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Spreadsheet applications are widely adopted by millions of end users from several application domains and provide strategic support to many business, scientific, industrial, and organizational processes. These applications are usually developed by rapid application development processes, exploiting host scripting languages allowing the basic spreadsheets to provide complex functionality, business rules, and user interfaces. Several factors complicate the comprehension of these applications because they are usually developed and maintained by end users without specific software engineering skills, grow over time, are not adequately documented, and do not present explicit separation between data, business logic, and user interface layers. This paper presents a reverse engineering tool intended to support the comprehension of Excel spreadsheet applications developed using the Visual Basic for Application programming language. The tool has been implemented as an add-in that extends the Excel working environment by providing analysis and visualization features. It is able to extract information about the elements composing the analyzed Excel spreadsheet application, the functionality it exposes through its user interface, and the dependencies among its cells. This information is provided by means of interactive views. The validity of the tool has been assessed by a qualitative case study performed with professional end users from an automotive industrial domain.

Software process is a complex phenomenon that involves a multitude of different artifacts, human actors with different roles, activities to be performed in order to produce a software product. Even though the research community is devoting a great effort in proposing solutions aimed at improving software process, several issues are still open. In this Thesis work I propose different solutions for assessing and improving software processes carried out in real industrial contexts. More in detail, I proposed a solution, based on ALM and MDE, for supporting Gap Analysis processes for assessing if a software process is carried out in accordance with Standards or Evaluation Framework. Then, I focused on a solution based on tool integration for the management of trace links among the artifacts involved in the software process. As another contribution, I proposed a Reverse engineering process and a tool, named EXACT, for supporting the analysis and comprehension of spreadsheet based artifacts involved in software development processes. Finally, I realized a semi-automatic approach, named AutoMative, for supporting the introduction in real Industrial software processes of SPL for managing the variability of the software products to be developed. Case studies conducted in real industrial settings showed the feasibility and the positive impact of the proposed solutions on real industrial software processes.

Familial combined hyperlipidemia (FCHL) is the most frequent dislipidemic syndrome in our population, and it is strictly associated to the insurgence of coronary artery diseases in affected patients. In a previous project we have carried out a “genome wide” gene expression profiles analysis in FCHL patients as compared to normal control individuals, showing that the expression levels of approx. 300 genes are significantly altered (increased or reduced) in association to the disease. Statins are the elective drugs for treatment of this syndrome. The gene expression profiles of FCHL patients before and after statin treatment reveal that administration the drug for a minimum of 4 weeks "restores” the expression levels of most of the altered genes to "normal" values, in some cases causing hypo-expressed genes to became hyper-expressed. These results reveal the existence of regulatory interconnections among subsets of genes affected by FCHL syndrome. In order to identify putative common cis-acting sequence elements involved in the transcriptional regulation by statins, we searched the 5' upstream region of these genes for enriched short sequence motifs. We have analysed the -400/-200, -200/+1 and +1/+200 (relative to the transcriptional start site) human genomic sequences corresponding to both up- and down-regulated genes, obtaining six dataset. Each dataset has been searched with the MEME algorithm, setting the program to display up to 10 motifs, and using three different width windows (5-10, 6-15 or 10-20 nucleotides). We have identified some specifically enriched consensus sequences. One of these motifs is present in either the -400/-200 or the -200/+1 region of the majority (70%) of the up-regulated genes. We have synthesised double strand DNA fragments containing this consensus sequence in order to carry out EMSA (electrophoretic mobility shift assays) experiments with nuclear extracts from statin-treated cell cultures. These experiments are in presently in progress.

We have constructed SV40 derived episomic vectors for gene therapy able to undergo limited replication in human cells. In our vectors, DNA replication relies on a mutated version of the LT viral protein in which the ability to interact with p53 and pRB (and consequently its transforming activity) has been selectively eliminated. Even with a non-transforming LT, eccessive replication of SV40-derived vectors in human cells may result in target cells toxicity. In order to overcome this problem we have constructed: • “Low replication rate” vectors carrying deletions of the SV40 ORI/ses regions. • “Low copy number” vectors carrying anti-LT shRNA expression cassettes. We have achieved the tissue-specificity of our vectors in two ways, by constructing: • “Wide-range replication” vectors in which the selective expression of the transgene is driven by tissue-specific promoters. • “Restricted-range replication” vectors in which the viral LT gene is under the control of tissue-specific synthetic promoters, while the transgene expression is driven by the SV40 early promoter. In both cases, the tissue-specificity of our vectors depends on short synthetic modular promoters, obtained by polymerization of naturally occourring cis-acting elements. In the most successful constructs we have combined the binding domains for tissue-specific and cell-cycle-specific transcription factors, thus obtaining promoters that are selectively active in replicating cells (regenerating tissues, stem cells and tumor cells).

