45 research outputs found
Reflections on the author, context and audience of the so-called Apotheosis of Poppaea (P.Oxy. LXXVII 5105)
No full textDiscussione e commento storico di un testo esametrico greco su papiro contenente la divinizzazione ed il catasterismo di Poppea Sabina, moglie di Nerone. Attribuzione del testo al poeta di corte Leonides di Alessandria
I volti e la bibliografia di Teorie e storia dell’architettura di Manfredo Tafuri nelle edizioni italiane
No full textPrendendo in esame un caso studio puntuale ma indicativo della vasta produzione storiografica di Manfredo Tafuri (1935-1994), l’articolo vorrebbe offrire una lettura alternativa, per quanto parziale, del contraddittorio rapporto che lo storico dell’architettura di origini romane ha avuto con l’architettura e gli architetti a lui contemporanei, spesso interpretato estremizzando elementi di continuità o di rottura, o collocando su piani equiparabili e alternativi critica dell’ideologia e filologia. Il problema verrà indagato a partire da nuove fonti attraverso la modifica del volto, cioè della copertina del libro più noto e tradotto di Tafuri, Teorie e storia dell’architettura (1968), la cui immagine iniziale, tratta da un disegno di Franco Purini e Laura Thermes e sostituita nel 1986 con un disegno di Baldassarre Peruzzi, era forse stata, stando a una recente testimonianza di Purini, il frutto di un malinteso tra l’autore e il grafico. Le indagini svolte consentono di assumere questo libro alla stregua di un ‘progetto’ al quale lo storico ha lavorato per tutta la vita. Perché dunque tenere così a lungo un’immagine ‘sbagliata’? Il contributo si conclude con un’appendice con la bibliografia della prima edizione di Teorie e storia e le modifiche apportate nelle riedizioni italiane fino al 1986, offrendosi come strumento di lavoro per ulteriori indagini. -----By examining a specific case study but indicative of the historiographic production of Manfredo Tafuri (1935-1994), the article would like to offer an alternative, albeit partial, reading of the contradictory relationship that the Roman-born historian of architecture had with contemporary architects and architecture, often interpreted by taking elements of continuity or rupture to extremes, or by placing criticism of ideology and philology on comparable and alternative levels.
The problem will be investigated with new sources through the modification of the cover image of Tafuri's best-known and most translated book, Teorie e storia dell'architettura (1968, first edition), whose initial image, taken from a drawing by Franco Purini and Laura Thermes and replaced in 1986 with a drawing by Baldassarre Peruzzi, was perhaps, according to a recent testimony by Purini, the result of a misunderstanding between the author and the graphic artist. The investigations carried out make it possible to consider this book as a 'project' on which the historian worked all his life. Why, then, keep a 'wrong' image for so long?
A final appendix containing a bibliography of the first edition of Teorie e storia and the modifications made in the Italian editions up to 1986 is offered as a working tool for further investigation
Interaction between PPARγ2 variants and gender on the modulation of body weight
No full textConflicting results have been reported regarding the effect of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ-2 (PPARγ2) Pro12Ala polymorphism, (singly or in combination with the silent C1431T polymorphism) on BMI. Gender-based dimorphism has been evidenced for genes that affect BMI, but few and conflicting data are available regarding PPARγ2. We sought to investigate whether the Pro12Ala interacts with gender in modulating BMI in 566 nondiabetic unrelated white subjects (men:women = 211:355, age 36.59 ± 11.85; BMI 25.36 ± 4.53). In the whole study population, BMI, fasting glucose and insulin levels, and lipid profile were similar in Ala12 carriers (i.e., XA) and Pro/Pro homozygous subjects. Among the men, but not among the women, X/Ala individuals showed higher BMI (25.9 ± 3.6 vs. 28.2 ± 4.9, P = 0.006) and risk of obesity (odds ratio = 2.85, 95% confidence interval = 1.07-7.62). A significant gene-gender interaction in modulating BMI was observed (P = 0.039). Among the men, but not among the women, those carrying Ala-T haplotype (i.e., containing both Ala12 and T1431 variants) showed the highest BMI (haplo-score = 3.72, P = 0.0014). Our data indicate that in whites from Italy the PPARγ2 Pro12Ala polymorphism interacts with gender in modulating BMI, thereby replicating some, but not all, earlier data obtained in different populations. Whether the PPARγ2-gender interaction is a general phenomenon across different populations, is still an open question, the answer to which requires additional, specifically designed, studies. © 2008 The Obesity Society
Distribution of the spermatogonial subpopulations during the stages of the epithelial cycle
