Characteristics and associated factors of non-suicidal self-injury among Italian young people: A survey through a thematic website

Background and aims The aim of this study is to examine the characteristics of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in a group of young Italians who self-injure. In examining the characteristics, specific attention was given to the feelings and personal experiences associated with episodes of NSSI. Methods The research involved 362 young people (332 females and 30 males) who completed an online survey hosted on a website specifically geared to supporting young people who self-injure. This methodology enabled involving a diverse population of young people who self-injure, thus going beyond specific groups or clinical samples. Results Results show that the majority of respondents start injuring themselves between the ages of 12 and 16 years (72.38%, n = 262). Cutting was the most common self-injuring method (81.77%, n = 297). The 79.83% (n = 289) of respondents had not sought professional help for their wounds, preferring to care for their wounds on their own. More than half of the respondents (56.91%, n = 206) claimed to have experienced anxiety-spectrum disorders and almost half of the respondents (41.71%, n = 151) claimed to have experienced some type of eating disorder. Discussion and Conclusions Many similarities have been found between this study and the literature, thus strengthening the hypothesis that NSSI is becoming a universal issue with similar characteristics across countries

Simulation of a trust and reputation based mitigation protocol for a black hole style attack on VANETs

From a security standpoint, VANETs (Vehicular ad hoc Networks) are vulnerable to attacks by malicious users, due to the decentralized and open nature of the wireless system. For many of these kinds of attacks detection is unfeasible, thus making it hard to produce security. Despite their characterization as dynamically reconfigurable networks, it is nonetheless essential to identify topology and population properties that can optimise mitigation protocols’ deployment. In this paper, we provide an algorithmic definition and simulation of a trust and mitigation based protocol to contain a Black Hole style attack on a VANET. We experimentally show its optimal working conditions: total connectivity, followed by a random network; connection to external networks; early deployment of the protocol and ranking of the message. We compare results with those of existing protocols and future work shall focus on repeated broadcasting, opportunistic message forwarding and testing on real data

Metal-catalyzed oxidation of human serum albumin: conformational and functional changes. Implications in protein aging

Abstract Mild oxidative stress, as elicited by ascorbate, oxygen, and trace metals, affects the binding properties of human serum albumin via purely conformational changes. In fact, no gross alteration can be observed in the electrophoretic and chromatographic patterns of albumin, whereas localized modifications are indicated by the changes in absorption and fluorescence spectra and in polarization degree. The oxidized protein presents a small increase of bityrosine production and a time-dependent increase in the content of carbonyl groups, whereas proteolytic susceptibility is unchanged. A higher affinity for cis-parinaric acid and a slight loss of solubility in high salt indicate a greater surface hydrophobicity. Pinpoint denaturation of the albumin molecule is also suggested by a decreased "esterase" activity in the presence of p-nitrophenyl acetate. Conformational stability evaluated through thermal shock and addition of moderate amounts of guanidine indicate that the oxidized protein is more heat-resistant, less flexible, and more rigid than the native one. Although limited, structural damages afforded by the oxidative stress cause alterations of albumin binding properties as documented by experiments with probes and physiological ligands. The loss of biological activity of human serum albumin induced by ascorbate system appears of medical relevance, because it can affect drug metabolism and particularly drug tolerance in the elderly

Luciano Giuliani (1928-1994): Great master and founding father of modern italian urology

Luciano Giuliani was born near Arezzo, in Tuscany (Italy) in 1928. After taking his Degree cum Laude in Medicine and Surgery at the University of Florence in 1951, he became a voluntary assistant at the Institute of General Clinical Surgery and Surgical Therapy. He then took a diploma in Urology and General Surgery, having demonstrated his great technical and surgical ability, and was subsequently appointed assistant in charge and then extraordinary assistant. Endowed with uncommon surgical skills and a forceful personality, Giuliani tirelessly carried out his clinical and surgical activity, covering several roles and rapidly earning profound esteem and recognition in the field of urology. As a pupil of the great luminary of Italian surgery, Ulrico Bracci, Dr Giuliani keenly followed his master, embracing his teachings and surgical techniques, until 1969, when he was appointed to run the 2nd Urology Division at San Martino Hospital in Genoa. He subsequently took up the chair of Urology at the University of Genoa and became Director of the Specialty School in Urology. Within a few years, he earned a solid reputation both nationally and internationally through his innovative surgical techniques. He also gave considerable impetus to the Genoese School of Urology, reaching the highest echelons of the Italian and European Societies of Urology. At the beginning of the 1990s, he designed and founded a new urology clinic in Genoa; this imposing, avant-garde building was subdivided into four floors and equipped with 80 beds. In July 1994, he won the prestigious “Willy Grégoir Medal”, an accolade awarded to eminent personalities in European urology. In August of the same year, he died in the Institute that he himself had created at San Martino Hospital in Genoa

