cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
title: Nonlinear Weir Hydraulics
Creators: name: Dabling, Mitchell R.
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2014

description: A hydraulically undersized control structure could result in water overtopping a dam or channel banks. To increase hydraulic capacity and reduce flooding risk, nonlinear spillways are frequently replacing linear weirs. This study investigates four subjects to further knowledge for two types of nonlinear weir, the piano key and labyrinth. Weir submergence is a condition when the downstream water level of a weir exceeds the weir crest elevation, and can influence the head-discharge relationship of the structure. The effects of submergence on laboratory-scale piano key weir head-discharge relationships were evaluated experimentally and compared to published submergence data for linear and labyrinth weirs. For relatively low levels of submergence, the piano key weir requires less upstream head relative to the labyrinth weir (
Local containment policies and countrywide spread of COVID-19 in the United States: an epidemiologic analysis
Creators: name: Rothert, Jacek
name: Brady, Ryan
name: Insler, Michael
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Mathematical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Infectious Diseases
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: Plant Biology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: We analyse the spatial diffusion of new COVID-19 cases and the countrywide impact of state-specific containment policies during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. We first use spatial econometric techniques to document direct and indirect spillovers of new infections across county and state lines, as well as the impact of individual states’ lockdown policies on infections in neighbouring states. We find consistent statistical evidence that new cases diffuse across county lines, holding county-level factors constant, and that the diffusion across counties was affected by the closure policies of adjacent states. We then develop a spatial version of the epidemiological susceptible–infected–recovered (SIR) model where new infections arise from interactions between infected people in one state and susceptible people in the same or in neighbouring states. We incorporate lockdown policies into our model and calibrate the model to match both the cumulative and the new infections across the 48 contiguous US states and DC. Our results suggest that had the states with the less restrictive social distancing measures tightened them by one level, the cumulative infections in other states would be about 5% smaller. In our spatial SIR model, the spatial containment policies such as border closures have a bigger impact on flattening the infection curve in the short-run than on the cumulative infections in the long-run.
The local labour market effects of earthquakes
Creators: name: Basile, Roberto
name: Giallonardo, Luisa
name: Iapadre, Pasquale Lelio
name: Ladu, Maria Gabriela
name: Persio, Riccardo
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2023
Subjects: Pharmacology
Science Policy
Mental Health

description: Using a balanced panel of local labour market areas (LLMAs) and adopting a new difference-in-differences approach with multiple time periods and multiple groups, this paper assesses the causal effects on local labour market outcomes of the earthquakes that occurred in Italy in 2009, 2012 and 2016. The results show a strong heterogeneity: the 2009 event had significant negative and persistent impacts on the employment rate of the LLMAs involved, while there were no adverse effects for the LLMAs affected by the earthquakes in 2012 and 2016. We also extend the analysis at the industry level in order to highlight the sectoral shifts that typically characterise the aftermath of these natural disasters.
title: A Computer-Aided Training (CAT) System for Short Track Speed Skating
Creators: name: Liu, Chenguang
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2014

description: Short track speed skating has become popular all over the world. The demands of a computer-aided training (CAT) system are booming due to this fact. However, the existing commercial systems for sports are highly dependent on expensive equipment and complicated hardware calibration.
This dissertation presents a novel CAT system for tracking multiple skaters in short track skating competitions. Aiming at the challenges, we utilize global rink information to compensate camera motion and obtain the global spatial information of skaters; apply Random Forest to fuse multiple cues and predict the blobs for each of the skaters; and finally develop a silhouette and edge-based template matching and blob growing method to allocate each blob to corresponding skaters. The proposed multiple skaters tracking algorithm organically integrates multi-cue fusion, dynamic appearance modeling, machine learning, etc. to form an efficient and robust CAT system. The effectiveness and robustness of the proposed method are presented through experiments.
title: The Process of Couples' Experiences in a Brief Intervention
Creators: name: Mock, D. Jim
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2014

