On the rational cohomology of moduli spaces of curves with level structures

We investigate low degree rational cohomology groups of smooth compactifications of moduli spaces of curves with level structures. In particular, we determine H^k(\sgbar, \Q) for $g \ge 2$ and $k \le 3$, where \sgbar denotes the moduli space of spin curves of genus $g$.Comment: Final version accepted for publication on Geometriae Dedicat

On the birational geometry of the universal Picard variety

We compute the Kodaira dimension of the universal Picard variety P_{d,g} parameterizing line bundles of degree d on curves of genus g under the assumption that (d-g+1,2g-2)=1. We also give partial results for arbitrary degrees d and we investigate for which degrees the universal Picard varieties are birational.Comment: 34 pages, 1 figure, final version (to appear in IMRN

The impact of former mining activity on soils and plants in the vicinity of an old mercury mine (Vallalta, Belluno, NE Italy)

Exploitation of ore minerals (cinnabar, chalcopyrite, sphalerite) from the old mine in Vallalta (Belluno, NE Italy) has resulted in serious environmental impacts, including the acidification of water, and the contamination of soils and plants. Forty-eight soil samples and four wild plants were examined at four sites in the vicinity of the mine ( Micronutrients Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn showed translocation factors (TFs) of between 0.5 and 1, suggesting that these elements are taken up to a critical concentration and are then arrested in the roots. Iron is less mobile, particularly in C. hirsutum, with the lowest TF of 0.38. The TF for Mn and Hg is >1 in S. nemorum and C. hirsutum; a TF of Soil contamination is confined to the proximity

Urban soils and human health

Since the dawn of civilization, the anthropic activity has lead to a legacy of increased land degradation/contamination. Potentially harmful elements (PHEs) are among the most effective environmental contaminants, and their release into the environment is increasing since the last decades. Interest in trace elements has risen as major scientific topic over the last 50 years, when it was realized that some elements were essential to human health (e.g. Fe,Cu,Zn), whereas some others were toxic (e.g. As,Hg,Pb), and likely responsible for serious human diseases and lethal consequences. Since that time, great progresses in knowledge of links between environmental geochemistry and human health have been achieved. The urban environment (nowadays the main habitat for human population) is a potential PHEs source, with high risk for residents’health. Indeed, PHEs concentration and distribution are related to traffic intensity, distance from roads, local topography and heating. Industrial emissions also contribute to the release of toxic elements. Understanding the extent, distribution and fate of PHEs in urban environment is therefore imperative in order to address the sustainable management of urban soils and gardens in relation to human health.Despite the copious research addressed to this topic, the effects of most trace metals on human health are not yet fully understood. Uncertainty is still prevailing, particularly with non-essential elements that are “suspected” to be harmful to humans, causing serious health problems as intoxication, neurological disturbances and also cancer. Some of them (e.g. As,Cd,Hg,Pb) have attracted most attention worldwide, due to their toxicity towards living organisms. Other elements (Al,B,Be,Bi,Co, Cr,Mn,Mo,Ni,Sb,Sn,Tl,V,W) are likely harmful, but may play some beneficial functions not yet well known, and should be more investigated

Calculating cohomology groups of ℳ̄ 0, n (ℙ r , d )

Here we investigate the rational cohomology of the moduli space ℳ̄ 0, n (ℙ r , d ) of degree d stable maps from n -pointed rational curves to ℙ r . We obtain partial results for small values of d with an inductive method inspired by a paper of Enrico Arbarello and Maurizio Cornalba.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/47941/1/10231_2003_Article_071.pd