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L’impermeabilizzazione delle superfici determina un’alterazione del sistema idrologico, con un incremento dei volumi e dei picchi dei deflussi delle acque meteoriche. Il fenomeno è destinato a progredire, sia per il contributo che vi deriva dalla costante crescita delle superfici urbanizzate (urban sprawl), sia per i cambiamenti climatici in atto, che accentuano la frequenza delle piogge critiche. Una serie di misure e tecniche (Best Management Practices, BMPs) sono state sviluppate per la gestione sostenibile delle acque meteoriche urbane. Alcune BMPs (es: verde pensile, bacini di detenzione/ritenzione, zone umide) possono svolgere inoltre una funzione ecologica (divenendo habitat per specie animali e vegetali), di termoregolazione, estetica e di promozione del capitale sociale. È quindi necessario sperimentare metodologie di progettazione e gestione del verde urbano e periurbano, la cui multifunzionalità consente di perseguire la strada della sostenibilità ambientale. Su tale traccia, questo lavoro presenta un percorso metodologico orientato a valutare alcune strategie integrate di controllo dei deflussi urbani, attraverso l’aumento della permeabilità di alcune parti sensibili di città. Il verde, quindi, non è visto come semplice infrastruttura necessaria a soddisfare generici standard urbanistici, ma ne sono analizzate le funzionalità, in questa prima fase di carattere idrologico, ma che, in prospettiva, con la stessa armatura verde, esso può assumere un ruolo ecologico, sociale, di mitigazione del clima e di emissione di gas clima-alteranti.

TBX15 is a T-box transcription factor essential for development, also proposed as a marker in prostate cancer; and, recently, its antiapoptotic function indicates a role in carcinogenesis. Regulation of TBX15 is uncovered. In this study, we investigated the regulation of TBX15 expression in human cancer cells, by analyzing the regulatory function of a 5'-distal conserved region of TBX15. Bisulfite sequencing showed high methylation of the CpG island contained in this region that was not correlated with TBX15 mRNA levels, in the cancer cell lines analyzed; however, after 5-aza-dC treatment of TPC-1 cells an increase of TBX15 expression was observed. We also found a significant response of TBX15 to TNF-α activation of the NF-κB pathway using five cancer cell lines, and similar results were obtained when NF-κB was activated with PMA/ionomycin. Next, by luciferase reporter assays, we identified the TBX15 regulatory region containing two functional NF-κB binding sites with response to NF-κBp65, mapping on the -3302 and -3059 positions of the TBX15 gene. Moreover, a direct interaction of NF-κBp65 with one of the two NF-κB binding sites was indicated by ChIP assays. In summary, we provide novel data showing that NF-κB signaling up-regulates TBX15 expression in cancer cells. Furthermore, the link between TBX15 and NF-κB found in this study may be important to understand cancer and development processes.

Following the increase in protected territories over recent years, emphasis has been laid on improving nature conservation and management effectiveness. In particular, special attention has been given to areas where the interaction between people and the environment has produced a distinct character, rich in both ecological and cultural values. Such areas are known as Protected Landscapes and require a special planning and management focus, in which relevant weight is given to local people. The aim of this research is to present a planning process case study in central Italy (Tuscania, north of Rome), where the protected area plan tackles nature conservation and environmental concerns (i.e. water quality, soil conservation, landscape restoration etc.). The results are of general interest because they are the fruit of an experience in debating and improving both the plan’s contents and planning methods. In particular, they show: i) the primary role of local people in the various phases of planning, including delicate decisions such as the park’s limits and its buffer area; ii) that a protected area plan should not be strictly prescriptive, but should have the role of a strategic master plan; iii) that the protected area policy should be emphasised in the park regulations document, rather than in rigid territorial zoning.

Aiming at the problem of computational complexity of channel estimation, this paper proposes a low-complexity block matching pursuit (BMP) algorithm based on antenna grouping and block sparsity for frequency division duplex (FDD) massive Multiple-input Multiple-output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. The system coherence time may be exceeded as a result of time consumption when adopting an orthogonal pilot symbol in the time domain. To solve this problem, an antenna grouping transmission scheme is proposed to reduce the total channel estimation time by sacrificing the observed data length. The simulation results show that the proposed BMP algorithm has good anti-noise performance, and it can accurately determine the non-zero position of the sparse vector and adaptively determine the sparsity of the channel, which effectively translates to improved channel estimation performance and better overall system performance than the existing algorithms.

