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Quello che è dovuto alla persona. Il nesso fra giustizia e perdono
No full textL’autore parte dalla constatazione di una inconciliabilità fra il principio della giustizia
in generale che è quello del suum cuique tribuere, e il principio della giustizia
penale fondata sulla concezione retributiva, sintetizzato nella formula per quod
quis peccat per idem punitur. L’inconciliabilità si sintetizza nell’opposizione fra una
prospettiva del “soggetto” tipica del primo principio, e una prospettiva dell’ “oggetto”
tipica del secondo principio. L’autore ritiene che nemmeno la teoria penalistica
dell’emenda possa soddisfare completamente il principio della giustizia in generale
e propone un correttivo rappresentato dal mantenimento in campo penale
del tema extragiuridico della misericordia, segnalando che tale tema, pur essendo
extragiuridico, conosce anche una solidificazione giuridica a livello costituzionale
negli istituti dell’amnistia, dell’indulto e della grazia
“It almost seems as if, in the forest, the city has disappeared”: Walking ethnography in an urban wilderness
No full textThe article discusses the findings of a walking ethnography of urban wilderness conducted in a woodland area of the Italian city of Bologna. As the practice of walking is the main form of appropriation of this urban forest by citizens, the go-along was a particularly appropriate research technique for the field. We focus on two findings regarding the meaning and value of urban wilderness intertwined with walking practices: the ambivalent relationship between the forest and the city, mediated by the sensory experience, and “controlled getting lost” as an experience enabled and fostered by interacting with an urban wilderness. The go-along proved to be far more than a simple moving interview, as it allowed for an attunement between researchers and participants, and a more nuanced understanding of how nature and wilderness are conceived, valued and experienced in everyday life
Bibliografia di Carlo Alberto Mastrelli
No full textThis paper presents a complete bibliographic collection of the works of the Italian linguist Carlo Alberto Mastrelli (1923-2018) spanning seventy years of scientific activity. This work revises and completes previous collections, up to posthumous publications. It includes a short preface with a list of the published homages to the scholar
Between innovation and skepticism: AI’s role in international strategic decisions for the food and beverage sector
No full textThe expanding integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in international business strategies has transformed decisionmaking processes. Nevertheless, skepticism persists, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study explores AI adoption in international strategic decision (ISD) processes, focusing on managerial resistance to AI-driven decision-making, and identifying key psychological and functional barriers. Using a card-based game
methodology, it investigates two Italian SMEs operating in the food and beverage sector. Findings reveal concerns over AI’s compatibility with business culture, trust in algorithmic decisions, and the perceived trade-offs between AI efficiency and human expertise. Moreover, the discussion indicates that AI is seen as a complementary tool rather than a substitute for human judgment, with significant barriers linked to digital skills, transparency, and risk perception. This study enriches the body of research in international business by shedding light on the phenomenon of AI while also underlying
the factors contributing to resistance or cautious adoption of AI-driven technologies in ISDs. Furthermore, it provides practical recommendations and actionable insights for firms seeking to integrate AI into their strategic operations effectivel
Pyrazolone-based ERO1 inhibitors in ERO1-driven Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and SEPN1-Related Myopathy: Structure-activity relationship and therapeutic potential
No full text: Endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreductin 1 alpha (ERO1A) is a disulfide oxidase that facilitates oxidative protein folding by reoxidizing protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a process essential for maintaining endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis. Under ER stress, ERO1A expression is upregulated via the unfolded protein response (UPR), promoting cell survival. However, sustained ERO1A activity can impair proteostasis and contribute to disease. Notably, ERO1A is overexpressed in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), where it supports tumor growth and adaptation to hypoxia, and in SEPN1-related myopathy, a rare congenital muscle disorder linked to ER and oxidative stress. To investigate ERO1A as a therapeutic target, we conducted a structure-activity relationship (SAR) study of EN460-based pyrazolone inhibitors. Forty derivatives and three EN460 salts were synthesized to optimize potency and solubility. In vitro and cell-based assays revealed that effective inhibition required covalent binding to Cys397, interactions with Arg287 and Trp200, and distortion of the phenyl ring. While sulfonic acid substitution improved solubility, it abolished activity by disrupting key interactions. The most potent compound, I29, featuring a mono ortho-fluorine substitution, demonstrated improved inhibitory activity (IC50 = 2.6μM) and efficacy in preclinical models of TNBC and SEPN1-related myopathy. These findings highlight ERO1A's pathological role in cancer and congenital muscle disease and support its inhibition as a promising therapeutic strategy for conditions characterized by chronic ER and oxidative stress
GiovenTUM 2025 - SIB
No full textBioinspired exosome-mimetic nanovesicles for targeted delivery of Coenzyme Q10:
Coenzyme Q (CoQ) is an endogenous lipophilic quinone, ubiquitous in biological membranes, with antioxidant and bioenergetic properties. CoQ deficiency can result from either a genetic defect or secondary deficiencies due to aging, oxidative stress, or drug interaction with biosynthesis. In these conditions, CoQ supplementation represents a relevant strategy to mitigate CoQ deficit; however, numerous studies have demonstrated that the efficiency of dietary CoQ uptake is a limiting step. Exosomes and, more generally, extracellular vesicles (EVs), the endogenous nanocarriers capable of transferring biological information between cells, have recently been proposed as a new drug delivery system. EVs are similar to liposomes in size, shape, and structure.
