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Embodied Autism An integrated approach through Psychology, Pedagogy and Neuroscience
No full textStarting moving from the meeting ground of Neuroscience, Psychology and Pedagogy, my paper is aimed at interpreting autism under a new perspective provided by a change of paradigm in the cognitive sciences. Such paradigm favours a point of view of the embodiment type, which ascribes a great value to body and to sensory-motor system. Furthermore it analyses thoroughly mind in its multifaceted dimensions: embodied, embedded, extended, enacted. Such paradigm acquires a very peculiar meaning when applied to autism and to the austistic individual, embodied in a body and deep rooted in the environment, who not only takes a different view of the world, but perceives, assimilates, introjectes and develops it through sensory-perceptive peculiarities. Such peculiarities active the underlying cognitive and neural process and influence the general development
STORIA DELLE ISTITUZIONI EDUCATIVE PER CIECHI IN EUROPA
No full textL attuale ricerca storiografica risulta carente di lavori aventi per oggetto di indagine le scuole specializzate nella formazione dei soggetti non vedenti. Pertanto il mio progetto si è prefisso lo scopo di colmare, nei limiti del possibile, queste lacune, badando bene a non effettuare delle semplici ricostruzioni storiche di tipo cronachistico ed annalistico, bensì integrando le vicende delle scuole esaminate col contesto sociale e culturale del loro territorio, con i seguenti obiettivi:
° Censire i più importanti istituti scolastici per non vedenti fondati in Sicilia, in Italia e nelle capitali dell Europa dal passato ad oggi;
° Ricostruire le vicende storiche delle principali istituzioni scolastiche per ciechi esistenti in Sicilia, in Italia e nelle capitali delle nazioni europee più rilevanti;
° Risalire all interazione sviluppatasi nel tempo tra le suddette scuole europee per non vedenti e il contesto socio-culturale dei rispettivi Paesi;
° Ravvisare le fondamentali differenze esistenti tra le tecniche educative ed i percorsi professionali scelti nella loro storia dagli Istituti per persone prive della vista
Study of the performances of the AMIGA muon detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory
No full textThe evolution of the spectrum through the second knee and ankle, and the corresponding predicted changes in composition, are crucial to the understanding of the end of Galactic confinement and the effects of propagation on the lower energy portion of the extragalactic flux. The latter is strongly related to the cosmological distribution of sources and to the composition of the injected spectrum. To study this energy region, the Pierre Auger Collaboration has extended the energy range of its Observatory in Argentina from 3 × 10^18 down to 10^17 eV by means of new detectors including three additional fluorescence telescopes with a more elevated field of view (HEAT) and a nested surface array with 750 m spacing and additional muon detection capabilities (AMIGA). With these enhancements, the Pierre Auger Observatory will provide full efficiency detection of cosmic rays down to 10^17 eV, a direct measurement of the muonic component of the extensive air showers (EAS), and the possibility to study the transition between the galactic and the extragalactic component of high energy cosmic rays.
The number of muons in extensive air showers reflects the composition of the primary cosmic rays which interact at the top of the atmosphere; together with the optical detection of the depth of maximum development of the showers it can be used to disentangle the composition information from the different hadronic models scenarios. The muon detectors of AMIGA allow to perform a direct measure of the muonic component of the showers, exploiting the fact that muons lose a small fraction of their energy in the atmosphere and can penetrate several meters underground, while the lower energy electromagnetic component is on the contrary almost completely absorbed.
The main aim of this work is that of evaluating the performances of the muon counters of AMIGA. They have been studied during the costruction phase of six modules in the mechanical workshop of INFN-Torino (Italy) and by developing a simulation code to study the propagation of the particles through air and soil down to the scintillator detectors, in order to evaluate their response
Il coinvolgimento polmonare nelle connettiviti
No full textCon il termine connettiviti si indica un gruppo eterogeneo di malattie reumatiche ad eziologia multifattoriale e patogenesi autoimmune,caratterizzate dall'infiammazione cronica del tessuto connettivo. Considerando la diffusione ubiquitaria di esso, tali malattie sono definite sistemiche e possono interessare qualunque distretto del corpo umano.
Le connettiviti che con maggiore frequenza si associano a manifestazioni polmonari sono la Sclerosi sistemica progressiva , l Artrite Reumatoide e il Lupus Eritematoso sistemico.
E estremamente importante dinanzi ad una qualunque diagnosi di connettivite, valutare la possibilità di un eventuale coinvolgimento polmonare, attraverso esami radiologici mirati e prove di funzionalità respiratoria. Un approccio di questo genere ovviamente richiede la sensibilizzazione di più competenze mediche e una stretta collaborazione plurispecialistica.
Al fine di verificare se quanto riportato dalla letteratura internazionale trova riscontro nella nostra realtà locale e con quali connotazioni specifiche l associazione tra IP e connettiviti si presenta, ho analizzato alcune cartelle cliniche della S.S.D Reumatologia dell'Ospedale S. Croce e Carle di Cuneo presso cui lavoro come Dirigente Medico della Struttura Semplice Dipartimentale di Reumatologia.
Lo studio è stato finalizzato ad individuare e descrivere i casi di pazienti affetti da connettivite con coinvolgimento polmonare mettendo in evidenza in modo particolare le caratteristiche funzionali di questi pazienti, il tipo di pattern radiologico attraverso cui la loro patologia si presentava, ed infine la presenza o meno di ipertensione polmonare
Experimental and modeling methods to study radon transport processes in porous media
No full textRadon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is produced in the Earth s crust as a result of alpha-decay of radium and is free to migrate through soil, either by molecular diffusion or by advection, and be released to the atmosphere where his behavior and distribution are mainly governed by meteorological processes. Advec-tion, in particular, may transfer radon over a wide range of distances, depending on the porosity and on the velocity of the carrier fluid. Due to its unique properties, soil gas radon has been established as a powerful tracer used for a variety of purposes, such as exploring uranium ores, locating geothermal resources and hydrocarbon deposits, mapping geological faults, predicting seismic activity or volcanic eruptions and testing atmospheric transport models. Much attention has also been paid to the health radiological hazard due to increased radon concentrations in the living and working environment.
In order to exploit radon pro?les for geophysical purposes and also to predict its entry indoors, it is necessary to study its transport through porous soils. The complexity generated by the presence of a great number of uncontrollable and varying parameters and processes affecting the generation of radon in the soil grains and its transport in the source medium (pore-water distribution, permeability, porosity, radium content, radon emanation coefficient, advection, ), has led to many theoretical and/or laboratory studies. To measure these quantities in situ, in fact, it is not only hard, it is almost impossible to keep them constant during an experiment. Moreover, soil, as it is found in situ, is inhomogeneous due to mixing of different layers by geological and/or human activity, and it is influenced by flora and fauna presence, etc. The complexity is even larger if one considers, for example, that radon diffusion is mainly governed by porosity but not strongly influenced by pore size or pore size distribution.
For these reasons, laboratory measurements are preferred, allowing for experiments to be conducted under well-speci?ed and controlled conditions. This approach constitutes the main basis for the study presented in this thesis. Therefore, a laboratory facility was built consisting of a large cylindrical vessel, homogeneously filled with different materials, with inserted sleeves that allow measurements of radon concentra-tions in the sample gas at various depths under the sample column surface. The vessel can be closed with a stainless steel cover, the space under the cover above the sample simulating a crawl space, and, in addition, a nearly homogeneous air-flow pattern can be induced in the column by means of two inlets at the bottom of the vessel. The results of the laboratory measurements are compared with expected concentrations, according to a transport model developed by C.E. Andersen (Risø National Laboratory, Denmark) and suitably adapted for our purposes.
The main goal of the present study is to better understand how some parameters could affect radon transport in porous media, through both in situ and laboratory measurements
Renewable energy in Sicily: sizing of a plant for Biogas production and energetic assessment of Biodiesel production from oilseed crops
No full textThe topics of the PhD thesis have the objective of assessing three different aspects of the renewable energy sector: i) sizing of plants for the production of biogas through anaerobic digestion of agricultural waste and by-products of agro-industries; ii) evaluation of the mechanization and energetic aspects of the cultural practices and the harvesting of oil crops; iii) assessment of the sustainability of biodiesel production from Linum usitatissimum L. and Camelina sativa, with particular attention to the pressing of the seeds and the trans-esterification of vegetable oils.