P2Y1 receptor switches to neurons from glia in juvenile versus neonatal rat cerebellar cortex

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the CNS, several P2 receptors for extracellular nucleotides are identified on neurons and glial cells to participate to neuron-neuron, glia-glia and glia-neuron communication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this work, we describe the cellular and subcellular presence of metabotropic P2Y₁receptor in rat cerebellum at two distinct developmental ages, by means of immunofluorescence-confocal and electron microscopy as well as western blotting and direct membrane separation techniques. At postnatal day 21, we find that P2Y₁receptor in addition to Purkinje neurons, is abundant on neuronal specializations identified as noradrenergic by anatomical, morphological and biochemical features. P2Y₁receptor immunoreactivity colocalizes with dopamine β-hydroxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, neurofilament light chain, synaptophysin and flotillin, but not with glial fibrillary acidic protein for astrocytes. P2Y₁receptor is found enriched in membrane microdomains such as lipid rafts, in cerebellar synaptic vesicles, and is moreover visualized on synaptic varicosities by electron microscopy analysis. When examined at postnatal day 7, P2Y₁receptor immunoreactivity is instead predominantly expressed only on Bergmann and astroglial cells, as shown by colocalization with glial fibrillary acidic protein rather then neuronal markers. At this age, we moreover identify that P2Y₁receptor-positive Bergmann fibers wrap up doublecortin-positive granule cells stretching along them, while migrating through the cerebellar layers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Membrane components including purinergic receptors are already known to mediate cellular contact and aggregation in platelets. Our results suggesting a potential role for P2Y₁protein in cell junction/communication and development, are totally innovative for the CNS.</p

DRUDIT: web-based DRUgs DIscovery Tools to design small molecules as modulators of biological targets.

Abstract Motivation New in silico tools to predict biological affinities for input structures are presented. The tools are implemented in the DRUDIT (DRUgs DIscovery Tools) web service. The DRUDIT biological finder module is based on molecular descriptors that are calculated by the MOLDESTO (MOLecular DEScriptors TOol) software module developed by the same authors, which is able to calculate more than one thousand molecular descriptors. At this stage, DRUDIT includes 250 biological targets, but new external targets can be added. This feature extends the application scope of DRUDIT to several fields. Moreover, two more functions are implemented: the multi- and on/off-target tasks. These tools applied to input structures allow for predicting the polypharmacology and evaluating the collateral effects. Results The applications described in the article show that DRUDIT is able to predict a single biological target, to identify similarities among biological targets, and to discriminate different target isoforms. The main advantages of DRUDIT for the scientific community lie in its ease of use by worldwide scientists and the possibility to be used also without specific, and often expensive, hardware and software. In fact, it is fully accessible through the WWW from any device to perform calculations. Just a click or a tap can start tasks to predict biological properties for new compounds or repurpose drugs, lead compounds, or unsuccessful compounds. To date, DRUDIT is supported by four servers each able to execute 8 jobs simultaneously. Availability and implementation The web service is accessible at the www.drudit.com URL and its use is free of charge. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Analisi e progettazione di un sistema di misure quantitative per il monitoraggio dei rischi finanziari delle garanzie di origine.

