gamete quality in a multistressor environment

Over the past few decades, accumulated evidence confirms that the global environment conditions are changing rapidly. Urban industrialization, agriculture and globalization have generated water, air and soil pollution, giving rise to an environment with a growing number of stress factors, which has a serious impact on the fitness, reproduction and survival of living organisms. The issue raises considerable concern on biodiversity conservation, which is now at risk: it is estimated that a number of species will be extinct in the near future. Sexual reproduction is the process that allows the formation of a new individual and is underpinned by gamete quality defined as the ability of spermatozoa and oocytes to interact during fertilization leading to the creation and development of a normal embryo.This review aimed to provide the current state of knowledge regarding the impact of a broad spectrum of environmental stressors on diverse parameters used to estimate and evaluate gamete quality in humans and in canonical animal models used for experimental research.Effects of metals, biocides, herbicides, nanoparticles, plastics, temperature rise, ocean acidification, air pollution and lifestyle on the physiological parameters that underlie gamete fertilization competence are described supporting the concept that environmental stressors represent a serious hazard to gamete quality with reproductive disorders and living organism failure. Although clear evidence is still limited, gamete capacity to maintain and/or recover physiological conditions is recently demonstrated providing further clues about the plasticity of organisms and their tolerance to the pressures of pollution that may facilitate the reproduction and the persistence of species within the scenario of global change.Changes in the global environment must be urgently placed at the forefront of public attention, with a massive effort invested in further studies aimed towards implementing current knowledge and identifying new methodologies and markers to predict impairment of gamete quality. Keywords: Gamete quality, Environmental stress, Fertilization, Xenobiotic, Climate change, Life styl

Innovative techniques integrating advanced and biocomposite materials for energy and seismic retrofitting of built heritage

Cultural heritage is recognized as a driver of the sustainable development. The UNESCO’s 1972 World Heritage Convention has addressed key topics that link heritage practices to sustainability objectives. Historic buildings make up a considerable part of EU building stock, and their renovation and safeguarding require retrofit solutions that balance safety, energy efficiency, human comfort, heritage value preservation and environmental sustainability. This article tries to throw light on innovative techniques for heritage restoration based on sustainability, reuse, and recycle principles through non-invasive interventions. The work outlines the progress in the field of advanced materials obtained through the reuse of recycled materials, showing outcomes from MIRACLE research carried out by University of Florence on the development of an innovative fiber-reinforced bio-composite matrix to be applied for energy plus seismic retrofitting of existing masonry buildings built before 1945

Doubly multiplicative error models with long- and short-run components

We suggest the Doubly Multiplicative Error class of models (DMEM) for modeling and forecasting realized volatility, which combines two components accommodating long-run, respectively, short-run features in the data. Three such models are considered, the SPLINE-MEM which fits a spline to the slow-moving pattern of volatility, the Component-MEM which uses daily data for both components, and the MEM-MIDAS which exploits the logic of MIxed-DAta Sampling (MIDAS) methods. The parameters are estimated by the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM), for which we establish the theoretical properties and the equivalence with the Quasi Maximum Likelihood (QML) estimator under a Gamma assumption. The empirical application involves the S&P 500, NASDAQ, FTSE 100, DAX, Nikkei and Hang Seng indices: irrespective of the market, the DMEM’s generally outperform the HAR and other relevant GARCH-type models

Conservative Surgery in Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the sixth most common female cancer worldwide. The median age of diagnosis is 65 years. However, 4% of women diagnosed with EC are younger than 40 years old, and 70% of these women are nulliparous. These data highlight the importance of preserving fertility in these patients, at a time when the average age of the first pregnancy is significantly delayed and is now firmly established at over 30 years of age. National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN guidelines state that the primary treatment of endometrial endometrioid carcinoma, limited to the uterus, is a total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and surgical staging. Fertility-sparing treatment is not the standard of care, and patients eligible for this treatment always have to undergo strict counselling. Nowadays, a combined approach consisting of hysteroscopic resection, followed by oral or intrauterine-released progestins, has been reported to be an effective fertility-sparing option. Hysteroscopic resection followed by progestins achieved a complete response rate of 95.3% with a recurrence rate of 14.1%. The pregnancy rate in women undergoing fertility-sparing treatment is 47.8%, but rises to 93.3% when only considering women who tried to conceive during the study period. The aim of the present review is to provide a literature overview reflecting the current state of fertility-sparing options for the management of EC, specific criteria for considering such options, their limits, the implications for reproductive outcomes and the latest research trends in this direction

Impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination: a retrospective study of hospitalization for pneumonia in North-East Italy