Manlio Cipriani, Vincenzo De Simone, Luciana D'Angelo, Enrico Perna, Marzia Lilliu, Virginia Bovolo, Fabrizio Oliva, Maria Frigerio Cardiovascular and Thoracic Department, A De Gasperis Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Milan, Italy Abstract: Heart transplantation represents the “gold standard” for the treatment of patients with end-stage heart failure, but remains challenged by inadequate donor supply, finite graft survival, and long-term complications arising from immunosuppressive therapy. In addition, a lot of patients waiting for a heart transplant experience clinical deterioration, and other patients become ineligible to undergo this treatment due to their age or relevant comorbidities. Left ventricular assist devices have emerged as a valid therapeutic option for advanced heart failure. In recent years, we have seen significant advances not only in the technologies available, but also in patient selection, indications for use, and management after implantation. Consequently, there has been an increase in the number of implants and an improvement in the survival rate and quality of life for these patients. At the same time, there are new challenges on the horizon. Patient selection is a difficult process, based on clinical and imaging parameters and risk scores, and more data are needed to refine patient selection criteria and the timing of the implant. Left ventricular assist device-related complications are still a serious problem, causing adverse events and hospital readmissions. Continuous progress in the development of these implantable devices, such as a further reduction in size and hopefully the abolition of the external driveline, will probably make ventricular assist devices an option also for less advanced stages of heart failure. Here, we discuss the current indications for left ventricular assist device implantation, patient selection criteria, and the most frequent complications associated with these devices. Keywords: mechanical circulatory support, heart failure, destination therapy, bridge to transplantation, heart transplant

In previous expression profile studies by DNA microarrays we have identified several potato genes whose mRNAs are hyper- or hypo-expressed following of potato protoplast growth in culture conditions that simulate in vivo hydric deprivation. In order to understand whether groups of these genes are transcriptionally co-regulated via common cis-acting sequence elements, we undertook the comparison of their transcriptional regulatory regions by searching the 5’ upstream region for enriched short sequence motifs. Unfortunately, the potato genomic sequence of several of the selected genes is not yet available. Therefore, we decided to perform this analysis by using the genomic sequences of A. thaliana homologous gene counterparts, relying on the conservation across these organisms of transcriptional regulatory networks. By using the MEME/MAST motif discovery tools, we have analysed separately 3 consecutive 200 bp sequence blocks from the 5’ region of each gene. The MEME analysis reveals several short sequence motifs that are significantly enriched in the first two sequence blocks, corresponding to: a) upstream transcription regulatory elements; b) Pol II positioning promoter elements / 5’-UTRs.

