Organochlorine compounds (Polychlorinated biphenyls and Pesticides) and Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in populations of Hexaplex trunculus affected by imposex in the lagoon of Venice, Italy

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in gastropods from the Lagoon of Venice, Italy. The visceral coil and the rest of the soft body of organisms (Hexaplex trunculus) sampled at two stations inside the lagoon and three stations on the seaward side were analyzed to evaluate their contamination levels. Preferential accumulation of PCBs and pesticides in the visceral coil (>80%) compared with the rest of the soft body was observed, whereas on average, PAHs showed no preferential partitioning. Differences between levels of organochlorine contaminants in the gastropods highlighted a gradient of pollution from the stations inside the lagoon (PCBs, 45-363 ng/g; pesticides, 4-51 ng/g) to the sea (PCBs, 13-131 ng/g; pesticides, 2-29 ng/g). The possible role of the three classes of contaminants, in addition to that of organotin compounds (OTCs), previously analyzed in the same samples, in causing one of the anatomic modifications because of imposex in this gastropod also was studied. A modeling approach by partial least squares (PLS) in latent variables was applied to explain the penis length of imposex-affected females with concentrations of organic pollutants. The synergistic role of PCBs, pesticides, and OTCs was evidenced, whereas the contribution of PAHs appeared to be very low

Phonological and lexical influences on phonological awareness in children with specific language impairment and dyslexia

Children with dyslexia and/or specific language impairment have marked deficits in phonological processing, putting them at an increased risk for reading deficits. The current study sought to examine the influence of word-level phonological and lexical characteristics on phonological awareness. Children with dyslexia and/or specific language impairment were tested using a phoneme deletion task in which stimuli differed orthogonally by sound similarity and neighborhood density. Phonological and lexical factors influenced performance differently across groups. Children with dyslexia appeared to have a more immature and aberrant pattern of phonological and lexical influence (e.g., favoring sparse and similar features). Children with SLI performed less well than children who were typically developing, but followed a similar pattern of performance (e.g., favoring dense and dissimilar features). Collectively, our results point to both quantitative and qualitative differences in lexical organization and phonological representations in children with SLI and in children with dyslexia

Figli di Marte 2022 : Immagini in guerra

Since its first issues, Engramma has come to terms with images in war. In 2001, after the attack on the Twin Towers; in 2015, an issue dedicated to the abecedaries of Aby Warburg, Bertolt Brecht, and Ernst Jünger; at the end of 2015, an issue on the martyrdom of Palmyra, dedicated to the archaeologist Khaled Al Asaad. But already since 2008 Engramma has hosted various contributions and devoted several monographic issues to the protection of cultural heritage, wartime destruction and post-war reconstruction. March 2022 – and it is war time again. The first section of this special issue is dedicated to James Hillman and his reflections on Ares and the "terrible love of war". The third section collects interviews and interventions by Italian intellectuals who speak with voices that are dissonant with the stadium choirs that pollute the senses and dull critical intelligence: Nadia Fusini, Luciano Canfora, Lorenzo Braccesi, Moni Ovadia, Massimo Cacciari, and Salvatore Settis. At the heart of this issue of Engramma, you can find an Image Gallery, edited by Seminario Mnemosyne in six chapters: I. Enlisting Icons; II. Pornographic Romanticism; III. The Crusade of the Children; IV. "Still Dead"; V. In hoc signo; VI. Despite everything, Images

Monarchia e arcana imperii. Corpo, simboli, liturgie

Engramma’s issue 202, “Monarchy and arcana imperii. Body, symbols, liturgies”, was published in May 2023, just a few weeks after the world-wide broadcasted coronation of Charles III, King of England, which took place on 6 May. The topic of the Monarchy and the King’s Body emerged with absolute relevance and urgency due to the legacies that interfere with its contemporary imagery. A view on the subject from both a theoretical and political perspective is proposed in Peppe Nanni’s paper "Finzioni che non funzionano: due corpi di troppo". Monica Centanni expands on the theme of the King’s two bodies from Kantorowicz’s seminal text in her "Explicit tragoedia. The Undressing of the King’s Body: Xerxes, Constantine XI Palaeologus, Richard II" (also in full Italian version) "“Rex Iudaeorum”. Citare in giudizio un titolo regale?" by Letizia Biazzo is dedicated to the titulus “Rex Judaeorum”, imposed on Christ’s cross as a motivation for simultaneous condemnation and mockery, accompanied by a gallery of examples on the iconography of the trilingual epigraph. The essay "“Vigilasne rex? Vigila”. Il doppio corpo del re e le sue bellicose resurrezioni primaverili" by Barbara Biscotti and Matteo Alberio focuses on the archaic institutions of Kingship in Roman institutional culture (and that of the names rex and βασιλεύς). A historical, as well as legal, reading of the inventio of the holy oil, linked to the miracles of the first princeps, Augustus, is the topic of an important paper by Orazio Licandro, "“Odium regni" e “olio santo” da Augustus alla res publica christianorum". Jelena Erdeljan focuses on the rituality of Serbian medieval monarchy in her "Royal bodies of Serbian medieval kings. Entwined in the vine of salvation". From Antiquity to the Modern age, passing through Byzantium and the Middle Ages, the King’s body also stands at the centre of a series of dangerous relationships. Massimo Stella’s fine contribution, "Corpo sovrano e sovversione del corpo cristiano. Edward II tra Amor ovidiano e mors paolina", illuminates this constellation of meanings, taking the cue from Marlowe’s text. The aloofness in itself is a common trait of the images of kings and emperors. It is similar to that enacted by Christ (and, more figuratively, by the Virgin and other saints), as a signum of belonging to another world, and of a deactivated personal empathy towards the visual user. Composure, in fact, deletes emotions – as it was until the time of Hirohito, the predecessor of the last two Japanese Emperors – and it is the last example of God on earth until the renunciation of sacred dignity in Tenno no ningen sengen, in 1946. On the topic, we publish here an evocative note by Kurt Foster, "Fosco Maraini. The Man Who Wondered About The Kingship of Tennō"

