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We analyzed the structure of human long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) genes to investigate whether the non-coding transcriptome is organized in modular domains, as is the case for protein-coding genes. To this aim, we compared all known human lncRNA exons and identified 340 pairs of exons with high sequence and/or secondary structure similarity but embedded in a dissimilar sequence context. We grouped these pairs in 106 clusters based on their reciprocal similarities. These shared modules are highly conserved between humans and the four great ape species, display evidence of purifying selection and likely arose as a result of recent segmental duplications. Our analysis contributes to the understanding of the mechanisms driving the evolution of the non-coding genome and suggests additional strategies towards deciphering the functional complexity of this class of molecules.

Hydrogen (H2) is meeting with increasing interest as possible alternative to fossil fuels for energy production. It can be produced both thermochemically and biologically from a number of organic substrates. H2 is usually employed in fuel cells, a technology aimed at producing electricity, characterized by low environmental impact and high efficiency. Similarly, dark fermentation (DF) of organic waste is gaining popularity because of its environmental compatibility and relatively high efficiency in the production of biogas (a mixture of CH4, CO2 and H2 in variable proportions). In this perspective, the organic fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) is an interesting substrate for biohydrogen (BioH2) production because of its large supply and its chemical composition able to sustain a vigorous growth of H2 producing microorganisms. In this work, the effect of inoculum to substrate ratio (ISR) (0.01, 0.07 and 0.14, dry weight basis) on mesophilic DF of OFMSW for BioH2 production was evaluated. Primary sewage sludge heated at 95 °C for 30 min was used as inoculum. Both the liquid and the gas phase produced during the DF were analysed, together with the microbial biomass growth, the amount of reducing sugars, the pH, and the biogas volume and composition. Our results show the possibility of using OFMSW as substrate in mesophilic DF process for BioH2 production. In particular, the best performance in terms of BioH2 production was obtained with ISR of 0.07.

Municipal solid wastes (MSW) were used as feedstock to produce biogas by anaerobic digestion. Experiments were carried out in batch stirred reactors using different amounts of inoculum under mesophilic conditions (37 °C). The effect of the inoculum amount on the biogas cumulative volume and composition was investigated. The profiles of pH, volatile acids were also taken into account to explain the effect of the inoculum amount, to find the optimal conditions for the reactor. Higher amounts of inoculum resulted in higher concentrations of VFA, causing a reduction of the biogas yield. The maximum specific biogas production was obtained using the minimum amount of inoculums. The experimental results gave indications about the measures to be adopted to optimize the anaerobic digestion of the MSW.

A discontinuous fermenter was used to grow the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkeyi in the presence of hydrolysates of lignocellulosic wastes from Arundo donax. The lignocellulosic materials were first steam- exploded and subsequently treated with commercial preparations of cellulases and ß-glucosidases, to obtain a mixture of fermentable sugar. A physico-mathematical model was developed to find the optimal condition of production. Specific attention was devoted to the effect of temperature on the growth of L. Starkeyi and on the intracellular accumulation of lipids. The composition of the biodiesel produced was compatible with a satisfactory performance as automotive fuel, in terms of both the resistance to oxidation and the cold performance.

Hydrogen may be considered as an alternative source of energy since it can be produced from several thermochemical and biological processes. The hydrogen obtained can be feed to fuel cells, which are the most promising devices to produce electric energy with high efficiency and very low environmental impact. The present work studies the biological H2 production by dark fermentation of Arundo donax (AD) inoculated with sewage sludge in mesophilic condition (38°C). The substrates used are AD without pretreatment (AD),and AD treated from steam explosion (AD exp) both supplemented with a nutrient medium. A synthetic medium was used as reference model. Fermentation process produce products. The liquid phase contains mainly acetic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid and ethanol that. The biogas phase contains mainly of hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Liquid and gaseous phases are analyzed by GC technique. The fermentation process is monitored reducing sugars and microbial biomass by spectophotometric analysis. Best results are obtained with AD sample as substrate that gives yield to hydrogen up to 1.34 mol H2/mol glucose fed. Biogas produced has H2 concentration up to 74% by volume being CH4 present in traces amount. It can be potentially feed directly to a PEMFC (Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell), since it does not contain CO.

