University of Bari Aldo Moro
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Canine leishmaniosis and peripheral neuropathy: a lesson from the neurologist
No full textBackgroundCanine leishmaniosis (CanL), a sand fly-borne zoonotic disease caused by Leishmania infantum, is potentially lethal in dogs. A similar or slightly higher quantity of antigens over antibodies promotes the formation of soluble circulating immune complexes (sCIC), which are deposited in the capillary wall, causing the inflammatory cascade responsible for clinical manifestations. Nervous system involvement during CanL is rarely reported in both humans and dogs, and the exact underlying process involving the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is still debated in both species.MethodsTwo male mixed-breed dogs were presented for exercise intolerance, non-ambulatory flaccid tetraparesis and decreased/absent flexor reflexes in all four limbs. Both dogs were seropositive for L. infantum and presented clinicopathological abnormalities suggestive of active CanL. One dog had received N-methyl-glucamine antimoniate two months before presentation without neurological improvement.ResultsGeneralized PNS involvement was confirmed in both dogs. Biopsies of muscle and nerve tissues showed mononuclear cell inflammatory infiltration, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive for Leishmania spp. In addition, Leishmania spp. antigen was detected in the nerve from one dog by immunohistochemistry. Both dogs were started on N-methyl-glucamine antimoniate and allopurinol in association with immunosuppressive corticosteroid therapy, recovering in few weeks.ConclusionsPeripheral neuropathies during active CanL can be a consequence of sCIC deposition on endoneurial vascular endothelium comprising the blood-nerve barrier and its consequent breakdown. However, an abnormal host immune response triggered by L. infantum causing demyelination and/or axonal disruption is also possible. The positive response to the immunosuppressive therapy further supports an immune-mediated origin of the PNS condition. Therefore, CanL should be included in the differential diagnosis of PNS disease in dogs, especially in areas endemic for L. infantum
Thermo-economic optimization of vertical farms exploring multiple design options for the built environment and HVAC system
No full textNew challenges in the agricultural sector, arising from demographic growth, resource depletion, energy and environmental concerns, and food security, are driving the development of sustainable crop cultivation techniques such as vertical farming. This approach enables year-round, localized production while significantly reducing water and land use. However, its higher energy demand, particularly due to artificial lighting and climate control, necessitates a thorough analysis of energy consumption and economic factors, which may also be influenced by the external climate conditions where the system is implemented. This study aims to perform a multi-objective design optimization of vertical farms using a genetic algorithm, identifying the optimal combination of design parameters to achieve the best trade-off between specific primary energy consumption (SPEC), investment costs (SCI), and energy costs (SCE), and assuming the use of gas boiler, electric chiller and proper walls insulation materials. Key design variables include building dimensions, building envelope thickness and materials (such as phase change materials and different insulation types), as well as the design characteristics of chillers and boilers. The analysis considers three climate conditions, Athens (warm), Strasbourg (mild), and Helsinki (cold). Results indicate that SPEC, SCI, and SCE decrease when increasing building volume, air recirculation ratio, air temperature at the air conditioning outlet, and when minimizing solar radiation absorption, except in cold climates. The non-dominated solutions on the Pareto front range from 0.8 to 1.4 €∙kg−1 for SCI, with slightly lower SPEC observed in colder climates due to predominant cooling and dehumidification needs (until 42 kWh∙kg−1 for Athens, 40 kWh∙kg−1 for Strasbourg and 38 kWh∙kg−1 for Helsinki). The lowest values are achieved when ammonia is used as the chiller working fluid, due to its higher volumetric capacity compared to other refrigerants. Furthermore, using phase change materials as only layer may be beneficial in some optimal solutions in terms of energy savings, despite the increased costs
Green methods for the recovery of bioactive molecules from natural sources
No full textDeep Eutectic Solvents (DESs) are increasingly considered privileged media for the extraction of
bioactive molecules from natural sources. In the recent past, they have been used for the
development of analytical methods for the determination of food contaminants, such as ochratoxin
A, with excellent results in terms of recovery in different matrices or to obtain polyphenols from food
industry waste. Starting from these results, new methods have been developed to recover bioactive
molecules produced by plants or microfungi using these green methods. In particular, in a preliminary
study, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot red grape pomaces, collected during 2023 vintage in
Apulia (Italy), were used as starting secondary raw materials for bioactive molecule extractions. The
extraction procedure was carried out, through shaking, using seven different DESs and
hydroalcoholic solutions as reference solvents. The phenolic compounds’ profile of the resulted
extracts has been obtained through HPLC-DAD analysis, in which up to eight out thirteen
polyphenols studied were detected with a maximum concentration of 0.49 μg/g of quercetin in a
single sample. DPPH photometric assays performed on the extracts showed significant antioxidant
activity as well: the DES Choline Chloride/Urea 1:2 with 40% water resulted to be the best with a
value of 14.9 mM Gallic Acid Equivalents for the sample obtained from dried Petit Verdot pomace.