description: Though distress in couple relationships is common, many partners are resistant to formal interventions (e.g., couple therapy; couple and relationship education) due to time constraints, financial costs, and stigma. The relationship checkup offers a new alternative developed to address these concerns, but the limited research of this format warrants additional exploration. This study presents findings from qualitative research of couples’ and their clinicians’ experience with this format. Using a convenience sample, ten couples were recruited along with the six clinicians who administered the intervention. Partners were interviewed together and their clinicians individually using a semi-structured interview. Using a phenomenological approach, each interview was then analyzed and coded to explore couple process in the intervention. Prevalent themes that epitomized couples’ experience as identified by the couples include couple motivation, therapeutic environment, internal and external change, and program response. Themes that emerged among clinicians included couple characteristics, couple motivation, therapeutic relationship, and therapeutic change. Themes between couples and clinicians were compared, and considerable agreement was found between participant and clinician themes. These themes indicate that the intervention was successful in a number of ways, including facilitating change in couple relationships, attracting couples in various states of distress, allowing couples to overcome the typical obstacles to treatment, while fostering a more positive attitude towards future treatment. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
The Submillimetre Properties of Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies
Creators: name: Clements, D. L.
name: Dunne, L.
name: Eales, S. A.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2009
Subjects: subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We present the results of SCUBA observations of a complete sample of local ULIRGs. Twenty of the initial sample of 23 sources are detected at 850 um and nearly half of the objects are also detected at 450 um. This data is combined with existing observations of a further seven ULIRGs to produce the largest sample of submm observations of ULIRGs currently available. We use similar techniques to the SLUGS survey to fit dust spectral energy distributions (SEDs) to their far-IR emission. We find that ULIRGs have a higher dust temperature than lower luminosity objects (42K compared to 35K) and a steeper emissivity index. For those objects where 450 um fluxes are available we also attempt a two component dust SED fit, with warm and cool dust and a dust emissivity index of beta=2. Such a model has been found to be a good fit to lower luminosity systems. We find that it also works well for ULIRGs, but that ULIRGs have a smaller cold dust component. Comparison of the dust mass derived for ULIRGs and more normal spiral galaxies suggests that the dust content of a ULIRG is simply the combined dust content of the two galaxies whose merger has triggered the ULIRG activity. We examine the high end of the 850 um luminosity function and find results consistent with those of the earlier SLUGS survey. We also find that ULIRGs make up only about 50% of the high end of the 850 um luminosity function, with LIRGs containing a large mass of cool dust likely to be responsible for the rest.
description: Accepted for publication in MNRAS
THE AUXILIARY SUBUNIT TRIP8B ANTAGONIZES THE BINDING OF CAMP TO HCN2 CHANNELS THROUGH AN ALLOSTERIC MECHANISM
Creators: name: SAPONARO, ANDREA COSIMO
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2014

description: In neurons, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-regulated (HCN1-4) channels are the molecular determinants of the Ih current, which controls several cognitive processes. Unique among the voltage-gated ion channel superfamily, HCN channels are modulated by the direct binding of cAMP to their cytoplasmic cyclic nucleotide binding domain (CNBD). Thus, cyclic nucleotide-dependent conformational changes of CNBD are determinant in the regulation of HCN channel opening. The rearrangements induced by cAMP in HCN CNBD are not yet elucidated, since for this protein is known only the cAMP-bound form. HCN channels are further regulated by their association with the auxiliary protein TRIP8b, which preferentially binds to the cAMP-unbound CNBD and opposes cAMP regulation. Recently, we proposed a cyclic allosteric model to explain the mutual antagonistic effect of TRIP8b and cAMP. Here, to validate this model, we first determined the model structure of the human HCN2 CNBD in the cAMP-unbound form using NMR methodologies. By comparing the cAMP-unbound and cAMP-bound structures we highlighted all the conformational changes allosterically coupled to the channel opening transition. Subsequently, we mapped the TRIP8b binding site onto the cAMP-unbound CNBD. Our results show that cAMP and TRIP8b do not compete for the same binding region, and support our allosteric antagonistic model for the dual regulation of HCN channels by cAMP and TRIP8b.
Nonequilibrium dynamic-correlation-length scaling method
Creators: name: Nakamura, Tota
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2010
Subjects: subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The finite-size scaling method in the equilibrium Monte Carlo(MC) simulations and the finite-time scaling method in the nonequilibrium-relaxation simulations are compromised. MC time data of various physical quantities are scaled by the MC time data of the dynamic correlation length, which corresponds to changing the system size in the finite-size scaling method. This scaling method is tested in the three-dimensional ferromagnetic Ising spin model and in the three dimensional $\pm J$ Ising spin-glass model. The transition temperature and the critical exponents, $η$ and $ν$, are obtained by the nonequilibrium relaxation data of the susceptibility and the dynamic correlation length apart from the dynamic exponent. We also comment on the definition of the dynamic correlation length in the nonequilibrium relaxation process. The Ornstein-Zernike formula is not always appropriate.
description: 7 pages, 10 figures
Motorways, local economic activity and commuting
Creators: name: Rocha, Bruno T.
name: Melo, Patrícia C.
name: Afonso, Nuno
name: de Abreu e Silva, João
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Information Systems not elsewhere classified

