Valors semàntics i pragmàtics de l’imperfet italià: cap a un procediment interpretatiu comú

This paper proposes an account of the semantics and pragmatics of the Italian indicative imperfect. This tense is described as deriving all of its uses from an extremely reduced core of semantic features as the point of departure to a series of interpretative paths leading to different context-related possible interpretations through a process of pragmatic enrichment. With regard to the temporal parameter, the semantics of the imperfect is described as conveying past temporal reference, with an underdetermined scope. With regard to the aspectual parameter, this tense is defined as not semantically determined at all. Upon pragmatic integration of contextual information, three main classes of meaning effects associated with the imperfect are assumed to emerge: a narrative effect, an evidential effect and an effect of activation of a preliminary phase in relation to the event. Based on the above mentioned features, an overall semantic-pragmatic mapping of the imperfect and of its interpretive procedure is proposed.Aquest article dóna compte de la semàntica i la pragmàtica de l’imperfet italià. A la nostra descripció es mostra que aquest temps verbal deriva tots els seus usos d’un nucli extremadament reduït de trets semàntics, que són el punt de partida d’una sèrie de camins interpretatius que ens porten a diferents interpretacions possibles lligades al context mitjançant un procés d’enriquiment pragmàtic. Pel que fa al paràmetre temporal, mostrem que la semàntica de l’imperfet denota una referència temporal de passat d’abast indeterminat. Pel que fa al paràmetre aspectual, aquest temps no està semànticament definit en absolut. A partir de la integració pragmàtica de la informació contextual, apareixen tres classes principals d’efectes semàntics associats a l’imperfet: un efecte narratiu, un efecte evidencial i un efecte d’activació d’una fase anterior a l’esdeveniment denotat. Tot basant-nos en els trets esmentats, proposem una projecció de l’imperfet i del seu procediment interpretatiu des de la semàntica a la pragmàtica

Musculature of two bdelloid rotifers, Adineta ricciae and Macrotrachela quadricornifera: organization in a functional and evolutionary perspective

Organization of muscles in microinvertebrates has often been studied to answer functional questions and understand phylogenetic relationships among taxa. In this study, the musculature of two bdelloid species, Adineta ricciae and Macrotrachela quadricornifera, was illustrated, and their organization was compared with other rotifer taxa to generate possible hypotheses of evolutionary relationships among Rotifera. The two species share a common habitat but differ from each other in feeding and locomotion. A. ricciae feeds on the biofilm by scraping it, is unable to swim, and slides on the head cilia using the foot to propel over the substratum. M. quadricornifera feeds by filtration, can swim, and advances by looping in a leech-like motion. Their musculature, stained with TRITC-phalloidin, was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Major differences between the two species were observed in the muscles of head and foot, possibly reflecting differences in their life style. Muscles of the trunk were similarly arranged: circular muscles surrounded longitudinal bands, which were inserted at different points on the body wall. In both bdelloids, circular muscles of the trunk were incomplete ventrally, a condition also present in Seison and in soft-bodied monogononts from benthos. Within rotifers, circular muscles in the form of complete rings are present in acanthocephalans and in soft-bodied planktonic monogononts but are absent in loricate monogononts, which generally possess dorsoventral bands. The diversity of muscle organization among rotifers was interpreted and discussed. Riassunto Lo studio dell'organizzazione muscolare e stato condotto in numerosi microinvertebrati nel tentativo di comprenderne la funzione ma anche i rapporti evolutivi tra i vari taxa. Seguendo la medesima linea investigativa, abbiamo osservato la muscolatura di due rotiferi bdelloidei, Adineta ricciae e Macrotrachela quadricornifera, quindi confrontato i risultati con i dati di letteratura presenti per altri rotiferi. Le due specie investigate condividono lo stesso habitat ma differiscono per modalita di alimentazione e locomozione. Adineta ricciae si nutre grattando il fondo, e incapace di nuotare e si muove strisciando sul substrato utilizzando la forza propulsiva del piede; M. quadricorniferae filtratrice, e in grado di nuotare e di spostarsi sul fondo con caratteristico movimento a sanguisuga. La loro muscolatura, evidenziata con falloidina rodaminata, e stata osservata con microscopio confocale. I risultati mostrano differenze nella regione del capo e del piede, differenze che verosimilmente riflettono lo stile di vita delle specie, la muscolatura del tronco invece mostra un'organizzazione simile: muscoli circolari incompleti esterni e muscoli longitudinali interni inseriti in diversi punti del corpo. I muscoli circolari del tronco sono interrotti ventralmente in entrambe le specie investigate, condizione condivisa con i Seison e con i monogononti bentonici a corpo molle. Estendendo il confronto ad altre specie di rotiferi, si evince che muscoli circolari completi sono presenti in ploimidi planctonici a corpo molle e negli acantocefali, mentre mancano nei monogononti loricati, i quali possiedono muscoli dorsoventrali. Differenze nell'organizzazione muscolare vengono interpretate e discusse sulla base dell'attuale visione filogenetica dei rotiferi

