1,721,034 research outputs found
Novecentoanovecentogradi! Ricerca espressiva e forme della ceramica italiana nel Novecento storico
No full textAnti-clastogenic activity of two structurally related pterocarpans purified from Bituminaria bituminosa in cultured human lymphocytes
No full textPlant-derived isoflavones are currently receiving much attention because of their phyto-estrogenic, antioxidant, anti- mutagenic, and anti-tumor activities. In this study we have evaluated the clastogenic and anti-clastogenic activities in human lymphocytes of two structurally related pterocarpans, iso-flavonoid derivatives, termed erybraedin C and bitucarpin A, recently purified from Bituminaria bituminosa and chemically characterized. Mitomycin C (MMC) and the radio-mimetic bleomycin (BL) were used as reference clastogens. The end point studied was micronucleus formation. The results obtained in this study indicate that erybraedin C and bitucarpin A, when assayed alone, do not affect either the mitotic index or the cell-proliferation index of human lymphocytes. Interestingly, both compounds appear to be non-clastogenic in the range of concentrations used. In contrast, both substances seem to affect significantly the clastogenic effects induced by BL and MMC. A 1-h pre-exposition of the cell culture to erybraedin C was necessary to display its anti-clastogenic potential against BL, whereas bitucarpin A was inactive in this respect, with a structure-activity relationship. In contrast, the clastogenic activity of MMC was significantly reduced by both erybraedin C and bitucarpin A, using either a pre-incubation schedule or simultaneous treatment. These results suggest that the protective effects displayed by the two anti-clastogenic compounds against MMC could be due to the induction or inhibition of cellular reductive metabolic enzymes
Some considerations about auditory verbal hallucinations in the clinical field | Rozważania kliniczne dotyczące halucynacji słuchowych słownych
Full text linkQsar for clastogenic effects induced by regioisomers of PAH quinones
No full textThe experimental results on chromosomal aberrations and spindle disturbances in mammalian liver cells for eight regioisomers of pyrene, benzo(a)pyrene and phenanthrene quinones were compared with the AM1 calculated stereoelectronic descriptors. The electronic structure of the parent compounds as well as the corresponding radical anions, were evaluated. Two groups of reactivity descriptors were specified evaluating the mechanisms of genotoxicity of quinones that were recently proposed by us. The first group of parameters (e.g., electronic gap) describes potency of chemicals as cross-linkers of cellular macromolecules, whereas the second group (e.g., electronegativity, frontier orbital energies, their displacement and energy equivalence when going from quinones to the respective intermediate anion-radicals) assesses the one electron reduction efficiency. The ordering of quinones, according to their theoretically estimated reactivities, was found to be consistent with the experimental genotoxicity data. It was concluded that genotoxic activity of studied quinones is an integrated effect of two mechanisms. The prevailing one of these mechanisms affects the qualitative difference in the genotoxic effect of quinones. The benzo(a)pyrene and pyrene quinones were predicted to be more active cross-link inducers and more effective oxidants than phenanthrene quinones
Health service and school: new interactions. Comparison between the Italian system and the Swedish system on the diagnostic process of pupils
No full textThe present study aims to compare the Italian and the Swedish systems of special scholastic support followed by a discussion on the understandings they are founded upon and the social implications they favour. The two systems are compared using a priori criteria regarding the focus of intervention, the role of the operators, and the relation to the client. What emerges are two systems that are different in terms of the level of institutionalisation of medical and/or neuropsychiatric certifications related to scholastic support, the role of school and that of health services. In Italy, it is only a biomedical assessment that can lead to the most extensive scholastic support. The Swedish system on the contrary assigns a key role to the head teacher and the pupil health team who can decide on special support based on various kinds of evaluations. However, even though neuropsychiatric diagnoses are almost non-significant on a policy level in the Swedish system, the biomedical discourse might in practice be the prevalent understanding of learning difficulties. The connection between difficulties in school and psychiatric diagnoses favour a re-interpretation of the pupil through biomedical explanations and in the worst scenario a deviant career. To counteract, both systems might benefit from a context-based intervention aiming at generating alternative identity possibilities for the pupils
Intimate Partner Violence Against Disabled Persons: Clinical and Health Impact, Intersections, Issues and Intervention Strategies
No full textOne of the crimes currently affecting our society is intimate partner violence (IPV), which is regarded as a major global health issue especially affecting women. These health problems concern every citizen, but even more so for women with disabilities who are more exposed to dependence, prejudice and marginalisation. Although a greater focus has been placed on IPV against women with disabilities during the last decade, data about the incidence of violence still need to be confirmed and the way by which abuse situations are perpetuated has not been clarified, especially regarding what the practical aid for women living in this situation might be. This work highlights the clinical impact of the IPV phenomenon on women with disabilities, describes the difficulties experienced while dealing with this phenomenon and suggests the most appropriate intervention strategies. Our work found that people with disabilities are at a higher risk of facing IPV when compared to individuals without disabilities. The results unquestionably show that such acts of violence are often not even reported, partly because of sentimental, emotional and economic reasons. Finally, we point out policies and initiatives aimed at helping people with disabilities tackle the phenomenon
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Methodological bias that can reduce (or affect) the process of diagnostic construction in clinical settings
Full text linkAutism as diversity or difference? A text analysis study involving students, caregivers and education professionals in two special educational settings
Full text linkThe number of students diagnosed with autism is increasing. In Sweden, it is today possible to find both special classes and special schools dedicated to students with autism. This study explores the meaning that the diagnosis assumes in two special educational contexts. Data were collected from interviews with 23 students and questionnaires filled out by 18 education professionals and 22 caregivers. Data were analysed using the Methodology for the Analysis of Computerised Text Data (MADIT). The results are discussed in relation to a) implications for the educational agenda and b) processes that create diversity versus processes that create difference. Some of the main results suggest that participants are using the diagnosis to move towards diversity. Other results indicate that the diagnosis could create unnecessary limitations regarding what the students could become
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