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La natura che si fa paesaggio. Componenti e relazioni ecologiche nel Parco della Maremma.
No full textEnhanced Sensitivity of Sub-THz Thermomechanical Bolometers Exploiting Vibrational Nonlinearity
No full textA common approach to detecting weak signals or minute quantities involves leveraging the localized spectral features of resonant modes, whose sharper lines (i.e., high Q-factors) enhance transduction sensitivity. However, maximizing the Q-factor often introduces technical challenges in fabrication and design. In this work, we propose an alternative strategy to achieve sharper spectral features by using interference and nonlinearity, all while maintaining a constant dissipation rate. Using far-infrared thermomechanical detectors as a test case, we demonstrate that signal transduction along an engineered response curve slope effectively reduces the detector’s noise equivalent power (NEP), achieving ∼30pW/Hz NEP for electrical read-out, sub-THz detectors with an optimized absorbing layer
An Acebuche Oil-Enriched Diet Prevents Early-Stage Cerebrovascular Alterations in the 5xFAD Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease
No full text: Background/Objectives: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder in which altered microvascular circulation participates in the pathogenesis. The lack of therapeutic treatments for AD makes the development of strategies aimed at preventing or delaying the disease onset urgent. In recent years, several studies have highlighted that a diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds may positively impact AD development. In this study, we assessed the impact of a diet enriched with Acebuche (ACE) oil, an extra-virgin olive oil particularly rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, on AD progression in the 5xFAD mouse model. Methods: After weaning, wild-type (WT) and 5xFAD mice received the standard or the ACE oil-enriched diet. At 2, 4 and 6 months, the effects of the diet were evaluated on AD-related microvascular aberrancies, beta-amyloid (Aβ) formation, hypoxic state, blood-brain barrier (BBB) alterations, neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Metabolic parameters were also evaluated. Results: In 5xFAD mice, the ACE oil-enriched diet prevented alterations in cerebral microcirculation. Moreover, Aβ accumulation, downregulation of Aβ-degrading enzymes, hypoxia, BBB breakdown, neuroinflammation, and cognitive deficits were delayed by the ACE oil-enriched diet. However, some of these effects were reduced at 6 months, in concomitance with systemic metabolic changes, such as hepatic steatosis, evidenced in both WT and 5xFAD mice receiving the ACE oil-enriched diet. Conclusions: Overall, the present results represent proof of concept for the validity of early dietary interventions in AD prevention
Endogenous timing in a mixed duopoly with CSR and network effects
No full textIn a mixed duopoly (a public, welfare-maximizing firm competing with a private, profit-maximizing firm), as established by Amir, R., and G. De Feo. 2014. "Endogenous Timing in a Mixed Duopoly." International Journal of Game Theory 43: 629--58, the sequential order of moves (Stackelberg) is the sub-game perfect Nash equilibrium (SPNE), with indeterminacy of market leadership arising when the reaction functions are downward sloping (goods are strategic substitutes). The present study extends the framework of Amir, R., and G. De Feo. 2014. "Endogenous Timing in a Mixed Duopoly." International Journal of Game Theory 43: 629--58 by considering (separately and jointly) network goods and corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives. The presence of network externalities or CSR alone enables a strict characterization of market leadership when goods are strategic substitutes. Remarkably, when both coexist, the simultaneous-move outcome (Cournot) can emerge as the SPNE, reversing the established result. This reversal is due to the interaction between the strength of the network effect and the degree of social concern of the private firm, rather than solely to its social focus. The paper also highlights the social welfare outcomes corresponding to the SPNEs
Design, synthesis and biological activity of glycoconjugated ADAMTS5 exosite inhibitors: applications in osteoarthritis and ovarian cancer models
No full textPharmacological inhibition of the extracellular zinc metalloprotease A Disintegrin-like And Metalloprotease domain with Thrombospondin type I motifs 5 (ADAMTS5) has been proposed as a treatment for osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disease characterized by cartilage loss. More recently, ADAMTS5 has been implicated in ovarian cancer (OC), due to its essential role in promoting cell migration and association with poor prognosis. ADAMTS5 major substrates are the proteoglycans aggrecan and versican, which support the structural integrity of the cartilage and the tumor microenvironment. We have recently described a non-chelating arylsulfonamide glycoconjugate, compound 4b, as a selective ADAMTS5 inhibitor, and shown its effectiveness in an OC 3D model. Here, we modified the structure of 4b to improve its biological activity. We showed that, while 4b induces cytotoxicity in several cell lines as well as in porcine and human cartilage explants, its derivative 2 was tolerated at high micromolar concentrations and effective in inhibiting aggrecan degradation in human ex vivo OA explants and reducing directional OC cell migration and pseudopod elongation. In silico analyses provided a rationale behind the different biological activities of the two compounds. These findings highlight the potential of non-chelating glycoconjugated arylsulfonamides to treat pathologies characterized by excessive ADAMTS5 activity
Nazionalista o nazionalistico?
No full textArticolo divulgativo sulla differenza d'uso di "nazionalista" e "nazionalistico"Scientific disclosure on the difference in usage of "nationalist" and "nationalistic
g-Valerolactone-based processing of Eucalyptus globulus wood for integrated fractionation and platform chemicals production
No full textEucalyptus globulus wood was processed in a microwave-assisted system in media containing γ-valerolactone, water, and sulfuric acid, with or without NaCl (to promote phase separation). Under optimized conditions, the process enabled extensive hemicellulose solubilization (up to 90.6 %) and yielded solids with high cellulose content (up to 91.4 %), indicative of extensive delignification (up to 88 %). Subsequent acid-catalyzed processing of the saline aqueous phases mixed with γ-valerolactone, allowed the conversion of hemicellulose-derived saccharides into furfural at near 60% molar yield. Cellulose-rich solids exhibited high susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis, and the lignin recovered from the organic phase showed favorable structural features for further valorization. The addition of NaCl in aqueous/ γ-valerolactone systems improved partitioning, while γ-valerolactone played a dual role by enhancing biomass fractionation and furfural yields. Overall, the results highlight the potential of γ-valerolactone-based biphasic systems under microwave irradiation for the selective deconstruction of biomass and improved platform chemicals recovery
Binary Structure of Pāṇini’s Treatment of Syntax
No full textPāṇini’s treatment of syntax is a domain that is still in need of further study.
It is well known that Pāṇini makes almost no use of the notion of vākya,
even though he is aware of it. On the contrary, to account for a certain
number of syntactic phenomena (whether case syntax or sentence syntax),
Pāṇini makes use of a set of tools that he in fact shares with the description
of morphological phenomena. In this article, we wish to underline the flu-
idity with which Pāṇini handles these two categories by means of the same
two basic operations (affixation and substitution) and the same series of
semantic-syntactic relations. On the contrary, the metarule A 2.1.1 and the
heading rule A 2.3.1—partially read here in an innovative manner—seem
to be more markedly related to syntax and might have governed Pāṇini’s
whole syntactic system
Valutazione d'azienda, intelligenza artificiale e nuove tecnologie: quadro concettuale
No full textIl contributo affronta una analisi della letteratura finalizzata a individuare possibili ambiti di indagini riferiti all'intelligenza artificiale nella valutazione d'azienda