The present article defends the thesis of that the occupation of the land is presented as a historical possibility to surpass of the great contradiction that demarcates the process of production in the capitalist way to produce the life: the expropriation of the worker of the field. The problematic concerning the process of production of the capitalism in the field in more general level and Brazil, its determination historic socials, and the risks of the process of institutionalization in a particular and singular. For in such a way, it carries through a sociological analysis of the process of production of the capitalism in the field, it reflects on the production of the capitalism in the field in Brazil, and displays the risks, for the workers, of the institutionalization of the expropriation and resistance in the scope of the social fights in the present time

Cross-talk between jasmonate (JA), ethylene (ET), and Salicylic acid (SA) signaling is thought to operate as a mechanism to fine-tune induced defenses that are activated in response to multiple attackers. Here, 43 Arabidopsis genotypes impaired in hormone signaling or defense-related processes were screened for their ability to express SA-mediated suppression of JA-responsive gene expression. Mutant cev1, which displays constitutive expression of JA and ET responses, appeared to be insensitive to SA-mediated suppression of the JA-responsive marker genes PDF1.2 and VSP2. Accordingly, strong activation of JA and ET responses by the necrotrophic pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola prior to SA treatment counteracted the ability of SA to suppress the JA response. Pharmacological assays, mutant analysis, and studies with the ET-signaling inhibitor 1-methylcyclopropene revealed that ET signaling renders the JA response insensitive to subsequent suppression by SA. The APETALA2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR transcription factor ORA59, which regulates JA/ET-responsive genes such as PDF1.2, emerged as a potential mediator in this process. Collectively, our results point to a model in which simultaneous induction of the JA and ET pathway renders the plant insensitive to future SA-mediated suppression of JA-dependent defenses, which may prioritize the JA/ET pathway over the SA pathway during multi-attacker interactions.

El objetivo del presente estudio es analizar las relaciones entre los Big Five y la resistencia con el agotamiento emocional en una muestra multiocupacional. La muestra está compuesta por 311 trabajadores de diferentes sectores, aunque predominan los pertenecientes al sector servicios. Se les aplicaron los cuestionarios MBI, BFI y CD-RISC, mediante un diseño transversal. Tal como esperábamos por estudios anteriores hemos encontrado asociaciones significativas entre las variables seleccionadas. Mediante regresión múltiple obtuvimos la capacidad predictiva de los factores de personalidad Neuroticismo, Conciencia y Resistencia. Asimismo, en nuestro estudio hemos encontrado que la resistencia actúa como moderador entre la personalidad y el agotamiento emocional, ya que la resistencia presenta interacción con el factor de personalidad Conciencia. De esta manera, se pone de manifiesto la importancia de los factores de personalidad en la dimensión fundamental del burnout, el agotamiento emocional; así como de la resistencia, una variable poco estudiada que se presenta prometedora en el contexto laboral. La relevancia de tales asociaciones se incrementa al ser escasos los estudios que han abordado esta problemática.