We have identified and characterized two transcriptional modules derived from the promoters of liver genes whose expression is specific for proliferating hepatocytes: A) An enhancer module from the HNF1β promoter. HNF1α and β are two trans-acting factors that play a central role in the expression of liver-specific genes. We reported that, during mouse and rat development, HNF1β expression precedes that of HNF1α and is inducible by retinoic acid treatment. Moreover HNF1β (but not HNF1α) is expressed in undifferentiated hepatocytes. A combined strategy of deletions and site-specific mutagenesis allowed us to identify the cis-acting elements of the HNF1β promoter. In our transient expression assay, the -435/+33 region of the promoter is sufficient to reproduce the expression pattern of the endogenous gene. This region can be further subdivided into a tissue-specific enhancer and a proximal promoter element. The transcriptional activity of the enhancer element, as measured by co-transfection assays and band-shift experiments, depends on the binding of two transcriptional activators: the liver-specific HNF-4 factor (-255/-235), and the RARα/RXRα heterodimeric protein, that recognize a RARE element partially overlapping with the HNF-4 binding site. B) The proximal element of the alpha-foetoprotein promoter. The alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene is expressed in the prenatal life in the yolk sac and in the foetal liver. At birth, the AFP gene is "shut down" at the transcriptional level, and it can be re-expressed in the adult liver only in pathologic conditions, like hepatic parenchyma regeneration or liver tumours. Therefore, the AFP gene must contain cis acting regulatory elements able to activate transcription only in proliferating hepatocytes. We have isolated and individually analysed the key elements of the AFP transcriptional regulation located in the proximal promoter region, where two partially overlapping AP1 and GRE elements dictate the activation or repression of the gene, respectively. Our results suggest that, while two adjacent HNF1α/β binding sites restrict the AFP promoter activity to liver cell, changes in the GR/AP1 ratio can account for the AFP reactivation in the regenerating hepatocyte. We have constructed a series of artificial promoters by assembling different combinations of these transcriptional modules. The most efficient combinations have been used to construct SV40-derived episomal vectors, that we plan to use for gene therapy of proliferating hepatocytes. These experiments are currently in progress.

La Società Salernitana di Storia Patria aderisce al progetto EleA e autorizza la pubblicazione del fascicolo, N.s. A.23, n.1(2006): Gallo, I., Perché Salternum?, P. 9 ; Vitolo, P., Familiaris domesticus et magister pictor noster Roberto d'Oderisio e l'Istituto della familiaritas nella Napoli angioina, P. 13 ; Ambrosio, A., La vita quotidiana in un monastero femminile di Napoli alla fine del Quattrocento: la documentazione 'a registro' dei Ss. Pietro e Sebastiano, P. 35 ; Musi, A., La certosa di Padula e il Principato Citeriore nell'età spagnola, P. 61 ; Baldi, A., L'Acheropita di Cava de' Tirreni, P. 71 ; Quarto, F., Per gli Annali di Antonio Pace, tipografo in Napoli, Vico Equense e Bari, P. 87 ; Barba, L., Insediamenti rurali nella piana di Battipaglia in età moderna, P. 117 ; Palamara, G., Dalla ricostituzione delle forze politiche alle elezioni del 2 giugno 1946: il caso salernitano, P. 151 ; Scocozza, C., Il referendum istituzionale nella stampa Salernitana, p. 183 ; D'Episcopo, F., Alfonso Gatto a trent'anni dalla Morte, P. 203 ; Lucia, P., La chiusura della Marzotto Sud, P. 211 ; 235 Italo Gallo, Girolamo Bottiglieri (1905-1997), P. 235 ; Colangelo, G. A., Giuseppe Alliegro (1916-1987), P. 241 ; Didier, A., Gaetano Macchiaroli (1920-2005), P. 245 ; Del Gaudio, I., Camillo Marino: un intellettuale meridionale tra politica, cinema e giornalismo, P. 249 ; De Simone, V., I Guaimario principi di Salerno, P. 271 ; Chiappinelli, L., Nomi di persona e di luogo in documenti medievali di area meridionale, P. 275 ; Bracco, V., Nella Polla del Settecento: tre generazioni di scalpellini, P. 285 ; Russo, N., Un arciprete curato dell'Ottocento: Gennaro Caiafa (1780-1854), P. 293 ; Taglé, M. R., Una cartolina per Roberto Bracco, P. 301 ; Gallo, I., Pietro Ebner tra Velia e Taranto, P. 305 ; Trotta, M., Il Mezzogiorno d'Italia tra realtà e rappresentazione, P. 309 ; Abbamonte, G., Una lezione dal classico, P. 317 ; Marini, G., X Convegno Plutarcheo: Plutarco e la cultura della sua età, P. 319 ; Visentin, B., Storia, arte e medicina nella Certosa di Padula, P. 327 ; Marzano, P., Pomponio Leto e la prima Accademia Romana, P. 339 ; Guizzi, P., Linguaggi politici, cerimoniali civici e pratiche della politica a Genova e nel Regno di Napoli nel tardo Medioevo, P. 343 ; Certosino, F.,Convegno internazionale di studi su Jacopo Sannazaro, P. 353., Sul recto del frontespizio: fasc. 45 della Nuova Serie (annata LXVI dalla fondazione)

