Las medidas contra la discriminación de género: una visión comparada de un problema debatido a nivel nacional y europeo

Después un análisis de las soluciones acogidas por el Derecho italiano en materia de igualdad  de trato entre hombres y mujeres, consideradas en el marco del Derecho europeo, se propone una breve reseña de los principales problemas que caracterizan la actual condición de las mujeres en Italia, a la luz de las reformas constitucionales, del contenido de las normas legislativas y de las tendencias jurisprudenciales. Al final, se examina el tema tomando en cuenta las perspectivas futuras, desde una visión crítica de las causas que impiden todavía una plena actuación del principio de paridad, sin discriminación por razón de género, en algunos ámbitos de la sociedad italiana, especialmente a nivel político-institucional. Palabras clave: Igualdad. No discriminación. Paridad entre hombres y mujeres. Prohibición de desigualdad por razón de género. Derecho europeo. Derecho comparado. Derecho italiano.   Abstract: the first part of the article is devoted to an overview of Italian law in the field of gender equality. This topic is considered while taking into account the need to focus on the European legal framework too. Furthermore, women’s condition in the current Italian scenario is analysed, in light of constitutional reforms, legislative provisions and judicial trends. Finally, the issues at hand are critically examined with a view to detecting the reasons that still determine serious difficulties in achieving equality fully, especially in some contexts of Italian society, like the political arena.  Keywords: Equality. Discrimination. Anti-discrimination law. Gender equality. Prohibition of unequal treatment between men and women. European law. Comparative law. Italian law

La Sicilia sotto Agatocle nel poxy XXIV 2399: tra storiografia e retorica

This paper proposes an analysis of POxy XXIV 2399 from material, papyrological, linguistic and historical points of view, taking into account the bibliography produced so far and attempting to make a point about the sources of Agathocles' history and the question of the attribution of this papyrus

Evaluación del Bienestar Animal en explotaciones de ganado bovino de lidia en España y México

El bienestar animal (BA) del ganado en régimen de manejo extensivo, ha sido muy poco estudiado y dentro del ganado bovino, la raza de lidia, es muy interesante en este aspecto por sus particularidades etológicas y su comportamiento agresivo. Se desarrolla un protocolo de valoración optimizado en base al proyecto Welfare Quality®, con el fin de integrar y evaluar el BA en las instalaciones, en el comportamiento de grupo, en los signos fisiológicos y en el manejo. Para ello se han evaluado 6 explotaciones distintas, 3 de ellas situadas en la región de Extremadura (España) y 3 en la región de Querétaro (México). Se escogieron 10 animales de cada subgrupo, formados en base al momento productivo y a los propios lotes de cada ganadería: vacas madres, sementales y lotes de animales de diferentes edades. Cada indicador de BA recogido en el protocolo se valoró en una escala de 1 a 5. La metodología de toma de datos desarrollada funcionó de forma adecuada. En general, las 6 ganaderías presentan una calificación óptima en todos los parámetros, si bien cabe destacar diferencias en cuanto a la distancia de aproximación, siendo menor en aquellas explotaciones en las que se manejan con mayor frecuencia a los animales, también reflejado en la curiosidad mostrada por los animales. Es importante destacar que el estudio refleja una alimentación adecuada, tanto a largo como a corto plazo (condición corporal y llenado ruminal) en las 6 ganaderías. En cuanto a la salud (respiración y mucosas, estado de pezuñas e índice de cojeras) se obtuvieron unos valores óptimos de BA. Se aprecia cierta diferencia entre las ganaderías de España y México en cuanto a la condición corporal de los animales, siendo sensiblemente menor en México, donde en invierno es la época seca, con menor cantidad de pasto

Structural and conformational studies of the heparan sulfate mimetic PI-88

The heparan sulfate mimetic PI-88 is a complex mixture of sulfated oligosaccharides with anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic activity due to its potent inhibition of heparanase and heparan sulfate-dependent angiogenic growth factors. It was recently in Phase III clinical trials for post-resection hepatocellular carcinoma. The major oligosaccharide constituents of PI-88 were prepared for the first time by sulfonation of individually purified phosphorylated oligosaccharides isolated from the PI-88 precursor. PI-88 and its components were subjected to detailed 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. The spectra of the individual components greatly assisted the assignment of minor resonances in the 1H NMR spectrum of PI-88. The data also showed that the majority of the oligosaccharides in PI-88 are fully sulfated and that undersulfated species present are largely due to anomeric desulfation. The solution conformation of the phosphomannopentaose sulfate (major component) of PI-88 was then determined by a combination of molecular dynamics simulations and NOE measurements which may provide insights into its binding interactions with target proteins

Nesting range expansion of loggerhead turtles in the Mediterranean: phenology, spatial distribution and conservation implications.