Objetivo: Tras la aparición de 5 casos con sintomatología respiratoria en una empresa aeronáutica y su exposición a diferentes sustancias químicas, nos propusimos investigar su posible relación con el medio laboral. Material y métodos: Se realizaron mediciones ambientales de polvo de aluminio, tricloroetileno y glicol, estudio alergológico con dichas sustancias además de neumoalergenos y tests epicutáneos con batería estándar europea, análisis de sangre, radiografías de tórax, mediciones de flujo pico y pruebas funcionales respiratorias, test de metacolina y electrocardiograma. Resultados: La medición del flujo pico y el test de hiperreactividad bronquial directo con metacolina fueron negativos. El estudio alergológico de las sustancias expuestas fue negativo detectándose en 3 casos resultados positivos a neumoalergenos. Conclusiones: La negatividad en las mediciones del flujo pico y el test de metacolina estando el trabajador en activo, prácticamente descartarían un cuadro de asma laboral, en la actualidad. No podemos descartar la posibilidad concomitante de un Síndrome de disfunción reactiva de la vía aérea en un momento previo al estudio. En tal caso, la existencia de una hiperreactividad bronquial inicial podría haber cedido sin llegar a objetivarse en la actualidad con metacolina. La creación de equipos multidisciplinarios es fundamental para la detección de enfermedades respiratorias de posible origen laboral.Target: After the appearance of 5 cases with respiratory symptoms in an aeronautical company and their exposal to different chemical substances, we proposed to investigate their possible link with the working environment. Material and methods: Aluminium environmental dust measurements, trichloroethylene and glycol, alergic study with these substances as well as with aero alergens and epicutaneos tests with a european standard accumulator were made, blood analysis, thorax x-rays, peak-flow measurements and functional respiratory tests, Methacholine test and electrocardiogram. Results: The peak-flow measurement and the direct bronchial hyperactivity test using metacholine were negative. The alergic tests performed were generally negative with the exception of 3 positive results concerning aero alergens test. Conclusions: The negative results of the peak-flow measurements and the metacholine test of an active worker, would practically disguard a cadre of work related asthma, at the present time. We cannot discard the concomitant possibility of a reactive disfunction syndrome via the aerial route in a precise moment of time previous to the study. In such case, the existence of an initial bronchial hyperreactivity could have yielded finally not being detectable with metacholine. The creation of multidisciplinary equipment is fundamental for the detection of respiratory diseases of possible work origin.

In superconducting materials a dynamical rearrangement of the vortex lattice occurs by forcing vortices at high velocities, until the system can become unstable. This phenomenon is known as vortex lattice instability, in which a sudden transition drives the superconducting system abruptly to the normal state. We present an experimental study on submicron bridges of NbN and NbTiN ultra-thin films with a thickness of few nanometers. The nanoscale effect on vortex lattice instability is investigated not only by the ultra-thin thickness in wide bridges, but also by changing the direction of the external magnetic field applied parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis epitaxial films. Indeed, measurements are performed for both orientations and show the vortex lattice instability, regardless of the superconducting material. Critical currents Ic as well as instability currents I* have been compared. However, only in the parallel configuration an unusual ‘flying birds’ feature appears in the magnetic field dependence of current switching, as a consequence of the ratio I*/Ic that is approaching 1. This amazing tendency becomes relevant for practical applications involving nanostructures, since by scaling down sample thickness and rotating the external field towards the in-plane orientation, the ultra-thin film geometry can mimic the bridge narrowing down to the nanoscale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La selección de personal es un proceso clave en el acceso al empleo. En este contexto, la justicia, la imparcialidad, el trato justo y la ausencia de discriminación en los procedimientos de selección de personal son una necesidad y una demanda social creciente. A la vista de la polémica actual respecto a la confluencia en el mercado de trabajo de las exigencias de imparcialidad, equidad y no-discriminación junto a los principios de capacidad, eficacia y mérito, nos encontramos con la necesidad de disponer de métodos y modelos aplicados rigurosos que permitan dilucidar esta controversia. En este trabajo presentamos una síntesis de la situación en España, en conexión con el contexto europeo, así como las principales consideraciones para una práctica adecuada de los métodos de selección de personal en las organizaciones.

El mobbing produce un deterioro en la salud que puede llevar a una patología propia del estrés y a la incapacidad laboral. En el presente estudio hemos realizado un análisis de las variables psicológicas de bienestar que están relacionadas con el mobbing en una muestra de 520 trabajadores de los sectores sanitario y educativo con el objetivo de encontrar aquellas que nos permitan diferenciar grupos de sujetos según alto y bajo riesgo de mobbing. Los análisis realizados revelan correlaciones significativas entre mobbing y las demás variables incluidas en el estudio: burnout, satisfacción laboral y bienestar psicológico. Mediante la aplicación de análisis discriminante encontramos que la insatisfacción con la supervisión, el agotamiento emocional, el cinismo y los síntomas depresivos permiten clasificar adecuadamente a los sujetos con alto y bajo riesgo de mobbing.

