Error 404: file not found. Esperienza, memoria e sensibilità riconfigurate da dati e software

In the postmodern era, our life is intimately connected to our digital signs. Modern human beings are disconnected from nature (Caronia 2008) because they are corrupted by technology. As Rodotà states, each of us is a digital person reduced to a bunch of information (Rodotà 2014). We are ‘inforg’ (Floridi 2012), that is informational and interconnected organisms interacting in a scenario which is boosted by the recording of data. Databases do not only record information but also memories, which are shaped by our own psyche, our ability to remember (Ferraris 2009). As a consequence, data create the soul of humankind. Therefore, it is necessary to reflect on the emotional perspective that connects these specular entities, whose physical and cyber dimension are closely related to each other. We store information in our virtual memories (such as platforms, clouds, and other devices) and then we entirely rely on them. However, information may get lost: for example, the ‘Error 404 message’ means that our data are no longer accessible. Moreover, we cannot deny our connection with digital signs. On the contrary, postmodern identities are nourished by the information they generate. The more they assimilate data, the more they embody them. According to Accotto, the cognitive processing is no longer directly related to human senses but to a mechanic process of mediation or, rather, to data and software (Accotto 2017). Thus, any physical experience is now replaced or intensified by intangible experience. Electronic reproducibility, with the merging of organic and non-organic elements (Attimonelli 2018), not ony generates a new relationship between human beings and technology, but it also reconstructs Benjamin’s (1936) concept of ‘hic et nunc’

Proposte di lettura

Gli illuminanti “mondi ulteriori” nell’opera in prosa di Margaret Atwood    di Michela Volante Scritture di donne fra letteratura e giornalismo: undici anni dopo    di Roberta Troian

Contribution to the ecology of the Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus)

the italian hare (Lepus corsicanus) is endemic to Central-Southern Italy and Sicily, classified as vulnerable due to habitat alterations, low density and fragmented populations and ecological competition with the sympatric european hare (Lepus europaeus). Despite this status, only few and local studies have explored its ecological features. We provided some key traits of the ecological niche of the italian hare as well as its potential distribution in the italian peninsula. All data derived from genetically validated presences. We generated a habitat suitability model using maximum entropy distribution model for the italian hare and its main competitor, the european hare. the dietary habits were obtained for the italian hare with DnA metabarcoding and High-throughput Sequencing on faecal pellets. The most relevant environmental variables affecting the potential distribution of the italian hare are shared with the european hare, suggesting a potential competition. the variation in the observed altitudinal distribution is statistically significant between the two species.The diet of the Italian hare all year around includes 344 plant taxa accounted by 62 families. The Fagaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae and Solanaceae (counts > 20,000) represented the 90.22% of the total diet. Fabaceae (60.70%) and Fagaceae (67.47%) were the most abundant plant items occurring in the Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter diets, respectively. the Spring/Summer diet showed richness (N = 266) and diversity index values (Shannon: 2.329, Evenness: 0.03858, Equitability: 0.4169) higher than the Autumn/Winter diet (N = 199, Shannon: 1.818, Evenness: 0.03096, Equitability: 0.3435). Our contribution adds important information to broaden the knowledge on the environmental (spatial and trophic) requirements of the Italian hare, representing effective support for fitting management actions in conservation planning

Ketogal: A Derivative Ketorolac Molecule with Minor Ulcerogenic and Renal Toxicity

Ketorolac is a powerful non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), with a great analgesic activity, present on the Italian market since 1991. Despite the excellent therapeutic activity, the chronic use of ketorolac has long been limited owing to the high incidence of gastrointestinal and kidney side events. In our previous study, we demonstrated that ketorolac–galactose conjugate (ketogal), synthesized and tested in a single-dose study, was able to reduce ulcerogenicity, while preserving the high pharmacological efficacy of its parent drug. In this paper, in order to verify the suitability of this compound, for repeated administration, ex vivo experiments on naïve mice were performed. Mice were treated for 5 or 7 days with the highest doses of two drugs (ketorolac 10 mg/kg and ketogal 16.3 mg/kg), and the expression of both gastric COX-1 and PGsyn was evaluated. Results showed that oral ketorolac treatment significantly reduced both enzymes; surprisingly, oral treatment with ketogal did not produce significant variation in the expression of the two constitutive enzymes. Moreover, histological experiments on stomach and kidneys clearly indicated that repeated administration of ketogal induced lower toxicity than ketorolac. At same time, in vivo results clearly showed that both ketorolac and ketogal had a similar therapeutic activity in a model of inflammation and in pain perception. These effects were accompanied by the reduction of enzyme expression such as COX-2 and iNOS, and by the modulation of levels of nuclear NF-kB and cytosolic IkB-a in the inflamed paws. These very encouraging results demonstrate for the first time that ketogal could represent a valid and novel therapeutic alternative to the ketorolac and might pave the way for clinical studies