Lignocellulosic wastes from Arundo donax (AR) and Sorghum bicolor (SB) were used as a source of fermentable sugars for culturing the oleaginous yeasts Lipomyces starkey. In order to minimize the generation of inhibitors of the microbial growth, that is a serious bottleneck still limiting the industrial production of microbial oils, the lignocellulosic materials were first steam-exploded and subsequently treated with commercial preparations of cellulases and ß-glucosidases. This treatment made possible the growth of yeasts in the presence of raw hydrolysates, thus improving the production of microbial oils from oleaginous yeasts, potentially allowing a sustainable production of II- generation biodiesel. The conditions of the hydrolysis of the AD and SB, as well as the conditions of the fermentation of the hydrolysates, were optimized in order to maximize both the microbial biomass yield and the lipid fraction of the biomass. The composition of the triglycerides obtained adopting such conditions were compatible with the production of a good-quality automotive biodiesel.

Arundo donax hydrolysate (ADH), obtained by steam explosion and enzymatic treatment, was exploited as a substrate for anaerobic digestion aimed to the production of hydrogen. Mixed cultures of hydrogen-forming anaerobic bacteria selected from a primary sludge digester were used as inocula. Methanogens were removed from the wild consortium by the use of thermal treatments (autoclaving, freezing and thawing). Either with glucose or ADH as carbon sources, the soluble anaerobic fermentation products were butyric acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, formic acid and ethanol. The collected biogas consisted mainly of hydrogen (86-97%) and carbon dioxide. Hydrogen yield with ADH was lower than that found with glucose fermentation with the same inoculum. Outgrowth of lactic acid bacteria during ADH fermentation was presumably the cause of the low observed yield. Further optimization of ADH pre-treatment and stabilisation of microbial consortium are necessary in order to improve hydrogen yield on ADH.

Hydrolysates of lignocellulosic materials from Arundo donax (Giant reed, GR) and Sorghum vulgaris (SV) were used as a source of fermentable sugars, employed for culturing the oleaginous yeasts Lipomyces starkey. A significant fraction of the L. starkey biomass was made of triglycerides, potentially exploitable for the synthesis of biodiesel. The conditions of the hydrolysis of the AD and SV, as well the conditions of the fermentation of the hydrolysates, were optimized in order to maximize both the microbial biomass yield and the lipid fraction of the biomass. In order to reduce the effect of the microbial growth inhibitors produced in the course of the lignocellulose hydrolysis, L. starkeyi were adapted to fermentation media containing progressively higher concentrations of hydrolysates. The fatty acids distribution of the microbial lipids obtained was compatible with the production of a biodiesel offering excellent performances as automotive fuel.

Arundo donax (giant reed) hydrolysate was exploited as a substrate for anaerobic digestion aimed to the production of biogas and biohydrogen. A mixed culture adapted from a primary sludge digester was used as inoculum. Besides the biogas, the anaerobic fermentation products were ethanol, acetic acid and butyric acid. Together, the soluble products accounted for about 51 % of degraded carbon. The produced biogas was 5 % H2, 41 % CO2 and 54 % CH4 by volume. Fermentation kinetics was slower and biogas yields were lower than those found with glucose fermentation with same mixed culture. Further optimization of the process is envisaged in order to improve biohydrogen yield.

Recent research provides insight into the ability of miRNA to regulate various pathways in several cancer types. Despite their involvement in the regulation of the mRNA via targeting the 3′UTR, there are relatively few studies examining the changes in these regulatory mechanisms specific to single cancer types or shared between different cancer types.We analyzed samples where both miRNA and mRNA expression had been measured and performed a thorough correlation analysis on 7494 experimentally validated human miRNA-mRNA target-gene pairs in both healthy and tumoral samples.We show how more than 90% of these miRNA-mRNA interactions show a loss of regulation in the tumoral samples compared with their healthy counterparts.As expected, we found shared miRNA-mRNA dysregulated pairs among different tumors of the same tissue. However, anatomically different cancers also share multiple dysregulated interactions, suggesting that some cancer-related mechanisms are not tumor-specific. 2865 unique miRNA-mRNA pairs were identified across 13 cancer types, ≈ 40% of these pairs showed a loss of correlation in the tumoral samples in at least 2 out of the 13 analyzed cancers. Specifically, miR-200 family, miR-155 and miR-1 were identified, based on the computational analysis described below, as the miRNAs that potentially lose the highest number of interactions across different samples (only literature-based interactions were used for this analysis).Moreover, the miR-34a/ALDH2 and miR-9/MTHFD2 pairs show a switch in their correlation between healthy and tumor kidney samples suggesting a possible change in the regulation exerted by the miRNAs. Interestingly, the expression of these mRNAs is also associated with the overall survival. The disruption of miRNA regulation on its target, therefore, suggests the possible involvement of these pairs in cell malignant functions.The analysis reported here shows how the regulation of miRNA-mRNA interactions strongly differs between healthy and tumoral cells, based on the strong correlation variation between miRNA and its target that we obtained by analyzing the expression data of healthy and tumor tissue in highly reliable miRNA-target pairs. Finally, a go term enrichment analysis shows that the critical pairs identified are involved in cellular adhesion, proliferation, and migration.

