67 research outputs found
DAI (Disease Aggressiveness Index) Implementation
No full textAlthough the basic concept of disease aggressiveness has always been used to describe several pathologies, especially defining cancer, a general
mathematic formula associated to such a parameter is still lacking. Interestingly, only within the discipline of Plant Pathology investigators were able
to develop a Composite Aggressiveness Index (CAI) relative to Phytophora infestans activity on potatoes. This very index was used as a template to
develop the formula of DAI (Disease Aggressiveness Index). Taking together all the above evaluations and results, it can be inferred that DAI (Disease
Aggressiveness Index) could become a very useful tool to mathematically compare diseases and thus set economical prioritization strategies.
Nevertheless, such an index could be very useful and supportive to act as a correction coefficient for predictive algorithms
MuSER (Multiple Sclerosis Expected Rate) Predictive Model Development
No full textMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most diffused among rare neurological pathologies, as it affects about 0.031% people all over the world. Its
prevalence in the United States (US) was calculated to be around 0.14%, but according to National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) MS is not
properly monitored and registered within American territory and the creation of a MS archive is expected to ameliorate the calculus accuracy. The
aim of this work is to develop a simple but reliable biostatistical predictive model called MuSER (Multiple Sclerosis Expected Rate); it was projected
based on the ascending trend that was observed during previous studies, although not dependable, is theoretically reliable, at least considering R2
coefficients. Efficiency of MuSER model will be assessed at the end of 2019.
In order to predict MS incidence within an ethnically homogeneous population. Although not absolutely dependable, is theoretically reliable, at
least considering R2 coefficients. Efficiency of MuSER model will be assessed at the end of 2019
Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption as a Key Role Problem in Multiple Sclerosis: A Novel Primary Prevention Strategy
No full textBlood-barrier disruption is known to be a typical feature of Multiple Sclerosis. Such a vasal permeability let lymphocytes infiltration, with consequent central nervous system inflammation and demyelination. It has been demonstrated that blood-brain barrier disruption also occurs with aging and among pathology like Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Dysfunction. With this in mind, it is clear that such phenomenon is a common trait between very important and severe neurodegenerative diseases, letting happen neurological damages such as harmful cytokine diffusion within central nervous system and inlet of autoreactive immune cells. Interestingly, research about primary prevention of blood-brain barrier disruption is still lacking, so that the aim of this work is to propose a novel strategy to forestall this important etiological event. As it has been discussed throughout the paper, many risk factors have been identified, i.e. smoking habits, juvenile obesity, low vitamin D and oxidative stress. Since the above cited disorders onsets occurs at least after 20 years of age, a preventive strategy has been designed to be employed since the early childhood. Such plan includes eliminating smoking habits, the employment of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with vitamin D rich foods, introducing physical activity and the consumption of food containing antioxidants
Social engineering 2.0: A foundational work
No full textDuring the past few years, social engineering has rapidly evolved and has become a mainstream technique in cybercrime and terrorism. It is used especially in targeted attacks involving complex human and technological exploits, aimed at deceiving humans and IT systems. Building on the work carried out in the DOGANA project, funded by the European Union, this paper provides an overview of the evolution and of the current landscape of social engineering, and introduces as its main contribution a theoretical model of how human exploits are built, named the Victim Communication Stack
Kinetic model of Chlorella vulgaris growth with and without extremely low frequency-electromagnetic fields (EM-ELF)
No full textChlorella vulgaris was grown in a two specially-designed bench-scale photobioreactors with and without the application of a low intensity, low frequency electromagnetic field (EM-ELF) of about 3 mT. Cell concentration and tendency of cells to form aggregates inside the reactor were recorded over a 30 days-time period at 0.5 L-constant medium volume in the temperature range 289-304 K. At 304 K, after a cultivation period of 15 days, the rate of cell death became predominant over that of growth. In the temperature range 289–299 K, a two step-kinetic model based on the mitotic division and the clusterization processes was developed and critically discussed. The best-fitted curves turned out to have a sigmoid shape, and the competition between mitosis and clusterization was investigated. Without EM-ELF, the temperature dependence of the specific rate constant of the mitotic step (k1) yielded to an apparent total enthalpy of 15+/-6 kJ mol-1, whose value was not influenced by the EM-ELF application. The electromagnetic field was shown to exert a significant effect on the exothermic clusterization step. The heat exchange due to binding between cells and liquid medium turned out to be –44+/-5 kJ mol-1 in the absence of EM-ELF and –68+/-8 kJ mol-1 when it was active. Microscopic optical Optical microscopy observations were in agreement with the model predictions and confirmed that EM-ELF is was able to enhance cell clusterization
Cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris in tubular photobioreactors: A lipid source for biodiesel production
No full textChlorella vulgaris was cultivated in two different 2.0 L-helicoidal and horizontal photobioreactors at 5 klux using the bicarbonate contained in the medium and ambient air as the main CO2 sources. The influence of bicarbonate concentration on biomass growth as well as lipid content and profile was first investigated in shake flasks, where the stationary phase was achieved in about one half the time required by the control. The best NaHCO3 concentration (0.2 g L-1) was then used in both photobioreactors. While the fed-batch run performed in the helicoidal photobioreactor provided the best result in terms of biomass productivity, which was (84.8 mg L-1 d-1) about 2.5-fold that of the batch run, the horizontal configuration ensured the highest lipid productivity (10.3 mg L-1 d-1) because of a higher lipid content of biomass (22.8 %). These preliminary results suggest that the photobioreactor configuration is a key factor either for the growth or the composition of this microalga. The lipid quality of C. vulgaris biomass grown in both photobioreactors is expected to meet the standards for biodiesel, especially in the case of the helicoidal configuration, provided that further efforts will be made to optimize the conditions for its production as a biodiesel source
Le principali crittogame del frumento e dell'orzo trasmissibili per seme:loro controllo tramite una concia di qualità
No full textLe crittogame che utilizzano il seme quale vettore, a volte unico, per la loro diffusione possono arrecare seri problemi alle coltivazioni di frumento e di orzo. La concia di qualità è sempre un valido mezzo per limitare i danni
Yet Another Cybersecurity Roadmapping Methodology
No full textIn this paper we describe the road mapping methodology we developed in the context of the CyberROAD EU FP7 project, whose aim is to develop a research roadmap for cybercrime and cyber terrorism. To this aim we built on state-of-the-art methodologies and available guidelines, including related projects, and adapted them to the peculiarities of our road mapping subject. In particular, its distinctive feature is that cybercrime and cyber terrorism co-evolve with their contextual environment (i.e., Technology, society, politics and economy), which poses specific challenges to a road mapping effort. Our approach can become a best practice in the field of cyber security, and can be also generalised to phenomena that exhibit a similar, strong co-evolution with their contextual environment. We aim to describe here the road mapping methodology that will lead to the roadmap but not the roadmap itself (this one being, incidentally, still under construction at the time of writing this paper)
Agricultural Genetics and Plant Breeding in Early Twentieth-Century Italy
No full textThis thesis is about plant breeding in Early 20th-Century Italy. The stories of the two most prominent Italian plant-breeders of the time, Nazareno Strampelli and Francesco Todaro, are used to explore a fragment of the often-neglected history of Italian agricultural research. While Italy was not at the forefront of agricultural innovation, research programs aimed at varietal innovation did emerge in the country, along with an early diffusion of Mendelism. Using philosophical as well as historical analysis, plant breeding is analysed throughout this thesis as a process: a sequence of steps that lays on practical skills and theoretical assumptions, acting on various elements of production. Systematic plant-breeding programs in Italy started from small individual efforts, attracting more and more resources until they became a crucial part of the fascist regime's infamous agricultural policy. Hybrid varieties developed in the early 20th century survived World War II and are now ancestors of the varieties that are still cultivated today. Despite this relevance, the history of Italian wheat hybrids is today largely forgotten: this thesis is an effort to re-evaluate a part of it. The research did allow previously unknown or neglected facts to emerge, giving a new perspective on the infamous alliance between plant-breeding programs and the fascist regime. This thesis undertakes an analysis of Italian plant-breeding programs as processes. Those processes had a practical as well as a theoretical side, and involved various elements of production. Although a complete history of Italian plant breeding still remains to be written, the Italian case can now be considered along with the other case-studies that other scholars have developed in the history of plant breeding. The hope is that this historical and philosophical analysis will contribute to the on-going effort to understand the history of plants
- …
