University of Palermo

About: University of Palermo is a education organization based out in Palermo, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 15621 authors who have published 40250 publications receiving 964384 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Palermo & Universita degli Studi di Palermo.

Spanning Trees and bootstrap reliability estimation in correlation based networks

Abstract: We introduce a new technique to associate a spanning tree to the average linkage cluster analysis. We term this tree as the Average Linkage Minimum Spanning Tree. We also introduce a technique to associate a value of reliability to the links of correlation-based graphs by using bootstrap replicas of data. Both techniques are applied to the portfolio of the 300 most capitalized stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange during the time period 2001–2003. We show that the Average Linkage Minimum Spanning Tree recognizes economic sectors and sub-sectors as communities in the network slightly better than the Minimum Spanning Tree. We also show that the average reliability of links in the Minimum Spanning Tree is slightly greater than the average reliability of links in the Average Linkage Minimum Spanning Tree.

Increased estrogen formation and estrogen to androgen ratio in the synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: It has been proposed that physiologic levels of estrogens stimulate immune responses whereas androgens suppress inflammatory reactions. Thus, prevalence of synovial androgens relative to estrogens would be favorable in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated synovial fluid (SF) concentrations of several estrogens and androgens and conversion products of the sex steroid precursor dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in supernatants of mixed synoviocytes. METHODS: SF steroid concentrations were measured by high performance liquid chromotography and mass spectrometry in 12 patients with RA and 8 subjects with traumatic knee injury (noninflammatory controls). Conversion of DHEA to downstream hormones was measured by thin-layer chromatography and phosphorimaging detection in 3 patients with RA and 3 patients with osteoarthritis (OA). RESULTS: Overall, SF concentration of free estrogens tended to be higher in RA patients versus controls (p

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with H2O on TiO2 and Cu/TiO2 catalysts

Abstract: Photoinduced reduction of CO2 by H2O to produce CH4 and CH3OH has been investigated on wellcharacterized standard TiO2 catalysts and on a Cu2+ loaded TiO2 catalyst. The efficiency of this photoreaction depends strongly on the kind of catalyst and the ratio of H2O to CO2. Anatase TiO2, which has a large band gap and numerous surface OH groups, shows high efficiency for photocatalytic CH4 formation. Photogenerated Ti3+ ions, H and CH3 radicals are observed as reactive intermediates, by ESR at 77 K. Cu-loading of the small, powdered TiO2 catalyst (Cu/TiO2) brings about additional formation of CH3OH. XPS studies suggest that Cu+ plays a significant role in CH3OH formation.