Academic literature on the topic 'Alpe Veglia'

The measurement of turbulent fluxes in the atmospheric boundary layer is usually performed using fast anemometers and the Eddy Covariance technique. This method has been applied here and investigated in a complex mountainous terrain. A field campaign has recently been conducted at Alpe Veglia (the Central-Western Italian Alps, 1746 m a.s.l.) where both standard and micrometeorological data were collected. The measured values obtained from an ultrasonic anemometer were analysed using a filtering procedure and three different coordinate rotation procedures: Double (DR), Triple Rotation (TR) and Planar Fit (PF) on moving temporal windows of 30 and 60 min. A quality assessment was performed on the sensible heat and momentum fluxes and the results show that the measured turbulent fluxes at Alpe Veglia were of a medium-high quality level and rarely passed the stationary flow test. A comparison of the three coordinate procedures, using quality assessment and sensible heat flux standard deviations, revealed that DR and TR were comparable, with significant differences, mainly under low-wind conditions. The PF method failed to satisfy the physical requirement for the multiple planarity of the flow, due to the complexity of the mountainous terrain.

Il presente saggio tratta i nomi popolari della specie Caprimulgus europaeus (suc­ ciacapre europeo). Il succiacapre fa parte della famiglia dei Caprimulgidi (Caprimulgi­ dae), ordine dei Caprimulgiformi (Caprimulgiformes). È presente più o meno in tutta la zona istro-quarnerina. Vengono offerte soluzioni etimologiche ai nomi popolari raccolti dall'autore in s­ tria e sull'isola di Veglia. Gli ornitonimi presentati appartengono alle parlate is­ trovenete, istriote, istrorumene, croate e slovene. I nomi delle località intervistate vengono riportati in italiano e in croato/sloveno; se la forma italiana non esiste, viene segnata solo quella croata/slovena.

Background. Aloe vera has long been considered an anticancer herb in different parts of the world. Objective. To explore the potential mechanism of aloe vera in the treatment of cancer using network pharmacology and molecule docking approaches. Methods. The active ingredients and corresponding protein targets of aloe vera were identified from the TCMSP database. Targets related to cancer were obtained from GeneCards and OMIM databases. The anticancer targets of aloe vera were obtained by intersecting the drug targets with the disease targets, and the process was presented in the form of a Venn plot. These targets were uploaded to the String database for protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, and the result was visualized by Cytoscape software. Go and KEGG enrichment were used to analyze the biological process of the target proteins. Molecular docking was used to verify the relationship between the active ingredients of aloe vera and predicted targets. Results. By screening and analyzing, 8 active ingredients and 174 anticancer targets of aloe vera were obtained. The active ingredient-anticancer target network constructed by Cytoscape software indicated that quercetin, arachidonic acid, aloe-emodin, and beta-carotene, which have more than 4 gene targets, may play crucial roles. In the PPI network, AKT1, TP53, and VEGFA have the top 3 highest values. The anticancer targets of aloe vera were mainly involved in pathways in cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, and non-small-cell lung cancer and the TNF signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking suggested that the binding ability between TP53 and quercetin was the strongest. Conclusion. This study revealed the active ingredients of aloe vera and the potential mechanism underlying its anticancer effect based on network pharmacology and provided ideas for further research.

Nella sua fondamentale Grammatica storica dell'italiano Tekavčić accoglie come spiegazione delle forme pronominali italiane noi, voi una trafila che parte dalle forme nominativo-accusative latine NŌS, VŌS ed esibisce un successivo sviluppo fonetico caratteristico dei monosillabi con uscita in -s, ovvero /si-> /y/. La tesi di una evoluzione di /s/ in posizione finale in /y/, nell'area che include toscano, dialetti italiani centro-meridionali e balcano-romanzo (veglioto, romeno) era già stata avanzata da Reichenkron (1939). In tale area sia parole monosillabiche che polisillabiche presenterebbero questo sviluppo. Ad esemplificare le prime sono chiamate in causa forme come rom. e it. dai < DAS, rom. e it. stai < STAS, rom. e it. poi < POS ( < POST), it. centr. e merid. crai < CRAS, it. merid. ccuy e it. più < PLUS, rom. e it. merid. trei < TRES, oltre per l'appunto, alle forme pronominali rom., vegl. e it. noi < NOS e voi < VOS. Nei polisillabi questo sviluppo si mostrerebbe con minore evidenza, perché qui /y / si sarebbe fusa con la vocale atona precedente, o sarebbe caduta: si pensi all'it. ant. cante (it. mod canti), tosc. sett. canta, rom. cânţi < CANTAS; it. vedi, rom. vezi < VIDES, e così via.