description: This paper investigates the causal effects of the development of the Portuguese motorway network between 1981 and 2011 on the size of the local economy and the commuting of workers. We use instrumental variables based on transport networks from the late 18th century and 1945 as sources of pseudo-random variation for the location of motorways. The analysis shows that motorways have a strong effect on cross-municipal worker mobility, in terms of both incoming and outgoing commuters. We also find that motorways have a strong effect on the growth of business turnover and gross value added at the local level. Our results are robust to an extensive battery of sensitivity analyses.
Lepton polarization in $B \to K_1 \ell^+ \ell^-$ Decays
Creators: name: Bashiry, V.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2009
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We study the single and double lepton polarization asymmetries in the semileptonic $B$ meson decays $B \to K_1 (1270) \ell^+ \ell^-$ $\ell \equiv e$, $μ$, $τ$), where the strange $P$-wave meson, $K_1(1270)$, is the mixtures of the $K_{1A}$ and $K_{1B}$, which are the $1^3P_1$ and $1^1P_1$ states, respectively. The lepton polarization asymmetries show relatively strong dependency in the various region of dileptonic invariant mass. The lepton polarization asymmetries can also be used for determining the $K_1(1270)$--$K_1(1400)$ mixing angle, $θ_{K_1}$ and new physics effects. Furthermore, it is shown that these asymmetries in $B\to K_1(1270)\ell^+\ell^-$ decay compared with those of $B\to K^*\ell^+\ell^-$ decay are more sensitive to the dileptonic invariant mass.
title: Parental Perceptions of the Influence of Digital Media and Technology on Children's Reading Habits at Home
Creators: name: Johnson, Kurt W.
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2014

description: This study explored parental perceptions of the influence of digital media and technology on children’s home reading habits, the routines and repeated activities related to reading that occur within the homes of six families located in a mixed rural/urban area of Northern Utah. Data gathered showed how parent’s childhood experiences influenced the creation of rules, spatial arrangements, routines, and family identity. Comparisons were made to Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model, specifically in the areas of dyads, N + 2 systems, microsystems, molar activities, settings, roles, and transitions. Findings showed parents have concerns about how to best foster reading at home within a society inundated by technology and digital media. Recommendations are given for schools to consider and leverage roles played by parents in development of reading and literacy skills at home and how technology and digital media can support those skills.
Random Walks on deterministic Scale-Free networks: Exact results
Creators: name: Agliari, Elena
name: Burioni, Raffaella
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2009
Subjects: subject: Statistical Mechanics (cond-mat.stat-mech)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We study the random walk problem on a class of deterministic Scale-Free networks displaying a degree sequence for hubs scaling as a power law with an exponent $γ=\log 3/\log2$. We find exact results concerning different first-passage phenomena and, in particular, we calculate the probability of first return to the main hub. These results allow to derive the exact analytic expression for the mean time to first reach the main hub, whose leading behavior is given by $τ\sim V^{1-1/γ}$, where $V$ denotes the size of the structure, and the mean is over a set of starting points distributed uniformly over all the other sites of the graph. Interestingly, the process turns out to be particularly efficient. We also discuss the thermodynamic limit of the structure and some local topological properties.
description: 7 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. E
title: Dramatic Play Affordances of Natural and Manufactured Outdoor Settings for Preschool-Aged Children
Creators: name: Drown, Kimberly K. Cloward
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2014

description: Concern for child wellness has led play professionals to explore natural playscapes as a means to enhance free play and consequently child development. For preschool-aged children, dramatic play is a particularly valuable free play that advances cognitive skills, social skills, and emotional intelligence. This study compared the dramatic play affordances of natural and manufactured outdoor play settings to determine which afford the most dramatic play for preschool-aged children. Twenty-four 3- to 5- year-olds were observed during daily playtime on a “natural playground” and an equipment-based “manufactured playground.” Behavior mapping identified settings that afforded the most solitary dramatic, sociodramatic, and complex sociodramatic play. The study suggests that environments designed with child-scale constructive play props, a sense of enclosure, and natural surroundings are more likely to support complex dramatic play. Intentional inclusion of these design elements may afford greater dramatic play in the preschool play yard.
A double radio halo in the close pair of galaxy clusters Abell 399 and Abell 401
Creators: name: Murgia, M.
name: Govoni, F.
name: Feretti, L.
name: Giovannini, G.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2009
Subjects: subject: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Radio halos are faint radio sources usually located at the center of merging clusters of galaxies. These diffuse radio sources are rare, having so far been found only in about 30 clusters of galaxies, suggesting that particular conditions are needed to form and maintain them. It is interesting to investigate the presence of radio halos in close pairs of interacting clusters in order to possibly clarify their origin in relation to the evolutionary state of the merger. In this work, we study the case of the close pair of galaxy clusters A399 and A401. A401 is already known to contain a faint radio halo, while a hint of diffuse emission in A399 has been suggested based on the NVSS. To confirm this possibility, we analyzed deeper Very Large Array observations at 1.4 GHz of this cluster. We find that the central region of A399 is permeated by a diffuse low-surface brightness radio emission that we classify as a radio halo with a linear size of about 570 kpc and a central brightness of 0.3 micro-Jy/arcsec^2. Indeed, given their comparatively small projected distance of about 3 Mpc, the pair of galaxy clusters A401 and A399 can be considered as the first example of double radio halo system. The discovery of this double halo is extraordinary given the rarity of these radio sources in general and given that current X-ray data seem to suggest that the two clusters are still in a pre-merger state. Therefore, the origin of the double radio halo is likely to be attributed to the individual merging histories of each cluster separately, rather than to the result of a close encounter between the two systems.
description: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in A&A
APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF GLYCOLIPID BIOCHEMICAL MECHANISMS OF ACTION
Creators: name: DI BRISCO, RICCARDO
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2010

