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2D‐shear wave elastographic features of normal and injured equine superficial digital flexor tendons
No full textSelection of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) production in a legume-based fermented beverage
No full textExpanding Diversity of Fused Steroid-Quinoline Hybrids by Sequential Amination/Annulation/Aromatization Reactions
No full textViable alternative approaches to a variety of ring A and ring D-fused steroid-quinoline hybrids, along with ring A, D-fused, and/or ring A-fused, side chain-substituted steroid-bis-quinolines were explored by means of sequential amination/annulation/aromatization reactions of suitable ketosteroids with 2-acyl-substituted anilines. Key factors directing the chemoselective behavior of polyfunctionalized substrates were investigated. Remarkably, the use of TMSOTf as an alternative promoter/catalyst enabled the direct synthesis of the desired hybrids, avoiding the protection/deprotection steps of the conventional procedures when the starting substrates contained labile functional groups
Intelligenza artificiale e M.O.G. 231 nell’era della compliance digitale
No full textIl D. Lgs. 231/2001 ha introdotto nel nostro sistema giuridico una inedita forma di responsabilità da reato degli enti, segnando una svolta radicale rispetto ad una tradizione culturale e giuridica che considerava la persona fisica quale unico destinatario della sanzione punitiva.
All’interno del “sistema 231” una posizione di preminente rilevanza è assunta dai cd. modelli di organizzazione e gestione: veri e propri protocolli operativi di organizzazione inquadrabili tra gli strumenti di gestione del rischio d’impresa. L’adozione e l’efficace attuazione di tali modelli organizzativi assume una funzione esimente della responsabilità della persona giuridica (ex art.6, comma 1, lett. a)).
La predisposizione dei cd. “M.O.G.”, com’è agevole intuire, presuppone una efficace mappatura del rischio d’impresa a cui deve necessariamente seguire la predisposizione di un sistema di controllo basato sugli specifici rischi-reato individuati nelle diverse aree in cui si articola l’attività dell’ente.
Al riguardo, la prassi ci restituisce l’impiego frequente di software di intelligenza artificiale nella predisposizione dei modelli di organizzazione e gestione. Simili programmi avrebbero la possibilità di apprendere strategie efficaci, adattandole al caso concreto, senza la necessità di un nuovo intervento del programmatore grazie al cd. Black box algorithms.
L’imperversare di questa inedita digital criminal compliance dischiude innumerevoli problematiche di sistema. Da un lato, il ricorso a modelli fondati esclusivamente sulla programmazione prestabilita dal creatore reca con sé il rischio che il sistema risponda predisponendo misure analoghe per contesti societari simili, ma non identici. Dall’altro lato, l’imprevedibilità dei sistemi dotati di maching learning impedirebbe all’ente di “governare” adeguatamente il software.
Da ultimo, non possono essere certamente trascurati gli inevitabili risvolti che simili programmi potrebbero avere in tema di accertamento della responsabilità dell’ente per colpa organizzativa: occorrerà domandarsi se anche le società programmatrici dei software di compliance siano da ritenersi rivestite di una posizione di garanzia nella corretta gestione dei programmi
Assessing the effects of biostimulants on spinach through a Field-to-Lab approach for PET imaging
No full textTo address the increasing demand for chemical-conscious food production, agricultural practices are shifting toward optimized provisioning strategies, ensuring food security while minimizing environmental impact. These strategies emphasize the judicious use of Plant Biostimulants (PBs) and their effectiveness can be quantitatively assessed with minimally invasive imaging techniques like Positron Emission Tomography (PET). However, conventional PET imaging methods remain limited. First, plants studied under hyper-controlled laboratory conditions do not reflect the real-world environmental complexity. Second, plant uprooting for root-administration of radiotracers damages the rhizosphere, undermining the reproducibility of PET-based assessments. To overcome these challenges, we propose a novel Field-to-Lab protocol that integrates in-field plant growth with laboratory-based digital PET imaging, preserving plant integrity. This approach begins with cultivating plants in farmland until the desired phenological stage. Afterwards, a cylinder is used for coring plants with their surrounding soil, maintaining the root-microbiome interactions. Samples are transported to the laboratory, where radiotracers are applied to the taproot. Following PET imaging, the samples can be returned to the original site and replanted, enabling longitudinal and follow-up studies. The Field-to-Lab approach was validated by evaluating the effects of PBs on spinach. Results from PET imaging were compared with gold-standard agronomic trait analysis. Pairwise comparisons between treated and untreated samples confirmed the robustness of the method, yielding highly significant results (p <0.01 for agronomic analysis, p <0.001 for PET imaging). These findings demonstrate the potential of the Field-to-Lab method as a minimally invasive and reproducible approach for assessing plant responses to biostimulants under realistic environmental conditions
An Ocean of data: eDNA metabarcoding provides useful data on aquatic species and metacommunity
No full textAdvancements
in sequencing technologies have boosted the expansion of environmen tal DNA (
applications as a powerful tool for aquatic biodiversity monitoring and marine resources management.
