3,739 research outputs found
Motivi letterari nei libri per l’infanzia di Paolo Di Paolo
No full textThe article, organised in the form of a discussion, aims to analyse the themes and motifs of Paolo Di Paolo’s works that are addressed to young audiences. The author has recently published a large number of volumes directed just at younger readers. When beholding the titles that constitute the author’s bibliography, the reader is struck by Di Paolo’s predisposition to transform literary classics: as much in Giacomo il signor bambino as in the edition of the Divina Commedia, the author’s goal is to try to reach his new readers. Therefore, Di Paolo proves to be a prolific author of the genre; in fact, in his bibliography, volumes of fairy tales with a classic slant, such as La mucca volante, are listed as well.L’articolo contiene un’analisi di temi e di motivi delle opere di Paolo Di Paolo dirette al pubblico più piccolo. L’autore negli ultimi anni ha pubblicato un cospicuo numero di volumi indirizzati, infatti, proprio ai lettori più giovani. Ciò che stupisce scorgendo i titoli che costituiscono la bibliografia dell’autore, è la predisposizione a trasformare i classici della letteratura: tanto in Giacomo il signor bambino quanto nell’edizione della Divina Commedia l’obiettivo è cercare di raggiungere i lettori più giovani. Di Paolo si dimostra, quindi, un autore prolifico del genere, tant’è che nell’elenco non mancano volumi fiabeschi dal taglio classico come La mucca volante. Analizzare le opere giovanili dello scrittore costituisce un fatto inedito
New putative therapeutic targets and biomarkers of epileptogenesis: epigenetic, computational and neurochemical analyses
No full textL’epilessia del lobo temporale (TLE) origina nel sistema limbico del cervello, spesso dopo un periodo di latenza che segue un evento lesionale. Durante la fase di latenza (epilettogenesi) i pazienti stanno apparentemente bene e la diagnosi di epilessia è possibile solamente quando compaiono le crisi. I farmaci antiepilettici ad oggi disponibili sono efficaci per il trattamento dei sintomi (le crisi epilettiche), ma per la cura dell’epilessia. Inoltre, più del 30% dei pazienti affetti da epilessia del lobo temporale diventano resistenti al trattamento farmacologico e, solo per una piccola percentuale di essi, l’unica alternativa è la resezione chirurgica del focus epilettico. L’epilettogenesi è caratterizzata da modificazioni cellulari e molecolari che trasformano un cervello da sano a epilettico. Questi cambiamenti, che avvengono durante la fase di epilettogenesi, includono modifiche “a lungo termine” di espressione genica e alterazioni nel rilascio di neurotrasmettitori, come glutammato e GABA, che portano ad uno sbilanciamento tra eccitazione e inibizione nervosa. In questa tesi, ho studiato il ruolo dei microRNA (miRNA) nella regolazione di meccanismi patogenetici nel giro dentato (DG) isolato con la tecnica della microdissezione laser, in ratti epilettici a diversi time point della malattia e in pazienti farmacoresistenti che si sono sottoposti alla chirurgia. L’analisi microarray ha identificato 64 miRNA differenzialmente espressi in diverse fasi della patologia (latenza precoce e tardiva, al momento della prima crisi spontanea e in fase cronica) nel modello animale della pilocarpina nel ratto. Lo studio comparativo tra i ratti epilettici (in fase cronica) e il giro dentato di pazienti farmacoresistenti ha rivelato una sovrapposizione di 4 miRNA (miR-21-5p, miR-23a5p, miR-146a-5p e miR-181c-5p). Tuttavia, cambiamenti nell’espressione di miRNA nel ratto potrebbero essere modello-specifici e non direttamente riconducibili alla malattia. Quindi, è stata effettuata una meta-analisi di vari set di dati disponibili, ottenuti da DG di animali resi epilettici attraverso l’impiego di diversi modelli di epilessia del lobo temporale. Questa meta-analisi ha identificato la deregolazione di 44 e 8 miRNA, rispettivamente nelle fasi di latenza e cronica. Le alterazioni, così identificate, possono essere considerate malattia-specifiche, piuttosto che direttamente riconducibili al modello animale utilizzato. Inoltre, uno studio istopatologico
