69 research outputs found
Cartography of DH2020
No full textThis cartography is specifically designed to look at conferences in a visual way. All the authors are arranged in the space according to a lexical distance, which implies that the more two authors are close, the more their dictionaries overlap. The lexical distance is calculated from the short abstracts, along with their title and keywords, using the TF-IDF algorithm. Such an algorithm enables us to find the most representative keywords for each scholar with respect to the entire scientific community.
The cartography of DH2020 is an open-access tool available at https://rodighiero.github.io/DH2020/
We believe that the lexical map represents a more democratic way to represent scholars. Relationships are not based on exclusive citations, which draw an academic hierarchy among scholars, but rather on public and sharable verbal units, the terms.
The goal is the creation of an instrument in which the author can immediately recognize his/herself. Likewise, the author is invited to recognize his/her visual neighborhood, which should display co-authors and language-related peers. The cartography interpretation is completely subjective as well as its creation, the cartography is meant to be a visual instrument to stimulate reflection and foster interesting conversation.
The cartography of 2020 was made possible by the outstanding contribution of May Ning, who brilliantly took care of the conference dataset, and Constance Crompton, who enthusiastically supported the idea to create a visual representation of the DH2020.
More information about the visual method in the article titled "Mapping as a Contemporary Instrument for Orientation in Conferences" by Chloe Moon and Dario Rodighiero
Generi lirico-corali nella produzione drammatica di Sofocle
No full textThis book focuses on the presence of non-dramatic genres in the extant Sophoclean plays and fragments (with special reference to Ajax, Women of Trachis and Antigone). The clues of lyric genres, such as paean, hymn, hyporchema, or the presence of ‘epinikian flavors’, are investigated within the context and the plot of the dramas where they are inserted. This research aims to shed light on the close relationship between the lyrical production of the archaic and classical age and the choral songs of drama (parodoi and stasima), trying to enlighten both the Sophoclean affiliation to a specific and shared style (peculiar vocabulary for the hymns, for instance, formulae, elements of syntax, etc.) and his independence as an author who reshapes and transforms traditional elements into new and personal forms of poetry.
Quale rapporto esiste tra i generi lirici e le tragedie di Sofocle? Per quali vie si innestano nelle sezioni cantate dei suoi drammi le forme e gli stili dell’inno, dei peani, dei ditirambi, degli iporchemi, e come vengono rese certe ‘atmosfere da epinicio’? Il fine dell’indagine che qui si propone è quello di gettare luce sulla stretta relazione che intercorre tra la produzione lirica di età arcaica e classica e le sezioni corali della tragedia sofoclea (parodoi e stasimi); i capitoli che compongono il volume mirano a chiarire il dialogo e il legame di appartenenza che il poeta stabilisce con la tradizione, attraverso l’utilizzo di stilemi noti e condivisi (lessico dedicato, formulae, elementi sintattici, vocabolario specifico), ma anche la sua autonomia nel trasformare materiali tipicamente di genere in nuove forme di poesia
K+ channel cAMP activated in guinea pig gallbladder epithelial cells
No full textIn guinea pig gallbladder epithelial cells, an increase
in intracellular cAMP levels elicits the rise of
anion channel activity. We investigated by patchclamp
techniques whether K1 channels were also activated.
In a cell-attached configuration and in the
presence of theophylline and forskoline or 8-Br-cAMP
in the cellular incubation bath, an increase of the open
probability (Po) values for Ca21-activated K1 channels
with a single-channel conductance of about 160 pS, for
inward current, was observed. The increase in Po of
these channels was also seen in an inside-out configuration
and in the presence of PKA, ATP, and cAMP, but
not with cAMP alone; phosphorylation did not influence
single-channel conductance. In the inside-out
configuration, the opioid loperamide (1025 M) was able
to reduce Po when it was present either in the microelectrode
filling solution or on the cytoplasmic side.
