Il Meli italiano del poeta greco Andreas Kalvos

Negli anni giovanili il poeta Andreas Kalvos tradusse in italiano dal siciliano alcuni componimenti di Giovanni Meli. Nel presente articolo viene trascritta integralmente, dal manoscritto originale conservato nella Biblioteca Vaticana, la versione kalvianaDuring youth, the poet Andreas Kalvos translated some compositions by Giovanni Meli into Italian from the Sicilian. In this article the Kalvian version is fully transcribed from the original manuscript preserved in the Vatican Librar

Un poeta greco a Stoccolma

Traduzione dei due discorsi tenuti dal poeta Seferis a Stoccolma in occasione del conferimento del premio Nobel per la letteratur

Nikos Gatsos e i suoi "materiali in movimento"

Sul'"officina" di materiali inediti del poeta Nikos Gatso

Genomic and Post-Genomic Analysis of Human Chromosome 21 in Relation to the Pathogenesis of Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome)

We performed an innovative systematic meta-analysis of gene expression profiles of whole normal human brain and heart to provide a quantitative transcriptome reference map of it, i.e. a typical reference value of expression for all the known, mapped and uncharacterized (unmapped) transcripts. For this reason, we used the software named TRAM (Transcriptome Mapper), which is able to generate transcriptome maps based on gene expression data from multiple sources. We also analyzed differential gene expression by comparing brain with human foetal brain, with a pool of non-brain tissues and with the three brain sub-region: cerebellum, cerebral cortex and hippocampus, the main regions severely affected with cognitive impairment, as seen in the case of trisomy 21. Data were downloaded from microarray databases, processed and analyzed using TRAM software and validated in vitro by assaying gene expression through several magnitude orders by "Real Time" reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The excellent agreement between in silico and experimental data suggested that our transcriptome maps may be a useful quantitative reference benchmark for gene expression studies related to the human brain and heart. We also generated an integrated quantitative transcriptome map by systematic meta-analysis from all available gene expression profile datasets related to AMKL in paediatric age. The incidence of Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia (AMKL) is 500-fold higher in children with Down Syndrome (DS) compared with non-DS children. We present an integrated original model of the DS AMLK transcriptome, providing the identification of genes relevant for its pathophysiology which can potentially be new clinical markers. Finally, computational and molecular analysis of a highly restricted region of chromosome 21, which represents a strong candidate for typical DS features and is considered as intergenic, was performed. Northern Blot analysis and computational biology results show that HR-DSCR contain active loci bidirectionally transcribed

GeneBase 1.1: a tool to summarize data from NCBI gene datasets and its application to an update of human gene statistics

We release GeneBase 1.1, a local tool with a graphical interface useful for parsing, structuring and indexing data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene data bank. Compared to its predecessor GeneBase (1.0), GeneBase 1.1 now allows dynamic calculation and summarization in terms of median, mean, standard deviation and total for many quantitative parameters associated with genes, gene transcripts and gene features (exons, introns, coding sequences, untranslated regions). GeneBase 1.1 thus offers the opportunity to perform analyses of the main gene structure parameters also following the search for any set of genes with the desired characteristics, allowing unique functionalities not provided by the NCBI Gene itself. In order to show the potential of our tool for local parsing, structuring and dynamic summarizing of publicly available databases for data retrieval, analysis and testing of biological hypotheses, we provide as a sample application a revised set of statistics for human nuclear genes, gene transcripts and gene features. In contrast with previous estimations strongly underestimating the length of human genes, a 'mean' human protein-coding gene is 67 kbp long, has eleven 309\u2009bp long exons and ten 6355\u2009bp long introns. Median, mean and extreme values are provided for many other features offering an updated reference source for human genome studies, data useful to set parameters for bioinformatic tools and interesting clues to the biomedical meaning of the gene features themselves.Database URL: http://apollo11.isto.unibo.it/software/

Ergonomics and cultural heritage: the Palatina chapel in Palermo, Italy

The present article presents results of a study that aims at the assessment of ergonomic safety conditions inside the Palatina chapel of Palermo. To reach this object, an informative questionnaire was established so as to collect visitors’ subjective judgments regarding overall ergonomic conditions in terms of accessibility, availability, safety or else environmental conditions (thermo-hygrometry; air, sound and visual quality); this stage was carried out, bearing in mind the Museum Visitors’ Rights Card that is currently under creation by the “Legambiente” group. An automatic instrument was bought to daily count the numbers of visitors; the latter element shall then be related to indoor environmental data registered thanks to a monitoring system of thermohygrometry, illuminating engineering and environmental aggressiveness

