Dallo spazio vissuto allo spazio del foglio: l’attività motoria come compensatore dei DSA

The handwriting is a complex ability resulting from a series of motor pathways to link letters and arrange the words (on the same line) following specific rules. This specific ability required an high level of motor control and a fine modulation of muscles strenght: low level of general coordination and accuracy in motor control negatively affect the writing outcomes. Thus, the dysgraphia is recognised as typical motor impairment.In the present study, analysed the graphic deficit as a spatio-temporal process within a specific and closed area using the total-body experience.Some student with an official LSD diagnosis were involved in a specific gym protocol to improve the body/motor schemas, the perception of spatio-temporal coordinates and the eyeshand coordination. Indeed, the general purpose was to monitor a potential transfer between the total body spatial experience on the hand outcomes.The improvements in the handwriting outcomes revealed with an evidence practice approach a real possibility to overcompensate the dysgraphia in gym context.La scrittura a mano è un’abilità che richiede una serie di competenze motorie finalizzate a collegare e collocare nello spazio grafico le lettere secondo specifiche convenzioni. Richiedendo un elevato livello di coordinazione e una regolazione della contrazione muscolare ad alta precisione è conseguente la riflessione che una povera coordinazione generale e un scarsolivello di controllo motorio ne influenzi la sua corretta espressione.Da qui si identifica la disgrafia come un disturbo specifico di apprendimento legato ad un deficit di natura esclusivamente motoria.Il nostro studio si pone lo scopo di affrontare il problema grafico come una dinamica spaziotemporale all’interno di uno spazio geometrico ben definito attraverso l’esperienza di tutto il corpo. Sottoponendo ad alunni disgrafici un percorso motorio di 12 lezioni incentrato sulla presa di coscienza del proprio schema corporeo/motorio, sul miglioramento della coordinazioneoculo-manuale e spazio-temporale si è potuto verificare la possibilità di ottenere un transfer tra lo spazio vissuto e lo spazio del foglio. L’evidente miglioramento della produzione grafica dopo un percorso motorio realizzato ‘total-body’ in palestra sono indicativi di una possibilita’ da perseguire precocemente

Fabrication and transport of large-scale molecular tunnel-junction arrays

We demonstrate a method for the simultaneous fabrication (without the need of expensive e-beam systems) of large arrays of nanodevices working at room temperature. The electrode gap is defined by a selective wet-etching of a AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well structure and controlled with nanometer precision. A selective oxidation of the Al rich barrier reduces the bulk leakage current by six orders of magnitude and extends the applicability of the produced devices to room temperature functionality. As a demonstration, we employ here these nanojunctions to investigate transport in molecular tunnel-junctions based on individual Azurins, a blue copper protein, under ambient conditions. This approach opens the way to the fabrication of complex circuits consisting of different nanodevices

Pulse-Atomic Force Lithography: A Powerful Nanofabrication Technique to Fabricate Constant and Varying-Depth Nanostructures

The widespread use of nanotechnology in different application fields, resulting in the integration of nanostructures in a plethora of devices, has addressed the research toward novel and easy-to-setup nanofabrication techniques to realize nanostructures with high spatial resolution and reproducibility. Owing to countless applications in molecular electronics, data storage, nanoelectromechanical, and systems for the Internet of Things, in recent decades, the scientific community has focused on developing methods suitable for nanopattern polymers. To this purpose, Atomic Force Microscopy-based nanolithographic techniques are effective methods that are relatively less complex and inexpensive than equally resolute and accurate techniques, such as Electron Beam lithography and Focused Ion Beam lithography. In this work, we propose an evolution of nanoindentation, named Pulse-Atomic Force Microscopy, to obtain continuous structures with a controlled depth profile, either constant or variable, on a polymer layer. Due to the modulation of the characteristics of voltage pulses fed to the AFM piezo-scanner and distance between nanoindentations, it was possible to indent sample surface with high spatial control and fabricate highly resolved 2.5D nanogrooves. That is the real strength of the proposed technique, as no other technique can achieve similar results in tailor-made graded nanogrooves without the need for additional manufacturing steps

A nanobiosensor to detect single hybridization events

An economical nanoarray method to electrically detect hybridization events is demonstrated. As a proof of concept, we fabricated a sensor for DNA sequencing, in which targets are oligonucleotides conjugated to gold nanoparticles. As a consequence of target–probe binding events, a conductive bridge forms between two electrodes, resulting in a quantized change in conductivity. This enables a robust detection of a few (down to single) hybridization events and can be potentially applied also to other binding events (like specific interactions between proteins, antibodies, ligands and receptors). Moreover, target amplification techniques (such as PCR) are no longer necessary

