University of Bari Aldo Moro
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Electric Field Cycling of Physisorbed Antibodies Reduces Biolayer Polarization Dispersion
No full textThe electric dipoles of proteins in a biolayer determine their dielectric properties through the polarization density P. Hence, its reproducibility is crucial for applications, particularly in bioelectronics. Biolayers encompassing capturing antibodies covalently bound at a biosensing interface are generally preferred for their assumed higher stability. However, surface physisorption is shown to offer advantages like easily scalable fabrication processes and high stability. The present study investigates the effects of electric-field (EF)-cycling of anti-Immunoglobulin M (anti-IgM) biolayers physisorbed on Au. The impact of EF-cycling on the dielectric, optical, and mechanical properties of anti-IgM biolayer is investigated. A reduction of the dispersion (standard deviation over a set of 31 samples) of the measured P values is observed, while the set median stays almost constant. Hence, physisorption combined with EF cycling, results in a biolayer with highly reproducible bioelectronic properties. Additionally, the study provides important insights into the mechanisms of dielectric rearrangement of dipole moments in capturing biolayers after EF-cycling. Notably, EF-cycling acts as an annealing process, driving the proteins in the biolayer into a statistically more probable and stable conformational state. Understanding these phenomena enhances the knowledge of the properties of physisorbed biolayers and can inform design strategies for bioelectronic devices
Search for the Bc+→ χc1(3872)π+ decay
No full textA search for the decay Bc+→ χc1(3872)π+ is reported using proton-proton collision data collected with the LHCb detector between 2011 and 2018 at centre-of-mass energies of 7, 8, and 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1. No significant signal is observed. Using the decay Bc+ → ψ(2S)π+ as a normalisation channel, an upper limit for the ratio of branching fractions (Formula presented.) is set at the 90 (95)% confidence level
Il nuovo anno accademico ci impone di rinnovare la fiducia negli studenti
No full textLa situazione giovanile di disagio e di difficoltà nell'esprimere nuova cultura e nuova capacità creatrice risiene anche in una deviamento della didattica specie universitari
Partial Replacement of Peat: Effects on Substrate Physico-Hydrological Properties and Sage Growth
No full textThe transformation of organic by-products derived from waste into value-added resources represents a promising strategy to advance circular economy principles and bolster environmental and agricultural sustainability, especially in soilless cultivation. This study evaluates the viability of three organic by-products-wood fiber (WF), coffee silverskin (CS), and brewer's spent grains (BSGs)-as partial peat replacements in horticultural substrates. Ten growing media formulations were assessed, incorporating increased doses (0-40% v/v as peat replacement-PR) of each alternative by-product. The effects on physical and hydraulic substrate properties, along with plant growth traits, were examined using two ornamental Salvia genotypes, 'Victoria' and 'Amistad'. To synthesize the multivariate growth data into a single, biologically meaningful metric, based on the first principal component, a Growth Index (GI), a PC1-derived index, was calculated, providing a powerful, unified metric to rank substrate efficacy. WF-based substrates exhibited increased porosity and diminished water retention, whereas media enriched with CS and BSG enhanced moisture availability, particularly at 20-40 PR. The bulk density was highest at PR40 for both WF and BSG treatments, and at PR20 in CS-based substrates. Electrical conductivity increased in CS and BSG treatments with rising PR levels. The results on the vegetative growth of ornamental sages have highlighted that differential PR rates are required depending on the specific organic by-product and plant genotype. In 'Victoria', GI indicates that a 20% replacement of peat with BSG provided the optimal conditions for holistic plant development; the lowest GI for WF substrates across nearly all peat replacement levels indicated that it was the most detrimental alternative for this cultivar. In 'Amistad', the analysis of the GI scores revealed that the CS20 and BSG20 of peat replacement yielded the highest overall growth, with GI scores significantly greater than those of the peat control. CS10 and BSG40 also showed high GI scores in 'Amistad'. WF10 had GI scores similar to those of the peat control. In general, the GI-based approach confirms that moderate inclusion of brewer's spent grain (BSG20) is a highly effective peat replacement for both genotypes. At the same time, coffee silverskin (CS) is particularly effective for the 'Amistad' genotype. This analysis underscores that optimal substrate formulation is not only dependent on the amendment type and rate but also critically on the plant genotype