description: With this work I want to give an explanation of the role of glycolipids in biological processes, paying particular attention to their involvement in various biochemical mechanisms. This thesis will be divided into two sections in which I discuss in the first one, the involvement of glycolipids in the process of fertilization and in the second one I will pay attention on a new class of glycolipids that might be involved in immunoregulation processes. In more details in the first section I will provide an overview of the biochemical role of sulfogactosylglicerolipid (SGG), present in the sperm head of different mammalian species, and its involvement in the process of fertilization. Then I will discuss an approach with which one can interfere in this biochemical mechanism focusing on the possibility of using a new class of molecules that permit not only the inhibition of the fertilization process but that can also act against sexually transmitted diseases. In this scenario, then I will focus on the characteristics of antimicrobial peptides, in particular on the family of cathelicidin, and on their possible application in the inhibition of fertilization, by interaction with SGG, and at the same time the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. In the second section I will discuss on a new class of immunomodulating glycolipids with an atypical structure, produced by symbiotic bacteria in the marine sponge Plakortis Simplex, which releases a unique profile of cytokines. In this scenario, then I will talk about simplexide and on the role in which is involved in the activation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and the peculiar profile of cytokines released. Then I will describe the synthesis of a fluorescent analogue of simplexide which will be made to evaluate the subcellular distribution of the glycolipid and to clarify its mechanism of action.
Sub-shot-noise-limit discrimination of on-off keyed coherent signals via a quantum receiver with a superconducting transition edge sensor
Creators: name: Tsujino, Kenji
name: Fukuda, Daiji
name: Fujii, Go
name: Inoue, Shuichiro
name: Fujiwara, Mikio
name: Takeoka, Masahiro
name: Sasaki, Masahide
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2010
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: We demonstrate a sub-shot-noise-limit discrimination of on-off keyed coherent signals by an optimal displacement quantum receiver in which a superconducting transition edge sensor is installed. Use of a transition edge sensor and a fiber beam splitter realizes high total detection efficiency and high interference visibility of the receiver and the observed average error surpasses the shot-noise-limit in a wider range of the signal power. Our technique opens up a new technology for the sub-shot-noise-limit detection of coherent signals in optical communication channels.
description: 8 pages, 6 figures
NITROGEN BALANCE IN SOIL PROFILE AS AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT SOIL TYPE, SOIL WATER REGIMES, NITROGEN RATE AND APPLICATION METHODS USING 15N TRACER TECHNIQUE
Creators: name: HAMED, LAMY MAMDOH MOHAMED
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2014

description: The interaction effect of ?Soil type, Soil water regime, Nitrogen fertilizer application Rates and Timing? on Nitrogen balancein soil were studied; in terms of nitrogen gained by plant portions, remained in soil, and losses through different ways under wheat (Triticum aestivum L. Giza 168), in order to identify the most proper and effective combinations of above-studied variables that provides a satisfactory grain wheat yield and minimizes the use of chemical nitrogen fertilizers, to save the surrounding environment and to achieve good water saving. Two fields of experiments were carried out during November and December ?April 2012-13, under Egyptian conditionsrepresents two different textured soils, i.e clay located at (30o 16- N latitude, 30o 56- E longitude), and sand soils located at (30o 24- N latitude, 31o 35- E longitude) as growth media of wheat crop. The application methods of Nitrogen rates, 100, 80 and 60% of recommended rates (Clay, 178 kg N & Sand, 238 kg N), were applied as Mode A, 25% at seedling, 25% and tillering, 50% at jointing AND Mode B, 35% at seedling, 65% at tillering.
title: Quantum Mechanical Study of Weak Molecular Interactions
Creators: name: Adhikari, Upendra
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2014

