1,220 research outputs found
Hydrologic response in the initiation area of the Dimai debris flow (Dolomites, Italian Alps)
No full textDebris flows are fast moving landslides of mixed water and poorly sorted debris (IVERSON, 1997; CRUDEN AND VARNES, 1996). Because of the high flow velocity, impact forces, and long runout, debris flows are commonly regarded as one of the most hazardous landslide types (JAKOB, 2005). The Dolomites region (NE Italian Alps) has one of the most frequent return intervals for large debris flows on the world (PASUTO AND SOLDATI, 2004; SKERMER AND VANDINE, 2005).
In the Dolomites the landscape is dominated by steep dolomite massifs rising up to 3300 m a.s.l. The rocky cliffs are connected to the bottom of alpine valleys by means of milder slopes where bedrock is covered by a thick debris talus, deposited in post-glacial climatic conditions. Debris flow channels are deeply incised in the talus slope and feeded by small headwater basins located on the cliffs (MARCHI AND TECCA, 1992; BERTI et alii, 199). These basins are typically very steep (45°-60° on the average) and mostly consist of exposed bedrock with no vegetation and almost absent soil cover.
During high intensity short duration thunderstorms, rainfall water is collected by the rocky watersheds as overland flow and trunk streams incised in bedrock, and quickly delivered to the talus cones. Most of this water infiltrates into the channel bed debris and flows downstream as subsurface stormflow. However, when the infiltration capacity of the streambed is exceeded, surface flow appears in the channel and debris flows are triggered by the progressive erosion of the loose bed debris (BERTI AND SIMONI, 2005).
Although this initiation mechanism has been widely recognized in the field (e.g. CANNON et alii, 2003), monitoring data describing the onset of channel runoff and the triggering process are still lacking. In this paper we describe the monitoring systems installed on a typical debris flow catchment of the Dolomites (Dimai basin, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Belluno), with the main aim of describing the hydrologic response in the initiation area
Inhibition of mannose binding lectin is protective in experimental traumatic brain injury
No full textAIMS
We have previously demonstrated the presence of mannose binding lectin (MBL) in the brain of traumatic brain injured (TBI) patients and in that of mice subjected to experimental TBI, where MBL-C exceeds MBL-A. We have also shown that the susceptibility to TBI is significantly reduced in MBL double knock-out compared to wild type mice at 2-5 weeks postinjury (1). We have now evaluated the effect of the administration of two multivalent glycomimetic MBL-ligands, Polyman-2 (2) and Polyman-9, on mouse TBI progression.
METHODS and RESULTS
Polyman-2 and Polyman-9 were selected for their interaction with MBL-A and MBL-C, evaluated by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Polyman-2 showed higher binding to MBL-A, while Polyman-9 showed a similar binding to MBL-A and MBL-C. Furthermore, Polyman-9 binding to MBL-C was higher than that of Polyman-2.
Male C57Bl/6 mice were subjected to sham or controlled cortical impact brain injury (parameters: velocity 5 meter/sec and depth 1 mm). At 10 minutes postinjury, mice randomly received an intravenous infusion of either Polyman-2, Polyman-9 or saline. Functional outcome was evaluated using the neuroscore and beam walk tests weekly, up to 4 weeks postinjury. Brain-injured mice receiving saline or Polyman-2 had similar neurobehavioral deficits. On the contrary, brain-injured mice receiving Polyman-9 had significantly reduced sensorimotor deficits compared to saline treated mice at 2-4 weeks postinjury.
CONCLUSIONS
Differently from Polyman-2, Polyman-9 confers neurobehavioural protection after TBI. This effect may be due to Polyman-9 higher affinity to MBL-C. Together with the decreased response to TBI reported in MBL KO mice, these data demonstrate the MBL relevance in TBI setting.
