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UN (NON DEL TUTTO CONVINCENTE) “TAGLIANDO” DI COSTITUZIONALITÀ PER IL DIVIETO DI AVVICINAMENTO CON BRACCIALETTO ELETTRONICO
No full textIl contributo analizza la sentenza n. 173/2024 della Corte costituzionale, che ha giudicato legittime le disposizioni sul divieto di avvicinamento con braccialetto elettronico introdotte con la legge 24 novembre 2023, n. 168. La Corte ha ritenuto ragionevole la distanza minima di 500 metri e la possibilità di ricorrere a misure "anche" più gravi in caso di indisponibilità tecnica di ricorrere al dispositivo. L’autore esprime dubbi sulla coerenza logica e sistematica della decisione
ISOPODS AS EFFICIENT ECOSYSTEM BIOINDICATORS: BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS DETECTABLE IN FLOW CYTOMETRY AS GUIDELINES OF RAPID AND REPRODUCIBLE TEST FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
No full textFlow cytometry (FC) has emerged as a powerful tool for detecting cell stress in different bioindicator organisms, mainly invertebrates, both marine and terrestrial (mussels, shrimps, clams, bees, warms and isopods). Isopods, such as Armadillidium vulgare, are well-established bioindicators due to their ability to accumulate contaminants in their tissues, mainly in the hepatopancreas, particularly in relation to ecological disturbances, since the hepatopancreas represents a primary site for pollutant storage. The hepatopancreas contains two distinct cell types: small (S) cells responsible for metal accumulation and big (B) cells involved in excretion. The present study employed the FC to assess cellular stress responses in isopods collected from diverse pollution/stress environments (clean, moderate, and severe stressed/polluted sites). This approach was supported by additional analyses, which provided corroborating cytometric data. Hepatopancreatic cells were isolated, and functional parameters, including cell death, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial activity, were evaluated using specific fluorescent dyes. The results obtained demonstrated a significantly higher level of dead and stressed cells in polluted sites compared to unpolluted areas, thus confirming the usefulness of FC in monitoring the environment. The findings suggest that isopod hepatopancreatic cells can serve as reliable indicators of ecological disturbance, offering potential applications in bioassessment protocols to monitor soil contamination. This research contributes to developing rapid, reproducible tests for evaluating environmental quality, with future efforts aimed at refining these techniques for broader field use
New cinnamic acid sugar esters as potential UVB filters: Synthesis, cytotoxicity, and physicochemical properties
Get PDF: Cinnamic Acid Sugar Ester Derivatives (CASEDs) are a class of natural compounds that exhibit several interesting biological activities. However, to date, no examples of their use in sunscreen formulations have been reported. Here, we describe the synthesis of a series of novel cinnamic acid esters of glucose (4a-g), ribose (4h) and lactose (4i) starting from the respective acetals 3. The latter were obtained through oxidative alkoxycarbonylation of olefins. For all compounds 3 and 4, UV-Vis spectra were recorded and lipophilicity (i.e., clogP) and cytotoxicity were evaluated. All but one of the synthesized compounds were found to be non-cytotoxic at the concentrations tested and, as expected, absorption spectra depended only on the substituents on the aromatic ring. Finally, the ad hoc synthesized compound 3k, featuring a 4-methoxy substituent on the phenyl ring and a 1,2-O-isopropylidene ribose moiety, provided the most promising results for a possible use as a sunscreen. Indeed, its Sun Protection Factor (SPF), calculated in vitro, was higher with respect to that of ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC), which is already utilized in sun care products. Moreover, 3k showed greater antioxidant properties than EHMC, effectively protecting keratinocytes against H2O2-induced oxidative damage. At the same time, it showed no cytotoxic effects and preserved cellular metabolic activity and protein content. Based on these results, we believe that CASEDs could find valid applications in the skincare and cosmetics sectors
Il senso di un centenario: costruire la cultura di un territorio attraverso la storia
No full textVengono passate in rassegna e commentate le iniziative connesse con il sesto centenario della nascita di Federico da Montefeltro, 1422-2022, del cui Comitato nazionale per le celebrazioni l'autore è stato segretario-tesoriere
Fluorescence-Based Multiplex Western Blot to Simultaneously Detect the Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) Isoforms
No full text: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is critical for tissue growth and development. The IGF-1 gene contains six exons and due to alternative splicing three different isoforms might be produced: the IGF-1Ea, Eb, and Ec prohormones (proIGF-1s). These proIGF-1s share the same IGF-1 mature sequence, which is responsible for the IGF-1 receptor binding but differ in their carboxy-terminal extensions called Ea-, Eb-, and Ec-peptides. Several lines of evidence indicate that E-peptides control the intracellular proIGF-1s localization and maturation. Here, we present a multiplex Western blotting system able to simultaneously discriminate and quantify mature IGF-1, proIGF-1s and E-peptides within the same sample. HEK293 cells were transiently transfected with plasmids containing the IGF-1Ea, IGF-1Eb, or IGF-1Ec isoform or an empty vector. Two different primary antibodies, which recognize the mature sequence or the common region of E-peptides, were used to detect IGF-1 isoforms, which were subsequently distinguished with secondary antibodies conjugated to different fluorophores. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of simultaneously detecting different IGF-1 isoforms using two primary antibodies directed against different epitopes of proIGF-1s, combined with fluorescence-conjugated secondary antibodies. Furthermore, this dual-epitope strategy increases the specificity of protein detection, making it a valuable tool for studying the diverse roles of IGF-1 isoforms in biological processes
Digital Transformation and e-Citizenship. Children’s Access to Online Services
Get PDFDigital transformation has rightly been described as a “total social fact”. It is pervasive, ubiquitous, asymmetrical. It shapes things then relationships and individuals. Datafication, mediation and technological hypermediation connote new environments that people inhabit and where various forms of “digital pollution” (e.g. hate speech, falsehood, inadequate content, manipulation of behaviour, addiction) are to be expected. Focusing on children’s access to online services, this contribution aims to develop an idea of e-citizenship, the realisation of which could be useful to protect freedom and rights in front of their growing compression between market and security policies
C’è ancora spazio per la libertà e la democrazia costituzionale? A partire da Lo Stato del potere di Carlo Iannello
No full textAI, human or a blend? How the educational content creator influences consumer engagement and brand-related outcomes
Get PDFPurpose
This study aims to investigate the impact of educational digital content (EDC) creators on perceived content quality, consumer engagement, brand attitude and advocacy intention.