Different methods have been proposed in the literature to deposit PZT thin films. Among these, chemical based processes have been revealed as a promising preparation route due to their low cost processing and the facility for controlling the stoichiometry of complex systems. The objective of this work was to investigate the influence of the time and temperature of crystallization on the physical properties of the Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 thin films prepared by a hybrid method. The structural and microstructural dependence on the crystallization conditions of the PZT films were investigated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties were also characterized and their behaviors were related to the structural evolution of films.

The paper deals with environmental sustainability, in terms of intrinsic vulnerability and thermodynamics laws concepts, applied to urban green infrastructures. This approach gives also the track to build more resilient and complex landscapes. Integrating intrinsic vulnerability and thermodynamics laws concepts, an effective strategy could be conceived to face best management practices in planning more sustainable and healthy cities.

Landscape connectivity is one of the major issues related to biodiversity conservation and to the delivery of Ecosystem Services (ES). Several models were developed to assess landscape connectivity but lack of data and mismatching scale of analysis often represent insurmountable constraints for the correct evaluation and integration of ecological connectivity into plans and assessment procedures. In this paper a procedure for ES assessment related with Habitat and Bio-Energy Landscape Connectivity (BELC) is proposed. The method is based on the connectivity measure furnished by the last version of PANDORA model and uses a modified formulation of current ES evaluation. The implementation of the model in a real case has highlighted its potential multi-scale workability. The spatial approach of the model aims at furnishing a further tool for the spread of ES and landscape ecology concepts into procedures of assessment (e.g. EIA, SEA) and land use planning at different administrative scales.

Roses are the most cultivated ornamental flower in Ecuador. In this experiment, we measured the quality and evaluated the total days to harvest Rosa sp variety Freedom grown under a greenhouse with two different climate settings, which were regulated by the control of drapes, in the zones of Machachi and La Leticia, Pichincha province, Republic of Ecuador. The two treatments were a differentiation in the opening of the drape management systems. The first treatment referred to as closed, had completely shut drapes, while the second, called combined, had the drapes open from 11 am to 3pm, the remainder of the day the drapes were shut as well. The first evaluation process were the days taken to harvest after the pinch, and the review and record of the accumulated temperature (TEMPSUM) required by the plant until the time of harvest. Quality was also evaluated and we measured length of stem, length of bud, thickness of bud, and number of petals per bud. The end results portrayed favorable tendencies to the close drape treatment, observing a reduction in the days needed to harvest, and an increment in the length of stem. After statistic analysis using the ANOVA test, the Significance Tukey test, and the “Student’s t” test, it was clear that the data presented had no statistical differences.

Aerial photos represent the main existent database providing evidence of landscape changes with high detail. The analysis of land cover changes plays a key role in understanding a great variety of phenomena in several research fields. Landscapes are made by society and reflect the changing society and attitude towards the environment. The reorientation of farming system, the practical results of planning processes, the rate and magnitude of the changes in the landscape are some of the most important factors relating to the evolution of our landscapes and are very helpful for the understanding of evolution processes and consequently for the design of landscape-orientated policies. Pressures upon the landscape and values of our landscapes can be defined according to their traditional characteristics; traditional landscapes can be defined as those landscapes having a distinct and recognizable structure, which reflect relations between the composing elements and have a significance for natural, cultural or aesthetical values. In most cases, such landscapes evolved slowly and took centuries to form their values. Sometimes land changes happen fast and spread in vast areas so that some agricultural or natural landscapes, widely perceived as traditional, have very recent origin. In this paper, some preliminary observation and case-studies performed on a set of historical photos are dealt with. In 1935, the Italian Land Register Department commissioned SARA company to survey Viterbo province between 1935-1938 through aerial photographs. During the survey, 5,000 photographs on glass plates were taken at a very low altitude, featuring a very high resolution. Thus, they represents a valuable source of information for documenting past and present land-use practices, local cultural heritage and changes in the landscape. Processing this set of historical photos has started, aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively analyse the 1935-1938 landscape patterns and their role in the development of nowadays landscapes.

