10610 research outputs found
Sort by
Fasciola hepatica in Sardegna: caratterizzazione fenotipica, valutazione dell’andamento climatico, della stagionalità e diffusione della parassitosi.
No full textFascioliasis is a widely distributed parasitic disease caused by the two trematode species Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. Fascioliasis is responsible for high losses in livestock productions.
The dependence of F. hepatica and its intermediate hosts from weather factors, indicate that climate changes may affect the evolution of this disease. F. hepatica is currently the only species of Fasciolidae present in Sardinia. Intermediate hosts belong to the Lymnaea species and Lymnaea truncatula is the main intermediate host.
Sardinia, due to its geographical position, can represent a model for the study of fascioliasis transmission and evolution throughout the Mediterranean area.
This study describes for the first time the phenotypic characterization of adults of F. hepatica sampled from sheep and cattle from Sardinia, through a computerized image analysis system (CIAS) used for the differentiation of both species. The results compared with standard populations of F. hepatica (from South America and Europe) and F. gigantica (from Egypt for sheep and Burkina Faso for cattle), show that in Sardinia there are no F. gigantica or hybrid forms. The analysis of the meteorological data of the last thirty years (1988-2017) show that Sardinia is a climatically heterogeneous region with a seasonality of transmission of F. hepatica (from October to April). The data analysis also allowed us to highlight a possible climatic change especially in the south-western area of Sardinia
Effect of thermal stress on livestock production: phenotypic and genetic analysis
Full text linkThermal stress is a research area of growing interest because of its effects on animal
performance and animal production practices. The impact of adverse environmental conditions is
caused by one combination of different environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, solar
radiation, precipitation and air movement.
The higher amount of studies about the impact of thermal stress found in literature provided
a clear overview of the phenomena on dairy cows, pigs and poultry. Currently, the intensive
selection on production has been increased the sensitivity of most productive species to thermal
stress. Especially in dairy cattle there is a strong genetic antagonism between the level of
production and heat tolerance joint to a high genomic/environmental (GxE) interaction between
dairy production under cold, comfort and hot periods.
The thesis is organized in five main chapters in which the effect of different environmental
stressors was considered to evaluate the magnitude of thermal-impact on different traits of
economic interest among three livestock species (sheep, beef cattle, and pigs). Each study was
conducted considering different production systems characterize by distinct climatic and
environments conditions. In addition, for beef cattle and pigs the genetic component of thermal
response were estimated in order to explore the existence of GxE interactions across the wide
thermal range endured by these animals
Investigation of the role of an evolutionarily selected autoimmunity variant in the BAFF gene in response to Malaria antigens
No full textPopulation genetics signatures have revealed that an autoimmunity variant (BAFF-var) overexpressing soluble BAFF (sBAFF) showed significant evidence of positive selection, possibly due to adaptations to malaria infection. Interestingly, different studies have shown that mice overexpressing BAFF are protected from lethal Malaria infections.
The aim of this project is to elucidate the role of BAFF-var during the response to malaria antigens, and thus to explain the possible protective role of BAFF-var. We prepared lysates of erythrocytes infected (iRBCs) or not infected (Control, uRBCs) with Plasmodium falciparum, a malaria pathogen that was highly prevalent in Sardinia were BAFF-var was detected and has been positively selected. The lysates were used to stimulate PBMCs genotyped for BAFF-var. After stimulation, samples were analyzed for differential gene expression and cell profiles by flow cytometry. In PBMCs purified from BAFF-var donors and treated with iRBCs, differential levels of B- and T- cell subpopulations, immunoglobulins as well as several cytokines were observed. These variations were associated with differential gene expression in several immune-related pathways such as the NFkB2 pathway and cytokines as determined by changes in RNA and protein levels. Increased production of sBAFF was observed in patients carrying the BAFF-var allele, which leads to an increased risk of autoimmunity. Differential gene expression, levels of specific B and T cells and cytokines secretion, implicated in malaria response potentially enhanced protection against malaria. These findings describe a previously unknown mechanism by which BAFF-var can potentiate the immune system against Plasmodium infection
La Circolazione dei beni culturali: profili giuridici e sociali
Full text linkCultural goods are a peculiar kind of assets within the context of the Italian legal system. Indeed, despite they are capable of economic assessment, the economic aspect is prevalently
scaled down in favour of a greater emphasis on their social function. They are an identifying
feature of the Nation and a unique mean of human and intellectual enrichment.