description: Noncovalent interactions have a long history and have received huge attention since their discovery almost a century ago. The prevalence of noncovalent interactions can be seen in the formation of simple dimers to structural and functional modification of large biomolecules. Even though plenty of experimental and theoretical studies are performed to understand various noncovalent interactions, the nature and variety of those interactions are still subject of study. And still they are receiving tremendous attention due to their significant role in the stability and conformation of biomolecules, catalysis of organic and inorganic reactions, crystal packing and material design. This dissertation explores various new sorts of noncovalent interactions, compares them with existing ones, and extensively studies the relevance of noncovalent interactions to various biological systems of interest by applying quantum mechanical tools. A new sort of noncovalent interaction has been identified where two electronegative atoms interact directly with each other with no intervening hydrogen or halogen atoms. These interactions are found to be surprisingly strong, even stronger than regular OH···O and NH···O hydrogen bonds in some cases, and are stabilized by the charge transfer from electron donor to electron acceptor. The major portion of this dissertation deals with the rigorous investigation of new sorts of interactions like P···N, S···N, Cl···N and several other charge transfer types of interactions with side by side comparison with hydrogen and halogen bonds. Similarly, a new carbonyl-carbonyl stacking geometry in peptide-peptide interactions is explored. These stacking geometries are energetically close to stronger NH···O hydrogen bonds, and get some assistance from CH···O hydrogen bonds. Carbon is considered one of the potent H-bond donors, albeit weaker, due to its ubiquitous presence in biomolecules. So, another portion of this dissertation is focused on the study of neutral and charged CH hydrogen bonds simulating various interpeptide interactions and enzyme catalysis. And the last part of this dissertation deals with the putative H-bonds that might be present in tip functionalized carbon nanotubes.
title: Developing a Field Indicator for Suckering Ability of Quaking Aspen
Creators: name: Hudler Oksness, Abbey M.
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2014

description: Many quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands throughout western North America are considered mature, overmature, or decadent, and lack root suckering to replace the overstory mortality. To mimic natural disturbance and stimulate aspen suckering, prescribed burning or harvesting is needed. It is important to identify pre-disturbance indicators so that land managers will have a way to assess potential sucker production resulting from a prescribed treatment.
In fall 2011, eight field sites were located in the Cedar Mountain study area in southern Utah, and two field sites were located on Deseret Land and Livestock land in northern Utah. At each site, two aspen stands were selected within 50 m of each other, one having a relatively low live aspen basal area and one stand having a relatively high live aspen basal area. Above- and belowground pre-disturbance site characteristics for each paired plot were measured and compared. In spring 2012, all trees within 12.2 m (40 ft) of plot center were felled to stimulate a suckering response from the root system.
Root diameter and root surface area proved to be the best predictors of sucker regeneration density after a disturbance. Sucker densities decrease with increasing root diameters, and most suckers are produced on roots less than 2.5 cm in diameter. The highest sucker densities were recorded on plots which contained abundant roots less than 2.5 cm in diameter. A simple methodology for sampling aspen roots in the field is outlined and is based on the relationship between root diameter, root surface area and sucker production. There was no relationship between total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) concentration in the roots (measured as starch and water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), % dry weight) and sucker density, indicating that TNC concentration cannot be used as an indicator of sucker ability of aspen after a disturbance. This study also documents the effect of herbivory on sucker height. In areas where grazing and browsing pressures were great, sucker potential was severely decreased due to the effects of repeated hedging below the browse line or complete sucker elimination. If aspen are to persist on the landscape under these circumstances, management strategies must be implemented to enhance aspen regeneration.
POLYMERIC MATERIALS FOR THE QUANTITATIVE AND REVERSIBLE ABSORPTION OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC WATER CONTAMINANTS
Creators: name: FERRARI, ELENA
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2014

