402 research outputs found
Effects of adding Naloxone on in vitro survival of bovine embryos
No full textIACONO E, MERLO B, DELL'AQUILA M.E., MARI G (2007). Effects of adding Naloxone on in vitro survival of bovine embryos. REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS, ISSN: 0936-6768
Proc. 11th Annual Meeting of the European Society of Domestic Animal Reproduction (ESDAR) Mariensee- Hannover - Celle Germany 20-22 September 2007. Poster N° 8
Exploring the metabolism of Streptomyces coelicolor using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
No full textMicro-organismen spelen een belangrijke rol in onze levens: ze worden gebruikt in de industriële productie van brood, kaas, wijn, en bier, maar ook van vele waardevolle chemische stoffen zoals medicijnen en biobrandstoffen. Bovendien leven er enorme aantallen bacteriën en schimmels in het menselijke darmstelsel, waar velen van hen helpen om onze gezondheid op peil te houden. Tegelijkertijd zijn micro-organismen natuurlijk ook verantwoordelijk voor wijdverbreide infectieziekten zoals tuberculose.
In haar proefschrift beschrijft Elena Merlo een verkenning van het metabolisme van een heel speciale bacterie, Streptomyces coelicolor. Het is een beroemd lid van een grote familie van bacteriën die antibiotica produceert en die gebruikt wordt om infectieziekten te bestrijden. Met nauwkeurige analytische technieken heeft Merlo gekeken hoe de chemische samenstelling van deze bacteriën (hun zogenaamde metabolomische profiel) verandert als ze blootgesteld worden aan verschillende vormen van metabole stress en verschillende omgevingen.
Voor het eerst toonde zij aan dat zo’n metabolomisch profiel waardevolle inzichten kan bieden over hoe een micro-organisme zijn hele cellulaire systeem kan herordenen om zich aan te kunnen passen aan moeilijke situaties. Omdat we weten dat antibiotica bij voorkeur geproduceerd worden in zulke omstandigheden (bijvoorbeeld om de bacterie te beschermen), kunnen deze resultaten nu gebruikt worden om nieuwe designer-micro-organismen te fabriceren om op een verbeterde manier antibiotica te produceren.
The scope of the thesis of Elena Merlo has been to explore the metabolism of a very special bacterium called Streptomyces coelicolor, a famous member of a large group of bacteria that produce antibiotics, which are used to treat such infectious diseases. Using high-performance analytical techniques, she assessed how these bacteria change their chemical composition (their so-called metabolome profile) in response to different stresses and environmental conditions. Merlo showed for the first time, that the metabolome profile can give valuable insights into how a microorganism rearranges its whole cellular system to adapt to challenging situations. As we know that antibiotics are preferentially produced in such circumstances (for example, to defend the bacterium), these results can now be used to create new designer microorganisms for the improved production of antibiotics.
Microorganisms play an important role in our lives: they are used in the large-scale preparation of bread, cheese, wine, beer, but also for producing many high-value chemical compounds such as drugs and biofuels. Moreover, huge numbers of bacteria and fungi grow in the human gut, where many of them help maintaining our health. At the same time, of course, microorganisms are responsible for widespread infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis.
GUEST Methodology & SINFONICA How to Effectively Deploy Socio-centric Social Innovation
No full textIn this study, we introduce a customized version of the GUEST methodology, specifically tailored for social
innovation and referred to as GUEST-SI. This specialized version accurately defines target user segments,
specifying their needs and requirements, and formulates strategies for effective engagement. These tasks are
deemed crucial for ensuring the successful achievement of the project's ultimate objectives.
We delineate the five phases (Go, Uniform, Evaluate, Solve, Test) of the methodology, explaining their
respective goals and implementation details. Additionally, we illustrate its application in Sinfonica, a European
project focused on the deployment of Cooperative, Connected, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) technologies.
This comprehensive approach ensures that the GUEST-SI methodology is not only a theoretical framework but
a practical and effective tool for promoting social innovation, particularly in the deployment of emerging
technologies such as CCAM
Exploring the metabolism of Streptomyces coelicolor using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
No full textMicro-organismen spelen een belangrijke rol in onze levens: ze worden gebruikt in de industriële productie van brood, kaas, wijn, en bier, maar ook van vele waardevolle chemische stoffen zoals medicijnen en biobrandstoffen. Bovendien leven er enorme aantallen bacteriën en schimmels in het menselijke darmstelsel, waar velen van hen helpen om onze gezondheid op peil te houden. Tegelijkertijd zijn micro-organismen natuurlijk ook verantwoordelijk voor wijdverbreide infectieziekten zoals tuberculose. In haar proefschrift beschrijft Elena Merlo een verkenning van het metabolisme van een heel speciale bacterie, Streptomyces coelicolor. Het is een beroemd lid van een grote familie van bacteriën die antibiotica produceert en die gebruikt wordt om infectieziekten te bestrijden. Met nauwkeurige analytische technieken heeft Merlo gekeken hoe de chemische samenstelling van deze bacteriën (hun zogenaamde metabolomische profiel) verandert als ze blootgesteld worden aan verschillende vormen van metabole stress en verschillende omgevingen. Voor het eerst toonde zij aan dat zo’n metabolomisch profiel waardevolle inzichten kan bieden over hoe een micro-organisme zijn hele cellulaire systeem kan herordenen om zich aan te kunnen passen aan moeilijke situaties. Omdat we weten dat antibiotica bij voorkeur geproduceerd worden in zulke omstandigheden (bijvoorbeeld om de bacterie te beschermen), kunnen deze resultaten nu gebruikt worden om nieuwe designer-micro-organismen te fabriceren om op een verbeterde manier antibiotica te produceren
NPMC+ AS A MODEL SYSTEM TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF QUIESCENCE IN LEUKEMIA DEVELOPMENT
No full textThe evolution of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a complex process characterized by the stepwise accumulation of mutations, primarily occurring in Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs). Such mutations give rise to the so-called Leukemia Initiating Cell (LIC), characterized by enhanced self-renewal and impaired differentiation. The molecular mechanisms underlying this transition are still poorly understood but they are likely to be critical to understanding the leukemic stem cell (LSC) biology.
