1,720,972 research outputs found
AQUEOUS EXTRACTS FROM LEAVES AND RHIZOMES OF THE MARINE SEAGRASS POSIDONIA OCEANICA EXHIBIT ANTI-LIVER CANCER ABILITY IN VITRO
No full textAnthropic impact, bioactive molecules, sustainable development, my keyword? Biodiversity!
No full textBiodiversity is my main research focus and that of my research group. We study a range of different aspects concerning biodiversity, such as the impact anthropic activities have on biodiversity and how to improve its preservation, its use as a valuable resource for the extraction of bioactive molecules, and the study of its distribution. The research group has over twenty years of experience in the study
of zoology, and, more in particular, the immune and behavioural responses of aquatic invertebrates and fish. For many years, the group has observed the effects of various anthropogenic activities, such as the acoustic and chemical impacts on the physiological and behavioral responses of invertebrate organisms, such as Arbacia lixula and Mytilus galloprovincialis, and of fishes, such as Sparus aurata, evaluating not only adult stage but also embryonic stage [1,2]. From a sustainable
development perspective, we have recently turned our attention to an evaluation of the nutritional potential of aquaculture species which are recent additions to farming in Sicily: Cherax quadricarinatus and Cherax destructor [3]. However, biodiversity, as well as needing our protection, is also a resource which we can seek to harness in an eco-sustainable way. In recent years, research in our group has focused on the extraction of bioactive molecules from invertebrates and vertebrate living organisms (including from waste from the processing industry), with evident antimicrobial, anticancer and food preservation potential [4]. Last but not least, the regenerative capacities of invertebrate organisms such as Holothuria tubulosa [5] were evaluated with the possibility of transferring this knowledge to the biomedical sector. In addition to carrying out the aforementioned research, we are currently working on a nationally funded PON research project to conduct a
freshwater biodiversity census in Palermo, including environmental DNA evaluation
EFFECT OF EXTRACTS FROM LEAVES AND RHIZOMES OF THE SEAGRASS POSIDONIA OCEANICA ON HEPG2 HEPATOCARCINOMA (HCC) CELLS
No full textModulation of Glucose Consumption and Uptake in HepG2 Cells by Aqueous Extracts from the Coelomic Fluid of the Edible Holothuria tubulosa Sea Cucumber
Full text linkThe cell-free aqueous extract from the coelomic fluid of Holothuria tubulosa was prepared and examined for its glucose-lowering effect on HepG2 cells in vitro. In particular, employing a combination of cytochemical, flow cytometric, PCR, and protein blot techniques, we evaluated its role on glucose internalization and storage and on the upregulation and surface translocation of the two glucose transporters GLUT-2 and -4. The changes in expression, synthesis, and/or activation of the GLUT2-related transcription factor hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 alpha (HNF1α) and the GLUT-4-translocation regulatory factors insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and AKT were also studied. Our results showed the improved glucose response by HepG2 cells, leading to an evident increase in glucose consumption/uptake and glycogen storage upon exposure. Moreover, the extract induced molecular reprogramming involving the upregulation of (i) IRS1 gene expression, (ii) the transcription and translation levels of HNF1α, AKT, and GLUT-4, (iii) the phosphorylation level of AKT, (iv) the synthesis of GLUT-2 protein, and (v) the translocation of GLUT-2 and -4 transporters onto the plasma membrane. Cumulatively, our results suggest that the coelomic fluid extract from H. tubulosa can be taken into consideration for the development of novel treatment agents against diabetes mellitus
EFFECT OF AQUEOUS EXTRACTS FROM Posidonia oceanica SEAGRASS ON MOUSE MACROPHAGES AND HUMAN BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER
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Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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