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Manualetto leopardiano: 101 schede per avvicinarsi a Leopardi: dispense del corso di Letteratura italiana.
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Dendritic-Cell (DC)-Based Immunotherapy: Tumor Endothelial Marker 8 (TEM8) Gene Expression of DC Vaccines Correlates with Clinical Outcome
Get PDFABSTRACT\ud
Previous studies have shown that tumor-endothelial markers (TEMs) are upregulated in immunosuppressive, pro-angiogenic dendritic cells (DCs) found in tumor microenvironments. \ud
We reported that pro-angiogenic monocyte-derived DCs (Mo-DCs), utilized for therapeutic vaccination of cancer patients upon maturation, markedly differ in their ability to up-regulate tumor-endothelial marker 8 (TEM8) gene\ud
expression. A DC vaccination trial of 17 advanced cancer patients (13 melanoma and 4 renal cell carcinoma), carried out at the Cancer Institute of Romagna (I.R.S.T.) in Meldola, highlighted a significant correlation between delayed-type hypersensitivity test (DTH) and overall survival (OS). In the study, relative TEM8 mRNA and protein expression levels (mature (m) vs. immature (i) DCs), in DCs obtained for therapeutic vaccines were evaluated by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and cytofluorimetric analysis, respectively. mDCs from six healthy donors were included for comparison purposes. Eight non-progressing patients, all DTH-positive, had a mean fold increase\ud
(mfi) of 1.97 in TEM8 expression. Similarly, a TEM8 mRNA mfi = 2.7 was found in healthy donor mDCs. Conversely, mDCs from nine progressing patients, all but one with negative DTH, had a TEM8 mRNA mfi of 12.88. Thus, mDC TEM8 expression levels would seem to identify (p = 0.0018) patients who could benefit from DC therapeutic vaccination
Il cognome dei figli nelle diverse forme di status filiationis
No full textTitle of the dissertation: The children’s surname in the different forms of “status filiationis”.\ud
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In the study of this subject we have focused our attention on the judgments of the Constitutional Court in which it has been identified the recognition of a “superior” interest to the personal identity of the children, in the attribution of the surname, also in the various forms of status filiationis.\ud
The right to the personal identity has been recognized for the first time with a judgment of the Cassation of 1985 and on 1994 the boundaries were established with the Constitutional judgment number 13 including also the use of the name, which is defined by the Court as “the first and the most important element which define the personal identity”.\ud
The Judge of the Laws, since the judgment n. 13 of 1994, followed by judgments nr 297 of 1996 and n. 120 of 2001, has therefore contented the right of the subject to maintain the surname which has became independent distinctive signed of the personality. Therefore, maintaining through the surname the identity owned even when events involving the changing of surname have happened. With reference to the relationship between the personal identity and the surname, the doctrine there are orientations highlighting the limits of the private function of the surname, highlighting also the public interests to the conservation of the surname.\ud
Furthermore, we have been focusing on the experiences of the foreign countries in order to compare the different disciplines adopted which have been related with the express principles of the European Court for the Human Rights.\ud
In the end we have paid attention to the attribution of the surname for subjects with two nationality with reference to the judgment of the Court of Justice of 2 October 2003, which was invested of the matter, fixing the principles of coordination between the internal disciplines.\ud
The key of interpretation of Family law is identified in Article 2 of the Constitution, as the family, in its social aspect and in its juridical reflex, is tightly united to the existence, the dignity, the personality of each of its components.\ud
In the valuation of the same interests that rise in the family community assume particular importance the interest of the minor and in the same time the role of the Judge in the valuation of this interest (Articles 250 paragraph 4, 251 paragraph 2, 284 paragraph 1 Civil Code).\ud
The interest of the under age is identified also with the reaching of personal autonomy and of judgment on matters of strictly personal nature, (Articles 262 paragraph 2, Civil Code; 250 paragraph 2, Civil Code; 284, paragraph 4, Civil Code), as long as the minor’s psychophysics integrity and his personality are protected.\ud