Abstract Laricifomes officinalis is a wood-decay fungus that is closely associated with old individuals of Larix decidua . In the twentieth century, L. officinalis was over-harvested because of its medicinal properties; consequently, it has become very rare or almost extinct in the Alps. In this study, we investigated the population of L. officinalis in the Alpe Veglia–Alpe Devero Natural Park (Val d’Ossola, Italy) to assess a preliminary conservation strategy. Population consistency was estimated using field mapping, and spatial analysis was performed on host trees based on topographical and environmental variables. Mycelia were isolated from harvested basidiomata, and strain identity confirmed by molecular analysis of the ITS region. All isolated strains were tested for growth in Petri dishes containing different standard media to determine which strains had the highest growth rates; the fastest growing strains may be selected for future studies and applications. Compared to the control strains from Val Malenco and Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso, all strains from Alpe Veglia–Alpe Devero Natural Park had lower growth rates. There was no significant difference between the growth rates of strains from Alpe Veglia and those from Alpe Devero. The results suggest that the population consistency of L. officinalis in the Alpe Veglia–Alpe Devero Natural Park is related to two main factors: habitat preservation and harvesting prohibition. These results confirm the need to protect L. officinalis both inside and outside natural reserves, despite the apparent increase in local populations.

Introduction. Atherosclerosis is a chronic disorder in which plaque builds up in the arteries and is associated with several cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, cerebral infarction and cerebral haemorrhage. Therefore, there is an urgent need to discover new medications to treat or prevent atherosclerosis. Hypothesis/Gap Statement. The active components of Guanxin Xiaoban capsules may have an effect on the gut microbiome of patients with atherosclerosis and have a role in their therapeutic targets. Aim. The aim of this study was to identify genes and pathways targeted by active ingredients in Guanxin Xiaoban capsules for the treatment of atherosclerosis based on network pharmacology and analysis of changes to the gut microbiome. Methods. Mice were treated with Guanxin Xiaoban capsules. The 16S rDNA genome sequence of all microorganisms from each group of faecal samples was used to evaluate potential structural changes in the gut microbiota after treatment with Guanxin Xiaoban capsules. Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR were used to detect gene targets in aortic and liver tissues. Haematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe improvements in mouse arterial plaques. Results. The gut microbiota of atherosclerotic mice is disturbed. After Guanxin Xiaoban treatment, the abundance of bacteria in the mice improved, with an increase in the proportion of Akkermansia and a significant decrease in the proportion of Faecalibaculum . The main ingredients of Guanxin Xiaoban capsules are calycosin, liquiritin, ferulic acid, ammonium glycyrrhizate, aloe emodin, rhein and emodin. The core genes of this network were determined to be glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A). The compound–target gene network revealed an interaction between multiple components and targets and contributed to a better understanding of the potential therapeutic effects of the capsules on atherosclerosis. In addition, expression of the AGE–receptor for the AGE (RAGE) pathway was significantly inhibited and the mice showed signs of arterial plaque reduction. Guanxin Xiaoban capsules may improve atherosclerosis and reduce the plaque area by inhibiting the AGE-RAGE signalling pathway to delay the development of atherosclerosis. This mechanism appears to involve changes in the gut microbiota. Therefore, Guanxin Xiaoban capsules have potential value as a treatment for atherosclerosis.