La Società Salernitana di Storia Patria aderisce al progetto EleA e autorizza la pubblicazione del fascicolo, N.s. A.22, n.2(2005): Cicco, G. G., L'opportunismo politico di Salerno longobarda nei confronti dell 'impero bizantino, P. 11 ; Viscido, M. C., La castagna di Acerno dai più antichi documenti al marchio Igp-Doptstoria, società, economia, P. 39 ; Caputo, V., Ancora su una importante fonte archivistica: il fondo Criminalia dell 'Archivio della Badia di Cava de' Tirreni, P. 51 ; Pingaro, C., Tra Repubblica e Monarchia: strategie del potere nel 1799 a Nocera de' Pagani, P. 75 ; Casella, M., Il seminario di Policastro nel primo Novecento, P. 113 ; Falzo, S., La concordia discorso degli intellettuali fascisti e le voci del dissenso negli anni 1925-1940, P. 145 ; Cestaro, A., Alle origini dell 'Istituto Universitario di Magistero: l'insegnamento salernitano di Mario Bendiscioli (1952-1959), P. 175 ; Scannapieco, E., Decadenza e rinascita: gli ultimi vent'anni della Biblioteca Provinciale di Salerno, P. 185 ; Gallo, I., Giuseppe Leone critico letterario (1919-1998), P. 217 ; De Simone, V., Casa Cavaselice alle Botteghelle, presunta Del Pezzo, P. 227 ; Bracco, V., D'una strada del Settecento tornata alla luce nelle campagne di Pollà, P. 237 ; Taglé, M. R., L'imbarbarimento di Poseidonia, un dramma dell'Ottocento e un caso di etruscheria, P. 245 ; Lucia, P., Un secolo di sindacalismo operaio in Italia, P. 253 ; La Torraca, U., Valla e Napoli: il dibattito filologico in età umanistica (Ravello, 22-23 settembre 2005), P. 259 ; Miletti, L., Devotionis munus. Aspetti della cultura e della scrittura d'arte di Adamo di Brema, P. 267 ; Miletti, L., XVI Seminario di Alta Cultura organizzato dall 'Istituto Internazionale di Studi Piceni.ll poema didascalico dall'antichità all'umanesimo, con particolare riguardo al tema georgico, P. 271 ; Faralli, G., XXVI Congresso Internazionale di Studi Umanistici. Arte figurativa e cultura letteraria nelle Marche fra medioevo e umanesimo, P. 275 ; Noto, M. A., Il Convegno "Dal torchio alle fiamme". Inquisizione e censura nuovi contributi alla più antica Biblioteca Provinciale d'Italia, P. 381; Abbamonte, G., Raccontare lo sport. Percorsi tra sport, letteratura e cronaca, P. 389., Sul recto del frontespizio: fasc. 44 della Nuova Serie (annata LXV dalla fondazione)

La Società Salernitana di Storia Patria aderisce al progetto EleA e autorizza la pubblicazione del fascicolo, N.s. A.22, n.1(2005): Dell'Acqua, F., Una epigrafe di Eboli del 1156 e alcune considerazioni sulla figura dell'archìtetto, P. 9 ; Martiello, S., Fra Bisanzio e Montecassino: il Sectile del Duomo di Salerno, P. 39 ; Gaglione, M., Marmi trecenteschi di San Lorenzo Maggiore in Napoli. II, P. 63 ; Del Grosso, M. A., Un banco ebraico a Salerno al tempo di Carlo V, P. 87 ; Sciarrotta, S., Il protagonismo dei casali a Cava alla fine del XVI secolo, P. 95 ; D'Aiello, G., Antonio Agellio, Vescovo di Acerno, "Doctrina Insignis", P. 119 ; Pecci, G., Riflessioni su Giacomo Colombo e sulla statua della Madonna del Rosario in Postiglione, P. 149 ; Fresolone, G., Esodo e strategie migratorie in CostieraAmalfitana durante il Regno d'Italia (1861-1946), P. 181 ; Lucia, P., La ripresa democratica a Salerno: i sindacati, P. 205 ; Colangelo, G.A., Per una storia della cultura pedagogica e della didattica della scuola nel Salernitano dal secondo dopoguerra al 1968, P. 227 ; Fulgione, G., Ricordo di Ferdfnando Petruccelli "Della Gattina", P. 241 ; Cestaro, A., Pietro Laveglia: intellettuale, politico, storico, editore, P. 247 ; Chiappinelli, L., Spigolature dialettali e toponomastiche XII, p. 235 ; De Simone, V., Il luogo detto «Scola Salernitana», P. 259 ; De Frede, C., L'itinerario di guerra di Ferrante d'Aragonadal 1458 al 1465, P. 265 ; Senatore, F., La leggenda erudita di Pietro Barliario, mago salernitano, P. 275 ; Bracco, V., Le tre tele della cappella di San Giuseppe a Polla, P. 293 ; Vedovato, G., I vent'anni del Centro Universitario Europeo per i Beni Culturali di Ravello, P. 305 ; Miletti, L., Aspetti della fortuna dell'antico nella cultura Europea, P. 315., Sul recto del frontespizio: fasc. 43 della Nuova Serie (annata LXV dalla fondazione)

