1,737 research outputs found
Allium sativum L. var. Voghiera Reduces Aflatoxin B1 Bioaccessibility and Cytotoxicity In Vitro
No full textThe present work focuses on the evaluation of AFB1's bioaccessibility and cytotoxicity in vitro using bread (naturally contaminated) enriched or not enriched with fresh Voghiera garlic (2%). Two different experiments were carried out: experiment 1 (E1), with low-AFB1-concentration breads (1.6-1.7 mg/kg); and experiment 2 (E2), with high-AFB1-concentration breads (96.4-102.7 mg/kg). Eight breads were prepared, four for E1 (experiment 1) and another four for E2 (experiment 2), with each experiment having a control group (C), a garlic-enriched group (2%) (G), an AFB1 group (A), and an AFB1 + garlic group (A + G). Simulated digestion was performed on each type of bread, and gastric and intestinal digests were obtained. AFB1 content in flours, baked bread, and gastric and intestinal digests was measured by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Fluorescence Detection. The results demonstrate dose-dependent AFB1 bioaccessibility and that the presence of garlic contributed to its reduction in both doses (7-8%). Moreover, garlic's presence in AFB1-contaminated bread increased cell viability (9-18%) in differentiated Caco-2 cells and mitigated the arrest of S and G2/M phases provoked by AFB1 on Jurkat T cells and reduced apoptosis/necrosis, cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and mitochondrial ROS by 16%, 71%, and 24% respectively. The inclusion of garlic as a functional ingredient helped relieve the presence and effects of AFB1
Recuerdos de Massimo.
No full textEl presente ensayo recuerda la rica relación personal e intelectual entre Massimo Pavarini e Iñaki Rivera Beiras desde que el segundo conoció siendo muy joven a Pavarini. En ese sentido, el trabajo recuerda los inicios de su fecunda relación en la ciudad de Bologna cuando Iñaki Rivera acudía a presentar a Massimo Pavarini los desarrollos de lo que sería su tesis doctoral. Las contribuciones de Pavarini al proceso de aprendizaje de Rivera, en el terreno de una epistemología crítica en la penología contemporánea, son analizados como un homenaje a la memoria y a la obra del autor italiano, tras su fallecimiento en septiembre de 2015.This paper recalls the rich personal and intellectual relationship between Massimo Pavarini and Iñaki Rivera Beiras. In that sense , the work recalls the beginning of his fruitful relationship in the city of Bologna when Iñaki Rivera came to present Massimo Pavarini’ developments in what would be his PhD thesis. Pavarini contributions to the learning process of Rivera, on the ground of a critical epistemology in contemporary penology , are analyzed as a tribute to the memory and to the work of Italian author, after his death in September 2015 .El presente ensayo recuerda la rica relación personal e intelectual entre Massimo Pavarini e Iñaki Rivera Beiras desde que el segundo conoció siendo muy joven a Pavarini. En ese sentido, el trabajo recuerda los inicios de su fecunda relación en la ciudad de Bologna cuando Iñaki Rivera acudía a presentar a Massimo Pavarini los desarrollos de lo que sería su tesis doctoral. Las contribuciones de Pavarini al proceso de aprendizaje de Rivera, en el terreno de una epistemología crítica en la penología contemporánea, son analizados como un homenaje a la memoria y a la obra del autor italiano, tras su fallecimiento en septiembre de 2015
Evaluation through omics and molecular techniques of AFB1 and OTA toxicity prevention by functional ingredients
No full textSUMMARY
Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by certain fungal species, which can contaminate a wide range of food and raw materials under specific environmental conditions. Among mycotoxins, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) are some of the most toxic and studied.
In order to contextualize the knowledge generated in recent years on AFB1 and OTA toxicity in cell and animal models, a literature review was performed focusing on techniques such as immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. It was revealed that flow cytometry was mainly used in the evaluation of apoptosis and oxidative stress while immunofluorescence in the detection of genetic, epigenetic and metabolic alterations. The most commonly used cell line for in vitro assays was HepG2, followed by HEK-293T and PK-15. As for in vivo studies, laboratory animals with the highest number of assays were chickens and rats, while the main target organs analyzed were thymus, bursa of Fabricius and spleen. The main focus of the research was on immune toxicity, nephrotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity.