Preventive Diplomacy, Peacekeeping and Peacemaking
No full textThe chapter examines the activities of preventive diplomacy, peacekeeping and peacemaking carried on by the organs of the League of Nations
Case Report: Disseminated leishmaniasis and rheumatoid arthritis: navigating a clinical conundrum
No full textBackground: Leishmaniasis is a potentially life-threatening protozoan infection that presents with many clinical manifestations, including cutaneous, mucocutaneus and visceral forms. In patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cutaneous leishmaniasis can persist or re-emerge due to treatment-induced immunosuppression. However, it remains unclear whether this severe opportunistic infection is primarily driven by medication-induced immunosuppression or other poorly understood immune-mediated mechanisms that increase susceptibility. Case presentation: We describe an unusual case of disseminated leishmaniasis in a 50-year-old Italian man from Apulia, diagnosed with RA two years earlier. Following 15 months of unsuccessful immunosuppressive therapies, he developed severe multilineage pancytopenia, moderate hypertransaminasemia, elevated inflammatory markers, monoclonal gammopathy, clinically significant hepatosplenomegaly, and an ulcerated skin lesion. Initial diagnostic efforts excluded common infectious agents, primary hematological disorders, Felty syndrome, and amyloidosis. The non-specific histopathological findings from the pyoderma gangrenosum-like lesion and the transient clinical response to empirical steroids, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factors further complicated the diagnostic process. The breakthrough came when a liver biopsy, performed to investigate persistent hypertransaminasemia, revealed Leishmania amastigotes within macrophages. This finding triggered a re-evaluation of the ulcerated skin lesion, and histological analysis confirmed concurrent cutaneous leishmaniasis. Subsequent bone marrow biopsy also identified Leishmania amastigotes, clinching the diagnosis of disseminated leishmaniasis. A holistic re-assessment of the patient’s clinical presentation, developmental history, and laboratory, radiologic, and pathological data led to the definitive diagnosis. Treatment with standard intravenous amphotericin B resulted in clinical resolution. A follow-up bone marrow biopsy a few weeks later confirmed the infection had been completely eradicated. Conclusions: In patients with rheumatological conditions, the overlapping symptoms of systemic diseases and infections like leishmaniasis can lead to significant diagnostic delays. This case underscores the importance of comprehensive and meticulous diagnostic evaluations in immunosuppressed individuals to prevent potentially fatal outcomes
Antimicrobial Activity, and Defense Gene Activation by Natural Extracts: Toward Sustainable Plant Disease Management
No full textThe growing demand for sustainable agricultural practices has accelerated research on eco-friendly plant disease management strategies, focusing on natural substances like plant extracts with bioactive compounds for antimicrobial activity or plant defense-inducing properties. This study evaluates natural extracts as sustainable alternatives for managing plant diseases. A variety of substances, including essential oils, extracts from ornamental and edible plants, by-products from beer and coffee processing, Aloe vera extracts, and selected commercial formulations, were assessed for their antimicrobial efficacy through in vitro and in vivo assays.
Several extracts demonstrated notable bioactivity: Agapanthus africanus showed significant antifungal effects against the fungus Botrytis cinerea, while essential oils from thyme, tea tree, and lavender were effective against both B. cinerea and the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. Greenhouse trials on tomato plants revealed the protective effects of Aloe vera polysaccharides and ornamental plant extracts, particularly Eremophila nivea and Limoniastrum monopetalum, against Potato Virus Y. Additionally, microencapsulated thyme essential oil and alginate-based formulations showed enhanced in vivo performance, particularly against the bacterial and viral pathogens.
Gene expression analyses at 12- and 72-hours post-treatment indicated strong upregulation of the defense-related gene PR1, with extracts from coffee residues, A. vera gel, and the synthetic resistance inducer BION®, this latter used as reference, eliciting the most pronounced response, while PR4 exhibited a more moderate induction.