1) Longhi L, Orsini F, De Blasio D, Fumagalli S, Ortolano F, Locatelli M, Stocchetti N, De Simoni M G, Mannose binding lectin expressed after clinical and experimental traumatic brain injury and its deletion is protective. Critical Care Medicine 2014, in press
2) Orsini F, Villa P, Parrella S, Zangari R, Zanier E, Gesuete R, Stravalaci M, Ottria R, Reina JJ, Paladini A, Micotti E,Ribeiro-Viana R, Rojo J, Pavlov VI, Stahl GL, Bernardi A, Gobbi M, and
De Simoni MG. Targeting mannose binding lectin confers long lasting protection with a surprisingly wide therapeutic window in cerebral ischemia. Circulation 2012; 126: 1484-1494
The role of trust in the diffusion of privacy-invading digital technologies
No full textThis paper analyses the process of diffusion of a class of technologies that raises concerns regarding the public administration's access to sensitive data collected by it. We apply the methodology of agent-based modelling to simulate the process of diffusion of those technologies and, in extension to previous studies, consider both the rules for the diffusion of innovation and, simultaneously, those for the diffusion of political trust in a population. In this manner, we can explore the interplay between the agents' propensity towards innovation and the barriers that may derive from the lack of trust in the public administration and its management of the technology used to collect and store data belonging to citizens. The model and the study's findings are illustrated by referring to the case of smart cities, since these represent a set of technologies that are prone to misuse by the political authority. We conclude the paper by describing some scenarios that, according to the theoretical predictions of our model, should lead to the non-adoption of technology in populations that possess certain levels of trust and specific mechanics of diffusion at the time the diffusion begins
“Una storia di errori imperturbati” Cronologia del conflitto arabo-israeliano (1944-2009)
No full textPseudosaccharides Functionalized Dendrons Inhibitors of MBL Are Able to Prevent Ischemic Injury In Mice
No full textRecently, it has been demonstrated that the powerful protective effect of recombinant human complement C1-inhibitor (rhC1-INH) in cerebral ischemia is due to its ability to inhibit the activation of complement lectin pathway by binding to mannose binding lectin (MBL),1 likely through its mannose-enriched N-terminal domain. To explore the relevance of the lectin pathway in cerebral ischemia we have determined if newly synthesized mannosylated mimetic molecules, characterized and selected for their binding to MBL, are able to prevent ischemic injury in mice. Multivalent carbohydrate systems are required to interact in an efficient manner with this receptor and compete with the natural ligands. We have previously demonstrated that linear pseudodi- and pseudotrisaccharides are adequate ligands for lectins that recognize mannose, for example, DC-SIGN.2 In this work, we show that multivalent presentations of these glycomimetics based on dendrons lead to very potent inhibitors of MBL and also we indicate that the inhibition of this protein leads to neuroprotection. The affinity of mannosylated molecules to MBL was measured by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The molecule showing the highest affinity to MBL was administered intravenously to ischemic mice and neurological deficits and infarct volume were evaluated. Polyman002, a dendron exposing four copies of the pseudo-trisaccharide bind MBL with a KD=2.3±0.7μM and induced a significant reduction of neurological deficits and ischemic volume in vivo. Our findings, together with those recently published by Cervera et al.,3 indicate that MBL inhibition may represent a novel therapeutic target for stroke.
References
1. Gesuete, R., Storini, C., Fantin, A., Stravalaci, M., Zanier, E.R., Orsini, F., Vietsch, H., Mannessem M.L., Ziere, B., Gobbi, M., De Simoni, M.G., Ann. Neurol., 2009, 66, 332-342.
2. (a) Sattin, S., Daghetti, A., Thépaut, M., Berzi, A., Sánchez-Navarro, M., Tabarani, G., Rojo, J., Fieschi, F., Clerici, M., Bernardi, A., ACS Chem. Biol., 2010, 3, 301-312. (b) Luczkowiak, J., Sattin, S., Reina, J.J., Sánchez-Navarro, M., Sutkevičiūtė, I., Thépaut, M., Martínez-Prats, L., Daghetti, A., Fieschi, F., Delgado, R., Bernardi, A., Rojo. J., unpublished results.