Several bioactive compounds contained in pumpkin (P) and fermented milk whey (FW) have shown a potential application in the mitigation of mycotoxin-induced toxicity due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To gain insight into the possible neuroprotective and immune protective role of P and FW, several molecular and omics assays were carried out to investigate the possible effects of these functional ingredients against AFB1 and OTA in human neuronal cells and T lymphocytes.
The analysis of neuronal differentiation in vitro showed that OTA treatment was the most detrimental not only by repressing neuronal biomarkers expression but also by arresting the cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. It has been also observed less marked results after exposure to AFB1 and the mixture of mycotoxins, suggesting their possible antagonistic effect. However, the addition of P and FW restored biomarker levels similar to the control and modulated both cell cycle alterations and mycotoxin-promoted gene expression changes.
The results of RNA sequencing performed on a human T lymphocyte cell line revealed that AFB1 mainly altered the ataxia telangiectasia mutated signaling pathway, indicating possible DNA damage and alterations in its repair mechanisms. Conversely, OTA exposure activated glycolysis pathway, suggesting a possible reprogramming of energy metabolism toward anaerobiosis. In combination, AFB1 and OTA activated ferroptosis, a type of programmed necrosis with lipid peroxidation and repression of glutathione peroxidase 4 antioxidant enzyme activity.
Transcriptomic analysis in Jurkat immune cells exposed to a digested bread extract prepared with mycotoxins and P-FW mixture showed that AFB1 and OTA promoted a clear proinflammatory response in vitro by activating eicosanoid and interferon gamma signaling pathways. Nevertheless, the presence of functional ingredients not only attenuated the overexpression of proinflammatory genes but also the induction of factors and metabolic pathways, strictly related to inflammation.
To assess the effects of FW against AFB1 and OTA hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in vivo using Wistar rats, the gene expression of biological biomarkers such as carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) and kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) was analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and droplet digital PCR.
The results of CPS1 relative and absolute quantification showed that in the liver of male rats, AFB1 was the most toxic exposure by repressing CPS1 gene expression, which was totally reversed upon FW administration. In females, mycotoxin-induced damage as well as the hepatoprotective effect of FW were less evident. In the kidney of male and female rats, OTA exposure was the most damaging by increasing KIM-1 gene expression to a greater extent than other conditions. However, the absolute KIM-1 quantification showed that FW alleviated gene expression changes and kidney damage in both sexes.
Further research is needed to investigate AFB1 and OTA mechanisms of action, as well as the potential beneficial effects of functional ingredients, which represent an efficient dietary strategy in protecting human health from global food contaminants such as mycotoxins.RESUMEN
Las micotoxinas son metabolitos secundarios tóxicos producidos por ciertas especies de hongos que pueden contaminar una amplia gama de alimentos y materias primas en condiciones ambientales específicas. La aflatoxina B1 (AFB1) y la ocratoxina A (OTA) figuran entre las micotoxinas más tóxicas y estudiadas.
Con el fin de contextualizar los avances en los últimos años sobre los efectos tóxicos de AFB1 y OTA en modelos celulares y animales, se realizó una revisión bibliográfica centrada en técnicas como la inmunofluorescencia y la citometría de flujo. Se puso de manifiesto que la citometría de flujo se empleó principalmente en la evaluación de la apoptosis y el estrés oxidativo mientras que la inmunofluorescencia en la detección de alteraciones genéticas, epigenéticas y metabólicas. En los estudios in vitro la línea celular más utilizada fue HepG2, seguida por HEK-293T y PK-15. En cuanto a los estudios in vivo, los animales de laboratorio con mayor número de estudios fueron los pollos y ratas mientras que los principales órganos diana analizados fueron el timo, la bolsa de Fabricio y el bazo. Los objetivos principales de las investigaciones se centraron en la inmunotoxicidad, nefrotoxicidad, y hepatotoxicidad.