No full textThe maintenance of seminiferous epithelium function hinges on the biological activity of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), they play a pivotal role in maintaining spermatogenesis, the process by which spermatozoa are produced, and ensuring continuous sperm production throughout a male's reproductive life. Despite their critical importance, our understanding of SSC biology, particularly their spatial distribution within the testicular microenvironment, remains limited, prompting investigations into their precise localization and the existence of specialized microenvironments known as spermatogonial stem cell niches. In rodents, research has revealed that undifferentiated spermatogonia, including SSCs, exhibit non-random distribution within the seminiferous tubules, preferring areas adjacent to interstitial regions rather than tubule-tubule contact regions at specific stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle (SEC). Here, we present a pioneering investigation into the topological localization of undifferentiated spermatogonia (undiff-SPG) in primates, specifically Macaca Fascicularis, using immunofluorescence (IF) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses with specific markers. Remarkably, our examination of undiff-SPG subsets' relative positioning along the basal membrane in relation to interstitial tissue uncovers significant distinctions. While PIWIL4+ and NANOS3+ undiff-SPG exhibit random distribution along the basal compartment across all SEC stages, GFRA1+ undiff-SPG display stage-dependent localization patterns. During the first half of the cycle, GFRA1+ undiff-SPG preferentially inhabit regions adjacent to the interstitium, while in the second half, they predominantly occupy tubule-tubule contact regions. This spatial organization appears to be coordinated with the stages of the SEC, suggesting dynamic regulation of SSC behavior throughout the process of sperm production. Our study contributes to the growing body of literature aimed at deciphering the complexities of SSC biology and the regulation of spermatogenesis in mammalian species, with implications for understanding male fertility, reproductive health, and the development of novel therapeutic interventions targeting SSCs
Risk based sensor placement methods for burst/leak detection in water distribution systems
No full textThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from IWA Publishing via the DOI in this record.The optimal placement of sensors in water distribution systems for burst/leak detection is usually formulated as an optimization problem. In this study three different risk-based functions are used to drive optimal location of a given number of sensors in water distribution network. A simple function based on likelihood of leak non-detection is compared with two other risk-based functions, where impact and exposure are combined with the leak detection likelihood. The impact is considered proportional to the demand water volume while the exposure is related to the importance of the connections and it is evaluated on social, economic or safety considerations. The methods are applied to a district metered area of the Harrogate network by means of a modified EPANET model, to take into account the pressure driven functioning conditions of the system. The results show that the exposure can lead to a different sensor location ranking with respect to other used criteria and hence the proposed methodology can represent a useful tool for the water system managers to distribute the sensors in the network, complying to hydraulic, social and economical requirements.The authors are grateful for the Erasmus funding which enabled the first author to do most of this work at the University of Exeter in the UK
Wearable defibrillator to improve accuracy in selecting candidates to implantable defibrillator: A real‐world experience
No full textAims: The indication for implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for sudden cardiac death (SCD) prevention relies mostly on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤ 35%. The use of a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) in the case of dynamic alterations of LVEF may help avoid an improper early ICD implant when a favourable evolution in the post-acute phase is observed and may help reduce costs. Methods: This parallel cohort retrospective study included patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) at high risk of arrhythmias recruited in the acute phase and divided into an early ICD cohort and a WCD cohort for primary prevention during the waiting period established by European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Results: A total of 41 consecutive patients were enrolled: 26 in the WCD group and 15 in the early ICD group. Age, LVEF at baseline, causes of HFrEF and drug therapy in the two cohorts were similar. During the waiting period after the inclusion, three patients (11.5%) in the WCD cohort and four (26.7%) in the early ICD cohort developed relevant ventricular arrhythmias (P = 0.22); none of them had subsequent LVEF recovery. At the end of the waiting period, 13 patients (50%) in the WCD group and 7 (46.7%) in the early ICD group experienced LVEF recovery (P = 0.84). The average cost per patient at the end of the waiting period was €23 934 in the early ICD cohort versus €19 167 in the WCD cohort (−19.9%). This cost savings from WCD use appears even higher when projected over a 10 year period (−41.2%). Conclusions: WCD may represent a cost-effective strategy to more accurately select candidates for the primary prevention ICD implant among high-risk patients with HFrEF. ICD use provides effective protection from SCD and reduces costs compared with an extensive early ICD implant
Case Report: Interindividual variability and possible role of heterozygous variants in a family with deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2: are all heterozygous born equals?