3. Cervera, A., Planas, A.M., Justicia, C., Urra, X., Jensenius, J.C., Torres, F., Lozano, F., Chamorro, A., PLoS One, 2010, 5, e8433
P. Grimal, P.-M. Duval, G. Roth, P. Grappin, A. Gieysztor, A. Sauvageot, M. Soymié, E. D. Saunders, B. Frank, M. Bouteiller, M. Simoni, A. Métraux, M. Panoff, R. Bastide, E. Lot-Falk, Mythologies des steppes, des forêts et des îles. Celtes, Germains, Slaves, Chine, Japon, les Amériques, Afrique, Océanie, 1963
No full textHatt . P. Grimal, P.-M. Duval, G. Roth, P. Grappin, A. Gieysztor, A. Sauvageot, M. Soymié, E. D. Saunders, B. Frank, M. Bouteiller, M. Simoni, A. Métraux, M. Panoff, R. Bastide, E. Lot-Falk, Mythologies des steppes, des forêts et des îles. Celtes, Germains, Slaves, Chine, Japon, les Amériques, Afrique, Océanie, 1963. In: Revue des Études Anciennes. Tome 67, 1965, n°1-2. pp. 254-257
Monitoraggio dei deflussi superficiali in un canale roccioso inciso sul campanile dimai a fiames (cortina d'ampezzo, BL): analisi preliminari
No full textLe colate detritiche nella zona dolomitica sono innescate dai deflussi superficiali che discendono i canali incisi sulle pareti rocciose per movimentazione del materiale detritico giacente al piede di questi. Il monitoraggio dei deflussi superficiali è quindi di notevole importanza per lo studio di questi fenomeni di tipo impulsivo caratterizzati da un innesco difficilmente prevedibile in termini orari e spaziali. Il monitoraggio oltre a determinare le condizioni idrologiche associate alla generazione delle colate detritiche, permette la verifica e calibratura di modelli idrologici per la simulazione di fenomeni tipo flash floods. A partire dall'estate 2009, si è iniziato ad instrumentare l'area di Fiames, situata 2 km a nord di Cortina d’Ampezzo lungo la SS 51, con pluviometri e nel Luglio 2010 si è installata al piede del Campanile Dimai una stazione dotata di telecamere e sensori di pressione per monitorare i deflussi e l'eventuale generazione delle colate detritiche. L'analisi dei dati dei sensori di pressione per ogni evento di deflusso superficiale ha permesso di caratterizzare la risposta idrologica di un versante roccioso. Nell' Agosto 2011 è stato installato, 50 m a monte della stazione, uno stramazzo in parete sottile in un canale roccioso largo 1.65 m. Si è verificato un evento di precipitazione di carattere impulsivo (16.6 mm in 10 minuti) ed i valori di portata misurati sono stati confrontati con quelli simulati mediante un modello idrologico per flash floods
Taxonomy and morphological characterization of Allotettix simoni (Bolívar, 1890) and implications for the systematics of Metrodorinae (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)
No full textReceived 9 November 2010; revised 19 May 2011; accepted for publication 20 May 2011Characters used to diagnose the subfamily Metrodorinae (Bolívar, 1887) (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae) are largely variable or homoplastic. Relevant traits used to distinguish amongst subfamilies of Tetrigidae, including sensorial structures, mouth parts, and genitalia are not present in any description of representatives of the subfamily Metrodorinae. The identity of Metrodorinae remains thus at stake. Aiming to fill the current lack of knowledge, a complete anatomical description of adult and last instar nymphs of Allotettix simoni (Bolívar, 1890) is provided. Allotettix simoni is a controverted taxon, originally described in the genus Paratettix and subsequently synonymized with Allotettix peruvianus. The revision of type specimens revealed that A. simoni and A. peruvianus are different species. As neither keys nor descriptions of nymphs of Neotropical Tetrigidae exist, A. simoni nymphs were identified comparing mitochondrial sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene with adult specimens. The anatomical description of A. simoni expanded by comparisons with material of Metrodora sp. nov., revealed that the subfamilies Metrodorinae and Tetriginae are morphologically very similar, whereas molecular analyses of the COI data set do not support the monophyly of the subfamily Metrodorinae with respect to Tetriginae. Consequently Metrodorinae might not represent an independent entity with respect to Tetriginae.J. M. and M. G. P.’s collaborative research was supported by a grant from the AECI (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional). Our work has been partially funded by the project grant CGL2010-15786 (Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain).Peer Reviewe
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