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An important goal of higher education is to shape the behavior of future citizens by influencing conscious students.The work is aimed at presenting the methodology for assessing “competencies in the field of sustainable development” acquired during university studies in non-formal and informal learning contexts. Given the absence of a framework, but following the criteria established by the “Council Recommendation of 20thDecember 2012 on the validation of non-formal and informal learning” (2012/C 398/01), a model called “Higher Education for Sustainability Competencies” (HE4SC) has been developed. Starting from the 17 Sustainable Development Goals by United Nations, the model allows evaluating the theoretical and practical knowledge achieved by students through their university educational path and environment. The main idea of the proposed model is to translate the Sustainable Development Goals into “sustainability competences” of individuals, developed in non-formal and informal learning contexts. In defining the model, it is important to single out a “sponsor” of sustainability, that will guarantee the activities that can support the acquisition of competencies by students; identify the Sustainable Development Goals more appropriate for the specific analysis; make classification of “competencies in the field of sustainable development” for the chosen goals; determine the level that is considered acceptable for each “competence in sustainable development” in accordance with the scheme of the European Qualifications Framework. While underestimating the contribution of the university environment and ways to improve the transfer of knowledge, skills and competencies, a balance between “sustainability competencies” can be achieved through the HE4SC model.

Since graphene was exfoliated in 2004, two-dimensional (2D) materials have received great attention due to their physical and chemical properties associated with their nanosized thickness and the correlated quantum size effect. 2D planes allow the confinement of charge carriers, heat, and photons, leading to the remarkable electronic and optical properties of these materials. The Faraday Discussion "Chemistry of 2-dimensional materials: beyond graphene" has been an incredible showcase for a variety of highly interesting contributions in the field. This conference comprised a large number of aspects of the topic: from their synthesis and the study of their optical and physical properties to their numerous applications. These concluding remarks aim to capture the recent developments in 2D materials chemistry and physics that were presented and debated during this Faraday Discussion, and more generally in the research field in recent years. Particular attention will be paid to aspects like the synthesis of the materials, their toxicity and biodegradation, and some of their major applications in catalysis, as well as Li-ion batteries, water filtration and sensing. In addition we aim to highlight future challenges that still need to be addressed.

The detection of cancer biomarkers at an early stage of tumor development is vital for effective diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Current diagnostic tools can often detect cancer only when the biomarker levels are already too high, so that the tumors have spread and treatments are less effective. It is urgent therefore to develop highly sensitive assays for the detection of such biomarkers at the lowest possible concentration. In this context, we developed a sandwich immunoassay based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for the ultrasensitive detection of α-fetoprotein (AFP), which is typically present in human serum as a biomarker indicative of early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma. In the immunoassay design, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) modified with a monoclonal antibody was used as a capture probe for AFP. A secondary antibody linked to an SERS-encoded nanoparticle was employed as the Raman signal reporter, that is, the transducer for AFP detection. The sandwich immunocomplex “capture probe/target/SERS tag” was deposited on a silicon wafer and decorated with silver-coated gold nanocubes to increase the density of “hot spots” on the surface of the immunosensor. The developed SERS immunosensor exhibits a wide linear detection range (1 pg mL–1 to 10 ng mL–1) with a limit of detection as low as 0.03 pg mL–1 toward AFP with good reproducibility (RSD < 6%) and stability. These parameters demonstrate that the proposed immunosensor has the potential to be used as an analytical platform for the detection of early-stage cancer biomarkers in clinical applications.

Background: The present work starts from a literature review of the evolution of Integrated Management Systems (IMSs), considering different points of view and standards: quality, environmental, occupational health and safety, sustainability and social issues. Even if the benefits are possible, there is not a common approach and a clear link between the integration of management systems and business performance, in particular considering safety performance. Methods: The present study analyzes the application of Risk Assessment in order to realize the integration of management systems. The main objective is to provide a tool for an integrated evaluation of all company performances, starting from the definition of some Key Performance Indicators—KPIs—proposed for a particular case study, even if their choice is not the core of the paper. The assessment team members on the basis of their knowledge, experience and useful literature, could choose the right KPIs for the specific application, able to take a picture of the current state and to suggest a possible recommended action of improving. The proposed Risk Assessment approach is an integration of modern management techniques: Integrated Management System and Improving Cycle DMAIC. Results: The new method, called the Global Performance Index for Integrated Management System—GPI-IMS, has been applied to a real case study in the logistic field in order to evaluate its goodness and possible generalization. Conclusions: The proposed method allows to define the requirements that any company must have to perform the best. The role of the assessment team is very important to evaluate the global performance of the company and to suggest the corrective actions to be adopted.