The constitutional discipline of the family is strictly linked to the fundamental principles stated in Constitution articles n. 2 and n.3, with the first, recognises the close link between personality realization and the safeguard of the social formations, the second as public order principle. \ud
The surname discipline, with the aim to protect the family unity through the imposition of the father surname, rejects a direct application of the above mentioned principles. \ud
In the light of the above, it is therefore noted, that the legislator provided for acts in order to attribute the surname in minor and specific circumstances such us underage adoption (l. 184/1983) and of age (art.299 c.c.) and for natural child recognition (art. 262 c.c.), whereas in the hypothesis of legitimate family, the surname discipline is still ruled by pater legem custom which is not susceptible of Constitutional legality control and in accordance to which, the legitimate child acquires his father surname in accordance with a not written rule to safeguard the family unity.\ud
It is necessary that the surname is detected in accordance with the rules stated by the law, but those rules also have to leave to the private autonomy a limited preconceived choice, (as for instance when the natural child of age is recognised by the mother, who may subsequently decide whether to add or substitute the father surname). \ud
It is for this reason that the conventions which regulate some aspects of the family life including those related to the children gain even more importance, with ample space to the possibility for the parties of negotiation; whereas the legislation fixes general principle and adopts the function of dictating the limits of the autonomy, and in residual way, intervenes in the hypothesis of the lacking of fulfilment spontaneous or contrary.\ud
In the system of 1975, it is certainly present the knowledge of a new physiognomy of the family which has became place of search for the agreement and than of performance of the autonomy of negotiation, for which it has been recovered in the familiar context the category of the private autonomy and of the juridical agreement, largely discussed and contested for the regulation of the personal relationships.\ud
Many European countries prescribe since long time ago rules of assignment of the surname more abiding with the principle of non discrimination between the spouses.\ud
From the comparison between the experiences of some countries such as Spain, France, Germany, it has shown how, in countries such as Spain, the introduction of the Reform of the Surname, the change is justified on the basis of the need of adjusting to the principle of EC Law, which prescribe the elimination by all the member States of all the discriminations based on sex and the adjustment to the Judgment of the Court of Human Right, which has confirmed this principle. \ud
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La morte del dettaglio
Get PDFNel primo capitolo intitolato ARCHITETTURA E\ud
DETTAGLIO NELLA CONTEMPORANEITA’ si mette a fuoco il corpus teorico che sottende tutta la tesi:\ud
1. Mutazione estetica: in questa sezione viene descritto l’ ambito di applicazione della ricerca, in generale, il mutato statuto dell’architettura oggi che, subendo quella che viene definita “mutazione estetica”, ha cambiato la sua natura di oggetto tettonico portatore di regole “disciplinari” codificate nel tempo e di verita' costruttive assolute in oggetto performativo cioe' un’ architettura come dispositivo che produce fenomeni,\ud
come involucro di un’ azione, come filtro che renda visibile il fluire delle “forze invisibili” della societa' e che evidenzi le azioni umane.\ud
2. Mutazione genetica: in questa sezione vengono descritte le cause che hanno portato l’ architettura a mutare il suo\ud
precedente stato: cause di ordine percettivo, la mutazione di velocita', distanza, scala di percezione; cause di ordine sociologico, la comunicazione e il conseguente passaggio di stato dall’ oggetto tridimensionale all’\ud
oggetto bidimensionale (l’ immagine), l’ involucro architettonico; cause di ordine tecnologico, la comparsa di luce artificiale (vedi elettricita') e aria condizionata(vedi impianti), nuovi materiali sensibili, sostenibilita' termica degli edifici, nuovi sistemi di fissaggio di componenti e materiali edilizi come i sigillanti ed altro.\ud
3. La sindrome bipolare del dettaglio: in questa sezione vengono descritti i risvolti della “mutazione sia estetica che genetica” sul ruolo del dettaglio nella costruzione della materialita' dell’ architettura oggi, giungendo\ud
