Surface Plasmon Induced Luminescence as a Tool for Study of the Ageing of Polymeric Materials.

Lo scopo della presente tesi, svolta presso il Laboratorio LAPLACE di Tolosa, è quello di indagare sulle proprietà ottiche di campioni composti da un substrato di materiale polimerico (bi-axially oriented polyprophilene, BOPP) ricoperto con diversi tipi di elettrodi principalmente tramite misure di elettroluminescenza e di comprendere come queste siano legate al suo deterioramento e invecchiamento Nella prima parte della tesi, verranno illustrate le misure effettuate su due diverse strutture MIM (metal-insulator-metal), la prima ottenuta utilizzando oro e la seconda utilizzando ITO come elettrodi. Nella seconda parte, invece, le misure sono state effettuate su campioni multistrato contenenti nano compositi a base di argento, ricoperte con uno strato di ITO che fungerà da elettrodo. Le misure sulla prima tipologia di campioni hanno evidenziato la presenza di due componenti principali nelle emissioni dovute a elettroluminescenza, una prodotta dal materiale bulk (BOPP) e una scaturita dall’interazione tra il substrato e l’elettrodo metallico, grazie al coinvolgimento dei plasmoni di superficie. Lo scopo della seconda parte della tesi è quello di comprendere l’effetto che le particelle di argento potrebbero avere sui plasmoni superficiali e sulle emissioni luminose dovute a elettroluminescenza. I risultati ottenuti su questi campioni hanno evidenziato un livello di luce prodotto da elettroluminescenza incredibilmente maggiore rispetto ai campioni aventi ITO e oro come elettrodi. In conclusione l’impatto delle nano particelle di argento sulle emissioni per elettroluminescenza da BOPP possono essere molteplici e saranno necessari ulteriori studi per comprendere in modo dettagliato tale meccanismo. L’effetto mostrato qui potrebbe risultare molto utile per capire meglio l’elettroluminescenza nei materiali polimerici isolanti da un lato e dall’altro le proprietà foto-fisiche delle nanoparticelle metalliche

Online failure prediction in air traffic control systems

This thesis introduces a novel approach to online failure prediction for mission critical distributed systems that has the distinctive features to be black-box, non-intrusive and online. The approach combines Complex Event Processing (CEP) and Hidden Markov Models (HMM) so as to analyze symptoms of failures that might occur in the form of anomalous conditions of performance metrics identified for such purpose. The thesis presents an architecture named CASPER, based on CEP and HMM, that relies on sniffed information from the communication network of a mission critical system, only, for predicting anomalies that can lead to software failures. An instance of Casper has been implemented, trained and tuned to monitor a real Air Traffic Control (ATC) system developed by Selex ES, a Finmeccanica Company. An extensive experimental evaluation of CASPER is presented. The obtained results show (i) a very low percentage of false positives over both normal and under stress conditions, and (ii) a sufficiently high failure prediction time that allows the system to apply appropriate recovery procedures

Online failure prediction in air traffic control systems

This thesis introduces a novel approach to online failure prediction for mission critical distributed systems that has the distinctive features to be black-box, non-intrusive and online. The approach combines Complex Event Processing (CEP) and Hidden Markov Models (HMM) so as to analyze symptoms of failures that might occur in the form of anomalous conditions of performance metrics identified for such purpose. The thesis presents an architecture named CASPER, based on CEP and HMM, that relies on sniffed information from the communication network of a mission critical system, only, for predicting anomalies that can lead to software failures. An instance of Casper has been implemented, trained and tuned to monitor a real Air Traffic Control (ATC) system developed by Selex ES, a Finmeccanica Company. An extensive experimental evaluation of CASPER is presented. The obtained results show (i) a very low percentage of false positives over both normal and under stress conditions, and (ii) a sufficiently high failure prediction time that allows the system to apply appropriate recovery procedures

Is the team leading surgeon criminally liable for his collaborators’ errors? judges confirm responsibility and condemn an otorhinolaryngologist

In current healthcare, delivery of medical and surgical treatment takes place in a multidisciplinary manner. This raises the problem of distinguishing the conditions under which the person who has properly carried out his duties, respecting the related leges artis, can be held responsible for damages materially caused by another member of the medical team. Jurisprudence has developed the so-called “principle of trust” for which every member of the team can rely on the fact that other members are acting in compliance with the leges artis of their specialisation. The Supreme Court has limited the application of this principle. The authors examine the jurisprudence on responsibility of the team in otolaryngology and conclude that individual liability should be limited to the specific expertise of the individual specialist

Medical use of cannabis: italian and european legislation

This review illustrates some brief considerations of the medical use of cannabis recently issued in Italy. History and uses of cannabis throughout centuries and different countries are illustrated together with a description of botany and active phytocannabinoids. Then, medical use of cannabis anti-pain treatment for patients resistant to conventional therapies is described in case of chronic neuropathic pain, spasticity, for anticinetosic and antiemetic effect in nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, for appetite stimulating effect in cachexia, anorexia, loss of appetite in cancer patients or patients with AIDS and in anorexia nervosa, hypotensive effect in glaucoma resistant to conventional therapies and for reduction of involuntary body and facial movements in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. Italian most recent legislation on medical cannabis is detailed with some law proposals, also showing the inconsistent legislation within European Union. Some final considerations of future studies are also reported

Gcn5 histone acetyltransferase is present in the mitoplasts

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae the Lysine-acetyltransferase Gcn5 (KAT2) is part of the SAGA complex and is responsible for histone acetylation widely or at specific lysines. In this paper we report that GCN5 deletion differently affects the growth of two strains. The defective mitochondrial phenotype is related to a marked decrease in mtDNA content, which also involves the deletion of specific regions of the molecule. We also show that in wild-type mitochondria the Gcn5 protein is present in the mitoplasts, suggesting a new mitochondrial function independent from the SAGA complex and possibly a new function for this protein connecting epigenetics and metabolism

Ethical and medico-legal remarks on uterus transplantation: may it solve uterine factor infertility?

