2,016 research outputs found
NOrCa - Not Ordinary Cannabis - Exploring the chemical space around hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) waste and by-products from a circular economy perspective
No full textIn recent years, the hemp (non-psychotropic Cannabis sativa L.) market exhibited incredible growth and it is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 16.8% from 2022 to 2030 (https://www.hempbenchmarks.com/hemp-market-insider/hemp-waste/). At the same time, the hemp waste processing industry is in its infancy, providing limited answers to an urgent question: what can be done with the millions of tons of post-extraction material generated by companies? Currently, hemp waste is often used as biomass instead of recycled. The value of this residual material could go well beyond the current use, transforming itself into a source of new products. Leaves, industrial residues from inflorescence extraction processes, waxes, and lipids leave behind more than 400 molecules in an unexplored chemical space that finally assumed the form of waste (Atakan et al., 2012). Considering this biomass as a novel source of bioactive compounds is the aim of the project in the current genomic era, in which tens of thousands of potential drug targets have been identified. It is well known that the challenge of success in drug discovery lies in the number of small molecules that can be used. This project addresses such a challenging goal by looking forward to discovering the incredibly underrated value of hemp waste and by-products from a circular economy perspective. To this purpose, we propose a holistic approach that includes a comprehensive study of hemp waste and by-products by looking for uncommon cannabinoids that are considered minor not for importance but for concentration (Hanuš et al.; 2016), and additional unique molecules, including non-cannabinoids phenolic compounds and terpenic components (Pollastro et al., 2018; Isidore et al., 2021). This project will follow novel approaches to: I) set environmentally friendly extraction protocols, according to the green chemistry, easily scalable, and cost-effective for an industrial level, following the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle; 2) develop analytical methods to identify metabolites in hemp waste that could be valuable resources using advanced analytical methods based on untargeted and targeted metabolomics; 3) evaluate the biological activities of molecules by using a full panel of in vitro assays; 4) promote scientific as well as public dissemination with free conferences, workshops, in addition to scientific and informative journals and social networks. The results of the project will find a concrete application in different ways: deep investigation of the chemical space around hemp waste in a circular economy perspective with the consequent: 1) production of molecular probes to better investigate the physiopathology of the endocannabinoid system, 2) disclosure of new hit/lead compounds with a good in vitro activity against the models applied, and which future synthesis could be proposed, 3) development of new analytical standards to certify the composition of hemp-derived products
COMPETIVE EFFECTS ON THE HIGH-PRESSURE PHASE DIAGRAM OF MANGANITES.
No full textRecent infrared absorption measurements performed at different pressures and temperatures on the La0.75Ca0.25MnO3, manganite provided the insulator-to-metal transition temperature T-IM(P), i.e. the P-T phase diagram of the manganite. We report an extended data analysis, by considering in detail pressure and temperature dependence of the observed IR active phonon and of the absorption spectral weights N*. The phonon pressure-dependence, consistently with the P-T phase diagram, indicates the onset of a new localizing interaction above P* = 6-7 GPa. Finally a simple theoretical model will be employed to give a qualitative explanation of the observed high-pressure behavior and to suggest the relevance of the charge-localizing super-exchange magnetic interaction in the very high-pressure regime. Within this framework the asymptotic regime at high pressure is ascribed to the competition between the magnetic super- and double-exchange interactions. (C) 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. RI Capone, Massimo/A-7762-200
High-pressure phase diagram in the manganites: a two-site model study