Detection in the epithelial cells by RT-PCR of the
mRNA corresponding to the a subunit of largeconductance
Ca21-activated K1 channels (BKCa) indicates
that this gallbladder channel could belong to the
BK family. Immunohistochemistry experiments con-
firm that these cells express the BK asubunit, which is
located on the apical membrane. Other K1 channels
with lower conductance (40 pS) were not activated
either by 8-Br-cAMP (cell-attached) or by PKA 1
ATP 1 cAMP (inside-out). These channels were insensitive
to TEA1 and loperamide. The data demonstrate
that under conditions that induce secretion, phosphorylation
activates anion channels as well as Ca21-
dependent, loperamide-sensitive K1 channels present
on the apical membrane
Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19-kDa interacting protein (BNip3) has a key role in the mitochondrial dysfunction induced by mutant huntingtin
No full textHuntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat in the IT15 gene that encodes the protein huntingtin (htt). Evidence shows that mutant htt causes mitochondrial depolarization and fragmentation, but the underlying molecular mechanism has yet to be clarified. Bax/Bak and BNip3 are pro-apoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family protein whose activation triggers mitochondrial depolarization and fragmentation inducing cell death. Evidence suggests that Bax/Bak and BNip3 undergo activation upon mutant htt expression but whether these proteins are required for mitochondrial depolarization and fragmentation induced by mutant htt is unclear. Our results showthat BNip3 knock-out cells are protected from mitochondrial damage and cell death induced by mutant htt whereas Bax/Bak knock-out cells are not. Moreover, deletion of BNip3 C-terminal transmembrane domain, required for mitochondrial targeting, suppresses mitochondrial depolarization and fragmentation in a cell culture model of HD. Hence, our results suggest that changes in mitochondrial morphology and transmembrane potential, induced by mutant htt protein, are dependent and linked to BNip3 and not to Bax/Bak activation. These results provide new compelling evidence that underlies the molecular mechanisms by which mutant htt causes mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death, suggesting BNip3 as a potential target for HD therapy
The influence of Mediterranean diet in acne pathogenesis and the correlation with insulin-like growth factor-1 serum levels : implications and results
No full textAcne is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit and its etiology is complex and multifactorial. The role of the diet in its pathogenesis is still debated. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between MD and IGF-1 in acne patients and, as secondary objective, the role of systemic treatment on IGF-1 serum levels, in accordance to the patients’ diet. This study included 35 patients aged 14-30 years affected by acne and treated in line with the EDF guidelines. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on a questionnaire score assessing the adherence to the Mediterranean diet: the Mediterranean Group (score ≥ 6) and the Western Group (score < 5). IGF-1 serum levels were measured in all patients before and after treatment and then compared to healthy population. IGF-1 levels were higher in patients than in controls and in the Western group than in the Mediterranean group. We speculate that the Mediterranean diet can have a protective role in the pathogenesis of acne by acting on the systemic route of IGF-1
A Combined Approach Employing Chlorotoxin-Nanovectors and Low Dose Radiation To Reach Infiltrating Tumor Niches in Glioblastoma
No full textGlioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is
the most aggressive form of glioma,
with life expectancy of around 2 years after diagnosis, due to recidivism
and to the blood-brain barrier (BBB) limiting the amount of drugs
which reach the residual malignant cells, thus contributing to the
failure of chemotherapies. To bypass the obstacles imposed by the
BBB, we investigated the use of nanotechnologies combined with radiotherapy,
as a potential therapeutic strategy for GBM. We used poly(lactic-<i>co</i>-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PNP) conjugated
to chlorotoxin (CTX), a peptide reported to bind selectively to glioma
cells. Silver nanoparticles were entrapped inside the functionalized
nanoparticles (Ag-PNP-CTX), to allow detection and quantification
of the cellular uptake by confocal microscopy, both <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i>. <i>In vitro</i> experiments
performed with different human glioblastoma cell lines showed higher
cytoplasmic uptake of Ag-PNP-CTX, with respect to nonfunctionalized
nanoparticles. <i>In vivo</i> experiments showed that Ag-NP-CTX
efficiently targets the tumor, but are scarcely effective in crossing
the blood brain barrier in the healthy brain, where dispersed metastatic
cells are present. We show here that single whole brain X-ray irradiation,
performed 20 h before nanoparticle injection, enhances the expression
of the CTX targets, MMP-2 and ClC-3, and, through BBB permeabilization,
