CHARACTERISTICS OF INTERNET USE AMONGST ITALIAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Background: Problematic Internet use (PIU), that may be defined as the inability to control one’s use of Internet with negative consequences in daily life, is an emerging problem involving primarily, but not only young generations. Different studies have shown that students are particularly vulnerable to PIU. Given the paucity of information on PIU in our country, the aim of this paper was at investigating the characteristics of PIU amongst Italian University students. Subjects and methods: A self-assessment questionnaire, referred by the acronym QUNT (“Questionario sull’Utilizzo delle Nuove Tecnologie”), composed by 101 items grouped together to identify a series of factors, was developed and sent through e-mail invitation to several students from three Italian Universities. Results: The returned questionnaires were 3324, out of a total of 51,304 sent, with no difference between the two sexes. On the contrary, the distribution of the QUNT factors was different in the two sexes, in people living alone and in overweight subjects. Men resulted to be more involved in online recreational activities, whereas women seemed more attracted to instant messaging and generally to social networks. PIU was significantly more present in men than women. The comparisons of QUNT factor scores in the four BMI categories showed that the greater the BMI the greater the score of some factors. Conclusions: The findings of the present study indicate that the use of Internet through new technologies may exceed its real utility amongst Italian university student, with some sex-related differences. Men seem more prone to use Internet for passing time and women for social relationships. Men are also at risk of developing PIU. Again, Internet use might be a basic vulnerability factor of increasing weight gain and obesity amongst young people

Molecular and antigenic characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi TolT proteins

Background: TolT was originally described as a Trypanosoma cruzi molecule that accumulated on the trypomastigote flagellum bearing similarity to bacterial TolA colicins receptors. Preliminary biochemical studies indicated that TolT resolved in SDS-PAGE as ~3–5 different bands with sizes between 34 and 45 kDa, and that this heterogeneity could be ascribed to differences in polypeptide glycosylation. However, the recurrent identification of TolT-deduced peptides, and variations thereof, in trypomastigote proteomic surveys suggested an intrinsic TolT complexity, and prompted us to undertake a thorough reassessment of this antigen. Methods/Principle findings: Genome mining exercises showed that TolT constitutes a larger-than-expected family of genes, with at least 12 polymorphic members in the T. cruzi CL Brener reference strain and homologs in different trypanosomes. According to structural features, TolT deduced proteins could be split into three robust groups, termed TolT-A, TolT-B, and TolT-C, all of them showing marginal sequence similarity to bacterial TolA proteins and canonical signatures of surface localization/membrane association, most of which were herein experimentally validated. Further biochemical and microscopy-based characterizations indicated that this grouping may have a functional correlate, as TolT-A, TolT-B and TolT-C molecules showed differences in their expression profile, sub-cellular distribution, post-translational modification(s) and antigenic structure. We finally used a recently developed fluorescence magnetic beads immunoassay to validate a recombinant protein spanning the central and mature region of a TolT-B deduced molecule for Chagas disease serodiagnosis. Conclusion/Significance: This study unveiled an unexpected genetic and biochemical complexity within the TolT family, which could be exploited for the development of novel T. cruzi biomarkers with diagnostic/therapeutic applications.Fil: Lobo, Mabel Maite. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Balouz, Virginia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Melli, Luciano Jorge. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Carlevaro, Giannina Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Cortina, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Camara, María de los Milagros. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Canepa, Gaspar Exequiel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Carmona, Santiago Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Altcheh, Jaime Marcelo. Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Hospital General de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Campetella, Oscar Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Ciocchini, Andres Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Agüero, Fernan Gonzalo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Mucci, Juan Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; ArgentinaFil: Buscaglia, Carlos Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas; Argentin

