509 research outputs found
Fare team ethnography : un esperimento di interdisciplinarietà
No full textQuesto dialogo interdisciplinare prende spunto dal caso specifico di
una ricerca attualmente in corso – presentata in questo volume nel capitolo
a cura di Cardano, Ferrero Camoletto e Gariglio – che ha come oggetto
di studio le pratiche coercitive in psichiatria. Una delle specificità che
contraddistingue questo lavoro di ricerca è quella di porre particolare enfasi
sull’eterogeneità del team, che attraverso il costante confronto tra differenti
contesti disciplinari e il dialogo tra una pluralità di prospettive consente di
utilizzare il gruppo stesso come principale strumento di interpretazione e
produzione della conoscenza. A partire da un’osservazione partecipante condotta
all’interno di alcuni Servizi psichiatrici di diagnosi e cura (d’ora in poi
SPDC) piemontesi sono stati organizzati incontri periodici che hanno visto
riuniti attorno allo stesso tavolo sociologi, giuristi, medici e infermieri, che
hanno discusso i risultati che di volta in volta sono emersi dal campo e si
sono confrontati su situazioni o casi che, per ragioni differenti, sono stati
illustrati come critici. Il confronto dialettico condotto all’interno del team si
è quindi caratterizzato – e si caratterizza, dal momento che la ricerca è attualmente
in corso – per attribuire particolare valore ai conflitti interpretativi
che possono emergere e sono emersi durante le discussioni
Inhibition of cell proliferation by the interferon-inducible 204 gene, a member of the Ifi 200 cluster
No full text
Development and Validation of a GC-EI-MS/MS Method for Ethyl Glucuronide Quantification in Human Hair
No full textEthyl glucuronide (EtG) is a minor, non-oxidative ethanol metabolite detectable in several matrices for specific periods of time. In recent years, quantification of EtG in hair has been established as the most reliable biomarker for long-term alcohol consumption, with the Society of Hair Testing offering cut-off values for assessment of both abstinence and heavy drinking. Instrumental constrains and wide inter- and intra-laboratory variability represent the ultimate barriers to widespread acceptance of hair EtG determination in the forensic context. In this study, a new analytical method for hair EtG based on gas chromatographic (GC) separation, electron impact (EI) ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection was developed and validated. At the same time, several parameters for sample pretreatment and instrumental analysis were optimized using real hair samples obtained from different drinking subjects. A full-factorial design-of-experiment approach included procedures for hair washing, pulverization, and extraction. Rigorous multi-step washing proved not to reduce the EtG content extracted in the subsequent sample incubation. Hair pulverization with a ball mill significantly improved the EtG extraction from the keratin matrix and allowed us to reduce the time needed for the subsequent extraction step, without affecting the extraction recovery. The hair extract was derivatized with N-methyl-N-(trimethylsilyl)-trifluoroacetamide. Upon electron impact ionization of the EtG-TMS derivative, triple quadrupole mass analyzers were operated in the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode using the fragment m/z 405 as the precursor ion (m/z 410 for the EtG-D5 internal standard), the transitions m/z 405 → 359 and m/z 410 → 359 for quantitation, and m/z 405 → 331 and m/z 405 → 287 for qualification/confirmation, all at 10 V collision energy. The final method was fully validated and then applied to 25 real hair samples. The calibration curve proved linear between 6 and 60 pg/mg. The limit of detection (LOD) was 4 pg/mg. Intra- and inter-assay precision and accuracy tests showed a variability and bias close to 15% or lower over the entire calibration range. The new method is routinely applied in the Italian State Police’s toxicology laboratory for hair analyses addressed to exclude excessive alcohol drinking and verify the psycho-physical requirements of the personnel
The absent in melanoma 2-like receptor IFN-inducible protein 16 as an inflammasome regulator in systemic lupus erythematosus: The dark side of sensing microbes
No full textAbsent in melanoma 2 (AIM2)-like receptors (ALRs) are a newly characterized class of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs) involved in cytosolic and nuclear pathogen DNA recognition. In recent years, two ALR family members, the interferon (IFN)-inducible protein 16 (IFI16) and AIM2, have been linked to the pathogenesis of various autoimmune diseases, among which systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has recently gained increasing attention. SLE patients are indeed often characterized by constitutively high serum IFN levels and increased expression of IFN-stimulated genes due to an abnormal response to pathogens and/or incorrect self-DNA recognition process. Consistently, we and others have shown that IFI16 is overexpressed in a wide range of autoimmune diseases where it triggers production of specific autoantibodies. In addition, evidence from mouse models supports a model whereby ALRs are required for IFN-mediated host response to both exogenous and endogenous DNA. Following interaction with cytoplasmic or nuclear nucleic acids, ALRs can form a functional inflammasome through association with the adaptor ASC [apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (CARD)] and with procaspase-1. Importantly, inflammasome-mediated upregulation of IL-1β and IL-18 production positively correlates with SLE disease severity. Therefore, targeting ALR sensors and their downstream pathways represents a promising alternative therapeutic approach for SLE and other systemic autoimmune diseases
The multifaceted interferon-inducible p200 family proteins: from cell biology to human pathology.
No full textExperimental activity on two Siemens tubular solid oxide fuel cell cogeneration plants in a real industrial environment
No full textExperimental activity on two tubular solid oxide fuel cell cogeneration plants in a real industrial environment
No full textMolecular Aspects of the Interaction with Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Bacteria of Hydrothermal Carbon Nanoparticles Associated with Bac8c2,5Leu Antimicrobial Peptide
No full textMolecular Aspects of the Interaction with Gram-Negative and Gram-
Positive Bacteria of Hydrothermal Carbon Nanoparticles Associated
with Bac8c2,5Leu Antimicrobial Peptide
Giulia Barzan,⊥ Ida Kokalari,⊥ Giacomo Gariglio, Elena Ghibaudi, Marc Devocelle, Marco P. Monopoli,
Alessio Sacco, Angelo Greco, Andrea M. Giovannozzi, Andrea M. Rossi, and Ivana Fenoglio*
Cite This: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.2c00305 Read Online
ACCESS Metrics & More Article Recommendations *sı Supporting Information
ABSTRACT: Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are widely studied
as therapeutic agents due to their broad-spectrum efficacy against
infections. However, their clinical use is hampered by the low in
vivo bioavailability and systemic toxicity. Such limitations might be
overcome by using appropriate drug delivery systems. Here, the
preparation of a drug delivery system (DDS) by physical
conjugation of an arginine-rich peptide and hydrothermal carbon
nanoparticles (CNPs) has been explored, and its antimicrobial
efficacy against Eschericia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus
investigated in comparison with the unloaded carrier and the free
peptide. The mechanism of interaction between CNPs and the
bacteria was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and a
combined dielectrophoresis−Raman spectroscopy method for real-
time analysis. In view of a possible systemic administration, the
effect of proteins on the stability of the DDS was investigated by using albumin as a model protein. The peptide was bounded
electrostatically to the CNPs surface, establishing an equilibrium modulated by pH and albumin. The DDS exhibited antimicrobial
activity toward the two bacterial strains, albeit lower as compared to the free peptide. The decrease in effectiveness toward E. coli was
likely due to the rapid formation of a particle-induced extracellular matrix. The present results are relevant for the future
development of hydrothermal CNPs as drug delivery agents of AMP
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