No full textThe pressure dependence of the Curie temperature T-C in manganites, recently studied over a wide pressure range, is not qualitatively accounted for by the quenching of Jahn-Teller distortions, and suggests the occurrence of a new pressure-activated localizing process. On the basis of several high-pressure experiments, the antiferromagnetic (AF) interaction between the core spins has been suggested as a good candidate for such a localizing mechanism. We present a theoretical calculation of T-C based on a two-site double-exchange model with electron-phonon coupling interaction and direct superexchange (SE) between the t(2g) core spins. We calculate the pressure dependence of T-C and compare it with the experimental phase diagram. Our results describe the experimental behaviour quite well only if a pressure-activated enhancement of the AF-SE interaction is assumed. RI Capone, Massimo/A-7762-200
Mycochemicals against Cancer Stem Cells
No full textSince ancient times, mushrooms have been considered valuable allies of human well-being both from a dietary and medicinal point of view. Their essential role in several traditional medicines is explained today by the discovery of the plethora of biomolecules that have shown proven efficacy for treating various diseases, including cancer. Numerous studies have already been conducted to explore the antitumoural properties of mushroom extracts against cancer. Still, very few have reported the anticancer properties of mushroom polysaccharides and mycochemicals against the specific population of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this context, β-glucans are relevant in modulating immunological surveillance against this subpopulation of cancer cells within tumours. Small molecules, less studied despite their spread and assortment, could exhibit the same importance. In this review, we discuss several pieces of evidence of the association between β-glucans and small mycochemicals in modulating biological mechanisms which are proven to be involved with CSCs development. Experimental evidence and an in silico approach are evaluated with the hope of contributing to future strategies aimed at the direct study of the action of these mycochemicals on this subpopulation of cancer cells
INDUSTRIA 4.0, INTELLIGENZA ARTIFICIALE, INTELLIGENZA EMOTIVA: L’ETICA DELLA QUARTA RIVOLUZIONE INDUSTRIALE
No full textLa tesi affronta il tema della Quarta Rivoluzione Industriale da una duplice prospettiva: essendo il frutto dell’esperienza di ricerca applicata condotta nell’ambito del dottorato “Eureka”, tende a realizzare una sintesi della ricerca puramente empirica e del dato reale, tratto dall’esperienza del lavoro svolto in una piccola impresa delle campagne marchigiane e dall’apprezzamento di ogni relativa difficoltà della stessa nella persecuzione della propria rivoluzione tecnologica. La struttura della ricerca si articola a cominciare dalla ricognizione del fenomeno europeo della Quarta Rivoluzione Industriale e si sviluppa attraverso l’analisi della produzione normativa e delle misure adottate dal governo italiano per la diffusione dell’Industria 4.0, ai fini dell’introduzione delle stesse nella gestione dello sviluppo tecnologico aziendale. Il secondo capitolo osserva l’effetto che la tecnologia esercita sulle attività quotidiane, trattandosi di una trasformazione che sottopone al proprio impatto le forme originarie della vita: il rapporto tra uomo e donna, il procreare, la paternità e la figliolanza, l’esperienza della malattia e della cura, il nesso del proprio corpo con il proprio spirito. La ricerca giunge, quindi, a sostenere la necessarietà dell’etica e della filosofia quali fattori ad alto potenziale trasformativo, imprescindibili nei percorsi educativi e nelle relazioni industriali, valorizzando il contributo che la tecnologia apporta, nel contesto sociale e produttivo, attraverso l’intelaiatura di connessioni, quando ispirata da valori etici e concepita per la tutela e la promozione dei diritti fondamentali dell’uomo. Si intende proporre un concetto di Rivoluzione Tecnologica che possa svilupparsi in funzione ed a salvaguardia delle più antiche necessità umane, evidenziando tre ambiti di leva: ricollegare le persone alla natura, ristrutturare le istituzioni e ripensare a come la conoscenza viene creata e utilizzata nel perseguimento della sostenibilità. Affrontare l'insostenibilità richiede che le società gestiscano in maniera sistemica le dimensioni biofisiche, sociali, economiche, legali ed etiche interagenti e la filosofia è chiamata a trovare un modo per pensare il proprio tempo sapendo, da un lato, contaminarsi umilmente con nuovi saperi, dall’altro, mantenere la propria vocazione di sapere che investe con sguardo critico l’esistente.
