University of Bari Aldo Moro
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Molecular and Morphological Characterization of the Entomopathogenic Nematode Oscheius cyrus (Nematoda: Rhabditidae) and Molecular Variability of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora from Georgia (Caucasus)
No full textAbstract: Surveys were conducted in the village of Shamgona in the Samegrelo Region of
West Georgia, and two nematode species belonging to the Oscheius genus and a population
of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were isolated. Integrative diagnosis, combining morphology,
PCA, sequencing and phylogeny, was carried for Oscheius sp. from the soil of hazelnut
orchard. This population shows high similarity at morphological and morphometrical
levels with O. cyrus from Iran, and the main distinctive features with O. cyrus from Iran
are the presence of eight lateral lines and males. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses by
using ITS, D2–D3 expansion domains of the 28S rRNA gene, the partial 18S rRNA gene,
and the mitochondrial COI confirmed the identification as O. cyrus. A second population of
Oscheius sp. and H. bacteriophora was characterized only at the molecular and phylogenetic
level. The phylogenetic analyses, based on ITS and D2–D3 expansion domains, revealed
the occurrence of O. insectivorus in Georgia grouping with O. insectivorus sequences with
high support. The phylogenetic trees of H. bacteriophora, based on D2–D3 expansion
domains, ITS, the partial 18S rRNA gene, and mitochondrial COI confirmed the high
variability among geographical populations. The present study reports on the occurrence of
two species of Oscheius in Georgia for the first time
Lavoro straniero e dignità: questioni pedagogiche
No full textIl lavoro rappresenta un elemento cruciale per l’integrazione sociale e la valorizzazione delle persone migranti, ma spesso è segnato da dinamiche di esclusione e sfruttamento che ne minano la dignità. La pedagogia del lavoro, con il suo approccio inclusivo e formativo, è chiamata a promuovere percorsi educativi capaci di valorizzare le competenze e i diritti dei lavoratori stranieri. Questo implica la costruzione di luoghi lavorativi – non solo fisici – che rispettino le diversità culturali e il riconoscimento della persona come centro dell’agire professionale. Necessario, dunque, ripensare in toto l’approccio alle questioni, costruendo le condizioni per trasformare il lavoro in un luogo di coesione sociale e di emancipazione, valorizzando la dignità umana, le relazioni educative e il senso di comunità.Work represents a crucial element for the social integration and empowerment of migrants but is often marked by dynamics of exclusion and exploitation that undermine their dignity. The pedagogy of work, with its inclusive and formative approach, is called upon to promote educational pathways capable of enhancing the skills and rights of foreign workers. This requires the construction of workplaces - both physical and metaphorical - that respect cultural diversity and recognize the person as the center of professional action. It is therefore necessary to entirely rethink the approach to these issues, creating conditions to transform work into a space for social cohesion and emancipation, while valuing human dignity, educational relationships and a sense of community
Chemically functionalized Eggs capsules of Sea Snail (ess) banded dye-murex for bioremediation applications
Full text linkamong materials proposed in literature to remediate the environment, biohybrid composites at the interface between material science, chemistry and biology are the most promising. In this paper, we first contemplate the use of porous capsules, released by marine murex snails after eggs hatching, as a natural matrix capable of adsorbing organic pollutants. This study starts to investigate chemical and morphological features of this envisaging, unexplored protein material. Then, the chemical topography of egg capsules has been potentiated via a surface decoration with the polyphenol gallic acid, leading to enhance the bioremediation potential of the final biohybrid material. This moiety helped to give a huge activation of the adsorption towards a specific organic pollutant: the drug Tetracycline. The bioorganic methodology begins with bioconjugation via direct targeting of the exposed Lysine residues with polyphenol moieties. The material was morphologically investigated via high-resolution X-ray micro-computed tomography (HR X-ray μ-CT), and characterized using Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transformed Infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR), micro-IR, elemental, and BET analysis, after the bioorganic decoration. For the in vitro environmental remediation test, Tetracycline was chosen as a model drug molecule, and the specific adsorption was tested concerning the mass of the investigated material, different pH conditions (considering limit values), till evaluating the recycle of the material. The functionalization efficiently sparked the properties of the starting material, leading to an increase in the biosorption of the model urban pharmaceutical pollutant Tetracycline. Compared to the natural material, the functionalized matrix showed a sorbing capacity 12.5 times higher, leading to the sorption of about 25 mmol of Tetracycline per g of sorbent. In addition, the functionalized material remained active up to 5 sorption cycles. This outcome represents an achievement made from the combination of natural materials and Nature inspired molecular moieties to act as efficient platforms for self-cleaning, leading to environmental remediation
La sostenibilità e la tutela ambientale alla luce della nuova PAC 23-27: un case study sul Complemento di Sviluppo Regionale Pugliese.
