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Studio della virulenza di Staphylococcus spp isolati da protesi mammarie
Full text linkIn recent years the use of breast surgery, has undergone an exponential increase, both for aesthetic and reconstructive purposes. The main complication as a result of these interventions is due to the bacterial colonization of the breast implants resulting in infection of the affected site. As a result of the diagnosis of an infection, the only possible therapy involves the removal of the implant followed by antibiotic treatment. The main culprits of such infections are Staphylococcus spp. It was possible to study the pathogenicity of these strains from a genetic point of view by identifying specific virulence genes such as icaA, bhp, kdp, agrD, IS256 and IS257. Moreover, it has been studied their adhesive capacity both on epithelioid Caco2 cells and on all types of prosthetic surfaces, comparing with ATCC control samples. Their ability to produce biofilms was compared with ATCC strains, clinical control samples and skin-isolated specimens of healthy voluntary women has also been studied. The study has made it possible to broaden the knowledge of these particular infections hitherto poorly studied and to lay the basis for future interventions of prevention and advancement in the diagnostic and surgical methods
Obblighi legali a contrarre e attività d'impresa
Full text linkIn Italian private law, the freedom of contract plays a significant role. This kind of principle makes each
person free to choose if conclude or not a contract, to identify contractual partners and also to establish
the content of the contractual provisions. However, in some cases the formation of a contract is
directly prescribed by law. A typical example of legal obligation to contract could be find in the article
2597 cod. civ., that forces legal monopolist to enter into contracts concerning monopolized goods or
services, respecting the principle of equal treatment. The above mentioned provision, in conjunction
with article 1679 cod. civ. (which forecasts a similar obligation for the holder of an administrative
concession for public transport services), describes a unitary model that maybe could be applied to all
legal obligations to contract in the context of business activities.
The present work aims to research if a legal obligation to contract could be derived from the antitrust
law, especially from the article 102 TFUE and, regarding to Italian antitrust law, from the article 3, l. n.
287/1990, which prohibits the abuse of dominant position, and also from the article 9, l. n. 192/1998,
which forbids the abuse of economic dependence. A related issue concerns the possibility to extend the
above mentioned unitary model, established by articles 2597 and 1679 cod. civ., to those which some
authors called “new obligations to contract”
Differenze di genere nei neonati figli di madri diabetiche
Full text linkAims:
to evaluate two populations of women: one consisting of patients with type I diabetes mellitus (DMI) and another from patient with gestational diabetes mellitus (GMD) and the prevalence of maternal-fetal and neonatal outcomes based on gender differences.
Methods: Retrospective study of 57 pregnant women with DMI (24 women, 43%) and GDM (33 women, 57%). Inclusion criteria were: single pregnancy, pregestational diagnosis of type I diabetes. We reported the type of insulin and the number of units per day which was self-administered. We reported the duration of pregnancy, any comorbidities and the value of glycated hemoglobin, whenever possible, in the first trimester of pregnancy. Each woman's obstetric history has been collected as nulliparity, multiparity, history of previous abortions, a history of previous fetal deaths and pre-eclampsia. Obstetric maternal-fetal outcomes we analyzed were: pre-eclampsia, elective caesarean section performed or urgency, preterm birth, P-PROM, polyhydramnios, placental abruption, stillbirth and perinatal death and other obstetric complications related to underlying disease. We also considered the percentage of infants admitted to NICU for the appearance of acute respiratory distress syndrome and low Apgar score at 5 minutes after birth.
Results: Although not statistically significant our study has shown that some maternal fetal outcomes such as RDS and IUGR affect predominantly fetal-neonatal male population, especially in the Group of patients with DMI.