Invero, il lavoro si sta ridefinendo in una nuova cornice, quella della responsabilità, della professionalità, dell’apprendimento costante, passando attraverso la valorizzazione dei tratti più virtuosi delle caratteristiche umane: la creatività, l’autonomia, l’empatia, la capacità di negoziazione e di interrelazione con gli altri. Il lavoro supera la dicotomia storica tra attività manuale e intellettuale e si spinge in direzione della valorizzazione della libertà intesa come riconquista dello spazio propriamente dedicato alle attività umane, alla riconnessione con l’interiorità e con la Natura. Posto che le istituzioni sono simultaneamente sia strutture oggettive esterne, sia sorgenti soggettive delle azioni umane, queste offrono un legame tra l’ideale e il reale, tra il modello e la realtà. Attori e strutture istituzionali, benché distinti, sono connessi in un circolo di interazione e interdipendenza reciproca. Una sintesi possibile risiede quindi nella necessità, da parte delle istituzioni, di insistere sulla convergenza di saperi umanistici e conoscenze scientifiche, nell’educare ingegneri filosofi e tecnici sensibili alle domande di senso e non solo all’ efficienza e alla produttività. Lavorando sulla formazione di persone consapevoli della “utilità dell’inutile”, insistendo sull’etica votata ad ispirare le azioni individuali, è possibile promuovere un dialogo onesto fra scienziati, imprenditori, politici e filosofi, rispettando la diversità di opinione ed integrando vicendevolmente le rispettive vedute. Il richiamo alla filosofia, all’etica, al “prendersi cura”, è un rimando ad un concetto antico ed ancestrale, che chiede di vivere con equilibrio la nostra natura più profonda di esseri umani immersi in un ambiente digitale.The thesis deals with the topic of the Fourth Industrial Revolution from a double perspective: being the result of the applied research experience in the context of the "Eureka" doctorate, it tends to achieve a synthesis between purely empirical research and real data, taken from the experience of the work carried out in a small firm in the Marche countryside and from the appreciation of every difficulty in the persecution of its technological revolution. The research structure is articulated starting from an examination of the European phenomenon of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and develops through the analysis of the legislative production and the measures adopted by the Italian government for the diffusion of Industry 4.0, with the purpose of introducing them into the corporate technological development. The second chapter observes the effect that technology has on daily activities, since it is a transformation that affects the original forms of life under its impact: the relationship between man and woman, procreation, fatherhood and sonship, the experience of disease and treatment, the connection of one's body with one's spirit. The research therefore comes to underline the need of ethics and philosophy as factors with a high transformative potential, essentials in educational paths and industrial relations, by enhancing the contribution that technology brings, in the social and productive context, through the framework of connections, when inspired by ethical values and conceived for the protection and promotion of fundamental human rights. The research intends to propose a concept of Technological Revolution that might rise in the serve and for the safety of the most ancient human needs, highlighting three areas of leverage: reconnecting people to nature, restructuring institutions and rethinking how knowledge is created and used in the pursuit of sustainability. Tackling unsustainability requires societies to systemically manage the interacting biophysical, social, economic, legal and ethical dimensions and philosophy is called upon to find a way to think critically about the contemporaneity, on the one hand, humbly contaminating itself with new knowledge and, on the other hand, to maintain its vocation of knowledge that invests the existing with critical eye.
Indeed, work is being redefined in a new framework, that of responsibility, professionalism, constant learning, through the enhancement of the most virtuous traits of human characteristics: creativity, autonomy, empathy, the ability to negotiation and interrelation with others. The work overcomes the historical dichotomy between manual and intellectual activity and goes in the direction of the enhancement of freedom as the reconquest of the space properly dedicated to human activities, to reconnecting with interiority and with Nature. Given that institutions are simultaneously both external objective structures and subjective sources of human actions, these offer a link between the ideal and the real, between the model and reality. Actors and institutional structures, although distinct, are connected in a circle of mutual interaction and interdependence. A possible synthesis therefore lies in the institutions insisting on the convergence of humanistic and scientific knowledge, educating philosophers and technical engineers that are sensitive to questions of meaning and not only to efficiency and productivity. By working on training people aware of the "usefulness of the useless", insisting on ethics aimed at inspiring individual actions, it is possible to promote an honest dialogue between scientists, entrepreneurs, politicians and philosophers, respecting the diversity of opinion and mutually integrating their respective views. The reference to philosophy, ethics, "taking care", is a reference to an ancient and ancestral concept, which asks us to live in balance our deepest nature as human beings immersed in a digital environment
The impact of type 1 diabetes and diabetic polyneuropathy on muscle strength and fatigability
No full textAims: Although it is widely accepted that diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is linked to a marked decline in neuromuscular performance, information on the possible impact of type 1 diabetes (T1D) on muscle strength and fatigue remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of T1D and DPN on strength and fatigability in knee extensor muscles. Methods: Thirty-one T1D patients (T1D), 22 T1D patients with DPN (DPN) and 23 matched healthy control participants (C) were enrolled. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and endurance time at an intensity level of 50% of the MVC were assessed at the knee extensor muscles with an isometric dynamometer. Clinical characteristics of diabetic patients were assessed by considering a wide range of vascular and neurological parameters. Results: DPN group had lower knee extensor muscles strength than T1D (−19%) and the C group (−37.5%). T1D group was 22% weaker when compared to the C group. Lower body muscle fatigability of DPN group was 22 and 45.5% higher than T1D and C group, respectively. T1D group possessed a higher fatigability (29.4%) compared to C group. A correlation was found between motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity and muscle strength and fatigability. Conclusions: Patients with T1D are characterised by both a higher fatigability and a lower muscle strength, which are aggravated by DPN. Our data suggest that factors other than nervous damage play a role in the pathogenesis of such defect
La polvere sotto il tappeto: paragrafi inediti delle "Trecento novelle" di Franco Sacchetti
No full textA seguito della rinnovata recensio delle testimonianze del novelliere di F. Sacchetti, lo scenario che si presenta è quello di un originale perduto che le tarde copie superstiti rappresentano in momenti successivi della sua storia, rispecchiandone anche il degrado fisico.Per poter ricostruire questo manufatto, punto unico di irradiazione della prima circolazione pubblica dell’opera, occorre incrociare le diverse tipologie di copia rappresentate dagli apografi cinquecenteschi. Il saggio offre una panoramica sulle nuove acquisizioni derivanti dalle testimonianze scoperte di recente, mettendo l'accento su porzioni di testo che in precedenza risultavano mutile o oscure nelle edizioni correnti
Muscle fatigability in type 2 diabetes
No full textBackground Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) may be subject to premature muscle fatigue. However, the effect of diabetes on muscle fatigability has not yet been thoroughly examined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of T2D on muscle fatigability at the upper and lower body.
