Reactions in volatile organic solvents (VOCs) have served as important methods for carbon-carbon bond formation. The release of VOCs into the environment, however, still remains a matter of great concern, and a number of regulations are currently in place to control their use.

The present proposal stems from the observation that a number of molecules involved in NAD metabolism (enzymes, precursors and NAD itself; that we herein refer to as the NADome) are parodoxically also found extracellularly. Importantly, the proposers have developed a monoclonal antibody targeting one of these extracellular enzymes, nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT), and have found it to significantly reduce the symptoms/damage in two separate murine models of inflammatory bowel disease.

In the last decades, statistical mechanics pushed its frontiers to encompass systems which fall outside the standard equilibrium framework. Paradigmatic examples are non-equilibrium systems such as granular and active matter for which, either due to dissipative interactions or as a consequence of "self-driven motility", even basic thermodynamic quantities, such as temperature and pressure, are not well defined.

The goal of the project is the development and the experimentation of a novel methodology for the specification, implementation and validation of trustworthy smart systems based on formal methods.

Clathrate hydrates are crystalline structures where water molecule cages host gas molecules. Natural deposits of methane hydrates are mainly found at the margins of the continental platforms, where the formation is favored by the presence of organic material and the appropriate pressure and temperature conditions. Natural gas hydrates (NGH) constitute the largest reservoir of natural gas on the planet.

The aging process is associated with a decline in the function of our senses (Age Related Sensory Decline or ARSD). Sensory deficits may explain why elderly people report poorer quality of life and challenges in interacting with the environment and other people. Little is known regarding genetics and environmental/lifestyle risk factors for ARSD.

Based on recent investigations, 1455 endemic taxa occur in Italy, representing 18% of the national native vascular flora. This makes this country the second richest in the Mediterranean area. Many of these taxa were described solely on a qualitative morphological basis and without sufficient consideration of other biological and/or ecological aspects. Hence, many significant case studies can be selected among Italian endemics to exemplify a new, integrative approach to plant systematics and taxonomy.

Adequate social stimuli, especially during childhood, are critical for future wellbeing and for the development of appropriate social and cognitive skills. Conversely, adverse social experiences in the early stages of postnatal life are associated with altered neuronal development, leading to cognitive, emotional and social impairment, greater susceptibility to the onset of psychiatric illness, such as drug addiction and eating disorders.

We focus on volcanic solidification processes of silicate systems. We quantify vesicularity, texture and crystal-chemistry of minerals of key pyroclasts and lavas from well constrained eruptions of Etna and Stromboli. Phenocrysts (ph) and bubbles grown into reservoirs at constant P and T will be discriminated from micro-phenocrysts (mph) and microlites (mic) solidified during magma ascent (P varying) and after eruption (T varying).

Autophagy is a ubiquitous intracellular degradation pathway, tightly controlled by more than 35 genes to secure cell homeostasis. This process acts at basal levels to maintain a continuous and effective intracellular clearance but it may also be induced in a number of stress conditions. Further, a selective process termed Mitophagy triggers the dismissal of damaged or useless mitochondria; it is strictly regulated by a number of specific factors, among which the mitochondria-ER contact sites.