description: Water pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems the world faces today. Due to a progressive change in environmental perception in developed countries, great attention is currently given to specific pollutants, both of natural and human origin, often labeled as organic and inorganic micropollutants. Micropollutants can have severe implications both on ecology and human health even in very low concentration in water, being potentially toxic and carcinogenic, and are included in the EU PP (Priority Pollutants) list. The current water purification treatments are affected by many limitations and do not significantly lower the concentration of micropollutants, unless the treatment is carried out, if technically possible, to such an extent to become not economically sustainable. In this context, the aim of this PhD thesis is the development and characterization of polymeric absorbing materials for the quantitative and reversible removal of organic and inorganic micro-pollutants from water. These materials are based on poly(amidoamine)s (PAAs), cyclodextrins and renewable resources such as guar gum and hemicelluloses. The synthetic procedures adopted are simple, eco-friendly and employ water as solvent. The materials proved able to absorb either inorganic (Cu(II), Co(II), Cd(II), Pb(II), Mn(II), Zn(II), Fe(II), Ni(II), Cr(VI)) or organic micropollutants (chloroform, halothane, tetrachloroethylene, o-toluidine) and were competitive with other sorbents reported in literature. They could also be regenerated and recycled without loss of absorption performance.
Solution to Satisfiability problem by a complete Grover search with trapped ions
Creators: name: Yang, W. L.
name: Wei, H.
name: Zhou, F.
name: Chang, W. L.
name: Feng, M.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The main idea in the original Grover search (Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 325 (1997)) is to single out a target state containing the solution to a search problem by amplifying the amplitude of the state, following the Oracle's job, i.e., a black box giving us information about the target state. We design quantum circuits to accomplish a complete Grover search involving both the Oracle's job and the amplification of the target state, which are employed to solve Satisfiability (SAT) problems. We explore how to carry out the quantum circuits by currently available ion-trap quantum computing technology.
description: 14 pages, 6 figures
Modeling the radio and optical/NIR afterglows of GRB 980703: a numerical study
Creators: name: Kong, S. W.
name: Huang, Y. F.
name: Cheng, K. S.
name: Lu, T.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2009
Subjects: subject: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Extensive multi-band afterglow data are available for GRB 980703. Especially, its radio afterglow was very bright and was monitored until more than 1000 days after the trigger time. Additionally, there is no obvious special feature, i.e., no rebrightenings, no plateau, and no special steep decay or slow decay in the multi-band afterglow light curves. All these conditions make GRB 980703 a precious sample in gamma-ray burst research. Here we use the observational data of GRB 980703 to test the standard fireball model in depth. It is found that the model can give a satisfactory explanation to the multi-band and overall afterglow light curves. The beaming angle of GRB 980703 is derived as ~0.23 radian, and the circum-burst medium density is ~ 27 cm-3. The total isotropic equivalent kinetic energy of the ejecta is ~ 3.8E52 ergs. A rest-frame extinction of Av ~ 2.5 mag in the host galaxy is also derived.
description: 10 pages, 3 figures, PDF version only; typos corrected, to appear in: Science in China Series G
Local-moment ferromagnetism and unusual magnetic domains in Fe$_{1/4}$TaS$_{2}$ crystals
Creators: name: Vannette, M. D.
name: Yeninas, S.
name: Morosan, E.
name: Cava, R. J.
name: Prozorov, R.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2009
Subjects: subject: Strongly Correlated Electrons (cond-mat.str-el)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Single crystals of Fe$_{1/4}$TaS$_{2}$ have been studied by using magneto-optical (MO) imaging and radio-frequency (rf) magnetic susceptibility, $χ$. Real time MO images reveal unusual, slow dynamics of dendritic domain formation, the details of which are strongly dependent upon magnetic and thermal history. Measurements of $χ(T)$ show well-defined, local moment ferromagnetic transition at $T\approx 155$ K as well as thermal hysteresis for 50 K$
Organized crime and corruption: what are the consequences for Italian Cohesion Policy investments?
Creators: name: Arbolino, Roberta
name: Boffardi, Raffaele
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Biotechnology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Science Policy

description: The paper evaluates the effect of illegal activities on Cohesion Policy implementation. This issue is fundamental in Italy, where large delays in expenditure risk to undermine the growth-enhancing effects of funds. To explain delays, we focus on two criminal behaviours: corruption and organized crime. By exploiting a two-step approach, an empirical analysis is carried out on Italian provinces, with a focus on Southern ones, between 2007 and 2015. The findings show that both crimes, impacting the efficiency of funds, cause delays in the implementation of Cohesion Policy. These consequences are higher if linked to corruption rather than to organized crime.
Screened perturbation theory for 3d Yang-Mills theory and the magnetic modes of hot QCD
Creators: name: Philipsen, Owe
name: Bieletzki, Daniel
name: Schroder, York
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2009
Subjects: subject: High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Perturbation theory for non-abelian gauge theories at finite temperature is plagued by infrared divergences which are caused by magnetic soft modes ~g^2T, corresponding to gluon fields of a 3d Yang-Mills theory. While the divergences can be regulated by a dynamically generated magnetic mass on that scale, the gauge coupling drops out of the effective expansion parameter requiring summation of all loop orders for the calculation of observables. Some gauge invariant possibilities to implement such infrared-safe resummations are reviewed. We use a scheme based on the non-linear sigma model to estimate some of the contributions ~g^6 of the soft magnetic modes to the QCD pressure through two loops. The NLO contribution amounts to ~10% of the LO, suggestive of a reasonable convergence of the series.
description: 10 p.,Latex error fixed, Invited talk at International Workshop on QCD Green's Functions, Confinement and Phenomenology (QCD-TNT09), Trento, Italy, 7-11 September
Structure maps for hcp metals from first principles calculations
Creators: name: Levy, Ohad
name: Hart, Gus
name: Curtarolo, Stefano
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2010
Subjects: subject: Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci)
subject: Other Condensed Matter (cond-mat.other)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: The ability to predict the existence and crystal type of ordered structures of materials from their components is a major challenge of current materials research. Empirical methods use experimental data to construct structure maps and make predictions based on clustering of simple physical parameters. Their usefulness depends on the availability of reliable data over the entire parameter space. Recent development of high throughput methods opens the possibility to enhance these empirical structure maps by {\it ab initio} calculations in regions of the parameter space where the experimental evidence is lacking or not well characterized. In this paper we construct enhanced maps for the binary alloys of hcp metals, where the experimental data leaves large regions of poorly characterized systems believed to be phase-separating. In these enhanced maps, the clusters of non-compound forming systems are much smaller than indicated by the empirical results alone.
description: 7 pages, 4 figures, 1 table
Lithium abundances in exoplanet-host stars : modelling
Creators: name: Castro, M.
name: Vauclair, S.
name: Richard, O.
name: Santos, N. C.
Publisher: name: arXiv
Year: 2008
Subjects: subject: Astrophysics (astro-ph)
subject: FOS: Physical sciences