No full textDeficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 (DADA2) is a rare systemic autoinflammatory disease, typically with autosomal recessive inheritance, usually caused by biallelic loss of function mutations in the ADA2 gene. The phenotypic spectrum is broad, generally including fever, early-onset vasculitis, stroke, and hematologic dysfunction. Heterozygous carriers may show related signs and symptoms, usually milder and at an older age. Here we describe the case of two relatives, the proband and his mother, bearing an ADA2 homozygous pathogenic variant, and a heterozygous son. The proband was a 17-year-old boy with intermittent fever, lymphadenopathies, and mild hypogammaglobulinemia. He also had sporadic episodes of aphthosis, livedo reticularis and abdominal pain. Hypogammaglobulinemia was documented when he was 10 years old, and symptoms appeared in his late adolescence. The mother demonstrated mild hypogammaglobulinemia, chronic pericarditis since she was 30 years old and two transient episodes of diplopia without lacunar lesions on MRI. ADA2 (NM_001282225.2) sequencing identified both mother and son as homozygous for the c.1358A>G, p.(Tyr453Cys) variant. ADA2 activity in the proband and the mother was 80-fold lower than in the controls. Clinical features in both patients improved on anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy. An older son was found to be heterozygous for the same mutation post-mortem. He died at the age of 12 years due to a clinical picture of fever, lymphadenitis, skin rash and hypogammaglobulinemia evolving toward fatal multiorgan failure. Biopsies of skin, lymph nodes, and bone marrow excluded lymphomas and vasculitis. Despite being suspected of symptomatic carrier, the contribution of an additional variant in compound heterozygosity, or further genetic could not be ruled out, due to poor quality of DNA samples available. In conclusion, this familiar case demonstrated the wide range of phenotypic variability in DADA2. The search for ADA2 mutations and the assessment of ADA2 activity should be considered also in patients with the association of hypogammaglobulinemia and inflammatory conditions, also with late presentation and in absence of vasculitis. Furthermore, the clinical picture of the deceased carrier suggests a possible contribution of heterozygous pathogenic variants to inflammation
A Functional Variant of the Adipocyte Glycerol Channel Aquaporin 7 Gene Is Associated With Obesity and Related Metabolic Abnormalities
No full textAbstract: Aquaporin 7 (AQP7), the gateway protein controlling glycerol release, has recently emerged as a modulator of adipocyte metabolism. AQP7 knockout mice develop obesity and hyperglycemia. The contribution of AQP7 to these abnormalities in humans is unknown. We examined whether common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the AQP7 gene modulate the risk of obesity and related abnormalities. Among several SNPs we identified, A-953G in the AQP7 promoter was associated with type 2 diabetes in 977 (530 female/447 male) Caucasians: odds ratio for XG (i.e., AG+GG) versus AA individuals was 1.36 (95% CI 1.011.84), P = 0.04. This finding was entirely due to the association among females (1.8 [1.2-2.6], P = 0.004), which was no longer significant when adjusted for BMI. In fact, BMI was higher in XG than in AA females (30.8 +/- 6.6 vs. 28.9 +/- 5.2, P = 0.002). This association was confirmed in independent case-control study (n = 299 female subjects) for morbid obesity (1.66 [1.01-2.74], P = 0.04). Luciferase and mobility shift assays showed that, compared with -953A, the -953G promoter had reduced transcriptional activity (P = 0.001) and impaired ability to bind CCAAT/ enhancer binding protein (C/EBP)beta transcription factor (P = 0.01). Finally, AQP7 expression in adipose tissue decreased from AA to AG to GG individuals (P = 0.036). These data strongly suggest that AQP7 downregulation pathogenic for obesity and/or type 2 diabetes
A Finite Element Approach for Aeroelastic Instability Prediction of Wind Turbines
No full textAerospace EngineeringAerodynami