Tracce, finestre, visioni

The issue of Engramma “Tracce Finestre Visioni” (Traces Windows Visions) collects a series of contributions focused on the relationship between text and image, with particular insistence on the boundary between them as labile, porous and fragile: with holes and gaps that take the form of windows; latencies and wounds that appear like visions; persistences that are perceivable as traces. The first section includes a group of essays on contemporary arts: Marina Apollonio, Fusionecircolare/ Endings. Tra arte cinetica e testo usicale elettroacustico, by Guglielmo Bottin; Embodiment vs Rejectingness. Per una evoluzione del “sistema di filtri” nell’opera di Pierre Bonnard (1925-1935), by Mario De Angelis; Esposizioni di niente/Testi per niente, by Massimo Maiorino; L’indicibile rappresentabile. Su Wittgenstein e Klee, by Enrico Palma; Indovinelli compositivi. Esercizi di John Hejduk per gli architetti del nuovo millennio, by Susanna Pisciella; Finestre letterarie e finestre visive. Sguardi esteriori e interiori fra tecnica e metafora, by Silvia Urbini; Pages d’un Journal de Chantier. Riflessi di Jean Cocteau in Berthold Lubetkin, by Chiara Velicogna; Steve McQueen. How Does One Believe in the Future? by Angela Vettese. The second section “Note e Recensioni” (Notes and Reviews) readings and reviews of exhibitions in display in Venice, more or less directly related to the Biennale 2022, are presented: Venezia “maternamente oscura”. Anish Kapoor alle Gallerie dell’Accademia e a Palazzo Manfrin (aprile/ottobre 2022), by Michela Maguolo; An Archaeology of Silence. Recensione della mostra di Kehinde Wiley (Venezia 2022), by Asia Benedetti; L’incantesimo del fuoco. Sulla mostra “On Fire” alla Fondazione Cini (Venezia 2022), by Andrea Cortellessa; “Cromocracy”. Sulla mostra di Abel Herrero alla Galleria Castello (Venezia 2022), by Andrea Cortellessa. The section also includes a Note on the comparison between 1968 and 2022 wartime covers of the periodical “Time”: What a Time! Il ritorno del passato tra shock e continuità in due copertine del “Time”, by Francesco Giosuè. Closing the section, as well as the issue itself, are the presentations of three recent volumes that intersect the theme of the text/image/vision relationship: La memoria di un gesto. Presentazione di La memoria in tasca di Emanuele Pellegrini, by Silvia De Min; Sogno e visione, secondo David Lynch. Presentazione di: Nicola Settis, Chi è il sognatore? Guida alla visione di Twin Peaks 3, edited by Ilaria Grippa and Monica Centanni; abbecedari di Architettura di Sergio Polano. Presentazione di Beppe Cantele

The mechanism of transglutaminase 2 externalisation in renal tubular epithelial cells

Transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) catalyses the formation of an ε-(γ-glutamyl)-lysine isopeptide bonds between adjacent peptides or proteins including those of the extracellular matrix(ECM). ECM crosslinking has been associated with both the acceleration of collagen deposition while conferring the ECM with resistance to proteolytic degradation. Subsequently the cellular secretion of TG2 has been associated with wound healing and aberrant wound healing leading to kidney, lung, liver and heart fibrosis as well as atherosclerosis. TG2 has no signal peptide and cannot be transported classically. It is unknown how TG2 is targeted to the cell surface and secreted into ECM. Understanding TG2 transport may help to develop specific mechanisms to interfere with TG2 action in the scarring process. In this study, we identified that amino acids 88-106 in N-terminal β-sandwich domain of TG2 molecule is crucial for TG2 externalisation using deletion and mutation analysis in three renal tubular epithelial cells (TEC). Of interest, this TG2 export motif (aa88-106) itself appeared to be able to target other proteins for extracellular secretion. Yeast-two-hybrid studies were then performed to identify what the TG2 export motif would bind to and thus give clues as to the downstream mechanism of trafficking. Large T antigen (LTA) and tapasin were identified as binding partners. The interaction between LTA or tapasin and TG2 was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation using endogenous protein from wild-type cells. TG2 externalisation was significantly decreased when LTA and tapasin were knockdown using siRNA suggesting that large T antigen and tapasin is involved in TG2 externalisation process. The possible TG2 externalisation pathway was explored further using fluorescent imaging including co-localisation analysis and live cell imaging. TG2 was predominantly co-localised with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) around the cell nucleus, but not localised with Golgi apparatus and lysosomes. We observed plasma membrane blebbing in the cells transfected with wild-type TG2 but not in the cells transfected withTG2 carrying a mutation in the export motif. Plasma membrane blebbing or a direct molecular trap is the most likely mechanism for TG2 externalisation based on the data generated. In conclusion, the amino acid sequence 88-106 in β-sandwich domain of TG2 is critical to TG2 externalisation in TEC. This export motif binds to large T antigen and tapasin. Large T antigen and tapasin is involved in TG2 externalisation possibly through plasma membrane blebbing or direct molecular trap in TEC.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Imposex levels and concentrations of organotin compounds (TBT and its metabolites) in Nassarius nitidus from the Lagoon of Venice

