100,875 research outputs found
Percorsi sociologici. Per una storia della sociologia contemporanea.
No full text23 capitoli monografici su autori della sociologia moderna. M. Protti ha scritto i capitoli 2 Max Weber, 5 Werner Sombart, 10 T. Parsons, 12 La Scuola di Francoforte, 13 Alfred Schutz e paragrafi 4 e 5 del capitolo 11 Robert K. Merton di S. Franzese
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS OF ENERGY PRODUCTION IN FINLAND
No full textDeveloping national policies to ensure energy security
and sustainable development is not an easy task.
Economic and environmental aspects and constraints
of alternative energy scenarios must be properly investigated
before the guidelines of an energy policy
can be drawn. In this study, the main environmental
and economic costs of electricity production in Finland
were evaluated by exploring the performance of
different technologies at plant scale as well as their
load at national level. Alternative scenarios for Finland’s
energy future (year 2025 and 2050) were also
drawn and compared with the reference year 2008.
The comparative analysis of the results shows that, by
considering the price of an emission permit of 25 s/t
CO2 for the fossil fuel-based technologies, the production
cost of electricity by means of natural gas,
coal, and peat power plants increases considerably,
reaching 67, 68, and 74 s/MWh, respectively.
These figures highlight the profitability of renewable
energy sources in the near future. The CO2 emissions confirmed a major environmental
load placed by fossil fuel (coal, gas) and peat
power plants with values ranking from 1.11 to 0.76
t CO2/MWh. The Gross Energy Requirement (GER)
per joule of electricity produced (Je) showed better
figures for hydropower (0.04 J/Je), wind (0.13 J/Je),
and nuclear (0.26 J/Je) while at national level a major
economic and environmental load was placed by
combined heat and power plant, nuclear, and coal
power plants.
Finally, the scenarios for Finland’s energy future explored two main alternatives: a) major increase of nuclear
power, b) major increase of renewable energy
sources. In both cases, further investigations are
needed to ensure a future energy policy deeply rooted
in the principles of sustainable development and able to cope with post-carbon society
Tumor Microenvironment Drives the Cross-Talk Between Co-Stimulatory and Inhibitory Molecules in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes: Implications for Optimizing Immunotherapy Outcomes
No full textThis review explores some of the complex mechanisms underlying antitumor T-cell response, with a specific focus on the balance and cross-talk between selected co-stimulatory and inhibitory pathways. The tumor microenvironment (TME) fosters both T-cell activation and exhaustion, a dual role influenced by the local presence of inhibitory immune checkpoints (ICs), which are exploited by cancer cells to evade immune surveillance. Recent advancements in IC blockade (ICB) therapies have transformed cancer treatment. However, only a fraction of patients respond favorably, highlighting the need for predictive biomarkers and combination therapies to overcome ICB resistance. A crucial aspect is represented by the complexity of the TME, which encompasses diverse cell types that either enhance or suppress immune responses. This review underscores the importance of identifying the most critical cross-talk between inhibitory and co-stimulatory molecules for developing approaches tailored to patient-specific molecular and immune profiles to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of IC inhibitors and enhance clinical outcomes
Modulation of the CD8+-T-cell response by CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in patients with Hepatitis B virus infection
No full textCD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells have been shown to maintain peripheral tolerance against self and foreign
antigens. In this study we analyzed the effect of circulating CD4+ CD25+ T cells on CD8+-T-cell responses of
patients with chronic and resolved hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. We demonstrated that circulating CD4+
CD25+ T cells modulate the function and expansion of HBV-specific CD8+ cells ex vivo in all patients,
regardless of whether they have chronic or resolved HBV infection. The possible role of CD4+ CD25+ T cells
in the pathogenesis of chronic HBV infection is not supported by these data. However, these results might have
implications for optimizing future immunotherapeutic approaches to HBV treatment
Apoptosis, a Metabolic "Head-to-Head" between Tumor and T Cells: Implications for Immunotherapy
No full textInduction of apoptosis represents a promising therapeutic approach to drive tumor cells to death. however, this poses challenges due to the intricate nature of cancer biology and the mechanisms employed by cancer cells to survive and escape immune surveillance. furthermore, molecules released from apoptotic cells and phagocytes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) can facilitate cancer progression and immune evasion. apoptosis is also a pivotal mechanism in modulating the strength and duration of anti-tumor T-cell responses. combined strategies including molecular targeting of apoptosis, promoting immunogenic cell death, modulating immunosuppressive cells, and affecting energy pathways can potentially overcome resistance and enhance therapeutic outcomes. thus, an effective approach for targeting apoptosis within the TME should delicately balance the selective induction of apoptosis in tumor cells, while safeguarding survival, metabolic changes, and functionality of T cells targeting crucial molecular pathways involved in T-cell apoptosis regulation. enhancing the persistence and effectiveness of T cells may bolster a more resilient and enduring anti-tumor immune response, ultimately advancing therapeutic outcomes in cancer treatment. this review delves into the pivotal topics of this multifaceted issue and suggests drugs and druggable targets for possible combined therapies
T-cell repertoire diversity: friend or foe for protective antitumor response?
