75 research outputs found
Evaluation of EU legislation on blood: a bioethical point of view
No full textCarlo Petrini Bioethics Unit, Office of the President, National Institute of Health, Rome, Italy Abstract: A review of the European Union (EU) regulations concerning blood, tissues, and cells of human origin is under way in the EU. From the ethical point of view, the non-remuneration of donations and the ban on deriving gain from human biological materials are of particular significance. While the basic ethical principles involved in the procurement, preservation, and use of these materials are the same, their practical application should be adapted to the specific context of each material. In the case of donation and use of blood, in particular, the issue of legitimate reimbursements to donors and for transfusion centers has to be managed in accordance with the principle of non-commercialization. There is also a need for strict rules to avoid possible commercial spillover effects from blood-derived products. The author proposes ethical criteria regarding reimbursements to donors, costs associated with processing, and the development (and possible marketing) of products. Keywords: bioethics, blood, legislation, Europe, transfusio
Meditation and Transcendence. Death Education Experience with Adolescents in Pescia (Pistoia)
No full textL’oscillazione fra il timore e la fobia della morte e la sua attrazione
e fascinazione `e un’esperienza tipica di ogni adolescenza
com’`e descritto da Borgna (1998): ”come la vertigine dell’altezza
induce talora a precipitare gi`u negli abissi delle profondit`a
perdute, cos`ı il timore (lo spavento) della morte si trasforma
talora mediante meccanismi psicodinamici fatali nella scelta della
morte stessa” Dalla necessit`a di parlare di morte agli adolescenti
senza discorsi banalmente consolatori, bens`ı con l’offerta di
un’educazione seria, almeno quanto quella riservata ad altre
questioni trattate nei programmi scolastici (Testoni, 2013), `e nato
lo sviluppo del progetto ”Il bruco e la farfalla” che si colloca
nell’ambito della Death Education, nel senso di un’educazione a
prendersi cura della vita in tutti i suoi aspetti e ad accettare le
perdite che la accompagnano nella quotidianit`a fin dalla stessa
nascita: il neonato che esce dalla simbiosi con la madre per
divenire bambino, quindi adolescente ed adulto. Il progetto `e
stato realizzato nel corso dell’anno scolastico 2013-2014 presso
il liceo Carlo Lorenzini di Pescia (Pistoia), coinvolgendo in
particolare quattro classi del primo triennio dell’indirizzo di
Scienze Umane. Obiettivi generali del progetto sono stati quelli
di fornire modalit`a per preparare i destinatari dell’intervento ad
affrontare in modo adattivo e resiliente gli eventi di vita legati
alla morte, al morire e al lutto; di potenziare le risorse personali
e sociali per gestire le emozioni, i vissuti e le difficolt`a legati alla
morte e al morire; obiettivi specifici del progetto sono stati quelli
di favorire le abilit`a di coping e di elaborazione delle emozioni
rispetto ai vissuti personali legati al tema della morte; favorire le
capacit`a di elaborazione del pensiero e delle rappresentazioni
della morte; favorire l’acquisizione di autoconsapevolezza rispetto
alla morte propria ed altrui. L’approccio metodologico `e
stato di tipo interdisciplinare cos`ı come lo `e stata l’ ́equipe di
lavoro coinvolta. Partendodall’esperienza fisiologica di cambiamento
e distacco nell’adolescenza `e stato realizzato un lavoro
esperienziale con i ragazzi attraverso incontri teorico-pratici, che
nel loro concretizzarsi hanno seguito due modalit`aprevalenti.
Da un lato un approccio di tipo narrativo attraverso l’uso di
tecniche narrative ed auto-narrative con l’obiettivo difavorire
l’elaborazione e la condivisione dei vissuti psico-emotivi legati
al tema della perdita, della morte e del morire attraverso la
costruzione e condivisione di narrazioniall’interno del gruppo dei
pari. ́E stato inoltre realizzato un laboratorio di progettazione e
realizzazione di racconti o di sviluppo personale dei temi trattati;
i racconti e le idee proposte sono stati poi rappresentati dai
ragazzi attraverso la creazione di un materiale multimediale sotto
la supervisione di un educatore e video-maker esperto nel settore.