MicroRNAs as Biomarkers in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an incurable and fatal disorder characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brain stem, and spinal cord. Sporadic ALS form accounts for the majority of patients, but in 1⁻13.5% of cases the disease is inherited. The diagnosis of ALS is mainly based on clinical assessment and electrophysiological examinations with a history of symptom progression and is then made with a significant delay from symptom onset. Thus, the identification of biomarkers specific for ALS could be of a fundamental importance in the clinical practice. An ideal biomarker should display high specificity and sensitivity for discriminating ALS from control subjects and from ALS-mimics and other neurological diseases, and should then monitor disease progression within individual patients. microRNAs (miRNAs) are considered promising biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, since they are remarkably stable in human body fluids and can reflect physiological and pathological processes relevant for ALS. Here, we review the state of the art of miRNA biomarker identification for ALS in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood and muscle tissue; we discuss advantages and disadvantages of different approaches, and underline the limits but also the great potential of this research for future practical applications

Stress and fitness in parthenogens: is dormancy a key feature for bdelloid rotifers?

Background: Bdelloid rotifers are the most common and abundant group of animals that reproduce by ameiotic parthenogenesis, only. They are common in temporally ephemeral habitats, and it is unclear if they dwell in unstable habitats because are excluded from better conditions by stronger competitors, or because they need unstable conditions for their success. We tested the hypothesis that bdelloids 'require' stressful conditions for their persistence by comparing fitness-related traits of stressed ( desiccated, D) and unstressed ( hydrated, H) lines of two species, Adineta ricciae and Macrotrachela quadricornifera. Results: For both bdelloid species, fecundity was significantly lower in H than in parallel D line. Fitness components decreased with time progressively in the H line but not in the D line. Recovery rates of D lines were recorded after every desiccation and did not reveal any trend in time, suggesting that no selection was operating. Conclusion: Stress in the form of reiterated desiccations seemed to help both bdelloid species to keep fitness stable; in contrast under stable conditions, like permanent hydration, these bdelloid species had poorer performances. Bdelloids, although aquatic animals, are not only efficient in tolerating desiccation, but seem somehow dependent on anhydrobiosis, a circumstance that might represent a key event in their life cycle. If this is true, life in unpredictable habitats should not be seen as the result of competitive exclusion from 'easier' habitats, but a requirement for long-term survival of these parthenogenetic animals

Proteomics Reveals How the Tardigrade Damage Suppressor Protein Teaches Transfected Human Cells to Survive UV-C Stress

The genome sequencing of the tardigrade Ramazzottius varieornatus revealed a unique nucleosome-binding protein named damage suppressor (Dsup), which was discovered to be crucial for the extraordinary abilities of tardigrades in surviving extreme stresses, such as UV. Evidence in Dsup-transfected human cells suggests that Dsup mediates an overall response in DNA damage signaling, DNA repair, and cell cycle regulation, resulting in an acquired resistance to stress. Given these promising outcomes, our study attempts to provide a wider comprehension of the molecular mechanisms modulated by Dsup in human cells and to explore the Dsup-activated molecular pathways under stress. We performed a differential proteomic analysis of Dsup-transfected and control human cells under basal conditions and at 24 h recovery after exposure to UV-C. We demonstrate via enrichment and network analyses, for the first time, that even in the absence of external stimuli, and more significantly, after stress, Dsup activates mechanisms involved with the unfolded protein response, the mRNA processing and stability, cytoplasmic stress granules, the DNA damage response, and the telomere maintenance. In conclusion, our results shed new light on Dsup-mediated protective mechanisms and increases our knowledge of the molecular machineries of extraordinary protection against UV-C stress

