Digital Artefacts and The Role of Digital Affordance

This work investigates how the concept of affordance should be revised following the digital evolution. Starting from a review of the literature about affordance, the most acknowledged constructs are compared with the variegated definitions of digital artefacts. The paper proposes a definition of digital affordance, overcoming the inconsistencies identified in the literature. The study is enriched by a series of interviews to investigate the final users' perception of affordance. Finally, the paper shows the application of the proposed model with a case study related to food delivery services

Transition metal nanoparticles on pyrrole-decorated sp2 carbon allotropes for selective hydrogen isotopic exchange

Compared to homogeneous catalysts, heterogeneous systems possess more attractiveness in the chemical industry because of the easier separation from the reaction products, lower amount of wastes, larger recyclability and lower toxicity and corrosiveness. Preparation of supported metal nanoparticles often requires energy demanding techniques such as laser ablation, electrochemical reduction, and high temperature heat treatments. In this work we present a facile and sustainable method to functionalize multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and exploit the novel surface reactivity to deposit Ruthenium nanoparticles. Serinol pyrrole (SP) was synthesized and, through a Domino reaction, grafted on carbon nanotubes’ surface. Mild reducing conditions were employed to decorate CNT-SP with Ruthenium nanoparticles. The latter adduct was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Ru/CNT-SP was then tested in the selective deuteration of quinoline. High selectivity and conversion, determined through H-NMR, were achieved compared to commercial Ru/C catalysts. The results obtained in this work led to the filing of two patent applications

Transition metal nanoparticles on pyrrole-decorated sp2 carbon allotropes for selective hydrogen isotopic exchange

Compared to homogeneous catalysts, heterogeneous systems possess more attractiveness in the chemical industry because of the easier separation from the reaction products, lower amount of wastes, larger recyclability, and lower toxicity and corrosiveness. Objective of this research was to prepare more efficient and more selective heterogeneous catalysts, by anchoring transition metal cations and nanoparticles on nitrogen decorated sp2 carbon allotrope (CA), which were functionalized with pyrrole compounds. Triethylenetetramine pyrrole (TETAP) was selected as the pyrrole compound: it was synthesized and grafted onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes and high surface area graphite with efficient and viable methodology. The CA/TEPAP adduct was used as the support of transition metal nanoparticles. It is here reported the example of ruthenium supported catalyst, investigated by means of elemental and surface area analyses, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy. The catalyst was used for the Hydrogen Isotopic Exchange (HIE) of aromatic compounds of pharmaceutical interest. Outstanding selectivity was obtained

From wastes to resources: citrus hydrolatesas natural biostimulants of soil microorganisms

The hydrolates result from the industrial extraction process of the essential oils through cold pressing of the citrus peels. Today, they are considered a waste to be disposed of. However, due to the presence of water soluble compounds (sugars, polyphenols, acids), hydrolates could be reused instead of being, due to the high economic burden, a problem in the disposal of the same, charged to the company.The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of citrus hydrolate when directly applied as irrigation water on soil microbial biomass, activity and structure community. The soil used for the experiment was collected from the topsoil (0-10 cm) of a citrus orchard, air-dried and sieved at 2 mm. Then, 450 g of soil were placed in 1L plastic bottles and moistened up to 50% of the water holding capacity (WHC) by applying hydrolates and/or water. The tested hydrolates were obtained from three citrus species: Citrus Sinensis, Citrus Limon and Citrus Reticulata. The hydrolates were applied at three different doses to reach 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3 of the 50% of soil WHC. Respectively, 35, 70 and 105 mL of hydrolate were added to 450 g of air-dried soil. Distilled water was added when necessary to complement the 50% of WHC. Control soil was moistened up to 50% of its WHC with distilled water only. At the same time, 20 g of soil per each treatment were similarly incubated in 200 mL jars, sealed with rubber stopper holding silicon septa to monitor the emission of CO2. Four replicates per treatment were run. Soil samples were incubated in the dark at constant temperature (23.0 ± 0.5°C) and their humidity weekly adjusted up to 50% of WHC by adding distilled water. Microbial biomass C was determined according to the fumigation-extraction method after 1, 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks of incubation. At the same time, soil fatty acid methyl esters were determined and used as indicators of the main microbial groups. The CO2 accumulated in the headspace of the jars was measured at days 2, 5, 7 during the first week, then weekly for the following month and finally bi-weekly until day 112. The preliminary results provided evidence that the three hydrolates, at different extent, stimulated the activity of soil microorganisms and affected soil microbial biomass and community structure

Monitoring of the effects of added carbon by citrus hydrolates waste in a soil.