No full textProfiling the T-Cell Receptor (TCR) repertoire is establishing as a potent approach to investigate autologous and treatment-induced antitumor immune response. Technical and computational breakthroughs, including high throughput next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches and spatial transcriptomics, are providing unprecedented insight into the mechanisms underlying antitumor immunity. A precise spatiotemporal variation of T-cell repertoire, which dynamically mirrors the functional state of the evolving host-cancer interaction, allows the tracking of the T-cell populations at play, and may identify the key cells responsible for tumor eradication, the evaluation of minimal residual disease and the identification of biomarkers of response to immunotherapy. In this review we will discuss the relationship between global metrics characterizing the TCR repertoire such as T-cell clonality and diversity and the resultant functional responses. In particular, we will explore how specific TCR repertoires in cancer patients can be predictive of prognosis or response to therapy and in particular how a given TCR re-arrangement, following immunotherapy, can predict a specific clinical outcome. Finally, we will examine current improvements in terms of T-cell sequencing, discussing advantages and challenges of current methodologies
Mixed signals: central bank independence, coordinated wage bargaining, and European Monetary Union
No full textPlans for European Monetary Union are based on the conventional postulate that increasing the independence of the central bank can reduce inflation without any real economic effects. However, the theoretical and empirical bases for this claim rest onmodels of the economy that make unrealistic information assumptions and omitinstitutional variables other than the central bank. When the signaling problems between the central bank and other actors in the political economy are considered,we find that the character of wage bargaining conditions the impact of central bankindependence by rendering the signals between the bank and the bargainers moreor less effective. Greater independence can reduce inflation without majoremployment effects where bargaining is coordinated, but it brings higher levels ofunemployment where bargaining is uncoordinated. Thus, currency unions like the EMU may require higher levels of unemployment to control inflation than their proponents envisage; they will have costs as well as benefits, costs which will bedistributed unevenly among and within the member nations based on the changesinduced in the status of the bank and of wage coordination -- Die Konzepte für die Europäische Währungsunion basieren auf dem allgemeinvertretenen Postulat, daß mit größerer Unabhängigkeit der Zentralbank die Inflationohne reale ökonomische Effekte verringert werden kann. Allerdings beruht die theoretische wie empirische Basis für diesen Anspruch auf Modellvorstellungen einer Volkswirtschaft, die auf unrealistischen Annahmen der Bedeutung von Informationen beruhen und institutionelle Variable - mit Ausnahme der Zentralbank - außer acht lassen. Wird allerdings die wechselseitige Wahrnehmung und Interpretation vonInformationen (signaling problems) zwischen Zentralbank und den anderenAkteuren in der politischen Ökonomie in die Analyse einbezogen, dann ist festzustellen, daß die Art der Lohnfindung die Intensität der Auswirkungen derZentralbankunabhängigkeit beeinflußt je nachdem, wie wirksam die wechselseitige Wahrnehmung und Interpretation von Informationen zwischen der Zentralbank und den Tarifpartnern vermittelt ist.Im Falle koordinierter Tarifverhandlungen kann eine größere Unabhängigkeit derZentralbank die Inflation in der Tat ohne größere Beschäftigungseffekte vermindern,im Falle unkoordinierter Tarifverhandlungen führt dies allerdings zu einem höherenNiveau der Arbeitslosigkeit. Daraus leitet sich die Überlegung ab, daß eineWährungsunion vom Typ Europäische Währungsunion ein höheres Maß an Arbeitslosigkeit erfordert, um die Inflation unter Kontrolle zu halten, als es ihre Befürworter erwarten. Bei den sich dann einstellenden Vor- und Nachteilen werden die Nachteile zwischen und innerhalb der Mitgliedstaaten ungleich verteilt sein, abhängig von dem letztendlich verwirklichten Grad der Unabhängigkeit derZentralbank und der Form der Lohnfindung.
Letter, [Author unclear] to Paulina T. Merritt
No full textHandwritten letter to Paulina Merritt from an unknown author, October 1, 1876.
Role of PARP Inhibitors in Cancer Immunotherapy: Potential Friends to Immune Activating Molecules and Foes to Immune Checkpoints
No full textPoly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) induce cytotoxic effects as single agents in tumors characterized by defective repair of DNA double-strand breaks deriving from BRCA1/2 mutations or other abnormalities in genes associated with homologous recombination. Preclinical studies have shown that PARPi-induced DNA damage may affect the tumor immune microenvironment and immune-mediated anti-tumor response through several mechanisms. In particular, increased DNA damage has been shown to induce the activation of type I interferon pathway and up-regulation of PD-L1 expression in cancer cells, which can both enhance sensitivity to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs). Despite the recent approval of ICIs for a number of advanced cancer types based on their ability to reinvigorate T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses, a consistent percentage of treated patients fail to respond, strongly encouraging the identification of combination therapies to overcome resistance. In the present review, we analyzed both established and unexplored mechanisms that may be elicited by PARPi, supporting immune reactivation and their potential synergism with currently used ICIs. This analysis may indicate novel and possibly patient-specific immune features that might represent new pharmacological targets of PARPi, potentially leading to the identification of predictive biomarkers of response to their combination with ICIs
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