Hence, legal requirements for the transfer of such goods are strictly regulated, both within Italy
and the European Union, in order to protect them and to ensure their proper preservation and
use by the community.
The State and the public authorities play a leading role in protecting, preserving and enhancing
state-owned cultural goods and in governing the transfer of privately owned cultural goods with
the aim of ensuring their protection.
There has been plenty of activities aimed at finding new ways to raise up the value and social
importance of cultural heritage; the role of private individuals has thus become significant, thanks
also to measures such as the introduction of tax credit measures in this field (the so-called Artbonus)
and sponsorships.
As of today, although the Parliament has not yet discussed the possibility to grant cultural
heritage with the status of “common heritage”, several proposals for a new approach to the
management of cultural heritage and cultural goods have already came up. Worth to say, such
proposals also provide for a closer engagement of the communities in such respect
Abitare i luoghi dell'acqua
No full textHow the encounter between a liquid element such as water and a solid element, consisting of two archetypes of architecture such as the wall and the excavation, through the filter of the compositional intervention, produces a spatial quality. The intent is to understand the action of the architect in his comparison with the element “water”, with the awareness that this gesture is not immutable over time, but collects an evolutionary charge within itself.In this sense, the elaboration of a genealogy could facilitate the understanding of the mutations on the themes and on the lexicon that translate into the forms at the basis of architecture in the presence of water.The thesis is divided into three parts, which reflect a breakdown on the basis of chapters: Archeology, Composition and Perception.The theme of archeology has been investigated according to a plot that combines the past with the present through the analysis of archetypes, whose comparison with water produces a space, an arrangement of form and a conformation. The first step was to understand the relationship between architecture - soil - and water, starting from the basic concepts of:
HOLE / EXCAVATION ↔ WATER → ARCHAEOLOGIES WALL / FENCE ↔ WATER → ARCHEOLOGIES
The theme of composing has been defined in its meaning in relation to water. In this sense, it is useful to develop a genealogy of water architecture, in order to understand the changes on the themes, on the lexicon and their translation into the forms at the basis of architecture in the presence of water.
COMPOSITIVE ACTION → WATER → SPATIAL QUALITY
The theme of perceiving has been analyzed in the shadow of a society of the image, which defines the existence of spaces and landscapes, in which the danger is to observe an architecture of water, capturing only its superficial aspects.
FEEL → WATER → SPACE
The hope is to observe architecture, within the dynamics of the project, considering water not only as a formal element, but on the contrary as an essential part of the project and therefore subject to the rules of architectural composition
L'Emancipazione della donna in Tunisia dal Protettorato francese a Bourguiba
Full text linkDuring the 20th Century, the woman question was a fundamental issue in Tunisian society: five months after the end of France Protectorate, in 1956, the promulgation of the Code of Personal Status (CSP) introduced important innovations in legal terms: by using of ijtihad, the CPS declared the abolition of polygamy, the replacement of repudiation in favour of the institution of divorce. In the same year, the National Union of Tunisian Women (UNFT) was born supported by the Neo-Destour party. Although the CSP and Bourguiba’s reforms benefited from intellectual and cultural trends in Islamic reformism, especially the action of important personalities such as Khayr al-Din, who founded Sadiqi College (1875), where the modern Tunisian elités were educated on the Occidental model and Tahar Haddad, first thinker who argued for women’s rights into his book Our Women in the shari‘a and Society (1930).The absence of female education was the main problem for woman’s emancipation and for the advancement of society. Tunisian feminism started taking shape in the 1930s. Before that, two Tunisian women had taken off their hijab at a public conference following the example of Egyptian woman Huda Shaʻrawi, leader of the first feminist movement in the Arab world. In Tunisia women’s activism developed before the independence through the efforts of different women organizations. All these factors contributed considerably to the maturation of Tunisian society, female consciousness and gender policy
Le Film Commission in Italia: profili organizzativi e funzionali.
No full textFilm commissions are non-profit organizations established to support the cultural and economic industry of film and audiovisual productions.