As regards the first topic the aim of the work was to develop a procedure for verifying the availability of biomass for biogas production in a territory of Ragusa province (south-east Sicily) and to calculate the power of a co-generator engine for a biogas plant taking in consideration the quantity and the biogas yields of this biomass. In order to assess the quantity of biogas and electricity production per year two hypothesis have been evaluated. The first examines the available biomass for only some months of the year and the second examines the available biomass all the year round.
With regard to the second and third topic, the purpose of the research activities was primarily concerned with the following aspects:
to calculate the quantitative parameters of mechanization such as work capacities, unitary time, fuel consumptions of farming practices
to calculate the qualitative parameters of the work done during the seeding and harvesting such as the product obtained in respect of the product expected;
to assess the cultivation sustainability of unconventional oil crops as Linum usitatissimum L. and Camelina sativa, in south-eastern Sicily for biodiesel production in terms of energy used compared to that obtained, by means of EROI index;
to analyse the mechanical pressing of seeds in terms of a) vegetable oil yields and chemical characteristics; b) machine work capacity; c) energy consumptions; d) characterization of the operating parameters of the screw press plant;
to evaluation the trans-esterification process in terms of a) yield into biodiesel by varying the temperature of the process; b) yield into biodiesel by varying the amount of methanol and potash; c) physical-chemical characteristics of FAME according to EN 1421
Methylmercury on human astrocytes
No full textAstrocytes are actively involved in brain development, in mature CNS regulation and brain plasticity. They play a critical role in response to cerebral injuries and toxicants. A large amount of literature highlights the central role of astrocytes in mediating methylmercury (MeHg) neurotoxicity. In fact, mercury is the major neurotoxic pollutant that continues to arouse interest in research because of the severe risk it poses to human health. It has been widely demonstrated that this metal induces acute or chronic neurotoxicity exacerbating an oxidative stress condition and also age-related conditions, generating inflammatory reactions in the brain. These findings support the hypothesis that MeHg and many other environmental pollutants have the potential to cause neurodegeneration, through a variety of pathways similar to those described in human neurodegenerative diseases. However, despite numerous in vivo and in vitro studies, almost entirely on rat/mouse models, the issue remains controversial and the effects of MeHg in the human population are not completely known. Based on these findings, the aim of this study is to carry out for the first time, according to what has been reported in the literature, an in vitro experimental model that was as attributable as possible to humans, precisely human astrocytes (HA), so as to observe the effects of MeHg on some biochemical-molecular pathways. In parallel, I used HA cell cultures, which were treated with Alpha Dihydrolipoic Acid before being subjected to the action of MeHg in order to evaluate the possible protective effect exerted by this compound with antioxidant and chelating properties on cellular metabolism subjected to stress by MeHg
New Glycoconjugates for the Treatment of Diseases related to Metal Dyshomeostasis
No full textMetal dyshomeostasis has been involved in the etiology of a great number of pathologies such as Wilson s, Alzheimer s, Parkinson s and Niemann-Pick diseases and cancer. The precise mechanisms responsible for triggering these disorders remain unclear; however, they share multifactorial pathogenic mechanisms related to metal dyshomeostasis and, as a consequence, oxidative stress. Considering the multifactorial nature of these diseases, it is becoming more and more evident that the next generation of therapies must have multiple functions to combat the multiple mechanisms of disease progression and metal ions represent a promising therapeutic target as they could be a starting point to hit multiple targets. On the other hand, especially in the treatment of cancer, drugs may be directed to the site of action in order to reduce their side effects on healthy tissues.
This PhD thesis centers on the synthesis and evaluation of multifunctional molecules to interfere with different key target points of neurodegeneration and cancer.