Lo scopo che si prefigge questo lavoro \ue8 quello di analizzare il mercato emergente delle Garanzie d\u2019Origine (GO), con particolare riferimento alla gestione dei rischi ad esse associati. Malgrado negli ultimi anni i volumi scambiati di queste certificazioni elettroniche abbiano segnato un incremento significativo, i mercati ad esse associati continuano ad essere poco trasparenti ed incompleti, per cui le informazioni e i dati a disposizione risultano essere molto limitati. A questo proposito, in letteratura non esiste quasi nessuno studio di riferimento, n\ue9 tantomeno una specifica normativa per la valutazione del rischio associato a tali strumenti. Questo lavoro suggerisce un possibile approccio alla gestione dei rischi associati alle GO che pu\uf2 costituire un utile riferimento per gli operatori che negoziano tali strumenti. A tal fine saranno presentate diverse tecniche di stima dei rischi di mercato, di liquidit\ue0 e di controparte che non devono essere considerate tra loro alternative, ma parti integranti di un approccio pi\uf9 generale. Poich\ue9 le serie storiche a disposizione sono brevi e caratterizzate da prezzi costanti per lunghi intervalli temporali, si intende proporre metodologie quantitative volte a valutare e gestire, in modo prudenziale, i principali rischi non sempre trattabili con approcci convenzionali

Integration of HVSR measures and stratigraphic constraints for seismic microzonation studies: the case of Oliveri (ME)

Because of its high seismic hazard the urban area of Oliveri has been subject of first level seismic microzonation. The town develops on a large coastal plain made of mixed fluvial/marine sediments, overlapping a complexly deformed substrate. In order to identify points on the area probably suffering relevant site effects and define a preliminary Vs subsurface model for the first level of microzonation, we performed 23 HVSR measurements. A clustering technique of continuous signals has been used to optimize the calculation of the HVSR curves. 42 reliable peaks of the H/V spectra in the frequency range 0.6–10 Hz have been identified. A second clustering technique has been applied to the set of 42 vectors, containing Cartesian coordinates, central frequency and amplitude of each peak to identify subsets which can be attributed to continuous spatial phenomena. The algorithm has identified three main clusters that cover significant parts of the territory of Oliveri. The HVSR data inversion has been constrained by stratigraphic data of a borehole. To map the trend of the roof of the seismic bedrock, from the complete set of model parameters only the depth of the seismic interface that generates peaks fitting those belonging to two clusters characterized by lower frequency has been extracted

On-board centralized system tor regulating the pressure of the tyres of a motor-vehicle

An on-board centralized system for regulating the pressure of the tyres of a motor-vehicle. Tue system comprises a source of pressurized air (lOl), two toroidal pneumatic rotary joints (T) each associated to a driving wheel (W) ofthe motor-vehicle, and a circuit that sets in communication the source of pressurized air (I O l) with an inlet fitting of each pneumatic rotary joint (T). Tue output member of the constant-velocity joint (J) and the wheel spindle (7) have an internal duct (65) for passage of air, connected on one side to the respective pneumatic rotary joint (T) and on the other side to a plenum (P) of the respective driving wheel (W). Each non-driving wheel (WR) has its wheel spindle ( 46) traversed by an axial bare for the passage of air, connected on one side to the air-supply circuit via a pneumatic rotary joint (TR) and on the other side to a plenum (PR) of the non-driving wheel (WR), which is in turn connected to the inner chamber (C) of the tyre. Each driving wheel or non-driving wheel has its plenum (P, PR) connected to the inner chamber (C) of the tyre via two parallel lines (L2, L3), for deflating and inflating, respectively, the tyre interposed in which are respective one-way valves (28, 32). Tue one-way valve (28) on the deflation line is provided with a return spring (30), which guarantees a pre-set minimum value of he pressure of the inner chamber (C) of the tyre

Design and Synthesis of Novel Thieno[3,2-c]quinoline Compounds with Antiproliferative Activity on RET-Dependent Medullary Thyroid Cancer Cells

RET kinase gain-of-function mutations represent the main cause of the high aggressiveness and invasiveness of medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The selective inhibition of the RET kinase is a suitable strategy for the treatment of this endocrine neoplasia. Herein, we performed an innovative ligand-based virtual screening protocol using the DRUDITonline web service, focusing on the RET kinase as a biological target. In this process, thieno[3,2-c]quinolines 6a-e and 7a-e were proposed as new potential RET inhibitors. The selected compounds were synthetized by appropriate synthetic strategies, and in vitro evaluation of antiproliferative properties conducted on the particularly aggressive MTC cell line TT(C634R) identified compounds 6a-d as promising anticancer agents, with IC50 values in the micromolar range. Further structure-based computational studies revealed a significant capability of the most active compounds to the complex RET tyrosine kinase domain. The interesting antiproliferative results supported by in silico predictions suggest that these compounds may represent a starting point for the development of a new series of small heterocyclic molecules for the treatment of MTC