Conclusions: We reported gender difference in materno-fetal outcomes in diabetic pregnant women but further studies on larger sample size are needed before drawing definitive conclusions
Investigation on meteorological variables affecting sheep bulk milk quality in Sardinian farming systems
Full text linkMilk yield, quality and composition are influenced by several factors. Various studies investigated how heat stress acts on milk production, with special focus on dairy cattle. In Sardinia’s economy, sheep farming plays a crucial role but harsh climatic conditions may affect negatively milk quantity and quality. In this study, this effect was assessed on dairy sheep by statistical analysis of bulk milk characteristics at farm level in Sardinia. The main relationships among relevant variables of about 5000 farms were analysed to detect how farm facilities, geographical and meteorological variables affect milk traits. Furthermore, we quantified losses in milk quantity and quality due to heat stress by means of temperature humidity index (THI). A mixed model was used to predict milk characteristics and the effect of heat stress in a low-cost determination. Multivariate statistics on meteorological variables, referred to the whole island in the late spring and summer, produced an alternative index describing the heat stress condition. We do not observed a close relationships between farm structural variables and milk composition traits in Sardinian farms. When THI < 68, lactose content was higher whereas fat, proteins and caseins percentages are lower. Compared to the average milk production assumed as 100% a drop of 5% of milk every 10 THI point was estimated. Mixed model analyses highlighted a relevant quota of trait variance explained by random flock effect (from 32 to 64%)
Biological classification in Early Chinese dictionaries and glossaries: from fish to unvertebrates and Vice Versa
Full text linkThis dissertation problematises the classification of chong 蟲 (invertebrates) and yu 魚(fish) in Early Chinese texts. The loci classici analysed will range from the Warring States (ca. 453 – 221 BCE) to the Eastern Han period (dong Han 東漢, 25 – 220 CE). The focus is on the lexical ambiguity between these two zoological categories: despite being perceived as different, they include a more or less loose set of “dynamic” words that shift from one category to the other.
The project concentrates on two early Chinese texts: the Erya 爾雅 (III century BCE) and the Shuowen jiezi 説文解字 (100 CE). These works had a pivotal role during the development of Chinese lexicography and gave the lexical basis of later texts. They are also the first texts that deal with the problem of taxonomical classification in Early China.
By systematically applying a philological approach (Coblin 1972, Carr 1979) to a selection of zoological glosses preserved in these sources, this study aims at reformulating the way in which early Chinese “proto-zoological categories” are organised (Needham 1986, Sterckx 2002). Through the analysis of selected case studies, it aims at showing that even if there are fairly well attested categories that constitute a dichotomous system (such as “quadrupeds” versus “winged creatures” or “wild beasts” versus “domestic animals”), Early Chinese taxonomies represent a dynamic and unstable attempt at zoological classification for what we call today “fish” and “invertebrates”
A Recovery time after warming restores mitochondrial function and improves developmental competence of vitrified ovine oocytes
No full textThe aim of the present study was to assess the ability of vitrified/warmed oocyte to recover from vitrification-induced damages after warming. In vitro matured, vitrified/warmed ovine oocytes were assessed for developmental competence, mitochondrial activity and distribution, ATP, ROS and catalase levels during 6 h of in vitro culture using fresh oocytes as control. ATP content in vitrified oocytes was lower than control during 4 h of post warming culture (p < .01). Vitrified oocytes were able to fill this gap only after 6 h of post-warming incubation. Moreover, mitochondrial activity was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in vitrified oocytes compared to controls, and this difference was maintained up to 2 h of incubation. Then the activity increased and at 4 h it was higher compared to controls (p < 0.01). These oocytes showed an increasing rate of clustered distribution of mitochondria which was lower than controls during the first 4 h of post warming culture (p < 0.01). ROS level was significantly higher at 0 h in vitrified compared to control oocytes and this difference was maintained also at 2 h and 6 h of incubation (p < 0.01). Catalase level was higher in vitrified oocytes than controls (p < 0.01) during the entire culture period. Cleavage and blastocyst rates were lower in vitrified oocytes compared to control ones during the two first time point of incubation period (p < .01), indeed they increased significantly from 0 to 4 h of incubation post warming (p < 0.01). The study demonstrated that vitrified/warmed oocytes need an extra time to restore damage due to cryopreservation procedures and to increase their developmental potential. Thus, time of damage recovery after vitrification could be used to standardize the vitrification protocols and to improve the developmental competence of vitrified/warmed oocytes
12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate and EZH2 inhibition: a novel approach for promoting myogenic differentiation in embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma cells