combinato ad un’indagine microarray ha rivelato il miR-487a come maggiormente espresso in campioni di pazienti senza patologia dei granuli di tipo 2, un pattern istologico associato una migliore prognosi dopo l’intervento chirurgico. Questi risultati suggeriscono, quindi, un ruolo di miR-487a come biomarcatore nell’identificazione di una corretta prognosi dopo l’intervento del chirurgo. Per approfondire il ruolo dei miRNA come biomrcatori di patologia, uno studio di microarray è stato quindi condotto su campioni di plasma ottenuti da ratti epilettici in tutte le fasi della patologia, evidenziando una significativa up-regolazione di miR9a-3p (miRNA cervello specifico) nella fase di latenza precoce, rivelando grandi potenzialità come biomarcatore di epilettogenesi. Analisi di reti trascrizionali integrate con dati di suscettibilità genetica e informazioni fenotipiche permettono di indagare specifici programmi trascrizionali connessi a diversi stadi della patologia. Un’analisi computazionale effettuata su campioni ottenuti da pazienti affetti da epilessia del lobo temporale, topi resi epilettici con il modello della pilocarpina e zebrafish in cui le “crisi” sono state indotte con pentilentetrazolo ha portato all’identificazione del gene Sestrina 3 (Sesn3) come un trans-regolatore di un network di geni cosiddetti “proconvulsivanti”. Ratti knock out per il gene Sesn3 hanno mostrato un significativo ritardo nel raggiungimento dello stato epilettico dopo la somministrazione di pilocarpina. Inoltre, all’analisi comportamentale è stato osservato un fenotipo meno ansioso con una minore predisposizione allo sviluppo di depressione. Questi risultati suggeriscono un ruolo di Sesn3 come un regolatore genico comune nella comparsa di crisi e di comorbidità associate all’epilessia. L’insorgenza di crisi nella fase cronica della patologia potrebbe essere dovuta ad uno sbilanciamento tra le neurotrasmissioni eccitatoria ed inibitoria nel sistema nervoso centrale. In questa tesi, i livelli di GABA e glutammato sono stati studiati attraverso una microdialisi intra-cranica in animali resi epilettici con il modello della pilocarpina, attraverso diverse fasi della malattia. Si è osservato un significativo peggioramento nel rilascio di GABA a partire dalla prima crisi spontanea, in concomitanza ad una desensibilizzazione dei recettori GABAA. In contrasto, sono stati trovati significativamente alti livelli di glutammato, in ippocampo di ratti epilettici suggerendone un ruolo nel mantenimento della condizione epilettica, nella fase tardiva della malattia. Tutti insieme, i risultati presentati in questa tesi evidenziano un ruolo di specifici miRNA neuronali e Sesn3 come putativi regolatori di meccanismi che possono portare
all’insorgenza dell’epilessia. I miRNA che sono particolarmente rilevanti nella fase di epilettogenesi, potrebbero quindi essere ulteriormente studiati come nuovi bersagli terapeutici per la cura dell’epilessia. Inoltre, alterati livelli plasmatici di miRNA circolanti, nella fase di epilettogenesi, rivelano un grande potenziale di queste molecole a divenire biomarcatori per l’identificazione di quei pazienti che svilupperanno la TLE in seguito ad un insulto cerebrale. Infine, lo studio quei miRNA per i quali i livelli di espressione risultano alterati, e Sesn3, risulta utile per una migliore comprensione di quei meccanismi che sono alla base della formazione delle crisi e della farmacoresistenza nei pazienti affetti. Infatti, l’analisi dei target predetti di questi miRNA ha evidenziato RNA messaggeri coinvolti nella regolazione dei recettori per il GABA e glutammato, i quali sono attori già validati nella patogenesi dell’epilessia.Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) arises in the limbic system of the brain, often after a latency period that follows a lesional event. During the latency phase (epileptogenesis) patients are apparently well, and the diagnosis of epilepsy is possible only when seizures begin to occur. Currently available antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) are effective for the treatment of the symptoms (seizures) but not for curing the disease. Furthermore, more than 30% of TLE patients are resistant to pharmacological treatments and, just for a small percentage of them, the only option is the surgical resection of the epileptogenic area. Epileptogenesis is characterized by cellular and molecular modifications that transform a healthy brain in epileptic. The modifications occurring during epileptogenesis include “long-lasting” changes to gene expression and alterations in the release of neurotransmitters, like glutamate and GABA, which lead to an unbalance between excitation and inhibition. In this thesis, I first investigated the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating pathogenetic mechanisms in the laser-microdissected dentate gyrus (DG) of epileptic rats, at different time points of the disease, and in drug-resistant patients that underwent surgery. Microarray analysis identified 64 miRNAs that are differentially expressed in the different phases of the disease (early and late latency, first spontaneous seizure and chronic