Piazze contro la corruzione. Trent’anni di mobilitazioni nel paese di mani pulite: 1992-2021.

La ricerca ha avuto ad oggetto le mobilitazioni anticorruzione attivate in Italia dal 1992 al 2021: trent’anni di storia, durante i quali il tema corruzione ha assunto crescente rilevanza a livello nazionale e internazionale e, conseguentemente, ha trovato spazio l’azione dal basso di contrapposizione al fenomeno. La tesi affronta alcuni nodi tematici secondo la struttura che segue. Nel primo capitolo trova spazio la rassegna della letteratura esistente sui movimenti sociali, per affrontare la definizione di anticorruzione dal basso. Il secondo capitolo è dedicato alla descrizione del metodo selezionato per collezionare i dati e utilizzare le fonti selezionate. Nel terzo capitolo sarà affrontato il tema della costruzione sociale della corruzione, attraverso l’analisi di alcuni possibili indicatori di presenza nel dibattito pubblico (denunce, rassegna stampa, indice di percezione e presenza di mobilitazioni). Quindi si darà spazio all’analisi quantitativa del dataset Antimob, archivio delle mobilitazioni anticorruzione, costruito con la presente ricerca a partire dalla rassegna stampa esaminata (metodo PEA). All’analisi quantitativa si affianca nel quarto capitolo l’analisi qualitativa di alcuni attori di movimento ritenuti di particolare interesse per l’azione promossa. Da ultimo, nel quinto capitolo si prendono in esame quattro casi studio relativi all’azione dell’associazione Libera, realtà attiva con costanza per gran parte del trentennio d’esame (dal 1994), che consentono di riflettere sull’impatto delle tecnologie sulla partecipazione e sui mutamenti legislativi, esaminando anche le nuove forme di attivazione che generano meccanismi di responsabilità e trasparenza e che permettono un controllo più efficace dei governanti da parte dei cittadini. In conclusione, saranno enucleati alcuni profili di sviluppo dell’azione dal basso nell’arco del trentennio preso in esame, per proiettarsi su possibili scenari e dinamiche future

Percezione della corruzione e partecipazione alle mobilitazioni anticorruzione: elementi di analisi nell'epoca del Covid-19

The paper focuses on the perception of corruption during the COVID-19 pandemic. The research analyzes the trends of anti-corruption mobilization, also in relation to disaffection with political and associative participation. The article is a pioneering attemptto contribute to the debate on the politicization of corruption and anti-corruption strategies

Assessment of bacterial infection in chronic wounds in the elderly: biopsy versus VERSAJET.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hydro-surgery VERSAJET system as a suitable alternative to the traditional invasive tissue sampling technique in detecting bacteria and their load in chronic wounds in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate and evaluate bacterial incidence and load in chronic wounds, we simultaneously performed on 19 affected patients a deep tissue biopsy and tissue collections by the VERSAJET hydro-surgical system. After local cleaning and anesthesia, a deep biopsy was performed with a punch of 3-4 mm in diameter. Subsequently, three tissue samples were collected by the VERSAJET system: one from the first washing in order to investigate the superficial contamination; one from the second washing to investigate deep tissue infection investigation and one from the third washing as a control procedure. After treatment, all tissue samples were cultured in vitro for diagnostic and micro-biological assessment. RESULTS: Nineteen patients with chronic wounds of the lower limbs were enrolled from February 2010 to May 2013. Concordance between deep tissue biopsy cultures and tissue cultures collected by the VERSAJET system was examined. The deep tissue biopsy cultures showed complete concordance with the VERSAJET as follows: 2 patients (11%) for the first washing sample; 10 patients (53%) for the second washing sample; 4 patients (21%) for the third washing sample. However, with reference to only aerobic isolated strains, the concordance of the VERSAJET second washing samples cultures with a biopsy of the deep tissue cultures was very high (84%) and fairly high (63%) in the anaerobic isolated strains. The second VERSAJET washing sample cultures seem to have the highest concordance with the biopsy of the deep tissue cultures. CONCLUSIONS: Tissue biopsy remains the leading technique for detecting bacteria and their load in chronic wounds. However, this study shows that the hydro-surgery VERSAJET system is sufficiently effective in detecting bacteria and their load in chronic wounds and can be a potential alternative to a biopsy. In particular, the second washing sample culture showed the best correlation with the deep tissue biopsy culture. However, further studies are needed in order to modify techniques of tissue collection in the VERSAJET system before drawing any conclusions. Copyright © 2014 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Novel multi-targeted anti-Alzheimer’s ligands from marine sources