Introduction. Pneumonia remains a common reason for hospitalizing infants and the elderly worldwide, and streptococcal infection is often responsible. The aim of this study was to assess the burden of pneumonia in a large general population. Methods. All pneumonia-related hospitalizations from 2004 to 2013 in north-east Italy were identified from the hospital records with a first-listed diagnosis on discharge of bacterial pneumonia, or a first-listed diagnosis on discharge of meningitis, septicemia or empyema associated with a secondary diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia. We identified major comorbidities, calculated agespecific case-fatality rates (CFR), and estimated the related cost to the health care system. Results. Of the 125,722 hospitalizations identified, 96.9% were cases of pneumonia, 2.4% of septicemia, 0.4% of meningitis, and 0.3% of empyema; 75.3% of hospitalizations involved 65 65-yearolds. The overall CFR was 12.4%, and it increased with age, peaking in people over 80 (19.6%). The mean annual pneumonia-associated hospitalization rate was 204.6 per 100,000 population, and it peaked in 0- to 4-year-old children (325.6 per 100,000 in males, 288.9 per 100,000 in females), and adults over 65 (844.9 per 100,000 in males, 605.7 per 100,000 in females). Hospitalization rates dropped over the years for the 0-4 year-olds, and rose for people over 80. The estimated overall annual cost of these pneumonia-related hospitalizations was approximately \u20ac 41 million. Conclusions. This study shows that the burden on resources for pneumonia-related hospitalization is an important public health issue. Prevention remains the most valuable tool for containing pneumonia, and vaccination strategies can help in the primary prevention of infection, possibly reducing the number of cases in all age groups

D-aspartic acid in vertebrate reproduction: Animal models and experimental designs

This article reviews the animal models and experimental designs that have been used during the past twenty years to demonstrate the prominent role played by d-aspartate (d-Asp) in the reproduction of vertebrates, from amphibians to humans. We have tabulated the findings of in vivo and in vitro experiments that demonstrate the effects of d-Asp uptake on hormone production and gametogenesis in vertebrate animal models. The contribution of each animal model to the existing knowledge on the role of d-Asp in reproductive processes has been discussed. A critical analysis of experimental designs has also been carried out. Experiments performed on wild animal species suggest a role of d-Asp in the mechanisms that regulate the reproductive cycle. Several in vivo and in vitro studies carried out on mouse and rat models have facilitated an understanding of the molecular pathways activated by D-Asp in both steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, with particular emphasis on testosterone biosynthesis. Some attempts using d-Asp for the improvement of reproductive activity in animals of commercial interest have yielded mixed results. The increased transcriptome activity of enzymes and receptors involved in the reproductive activity in d-Asp-treated broiler roosters revealed further details on the mechanism of action of d-Asp on the reproductive processes. The close relationship between d-Asp and reproductive activity has emerged, particularly in relation to its effects exerted on semen quality, proposing therapeutic applications of this amino acid in andrology and in medically-assisted procreation techniques.This article reviews the animal models and experimental designs that have been used during the past twenty years to demonstrate the prominent role played by D-aspartate (D-Asp) in the reproduction of vertebrates, from amphibians to humans. We have tabulated the findings of in vivo and in vitro experiments that demonstrate the effects of D-Asp uptake on hormone production and gametogenesis in vertebrate animal models. The contribution of each animal model to the existing knowledge on the role of D-Asp in reproductive processes has been discussed. A critical analysis of experimental designs has also been carried out. Experiments performed on wild animal species suggest a role of D-Asp in the mechanisms that regulate the reproductive cycle. Several in vivo and in vitro studies carried out on mouse and rat models have facilitated an understanding of the molecular pathways activated by D-Asp in both steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, with particular emphasis on testosterone biosynthesis. Some attempts using D-Asp for the improvement of reproductive activity in animals of commercial interest have yielded mixed results. The increased transcriptome activity of enzymes and receptors involved in the reproductive activity in D-Asptreated broiler roosters revealed further details on the mechanism of action of D-Asp on the reproductive processes. The close relationship between D-Asp and reproductive activity has emerged, particularly in relation to its effects exerted on semen quality, proposing therapeutic applications of this amino acid in andrology and in medically-assisted procreation techniques

A GESTÃO DO RISCO CAMBIAL CORPORATIVO POR MEIO DE DERIVATIVOS NA PRODUÇÃO CIENTÍFICA BRASILEIRA: ANÁLISE BIBLIOMÉTRICA ENTRE 1999 E 2013 / The foreign exchange corporate risk management through derivatives in brazilian academic articles: bibliometric stud

Boa parte das empresas não financeiras é desafiada a gerir seu risco cambial, visto que a utilização adequada de derivativos financeiros constaria entre as estratégias mais eficientes para a eliminação ou a minimização desse risco. Longe do trivial, a administração de riscos de mercado requer a definição de políticas internas, disciplina, conhecimento técnico, avaliação de impactos contábeis e tributários, entre outros. Abordada internacionalmente em publicações científicas, a utilização de derivativos financeiros para a gestão do risco cambial corporativo desperta interesse de administradores financeiros e stakeholders. Assim, surge a questão de se no Brasil as publicações científicas têm abordado a gestão do risco cambial corporativo por meio de derivativos. O presente estudo bibliométrico identificou e analisou 44 pesquisas brasileiras publicadas entre 1999 e 2013 em periódicos classificados pelo sistema Web Qualis da Capes nos estratos A1, A2, B1 e B2, nas áreas de Administração e Ciências Contábeis; bem como estudos apresentados nos Congressos Enanpad e na Sociedade Brasileira de Finanças, que têm como variáveis “hedge”, “derivativos”, “gestão de risco cambial corporativo” e “contabilização de instrumentos financeiros”. A seguir, foram destacados aqueles que ofereceriam maior potencial de contribuição ao processo de gerenciamento do risco cambial corporativo. Palavras-chave: Hedge. Risco cambial. Derivativos. Publicações