1,186 research outputs found
Giulia Veronica Varisco
No full textThe headword explains the biography and the contribution of the author Giulia Varisco to the children's literatur
Interferon regulatory factor-1 acts as a powerful adjuvant in tat DNA based vaccination.
No full textGenetic vaccines are safe cost-effective approaches to immunization but DNA immunization is an inefficient process. There is, therefore, a pressing need for adjuvants capable of enhancing the immunogenicity and effectiveness of these vaccines. This is particularly important for diseases for which successful vaccines are still lacking, such as cancer and infectious diseases including HIV-1/AIDS. Here we report an approach to enhance the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines involving the use of transcription factors of the Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) family, specifically IRF-1, IRF-3, and IRF-7 using the tat gene as model antigen. Balb/c mice were immunized by three intramuscular inoculations, using a DNA prime-protein boost protocol, with a DNA encoding tat of HIV-1 and the indicated IRFs and immune responses were compared to those induced by vaccination with tat DNA alone. In vivo administration of plasmid DNA encoding IRF-1, or a mutated version of IRF-1 deleted of the DNA-binding domain, enhanced Tat-specific immune responses and shifted them towards a predominant T helper 1-type immune response with increased IFN-gamma production and cytotoxic T lymphocytes responses. Conversely, the use of IRF-3 or IRF-7 did not affect the tat-induced responses. These findings define IRF-1 and its mutated form as efficacious T helper 1-inducing adjuvants in the context of tat-based vaccination and also providing a new promising candidate for genetic vaccine development
A model of the three-dimensional structure of human interferon responsive factor 1 and its modifications upon phosphorylation or phosphorylation-mimicking mutations
No full textInterferon responsive factor 1 (IRF-1) is a pleiotropic transcription factor, possessing non-redundant biological activities that depend on its interaction with different protein partners and multiple post-translational modifications including phosphorylation. In particular, a 5′-SXXXSXS-3′ motif of the protein represents the target of the IκB-related kinases, TANK-binding kinase (TBK)-1 and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase (IKK)-ε. Here, a 3D model of human IRF-1 was determined by using multi-template comparative modeling and molecular dynamics approaches. Models obtained through either phosphorylation or aspartate mutation of residues 215, 219 and 221 were also calculated and compared to the wild type. Calculations indicated that each of these modifications mainly induces a rigidification of the protein structure and only slightly changes in electrostatics and hydrophobicity of IRF-1 surface, resulting in the impairment of the capacity of IRF-1 containing as partate mutations (S221D and S215D/S219D/S221D) to synergize with tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α stimulation in inducing interferon (IFN) promoter-mediated reporter gene activation. Therefore, these changes are qualitatively correlated to the amount of negative charge located on the 215–221 segments of IRF-1 by phosphorylation or aspartate mutation. Hypotheses on the structural mechanism that governs the phosphorylation-related damping of IRF-1 activity were also draw
Exploring the association of early life physical activity and risk of dementia: a systematic review
No full textINTRODUCTION: Physical activity has been included in the list of twelve modifiable risk factors for dementia, despite conflicting results from observational and controlled studies. In particular it is not clear whether physical inactivity near the time of dementia diagnosis is a consequence or cause of dementia. We review all available studies reporting the possible association between having engaged in PA before 60 years of age and the risk of dementia.
EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: We performed a systematic review based on the methodology reported in the Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews and following the PRISMA statement. Bibliographic searches were carried out on the databases PubMed, ISI Web of Science and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Further references were retrieved from published systematic reviews on the same topic. Included studies were assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa scale.
EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: The bibliographic search yielded 1381 records. A total of 11 studies were included. Three of the included studies were case control studies, while the remaining 8 were cohort studies The overall quality of included studies was high. However, clinical criteria for the diagnosis of dementia, criteria to define and measure and PA and time-reference of exposure were heterogeneous, with some studies considering specific age range of exposure, and other reports dealing with more generic “adult age.”
CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests that there is insufficient evidence to conclude whether PA in early life may affect the incidence of dementia in later life. Studies in this field are very complicated and recognizing the impact of PA in early life given all the confounding factors is very difficult. Further studies are warranted. In these studies, it will be crucial to define the type, quantity and intensity of PA as well as to stratify analysis by sex, cultures and social classes
Ytterbium Disilicate/Monosilicate Multilayer Environmental Barrier Coatings: Influence of Atmospheric Plasma Spray Parameters on Composition and Microstructure
No full textfirst_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints
Open AccessArticle
Ytterbium Disilicate/Monosilicate Multilayer Environmental Barrier Coatings: Influence of Atmospheric Plasma Spray Parameters on Composition and Microstructure
by Giulia Di Iorio,Laura Paglia *ORCID,Giulia PedrizzettiORCID,Virgilio GenovaORCID,Francesco MarraORCID,Cecilia BartuliORCID andGiovanni PulciORCID
INSTM Reference Laboratory for Materials and Surface Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Eudossiana 18, 00184 Rome, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Coatings 2023, 13(9), 1602; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13091602
Original submission received: 10 August 2023 / Revised: 31 August 2023 / Accepted: 11 September 2023 / Published: 13 September 2023
Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Review Reports Versions Notes
Abstract
SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (SiCf/SiC CMCs) are regarded as the new materials for the hot-section components of aircraft gas turbine engines, since they have one-third of the density of metallic superalloys, a higher temperature capability, good mechanical strength, and excellent thermal shock resistance. However, high-temperature water-vapor-rich combustion gases can induce severe surface recession phenomena in SiC/SiC leading to component failure. For this reason, it is necessary to design protective coatings, i.e., environmental barrier coatings (EBCs), able to protect the SiC/SiC surface in combustion environments. In the present work, ytterbium monosilicate (Yb2SiO5), stable when exposed to water vapor at high temperatures, and ytterbium disilicate (Yb2Si2O7), characterized by a thermal expansion coefficient closer to that of the substrate, were selected for a multilayer EBC system. EBCs were processed using the atmospheric plasma spray (APS) technique. A set of deposition parameters were tested, varying the power of the torch, and the composition and microstructure of the deposited coatings were studied in terms of porosity, crack density, and post-deposition phase retention by performing SEM, EDS, and XRD analysis. The results allow for the definition of the influence of deposition parameters on the final properties of multilayer EBC coatings
Correction to: Safety and Psychological Outcomes of Tandem t:Slim X2 Insulin Pump with Control-IQ Technology in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review
No full textThe second author name was incorrectly published as Giula Maria Smylie. The correct name is Giulia Marie Smylie. The original article has been corrected
Relationship between cardiac autonomic function and sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillators
No full textAIMS: Low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) is the main indication of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death, but ICD therapy at follow-up occurs in a minority of patients. We investigated whether heart rate variability (HRV) may improve risk stratification in DCM patients.
METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 42 patients (age 67.3 ± 3.5; 37 males) who had undergone ICD implant for either idiopathic or ischaemic DCM (LVEF <40%) 34.6 ± 19.7 months prior to the study (range 6-84). Patients underwent 24 h electrocardiographic Holter monitoring, and HRV was assessed over 2 hours in the afternoon showing stable sinus rhythm. Left ventricular ejection fraction was measured by two-dimensional echocardiography. The serum levels of C-reactive protein and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were also obtained. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of appropriate ICD shocks in the 6 months preceding the study. The occurrence of appropriate ICD discharge from ICD implant was considered as a secondary endpoint. In the last 6 months, appropriate ICD shocks had occurred in seven patients (17%). There were no differences between patients with and without ICD shocks in clinical variables, as well as in LVEF and in C-reactive protein and NT-proBNP serum levels. In contrast, most HRV parameters were significantly depressed in patients with, compared with those without, ICD shocks; the most significant difference was shown for the average of the standard deviations of RR intervals in all consecutive 5 min segments (n 1⁄4 12) within the 2 h (26.7 ± 9 vs. 39.7 ± 14 ms; P = 0.02) in the time domain and for LF amplitude (8.4 ± 3 vs. 14.8 ± 7 ms; P = 0.02) in the frequency domain. Implantable cardioverter defibrillator discharge had occurred in 11 patients (26%) since ICD implant (average 35 months). No clinical or laboratory variable showed significant differences between patients with or without ICD discharge, except very low-frequency (VLF) amplitude (23.8 ± 7 vs. 30.8 ± 10.6 ms, respectively; P = 0.049).
