652 research outputs found
Three contributions to the \"A Half Century of Stellar Pulsation Interpretations\" proceedings
No full textPaper I: "RR Lyrae Variables in Globular Clusters and the Second-Parameter Phenomenon" Authors: M. Catelan, A. V. Sweigart, J. Borissova Abstract: We propose to use RR Lyrae variables in globular clusters to probe the origin of the second-parameter phenomenon. Paper II: "New Possible Variables in the Outer-Halo Globular Cluster Palomar 3" Authors: J. Borissova, N. Spassova, M. Catelan, V. D. Ivanov Abstract: We present a list of ten possible variable stars in the globular cluster Pal 3. Seven are new suspected variables. The variability of the RR Lyr candidate reported by Burbidge & Sandage (1958), as well as of the Pop. II Cepheid and RR Lyr from Gratton & Ortolani (1984), are confirmed. Paper III: "On the Production of Bright RR Lyrae Variables in Metal-Rich Globular Clusters" Authors: A. V. Sweigart, M. Catelan Abstract: See astro-ph/9708174...
Health Impact Assessment for the Lombardia Region (IT)
No full textvalutazione di impatto dell'inquinamento atmosferico
impact assessment of air pollutio
A municipality-level analysis of excess mortality in Italy in the period January-April 2020
No full textthe first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in WHO European Region was reported at the end of January 2020 and, from that moment, the epidemic has been speeding up and rapidly spreading across Europe. The health, social, and economic consequences of the pandemic are difficult to evaluate, since there are many scientific uncertainties and unknowns
A low surface brightness halo surrounding the globular cluster NGC 5694★
No full textWe report on the discovery of an extended stellar halo surrounding the distant Galactic globular cluster NGC 5694, based on new deep (V≃ 24.5) wide-field (24 × 20arcmin2) photometry acquired with the VIMOS at the VLT. Stars with colour and magnitude consistent with the main sequence of the cluster are clearly identified out to r≃ 9arcmin(≃93pc) from the cluster centre, much beyond the tidal radius of the King model that best fits the inner profile (rt= 3.15arcmin). We do not find a clear end of the structure within our field. The overall observed profile cannot be properly fitted with either a King model, an Elson et al. model or a Wilson model; however, it is very smooth and does not show any sign of the break near the tidal radius that is typically observed in stellar systems with tidal tails. The density map we derived does not show evidence of tidal tails, within the considered field. The extra-tidal component contains ≃ 3.5 per cent of the cluster light (mass) and has a surface density profile falling as ~r-3.2. The possible origin of the detected structure is discussed, as a clear-cut conclusion cannot be reached with the available data
Long-term dietary extra-virgin olive oil rich in polyphenols reverses age-related dysfunctions in motor coordination and contextual memory in mice: role of oxidative stress
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of olive oil phenols on brain aging in mice and to verify whether
the antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of these polyphenols were involved. C57Bl/6J mice were fed
from middle age to senescence with extra-virgin olive oil (10% wt/wt dry diet) rich in phenols (total polyphenol
dose/day, 6mg/kg). Behavioral tests were employed to assess cognitive, motor, and emotional behavior after 6
or 12 months of treatment. Parameters of oxidative status and inflammation were measured in different brain
areas at the same times and evaluated for correlation with behavioral changes. The treatment with olive oil
phenols improved contextual memory in the step-down test to levels similar to young animals and prevented
the age-related impairment in motor coordination in the rotarod test. This motor effect was correlated with
reduced lipid peroxidation in the cerebellum ( p < 0.05), whereas the memory effect did not correlate with
oxidation or inflammation parameters. In conclusion, this work points out that natural polyphenols contained in
extra-virgin olive oil can improve some age-related dysfunctions by differentially affecting different brain areas.
