I prefetti urbani di Roma tra il 423 ed il 599 d.C.: un'analisi prosopografica. I prefetti urbani dell'età di Valentiniano III (425-455)

La ricerca ha come finalità quella di condurre un'analisi prosopografica dei prefetti urbani dell'età di Valentiniano III attraverso il vaglio delle fonti epigrafiche, letterarie e giuridiche, che mettano in luce le competenze edilizie e processuali detenute da tali funzionari

The Biological Role and Translational Implications of the Long Non-Coding RNA GAS5 in Breast Cancer

: The lncRNA GAS5 plays a significant role in tumorigenicity and progression of breast cancer (BC). In this review, we first summarize the role of GAS5 in cell biology, focusing on its expression data in human normal tissues. We present data on GAS5 expression in human BC tissues, highlighting its downregulation in all major BC classes. The main findings regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying GAS5 dysregulation are discussed, including DNA hypermethylation of the CpG island located in the promoter region of the gene. We focused on the action of GAS5 as a miRNA sponge, which is able to sequester microRNAs and modulate the expression levels of their mRNA targets, particularly those involved in cell invasion, apoptosis, and drug response. In the second part, we highlight the translational implications of GAS5 in BC. We discuss the current knowledge on the role of GAS5 as candidate prognostic factor, a responsive molecular therapeutic target, and a circulating biomarker in liquid biopsies with clinical importance in BC. The findings position GAS5 as a promising druggable biomolecule and stimulate the development of strategies to restore its expression levels for novel therapeutic approaches that could benefit BC patients in the future

Introduzione e diffusione in Italia di animali esotici dal Nuovo Mondo: il caso del tacchino (Meleagris gallopavo L.)

EnThe turkey (Meleagris gallopavo L.) was imported most likely from America to Spain in 1511, as evidenced by a document dated to the 24th October of the same year and signed by the Bishop of Valencia, which required every ship to transport ten breeding turkeys, half males and half females, from the Islands and Tierra Firme to Seville. The bird arrived in Italy in 1520, when a couple of turkeys, one male and one white female, was sent as a gift from the Bishop of Hispaniola Geraldini to the Cardinal of Rome Pucci. Instead the first iconographic document of this bird could be represented by the stucco made for the decoration of the Loggia of Vatican, Rome. Later, in the mid-16th century, numerous sumptuary laws prohibited the sale and consumption of turkeys in northern Italy. In the last years the discoveries of turkey remains from archaeological excavations dated to 16th-17th centuries have been numerous highlighting a slow but a gradual spread of this bird in Italy.ItIl tacchino (Meleagris gallopavo L.) fu importato, con ogni probabilità, dall’America in Spagna nel 1511 come attesta un documento, del 24 ottobre dello stesso anno, firmato dal vescovo di Valencia che imponeva ad ogni nave di trasportare dalle Isole e dalla Tierra Firme a Siviglia, dieci tacchini da riproduzione, metà maschi e metà femmine. In Italia, invece, giunse nel 1520 quando una coppia di tacchini, un maschio e una femmina bianca, fu inviata come regalo dal vescovo di Hispaniola Geraldini al cardinale Pucci a Roma. Invece una delle prime testimonianze iconografiche potrebbe essere rappresentata dagli stucchi realizzati nelle Logge Vaticane. In seguito, nella metà del XVI secolo, numerose leggi suntuarie i Italia settentrionale proibirono la vendita e il consumo di tacchini. Infine in questi ultimi anni numerosi sono stati i rinvenimenti di resti di tacchino (Meleagris gallopavo L.) negli scavi archeologici di diversi contesti del XVI- XVII secolo che delineano una lenta ma progressiva diffusione di questo volatile in Italia

Balancing social and economic impacts of nature-based solutions for storm water management = Équilibrer les impacts sociaux et économiques des solutions écologiques pour la gestion des eaux pluviales

FR: Les espaces verts et bleus sont mis sous pression alors que les zones urbaines se densifient, sedéveloppent et évoluent. Pourtant, il est avéré que ces espaces fournissent des servicesécosystémiques essentiels - dont la gestion des eaux de ruissellement (inondations), la constructiond'abris pour la faune et la flore (biodiversité) et l'amélioration du cadre de vie (esthétique et récréatif).Ces solutions basées sur l'ingénierie écologique pour des risques d'inondation sont une priorité pourla recherche et dans l'agenda politique européen. La mise en place de ces solutions peut toutefoisconduire à la gentrification des quartiers, où une demande accrue immobilière des ménages àrevenus plus élevés conduit à une augmentation des valeurs immobilières et au déplacement desménages à faible revenu. Cette étude vise à évaluer et à comparer les impacts sociaux etéconomiques des solutions écologiques dans un projet de requalification urbaine à La Confluence(Lyon, France), en utilisant un modèle de simulation hédonique (SULD). Les résultats montrent troisgrandes tendances en ce qui concerne la mise en place de ces solutions dans les paysages urbains:i) l'augmentation de la densité de population, ii) l'augmentation des prix de l'immobilier, et iii) lechangement dans les modes de distribution démographiques. Ces effets de gentrification peuvent êtreatténués par, entre autres, la requalification simultanée des grandes infrastructures routières quipeuvent réduire les déplacements des ménages à faible revenu.Urban green and blue spaces are put under pressure as urban areas grow, develop and evolve. It isincreasingly recognized, however, that green/blue spaces provide critical ecosystem services -including regulating (flood control), habitat (biodiversity) and cultural (aesthetic and recreational)services. These so-called nature-based solutions for flood risk adaptation are a key priority on theEuropean research and policy agenda, given their contribution to welfare and human well-being. Theestablishment of nature-based solutions may, however, lead to gentrification where increased realestate demand from higher-income households leads to increased real estate values and thedisplacement of lower-income households. This paper aims to assess and compare the social andeconomic impacts of nature-based solutions in an urban-requalification project in the Confluence(Lyon, France), using the Sustainable Urbanizing Landscape Development (SULD) hedonic pricingsimulation model. Results show three major tendencies regarding the establishment of nature-basedsolutions in urban landscapes: i) population densities increase, ii) real estate values rise, and iii)demographic distribution patterns change. These gentrification effects may be dampened by, amongstothers, the simultaneous requalification of major road infrastructure that leads to reduceddisplacement of lower-income households

