Mountains' Economies and Societies in A Global World.

Con questa raccolta di studi sulle trasformazioni sociali ed economiche degli ambienti montani abbiamo voluto tracciare un quadro delle vie alla modernizzazione delle aree montane su scala globale tra Otto e Novecento e dei conflitti che si sono innescati intorno alle loro contraddizioni. Nell’ambito di una trasformazione epocale, di cui terziarizzazione e urbanizzazione sono stati i tratti peculiari su scala globale, nello spazio europeo la marginalizzazione territoriale si è intrecciata a nuove possibilità di lavoro, ridefinizione del paesaggio e del patrimonio culturale. Nelle aree extra-europee lo sviluppo di un turismo globale, insieme agli effetti postumi della colonizzazione, ha rivitalizzato molte aree montane, inserendole in un sistema globale di comunicazioni e sviluppo economico a cui è da ricondurre anche la natura dei conflitti sociali

Bioaerosol emissions during organic waste treatment for biopolymer production: A case study

Environmentally sustainable methods of waste disposal are a strategic priority. For organic waste management and innovative biological treatments present advantageous opportunities, although organic waste treatment also includes environmental drawbacks, such as bioaerosol pro-duction. This study aims to evaluate bioaerosol spread during an innovative experimental treatment. The process consists of two anaerobic steps: acidogenesis, which includes polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulation, followed by methanogenesis. Bioaerosol, PM10, and endotoxin concentrations were measured at three sampling points during different campaigns to evaluate: (1) the background levels, (2) the contamination produced in the pre-treatment stage, and (3) the residual contamination of the outgoing digested sludge. Environmental PM10 seemed to be generally quite contained, while the endotoxin determination was close to 90 EU/m3. Significant microbial concentrations were detected during the loading of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (fungi > 1300 CFU/m3, Bacillus genus (≈103 CFU/m3), higher Clostridium spp. and opportunistic human pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae), suggesting a significant contamination level. Such results are useful for hazard identification in the risk assessment of innovative processes, as they reveal contaminants potentially harmful to both workers’ health and the environment

Structural variations of vaginal and endometrial microbiota. Hints on female infertility

Microbiota are microorganismal communities colonizing human tissues exposed to the external environment, including the urogenital tract. The bacterial composition of the vaginal microbiota has been established and is partially related to obstetric outcome, while the uterine microbiota, considered to be a sterile environment for years, is now the focus of more extensive studies and debates. The characterization of the microbiota contained in the reproductive tract (RT) of asymptomatic and infertile women, could define a specific RT microbiota associated with implantation failure. In this pilot study, 34 women undergoing personalized hormonal stimulation were recruited and the biological samples of each patient, vaginal fluid, and endometrial biopsy, were collected immediately prior to oocyte-pick up, and sequenced. Women were subsequently divided into groups according to fertilization outcome. Analysis of the 16s rRNA V4-V5 region revealed a significant difference between vaginal and endometrial microbiota. The vaginal microbiota of pregnant women corroborated previous data, exhibiting a lactobacilli-dominant habitat compared to non-pregnant cases, while the endometrial bacterial colonization was characterized by a polymicrobial ecosystem in which lactobacilli were exclusively detected in the group that displayed unsuccessful in vitro fertilization. Overall, these preliminary results revisit our knowledge of the genitourinary microbiota, and highlight a putative relationship between vaginal/endometrial microbiota and reproductive success

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists suppress interleukin-6 expression by bone marrow stromal cells: an immunotoxicology study

BACKGROUND: Bone marrow stromal cells produce cytokines required for the normal growth and development of all eight hematopoietic cell lineages. Aberrant cytokine production by stromal cells contributes to blood cell dyscrasias. Consequently, factors that alter stromal cell cytokine production may significantly compromise the development of normal blood cells. We have shown that environmental chemicals, such as aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists, suppress B lymphopoiesis by modulating bone marrow stromal cell function. Here, we extend these studies to evaluate the potential for two prototypic AhR agonists, 7,12-dimethylbenz [a]anthracene (DMBA) and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), to alter stromal cell cytokine responses. METHODS: Bone marrow stromal cells were treated with AhR agonists and bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to mimic innate inflammatory cytokine responses and to study the effects of AhR ligands on those responses. Steady state cytokine RNA levels were screened by RNAse protection assays (RPA) and quantified by real-time PCR. Cytokine (IL-6) protein production was measured by ELISA. NF-κB EMSAs were used to study IL-6 transcriptional regulation. RESULTS: RPAs indicated that AhR(+ )bone marrow stromal cells consistently up-regulated genes encoding IL-6 and LIF in response to LPS, presumably through activation of Toll-like receptor 4. Pre-treatment with low doses of DMBA or TCDD selectively abrogated IL-6 gene induction but had no effect on LIF mRNA. Real-time-PCR indicated a significant inhibition of IL-6 mRNA by AhR ligands within 1 hour of LPS challenge which was reflected in a profound down-regulation of IL-6 protein induction, with DMBA and TCDD suppressing IL-6 levels as much as 65% and 88%, respectively. This potent inhibitory effect persisted for at least 72 hours. EMSAs measuring NF-κB binding to IL-6 promoter sequences, an event known to induce IL-6 transcription, indicated a significant decrease in the LPS-mediated induction of DNA-binding RelA/p50 and c-Rel/p50 heterodimers in the presence of DMBA. CONCLUSIONS: Common environmental AhR agonists can suppress the response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide, a model for innate inflammatory responses, through down-regulation of IL-6, a cytokine critical to the growth of several hematopoietic cell subsets, including early B cells. This suppression occurs at least at the level of IL-6 gene transcription and may be regulated by NF-κB

