Sports perception in young people. Survey in the Italian primary school and comparison with the Maltese school

Here below are the results of a comparative study on the perception of the sports practice in primary school by focusing on the possible differences between genders and classes, and assessing the difference of the sociologic aspects and the media.\ud \ud Studying, assessing and analyzing the issues related to physical activities offered to children of school age allows a deeper knowledge of the current psycho-physical condition of the child.\ud \ud It’s also important to know the cultural and social phenomena concerning young people which always represent, for better or for worse, the time they live in

La elocuencia de los eufemismos. Un análisis semántico desde la perspectiva educativa

En el presente artículo se analiza el discurso que nombra, define y devela los lugares reservados a los sujetos dentro de las instituciones educativas. Lo dicho, en forma directa o indirecta, oculta la desigualdad subyacente. Lo emergente es un lenguaje lleno de eufemismos que explicita una asignación de destinos en función del estigma. Se aborda aquí aquello instaurado en el lenguaje que enmascara lealtades ideológicas

Synthesis and Antiproliferative Activity of [1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]indoles

A series of [1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]indoles was prepared in good yield by reacting 2-diazo-3-ethoxycarbonylindole with methylene active compounds. Derivatives of the title ring system were tested against a panel of 60 human tumor cell lines, and showed inhibitory activity against a wide range of cancer cell lines at micromolar concentration

Docking of indolo- and pyrrolo-pyrimidines to DNA. New DNA-interactive polycycles from amino-indoles/pyrroles and BMMA.

New indolo- and pyrrolo-pyrimidines of type 1-4 were studied for their ability to form stable complexes with DNA fragments. The calculated free energies of binding were found in the range -8.39 ÷ -16.72 Kcal/mol. The docking studies revealed a common binding mode with the chromophore intercalated between GC base pairs whereas the side chain lies along the minor groove

Nanostructured Lipid Carriers-Containing Anticancer Compounds: Preparation, Characterization, and Cytotoxicity Studies

This article describes the development of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) as colloidal carriers for two antitumor compounds that possess a remarkable antineoplastic activity. But their limited stability and low solubility in water could give a very low parenteral bioavailability. Results revealed an enhancement of the cytotoxicity effect of drug-loaded NLC on human prostate cancer (PC-3) and human hepatocellular carcinoma (HuH-6, HuH-7) cell lines with respect to that of both free drugs. Results of characterization studies strongly support the potential application of these drugs-loaded NLC as prolonged delivery systems for lipophilic drugs by several administration routes, in particular for intravenous administration

Potential of organic carbonates production for efficient carbon dioxide capture, transport and storage: Reaction performance with sodium hydroxide–ethanol mixtures

Carbon dioxide storage is one of the main long-term strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. A clear example is Norway\u27s Longship project. If these projects should succeed, the transport of huge volumes of carbon dioxide from the emissions source to the injection points may become a complex challenge. In this work, we propose the production of sodium-based organic carbonates that could be transported to storage sites and be reconverted to CO2. Solid carbonates can be transported in considerably lower volumes than gases or pressurized liquids. Sodium-based carbonates are insoluble in most of the organic solvents and will therefore precipitate in contrast to in aqueous solutions. Particularly, here we focus on sodium hydroxide-ethanol mixtures as solvents for precipitating sodium ethyl carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. Previous works on this approach used limited sodium hydroxide concentrations, which are insufficient to prove the effectiveness of the proposed process. In this paper, we studied higher sodium hydroxide concentrations in sodium hydroxide-ethanol mixtures than previously reported in the literature. To this end, we use the following strategy: (1) In-line monitoring of the formation of carbonates using an in-line FTIR; (2) In-line measurements of the weight increase, which correspond directly to the captured carbon dioxide and reveal the absorption capacity; (3) Characterization of the solids with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. Our FTIR results confirmed that both sodium ethyl carbonate and sodium bicarbonate were formed, which agrees with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. With this reactor design, the absorption capacities reached approximately 80–93% of the theoretical values (4.8–13.3 g/L respectively). We hypothesize that full conversion is hampered because the gas might take preferential paths due to gel formation during the experiments

Water transport and absorption in pharmaceutical tablets – a numerical study

The quality of a coated pharmaceutical tablet can be strongly affected by the interactions of water droplets with the porous substrate during processes such as coating process. Three different mechanisms co-exist in the coating process: water spreading, absorption and evaporation. Disentangling the fundamental understanding of these phenomena can therefore be crucial for achieving a higher quality of the products (e.g. a longer shelf-life of the tablets) and for controlling the efficiency of the process. This paper aims to investigate the spreading and absorption mechanisms after droplet impingement on a tablet using a Lattice-Boltzmann methodology. Our numerical results (droplet height and spreading, penetration depth and absorbed volume) are in a good agreement with experimental data and numerical simulations available in the literature. In particular, the spreading phase is characterised by the capillary spreading time scale, as confirmed by previous studies. In contrast to previous studies, we find that the absorption process begins at times shorter than the capillary spreading time but with a different power-law in the absorbed volume. We explain this behaviour through a modified Washburn law that takes into account three-dimensional effects. Our data can be used as a benchmark to test novel mathematical models

