Author: Farmacia

Covid-19: New guidelines for lessons, exams and graduation sessions starting April 7

Farmacia News
Covid-19: New guidelines for lessons, exams and graduation sessions starting April 7

Following the national and regional provisions announced for the next few hours, the Regional Committee of the Universities of Lazio has resolved that starting from Wednesday 7 April 2021 the following provisions will be applied:
Lessons (curricular and formative) will resume in presence with the possibility to attend online. Access to the classrooms will be limited to no more than 30% of students and regulated through reservations on the “Delphi” portal in compliance with the Mur Guidelines referred to in Annex 18 of the Prime Ministerial Decree of 02/14/2021.
Exams can be carried out in presence, ensuring the distancing rules and the use of PPE. In any case, an online session will also be provided, in order to ensure all students who request it (if unable to carry them out in presence for proven reasons, quarantine, or for documented health reasons or for foreign students unable to return to Italy) the opportunity to take the exam. Please note that the exams cannot be carried out in the studies, but only and exclusively in the classrooms of the Faculty / Macroarea already set up with the defined spacing.
Graduation sessions and final exams for the achievement of qualifiying titles can be held in presence in compliance with the M.U.R. (Ministry of University and Research) guidelines, allowing a maximum of two accompanying persons for each student. This method can be implemented as long as the distance and any other safety measures in relation to the number of undergraduates can be guaranteed: an assessment will be carried out by the Faculty Dean / Macro Area Coordinator. The possibility of carrying out the final tests remotely is allowed to students who make a justified request as they are unable to take it in presence for proven reasons eg. if you are in quarantine, or for documented health reasons or for foreign students unable to return to Italy.
Professional internships in the medical, dental and health professions areas, laboratory activities, exercises, and experiential activities may take place in person in compliance with the guidelines of the MUR referred to in Annex 18 of the Prime Ministerial Decree of 02/14/2021.
The University facilities, the research laboratories, will remain open allowing access to teachers and researchers by providing a smart working plan for the administrative and technical staff to guarantee services in compliance with the anti-covid regulations in force.
– The Rector Orazio Schillaci
Translated from the Italian Website

COVID-19: New Lockdown Starting March 15

Farmacia Events, News
COVID-19: New Lockdown Starting March 15

To the University Community.
Following the national and regional provisions that have been announced and which will be implemented in the next few hours, the Regional Committee of the Universities of Lazio (Comitato Regionale delle Università del Lazio) has resolved that starting from Monday, 15 March 2021 the following provisions will be applied:

– Attendance in presence of educational and curricular activities of all study courses is suspended. Bachelor degrees, master degrees, masters lessons and doctoral courses will continue remotely.
– Exams and graduation sessions are carried out remotely.
– University libraries and other structures that provide services to students will carry out their activities mainly at a distance.
– Professional internships in the medical, dental and health professions area, laboratory activities, exercises, and experiential activities may take place in person in compliance with the guidelines of the MUR referred to in Annex 18 of the Prime Ministerial Decree of 02/14/2021.

The University facilities will remain open, allowing access to teachers and providing a smart-working plan for the administrative and technical staff in order to ensure services in compliance with the anti-covid regulations in force.

The Rector

Translated from the Italian website

Erasmus+ Student Traineeship Consortium Call 2020/21

Farmacia News
Erasmus+ Student Traineeship Consortium Call 2020/21

Erasmus+ Student Traineeship Consortium Call for the allocation of 77 grants for 4-month traineeships abroad addressed to students regularly enrolled in a study course at Tor Vergata University of Rome. The Programme is co-financed by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and the European Commission.

