L'innovazione nelle piccole e medie imprese: il ruolo dei Centri per il Servizio di Trasferimento Tecnologico nell'Area Vasta Costiera Toscana.

Dopo un primo studio sull'importanza dell'open innovation per le piccole e medie imprese. Si analizza nel dettaglio il ruolo che i Centri per l'Innovazione e il Trasferimento Tecnologico possono avere nei confronti delle imprese (PMI) ma anche nei confronti dei centri di ricerca pubblici. Segue successivamente una ricerca empirica sui Centri per il Servizio di Trasferimento Tecnologico nell'Area Vasta Costiera Toscana

Clinical Evaluation of a Custom Gene Panel as a Tool for Precision Male Infertility Diagnosis by Next-Generation Sequencing

Background: Up to 15% of couples are infertile and male factor infertility accounts for approximately 50% of these cases. Male infertility is a multifactorial pathological condition. The genetic of male infertility is very complex and at least 2000 genes are involved in its etiology. Genetic testing by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies can be relevant for its diagnostic value in male infertile patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to implement the diagnostic offer with the use of an NGS panel for the identification of genetic variants. Methods: We developed an NGS gene panel that we used in 22 male infertile patients. The panel consisted of 110 genes exploring the genetic causes of male infertility; namely spermatogenesis failure due to single-gene mutations, central hypogonadism, androgen insensitivity syndrome, congenital hypopituitarism, and primary ciliary dyskinesia. Results: NGS and a subsequent sequencing of the positive pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants, 5 patients (23%) were found to have a molecular defect. In particular, pathogenic variants were identified in TEX11, CCDC39, CHD7, and NR5A1 genes. Moreover, 14 variants of unknown significance and 7 novel variants were found that require further functional studies and family segregation. Conclusion: This extended NGS-based diagnostic approach may represent a useful tool for the diagnosis of male infertility. The development of a custom-made gene panel by NGS seems capable of reducing the proportion of male idiopathic infertility

Association between Type-D Personality and Affective (Anxiety, Depression, Post-traumatic Stress) Symptoms and Maladaptive Coping in Breast Cancer Patients: A Longitudinal Study

Background: Type-D (distressed) personality has not been prospectively explored for its association with psychosocial distress symptoms in breast cancer patients. Objective: The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that Type-D personality can be associated with psychosocial distress variables in cancer over a 2-point period (6 month-follow-up). Aims: The aim of the study was to analyze the role of Type-D personality in relation to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, general distress, and maladaptive coping among cancer patients. Methods: 145 breast cancer patients were assessed within 6 months from diagnosis (T0) and again 6 months later (T1). The Type-D personality Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Depression subscale (HAD-D), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) Anxiety subscale, the Distress Thermometer (DT), the Post-traumatic Symptoms (PTS) Impact of Event Scale (IES), and the Mini Mental Adjustment to Cancer (Mini-MAC) Anxious Preoccupation and Hopelessness scales were individually administered at T0 and T1. Results: One-quarter of cancer patients met the criteria for Type-D personality, which was stable over the follow-up time. The two main constructs of TypeD personality, namely social inhibition (SI) and negative affectivity (NA), were related to anxiety, depression, PTS, BSI-general distress and maladaptive coping (Mini-MAC anxious preoccupation and hopelessness). In regression analysis, Type-D SI was the most significant factor associated with the above-mentioned psychosocial variables, both at T0 and T1. Conclusion: Likewise other medical disorders (especially cardiology), Type-D personality has been confirmed to be a construct significantly related to psychosocial distress conditions and maladaptive coping that are usually part of assessment and intervention in cancer care. More attention to personality issues is important in oncology

Interface formation during the growth of phase change material heterostructures based on Ge-Rich Ge-Sb-Te alloys

