Italy Archives

The role of testosterone in SARS-CoV-2 infection

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Dr Marta Camici investigates the link between low testosterone levels and the severity of COVID-19 cases in patients

Data from multiple countries has shown gender imbalances in COVID-19 severity and risk of mortality, with worse outcomes seen in men. To explore why male gender is a major risk factor for more severe disease, Marta Camici, of The Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases (IRCCS), has explored the links between testosterone and COVID-19. Her research findings suggest that […]

Understanding the atomic and electronic structure of solid-density liquid carbon

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How fast does a solid melt? You might think quite slowly, on a timescale of minutes to hours. However, recent experiments by Dr Emiliano Principi and his team at the FERMI free electron laser show that the melting of carbon by a laser pulse is actually an ultrafast, nonthermal process – taking less than a billionth of a second. By […]

Asbestos and bile duct cancer

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Professor Giovanni Brandi and Dr Simona Tavolari, from the University of Bologna, study the association between asbestos exposure and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Case-control analyses in Italy and four Nordic countries found strong associations between occupational exposure to asbestos and ICC. Therefore, asbestos is suggested as a risk factor for ICC development. This could be due to asbestos fibres becoming trapped […]

Recycling de-inked paper sludge in plant growing substrates

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The recycled paper industry produces tons of waste with resulting disposal costs and environmental impacts. Francesca Bretzel from the Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems, National Research Council of Italy, and colleagues examined the suitability of de-inked paper sludge (DPS), in pellet form, as a sustainable component of growing media for plants. Their studies include its use in substrates for […]

UAS-based Environmental Monitoring: Improving data collection through a standardised workflow

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Unmanned Aerial System photo across the electromagnetic specturm

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) play an increasingly important role in collecting data for environmental monitoring. The primary challenges for UAS in environmental studies include creating consistent, standardised guidelines for data collection and establishing practices that apply to a range of environments. Dr Salvatore Manfreda from the University of Naples Federico II, along with the HARMONIOUS team, identified critical steps in […]

The Benefits of Exercise on the Mind

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Music and performance arts are linked with increased cognitive function.

Exercise has long been advocated as a way to enhance physical health, but it has also been shown to have several benefits on the mind. More recently, research has focused on how exercise can improve cognitive function. Over the past three decades, Drs Phillip D. Tomporowski and Caterina Pesce from the University of Georgia and the University of Rome, respectively, […]

The periphery: Where radical innovation occurs

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Gino Cattani is Professor of Management and Organization at the Stern School of Business, and Simone Ferriani is Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Bologna. Both professors have researched creativity and entrepreneurship independently but they’ve come together for a common goal: to solve the Core-Periphery Conundrum. Why is it that resources are concentrated among those who conform, when the […]

New insights into the strong interaction with strange exotic atoms

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The strong interaction plays a fundamental role in our universe. The difficulty of performing precision measurements has limited our understanding of this interaction. Dr Catalina Curceanu at the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Frascati-Rome is leading ambitious new efforts to study and measure the strong interaction in her lab. Her team’s work is centred around an intriguing form […]

Metabiology and the complexity of natural evolution

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In his study of metabiology, Arturo Carsetti, from the University of Rome Tor Vergata, reviews existing theories and explores novel concepts regarding the complexity of biological systems while demonstrating the role of information processing and mathematical reasoning. On the basis of what is claimed by Gregory Chaitin, he perceives evolution as a hill-climbing random walk in software space, making biology mathematical […]

Coastline evolution: The rise and fall of sea level through time

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The geological formation of coastlines tells us a lot about sea level change.

Changes in global sea level have been ongoing throughout the Earth’s geological history, driven by the growth and decay of ice sheets. The Last Glacial Maximum – when ice sheets were at their greatest extent – occurred as early human communities were developing, often focused in coastal areas such as the Mediterranean Basin. Dr Emanuele Lodolo of the National Institute […]