Promozione del sistema dei poli di innovazione nello spazio web: analisi dei contenuti e delle reti di relazioni virtuali

Nel progetto di analisi e modellizzazione del sistema regionale dei poli di innovazione in Toscana (www.poliinnovazione.unimore.it), abbiamo esaminato in modo sistematico le informazioni disponibili nei siti web dei poli con due obiettivi: (i) analizzare la varietà di linguaggio e di contenuti che caratterizzano i poli nella loro attività on line; (ii) verificare in che misura i poli facciano riferimento agli stessi enti, imprese, organizzazioni, progetti e, tra questi, alle organizzazioni/o attività direttamente collegate al polo (come ad esempio i soggetti gestori dei poli laboratori, gli incubatori, gli aderenti). Questo articolo presenta nella prima parte l'analisi linguistica dei siti web prodotti dai poli di innovazione ed ha lo scopo di fornire un insieme di variabili per la valutazione delle loro strategie di promozione. Il metro di valutazione principale è l'individuazione della fonte dei materiali pubblicati online dai singoli poli (materiali originali vs. materiali prodotti da terzi), che è stato usato come indicatore del livello di partecipazione di ogni singolo polo nelle strategie di promozione delle proprie attività. Si è quindi cercato di quantificare il livello di coinvolgimento che ogni polo ha espresso – nel proprio sito web – attraverso la pubblicazione di testi. L'analisi è stata condotta utilizzando la metodologia di linguistica dei corpora al fine di svolgere un'indagine sia quantitativa sia qualitativa (simile alla metodologia nota come CADS), ed è stata effettuata prendendo in esame 24 termini relativi ai concetti di innovazione e sviluppo, all'interno dei contenuti web pubblicati dai poli di innovazione (azienda, aziende, centri, collaborazione, conoscenze, finanziamenti, gestione, gestore, impresa, imprese, industriale, innovazione, poli, polo, processi, progetti, progetto, ricerca, servizi, servizio, sviluppo, tecnologia, tecnologie, territorio). Attraverso la valutazione dell'utilizzo dei 24 termini all'interno dei testi web, l'analisi ha evidenziato come le nozioni di innovazione e sviluppo vengano costruite dai singoli poli in termini sia di significato, sia di connotazione. Oltre all'analisi linguistica, l'analisi dei testi web ha consentito anche di individuare in maniera puntuale i domini principali e i link completi citati nei siti web dei poli. Adottando una prospettiva di analisi delle reti di relazioni, con queste informazioni sulle reti virtuali abbiamo analizzato due questioni rilevanti per la modellizzazione del sistema dei poli di innovazione: attraverso le citazioni dei domini principali mettiamo in evidenza in che misura i siti web i poli hanno comunicato le connessioni tra di loro e con i soggetti attivi nel trasferimento tecnologico; attraverso l'analisi dei link completi presenti nei siti web dei singoli poli possiamo individuare in che misura i poli fanno riferimento allo stesso spazio di informazioni. La presentazione è strutturata come segue: nella sezione 1 vengono presentati i dati, gli strumenti e la metodologia utilizzata nell'analisi linguistica; nella sezione 2 viene presentata l'analisi linguistica dei 24 termini selezionati ; nella sezione 3 sono analizzate le reti di relazioni virtuali, la sezione 4 conclude. L'appendice 1 presenta i dettagli tecnici sulla raccolta e successiva pulizia dei dati; l'appendice 2 contiene la lista dei principali link completi presenti all'interno dei siti dei poli presi in esame

NSHT: New Smart Hybrid Transducer for Structural and Geotechnical Applications

This work describes the application of a new transducer prototype for continuous monitoring in both the structural and geotechnical fields. The transducer is synthetically constituted by a wire of optical fiber embedded between two fiber tapes (fiberglass or carbon fiber) and glued by a matrix of polyester resin. The fiber optical wire ends have been connected to a control unit whose detection system is based on Brillouin optical time-domain frequency analysis. Three laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the sensor's reliability and accuracy. In each experiment, the transducer was applied to a sample of inclinometer casing sets in different configurations and with different constraint conditions. The experimental collected data were compared with theoretical models and with data obtained from the use of different measuring instruments to perform validation and calibration of the transducer at the same time. Several diagrams can compare the transducer and highlight its suitability for the monitoring and maintenance of structures. The characteristic of the transducer suggests its use as a mixed system for reinforcing and monitoring, especially in the lifetime maintenance of critical infrastructures such as transportation and service networks, and historical heritag

Dualsteric activation of M2 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors inhibits cell proliferation in human glioblastoma cell lines

