Urban Form and Urban Security: Insights from a Southern Italian Neighbourhood

Contemporary cities are affected by several challenges. Rapid urbanisation processes combined with unstable economic conditions, uncontrolled physical development and social exclusion, political instability make difficult the understanding of “security and safety” dynamics, often interconnected with a combination of factors. A mix of social, economic and physical decay often contribute to create appealing conditions for criminal activities. This paper discusses how urban safety and security dynamics are related with urban planning and its implementation, by drawing insights from an urban area belonging to a Southern Italian city, Reggio Calabria. More in general, it will be emphasized the relationships between urban planning and related implementation and urban security in bligthed neighbourhoods. Evidences from the case study show that the status of decay of the urban environment, often consequence of implementation gaps inurban policies and lack of management capabilities, contribute to enhance the isolation from the rest of the city. The researchers conclude that integrated urban regeneration initiatives, aimed by nature at improving both people and places, might improve urban safety conditions in thiskind of neighborhoods.The case study has been developed within a wider research project granted under the 7th European Research Framework

Alternative sigma factor σH activates competence gene expression in Lactobacillus sakei

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alternative sigma factors trigger various adaptive responses. <it>Lactobacillus sakei</it>, a non-sporulating meat-borne bacterium, carries an alternative sigma factor seemingly orthologous to σ^Hof <it>Bacillus subtilis</it>, best known for its contribution to the initiation of a large starvation response ultimately leading to sporulation. As the role of σ^H-like factors has been little studied in non-sporulating bacteria, we investigated the function of σ^Hin <it>L. sakei</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Transcription of <it>sigH </it>coding for σ^Hwas hardly affected by entry into stationary phase in our laboratory conditions. Twenty-five genes potentially regulated by σ^Hin <it>L. sakei </it>23 K were revealed by genome-wide transcriptomic profiling of <it>sigH </it>overexpression and/or quantitative PCR analysis. More than half of them are involved in the synthesis of a DNA uptake machinery linked to genetic competence, and in DNA metabolism; however, σ^Hoverproduction did not allow detectable genetic transformation. σ^Hwas found to be conserved in the <it>L. sakei </it>species.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results are indicative of the existence of a genetic competence state activated by σ^Hin <it>L. sakei</it>, and sustain the hypothesis that σ^H-like factors in non sporulating Firmicutes share this common function with the well-known ComX of naturally transformable streptococci.</p

La territorializzazione della spesa nella programmazione 2007-2013. Gli obiettivi di servizio come possibili catalizzatori di “sviluppo territorializzato”?

Il paper tratta l’argomento degli obiettivi di servizio nella programmazione unitaria, ovvero di uno strumento finanziario premiale promosso dal Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico allo scopo di incentivare la concentrazione delle risorse programmate dalle regioni per il periodo 2007-2013 su quattro ambiti relativi a servizi ritenuti “essenziali”. Il paper si divide in due parti. Nella prima parte si illustra il quadro di riferimento normativo per gli obiettivi di servizio, la genesi, il ruolo che assolvono nella nuova programmazione, le risorse in gioco e il meccanismo per l’attribuzione delle risorse premiali in relazione al raggiungimento dei target prefissati. Nella seconda parte gli obiettivi di servizio vengono collocati nella più ampia cornice degli strumenti per l’attuazione delle politiche pubbliche di sviluppo del territorio, ricercandone il nesso con le strategie di assetto territoriale delle regioni in termini reali e potenziali

Relation of project managers' personality and project performance: an approach based on value stream mapping

Purpose: This work investigates the influence of project managers’ personality on the success of a project in a Multinational Corporation. The methodology proposed for analyzing the project managers’ personality is based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Design/methodology/approach: Forty projects carried out in 2012 by multinational corporation, concerning new product development (NPD), have been analyzed, comparing the profile of project managers with results obtained in terms of traditional performance indexes (time delay and over-budget of projects) and performance indexes usually used in “Lean Production” sector (waste time and type of “wastes”). A detailed analysis of the most important “wastes” during the project development is carried out using the Value Stream Mapping (VSM) technique. Findings and Originality/value: Relying on the Myers–Briggs personality instrument, results show that extroverted managers (as opposed to introverted managers) carry out projects that show lower delay and lower waste time. Introverted managers often make “Over-processing” and “Defect” types of waste. Moreover, lower delay and over-budget have been shown by perceiving managers. Research limitations: Regarding the limitations of this work it is necessary to highlight that we collected data from project managers in a retrospective way. While we believe that several aspects of our data collection effort helped enhance the accuracy of the results, future research could conduct real-time case study research to get more detailed insights into the proposed relationships and avoid retrospective bias. Moreover we focused on a single respondent, the project manager. This helped us ensure that their interpretations played an important role in product development. But, we cannot examined the opinion of team members that could be different from project managers opinion regarding some questions. Originality/value: This research provides insight useful to develop proactive approaches to prevent project failures, including the creation of more effective messages and methods to help companies to make the best choices during managers´ hiring. Moreover this research would allow organizations to better match the short-term organizational needs with appropriate personality types.Peer Reviewe

Membrane-seeded autologous chondrocytes: cell viability and characterization at surgery

The implantation of chondrocytes, seeded on matrices such as hyaluronic acid or collagen membranes, is a method that is being widely used for the treatment of chondral defects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the distribution, viability and phenotype expression of the cells seeded on a collagen membrane just at the time of the implantation. Twelve patients who were suffering from articular cartilage lesions were treated by the MACI(®) procedure. The residual part of each membrane was tested by colorimetric assay (MTT) and histochemical and ultrastructural analyses were carried out. In all of the samples a large number of viable cells, quite homogenously distributed, was detected. The cells expressed the markers of the differentiated hyaline chondrocytes. These data reassure in that the MACI procedure provides a suitable engineered tissue for cartilage repair, in line with the clinical evidences emerging in the literature

Comparison of five different RNA sources to examine the lactating bovine mammary gland transcriptome using RNA-Sequencing.

