263 research outputs found
Quantitative Computed Tomography: a non invasive technique for the measurement of bone mineral content
No full textNon-enveloped HCV core protein as constitutive antigen of cold-precipitable immune complexes in type II mixed cryoglobulinaemia
No full textHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been detected in a large proportion of patients with mixed cryoglobulinaemia (MC). Circulating 'free' non-enveloped HCV core protein has been demonstrated in HCV-infected patients, and this suggests its possible involvement in the formation of cryoprecipitable immune complexes (ICs). Thirty-two anti-HCV, HCV RNA-positive patients with type II MC were evaluated. Non-enveloped HCV core protein, HCV RNA sequences, total IgM, rheumatoid factor (RF) activity, IgG and IgG subclasses, C3 and C4 fractions, C1q protein and C1q binding activity were assessed in both cryoprecipitates and supernatants. Non-enveloped HCV core protein was demonstrated in 30 of 32 (93.7%) type II MC patients. After separation of cold-precipitable material, the protein was removed completely from supernatant in 12 patients (40%), whereas it was enriched in the cryoprecipitates of the remaining 18. In addition, HCV RNA and IgM molecules with RF activity were concentrated selectively in the cryoprecipitates. Differential precipitation was found for both total IgG and IgG subclasses, as they were less represented in the cryoglobulins and no selective enrichment was noted. Immunological characterization of HCV core protein-containing cryoprecipitating ICs after chromatographic fractionation showed that the IgM monoclonal component had RF activity, whereas anti-HCV core reactivity was confined to the IgG fraction. C1q enrichment in addition to high avidity of ICs for C1q binding in the cryoprecipitates suggest that complement activation may occur through the C1q protein pathway. The present data demonstrate that non-enveloped HCV core protein is a constitutive component of cryoprecipitable ICs in type II MC patient
Sponde impervie e rive fiorite. Sinisgalli tra scienze e letteratura
No full textStando alle dichiarazioni di Leonardo Sinisgalli, la sua ricerca intellettuale ed esistenziale sarebbe passata dall'ascetismo pitagorico del numero e della geometria all'abbandono definitivo della «cittadella del sublime» rappresentata dagli studi della matematica e dell'ingegneria, abbandonata a favore dei «primi versi “en plein air”». Il saggio si propone invece di mostrare che nella speculazione di Sinisgalli non si è affatto instaurato un dualismo tra scienza e letteratura vissuto secondo questi asseriti rapporti di esclusione reciproca. Al contrario, prendendo alla lettera la sua dichiarazione secondo cui «il poeta è portato necessariamente a contraddirsi, a rinnegarsi, a distruggersi», la sua poetica, lungi dal coltivare idee giustapposte senza metodo, si fonda in realtà su una feconda dialettica tra letteratura e scienza che si esprime con la logica inclusiva dell'ossimoro
Adipocyte expression and circulating levels of leptin increase in both gynaecological and breast cancer patients
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Multimodal Feedback in Assisting a Wearable Brain-Computer Interface Based on Motor Imagery
No full textA multimodal sensory feedback was exploited in the present study to improve the detection of neurological phenomena associated with motor imagery. At this aim, visual and haptic feedback were simultaneously delivered to the user of a brain-computer interface. The motor imagery-based brain-computer interface was built by using a wearable and portable electroencephalograph with only eight dry electrodes, a haptic suit, and a purposely implemented virtual reality application. Preliminary experiments were carried out with six subjects participating in five sessions on different days. The subjects were randomly divided into “control group” and “neurofeedback group”. The former performed pure motor imagery without receiving any feedback, while the latter received multimodal feedback as a response to their imaginative act. Results of a cross validation showed that at most 61% of classification accuracy was achieved in performing the pure motor imagination. On the contrary, subjects of the “neurofeedback group” achieved up to 82% mean accuracy, with a peak of 91% in one of the sessions. However, no improvement in pure motor imagery was observed, either when practicing with pure motor imagery or with feedback
COVID-19: parental vaccine hesitancy and misinformation in Italy
No full textAccording to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), vaccine hesitancy can be defined as the “delayed acceptance or refusal of vaccination despite the availability of vaccination services” (MacDonald, 2015) and it is one of the top 10 global health threats (WHO, 2019). From January 2021, the Italian Government implemented a vaccination program aiming at vaccinating most of the population (Bloom et al., 2020). It is important to point out that, following a general decrease in adherence to vaccination programs in Italy, in July 2017 the Parliament issued an ad-hoc decree law (n.119/2017), introducing compulsory vaccinations for infants and recommending their exclusion from nursery schools if not vaccinated. A controversy ensued, as a no-vax movement emerged to oppose to the new law and dispute its compliance with the Italian Constitution. The movement continued to develop during the COVID-19 pandemic, and anti-vax groups proliferated, particularly in the northern regions of the country (Moscardino et al., 2022). A crucial factor influencing vaccine hesitancy is the dissemination of false, misleading information, such as the proliferation of anti-Vax groups on social media (Johnson et al., 2020). A recent study found that belief in misinformation was associated with lower intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 across 40 countries (Singh et al., Santirocchi et al., 2022). The present study investigates the factors influencing parents' hesitation to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. It aims to: 1) examine whether there are differences in the willingness to vaccinate children of different ages; 2) assess the role of exposure to fake news as a variable that could reduce the willingness to vaccinate one's children and receive the fourth dose. Method: A questionnaire assessing disinformation and vaccine availability towards children was prepared using Google Forms and disseminated to parents through different social media. All data were collected between 5th February and 5th June 2022 and is from an empirical study. We collected 100 participants. Results: We performed a one-way ANOVA with “child age” (18-15, 14-12, 11-5) as the independent variable and “availability” as the dependent variable. The results showed a significant difference between the three groups [F(2,97)=15.38, p<0.01]. Post hoc analysis revealed that the parents of the 15-18 group showed significantly lower availability compared to parents of the 12-14 group and of the 5-11 group. A negative correlation [r(98)=-0.35, p<0.001] emerged between belief of misinformation and availability to vaccinate children, showing that higher levels of misinformation are associated to higher hesitancy. Conclusions: High rates of parental hesitancy towards adolescents could be driven by a combination of low perception of infection susceptibility and higher protective behaviours aiming at exerting control (Musa et al., 2021). Furthermore, the results of our study highlight the danger of the “infodemic” the population is experiencing. In a historical period characterized by the fight against COVID-19, it is evident how fake news can undermine the population's choices on vaccines. We therefore consider it useful that strategies are developed to counteract misinformation and provide the appropriate means for the population to recognize them
L. Monocyte-macrophage system and polymorphonuclear leukocytes in workers exposed to low levels of metallic mercury.
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