No full textIl nuovo Piano Strategico Nazionale (PSN) affronta le sfide lanciate a livello europeo dal Green Deal e dal pacchetto di strategie che ne costituiscono la struttura (Farm to Fork , Strategia sulla Biodiversità per il 2030 e Azione Climatica ), e intende perseguire gli obiettivi specifici declinati dalla Riforma della Politica Agricola Comune (PAC) 2023-2027, dal Regolamento relativo al Dispositivo per la Ripresa e la Resilienza . L’obiettivo generale della Strategia è quindi quello di sviluppare sinergie tra interventi e massimizzare il contributo del sistema agricolo, alimentare, forestale al conseguimento degli obiettivi e delle priorità internazionali ed europee. Nondimeno, la Strategia si prefigge di delineare un quadro di intervento pubblico organico che, partendo dagli strumenti di policy cofinanziati dall’UE, consenta di tratteggiare il ruolo delle politiche nazionali per il settore agricolo, alimentare e forestale, anche in vista del ridisegno della regolamentazione degli aiuti di Stato. La Strategia nazionale dovrà rappresentare, quindi, la cornice programmatoria a cui fare riferimento per utilizzare in forma integrata e complementare tutte le risorse finanziarie disponibili (PAC, PNRR, Politica di coesione, Fondo sviluppo e coesione, altre politiche nazionali e regionali), individuando di volta in volta gli strumenti più idonei per massimizzare l’efficienza e l’efficacia dell’azione pubblica per agire su un quadro, così importante e complesso. L’Italia è intenzionata a rafforzare il ruolo strategico del settore agricolo, alimentare e forestale nell’ambito del complessivo sistema economico nazionale e nel contesto europeo e internazionale. Le scelte fondamentali che orienteranno il Piano Strategico della PAC 2023-27 (PSP) riguardano in primo luogo, la transizione ecologica del settore agricolo, alimentare e forestale, infatti in totale circa 10 miliardi di euro, tra I e II pilastro, sono destinati ad interventi con chiare finalità ambientali, a cui se ne aggiungono altri che concorrono comunque alla transizione ecologica del nostro sistema produttivo. In questo quadro grande importanza assumeranno i 5 eco-schemi nazionali, a cui sarà destinato il 25% delle risorse degli aiuti diretti, che sosterranno le aziende nell’adozione di pratiche agro-ecologiche per la sostenibilità climatico-ambientale. In secondo luogo, con il nuovo PSN viene effettuato un importante investimento sul benessere animale per il rilancio della zootecnia in un’ottica sostenibile. Alla luce delle numerose misure europee di carattere finanziario e di revisione della normativa prevista dalla nuova PAC 23-27, il progetto di ricerca si propone di analizzare in primo luogo: il Reg. 2115/2021 avente ad oggetto la governance nell’ambito del New Delivery Model; nonché il sistema dei pagamenti diretti e la nuova condizionalità rafforzata prevista dal primo pilastro della PAC; ed in secondo luogo, gli interventi previsti nell’ambito dello Sviluppo rurale. Infine, un’attenzione particolare è stata riservata al Complemento di Sviluppo Regionale Pugliese, relativamente agli interventi di Sviluppo Rurale attivati
Patologie del basso tratto genitale femminile: nuove prospettive a fronte delle recenti acquisizioni scientifiche
No full textNel Mondo secondo le stime dell’International Agency for Research on Cancer vi sono 348.000 decessi per cancro cervicale solo nel 2022 ed oltre il 90% si è verificato nei paesi a basso e medio reddito.