The galectin-3/RAGE dyad modulates vascular osteogenesis in atherosclerosis

Vascular calcification correlates with inflammation and plaque instability in a dual manner, depending on the spotty/granular (micro) or sheet-like/lamellated (macro) pattern of calcification. Modified lipoproteins trigger both inflammation and calcification via receptors for advanced lipoxidation/glycation endproducts (ALEs/AGEs). This study compared the roles of galectin-3 and receptor for AGEs (RAGE), two ALEs/AGEs-receptors with diverging effects on inflammation and bone metabolism, in the process of vascular calcification. We evaluated galectin-3 and RAGE expression/localization in 62 human carotid plaques and its relation to calcification pattern, plaque phenotype, and markers of inflammation and vascular osteogenesis; and the effect of galectin-3 ablation and/or exposure to an ALE/AGE on vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) osteogenic differentiation. While RAGE co-localized with inflammatory cells in unstable regions with microcalcification, galectin-3 was expressed also by VSMCs, especially in macrocalcified areas, where it co-localized with alkaline phosphatase. Expression of galectin-3 and osteogenic markers was higher in macrocalcified plaques, whereas the opposite occurred for RAGE and inflammatory markers. Galectin-3-deficient VSMCs exhibited defective osteogenic differentiation, as shown by altered expression of osteogenic transcription factors and proteins, blunted activation of pro-osteoblastogenic Wnt/β-catenin signalling and proliferation, enhanced apoptosis, and disorganized mineralization. These abnormalities were associated with RAGE up-regulation, but were only in part prevented by RAGE silencing, and were partially mimicked or exacerbated by treatment with an AGE/ALE. These data indicate a novel molecular mechanism by which galectin-3 and RAGE modulate in divergent ways, not only inflammation, but also vascular osteogenesis, by modulating Wnt/β-catenin signalling, and independently of ALEs/AGEs

Effects of School Nurse-Led Interventions in Collaboration with Kinesiologists in Promoting Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Behaviors in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that schools adopt a whole-school strategy for healthy behaviors involving different health professionals. The present systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of nurse-led interventions in collaboration with kinesiologists on physical activity and lifestyle behaviors’ outcomes in school settings. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42022343410). The primary research study was developed through the PICOS question: children and adolescence 6–18 years (P); school nurse-led interventions in promoting physical activity (PA) and reducing sedentary behaviors (I); usual lessons, no intervention focusing on PA (C); PA levels, sedentary behaviors, and healthy lifestyle behaviors (O); experimental or observational study with original primary data and full-text studies written in English (S). Seven studies were included. Interventions were heterogeneous: besides physical activities carried out in all studies, the interventions were based on different health models and strategies (counselling, face-to-face motivation, education). Five out of seven articles investigated PA levels or their related behaviors using questionnaires, and two used ActiGraph accelerometers. Lifestyle behaviors were assessed with heterogeneous methods. Five out of seven articles showed an improvement in at least one outcome after the interventions, whereas two papers showed a statistically non-significant improvement. In conclusion, school interventions involving nurses, also in association with other professionals such as kinesiologists, can be effective in reducing sedentary behaviors and improving healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents

Mosquito/microbiota interactions: from complex relationships to biotechnological perspectives.

To date around 3500 different species of mosquito have been described, several tens of which are vectors of pathogens of remarkable interest in public health. Mosquitoes are present all around the world showing a great ability to adapt to very different types of habitats where they play relevant ecological roles. It is very likely that components of the mosquito microbiota have given the mosquito a great capacity to adapt to different environments. Current advances in understanding the mosquito-microbiota relationships may have a great impact in a better understanding of some traits of mosquito biology and in the development of innovative mosquito-borne disease-control strategies aimed to reduce mosquito vectorial capacity and/or inhibiting pathogen transmission