457 research outputs found
Towards a liquid self: How time, geography, and life experiences reshape the biological identity
No full textThe conceptualization of immunological self is amongst the most important theories of modern biology, representing a sort of theoretical guideline for experimental immunologists, in order to understand how host constituents are ignored by the immune system (IS). A consistent advancement in this field has been represented by the danger/damage theory and its subsequent refinements, which at present represents the most comprehensive conceptualization of immunological self. Here, we present the new hypothesis of "liquid self," which integrates and extends the danger/damage theory. The main novelty of the liquid self hypothesis lies in the full integration of the immune response mechanisms into the host body's ecosystems, i.e., in adding the temporal, as well as the geographical/evolutionary and environmental, dimensions, which we suggested to call "immunological biography." Our hypothesis takes into account the important biological changes occurring with time (age) in the IS (including immunosenescence and inflammaging), as well as changes in the organismal context related to nutrition, lifestyle, and geography (populations). We argue that such temporal and geographical dimensions impinge upon, and continuously reshape, the antigenicity of physical entities (molecules, cells, bacteria, viruses), making them switching between "self" and "non-self" states in a dynamical, "liquid" fashion. Particular attention is devoted to oral tolerance and gut microbiota, as well as to a new potential source of unexpected self epitopes produced by proteasome splicing. Finally, our framework allows the set up of a variety of testable predictions, the most straightforward suggesting that the immune responses to defined molecules representing potentials antigens will be quantitatively and qualitatively quite different according to the immuno-biographical background of the host. © 2014 Grignolio, Mishto, Faria, Garagnani, Franceschi and Tieri
Check and forecasting of railway traffic regularity by a PETRI Nets based simulation model // Verifica e previsione della regolarità dei traffico ferroviario con un modello di simulazione basato sulle Reti di PETRI
No full textThe article describes the main features of a railway operation simulation model. The model simulates the operation of the elementary devices composing the railway traffic management systems by describing their logical steps sequence by using the graphic formalism of extended and colored " PETRI Nets. The model may be applied in railway traffic regularity studies as well as a decision support tool for the planning of new or upgraded lines and their timetable or for delays minimization in traffic management by its automatic trains overcome functionality
Networks, Degeneracy and Bow ties: A Unifying Perspective of Immunological Paradigms and Architectures
No full textEnvisioning architectures, paradigms and principles is helpful and necessary to scientists to comprehend the complexity of biological systems. Network biology, for instance, is one of the most recent paradigms that have proven to be a successful approach to gain insights into the organization of biochemical networks and systems. We believe that a more integrated and unitary view of existing paradigms, principles, and concepts regarding biological systems will be even more helpful in understanding their complex organizational issues. In this view, we confront some of the most interesting ideas in systems biology such as those of network, degeneracy, and bow tie, and propose that the merging of such concepts into a more unitary view allows to re-interpret many biological phenomena in different and yet unexplored perspectives
GMO fate from the fodder to the food: the state of the art
No full textThe use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food production is something about society demands total transparency. The purpose of this review is to organize the significant amount of research regarding the fate of recombinant molecules within GM crops after consumption by livestock and summarize the main results about vertical GM DNA transmission. The main technique of investigation was Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Many results of recent publications agree that most of the DNA in a diet is degraded in the gastrointestinal tract by endogenous restriction nucleases, nevertheless some DNA fragments have been found in animal tissues and in products of animal origin as milk and meat. Short DNA sequences from plant tissues has been shown in the GastroIntestinal Tract (GIT) of ruminants and pigs. Plant DNA was also detectable in blood, muscular tissues and other organs of cattle and pigs but not in the offspring. Many discording results has been reported about the presence of transgenic DNA. Therefore additional research is needed in the field of both genetic traceability studies and DNA quantification methods development
Opportunities and constraints of the participation processes in urban mobility planning: Case studies in the city of Rome
