49112 research outputs found
Sort by
Developing and testing a new Ecological Quality Status index based on marine nematode metabarcoding: A proof of concept
No full textNematodes are the most diverse and dominant group of marine meiofauna with high potential as bioindicators of
the ecological quality status (EcoQS). The present study explores, for the first time, the applicability of the
nematode metabarcoding to infer EcoQS index based on the calibration of ecological behaviors of nematodes
Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs). To achieve this, we analyzed the nematode community in sediment eDNA
samples collected in 2018 and 2021 in areas around three offshore oil platforms in the Danish west coast of the
North Sea. One training dataset based on eDNA and environmental data from the three platforms in 2021
covering a wide range of environmental gradients has been used as a training dataset to assign the nematodes ASVs to Ecological Groups. These assignments then allowed us to infer the EcoQS both around these three platforms and in an independent dataset (one of the platforms sampled in 2018). The EcoQS inferred from the nema-gAMBI is perfectly in line with the pollution gradient of the platforms. In fact, stations located close to the platforms (i.e., 100 m and 250 m) show a relatively lower EcoQS than those at greater distance (i.e., reference or 3000 m). The nema-gAMBI seems to capture well the EcoQS variability around platforms and correlates well with the environmental parameters (e.g., trace element and hydrocarbon pollution). Indeed, the nema-gAMBI is positively and significantly correlated with the traditional macrofauna-based AMBI. The present proof of concept strongly advocates for the application of the nematode eDNA-based index in the evaluation of EcoQS
Unveiling the Link Between NADPH Oxidase 2 Activation and Mitochondrial Superoxide Formation in Leukemic Cell Killing Induced by Arsenic Trioxide
Get PDFThis study focused on the interplay between NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX 2) activation and mitochondrial superoxide (mitoO2.-) formation induced by clinically relevant concentrations of arsenic trioxide (ATO; As2O3) in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) cells.
Carefully controlled inhibitor studies and small interfering RNA mediated downregulation of p47phox (a component of the NOX 2 complex) expression demonstrated that, in an APL cell line, ATO promotes upstream NOX 2 activation critically connected with the formation of mitoO2.- and with the ensuing mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-dependent apoptosis.
Instead, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines respond to ATO with low NOX 2 activation, resulting in a state that is non-permissive for mitoO2.- formation. Consistently, through rescue experiments, we demonstrate that pharmacological stimulation of NOX 2 overcomes resistance in these cells, thereby initiating the same cascade of downstream events observed in APL cells.
As a final note, several lines of evidence, including measurement of glutathione, catalase and glutathione peroxidase levels, indicated that the antioxidant machinery was similar in APL and AML cells. The results regarding nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2-dependent antioxidant responses were instead of more complex interpretation as NB4 cells appeared particularly responsive to ATO.
Our findings allow a novel interpretation of the interplay between NOX 2 activation and mitoO2.- formation induced by ATO, ultimately steering leukemic cells towards MPT-dependent apoptosis. These mechanistic insights provide a rationale for the disparate responses of APL and AML cells to ATO, offering potential avenues for the development of therapeutic intervention tailored to specific leukemia subtypes
La gestione strategica d'impresa nella prospettiva dello stakeholder capitalism. Il ruolo della leadership umanistica
No full textLa strategia d’impresa è un tema da anni al centro degli scritti di management. Tuttavia, gli studi spesso assumono che il processo strategico debba finalizzarsi alla massimizzazione dei profitti e del valore per gli azionisti, accogliendo implicitamente il paradigma dello shareholder capitalism, oggi messo da più parti in discussione per una serie di impatti negativi sulle persone, la società e il pianeta. Inoltre, la letteratura prevalente di strategia tende a trascurare il ruolo della leadership. Nel libro si tratta il tema della strategia assumendo la prospettiva alternativa dello stakeholder capitalism, chiarendo che lo scopo di un’impresa responsabile verso gli stakeholder deve essere non solo il profitto, ma il valore condiviso. Valore che viene creato per, ma anche con, i principali portatori d’interessi e non solo per assecondare gli interessi degli azionisti. Questa prospettiva viene adottata anche nel descrivere il modello della formula strategica e nell’inquadrare i processi di controllo delle performance. Inoltre, lo studio illustra il ruolo della leadership umanistica nell’agire delle organizzazioni orientate al capitalismo degli stakeholder. Una leadership che mette al centro delle decisioni il benessere di tutti gli attori sociali, azionisti compresi, allo scopo di creare valore per le persone, la società e il pianeta. Una leadership figlia di una visione umanistica del management, capace di andare oltre gli stili di leadership transazionali basati su premi e punizioni, tipici dello Scientific Management. Il volume si rivolge a studenti, ricercatori e manager interessati ad approfondire i temi della strategia e della leadership, argomenti che, nonostante siano tra i più studiati, necessitano ancora di ulteriori approfondimenti
La centralità teorico-pratica dei Livelli essenziali delle prestazioni nel quadro dei rapporti attuali tra Stato e regioni
No full textThe Essential Levels of Services constitute a title of exclusive competence of the State,
introduced to ensure a balance between the need for uniformity in the protection of rights and
the need for autonomy coming from the territories, introducing itself in a complex regulatory
landscape characterised by a plurality of legislative actors.