Recent functional and genetic studies on AML revealed NPMc+ as a critical driver oncogene, highly conserved at relapse, and characterizing the AML phenotype. Likely, NPMc+ has a pivotal role in the LIC evolution and LSC behavior.
Taking advantage of the extended pre-leukemic phase of our inducible NPMc+ mouse model, we elucidated the impact of NPMc+ expression on normal HSCs to define the early mechanisms of NPMc+ induced leukemogenesis. We have found that NPMc+ expression leads to the expansion of the HSC compartment by enforcing a stem-cell transcriptional program that promotes quiescence and increases self-renewal. Moreover, considering the strong co-occurrence of NPMc+ with FLT3-ITD in patients, we investigated the mechanisms of this cooperation in pre-leukemia. Strikingly, the expression of NPMc+ in the FLT3-ITD background i) prevents the HSCs exhaustion imposed by FLT3-ITD, ii) restores their repopulating capacity, iii) restores the same transcriptional program observed in the NPMc+ HSCs, including quiescence genes upregulation. These data strongly suggest that NPMc+ and FLT3-ITD mutations cooperate in inducing AML, thanks to the NPMc+ ability to limit LT-HSCs exhaustion and reconstitute a fully competent LT-HSC population in which the oncogenic activities of FLT3-ITD lead to a rapid selection of the LICs.
We thus hypothesized that enforced quiescence might be critical to maintain the transformed clone during both the pre-leukemic and the leukemic phase. In support, we xi
identified the TGFβ pathway, one of the most critical pathways that regulate HSCs quiescence, as being upregulated by NPMc+, either alone or in combination with FLT3- ITD. Moreover, we report that pharmacological inhibition of this pathway impacts on NPMc+/FLT3-ITD AML growth in vivo. Finally, we provide preliminary results suggesting that TGFb inhibition might modify the fitness and/or the number of LSCs
Simulation of a bid-based dispatch subject to inter-zonal constraints
No full textThe opening of a Power Exchange in Italy is expected for early 2004. Among the market rules, the system operator established that the bid-based dispatch of generation in the day- ahead energy market would rely on a zonal model for transmission congestion. This work is based on an empirical simulation of the day-ahead market. I n addition, the bid-based merit order was also implemented on a detailed model of the Italian transmission network. Given the extreme importance of the definition of inter-zonal constraints, a specific procedure was developed to determine such limits: it was based on the homothetic approach, consisting in successive power generation increments and decrements in the two zones separated by the interface under analysis. This overall analysis provides significant insights on the need to carefully define zones and inter-zonal limits when accounting for power flows that no longer derive from a cost-based merit orde
Bridging legal complexities and process modelling: improving judicial proceedings through BPMN
No full textOur aim is to establish a methodology for formally abstracting judicial
proceedings, which can be applied on a broader scale. This standard will serve to
encourage feedback from both domain experts and non-experts, fostering under standing of the process among all stakeholders and enabling potential managerial
insights and improvements. Additionally, it will facilitate generating a formally
rigorous output suitable for integration into automated artificial intelligence sys tems and process mining tools, enabling comprehensive analysis. With a focus
on Italy’s legal framework, which frequently faces challenges related to slow
civil proceedings, we will introduce a case study by constructing a model of an
employment proceeding. A thorough validation process by experts ensures the
model’s faithfulness to real-world operations. Amid the unique difficulties of
representing judicial pathways, managing varying timelines, and accommodating
legal evolution, the paper highlights the complexities of employing the Business
Process Model and Notation (BPMN) in the judicial context. The proposed
guidelines, meticulously crafted to fit Italy’s legal landscape, encompass ele ments such as numeric identifiers, visually representing time limits, and incorpo rating essential yet unarticulated activities. In conclusion, this paper not only rec ognizes the challenges and intricacies of applying BPMN within the judicial sys tem but also introduces innovative solutions to surmount them. By strategically
adapting BPMN to the legal context, we provide a roadmap for transforming the
Italian judicial system into a more efficient and agile framework. As the legal
landscape continues to evolve, merging advanced modelling techniques with ju dicial proceedings becomes a promising path toward progress and transfor mation
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