This PhD thesis summarises a study of the nanostructuration of single molecule magnets and organic radicals on metallic surfaces, carried out by the author in collaboration with a number of research groups in Italy, France, Germany and Israel. A tailored approach was followed to graft individual molecules to the surface, to characterise the morphology of the functionalised surfaces with standard scanning probe microscopy and to investigate their magnetic properties using X-Ray circular dichroism. The aim of this project was to develop the initial basis for the organisation and addressing of magnetic molecules with a view to the development of single molecule devices for data storage and molecular-spintronic applications.

A comprehensive overview of this rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field of research. After a short introduction to the basics of magnetism and molecular magnetism, the text goes on to cover specific properties of molecular magnetic materials as well as their current and future applications. Design strategies for acquiring molecular magnetic materials with desired physical properties are discussed, as are such multifunctional materials as high Tc magnets, chiral and luminescent magnets, magnetic sponges as well as photo- and piezo-switching magnets. The result is an excellent resource for materials scientists, chemists, physicists and crystal engineers either entering or already working in the field.

The present work explores brain functional changes in drug-naïve Parkinson's disease (PD) patients by means of molecular imaging techniques. Thirty-one consecutive drug-naïve PD patients from the Neurological Clinic of the University of Flor-ence underwent clinical assessment, neuropsychological assessment, MRI, [123I]FP-CIT SPECT, [18F]FDG PET. First, [18F]FDG-PET was employed to identify in drug-naïve PD patients brain metabolic alteration uniquely related to disease process and not modulated by anti-parkinsonian therapeutic intervention. Second, [18F]FDG-PET and [123I]FP-CIT SPECT were employed together to explore the early functional changes in brain function related to dopaminergic depletion in the putamen and in the caudate nucleus.

Purinergic nucleotides and nucleosides (ATP, ADP, AMP and adenosine) are essential intracellular metabolites involved in a number of cellular processes, from energy supply to protein phosphorylation. However, in the last years, several studies demonstrated their involvement in cell signalling by the activation of specific membrane receptors (P1 and P2) and their role as neurotransmitters began to be investigated. The present work was aimed to clarify the effects of purinergic neurotransmission in different cell systems by using electrophysiological techniques. Relevant results of this research include the observation that P1 and P2 receptors play a deleterious role during "in vitro" ischemia in the rat brain, and the first demonstration of P2 receptor expression and function in a line of adult human mesenchymal stem cells.

New Developments for Nanosensors in Pharmaceutical Analysis presents an overview of developments in nanosensor usage in pharmaceutical analysis, thereby helping pharmaceutical companies attain reliable, precise, and accurate analysis of pharmaceuticals. This book presents very simple, precise, sensitive, selective, fast, and relatively inexpensive methods for pre-treatment, prior to analysis. These methods may be considered for further application in clinical studies and assays. The book includes the manufacturing of sensors for pharmaceutical analysis at nano- or smaller scales, and gives simple and relatable designs for the fabrication of sensors. Twelve chapters cover an introduction to the topic, immobilization techniques, mechanism effect of nanomaterials on structure, optical nanosensors for pharmaceutical detection, chemical nanosensors in pharmaceutical analysis, noble metal nanoparticles in electrochemical analysis of drugs, photo-electrochemical nanosensors for drug analysis, molecularly imprinted polymer based nanosensors for pharmaceutical analysis, nanomaterials for drug delivery systems, nanomaterials enriched nucleic acid-based biosensors, nanosensors in biomarker detection, and nanomaterials-based enzyme biosensors for electrochemical applications. - Presents nanosensor types, synthesis, immobilizations and applications in different fields - Gives simple repeatable designs for the fabrication of sensors for pharmaceutical analysis - Details how to carry out sensitive analysis of pharmaceuticals using nanosensors - Describes how to synthesize and immobilize nanosensors, and how nanosensors can be applied in drug assay - Proposes innovative ways to optimize pharmaceutical processes with nanosensors

One of the most important tools to investigate the chemical history of our Galaxy and our own Solar System is to measure the isotopic fractionation of chemical elements. In the present study new astronomical observations devoted to the study of hydrogen and nitrogen fractionation (D/H and 14N/15N ratios) of molecules, towards massive star-forming regions in different evolutionary phases, have been presented. Moreover, a new detailed theoretical study of carbon fractionation, 12C/13C ratios, has been done. One of the main results was the confirmation that the 14N/15N ratio increases with the galactocentric distance, as predicted by stellar nucleosynthesis Galactic chemical evolution models. This work gives new important inputs on the understanding of local chemical processes that favor the production of molecules with different isotopes in star-forming regions.

Sporadic cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) is considered to be among the most commonly known neuropathological processes in the brain, hosting a crucial role in stroke, cognitive impairment, and functional loss in elderly subjects. We investigated clinical (neuroimaging and cognitive) biomarkers in the SVD, through a series of analyses from our five studies. Sporadic cerebral SVD is a complex 'micro-world' to be globally considered. All the relevant lesion types and SVD neuroimaging burden should be taken into account. The cumulative effects of microangiopathy burden in the brain of patients affected by SVD are crucial. Cognitive rehabilitation could represent a promising approach to prevent vascular dementia or to improve cognitive performances in patients with cerebral SVD. Longitudinal studies may provide more robust information about the progression and prognostic significance of our findings.

Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) result from a disruption in the process of the human brain cortex formation: currently, there are no pharmacological treatments for diffuse MCDs. Next-generation sequencing has accelerated the identification of MCDs causing genes: in some cases, functional studies are needed to clarify the role of genetic variants. The aim of this PhD project has been to apply a multidisciplinary approach to identify causative mutations in patients with MCDs, validate the pathogenic role of the identified mutations, and assess the effectiveness of novel in vitro treatment for mTOR pathway related MCDs.

In this work the central area of Corsica island was studied in order to reconstruct the tectono-metamorphic history of the continental and oceanic high pressure units that occupy the structurally deeper levels of the tectonic stacking of Alpine Corsica and their stratigraphic and structural relationship with the European margin (Hercynian Corsica). The study includes the geological mapping, the mesoscale and microscale structural analysis, the acquisition of chemical analyzes and micromaps with the microprobe, thermobarometric estimation through specific methodologies for metapelites, U-Th-Pb dating of zircons and allanites. The results obtained allows to reconstruct the geodynamic model of this sector of the Alpine belt from the Permian to the Burdigalian.

This thesis presents a numerical model capable of simulating offshore wind turbines exposed to extreme loading conditions. External condition-based extreme responses are reproduced by coupling a fully nonlinear wave kinematic solver with a hydro-aero-elastic simulator. First, a two-dimensional fully nonlinear wave simulator is developed. The transient nonlinear free surface problem is formulated assuming the potential theory and a high-order boundary element method is implemented to discretize Laplace's equation. For temporal evolution a second-order Taylor series expansion is used. The code, after validation with experimental data, is successfully adopted to simulate overturning plunging breakers which give rise to dangerous impact loads when they break against wind turbine substructures. Emphasis is then placed on the random nature of the waves. Indeed, through a domain decomposition technique a global simulation framework embedding the numerical wave simulator into a more general stochastic environment is developed. The proposed model is meant as a contribution to meet the more and more pressing demand for research in the offshore wind energy sector as it permits taking into account dangerous effects on the structural response so as to increase the global structural safety level.