However, the ability of EVs to transport biomolecules to recipient cells due to surface receptors has made them attractive for drug delivery purposes. Here, we developed bioinspired exosome-mimetic nanovesicles to deliver ubiquinone (CoQ10) to different cell types.
Briefly, myocytes were lysed, and their membrane protein fraction was isolated, mixed with a mixture of choline-based phospholipids and ubiquinone, and finally subjected to serial extrusion to obtain CoQ10-loaded synthetic nanovesicles (Q10-SVs). The Q10-SVs have a similar diameter, zeta potential, and surface phenotype to muscle-derived exosomes; furthermore, HPLC quantification data showed CoQ10 loading efficiencies between 40-60%.
Human fibroblasts, Hela, mouse myoblasts (C2C12) and rat cardiomyocytes (H9C2) were treated with 5 μg/mL Q10-SVs for 24 hours to investigate the ability of SVs to deliver CoQ10 in a targeted manner. The quantification of CoQ10 in the target cells provides an exciting perspective, where C2C12 and H9C2 cells incubated with loaded SVs can take up more CoQ10 than other cell lines, and in general, engineered nanovesicles allowed a more efficient assimilation of CoQ10 compared to bare CoQ10-loaded liposomes.
Finally, the antioxidant activity of the delivered CoQ10 was assessed using a wound-healing assay. In H9C2 and C2C12 cells pre-incubated with Q10-SVs and then treated with hydrogen peroxide, almost complete migration was observed after eighteen hours of recovery, significantly improved over free or liposome-delivered CoQ10, demonstrating that CoQ10 delivered by SVs is more bioavailable and can protect myocytes and cardiomyocytes against oxidative stress.
In conclusion, these data suggest that synthetic nanovesicles decorated with membrane proteins may serve as novel exosome mimetics to deliver CoQ10 effectively
Room-temperature quantum sensing with photoexcited triplet electrons in organic crystals
No full textQuantum sensors have notably advanced high-sensitivity magnetic field detection. Here, we report quantum sensors constructed from polarized spin-triplet electrons in photoexcited organic chromophores, specifically focusing on pentacene-doped para-terphenyl (≈0.1%). We demonstrate essential quantum sensing properties at room temperature (RT): optically generated electronic polarization and state-dependent fluorescence contrast by leveraging differential pumping and relaxation rates between triplet and ground states. We measure high optically detected magnetic resonance contrast ≈16.8% of the triplet states at RT, along with long coherence times under spin echo and Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) sequences, T2=2.7μs and T2DD=18.4μs, respectively, limited only by the triplet lifetimes. The material offers several advantages for quantum sensing, including the ability to grow large (cm scale) crystals at low cost, absence of paramagnetic impurities, and electronic diamagnetism when not optically illuminated. Utilizing pentacene as a representative of a broader class of spin triplet- polarizable organic molecules, this paper highlights the potential for quantum sensing in chemical systems. © 2025 authors. Published by the American Physical Society