In-Line Monitoring of Carbon Dioxide Capture with Sodium Hydroxide in a Customized 3D-Printed Reactor without Forced Mixing

Many industrial processes make use of sodium because sodium is the fifth most abundant metal and the seventh most abundant element on Earth. Consequently, there are many sodium-containing industrial wastes that could potentially be used for carbon capture, paving the way towards a circular and biobased economy. For example, a common industrial chemical is NaOH, which is found in black liquor, a by-product of the paper and pulp industry. Nonetheless, the literature available on CO2\ua0absorption capacity of aqueous NaOH is scarce for making a fair comparison with sodium-containing waste. Therefore, to fill this gap and set the foundation for future research on carbon capture, the CO2\ua0absorption capacity of NaOH solutions in a concentration range of 1–8\ua0w/w% was evaluated, a wider range compared with currently available data. The data set presented here enables evaluating the performance of sodium-based wastes, which are complex mixtures and might contain other compounds that enhance or worsen their carbon capture capacity. We designed a customized reactor using a 3D-printer to facilitate in-line measurements and proper mixing between phases without the energy of stirring. The mixing performance was confirmed by computational fluid dynamics simulations. The CO2\ua0absorption capacity was measured via weight analysis and the progress of carbonation using a pH meter and an FTIR probe in-line. At 5\ua0w/w% NaOH and higher, the reaction resulted in precipitation. The solids were analyzed with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope, and nahcolite and natrite were identified. With our setup, we achieved absorption capacities in the range of 9.5 to 78.9 g CO2/L for 1\ua0w/w% and 8\ua0w/w% of NaOH, respectively. The results are in fair agreement with previously reported literature, suggesting that non-forced mixing reactors function for carbon capture without the need of stirring equipment and a possible lower energy consumption

A polyphasic approach for characterization of a collection of cereal isolates of the Fusarium incarnatum-equiseti species complex

"Available online 22 June 2016"DNA-based phylogenetic analyses have resolved the fungal genus Fusarium into multiple species complexes. The F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex (FIESC) includes fusaria associated with several diseases of agriculturally important crops, including cereals. Although members of FIESC are considered to be only moderately aggressive, they are able to produce a diversity of mycotoxins, including trichothecenes, which can accumulate to harmful levels in cereals. High levels of cryptic speciation have been detected within the FIESC. As a result, it is often necessary to use approaches other than morphological characterization to distinguish species. In the current study, we used a polyphasic approach to characterize a collection of 69 FIESC isolates recovered from cereals in Europe, Turkey, and North America. In a species phylogeny inferred from nucleotide sequences from four housekeeping genes, 65 of the isolates were resolved within the Equiseti clade of the FIESC, and four isolates were resolved within the Incarnatum clade. Seven isolates were resolved as a genealogically exclusive lineage, designated here as FIESC 31. Phylogenies based on nucleotide sequences of trichothecene biosynthetic genes and MALDI-TOF MS (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry) were largely concordant with phylogeny inferred from the housekeeping gene. Finally, Liquid Chromatography (Time-Of-Flight) Mass Spectrometry [LC-(TOF-)MS(/MS)] revealed variability in mycotoxin production profiles among the different phylogenetic species investigated in this study.This work was supported by the EU project EC KBBE-2007-222690-2 MYCORED

Pioglitazone Represents an Effective Therapeutic Target in Preventing Oxidative/Inflammatory Cochlear Damage Induced by Noise Exposure

Recent progress in hearing loss research has provided strong evidence for the imbalance of cellular redox status and inflammation as common predominant mechanisms of damage affecting the organ of Corti including noise induced hearing loss. The discovery of a protective molecule acting on both mechanisms is challenging. The thiazolidinediones, a class of antidiabetic drugs including pioglitazone and rosiglitazone, have demonstrated diverse pleiotrophic effects in many tissues where they exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, tissue protective effects and regulators of redox balance acting as agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). They are members of the family of ligand regulated nuclear hormone receptors that are also expressed in several cochlear cell types, including the outer hair cells. In this study, we investigated the protective capacity of pioglitazone in a model of noise-induced hearing loss in Wistar rats and the molecular mechanisms underlying this protective effects. Specifically, we employed a formulation of pioglitazone in a biocompatible thermogel providing rapid, uniform and sustained inner ear drug delivery via transtympanic injection. Following noise exposure (120 dB, 10 kHz, 1 h), different time schedules of treatment were employed: we explored the efficacy of pioglitazone given immediately (1 h) or at delayed time points (24 and 48 h) after noise exposure and the time course and extent of hearing recovery were assessed. We found that pioglitazone was able to protect auditory function at the mid-high frequencies and to limit cell death in the cochlear basal/middle turn, damaged by noise exposure. Immunofluorescence and western blot analysis provided evidence that pioglitazone mediates both anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects by decreasing NF-κB and IL-1β expression in the cochlea and opposing the oxidative damage induced by noise insult. These results suggest that intratympanic pioglitazone can be considered a valid therapeutic strategy for attenuating noise-induced hearing loss and cochlear damage, reducing inflammatory signaling and restoring cochlear redox balance