Global warming is affecting habitat quality and availability on our planet and some species are predicted or are by now changing their distribution range. Here we show that loggerhead turtles have already started to expand their nesting range into the Western Mediterranean, which has until recently hosted only sporadic nests. We compiled information on nesting activity from beaches surrounding the Western Mediterranean and collected metadata on loggerhead turtle nests in Spain, France, Italy, and Tunisia between 2010 and 2020 to provide an exhaustive overview on the phenomenon of emerging new nest sites for loggerhead turtles. The number of recorded nests has increased drastically since 2013 from 1 to 3 nests/year to a record number of 84 registered in 2020. While this increase may partly be explained by grown awareness and reporting by citizens, there is no doubt of an upward trend in nesting activity. The nests are unevenly distributed over the study area with most nests occurring on the coasts of the warmer Tyrrhenian Sea. A hotspot analysis identified beaches in SW Italy, SE Sardinia, and NW Tunisia with statistically significant clustering of nests. Within these hotspots, three beaches in SW Italy and one in Tunisia had nests at least four out of the five last years. Nesting phenology corresponds to that of Eastern Mediterranean rookeries, and mean hatching success of naturally incubating, non-manipulated nests was 66 %, although there was variability across the region. Mean incubation durations also varied between countries indicating a diversity in inferred sex ratios, with sufficient female production to foster future colonisation of this region. Unfortunately, these beaches are already under high tourist pressure and subject to intense coastal development, imposing many threats to the females, eggs, and hatchlings. Thus, while this study reveals the unique opportunity to witness and study an ongoing new colonisation process in loggerhead turtles, it also calls for urgent proactive conservation actions to mitigate these threats and allow the turtles to establish new rookeries

Maqui and Omega 3: effects on lipid profile, oxidative stress levels and psycho-physical items in human subjects

Aims: to assess short-term efficacy of supplementation with Maqui (Aristotelia Chilensis (Mol.Stuntz)), a polyphenol with antioxidant power, and EPA/DHA concerning metabolism, oxidative stress and mental/physical state. Patients and Methods: a pilot prospective observational clinical/laboratory study was performed on 17 apparently healthy subjects (8 males and 9 females, mean age 47 years). All subjects received for two months: a) Maqui 600 mg per day and b) 360 mg of EPA and 240 mg of DHA (salmon oil) daily. At day 0 and day 60 all subjects underwent nine laboratory tests related to inflammation, metabolism (lipid profile mainly) and oxidative stress parameters. Pre-post treatment weight and BMI was calculated. A few physical and mental parameters were assessed by means of Short-Form 12 questionnaire. Statistical analysis was applied to the resulting data through Wilcoxon test and t-paired test. Results: laboratory results before and after Maqui + EPA/DHA supplementation were respectively (mean and p-value for the comparison): total cholesterol 228.8/199.8 mg/dl, p=0.23; low density lipoproteins 127.4/122.1 mg/dl, p=0.13; high density lipoproteins 59.1/57.6 mg/dl, p=0.25; Reactive C Protein 0.18/0.09 mg/dl, p=0.32; triglycerides 106.1/91.1 mg/dl p=0.09, glycemia 92.9/92.8 mg/dl p= 0.92; total free radicals 338.0/303.6 U.Carr., p=0.002; serum anti-oxidant capacity 2075/2190 umol/l, p= 0.04; oxidized lipoproteins 641.8/553.1 uEq/l, p=0.10. SF12 physical and mental items (mean values and SD) were 51.2 (+/- 6.2) and 41.2 (+/- 3,3) at day 0 and 54.6 (+/- 11.6) and 47.2 (+/- 9.7) at day 60 respectively. One case of transient constipation was recorded. Conclusions: daily supplementation with Maqui 600 mg + Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA 360 mg + DHA 240 mg) in apparently healthy middle-aged subjects resulted in a statistically significant improvement of oxidative stress parameters. An overall (non statistically significant) improvement of dysmetabolism biomarkers was achieved. Mental and physical parameters have mildly improved

Impact of the flame retardant 2,2’4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47) in THP-1 macrophage-like cell function via small extracellular vesicles

2,2’4,4’-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47) is one of the most widespread environmental brominated flame-retardant congeners which has also been detected in animal and human tissues. Several studies have reported the effects of PBDEs on different health issues, including neurobehavioral and developmental disorders, reproductive health, and alterations of thyroid function. Much less is known about its immunotoxicity. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects that treatment of THP-1 macrophage-like cells with PBDE-47 could have on the content of small extracellular vesicles’ (sEVs) microRNA (miRNA) cargo and their downstream effects on bystander macrophages. To achieve this, we purified sEVs from PBDE-47 treated M(LPS) THP-1 macrophage-like cells (sEVsPBDE+LPS) by means of ultra-centrifugation and characterized their miRNA cargo by microarray analysis detecting the modulation of 18 miRNAs. Furthermore, resting THP-1 derived M(0) macrophage-like cells were cultured with sEVsPBDE+LPS, showing that the treatment reshaped the miRNA profiles of 12 intracellular miRNAs. This dataset was studied in silico, identifying the biological pathways affected by these target genes. This analysis identified 12 pathways all involved in the maturation and polarization of macrophages. Therefore, to evaluate whether sEVsPBDE+LPS can have some immunomodulatory activity, naïve M(0) THP-1 macrophage-like cells cultured with purified sEVsPBDE+LPS were studied for IL-6, TNF-α and TGF-β mRNAs expression and immune stained with the HLA-DR, CD80, CCR7, CD38 and CD209 antigens and analyzed by flow cytometry. This analysis showed that the PBDE-47 treatment does not induce the expression of specific M1 and M2 cytokine markers of differentiation and may have impaired the ability to make immunological synapses and present antigens, down-regulating the expression of HLA-DR and CD209 antigens. Overall, our study supports the model that perturbation of miRNA cargo by PBDE-47 treatment contributes to the rewiring of cellular regulatory pathways capable of inducing perturbation of differentiation markers on naïve resting M(0) THP-1 macrophage-like cells