In this study, we employed universal primers Tele02 and MiFish [ which target the 12s rRNA gene of
teleosts, along with MarVer1 for marin e mammals [ to investigate the presence of bottlenose dolphins
Tursiops truncatus and sympatric fish species along the southwest coast of Ireland. During the survey
on the Celtic Mist Research Vessel, as part of the Shannon Dolphin Project, a dual sam pling approach
was used: active sampling via filtration of 5 L seawater through 0.45 μm filters, and passive sampling
using roll gauzes [ Extracted eDNA underwent PCR amplification and high throughput Illumina
sequencing on a Next2000 sequencer (600 cyc le cartridge). Reads were processed with Vsearch and
taxonomically assigned with the fish database MitoFish and the general NCBI database. T. truncatus was
recorded at 12 of the 17 surveyed sites, basking sharks Cetorhinus maximus) at two, and the common
dolphins Delphinus delphis) at one. Among the primers tested, Tele02 showed higher amplification
efficiency and detection sensitivity, corroborating T. truncatus visual sightings (detected in 10/12 filters
and all rolls). Notably, Tele02 also outperformed MiFish in detecting C. maximus at low relative
abundance ( in one passive sample. Unexpectedly, at a site where four D. delphis were visually
confirmed, eDNA analysis detected only T. truncatus (RRA filter 10.29%, roll 3.84%), suggesting either
inco mplete primer specificity or potential species misassignment. Interestingly, the most recurrent fish
taxa detected during dolphin sightings included Scomber scombrus, Sardinia pilchardus, Hyperoplus
lanceolatus/Ammodytes marinus, Clupea harengus, Chelon la brosus, Dicentrarchus labrax Overall,
this study highlights the versatility of the Tele02 primer in the simultaneous detection of marine
mammals, cartilaginous fish, and teleosts, offering multi species data to support ecosystem monitoring
and conservati on efforts
The Invisible Influence: Can Endocrine Disruptors Reshape Behaviors Across Generations?
No full textAmong the numerous compounds released as a result of human activities, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have attracted particular attention due to their widespread detection in human biological samples and their accumulation across various ecosystems. While early research primarily focused on their effects on reproductive health, it is now evident that EDCs may impact neurodevelopment, altering the integrity of neural circuits essential for cognitive abilities, emotional regulation, and social behaviors. These compounds may elicit epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation, that result in altered expression patterns, potentially affecting multiple generations and contribute to long-term behavioral phenotypes. The effects of EDCs may occur though both direct and indirect mechanisms, ultimately converging on neurodevelopmental vulnerability. In particular, the gut–brain axis has emerged as a critical interface targeted by EDCs. This bidirectional communication network integrates the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. By altering the microbiota composition, modulating immune responses, and triggering epigenetic mechanisms, EDCs can act on multiple and interconnected pathways. In this context, elucidating the impact of EDCs on neurodevelopmental processes is crucial for advancing our understanding of their contribution to neurological and behavioral health risks