Plasmatic microRNA levels by ddPCR as peripheral biomarkers for IDH-wild type glioblastomas: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent malignant brain tumour in adults with a dismal prognosis and peripheral biomarkers may be useful and effective in managing patients with GBM. The main aim of our study was the use of ddPCR to assess the absolute quantification of the plasmatic levels of three miRNAs as possible GBM-specific biomarkers. We focused on: miR-21-5p, an onco-miR overexpressed in blood, tumour tissue and cell cultures derived from patients affected by GBM, miR-23b-3p and miR-34a-5p, tumour suppressor miRs dysregulated in GMB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients presenting with firstly-diagnosed IDH-wild type GBM and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy control donors (hC) have been enrolled in the study. Peripheral blood samples were collected at diagnosis and one month after surgery. Total RNA was isolated from plasma by means of miRNeasy Serum/Plasma Kit (Qiagen), according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) was performed to assess the absolute quantification of each miRNA level according to the QX200 ddPCR protocol. RESULTS: The expression analysis revealed: i) different levels of each miRNA in hC: 98.74 copies/L (±123.60), 2.56 copies/L (±5.57), 0.73 copies/L (±0.85) for miR-21-5p, miR-23b-3p and miR-34a-5p, respectively; ii) a trend of downregulation of miR-21-5p and miR-23b-3p in GMB patients at diagnosis compared to hC; iii) a trend of upregulation of each miRNA in GMB patients one month after surgery compared with the levels measured at diagnosis, in particular 3.02, 6.2 and 1.7 fold increase for miR-21-5p, miR-23b-3p and miR-34a-5p, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study we reported higher amounts of circulating miR-21-5p, miR-23b-3p and miR-34a-5p in plasma of patients affected by IDH-wild type GBM one month after surgery compared to the levels at diagnosis

Determination of plasmatic microRNA levels by ddPCR as peripheral biomarkers for IDH-wild type glioblastomas: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent malignant brain tumour in adults with a dismal prognosis. Peripheral biomarkers may be useful and effective in managing patients affected by GBM. The aim of our study was to analyse the plasmatic levels of three miRNAs as possible GBM-specific biomarkers. We focused on miR-21-5p – an onco-miR overexpressed in blood, tumour tissue and cell cultures derived from patients affected by GBM – miR-23b-3p – overexpressed in GBM, especially under hypoxic conditions – and miR-34a-5p – a tumour suppressor miR downregulated in tumour tissue and serum of patients with GBM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eight patients presenting with firstly-diagnosed IDH-wild type GBM and 10 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers (hV) have been enrolled in the study. Peripheral blood samples were collected at diagnosis and one month after surgery. Total RNA was isolated from plasma by means of miRNeasy Serum/Plasma Kit (Qiagen), according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Digital droplet PCR (ddPCR) was performed for each miRNA according to the QX200 EvaGreen ddPCR protocol. RESULTS: The circulating concentrations of miR-21-5p were in mean 24.00 (28.44) and 72.40 (147.88) copies/L in patients with GBM at diagnosis and one month after surgery (p=0.38), respectively, compared with 98.74 copies/L ( 123.60) quantified in hV (p=0.09; p=0.69). The mean peripheral levels of miR-23b-3p were 0.49 copies/L (0.49) at diagnosis and 3.02 copies/L (6.88) one month after surgery (p=0.32) in patients with GBM, and 2.56 copies/L (5.57) in hV (p=0.31; p=0.88). Analysing plasmatic expression of miR-34a-5p, 1.11 (1.55) and 1.85 copies/L (1.87) were measured on average at diagnosis and one month after surgery in patients with GBM (p=0.41), while 0.73 copies/L (0.85) in hV (p=0.52; p=0.11). CONCLUSIONS: We preliminarily reported higher concentrations of circulating miR-21-5p, miR-23b-3p and miR-34a-5p in plasma of patients affected by IDH-wild type GBM one month after surgery compared to the levels at diagnosis