Improved photocatalytic properties of doped titanium-based nanometric oxides

Photocatalysis is considered one of the most promising technologies for applications in the environmental field especially in the abatement of water-soluble organic pollutants. In this field, titanium dioxide nanoparticles have drawn much attention recently; however, the use of this oxide presents some limitation since it allows to obtain high photoresponse and degradation efficiency only under UV light irradiation, that represents the 3 to 4% of the solar radiation, so preventing its environmental large-scale applications under diffuse daylight. In this work the photocatalytic efficiencyoftitanium-based oxides systems containing alkaline earth metals such as barium and strontium, prepared by a simple sol-gel method was investigated, evaluating the degradation of methylene blue as model compound under UV and visible light irradiation. The results were compared with those obtained with Degussa P25 titanium dioxide. The achieved degradation percentage of methylene blue are very promising showing that under visible light irradiation it is possible to obtain a maximum dye removal percentage ~ 50 % higher than that obtained with the Degussa P25

Apigenin, by activating p53 and inhibiting STAT3, modulates the balance between pro-apoptotic and pro-survival pathways to induce PEL cell death

BACKGROUND: Apigenin is a flavonoid widely distributed in plant kingdom that exerts cytotoxic effects against a variety of solid and haematological cancers. In this study, we investigated the effect of apigenin against primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), a KSHV-associated B cell lymphoma characterized by a very aggressive behavior, displaying constitutive activation of STAT3 as well as of other oncogenic pathways and harboring wtp53. METHODS: Cell death was assessed by trypan blue exclusion assay, FACS analysis as well as by biochemical studies. The latter were also utilized to detect the occurrence of autophagy and the molecular mechanisms leading to the activation of both processes by apigenin. FACS analysis was used to measure the intracellular ROS utilizing DCFDA. RESULTS: We show that apigenin induced PEL cell death and autophagy along with reduction of intracellular ROS. Mechanistically, apigenin activated p53 that induced catalase, a ROS scavenger enzyme, and inhibited STAT3, the most important pro-survival pathway in PEL, as assessed by p53 silencing. On the other hand, STAT3 inhibition by apigenin resulted in p53 activation, since STAT3 negatively influences p53 activity, highlighting a regulatory loop between these two pathways that modulates PEL cell death/survival. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrate that apigenin may modulate pro-apoptotic and pro-survival pathways representing a valid therapeutic strategy against PEL

Bortezomib promotes KHSV and EBV lytic cycle by activating JNK and autophagy

KSHV and EBV are gammaherpesviruses strictly linked to human cancers. Even if the majority of cancer cells harbor a latent infection, the few cells that undergo viral replication may contribute to the pathogenesis and maintenance of the virus-associated malignancies. Cytotoxic drugs used for the therapies of cancers harboring virus-infection often have, as side effect, the activation of viral lytic cycle. Therefore it is important to investigate whether they affect viral reactivation and understand the underlying mechanisms involved. In this study, we found that proteasome inhibitor bortezomib, a cytotoxic drug that efficiently target gammaherpesvirus-associated B cell lymphomas, triggered KSHV or EBV viral lytic cycle by activating JNK, in the course of ER stress, and inducing autophagy. These results suggest that the manipulation of these pathways could limit viral spread and improve the outcome of bortezomib treatment in patients affected by gammaherpesvirus-associated lymphomas

Automatic Characterization of Myocardial Perfusion in Contrast Enhanced MRI

The use of contrast medium in cardiac MRI allows joining the high-resolution anatomical information provided by standard magnetic resonance with functional information obtained by means of the perfusion of contrast agent in myocardial tissues. The current approach to perfusion MRI characterization is the qualitative one, based on visual inspection of images. Moving to quantitative analysis requires extraction of numerical indices of myocardium perfusion by analysis of time/intensity curves related to the area of interest. The main problem in quantitative image sequence analysis is the heart movement, mainly due to patient respiration. We propose an automatic procedure based on image registration, segmentation of the myocardium, and extraction and analysis of time/intensity curves. The procedure requires a minimal user interaction, is robust with respect to the user input, and allows effective characterization of myocardial perfusion. The algorithm was tested on cardiac MR images acquired from voluntaries and in clinical routine