DESs were also used to recover Ochratoxins obtained in a preliminary massive production
experiment from microfungi in liquid cultures as part of the PRIN 2022 PNRR project entitled "Nature-
Inspired structures: Fungal metabolites for a sustainable semi-synthetic approach to the discovery
of new multi-target anti-Alzheimer's drugs (NInFA)"3. Specifically, P. nordicum ITEM 9634 was grown
on YES (yeast extract sucrose) with 2% NaCl at 25°C for 1 week and two different green solvents
(DESs) were used for OTs extraction. Among these, Choline Chloride/Lactic Acid 1:2 with 25% of
water showed the highest extraction efficiency, with an OTA and OTB content up to 50% of that
obtained with acetonitrile:water (60:40, v/v), the most used VOC mixture reported in literature1. The
same solvent was also used for the purification of lyophilized extracts containing OTA. In this case,
their solubilization and subsequent addition of small quantities of water caused the quantitative
precipitation of ochratoxin A as a light brown solid. The subsequent hydrolysis in acidic water led to
ochratoxin alpha (OTα), a key intermediate in the semi-synthesis of multi-target hybrids for the
possible treatment of Alzheimer's disease, the final goal of the NInFA project
Existence and multiplicity of solutions for generalized (p,q)_Laplacian equations on R^N
No full textThis paper deals with the existence and multiplicity of solutions for the generalized (p, q)-Laplacian equation
− div(A(x, u)|∇u|^p−2∇u) + 1/p At(x, u)|∇u|^p − div(B(x, u)|∇u|^q−2∇u)+
1/q Bt(x, u)|∇u|^q + V (x)|u|^p−2u + W(x)|u|^q−2u = g(x, u) in R^N ,
where 1 < q ≤ p ≤ N, A, B : R^N ×R → R are suitable C^1-Carathéodory
functions with At(x, u) = ∂A/∂t (x, u), Bt(x, u) = ∂B/∂t (x, u), V,W : R^N →
R are proper “weight functions” and g : R^N × R → R is a Carathéodory
map. Notwithstanding the occurrence of some coefficients which rely
upon the solution itself makes the use of variational techniques more
challenging, under suitable assumptions on the involved functions, we
are able to exploit the variational nature of our problem. In particular, the existence of a nontrivial solution is derived via a generalized
version of the Ambrosetti–Rabinowitz Mountain Pass Theorem, based
on a weaker version of the classical Cerami–Palais–Smale condition. Finally, the multiplicity result, which is thoroughly new also even in the
simpler case q = p, is gained under symmetry assumptions and a sharp
decomposition of the ambient space
Impact of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy on neovascular exudative age‐related macular degeneration
No full textBackground: To evaluate the functional and morphological changes in patients with nAMD undergoing anti-VEGF therapy, focusing on the impact of concomitant diabetes with or without diabetic retinopathy. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 1096 eyes from 916 patients with nAMD treated at the retina department of the University of Bari between August 2017 and May 2023. Patients were divided into two groups: 892 eyes without diabetes and 204 eyes with diabetes. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT) and presence of intraretinal fluid (IRF), subretinal fluid (SRF), subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM) and atrophy were assessed at baseline, post-loading phase and at 12-month follow-up. Results: At baseline, no significant differences were observed between groups. Post-loading phase, both groups showed significant improvements in BCVA and reductions in CRT. However, SRF persistence was notably more frequent in the diabetic group (64.2% vs. 27.2%, p < 0.001). At 12 months, SRF was present in 53.7% of the diabetic group compared to 34.9% of the non-diabetic group (p < 0.001). Diabetic patients with moderate diabetic retinopathy (DR) exhibited significantly higher SRF persistence compared to those with mild DR or no DR. Conclusions: While anti-VEGF therapy improves visual and anatomical outcomes in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients with nAMD, diabetic patients, particularly those with more severe DR, experience a higher rate of persistence of SRF. This suggests a less than optimal anatomic treatment response and the potential need for more tailored management strategies in this patient population. Precis: This retrospective cohort study investigated the impact of diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy on neovascular age-related macular degeneration treatment outcomes. The study analysed 1096 eyes from 916 patients undergoing anti-VEGF therapy over 12 months
Turbulent diffusion and volcanic gas dispersion in the atmospheric surface layer: insights from La Solfatara, Campi Flegrei, Italy
No full textNumerical models are widely used to simulate volcanic gas dispersion and estimate local emission sources. However, significant uncertainties arise from the approximations inherent in their physical formulations. Recent advances in high-performance computing (HPC) have enabled high-resolution simulations with minimal numerical diffusion, revealing previously unnoticed limitations in the Monin–Obukhov Similarity Theory used within atmospheric gas dispersion models. One key issue is the determination of the minimum vertical turbulence diffusion coefficient (Kzmin) in the atmospheric surface layer (ASL), which plays a crucial role in reducing biases in advection–diffusion models caused by inadequate turbulence representation. In this study, we refine the Eulerian passive gas transport model DISGAS (v. 2.5.1) using measured data on fumarolic and diffuse CO2 fluxes and air concentrations, along with local wind measurements collected during an ad hoc field campaign from 4 to 10 May 2023. To account for uncertainties in gas flow rates and turbulent velocity fluctuations, we conducted a statistically robust set of simulations by varying CO2 fluxes and Kzmin values. Model outputs were compared with in situ CO2 concentration measurements at fixed monitoring stations. Results indicate that during stable atmospheric conditions, setting Kzmin within the range of 1.5–2 m2 s−1 significantly improves agreement with observations and reduces systematic biases in source estimation. These findings refine model parameterization to better represent turbulence under stable atmospheric conditions at La Solfatara crater during the May 2023 survey. Moreover, the proposed methodology can be adopted for automated data assimilation workflows aimed at constraining unknown fumarolic gas source fluxes in other volcanic settings