APE1/Ref-1 is a main regulator of cellular response to oxidative stress via DNA-repair function and co-activating activity on the NF-κB transcription factor. APE1 is central in controlling the oxidative stress-based inflammatory processes through modulation of cytokines expression and its overexpression is responsible for the onset of chemoresistance in different tumors including hepatic cancer. We examined the functional role of APE1 overexpression during hepatic cell damage related to fatty acid accumulation and the role of the redox function of APE1 in the inflammatory process. HepG2 cells were stably transfected with functional and non-functional APE1 encoding plasmids and the protective effect of APE1 overexpression toward genotoxic compounds or FAs accumulation, was tested. JHH6 cells were stimulated with TNF-α in the presence or absence of E3330, an APE1 redox inhibitor. IL-8 promoter activity was assessed by a luciferase reporter assay, gene expression by Real-Time PCR and cytokines (IL-6, IL-8, IL-12) levels measured by ELISA. APE1 over-expression did not prevent cytotoxicity induced by lipid accumulation. E3330 treatment prevented the functional activation of NF-κB via the alteration of APE1 subcellular trafficking and reduced IL-6 and IL-8 expression induced by TNF-α and FAs accumulation through blockage of the redox-mediated activation of NF-κB. APE1 overexpression observed in hepatic cancer cells may reflect an adaptive response to cell damage and may be responsible for further cell resistance to chemotherapy and for the onset of inflammatory response. The efficacy of the inhibition of APE1 redox activity in blocking TNF-α and FAs induced inflammatory response opens new perspectives for treatment of inflammatory-based liver diseases.

El presente estudio se realizó con la finalidad de evaluar la patogenicidad y algunas propiedades biológicas de una cepa del virus de la Enfermedad de Newcastle aislado de un lote de pollos de engorde. Las pruebas realizadas fueron índice de patogenicidad intracerebral (IPIC), indice de patogenicidad intravenoso (IPIV), indice de patogenicidad intracloacal (IPIC) en aves libres de anticuerpos, el tiempo medio de muerte embrionaria (TMM), la Termoestabilidad de la hemoaglutinina y el tiempo de elusión. Los resultados mostraron un IPIC de 1,9 y un IPIV de 2,2. En el IPIC el 100% de las aves presentaron secreción mucosa en tráquea y hemorragia severa en cloaca, el 75% presentó hemorragia en proventrículos y 25% hemorragia y necrosis en el tracto intestinal. El TMM fue de 57,6 horas y la termoestabilidad de la hemoaglutinina fue de 15 min. La cepa presentó un tiempo de elusión intermedio. Las pruebas de patogenicidad concuerdan con las descritas para las cepas velogénicas viscerotrópicas responsable de la forma Doyle´s de la enfermedad, siendo las propiedades biológicas consideradas intrínsecas de cada cepa e independientes de la virulencia.

The occurrence of a bronchopleural fistula (BPF) continues to represent a challenging management problem, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A novel and successful technique that uses submucosal injection of a tissue expander for bronchoscopic occlusion of BPFs has been designed. This method may be used either alone or in combination with bronchoscopic instillation of n-butyl-cyanoacrylate glue. The occlusion technique is described, with a presentation of two patients who were successfully treated with this method. The submucosal injection of a tissue expander is an effective, economical and minimally invasive technique for managing BPFs.

Plants defend themselves against infection by biotic attackers by producing distinct phytohormones. Especially jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) are well known defense-inducing hormones. Here, the effects of MeJA and SA on the Arabidopsis thaliana kinome were monitored using PepChip arrays containing kinase substrate peptides to analyze posttranslational interactions in MeJA and SA signaling pathways and to test if kinome profiling can provide leads to predict posttranslational events in plant signaling. MeJA and SA mediate differential phosphorylation of substrates for many kinase families. Also some plant specific substrates were differentially phosphorylated, including peptides derived from Phytochrome A, and Photosystem II D protein. This indicates that MeJA and SA mediate cross-talk between defense signaling and light responses. We tested the predicted effects of MeJA and SA using light-mediated upward leaf movement (differential petiole growth also called hyponastic growth). We found that MeJA, infestation by the JA-inducing insect herbivore Pieris rapae, and SA suppressed low light-induced hyponastic growth. MeJA and SA acted in a synergistic fashion via two (partially) divergent signaling routes. This work demonstrates that kinome profiling using PepChip arrays can be a valuable complementary ∼omics tool to give directions towards predicting behavior of organisms after a given stimulus and can be used to obtain leads for physiological relevant phenomena in planta.