Methods Thirty-three T2D patients (18 men and 15 women; mean age, 59.3 +/- 5.3 years) and 34 matched healthy control participants (17 men and 17 women; mean age, 60.1 +/- 6.1 years) were recruited. Clinical characteristics of diabetic patients were assessed by considering a wide range of vascular and neurological parameters in order to exclude the presence of micro-and macrovascular complications. Gender-specific muscle function was evaluated measuring the maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), and the endurance time at 50% of the MVIC at the shoulder and at the knee extensor muscles.
Results Muscle strength in the upper body was similar among groups, whereas in the lower body, it was significantly reduced in T2D men (-16%) and women (-22%) compared with the controls. Additionally, the endurance time in both upper and lower body was significantly lower in T2D men (-18% and -29%) and women (-19% and -25%, respectively) than controls.
Conclusions Besides the reduction in strength, muscle dysfunction in T2D is characterized by a higher fatigability that affects both upper and lower body muscles. This effect is independent to the presence of diabetic complications and may represent a more sensitive marker of muscular dysfunction than muscle strength
Adriatic coast to coast project. Identity and differences of contemporary lanscape
No full textWorkshop internazionale di fotografia per una indagine sul territorio litoraneo con Seba Kurtis. WORKSHOP di lettura del territorio, ideazione e coordinamento scientifico Stefania Rossl, Vecchia Pescheria - Savignano sul Rubicone 26-29 settembre 2013. Prodotto da Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Architettura, Scuola di Ingegneria e Architettura e Città di Savignano sul Rubicone, ICS Istituzione Cultura Savignano. Il Workshop si inserisce nell’ambito del progetto Adriatic Coast to Coast finalizzato alla lettura dei territori litoranei che si affacciano sul mare Adriatico. L’edificazione intensiva che ha contraddistinto l’esperienza italiana sembra oggi essere messa in discussione da molte cittadine turistiche costiere che, favorevoli ad un ripensamento della città balneare o ad una sua riqualificazione, si dimostrano pronte a riconsiderare gli squilibri strutturali a cui sono state sottoposte vaste aree del territorio costiero, vincolate unicamente al ritmo della stagionalità. Da queste criticità nasce l’esigenza di una mappatura, allo stato attuale, dei luoghi. L’indagine fotografica si configura allora come strumento per la documentazione dei territori che, nei differenti contesti geografici e culturali, necessitano di una immediata riqualificazione o di un’attenta e sensibile salvaguardia. Un mezzo attraverso il quale produrre immagini utili per comunicare il nostro presente così come per tracciare la nostra memoria collettiva
The Role of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Genes in Schizophrenia
No full textGenomic studies revealed two main components in the genetic architecture of schizophrenia, one constituted by common variants determining a distributed polygenic effect and one represented by a large number of heterogeneous rare and highly disruptive mutations. These gene modifications often affect neural transmission and different studies proved an involvement of metabotropic glutamate receptors in schizophrenia phenotype. Through the combination of literature information with genomic data from public repositories, we analyzed the current knowledge on the involvement of genetic variations of the human metabotropic glutamate receptors in schizophrenia and related endophenotypes. Despite the analysis did not reveal a definitive connection, different suggestive associations have been identified and in particular a relevant role has emerged for GRM3 in affecting specific schizophrenia endophenotypes. This supports the hypothesis that these receptors are directly involved in schizophrenia disorder
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