Such a modulation can be obtained with an olive oil intake that is normal in the Mediterranean area, provided
that the oil has a sufficiently high content of polyphenols
NGC 5694: another foster son of the Galactic halo
No full textWe present the results of the analysis of high-resolution spectra obtained with UVES-FLAMES at the Very Large Telescope for six red giant branch stars in the outer-halo metal-poor ([Fe/H] I = -1.98 and [Fe/H] II = -1.83) Galactic globular cluster NGC 5694, which has been suggested as a possible incomer by Lee et al. based on the anomalous chemical composition of a single cluster giant. We obtain accurate abundances for a large number of elements and we find that (a)the six target stars have the same chemical composition within the uncertainties, except for Na and Al; (b) the average cluster abundance of a elements (with the only exception of Si) is nearly solar, at odds with typical halo stars and globular clusters of similar metallicity; (c) Y, Ba, La and Eu abundances are also significantly lower than in Galactic field stars and star clusters of similar metallicity. Hence, we confirm the Lee et al. classification of NGC 5694 as a cluster of extragalactic origin. We provide the first insight on the Na-O and Mg-Al anticorrelations in this cluster: all the considered stars have very similar abundance ratios for these elements, except one that has significantly lower [Na/Fe] and [Al/Fe] ratios, suggesting that some degree of early self-enrichment has occurred also in this cluster
Effetti protettivi di un olio extravergine di oliva ricco di antiossidanti fenolici in un modello murino di invecchiamento
No full textLo scopo di questo studio è stato quello di valutare gli effetti dei fenoli dell'olio di oliva sull'invecchiamento cerebrale in un modello murino di invecchiamento fisiologico. Topi C57Bl/6J sono stati nutriti dall'età di 10 fino a 24 mesi con una dieta contenente una percentuale di MUFA pari a quella associata con la dieta mediterranea (10%). I MUFA erano forniti da olio extravergine di oliva ricco di fenoli antiossidanti (dose finale di fenoli totali per animale: 6 mg/kg). Il gruppo di animali di controllo è stato nutrito con la stessa dieta contenente lo stesso olio, deprivato dei fenoli con una procedura estrattiva. Un ulteriore gruppo di controllo è stato nutrito con la dieta a base di olio povero di fenoli, ma addizionata di resveratrolo (dose finale 24 mg/kg), un composto le cui proprietà anti-aging sono state ripetutamente riportate nel topo C57Bl/6. All'inizio dello studio, dopo 6 mesi di trattamento e alla fine dell'esperimento tutti gli animali sono stati sottoposti a una batteria di test comportamentali per valutare la funzioni cognitive e motorie. Per correlare i dati comportamentali con eventuali modifiche biochimiche cerebrali, alcuni parametri di stress ossidativo e infiammazione sono stati misurati in distinte aree cerebrali (corteccia, cervelletto, ippocampo, striato). I risultati mostrano che il cervelletto e la corteccia cerebrale sono le aree in cui è possibile misurare incrementi dei livelli di stress ossidativo e infiammazione in associazione con l'invecchiamento. Mostrano inoltre che il trattamento con l'olio ad alto contenuto di fenoli, ma non quello con resveratrolo, reverte queste alterazioni, migliora la memoria contestuale di evitamento passivo (step-down test), ma non quella spaziale (Morris water maze), e previene il deterioramento indotto dall'età nella coordinazione motoria misurata con il test del rotarod
Malondialdehyde-deoxyguanosine and bulky DNA adducts in schoolchildren resident in the proximity of the Sarroch industrial estate on Sardinia Island, Italy
No full textResearch article on epigenomics applied to environmental epidemiolog
Commuting-adjusted short-term health impact assessment of airborne fine particles with uncertainty quantification via Monte Carlo simulation
No full textBACKGROUND: Exposure to air pollution is associated with a short-term increase in mortality and the interest in this field has moved to health impact assessment.
OBJECTIVES:
The aim is to estimate the impact of PM10 on mortality within two days from the exposure in the Italian region of Lombardy for the year 2007, at the municipality level, considering exposure entailed by daily inter-municipality commuting and accounting for uncertainty propagation.
METHODS:
We combined data from different sources to derive probabilistic distributions for all input quantities used to calculate attributable deaths (mortality rates, PM10 concentrations, estimated PM10 effects, and commuting flows) and applied a Monte Carlo procedure to propagate uncertainty and sample the distribution of attributable deaths for each municipality.
RESULTS:
We estimated that annual average PM10 concentrations above the WHO recommended threshold of 20 μg/m3 were responsible of 865 short-term deaths (80% Credibility Interval: 475, 1401), 26% of which were attributable to PM10 above the EU limit of 40 μg/m3. Reducing annual average PM10 concentrations >20 μg/m3 by 20% would have reduced attributable deaths by 36%. The largest estimated impacts were along the basin of the Po river and in the largest cities. Commuting contributed to the spatial distribution of the estimated impact.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our estimates, which incorporated uncertainty quantification, indicate that the short-term impact of PM10 on mortality in Lombardy in 2007 was notable, and that air pollution reduction would have had a substantial beneficial effect on population health. Using commuting data helped to identify critical areas for prioritizing intervention
- …