Varios compuestos funcionales contenidos en la calabaza (CL) y en el suero de leche fermentado (FW) han demostrado su potencial aplicación en la mitigación de toxicidad inducida por micotoxinas debido a sus propiedades antioxidantes y antinflamatorias. Para conocer el posible papel neuroprotector e inmunoprotector de CL y FW, se llevaron a cabo varios ensayos moleculares y ómicos con el fin de investigar los posibles efectos de estos ingredientes funcionales frente a AFB1 y OTA en células neuronales y linfocitos T humanos.
El estudio sobre la diferenciación neuronal in vitro evidenció que el tratamiento con OTA fue el más perjudicial no sólo por reprimir la expresión de biomarcadores neuronales, sino también por detener el ciclo celular en la fase G0/G1. Resultados menos pronunciados se observaron tras la exposición a AFB1 y a la mezcla de micotoxinas, sugiriendo un posible efecto antagónico. Sin embargo, la adición de CL y FW restableció los niveles de los biomarcadores de forma similar al control y moduló tanto las alteraciones del ciclo celular como los cambios de expresión génica promovidos por las micotoxinas.
Los resultados de la secuenciación del ARN realizada en una línea celular de linfocitos T humanos revelaron que AFB1 alteró principalmente la vía de señalización de la ataxia telangiectasia mutada, indicando posibles daños en el ADN y alteraciones en sus mecanismos de reparación. La exposición a OTA activó principalmente la ruta de la glucólisis, sugiriendo la posible reprogramación del metabolismo energético hacia la anaerobiosis. En combinación, AFB1 y OTA activaron la ferroptosis, una forma de necrosis programada con peroxidación lipídica y represión de la enzima antioxidante glutatión peroxidasa 4.
El análisis transcriptómico en células inmunitarias Jurkat expuestas a un digerido gastrointestinal de pan preparado con micotoxinas y la mezcla de CL y FW puso de manifesto la promoción tras la exposición a AFB1 y OTA de una clara respuesta proinflamatoria mediante la activación de la vía de señalización de los eicosanoides y del interferón gamma. No obstante, la presencia de los ingredientes funcionales no solo atenuó la sobreexpresión de genes proinflamatorios sino también la inducción de factores y rutas metabólicas estrictamente inflamatorias.
Para estudiar los efectos del FW frente la hepatotoxicidad y nefrotoxicidad de AFB1 y OTA in vivo en ratas Wistar, se analizó la expresión génica de biomarcadores biológicos como la carbamoil fosfato sintetasa 1 (CPS1) y la molécula de lesión renal 1 (KIM-1) mediante PCR cuantitativa en tiempo real y PCR digital en gotas (ddPCR).
Los resultados de la cuantificación relativa y absoluta de CPS1 demostraron que en el hígado de ratas macho, la exposición a AFB1 fue la más tóxica al reprimir la expresión génica de CPS1, lo que se revirtió totalmente en presencia del FW. En las hembras, el daño inducido por las micotoxinas así como el efecto hepatoprotector del FW fueron menos pronunciados. En el riñón de ratas macho y hembra, la exposición a OTA fue la más dañina aumentando en mayor medida la expresión génica de KIM-1. Sin embargo, el análisis por ddPCR demostró que el FW aliviaba los cambios de expresión génica y el daño renal en ambos sexos.
