86,882 research outputs found
Organotin effects in different Phyla: discrepancies and similarities
No full textMost of the biological effects displayed by organotin contaminants, among which trisubsituted species are especially toxic, have increasingly been found to exhibit astonishing analogies in different taxa. While similarities can be perceived from prokaryotes to mammals, different modes and extent of biochemical and biological effects were described in different cells, tissues and species. A broad susceptibility range to organotins emerges from literature. Aquatic biota are mainly affected by organotins as environmental water and sediments act as storage site. Endocrine and lipid homeostasis perturbations span from Mollusks, where first gender changes (imposex) referable to environmental organotin contamination was pointed out, to Mammals, where organotins play the role of environmental obesogens. Organotin immunotoxicity, elicited in various invertebrate Phyla, also affects humans. Inhibition of key membrane-bound enzyme complexes such as Na,K-ATPase and FOF1 complexes, thus affecting hydromineral balance, energy production and related effects, are known to occur in a wide variety of organisms. Mitochondria and all membrane functions apparently represent a preferred target of these lipophilic toxicants. Highly conserved action mechanisms could be involved in the observed effects: organotin binding to nuclear receptors, membrane components and intracellular proteins as well as DNA damage may represent widely shared action modes of these compounds. On the other hand the different response and even the refractoriness to these toxicants shown at different biological levels may mirror biochemical and physiological selectivity of signalling pathways, biomembranes and intracellular protein components
Organizzazione della Struttura Complessa di Medicina interna per intensità di cure: l’Area critica di Medicina interna
No full textIn hospitals with traditional organization, i.e. based on specialist departments not organized by intensity of care, patients who are too ill for a general ward, yet do not require intensive care, are sometimes hospitalized in intensive care units, where they receive over-assistance with waste of resources. Otherwise these patients are hospitalized in general wards, where they create distortive effects, attracting most of the health care resources and subtracting assistance to the other patients, while receiving less assistance than needs. To avoid these distortions it is appropriate to create areas of semi-intensive assistance, such as the Critical Area of Internal Medicine. The authors, after review of the literature on the organization of hospital based on intensity of care, underline the advantages of applying these principles not to the entire hospital, but within the Departments or wards of Internal Medicine. Starting from some experiences already carried out spontaneously in some departments with the activation of some monitored beds of semi-intensive therapy, they propose a structured application project for the creation of the critical area of Internal Medicine, by the use of some project management tools (WBS, OBS, Gantt diagram, responsibility matrix, and SWOT analysis)
Ultrasound guided spinal catheter insertion in piglet: preliminary results
No full textIn children, ultrasonography aids verification of the correct placement of epidural catheters (Willschke et al. 2006). We assessed the use of ultrasound (US) during spinal catheter placement in piglets.
Eight piglets were enrolled in the study and grouped (n=2) according to age: 7 (P7); 14 (P14), 21 (P21) and 28 (P28) days old. The piglets were anaesthetized with sevoflurane. A US examination with a 10 Mhz linear probe was performed with piglets in lateral recumbency. The spinal catheter was placed as previously described (Lambertini et al. 2015) with the US probe between the intervertebral spaces. A spinal needle was introduced between the spinous processes of L2 and L3 lumbar vertebrae. The needle was advanced until cerebro-spinal fluid filled the hub and then replaced with a Tuohy needle, used to introduce the catheter up to the cisterna magna. The catheter advancement was monitored with the probe. At the end of procedure the catheter was removed. The piglets recovered from anaesthesia and were monitored for a week.
In P7 and P14 paramedian longitudinal views generated good images of the dura mater, epidural space, subarachnoidal space and spinal cord at both cervical and lumbar levels. In P7 and P14 the US enabled real time visualization of catheter placement in cisterna magna. In P21 and P28 it was not possible to visualize neuroaxial structures. All piglets recovered without any complication.
Ultrasound examination appears useful for spinal catheter placement in piglets younger than 14 days but it is of no benefit in older animals.
Lambertini C, Ventrella D, Barone F et al (2015) Transdermal spinal catheter placement in piglets: Description and validation of the technique. J Neurosci Methods 255, 17-21.
