INDAGINI TEORICHE E SPERIMENTALI SU PARETI SISMICHE IN ACCIAIO

La memoria riguarda il comportamento di pannelli sottili in acciaio utilizzati come pareti di controvento. Per tali sistemi sono previsti due tipi fondamentali di utilizzo: come elementi dissipativi e irrigidenti;come elementi irrigidenti. Il primo caso riguarda pannelli dotati di robusti irrigidimenti, tali da determinare lo snervamento delle lastre costituenti il pannello prima dell’insorgere di fenomeni di instabilità. Tale tipologia è stata utilizzata prevalentemente in Giappone. La tendenza ad adottare pannelli sottili, per i quali l’instabilità avviene in campo elastico, si è sviluppata prevalentemente negli USA ed in Canada, ove attraverso indagini sperimentali si è constatato il notevole contributo dovuto alle riserve in campo post critico dei pannelli. Anche i risultati sperimentali ottenuti dagli autori evidenziano le notevoli riserve di resistenza di tali pannelli in campo post-critico, cosicché oggi è ampliamente plausibile l’introduzione nel progetto di tali elementi strutturali soggetti ad instabilità per azioni sismiche modeste. Gli studi condotti dagli autori hanno riguardato il comportamento di tali pannelli sottili in acciaio sottoposti a forze orizzontali, sviluppando indagini teoriche e sperimentali. La sperimentazione effettuata conferma che in campo post-critico si attivano bande diagonali di trazione, rendendo le riserve di resistenza cospicue; tuttavia i modelli FEM, sviluppati in ambito non lineare, non consentono di riprodurre il comportamento del sistema nella fase iniziale del carico. Nella presente nota si riporta una sintesi delle indicazioni normative e dei risultati ottenuti dagli autori nelle precedenti esperienze, proponendo un chiave di lettura sintetica per prevedere il comportamento di tali sistemi

Identification of antimicrobial peptides in the gonad of European sea bass males and females

In vertebrates, the gonad is considered an immunologically privileged site as it triggers lower immune responses aiming to avoid germ cell damage. In fish,several studies reported that leucocytes show conditioned immune response and modulate some reproductive functions, allowing the pathogen to establish chronic and latent infections into reproductive organs. In mammals, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently been recognised as important effectors in male reproductive tract immunity. In fish, AMPs are increasingly recognized as a critical first line of defence against many pathogens as bacteria, fungi, virus, protozoa and even tumour cells. We have recently determined that the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) gonad showed antimicrobial activity and constitutively expressed different AMPs genes previously characterized in the immune response. However, it is possible that gonadal specific AMPs play an important role in gonad immune responses, as occurs in mammals. The present study is an attempt to identify and characterize molecules having antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi, from the gonad of mature European sea bass males and females. Our results show a very different profile of active AMPs between sexes, suggesting the existence of different AMPs in males and females. However, further characterization of isolated peptides is needed to fully characterize the molecules and determine their role upon infection

BIOACTIVE MOLECULES FROM MARINE INVERTEBRATE ORGANISMS AS POTENTIAL TOOLS IN RESTORATION PROCEDURES

In the last decades molecular biology has provided innovative approaches in order to set up specific protocols for the conservation and restoration of cultural assets. In this study, which falls within the so called field of Blue-biotechnology, new bio-reactive peptides isolated from marine invertebrate organisrns (Cnidaria and Molluscs) were tested aim to bio-cleaning (proteolytic- peptides) the surfaces or to control (antimicrobial-peptides) the colonization of historic-artistic manufacts by fungi or bacteria. Particularly, the proteolytic-peptides showed hydrolytic activity, specific for animal-glue, in a range of temperatures of 4-37°C; than acting without heating the surface, by a contro Iled procedure and avoiding damages to the constitutive materials, ali criteria required for conservation /restoration procedures. These hydrolases allow to carry out the removal of the protein layers in a controlled way, acting at the same temperature of the environment where the objects are restored (19-25.5 0C). lnstead, the antirnicrobial-peptides have been tested on a plethora of fungi and bacteria colonies and a specific activity, against Micrococcus spp., have been showed. We are testing the antimicrobial-peptides as a "biologica! biocide" in order to protect both organic and inorganic substrates. We hypothesize that the use of these molecules will give an important contribution to the development of innovative and efficient technologies concerning bio-cleaning and antimicrobial growth protocols, according to conservative restoration procedures

Marine organisms as source of bioactive molecules applied in restoration projects