alla distinzione tra dettaglio che nasconde e dettaglio che rivela: sostanzialmente dettaglio che rivela un processo costruttivo o di lavoro o decorativo prettamente e univocamente caratteristico della modernita' “solida” e dettaglio che maschera o dissimula il processo costruttivo e che assicura la natura performativa di questa nuova architettura contemporanea mutata geneticamente e esteticamente.\ud
Nel secondo capitolo intitolato PROGETTO: Architettura _ Costruzione _ Percezione _Dettaglio, il lavoro progettuale di cinque guru dell’architettura contemporanea viene scandagliato accuratamente nelle quattro categorie principali, in considerazione del fatto che con il loro lavoro, e in alcuni casi anche con l’ attività teorica, influenzano costantemente oggi il fare progettuale di numerosi architetti.\ud
Con questa analisi si e' inteso chiarire fino in fondo\ud
i diversi approcci progettuali come matrice della\ud
teoria architettonica contemporanea quali possono\ud
essere la riduzione e l’ uso dei diagrammi in Saana,\ud
il collage in Koolhaas, il nuovo ornamento in H.\ud
& de M., l’ autosimilarita' e il concetto della serie\ud
in Ito, la sostenibilita' e la ricerca tecnologica in\ud
Foster; di conseguenza si e' evidenzata l’ influenza di questi ultimi sulla risoluzione del dettaglio e il\ud
suo mutato ruolo: dettaglio invisibile (riduzione\ud
del linguaggio o approccio minimale), dettaglio\ud
cucitura (accumulazione di frammenti), dettaglio\ud
cosmetico (comunicazione di effetti estetici),\ud
dettaglio seriale (autosimilarita' dei processi naturali\ud
e artificiali), dettaglio chip (design di componenti\ud
altamente tecnologici).\ud
Nel terzo capitolo intitolato FIGURATIVITA’: ri_definire il dettaglio si tenta di trovare una nuova dimensione o meglio una nuova definizione o statuto a questo nuovo dettaglio “geneticamente modificato” avvalendosi dell’ analisi di circa venti casi studio, raggruppati in 4 macro categorie Forma, Struttura, Schermo, Superficie, scelti tra i più significativi e corrispondenti ai criteri di scelta\ud
dal bagaglio della produzione architettonica dei\ud
cinque architetti analizzati precedentemente.\ud
Constatato, quindi, che l’ architettura da oggetto\ud
tridimensionale tettonico ha mutato il suo statuto\ud
in oggetto bidimensionale fatto di sola pelle (l’ involucro), qui viene sottolineato come anche il dettaglio da espressione dell’ articolazione strutturale di un corpo architettonico (dettaglio che rivela) si sia mutato in un “effetto estetico” (dettaglio che nasconde) e come un nuovo “ornamento” assicura la dimensione performativa\ud
dell’ architettura contemporanea.\u
DEVELOPMENT AND PHARMACOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MODELS OF BINGE EATING IN LABORATORY ANIMALS
No full textIntroduction and aim of the studies: Binge eating disorder (BED) is a more recently defined syndrome that features recurrent episodes of overeating, without inappropriate compensatory behaviors.\ud
The development of an animal model is an important step for understanding the aetiology of BED, and for developing effective treatments. Most importantly, the utility of an animal model lies in its face validity or embodiment of the characteristics prevalent in clinical populations. During my\ud
studies I worked to reproduce two animal models of binge eating described in literature: 1) Key synergistic role of past caloric restriction and stress;\ud
2) Contrast-induced cycling: consummatory and emotional dependence on preferred food. A model of intermittent excessive behavior and to develop two new animal models of binge eating with the pharmacological characterization: 3) Exposure to environmental-food associated cues elicited compulsive behavioural response to actively obtain food rewards in female rats; 4) Exposure to food related cues induced overeating in female rats exposed to cyclic dieting\ud
5) I studied also the susceptibility of congenic DA.WOKW rats to develop binge eating as possible model to elucidate the genetics of binge eating disorder.\ud
Results: 1) We were able to obtain binge eating by combining repeated caloric restrictions and electric foot-shock stress only in msP rats with maternal separation. This animal study might support the clinical hypothesis\ud
that severe stress during childhood leads to vulnerability to abnormal eating behavior in response to stress in later life in humans.\ud
2) The present study failed to replicate the work by Cottone and co-workers. In particular we have not been able to detect significant difference in body weight gain between control and High-Palatable food exposed rats. To\ud