stage) in the rat pilocarpine model of epilepsy. The comparison between epileptic rats and human DG revealed an overlap of 4 miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-23a-5p, miR-146a-5p and miR-181c-5p). Changes observed in rats, however, may be model specific. A meta-analysis of different available datasets, obtained from the DG of animals made epileptic with different models of TLE, detected the dys-regulation of 44 and 8 miRNAs, respectively in the latency and in the chronic stages. Thus, these altered levels of miRNAs may be considered as diseasespecific rather than model-specific. Moreover, a combinatorial histopathological and miRNAs signature identified miR-487a as highly expressed in human samples without granule cell pathology-type 2, a histological pattern that associates with a better prognosis after surgery. These findings suggest miR-487a as a putative biomarker for establishing the prognosis after surgery. In addition, levels of circulating miRNAs have been studied with a
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Abstract
microarray strategy, highlighting a significant up-regulation of the brain-enriched miR-9a-3p in plasma samples of rats killed in the early latency phase, suggesting its role as a putative biomarker of epileptogenesis. Integrated analysis of transcriptional networks with genetic susceptibility data and phenotypic information allows to connect specific transcriptional programs to disease states. A computational analysis on TLE patients, pilocarpine-treated mice and pentilentetrazoleinduces seizures in zebrafish identified the gene Sestrin 3 (SESN3) as a trans-regulator of a pro-convulsant gene network. SESN3-KO rats shown a significant delay in status epilepticus onset after pilocarpine injection. Moreover, a behavioral analysis of these rats revealed a phenotype less anxious and less prone to depression. These findings suggest a role of SESN3 as a common regulator of seizure onset and of comorbid disorders associated to epilepsy. Seizure onset in the chronic stage of the disease may be due to an unbalance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. In this thesis, GABA and glutamate levels have been investigated through intra-cranial microdialysis at different phases of the disease in the rat pilocarpine model. The study revealed a significant impairment of GABA release starting with the first spontaneous seizure, when GABA-A receptor desensitization is also observed. In contrast, significantly higher levels of glutamate have been found in the hippocampus of epileptic rats, and may play a role in the maintenance of a chronic epileptic condition. Taken together, the results presented in this thesis suggest a role of specific brainenriched miRNAs and SESN3 as putative epigenetic regulators of mechanisms that can lead to epilepsy. MicroRNAs that are particularly relevant in the phase of epileptogenesis and may be further investigated as novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of epilepsy. Moreover, altered circulating levels of miRNAs in the early stages of latency have great potential for becoming biomarkers to help identifying those patients that will develop epilepsy after a brain lesion. In addition, miRNAs whose expression levels are modified and the gene SESN3 may be helpful for understanding the mechanisms of seizure onset and drugs-resistance. Indeed, analysis of the predicted targets of these miRNAs highlighted their involvement in the regulation of GABA and glutamate receptors that are already established actors in the pathogenesis of epilepsy
Pier Paolo Pasolini e la società: il "sogno di una cosa" travolto dalla "nuova preistoria"
No full textL’articolo prende in esame – nel centenario della nascita – il “pensiero politico” di Pier Paolo Pasolini. Vengono pertanto scandagliati (soprattutto) i suoi scritti sulla società, ma frequenti sono le incursioni nella letteratura e soprattutto nel cinema di questo autore del tutto originale. Ne emerge lo spessore di concetti spesso usati dal poeta per analizzare e criticare il presente: Nuova Preistoria, nuovo capitalismo, consumismo, edonismo, il Potere, il Palazzo, il Processo, sviluppo e progresso, sacralità in primis. Si evidenzia inoltre come l’occhio e il giudizio di Pasolini siano stati principalmente guidati dalla passione e solo di rimando dalla ragione. Un ruolo non secondario nella sua percezione del reale ha inoltre assunto la sua omosessualità. Nella parte finale dello scritto si analizzano alcuni strumenti tecnici utilizzati dall’autore per svolgere la propria opera di comprensione del presente e della sua conseguente traduzione artistico-critica.The