1,721,106 research outputs found
Generi letterari. Lirica
No full textDescrizione delle strutture caratteristiche del testo lirico di tradizione tedesca, nel contesto della discussione teorica sul genere
Interspecies variation of ''B'' esterases in birds: The influence of size and feeding habits
No full textInterspecies differences in ''B'' esterases were evaluated in seven species of wild birds in order to investigate their different susceptibilities to organophosphorus (OF) insecticides. The relationship between ''B'' esterases and body size and the influence of feeding habits in the evolution of esterase activities were explored. An in vitro inhibition test was carried out with paraoxon and azinphos methyl oxon in order to investigate the role of equilibrium binding parameters (acetylcholinesterase/organophosphorus compounds affinity) in determining susceptibility of the different species to parathion and azinphos methyl. Esterase activities were different in all species. The smallest bird studied (the sparrow) had the highest brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and plasma carboxylesterase (CbE) activities. The largest bird (the cormorant) had the lowest level of both activities. For microsomal CbE, the coot had the highest activity. An inverse correlation was found between brain AChE and plasma CbE activity in relation to body size. Omnivorous species showed the highest brain AChE and plasma CbE activities which were low in species with a specialised diet. The in vitro inhibition test demonstrated the active involvement of equilibrium binding parameters in determining different susceptibilities to these contaminants in birds
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
Gli indici di stress: un nuovo approccio metodologico per la valutazione del rischio tossicologico di composti inquinanti.
No full textInfluence of cadmium on polichlorobyphenyls uptake, MFO activity and serum lipid levels in japanese quail
No full textThe effect of cadmium on the metabolism of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) (Aroclor(R) 1260) was investigated in quails fed diets containing 100 ppm Cd, 100 ppm PCBs (Aroclor(R) 1260) and 100 ppm Cd + 100 ppm PCBs for a period of 45 days. The presence of Cd in the diet did not interfere with MFO activity (EROD and ALDE) and cytochrome P-450 enzymes. Quails fed simultaneously with Cd and PCBs, accumulated PCBs in muscle five times greater than quails fed PCBs only. Quails fed with Cd-containing diet showed a slight increase of cholesterol and triglycerides. These data suggested that a combined chronic exposure to Cd and PCBs could modify PCBs metabolism. The interaction seems due not to inhibition of drug-metabolizing enzymes but to the increase of circulating lipids that favor the accumulation of lipophilic compounds
Interspecific differences in sensitivity to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides in birds: the in vitro inhibition approach.
No full textContaminants in the environment. A multidisciplinary Assessment of Risks to Man and Other Organisms
No full textThe Summer School' 'Multidisciplinary Assessment of Environmental Risks for Human
Health" focused on human health hazards presented by contaminants with the major emphasis on direct effects. However, there are also indirect effects of contaminants that are or may be detrimental to mankind. Contaminants can have damaging effects on aquatic organisms such as fish and small molluscs, which are important sources of food-especially in third-world countries.
Also, the injudicious use of insecticides has sometimes led to outbreaks of pest infestation, causing damage to crops, as a consequence of the decimation of natural predators or parasites. Thus, the program of the Summer School has also included certain presentations on ecotoxicological issues that have relevance to the main theme of the course.
The School gave attention to disparate aspects of the problem of risk assessment-from the molecular mechanisms that underly toxicity to the practical and administrative issues of environmental management. The basis scientific issues of environmental toxicology apply to all animals. In considering them, no distinction has been made between man and other animals. Indeed, most of the scientific work has involved the use of laboratory animals acting as surrogates for man.
Thus the first three sections of the book deal mainly with principles that are relevant to living organisms generally. The fourth section, however, deals specifically with the question of risks for human health. The final section deals with environmental management in a broad way, touching on issues relevant to both the "human environment" and the "natural environment." The individual sections will now be considered in a little more detail.
Section I is concerned with the distribution and fate of contaminants. It includes a chapter dealing with models that may be used to predict the distribution of chemicals in the global environment. Two other chapters discuss approaches to the problem of monitoring. A more specialized chapter deals with one of the most serious problems encountered in environmental toxicology - the biomagnification of persistent contaminants in marine food chains.
Section II focuses on the relationship between metabolism and toxicity. This is fundamental to an understanding of the scientific basis of selective toxicity. An important practical aspect of this is the suitability of animal models for humans in toxicity testing. A better understanding of the metabolic regulation of toxicity should lead to the employment of better models for predicting toxicity to man. Although metabolism of contaminants is usually associated with detoxification, there are important exceptions to this rule. Some carcinogens and some highly toxic organophosphorus insecticides are activated by metabolism. These issues are brought out by contributors to this section.
