Fireflies (Lampyris nocticula L., Coleoptera: Lampyridae) an adventive forensic insect

The application of forensic entomology in criminal cases is mostly focused on the presence of flies on a corpse which are useful in determining an accurate estimate of the PMI. However, entomology from time to time is useful in other ways such as whether a body has been displaced after death or in the peri-mortem period. Two bear carcasses were found not far from the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise (Central Italy). The necroscopy and toxicological examinations confirmed that the bears had died as a consequence of ingesting food poisoned with zinc phosphide (Zn3P2). Zinc phosphide is a chemical compound used to control rodents, but it is also used by poachers as baits to poison different animals. Death occurs in 24-48 hours so the poisoned animal may be able to move some distance from the place of poisoning. As a consequence the investigation covered a large territory which was time consuming and costly in terms of resources. In order to restrict the investigation it was decided to perform botanical and entomological analyses of the stomach contents of the bears. The flora in the stomach was not useful as it was all classified as belonging to cosmopolitan species. However, amongst the gut contents a firefly larvae (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) was found. During the larval period fireflies are carnivorous and they live in high humidity environments where snails are their food source. Prior to chemicals being used to control snails fireflies were common in cultivated fields, but as a consequence their presence now is more localized. When the investigation shifted to an examination of these environments the person responsible was located. This case shows us the importance of the entomofauna at specific localities, helping to pinpoint where the crime took place. Furthermore, it demonstrates that investigators need to think laterally because you never know what might be useful evidence in a forensic case

Dynamic hysteresis in Finemet thin films

We performed a series of dynamic hysteresis measurements on three series of Finemet films with composition Fe$_{73.5}$Cu$_1$Nb$_3$Si$_13.5$B$_9$, using both the longitudinal magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and the inductive fluxometric method. The MOKE dynamic hysteresis loops show a more marked variability with the frequency than the inductive ones, while both measurements show a similar dependence on the square root of frequency. We analyze these results in the frame of a simple domain wall depinning model, which accounts for the general behavior of the data.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Fast model predictive control for hydrogen outflow regulation in ethanol steam reformers

© 20xx IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works.In the recent years, the presence of alternative power sources, such as solar panels, wind farms, hydropumps and hydrogen-based devices, has significantly increased. The reasons of this trend are clear: contributing to a reduction of gas emissions and dependency on fossil fuels. Hydrogen-based devices are of particular interest due to their significant efficiency and reliability. Reforming technologies are among the most economic and efficient ways of producing hydrogen. In this paper we consider the regulation of hydrogen outflow in an ethanol steam reformer (ESR). In particular, a fast model predictive control approach based on a finite step response model of the process is proposed. Simulations performed using a more realistic non-linear model show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in driving the ESR to different operating conditions while fulfilling input and output constraints.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Toward a Definition of the Linguistic Profile of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The current investigation assessed linguistic and narrative abilities in a cohort of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The linguistic assessment was performed with both traditional tests and a multilevel procedure for discourse analysis. The results showed difficulties at different stages of message planning, organization, and microlinguistic processing (i.e., lexical selection and grammatical processing). Their macrolinguistic impairments were likely related to more general difficulties in the prelinguistic conceptual phase of message planning and mental model generation. Such weaknesses included a difficulty in the non-verbal conceptualization of the story and the generation of an internal representation of the addressee\u2019s mental model

MULTI-AFFINITY NANOTRAPS THAT ENHANCE DETECTION OF LOW-ABUNDANT PROTEINS: A NOVEL AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE TEST FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF LYME DISEASE