PIK3CA Mutation in the ShortHER Randomized Adjuvant Trial for Patients with Early HER2\ufe Breast Cancer: Association with Prognosis and Integration with PAM50 Subtype.

Purpose: We explored the prognostic effect of PIK3CA mutation in HER2\ufe patients enrolled in the ShortHER trial. Patients and Methods: The ShortHER trial randomized 1,253 patients with HER2\ufe breast cancer to 9 weeks or 1 year of adjuvant trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy. PIK3CA hotspot mutations in exon 9 and 20 were analyzed by pyrosequencing. Expression of 60 genes, including PAM50 genes was measured using the nCounter platform. Results: A mutation of the PIK3CA gene was detected in 21.7% of the 803 genotyped tumors. At a median follow-up of 7.7 years, 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 90.6% for PIK3CA mutated and 86.2% for PIK3CA wild-type tumors [HR, 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.56\u20131.27; P \ubc 0.417]. PIK3CA mutation showed a favorable prognostic impact in the PAM50 HER2-enriched subtype (n \ubc 232): 5-year DFS 91.8% versus 76.1% (log-rank P \ubc 0.049; HR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.21\u20131.02). HER2-enriched/PIK3CA mutated versus wild-type tumors showed numerically higher tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and significant upregulation of immune-related genes (including CD8A, CD274, PDCD1, and MYBL2, a proliferation gene involved in immune processes). High TILs as well as the upregulation of PDCD1 and MYBL2 were associated with a significant DFS improvement within the HER2-enriched subtype (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68\u20130.99; P \ubc 0.039 for 10% TILs increment; HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.65\u20130.99; P \ubc 0.049 for PDCD1 expression; HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53\u20130.99; P \ubc 0.042 for MYBL2 expression). Conclusions: PIK3CA mutation showed no prognostic impact in the ShortHER trial. Within the HER2-enriched molecular subtype, patients with PIK3CA mutated tumors showed better DFS versus PIK3CA wild-type, which may be partly explained by upregulation of immune-related genes

Association between preoperative evaluation with lung ultrasound and outcome in frail elderly patients undergoing orthopedic surgery for hip fractures: study protocol for an Italian multicenter observational prospective study (LUSHIP)

Hip fracture is one of the most common orthopedic causes of hospital admission in frail elderly patients. Hip fracture fixation in this class of patients is considered a high-risk procedure. Preoperative physical examination, plasma natriuretic peptide levels (BNP, Pro-BNP), and cardiovascular scoring systems (ASA-PS, RCRI, NSQIP-MICA) have all been demonstrated to underestimate the risk of postoperative complications. We designed a prospective multicenter observational study to assess whether preoperative lung ultrasound examination can predict better postoperative events thanks to the additional information they provide in the form of "indirect" and "direct" cardiac and pulmonary lung ultrasound signs

Ceftolozane/Tazobactam for Treatment of Severe ESBL-Producing Enterobacterales Infections: A Multicenter Nationwide Clinical Experience (CEFTABUSE II Study)

Background. Few data are reported in the literature about the outcome of patients with severe extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) infections treated with ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T), in empiric or definitive therapy.Methods. A multicenter retrospective study was performed in Italy (June 2016-June 2019). Successful clinical outcome was defined as complete resolution of clinical signs/symptoms related to ESBL-E infection and lack of microbiological evidence of infection. The primary end point was to identify predictors of clinical failure of C/T therapy.Results. C/T treatment was documented in 153 patients: pneumonia was the most common diagnosis (n = 46, 30%), followed by 34 cases of complicated urinary tract infections (22.2%). Septic shock was observed in 42 (27.5%) patients. C/T was used as empiric therapy in 46 (30%) patients and as monotherapy in 127 (83%) patients. Favorable clinical outcome was observed in 128 (83.7%) patients; 25 patients were considered to have failed C/T therapy. Overall, 30-day mortality was reported for 15 (9.8%) patients. At multivariate analysis, Charlson comorbidity index >4 (odds ratio [OR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-3.5; P = .02), septic shock (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 3.8-7.9; P < .001), and continuous renal replacement therapy (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.9-5.3; P = .001) were independently associated with clinical failure, whereas empiric therapy displaying in vitro activity (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.01-0.34; P < .001) and adequate source control of infection (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.14-0.55; P < .001) were associated with clinical success.Conclusions. Data show that C/T could be a valid option in empiric and/or targeted therapy in patients with severe infections caused by ESBL-producing Enterobacterales. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of clinical failure with standard-dose C/T therapy in septic patients receiving CRRT