On the Hermitian curve and its intersections with some conics

We classify completely the intersections of the Hermitian curve with parabolas in the affine plane. To obtain our results we employ well-known algebraic methods for finite fields and geometric properties of the curve automorphisms. In particular, we provide explicit counting formulas that have also applications to some Hermitian codes.Comment: This article is contained in previous article "On the Hermitian curve, its intersections with some conics and their applications to affine-variety codes and Hermitian codes" (arXiv:1208.1627

Pollinators in life cycle assessment: towards a framework for impact assessment

Abstract Human activities are threatening biodiversity at an unprecedented scale and pace, thus potentially affecting also the provision of critical ecosystem services, including insect pollination. Insect pollinators play an essential functional role in terrestrial ecosystems, supporting ecological stability and food security worldwide. Therefore, assessing impact on pollinators is fundamental in any effort aiming at enhancing the environmental sustainability of human production and consumption, especially in the agri-food supply chains. Different drivers are leading to pollinator populations' declines. Improving a supply-chain oriented assessment of the occurrence of pressure and impacts on pollinators is needed. However, current methodologies assessing impact along supply chains, such as life cycle assessment (LCA), miss to assess impact on pollinators. In fact, none of the existing life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) models effectively accounts for pollinators. Some LCIA models have mentioned pollination, but none has presented key drivers of impact and a proposal for integrating pollinators as target group for biodiversity protection within an LCIA framework. In order to devise a pathway towards the inclusion of impacts on pollinators in LCIA, we conducted a literature review of environmental and anthropogenic pressures acting on insect pollinators, potentially threatening pollination services. Based on the evidence in literature, we identified and described eight potential impact drivers, primarily deriving from industrial development and intensive agricultural practice: 1) intensified land use as a result of uncontrolled expansion of urban areas and modern agricultural practices; 2) use of pesticides; 3) presence of invasive alien plants; 4) competition with invasive alien pollinator species; 5) global and local climate change; 6) spread of pests and pathogens; 7) electro-magnetic pollution and 8) genetically modified crops. To account for these drivers in LCIA, there are specific modeling needs. Hence, the current study provides recommendation on how future research should be oriented to improve the current models and how novel indicators should be developed in order to cover the existing conceptual and methodological gaps

ecovillages and friendly city a new alliance for a better green future

Urban agriculture is thus nowadays a core theme in the debate about urban sustainability, as considered a strategy toward urban requalification as it carries widely recognized environmental, social and economical benefits. Therefore it is considered a viable strategy in order to trigger a new green productive infrastructure, while activating a network of social, commercial and recreational activities, in addition to environmental benefits due to urban greening and sustainable resources' management. Obviously it couldn't be able to provide for an entire city food needs, just like the present economical model wouldn't be replaced, but it might become the core element of a new approach oriented to sustainability and relationships between food and city

The Stat3-Fam3a axis promotes muscle stem cell myogenic lineage progression by inducing mitochondrial respiration.

Metabolic reprogramming is an active regulator of stem cell fate choices, and successful stem cell differentiation in different compartments requires the induction of oxidative phosphorylation. However, the mechanisms that promote mitochondrial respiration during stem cell differentiation are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that Stat3 promotes muscle stem cell myogenic lineage progression by stimulating mitochondrial respiration in mice. We identify Fam3a, a cytokine-like protein, as a major Stat3 downstream effector in muscle stem cells. We demonstrate that Fam3a is required for muscle stem cell commitment and skeletal muscle development. We show that myogenic cells secrete Fam3a, and exposure of Stat3-ablated muscle stem cells to recombinant Fam3a in vitro and in vivo rescues their defects in mitochondrial respiration and myogenic commitment. Together, these findings indicate that Fam3a is a Stat3-regulated secreted factor that promotes muscle stem cell oxidative metabolism and differentiation, and suggests that Fam3a is a potential tool to modulate cell fate choices

Intraventricular Meningiomas: Clinical-Pathological and Genetic Features of a Monocentric Series

Intraventricular meningiomas (IVMs) are rare (0.5-5%) and usually low-grade (90% grade I) brain neoplasms. Their recurrence rate is lower than that of extra-axial meningiomas, but their surgical resection can be burdened with life-threatening complications, which represent the major cause of the reported 4% mortality. The aim of this study is to characterize the molecular portrait of IVMs to identify potential therapeutic targets. For this, we explored mutations and copy number variations (CNV) of 409 cancer-related genes and tumor mutational burden (TMB) of six cases, using next-generation sequencing. Five IVMs were grade I and one was grade II; none recurred, in spite of partial surgical resection in one case. NF2 mutation was the only recurring alteration and was present in three of the six IVMs, in association with SMARCB1 mutation in one case. None of the cases was hypermutated (TMB > 10 mutations/Mb). NF2-mutant progressing or recurring IVMs could potentially be treated with targeted therapies applied to other NF2-mutant tumors, as an alternative to surgery or radiosurgery, while in view of their low TMB they are unlikely candidates to immune check-point inhibition