Questa malattia nel 99% dei casi è quasi sempre causata dallo Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
per cui è partita la ‘Call to action’ promosse dall’Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanità,
dalla European CanCer Organisation e dallo ‘Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan’ della Commissione Europea di fine di promuovere nuove strategie finalizzate ad eliminare il tumore della cervice uterina entro il 2030.
Pertanto questa ricerca ha l’obiettivo di promuovere delle strategie innovative per eradicare l’HPV e di conseguenza il carcinoma cervicale per cui sono state avviate delle ricerche parallele con questa finalità.
Tra queste in particolare è emersa l’importanza del microbiota nel condizionare il sistema immunitario endogeno vaginale, cervicale ed endometriale e come il trattamento con i probiotici
possa essere di supporto in associazione ad una corretta alimentazione.
Dati molto importanti inoltre derivano dall’utilizzo del vaccino nelle pazienti trattate con una riduzione delle recidive fino al 95% in particolare nei casi di trattamento ottimale (ovvero con residuo minimo o nullo di malattia).
Per migliorare sia la diagnosi colposcopica che i trattamenti chirurgici è necessario istituire dei sistemi di controllo di qualità per la diagnosi colposcopica e citologica ma anche dei training periodici per i trattamenti chirurgici.
Per questo abbiamo collaborato con la società Italiana di colposcopia (SICPCV) per creare un team di esperti che periodicamente possano sottoporre gli specialisti dedicati ai controlli di qualità.
Inoltre, ci si è resi conto di come la cervice uterina rimanga un distretto molto difficilmente esplorabile. Pertanto bisogna integrare lo studio della endocervicoscopia con marcatori capaci di evidenziare le lesioni e strumentazione idonea per eseguire biopsie incisionali ed escissionali.
Per migliorare la compliance delle pazienti durante queste prestazioni, la tecnologia ci offre il supporto dei visori della Virtual Reality che sembrano riducano la percezione del dolore soprattutto se in modalità “Attiva”.
Infine, trovandoci nell’ era “medicina di precisione “abbiamo avviato la ricerca per lo studio dell’intelligenza artificiale e colposcopia. Crediamo che in futuro, questo settore potrà crescere enormemente mediante il supporto del machine learning, favorendo la scelta di un management personalizzato sulla scorta dei fattori di rischio di progressione delle lesioni HPV-correlate specifiche di ciascun paziente.According to estimates by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there are 348,000 deaths from cervical cancer in the world in 2022 alone, and more than 90% occurred in low- and middle-income countries. Cervical cancer in 99% of cases is almost always caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) for which the 'Call to action' promoted by the World Health Organization was launched, by the European CanCer Organisation and the European Commission's 'Europe's Beating Cancer Plan' to promote new strategies aimed at eliminating cervical cancer by 2030.
Therefore, this research aims to promote innovative strategies in order to achieve this goal.
Particularly, we reported the importance of the microbiota in conditioning the endogenous vaginal, cervical and endometrial immune system and how treatment with probiotics can be of support in association with proper nutrition. Furthermore, very important data derive from the use of the vaccine in patients treated with a reduction in recurrences of up to 95%, particularly in cases of optimal treatment (with minimal or no residual disease). To improve both diagnosis and surgical treatments, it is necessary to establish a quality control system for colposcopic / cytological diagnosis and periodic training for surgical treatments. As a consequence, we have collaborated with the Italian Society of Colposcopy (SICPCV) in order to create a team of experts who can periodically subject dedicated specialists to quality controls. In addition, it has been realized that the uterine cervix remains a very difficult district to explore. Therefore, it is necessary to integrate the study of endocervicoscopy with markers capable of highlighting lesions and suitable instrumentation to perform incisional and excisional biopsies. To improve patient compliance during these services, technology offers us the support of Virtual Reality headsets that seem to reduce the perception of pain especially if in "Active" mode. Finally, in view of the "precision medicine" era, we started research for the application of artificial intelligence to colposcopy. We believe that in the future, this sector will enormously grow, favoring the choice of personalized management based on the HPV risk factors for progression specific for each patient
Controllabilità e stabilità per equazioni di evoluzione degeneri di tipo Eulero-Bernoulli
No full textLa controllabilità e la stabilità delle equazioni differenziali alle derivate parziali governate da operatori lineari degeneri costituiscono un argomento importante sia dal punto di vista teorico sia dal punto di vista delle applicazioni. In particolare, questa tesi si concentra sulla controllabilità e sulla stabilità per equazioni delle travi unidimensionali di tipo Eulero-Bernoulli caratterizzate dalla presenza di operatori degeneri rispetto alla variabile spaziale.
