33145 research outputs found
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TMA, beyond TMAO, might contribute to vascular inflammation by disturbing mitochondrial functions in macrophages.
No full textEmerging evidence highlights conflicting data regarding the roles of trimethylamine (TMA) and trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) plasma levels in cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigate in THP-1 monocytes the pro-inflammatory effects of TMA and TMAO at both physiological and pathological concentrations previously measured in a human cohort, focusing on their impact on ATP production, mitochondrial gene expression, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn). Results show that 0.6 μM and 1.2 μM TMA as well as 40 μM TMAO increase the expression levels of the pro-inflammatory IL-8, while the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was upregulated by 1.2 μM TMA and 40 μM TMAO. An increase in the expression levels of mitochondrial genes MT-ATP6, MT-CO1, MT-CYB and MT-ND6 was measured on all conditions tested, while no significant changes in mtDNAcn were observed. Remarkably, TMA (0.6 μM and 1.2 μM), but not TMAO, decreases ATP content and increases the mitochondrial membrane potential in THP-1 cells after 24 h of incubation. In conclusion, our study suggests that not only circulating TMAO but also TMA may contribute to vascular inflammation by disturbing mitochondrial functions in monocytes. This evidence underscores the need for further investigations to better understand the effects of these metabolites on cardiovascular health
Traceability for a grazing equine system in inner areas of Centre-South Italy
No full textThe marginalization and depopulation phenomena which afflict inner areas of Centre-South Italy represent a significant issue for the socio-economic and environmental sustainability of those areas increasingly threatened by soil degradation, hydrogeological risks, and biodiversity loss. The study aims to evaluate the introduction of Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) as valid tools both for monitoring grazing equines and, consequently, for a better characterization of the nutritional value of resilient grazed areas. The study was conducted on the Apennine pastures of Capracotta municipalities (41°50′N 14°16′E, Isernia province), a Special Area of Conservation (SAC, IT7218215) located between 1150-1500 m of altitude, characterized by the widespread presence of rock outcrops. A total of twelve heavy horses, reared in extensive conditions from July to December, were fitted with GPS collars (Digitanimal®, Spain) which detect horse temperature and position every 30-min. The temporary alarm system was triggered when either the animals get across the predetermined fences or exhibit rapid behavioral changes. The GPS tracking showed that horses remained within the virtual fences, so that the study assessed the variation in land use according to the season. During summer and autumn, the animals were observed to extensively explore the entire pasture area. However, in summer equines came down to the valley at night for drinking, while they spent the hottest hours of the day at the top or on the edge of the woods. During winter, horses spent less time grazing and gathered between the woods and drinking area. Data from the GPS tracking system will be combined with data on pasture productivity and quality to optimize animal nutrition and welfare. This integration is expected to improve animal management in extensive farming systems of marginal inner areas.
The study has been approved by the Bioethics Committee of the University of Molise. The research was supported by project PRIN 20224L4WSR, funded by Next Generation EU (CUP: H53D23005120)
Asymmetric relaxations through the lens of information geometry
No full textWe frame Newton's law of cooling as a gradient flow within the context of information geometry. This connects it to a thermodynamic uncertainty relation and the Horse-Carrot theorem, and reveals novel instances of asymmetric relaxations in endoreversible processes. We present a general criterion for predicting asymmetries using the Amari-Chentsov tensor, applicable to classical and quantum thermodynamics. Examples include faster cooling of quantum ideal gases and relaxations that resemble the Mpemba effect in classical ideal gases
On the presence of Roman Theatres in the contemporary urban landscape: the case of Ascoli Piceno in the Marche Region/Sulla presenza dei teatri romani nel paesaggio urbano contemporaneo: il caso di Ascoli Piceno nella Regione Marche
No full textArchaeological ruins are tangible evidence of historical stratifications that must be recognized. The integration of Roman theatres into the contemporary urban landscape highlights the dynamic interaction between conservation, reuse, and enhancement. An interesting case study is represented by the ancient ruins inserted into the contemporary urban landscape of Ascoli Piceno; in particular, the valorisation strategy for the reuse of Roman theatre is analysed
Prognostic capacity of current diagnostic radiographic parameters for the early diagnosis of hip dysplasia in dogs: repeatability and reproducibility of Laxity Index measurement on stress radiographs obtained with the Vezzoni-Modified Badertscher distension device technique in a large cohort of dogs.