The Alps, and in general the high mountain areas, in recent decades are under going profound changes due to climate change. The peculiarities and the greater vulnerability of these territories, characterized by complex and delicate balances, are threatened by global warming. In fact, it considerably reduces the habitat of many plant and animal species, pushing them towards ever greater elevations. Once this living zones have reached the tops of the reliefs may no longer be available, and may lead to the disappearance, from these environments, of endemic biodiversity (Hannah et al., 2002). At the same time, however, the progressive debris coverage of the glacial tongues (Deline, 2005; Caccianiga et al., 2011) and the progressive expansion of the proglacial areas, offer new spaces and areas that can be colonised by the vegetation systems and animal communities (Whittaker, 1993). The changes underway in these areas not only affect biological systems, but also geodiversity and the geoheritage of the alpine and mountain environment. “Geodiversity” can be defined simply as “the natural range (diversity) of geological (rocks, minerals, fossils), geomorphological (land form, physical processes) and soil features. It includes their assemblages, relationships, properties, interpretations and systems” (Gray, 2004). For definition of “geodiversity” it follows that an impact on geomorphological processes can affect the local diversity of an area. Examples are the changes in the speed and intensity of processes, such as for example the acceleration of glacial shrinkage, the degradation of permafrost (Deline et al., 2015), the impact of the action of running waters connected to extreme events, the mass wasting processes (Cossart and Fort, 2008; Lane et al., 2017) and the related interactions with biological systems (Eichel, 2015). More in detail in the Alps, but as happens in other mountain ranges, glaciers are shrinking and retreating at ever increasing levels, losing the valley tongues and more and more extensive areas are leaved by the ice. The newly formed proglacial zones are characterized by an abundance of incoherent debris, easily dislocated by the running waters, especially during intense meteorological phenomena (Luino, 2005). These areas, in many cases easily accessible by mountain-goers and not only by expert mountaineers, may therefore present geomorphological dangerous situations, increased by the extremes of meteorological events (for example drought or intense precipitation events). This entails an increase in risks for tourist and even productive activities. The increase in the risk factor for hikers can also derive not only from an increase in danger, for example along the paths, but also from an increase in vulnerability given by sudden changes in weather conditions and the greater difficulty of walking on the paths (Fort, 2015; Pelfini et al., 2007a). The current studies must face the challenge of knowing more in detail the complex interactions that take place in these changing territories, and moreover it is needed to at least partly predict their evolution and behaviour. This challenge has a double value, both scientific, and therefore to broaden the knowledge on the complexity of nature, and civil, because the knowledge of phenomena and the environment allows a more conscious attendance of the high mountain territories. This is the first step for the mitigation of the risk, furthermore, a development that is as environmentally sustainable as possible. Certainly in the coming decades the Alps landscapes will be profoundly different from those of the last century. The progressive reduction of the cryosphere will also have repercussions on many aspects of everyday life of the population that lives not in close contact with the ice giants, but also at a considerable distance from the glacial areas. For example, it has to be considered the availability of drinking water, or the concept of albedo of the snowy areas, a fundamental factor in the climatic feedback processes, or the mountaineering and skiing use of the glaciers. This Doctoral Project fits into this context, that is, to increase knowledge about climatic forcing in high mountain areas and their effect on natural processes. More specifically the attention is focused on the proglacial areas with particular regard to those deglacialized in the last century; but also it was considered the effect of meteorological hazards, like extreme events (mainly rainfall and snowfall) to fragile high-mountain environments. The approach to this study is multifaceted and involves different disciplines: glaciology, geomorphology, dendrochronology, climatology and meteorology, and focuses attention on the interactions between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. Particular attention is paid to the meteorological and climatic parameters that can regulate the colonization of proglacial or high mountain areas by pioneer tree species, which are related to the type of substrate, the amount of precipitation, the wind regime to solar radiation and the micrometeorological variables such as sensible and latent heat fluxes (Garavaglia et al., 2010a). The study area focuses on the Forni Valley in high Valtellina (Sondrio, Central Alps, Ortles-Cevedale group), and a comparison with other key sites distributed over the Central-Western Alps, such as Loana Valley in Val Vigezzo (Verbano Cusio Ossola, Central-Western Alps), and the area of Alpe Veglia (Verbano Cusio Ossola, Central-Western Alps, Monte Leone group). These sites are all characterized by a high complexity of orography and different responses to the impacts of climate change. In order to better understand the environment under study, experimental campaigns for measuring meteorological and micrometeorological quantities, were specifically carried out in two of the study sites. The first campaign in the proglacial area of the Forni Glacier, the second in the Alpe Veglia and near the proglacial area of the Aurona Glacier in Val d’Ossola. Both study areas are located in an alpine environment at an altitude between 1740 m a.s.l. of Alpe Veglia and 2552 m a.s.l. of the Forni Glacier, characterised by the absence of vegetation as in the cases of the two proglacial environments, or of pasture with deciduous forest, in the case of Alpe Veglia. The measurement stations installed are equipped both with traditional instruments, such as thermometer, cup anemometer, wind vane, radiometer, barometer and rain gauge, and both with instruments for measuring turbulence in the lowest layer of the atmosphere, or atmospheric boundary-layer, such as the ultrasonic anemometer and the krypton hygrometer. The sites under study, chosen as representative sites of the alpine environment, are characterised by terrain with complex orography, soil, vegetation and degree of anthropization variable in space in a sudden way, and therefore with a dynamics of the atmosphere that is difficult to predict. This has involved the development, parallel to the experimental campaigns, of a numerical modelling both statistical (climatological) and deterministic (meteorological) for the study of the atmosphere and its interaction with the surface. The main points deepened by this work are: a) in the climatology field an indepth study of the precipitation regimes of the last century in the area of the Forni Glacier, and its implications on the run-off and colonization of tree species; b) in the meteorology field an advanced study on atmospheric turbulence measurements in high mountains on the two sites of Alpe Veglia and Forni Glacier. Moreover, thanks to a limited area meteorological model (WRF) it is possible to interpret the dynamics of the atmosphere in detail, always with the aim of correlating the colonization of tree species in the proglacial area and atmospheric processes.