Against this backdrop, there is an abundance of Court jurisprudence that, following the
affirmation of the transversal nature of this matter, has resorted to it to justify interventions by
the State that invade the sphere of competence reserved to the regions.
The contribution proposes to analyse this two-dimensionality that characterises the OEL
clause set in the most current context in which the determination of the Essential Levels is
assumed as a pre-requisite for being able to reach the agreement aimed at acquiring greater
autonomy for the region and, on the other hand, as a competency title recalled by the PNRR
governance decree to justify a highly centralised management of the Plan
The Strategic Role of Professional Social Media in Franchisee Recruitment and Network Expansion: Insights from Italian Franchisors
No full text
From E-Commerce Habits to Chatbot Acceptance: Extending the Technology Acceptance Model to Ai Conversational Agents.
No full textThis study explores how consumers’ familiarity with e-commerce, as well as their perceived benefits and barriers related to it, influence the acceptance of AI-powered chatbots in online shopping contexts. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research integrates external variables such as frequency of e-commerce use and perceived convenience, risk, and lack of physical interaction with chatbot adoption. A survey was conducted on 220 participants, and data were analyzed using ANOVA and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Results show that e-commerce usage frequency significantly shapes how users perceive the benefits and barriers of online shopping. However, it does not directly influence their perception of chatbot usefulness or ease of use. Among the factors considered, only perceived convenience was found to positively affect both TAM constructs. The model confirms that perceived usefulness and, to a lesser extent, ease of use predict attitude toward chatbots, which strongly influences behavioral intention. These findings extend the TAM framework to the domain of conversational AI, offering theoretical insights and practical guidelines for improving chatbot adoption strategies in e-commerce environments
Do External Threats Affect International Relations? Evidence from Small States Neighbouring Russia
No full textThis study examines the impact of geopolitical shocks on public trust in international institutions, using the 2014 conflict in Ukraine as a quasi-natural experiment. Drawing on individual-level survey data from the Caucasus Barometer covering the period 2009–2019, we assess changes in trust in the European Union and the United Nations, as well as support for NATO membership, before and after the conflict among respondents in Georgia and Armenia. Although neither country was directly involved in the conflict, the crisis generated substantial geopolitical spillover throughout the South Caucasus. Employing a Difference-in-Differences design, we find a significant decline in trust toward these organizations in Georgia after 2014, a country characterized by a pro-Western foreign policy orientation and unresolved tensions with Russia, and therefore more exposed to the conflict’s geopolitical consequences. In contrast, Armenia—more closely aligned with Russia and less directly affected—serves as a credible control case. We further examine how individual-level characteristics condition these effects. Our results show that individuals with a pro-Western identity, proxied by support for English as a mandatory school language, experienced smaller declines or even increases in institutional trust. Conversely, respondents with pro-Russian orientations exhibited significantly larger decreases in confidence. Overall, these findings highlight the polarizing effects of external geopolitical shocks and underscore the importance of cultural and political identity in shaping public attitudes toward international institutions in small states bordering Russia