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Dalla genesi storica del sé all’etica narrativa. Un confronto fra Charles Taylor e Paul Ricuoer.
No full textHuman Cytidine Deaminase (CDA): uncovering the physiological role through its functional genetic polymorphism K27Q
No full textIn light of the potential crucial role of CDA polymorphisms in the development of individual therapies designed to maximize response and minimize non-therapeutic side effects, we investigated first of all the CDA polymorphic distributions in healthy individuals from population of central Italy. At this purpose, we developed three polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods for CDA 79A>C (K27Q) and CDA 208G>A (A70T) genotyping. Until now, these SNPs in the CDA gene have been genotyped by allelic discrimination using a TaqMan assay, or by direct sequencing or by High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis of polymerase chain reaction amplicon [...]. A RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) method using RsrII as restriction enzyme was described only for A70T [...].\ud
Our PCR–based assay [Allele Specific (AS-PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP-PCR)] does not require any special equipment, and it provides rapid, reproducible, and cost effective detection of common CDA mutations. It can be carried out efficiently in a standard molecular genetics laboratory and suitable as a preliminary screen for all patients. Furthermore, we performed a new discontinuous direct HPLC assay to assess the cytidine deaminase activity from whole blood of individuals enrolled in this study, correlating it with CDA K27Q genotypes.\ud
Since genetic factors are thought to be responsible for up to 50-60% of the rheumatoid arthritis liability [...] in collaboration with Division of Rheumatology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart (Rome, Italy), we have tested the genetic association between functional polymorphism of CDA (K27Q, rs2072671) and RA by case-control study.\ud
Finally, using mutated recombinant proteins, we performed a kinetic and molecular study on the two functional variants Q27 and K27, assessing the biochemical properties of CDA Q* and K* alleles
Analysis and understanding of Lepidoptera community composition in the Colfiorito Plateaus
No full textLepidoptera may be appropriate as ecological indicators because of their rapid response to environmental changes, along with a sensivity to habitat fragmentation, edge effects, pesticides and their importance as pollinators. They occur in many habitats, reflect changes in other animals and plants and have great resonance with the public. Indeed, they are involved in the achievement of 2010 target and have a primary role in the European policy of environment conservation and management. Although they are much studied some aspects still remain unclear; baseline data on some species habitat preference and activity patterns remain largely unknown, especially for moths. Indeed, lepidoptera communities have been scarcely studied and their ecology of populations is not often well known. Thus, were studied the lepidoptera communities in three types of habitat, different in their degrees of disturbance, in order to assess the composition and the main characteristics; they were lake, marshy and wet meadows vegetation, agricultural crop vegetation and pasture and montane grassland vegetation. Comparisons with habitat types could also reveal important information on species behavioural and ecological plasticity.\ud
The main purpose of this research is to develop a monitoring program that is compatible with overall European monitoring needs. It provides standardized protocols, baseline data, and analysis guidance that will be useful for a long-term lepidoptera monitoring program. Additionally, it helps update data of lepidoptera populations of high conservation concern. This study provides the foundation for implementing a long-term lepidoptera monitoring program on Colfiorito open space lands. The relationship between biodiversity and vegetation types were studied with a variety of different indices that can be used as measures of some attribute of community structure. Were used univariate and multivariate methods for discriminating the spatial and temporal variations of species diversity and to compare the effectiveness of various statistical approaches and then present the best strategy for discriminating the spatial variations of species diversity.\ud
The first part of investigation has been given to a set of ecological indices that are capable of providing a numerical value using a synthetic overview of species diversity and equipartition based on vegetation types. Shannon-Wiener, Simpson, evenness and Margalef indices were used to visually discriminate the spatial variations. It leaves room for more interpretation the plot obtained from the PCA, constructed on the basis of similarity in species and number of individuals observed in each site. Moreover, the ANOVA allowed to ascertain differences in the number of species in all the indipendent variables and in the number of individuals between type 2 and 3 that are statistically significant at p <0.05. The discriminant function analysis played a key role in building a control model based on total number of species and individuals in the sampling sites that were attributed a priori to a category of vegetation. The functions can then be also applied to new cases with measurement for the predictor variables but unknown group membership. Knowning sampling sites values in species and individuals, it is possible to use the discriminant function to determine to which group the sampling sites belongs to. A list of which species occur in each of the habitats and which habitats contain species unique to them is important for conservation planning. A faunal list for Colfiorito plateaus was made and can be ever update with future field data to provide a complete view of when species are on the wing and to document a list of taxa occurring on Colfiorito plateaus
Luoghi di inclusione, luoghi di esclusione. Realtà e prospettive dell’Hotel House di Porto Recanati.
No full textLa realtà dell’Hotel House di Porto Recanati, un gigantesco immobile verticale di circa cinquecento mini-appartamenti sorto originariamente negli anni Settanta come unità turistico-residenziale per famiglie benestanti ed oggi assurto al ruolo di ghetto urbano, offre interessanti spunti di riflessione circa aspetti rilevanti assunti dai fenomeni migratori non solo nelle Marche, ma in tutto il paese. Cambiamenti nelle abitudini vacanziere dei residenti, insieme all’arrivo delle prime migrazioni africane alla fine degli anni Ottanta, hanno trasformato progressivamente il profilo della struttura da turistico-alberghiera ad abitazione per immigrati di varia provenienza e per pochi autoctoni che soffrono un disagio socio-economico. L’Hotel House si presenta attualmente come un contesto profondamente degradato ed è spesso teatro di episodi di criminalità. La nostra ricerca intende offrire alcuni lineamenti di valutazione attorno al ruolo, anche simbolico, dei luoghi e degli spazi di insediamento nel territorio, affrontando diversi aspetti dell’esclusione e dell’inclusione sociale vissute dagli immigrati
Mechanisms of repairing age-induced protein oxidation in the protozoan ciliate Euplotes: Characterization of the methionine sulfoxide reductase genes
No full textThis PhD work was based on the experimental utilization of two phylogenetically-related Euplotes species, E. raikovi and E. nobilii, the former of which represents a very common component of mid-latitude marine microbial communities, while the latter represents a common component of the marine polar microbial communities […]. I investigated the molecular resources that enable these ciliates to repair their protein oxidative damage
Purification, Characterization and Photodegradation\ud studies of modified sepia melanin (Sepia officinalis).\ud Determination of Eumelanin content in fibers from\ud Alpaca (Vicugna pacos).
