48 research outputs found
Origin of fluoride and arsenic in the main ethiopian rift waters
In the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) area, rural populations often use water that exceeds the World Health Organization thresholds for fluoride (F–) and arsenic (As), two elements that are hazardous for human health. In this study, twenty-nine water samples were collected from lakes and hot and cold springs in southern MER to investigate source(s) and health-risk of the F– and As contamination. According to major ion and trace element analyses, only cold spring water is safe for consumption, whereas hot spring water is the most contaminated. Leaching tests performed with the MER rhyolitic volcanic rocks and their weathered products (fluvio-lacustrine sediments) demonstrate that the main cause of the F– and As release is geogenic, i.e., not related to anthropogenic activities. The weathering of volcanic glass and minerals (apatites, clays, hydro-oxides) by CO2-bearing alkaline water induces the mobilisation of F– and As from solid to liquid phase. This process is particularly fast, when fluvio-lacustrine sediments are involved, and can be further enhanced by hot groundwater leaching. This study, investigating the distribution, sources, and mechanisms of F– and As release in MER water, could be of interest also for other sectors of the East African Rift and other similar volcano-tectonic settings
Autologous Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Driving Bone Regeneration in a Rabbit Model of Femoral Head Osteonecrosis
Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a progressive degenerative disease that ultimately requires a total hip replacement. Mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), particularly the ones isolated from bone marrow (BM), could be promising tools to restore bone tissue in ONFH. Here, we established a rabbit model to mimic the pathogenic features of human ONFH and to challenge an autologous MSC-based treatment. ON has been originally induced by the synergic combination of surgery and steroid administration. Autologous BM-MSCs were then implanted in the FH, aiming to restore the damaged tissue. Histological analyses confirmed bone formation in the BM-MSC treated rabbit femurs but not in the controls. In addition, the model also allowed investigations on BM-MSCs isolated before (ON-BM-MSCs) and after (ON+BM-MSCs) ON induction to dissect the impact of ON damage on MSC behavior in an affected microenvironment, accounting for those clinical approaches foreseeing MSCs generally isolated from affected patients. BM-MSCs, isolated before and after ON induction, revealed similar growth rates, immunophenotypic profiles, and differentiation abilities regardless of the ON. Our data support the use of ON+BM-MSCs as a promising autologous therapeutic tool to treat ON, paving the way for a more consolidated use into the clinical settings
"In vitro" and multicolor phenotypic characterization of cell subpopulations identified in fresh human adipose tissue stromal vascular fraction and in the derived mesenchymal stem cells
Phenotype, donor age and gender affect function of human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells
Il riso e il pianto. Una ricerca sui limiti del comportamento umano
note e riferimenti bibliografici: pp. 243-26
Il riso e il pianto. Una ricerca sui limiti del comportamento umano
note e riferimenti bibliografici: pp. 243-26
Prometeo e dintorni. Introduzione
Articolo introduttivo al fascicolo della rivista di classe A area 11, dedicato a un'analisi filosofica della figura di Prometeo. La parte specificamente scritta da Giacomo Scarpelli corrisponde alle pagine 10-13: Sophia e Techne.
(La parte dell'introduzione scritta da Vallori Rasini corrisponde alle pagine 13-16, dal titolo: TĂ©chne e Sophia, quella scritta da Enrico Castelli Gattinara corrisponde alle pagine 9-10, dal titol: Ritonare al mito?
Trattamento con diclorometilendifosfonato delle metastasi ossee da carcinoma prostatico
Trattamento con diclorometilendifosfonato delle metastasi ossee da carcinoma prostatic