78 research outputs found
Short-and long-term properties of concretes with secondary raw materials
No full textThe paper describes part of the preliminary results of the of the MATERSOS project, funded by the Emilia Romagna Region, Italy. This research project aims at implementing circular economy processes in the constructions industry, through the usage of secondary raw materials. The present paper focuses on structural concrete. After an analysis of locally available waste materials, those with the highest potential as concrete components were identified. Normal and self-compacting concrete mixes containing powder from ceramic tile grinding, shell powder, and construction demolition waste aggregates, were then developed. Ceramic powders were used both as replacement for a fraction of cement and as filler while shell powders were used as filler only. The paper presents the results of various experimental tests that were carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of these concretes. In particular, their compressive and flexural-tensile strengths, elastic moduli, shrinkage and creep deformations were evaluated and compared with traditional concretes. The results of the experimental tests indicated that the mechanical properties of some of the concretes containing secondary raw materials were comparable to those of traditional concretes suggesting that their adoption in real world applications is possible
Multi-target-directed ligands: new histamine H3 receptor antagonists with anticholinesterase activity
No full textLithocholic acid competitively inhibitis EphA2-ephrinA1 binding: pharmacological and structural considerations.
No full textLithocholic acid competitively inhibits EphA2-ephrinA1 binding: pharmacological and structural considerations.
No full textI rilievi per la mostra e il libro su Biagio Rossetti
No full textNel 1960 Bruno Zevi diede alle stampe il volume Biagio Rossetti architetto ferrarese. Il primo urbanista moderno europeo. Nell’opera, che conta 727 pagine, sono presenti 200 disegni di rilievo riferibili ad una parte delle architetture indagate: si tratta di 19 edifici, di cui 12 civili e 7 sacri.
In chiusura al volume Zevi sintetizza gli eventi che resero possibile la realizzazione prima della famosa mostra Identità di Biagio Rossetti, inaugurata il 28 giugno 1956 nel Ridotto del Teatro Comunale e, quattro anni dopo, dell’imponente libro, indicando i nomi di coloro che collaborarono all’iniziativa. L’autore cita la prof. Luisa Balboni sindaco di Ferrara, e l’assessore alle BB. AA. Mario Roffi che nel 1955 si rivolsero all’allora preside dell’Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, Giuseppe Samonà per celebrare il 440° anniversario della morte di Rossetti. Zevi afferma che «[...] gli studenti ed io accettammo con entusiasmo di ordinare una mostra: dedicai il mio corso al maestro ferrarese, mentre gli allievi del primo anno rilevarono vari monumenti, e quelli del secondo, con la guida del mio assistente dott. Giuseppe Mazzariol, svolsero indagini documentate in una serie di tesine.» Questo scritto propone alcune riflessioni sul ruolo del rilievo nella vicenda editoriale zeviana e nei suoi esiti.In 1960, Bruno Zevi published the book Biagio Rossetti architetto ferrarese. Il primo urbanista moderno europeo. In the 727 page long work, there are 200 survey drawings, some of which refer to the investigated architectures: these are 19 buildings (twelve non-religious and seven religious).
At the end of the publication, Zevi summarizes the events that made the realization of the book possible before the famous exhibition Identità di Biagio Rossetti, inaugurated on June 28 1956 in the Ridotto of the Municipal Theater. Four years later, the imposing book indicated the names of those who collaborated in the initiative. The author quotes prof. Luisa Balboni, mayor of Ferrara, and the assessore BB. AA. Mario Roffi, who in 1955 contacted the then dean of the University Institute of Architecture in Venice, Giuseppe Samonà to celebrate the 440th anniversary of Rossetti's death. Zevi says "[...] the students and I enthusiastically accepted to organize an exhibition: I dedicated my course to the celebrated Ferrara architect, the first-year students surveyed various monuments, while those of the second year carried out documented investigations in a series of papers with the guidance of my assistant Dr Giuseppe Mazzariol."
This paper offers some reflections on the survey's role in Zevy’s work and its outcomes
Dual-Acting Drugs: an in vitro Study of Nonimidazole Histamine H(3) Receptor Antagonists Combining Anticholinesterase Activity
No full textDual-acting compounds that combine H(3) antagonism with anticholinesterase properties are currently emerging as a novel and promising therapeutic approach in the treatment of multifactorial disorders primarily characterized by cholinergic deficits such as Alzheimer's disease. A series of novel nonimidazole H(3) ligands was developed from the chemical manipulation of 1,1'-octa-, -nona-, and -decamethylene-bis-piperidines--H(3) antagonists that had been the subject of previous investigations. These compounds were evaluated for in vitro binding affinity, antagonistic potency, and selectivity at rodent and human histamine H(3) receptors, inhibitory activity at rat brain cholinesterase, and in vivo CNS access and cholinomimetic effects. Within the present series, the tetrahydroaminoacridine hybrid 18 stands out as one of the most attractive molecules, synergistically combining nanomolar and selective H(3) antagonism with remarkable anticholinesterase activity. From this original starting point, it is hoped that future investigations will lead to dual-acting compounds that can selectively enhance central cholinergic neurotransmission and thus facilitate the treatment of cognitive disorders
Lithocholic acid is an Eph-ephrin ligand interfering with Eph-kinase activation.