Gli studiosi della Sicilia tardomedievale hanno spesso sottovalutato il ruolo dell'isola nel finanziamento della politica estera della Corona d'Aragona, considerandolo marginale rispetto a quello delle componenti iberiche dell'unione catalano-aragonese. D'altro canto, le fonti documentarie superstiti attestano che, a cominciare dal regno di Alfonso V d¿Aragona (1416-58), detto il Magnanimo, il regno di Sicilia ebbe invece un ruolo di primo piano per lo svolgimento delle guerre italiane del sovrano iberico, come si evince chiaramente mediante lo studio della tesoreria isolana negli anni in cui fu retta dall¿esperto burocrate Nicola Speciale (1419-22) e della sua contabilità superstite. Quest'ultimo, infatti, fu in grado di accrescere in maniera esponenziale gli introiti della tesoreria allo scopo di finanziare le campagne militari alfonsine prima in Sardegna e Corsica e poi, soprattutto, a Napoli e nel Mezzogiorno. L'attività del tresorer Nicola Speciale, d'altro canto, non si sostanziò solamente con sovvenzionamenti economici e pagamenti diretti a nome del sovrano, ma anche per via della posizione strategica dell'isola, tramite il continuo invio di vettovaglie, armamenti e altre merci alle truppe di terra dislocate nel Mezzogiorno e agli equipaggi delle galee della flotta regia., L’elaborazione di questo saggio è stata possibile grazie ai contributi del programma Beatriu de Pinós (n. 2018 BP 00274), finanziato dalla Direcció General de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya e dall’Unione Europea mediante il programma COFUND (contratto n. 801370) delle Marie-Skłodowska-Curie actions, nel contesto di “Horizon 2020”, nonché del progetto di ricerca Movimiento y movilidad en el Mediterráneo medieval. Personas, términos y conceptos (MovMed), finanziato dal Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU) del governo spagnolo (PGC2018-094502B-I00). Questo articolo rientra nel quadro delle ricerche realizzate dal gruppo di ricerca La Corona catalanoaragonesa, l’Islam i el món mediterrani medieval (CAIMMed), riconosciuto dalla Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR 109) e rappresenta il primo contributo di una più ampia ricerca che lo scrivente sta svolgendo sulla prima guerra di Alfonso il Magnanimo per la conquista di Napoli

In the last twenty years, anthropologists, archivists, and historians have dedicated increased attention to the study of archives as objects of research themselves. In so doing, scholars have predominantly examined the emergence and transformations of archives during the early modern age, focusing mostly on political and diplomatic depositories. They have tended to neglect financial archives, which is unfortunate, as—alongside judicial archives—they were probably the largest documentary repositories of the pre-modern world and those that first faced the problem of managing huge masses of documentation. This article discusses the formation and development of the Kingdom of Sicily’s financial archives in the later Middle Ages, arguing that this repository evolved into a collecting archive by the early fifteenth-century, when it preserved not only the records and accounts produced by the central financial administration, but also those from a number of territorial officers and magistracies. This archival turn, I suggest, originated from the fact that the Crown of Aragon’s rulers constantly needed increased incomes to fund bureaucracies and warfare and exercise patronage, and thus needed financial information organized, at hand, and under their control. After briefly discussing the emergence of the financial archive in the thirteenth-century, this essay traces the Crown’s attempts to create a stable repository for storing financial records and accounts and its continuous struggles to prevent documentation from being scattered and dispersed. Finally, it examines the successful strategy that King Alfonso V of Aragon (1416–58), called the Magnanimous, pursued to organize financial documentation and concentrate records and accounts produced by financial administration into a stable building. The essay pays particular attention to the material aspects of preserving records, e.g., the restoration of buildings, construction of chests, and preparation of secure locks that were integral to the emergence of collecting archives for financial documents in the later Middle Ages., This work was supported by the Beatriu de Pinós programme (2018 BP 00274), funded by the Direcció General de Recerca de la Generalitat de Catalunya and by the European Union through the COFUND programme (contract no. 801370) for Marie-Skłodowska-Curie actions in the “Horizon 2020” programme, and and by the research project ‘Movement and mobility in the medieval Mediterranean. People, terms, and concepts (PGC2018-094502-B-I00), funded by the Spanish Ministry of the Science, Innovation and Universities (MICINN). Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.

In this paper the first example of using C-dots (CDs) as sensing nanomaterial for monitoring low concentrations of NO2 in ambient air is reported. In the logic to support a green circular economy, CDs were prepared from a natural low cost precursor consisting in olive solid waste (OSW) by a simple pyrolysis process combined with chemical oxidation. Characterization data showed the formation of spherical CDs with dimensions in the narrow size range from 0.5 to 5 nm and charged with functional groups (COO- (carboxylate), C-O-C (epoxide) and C-OH (hydroxyl) imprinting excellent water colloidal dispersion. The nanomaterial was used to fabricate and test a conductometric gas sensor (CDs-sensor) that was found to exhibit excellent performances in terms of high and selective response to sub-ppm concentration of NO2 at low temperature (150 °C), low limit of detection (LOD) of 50 ppb, good reproducibility and stability over use and aging. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example reported in the literature of CDs high performances gas sensing material. Results here presented pave the way for a new class of a carbon nanomaterial for gas sensing to be applied in the field of environmental monitoring.

