GEOSTATISTICAL METHODS TO MEASURE THE NATURE 2000 HABITAT INSULARIZATION IN ITALY

It is interesting to notice how Nature 2000 is described as an instrument of “widespread ecological network throughout the EU territories”, insisting in a definitional imprecision that has been dragging on for more than twenty years, and that was often, also authoritatively, criticized by many. Undoubtedly, many of these elements constitute the focal point of local ecological networks for species conservation importance, but their functionality depends on equally undoubtedly by the presence of ecologically permeable matrices that enable the biotic flows dynamics. The Italian Regions are the subjects of this study, as an expression of homogeneous forms of territorial government and as a reference on the administrative level for the implementation of Community policies for Nature 2000 network. The method followed in the work refers to an evaluate spatial fragmentation conditions methodology and the SCIs are the evaluated patches, which have a high dispersion on the national territory. This research has been conducted to show how the central issue of habitat and species conservation is still currently the fragmentation provoked by mobility infrastructures and urban planning Keyword

Inducing social self‐sorting in organic cages to tune the shape of the internal cavity

Many interesting target guest molecules have low symmetry, yet most methods for synthesising hosts result in highly symmetrical capsules. Methods of generating lower symmetry pores are thus required to maximise the binding affinity in host–guest complexes. Herein, we use mixtures of tetraaldehyde building blocks with cyclohexanediamine to access low-symmetry imine cages. Whether a low-energy cage is isolated can be correctly predicted from the thermodynamic preference observed in computational models. The stability of the observed structures depends on the geometrical match of the aldehyde building blocks. One bent aldehyde stands out as unable to assemble into high-symmetry cages-and the same aldehyde generates low-symmetry socially self-sorted cages when combined with a linear aldehyde. We exploit this finding to synthesise a family of low-symmetry cages containing heteroatoms, illustrating that pores of varying geometries and surface chemistries may be reliably accessed through computational prediction and self-sorting

A Meta-Analysis of the Existing Knowledge of Immunoreactivity against Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)

Approximately 3% of the world population is infected by HCV, which represents a major global health challenge. Almost 400 different scientific reports present immunological data related to T cell and antibody epitopes derived from HCV literature. Analysis of all HCV-related epitope hosted in the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB), a repository of freely accessible immune epitope data, revealed more than 1500 and 1900 distinct T cell and antibody epitopes, respectively. The inventory of all data revealed specific trends in terms of the host and the HCV genotypes from which sequences were derived. Upon further analysis we found that this large number of epitopes reflects overlapping structures, and homologous sequences derived from different HCV isolates. To access and visualize this information we developed a novel strategy that assembles large sets of epitope data, maps them onto reference genomes and displays the frequency of positive responses. Compilation of the HCV immune reactivity from hundreds of different studies, revealed a complex and thorough picture of HCV immune epitope data to date. The results pinpoint areas of more intense reactivity or research activities at the level of antibody, CD4 and CD8 responses for each of the individual HCV proteins. In general, the areas targeted by the different effector immune functions were distinct and antibody reactivity was positively correlated with hydrophilicity, while T cell reactivity correlated with hydrophobicity. At the sequence level, epitopes frequently recognized by both T cell and B cell correlated with low variability, and our analysis thus highlighted areas of potential interest for practical applications. The human reactivity was further analyzed to pinpoint differential patterns of reactivity associated with acute versus chronic infection, to reveal the apparent impact of glycosylation on T cell, but not antibody responses, and to highlight a paucity of studies involved antibody epitopes associated with virus neutralization

Mechanical forces induce an asthma gene signature in healthy airway epithelial cells

Bronchospasm compresses the bronchial epithelium, and this compressive stress has been implicated in asthma pathogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which this compressive stress alters pathways relevant to disease are not well understood. Using air-liquid interface cultures of primary human bronchial epithelial cells derived from non-asthmatic donors and asthmatic donors, we applied a compressive stress and then used a network approach to map resulting changes in the molecular interactome. In cells from non-asthmatic donors, compression by itself was sufficient to induce inflammatory, late repair, and fibrotic pathways. Remarkably, this molecular profile of non-asthmatic cells after compression recapitulated the profile of asthmatic cells before compression. Together, these results show that even in the absence of any inflammatory stimulus, mechanical compression alone is sufficient to induce an asthma-like molecular signature

Biochemical aspects of nitric oxide synthase feedback regulation by nitric oxide

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small gas molecule derived from at least three isoforms of the enzyme termed nitric oxide synthase (NOS). More than 15 years ago, the question of feedback regulation of NOS activity and expression by its own product was raised. Since then, a number of trials have verified the existence of negative feedback loop both in vitro and in vivo. NO, whether released from exogenous donors or applied in authentic NO solution, is able to inhibit NOS activity and also intervenes in NOS expression processes by its effect on transcriptional nuclear factor NF-κB. The existence of negative feedback regulation of NOS may provide a powerful tool for experimental and clinical use, especially in inflammation, when massive NOS expression may be detrimental

Health Technology Assessment: a value-based tool for the evaluation of healthcare technologies. Reassessment of the cell-culture-derived quadrivalent influenza vaccine: Flucelvax Tetra® 2.0