The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS): Independent validation in a large sample of Italian patients with schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) was developed to address the main limitations of the existing scales for the assessment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The initial validation of the scale by the group involved in its development demonstrated good convergent and discriminant validity, and a factor structure confirming the two domains of negative symptoms (reduced emotional/verbal expression and anhedonia/asociality/avolition). However, only relatively small samples of patients with schizophrenia were investigated. Further independent validation in large clinical samples might be instrumental to the broad diffusion of the scale in clinical research. METHODS: The present study aimed to examine the BNSS inter-rater reliability, convergent/discriminant validity and factor structure in a large Italian sample of outpatients with schizophrenia. RESULTS: Our results confirmed the excellent inter-rater reliability of the BNSS (the intraclass correlation coefficient ranged from 0.81 to 0.98 for individual items and was 0.98 for the total score). The convergent validity measures had r values from 0.62 to 0.77, while the divergent validity measures had r values from 0.20 to 0.28 in the main sample (n=912) and in a subsample without clinically significant levels of depression and extrapyramidal symptoms (n=496). The BNSS factor structure was supported in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms that the BNSS is a promising measure for quantifying negative symptoms of schizophrenia in large multicenter clinical studies

Synthesis of 3,4'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene: A useful intermediate for 3,4'-disubstituted 2,2'-bithiophenes. X-ray molecular structure of 3,4'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene

The first synthesis of 3,4'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene via metal-catalysed cross-coupling between a metallated and a halogenated thiophene derivative is described. An X-ray crystal structure of 3,4'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene is reported, 3,4'-Dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene was converted into corresponding bis(alkylsulfanyl) derivatives through bromine-lithium exchange, followed by reaction with two dialkyl disulfides (Me2S2 or Bu2S2). The H-1 and C-13 NMR data are discussed

INTERNAL-ROTATION AND CONFORMATIONAL PREFERENCES IN 1,2-DIARYL DERIVATIVES OF 1,1,2,2-TETRACHLOROETHANE - A H-1 DNMR AND X-RAY STRUCTURAL STUDY

The title compounds show in their H-1 NMR spectra recorded at room temperature signals of different line-width characteristic of molecules with slow internal rotation around sterically crowded single bonds. From the DNMR study in [H-2(6)]acetone solution of the 4,4'-(compound 1) and 3,3'-bis(benzoic acid) dimethyl ester (compound 2) and of the 3,3'-bispyridine (compound 3) derivative the dynamic parameters of two internal rotation processes, with different energies of activation. were extracted. The internal rotation process with higher energy barrier (Delta G* = 13-14 kcal mol(-1)) was assigned to the anti reversible arrow gauche conformer interconversion, and that with lower energy barrier (Delta G* = 8-9 kcal mol(-1)) to the rotation of aromatic rings around the C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bond in the gauche conformer. The conformer populations measured at low temperature showed that the gauche conformer is the more abundant. The structural features of the conformers of compounds 1-3 were also investigated theoretically at a semi-empirical level with the AM1/MNDO method. The results of these calculations show that the anti conformer is the most stable one, yet the gauche form has higher polarity and this result could explain the increase of the gauche population in polar solvents. For compound 3 calculations were extended to the whole energy hypersurface having as coordinates the angles of rotation around the central C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)) and C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bonds. The theoretical free-energies of activation, even if largely underestimated, show that the barriers for the different internal processes follow the order: barrier for rotation around the C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)) bond > barrier for rotation around the C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bond in the gauche conformer > barrier for rotation around the C(sp(3))-C(sp(2)) bond in the anti conformer. This order fits the trend of the first two barriers. experimentally determined. For compound 3 and for the 4,4'-bisbenzonitrile (compound 4) derivative, the crystal and molecular structure was obtained from X-ray analysis: the molecules have crystallographically dictated 1 symmetry with perfectly staggered anti conformation. Longer C-Cl bond lengths and smaller Cl-C-Cl bond angles than those present in structurally similar compounds indicate steric crowding around the C(sp(3))-C(sp(3)) bond. Solid state conformations are in excellent agreement with the calculated ground-state rotational structure of these molecules