Lavorare in un centro di PMA: analisi delle narrazioni del personale medico-sanitario

Con l’espressione Procreazione Medicalmente Assistita (“PMA”) si intende l’insieme di tutti quei trattamenti volti a favorire il concepimento della coppia laddove esso non si verifichi spontaneamente. Studi scientifici internazionali risultano più orientati a comprendere il malessere o il benessere della coppia che non a studiare gli effetti che la realizzazione del trattamento ed il rapporto con i pazienti può avere sullo staff clinico. Solo in tempi recenti è nato un interesse ad indagare la salute emotiva degli specialisti delle cliniche della fertilità. I pochi studi condotti mostrano come gli intensi effetti emotivi che la procedura ha sui pazienti possano riversarsi negativamente sul rapporto con i propri medici curanti, non rimanendo quindi circoscritti solo alla coppia. È stato intervistato un gruppo di 12 professionisti di un centro ospedaliero di Infertilità e PMA della città di Roma: 4 ginecologi; 2 biologhe; 2 infermieri; 1 ostetrica; e 3 specializzandi in Ginecologia. L’intervista utilizzata era di tipo strutturato e intendeva esplorare i principali vissuti e modelli simbolico-affettivi condivisi dagli operatori medico-sanitari relativamente a: 1) percezione della propria funzione professionale; 2) percezione della relazione terapeutica; 3) percezione della motivazione al trattamento dei pazienti. È stata condotta l’Analisi Emozionale del Testo (Carli & Paniccia, 2002) attraverso l’ausilio del software T-Lab (Lancia, 2004), che ha permesso di individuare i principali temi (analisi dei cluster) e i fattori discorsivi (analisi delle corrispondenze) che organizzano le narrazioni. L’analisi ha individuato cinque principali temi descriventi rispettivamente: l’ancoraggio alla tecnicalità (16.00% delle unità di testo), l’iperinvestimento del risultato (24.84%), la presa in carico globale della coppia (24.21%), l’identità pubblica del centro in risposta al mandato sociale (27.37%) e l’artificio generativo che contiene dentro di sé la coppia ed il suo desiderio procreativo (7.58%). Complessivamente, i fattori discorsivi rilevati sembrano riferiti alle strategie adattive messe in atto da parte degli specialisti per fronteggiare, contenere e dare un confine all’intensa emozionalità derivante dal sentirsi i principali attori responsabili della realizzazione del sofferto progetto procreativo delle coppie. Quale incubatore e custode del desiderio della coppia, il centro persegue obiettivi di massima generatività e prolificità. Nel rispondere al mandato procreativo, lo staff esprime minuziosa concentrazione nello svolgimento del proprio operato. L’estrema attenzione sulla propria attività tecnicale rappresenta, inoltre, una strategia di controllo dell’ansia prolifica che la forte domanda procreativa può generare. Oltre all’intervento sostitutivo e tecnicale sul corpo dei pazienti, lo staff mostra l’esercizio di una funzione integrativa, di supporto alla coppia nella complessità dei suoi bisogni fisici ed emotivi, da cui deriva un considerevole senso di affaticamento. Di possibile beneficio per i membri dello staff l’istituzione di uno spazio di espressione dei propri vissuti, di sostegno nella gestione delle complesse dinamiche che caratterizzano la relazione con i pazienti e dell’intensa domanda procreativa di cui essi sono portatori

Smart Retrofit: An Innovative and Sustainable Solution

Recovering old machinery, once it reaches its end of life, allows companies to be sustainable. Several strategies are available for this purpose, both from the point of view of hardware and software modifications. Especially in the industrial sector, these strategies are classified as revamping, remanufacturing and retrofitting. Machinery revamping, retrofitting and remanufacturing are all used to improve industrial equipment performance, efficiency and sustainability. Each approach has unique benefits and trade-offs, depending on the specific needs and requirements of the equipment and business. Moreover, according to Industry 4.0 principles, it is also possible to talk about smart retrofitting, involving the integration of various technologies such as sensors, automation systems, Digital Twins, artificial intelligence and data analytics software to control and optimise the operation of the machinery. Digital Twins, in particular, have been widely used among smart retrofit solutions and can integrate several innovative aspects of dated systems. However, a literature review needs to clarify their meaning and specific characteristics. For this reason, this paper aims to distinguish different strategies and find a correct definition of smart retrofitting, highlighting its relevance, benefits and sustainability in the industrial sector, focusing more on Digital Twin solutions for smart retrofitting

Cervical stump carcinoma therapy

59 patients with cervical stump cancer were reviewed. A distinction was made between true and coincident cancer. Histological features, therapeutic plan and survival rates are reported. In stage I treatment was mainly surgical, while in more advanced stages radiation therapy was applied. In 22.2% of cases combined surgical-radiation therapy was performed. The absolute 5-year survival for various clinical stages is as follows: stage I, 88.2%; stage II, 53.8%; stage III, 42.8%; stage IV, 0.0%. The overall absolute 5-year survival rate for all stages combined is 60.9%. Individualization of therapy can offer to the patient with cervical stump carcinoma a survival similar to the patient with cervical neoplasm with intact uterus