Deadline and Applications
The online application will be available from 26/01/2021 at 20:00. The deadline for filling out the candidacy form is set on 26/02/2021, at 12:00
Nominations that are not validated by the candidate at the end of the compilation and whose data are incomplete or untrue will be considered invalid.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS | APPLY NOW

Info & Contacts
For further information, please contact:

Elisabetta Lunghi
Erasmus Student Traineeship Office
traineeship@erasmus.uniroma2.it

Learn Italian for Free: CLICI for International Students

Farmacia News
Learn Italian for Free: CLICI for International Students

CLICI – Centre for Italian language and culture of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” – organizes extensive Italian language courses for foreigners from 15 March to early June 2021.
In the second semester of the academic year 2020-2021, CLICI will provide online Italian language courses remotely.
The courses include 40 hours in synchronous mode (20 lessons of two hours each, held twice a week on the Zoom platform) + 20 hours in asynchronous mode for a total of 60 hours.
Official Grade Certificate
Students, who attend 70% of the 40 hours in synchronous mode and 70% of the activities in asynchronous mode, will be given a certificate of attendance and will be admitted to the final exam. Students, who pass the final test, will receive a final grade certificate.
Admissions and Enrollment
The courses are free for all foreign students enrolled at Tor Vergata University of Rome. It is possible to register from 31 December 2020 to 8 February 2021.
• Students who are absolute beginners in Italian language are requested to register on CLICI’s platform without taking the placement test.
• Students who are not beginners are requested to:
– register on the platform providing their personal information;
– choose a date to take an online interview for the speaking skills assessment (21, 26, 29 January, 5, 9, 12 February 2021);
– complete the online placement test that has to be taken remotely between 7 January and 10 February 2021 and up to two days before the online interview.
It is possible to book the online interview – which has to take place after completing the placement test – up to a week before.

All information on the enrolment procedure is available at clici.uniroma2.it
From the academic year 2020-2021, it’s also possible to attend asynchronous online courses in Italian language in self-learning modality provided in collaboration with the ICON – Italian Culture On the Net – Consortium.

All information is available on the CLICI website.

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CLICI contacts
Clici Office: Campus X, Via di Passolombardo 341, 00133 Roma
Email: info.linguaitaliana@uniroma2.it
Website: clici.uniroma2.it
Tel. +39 06 725991027-30

Parkinson’s disease: Research identifies a potential biomarker

Farmacia News
Parkinson’s disease: Research identifies a potential biomarker

For the first time, a team of researchers has shown a significant increase in the chemokine prokineticin 2 (PK2), a chemokine-like peptide, in the serum of patients with Parkinson’s disease. The results of this pilot study conducted by Cinzia Severini of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology of the National Research Council (Cnr-Ibbc), by Nicola Biagio Mercuri and Tommaso Schirinzi of the Neurological Clinic of the University of Rome Tor Vergata and by Roberta Lattanzi and Daniela Maftei from the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology of the Sapienza University of Rome have been published in Movement Disorders.
The study analyzed the blood of 31 patients with Parkinson’s disease and for the first time it was shown that serum levels of PK2 are significantly increased compared to healthy control subjects.
Cinzia Severini researcher of the CNR-Ibbc explains:
“PK2 is abundantly present in the central nervous system and is involved in various physiological and pathological functions including neuroinflammation. Experimental evidence has previously shown that PK2 is a factor that is activated early in nigrostriatal degeneration associated with Parkinson’s disease, suggesting its neuroprotective role through an action to restore mitochondrial damage.”
“The correlation between the increase in PK2 in serum and two markers of neurodegeneration in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF or CSF) of the same patients was particularly interesting, such as the beta amyloid1-42 protein and lactate. In particular, the increase in serum of PK2, associated with the higher levels of beta amyloid1-42 found in the CSF, may indicate a protective effect of this chemokine against the pathology at the level of neuronal synapses and the deposition of plaques of amyloid, common events in both Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.”
“Furthermore, this increase in PK2 correlates with the decrease in lactate levels in the CSF, an index of oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage, confirming the hypothesis of an antioxidant action and restoration of mitochondrial damage “.
These results suggest that PK2 may represent not only a potential early biomarker of the disease, but also a pharmacological target for the creation of potentially useful therapies in Parkinson’s disease.
“These encouraging preliminary data now need to be confirmed in a larger study, including a larger and heterogeneous sample of patients, and to evaluate additional biological tissues. The ultimate goal is to fully understand the role of PK2 in Parkinson’s disease, thus opening the way to possible clinical developments centered on this peptide “, concludes Severini.