1. Health Technology Assessment: strumento value‑based per la valutazione delle tecnologie sanitarie 2. Il burden dell'influenza stagionale in Italia 3. Epidemiologia dell’influenza stagionale in Italia 4. Vaccini antinfluenzali attualmente disponibili in Italia 5. Flucelvax Tetra®, il vaccino quadrivalente su coltura cellulare: una revisione sistematica e meta-analisi di immunogenicità, efficacia e sicurezza 6. Valutazione economica dell’introduzione del nuovo vaccino antinfluenzale quadrivalente da coltura cellulare nel contesto di cura italiano (update da nuova indicazione) 7. Aspetti organizzativi della vaccinazione antinfluenzale in Italia 8. Valutazione etica dell'introduzione del vaccino antinfluenzale quadrivalente da coltura cellulare 9. Il valore della vaccinazione antinfluenzale nel quadro più complesso della Value-Based Healthcare 10. Elelemnti chiave per il processo decisional

Harnessing collective intelligence for the future of learning – a co-constructed research and development agenda

Learning, defined as the process of constructing meaning and developing competencies to act on it, is instrumental in helping individuals, communities, and organizations tackle challenges. When these challenges increase in complexity and require domain knowledge from diverse areas of expertise, it becomes difficult for single individuals to address them. In this context, collective intelligence, a capacity of groups of people to act together and solve problems using their collective knowledge, becomes of great importance. Technologies are instrumental both to support and understand learning and collective intelligence, hence the need for innovations in the area of technologies that can support user needs to learn and tackle collective challenges. Use-inspired research is a fitting paradigm that spans applied solutions and scientific explanations of the processes of learning and collective intelligence, and that can improve the technologies that may support them. Although some conceptual and theoretical work explaining and linking learning with collective intelligence is emerging, technological infrastructures as well as methodologies that employ and evidence that support them are nascent. We convened a group of experts to create a middleground and engage with the priorities for use-inspired research. Here we detail directions and methods they put forward as most promising for advancing a scientific agenda around learning and collective intelligence

Treatment of distal clavicle nonunion with and without bone grafting

The management of distal clavicle nonunion represents a challenging task for orthopaedic trauma surgeon. Both the choice of the implant and whether a bone graft is needed are controversial points which must be addressed. Particularly, in the case of a hypertrophic nonunion, grafting may not necessarily be needed, but given a poor underlying biological environment, a bone graft becomes necessary in order to enhance fracture healing. We report the case of a 62-year-old patient who came to us with a hypertrophic nonunion of the left distal clavicle. She was initially treated with a hook plate without bone grafting. After an early peri-implant fracture she was treated again with anatomical S-shaped locking plate associated with autologous cancellous bone graft

Damage control distrettuale nelle fratture da trauma ad alta energia della tibia prossimale: indicazioni, tecnica, complicanze e scelta del trattamento definitivo

Introduzione. Le problematiche dei tessuti molli sono state storicamente le pi\uf9 frequenti ed importanti complicanze delle fratture da trauma ad alta energia delle tibia prossimale. Il damage control della lesione mediante un fissatore esterno femoro-tibiale a ponte viene eseguito in queste fratture per stabilizzare le lesioni ossee e dei tessuti molli e per ripristinare la lunghezza e l\u2019asse dell\u2019arto. Alcuni autori hanno riportato i risultati di questa strategia di trattamento, con un decremento significativo delle complicanze dei tessuti molli e buoni risultati clinici e radiografici. Metodi. \uc8 stata valutata una popolazione di 24 casi di fratture da trauma da alta energia della tibia prossimale in 23 pazienti, trattati mediante applicazione di un fissatore esterno femoro-tibiale a ponte in urgenza seguito da una fissazione interna definitiva a distanza. I casi trattati con fissazione esterna definitiva sono stati esclusi, tra questi tutti i casi di frattura esposta oltre il grado IIIB di Gustilo-Anderson e i casi trattati mediante fasciotomie per sindrome compartimentale. Sono stati registrati il tipo di frattura e l\u2019entit\ue0 del danno dei tessuti molli, la configurazione del fissatore esterno temporaneo, il tempo di conversione a sintesi definitiva, i risultati clinici e radiografici e le complicanze. I dati ottenuti sono stati confrontati con quanto riportato in letteratura. Risultati. Le fratture erano prevalentemente a morfologia complessa, del tipo V e VI secondo Schatzker nel 70,8% dei casi e del tipo C3 secondo lo classificazione AO nel 63% dei casi. Nel 50% dei casi era presente un danno severo dei tessuti molli, per la presenza di esposizione del focolaio (25%) o di fratture chiuse tipo Tscherne II e III (25%). La configurazione anteriore per la fissazione esterna \ue8 stata la pi\uf9 utilizzata (66,7%) per la sua versatilit\ue0 e rapidit\ue0 di applicazione. Non sono state notate differenze tra i differenti montaggi in termini di risultato clinico e complicanze, le quali non sono state riscontrate. Il tempo di conversione a fissazione interna \ue8 stato in media di 6 giorni, utilizzando pi\uf9 frequentemente due placche contrapposte. I risultati clinici sono stati molto soddisfacenti, con pochi casi di viziosa consolidazione e nessuna pseudoartrosi. L\u2019incidenza di complicanze dei tessuti molli \ue8 stata molto bassa, con un solo caso di infezione superficiale di ferita con deiscenza parziale (4,3%). Discussione. L\u2019utilizzo di un fissatore esterno a ponte \ue8 un metodo sicuro ed efficace per diminuire l\u2019incidenza di complicanze dei tessuti molli nelle fratture da trauma ad alta energia della tibia prossimale, mantenendo buoni risultati clinici e radiografici. Non vi sono differenze tra i diversi montaggi per la stabilizzazione a ponte della lesione se i principi di sicurezza sono rispettati e gli obiettivi di efficace stabilizzazione e ripristino di asse e lunghezza vengono perseguiti. Deve essere attentamente selezionata la tecnica di osteosintesi della frattura, riservando alla fissazione esterna definitiva i casi pi\uf9 compless