In recent decades research in the conservation and restoration field has provided sustainable alternatives to traditional procedures for cleaning or controlling the microbial colonization of works of art. In the present study, for the first time novel bioactive molecules extracted from marine invertebrate organisms (Anthozoa) were tested instead of chemical compounds for removing protein layers or as a biocide for controlling fungal or bacterial colonization. In particular, Bioactive Molecules with Protease activity (BMP), acting in a temperature range of 4- 30\ub0C, were tested for the hydrolysis of protein layers on laboratory specimens. The cleaning protocol provides a selective procedure to avoid damage to the original materials constituting the heritage object. Concurrently, enzymatic cleaning was also performed using commercial Protease from Aspergillus sojae (Type XIX), in order to compare their hydrolytic activities. Bioactive Molecules with Antimicrobial activity (BMA1, BMA2) were tested to control bacterial (Bacillus, Micrococcus) or fungal (Aspergillus, Penicillium) growth, previously isolated from colonized canvas samples and characterized by an integrated approach based on in vitro culture, microscopy and molecular investigations. These molecules were tested to define the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimal Bactericidal/ Fungicidal Concentration (MBC/MFC). Specifically, BMAs were used to control fungal growth during the relining of the painting (laboratory specimens), carried out using a canvas support, and glue paste as binder. In our hypothesis, these molecules provide an important contribution to the development of innovative protocols for biocleaning or microbial growth control, based on fast and easy application, operator friendly and environmentally sustainable molecules

Molecular and clinical studies in five index cases with novel mutations in the GLA gene

Fabry disease is a metabolic and lysosomal storage disorder caused by the functional defect of the α-galactosidase A enzyme; this defect is due to mutations in the GLA gene, that is composed of seven exons and is located on the long arm of the X-chromosome (Xq21–22). The enzymatic deficit is responsible for the accumulation of glycosphingolipids in lysosomes of different cellular types, mainly in those ones of vascular endothelium. It consequently causes a cellular and microvascular dysfunction. In this paper, we described five novel mutations in the GLA gene, related to absent enzymatic activity and typical manifestations of Fabry disease. We identified three mutations (c.846_847delTC, p.E341X and p.C382X) that lead to the introduction of a stop codon in positions 297, 341 and 382. Moreover we found a missense mutation (p.R227P) in the exon 5 of the GLA gene and a single point mutation (c.639 + 5 G > T) occurring five base pairs beyond the end of the exon 4. These mutations have never been found in our group of healthy control subjects > 2300. The studied patients presented some clinical manifestations, such as cornea verticillata, hypo-anhidrosis, left ventricular hypertrophy, cerebrovascular disorders and renal failure, that, considering the null enzymatic activity, suggest that the new mutations reported here are related to the classic form of Fabry disease. The identification of novel mutations in patients with symptomatology referable to FD increases the molecular knowledge of the GLA gene and it gives clinicians an important support for the proper diagnosis of the disease

Modeling Fickian Diffusion in Asphalt Concrete Pavement

The objective of this study is to determine whether exposing an asphaltic roadway to standing liquid water for a duration of twelve hours will cause sufficient moisture penetration to induce deterioration of the roadway. A mathematical model based on mass conservation was applied for the purpose of predicting the diffusivity of moisture into the roadway. The result was then used in a computer simulation to model the temporal and spatial distribution of moisture. In order to execute the simulation, it was necessary to determine the diffusivity of moisture in asphalt concrete. To this end, an experiment was conducted to find the change in mass over time of laboratory samples of asphalt concrete exposed to water on only one face. The procedure for executing this experiment was developed and explained as a part of the research program. The experimental data were shown to be statistically valid, and the resulting diffusivity of moisture in asphalt concrete was found to be 5.976E-5 cm^2/hr. This value was applied within a finite element code for modeling Fick’s Second Law to predict the spatial and temporal distribution of moisture within a representative roadway. Three scenarios were modeled: an undamaged asphalt concrete roadway, an asphalt roadway with a partial crack through the asphalt layer, and an asphalt roadway with a crack extending entirely through the asphalt roadway and into the base layer. On the basis of the results predicted by the model, it was concluded that an asphalt roadway is likely to experience significant damage due to moisture penetration over a twelve hour period only in the case where the crack runs entirely through the asphalt concrete layer and into the base material. This conclusion is based on the extremely small value of experimentally observed diffusivity of moisture in asphalt concrete

Kinetic Phenomena in Thin Film Electronic Materials

Contains reports on nine research projects.National Science Foundation (Grant ECS85-06565)Semiconductor Research CorporationU.S. Air Force - Office of Scientific Research (Grant AFOSR-85-0154)National Science Foundation (Grant DMR81-19285)Sony International Business Machines, Inc.Dartmouth UniversityJoint Services Electronics Program (Contract DAAG29-83-K-0003)Semiconductor Research Corporatio

The ASY-EOS experiment at GSI: investigating the symmetry energy at supra-saturation densities

The elliptic-flow ratio of neutrons with respect to protons in reactions of neutron rich heavy-ions systems at intermediate energies has been proposed as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry term in the nuclear Equation Of State (EOS) at supra-saturation densities. The recent results obtained from the existing FOPI/LAND data for $^{197}$Au+$^{197}$Au collisions at 400 MeV/nucleon in comparison with the UrQMD model allowed a first estimate of the symmetry term of the EOS but suffer from a considerable statistical uncertainty. In order to obtain an improved data set for Au+Au collisions and to extend the study to other systems, a new experiment was carried out at the GSI laboratory by the ASY-EOS collaboration in May 2011.Comment: Talk given by P. Russotto at the 11th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (NN2012), San Antonio, Texas, USA, May 27-June 1, 2012. To appear in the NN2012 Proceedings in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS