Nell'ambito di un progetto "De minimis" in collaborazione con l'Associazione degli allevatori della Sardegna e con la Facoltà di Veterinaria dell'Univ. di Sassari, l'Istituto di Genetica delle Popolazioni ha intrapreso dal 2008 uno studio sulla filogenesi e biodiversità della popolazione caprina in Sardegna, con l'obiettivo di stabilire le reali origini della capra autoctona. L'allevamento caprino è una delle attività maggiormente diffuse nell'entroterra sardo e la razza autoctona ...

Nuove speranze per la diagnosi precoce e la cura di una grave malattia genetica, l'Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP), causata da alterazioni del gene Nemo, grazie ad una ricerca tutta al femminile. Un gruppo di scienziate dell'Istituto di genetica e biofisica "Adriano Buzzati Traverso" del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche di Napoli (Igb-Cnr) - composto da Matilde Valeria Ursini, Maria Giuseppina Miano e Francesca Fusco - ha sviluppato e messo a punto un metodo rapido ad alta specializzazione per ...

La comprensione dell'interazione tra geni e ambiente è fondamentale per migliorare le condizioni di vita dell'uomo in particolare nel campo della salute. L'identificazione di geni e varianti geniche associate a tratti complessi, sia qualitativi ("malattie") che quantitativi (tratti misurabili) è il primo passo per la cura e la prevenzione di malattie complesse comuni. Le malattie multifattoriali ed i tratti quantitativi richiedono peraltro un approccio particolare data la loro complessità. ...

In mammalian cells, the H2AX histone is rapidly phosphorylated upon the induction of DNA double strand breaks and promotes their repair, which is required for preserving genomic integrity. Etoposide is an inhibitor of DNA topoisomerase II, which causes DNA breaks and induces H2AX phosphorylation. To elucidate whether H2AX may affect cellular sensitivity to etoposide, we studied the response to this agent in immortalized embryonic fibroblasts derived from H2AX knockout mice. Clonogenic assays in ...

Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) is a disorder of women reproduction characterized by early onset of menopause (before 40 years of age). It is accompanied by severe problems of infertility and by cardiovascular and bone disorders. POF is a common disorder affecting about 1% of females worldwide. Despite its genetic component is demonstrated by the relevant portion of familial cases, few genes were found associated and the majority of genetic determinants are not known. The new study, conducted ...

Two patients belonging to a consanguineous family affected by myosclerosis myopathy were examined, screened for mutations of collagen VI genes, and studied by a detailed biochemical and morphological analysis of muscle biopsy and cultured skin fibroblasts. We demonstrated that the patients had a novel homozygous nonsense COL6A2 mutation (Q819X); the mutated messenger RNA escaped nonsense-mediated decay and was translated into a truncated alpha2(VI) chain, lacking the sole C2 domain. As a  ...

The adenine misincorporated by replicative DNA polymerases (DNA pols) opposite 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanine (8-oxo-G) is removed by a specific glycosylase, leaving the lesion on the DNA. Subsequent incorporation of C opposite 8-oxo-G on the resulting one nucleotide gapped DNA is essential for the removal of the 8-oxo-G to prevent G-C to T-A transversion mutations. By using model DNA templates, purified DNA pols beta and lambda and knockout cell extracts, we show here that the auxiliary proteins ...

HIV-1 replication has been inhibited by using a compound able to target the human cellular cofactor DEAD-box ATPase DDX3, essential for HIV-1 RNA nuclear export. This compound, identified by means of a computational protocol based on pharmacophoric modeling and molecular docking calculations, represents the first  small molecule with such a mechanism of action and could lay the foundations for  a pioneering approach for the treatment of HIV-1 infections. Maga G, Falchi F, Garbelli A, Belfiore ...

Teacher Education (TE) is a strategic field for Europe's knowledge society and is undergoing rapid evolution. Share.TEC supports this process by creating a digital environment that fosters access, retrieval and reuse of resources for TE across Europe. The underlying vision is that digital resources are vehicles of educational innovation which can help build bridges among the different cultures of the member states. The Share.TEC system will be an extendible federated aggregation of resources, ...

Gym2Learn is a system aimed to support the training of metacognitive strategies for students' on-line text comprehension. In particular, the features of the system are used in two different phases: training about the metacognition tools (training phase) and using them during learning activities (executive phase). So, as may happen in a gym, the "gymnastics for learning" consists of following a series of practical exercises to use and control cognitive strategies for text comprehension and then ...

The Mathemiamo project, carried out by the Institute for Educational Technologies of the National Research Council as part of the CORFAD Project, aims to improve the process of translating the texts of maths problems with respect to two main aspects; the linguistic aspect, that is the comprehension of the meaning of expressions used in maths problems, and the semantic aspect, which regards the ability to infer the implications of a particular expression. Mathemiamo can be used both by teachers ...

The DLib group, led by Donatella Castelli, of the ISTI-CNR Networked Multimedia Information Systems Laboratory has developed an highly innovative application framework, gCube, for building and operating e-Infrastructures promoting an effective and efficient sharing of computing, content, and application services resources. These e-Infrastructures simplify the creation of Virtual Research Environments (VRE), i.e. collaborative digital environments through which scientists, addressing common ...

First evidence of a link between ALS and angiogenesis in the Italian population. A case-control association study is carried out by the ISN-CNR researchers, on the susceptibility gene for ALS recently discovered, the Angiogenin gene (ANG). This gene is involved in angiogenesis mechanisms induced by hypoxia and nucleotide variations have been described in the ANG gene sequence associated with familial and sporadic ALS. In this study, one hundred and sixty-three patients with ALS SOD1 ...

E' stato messo a punto presso l'ISAC, nell'ambito di un'Intesa Operativa con il Dipartimento della Protezione Civile, un sistema di previsioni mensili probabilistiche (extended range ensemble forecasting), basato sull'utilizzo del modello globale GLOBO, sviluppato presso l'Istituto. Il modello GLOBO è stato perfezionato mediante implementazione di uno schema di mixed layer oceanico e di evoluzione della copertura dei ghiacci marini, oltre che di una parametrizzazione del drag orografico. Sono ...

Il suolo riveste un ruolo fondamentale in diverse aree scientifiche: 1) idrologia di versante e bacino a diverse scale; 2) salvaguardia delle qualità delle acque di falda; 3) controllo e produzione di sedimenti; 4) magazzino dinamico di carbonio organico; 5) substrato di base per la vegetazione. Il suolo è pertanto fondamentale per la comprensione di una notevole quantità di eventi e processi che spaziano dalla prevenzione e mitigazione di rischi di frana ed esondazione al controllo del ...

AWARE (A tool for monitoring and forecasting Available WAter REsource in mountain environment) has been funded with the contribution of the European Commission - Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry - under the Sixth Framework Programme. The project, started in July 2005, has been concluded in June 2008. In AWARE the Institute for Electromagnetic Sensing of the Environment (IREA) of CNR co-ordinated a team of hydrologists, remote sensing specialists and information system analysts ...

The need to produce materials with more and more demanding technological performance addressed the interest of scientists towards the engineering of the synthesis of starting solid phase. For this reason, a fundamental part of the ceramic process is now reserved to the processes of powders synthesis and functionalization. A strict control of the chemical-physical evolution of forming species is been possible through the introduction of the so-called chemical routes. These chemical routes are ...

Graphene, the two-dimensional form of carbon, after its recent experimental demonstration has been attracting a lot of interest not only in the physics community but also in the electronic industry, due to its extraordinary physical properties. At IMM an intensive research activity is going along considering both the theoretical and the experimental approach. Theoretical approaches are related to the development of multiscale models and tools for transport properties. The challenge of the ...

I Campi Flegrei sono una area vulcanica attiva che si estende ad ovest della città di Napoli e caratterizzata da intensi fenomeni deformativi (bradisismo), con forti variazioni del livello del suolo sia in abbassamento, sia in sollevamento (questi ultimi spesso accompagnati da terremoti). Dopo la crisi degli anni ottanta, la zona era entrata in una lunga fase di subsidenza interrotta prima da un episodio di risalita nel 2000 (circa 5 centimetri in un anno). I dati satellitari, elaborati dai ...

Photovoltaic solar cell are used to convert solar light into electricity. In 1991 O'Regan and Graetzel realized a prototypes solar cell with good efficiency with materials at low-cost in respect to silicon solar cell. DSSC (Dye Sensitized Solar Cell) are made of multilayer materials with selected band gap that allow photon adsorption and electron injection in the conduction band of the anodic material to produce electric energy. The Materials and process for energy applications group of ...

The transport and energy industry it is more and more in need of complex ceramic parts with high level of accuracy (blades, rotors, turbines, etc...) able to stand harsh operating conditions while retaining the shape. This can be accomplished if the ceramic bodies can be produced in an easy and economic way. Gel-casting can be a valid alternative to injection molding for the production of large, complex-shaped components requiring highly uniform properties. This highly reproducible forming ...

Sempre più richiesta è la produzione di forme di geometria complessa con polveri di differente natura per applicazioni avanzate. L'ISTEC sviluppa materiali idonei per la realizzazione di manufatti, di geometria anche complessa, da impiegare come "creatori di forma" per il raffreddamento forzato di strutture in metallo per applicazioni ingegneristiche. La disponibilità di una accessoriata macchina per la deposizione serigrafia di inchiostri ceramici consente di operare in stretta connessione ...

Prototipi realizzati: componentistica protesi ginocchio, articolazioni.

Edited by: Institute of Neurobiology and Molecular Medicine - INMM and Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology - IBPM The design and realization of artificial regulatory genes represents an important and promising tool for the development of new therapeutic strategies for the cure of genetic diseases and cancer. In particular, the use of "synthetic regulator genes" may allow the up-regulation, down-regulation or suppression of "target genes" involved in different pathologies. We realized ...

Altrettante importante è stata l'attività di diffusione della conoscenza scientifica attraverso la realizzazione di un corso "Mosaico: archeometria, tecnologia e conservazione", indirizzato a personale specializzato che opera nel campo dei beni culturali.

Realizzazione del libro dal titolo "Sulle orme dei primi ceramisti" che costituisce uno dei risultati del progetto SEE-PAST "South Eastern European pottery: Archaeology and Scientific Techniques" (2006-2007). Lo scopo del libro è di promuove la diffusione della conoscenza del periodo neolitico attraverso lo studio della ceramica. Questo libro è rivolto a ragazzi delle scuole elementari e medie, protagonisti di un racconto immaginario, ma estremamente realistico, che come un diario, illustra il ...

A silica-based composition and the related slip casting process, have been optimized for the production of complex shapes components. These components are used in the production process of metallic materials with superior properties. Thanks to the optimized ceramic materials a higher process temperature is possible, and this leads to higher performances of the obtained metallic components. This research have been conducted in the frame of a contract with a private enterprise.

Hf-borides and carbides are ultra-refractory due to their melting points above 3200°C and their excellent thermal stability. These materials are considered very promising for their use as thermal protection barriers for the space vehicle during the re-entry in the atmosphere. A new process for the production of high density borides and carbides has been set up using pressureless sintering, that allows the production of complex shapes. The tests to evaluate the behaviour of these ceramics under ...

The recent dramatic petroleum demand and concern on its impact on air quality and global climate has resulted in a large international research and development effort on fuel cell and power generation source. Several efforts have been made to push the fuel cells commercialization towards a more efficient, easily and cost effective production cycle. ISTEC is in the forefront of ceramic processing for SOFCs being among the very few in Italy able to produce large area (10x10cm) supporting cathodes ...

La disponibilità di strumentazioni in grado di fornire (DTM) Modelli Digitali del Terreno di elevata precisione permette un monitoraggio areale dell'evoluzione morfologica di ampie porzioni di territorio. In tale ambito, il CNR IRPI di Torino (che coordina la Commessa: TA.P05.010 / Sviluppo e applicazione di tecnologie innovative di caratterizzazione e monitoraggio per la previsione, mitigazione e gestione dei fenomeni di instabilità geo-idrologica o relativi a grandi opere e reti ...