In the recent years a lot of emphasis has been placed on the discovery and better detection of clinically relevant biomarkers. Biomarkers are crucial for the early detection of several diseases, and they play an important role in the improvement of current treatments, thus reducing patient mortality rate. Biofluids account for 60% of the human body mass and can be a goldmine of significant biomarkers. Unfortunately, low abundance biomarkers are difficult to detect with mass-spectrometry or immunoassays because of their low concentration in body fluids, their lability, and the presence of high-abundance proteins (i.e. albumin and immunoglobulins). In order to overcome these physiological barriers, we developed nanoparticles made of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAm) and functionalized with affinity reactive baits that one single step capture, concentrate and preserve labile biomarkers in complex body fluids (i.e. urine, blood, sweat, CSF). The design, synthesis and application of the Nanotrap hydrogel particles are described in this thesis. The novelty of the technology relies in the fact that in the past hydrogel nanoparticles have been studied and used as a drug delivery tool, whereas our application focuses on their capturing abilities instead of the releasing of specific drug molecules. Once the functionalized nanoparticles are incubated with a biological fluid, low molecular weight biomarkers are captured by the affinity baits while unwanted high abundance analytes are excluded. The potentially relevant biomarkers are then concentrated into small volumes and analyzed. The concentration factor (up to 10000 fold depending on the initial volume) enhances the effective sensitivity of mass-spectrometry and immunoassays and permits to detect previously invisible proteins thus improving biomarker discovery and diagnostic testing. This thesis discusses the use of hydrogel nanoparticles to develop a urinary antigen test for the detection of Lyme Borreliosis. There is a clinical need to improve the diagnostic specificity of early stage Lyme assays in the period prior to the mounting of a robust serology response and to develop a diagnostic tool to monitor therapy success. Borrelia burgdorferi is the causative agent of Lyme disease. Using our hydrogel particles (Nanotraps) we evaluated the presence of urinary Borrelia Outer surface protein A (OspA) C-terminus peptide in early stage LB before and after treatment, and in patients suspected of late stage disseminated LB. We employed Nanotraps to concentrate urinary OspA and used a highly specific anti-OspA monoclonal antibody (mAb) as a detector of the C-terminus peptides. We mapped the mAb epitope to a narrow specific OspA C-terminal domain OspA236-239 conserved across infectious Borrelia species but with no homology to human proteins and no cross reactivity with relevant viral and non-Borrelia bacterial proteins. 268 urine samples from patients being evaluated for all categories of LB were collected in a LB endemic area. The urinary OspA assay, blinded to outcome, utilized Nanotrap particle pre-processing, western blotting to evaluate the OspA molecular size, and OspA peptide competition for confirmation. OspA test characteristics: sensitivity 1.7 pg/mL (lowest limit of detection), %coefficient of variation (CV)=8%, dynamic range 1.7-30 pg/mL. Pre-treatment, 24/24 newly diagnosed patients with an erythema migrans (EM) rash were positive for urinary OspA while false positives for asymptomatic patients were 0/117 (Chi squared p<10-6). For 10 patients who exhibited persistence of the EM rash during the course of antibiotic therapy, 10/10 were positive for urinary OspA. Urinary OspA of 8/8 patients switched from detectable to undetectable following symptom resolution post-treatment. Specificity of the urinary OspA test for the clinical symptoms was 40/40. Specificity of the urinary OspA antigen test for later serology outcome was 87.5% (21 urinary OspA positive/24 serology positive, Chi squared p=4.072e-15). 41 of 100 patients under surveillance for persistent LB in an endemic area were positive for urinary OspA protein. OspA urinary shedding was strongly linked to concurrent active symptoms (e.g. EM rash and arthritis), while resolution of these symptoms after therapy correlated with urinary conversion to OspA negative. Detection of OspA was performed using Western blot analysis. In order to obtain a quantitative measurement of the antigen, an ELISA was developed. Preliminary results showed a lowest limit of detection of 0.5pg/ml and %coefficient of variation 2%, dynamic range 0.5pg-30 pg/ml. 3/3 of symptomatic patients that resulted positive with the western blot Lyme assay were also found positive when tested on ELISA. Another promising format under development uses Mass Spectrometry Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) for the detection of multiple Borrelia proteins after Nanotrap processing. Developing a diagnostic test against a panel of analytes will improve clinical sensitivity and understanding of staging of disease. MRM is a prime technology that yield multiplex measurement of more than 100 peptides in a single sample. A sensitivity of 5pg/ml and high reproducibility in human urine spiked with OspA was observed. Lastly, partially degradable Nanotraps were employed to produce a prototype of Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFI) which exploits the use of antigen displaying nanoparticles for a point of care test for Lyme disease. This technology will ensure high accuracy and sensitivity while allowing for rapid testing of Lyme disease antigens in the urine of patients in the doctor office. In summary, this study presents data supporting the successful use of the Nanotrap technology to develop a more accurate and sensitive test for Lyme disease that can diagnose the disease before seroconversion and that can be used to monitor therapy success. Nanotraps increase the effective analytical sensitivity of western blot analysis, ELISA, mass spectrometry MRM and lateral flow immunoassay. This is a concept that can be extended to communicable diseases with different etiologic agents (e.g. Tuberculosis, Chagas disease, Toxoplasmosis, etc.)

