Phonon anomalies in Co−Ni alloys

Summary A detailed experimental analysis of the inelastic crosssection along the [111]-direction in Co−Ni alloys is presented. Using a simple model and studying the cross-section as a function of both composition and temperature, it is shown that interesting information about the h.c.p.-f.c.c. transition can be gained in these alloys.

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Riassunto Nel presente lavoro si describe un’analisi sperimentale dettagliata della sezione d’urto anelastica dei neutroni lungo la direzione [111] in leghe Co−Ni. Impiegando un modello relativamente semplice e studiando la sezione d’urto in funzione di temperatura e concentrazione, si mostra che si possono ottenere utili informazioni riguardanti la transizione h.c.p.-f.c.c.

     

The Airy transform and associated polynomials

The Airy transform is an ideally suited tool to treat problems in classical and quantum optics. Even though the relevant mathematical aspects have been thoroughly investigated, the possibilities it offers are wide and some features, such as the link with special functions and polynomials, still contain unexplored aspects. In this note we will show that the so called Airy polynomials are essentially the third order Hermite polynomials. We will also prove that this identification opens the possibility of developing new conjectures on the properties of this family of polynomials.     

The spiropiperidine-3,3′-oxindole scaffold: a type II β-turn peptide isostere

An unprecedented chiral spiropiperidine oxindole system was synthesized starting from enantiopure quaternary 3-aminooxindole and relying on a ring closing metathesis as the key step. This compound acts as an highly constrained Freidinger γ-lactam, adopting a type II β-turn conformation in solution, as assessed by modelling and spectroscopical studies.     

Transport of Volcano Etna emissions towards the alpine region using ECMWF data

Summary ECMWF data have been utilised to study the Volcano Etna contribution to the sulphur deposition in the alpine region. Air mass trajectories starting from Etna during the whole 1989 have been computed. Firstly a cluster analysis was applied in order to objectively classify them. Then the total deposition (wet and dry) over Northern Italy of sulphur coming from Volcano Etna was estimated. Paper presented at the IX Congresso del Gruppo Nazionale per la Fisica dell'Atmosfera e dell'Oceano, June 8–10, 1992, Rome.     

Bergamot (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Citrus bergamia</Emphasis> Risso) fruit extracts and identified components alter expression of interleukin 8 gene in cystic fibrosis bronchial epithelial cell lines

Background  

Cystic fibrosis (CF) airway pathology is a fatal, autosomal, recessive genetic disease characterized by extensive lung inflammation. After induction by TNF-α, elevated concentrations of several pro-inflammatory cytokines (i.e. IL-6, IL-1β) and chemokines (i.e. IL-8) are released from airway epithelial cells. In order to reduce the excessive inflammatory response in the airways of CF patients, new therapies have been developed and in this respect, medicinal plant extracts have been studied. In this article we have investigated the possible use of bergamot extracts (Citrus bergamia Risso) and their identified components to alter the expression of IL-8 associated with the cystic fibrosis airway pathology.     

Nonlinear Double-well Schrödinger Equations in the Semiclassical Limit

We consider time-dependent Schrödinger equations with a double well potential and an external nonlinear, both local and non-local, perturbation. In the semiclassical limit, the finite dimensional eigenspace associated to the lowest eigenvalues of the linear operator is almost invariant for times of the order of the beating period and the dominant term of the wavefunction is given by means of the solutions of a finite dimensional dynamical system. In the case of local nonlinear perturbation, we assume the spatial dimension d=1 or d=2.     

Forecasting of precipitation occurrence in long-range trajectory climatology

Summary A procedure to include a way for forecasting the precipitation occurrence in the air mass trajectory computation for climatological studies in order to compute the wet deposition of airborne pollutants is presented. It is based on a technique proposed by Moscoet al., Riv. Meteorol. Aeronaut.,33, 229 (1973). Its performance is tested comparing the forescen occurrence of either precipitation or no precipitationversus the actual one for two stations, Parma and Vipiteno, for a period of four years. In more than 80% of the cases the forecasting was correct.