Precisamente, i sistemi considerati possono essere visti come problemi di Cauchy astratti su opportuni spazi di Hilbert, le cui funzioni possiedono buone proprietà di integrabilità e soddisfano formule di Gauss-Green fondamentali. Pertanto, la buona positura di tali problemi può essere trattata nel contesto della teoria dei semigruppi di operatori e, quindi, si possono dimostrare risultati di esistenza così come di dissipatività dei sistemi. Inoltre, sia i risultati di controllabilità sia quelli di stabilità sono ottenuti mediante l'approccio energetico e il metodo dei moltiplicatori.
La tesi è divisa in cinque capitoli e la loro organizzazione segue un approccio semplice e diretto che conduce facilmente sia ai principali risultati ottenuti nel periodo del dottorato sia ad alcuni nuovi problemi aperti. Per rendere l'esposizione della tesi più agevole e indipendente, nel primo capitolo sono riportati tutti gli strumenti preliminari che saranno utilizzati nei capitoli successivi. Nel secondo capitolo sono riportati alcuni recenti sviluppi sulla controllabilità di equazioni degeneri delle travi quando il controllo è localizzato nel punto di bordo di non degenerazione. Queste equazioni sono considerate anche nel terzo capitolo, dove se ne studia la stabilità attraverso un termine di damping che agisce, anche in questo caso, sul punto di non degenerazione. Questi risultati sono poi utilizzati nel quarto capitolo, dove si dimostra la stabilità di equazioni degeneri non lineari delle travi. La tesi si conclude con il quinto capitolo, dove vengono sintetizzati alcuni problemi aperti già presentati nei capitoli precedenti.Controllability and stability of partial differential equations ruled by linear degenerate operators constitute an important topic in both theory and real world applications. In particular, this thesis focuses on the controllability and the stability for one-dimensional beam equations of Euler-Bernoulli type affected by leading degenerate operators with respect to the spatial variable.
Precisely, the systems under consideration can be viewed as abstract Cauchy problems on suitable Hilbert spaces, whose functions possess good integrability properties and satisfy fundamental Gauss-Green formulas. Therefore, the well-posedness of the problems can be treated in the framework of semigroup theory and, thus, existence results as well as dissipativeness of the systems can be achieved. Then, both the controllability and the stability results are obtained via the energy approach and the multiplier method.
The thesis is divided in five chapters and their organisation follows a simple and direct approach which quickly leads both to the main results pursued during the Ph.D. period and to some new open problems. In the first chapter we collect all the preliminary tools for the convenience of the reader and to make the exposition self-contained. The subject of the second chapter is represented by some recent developments in boundary control theory for linear degenerate beam equations. In the third chapter we show the exponential decay of the energy associated to some degenerate equations via a damping term acting on the boundary. In the fourth chapter we apply the results of the third chapter to prove the stability features for several classes of non-linear degenerate beam equations and some concrete applications are illustrated. Finally, the thesis concludes with the fifth chapter, where some open problems are presented
Modelling occurrence and environmental risk of azithromycin in an intermittent river: Applying hydrological and water quality models
Full text linkAntibiotics are emerging pollutants that may negatively affect river ecosystems. The present paper aims to define a modelling approach for assessing the fate of pharmaceuticals and the ecotoxicological risk in surface waters in intermittent rivers. A hydrological model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and a water quality model (Geography-referenced Regional Exposure Assessment Tool for European Rivers) were used in a modelling cascade application in the Canale d'Aiedda basin (S-E, Italy). Measurements of streamflow and azithromycin (AZ) concentrations were used for calibrating the models. Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PEC) of AZ in surface waters and the ecotoxicological risk were estimated. The highest AZ concentrations in the effluent of wastewater treatment plants (2553 ng L−1) and in surface waters were recorded in March 2021. The monitoring and modelling results indicated seasonal changes in AZ concentrations in surface waters: in August, the PEC was one order of magnitude lower than in March. The river reaches downstream of the inlets from the WWTPs presented the highest PEC of AZ, whereas a reduction of PEC was simulated moving downstream of the inlets. The results of the ecotoxicological risk assessment showed that in March most of the river network presented a PEC of AZ higher than the Predicted No-Effect Concentration (PNEC). Coupling the two models has proven to be an effective approach to address the complex interaction between hydrology and water quality in intermittent rivers, suitable for identifying the occurrence and environmental risk of emerging pollutants, fundamental steps for their management