Population dynamics and secondary production of Donax trunculus (Mollusca, Bivalvia) in the Gulf of Annaba (Northeast Algeria)

The population dynamics and secondary production of the wedge clam Donax trunculus were studied in the Gulf of Annaba (Northeast Algeria) monthly for one year at a site close to the Annaba port and the Seybouse river, affected by industrial and agricultural pollution (Sidi Salem), and at a site more distant from major pollution sources, but exploited by fishery (Echatt). The number of individuals (N) was lower at Sidi Salem (36–148 ind m-2) than at Echatt (63–272 ind m-2) in most sampling dates, while the biomass was more variable from one date to another, with no consistent pattern of differences between sites. The condition index (CI), although slightly higher at Sidi Salem than at Echatt, showed at both sites a major increase in March/April, June/July and October, reflecting two main periods of gonads development and increase in the level of stored reserves at the end of the reproductive period. Consistently, the recruitment of D. trunculus ran from April to October with a major peak of abundance in spring and a minor one in early fall. The maximum age of D. trunculus was 3 years and the growth rate was highest in the first year. Annual somatic production (P) was lower at Sidi Salem (0.773 g AFDM m-2 yr-1) than at Echatt (1.262 g AFDM m-2 yr-1), possibly reflecting a lower mean annual biomass at Sidi Salem (1.642 AFDM m-2) than at Echatt (3.046 AFDM m-2), while the annual P/B ratio was similar between the two sites (i.e. 0.471 and 0.414 yr-1, respectively). Lower N and P at Sidi Salem compared to Echatt are consistent with the proximity of Sidi Salem to the industrial port of Annaba and low hydrodynamic conditions which may favor the accumulation of pollutants, such as hydrocarbons. On the other hand, moderate secondary production of D. trunculus at Echatt compared to other Mediterranean sites may be due to excessive harvesting. We suggest that the low secondary production described in this study should be taken into account for the development of sustainable strategies of clam exploitation in the Gulf of Annaba. In particular, effort should be made to reduce land-based pollution and to regulate the collection of D. trunculus according to the life cycle and production potential of this species

Autoerotic accidental death by Self-inflicted asphyxia by Body-wrapping in a plastic curtain

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Thermo-statistical description of gas mixtures from space partitions

The new mathematical framework based on the free energy of pure classical fluids presented in [R. D. Rohrmann, Physica A 347, 221 (2005)] is extended to multi-component systems to determine thermodynamic and structural properties of chemically complex fluids. Presently, the theory focuses on $D$-dimensional mixtures in the low-density limit (packing factor $\eta < 0.01$). The formalism combines the free-energy minimization technique with space partitions that assign an available volume $v$ to each particle. $v$ is related to the closeness of the nearest neighbor and provides an useful tool to evaluate the perturbations experimented by particles in a fluid. The theory shows a close relationship between statistical geometry and statistical mechanics. New, unconventional thermodynamic variables and mathematical identities are derived as a result of the space division. Thermodynamic potentials $\mu_{il}$, conjugate variable of the populations $N_{il}$ of particles class $i$ with the nearest neighbors of class $l$ are defined and their relationships with the usual chemical potentials $\mu_i$ are established. Systems of hard spheres are treated as illustrative examples and their thermodynamics functions are derived analytically. The low-density expressions obtained agree nicely with those of scaled-particle theory and Percus-Yevick approximation. Several pair distribution functions are introduced and evaluated. Analytical expressions are also presented for hard spheres with attractive forces due to K\^ac-tails and square-well potentials. Finally, we derive general chemical equilibrium conditions.Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Parental evaluation of a telemonitoring service for children with Type 1 Diabetes

Introduction In the past years, we developed a telemonitoring service for young patients affected by Type 1 Diabetes. That service provides data to the clinical staff and offers an important tool to the parents, that are able to oversee in real time their children. The aim of this work was to analyze the parents' perceived usefulness of the service. Methods The service was tested by the parents of 31 children enrolled in a seven-day clinical trial during a summer camp. To study the parents' perception we proposed and analyzed two questionnaires. A baseline questionnaire focused on the daily management and implications of their children's diabetes, while a post-study one measured the perceived benefits of telemonitoring. Questionnaires also included free text comment spaces. Results Analysis of the baseline questionnaires underlined the parents' suffering and fatigue: 51% of total responses showed a negative tendency and the mean value of the perceived quality of life was 64.13 in a 0-100 scale. In the post-study questionnaires about half of the parents believed in a possible improvement adopting telemonitoring. Moreover, the foreseen improvement in quality of life was significant, increasing from 64.13 to 78.39 ( p-value\u2009=\u20090.0001). The analysis of free text comments highlighted an improvement in mood, and parents' commitment was also proved by their willingness to pay for the service (median\u2009=\u2009200\u2009euro/year). Discussion A high number of parents appreciated the telemonitoring service and were confident that it could improve communication with physicians as well as the family's own peace of mind