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), one of the most common cause of dementia in elderly population, is a complex neuro-degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It is characterized by a progressive and irreversible degeneration of cholinergic neurons with the concomitant decrease of the hippocampal and cortical neurotransmitter acetylcholine (Ach) levels, and by the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The current pharmacological therapy for AD is mainly based on acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI), aimed at restoring the Ach tone in the brain. However, due to the multifactorial aetiology of this pathology, compounds able to act simultaneously on two or more relevant biological targets are high desirable. In this study, the combination of AChE inhibition with the impairment of β-amyloid peptide's aggregation and deposition by inhibition of β-secretase enzyme (BACE- 1), is approached. The previous identification of a pseudozoanthoxanthin variant from the zoanthid crust coral Parazoanthus axinellae, as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor prompted us to search other molecules sharing a similar scaffold in our collection of natural marine compounds, and to explore the potentiality of the newly- selected molecules as multiligand agents, by including as potential target BACE-1 and investigating the ability of this scaffold to inhibit β-amyloid aggregation. The most similar compounds among those available in suitable quantities for subsequent experimental validation within our collection were a pseudo- zoanthoxanthin from an unidentified caribbean zoanthid (CUNC2), differing from the analog reported in the literature for the number and position of methyl substituents on the azulene ring, and the bromo-pyrrole alkaloid stevensine (STEV). Docking and molecular dynamics studies were carried out on both AChE and BACE-1 enzymes as well as on β-amiloid fibrils. The positive results obtained in silico were then confirmed by biochemical assays that showed an inhibition for both enzymes in the low/sub-micromolar range

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: Involvement and Interactions between Respiratory, Cardiovascular and Nervous Systems

Though the acute effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection have been extensively reported, the long-term effects are less well described. Specifically, while clinicians endure to battle COVID-19, we also need to develop broad strategies to manage post-COVID-19 symptoms and encourage those affected to seek suitable care. This review addresses the possible involvement of the lung, heart and brain in post-viral syndromes and describes suggested management of post-COVID-19 syndrome. Post-COVID-19 respiratory manifestations comprise coughing and shortness of breath. Furthermore, arrhythmias, palpitations, hypotension, increased heart rate, venous thromboembolic diseases, myocarditis and acute heart failure are usual cardiovascular events. Among neurological manifestations, headache, peripheral neuropathy symptoms, memory issues, lack of concentration and sleep disorders are most commonly observed with varying frequencies. Finally, mental health issues affecting mental abilities and mood fluctuations, namely anxiety and depression, are frequently seen. Finally, long COVID is a complex syndrome with protracted heterogeneous symptoms, and patients who experience post-COVID-19 sequelae require personalized treatment as well as ongoing support

In silico identification and experimental validation of novel anti-Alzheimer's multitargeted ligands from marine source featuring a "2-amino-imidazole plus aromatic group" scaffold

Multitargeting/polypharmacological approaches, looking for single chemical entities retaining the ability to bind two or more molecular targets, are a potentially powerful strategy to fight complex, multifactorial pathologies. Unfortunately, the search for multiligand agents is challenging, because only a small subset of molecules contained in molecular databases are bioactive, and even fewer are active on a preselected set of multiple targets. However, collections of natural compounds feature a significantly higher fraction of bioactive molecules than synthetic ones. In this view, we searched our library of 1,175 natural compounds from marine sources for molecules including a 2-aminoimidazole+aromatic group motif, found in known compounds active on single relevant targets for Alzheimer's disease (AD). This identified two molecules, a pseudozoanthoxanthin (1) and a bromo-pyrrole alkaloid (2), which were predicted by a computational approach to possess interesting multitarget profiles on AD target proteins. Biochemical assays experimentally confirmed their biological activities. The two compounds inhibit acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and \u3b2-secretase enzymes in high- to sub-micromolar range. They are also able to prevent and revert \u3b2-Amyloid (A\u3b2) aggregation of both A\u3b21-40 and A\u3b21-42 peptides, with 1 being more active than 2. Preliminary in vivo studies suggest that compound 1 is able to restore cholinergic cortico-hippocampal functional connectivity

Artificial Intelligence in Hypertension Management: An Ace up Your Sleeve

Arterial hypertension (AH) is a progressive issue that grows in importance with the increased average age of the world population. The potential role of artificial intelligence (AI) in its prevention and treatment is firmly recognized. Indeed, AI application allows personalized medicine and tailored treatment for each patient. Specifically, this article reviews the benefits of AI in AH management, pointing out diagnostic and therapeutic improvements without ignoring the limitations of this innovative scientific approach. Consequently, we conducted a detailed search on AI applications in AH: the articles (quantitative and qualitative) reviewed in this paper were obtained by searching journal databases such as PubMed and subject-specific professional websites, including Google Scholar. The search terms included artificial intelligence, artificial neural network, deep learning, machine learning, big data, arterial hypertension, blood pressure, blood pressure measurement, cardiovascular disease, and personalized medicine. Specifically, AI-based systems could help continuously monitor BP using wearable technologies; in particular, BP can be estimated from a photoplethysmograph (PPG) signal obtained from a smartphone or a smartwatch using DL. Furthermore, thanks to ML algorithms, it is possible to identify new hypertension genes for the early diagnosis of AH and the prevention of complications. Moreover, integrating AI with omics-based technologies will lead to the definition of the trajectory of the hypertensive patient and the use of the most appropriate drug. However, AI is not free from technical issues and biases, such as over/underfitting, the “black-box” nature of many ML algorithms, and patient data privacy. In conclusion, AI-based systems will change clinical practice for AH by identifying patient trajectories for new, personalized care plans and predicting patients’ risks and necessary therapy adjustments due to changes in disease progression and/or therapy response