The detection of cancer biomarkers at an early stage of tumor development is vital for effective diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Current diagnostic tools can often detect cancer only when the biomarker levels are already too high, so that the tumors have spread and treatments are less effective. It is urgent therefore to develop highly sensitive assays for the detection of such biomarkers at the lowest possible concentration. In this context, we developed a sandwich immunoassay based on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) for the ultrasensitive detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which is typically present in human serum as a biomarker indicative of early stages of hepatocellular carcinoma. In the immunoassay design, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) modified with a monoclonal antibody was used as a capture probe for AFP. A secondary antibody linked to an SERS-encoded nanoparticle was employed as the Raman signal reporter, that is, the transducer for AFP detection. The sandwich immunocomplex "capture probe/target/SERS tag" was deposited on a silicon wafer and decorated with silver-coated gold nanocubes to increase the density of "hot spots" on the surface of the immunosensor. The developed SERS immunosensor exhibits a wide linear detection range (1 pg mL(-1) to 10 ng mL(-1)) with a limit of detection as low as 0.03 pg mL(-1) toward AFP with good reproducibility (RSD < 6%) and stability. These parameters demonstrate that the proposed immunosensor has the potential to be used as an analytical platform for the detection of early-stage cancer biomarkers in clinical applications E.E. is grateful for a fellowship from the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). A.C. and A.S. thank MINECO for their research grant (Juan de la Cierva.Incorporacion/no. IJCI-2016-31113, Juan de la Cierva. Formacion/no. FJC2018-036777-I, respectively). We thank Dr. Judith Langer for support in the interpretation of SERS results. This work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreements 785219 and 881603 Graphene Flagship. L.M.L.-M. acknowledges funding from the European Research Council (ERC-AdG-2017#787510). M.P., as the recipient of the AXA Bionanotechnology Chair, is grateful to the AXA Research Fund for financial support. This work was performed under the Maria de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program from the Spanish State Research Agency.grant no. MDM-20170720

Objective Our aim is to test the Nahoum Index as a support in the cephalometric study of vertical dimension and therapeutic orientation in adult patients suffering from Class II malocclusion, deep bite, or short face syndrome. Methods Twenty-three patients with molar Class II and an overbite >4 mm were stratified into two groups: orthodontic (G2) and surgical orthodontic (G1). The ANB angle and Nahoum Index were calculated for cephalometric tracing pre- and post-treatment. The difference between the ANB and Nahoum Index values were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results In G1, the Nahoum Index decreased from 0.954 to 0.797, and the ANB angle decreased from 5.2° to 3.2°. In G2, the Nahoum Index decreased from 0.825 to 0.817, and the ANB angle decreased from 4.4° to 4°. Conclusion In G1, the difference between before and after treatment was significant for the Nahoum Index only. The difference between before and after values was not significant in the G2 group. It is possible to indicate the Nahoum Index of 0.934 as the limit value in case of which a patient may be treated with orthodontics only. This limit is the opposite of the limit proposed by Nahoum for vertical excess cases and respect the same interval. Therefore, we can consider the range 0.81-0.934 to indicate borderline patients, and >0.934 to indicate surgical patients. If the ratio is close to the normal value as 0.81, the treatment will be orthodontic; if it is further increased, the treatment will be surgical.

Gene expression analysis is a broadly used and powerful technique in many fields of biological research. The expression pattern of specific marker genes provides an insight into complex regulatory networks and leads to the identification of relevant genes associated to specific biological processes, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Among the existing gene expression analysis toolbox, reverse transcriptase coupled to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is considered the gold standard for accurate, sensitive, fast, and relatively inexpensive measurement. However, for a correct identification of differentially expressed genes, appropriate controls are required in order to minimize nonspecific variations associated with intrinsic technical variability. In this chapter, we recommend a number of tips to use qRT-PCR analysis in mycorrhizal roots and fungal mycelium.

This article argues that the late-medieval Catalan-Aragonese kings and their viceroys relied on record-keeping as a practical means of government, in essence for controlling the Kingdom of Sicily f...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to build a theoretic and practical framework, based on agile project management, to support the decision-making process in order to help companies in optimizing the reengineering production processes and improve management costs.Design/methodology/approachThis paper seeks to propose an agile Reengineering Performance Model (ARPM) for managing projects of reengineering of processes and applies it in a real case study concerning a water bottling plant.FindingsThe proposed model should serve as a valuable tool to facilitate a successful business process reengineering design in the project management and intends to assist companies as they operate projects of transferring and optimizing production lines. Thanks to the use of ARPM tools, it is easy to modify the evolution of the project, with the possibility of extending or enhancing the application if necessary.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limits of the ARPM model are: it requires close collaboration among team; it is rather intense for developers; and it is necessary flexibility to change course as needed and to ensure delivery of the right product.Practical implicationsThe main implications of the authors’ work for research and business are to propose a structured methodological approach, rigorous but simple, suitable to implement in any companies.Originality/valueThe novelty of the approach is to apply the agile approach not for software development but in a manufacturing company.

