160 research outputs found
Long-term persistence of saliva-derived microRNA in human dental calculus for Forensic investigations
No full textOur study suggests that it is possible to recover well preserved miRNA in the tartar matrix increasing the sustainability of dental calculus research. Although the cause of different levels of some miRNAs between ancient and modern tartar samples has not been explained because it is influenced by several sources of degradation such as water, enzymes and microorganism for extended periods of time. Therefore the analysis of the saliva-derived miRNAs in dental calculus could provide futher valuable information to estabilish postmortem individual identification of unknown human remains, especially for unidentified subjects following mass calamities, fire or explosions of which the teeth are the only human tissue available for analysis. It must also beunderlined that our study is a pilot study and in future futher investigations are needed to estabilish if miRNA-based identification procedures in tartar samples are a reliable source
Platelet extracts induce growth, migration and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro
No full textThe effects of chronic lifelong activation of the AHR pathway by industrial chemical pollutants on female human reproduction
No full textEnvironmental chemicals, such as heavy metals, affect female reproductive function. A biological sensor of the signals of many toxic chemical compounds seems to be the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR). Previous studies demonstrated the environmental of heavy metals in Taranto city (Italy), an area that has been influenced by anthropogenic factors such as industrial activities and waste treatments since 1986. However, the impact of these elements on female fertility in this geographic area has never been analyzed. Thus, in the present study, we evaluated the AHR pathway, sex steroid receptor pattern and apoptotic process in granulosa cells (GCs) retrieved from 30 women, born and living in Taranto, and 30 women who are living in non-contaminated areas (control group), who were undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) protocol. In follicular fluids (FFs) of both groups the toxic and essential heavy metals, such as chromiun (Cr), Manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), were also analyzed. Higher levels of Cr, Fe, Zn and Pb were found in the FFs of the women from Taranto as compared to the control group, as were the levels of AHR and AHR-dependent cytochrome P450 1A1 and 1B1; while CYP19A1 expression was decreased. The anti-apoptotic process found in the GCs of women fromTaranto was associated with the highest levels of progesterone receptor membrane component 1(PGRMC1), a novel progesterone receptor, the expression of which is subjected to AHR activated by its highest affinity ligands (e.g., dioxins) or indirectly by other environmental pollutants, such as heavy metals. In conclusion, decreased production of estradiol and decreased number of retrieved mature oocytes found in women from Taranto could be due to chronic exposure to heavy metals, in particular to Cr and Pb
Le tournant fictionnel de la traduction au service de la visibilité du traducteur
No full textThis article deals with a case study belonging to what has been called the “fictional turn” in translation studies, that is the approach of fictional representations of translators or interpreters in literature and cinema. This perspective contributes to the visibility of translator and can shed new light on some theoretical issues about translation, especially when the author of the fiction is a practising translator
Cancer derived volatile organic compounds are present in the breath of colorectal cancer patients
No full textCancer derived volatile organic compounds are present in the breath of colorectal cancer patients
No full textCoping with Iberian monopolies: Genoese trade networks and formal institutions in Spain and Portugal during the second half of the eighteenth century
No full textThis article explores Genoese trade interests in Cadiz and Lisbon, the two capitals of Iberian colonial trade at the end of the early-modern period. The author aims to explain the persisting intermediary role of a merchant community that has been largely overlooked by historians. The structure of the trade networks established in the two cities will be reconstructed by using the primary sources conserved in the archive of the Durazzos, a powerful aristocratic family of the Republic which has left a unique collection of private correspondence. This sizeable and largely unexplored documentation illuminates the different strategies used to access the Spanish and Portuguese monopolistic systems, the main actors who traded in both contexts, their relations with the local elite, and the nature of the business networks linking Genoese investors in the mother city with the expatriated agents. The author concludes with a comparative analysis of the institutional resources that Genoese used to maintain their interests, with particular attention paid to the religious institutions established by the 'nation' in the two port cities
Providing the motivation to prove in a dynamic geometry environment
No full textThe use of dynamic geometry software may provide opportunities to improve the teaching and learning of mathematical proof within the context of plane geometry. Yet, it seems, if the approach to proving continues to emphasise a standardised linear deductive presentation, little improvement in student conceptions may result. This paper considers the design of geometrical tasks that could provide the motivation to prove
The madeira touch: Encouraging visual-spatial exploration using a tactile interactive display
No full textThe current information marketplace for tourists is dominated by for-profit purveyors of information. Potential visitors must rely on experts-for-hire or search engine results in order to learn about a desired destination. In this paper, we introduce The Madeira Touch, a multimodal display installation rooted in the unique characteristics of Madeira, which allows users to explore the island by selecting a type of scenery and showing the user-generated photos of that type of scenery in a map-based interface. To make this pervasive display more engaging, we designed an exploratory tactile-input mode of interaction: users will be able to touch a physical object, representing a type of scenery (a rock for mountains, a seashell for the sea, etc.), which will then bring up suitable photos of that type of scenery overlaid on a map of the island. The display will help users to form their mental image of the island and to plan trips that best suit their interests. Copyright is held by the author/owner(s)
Static Analysis of the Structure Type Tank Thermally
No full textThis paper consider finite element analysis for structural analysis of a tank under thermal loadings. Geometric modeling is done in CATIA and for finite element analysis the author used FEA module in Catia. The aim is to determine von Mises stress field, deformed mesh and thermal loadings
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