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.

Physical forcing and physical/biochemical variability of the Mediterranean Sea: a review of unresolved issues and directions for future research

Abstract: . This paper is the outcome of a workshop held in Rome in November 2011 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the POEM (Physical Oceanography of the Eastern Mediterranean) program. In the workshop discussions, a number of unresolved issues were identified for the physical and biogeochemical properties of the Mediterranean Sea as a whole, i.e., comprising the Western and Eastern sub-basins. Over the successive two years, the related ideas were discussed among the group of scientists who participated in the workshop and who have contributed to the writing of this paper. Three major topics were identified, each of them being the object of a section divided into a number of different sub-sections, each addressing a specific physical, chemical or biological issue: 1. Assessment of basin-wide physical/biochemical properties, of their variability and interactions. 2. Relative importance of external forcing functions (wind stress, heat/moisture fluxes, forcing through straits) vs. internal variability. 3. Shelf/deep sea interactions and exchanges of physical/biogeochemical properties and how they affect the sub-basin circulation and property distribution. Furthermore, a number of unresolved scientific/methodological issues were also identified and are reported in each sub-section after a short discussion of the present knowledge. They represent the collegial consensus of the scientists contributing to the paper. Naturally, the unresolved issues presented here constitute the choice of the authors and therefore they may not be exhaustive and/or complete. The overall goal is to stimulate a broader interdisciplinary discussion among the scientists of the Mediterranean oceanographic community, leading to enhanced collaborative efforts and exciting future discoveries.

Multi-valued F-contractions and the solutions of certain functional and integral equations

Abstract: Wardowski (Fixed Point Theory Appl., 2012:94) introduced a new concept of contraction and proved a fixed point theorem which generalizes Banach contraction principle. Following this direction of research, we will present some fixed point results for closed multi-valued F-contractions or multi-valued mappings which satisfy an F-contractive condition of Hardy-Rogers-type, in the setting of complete metric spaces or complete ordered metric spaces. An example and two applications, for the solution of certain functional and integral equations, are given to illustrate the usability of the obtained results.

Exploiting the Colloidal Stability and Solubilization Ability of Clay Nanotubes/Ionic Surfactant Hybrid Nanomaterials

Abstract: Halloysite clay nanotubes are functionalized by exploiting the different charges between the inner positive and the outer negative surfaces; accordingly, a selective adsorption is pursued by employing anionic and cationic surfactants. The obtained hybrid materials dispersed in aqueous phase are studied from the physicochemical viewpoint to investigate the colloidal stability that is a crucial parameter for applications. It is demonstrated that the adsorption of anionic surfactant into the HNTs lumen increases the net negative charge of the nanotubes enhancing the electrostatic repulsions and consequently the dispersion stability. The solubilization capability of these functionalized nanotubes toward hydrophobic compounds is demonstrated. This paper puts forward an easy strategy to prepare hybrid materials, like inorganic micelles, that can be used in water for solubilization and delivery of a hydrophobic compound by taking advantage of the sustainable and biocompatible properties.

PAI-1 Plasma Levels in a General Population Without Clinical Evidence of Atherosclerosis Relation to Environmental and Genetic Determinants

Abstract: Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) plasma levels have been consistently related to a polymorphism (4G/5G) of the PAI-1 gene. The renin-angiotensin pathway plays a role in the regulation of PAI-1 plasma levels. An insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene has been related to plasma and cellular ACE levels. In 1032 employees (446 men and 586 women; 22 to 66 years old) of a hospital in southern Italy, we investigated the association between PAI-1 4G/5G and the ACE I/D gene variants and plasma PAI-1 antigen levels. None of the individuals enrolled had clinical evidence of atherosclerosis. In univariate analysis, PAI-1 levels were significantly higher in men (P<.001), alcohol drinkers (P<.001), smokers (P=.009), and homozygotes for the PAI-1 gene deletion allele (4G/4G) (P=.012). Multivariate analysis documented the independent effect on PAI-1 plasma levels of body mass index (P<.001), triglycerides (P<.001), sex (P<.001), PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism (P=.019), smoking habit (P=.041), and ACE I/D genotype (P=.042). Thus, in addition to the markers of insulin resistance and smoking habit, gene variants of PAI-1 and ACE account for a significant portion of the between-individual variability of circulating PAI-1 antigen concentrations in a general population without clinical evidence of atherosclerosis.