Nighttime light extent and intensity explain the dynamics of human activity in coastal zones
Full text linkStudying human activity in coastal areas is crucial for urban planning, sustainability, and economic development. However, there is limited evidence of ongoing monitoring of human activities in these areas. Thus, a quantitative analysis of the spatio-temporal changes, trends, and variability of Nighttime light (NTL) in the Italian Coastal Zone over the past decade (2014–2023) was conducted to assess human activity dynamics. The findings of our study indicate the following:(1) NTL increases over the years in both extent and intensity along the coastal zone; (2) NTL extent and intensity vary by season, with the coastal zone being brighter in summer; and (3) a highly heterogeneous NTL pattern was found where some locations became hot spots (significant upward trend) or cold spots (significant downward trend) while others remain unchanged. By explaining the intensification of human activity, this study can provide insight into identifying the patterns of economic development and environmental conditions contributing to more effective planning in coastal zones
Secoiridoid-enriched extra virgin olive oil extracts enhance mitochondrial activity and antioxidant response in colorectal cancer cells: The role of Oleacein and Oleocanthal in PPARγ interaction
No full textThe secoiridoid-enriched fraction of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) provides significant health benefits, but its underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. To investigate this, we analyzed the transcriptome of HCT116 colorectal cancer cells treated with secoiridoid-enriched EVOO extracts using bioinformatic tools and identified differentially expressed genes enriched in mitochondrial pathways. In vitro validation showed increased mitochondrial mass and DNA driven by enhanced biogenesis and fusion events, accompanied by higher mitochondrial respiration and ATP production. The resulting increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggered a cellular response involving AMPK, NRF2, and antioxidant genes, along with PGC-1α, a master regulator of mitochondrial metabolism. To correlate the biological effects with the components of the secoiridoid-enriched EVOO extracts, we focused on Oleacein (OL) and Oleocanthal (OC). Molecular docking and dynamics simulations predicted both compounds bind to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) as partial agonists, with OL exhibiting stronger affinity. Treatments with isolated OL and OC mostly replicated the results of the whole extracts. Mechanistically, we provided evidence of the crucial role played by PPARγ as the effects on the pathways analyzed were reduced by either blocking the receptor with an irreversible inhibitor and silencing the PPARG gene with specific siRNAs. This study reveals the AMPK-PGC-1α-PPARγ axis as a key regulator of OL and OC's effects on mitochondrial function and antioxidant response, supporting their potential as nutraceuticals for health promotion and opening avenues for developing novel PPARγ modulators to complement existing therapeutic strategies
Assessing Cadmium Levels in Horses Imported from the European Union and Slaughtered in Italy
No full textThe aim of this study was to evaluate cadmium (Cd) concentrations in horses imported from various European Union
countries and slaughtered in Italy. In addition, we assessed the potential correlation between Cd levels in tissues and
organs, and Cd-related gross and histological lesions. The animals were divided into six groups based on age and geographical origin. Among the 430 animals examined, gross renal lesions were observed in only two kidney samples from Polish horses, which also had the highest Cd concentrations: 9.1 mg/kg w/w and 8.23 mg/kg w/w, respectively.
Further histological alterations were identified in the same group, in 19 kidney samples with Cd concentrations exceeding 5.72 mg/kg w/w. These findings raise important food safety concerns, as Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006 and its subsequent amendments establish strict maximum limits for Cd in horse meat and offal. Considering the EU
precautionary principle, the results of this study underscore that only the integration of chemical analyses with histological examinations can provide a comprehensive assessment of the risks, ensuring compliance with EU food safety legislation and international trade standards