In recent years, the most common need for companies consists in an increasingly efficient business process management and its continuous improvement. Companies are achieving this goal by implementing innovative approaches targeted on the individual project requirements. In this scenario, the present research aims to investigate, through a real pilot project, the benefits of implementing the agile project management (APM) framework based on a multi tools approach in order to re-engineering a business process (BPR). A real case study concerning a manufacturing plant is analyzed, in order to assess and highlight the effectiveness of the proposed model.

Density functional theory (DFT) with semiempirical dispersion corrections (DFT-D2) has been used to calculate the binding energy of a CO2 molecule on the calcite {10.4} surface for different positions and orientations. This generated potential energy landscape was then used to parametrize a classical force field. From this, we used metadynamics (MTD) to derive free energy profiles at 300 and 350 K for CO2 binding to calcite, CO2 binding with Ca2+, and pairing of two CO2 molecules, all for aqueous conditions. We subsequently performed classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of CO2 and water on the {10.4} surface at pressures and temperatures relevant for CO2 geological storage. Density profiles show characteristic structured water layering at the calcite surface and two distinct phases of water and CO2. We have also calculated the densities of the CO2-rich and water-rich phases and thereby determined the mutual solubilities. For all the pressures and temperatures in the studied range, CO2 was unable ...

SUMMARY We attempted to transfect six recently characterized virus species to protoplasts of Penicillium janczewskii and Chryphonectria parasitica. None of the recovered P. janczewskii colonies was positive for the transfected viruses, but Penicillium aurantiogriseum partiti-like virus 1 (PaPLV1) was detected in three distinct regenerated C. parasitica colonies. We screened the phenotype of the infected strains in up to 45 different conditions combining different media, salinity and temperatures: our results show that the infected strains grow slower than the virus- free in most of the tested conditions with the exception of halophilic stress in a specific nutrient combination media. We proceeded to characterize molecularly the population of distinct isolates of PaPLV1 infected C. parasitica through RNAseq: comparison to the viral population present in the original host -P. auratiogriseum- showed that two isolates accumulated non-synonymous mutations suggesting adaptation to the new host. RNAseq analyses identified a second genomic RNA segment and northern blot of RNA extracted from purified virus suspensions allowed establishing that PaPLV1 is at least bipartite in nature and that it forms isometric virions of circa 36-38 nm in diameter. In light of these new acquisitions, we discuss the taxonomic placement of PaPLV1 inside the Partitiviridae. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Safety is one of the most important issues in modern industrial plants and industrial activities. The Safety Engineering role is to ensure acceptable safety levels of production systems, not only t...

Ferrol, N.; Lanfranco, L. (Eds.) 2020 Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. Methods and Protocols. Vol 2146. pp. 257. ISBN 978 1 0716-0602-5, Gene expression analysis is a broadly used and powerful technique in many fields of biological research. The expression pattern of specific marker genes provides an insight into complex regulatory networks and leads to the identification of relevant genes associated to specific biological processes, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Among the existing gene expression analysis toolbox, reverse transcriptase coupled to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is considered the gold standard for accurate, sensitive, fast, and relatively inexpensive measurement. However, for a correct identification of differentially expressed genes, appropriate controls are required in order to minimize nonspecific variations associated with intrinsic technical variability. In this chapter, we recommend a number of tips to use qRT-PCR analysis in mycorrhizal roots and fungal mycelium.

This study focuses on the accounting and auditing system of the Kingdom of Sicily during the reign of Alfonso V of Aragon (1416–58), known as the Magnanimous. In particular, it discusses the operation of and the relationships between the two offices entrusted with the management of the kingdom’s accounts: the century-old magna curia rationum and the new office of the conservator maior regii patrimonii (established in 1414), modelled on the Castilian contaduría mayor de hacienda. This essay adopts the approach associated with the ‘archival turn’, to show that studying the accounting and bookkeeping practices, as well as their developments and innovations, is crucial to understand the operation of the Sicilian auditing system and its function in the broader political system of the Crown of Aragon. As a result of the perpetual state of conflict generated by the political agenda of Alfonso the Magnanimous in Italy and of his increasing war-funding demands, the Aragonese strategically exploited the new accounting and bookkeeping practice of the conservator to increase royal influence over the local financial apparatus. Relying on the exceptional amount of original accounting and financial records preserved at the State Archives of Palermo, this study is the first detailed examination of the auditing system and accounting practice of late-medieval Sicily. At the same time, the analysis shows that the operation and the transformations of the accounting system of a polity such as Sicily is fully intelligible only if examined in connection with the broader government of the political union of which that polity was a constituent member., The conceptual development, preparation and following improvement of this article were possible thanks to the fellowships granted by Villa I Tatti | The Harvard University Research Center for Italian Renaissance Studies and The Warburg Institute, School of Advanced Study, University of London.