No full textRhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a soft tissue sarcoma that arises from muscle precursors affecting predominately children and young adults. It can be divided into two main classes: embryonal (eRMS) and alveolar rhabodomyosarcomas (aRMS). Despite the expression of early muscle specific genes, RMS cells fail to complete myogenesis even in differentiation conditions. We previously demonstrated that Enhancer Zeste of Homolog 2 (EZH2), the catalytic subunits of PRC2 complex, contributes to inhibit muscle differentiation in eRMS and its down-regulation causes a partial recovery of myogenesis. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) is a molecule able to induce differentiation in eRMS with a mechanism that involves the protein kinase C (PKC). In this paper we report that treatment with TPA reduces the expression of EZH2 without affecting levels of H3K27me3. The combination of TPA with GSK126, an inhibitor of the catalytic activity of EZH2, has a synergic effect on the induction of muscle differentiation in RD rhabdomyosarcoma cells, suggesting a new therapeutic combinatory approach for RMS treatment
IFNα-mediated suppression of JCV is mTOR pathway dependend
Full text linkThe severe demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is caused by the neurotropic polyomavirus JC (JCV), which replicates in oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in the brain. Infection by JCV is very common and is widespread worldwide, but PML occurs very rarely. Primary infection occurs early in life, usually in childhood, but the virus is contained by the action of immune system and subsequently persists asymptomatically. Initiation of PML occurs occasionally under conditions of immune dysfunction and results from the reactivation of persistent virus from an inactivate state to replicate lytically. Our earlier studies suggest that reactivation occurs within glial cells due to the action of cytokines, e.g. TNF-alpha, stimulating viral gene expression. In this study, we have now examined the cytokine interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), which, in contrast, has a negative effect on JCV gene expression and replication. IFN-alpha and IFN-beta inhibited the replication of JCV in primary human fetal astrocytes and reduced transcription by JCV promoter reporter constructs in oligodendroglioma cells. We found that IFN-α treatment of glial cells induced expression of STAT1 and caused STAT1 phosphorylation and translocation to the nucleus. Other downstream signaling events were also examined including PI3K/Akt and mTOR and inhibition of PI3K with LY294002 was found to enhance JCV replication while rapamycin inhibition of mTOR affected STAT1 translocation to the nucleus. We conclude that pathways downstream of IFN-alpha negatively regulate JCV gene expression and replication and this may present new therapeutic opportunities for PML
Costruttivismo ed esperienzialismo per l'apprendimento dell'italiano L2 nelle visite museali
Full text linkThe present PhD thesis evolves from the need to grow awareness of the didactic methods that could be adopted in the field of the acquisition of Italian as a second language, and that could contemporaneously be optimal instruments to give value to museums and to consider them as ideal learning settings. Therefore, the aim of my research is, first of all, to show the dynamics of the acquisition in museums. Afterwards, I make an excursus into the theories postulated by scientists who (has) studied and supported Constructivism and Experiential Learning. Moreover, I explain how to reify scientists’ thought and I focus on two Sardinian museums: Museo del corallo in Alghero and Museo-Casa di Grazia Deledda in Nuoro. On these two structures I have constructed ad hoc two didactic paths consisting of different steps and also including materials whose objective is to allow students to intimately dialogue with the exposed items in order them to learn Italian language and culture. The working sheets are accompanied by the analysis of the activities from the Constructivist and the Experientialist perspectives. Ultimately, to confirm the functionality and the value of the two approaches, I present the results of an experiment conducted in the Museo del corallo with a group of Erasmus students hosted by the University of Sassari, highlighting the strong points and providing conclusive considerations for eventual future executions of the initiative
Un Riso che si rinnova: nuovi strumenti critici per l'umorismo dopo Pirandello
Full text linkIn contemporary Italian literature the study of humor is not systematic and often uses old theories such as those of Bachtin and Bergson. In this PhD thesis I try to widen the method to other disciplines and to set up a Canon that starts from Pirandello up until the nineties. As a result, the theoretical part connects anthropological, neuroscientific, cognitive linguistics and cultural history studies. The aim is to set up a ductile method that gives the possibility to evaluate different angles of humor and, at the same time, to offer a valid support to the study of the humorous text in its historical dimension. The choice of the writers that were examined builds a small reference Canon of this literary genre in Italy that does not evaluate only the artistic value, but also the public diffusion. Since humor is a genre very influenced by the historical moment and the mentality, this study also deepens the events and the historical context in which the narrative works are written