La Società Salernitana di Storia Patria aderisce al progetto EleA e autorizza la pubblicazione del fascicolo, N.s. A.21, n.2(2004): D'Angelo, S., Uno sconosciuto insediamento protostorico in località Affrontata dello Specchio di Sarno, P. 11 ; Luongo, R., L'esercito di Spartaco nella regione dei Monti Picentini, P. 21 ; Capriolo, G., Frammenti in scrittura beneventana da protocolli notarili di Scala, P. 33 ; Gaglione, M., Marmi trecenteschi di San Lorenzo Maggiore in Napoli (parte prima), P. 55 ; D'Alessio, M. T., Simboli e presenze dei Sanseverino nella Certosa di Padula, P. 83 ; Trifone, G. P., La pastoralità giudiziale: il Tribunaleecclesiastico di Amalfi, P. 97 ; Sofia, F., Vagabondi e forestieri nella Salerno settecentesca, P. 133 ; Casella, M., Don Arcangelo Rotunno, la Conciliazione e la Sacra Congregazione dell'Indice in un episodio del 1888, P. 165 ; Falzo, S., Genesi della "ideologia" del fascismo, P. 195 ; Barra, V., Renato Angiolillo e Oreste Mosca alla direzione de "Il Tempo" (1944-1948), P. 213 ; Caputo, V., Imprenditoria e filantropia italiana in Sào Paulo: Ermelino Matarazzo, P. 237 ; D'Acunti, V., Nota sull'abbazia di Santa Maria di Cadossa e il Priorato Gerosolimitano di Venosa, P. 257 ; De Simone, V., Il significato di archiepiscopio e altre questioni, P. 267 ; Ferraro, S., Le cinquecentine di Vìco Equense durante l'episcopato di Paolo regio (1583-1607), P. 275 ; Taglé, M. R., Paestum nell'immaginario di Vìncenzo Cilento, P. 301 ; Bracco, V., Riappare "La Certosa di Padula" di monsignor Sacco, P. 309 ; D'Episcopo, F., La collina di Giovi e i "Castellani", P. 313 ; De Simone, V., L'eruzione del Vesuvio del 1631 e il terremoto del 1627 nelle note del notaio Giovanni Antonio Ferro, P. 317 ; Russo, N., Don Giuseppe Brandileone chiede un impiego, P. 323 D'Angelo, A., Nostos: itinerari della memoria, P. 329 ; Colucci, R., Convegno Internazionale di Studi su Filangieri e Franklin. Dalla Costituzione degli Stati Uniti alla Carta fondamentale europea (15 giugno 2004), P. 343 ; Marini, G., De Falco, L., XXV Congresso Internazionale di Studi Umanistici: "Le ragioni della poesia nell'Umanesimo", Sassoferrato 30 giugno-3 luglio 2004, P. 353 ; Abbamonte, G., Il teatro greco. Interpretazioni e prospettive di ricerca. Convegno Internazionale di Studi. Napoli 17-18 settembre 2004, P. 361., Sul recto del frontespizio: fasc. 42 della Nuova Serie (annata LXIV dalla fondazione)