8-hydroxyquinoline, a metal chelator, has been chosen as a basic molecular scaffold to build selective prodrugs and multifunctional metal-binding compounds on the basis of the rekindled interest in this compound and its derivatives for the treatment of Alzheimer s disease and cancer.
The synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of new covalent glycoconjugates with 8-hydroxyquinolines are reported here. Glycosylation has been a successful strategy for improving several features of these systems. Apart from the increase in solubility, sugar moiety confers selectivity and multifunctionality.
In this thesis, glucosylated and galactosylated prodrugs of hydroxyquinolines were designed and synthetized in order to exploit unique and frequent features of cancer cells such as the high expression of certain proteins (e.g. glucosidases and glucose transporters) and the high levels of Cu2+. The main advantages of these glycosylated compounds are targeting and prevention of side effects due to systemic chelation. The chelating function of these compounds is masked and they must be subject to hydrolysis through specific beta-glucosidases or beta-galactosidases to liberate the active aglycone in targeted cells. The obtained results suggest that glucose- and galactose-bearing 8-hydroxyquinoline prodrugs could be suitable for prodrug monotherapy and antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy, respectively.
Chelating 8-hydroxyquinoline conjugates with monosaccharides and disaccharides have also been synthetized in order to compare their properties to those of the glycosylated prodrugs. Unlike these latter compounds, they are able to complex Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions with high stability constants. These systems are promising compounds for the treatment of diseases related to metal dyshomeostasis.
Finally, the synthetized cyclodextrin conjugates are promising multifunctional molecules that combine antioxidant, SOD-like activity, chelating, antiaggregant and inclusion abilities into one compound as demonstrated in this thesis. Cyclodextrin-hydroxyquinoline conjugates have significant antioxidant capacity and the possibility to form inclusion complexes with coformulating drugs and/or endogenous compounds such as cholesterol. The compounds can complex Cu2+ and Zn2+ ions with high conditional stability constants. Moreover, these derivatives are also able to strongly inhibit metal-induced protein aggregation and the formation of amyloid fibrils. The antiproliferative studies, carried out for this class of compounds, bode well for administering relatively high concentrations of these derivatives, for use as antioxidant and antiaggregant drugs, if necessary, without damage to healthy tissues. Overall, these conjugates compounds have great potential as therapeutic agents in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases related to oxidative stress and metal dyshomeostasis, such as Alzheimer s and Niemann-Pick C diseases
Journey through fields of ageing perceptions, experiences and representations in different environmental contexts, in Italy and Spain
No full textToday more than ever, ageing represents not only a demographic challenge, but also a psycho-social one. In fact, conscious of the quantitative substance of phenomenon it is more than important how to add quality to a much longer present life than in the past. Hence, issue should be coped with in terms of subjective well-being and life environment as well.
We conducted two researches. In the first one, we aimed at deepening ageing from the elderly people s point of view; firstly, we conducted a study involving 220 elderly people who lived in Sicily (Italy); secondly, we replicated the same study in a different context, involving 120 elderly people who lived in Extremadura (Spain).
In the second research, we were interested in exploring ageing and elderly from younger people s point of view. Also in this case, primarily we conducted a study involving university students who lived in Sicily and then, the same study was replicated involving university students who lived in Extremadura.
Taken together, researches showed that a general social context that welcomes seniors may result in individuals who live their age better and this would be true also for the elderly. In other words, a favorable life environment, both in objective and subjective and inter-subjective terms may result in elderly individuals having a better self-perception
Diagnosi precoce del danno da ischemia riperfusione e della disfunzione renale posttrapianto: ruolo della lipocalina associata alla gelatinasi neutrofila
No full textL obiettivo principale della ricerca è stato quello di verificare:
- l utilità di NGAL come marcatore precoce e indice predittivo di DGF nell immediato post trapianto e se l andamento di NGAL nella prima settimana dopo trapianto renale presenta specifiche correlazioni con l andamento del suddetto organo.
- l utilità dell HO-1 sierico quale biomarker in grado di indicare il valore intrarenale dell HO-1 tenendo conto che l incremento intrarenale dell HO-1 presenta specifiche correlazioni con l insorgenza di danno renale acuto