Gli insiemi convessi hanno come noto un ruolo centrale nei problemi di ottimizzazione. Essi intervengono ad esempio come insiemi soluzione di un sistema di disequazioni lineari in n variabili reali. Le caratteristiche geometriche di tali insiemi interessano, in tali applicazioni. piu‘ che altro per le loro conseguenze algebriche: si pensi al ruolo che i vertici di un poliedro giocano nella ricerca del massnmo di un funzionale lineare. Anche per questo motivo l‘approccio classico allo studio degli insiemi convessi e' stato quello di far uso delle coordinate. immergendosi in R" . La natura geometrica di tali problemi consente, pero'. di darne delle dimostrazioni per via sintetica, anziche' analitica, cioe' senza far uso delle coordinate. Un modo molto generale per trattare la convessita' per via. sintetica. che permette anche di semplificare alcune dimostrazioni e per di piu' fornisce modelli anche fuori della geometria euclidea. e' quello introdotto da Prenowitz. consistente nella geometria dei Join Spaces. un join space e' un insieme munito di una iperstruttura. chiamata prodotto join, soddisfacente a opportuni assiomi suggeriti dall'operazione geometrica elementare consistente nell'assegnare ad ogni coppia di punti di uno spazio euclideo l'insieme dei punti del segmento che li congiunge. In questo modo, per un sottoinsieme di X l'essere convesso equivale all'essere stabile rispetto al prodotto join. I pochi assiomi stabiliti da Prenowitz permettono, come ora vedremo, di sviluppare una teoria della convessita‘ che fa ritrovare. senza far uso delle coordinate. i piu‘ importanti teoremi sugli insiemi convessi.

El artículo expone el procedimiento seguido para la clasificación y análisis de los adjetivos de un léxico meta propuesto para el Segundo Ciclo de la Educación General Básica. Se utiliza el XSLT como herramienta para el diseño de sistemas lexicográficos informatizados y se prueba su idoneidad, pues entre otras ventajas, éste favorece la manipulación del amplio corpus, por parte de quienes investigan y planifican su enseñanza y su incorporación a la competencia comunicativa de la niñez costarricense. The article exposes the procedure followed for the classification and analysis of the adjectives of a meta-vocabulary proposed for the Second Cycle of the Basic General Education. The XSLT is used as a tool for the design of computerized lexicographical systems; and its suitability is proven by, among other advantages, its ability to manipulate the vast corpus. This ability is given to those who investigate and plan the education of the vocabulary and its addition to the communication proficiency of the Costa Rica’s childhood.

Resumo Objetivo: Desenvolver um modelo de treinamento de cirurgias corneanas utilizando uvas. Métodos: Foram empregadas uvas como estruturas que mimetizam o tamanho do globo ocular humano, recobertas com materiais de látex, simulando a pratica de cirurgias de córnea utilizando um sistema de videomagnificação. Foram realizados oito pontos simples. Foi avaliado o tempo de confecção do procedimento. Resultados: Foram realizadas 25 simulações como o modelo descrito. O tempo médio de realização da rafia foi de 34,56 ±5,79 minutos. A análise da correlação entre o tempo e a ordem das cirurgias mostrou uma redução no tempo de confecção. Conclusão: O modelo de treinamento oftalmológico utilizando uvas mostrou-se capaz de simular as etapas básicas do treinamento de suturas microcirúrgicas.

Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, one of the life-threatening diseases seen in Emergency Departments, is rarely caused by conditions other than rupture of saccular aneurysms. We report two cases of suspected tuberculous meningitis complicated with nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage confirmed by conventional cerebral angiography. Tuberculous meningitis should be considered in the differential diagnoses in cases of nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, especially in tuberculosis endemic areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]