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Sandwich-type (η6-p-cymene)Ru(η5-thiophene) complexes: synthesis, spectroscopic and electrochemical characterization, and antimicrobial activity
No full textRuthenium-arene derivatives have displayed, in recent years, interesting in vitro and in vivo biological activity. The features of sulphur-containing molecules as active components of drugs are known as well. Therefore, combining a Ru(arene)-core with an Z-coordinated thiophene ligand can allow tuning of the structure and the chemical and biological behavior of the resulting species. In this context, the synthesis of two hetero-sandwich ruthenium(II) complexes with an [(Z6-arene)Ru(Z5-R-thiophene)]2+ general formula has been performed, with the aim of investigating the effect of an alkyl substituent of the heterocycle ring on the spectroscopic and redox behavior. p-Cymene has been selected as an arene ligand, whereas 3-methylthiophene and 3-octylthiophene acted as Z5-ligands to complete the sandwich structure. The proposed structure was confirmed by full 1H and 13C NMR characterization. UV-vis spectra and voltammetric responses show that the length of the alkyl chain does not affect significantly the spectroscopic and redox behavior of these ruthenium complexes. On the other side, their activity towards Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria seems to depend on steric effects ascribed to the alkyl chain. The evaluated compounds are promising as bases for developing new antimicrobials, for example, to treat skin or oral infections
Effect of reduced saturation and elevated D-dimer and interleukin 6 levels on vessel density and foveal avascular zone in patients with COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia
No full textBackground: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can affect multiple organs, including the eyes. Objectives: This study aimed to identify associations between vascular density (VD) and the foveal avascular zone (FAZ), assessed using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and baseline levels of D-dimers and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in patients with bilateral COVID-19 pneumonia, depending on oxygen saturation (SpO2) on admission. Material and methods: The study included patients with COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia due to SARS-CoV-2 infection who were hospitalized between March and May 2021. Ophthalmological examination was performed 2 months after hospitalization. Optical coherence tomography angiography was used for the automatic assessment of the central retinal VD and the manual assessment of FAZ. Results: A significant monotonic negative relationship was observed between SpO2 . 90% and VD in some areas of the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) (p = 0.048) and choriocapillaris (p = 0.021), and the mean VD in the deep capillary plexus (DCP) (p = 0.048). No significant monotonic negative relationship was noted between SpO2 . 90% and the FAZ in the SCP (p = 0.075). However, there was a significant monotonic positive relationship between VD in the nasal choriocapillaris and D-dimer levels in patients with SpO2 . 90% (p = 0.003, respectively). Finally, a monotonic negative relationship was identified between foveal VD in the DCP and IL-6 levels in patients with SpO2 . 90% (p = 0.027). Conclusions: An OCTA study conducted 2 months after hospitalization for COVID-19 bilateral pneumonia showed reduced VD in those with SpO2 . 90% and elevated levels of D-dimers and IL-6 during hospitalization. Optical coherence tomography angiography testing can provide monitoring of ocular status in patients following SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially those who report visual disturbances
The carbon cost of impaired welfare on sheep farms
No full text: In the face of global climate threats, farm and land-management decisions must balance climate concerns with profitability, animal welfare, and ecosystem health. However, few comprehensive studies have quantified the relationship between animal welfare and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and no study focuses specifically on sheep farms. The present study aims to quantify the effects of impaired welfare on GHG emissions for common welfare challenges faced in UK lowland (L) and hill (H) sheep farming systems. Two case study research farms in Scotland, representative of high welfare conditions, were used as baselines for semi-intensive L and extensive H systems. In this study, "high welfare conditions" are defined as situations where animals have access to adequate feeding, suitable housing, good health, and opportunities to express natural behaviours. From each high-welfare baseline, scenarios representing common levels of impaired welfare conditions were modelled, using parameters retrieved from the published literature. The selected poor-welfare scenarios included lameness, gastrointestinal nematodes, blowfly strike, liver fluke, inadequate shelter provision, inadequate feeding during lamb growth and late gestation, and high lamb mortality rate. GHG emissions were estimated "from-cradle-to-farm-gate" using Agrecalc ©, a Life Cycle Assessment tool for the agricultural sector. Total GHG emissions and emission intensities (EI) in kg of CO2 equivalent per kg live weight were compared across the baseline and the scenarios. Gross farm emissions and product-level EIs demonstrated divergent patterns in response to impaired welfare. Most impaired welfare scenarios led to a slight decrease in total farm emissions (0.03-3%), with a few exceptions. On the other hand, EI increased across all impaired welfare scenarios relative to the baseline, because meat production decreased by 1.3-16.6% across all impaired welfare scenarios, reducing resource use efficiency. Lameness was identified as particularly impactful, resulting in 18 and 10% increases in EI on H and L farms, respectively. This was primarily due to the high lamb mortality associated with lameness in published studies. Inadequate shelter provision was associated with an 8-15% increase in EI. Scenarios related to ineffective parasite control contributed to an EI increase ranging from 1 to 13%, while inadequate feeding management caused a 3-4% increase in EI. This study highlights the potential for reducing emission intensity through system-specific interventions, emphasising the importance of integrating animal welfare into GHG mitigation strategies
La tutela della persona nell'Unione europea: il caso dei «richiedenti asilo».