In this study, we present a full characterization of the electronic properties of phase change material (PCM) double-layered heterostructures deposited on silicon substrates. Thin films of amorphous Ge-rich Ge-Sb-Te (GGST) alloys were grown by physical vapor deposition on Sb2Te3 and on Ge2Sb2Te5 layers. The two heterostructures were characterized in situ by X-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopies (XPS and UPS) during the formation of the interface between the first and the second layer (top GGST film). The evolution of the composition across the heterostructure interface and information on interdiffusion were obtained. We found that, for both cases, the final composition of the GGST layer was close to Ge2SbTe2 (GST212), which is a thermodynamically favorable off-stoichiometry GeSbTe alloy in the Sb-GeTe pseudobinary of the ternary phase diagram. Density functional theory calculations allowed us to calculate the density of states for the valence band of the amorphous phase of GST212, which was in good agreement with the experimental valence bands measured in situ by UPS. The same heterostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction as a function of the annealing temperature. Differences in the crystallization process are discussed on the basis of the photoemission results

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Lo sguardo che pietrifica. Storia iconografica della Gorgone Medusa dall'antichità al Neoclassicismo.

Il lavoro qui presentato, volto alla produzione di una tesi di laurea magistrale per la classe LM-89, intende ricostruire il percorso iconografico della Gorgone Medusa nei secoli, seguendo una linea di ricerca anche iconologica e antropologica. L’analisi prende corpo dal periodo arcaico greco (VIII-V sec. a.C), epoca in cui la Gorgone è generalmente conosciuta come mostro terrificante dal potere mortifero, il cui sguardo segna il limitare tra morti e vivi nel regno dell’Ade, di cui è guardiana (Omero, Odissea); è in questo periodo che inizia ad essere indossata come egida: la figura mostruosa e anguicrinita di Medusa assume un potere di protezione per chi la indossa, e terrore motivato per chi la osserva (Omero, Iliade). Nella Teogonia di Esiodo, primo poeta a informarci sulla sua genealogia, troviamo la triplicazione dell’originario mostro nelle persone di Medusa, che rimane la Gorgone per eccellenza, Steno, e di Euriale; vedremo anche come questa triplicità derivi dall’antica tendenza, attiva in suolo greco, di formare triadi per figure mitologiche femminili, come le Cariti, le Furie, e le Graie. Sul piano iconografico, non solo verranno analizzati i primi gorgoneia, effigie apotropaiche della Gorgone, ma verranno ricercate anche le loro origini presso altre culture, mettendo nero su bianco le varie ipotesi di derivazione iconografica. In ordine cronologico, lo studio passerà ad analizzare l’età classica, epoca in cui il racconto mitico subirà importanti sviluppi, soprattutto per quanto concerne l’impresa di Perseo; in questo periodo iniziano ad essere descritti maggiori dettagli (Fericide di Atene, Genealogie; Pindaro, Pitiche), come ad esempio il viaggio che compie l’eroe prima di arrivare nel luogo in cui risiedono le Gorgoni, la sua alleanza con Atena e Ermes, gli “attrezzi magici” che egli avrà per affrontare Medusa, e le tattiche che userà per arrivare a decollarla, tutte caratteristiche che poi ritroveremo nell’iconografia dell’epoca, in particolar modo su ceramiche, nelle quali anche l’aspetto delle sorelle Gorgoni subirà un radicale cambiamento: non verranno più rappresentate come mostri ripugnanti, ma saranno mostrate più umane e femminili, spesso addormentate, creature quasi vulnerabili, vittime di Perseo. In età ellenistica e romana la triade scompare e Medusa verrà descritta come una giovane affascinante, dall’aspetto attraente e amabile (Apollidoro, Biblioteca; Ovidio, Le Metamorfosi), ma al tempo stesso enigmatica, il cui volto oscilla sempre tra opposte