Uterus transplantation was firstly tested with animal trials sixty-five years ago. Despite several successful attempts in human subjects, the different procedures still lay at the experimental stage, in need of further studies and investigations before they can be considered as standard clinical practices. Uterus transplant cannot be regarded as a life-saving procedure, but rather a method to restore woman ability to procreate, when lost, thus improving her quality of life. Uterus transplant is a complex surgical procedure and presents significant health threats. Medical staff should therefore always obtain informed consent from patients, emphasizing such risks. Before that, women undergoing uterine transplants should be thoroughly informed about the hazards inherent to the procedure and especially about the dangers of immunosuppressant drugs, administered after the surgery which may injure the fetus, eventually formed in the restored organ and even lead to its death, thus nullifying the purpose of the transplant itself. Therefore, the risk-benefit ratio of uterus transplantation needs to be carefully assessed and described

Ethics and/or aesthetics? reflections on cosmetic surgery for adolescents

Cosmetic surgery entails various ethical issues, even more so in cases involving adolescent patients. Cosmetic surgeons need to take into account how modern societies consider physical appearance an essential component of everyday life, as well as the vulnerability of youths and adolescents. For that reason, it is imperative to thoroughly assess the psychological and emotional states, in addition to the motivations, of minor patients. That goal can be achieved through the use of the DAS-59, (the Derriford Appearance Scale)1 , an effective and dependable tool devised to evaluate the psychological difficulties and distress experienced by people living with problems of appearance. Prior to undergoing cosmetic surgery procedures, adolescents should be required to go through adequate counseling, over multiple sessions and extended to their family members as well, on account of the complex issues inherent in evaluating the risk-benefit ratio and a prospective patient's decision-making capability. A concerted effort on the part of surgeons, psychiatrists or psychologists is key in determining the real motivations behind a minor's decision to opt for cosmetic surgery in the first place. Possible psychiatric conditions may in fact prevent a minor from making a free, informed decision. From an ethical standpoint, cosmetic surgery procedures should be geared to serve the best interest of the minor patient, who may experience distress over his or her body image, from a health and psychological balance perspective and improve his or her social, affective and working life. Besides, cosmetic surgery should not be overly invasive compared to its potential benefits. Those procedures aimed at achieving ″ideal beauty″ are not desirable and ought to be banned. By virtue of such criteria, the authors have set out to evaluate the ethical admissibility of some aesthetic treatments. Thus, doctors should not consent to any request coming from their patients, but rather, intervene only in presence of an objective physical flaw or deformity, e.g. protruding ears, which have a potential to negatively affect social life and interactions

Stratigrafia magnetica ad alta risoluzione del limite Eocene-Oligocene nella successione Umbro-Marchigiana

High-resolution magnetostratigraphy across the Eocene-Oligocene boundary has been employed in a detailed investigation of the nature of low-amplitude, short-wavelength oceanic magnetic anomalies. A core, 39.4mlong and 10 cm in diameter, was drilled through the Eocene-Oligocene boundary near to the Massignano Quarry stratotype section near Ancona, Italy. The stratigraphy of the core, which traverses the Scaglia Variegata and Scaglia Cinerea formations, was correlated precisely to the quarry section by linear regression of the depths of identifiable biotite-rich layers. The good recovery of intact material allowed an average sampling interval of about 12 cm, which is closer than in preceding magnetostratigraphic studies of Umbrian-Marche sequences. The characteristic remanent magnetization was obtained by both progressive alternating field and thermal demagnetizations. The stable component of the natural remanent magnetization could be isolated by thermal demagnetization at temperatures of 300-540°C or by alternating field demagnetization in fields higher than 20 mT. It is probably carried by magnetite in the Scaglia Cinerea marls, while some amount of hematite is present in the underlying Scaglia Variegata. A stratigraphic plot of the ChRM directions shows well-defined magnetozones and the resulting polarity sequence correlates well with polarity chrons C12r to C16n-2. A few single-sample normal magnetozones that do not correspond to the geomagnetic polarity timescale are found within chron 16n.1-r. The magnetozones corresponding to chrons C12r or C13r do not exhibit short subchrons that might account for the low-amplitude and short-wavelength magnetic anomalies reported in this part of the marine magnetic record. In investigation of relative paleointensity fluctuations has been carried out in this part of the core, which embraces the Scaglia Cinerea formation. Anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) has been used to normalize the natural remanent magnetization (NRM), compensating variations in sedimentary input. The ensuing NRM/ARM ratio is taken to be a proxy for relative variation of paleomagnetic field intensity. The paleointensity fluctuates systematically and has minimum values close to the reported positions of low-amplitude, short-wavelength magnetic anomalies in the marine recor