article examines - in the centenary of his birth - the "political thought" of Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Therefore, it scrutinizes (above all) his writings on society, but there are frequent incursions into the literature and especially into the cinema of this completely original author. What emerges is the depth of concepts often used by the poet to analyze and criticize the present: New Prehistory, new capitalism, consumerism, hedonism, Power, the Palace, the Process, development and progress, sacredness in primis. It also shows how Pasolini's eye and judgment were mainly guided by passion and only by reason. His homosexuality also played a significant role in his perception of reality. In the final part of the paper we analyze some technical tools used by the author to carry out his work of understanding the present and its consequent artistic-critical translation
Increased extracellular levels of glutamate in the hippocampus of chronically epileptic rats
No full textAn increase in the release of excitatory amino acids has consistently been observed in the hippocampus during seizures, both in humans and animals. However, very little or nothing is known about the extracellular levels of glutamate and aspartate during epileptogenesis and in the interictal chronic period of established epilepsy. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the relationship between seizure activity and changes in hippocampal glutamate and aspartate extracellular levels under basal and high K+-evoked conditions, at various time-points in the natural history of experimental temporal lobe epilepsy, using in vivo microdialysis. Hippocampal extracellular glutamate and aspartate levels were evaluated: 24h after pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE); during the latency period preceding spontaneous seizures; immediately after the first spontaneous seizure; in the chronic (epileptic) period. We found that (i) basal (spontaneous) glutamate outflow is increased in the interictal phases of the chronic period, whereas basal aspartate outflow remains stable for the entire course of the disease; (ii) high K+ perfusion increased glutamate and aspartate outflow in both control and pilocarpine-treated animals, and the overflow of glutamate was clearly increased in the chronic group. Our data suggest that the glutamatergic signaling is preserved and even potentiated in the hippocampus of epileptic rats, and thus may favor the occurrence of spontaneous recurrent seizures. Together with an impairment of GABA signaling (Soukupova et al., 2014), these data suggest that a shift toward excitation occurs in the excitation/inhibition balance in the chronic epileptic state
Stable voters in an unstable party environment : continuity and change in Italian electoral behaviour
No full textM.24981-1999 Paolo Segatti, Paolo Bellucci and Marco Maraffi. 30 cm. A previous version of this paper was presented at a symposium on Political Parties : Changing Roles in Contemporary Democracies, held at the Center for Advanced Study in the Social Sciences of the Juan March Institute, Madrid, December 15-17, 1994. -- P.1. Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-59
Ep. #001 - Paolo Bacigalupi
No full textThis recording and transcript form part of a collection of podcasts conducted by the Cultures of Energy at Rice University. Cultures of Energy brings writers, artists and scholars together to talk, think and feel their way into the Anthropocene. We cover serious issues like climate change, species extinction and energy transition. But we also try to confront seemingly huge and insurmountable problems with insight, creativity and laughter.Here's a little preview of the Cultures of Energy Podcast! Look for episodes on iTunes and Stitcher as soon as all the tubes get connected and all the magic podcast elves work through their holiday shopping. Cymene and Dominic answer the question ‘why do an energy humanities podcast?’ and confess their past radio sins. Then (9:14) Dominic interviews Hugo and Nebula award winning science fiction writer Paolo Bacigalupi, author of the The Windup Girl and The Water Knife, about what science fiction can do in the era of climate change
Nota a Giovanni Paolo Lomazzo : notizie d'archivio
No full textBreve saggio in cui l'autore dà notizia di alcuni dati di archivio reperiti presso l'Archivio di Stato di Milano, riguardanti il trattato di Giovan Paolo Lomazzo.Short essay in which the author gives some archive news found at the State Archive of Milan, regarding the Treaty of Giovan Paolo Lomazzo
Is autopsy tissue a valid control for epilepsy surgery tissue in microRNA studies?
