Sogin (Italy)

The type A γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAAR) has been explored as a prime antiepileptic target. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of purine-containing derivatives and further evaluated their efficacies as positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of α1β2γ2 GABAAR in a newly validated MQAE-based fluorescence assay. Among these, compound 10 demonstrated the highest potency, enhancing the GABAAR function by 36% at 10 μM. This activity was further confirmed by patch-clamp recordings, affording an EC50 and Emax of 1.99 μM and 80.1%, respectively. Subsequently, the antiepileptic activity of compound 10 was substantiated in zebrafish and mice models. Notably, compound 10 displayed greater efficacy than carbamazepine in both the PTZ- and KA-induced mice epilepsy models. Furthermore, compound 10 exerted negligible neuronal cytotoxicity, and possessed a favorable bioavailability and an acceptable half-life. Collectively, compound 10 represents a potent PAM of α1β2γ2 GABAAR and offers potential advantages over current therapies for the treatment of epilepsy.

The Šoštanj exercise of the Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessments I Urban Environments Working Group took advantage of a set of measurement data from a 1991 tracer experiment to test atmospheric dispersion models for emissions from point sources over complex terrain. The data set included emissions of SO2 from the stacks of the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant in Slovenia, measurements of the SO2 at a number of locations in the surrounding area up to 7 km from the plant, and meteorological data from several monitoring stations, all as measured half-hour average values. Two sets of meteorological conditions were modelled: (a) a simple situation with a strong wind blowing from a point source directly towards a monitoring station; and (b) a complex situation involving a temperature inversion and convective mixing. The modelling results enable the assessment of the capabilities of various dispersion models in handling both complex terrain and complex meteorological situations.

A series of modelling exercises, based on field tests conducted in the Czech Republic, were carried out by the ‘Urban’ Working Groups as part of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Environmental Modelling for Radiation Safety II, Modelling and Data for Radiological Impact Assessment (MODARIA) I and MODARIA II international data compilation and model validation programmes. In the first two of these programmes, data from a series of field tests involving dispersion of a radiotracer, 99mTc, from small-scale, controlled detonations were used in a comparison of model predictions with field measurements of deposition. In the third programme, data from a similar field test, involving dispersion of 140La instead of 99mTc, were used. Use of longer-lived 140La as a radiotracer allowed a greater number of measurements to be made over a greater distance from the dispersion point and in more directions than was possible for the earlier tests involving shorter-lived 99mTc. The modelling exercises included both intercomparison of model predictions from several participants and comparison of model predictions with the measured data. Several models (HotSpot, LASAIR, ADDAM/CSA-ERM, plus some research models) were used in the comparisons, which demonstrated the challenges of modelling dispersion of radionuclides from detonations and the need for appropriate meteorological measurements.

The world has changed. The global crisis related to the reduction of energy fossil resources, the reduction of potable water resources and the war for the control of energy sources are part of the causes which can lead to an intentional CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and explosive) event together with the potential misuse of CBRNe agents, once considered to be solely the concern of the military, now needs to be considered also in the public domain. This kind of events could also be the consequence of an unintentional release of substances (i.e., an accident of a truck containing a Toxic Industrial Chemical), or of natural events like a tsunami or an earthquake. Thus, the high percentage of risk connected to their occurrence is clear. The aim of this paper is to analyze the CBRNe risk scenario and propose a standardized CBRNe joint approach for the establishment of “CBRNe technical tables” composed by cluster Entities from around Europe to manage the production of technologies, research, education and training activities in order to: (1) establish and maintain a roster of capabilities and facilities, and (2) organize to share expertise, and (3) plan to pool resources. The authors will show the results in the “Italian case study” as a potential pilot project analyzing the strengths and weaknesses to propose new ideas to improve it.

\nHumidity is a key parameter in controlling drying processes and ambient conditions in many industrial manufacturing, storage and test applications. Air humidity is routinely measured at temperatures above 100 °C and at conditions that are often challenging due to temporal and local variations. Calibrations of humidity sensors do not provide appropriate representativeness of measurement conditions because they are limited to temperatures below 100 °C and static conditions. A European metrology research project HIT (“Metrology for Humidity at High Temperatures and Transient conditions”) is developing improved humidity measurement and calibration techniques to temperatures up to 180 °C and non-static conditions. This paper summaries developments of the project: calibration and test facilities for industrial hygrometers, studies on humidity control in specific microbial transient processes and a new measurement approach for water activity measurements.

Drying process is commonly used to allow long time storage of valuable porcini mushrooms (Boletus edulis). Although considered a stable product dried porcini flavour changes during storage. Monitoring of volatile compounds during shelf life may help to understand the nature of the observed changes. In the present work two mass spectrometric techniques were used to monitor the evolution of volatile compounds during commercial shelf life of dried porcini. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) allowed the identification of 66 volatile compounds, 36 of which reported for the first time, monitored during the commercial shelf life of dried porcini. Proton transfer reaction - time of flight - mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) , a direct injection mass spectrometric technique, was shown to be a fast and sensitive instrument for the general monitoring of volatile compound evolution during storage of dried porcini. Furthermore, PTR-ToF-MS grants access to compounds whose determination would otherwise require lengthy pre-concentration and/or derivatization steps such as ammonia and small volatile amines. The two techniques, both used for the first time to study dried porcini, provided detailed description of time evolution of volatile compounds during shelf life. Alcohols, aldehydes, ketones and monoterpenes diminish during the storage while carboxylic acids, pyrazines, lactones and amines increase. The storage temperature modifies the rate of the observed changes influencing the final quality of the dried porcini. We showed the advantages of both techniques, suggesting a strategy to be adopted to follow time evolution of volatile compounds in food products during shelf life, based on the identification of compounds by GC-MS and the rapid time monitoring by PTR-ToF-MS measurements in order to maximize the advantages of both techniques.

The present study is the second part of a program of characterization of the site surrounding the SoGIN Garigliano Nuclear Power Plant (Southern Italy), which is currently involved in decommissioning activities. In the first phase of the project the reference groups of the population were established on the basis of a socio-economical study of the site; the radiological doses due to the assumed radioactive releases during the decommissioning phase were calculated by using climatological, hydrological, geomorphological parameters of the studied area; transport and diffusion specific models of some radionuclides in the environment were implemented to calculate the dose using specific evaluation software. The second part of the study focuses on the project of an environmental network designed in order to ensure the continuous monitoring of the radioactive release concentrations. All the criteria for the choice of grid points, by considering specific paths of transfer in the environment, were established for all the environmental compartments. A field campaign was carried out aiming to assess the “zero level due to the natural radioactivity and past anthropogenic activities.

In the original paper of Chen, Wen, Gong and Sun (ibid., vol.44 , p.371-6, 1999), initial state learning was considered for a class of nonlinear control systems. This paper treats of the linear setting. Its purpose is threefold. (1) It draws the readers' attention to some papers addressing initial state learning not cited in the aforementioned paper. (2) It points out that the class of control systems addressed in the aforementioned paper is restricted to that of systems with state-space dimension equal to output space dimension, but that this hypothesis can be removed. (3) It analyzes the point of convergence of the algorithm proposed in the aforementioned paper when applied to systems with internal dynamics.