No full textEph-ephrin system plays a central role in a large variety of human cancers. In fact, alterated expression and/or de-regulated function of Eph-ephrin system promotes tumorigenesis and development of a more aggressive and metastatic tumour phenotype. In particular EphA2 upregulation is correlated with tumour stage and progression and the expression of EphA2 in non-transformed cells induces malignant transformation and confers tumorigenic potential. Based on these evidences our aim was to identify small molecules able to modulate EphA2-ephrinA1 activity through an ELISA-based binding screening. We identified lithocholic acid (LCA) as a competitive and reversible ligand inhibiting EphA2-ephrinA1 interaction (Ki = 49 µM). Since each ephrin binds many Eph receptors, also LCA does not discriminate between different Eph-ephrin binding suggesting an interaction with a highly conserved region of Eph receptor family. Structurally related bile acids neither inhibited Eph-ephrin binding nor affected Eph phosphorylation. Conversely, LCA inhibited EphA2 phosphorylation induced by ephrinA1-Fc in PC3 and HT29 human prostate and colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (IC(50) = 48 and 66 µM, respectively) without affecting cell viability or other receptor tyrosine-kinase (EGFR, VEGFR, IGFR1β, IRKβ) activity. LCA did not inhibit the enzymatic kinase activity of EphA2 at 100 µM (LANCE method) confirming to target the Eph-ephrin protein-protein interaction. Finally, LCA inhibited cell rounding and retraction induced by EphA2 activation in PC3 cells. In conclusion, our findings identified a hit compound useful for the development of molecules targeting ephrin system. Moreover, as ephrin signalling is a key player in the intestinal cell renewal, our work could provide an interesting starting point for further investigations about the role of LCA in the intestinal homeostasis
New sustainable binders based on waste valorization for civil engineering applications
No full textThis research investigates different kinds of waste as possible new binder components for the production of cement based mortar and concrete. Waste types have been selected on the basis of availability in the Emilia Romagna Region. In particular, three different wastes (i.e., waste from rectified porcelain gres tile, sea shell fragments and eggshell waste from agri-food industry) are explored as a possible substitution of a certain fraction of cement in order to evaluate their effect. Chemical properties and physical behavior of the waste are studied, and the activity index of the waste is investigated. A series of mortar specimens with normalized silica sand and a binder compositional ratio of cement (CEM I) at 75 wt.% and waste at 25 wt.% is prepared. The physical and mechanical behavior of the mortar is investigated at different curing time (i.e., 2, 7, 28 and 90 days). This research shows first preliminary results of the MATER-SOS Project, funded by the Emilia Romagna Region, Italy (POR FESR 2014-2020), aimed at implementing circular economy processes in the constructions industry
Dal rilievo al projection mapping. La ricomposizione degli affreschi della chiesa di Santa Caterina Martire in Ferrara
No full textNel salone d’onore del Museo di Casa Romei a Ferrara è conservata una Crocifissione di Cristo di
autore ignoto datata 1350 ca. La scena, fulcro di un complesso programma, fu staccata da una parete
della chiesa di Santa Caterina di Ferrara nel 1935. In basso, sul lato sinistro, una lacuna interrompe
il racconto di cui si intuisce comunque il senso grazie a parti di vesti riconducibili a figure umane.
Questo progetto, attraverso la ricomposizione grafica dell’intero ciclo e una proiezione di luce sul
reperto museale sopra citato, vuole risarcire il vuoto esistente e restituire una lettura iconografica e
percettiva più esauriente dell’intero racconto.In the hall of honor of the Museum of Casa Romei in Ferrara there is a Crucifixion of Christ by an
unknown author dated 1350 ca. This scene, the fulcrum of a complex program, was detached from
a wall of the church of Santa Caterina di Ferrara in 1935. At the bottom, on the left side, a gap interrupts
the story, the meaning of which is however sensed through parts of clothes attributable to
human figures. This project, through the graphic recomposition of the entire cycle and a projection
of light on the gaps mentioned above, seeks to compensate for the existing void and return a more
comprehensive iconographic and perceptual reading of the whole story
A New ABCB1 Inhibitor Enhances the Anticancer Effect of Doxorubicin in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Models of NSCLC
No full textIn tumors, the multi drug resistance phenomenon may occur through the efflux of chemotherapeutic drugs out of cancer cells, impeding their accumulation, and eventually reducing their toxicity. This process is mediated by transporters overexpressed in the plasma membranes of tumor cells, among which is the P-glycoprotein/multidrug resistance 1/ATP-binding cassette B1 (P-gp/MDR1/ABCB1). The aim of this study was to explore the effect of a new molecule, called AIF-1, on ABCB1 activity. In a cellular model of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), AIF-1 significantly inhibited ABCB1 activity, which was evaluated by the fluorimetric measurement of the intracellular accumulation of calcein. AIF-1 also significantly increased the intracellular content of doxorubicin, which was evaluated by confocal microscopy and LC-MS/MS analysis. This effect translated to higher cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and reduced cellular proliferation. Finally, in a murine xenograft model, the tumor volume increased by 267% and 148% on average in mice treated with vehicle and doxorubicin alone, respectively. After the co-administration of doxorubicin with AIF-1, tumor volume increased by only 13.4%. In conclusion, these results suggest enhancement of the efficacy of the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin by AIF-1, laying the basis for the future development of new ABCB1 inhibitors for tumor treatment
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