In late medieval Sicily, the 'conservator' and the 'magistri rationales' conducted two separate but intertwined reviews of the accounts annually produced by the various monetary officers operating in the fragmented financial administration of the island. Whereas the control exercised by the 'magna curia rationum' followed the traditional procedure based on the audit of the accounts at the end of the administrative year, the conservator introduced an innovative revision practice that continued into the modern era. Through thorough inspection of the financial records, the 'conservatoria'’s staff were able to verify if the actual revenues and expenditures of the various officers in charge of collecting and delivering moneys and goods on behalf of the Crown were consistent with the budget that had been produced at the beginning of the year. The monitoring activity of the 'conservator' was possible thanks to the development since 1414 of an ingenious information management technology that combined bookkeeping and record-keeping methods. The material result of this intellectual development was the creation of a system through which the 'conservatoria'’s staff could organise an unprecedented amount of information, including any privilege, letter, decree, or any other documentation concerning the royal patrimony of the kingdom of Sicily into a book system of series and subseries dedicated to various specific financial matters. Among the various book series of the 'conservator', the so-called books of the accounts stand out as its most significant tools of administrative and financial knowledge. In essence, these books allowed the 'conservatoria'’s staff to produce annual accounts parallel to those officially prepared by the treasurer and the other principal financial officers of the realm. This system of information management gave the authorities – the Aragonese monarchs and the Sicilian viceroys on their behalf – the unique opportunity to collect detailed knowledge of the financial condition of the kingdom, even before the 'magistri rationales' conducted their formal auditing after the conclusion of the administrative year. In a composite polity such as the late medieval Crown of Aragon, whose territories were scattered across the Western Mediterranean, the many series of books of the 'conservator' thus resulted in a formidable governmental tool through which the monarchs could exercise their authority from afar on one of their dominions: the kingdom of Sicily. This vast financial and bureaucratic knowledge proved crucial for allocating the revenues and expenditures of the island according to the monarchs’ needs, in essence for supporting the expensive campaign for the conquest of Naples and the later Aragonese wars in Italy and in the Mediterranean basin.

Assessment of the risks and environmental impacts of carbon geosequestration requires knowledge about the wetting behavior of mineral surfaces in the presence of CO2 and the pore fluids. In this context, the interfacial tension (IFT) between CO2 and the aqueous fluid and the contact angle, theta, with the pore mineral surfaces are the two key parameters that control the capillary pressure in the pores of the candidate host rock. Knowledge of these two parameters and their dependence on the local conditions of pressure, temperature and salinity is essential for the correct prediction of structural and residual trapping. We have performed classical molecular dynamics simulations to predict the CO2–water IFT and the CO2–water–calcite contact angle. The IFT results are consistent with previous simulations, where simple point charge water models have been shown to underestimate the water surface tension, thus affecting the simulated IFT values. When combined with the EPM2 CO2 model, the SPC/Fw water model indeed underestimates the IFT in the low pressure region at all temperatures studied. On the other hand, at high pressure and low temperature, the IFT is overestimated by ~5 mN/m. Literature data regarding the water contact angle on calcite are contradictory. Using our new set of force field parameters, we performed NVT simulations at 323 K and 20 MPa to calculate the contact angle of a water droplet on the calcite {10.4} surface in a CO2 atmosphere. We performed simulations for both spherical and cylindrical droplet configurations for different initial radii, to study the size dependence of the water contact angle on calcite in the presence of CO2. Our results suggest that the contact angle of a cylindrical water droplet on calcite {10.4}, in the presence of CO2, is independent of droplet size, for droplets with a radius of 50 Å or more. On the contrary, spherical droplets make a contact angle that is strongly influenced by their size. At the largest size explored in this study, both spherical and cylindrical droplets converge to the same contact angle, 38 degrees, indicating that calcite is strongly wetted by water.

This paper analyses both the attributes of carsharing transport modes (station-based and free-floating) and their relationship with other transport modes. Users' and stakeholders’ perspectives are synthesized from in-depth interviews in Spain. The elicitation of the comparative advantages of the two carsharing modes with respect to public transport and private vehicles helps identifying factors such as availability of parking, road pricing and convenience that drive the complementary and substitution property of carsharing with other transport modes. Interviews show the limited complementarity of carsharing with public transport, as well as the limited substitutability with private vehicles. Potential policy instruments to make carsharing coexist with public transport are discussed. The authors acknowledge support from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovations programme under grant agreement N?727524, Project: ?Enabling the Energy Union through understanding the drivers of individual and collective energy choices, in Europe?. This research is also supported by the Spanish State Research Agency through Mar?a de Maeztu Excellence Unit accreditation 2018?2022 (Ref. MDM-2017-0714); and by the Basque Government through the BERC 2018?2021 program. Alberto Ansuategi gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant RTI2018-093352-B-100) and the UPV/EHU (grant GIC18/29). Ibon Galarraga also wishes to acknowledge the financial support from the Government of Spain and the European Regional Development Fund through grant RTI2018-093692-B-I00.