Specimens of Nassarius nitiduswere collected in seven stations of the Venice Lagoon to assess the levels of tributyltin (TBT) and its metabolites monobutyltin and dibutyltin in the tissues and monitor their effect on organisms, in particular the phenomenon of imposex (superimposition of male sexual characteristics on females). The following values of population indices were found: vas deferens sequence: 1.2 ± 0.7–4.0 ± 0.5; relative penis length: 6–47%. The least impacted station was situated in the northern part of the Lagoon, where females without imposex were found and Butyltin (BuTs) concentrations in the organisms (average sum of BuTs = 43 ± 14 ng Sn g-1 w.) were significantly lower than in the other stations (range of average sum of BuTs: 101 ± 22–217 ± 27 ng Sn g-1 d.w.). Population indices were found to be related to the TBT content in the tissues. In particular VDSI had a significant logarithmic correlation: r = 0.95,n =8, p < 0.05

Overcoming barriers to the effective management of severe asthma in Italy

Introduction: People with severe asthma (SA) often have poor disease control and quality of life, and are at high risk of exacerbations, lung function decline and asthma-related death. The present expert opinion article aimed to identify unmet needs in the management of SA in Italy, and propose possible solutions to address these needs. Methods: At five multidisciplinary events in Italy, attendees identified factors that interfered with the effective management of SA and suggested how these barriers could be overcome. A core group of 12 Italian experts (pulmonologists, general practitioners, allergists, payers and patients) identified the main issues and proposed possible solutions based on the results from the meetings and relevant articles from the literature. Results and Conclusions: We reviewed the gap between real-world practice and guide-lines, oral corticosteroid overuse, SA-related mortality, and barriers to effective SA treat-ment. Common themes were lack of awareness about SA among both patients and clinicians, and lack of networking/information exchange between those involved in the treatment of SA. Participants agreed on the need to implement patient education and create multidisciplinary groups of specialists to improve SA management through multidisciplinary educational initiatives, meetings with local experts, development of a flow chart for referral/connection with local experts and specialized centers. Clinical instruments that might help specialists improve SA management included referral networks, integrated care pathways, phenotyping and treatment algorithms, exacerbation tracking, and examination of electronic medical records for patients with uncontrolled asthma. The following actions need to be implemented in Italy: i) maximize the use of advanced therapies, eg, biologics; ii) increase/improve education for physicians and patients; iii) improve multidisciplinary communication and care coordination; iv) introduce regional and local protocols for SA diagnosis and treatment; and v) change the structure of healthcare services to reduce specialist waiting times and facilitate access to biologic therapies

Neurocognitive mechanisms of co‐occurring math difficulties in dyslexia: Differences in executive function and visuospatial processing

Children with dyslexia frequently also struggle with math. However, studies of reading disability (RD) rarely assess math skill, and the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying co-occurring reading and math disability (RD+MD) are not clear. The current study aimed to identify behavioral and neurocognitive factors associated with co-occurring MD among 86 children with RD. Within this sample, 43% had co-occurring RD+MD and 22% demonstrated a possible vulnerability in math, while 35% had no math difficulties (RD-Only). We investigated whether RD-Only and RD+MD students differed behaviorally in their phonological awareness, reading skills, or executive functions, as well as in the brain mechanisms underlying word reading and visuospatial working memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The RD+MD group did not differ from RD-Only on behavioral or brain measures of phonological awareness related to speech or print. However, the RD+MD group demonstrated significantly worse working memory and processing speed performance than the RD-Only group. The RD+MD group also exhibited reduced brain activations for visuospatial working memory relative to RD-Only. Exploratory brain-behavior correlations along a broad spectrum of math ability revealed that stronger math skills were associated with greater activation in bilateral visual cortex. These converging neuro-behavioral findings suggest that poor executive functions in general, including differences in visuospatial working memory, are specifically associated with co-occurring MD in the context of RD