description: Aims. Exoplanet-host stars (EHS) are known to present superficial chemical abundances different from those of stars without any detected planet (NEHS). EHS are, on the average, overmetallic compared to the Sun. The observations also show that, for cool stars, lithium is more depleted in EHS than in NEHS. The aim of this paper is to obtain constraints on possible models able to explain this difference, in the framework of overmetallic models compared to models with solar abundances. Methods. We have computed main sequence stellar models with various masses and metallicities. The results show different behaviour for the lithium destruction according to those parameters. We compare these results to the spectroscopic observations of lithium. Results. Our models show that the observed lithium differences between EHS and NEHS are not directly due to the overmetallicity of the EHS: some extra mixing is needed below the convective zones. We discuss possible explanations for the needed extra mixing, in particular an increase of the mixing efficiency associated with the development of shear instabilities below the convective zone, triggered by angular momentum transfer due to the planetary migration.
description: 7 pages, 4 figures
NUOVE STRATEGIE DI STUDIO DELLA BIOGENESI DELLE MEMBRANE: IL PROBLEMA DEL CORRETTO 'TARGETING' POST-TRADUZIONALE
Creators: name: CASSELLA, PATRIZIA
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2014

description: Tail-anchored (TA) proteins have a transmembrane domain near the C terminus and an N-terminal cytosolic moiety; because of this topology they do not have access to the SRP-mediated co-translational pathway for insertion into the ER, and can be integrated in their target membranes only posttranslationally. The TRC40/Get3 system is known to play an important role in post-translational targeting to the ER, but some TA proteins can integrate into lipid bilayers independently from this system, yet undergo precise targeting in vivo. The best studied example of this phenomenon is given by cytochrome b5 (b5), of which two isoforms, one targeting the ER and the other the outer mitochondrial membrane (MOM) have been characterized (b5 ER and b5 RR). Surprisingly, the in vivo targeting specificity of the two isoforms is not reproduced in vitro, inasmuch as both proteins are able to insert into protein-free liposomes in the absence of any chaperone, and neither of them shows a preference for ER or MOM-derived vesicles even when presented with both these membranes together. In this thesis I have set up new in vivo and in vitro systems to investigate the molecular basis of this mode of post-translational targeting. (i) The in vivo system consists in the microinjection into cultured cells of the two b5 recombinant proteins, under control or perturbed conditions, and the subsequent determination of their localization by immunofluorescence. At 15 minutes after the microinjection, each of the two isoforms is localized correctly to its respective organelle, indicating that no ribosomal factor is required for the targeting. RNAi and the use of dominant negative proteins confirmed the absence of involvement of TRC40/Get3. Instead, pharmacological inhibition demonstrated that other chaperones , such as Hsp90 , Hsp70, also calmodulin are involved, and that the two isoforms are affected differently by these cytosolic proteins. In addition, the physico-chemical properties of the membrane target are involved, since the cholesterol overload inhibits insertion. (ii) The in vitro system consists of cell semi- permeabilized by digitonin treatment. Surprsingly, in this system, in the absence of cytosol, or in the presence of a cytosolic fraction of reticulocytes, both proteins are inserted exclusively into the MOM; instead, in the presence of a cytosolic fraction derived from rat liver, b5 ER is partially localized also to the ER. My results indicate that one or more limiting chaperones are required for the correct targeting of b5 ER and that in the absence of these factors, the MOM is the preferred destination of both isoforms. These results have important implications for the Bcl-2 family of TA proteins, involved in the regulation of apoptosis, some of which have a dual ER-MOM localization.
GUARIGIONE DAL TUMORE AL SENO: UN TEMA DIBATTUTO
Creators: name: TREVISI, LETIZIA
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2014