Knowledge about the interaction between fluids and solids and the interfacial tension (IFT) that results is important for predicting behavior and properties in industrial systems and in nature, such as in rock formations before, during, and after CO2 injection for long-term storage. Many authors have studied the effect of the environmental variables on the IFT in the CO2–H2O system. However, experimental measurements above CO2 supercritical conditions are scarce and sometimes contradictory. Molecular modeling is a valuable tool for complementing experimental IFT determination, and it can help us interpret results and gain insight under conditions where experiments are difficult or impossible. Here, we report predictions for CO2–water interfacial tension performed using density functional theory (DFT) combined with the COSMO-RS implicit solvent model. We predicted the IFT dependence as a function of pressure (0–50 MPa), temperature (273–383 K), and salinity (0–5 M NaCl). The results agree well with literat...

In the biomedical applications of nanoparticles (NPs), the proper choice of surface chemistry is a crucial aspect in their design. The nature of the coating can heavily impact the interaction of NPs with biomolecules, affect the state of aggregation, and ultimately determine their biological fate. As such, protein corona formation and the aggregation behaviour of gold NPs (Au NPs) are studied here. Au NPs are prepared with four distinct surface functionalisations, namely mercaptosuccinic acid (MSA), N-4-thiobutyroil glucosamine, HS-PEG(5000) and HS-alkyl-PEG(600). Corona formation, aggregation, and the intracellular behaviour of the Au NPs are then investigated by means of Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) in cell culture media and in live cells. To evaluate the state of aggregation and the formation of a protein corona, the Au NPs are incubated in cell media and the diffusion coefficient is determined via FCS. The in vitro behaviour is compared with the level of aggregation of the NPs in cells. Diffusion times of the NPs are estimated at different positions in the cell after a one hour incubation period. It is found that the majority of MSA and glucose-Au NPs are present inside the cell as slowly diffusing species with diffusion times (tau(D)) greater than 6000 mu s (hydrodynamic diameter > 250 nm). PEGylated Au NPs adsorb a small amount of protein and manifest low agglomeration both in media and in living cells. In particular, the HS-alkyl-PEG(600) coating shows an excellent correlation between lower protein adsorption, 4-fold lower compared to the MSA coated NPs, and limited intracellular aggregation. In the case of single HS-alkylPEG(600) coated NPs, it is found that typical intracellular tD values range from 500 to 1500 mu s, indicating that these particles display reduced aggregation in the intracellular environment.

The development of new molecules able to efficiently act as long-circulating computed tomography (CT) contrast agents is one of the most crucial topics in the biomedical field. In the last years, the chance to manipulate materials at the nano-size level gave new boost to this research, with the specific aim to design innovative nanoprobes. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have showed unique X-rays attenuation properties which, combined with their easy surface functionalization, makes them ideal candidates for the next generation of contrast agents. In this paper, we present a rational and facile approach to synthesize engineered and water-stable AuNPs, achieving concentrated colloidal solution with high Hounsfield Units (HU). An accurate control of reagents ratio allowed us to design AuNPs with different shapes, from symmetrical to anisotropic morphology, in a convenient ‘one-pot’ fashion. Their activity as efficient and reliable CT contrast agents has been evaluated and compared. Moreover, glucosamine-functionalized gold nanoparticles have been developed ([Au] = 31.20 mg/mL; HU = 2453), in order to obtain a CT contrast agent able to combine spatial resolution with metabolic information. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hetero-nanoparticles represent an important family of composite nanomaterials that in the past years are attracting ever-growing interest. Here, we report a new strategy for the synthesis of water dispersible cobalt ferrite nano particles (CoxFe3-xO4 NPs) decorated with ultrasmall (2-3 nm). gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). The synthetic procedure is based on the use of 2,3-meso-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), which plays a double role. First, it transfers cobalt ferrite NPs from the organic phase to aqueous media. Second, the DMSA reductive power promotes the in situ nucleation of gold NPs in proximity of the magnetic NP surface. Following this procedure, we achieved a water dispersible nanosystem (CoxFe3-xO4-DMSA-Au NPs) which combines the cobalt ferrite magnetic properties with the catalytic features of ultrasmall Au NPs. We showed that CoxFe3-xO4-DMSA-Au NPs act as an efficient nanocatalyst to reduce 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol and that they can be magnetically recovered and recycled. It is noteworthy that such nanosystem is more catalytically active than Au NPs with equal size. Finally, a complete structural and chemical characterization of the hetero-NPs is provided.