Il meridionalismo fra "onnipotenza burocratica" e "rinascimento liberale"

La concezione del liberalismo "individualista" \ue8 alla base di alcuni settori della cultura politica del meridione e, col tempo, prendendo il sopravvento sul liberalismo idealistico ereditato da croce e diffuso fra le classi intellettuali pi\uf9 avanzate del meridione, ha dato impulso alle forme di imprenditorialit\ue0 innovative e moralmente sane di queste regioni italiani contribuendo al loro rilancio, peraltro incompiuto, nel paese

Crystal structure of head-to-head and tail-to-tail beta,beta '-dibromo-substituted bithiophenes as model compounds for poly(3-bromothiophene)

The X-ray structures of 4,4'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene 1, 3,3'-dibromo-2,2'-bithiophene 2 and 3,3',5,5'-tetrabromo-2,2'-bithiophene 3 are rweported. The tail-to-tail dimer 1 is found in an anti planar conformation whereas a large distortion is present in the two head-to-head bithiophenes 2 and 3. These bromo derivatives are model compounds for structural studies on poly(3-bromothiophene)

CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF Z- AND E-1,2-DICHLORO-1,2-BIS(2-CHLOROPHENYL)ETHYLENE. AN X-RAY AND NMR STUDY

The crystal structures of the title compounds were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The molecule of the Z isomer, which crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c with Z = 4 in a cell of dimensions a = 14.891(2), b = 10.780(2), c = 8.769(1) Angstrom, beta = 97.47(2)degrees, V = 1395.7(7) Angstrom(3), has crystallographic twofold symmetry. The E form crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pbca with a = 11.730(1), b = 6.932(1), c = 16.841(1) Angstrom, V = 1369.4(2) Angstrom(3), and Z = 4, Its molecules have crystallographically dictated 1 symmetry. In both isomers the phenyl rings are roughly perpendicular to the average ethylene plane. The atoms characterizing this plane show significant deviations from planarity in the Z isomer. Marked bond-angle distortions at the ethene carbons of both structures are observed. The H-1 and C-13 NMR spectra of the compounds were measured and, particularly in the case of the H-1 chemical shifts, fall into two quite separate spectral regions. At low temperature, two conformational isomers, those with different relative orientation of the C-Cl bonds of the phenyl rings, are observed in the spectrum of each compound

Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Electronic Properties of 3,3'''''-Bis(butylsulfanyl)-2,2':5',2'':5'',2''':5''',2'''':5'''',2'''''-sexithiophene

Synthesis and NMR, UV-VIS, electrochemical, mobility and X-ray characterization of 3,3'''''-bis(butylsulfanyl)-2,2': 5',2 :5 ,2': 5',2'''': 5'''',2'''''-sexithiophene are reported. This compound combines the promising properties already observed for 3,3''',3'''''-tris(butylsulfanyl)-2,2' : 5',2 : 5:,2''' : 5''''',2'''' : 5'''',2'''''-sexithiophene with a physical state more suitable for its use in field-effect transistors. In particular, the stability of the oxidized forms, the close packing in the solid state together with the mobility and on/off ratio observed make this sexithiophene of potential interest for organic semiconductors.Synthesis and NMR, UV-VIS, electrochemical, mobility and X-ray characterization of 3,3″‴-bis(butylsulfanyl)2,2′ : 5′,2″ : 5″,2‴ : 5‴,2″″ : 5″″,2″‴-sexithiophene are reported. This compound combines the promising properties already observed for 3,3‴,3″‴-tris(butylsulfanyl)-22′ : 5′,2″ : 5″,2‴ : 5‴,2″″ : 5″″,2″‴-sexithiophene with a physical state more suitable for its use in field-effect transistors. In particular, the stability of the oxidized forms, the close packing in the solid state together with the mobility and on/off ratio observed make this sexithiophene of potential interest for organic semiconductors. ©The Royal Society of Chemistry 1999