description: The cure from breast cancer: a discussed subject Cancer survivorship is a worldwide growing area of research. There are currently two main methods to measure cancer survival: relative survival and cancer-specific survival. Only recently a parametric method was proposed to model cumulative incidences with multiple possible causes of death. The method can be used to evaluate the cure fraction and may be an alternative to relative survival. Parametric crude cumulative incidence estimates are given by transformation models with an improper parametric baseline function. Precisely the originally proposed Gompertz distribution was compared with a more flexible 4 parameters Log-Logistic distribution. The goodness of fit of the two different models can be investigated by bootstrap resampling. The 4 parameters Log-Logistic distribution can model non-monotonic hazard functions and may be more appropriate to model specific deaths with respect to the more simple Gompertz distribution, e.g. in the context of diseases with complex dynamics. The two parametric improper distributions are used in this work to estimate the fraction of cured patients with breast cancer. The literature on the estimation of the cured fraction for breast cancer patients has developed during the last decades thanks to the availability of studies with long follow-up time, which was required by the type of pathology in question. Data from a two-group randomized controlled trial were used. From 1973 to 1980, 701 women were recruited with breast cancer measuring no more than 2 cm in diameter. Were randomly assigned 349 women to radical mastectomy and 352 to breast-conserving surgery, followed by radiotherapy to the ipsilateral mammary tissue. Thanks to a reliable classification of the causes of death, it was possible to analyse data using cause-specific mortality. The 4 parameters Log-Logistic distribution appears to fit better breast cancer specific deaths with respect to the simpler Gompertz distribution. The results of the parametric modelling of competing risks are consistent with the results obtained analysing relative survival. Although there is statistical evidence of a cure fraction, in practical terms, it seems that 30 years after breast cancer the cure cannot be claimed yet.
Corruption versus efficiency in water allocation under uncertainty: is there a trade-off?
Creators: name: Pal, Rupayan
name: Pati, Dipti Ranjan
name: Shrivastav, Sumit
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Neuroscience
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Science Policy
subject: Mental Health
subject: Computational Biology

description: In the absence of a cooperative solution to the problem of rights over shared water, water allocation through third-party intervention is most commonly used. This paper considers water allocation within a federal set-up with the requisite legal institutions to enforce third-party adjudication and tries to capture the politically charged motivations that often guide such allocations. It compares two mechanisms generally used by central planners to allocate water between up- and downstream regions, namely fixed and proportional allocation rules. By considering a corrupt central planner, this paper models the underlying political manoeuvring that drives the assignment of water rights. It is found that the politically pliable central planner’s choice of allocation rule depends on the expected state of nature. Interestingly, the corrupt central planner’s equilibrium choice of allocation rule turns out to be efficient, unless the problem of severe water scarcity is expected to occur.
MOESM16 of Common metabolic networks contribute to carbon sink strength of sorghum internodes: implications for bioenergy improvement
Creators: name: Li, Yin
name: Tu, Min
name: Feng, Yaping
name: Wang, Wenqing
name: Messing, Joachim
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2019
Subjects: subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Ecology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Plant Biology

description: Additional file 16. The phylogenetic tree of SWEET proteins from rice, maize and sorghum.
FUNCTIONAL AND MECHANISTIC ANALYSES OF HISTONE DEACETYLASES (HDAC3) IN INFLAMMATORY GENE CONTROL
Creators: name: CHEN, XUE FEN
Publisher: name: Universit� degli Studi di Milano
Year: 2011

description: In this study, we investigated the role of individual class I histone deacetylases (HDACs) namely Hdac1, -2 and -3 using retroviral RNA interference to define their specific contribution to control an inducible gene expression program, namely inflammatory gene expression in 3T3 fibroblasts and primary macrophages. In addition to genes showing the expected transcriptional de-repression, we observed 8/20 genes in a test set being down-regulated following individual HDAC depletion. The requirement for HDACs function in gene induction as opposed to the more commonly observed role as transcriptional repressors may either underlie an indirect consequence of impaired HDAC mediated repression or a direct involvement of Hdac1 and Hdac3 in inducible gene activity. Therefore, we extended both the in vitro and in vivo analyses using conditional knockout (KO) mice. Genetic deletion of Hdac3 indicates that Hdac3 is required for the activation of 45% of the lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced genes. Global analysis of histone H4 acetylation showed that transcriptional down-regulation in Hdac3-/- cells did not correlate with increased histone acetylation, suggesting the possible involvement of indirect or secondary effects. We found that the LPS-inducible, Hdac3-dependent genes include a large group of interferon-? (IFN?)-inducible genes (eg. IP10, Irf1) and another group (eg. Il-6) that may be regulated by AP-1 family proteins. In addition, gene expression analyses identified interferon-signalling pathway as being impaired in Hdac3-/- cells. Basal and inducible Ifn? transcriptions require cJun/AP-1 and the decreased amount of AP-1 family proteins in Hdac3-/- cells may explain the lack of Ifn? activation and the increased acetylation in genomic regions.