IMMUNOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA

There are many theories about the etiology of schizophrenia. This paper presents the assumptions and latest findings about many immunological characteristics of schizophrenia. According to the neuroimunological theory, this disorder is due to neuroimunological disbalance, increased microglial activity and increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines. Studies have found that intrauterine infections in pregnant women have an effect on the fetal brain development, and that infections with rubella, measles, herpes virus, and toxoplasma are associeted with schizophrenia onset in adult life. In the first episode of schizophrenia and during exacerbation in the serum of the patient, an increased level of proinflammatory cytokines was found. Increased levels of IL-6, TNF- and IL-1, and decreased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines, Il-10. Interleukin 6 levels increase in the psychotic phase of the disease and normalize after the antipsychotic drug treatment. Increased level of IL-6 is associated with severe cognitive impairment and it is more common with patients who had been without adequate treatment for a long time and patients with therapeutic-resistant schizophrenia. Treatment of schizophrenia could be improved by the introduction of anti-inflammatory drug in the therapy

Biovalorizzazione di substrati organici mediante processi anaerobici

2012/2013Con il presente lavoro di tesi si è voluta esaminare la fattibilità del processo di digestione anaerobica di diversi substrati organici quali: reflui di birreria, fanghi esausti di impianti di trattamento di acque reflue, colture energetiche, scarti agro-industriali solidi e scarti organici urbani. Questo studio è stato motivato dal grande interesse scientifico ed industriale per l'applicazione della digestione anaerobica, allo scopo di perseguire fini quali: lo smaltimento controllato degli scarti organici e la produzione di energia rinnovabile. Scopo finale del lavoro è stata la valutazione della produzione di metano effettiva e lo sviluppo di un modello matematico semplice, in grado di descrivere acuratamente il processo.XXVI Ciclo198

Methane Production from Solid Potatoes by a Procedure Simulating a Bench-Scale Sequencing Batch Reactor Anaerobic Process

In this study, an experimental setup for the evaluation of a two-stage anaerobic digestion has been developed: a laboratory-scale apparatus was assembled employing solid potatoes as energy crops. Two coupled 5-litre batch-fed stirred reactors, one for the hydrolytic-acidogenic step and one for the acetogenic-methanogenic step, kept at mesophilic temperature (308.1 K), were adopted. Evaluated in the first acidogenic reactor was the influence of fermentative yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on the degree of hydrolysation and on the acidification rate of the vegetable substrate. All runs were performed without the addition of chemicals. Samples of hydrolysed substrate were sent to the second methanogenic bioreactor, fed with an industrial anaerobic sludge and selected lyophilized anaerobic bacteria, in order to evaluate the methane yield of the produced biogas and the specific methanogenic activity (SMA). The whole procedure was repeated simulating an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) process

The Effects of Civil War on Small Business in Croatia: Dialogues with Croatian Business Owners

The purpose of this project is to understand the characteristics that enable entrepreneurs to weather significant social crises, such as civil wars. Through dialogues with Croatian business owners I will present the establishment and maintenance of a business as an intensive process in Croatia. After giving an overview of the meaning of entrepreneurship, I will compare Croatian businesses that were able to weather the civil war with those that did not make it. To understand the emergence and failure of small businesses in Croatia and how the social crises affected those businesses, it is essential to analyze the emergence of small businesses in Eastern Europe

Modelling of an Anaerobic Process producing Biogas from Winery Wastes

Significant instability is often exhibited by anaerobic digesters: this problem may be avoided through appropriate control strategies. Such strategies require, usually, the development of suitable mathematical models, which adequately describe the main processes that take place. In this paper, a simple process design model is proposed, which describes an industrial plant producing biogas by anaerobic digestion of winery wastes. The required kinetic parameters have been obtained from preliminary laboratory tests. The results of the simulation have been applied to the evaluation of the viable energy use of winery wastes (exhausted grape marc) produced by a distillery of Friuli Venezia Giulia region

Codigestione di substrati agro-industriali: sviluppo di modelli e caratterizzazione delle matrici

Lavoro presentato al 7\ub0 Workshop \u201cIntegrazione dei cicli di trattamento acque reflue e rifiuti organici\u201d, Udine, 7-8 giugno 201

Biovalorization of Red Radicchio (Treviso Variety) Byproducts by a Two-Stage Anaerobic Digestion

Italian horticulture is characterized by a large number of vegetables. Such products comprise red or variegated chicories, called \u201cradicchio\u201d which are cultivated mainly in northeastern Italy. The increased consumers\u2019 demand for these products has led to an increased production which reaches approximately 250000 t/y. A major problem though is the by-products produced from their elaboration in the farm, reaching approximately 10 t/ha. Therefore the bio-valorization of these by-products may be a useful tool to give an additional value to a product otherwise deemed to be wasted. In this work the bio-valorization of red radicchio (Treviso variety) waste was evaluated in a two-stage anaerobic digestion (AD) laboratory-scale apparatus. The tests were made also by mixing this waste with maize to check the possible bio-valorization of the mixture. Two coupled 5 L batch-fed completely stirred reactors, one for the hydrolytic-acidogenic step and one for the acetogenic-methanogenic step, kept at mesophilic temperature, were adopted. All runs were performed without the addition of chemicals. After the evaluation of the retention time of each stage, samples of hydrolized substrates from the first hydrolytic bioreactor were sent to the second methanogenic bioreactor to assess the specific gas production, the methane yield in the biogas produced and the specific methanogenic activity

Methane Production from Solid Potatoes by a Procedure Simulating a Bench-Scale Sequencing Batch Reactor Anaerobic Process

In this study, an experimental setup for the evaluation of a two-stage anaerobic digestion has been developed: a laboratory-scale apparatus was assembled employing solid potatoes as energy crops. Two coupled 5-litre batch-fed stirred reactors, one for the hydrolytic-acidogenic step and one for the acetogenic-methanogenic step, kept at mesophilic temperature (308.1 K), were adopted. Evaluated in the first acidogenic reactor was the influence of fermentative yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on the degree of hydrolysation and on the acidification rate of the vegetable substrate. All runs were performed without the addition of chemicals. Samples of hydrolysed substrate were sent to the second methanogenic bioreactor, fed with an industrial anaerobic sludge and selected lyophilized anaerobic bacteria, in order to evaluate the methane yield of the produced biogas and the specific methanogenic activity (SMA). The whole procedure was repeated simulating an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) process