Direct analysis of thymic function in children with Down's syndrome

BACKGROUND: Down's syndrome (DS) is characterized by several immunological defects, especially regarding T cell compartment. DS is considered the best example of accelerated ageing in humans. Direct observations of the thymus have shown that in DS this organ undergoes severe histological and morphological changes. However, no data on its capacity to generate T cells are present in the literature. Here, using a new technology based upon real time PCR, we have investigated the capacity of the thymus to produce and release newly generated T lymphocytes (the so called "recent thymic emigrants", RTE) in children with DS. METHODS: We studied 8 children affected by DS, aged 2–7 years, compared with 8 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Flow cytometry was used to determine different lymphocytes subsets. Real time PCR with the Taqman system was used to quantify the amount of RTE, i.e. peripheral blood lymphocytes that express the T cell receptor rearrangement excision circles (TREC). RESULTS: In comparison with control children, those with DS had a significant lower number of TREC+ peripheral blood cells. Moreover, in DS children but not in controls, a strong negative correlation between age and the levels of TREC+ cells was found. CONCLUSIONS: The direct measure of thymic output indicates that the impairment of the organ results in a reduced production of newly generated T cells. This observation could suggest that cytokines able to modulate thymic function, such as interleukins, could be useful to improve the functionality of the organ and to treat the immunodeficiency present in DS subjects

Disability assessment using Google Maps

Objectives To evaluate the concordance between Google Maps  application (GM ) and clinical practice measurements of ambulatory function (e.g., Ambulation Score (AS) and respective Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS)) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Materials and methods This is a cross-sectional multicenter study. AS and EDSS were calculated using GM  and routine clinical methods; the correspondence between the two methods was assessed. A multinomial logistic model is investigated which demographic (age, sex) and clinical features (e.g., disease subtype, fatigue, depression) might have influenced discrepancies between the two methods. Results Two hundred forty-three pwMS were included; discrepancies in AS and in EDDS assessments between GM  and routine clinical methods were found in 81/243 (33.3%) and 74/243 (30.4%) pwMS, respectively. Progressive phenotype (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–7.11, p = 0.03), worse fatigue (OR = 1.03; 95% CI 1.01–1.06, p = 0.01), and more severe depression (OR = 1.1; 95% CI 1.04–1.17, p = 0.002) were associated with discrepancies between GM  and routine clinical scoring. Conclusion GM  could easily be used in a real-life clinical setting to calculate the AS and the related EDSS scores. GM  should be considered for validation in further clinical studies

The impact of pictorial health warnings (PHW) on tobacco packages: the first quasi-experimental field trial after the implementation of the law in Italy

Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate in the Italian smokers, the effects of implementation of the law about Pictorial Health Warnings (PHWs) on tobacco products. Methods. A quasi-experimental longitudinal design was conducted between 2016 and 2017. The data were collected before (pre-PHW/Wave 1) and after (post-PHW/Wave 2) the implementation of the law. The adopted questionnaire included impact of advertisement (Label Impact Index, LII), quitting behavior and knowledge of tobacco related diseases.Results. 455 respondents completed both the Waves. 7.7% of smokers declared to have stopped smoking in Wave 2 and 29% of these declared the PHWs as one of the reasons to quit. The knowledge of tobacco related diseases was significantly (p <0.001) increased from Wave 1 to Wave 2 (58% versus 72%), similarly the LII (mean = 26.9, SD = 16.7 and mean = 40.4, SD = 16.2).Conclusion. Tobacco addiction is a problem that needs to be addressed from different angles. PHWs confirm their complementary role as a support for smokers along with other strategies such as text warnings and the tobacco quit line of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) reported on the packages. Nonetheless, over the years these measures have been not enough and policy makers should consider more strategies synergistically acting in the fight against tabagism.