No full textFor a long time, public participation in urban mobility policies has been weak in Rome, confined to a technical practice. However, in the last few years, in the wake of new Master Plan participation rules and new EU funds for participatory processes, an increasing number of administrative districts called "Municipi" are developing a more participatory approach, particularly in the field of local urban mobility. Even if this has not led to the formal signature of a "Mobility Agreement" between the local Government and local associations, the movements of inhabitants and local associations have succeeded in developing a set of proposals, which are being influential for the development of local political programs and day-to-day mobility policies (about public and private transport, cycling and pedestrian mobility). In particular, this paper will show opportunities and constraints of the participation processes in urban mobility planning in two case studies comparing effects, achievements and participatory technical methods: the project "Sbilanciamoci per la Mobilità" in the historical I Municipio, promoted by "Casa della Città", the first experiment of an Urban Center in Rome; the participatory review of the Cycling Master Plan of Rome in IX Municipio. The paper analyses two aspects: 1 - The effects and results of these initiatives in central and local governance policies in the field of urban mobility, identifying to what extent decision-making processes are being reinforced, or weakened, by sharing the definition of objectives, different monitoring and revision processes. 2 - The role that appropriate participatory technical methods play within general urban mobility strategies at different scales, improving resources for technical assistance and for transparent process, reducing conflicts with local stakeholders. © 2012 WIT Press
Encoding the states of interacting proteins to facilitate biological pathways reconstruction
No full textAbstract Background In a systems biology perspective, protein-protein interactions (PPI) are encoded in machine-readable formats to avoid issues encountered in their retrieval for the reconstruction of comprehensive interaction maps and biological pathways. However, the information stored in electronic formats currently used doesn't allow a valid automatic reconstruction of biological pathways. Results We propose a logical model of PPI that takes into account the "state" of proteins before and after the interaction. This information is necessary for proper reconstruction of the pathway. Conclusions The adoption of the proposed model, which can be easily integrated into existing machine-readable formats used to store the PPI data, would facilitate the automatic or semi-automated reconstruction of biological pathways. Reviewers This article was reviewed by Dr. Wen-Yu Chung (nominated by Kateryna Makova), Dr. Carl Herrmann (nominated by Dr. Purificación López-García) and Dr. Arcady Mushegian.</p
A Petri nets based decision support tool for railway traffic conflicts forecasting and resolution
No full textThe full paper describes current results and applications of an ongoing research concerning the operational simulation of complex railway systems based on working criteria and operational rules of interlocking and line signalling systems. Modelling is based on object oriented approach by the Petri nets formalism, that allows high processing openness and modular building without breaking away from the safety systems logic. The development of a full model includes the integration of a Common module to be applied to any layout and interlocking technology, a Timetable module capable to simulate the operational program, a Movement Inspector module to manage traffic priorities automatically and finally a Top Level module where a specific layout and its routes are modelled. The software tool used is a specific software for extended Petri Nets development, validation and simulation (Faber (c)), that allows modularity in Petri nets definition and manages variables and types declaration, being endowed with a C language interpreter. The tool could be used both for regularity forecasting and in decision support systems for the management of conflict resolution. For these goals the model was largely tested on the Roma-Formia railway, an Italian high density traffic line. The tests include simulations of traffic regularity monitoring and forecasting in both un-perturbed and perturbed conditions, by generating delays of sets of trains along the line and by verifying the response of the system in comparison with measured delays
Las esculturas de Belloni y el fútbol uruguayo a lo largo del siglo XX.
No full textComo parte importante de la identidad colectiva, jugar a la pelota ha sido y es una de las actividades más importantes de socialización en Uruguay. A lo largo de la primera mitad del siglo XX la escultura nativista de Belloni se transformará en una herramienta sumamente válida como iconografía representativa de este “deporte nacional”, tanto dentro como fuera de las fronteras. La Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol, conjuntamente con el Club Atlético Peñarol, serán los principales demandantes de su arte, tanto para la elaboración de trofeos y medallas como para la confección de obsequios para los contrincantes extranjeros de turno. Así fútbol y escultura se fusionaron, representando ambos, a su manera, el sentir de nuestra identidad uruguaya
Opportunità e ostacoli nell'adozione in Italia di un sistema di pedaggi differenziati per il traffico ferroviario delle merci finalizzato alla riduzione delle emissioni di rumore
No full textNell’articolo si descrivono le possibili conseguenze dell’adozione, in Italia, di un sistema di pedaggi differenziati dipendente dalle emissioni sonore dei carri merci che sia da incentivo per l’installazione sui carri esistenti di ceppi compositi “a basso rumore” in luogo dei tradizionali ceppi frenanti in ghisa. Quindi si valutano le ridu-zioni di rumore previste, i tempi e i costi di realizzazione dell’intero programma di sostituzione, i costi esterni e le esternalità evitate dall’adozione del sistema di pe-daggi, e si elencano le eventuali misure integrative da adottare per aumentare l’efficacia del sistema, gli elementi critici per l’analisi ed in particolare lo sconto di pedaggio da riconoscere all’impresa ferroviaria per pareggiare i costi
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