The AI Ethics Advisor. Methods and Practices for Training and Standardization of Experts
No full textThis book addresses a crucial and timely question: who will evaluate the ethical practices of increasingly intelligent AI systems, and what qualifications will they need to ensure those ethics are applied responsibly? As AI systems become more capable of fostering trust in human-machine interactions, developers and data scientists are becoming more aware of the importance of programming ethical and non-discriminatory algorithms. Simultaneously, laws may soon require companies to continuously assess the social and ethical impacts of their AI products. But who will oversee these evaluations, and how can we prevent ethics from being distorted or misused? Rather than focusing on how ethical principles should be applied to AI, this book takes a unique approach by exploring the role of the 'ethics officer'—the individual responsible for ensuring an AI system's ethical compliance. With AI regulation gaining momentum across the globe, ethics is becoming a critical component of international technology leadership, and this book provides insight into these critical questions, exploring how the role of the ethics officer might evolve as AI becomes more pervasive and regulated, and what it will take to ensure that AI serves society ethically and responsibly
Federico II: l’arte del potere. Scenario storico dei rosoni tra via Francigena e Medioevo.
No full textIl saggio indaga alcuni aspetti del rapporto tra Federico II e l'arte, e l'arte religiosa in particolare, non quella per la quale è più famoso. Emerge un rapporto indubbiamente strumentale rispetto alla gestione del potere, ma anche una visone più ampia e più alta, anche schiettamente spirituale
Successful Management of C3 Glomerulopathy Recurrence Post-Kidney Transplantation with Iptacopan: A Case Report
No full textC3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is the predominant cause of complement-mediated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and is considered a rare disorder caused by genetic or acquired dysregulation of the alternative complement pathway. There are no established treatment guidelines for treating kidney-transplanted recipients with C3G recurrence, as they are already on immunosuppressive protocols. Furthermore, non-complement-specific immunosuppressive drugs appear to offer limited benefits for patients with C3G in native kidneys. Therefore, modulating the complement system appears to be the most effective strategy for this specific patient population. We describe the use of Iptacopan in a 38-year-old kidney-transplanted patient with C3G recurrence. Iptacopan was associated with a significant and striking improvement in the patient’s clinical and laboratories status. A follow-up kidney biopsy performed 5 months after the initiation of Iptacopan revealed a reduction in endocapillary, extracapillary and mesangial hypercellularity, along with a decreased extent of parietal proteinaceous deposits observed on light microscopy. The direct control of the complement dysregulation underlying the pathogenesis of C3G with Iptacopan was accompanied by improvements in clinical, laboratory and histological features, with demonstrated reduced disease activity and slowed disease progression. Therefore, the case report described is intended to shed light on the potential role of new AP complement blockers in the treatment of C3G
MAFB: a key regulator of myeloid commitment involved in hematological diseases
No full textThe MAFB protein, a member of the MAF family of bZip transcription factors, plays a pivotal role in various biological processes, including cell differentiation, development, and homeostasis. Characterized by its selective expression in monocytes and macrophages, MAFB has been shown to play a crucial role during myeloid lineage differentiation, acting as a critical determinant in the transition from multipotent progenitors to fully differentiated monocytes. By modulating the expression of genes associated with immune activation and inflammation, MAFB plays a vital role in maintaining immune homeostasis and responding to pathogenic challenges. Dysregulation of MAFB expression or function has been implicated in several pathological conditions, including hematological malignancies and metabolic disorders. In particular, aberrant MAFB activity has been associated with the progression of diseases such as multiple myeloma and acute myeloid leukemia as well as other solid tumors, where it may contribute to the survival and proliferation of malignant cells, thereby promoting disease progression. MAFB and downstream targets of its transcriptional network are now being regarded as predictive biomarkers for certain types of tumors as well as being considered as potential therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on both physiological and pathological roles of MAFB and highlight the impact of its deregulation on hematological cancer initiation and progression