Section III deals with toxic effects of contaminants. Clearly in the present text, it would not be appropriate to attempt a comprehensive view of the subject. Instead only a few selected examples are given, and emphasis is placed on the question of biomarkers. Until now, much of the work on environmental contamination has been concerned only with the measurement of levels of chemicals. Seldom has it been possible to say anything about the consequent effects.
Taken alone, data on residue levels are of little assistance in reaching decisions about the control of environmental chemicals. A major purpose of the development of biomarkers is to overcome this problem-to provide measures of harmful effects of chemicals in the environment, thus giving a firm scientific basis for policy decisions on pollution control.
Section IV is concerned with the question of effects of contaminants on human health. With eight chapters, this is the largest section in the book, in keeping with the particular focus of the School. General issues such as environmental epidemiology and fate of inhaled substances are dealt with here, but the main focus is on the human health risks presented by specific compounds.
Section V concludes the text by focusing on issues of environmental management. These
include valuable contributions on the policy of International Organizations concerned with pollution.
Regarding the overall book, it should be stressed that this is a collection of articles by authorities in specific fields. It focuses on specific issues, within a wide framework. It is hoped that this will provide valuable reading to students attending the Summer School at Siena in the future, and also to others following courses in environmental toxicology elsewhere. Finally it may also be of value
to interested lay people having a scientific background
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
P.4.b.015 Separation anxiety and mood symptoms among patients with panic disorder
No full textPurpose of the study: Separation Anxiety Disorder (SEPAD) is highly prevalent among subjects with Panic Disorder (PD) and it has been recently shown to predict poor response to psychophar- macological treatment for PD [1]. We aim to test the hypothesis that SEPAD is correlated to subthreshold mood symptoms which may explain the worse treatment outcomes of PD patients with concomitant SEPAD.Methods: 235 adult outpatients with PD were assessed with the SCID-I, the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), the Structured Clinical Interview for Separation Anxiety Symptoms (SCI-SAS) and the Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA-27). In addition, subjects were evaluated with the Mood Spectrum Self- Report Instrument (MOODS-SR, lifetime version), which pro- vides a rating for major affective symptoms, but also identifies and rates atypical and mild symptomatic manifestations as expression of sub-clinical conditions [2]. MOODS-SR includes 161 items organized in 3 manic/hypomanic and 3 depressive domains (ex- ploring respectively mood, energy and cognition). The sum of the scores on the 3 manic domains constitutes the ‘manic component’ and that of the 3 depressive domains the ‘depressive component’.
Summary of results: 125 (53.2%) subjects were categorized as having SEPAD and 110 (46.8%) as not. As shown in Ta- ble 1, groups did not differ for lifetime prevalence of Obses- sive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Social Phobia, Simple Phobia, Bipolar Disorder (BD) type I and type II or Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). SEPAD subjects showed higher total, manic and depressive component scores on the MOODS-SR. In the overall sample, ASA-27 score was correlated to MOODS-SR total, manic/hypomanic and depressive component scores. The MOODS-SR manic/hypomanic component was correlated to the ASA-27 score even controlling for age, gender, presence of BD and MDD and severity of PD.
Conclusions: SEPAD is highly prevalent among subjects with PD. Moreover, SEPAD is not associated with any specific mood diagnosis. However, the presence of SEPAD is correlated to high subthreshold mood symptoms. Specifically, the severity of separation anxiety symptoms is positively correlated with a manic/hypomanic mood component.
It is possible that PD patients who show features of SEPAD are vulnerable to experiencing a subthreshold mood constellation (e.g. mood lability and cyclothymic temperament). From this perspective, the presence of SEPAD might direct clinical attention to those persons with PD who are most likely to endorse a soft bipolar spectrum of symptoms.
In light of our data, SEPAD should be routinely evaluated among PD patients in order to inform treatment choices. More- over, further investigations will be needed to confirm these find- ings and to address whether this mood diathesis may at least in part explain the worse treatment outcomes found in PD patients with comorbid SEPAD.References
[1] Miniati, M., Calugi, S., Rucci, P., Shear, M.K., Benvenuti, A., San- toro, D., Mauri, M., Cassano, G.B., 2012. Predictors of response among patients with panic disorder treated with medications in a naturalistic follow-up: the role of adult separation anxiety. J. Affect. Disord. 136,
675−9.
[2] Dell’Osso, L., Armani, A., Rucci, P., Frank, E., Fagiolini, A., Cor-
retti, G., Shear, M.K., Grochocinski, V.J., Maser, J.D., Endicott, J., Cas- sano, G.B. 2002. Measuring mood spectrum: Comparison of interview (SCI-MOODS) and self-report (MOODS-SR) instruments. Compr. Psy- chiatry. 43, 69−73
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