forze, sorridente o malinconico; in questo periodo la simbologia la vede legata al tema della metamorfosi, ed in particolar modo al suo potere creativo, ma distruttivo allo stesso tempo, che esercita tramite il suo sguardo pietrificante. La Gorgone, durante questo ampio periodo, subirà un completo rinnovamento iconografico: da gigantesca diviene sempre più piccola, e sempre più verrà utilizzata come motivo decorativo; non verrà più raffigurata intera, ma ci si concentrerà sulla sua testa, parte in cui risiedono tutte le caratteristiche essenziali della sua iconografia; è come se venisse “addomesticata”, ed i suoi poteri venissero strumentalizzati, divenendo simbolo di un potere dominato. In età romana, Medusa viene perfino voltata di tre quarti rispetto all’osservatore, ed il suo sguardo, ormai non più diretto, perderà il suo potere, facendo diventare la Gorgone oggetto che viene osservato; in questo periodo torna ad essere letta come simbolo apotropaico e profilattico, in quanto riapparirà sottoforma di gorgoneion su tombe decorate anche con festoni floreali, dando all’effigie un valore di fecondità e rinnovamento. Durante il Medioevo, la strategia di cancellazione ed espulsione delle divinità pagane dall’immaginario collettivo si manifestò tanto su un piano iconografico, quanto su un piano letterario. Spesso, per non eliminare del tutto la vasta produzione classica degli antichi, furono utilizzati svariati metodi di occultamento, dei quali, il più usato fu la moralizzazione di tutto ciò che non fosse derivato dagli insegnamenti delle Sacre Scritture. Medusa, in questo contesto, sembra essere dimenticata: a lei sembrano esser preferiti altri esseri fantastici, spesso striscianti. Ma in realtà, la Gorgone viene smembrata, ed i suoi connotati saranno usati per formare proprio quei mostri terrificanti dei quali l’epoca medievale è affascinata. Medusa sarà citata da Dante nel Canto IX dell’Inferno: fisicamente non appare, ma in lei viene riconosciuto il peccato massimo, quello che pietrifica l’anima e conduce all’inazione spirituale, facendo precludere ogni via di liberazione. In questo periodo sarà letta anche come simbolo del Vizio, e verrà descritta come donna tentatrice, colei che fa perdere la retta via agli uomini virtuosi. Nel Rinascimento Medusa ritorna a pieno titolo come una delle figure mitologiche più affascinanti, sprigionando tutta la sua potenza icastica, inizialmente come attributo di Minerva o come motivo decorativo, presente anche in contesti sacri, e successivamente come figura a sé stante, cambiamento dovuto molto probabilmente a Leonardo da Vinci, il quale la rappresentò in un’opera ad oggi perduta. In questo periodo si assistette anche ad un vero e proprio ritorno della Gorgone come figura scelta per decorare armi e armature, in particolare modo in contesto lombardo, dove fu vasta la produzione di scudi con questo motivo decorativo. La figura di Medusa affascinerà in maniera sostanziale anche la famiglia fiorentina più importante del Rinascimento, quella dei Medici, i cui membri più famosi furono accaniti collezionisti di opere d’arte tra le più significative legate alla Gorgone, la cui immagine simboleggiava potenza e potere supremo. Rinascimento come vero e proprio momento di resurrezione per questa figura mitologica, la cui icona potente e seducente, in costante equilibrio precario tra fascino e orrore, ammalierà artisti e collezionisti anche nei secoli avvenire, diventando allegoria dell’Invidia, peccato organicamente legato allo sguardo, fino ad attraversare nei secoli varie categorie estetiche, tra le più indagate quelle di Bello e di Sublime. I più grandi artisti si misureranno con il mito di Medusa, stampando la sua bellezza ambivalente e la sua chioma anguicrinita nell’immaginario occidentale, rendendola eterna: dal già citato Leonardo da Vinci a Caravaggio e Rubens, da Bernini a Canova, molti daranno forza ad un mito durato ventisette secoli, e che ancora oggi assilla l’immaginazione degli uomini