Es necesario seguir investigando los mecanismos de acción de AFB1 y OTA, así como los posibles efectos beneficiosos de los compuestos funcionales, que representan una eficiente estrategia alimentaria en la protección de la salud humana frente a contaminantes alimentarios de carácter global como las micotoxinas
Predoni a casa nostra e il geografo solidale: Massimo Quaini tra terra e acqua
No full textIn accordance with the main goals of this collection of essays in honour of Massimo Quaini, the text focuses on a peculiar character of the Ligurian geographer’s sensibility, his attention to landscape protectionresearch activity developed in the context of the humanistic geography. Starting from a personal narrative based on his own reminiscences and neglected memories, the author tries to shed light on the relationships between civil commitment and cultural reflection which characterize environmental sensitivity, bringing together his interests with Quaini’s emotional geographies. Finally, some of Quaini’s everyday practicalities are highlighted as the easiest doorway to improve the cognitive procedures of cultural geography
Is Felix Salten the author of the Mutzenbacher novel (1906)? Yes and no
No full textJosefine Mutzenbacher oder die Geschichte einer Wienerischen Dirne von ihr selbst erzählt, published in Vienna in 1906, represents one of the most fascinating cases of attribution of authorship in German literature. Although Josefine Mutzenbacher is usually attributed to Felix Salten, the author of the world-famous Bambi (1923), the novel’s authorship has never been confirmed, and many other candidates have been named as potential authors. Among them is Arthur Schnitzler, who published Reigen, a cycle of amorous adventures in Viennese society, in 1903. Some scholars, instead, have attributed the novel to such lesser-known writers as Ernst Klein and Willi Handl. The controversy surrounding the authorship of Josefine Mutzenbacher was the starting point for our stylometric analyses, and our results help to answer some unresolved questions in a debate that has lasted for more than 100 years. The analyses were performed using the R package Stylo, which enables an efficient application of Burrows’ Delta and its variants. Focusing on both the entire text and on the final pages, two different types of analysis were carried out: one combines 1200 different stylometric methods to compare the candidate authors Salten, Schnitzler, Bahr, Altenberg, Hofmannsthal, Klein and Handl; the other verifies the attribution using the ‘impostors’ method. The results show that the most probable author is Felix Salten, while none of the candidates could be identified as the author of the final pages, confirming the hypothesis that the text was left unfinished by Salten and completed by an as-yet-unidentified ghost-writer
Plastid Genotyping Reveals the Uniformity of Cytoplasmic Male Sterile-T Maize Cytoplasms
No full textCytoplasmic male-sterile (CMS) lines in maize (Zea mays) have been classified by their response to specific restorer genes into three categories: cms-C, cms-S, and cms-T. A mitochondrial genome representing each of the CMS cytotypes has been sequenced, and male sterility in the cms-S and cms-T cytotypes is linked to chimeric mitochondrial genes. To identify markers for plastid genotyping, we sequenced the plastid genomes of three fertile maize lines (B37, B73, and A188) and the B37 cms-C, cms-S, and cms-T cytoplasmic substitution lines. We found that the plastid genomes of B37 and B73 lines are identical. Furthermore, the fertile and CMS plastid genomes are conserved, differing only by zero to three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in coding regions and by eight to 22 SNPs and 10 to 21 short insertions/deletions in noncoding regions. To gain insight into the origin and transmission of the cms-T trait, we identified three SNPs unique to the cms-T plastids and tested the three diagnostic SNPs in 27 cms-T lines, representing the HA, I, Q, RS, and T male-sterile cytoplasms. We report that each of the tested 27 cms-T group accessions have the same three diagnostic plastid SNPs, indicating a single origin and maternal cotransmission of the cms-T mitochondria and plastids to the seed progeny. Our data exclude exceptional pollen transmission of organelles or multiple horizontal gene transfer events as the source of the mitochondrial urf13-T (unidentified reading frame encoding 13-kD cms-T protein) gene in the cms-T cytoplasms. Plastid genotyping enables a reassessment of the evolutionary relationships of cytoplasms in cultivated maize.Peer reviewe
A cidade, de Massimo Cacciari
