Physical Science in Bologna

We provide a guide to Bologna, Italy, focusing particularly on sites of interest to physicists. Our first tour is in the city center; it begins in the Piazza Maggiore at the Palazzo d’Accursio, the Basilica di San Petronio, and the Archiginnasio (Old University) and then proceeds to the Two Towers and the Palazzo Poggi, which houses the Astronomical Observatory Museum and other important instrument and art collections; it concludes at the Physics Museum, Department of Physics and Astronomy. Our second tour again begins in the Piazza Maggiore but goes to sites beyond the city center where famous Bolognese physicists and other scientists were born, lived, and are buried. Finally, we point out important museums and other institutions on the outskirts of Bologna.     

Triggered Release of an Active Peptide Conjugate from a DNA Device by an Orally Administrable Small Molecule

A real tonic : In a conceptually new approach to controlled release, the natural daily insulin profile in response to three meals is mimicked (see graph) with release of an insulin conjugate from a matrix, triggered by quinine, a component of tonic water.

     

Analysis of the essential oil of Teucrium polium ssp. capitatum from the Balkan Peninsula

The chemical composition of the essential oil of the aerial parts of Teucrium polium ssp. capitatum collected during the flowering period from rocky places and dry pastures, (Serbia, Nis, Kamenica), and dunes along the sea-side, (Bulgaria, Burgas, Primorsko) has been studied by GC and GC/MS. The identified compounds, 45 for the oil from Serbia and 44 for that from Bulgaria, amounted to 97.3% and 96.4% of the oils, respectively. The dominant constituents of the Serbian oil were sesquiterpenes {59.6%, the most abundant components being germacrene D (31.8%), trans-caryophyllene (8.8%) and bicyclogermacrene (6.2%)}, while monoterpenes accounted for 37.5% {the most abundant components being linalool (14.0%) and beta-pinene (10.7%)}. The essential oil from Bulgaria was characterized by a high percentage of monoterpenes, amounting to 62.9% {the most abundant components being beta-pinene (26.8%), alpha-pinene (9.3%) and limonene (6.4%)}, while sesquiterpenes accounted for 33.5% (the most abundant component was germacrene D 17.7%)}.     

Specific capture and temperature-mediated release of cells in an aptamer-based microfluidic device

Isolation of cells from heterogeneous mixtures is critically important in both basic cell biology studies and clinical diagnostics. Cell isolation can be realized based on physical properties such as size, density and electrical properties. Alternatively, affinity binding of target cells by surface-immobilized ligands, such as antibodies, can be used to achieve specific cell isolation. Microfluidics technology has recently been used in conjunction with antibody-based affinity isolation methods to capture, purify and isolate cells with higher yield rates, better efficiencies and lower costs. However, a method that allows easy release and collection of live cells from affinity surfaces for subsequent analysis and detection has yet to be developed. This paper presents a microfluidic device that not only achieves specific affinity capture and enrichment, but also enables non-destructive, temperature-mediated release and retrieval of cells. Specific cell capture is achieved using surface-immobilized aptamers in a microchamber. Release of the captured cells is realized by a moderate temperature change, effected via integrated heaters and a temperature sensor, to reversibly disrupt the cell-aptamer interaction. Experimental results with CCRF-CEM cells have demonstrated that the device is capable of specific capture and temperature-mediated release of cells, that the released cells remain viable and that the aptamer-functionalized surface is regenerable.     

Compressed sensing in random access networks with applications to underwater monitoring

For networks that are deployed for long-term monitoring of environmental phenomena, it is of crucial importance to design an efficient data gathering scheme that prolongs the life-time of the network. To this end, we consider a Random Access Compressed Sensing (RACS) scheme that considerably reduces the power and bandwidth usage of a large network. Motivated by underwater applications, we propose a continuous-time RACS that eliminates the need for synchronization and scheduling which are difficult to achieve in a distributed acoustic network. We provide an analytical framework for system design that ensures fast recovery and power-efficiency. Through analysis and examples, we demonstrate that recovery of the field can be attained using only a fraction of the resources used by a conventional TDMA network, while employing a scheme which is simple to implement.     

Cobalt(II) complexes with aminopolycarboxylate 1,3-pdta-type ligands: synthesis and characterization of trans(O6)-[Mg(H2O)6][CoII(1,3-pddadp)]·H2O

Starting from Ba₂(1,3-pddadp)·8H₂O (1,3-pddadp=1,3-propanediamine-N,N′-diacetate-N,N′-di-3-propionate ion) and CoSO₄, a new hexadentate [Co^II(1,3-pddadp)]²⁻ complex has been prepared. The trans(O₆) geometry of this complex was confirmed by comparison of its i.r. and u.v.–vis. spectra with those of [Co^II(1,3-pdta)]²⁻ (1,3-pdta is the 1,3-propanediaminetetraacetate ion) and trans(O₆)-[Co^III(1,3-pddadp)]⁻ complexes of known X-ray crystal structure. Magnetic and electrolytic conductivity properties of these complexes have also been discussed.     

Aptamer-based folding fluorescent sensor for cocaine.

We adapted in two steps a deoxyribonucleotide-based aptamer to signal the recognition of cocaine: an instability was engineered in one stem of a three-way junction that forms the cocaine-binding pocket and the resulting short stem was end labeled with a fluorophore and a quencher. In the absence of cocaine, two stems are open, but in its presence they close and the three-way junction forms. This major structural change brings fluorophore and quencher together thereby signaling the presence and concentration of ligand. The sensor is selective for cocaine over its metabolites, can operate in serum, and is useful for the screening of cocaine hydrolases.     

Universality in Orthogonal and Symplectic Invariant Matrix Models with Quartic Potential

In this work, we develop an orthogonal-polynomials approach for random matrices with orthogonal or symplectic invariant laws, called one-matrix models with polynomial potential in theoretical physics, which are a generalization of Gaussian random matrices. The representation of the correlation functions in these matrix models, via the technique of quaternion determinants, makes use of matrix kernels. We get new formulas for matrix kernels, generalizing the known formulas for Gaussian random matrices, which essentially express them in terms of the reproducing kernel of the theory of orthogonal polynomials. Finally, these formulas allow us to prove the universality of the local statistics of eigenvalues, both in the bulk and at the edge of the spectrum, for matrix models with two-band quartic potential by using the asymptotics given by Bleher and Its for the corresponding orthogonal polynomials.