investigate the reasons of these discrepancies would require a detailed analysis of several variables. We decided, therefore, to develop an alternative model to use for drug test purposes.\ud
3) This model used was developed exploiting food cues-induced overeating under operant self-administration condition. Prior presentation of cues predictive of food reward engage the animal into a food-seeking state\ud
resulting in overfeeding occurring at beginning of the food delivery session.\ud
This increase of responding over baseline condition may reflect an increased “craving” for food resulting in loss of control reaction to food cues.\ud
Rimonabant and Sibutramine reduced food intake in both cue-preexposed and nonpreexposed rats suggesting a general inhibition of appetitive behaviour following drug administrationof these drugs.\ud
Fluoxetine and Topiramate, on the other hand, more potently affected food self-administration in cue preexposed rats. This effect is indicative of a more selective action of these compound in the regulation of food-seeking behaviour rather than in the control of satiety mechanisms.\ud
4) In this model electric foot-shock of Hagan’s model was substituted with a different stress, related to lack of control over environmental circustances induced by allowing rats to see and to smell the palatable food but preventing them from access to it for 15 min. We obtained a clear binge\ud
eating response in rats that was confirmed for all the experiments.\ud
In this model the treatment with fluoxetine (3 mg/Kg) is able to reduce HP food intake in the group of R + P and not in NR + NP showing a specific effect in reducing the loss of control in overeating after the pre-exposure to HP food\ud
with a history of restriction.\ud
5) DA.WOKW 16, DA.WOKW 5a, and DA.WOKW 3a, did not develop binge eating while DA, WOKW and DA.WOKW 3b developed binge eating. It will be necessary more studies to well correlate these genetics results and behavioural studies.\ud
Conclusion: The development of this animal model of binge eating should prove useful in identifying and assessing further critical enviromental triggers and specific physiological changes that precipitate and maintain the behavior and eventually, in guiding better prevention and treatment strategies for binge eating disorders
Effetto dell’esercizio fisico moderato e della somministrazione di Coenzima Q10 sulla funzionalita' dell’endotelio in soggetti cardiopatici\ud
No full textThis study was designed to determine whether moderate aerobic exercise training (ET) oral Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation (100mg tid) were able to improve extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) activity and endothelium-dependent vasodilatation in chronic heart failure (CHF) and in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) respectively.\ud
EcSOD, endothelium dependent relaxion as well as peak VO2 were significantly improved in the CoQ10 treated group and in trained patients. Improvements in endothelium-dependent relaxation and ecSOD activity might be related to capability of enhancing endothelial functionality by counteracting nitric oxide (NO) oxidation.\u
Out Of Alpine Valleys Through The Time: The Tyrolean Iceman’s Complete Mitochondrial Genome And The Molecular Clock\ud
No full textMitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is a circular genome present within all human cells and is commonly used for phylogenetic analyses and paleogenetic investigations. The mitochondrial genome exhibits peculiar properties such as maternal inheritance, lack of recombination, and a high mutation rate, making it the molecule of choice for studies of human evolutionary genetics. In addition, mtDNA\ud
occurs in high copy numbers within each human cell. This makes it particularly suitable for ancient DNA (aDNA) investigations which offer an inestimable tool for unravelling the evolutionary history of mankind. I have investigated, using a multidisciplinary approach involving phylogenetic, paleogenetic, and bioinformatic analyses, the mitochondrial genome of the Neolithic glacier mummy\ud