From the late medieval period the Crown of Aragon was at the forefront of archival innovation. Culminating in the establishment of the Royal Archive of Barcelona in 1318, this development was not, as is traditionally stated, a mere imitation of external models but the result of an innovative historical process that had its roots in local history and reflected the structure of the Aragonese monarchy. As a result of the later enlargement and decentralization of the Crown, and especially after the advent of the House of Trastámara in 1414, the Aragonese developed an extensive system for record-keeping across the Mediterranean. By focusing on what I describe as a complex archival network, this article analyses a series of administrative developments, which are generally studied in isolation, as interrelated responses to similar needs across disparate and far-flung territories. The results differed within the Iberian dominions (Aragon, Majorca and Valencia) and in the Italian kingdoms of Sicily and Naples, with Sardinia somewhere in between. For all these differences, however, the establishment of a number of financial archives shows that this network had an especially crucial role in defending the royal patrimony in all the territories under the rule of the Crown of Aragon. The authorities also tried to use archives as tools for exercising pressure upon local political elites, as demonstrated, for instance, by the systematic inquiry into feudal possessions and pecuniary rights instigated by King Ferdinand II in early sixteenth-century Sicily. The outcome, however, was totally unexpected.

In 1412 Sicily lost its independence and became part of the Crown of Aragon. To rule the island, the new monarchs developed a system of long-distance government, through the action of local viceroys. But how did this system work in practice? This article engages with the lively historiographical debate about late medieval Sicily and more generally the Aragonese conglomerate by examining the series of libri quictacionum (‘books of quittances’) produced by the financial office, the Conservatoria regii patrimonii. It shows that the management of information – by means of a new genre of documents, an innovative record-keeping system and an apparatus of marginal annotations – became crucial in establishing effective government at a distance and in strengthening royal control over Sicilian institutions and officers. Moreover, these books and the documents they encompass highlight the social dynamics of the island and the emergence of an urban class: the Aragonese promoted the inclusion of the principal ...

Assessment of the risks and environmental impacts of carbon geosequestration requires knowledge about the wetting behavior of mineral surfaces in the presence of CO2 and the pore fluids. In this context, the interfacial tension (IFT) between CO2 and the aqueous fluid and the contact angle, θ, with the pore mineral surfaces are the two key parameters that control the capillary pressure in the pores of the candidate host rock. Knowledge of these two parameters and their dependence on the local conditions of pressure, temperature, and salinity is essential for the correct prediction of structural and residual trapping. We have performed classical molecular dynamics simulations to predict the CO2-water IFT and the CO2-water-calcite contact angle. The IFT results are consistent with previous simulations, where simple point charge water models have been shown to underestimate the water surface tension, thus affecting the simulated IFT values. When combined with the EPM2 CO2 model, the SPC/Fw water model indeed underestimates the IFT in the low-pressure region at all temperatures studied. On the other hand, at high pressure and low temperature, the IFT is overestimated by ∼5 mN/m. Literature data regarding the CO2/water/calcite contact angle on calcite are contradictory. Using our new set of force field parameters, we performed NVT simulations at 323 K and 20 MPa to calculate the contact angle of a water droplet on the calcite {10.4} surface in a CO2 atmosphere. We performed simulations for both spherical and cylindrical droplet configurations for different initial radii to study the size dependence of the water contact angle on calcite in the presence of CO2. Our results suggest that the contact angle of a cylindrical droplet, is independent of droplet size, for droplets with a radius of 50 Å or more. On the contrary, spherical droplets make a contact angle that is strongly influenced by their size. At the largest size explored in this study, both spherical and cylindrical droplets converge to the same contact angle, 38°, indicating that calcite is strongly wetted by water.

Over the course of the fifteenth century, the Kingdom of Sicily faced significant institutional and administrative changes, originating from the need, on the part of the Aragonese sovereigns, to rule the island from afar. These developments resulted not only in the establishment of a new financial office (the conservator regii patrimonii), but also in innovations in the methods used for producing and recording documents, which in turn are reflected in the structures of the archival bindings and other material features that survive to this day. Through the analysis of material elements from the mise en page of the documents to their temporary filing systems and binding structures, this article focuses on the relationship between text and paratext in late-medieval Sicily, and casts light upon the carefully-crafted material forms of the document throughout its lifespan. In short, the Sicilian case study demonstrates how apparently mere material aspects played a crucial role for the government of a trans-Mediterranean monarchy such as the Crown of Aragon, as they allowed its kings – and their bureaucratic staff – to classify, organize, and use a growing amount of information in a way that fulfilled their administrative needs..

In this study we investigated fluid displacement water with supercritical (sc) CO2 in chalk under conditions close to those used for geologic CO2 sequestration (GCS), to answer two main questions: How much volume is available for scCO2 injection? And what is the main mechanism of displacement over a range of temperatures? Characterization of immiscible scCO2 displacement, at the pore scale in the complex microstructure in chalk reservoirs, offers a pathway to better understand the macroscopic processes at the continuum scale. Fluid behavior was simulated by solving the Navier-Stokes equations, using finite-volume methods within a pore network. The pore network was extracted from a high resolution 3D image of chalk, obtained using X-ray nanotomography. Viscous fingering dominates scCO2 infiltration and pores remain only partially saturated. The unstable front, developed with high capillary number, causes filling of pores aligned with the flow direction, reaching a maximum of 70% scCO2 saturation. The saturation rate increases with temperature but the final saturation state is the same for all investigated temperatures. The higher the saturation rate, the higher the dynamic capillary pressure coefficient. A higher dynamic capillary pressure coefficient indicates that scCO2 needs more time to reach capillary equilibrium in the porous medium.