Campus Party 2021: Circular Economy to Change the World

Farmacia Events
Campus Party 2021: Circular Economy to Change the World

Campus Party, the biggest innovation and creativity experience in the world is back on 28 and 29 January 2021 with Campus Party Spotlight, the first entirely digital global edition focused on circularity, sustainability, climate action and clean and accessible energy, implemented in partnership with Enel.

We will be talking about E-Mobility, Smart Cities, Urban Circular Economy and Open Innovability, but also research, startups, tourism and new tools and technologies for a sustainable future.
A totally free-of-charge online event with:
Talks, panels and interviews with international speakers and industry experts
Call4Ideas and online challenges to create innovative and sustainable solutions
A Job Factory Area to enable thousands of young people to find the job of the future.
The final stage of PlayEnergy 2020, the international prize competition promoted by Enel and Campus Party to bring young people between 7 and 18 years of age closer to the Circular Economy.
Campus Party Spotlight will also be the first stage of Road to EXPO Dubai, the approach path that Campus Party is dedicating to exploring the key topics of the Universal Exposition: sustainability, opportunities and mobility.
Join us for an immersive experience in the Circular Economy and become a protagonist of change.

BE THE CHANGE. JOIN THE LOOP.
REGISTER HERE

A history of Cat-Human Relationship: 2mln granted by ERC to the FELIX project

Farmacia Events
A history of Cat-Human Relationship: 2mln granted by ERC to the FELIX project

A research on the evolutionary history of the cat was awarded by the European Union with a grant of 2,000,000 euros. Molecular biologist Claudio Ottoni won the prestigious ERC Consolidator grant for the research project “FELIX – Genomes, food and microorganisms in the (pre) history of cat-human interactions”.
Claudio Ottoni, a graduate and a doctorate from Tor Vergata University, is one of the 17 Italian researchers who have been awarded this type of grant at universities or national research centers. Only another 30 Italians who work in foreign institutions have received the grant and .
The researcher will conduct his research, which will last five years, at the Centro di Antropologia molecolare per lo studio del DNA antico (Molecular Anthropology Center for the study of ancient DNA(, directed by Professor Olga Rickards, Department of Biology of Tor Vergata University.

 

Cats and Humans: a long lasting relationship
The relationship between humans and cats has been very intense since ancient times. “The FELIX project – explained Ottoni – will deal with the analysis of over 800 archaeological samples of cats (bones, teeth and even samples of Egyptian mummies) that date back to 10,000 years ago up to recent historical periods (18th – 19th century ). The samples come from archaeological sites in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa ».
A previous study, published in 2017 by the scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, showed that cats have essentially followed two routes in their history. A land route, which leads them to populate the Middle East and Anatolia when men began to cultivate the land about 10 thousand years ago; and one that passes through the maritime trade routes, from ancient Egypt to various European ports up to the North Sea, between the 8th and 11th centuries.
About the Research
The study will follow three investigative lines: One genomic line – in which whole genomes will be analyzed and not just mitochondrial DNA, and two new lines of research compared to the previous study: diet and microorganisms.
“We will do an analysis of the ancient cat genomes to investigate at a higher resolution than the 2017 study the selective processes associated with human interaction and the mixing between cat populations of different geographical areas (and also wild and domestic) , in particular in relation to the spread of the cat with human populations in prehistoric and historical times », explains Claudio Ottoni.

Claudio Ottoni of Tor Vergata University has been studying the cat-human relationship since 2016.