popularly known as the Tyrolean Iceman, or Ötzi. In this thesis I describe the sequencing and subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the Iceman’s entire mtDNA genome. It is worth noting that this is the first sequence of the complete mtDNA genome of a prehistoric human and the first ancient human mtDNA sequence to be achieved using 454-technology sequencing. The phylogenetic analysis of the Iceman’s mtDNA shows that it belongs to a previously unidentified branch of the K1 subhaplogroup. In addition, the coalescent time of the K1 subhaplogroup has been estimated, using a new mtDNA mutation rate calculated with colleagues at Leeds University. Hence, I have also recalibrated the mtDNA molecular clock. This recalibration is based on the worldwide phylogeny of more than 2000 complete mtDNA genomes, and takes into account recent evidence regarding the divergence time of humans and chimpanzees. The resulting mutation rate may be useful for future phylogenetic investigations based on human mitochondrial DNA.\u
Shelf-life and Molecular Traceability of Fish Product
No full textThe subject of my PhD course regards two aspects of fish products quality and characterization. The first one deals with the evaluation of the effects of natural antioxidants (ellagic acid and L-ascorbic acid) in enhancing fresh sole (Solea solea) shelf life.\ud
Quality assurance in the fish sector involves monitoring and documenting defined quality criteria as required by regulations (European Community, 1996), product specifications and consumer demands. Fresh fish products are commonly sold at storage temperature. However, many undesirable changes can occur in the products during storage, due to microbial growth and fish spoilage, affording evident economic loss. From this point of view it is important to develop systems which help to prolong fish shelf life. In this perspective, we have studied the effects of ellagic acid (EA) and L-ascorbic acid (LAA)/\ud
sodium ascorbate (SA), either alone or in combination, on the microbiological quality of fresh finfish Solea solea during storage at 0 °C. The results showed that addition of EA (0.03%) alone or in combination with L-AA (1.71%)/SA (1.98%) significantly delayed the proliferation of aerobic plate counts, psychrotrophic counts and Pseudomonas bacteria\ud
extending the product shelf life up to 10 days, versus 8 days for control. During the storage, the pH increase is slowed down when the fish samples are subjected to the\ud
treatment with preservative agents. The effect of lowering the pH increase is particularly pronounced when a combination of EA and L-AA/SA is used. Therefore, EA alone or in combination with L-AA and SA can be successfully utilized to reduce the microbial growth, extending the shelf life of fish during storage at 0 °C.\ud
The second aspect of fish products quality and characterization studied in this PhD course deals with the identification of “species-specific genetic markers” of red mullet (M. barbatus) as useful tools for “the commercial designation of species”.\ud
Consumers demand for a deeper knowledge of the quality and the origin of food is increasing significantly. The UE with the adoption of Reg. (EC) 2065/2001, laying down detailed rules for the application of Reg. (EC) 104/2000, wanted to give a strong push to the " traceability of fish products" through the labelling systems. European Council Regulation (EC) 104/2000, on the common organization of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products, specifies that these products may not be offered for retail use unless they are labelled with “the commercial name of the species”, “the production method” and “the capture zone”. Particularly, in Italy "the commercial designation" must respect the list\ud
present in the enclosure A of the D.M. 27-03-02 and in the following modifications and integrations of the D.M. 25/07/2005. Therefore, the development of analytical methods for species identification is necessary to detect and avoid wilful, as well as unintentional substitution of different fish and shellfish species and to enforce labelling regulations (Mackie et al., 1999).\ud
The main aim of this study was the development of a PCR-based assay for the identification of red mullet (M. barbatus) and striped red mullet (M. surmuletus), and was\ud
projected on the locus 16S rDNA gene fragment of the 3 Mullid genera (Mullus, Upeneus and Pseudopeneus), widespread in the Mediterranean Sea.\ud
The second aim was the investigation of the possible polymorphisms able to detect different populations of red mullet (M. barbatus) in the Mediterranean Sea.\ud
The PCR-assay developed can be adequately used for “species identification” of red mullet (M. barbatus) and striped red mullet (M. surmuletus). This approach is rapid and offers the potential to detect fraudulent or unintentional mislabeling of seafood, but can be particularly indicated for application to “processed products”.\ud
The randomness of genetic differences among samples indicated that the Adriatic red mullet stock probably belongs to single population unit, according to Garoia et. al., 2004.\u