Originally born to provide logistic support to the crews and to promote locations, over time they have carried out additional and broader functions, which include training and management of specific film funds, up to the conservation of cinematographic heritage and undertaking of urban redevelopment projects.
In Italy, formerly regulated by regional legislation, they receive formal recognition (and institutional coordination) under national law in the organic reform of cinema pursuant to Law 220/2016, which, implementing articles 5, 6, 9, 21, 33 of the Constitution, gave them several functions - all essentially public - performed along with the Regions and the autonomous Provinces.
The substantial nature, which is independent of the public or private role (often coinciding with the structure of the foundation) of the individual film commissions, grants them the status of body governed by public law.
They also represent an important tool for the protection, enhancement and promotion of intangible cultural heritage and cultural diversity (as defined by the UNESCO Conventions for the protection of the intangible cultural heritage of 2003 and on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions of 2005), given their role in supporting the sustainable development of the individual communities in which they operate
Profili giuridici relativi ai droni
Full text linkIn common parlance, the word "drone" refers to an unmanned vehicle on board, whether land, sea or air. This work focuses on the latter type of aircraft, analysing existing legislation, highlighting its limitations and highlighting gaps.
As a first step, a definition of unmanned aircraft was proposed to take into account the technical and legal characteristics of the vehicle, regardless of its actual use. Subsequently, its implications have been analysed in the various areas of application, from market entry to integration into non-segregated airspace, through different regimes.
An in-depth examination has made it possible to observe the existence of a correlation between the notion of drones and the legal principles applicable to it, highlighting the possible divergences and inaccuracies currently present in a discipline which, to this day, is still evolve
La Pianificazione in zone di conflitto: il caso di Gerico nei Territori Palestinesi occupati
Full text linkIn the Israeli-Palestinian context there is an intricate territorial conflict based on two different and contrasting narratives of historical, cultural and religious belonging. In this clash, it is the state of Israel that holds power and exercises it through spatial, politicaladministrative and economic control over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since 1948 a
continuous process of contraction of Palestinian Territories (PT) has been initiated, this by
means of targeted policies such as the incessant construction of Israeli settlements, the
declaration of military zones and the construction of by Pass roads etc.
The research explores and analyzes the role that planning has played in the process of
colonization of the PT, using planning techniques to achieve political objectives, by making
the strong part prevails against the weaker one. Thus, this thesis aims, from one hand to
demonstrate the ineffectiveness of planning system used by the Palestinian National
Authority in areas of its sovereignty: it is done through the use of analytical and
comparative methodology to study the planning system in the PT and its historical
development and the descriptive method of the impacts of Israeli policy on Palestinian
cities. From the other hand, by using the city of Jericho as a case study, the thesis elaborates
the research issues and advices for better planning and management of the PT based on
future scenarios of the political situation
G6PD-Carenza e degenerazione maculare legata all'età
Full text linkPurpose: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in the elderly in Western Countries. Evidence indicates that Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency may protect against ischemic disease and ocular vascular disorders. This study was undertaken to ascertain whether G6PD deficiency may protect against AMD.
Materials and Methods: 79 men with late-stage AMD and 79 male, age-matched controls without AMD were recruited. Smoking status and clinical history were recorded. Complete blood count, hemoglobin, glucose, creatinine, cholesterol, triglycerides, transaminases, bilirubin, and erythrocyte G6PD activity were measured. Association between G6PD deficiency and AMD was investigated.
Results: G6PD deficiency was found in 7 (8.9%) AMD patients and 8 (10.1%) controls, a not statistically significant difference. Stepwise logistic regression disclosed that AMD was significantly associated with increased diastolic blood pressure (OR=1.09, 95% CI=1.03-1.15, P=0.02) and LDL-cholesterol (OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.0001-1.03, P=0.049) and lower values of white blood cell (WBC) count (OR=0.71, 95% CI=0.56-0.88, P=0.02) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
(OR=0.92, 95% CI=0.85-0.99, P=0.044).
Conclusion: G6PD deficiency has no protective effect on nor is a risk factor for AMD. Larger studies are necessary to confirm whether increased diastolic blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol and lower values of WBC count and AST are risk factors for AMD