According to the research conducted so far, today’s cat is very similar to that of then: Few traits have changed due only to artificial selection or to those “chosen” by man purely for aesthetic reasons.
“We will also study how the cat’s diet has changed in association with humans, by analyzing stable isotopes, chemical markers of ancient diets, and dental tartar. Finally – concludes Ottoni – we will study the presence of any pathogenic microorganisms in ancient cats and how the human-cat relationship has determined the passage of particular infectious diseases to humans (zoonoses) “.
ERC Consolidator Grants: Italy the most awarded country
Italy with 47 researchers out of 327 grant winners, is the most awarded country in the 2020 edition of the ERC Consolidator Grants, established in 2013 by the European Research Council. The ERC Consolidator Grants are awards for researchers with an experience of between seven and twelve years from the completion of their PhD to answer the big scientific questions at research centers across Europe.
“A heartfelt thanks goes to the group of the International Research Office of the University of” Tor Vergata “- said the researcher – for all the technical support provided in the various stages of preparation of the project application”.

Useful Links:
– ERC Consolidator Grant 2020

YUFE launches Diploma Supplement Track

Farmacia News
YUFE launches Diploma Supplement Track

Imagine that you could create your own curriculum, choosing from academic courses offered at any of the YUFE universities. You could study, learn a language, do volunteer work, and professional training (virtually) in ten different countries. The information for organising your own individual learning experience will be at your fingertips and all activities and accomplishments will be acknowledged on your YUFE Diploma Supplement and, in the future, on a true European Diploma recognised throughout Europe. You could be part of the first group of students piloting our European University; the Young Universities for the Future of Europe.
Starting on Monday 30 November 2020 YUFE is opening its first version of the YUFE Diploma Supplement Track: The application period is open for 1 (one) week only, or shorter in case 40 students from your university have applied. Applications can be uploaded through the newly launched YUFE Virtual Campus until Sunday 6 December 2020, 23:59 CET. Since this year’s YUFE Diploma Supplement Track is still a pilot programme, we can only allow 40 students from each YUFE university to apply. When the application period is over, a selection committee will select the final 10 students per university based on their eligibility and motivation.
The YUFE Diploma Supplement Track offers you the opportunity to work on obtaining a minimum of 12 credits (ECTS) for academic courses at another YUFE university (via virtual, blended, and/or physical mobility), participate in the YUFE Academy and the induction courses, and take up activities leading up to the YUFE Stars all within a maximum period of 2 years.

YUFE Stars
At YUFE it is important to not only acknowledge your academic performance but also acknowledge your effort in mobility, language learning, professional training, job shadowing, and community volunteering. This is YUFE have created YUFE Stars, an innovative recognition system for activities with specific and personalised learning goals that not only relate to academic education in a European University setting. The YUFE Star System consists of 4 stars: the mobility star, the language star, the professional star and the civic star. They encourage students, staff and learners to pursue personal and professional development, while experiencing the possibility to contribute as individuals to society to activities with a Europe-wide impact.

YUFE Diploma Supplement
Upon completion of your YUFE journey, you will be rewarded with a YUFE Diploma Supplement, on which the YUFE Stars are also recognised.
You can earn the YUFE Diploma Supplement as a YUFE student, after fulfilling the below requirements:
Complete a minimum of 12 ECTS for (online/physical/blended) academic courses at another university in the YUFE Alliance than the university you are currently enrolled at; and
Complete a minimum of 2 YUFE Stars (including at least the Mobility Star); and
Participate in a minimum of 3 lectures from the YUFE Academy; and
Take part in all YUFE’s Induction courses on the YUFE Virtual Campus.
Remember: YUFE Diploma Supplement Track is a pilot activity and as such will be open only for a relatively small number of students.

Apply Now
See YUFE’s FAQ for more information on the YUFE Diploma Supplement Track.
The application process takes place through the YUFE Virtual Campus.