The objective of this study was to examine five different sources of RNA, namely mammary gland tissue (MGT), milk somatic cells (SC), laser microdissected mammary epithelial cells (LCMEC), milk fat globules (MFG) and antibody-captured milk mammary epithelial cells (mMEC) to analyze the bovine mammary gland transcriptome using RNA-Sequencing. Our results provide a comparison between different sampling methods (invasive and non-invasive) to define the transcriptome of mammary gland tissue and milk cells. This information will be of value to investigators in choosing the most appropriate sampling method for different research applications to study specific physiological states during lactation. One of the simplest procedures to study the transcriptome associated with milk appears to be the isolation of total RNA directly from SC or MFG released into milk during lactation. Our results indicate that the SC and MFG transcriptome are representative of MGT and LCMEC and can be used as effective and alternative samples to study mammary gland expression without the need to perform a tissue biopsy

Modelling of Thermal Hyperemia in the Skin of Type 2 Diabetic Patients

The microcirculatory response to thermal stimulation involves both an axon reflex and NO-mediated activation. The analysis of the microcirculatory flow following thermal stimulation may therefore enhance the detection of any impairment of the small unmyelinated fibres that are involved in the axon reflex. The aim of this work is to establish a method of non-invasive measurement of small fibre impairment. The microcirculatory flow in response to local heating is measured by using a laser Doppler instrument, and mathematically modelled to extract a set of quantitative parameters. The results confirm that there is a significant difference in the parameters modelling the axon reflex between diabetic and control subjects, while no significant difference is found in the parameters modelling the NO-mediated activation

The 3' untranslated region of human Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 5 Regulatory subunit 1 contains regulatory elements affecting transcript stability

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>CDK5R1 </it>plays a central role in neuronal migration and differentiation during central nervous system development. <it>CDK5R1 </it>has been implicated in neurodegenerative disorders and proposed as a candidate gene for mental retardation. The remarkable size of <it>CDK5R1 </it>3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) suggests a role in post-transcriptional regulation of <it>CDK5R1 </it>expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The bioinformatic study shows a high conservation degree in mammals and predicts several AU-Rich Elements (AREs). The insertion of <it>CDK5R1 </it>3'-UTR into luciferase 3'-UTR causes a decreased luciferase activity in four transfected cell lines. We identified 3'-UTR subregions which tend to reduce the reporter gene expression, sometimes in a cell line-dependent manner. In most cases the quantitative analysis of luciferase mRNA suggests that CDK5R1 3'-UTR affects mRNA stability. A region, leading to a very strong mRNA destabilization, showed a significantly low half-life, indicating an accelerated mRNA degradation. The 3' end of the transcript, containing a class I ARE, specifically displays a stabilizing effect in neuroblastoma cell lines. We also observed the interaction of the stabilizing neuronal RNA-binding proteins ELAV with the CDK5R1 transcript in SH-SY5Y cells and identified three 3'-UTR sub-regions showing affinity for ELAV proteins.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our findings evince the presence of both destabilizing and stabilizing regulatory elements in <it>CDK5R1 </it>3'-UTR and support the hypothesis that <it>CDK5R1 </it>gene expression is post-transcriptionally controlled in neurons by ELAV-mediated mechanisms. This is the first evidence of the involvement of 3'-UTR in the modulation of <it>CDK5R1 </it>expression. The fine tuning of <it>CDK5R1 </it>expression by 3'-UTR may have a role in central nervous system development and functioning, with potential implications in neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders.</p

Progesterone differentially affects the transcriptomic profiles of cow endometrial cell types

Background The endometrium is a heterogeneous tissue composed of luminal epithelial (LE), glandular epithelial (GE), and stromal cells (ST), experiencing progesterone regulated dynamic changes during the estrous cycle. In the cow, this regulation at the transcriptomic level was only evaluated in the whole tissue. This study describes specific gene expression in the three types of cells isolated from endometrial biopsies following laser capture microdissection and the transcriptome changes induced by progesterone in GE and ST cells. Results Endometrial LE, GE, and ST cells show specific transcriptomic profiles. Most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to progesterone are cell type-specific (96%). Genes involved in cell cycle and nuclear division are under-expressed in the presence of progesterone in GE, highlighting the anti-proliferative action of progesterone in epithelial cells. Elevated progesterone concentrations are also associated with the under-expression of estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) in GE and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) in GE and ST cells. In ST cells, transcription factors such as SOX17 and FOXA2, known to regulate uterine epithelial-stromal cross-talk conveying to endometrial receptivity, are over-expressed under progesterone influence. Conclusions The results from this study show that progesterone regulates endometrial function in a cell type-specific way, which is independent of the expression of its main receptor PGR. These novel insights into uterine physiology present the cell compartment as the physiological unit rather than the whole tissue