Get PDFCurrently melanins are still enigmatic bio-pigments bearing a structure as well as methods of determination not clearly fixed by the international scientific community. In many\ud
respects melanins are unique among biopolymers. The other essential biopolymers, that is proteins, nucleic acids and carbohydrates are chemically well characterized and can be\ud
determined using well established methodologies. On the other hand, we still do not have a method of accurately determination of melanin. Basically, the classes of mammalian melanins exist in two chemically distinct forms: the brown to black Eumelanin (Eu) and the yellow to reddish-brown Pheomelanin (Pheo). It is believed that melanin has a photoprotective role in animals. Although melanin has been postulated to act as a cellular antioxidant, little is known about the molecular mechanism of melanin photo-protection.\ud
An oxidative insult can produce modifications in the physiochemical characteristics of melanin and compromise its photo protective function. Sepia melanin (Sepia officcinalis)represents 98 % of Eumelanin pigment, and is thus used as standard material for the analysis of melanic black. Commercial sepia melanin (very expensive) is purified according to an unknown procedure.\ud
In our research, we carried out studies on the extraction and purification of sepia melanin by acid treatment using different concentrations of hydrochloric acid, under mechanic or ultrasonic agitation. This proved effective in producing a high degree purity sepia melanin then fully characterized by Elemental Analysis (EA), Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-VIS) and Infrared (IR) spectroscopy, Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for\ud
metal ion analysis and quantitative studies of Eu polymers for chemical degradation to PTCA and PDCA by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). A first modification of sepia melanin using hydrochloric acid afforded the hydrolysis of the sepia melanin while a second modification, obtained adding different salts, resulted in melanin in the salt form. Sepia melanin stability was studied by photodegradation measurements, UV-Vis\ud
absorbance spectra of different melanin solutions were measured before and after ultraviolet exposure. The difference spectra reveal that following ultraviolet exposure, a photo-bleaching effect can be observed in this range. The irradiation with ultraviolet radiation induced significant photochemical alterations in the sepia melanin. The obtained results can be used to extrapolate melanin degradation rates in vivo conditions, including the potential limits of its protective effect in humans
Restyling del portale delle biblioteche Unicam
Get PDFIl presente elaborato illustra il lavoro svolto per il restyling del sito Internet del Sistema Bibliotecario d’Ateneo (SBA) http://biblioteche.unicam.it/\ud
Il lavoro e' stato suddiviso in diversi processi seguendo sempre un particolare metodo di lavoro: il modello incrementale. Questo metodo prevede alcune fasi di fondamentale importanza come la pianificazione del lavoro, l'analisi dei requisiti, la fase di implementazione e la fase di valutazione del sistema realizzato.\ud
Nella prima parte del presente elaborato e' presentata un’introduzione al Sistema Bibliotecario d’Ateneo: da cosa e' composto ed i servizi che offre agli studenti e al personale dell’Universita' di Camerino.\ud
Viene poi introdotta la descrizione del punto di accesso principale a tutti i servizi del SBA: il portale Internet delle biblioteche.\ud
Particolare attenzione e' dedicata al software utilizzato per la realizzazione del sito: da cosa e' composto, come funziona ed il motivo per cui e' stato scelto.\ud
Facendo riferimento alla precedente versione del portale, vengono poi descritti gli interventi che hanno portato al rinnovamento dello stesso. Questo attraverso l’analisi dei problemi che il sito presentava e la loro risoluzione. Quindi e' illustrata dettagliatamente la principale modifica\ud
effettuata: l’aggiornamento del software Joomla! utilizzato per il funzionamento e la gestione dell'intero sito da parte degli utenti.\ud
La prima fase del lavoro che ha portato al rinnovamento del sito e' incentrata sulla duplicazione di quest'ultimo in un Web server locale. Questo grazie al trasferimento del database e all’istallazione di software applicativi specifici. Da qui l’organizzazione del lavoro affrontato per la migrazione del sistema verso il nuovo software.\ud
La fase successiva dell'attività descrive le modifiche che hanno portato alla risoluzione dei problemi e alla realizzazione di nuovi aggiornamenti. Questa parte e' stata pianificata attraverso degli incontri con il personale e i responsabili del Sistema Bibliotecario che hanno potuto illustrare, meglio di chiunque altro, le problematiche che il sito presentava e le esigenze di alcune funzionalita'. Vengono quindi illustrate nel dettaglio le variazioni alla parte grafica, i nuovi componenti installati e le\ud
modifiche tecniche e di contenuto. L’ultima parte di questo elaborato illustrera' i problemi che non sono stati risolti.\ud
In ultimo viene descritta la fase conclusiva del lavoro. La pubblicazione del sito, il testing dei vari componenti, gli ultimi cambiamenti effettuati e l’incontro con gli utenti finali per la spiegazione delle modalita' di utilizzo delle nuove funzionalita' del sito.\ud
L’elaborato si conclude con una riflessione personale sul lavoro svolto e l’utilità di un restyling di un sito Web.\ud
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