AbstractCommunication activities play a pivotal role in the management of research projects, especially those involving several partners and stakeholders from different countries. The Interreg Alpine Space HEALPS2 project relies on a transnational and transversal approach to improve the framework conditions and tools for alpine health tourism, and therefore proposes a communication strategy based on specific objectives. These objectives guide the communication activities at an internal and external level, with the latter being declined for different targets and stakeholders. In this Chapter, the communication activities are described, starting from the general and specific objectives-oriented approach, to the local realization. The general strategy and the analysis are illustrated, then are demonstrated through a regional use case—the Parco Regionale Alpe Veglia-Alpe Devero and Parco Regionale Alta Valle Antrona.

Ship structural design often deals with multiple objectives such as weight, safety, and cost. These objectives usually conflict with each other, and optimizing a particular solution with respect to a single objective can result in unacceptable results with respect to the other objectives. A reasonable solution to a multi-objective problem is to investigate a set of solutions, each of which satisfies the objectives at an acceptable level without being dominated by any other solution. Genetic algorithms have been demonstrated to be particularly effective to determine excellent solutions to these problems. In this paper a multi-objective GA, called Vector Evaluated Genetic Algorithm (VEGA) is formulated and used to optimize a large and complex thin-wall structure (a complete cargo hold of a 200,000 ton oil tanker) on the basis of weight, safety and cost. The structure weight and cost and all of the stresses are calculated using a realistic finite element model. The structure adequacy is then evaluated using the ALPS/ULSAP computer program (Paik and Thayamballi, 2003) which can efficiently evaluate all six ultimate limit states for stiffened panels and grillages. This example was chosen because the initial design is severely inadequate. The results show that the proposed method can perform ultimate strength based structural optimization with multi-objectives, namely minimization of the structural weight and cost and maximization of structural safety, and also that the method is very robust.