Antioxidant activity of propolis in oil-in-water emulsion

In this work, it has been developed an appropriate soybean oil-in-water emulsion system to study the antioxidant activity of different type of propolis extracts. Emulsions were stored at room temperature and under magnetic stirring for the entire period of analysis (10 days). Lipid hydroperoxides were measured according to the method described by Shantha and Decker.1 The secondary oxidation products were determined as TBARS according to the method described by McDonald and Hultin.2 The surface of the emulsion droplets was varied by using different surfactants, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) is an anionic emulsifier, whereas Tween 80 and Brij 35 are non ionic surfactants. The Tween 80-stabilized emulsion oxidation rate is lower than Brij 35 and SDS emulsions. Besides, the Tween 80 emulsion resulted to be more stable then the others and it was used to determine the effects of pH on lipid oxidation. The lipid oxidation rate of the Tween 80-stabilized emulsion was tested at pH 3.0 and 7.0. Oxidation rate increases with decreasing pH and the oxidation rate at pH 3.0 is more desirable since the oxidation rate at pH 7.0 is too much low. As a consequence, the Tween 80-stabilized emulsion at pH 3.0 has been chosen for our purpose. For each propolis extract (ethanolic, acetonic, chloroformic, etheric), 3 oil-in-water emulsions were prepared by adding 0.06 ml, 0.27 ml and 1 ml of extract into the oil phase. All the extracts show antioxidant activity which, in all cases except for the acetonic one, tends to increase with increasing the extract content. Instead, the ethanolic extract used at low level presents an evident pro-oxidant effect. The lowest content of acetonic extract is the most active as antioxidant

Classification of Italian propolis by HR-NMR: influence of different production techniques

Propolis, a complex resinous substance collected by bees, has been known for its healing properties. It has various biological activities related to the chemical composition which varies according to its variety, the geographical source and also the method of harvest. The influence of the method of production on the composition and the properties of propolis seems to be related with the recognized behavior of the bees that cover the smooth and narrow surfaces, as the thin space created by the wedges, with propolis that is purer and richer in balsams, whereas they use the propolis mixed with major amount of waxes to cover the irregular surfaces of the beehive or the plastic nets used for the propolis production. Considering the widespread use of propolis products and the increased interest concerning the characterization of chemical composition, the present study was conducted to evaluate if the HR-NMR used as chemical fingerprint analysis coupled with multivariate statistical methods is able to classify poplar propolis according to the method of harvest and to gain extra knowledge concerning the fingerprint of propolis. In this regard, 60 raw propolis collected with different methods by several local beekeepers and by CRA-API (Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura-Istituto Nazionale di Apicoltura e Bachicoltura) (Bologna, Italy) were extracted with ethanol and, before performing the NMR experiments, were analyzed for quantification of the main bioactive substances of poplar type propolis (total phenolics, total flavones and flavonols, total flavanones and dihydroflavonols) and balsams, to confirm the poplar source. The ethanolic propolis extracts were analyzed by HR-NMR using both 1H NMR and HMBC. Spectral data were analyzed by application of multivariate statistical techniques (FA and GDA). The best results were obtained using the 1H NMR which enabled to develope a sufficiently effective and appropriate model

Use of HS-SPME-GC-MS for the classification of Italian lemon, orange and citrus spp. honeys

Volatile compounds from 90 Italian citrus honeys of different varieties (lemon, Citrus limon (L.)30 Burm., orange, Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck, and citrus, Citrus spp.), 30 provided by CRA-API31 (Consiglio per la Ricerca e la Sperimentazione in Agricoltura-Unità di ricerca di apicoltura e32 bachicoltura) (Bologna, Italy) and 60 purchased on the local markets, were analysed in order to33 classify them according to the characteristic aroma profiles. The HS-SPME-GC method previously34 developed and validated in our laboratory was applied. Factor Analysis and General Discriminant35 Analysis were carried out on peaks and intensity data for the honey samples classification.36 Statistical analyses revealed a good separation between honey samples, the best model indeed37 shows a 66.5% of total variance explained by the first canonical function (CF1) and a predictive38 capacity of 78.9%. The most significant compounds responsible for the observed separation were39 assigned to lilacaldehyde isomers, 1-p-menthen-9-al isomers, dill ether, limonene, limonen-10-ol40 and undecanal