CONCLUSION: In ICD patients with reduced LVEF, several depressed HRV indices were significantly associated with appropriate ICD shocks in the previous 6 months, and VLF amplitude was the only variable significantly associated with ICD shocks recorded since ICD implant. These data suggest that full HRV analysis might be helpful for improving risk stratification for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and ICD indication in patients with DCM
Scrivere senza anestesia. La chiarezza di Giulia Niccolai
No full textIl saggio colloca storicamente la narratrice e poetessa Giulia Niccolai nel canone del Novecento letterario italiano discutendone poetica e cifre stilistiche. L'ampia analisi proposta tocca tutte le opere dell'autrice evidenziandone i legami intertestuali, anche tra poesia e narrativa, e i progressivi sviluppi in un arco cronologico esteso, tra anni Sessanta e primi anni Duemila. Lo studio coglie anche l'importanza dei riferimenti alle arti visive, in particolare alla fotografia, che Giulia Niccolai ha praticato in prima persona negli anni della Neoavanguardia, e alla pittura americana.The essay places the narrator and poet Giulia Niccolai in the canonical twentieth century Italian literary discussing her poetics and stylistic figures. The wide analysis proposed touches all the works of the author highlighting the intertextual links, also between poetry and narrative, and the progressive developments in an extended chronological period, between the Sixties and early Twenties. The study also captures the importance of references to the visual arts, especially photography, which Giulia Niccolai has practiced in the years of the Neo-avant-garde, and to American painting
Recommended from our members
L'afrofuturismo tra Stati Uniti e Italia. Dalla memoria storica ai viaggi intergalattici per re-immaginare futuri postumani
No full textIn this article the author explores the cultural movement called Afrofuturism, tracing its origins, features, simbology, and its historical and political meanings. Starting from the (supposed) discoursive gap between African and African American people on one side and technology and science fiction on the other, this paradigm addresses themes related to the intersection of African Diaspora and African cultures with technology and science fiction, with the aim to recover the history of slavery and racism through the projections into alternative space-time contexts. In particular, the author explores the feminist afrofuturism perspective in order to examine the specific oppression and cultural production of African and African American women. In doing so, the author analyzes the development of afrofuturism in Italy, focusing on the work of the singer and beatmaker Karima 2G
BDC-Decomposition for global influence analysis
No full textIn biochemical networks, the steady-state input-output influence is the sign of the output steady-state variation due to a persistent positive input perturbation; if the sign does not depend on the value of the strictly positive system parameters, the influence is structural. As recently shown for small perturbations, when the linearized system approximation is valid, steady-state input-output influences can be structurally assessed, for biochemical networks with m unknown parameters, by means of a vertex algorithm with complexity 2m. This letter shows that the structural input-output influence of a biochemical network is a global property, which does not require any small-perturbation assumption. It also shows that, using a new algorithm, the complexity can be reduced down to 2m-n , where n is the system order, thus drastically reducing the computation time. Finally, when the uncertain parameters belong to known intervals, non-conservative bounds are given for the steady-state ratio between output and input, allowing for sensitivity analysis.Accepted Author ManuscriptTeam Tamas Keviczk
- …
