1,720,982 research outputs found
When civil servants tear off the mask: Strategic Environmental Assessment experiences in Northern Italy
No full textTrofarello città laboratorio
No full textI materiali raccolti in questo catalogo fanno parte di una più ampia produzione di circa duecento studenti appartenenti a due anni accademici, che hanno frequenato il Laboratorio di Architettura e Urbanistica della Facoltà di Architettura 1 del Politecnico di Torino. Le soluzioni presentate possono costituire l’opportunità di allargare anche ai cittadini “non esperti” il dibattito sulla qualità delle residenze e dei servizi in merito alla trasformazione di una parte della città, così da contribuire alla messa in forma di un
generale fabbisogno di progettazione urbana.Progetti degli studenti del primo anno della Facoltà di Architettura 1 del Politecnico di Torino. Anni accademici 2003-2004 e 2004-200
Interplay Between Nanoplastics and the Immune System of the Mediterranean Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus
Full text linkThe present study highlights for the first time the interplay between model nanoplastics, such as the carboxyl-modified polystyrene nanoparticles (PS-COOH, 60 nm) NPs and the coelomocytes of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus, a benthic grazer widely distributed in Mediterranean coastal area, upon acute in vitro exposure (4 h) (5 and 25 μg mL–1). Insight into PS-COOH trafficking (uptake and clearance) and effects on immune cell functions (i.e., cell viability, lysosomal membrane stability, and phagocytosis) are provided. Dynamic Light Scattering analysis reveals that PS NP suspensions in CF undergo a quick agglomeration, more pronounced for PS-COOH (608.3 ± 43 nm) compared to PS-NH2 (329.2 ± 5 nm). However, both PS NPs are still found as nano-scale agglomerates in CF after 4 h of exposure, as shown by the polydispersity index > 0.3 associated with the presence of different PS NP size populations in the CF. The observed changes in ζ-potential upon suspension in CF (–11.1 ± 3 mV and –12.1 ± 4 mV for PS-COOH and PS-NH2, respectively) confirm the formation of a bio-corona on both PS NPs. Optical fluorescence microscopy and fluorimetric analyses using fluorescently labeled PS-COOH (60 nm) reveal a fast uptake of PS-COOH primarily by phagocytes within 1 h of exposure. Upon transfer to PS NP-free CF, a significant decrease in fluorescence signal is observed, suggesting a fast cell clearance. No effect on cell viability is observed after 4 h of exposure to PS-COOH, however a significant decrease in lysosomal membrane stability (23.7 ± 4.8%) and phagocytic capacity (63.43 ± 3.4%) is observed at the highest concentration tested. Similarly, a significant reduction in cell viability, lysosomal membrane stability and phagocytosis is found upon exposure to PS-NH2 (25 μg mL–1), which confirms the important role of surface charges in triggering immunotoxicity. Overall, our results show that, although being quickly internalized, PS-COOH can be easily eliminated by the coelomocytes but may still be able to trigger an immune response upon long-term exposure scenarios. Taking into account that sediments along Mediterranean coasts are a sink for micro- and nanoplastics, the latter can reach concentrations able to exceed toxicity-thresholds for marine benthic species
Perchè nasce EyesReg
No full textL'articolo presenta la nuova rivista EyesReg, rivista online di scienze regionali, della quale gli autori costituiscono il comitato di redazione. Sono illustrate le motivazioni della nuova rivista, le sue finalità ed i temi sui quali intende animare il dibattit
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
Occurrence of microfibres in wild specimens of adult sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816) from a coastal area of the central Mediterranean Sea
No full textThis study investigates the occurrence of anthropogenic fibres inside wild Paracentrotus lividus at a Mediterranean coastal area in 2020. From each sea urchin, the coelomic fluid was directly analysed while digestive tracts and gonads were removed, pre-treated with trypsin (0.3%) and digested with H2O2 (10%) before analysis. A total of 260 fibres and 1 fragment were found in 100 specimens, with an average of 2.6 items/individual. Fibres were more abundant in the digestive system, less in gonads and in the coelomic fluid, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis of representative fibres identified 67% natural (cotton-based) and 33% synthetic polymers (polyester) suggesting their origin from textiles, possibly released from laundry sewages. Overall, these results encourage further in-depth investigations on fibres accumulation and potential transfer through the trophic chain up to humans
Antioxidant and immune response of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus to different re-suspension patterns of highly polluted marine sediments
Full text linkMarine pollution due to disused industrial activities is a major threat to ecosystems and human health, for example through the effects of re-suspension of toxic substances that are present in contaminated sediments. Here, we examined the effects of different re-suspension patterns of polluted sediments from the site of national interest Bagnoli-Coroglio, on the immune system of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. An indoor experiment was set up exposing sea urchins for 34 days to such sediments and evaluating the effects of two patterns of water turbulence, mimicking natural storms at sea. One group of animals experienced an “aggregated” pattern of turbulence, consisting in two events, each lasting 2 days, separated by only 3 calm days, while a second group experienced two events of turbulence separated by 17 calm days (spaced pattern). At different times from the beginning of the experiment, coelomic fluid was collected from the animals and immune cells were examined for cell count and morphology, oxidative stress variables, and expression of genes involved in metal detoxification, stress response and inflammation. Our results highlighted that the aggregated pattern of turbulence was more noxious for sea urchins. Indeed, their immune system was altered, over the exposure time, as indicated by the increase of red amoebocytes number. Moreover, despite of an increase of the antioxidant power, animals from this group displayed a very significant ROS over-production at the end of the experiment. Conversely, animals in the spaced condition activated a different immune response, mainly having phagocytes as actors, and were able to partially recover from the received stress at the end of the experiment. No changes in the expression of genes related to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses were observed in both groups. By contrast, a down-regulation of various metallothioneins (4, 6, 7 and 8) in the group subjected to aggregated pattern was observed, while metallothionein 8 was up-regulated in the animals from the group exposed to the spaced pattern of turbulence. This work provides the first evidence of how sea urchins can respond to different re-suspension patterns of polluted sediments by modulating their immune system functions. The present data are relevant in relation to the possible environmental restoration of the study site, whose priorities include the assessment of the effects of marine pollution on local organisms, among which P. lividus represents a key benthic species
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
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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