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are expressed in several primary and metastatic tumours. ACh synthesized by the tumour cells can modulate cell proliferation by an autocrine mechanism which involves cholinergic receptors. Although a direct or indirect role of transduction pathways activated by cholinergic receptors has not yet been demonstrated, the inhibition of ACh synthesis as well as the release or use of cholinergic antagonists are able to counteract tumour cell growth and slow down the tumour progression in small cell lung carcinoma [1]. In mammary adenocarcinoma and melanoma cell lines, mAChRs can also modulate cell migration and angiogenesis, suggesting their involvement in the metastases formation [2]. The characterization of mAChR effects on more aggressive brain tumours is still poorly investigated. Glioblastomas are the most common brain tumours in humans. Recently, Tata et al. demonstrated that M2 receptor activation inhibits glioma cell growth and survival, suggesting that this receptor subtype may represent a new putative target for glioblastoma therapy [3,4]. Therefore, the identification of more selective ligands for M2 mAChRs may be of clinical significance. Here we report the results on the effects of the muscarinic orthosteric superagonist Iperoxo [5] and its related dualsteric agonists P-6-Iper and N-8-Iper [6]. Our data demonstrate that cell proliferation as well as cell survival of the U251 and U87 stable cell lines were unaffected by treatment with Iperoxo and P-6-Iper. Conversely, N-8-Iper decreased cell proliferation in a time and dose dependent manner. Similarly, N-8-Iper (100 uM) was also able to counteract cell proliferation in glioblastoma cancer stem cells (GB7) obtained from human biopsy. The antiproliferative effect shown by N-8-Iper was significantly counteracted by the selective M2 antagonist methoctramine (10^-7 M), suggesting an actual contribution of the M2 selective activation. References: 1) Song P, Sekhon HS, Jia Y, Keller JA, Blusztajn JK, Mark GP, Spindel ER. Cancer Res. 2003, 63(1), 214-221 2) Boss A, Oppitz M, Lippert G, Drews U. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2005, 30(5), 557-564 3) Ferretti M, Fabbiano C, Di Bari M, Ponti D, Calogero A, Tata AM. Life Sci. 2012, 91(21-22), 1134-1137 4) Ferretti M, Fabbiano C, Di Bari M, Conte C, Castigli E, Sciaccaluga M, Ponti D, Ruggieri P, Raco A, Ricordy R, Calogero A, Tata AM. J Cell Mol Med. 2013, 17(4), 552-566 5) Schrage R, Seemann WK, Kl\uf6ckner J, Dallanoce C, Rack\ue9 K, Kostenis E, De Amici M, Holzgrabe U, Mohr K. Br J Pharmacol. 2013, 169(2), 357-370 6) Matera C, Flammini L, Quadri M, Vivo V, Ballabeni V, Holzgrabe U, Mohr K, De Amici M, Barocelli E, Bertoni S, Dallanoce C. Eur J Med Chem. 2014, 75, 222-23

Identification of Novel Pax8 Targets in FRTL-5 Thyroid Cells by Gene Silencing and Expression Microarray Analysis

The differentiation program of thyroid follicular cells (TFCs), by far the most abundant cell population of the thyroid gland, relies on the interplay between sequence-specific transcription factors and transcriptional coregulators with the basal transcriptional machinery of the cell. However, the molecular mechanisms leading to the fully differentiated thyrocyte are still the object of intense study. The transcription factor Pax8, a member of the Paired-box gene family, has been demonstrated to be a critical regulator required for proper development and differentiation of thyroid follicular cells. Despite being Pax8 well-characterized with respect to its role in regulating genes involved in thyroid differentiation, genomics approaches aiming at the identification of additional Pax8 targets are lacking and the biological pathways controlled by this transcription factor are largely unknown.To identify unique downstream targets of Pax8, we investigated the genome-wide effect of Pax8 silencing comparing the transcriptome of silenced versus normal differentiated FRTL-5 thyroid cells. In total, 2815 genes were found modulated 72 h after Pax8 RNAi, induced or repressed. Genes previously reported to be regulated by Pax8 in FRTL-5 cells were confirmed. In addition, novel targets genes involved in functional processes such as DNA replication, anion transport, kinase activity, apoptosis and cellular processes were newly identified. Transcriptome analysis highlighted that Pax8 is a key molecule for thyroid morphogenesis and differentiation.This is the first large-scale study aimed at the identification of new genes regulated by Pax8, a master regulator of thyroid development and differentiation. The biological pathways and target genes controlled by Pax8 will have considerable importance to understand thyroid disease progression as well as to set up novel therapeutic strategies

Lymphomononuclear cells from multiple sclerosis patients spontaneously produce high levels of oncostatin M, tumor necrosis factors a

Proinflammatory cytokines are deemed to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). They provide signals for T-cell activatio

The coming of the Greeks to Provence and Corsica: Y-chromosome models of archaic Greek colonization of the western Mediterranean

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The process of Greek colonization of the central and western Mediterranean during the Archaic and Classical Eras has been understudied from the perspective of population genetics. To investigate the Y chromosomal demography of Greek colonization in the western Mediterranean, Y-chromosome data consisting of 29 YSNPs and 37 YSTRs were compared from 51 subjects from Provence, 58 subjects from Smyrna and 31 subjects whose paternal ancestry derives from Asia Minor Phokaia, the ancestral embarkation port to the 6^thcentury BCE Greek colonies of Massalia (Marseilles) and Alalie (Aleria, Corsica).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>19% of the Phokaian and 12% of the Smyrnian representatives were derived for haplogroup E-V13, characteristic of the Greek and Balkan mainland, while 4% of the Provencal, 4.6% of East Corsican and 1.6% of West Corsican samples were derived for E-V13. An admixture analysis estimated that 17% of the Y-chromosomes of Provence may be attributed to Greek colonization. Using the following putative Neolithic Anatolian lineages: J2a-DYS445 = 6, G2a-M406 and J2a1b1-M92, the data predict a 0% Neolithic contribution to Provence from Anatolia. Estimates of colonial Greek vs. indigenous Celto-Ligurian demography predict a maximum of a 10% Greek contribution, suggesting a Greek male elite-dominant input into the Iron Age Provence population.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Given the origin of viniculture in Provence is ascribed to Massalia, these results suggest that E-V13 may trace the demographic and socio-cultural impact of Greek colonization in Mediterranean Europe, a contribution that appears to be considerably larger than that of a Neolithic pioneer colonization.</p