The variability in responses of acoustic instruments can be attributed to a combination of fluctuations in critical parameters of wood, such as density, stiffness, and strength, and design features such as body shapes or bracing geometries. Recent studies have successfully implemented the sine sweep method with small exciters to measure the acoustic response of guitars, yielding frequency responses with high coherence over a bandwidth reaching up to 8 kHz. This paper proposes validating a cost-effective measurement system which integrates electro-dynamic transducers and wide-band test signals (sine sweep and noise) against the traditional impact hammer method in the case of unbraced plates. Data from four actuators of different size and power will be presented together with a simple strategy to assess reliable and neutral excitation points, thanks to two complementary models which describe the interaction between exciter and plate. The paper will then showcase the applications of this measurement system in two scenarios. The first case study will focus on a cost-effective method for selecting acoustic wood, while the second will explore experimental real-time spectral analysis using pink noise. These case studies demonstrate the measurement system’s adaptability and immediacy, providing valuable insights for enhancing the design and performance of acoustic instruments.

The transition from Building Information Modelling (BIM) to Heritage Building Information Modelling (H-BIM) is intended to pursue an adequate knowledge of the artefact that is to be preserved, progressively replacing the traditional methods of restoration and structural reinforcement projects with new tools for the management of both existing information and new interventions. The aim of the paper is to show the application of the H-BIM method to a stone pavement road located in the Archaeological Site of Pompeii. In detail, starting from a laser scanner-based survey, juxtaposed with coordinated points georeferenced through a total station, point clouds were handled by means of several BIM-based tools to perform the road design process, starting from the digital elevation model (DEM) and proceeding to the corridor representation. Subsequently, a visual programming application based on Python language was adopted to update the corridor information by means of the object property set. As preliminary results, a tool, complete with graphical and non-graphical information, is proposed to be used in conservation, maintenance and restoration projects.

This study aimed to investigate the mechanical behavior of resin composites and hybrid glass ionomer cement in class I adhesive dental restorations under loading and shrinkage conditions. Three CAD models of a mandibular first molar with class I cavities were created and restored with different techniques: a bi-layer of Equia Forte HT with Filtek One Bulk Fill Restorative composite (model A), a single layer of adhesive and Filtek One Bulk Fill Restorative (model B), and a single layer of Equia forte HT (model C). Each model was exported to computer-aided engineering software, and 3D finite element models were created. Models A and B exhibited a similar pattern of stress distribution along the enamel–restoration interface, with stress peaks of 12.5 MPa and 14 MPa observed in the enamel tissue. The sound tooth, B, and C models showed a similar trend along the interface between dentine and restoration. A stress peak of about 0.5 MPa was detected in the enamel of both the sound tooth and B models. Model C showed a reduced stress peak of about 1.2 MPa. A significant stress reduction in 4 mm deep class I cavities in lower molars was observed in models where non-shrinking dental filling materials, like the hybrid glass ionomer cement used in model C, were applied. Stress reduction was also achieved in model A, which employed a bi-layer technique with a shrinking polymeric filling material (bulk resin composite). Model C's performance closely resembled that of a sound tooth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this in silico study was to investigate the effect of abutment screw torque and implant-abutment contact surfaces on the stress generation, microgap formation and simulated fatigue life of an external hexagon connection under oblique loading. Three-dimensional numerical models of the external hexagon implant were modeled containing two different implant-abutment contact surfaces (with and without contacting the hexagon axial walls) as well as using screw torques of 20 Ncm or 30 Ncm. Following the ISO 14801, an oblique load of 100 N was applied to the prosthesis. The von Mises stress, microgap formation, safety factor and fatigue life were obtained. The stresses in the abutment screw and implant were minimally influenced by the screw torque. However, this minimal stress in the screw with a 30 Ncm torque reduced the calculated fatigue life in comparison with 20 Ncm when the external hexagon axial walls were not in contact at the implant-abutment interface. The safety factor for the implant was higher when using minimal surfaces at the abutment-interfaces; however, it compromised the screw safety factor increasing its failure probability. The higher the screw torque, the lower was the microgap formation at the implant-abutment interface. However, the calculated residual stress is proportional to the applied torque, reducing the fatigue life in the screw. This effect can be attenuated using an implant-abutment system with more contacting surfaces.