No full textMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are differentially expressed in the brain under pathologic conditions and may therefore represent both therapeutic targets and diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for neurologic diseases, including epilepsy. In fact, miRNA expression profiles have been investigated in the hippocampi of patients with epilepsy in comparison with control, nonepileptic cases. Unfortunately, the interpretation of these data is difficult because surgically resected epileptic tissue is generally compared with control tissue obtained from autopsies. To challenge the validity of this approach, we performed an miRNA microarray on the laser microdissected granule cell layer of the human hippocampus obtained from surgical samples of patients with epilepsy, autoptic nonepileptic controls, and patients with autoptic epilepsy, using the latter as internal control. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to collect autopsy material from documented epilepsy individuals who died of non–epilepsy-related causes—we found only two such cases. However, hierarchical clustering of all samples showed that those obtained from autopsies of patients with epilepsy segregated with the other autoptic samples (controls) and not with the bioptic tissues from the surgery patients, suggesting that the origin of the tissue (surgery or autopsy) may be prevalent over the underlying pathology (epilepsy or not epilepsy). Even taking into account the limitations due to the small number of cases, this observation arises concerns on the use of autopsy tissue as control for this kind of studies
At The Same Time. Essays and Speeches
No full textIn 2006 Paolo Dilonardo was chosen by the Susan Sontag Literary Estate as one of the editors of Sontag’s posthumous work. The access to Sontag private archives allowed him and Anne Jump to reconstruct form and intentions of the collection of essays Sontag was outlining in the last years of her life. Through the study of her manuscripts, Dilonardo and Jump prepared the essays for publication, restoring the original version of the pieces that were cut or edited at the time of first publication in magazines, and incorporating the corrections and edits the author made after that first publication. The result of their work is Susan Sontag, At the Same Time. Essays and Speeches, edited by Paolo Dilonardo and Anne Jump. Foreword by David Rieff, published first in the United States then in the U.K. The collection of essays edited by Dilonardo and Jump was then translated into French, Spanish, German and Portuguese. The Italian edition, translated by Paolo Dilonardo, was published by Mondadori in 2008
Data of cost-optimal solutions and retrofit design methods for school renovation in a warm climate
No full textAbstract"Efficient Solutions and Cost-Optimal Analysis for Existing School Buildings" (Paolo Maria Congedo, Delia D’Agostino, Cristina Baglivo, Giuliano Tornese, Ilaria Zacà) [1] is the paper that refers to this article. It reports the data related to the establishment of several variants of energy efficient retrofit measures selected for two existing school buildings located in the Mediterranean area. In compliance with the cost-optimal analysis described in the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and its guidelines (EU, Directive, EU 244,) [2,3], these data are useful for the integration of renewable energy sources and high performance technical systems for school renovation. The data of cost-efficient high performance solutions are provided in tables that are explained within the following sections.The data focus on the describe school refurbishment sector to which European policies and investments are directed. A methodological approach already used in previous studies about new buildings is followed (Baglivo Cristina, Congedo Paolo Maria, D׳Agostino Delia, Zacà Ilaria, 2015; IlariaZacà, Delia D’Agostino, Paolo Maria Congedo, Cristina Baglivo; Baglivo Cristina, Congedo Paolo Maria, D’Agostino Delia, Zacà Ilaria, 2015; Ilaria Zacà, Delia D’Agostino, Paolo Maria Congedo, Cristina Baglivo, 2015; Paolo Maria Congedo, Cristina Baglivo, IlariaZacà, Delia D’Agostino,2015) [4–8]. The files give the cost-optimal solutions for a kindergarten (REF1) and a nursery (REF2) school located in Sanarica and Squinzano (province of Lecce Southern Italy). The two reference buildings differ for construction period, materials and systems.The eleven tables provided contain data about the localization of the buildings, geometrical features and thermal properties of the envelope, as well as the energy efficiency measures related to walls, windows, heating, cooling, dhw and renewables. Output values of energy consumption, gas emission and costs are given for a financial and a macro-economic analysis.This data article provides 288 and 96 combinations for REF1 and REF2, respectively. The output values are obtained using the software ProCasaClima 2015v.2.0
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