Il materiale prodotto da ogni gruppo `e stato poi presentato
nelle classi coinvolte; a seguito del lavoro prodotto `e stato
costituito uno spazio dedicato a riflessione e discussione sulle
tematiche emerse. I materiali multimediali realizzati verranno
inoltre inseriti su un sito dedicato al progetto in modo che
siano visibili dagli studenti dell’intera scuola, dai docenti e dai
genitori. Parallelamente `e stato sviluppato un approccio esperienziale
orientato alla conoscenza del proprio corpo e collegato
allo sviluppo dell’acquisizione del concetto di limite, tema di
particolare importanza nella fascia d’et`a dell’adolescenza. Sono
stati proposti esercizi, sotto la guida di esperti, di training
autogeno, rilassamento, visualizzazioni e tecniche propedeutiche
alla meditazione adatte alla fascia d’et`a adolescenziale. Questo
tipo di lavoro `e stato volto alla promozione di processi di
ricognizione, di scoperta e di presenza nel proprio corpo e di
acquisizione di una maggiore consapevolezza dei cambiamenti
corporei per imparare a conoscersi pi`u in profondit`a scoprendo
anche gli stretti legami che intercorrono fra il corpo, la psiche, le
emozioni e la dimensione trascendente, e muovere cos`ı i primi
passi per migliorare il proprio stato psicofisico
Shear-resistant hydrogels to control permeability of porous tubular scaffolds in vascular tissue engineering
No full textPolarization-transparent FSR-free microring resonator filter with wide hitless tunability
No full textA coupled microring resonator architecture with non-integer Vernier ratio design and controllable loss is exploited to implement a polarization-transparent hitless tunable FSR-free filter operating over the extended C+L band (1520 nm-1620 nm). (C) 2021 The Author(s
When vision is not an option: children's integration of auditory and haptic information is suboptimal.
No full textWhen visual information is available, human adults, but not children, have been shown to reduce sensory uncertainty by taking a weighted average of sensory cues. In the absence of reliable visual information (e.g. extremely dark environment, visual disorders), the use of other information is vital. Here we ask how humans combine haptic and auditory information from childhood. In the first experiment, adults and children aged 5 to 11 years judged the relative sizes of two objects in auditory, haptic, and non-conflicting bimodal conditions. In , different groups of adults and children were tested in non-conflicting and conflicting bimodal conditions. In , adults reduced sensory uncertainty by integrating the cues optimally, while children did not. In , adults and children used similar weighting strategies to solve audio-haptic conflict. These results suggest that, in the absence of visual information, optimal integration of cues for discrimination of object size develops late in childhood
A Hercynian suture zone in Sardinia: geological, geochemical evidence
No full textThe Hercynian basement of Northern Sardinia consists of two main tectonometamorphic complexes: the Southern Paleozoic Low to Medium Grade Metamorphic Complex (LMGMC) and the Northern (Precambrian ?) High Grade Metamorphic Complex (HGMC). These complexes are separated by the "Posada-Asinara Line' which is a several kilometer-wide mylonitic belt consisting of micaschist, paragneiss and quartzite. The northern Sardinia basement can be interpreted as a continental collisional zone with the "Posada-Asinara Line' representing a suture zone squeezed between a crustal nappe (HGMC), which represents the overthrust continental margin, and the inner portion of the Variscan orogenic wedge, which represents the underthrust continental margin with its Paleozoic cover (LMGMC). Geological and geochemical evidence indicate that the "Posada-Asinara Line' may be considered as part of the South European Hercynian Suture Zone. -from Author
EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS OF T CELL RECEPTOR GAMMA (TCRG) GENE REARRANGEMENTS REVEALS A SIMILAR REPERTOIRE IN EOSINOPHILIC GRANULOMATOSIS WITH POLYANGIITIS (EGPA) AND IN HYPEREOSINOPHILIC SYNDROME (HES)
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Poster Presentations
Vasculitis
THU0308 Extensive analysis of T cell receptor gamma (TCRG) gene rearrangements reveals a similar repertoire in eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and in hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES)
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C Baldini1, S Galimberti2, E Ciabatti2, I Petrini3, G Tarrini2, M Latorre4, E Elefante1, F Ferro1, R Grossi2, N Pisanti2, M Petrini2, M Mosca1
Author affiliations
Abstract
Background Hypereosinophilia-associated syndromes are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by sustained and elevated blood eosinophilia with evidence of eosinophil-induced organ damage. Classically, Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) and Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) present several overlapping clinical and laboratory features, making it challenging to correctly insert patients in restricted and well-defined categories with specific and more effective therapeutic approaches. Therefore, great efforts are ongoing searching for novel biomarkers able to differentiate these two disorders in daily practice.
Objectives To detect T cell receptor gamma (TCRG) clonal rearrangements in EGPA and HES, comparing the frequency distribution of V region and J region segment utilization in the study population.
Methods In this single center study, we included consecutive patients with a diagnosis of EGPA and HES. Inclusion criteria were: documentation of a persistent peripheral eosinophilic count of ≥1.5 x109/L and signs or symptoms of organ involvement. Clinical and laboratory data of the patients were collected. Sequence-based determination of the frequency distribution of TCRG Gene Rearrangements was performed using next-generation sequencing with the Illumina MiSeq (LymphoTrack TRG assay, Invivoscribe).
Results We included 21 patients (9 with EGPA and 12 with HES). Four EGPA patients were MPO-ANCA positive. We detected TCRG clonal rearrangements in 44% (4/9) patients with EGPA and in 42% (5/12) patients with HES (p-value = n.s). No association was observed between TCRG clonal rearrangements and ANCA status in EGPA patients. Recurrent TCRG gene rearrangements were observed; in particular, Vg10JgP1 (5 cases) and Vg4Jg1/2 (4 cases) were detected in both EGPA and HES, whereas Vg9Jg1/2 (2 cases) and Vg10Jg1/2 (2 cases) were found only in patients with HES.