No full textIn ambito privatistico, la tutela della persona fisica rispetto al caso del soggetto che richiede "protezione internazionale" in Italia - come in altro Stato membro dell'Unione europea - non ha ricevuto ad oggi un'approfondita disamina, specie per ciò che concerne il diritto soggettivo alla protezione dei dati personali, il quale è tra gli altri sancito dall'art. 8 della Carta dei diritti fondamentali dell'UE (dotata dello stesso valore giuridico dei trattati ex art. 6 TUE) nonché dal Regolamento UE n. 2016/679 (o RGPD), la cui diretta applicabilità ha condotto nel nostro ordinamento all'emanazione del d.lgs. n. 101/2018, modificativo del Codice in materia di protezione dei dati personali (d.lgs. n. 196/2003). Se la figura del "richiedente asilo" può ritenersi meritevole d'approfondimento sul piano scientifico, è per via dei profili di significativo interesse che tale condizione presenta, dei quali l'Autrice dà conto nel corso del lavoro. La potenziale vulnerabilità che contraddistingue una persona nella sua qualità di "richiedente asilo" riceve, pertanto, una considerazione peculiare, in quanto questo soggetto presenta una domanda diretta a ottenere la protezione internazionale, il cui conseguimento presuppone, in linea di principio, la verifica di uno stato di precarietà dei diritti umani nel paese terzo di provenienza o di transito o, comunque, la presenza in capo a quel determinato individuo di una situazione contrastante col rispetto dei suoi diritti fondamentali. Si tratta, perciò, di una persona cui dovrebbero riconoscersi talune garanzie, con un'attenzione particolare in ragione - appunto - della relativa, presunta, vulnerabilità. Ciò è tanto più vero quanto minore è l'età dell'individuo coinvolto; difatti, problematiche aggiuntive si pongono con riferimento al caso del richiedente asilo che sia minorenne (o che si presuma avere meno di diciotto anni). Un ulteriore elemento di rilievo attiene alla circostanza che la condizione di richiedente asilo non sembra potersi definire in termini di "status" sul piano civilistico
The Metal(loid)s’ Dilemma. What's the next step for a new era of inorganic molecules in medicine?
No full text: In this paper, we critically examine the key challenges associated with the development of inorganic drugs, a field that remains underrepresented despite its significant therapeutic potential. Currently, most clinically approved pharmaceuticals are organic compounds, a trend driven by multiple interconnected factors that have historically limited the adoption and regulatory approval of metal(loid)-based entities. These challenges include issues related to stability, selectivity, pharmacokinetics, and potential toxicity, which require systematic investigation and innovative solutions. Nevertheless, the profound clinical impact of approved inorganic drugs-particularly transition metal(loid)-based agents for both therapeutic and diagnostic applications-is well-established. The success of these compounds underscores the need for expanded research efforts and optimized clinical protocols to fully harness the advantages of metal-based pharmaceuticals. In this context, we explore emerging strategies to overcome current limitations and accelerate the development of next-generation inorganic drugs. These include the rational design of metal-based therapeutics, the integration of advanced metallomics and metalloproteomics, and the application of AI-driven predictive modeling to improve drug selectivity, bioavailability, and safety. By overcoming these challenges through an interdisciplinary approach, metal-based medicine will advance significantly, expanding its impact across a wide range of therapeutic applications
Red deer resequencing reveals the importance of sex chromosomes for reconstructing Late Quaternary events
No full textSex chromosomes differ in their inheritance properties from autosomes, and hence may encode complementary information about past demographic events. We compiled and analysed a range-wide resequencing dataset of the red deer (Cervus elaphus), one of the few Eurasian herbivores of the Late Pleistocene megafauna still found throughout much of its historic range. Our analyses of 144 whole genomes reveal striking discrepancies between the population clusters suggested by autosomal and X-chromosomal data. We postulate that the genetic legacy of Late Glacial population structure is better captured and preserved by the X chromosome than by autosomes, for two reasons. First, X chromosomes have a lower Ne and hence lose genetic variation faster during isolation in glacial refugia, causing increased population differentiation. Second, following postglacial recolonisation and secondary contact, immigrant males pass on their X chromosomes to female offspring only, which effectively halves the migration rate when gene flow is male-mediated. Our study illustrates how a comparison between autosomal and sex chromosomal phylogeographic signals unravels past demographic processes which otherwise would remain hidden