Protective effect of acetyl-L-carnitine on oxidative damage induced by antiretroviral drugs

Both HIV infection per se and antiretroviral drugs might contribute to oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions. In this study we assess zidovudine, stavudine and didanosine on U937 and CEM cell lines. All these drugs induced apoptosis and increased intracellular hydrogen peroxide but not superoxide anions. The addition of acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) was able to prevent the pro-oxidant effect of the drugs tested. Supplementation with ALC, deficient in certain cohorts of HIV-infected individuals, especially on high active antiretroviral therapy regimen, has been associated with favourable effects. These data suggest that one of these effects could be a direct anti-oxidant action

Simultaneous analysis of reactive oxygen species and reduced glutathione content in living cells by polychromatic flow cytometry.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are continuously produced in the cell as a consequence of aerobic metabolism, and are controlled by several antioxidant mechanisms. An accurate measurement of ROS is essential to evaluate the redox status of the cell, or the effects of molecules with the pro-oxidant or antioxidant activity. Here we report a cytofluorimetric technique for measuring simultaneously, at the single-cell level, hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion, reduced glutathione (a main intracellular antioxidant) and cell viability. The staining is performed with the fluorescent dyes 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFH-DA), hydroethidine (HE), monobromobimane (MBB) and TO-PRO-3. This analysis is possible with new-generation flow cytometers equipped with several light sources (in our case, four lasers and an UV lamp), which excite different fluorochromes. This approach is extremely useful to study the balance between ROS content and antioxidants in cells receiving different stimuli, and to analyze the relationship between oxidative stress and cell death

Functional changes during apoptosis revealed by the simultaneous detection of mitochondrial membrane potential and DNA content by JC-1 and Hoechst 33342

ApopThe study of functional changes that occur in intracellular organelles such asmitochondria during cell death/apoptosis are of consistent interest since severalyears. Probes exist that allow the analysis of a variety of mitochondrial (mt)parameters, including mt mass and mt membrane potential (MMP), along withthose that stain DNA and reveal its modifications. The dye JC-1, excited by theargon laser present in almost all flow cytometers, is considered the gold standardfor detecting MMP (Current Protocols in Cytometry, 9.14.1-9.14.7, 2000), andemits in FL-1 (monomers) and FL-2 (aggregates, whose formation is due by ahigh MMP). However, its spectrum of emission does not allow the use of otherdyes excitable by such laser since there is a relevant signal also in FL-3. Thus,until now, the simultaneous study of changes in DNA content and MMP duringapoptosis have been difficult if not impossible, and all data, including ours(Cytometry, 40: 189-197, 2000) have been obtained by indirect measures. In orderto investigate such parameters in the same cell, we took advantage of a novelinstrument, i.e. CyFlow ML by Partec (Germany), equipped with an air-cooledargon ion laser (488 nm, 200 mW), a UV Mercury lamp HBO (100 long life, 100W), a red diode laser (635 nm, 25 mW), a Nd:YAG laser (532 nm, 50 mW) and aCCD camera. Such configuration allowed us to use JC-1, excited by the Ar laser,along with Hoechst 33342 excited by the UV lamp. Apoptosis was induced inU937 or in CEM cell lines by a 48 hour incubation with 50 μM quercetin. Theanalysis of MMP allowed us to identify 3 different populations, which correspondedto three different stages of cell death. The first (about 50% of cells) hada normal MMP (high red and intermediate green fluorescence by JC-1), normalDNA content, FSC and SSC. In the second population (about 20%), MMP waschanging (high red and high green fluorescence), DNA content was normal whileFSC and SSC were those of apoptotic cells. In the third population (about 30%),MMP was consistently decreased (low red and high green fluorescence), DNAcontent was decreased (with the presence of the typical hypodiploic peak), FSCand SSC were altered. Thus, our data indicate that, in this model of apoptosis,cells start to loose MMP (as JC-1 aggregates begin to become monomers, causingan increase in green fluorescence) and change their physical parameter beforethe beginning of loss of nuclear DNA and the appearance of the hypodiploic peak.Studies are in course for the simultaneous detection of changes in mt mass (measuredby Mitotracker Deep Red) or other parameters (such as plasma membranepermeability or phosphatidylserine exposure) with dyes excited by the red laser