Pile-Ups Formation in AFM-Based Nanolithography: Morpho-Mechanical Characterization and Removal Strategies

In recent decades, great efforts have been made to develop innovative, effective, and accurate nanofabrication techniques stimulated by the growing demand for nanostructures. Nowadays, mechanical tip-based emerged as the most promising nanolithography technique, allowing the pattern of nanostructures with a sub-nanometer resolution, high reproducibility, and accuracy. Unfortunately, these nanostructures result in contoured pile-ups that could limit their use and future integration into high-tech devices. The removal of pile-ups is still an open challenge. In this perspective, two different AFM-based approaches, i.e., Force Modulation Mode imaging and force-distance curve analysis, were used to characterize the structure of pile-ups at the edges of nanogrooves patterned on PMMA substrate by means of Pulse-Atomic Force Lithography. Our experimental results showed that the material in pile-ups was less stiff than the pristine polymer. Based on this evidence, we have developed an effective strategy to easily remove pile-ups, preserving the shape and the morphology of nanostructures

Confined Optical Phonon Modes in Aligned Nanorod Arrays Detected by Resonant Inelastic Light Scattering

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A diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (SLC26A2) mutant mouse: morphological and biochemical characterization of the resulting chondrodysplasia phenotype

Mutations in the diastrophic dysplasia sulfate transporter (DTDST or SLC26A2) cause a family of recessively inherited chondrodysplasias including, in order of decreasing severity, achondrogenesis 1B, atelosteogenesis 2, diastrophic dysplasia (DTD) and recessive multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. The gene encodes a widely distributed sulfate/chloride antiporter of the cell membrane whose function is crucial for the uptake of inorganic sulfate, which is needed for proteoglycan sulfation. To provide new insights in the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to skeletal and connective tissue dysplasia and to obtain an in vivo model for therapeutic approaches to DTD, we generated a Dtdst knock-in mouse with a partial loss of function of the sulfate transporter. In addition, the intronic neomycine cassette in the mutant allele contributed to the hypomorphic phenotype by inducing abnormal splicing. Homozygous mutant mice were characterized by growth retardation, skeletal dysplasia and joint contractures, thereby recapitulating essential aspects of the DTD phenotype in man. The skeletal phenotype included reduced toluidine blue staining of cartilage, chondrocytes of irregular size, delay in the formation of the secondary ossification center and osteoporosis of long bones. Impaired sulfate uptake was demonstrated in chondrocytes, osteoblasts and fibroblasts. In spite of the generalized nature of the sulfate uptake defect, significant proteoglycan undersulfation was detected only in cartilage. Chondrocyte proliferation and apoptosis studies suggested that reduced proliferation and/or lack of terminal chondrocyte differentiation might contribute to reduced bone growth. The similarity with human DTD makes this mouse strain a useful model to explore pathogenetic and therapeutic aspects of DTDST-related disorder

Nano-scaled Biomolecular Field-Effect Transistors: Prototypes and Evaluations

As modern electronics rapidly approach the ultimate level of integration (typically thought to be at the nanoscale level), the fascinating world of biomolecules provides new opportunities and directions for further miniaturization. In this work we review our results in the field of biomolecular electronics, starting from the fabrication of nanojunctions up to the implementation of hybrid devices

Epi-Regulation of Cell Death in Cancer

How do organisms regulate the correct balance between the production of “new” cells and the elimination of the “old” ones, remains an important biology issue under investigation. Cell(s) death represents a fundamental process involved in organism development and cell homeostasis, whose alteration is considered one hallmark of cancer and lead to drug resistance and consequently treatment failure. The recent re-classification of cell death has identified new molecular programs in which several proteins have a pivotal role. Several studies have highlighted a direct link between epigenetic modifications and cell death mechanisms. Different epi-modifications have been described, capable of regulating diverse key players implicated in cell death, leading to uncontrolled proliferation of cancer cells. Scientific efforts are focused on the understanding the epigenetic regulation of cell death mechanisms by developing tools and/or new epi-molecules able to overcome cell death resistance. The development of new epi-molecular tools can overcome cell death deregulation thus potentially improving the sensitivity to the anti-tumor therapies. This chapter focuses on the main epigenetic deregulations in cell death mechanisms in cancer