Il progetto Salvalarte respira pulito: uno strumento operativo multidisciplinare per la conservazione e la fruizione dei Beni Culturali nella Regione Sicilia

The present work concerns the description of the contents and of the methods of the project “SALVALARTE respira pulito” (“SAVE ART and breathe clean air”) promoted by Legambiente, ARPA and the Regional Center for the Project and the Restoration of the Region Sicily, in cooperation with the University of Palermo. The goal of the project was to analyze and collect information on the condition of the cultural heritage in Sicily. The purpose of the goal was both to provide guidelines for the safeguard, the promotion and the correct use of cultural sites, adopting a more scientific approach of the problem which would be divided in three phases: detection and cataloging of the cultural heritage at risk, monitoring of a significant sample of monuments that might represent the whole nation, and finally diffusion of the results. The activities carried out in 2003 enabled the definition of an optimal monitoring procedure. The main test of validation of the survey and analysis methodology was executed considering Corso V Emanuele in Palermo as case-study, since it is where many and important monumental elements and structures are located

Setting up of a protocol of environmental research for the preservation and right exploitation of the cultural heritage

The research aims at collecting information on the state of preservation of the cultural heritage in Palermo, and deals more precisely with Vittorio Emanuele avenue, itself bounded by two city gates called Porta Felice (northern gate facing the Mediterranean sea) and Porta Nuova (southern gate) that both give access to the historic centre of the city. Another important purpose is the assessment of livability level, be it for workers, residents, cultural operators, or else visitors, with a particular interest in traffic noise. The research has been conducted by means of miscellaneous scientific duties; however we shall only refer here to two types of practice : the monitoring of environmental noise and the monitoring of the level of air aggressiveness through the study of thermo-hygrometric and chemical aspects. Whereas the Corrosion Classification Coupon was useful for the measurement of corrosive agents in outdoor locations, outdoor HOBO Pro sensors were used to report temperature and relative humidity. Hence it was possible to define the acoustic climate on the avenue surveying both geometrical data as well as traffic flow and characteristics

An acoustical survey about the Sanctuary of Altavilla Milicia (Palermo)

This study aims at using the science and the technique, known nowadays, at the service of the Liturgy and of the holy architecture. In addition to this, its second goal is to investigate completely, on some general acoustic aspects that can be founded inside liturgical rooms, without overlooking the historical-architectural aspects regarding the difference "kinds" of manufactures and materials in relation to the specific liturgical needs. According to this, an interesting simulation of sound diffusion inside the Sanctuario of Altavilla Milicia, defined by the Cardinal S. De Giorgi "the first and most notorious Marian place of veneration belonging to the Church of Palermo", was performed. By means of this simulation, the acoustic parameters of the ecclesial room were taken, in compliance to the standards UNI EN ISO 3382/1997 (Measurements of enclosed environments Reverberation Time with reference to other acoustic parameters)

Systematic reanalysis of partial trisomy 21 cases with or without Down syndrome suggests a small region on 21q22.13 as critical to the phenotype

A "Down Syndrome critical region" (DSCR) sufficient to induce the most constant phenotypes of Down syndrome (DS) had been identified by studying partial (segmental) trisomy 21 (PT21) as an interval of 0.6-8.3 Mb within human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), although its existence was later questioned. We propose an innovative, systematic reanalysis of all described PT21 cases (from 1973 to 2015). In particular, we built an integrated, comparative map from 125 cases with or without DS fulfilling stringent cytogenetic and clinical criteria. The map allowed to define or exclude as candidates for DS fine Hsa21 sequence intervals, also integrating duplication copy number variants (CNVs) data. A highly restricted DSCR (HR-DSCR) of only 34 kb on distal 21q22.13 has been identified as the minimal region whose duplication is shared by all DS subjects and is absent in all non-DS subjects. Also being spared by any duplication CNV in healthy subjects, HR-DSCR is proposed as a candidate for the typical DS features, the intellectual disability and some facial phenotypes. HR-DSCR contains no known gene and has relevant homology only to the chimpanzee genome. Searching for HR-DSCR functional loci might become a priority for understanding the fundamental genotype-phenotype relationships in DS