Design/methodology/approach
The research consists of two experimental studies. In Study 1 (N = 172), participants were exposed to either AI-generated or human-generated educational content, with measured perceived content quality and consumer engagement. In Study 2 (N = 158), the authors extended the investigation and compared the effects of AI-generated, human-generated and hybrid-generated EDC on consumer engagement, brand attitude and advocacy intention.
Findings
Study 1 demonstrates that while the type of content creator does not significantly affect perceived content quality, it significantly influences consumer engagement, with the AI-generated EDC resulting in lower engagement. Study 2 highlights the effectiveness of human-AI collaboration, showing that consumer engagement is higher for hybrid posts than fully AI-generated ones, with hybrid content performing on par with human-generated content. Mediation analyses indicate that consumer engagement is a crucial mediator between content creator type and brand outcomes.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the literature on EDC in digital marketing and AI-generated content. Unlike previous studies that often isolate AI and human creators, this work highlights the benefits of integrating a hybrid approach. The findings provide practical implications for managers seeking to optimize digital strategies with valuable educational content
The Role of Digital Health Equity Audits in Preventing Harmful Infodemiology
Get PDFBackground: Health disparities persist and are influenced by digital transformation. Although digital tools offer opportunities,
they can also exacerbate existing inequalities, a problem amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the related infodemic.
Health equity audit (HEA) tools, such as those developed in the United Kingdom, provide a framework to assess equity but
require adaptation for the digital context. Digital determinants of health (DDoH) are increasingly recognized as crucial factors
influencing health outcomes in the digital era.
Objective: This editorial proposes an approach to extend HEA principles to create a specific framework, the digital health
equity audit (DHEA), designed to systematically assess and address health inequities within the design, implementation, and
evaluation of digital health technologies, with a focus on DDoH.
Methods: We propose a cyclical DHEA model based on existing HEA principles, integrating them with digital health equity
frameworks. The DHEA cycle comprises six phases: (1) scoping the audit and mobilizing the team (including community
members); (2) developing the digital health equity profile and identifying inequities (assessing DDoH at individual, interper sonal, community, and societal levels); (3) identifying high-impact actions to address DDoH and inequities; (4) prioritizing
actions for maximum equity impact; (5) implementing and supporting change; and (6) evaluating progress and impact, and
refining. This method emphasizes multilevel interventions and stakeholder engagement.
Results: The main result is the articulation of the DHEA framework: a structured, 6-phase cyclical model to guide organiza tions in the analysis and proactive mitigation of digital health–related disparities. The framework explicitly integrates the
assessment of DDoH across multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, community, societal) and promotes the development of
targeted interventions to ensure digital solutions promote equity.
Conclusions: The DHEA model offers an integrated approach to consider social, epidemiological, health, and technological
variables, aiming to reduce health inequities through the conscious use of new technologies. It is emphasized that digital
technologies can be the cause or the solution to inequalities; DHEAs are proposed as a tool to foster equity. Its systematic
adoption, along with a collaborative approach (co-design) and trust building, can help ensure that the benefits of health
digitization are equitably distributed while strengthening trust in institutions. Continued attention is needed to manage
emerging challenges such as infodemiology in the era of big data and artificial intelligenc
Mechanical simulation tool based on impedance matrices
Get PDFoctopus is a simulation software specifically developed to calculate the response of a given mechanical system. The initial purpose of its development was to support the design and the commissioning of the superattenuator (SA), i.e., the vibration isolator designed to inhibit the transmission of the seismic noise at the level of the test mass of the Virgo gravitational waves detector. octopus analytically computes the transfer functions of a complex mechanical system using the impedance matrix formalism in the frequency domain and provides an advanced and versatile mechanical simulation tool. This methodology allows to analyze a large set of user-defined mechanical layouts. Within the context of advanced seismic isolation system design, the present software allows to accurately estimate the behavior of specific mechanical components in terms of performance and general requirements achievement, both in open loop and also when feedback control loops are implemented. In the present work, several topics will be addressed. First, the mathematical principles behind the impedance formalism will be introduced, focusing on the modeling of basic elements, which constitute the principal blocks used to develop and build complex mechanical models. Then, as case studies, two examples of mechanical systems models will be presented: the computation of the thermal noise of a body suspended by an elastic beam and the complete model of a superattenuator. To validate the accuracy of the simulation tool, comparisons with experimental measurements will be given in both cases