Purpose Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely used for 3-dimensional assessments of cranio-maxillofacial relationships, especially in patients undergoing orthognathic surgery. We have introduced, for reference in CBCT cephalometry, an anatomical mid-sagittal plane (MSP) identified by the nasion, the midpoint between the posterior clinoid processes of the sella turcica, and the basion. The MSP is an updated version of the median plane previously used at our institution for 2D posterior-anterior cephalometry. This study was conducted to test the accuracy of the CBCT measures compared to those obtained using standard posterior-anterior cephalometry. Materials and methods Two operators measured the inter-zygomatic distance on 15 CBCT scans using the MSP as a reference plane, and the CBCT measurements were compared with measurements made on patients' posterior-anterior cephalograms. The statistical analysis evaluated the absolute and percentage differences between the 3D and 2D measurements. Results As demonstrated by the absolute mean difference (roughly 1 mm) and the percentage difference (less than 3%), the MSP showed good accuracy on CBCT compared to the 2D plane, especially for measurements of the left side. However, the CBCT measurements showed a high standard deviation, indicating major variability and low precision. Conclusion The anatomical MSP can be used as a reliable reference plane for transverse measurements in 3D cephalometry in cases of symmetrical or asymmetrical malocclusion. In patients who suffer from distortions of the skull base, the identification of landmarks might be difficult and the MSP could be unreliable. Becoming familiar with the relevant software could reduce errors and improve reliability.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) are key components of the plant microbiota. AMF genetic complexity is increased by the presence of endobacteria, which live inside many species. A further component of such complexity is the virome associated to AMF, whose knowledge is still very limited. Here, by exploiting transcriptomic data we describe the virome of Gigaspora margarita. A BLAST search for viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases sequences allowed the identification of four mitoviruses, one Ourmia-like narnavirus, one Giardia-like virus, and two sequences related to Fusarium graminearum mycoviruses. Northern blot and RT-PCR confirmed the authenticity of all the sequences with the exception of the F. graminearum-related ones. All the mitoviruses are replicative and functional since both positive strand and negative strand RNA are present. The abundance of the viral RNA molecules is not regulated by the presence or absence of Candidatus Glomeribacter gigasporarum, the endobacterium hosted by G. margarita, with the exception of the Ourmia-like sequence which is absent in bacteria-cured spores. In addition, we report, for the first time, DNA fragments corresponding to mitovirus sequences associated to the presence of viral RNA. These sequences are not integrated in the mitochondrial DNA and preliminary evidence seems to exclude integration in the nuclear genome.

A preparative protocol to synthesize large quantities of size-controlled gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), stabilized by CH 3 O-PEG 5000 -SH (PEG-SH) in aqueous medium, is reported. The combination of metal vapor synthesis (MVS) technique with digestive ripening process allowed to obtain PEGylated Au NPs with mean core particle size of 3.8 nm and hydrodynamic diameters centered at 8.0 nm which were effectively used as computed tomography (CT) contrast agents for in vivo experiments on mice. The surface functionalization together with the small hydrodynamic diameters of the engineered Au nanoparticles permitted their efficient renal clearance, still retaining a prolonged blood circulation and a stealth capability.

Purpose Facial asymmetries due to unilateral condylar hyperactivity are often a challenge both for maxillo-facial surgeons and for orthodontists; the current literature shows different opinions about aetiology, classification, treatment approach and timing. We made a retrospective study on patients suffering from unilateral condylar hyperactivity between 1997 and 2015 in our Department; clinical features and treatment options were grouped and compared with literature. Methods The descriptive analysis investigated variables like sex, age, side and direction of the asymmetry, condylar activity and type of intervention. Results The population was composed of 128 patients. The hemimandibular hyperactivity occurs equally in both sexes around the second decade, although the range of the first consultation goes from 7 to 49 y.o. The vertical hyperdevelopment group is almost equal to the horizontal. All the patients with horizontal hyperactivity showed negative scintigraphy and were treated with pre-surgical orthodontics and orthognathic surgery; patients with vertical hyperactivity and positive scintigraphy were treated with condylectomy and post-surgical orthodontics. Conclusion In our group of patients, direction of the hyperactivity and results of the scintigraphy lead to treatment choice and timing. Further studies are necessary to explain why, in our group, all the patients with horizontal involvement are negative to scintigraphy.

RAMS is an acronym for Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Safety. These four properties concern the application of important methodologies for designing and managing complex technical systems. The present chapter analyses several reliability allocation techniques present in literature. Starting from well-known methodologies, two reliability allocation methods has been proposed and validated: Integrated Factors Method (I.F.M.) and Critical Flow Method (C.F.M.). We focus on the most important conventional methods to discuss their limitations to motivate the current research.