27 research outputs found
A novel approach to prevent graphene oxide re-aggregation during the melt compounding with polymers
The technology for the preparation of polymer-GO nanocomposites was investigated by studying the structure-properties relationships of two different systems, based on PA6 and EVA, fabricated by using different preparation methods, i.e. melt mixing, wet phase inversion, and the combination of the two. The morphology of nanocomposites resulted dramatically influenced by the technique adopted and showed to be the critical variable affecting the physical properties of the materials. Finally, the mechanical and dynamic-mechanical of the nanocomposites were improved by using the hybrid technique combining the two procedures
Role of chronic exsposure to cigarette smoke on endoglin/CD105 expression in airway epithelium.
Dysregulation of airway epithelial cell function related to cigarette smoke exposure plays an
important role in the pathophysiology of COPD and is associated to tissue damage and disease
severity. CD105 is a component of the receptor complex of TGF-β, a pleiotropic cytokine involved
in cellular proliferation, differentiation and migration. CD105 regulates the expression of different
components of the extracellular matrix suggesting a role of CD105 in cellular transmigration and
remodeling processes.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of endoglin/CD105 in airway
epithelium of COPD patients and its involvement in tissue remodeling and progression of COPD.
We evaluated the immunoreactivity for CD105 expression in bronchial biopsies isolated from
COPD patients and healthy controls (HC). The analysis of metaplastic epithelium was performed in
bronchial biopsies by Image Analysis software (Leica Quantimet system). Finally, we investigated
the expression of CD105 protein receptor in human bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE cells)
exposed to 5% Cigarette Smoke Extract (CSE) for 12 days by western blot.
We found that the CD105 immunoreactivity was significantly higher in bronchial epithelium of
COPD than HC. Morphometric analysis of bioptic samples of COPD showed an increase of the
immunoreactivity for CD105 in the area of metaplastic than in not metaplastic epithelium. Long
term exposure to CSE significantly up-regulated CD105 expression in 16HBE.
Chronic inflammation due to cigarette smoke might play a critic role on the alteration of CD105
protein expression in COPD, promoting tissue remodeling, angiogenesis and dysregulation of
physiological reparative mechanisms, leading to squamous metaplasia
A BRIEF GUIDE TO THE ANATOMICAL DISSECTION OF THE STOMACH
The purpose of this article is to write a short guide on the macroscopic anatomy of the stomach, describing its structures, its relationships within the abdominal cavity and the dissection methods used during the internship performed by a group of students from the University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy, at the University of Malta, Msida, Malta, during the summer of 2018. Indeed,, they had the opportunity to spend a period of two weeks at the department of Anatomy in the Maltese University for studying and practining on some corpses, with the aim of improving their anatomical knowledge
Evidence of stochastic resonance in the mating behavior of Nezara viridula (L.)
We investigate the role of the noise in the mating behavior between
individuals of Nezara viridula (L.), by analyzing the temporal and spectral
features of the non-pulsed type female calling song emitted by single
individuals. We have measured the threshold level for the signal detection, by
performing experiments with the calling signal at different intensities and
analyzing the insect response by directionality tests performed on a group of
male individuals. By using a sub-threshold signal and an acoustic Gaussian
noise source, we have investigated the insect response for different levels of
noise, finding behavioral activation for suitable noise intensities. In
particular, the percentage of insects which react to the sub-threshold signal,
shows a non-monotonic behavior, characterized by the presence of a maximum, for
increasing levels of the noise intensity. This constructive interplay between
external noise and calling signal is the signature of the non-dynamical
stochastic resonance phenomenon. Finally, we describe the behavioral activation
statistics by a soft threshold model which shows stochastic resonance. We find
that the maximum of the ensemble average of the input-output cross-correlation
occurs at a value of the noise intensity very close to that for which the
behavioral response has a maximum.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in EPJ B (2008
The eSports conundrum: Is the sports sciences community ready to face them? A perspective
The reality of eSports is something much more complex than individual users playing video games. There are several characteristics that eSports have in common with traditional sports: from the spirit of competition to the structural composition of the teams, including the increase in performance with training and practice, up to the injuries and physical and psychological stress of the athlete. The number of scientific papers interested in this reality is still relatively low, although in recent years there has been a significant increase in this regard. Probably the lack of knowledge of the world of eSports by inexperts can represent an initial obstacle in the approach to this environment. Therefore, an all-round analysis of the eSports industry is fundamental: including the figures that characterize them, the different eSports disciplines, the possible physical and mental consequences for athletes. Emphasizing the similarities between electronic and non-electronic sports is essential in order to make people, and the scientific community in particular, understand how they should be considered equal to the “traditional” vision of sports especially in the need for professional medical support. The number of professional and amateur eSports players increase every day as well as the birth of professional organizations and national teams while medical monitoring seems to have fallen behind. In the near future, we hope that the scientific community and in particular the medical disciplines will be able to closely support the world of eSports to guarantee the correct assistance to all professional and non-professional athletes. An increase in the number of scientific work and specific studies will certainly bring benefits in countering physical attrition, reducing the risk of injury, in psychological support to athletes and in the fight against doping reality