potently increases the amount of internalized Ag-PNP-CTX even in dispersed
cells, and generated an efficient antitumor synergistic effect able
to inhibit <i>in vivo</i> tumor growth. Notably, the application
of Ag-PNP-CTX to irradiated tumor cells decreases the extracellular
activity of MMP-2. By targeting dispersed GBM cells and reducing MMP-2
activity, the combined use of CTX-nanovectors with radiotherapy may
represent a promising therapeutic approach toward GBM
Microtubule dysfunction precedes transport impairment and mitochondria damage in MPP+-induced neurodegeneration
No full textDysfunction of the microtubule (MT) system is an emerging theme in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease (PD). The present study was designed to investigate the putative role of MT dysfunction in dopaminergic neuron death induced by the neurotoxin MPP+. In NGF-differentiated PC12 cells, we have analyzed post-translational modifications of tubulin known to be associated with differently dynamic MTs and show that MPP+ causes a selective loss of dynamic MTs and a concomitant enrichment of stable MTs. Through a direct live cell imaging approach we show a significant reduction of MT dynamics following exposure to MPP+ and a reorientation of MTs. Furthermore, these alterations precede the impairment of intracellular transport as revealed by changes in mitochondria movements along neurites and their accumulation into varicosities. We have also analyzed activation of caspase-3 and mitochondrial injury, well known alterations induced by MPP+; and found that they are noticeable only when MT dysfunction is already established. These data provide the first evidence that axonal transport impairment and mitochondrial damage might be a consequence of MT dysfunction in MPP+-induced neurodegeneration, leading support to the concept that alterations of MT organization and dynamics could play a pivotal role in neuronal death in PD
Volume-regulated Cl− channels in human pleural mesothelioma cells
No full textAbstractAnion channels in human mesothelial and mesothelioma cell lines were characterized by patch-clamp and biomolecular approaches. We found an outwardly rectifying anionic current which was inactivated at positive voltages and inhibited by extracellular adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP). Mesothelial and mesothelioma cells behaved differently concerning current inactivation properties. Inactivation is more pronounced and has a steeper onset in mesothelial cells. Different reversal potentials, in asymmetrical Cl− solutions, that could be attributed to a different selectivity of the channel, have been observed in the two cell lines. Mesothelioma cell single-channel analysis indicates that the number of the same active anion channel (3–4 pS) increased under hypoosmotic conditions. Immunocytochemistry experiments showed the presence of ICln protein in the cytosol and in the plasma membrane. Western blot analysis revealed an increase of ICln in the membrane under hypotonic conditions, an event possibly related to the activation of Cl− channels
Observational evidence for AGN feedback in early-type galaxies
No full textA major amendment in recent models of hierarchical galaxy formation is the inclusion of so-called active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. The energy input from an active central massive black hole is invoked to suppress star formation in early-type galaxies at later epochs. A major problem is that this process is poorly understood, and compelling observational evidence for its mere existence is still missing. In search for signatures of AGN feedback, we have compiled a sample of 16 000 early-type galaxies in the redshift range 0.05 200 km s ) and roughly evenly distributed between star formation and AGN at intermediate and low (σ <100 km s ) masses. The objects with emission (∼20 per cent) are offset from the red sequence and form a well-defined pattern in the colour-mass diagram. Star-forming early-types inhabit the blue cloud, while early-types with AGN are located considerably closer to and almost on the red sequence. Star formation-AGN composites are found right between these two extremes. We further derive galaxy star formation histories using a novel method that combines multiwavelength photometry from near-ultraviolet (UV) to near-infrared (IR) and stellar absorption indices. We find that in those objects deviating from the red sequence star formation occurred several 100 Myr in the past involving 1-10 per cent of the total stellar mass. We identify an evolutionary sequence from star formation via nuclear activity to quiescence. This transition process lasts about 1 Gyr, and the peak AGN phase occurs roughly half a Gyr after the starburst. The most likely interpretation is that star formation is suppressed by nuclear activity in these objects before they settle on the red sequence. This is empirical evidence for the occurrence of AGN feedback in early-type galaxies at recent epochs. © 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2007 RAS
Indium-Tin-Oxide (ITO) as Stable and Effective Coating Material for Correlative Confocal and Immuno-Scanning Electron Microscopy Studies
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