping with the situation from a perspective of well-being. Furthermore, the data show how the dimension of distancing has loosened the relational dimension outside the family unit, with a greater distancing compared to pre-pandemic data. However, the majority of women report that they have joined solidarity initiatives, demonstrating that they want to maintain ties and participate actively in community life

Family well-being during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy: Gender differences and solidarity networks of care

During the COVID-19 pandemic, families experienced new challenges related to reorganizing living spaces and the need to renegotiate domestic and care roles. This paper aims to understand how Italian families have reacted to this situation with respect to psychological well-being, the management of domestic and care activities and solidarity networks of care. The participants were 560 Italian subjects who reported having a parental role. The protocol included a measure of well-being (the General Health Questionnaire-12) and some questions related to the time dedicated to domestic activities or to caring for people, the perception of conflict within the family and solidarity networks of care. The data underline how mothers continued to devote more time to home and care activities than fathers, despite the presence of both partners at home during the lockdown. The results also indicate that mothers participated to a greater extent than fathers in solidarity activities, confirming that this dimension is linked to gender. Furthermore, fathers and mothers perceived a lower condition of well-being in relation to the pre-pandemic period