No full textObjective: To evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of the Laxity Index (LI) measured on
stress radiographs obtained with the Vezzoni-Modified Badertscher distension device (VMBDD)
technique in a large cohort of dogs.
Methods: One-hundred and ninety-five client-owned medium to large breed dogs, aged between 4.5
and 6 months, presented from 2021 to 2024 for screening of hip dysplasia were enrolled in this study.
LI for each hip was blindly and independently measured by three observers with different experience
on stress radiographs obtained with the VMBDD method. Intra- and inter-observer variability was
evaluated. Statistical testing was performed with commercially available software and p-value < .05
was considered significant.
Results: Significant difference between all observers was observed at each measurement session with
a Linear Mixed Model and the highest mean difference and its standard error (SE) was 0.074 ± 0.008.
No significant difference was recorded between more experienced examiners with the ANOVA test
and pairwise t-test. Difference was observed between the first and the second measurement sessions
(p < 0.001) and first and the third sessions (p = 0.001) in observer 3.
Conclusions: In-house evaluation of the LI on stress-radiographs obtained with the VMBDD
technique was a repeatable procedure only if performed by examiners with moderate or high
experience, but this could not be claimed for examiners with no or minimal experience. Nevertheless,
the mean differences could be negligible in clinical setting due to the low impact on the definitive
diagnosis. The LI remained a useful measurement to be used in combination with other clinical and
radiographic findings for early diagnosis of CHD
II genocidio nella terra promiscua: la fine del diritto (internazionale)?
No full textGaza mette in questione il diritto internazionale, e spige a nterrogarsi sulle effettive potenzialità del diritt
Entanglement entropy evolution during gravitational collapse
No full textWe investigate the dynamics of the ground state entanglement entropy for a discretized scalar field propagating within the Oppenheimer-Snyder collapse metric. Starting from a well-controlled initial configuration, we follow the system as it evolves toward the formation of a horizon and, eventually, a singularity. Our approach employs an Ermakov-like equation to determine the time-dependent ground state of the field and calculates the resulting entanglement entropy by tracing out the degrees of freedom inside a spherical region within the matter sphere. We find that the entanglement entropy exhibits nontrivial scaling and time dependence during collapse. Close to the horizon, the entropy can deviate from the simple area law, reflecting the rapid changes in geometry and field configuration. Although the model is idealized, these results provide insights into the generation and scaling of entanglement in the presence of realistic, dynamically evolving gravitational fields
Balancing Confidentiality and Transparency for Blockchain-Based Process-Aware Information Systems
No full textBlockchain enables novel, trustworthy Process-Aware Information Systems (PAISs) by enforcing the security, robustness, and traceability of operations. In particular, transparency ensures that all information exchanges are openly accessible, fostering trust within the system. Although this is a desirable property to enable notarization and auditing activities, it also represents a limitation for such cases where confidentiality is a requirement since interactions involve sensitive data. Current solutions rely on obfuscation techniques or private infrastructures, hindering the enforcement capabilities of smart contracts and the public verifiability of transactions. Against this background, we propose CONFETTY, an architecture for blockchain-based PAISs to preserve confidentiality and transparency. Smart contracts enact, enforce and store public interactions, while attribute-based encryption techniques are adopted to specify access grants to confidential information. We assess the security of our solution through a systematic threat model analysis and evaluate its practical feasibility by gauging the performance of our implemented prototype in different scenarios from the literature
Art. 142. - Diritto di surroga dell'assicuratore sociale
No full textDiritto di surroga dell'assicuratore social
Structure and phase dynamics in electrospray deposited amorphous MoO3 via thermal treatment
No full textMolybdenum oxides with distinct structures and phases have shown unique properties that are of interest in many scientific and technological applications. However, the scalability to large area deposition and in particular the deposition of surfaces with specific topology, with a uniform and controlled structure still remains a challenge. In this work, a uniform MoO3 film with amorphous structure was achieved via electrospray deposition from fine particle dispersion in water. A high vapor pressure solvent was utilized for the progress of the deposition. As-deposited films with large thicknesses ( < 1 μ m) show amorphous structures with a mean roughness lower than ∼32 nm. The deposited film was subsequently subject to thermal treatment with optimal thermodynamic parameters in order to modify the structure, the phase, the defect density and subsequently the electronic properties of the final structure. It is shown that a uniform coating layer with controlled structure and defect density can be achieved. This method facilitates the deposition of oxide layers on a variety of unconventional surfaces with large area as well as curved geometry