These findings highlight the promising role of natural plant-derived and agro-industrial substances in providing both direct antimicrobial action and stimulation of plant immune responses, offering valuable insight into sustainable disease management strategies
Dual function plant cryptic nucleotide cyclases
No full textCyclic nucleotides, cAMP and cGMP, are now recognized as well-established signaling molecules in plant developmental and physiological processes, as well as in responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Over the past two decades, extensive research efforts have resulted in the identification of cyclic nucleotide-generating enzymes, adenylate cyclase (AC) and guanylate cyclase (GC), in higher plants. Many of these GCs and ACs are hidden in small regions of moonlighting proteins, in which AC and GC cooperate with other functional domains with well-defined primary roles. The relatively low activity of cyclase domains embedded within larger proteins has led to their classification as cryptic nucleotide cyclases. This chapter focuses on plant moonlighting nucleotide cyclases, with an emphasis on the high diversity of domain organizations, including receptor kinases, ion channels, and nitric oxide sensors. Considering the presence of several moonlighting nucleotide cyclases in distinct cell compartments and the cyclase-phosphodiesterase dual architecture, this chapter discusses the production of spatially separated stimulus-specific cellular signaling
Development of a qPCR assay for ready-to-use in-field detection and quantification of resistance to SBI-class III fungicides in Botrytis cinerea
No full textBotrytis cinerea Pers. is the fungal pathogen causing grey mould, one of the major diseases affecting yield and quality on numerous fruit and vegetable crops all over the word. The fungus is recognised as a high-risk pathogen for the development of fungicide resistance, also due to intensive usage of fungicides with single-site mode of action, promoting the emergence of resistant mutants in fungal populations. Resistance development has been observed for several fungicides, leading to reduced effectiveness against grey mould and then a continuous monitoring and the adoption of appropriate anti-resistance strategies need to be implemented in disease management. In this study, a real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was developed for rapid in-field detection and quantification of B. cinerea isolates resistant to fenhexamid, a sterol biosynthesis inhibitor (SBI-III), using a Franklin® Three9 portable thermocycler for real-time PCR (Biomeme, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, USA). DNA was extracted from both mycelium and conidia of wild-type strains, normally sensitive to SBI-III, and several mutants of the fungus showing high resistance (HydR3+) because carrying different point mutations in the erg27 gene responsible for several amino acid changes at position 412 of the encoded 3-keto reductase enzyme (F412I, F412V, F412S and F412C). Different protocols of DNA extraction and rapid methods for sample preparation were tested and compared to minimize field time and improve the efficiency of the assay. The qPCR assay proved to be sensitive (even 10-50 pg of target DNA) and specific for quantitative detection of field resistance to SBI-III fungicides in B. cinerea. It provides a novel tool for fast and accurate in-field monitoring of the pathogen populations reducing time and labour requirements over traditional laboratory detection methods, which is useful for managing the evolving resistance in crop protection
Autologous Tooth-Derived Biomaterials in Alveolar Bone Regeneration: A Systematic Review of Clinical Outcomes and Histological Evidence
Full text linkBackground:
Autologous tooth-derived grafts have recently gained attention as an innovative alternative to conventional biomaterials for alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) and augmentation (ARA). Their structural similarity to bone and osteoinductive potential support clinical use.
Methods:
This systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251108128). A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science (2010–2025). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), split-mouth, and prospective clinical studies evaluating autologous dentin-derived grafts were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias using Cochrane RoB 2.0 (for RCTs) and ROBINS-I (for non-randomized studies).
Results:
Nine studies involving 321 patients were included. Autologous dentin grafts effectively preserved ridge dimensions, with horizontal and vertical bone loss significantly reduced compared to controls. Histomorphometric analyses reported 42–56% new bone formation within 4–6 months, with minimal residual graft particles and favorable vascularization. Implant survival ranged from 96–100%, with stable marginal bone levels and no major complications.
Conclusions:
Autologous tooth-derived biomaterials represent a safe, biologically active, and cost-effective option for alveolar bone regeneration, showing comparable or superior results to xenografts and autologous bone. Further standardized, long-term RCTs are warranted to confirm their role in clinical practice