Keeping a foot in both camps: Sustainability, city branding and boundary spanners

This study critically examines sustainable development (SD) within the contemporary practices of city branding, a prominent business philosophy that underpins market-led development strategies of urban areas. In pursuing uniqueness, different cities often seem to hint at the very same themes of differentiation, and this reflects the tendency to embrace pre-given sets of place-development discourses. This work casts a critical perspective on SD as one of the global passe-partout themes that has become particularly prominent in contemporary city-brand management practices. In particular, the theory-practice gap in city branding for SD is emphasized and interpreted through the lens of glocalization theories. This viewpoint identifies responsibilized boundary spanners as agents located between the global and local levels that act as mediators in multi-stakeholder networks, ultimately fostering capacities to implement collective actions in city-branding practices

“N-alkyl diketopyrrolopyrrole-based fluorophores for luminescent solar concentrators: effect of the alkyl chain on dye efficiency”

We report on the preparation of luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin films doped with six new diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) fluorophores obtained in good yields by using simple N-alkylation and direct C-H arylation synthetic strategies. Spectroscopic investigations in solution and in PMMA thin films combined with photocurrent measurements revealed that the branched alkyl chains were efficient in preventing DPP segregation from the PMMA matrix thanks to their higher steric hindrance. The aromatic substituent was found to expand DPP conjugation but favoured DPP adverse aggregation, thus affecting fluorescence emission and photocurrents of PMMA films. The worthwhile combination of the appropriate alkyl chain and aromatic moieties assured to achieve optical efficiency of 6.8% that was comparable to that of PMMA LSCs of the state-of-the art (7.2%)

Anomalies in Dopamine Transporter Expression and Primary Cilium Distribution in the Dorsal Striatum of a Mouse Model of Niemann-Pick C1 Disease

The Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) is a rare genetic disease characterized by the accumulation of endocytosed cholesterol and other lipids in the endosome/lysosome compartments. In the brain, the accumulation/mislocalization of unesterified cholesterol, gangliosides and sphingolipids is responsible for the appearance of neuropathological hallmarks, and progressive neurological decline in patients. The imbalance of unesterified cholesterol and other lipids, including GM2 and GM3 gangliosides, alters a number of signaling mechanisms impacting on the overall homeostasis of neurons. In particular, lipid depletion experiments have shown that lipid rafts regulate the cell surface expression of dopamine transporter (DAT) and modulate its activity. Dysregulated dopamine transporter’s function results in imbalanced dopamine levels at synapses and severely affects dopamine-induced locomotor responses and dopamine receptor-mediated synaptic signaling. Recent studies begin to correlate dopaminergic stimulation with the length and function of the primary cilium, a non-motile organelle that coordinates numerous signaling pathways. In particular, the absence of dopaminergic D2 receptor stimulation induces the elongation of dorso-striatal neuron’s primary cilia. This study has used a mouse model of the NPC1 disease to correlate cholesterol dyshomeostasis with dorso-striatal anomalies in terms of DAT expression and primary cilium (PC) length and morphology. We found that juvenile Npc1nmf164 mice display a reduction of dorso-striatal DAT expression, with associated alterations of PC number, length-frequency distribution, and tortuosity

The emerging role of cancer nanotechnology in the panorama of sarcoma

In the field of nanomedicine a multitude of nanovectors have been developed for cancer application. In this regard, a less exploited target is represented by connective tissue. Sarcoma lesions encompass a wide range of rare entities of mesenchymal origin affecting connective tissues. The extraordinary diversity and rarity of these mesenchymal tumors is reflected in their classification, grading and management which are still challenging. Although they include more than 70 histologic subtypes, the first line-treatment for advanced and metastatic sarcoma has remained unchanged in the last fifty years, excluding specific histotypes in which targeted therapy has emerged. The role of chemotherapy has not been completely elucidated and the outcomes are still very limited. At the beginning of the century, nano-sized particles clinically approved for other solid lesions were tested in these neoplasms but the results were anecdotal and the clinical benefit was not substantial. Recently, a new nanosystem formulation NBTXR3 for the treatment of sarcoma has landed in a phase 2-3 trial. The preliminary results are encouraging and could open new avenues for research in nanotechnology. This review provides an update on the recent advancements in the field of nanomedicine for sarcoma. In this regard, preclinical evidence especially focusing on the development of smart materials and drug delivery systems will be summarized. Moreover, the sarcoma patient management exploiting nanotechnology products will be summed up. Finally, an overlook on future perspectives will be provided