Willschke H, Marhofer P, Bösenberg A et al (2006) Epidural catheter placement in children: comparing a novel approach using ultrasound guidance and a standard loss-of-resistance technique. Br J Anaesth 97, 200-207
Crucial aminoacids in the F O sector of the F 1 F O -ATP synthase address H + across the inner mitochondrial membrane: molecular implications in mitochondrial dysfunctions
No full textThe eukaryotic F 1 F O -ATP synthase/hydrolase activity is coupled to H + translocation through the inner mitochondrial membrane. According to a recent model, two asymmetric H + half-channels in the a subunit translate a transmembrane vertical H + flux into the rotor rotation required for ATP synthesis/hydrolysis. Along the H + pathway, conserved aminoacid residues, mainly glutamate, address H + both in the downhill and uphill transmembrane movements to synthesize or hydrolyze ATP, respectively. Point mutations responsible for these aminoacid changes affect H + transfer through the membrane and, as a cascade, result in mitochondrial dysfunctions and related pathologies. The involvement of specific aminoacid residues in driving H + along their transmembrane pathway within a subunit, sustained by the literature and calculated data, leads to depict a model consistent with some mitochondrial disorders
Conversione dei beni e confraternite in Italia: criteri assistenziali e politica ecclesiastica
No full textL’indagine sull’evoluzione della condizione giuridica delle confraternite, nel singolare intreccio in tema di assistenza e beneficenza, consente di cogliere gli aspetti peculiari della politica ecclesiastica nell’Italia post-unitaria; l’esigenza di un contemperamento tra la vocazione caritativa propria delle confraternite e le istanze di laicizzazione per la gestione delle finalità sociali, ai fini di una tutela imparziale degli individui, si traduce in un articolato quadro normativo. L’indagine verte sull’evoluzione della condizione giuridica delle confraternite tra disposizioni canonistiche e diritto civile, ricostruendo i tratti salienti del quadro normativo in tema di assistenza e beneficenza e consentendo, in tal modo, di cogliere gli aspetti della politica ecclesiastica post-unitaria. E’ peraltro da sottolineare come il complesso passaggio da una visione privatistica ad una concezione pubblica dell’assistenza, in piena adesione allo spirito liberista, sul piano applicativo abbia provocato contaminazioni e ingerenze alle quali, nei campi in questione, il diritto ha risposto con tentativi mirati ad una sistemazione monolitica della materia, anche mediante l’adozione di criteri più equi per la ripartizione delle risorse nel mutato quadro economico e culturale
Influenza dell'irradianza e dell'azoto sul contenuto di azoto e anioni inorganici nella rucola (Eruca sativa Miller)
No full textLinguaggio giuridico e vincoli affettivi. Norme canoniche e prospettive di riforma
No full textNel quadro di processi articolati nel fluire del tempo, in cui il diritto e la lingua si evolvono parallelamente, modellandosi e adattandosi di continuo in base a istanze sociali e a valori ideali, l'obiettivo della ricerca è di indagare sulle forme di comunicazione linguistica rilevanti per il diritto e sui modelli sociali, etici e religiosi di cui esse sono espressione
Organotin Effects on Membrane-Bound ATPase Activities
No full textThe structural properties of organotins, mainly consisting of an electrophilic tin core and from one-to four lipophilic organic arms, make these synthetic compounds chemically versatile. By binding both covalently and non-covalently to biomolecules, organotins affect a wide variety of biological functions, according to their structure. Such properties justified their wide exploitation as biocides and drugs. Unfortunately, after less than one century from organotin synthesis and subsequent diffusion, unexpected events came out. The high organotin toxicity to non-target species and the environmental persistency caused worldwide pollution and concern in spite of restrictions and bans. The organic moiety lipophilicity facilitates contaminant incorporation in biological membranes, in turn triggering changes in membrane chemical-physical state and function. Literature and research data on organotin effects on membrane-bound ATPase activities, including P-type, F-type and V-type ATPases are here reviewed. The involvement in crucial cell functions such as membrane transport and ionic regulation as well as energy metabolism make ATPase complexes an intriguing model to approach organotin effects from a molecular point of view. Their interaction with organotins may represent one of the molecular mechanisms of the widespread perturbations in contaminated animals. Among ATPases, the ubiquitous plasma membrane Na,K-ATPase, the coexistent stepsister ouabain-insensitive Na-ATPase and finally FOF1 complexes in eucaryotes and prokaryotes are considered in detail. Special attention is paid to trisubstituted alkyltins and aryltins, highly toxic to living systems and especially to mitochondria. Trisubstituted derivatives are enclosed among mitochondrial poisons as they act as uncouplers and also directly inhibit the ATPase/synthase. Most studies were carried out on mammals, yeasts and bacteria. Recent research data from our laboratory exploring the effect of tributyltin (TBT) on molluscan Na,K-ATPase, Na-ATPase and mitochondrial ATPase activities are reported. Kinetic studies suggest that the mechanism of TBT interaction may differ according to the ATPase under study. TBT binding to enzyme proteins may involve multiple sites, electrostatic interactions as well as dative bonds to sulphydrylic or other electron donor groups. Even if conformational changes in the ATPase structure driven by TBT interaction with surrounding lipids cannot be neglected, the observed similarities in the enzyme inhibition in different Phyla suggest a prevailing involvement of highly conserved domains in protein structures
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