Archivio istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi di Parma
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Vitronectin regulates lung tissue remodeling and emphysema in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
No full textVitronectin (VTN) is an important extracellular matrix protein in tissue remodeling, but its role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unknown. We show that VTN regulates tissue remodeling through urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) signaling pathway in COPD. In human COPD airways and bronchoepithelial cells and the airways of mice with cigarette smoke (CS)-induced experimental COPD, VTN protein was not changed, but downstream uPA signaling was altered (increased plasminogen activator inhibitor-1) that induced collagen and airway remodeling. In the parenchyma, VTN levels were decreased, uPA signaling pathway differentially altered and collagen reduced in lung fibroblasts from human and lung parenchyma in experimental COPD. Vtn inhibition with siRNA in mouse fibroblasts altered uPA signaling increased matrix metalloproteinase-12, and reduced collagen, whereas over-expression restored collagen production after CS extract challenge. Vtn−/− and Vtn small interfering RNA-treated mice had exaggerated inflammation, emphysema, and impaired lung function compared with controls with CS-induced COPD. Restoration of VTN in the parenchyma may be a therapeutic option for emphysema and COPD
Maps and Walking: The Cartographic Representation of the Urban Environment in My Two Worlds by Sergio Chejfec
No full textData2Concept2Text: An Explainable Multilingual Framework for Data Analysis Narration
No full textThis paper presents a complete explainable system that interprets a set of data, abstracts the underlying features and describes them in a natural language of choice. The system relies on two crucial stages: (i) identifying emerging properties from data and transforming them into abstract concepts, and (ii) converting these concepts into natural language. Despite the impressive natural language generation capabilities demonstrated by Large Language Models, their statistical nature and the intricacy of their internal mechanism still force us to employ these techniques as black boxes, forgoing trustworthiness. Developing an explainable pipeline for data interpretation would allow facilitating its use in safety-critical environments like processing medical information and allowing non-experts and visually impaired people to access narrated information. To this end, we believe that the fields of knowledge representation and automated reasoning research could present a valid alternative. Expanding on prior research that tackled the first stage (i), we focus on the second stage, named Concept2Text. Being explainable, data translation is easily modeled through logic-based rules, once again emphasizing the role of declarative programming in achieving AI explainability. This paper explores a Prolog/CLP-based rewriting system to interpret concepts-articulated in terms of classes and relations, plus common knowledge-derived from a generic ontology, generating natural language text. Its main features include hierarchical tree rewritings, modular multilingual generation, support for equivalent variants across semantic, grammar, and lexical levels, and a transparent rule-based system. We outline the architecture and demonstrate its flexibility through some examples capable of generating numerous diverse and equivalent rewritings based on the input concept
Combined effect of temperature and pH on the structure and IgE-reactivity of Arginine Kinase from the edible insect Hermetia illucens
No full textInsects are a good alternative source of proteins and other nutrients for human nutrition. In view of their possible use in the human diet in the western world, it is essential to investigate the safety risks for allergic consumers. Arginine kinase (AK), which is involved in the process of ATP homeostasis in invertebrates, has recently been identified in the edible insect Hermetia illucens as a potential allergen capable of cross-reactivity with orthologous proteins of mites and shrimps. Herein, we studied the protein stability and IgE-reactivity when AK is exposed to increasing temperatures or stored at low temperatures under varying pH conditions. AK incubation at high temperatures under neutral, basic and acidic conditions, can induce structural destabilization, aggregation or fragmentation often resulting in reduced IgE reactivity. While AK degradation occurs more rapidly at acidic pH, this protein fragmentation does not always correlate with a reduction in IgE-reactivity
EU GREEN. Un’Alleanza Universitaria Europea per affrontare le sfide culturali e ambientali del nostro secolo e favorire la transizione verde e digitale
No full textMachine and Industrial Design in Mechanical Engineering
No full textIn this paper are presented the benefits of introducing a new original
multidisciplinary methodology that integrates in a global homogeneous process
the benefits of the state of the art of product development techniques, mechanical
finite element analysis and collaborative teamwork strategies. For exposing this
interdisciplinary and Holistic Product Development approach, a case study is presented,
focusing on a re-design project of a pneumatic rack and pinion actuator for
valve actuation, first time designed in 1984. During the project, developed focusing
on teamwork activities, the benefits of an extensive use of simulation techniques
have been exploited, for implementing the best design change proposals emerged
thanks to the application of a Design-to-Value (DtV) process. Final objectives are
to optimize the product weight and efficiency of the actuator, while maintaining
high safety, reliability, and performances, and at the same time to simplify the
design, with a reduction of components construction complexity. In a First step of
the application of the methodology, the procedures and tools foreseen by the DtV
process for fostering improvement ideas generation are applied. In a second phase,
design techniques based on FEA (“Design by Analysis”) are going to integrate the
classical verifications of “Design by Formulas”, used in the occasion of the first
actuator design, obtaining a much higher level of accuracy confirmed by experimental
validation phase. This new value-oriented design strategy, implemented
with a sort of “secret ingredient” given by collaborative teamwork, allowed to
obtain tangible benefits and introduce a totally renewed more efficient actuator
Basic Seat Assembly Concept Assessment of Civil Aircraft Through Conceptual Design for Assembly Methodology
No full textIn modern industries, standard and well-known product development strategies require customization and dedicated methods to effectively conceive and manufacture complex products. The present research work aims at solving new challenges in product development targeting the aeronautical sector, specifically for the purpose of designing seat systems to be assembled and installed into commercial aircraft cabins. Basic Seat Assembly Concept Assessment (BSACA) design approach has been developed to assess seats assembly complexity in aircraft assembly line and to provide design guidelines in the early stages of product design. BSACA comprises four steps, starting from gathering the company’s knowledge to identify all the attributes characterizing the Seat Installation process. A series of scoring matrices is built, serving as a tool to translate the qualitative data gathered from design experts into quantitative values. Those matrices are used to create a software tool to help designers judge the goodness of new seat conceptual variants from an assembly viewpoint. Finally, the effectiveness of both the methodology and its stemming tool has been proven through a validation process carried out on four case studies. In essence, this research contributes a structured and rigorous framework to assess the ease and complexity of installing aircraft components, with a specific emphasis on seats, resulting in an improved assembly process of the whole aircraft