Fabrication and Characterisation of 3D Diamond Pixel Detectors With Timing Capabilities

Diamond sensors provide a promising radiation hard solution to the challenges posed by the future experiments at hadron machines. A 3D geometry with thin columnar resistive electrodes orthogonal to the diamond surface, obtained by laser nanofabrication, is expected to provide significantly better time resolution with respect to the extensively studied planar diamond sensors. We report on the development, production, and characterisation of innovative 3D diamond sensors achieving 30% improvement in both space and time resolution with respect to sensors from the previous generation. This is the first complete characterisation of the time resolution of 3D diamond sensors and combines results from tests with laser, beta rays and high energy particle beams. Plans and strategies for further improvement in the fabrication technology and readout systems are also discussed

Qualitative assessment of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in differentiating clear cell renal cell carcinoma and oncocytoma

Background: We aimed to assess whether clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) can be differentiated from renal oncocytoma (RO) on a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Methods: Between January 2021 and October 2022, we retrospectively queried and analyzed our prospectively maintained dataset. Renal mass features were scrutinized with conventional ultrasound imaging (CUS) and CEUS. All lesions were confirmed by histopathologic diagnoses after nephron-sparing surgery (NSS). A multivariable analysis was performed to identify the potential predictors of ccRCC. The area under the curve (AUC) was depicted in order to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the multivariable model. Results: A total of 126 renal masses, including 103 (81.7%) ccRCC and 23 (18.3%) RO, matched our inclusion criteria. Among these two groups, we found significant differences in terms of enhancement (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous) (p < 0.001), wash-in (fast vs. synchronous/slow) (p = 0.004), wash-out (fast vs. synchronous/slow) (p = 0.001), and rim-like enhancement (p < 0.001). On the multivariate logistic regression, heterogeneous enhancement (OR: 19.37; p = <0.001) and rim-like enhancement (OR: 3.73; p = 0.049) were independent predictors of ccRCC. Finally, these two variables had an AUC of 82.5% and 75.3%, respectively. Conclusions: Diagnostic imaging for presurgical planning is crucial in the choice of either conservative or radical management. CEUS, with its unique features, revealed its usefulness in differentiating ccRCC from RO

Effectiveness of a New Active Tear Substitute Containing 0.2% Hyaluronic Acid and 0.001% Hydrocortisone on Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye Disease by Means of Low- and High-Tech Assessments

Introduction: An innovative eye drops formulation containing 0.2% hyaluronic acid and a low concentration of hydrocortisone (0.001%; hereafter HALH) has been recently placed on the market (Idroflog®, Alfa Intes, Italy) to manage the dysregulated parainflammation in patients with dry eye disease (DED). In the present paper, the effectiveness of HALH on the signs and symptoms of DED was retrospectively evaluated and compared with that one obtained using standard tear substitutes (STS) by means of low- and high-tech (Keratograph®) assessments. Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective study carried out between February and April 2023, involving adult patients with DED diagnosis owing to post-cataract surgery, meibomian gland dysfunction, allergy, or glaucoma medications. The primary aim was to compare the changes induced by different therapies on Keratograph® parameters (noninvasive Keratograph tear breakup time [NIKBUT], tear meniscus height [TMH], eyelid meibography, conjunctival hyperemia, and conjunctivochalasis) or collected by traditional low-tech measures (tear breakup time [TBUT], Schirmer test, Efron score, and epithelial alterations) and the Ocular Surface Disease Index score. Results: Data from 155 patients were analyzed. The effectiveness of HALH and STS was reported by both high- and low-tech measures. NIKBUT-first showed a significant improvement in the HALH group versus the STS one at 15 days (6.4 ± 3.6 vs 5.4 ± 3.7 s, p = 0.02), whereas this difference was latent with low-tech TBUT until 45 days (6.8 ± 2.6 vs 5.6 ± 2.3 s, p = 0.03). Patients with DED occurring after cataract surgery reported an enhanced activity of HALH versus STS, particularly for NIKBUT-first, TMH, Schirmer test, and hyperemia stage. Conclusion: These findings highlighted the effectiveness of HALH in all DED subtypes, especially in patients with post-cataract surgery, as well as its superiority versus STS in terms of tear film stability improvement. We recommend longer observation (i.e., 3-6 months) to fully ascertain whether the early improvement detected by high-tech measures will be confirmed in subsequent time points even using low-tech tests