The hydrolates are the waste to be disposed of are a product of the industrial extraction process of the essential oils through cold pressing of the citrus peels. However, due to the presence of water soluble compounds (sugars, polyphenols, acids), hydrolates could be reused instead of being, due to the high economic burden, a problem in the disposal of the same, charged to the company. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of citrus hydrolate when directly applied as irrigation water on soil. Was monitored soil chemical and biochemical property, in particularly effect of the high carbon addition on microbial biomass, activity and structure community and effect on carbon soil stock. The soil used for the experiment was collected from the topsoil (0-10 cm) of a citrus lemon orchard, air-dried and sieved at 2 mm. Then, 450 g of soil were placed in 1L jar and moistened up to 50% of the water holding capacity (WHC) by applying hydrolates and/or water. The tested hydrolates were obtained from three citrus species: Citrus Sinensis, Citrus Limon and Citrus Reticulata. The hydrolates were applied at three different doses to reach 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3 of the 50% of soil WHC. Respectively, 35, 70 and 105 ml of hydrolate were added to 450 g of air-dried soil. Distilled water was added when necessary to complement the 50% of WHC. Control soil was moistened up to 50% of its WHC with distilled water only. At the same time, 20 g of soil per each treatment were similarly incubated in 200 mL jars, sealed with rubber stopper holding silicon septa to monitor the emission of CO2. Four replicates per treatment were run. Soil samples were incubated in the dark at constant temperature (23.0 ± 0.5°C) and their humidity weekly adjusted up to 50% of WHC by adding distilled water. Microbial biomass C was determined according to the fumigation-extraction method after 1, 4 and 8, weeks of incubation. At the same time, soil fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) were determined and used as indicators of the main microbial groups. The CO2 accumulated in the headspace of the jars was measured at days 2, 5, 7 during the first week, then weekly for the following month and finally bi-weekly until day 60. This preliminary study for the possible use of citrus hydrolates as amenders and biostimulants for soil microorganisms showed that they might constitute readily available sources of carbon for microorganisms but at different extent, depending on the citrus species

Palladium(II)-η3-Allyl Complexes Bearing N-Trifluoromethyl N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: A New Generation of Anticancer Agents that Restrain the Growth of High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer Tumoroids

The first palladium organometallic compounds bearing N-trifluoromethyl N-heterocyclic carbenes have been synthesized. These η3-allyl complexes are potent antiproliferative agents against different cancer lines (for the most part, IC50 values fall in the range 0.02–0.5 μm). By choosing 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) as co-ligand, we can improve the selectivity toward tumor cells, whereas the introduction of 2-methyl substituents generally reduces the antitumor activity slightly. A series of biochemical assays, aimed at defining the cellular targets of these palladium complexes, has shown that mitochondria are damaged before DNA, thus revealing a behavior substantially different from that of cisplatin and its derivatives. We assume that the specific mechanism of action of these organometallic compounds involves nucleophilic attack on the η3-allyl fragment. The effectiveness of a representative complex, 4 c, was verified on ovarian cancer tumoroids derived from patients. The results are promising: unlike carboplatin, our compound turned out to be very active and showed a low toxicity toward normal liver organoids

The anticancer activity of an air-stable Pd(i)-NHC (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) dimer

A new dinuclear Pd(i) complex coordinating two bis(NHC) ligands revealed an unsuspected stability despite the unsaturation of the two metal centres. Even more surprisingly, the compound showed high and selective antiproliferative activity against different cancer cell lines and ovarian cancer tumoroids, and the mechanism of action was different from that of cisplatin

The anticancer activity of an air-stable Pd(i)-NHC (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) dimer

A new dinuclear Pd(i) complex coordinating two bis(NHC) ligands revealed an unsuspected stability despite the unsaturation of the two metal centres. Even more surprisingly, the compound showed high and selective antiproliferative activity against different cancer cell lines and ovarian cancer tumoroids, and the mechanism of action was different from that of cisplatin

Stard3: A prospective target for cancer therapy

Cancer is one of the major causes of death in developed countries and current therapies are based on surgery, chemotherapeutic agents, and radiation. To overcome side effects induced by chemo-and radiotherapy, in recent decades, targeted therapies have been proposed in second and even first lines. Targeted drugs act on the essential pathways involved in tumor induction, progression, and metastasis, basically all the hallmark of cancers. Among emerging pathways, the cholesterol metabolic pathway is a strong candidate for this purpose. Cancer cells have an accelerated metabolic rate and require a continuous supply of cholesterol for cell division and membrane renewal. Steroidogenic acute regulatory related lipid transfer (START) proteins are a family of proteins involved in the transfer of lipids and some of them are important in non-vesicular cholesterol transportation within the cell. The alteration of their expression levels is implicated in several diseases, including cancers. In this review, we report the latest discoveries on StAR-related lipid transfer protein domain 3 (STARD3), a member of the START family, which has a potential role in cancer, focusing on the structural and biochemical characteristics and mechanisms that regulate its activity. The role of the STARD3 protein as a molecular target for the development of cancer therapies is also discussed. As STARD3 is a key protein in the cholesterol movement in cancer cells, it is of interest to identify inhibitors able to block its activity

Feeling Through the Body: Alexithymia and Eating Disorders

INTRODUCTION Alexithymia is characterized by difficulties identifying and communicating feelings, and problems differentiating between feelings and bodily sensations; its concrete cognitive style focused on the external environment is typical of psychosomatic patients. Patients with eating disorders (EDs) have high levels of alexithymia, particularly difficulties identifying and describing their feelings. OBJECTIVE The aims of our study are (1) to assess the alexythimia, emotional empathy, facial emotion identification skills and social inference abilities in a sample of ED patients; (2) to compare these variables between ED patients and healthy controls (HC); and (3) to correlate levels of alexithymia with the severity of the ED as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) EDRC score in the ED group. METHODS ED (N=42) and HC (N=42) were tested with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-3), Facial Emotion Identification Test (FEIT), The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). RESULTS Data collection is being completed and the results’ analysis is ongoing. We expect the ED sample to show greater alexythimia and a poorer performance at FEIT and TASIT than HCs. We expect to find a linear correlation between the TAS-20 and EDRC score. CONCLUSION A better understanding of the role of alexithymia in ED etiology and maintenance might allow the development of targeted treatment approaches to help patients improve their skills in identifying and expressing emotions