No full textThis review presents a summary of the series of seminars presented by Massimo Cacciari at the Centro Sant´Apollinare de Fiesole, transcribed and edited by Tonino Rasuto. The work, entitled The city, brings reflections on what the author understands as the origin of urban configurations, more precisely what he classifies as the post-metropolis, the city-territory, which has its formation linked to the principles of Greek polis and of the Roman civitas. Finally, the author defines the potential of place and the geography of events, based on a methodological path of understanding the phenomena that were able to reframe the meaning of the city for the human being.Apresenta-se nesta resenha, uma síntese da série de seminários apresentados por Massimo Cacciari no Centro Sant´Apollinare de Fiesole, transcrita e editada por Tonino Rasuto. A obra, de título A cidade, traz reflexões acerca do que o autor entende como a origem das configurações urbanas, mais precisamente o que classifica como a pós-metrópole, a cidade-território, que tem sua formação ligada aos princípios da pólis grega e da civitas romana. Por fim, o autor define o potencial de lugar e da geografia de acontecimentos, a partir de um caminho metodológico de entendimentos dos fenômenos que foram capazes de ressignificar o sentido de cidade para o ser humano
Calcolo di stabilità della cupola del Teatro massimo di Palermo /
No full textMode of access: Internet.Bound in original printed wrappers; inscribed to G. Pini by the author on front wrapper
Odeporica by Massimo Bontempelli
No full textL‘opera si basa sull‘autore Massimo Bontempelli e sulla sua opera Stato di grazia. Date le particolarità che sono state fornite, è stato di grande importanza prestare attenzione al lavoro. L‘autore si distingue per il suo modo di scrivere che, durante il periodo in cui è stato creato, si distingue dagli altri. Pertanto, all'inizio del documento, vengono fornite informazioni di base sull‘autore, sulla sua vita, sulle opere scritte e sulle fasi che ha attraversato fino a raggiungere la fine. Dopo che sono state fornite le informazioni sull‘autore si focalizza sulla letteratura di viaggio in generale per procedere alle caratteristiche dell‘opera bontempelliana appartenente all‘odeporica. La seconda parte della tesi si concentra sull‘opera Stato di grazia e mette in evidenzia i procedimenti narrativi tipici per tutta la produzione letteraria di Massimo Bontempelli. Nella terza parte si interpretano e si mettono in paragone diversi punti di vista presenti in tre capitoli: Italia, Europa e l‘America. Vengono inoltre evidenziate le caratteristiche della letteratura di viaggio nonché alcune peculiarità della poetica bontempelliana.U radu se analizira djelo Stato di grazia talijanskog autora Massima Bontempellija. Autor je to koji u povijesti europske književnosti ostaje zapamćen kao tvorac poetike magičnog realizma. Prvi dio rada donosi prikaz autorove biografije i književnog sazrijevanja podijeljenog u nekoliko faza. Kako navedeno djelo pripada putopisnoj književnosti, jedno je poglavlje posvećeno pokušaju definiranja osnovnih karakteristika putopisne književnosti. Slijedi poglavlje u kojem se polazeći od sadržaja analiziraju pripovjedni postupci koje Bontempelli primjenjuje u navedenom putopisu. U radu se naposlijetku nakon iscrpne interpretacije i usporedbe sličnosti i razlika vidljivih u tri poglavlja naslovljena Italija, Europa i Južna Amerika, upućuje na sve specifičnosti Bontempellijeve putopisne poetike.The paper analyzes the work Stato di grazia by the italian author Massimo Bontempelli. He is an author who is remembered in the history of European literature as the creator of the poetics of the magical realism. The first part of the paper presentrs the author‘s biography and literary maturation divided into several phases. As the mentioned work belongs to travel literature, one chapter is dedicated to the attempt to define the basic characteristics of travel literature. The following is a chapter in which, based on the content, the narrrative procedures that Bontempelli applies in the above travelogue are analyzed. Finally, after an exhaustive interpretation and comparison of the similarities and differences visible in the three chapters entitled Italy, Europe and South America, the paper refers to all the specifics of Bontempelli‘s travel poetics
Industrial Heritage and UNESCO by Massimo Preite
No full textIn Paesaggi industriali e Patrimonio Unesco (Industrial Landscapes and Heritage of UNESCO) Massimo Preite delineates a general frame concerning the nature of industrial landscapes in Italy and in Europe. He also illustrates the presence and the role of this kind of heritage in UNESCO’s categories. The Italian title involves the definition of the industrial landscape. Over the last twenty years the author, a member of the board of TICCIH, AIPAI and ERIH, has paid attention to the regeneration phenomena in Italy and across Europe. The volume, which follows the essay “Toward the Industrial Heritage”, offers a critical review of the interventions of regeneration and valorization of the last 30 years
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