Conclusions Even if preliminary, this study reveals a similar T cell receptor gamma repertoire in EGPA and HES, thus suggesting a possible antigen-driven inflammatory response underlying hypereosinophilia in both EGPA and HES. Moreover, our results would suggest that the TCR clonality cannot be used as a tool for the differential diagnosis between EGPA and HES
From Compulsory to Voluntary Immunisation: Italy's National Vaccination Plan (2005-7) and the Ethical and Organisational Challenges Facing Public Health Policy-Makers Across Europe
No full textIncreasing geographical mobility and international travel augment the ease and speed by which infectious diseases can spread across large distances. It is therefore incumbent upon each state to ensure that immunisation programmes are effective and that herd immunity is achieved. Across Europe, a range of immunisation policies exist: compulsion, the offer of financial incentives to parents or healthcare professionals, social and professional pressure, or simply the dissemination of clear information and advice. Until recently, immunisation against particular communicable diseases was compulsory in Italy. The Italian National Vaccination Plan (NVP) (2005?7) paved the way for regions to suspend the sanctions associated with compulsory vaccinations for children when certain criteria are met?for example when immunisation coverage is high and when effective monitoring/surveillance systems are in place?and thus marked a milestone in the move from compulsory to voluntary immunisation. The forthcoming NVP for 2008?10 confirms the liberal approach to vaccination in Italy as it entrusts to the regions responsibility for the achievement and maintenance of herd immunity. This paper reviews the arguments for and against compulsory and voluntary immunisation in relation to the Italian NVP (2005?7) and in the context of the diverse immunisation policies that exist across Europe. It concludes with cautious support for the NVP and an associated shift from compulsory to voluntary immunisation in Italy, and draws similarities between issues concerning regional variation in immunisation policy in Italy and national variation in immunisation policy across Europe and beyond
Exploiting novel tailored immunotherapies of type 1 diabetes: Short interfering RNA delivered by cationic liposomes enables efficient down-regulation of variant PTPN22 gene in T lymphocytes
No full textIn autoimmune diseases as Type 1 diabetes, the actual treatment that provides the missing hormones is not able, however, to interrupt the underlining immunological mechanism. Importantly, novel immunotherapies are exploited to protect and rescue the remaining hormone producing cells. Among probable targets of immunotherapy, the C1858T mutation in the PTPN22 gene, which encodes for the lymphoid tyrosine phosphatase (Lyp) variant R620W, reveals an autoimmunity related pathophysiological role. Our scope was to establish new C1858T PTPN22 siRNA duplexes delivered by liposomal carriers (lipoplexes) to patients’ PBMC. Following lipoplexes treatment, CD3+ and CD3− immunotypes were efficiently transfected; cell integrity and viability were preserved. Specific target mRNA down-modulation was observed. After T cell receptor stimulation, in lipoplexes-treated PBMC Lyp function was restored by increased release of IL-2 in cultures. Results set-up the stage for ultimate trials in the treatment of autoimmunity based on the specific inhibitory targeting of C1858T PTPN22 by lipoplexes. © 2018 The Author
Simulated last deglaciation of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet primarily driven by oceanic conditions
No full textThe Barents Sea Ice Sheet was part of an interconnected complex of ice sheets, collectively referred to as the Eurasian Ice Sheet, which covered north-westernmost Europe, Russia and the Barents Sea during the Last Glacial Maximum (around 21 ky BP). Due to common geological features, the Barents Sea component of this ice complex is seen as a paleo-analogue for the present-day West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Investigating key processes driving the last deglaciation of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet represents an important tool to interpret recent observations in Antarctica over the multi-millennial temporal scale of glaciological changes. We present results from a perturbed physics ensemble of ice sheet model simulations of the last deglaciation of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet, forced with transient atmospheric and oceanic conditions derived from AOGCM simulations. The ensemble of transient simulations is evaluated against the data-based DATED-1 reconstruction to construct minimum, maximum and average deglaciation scenarios. Despite a large model/data mismatch at the western and eastern ice sheet margins, the simulated and DATED-1 deglaciation scenarios agree well on the timing of the deglaciation of the central and northern Barents Sea. We find that the simulated deglaciation of the Barents Sea Ice Sheet is primarily driven by the oceanic forcing, with prescribed eustatic sea level rise amplifying the ice sheet sensitivity to sub-shelf melting over relatively short intervals. Our results highlight that the sub-shelf melting has a very strong control on the simulated grounding-line flux, showing that a slow, gradual ocean warming trend is capable of triggering sustained grounded ice discharge over multi-millennial timescales, even without taking into account marine ice sheet or ice cliff instability
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