The activation of KSHV lytic cycle blocks autophagy in PEL cells

This study confirms that autophagy is activated concomitantly with KSHV lytic cycle induction, and that autophagy inhibition by BECN1 knockdown reduces viral lytic gene expression. In addition, we extend previous observations and show that autophagy is blocked at late steps, during viral replication. This is indicated by the lack of colocalization of autophagosomes and lysosomes and by the LC3-II level that does not increase in the presence of bafilomycin A1 in primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells induced to enter the lytic cycle, either by TPA/sodium butyrate (BC3 and BCBL1) or by doxycycline (TRExBCBL1-Rta). The autophagic block correlates with the downregulation of RAB7, whose silencing with specific siRNA results in an autophagic block in the same cells. Finally, by electron microscopy analysis, we observed viral particles inside autophagic vesicles in the cytoplasm of PEL cells undergoing viral replication, suggesting that they may be involved in viral transpor

Discursos médicos disciplinadores y experiencias emocionales de aborto farmacológico de mujeres en Cuyo, Argentina

Objetivo: Se busca reconocer y comprender cómo actúan ciertos discursos y prácticas de profesionales en Medicina y ecografistas que obstaculizaron las experiencias en la configuración de las vivencias emocionales de mujeres que abortaron con medicamentos en dos provincias de Cuyo, Argentina. Método: Se utiliza un diseño cualitativo con método biográfico e historias de vida temáticas que enfatizan las experiencias de aborto farmacológico en condiciones de restricción legal y social. Se realizaron y analizaron 18 entrevistas en profundidad a mujeres que atravesaron al menos un aborto farmacológico voluntario clandestino entre 2010 y 2019 y que registraron interacciones con profesionales. Las entrevistas se realizaron entre 2016 y 2019. Resultados: Los discursos criminalizadores, disciplinadores y/o normalizadores implicados en accionares directos e indirectos afectaron la configuración de las experiencias emocionales. Recrudecieron los efectos emocionales de la clandestinidad: intensificaron el temor por la propia vida y el temor a ser denunciadas y encarceladas; promovieron sentimientos de vulnerabilidad, incertidumbre, falta de control sobre la propia vida, persecución e impusieron silenciamientos sobre la experiencia. A su vez, los discursos moralizantes y culpabilizadores no surtieron tal efecto en las mujeres entrevistadas. Conclusión: Estas intervenciones son estrategias de disciplinamiento de género que producen y reproducen el poder criminalizador y que ocupan un lugar central en las vivencias de las mujeres: afectan negativamente su salud emocional, las empujan a asumir riesgos evitables y limitan violentamente su derecho a la salud integral. Aun así, no les arrebatan el poder de decidir sobre su propio cuerpo.Objectives: The aim of this article is to recognize and understand how certain discourses and practices carried out by health professionals and sonographers shape the emotional experiences of women who aborted with medication in two provinces of Cuyo, Argentina. Method: The research was carried out with a qualitative design through a biographical method and thematic life-stories that emphasize the experience with medical abortion in conditions where abortion is legally and socially restricted. For this research, 18 in-depth interviews were conducted and analysed with women who underwent at least one voluntary pharmacological abortion made in a clandestine way between 2010 and 2019 and who registered interactions with professionals. The interviews were conducted between 2016 and 2019. Results: Criminalizing, disciplinary and/or normativizing discourses implemented through direct and indirect actions affected the configuration of women's emotional experiences. The emotional effects of clandestinity were reinforced: they intensified the fear for their own lives and the fear of being denounced and imprisoned; promoted feelings of vulnerability, uncertainty, lack of control over one’s life, persecution and imposed certain silences. Conversely, moralizing and blaming discourses did not have said effects on the women interviewed. Conclusions: These interventions are strategies of gender discipline that produce and reproduce criminalizing power practices and that have a central role in the experiences of women: said discourses affect negatively their emotional health; they push them to take avoidable risks and they violently limit their right to an integral health. Nonetheless, they do not take away women’s power to make decisions about their own body.Fil: Santarelli, Maria Natalia. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Psicología. Departamento de Formación Profesional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentin

Significations and representations of gender about abortions and women who abort, in two south american literary works

Este ensayo se basa en una lectura feminista y situada de dos obras literarias de escritoras sudamericanas: La Casa de los Espíritus (1981) de Isabel Allende y Código Rosa. Relatos sobre abortos (2015) de Dahiana Belfiori. Se reflexiona sobre las significaciones, las emocionalidades, las representaciones y autorepresentaciones de género, y los sentidos políticos advertidos en una selección de fragmentos de ambos libros que versan sobre experiencias de abortos clandestinos de mujeres. La literatura puede estar al servicio de la construcción de sentidos de género feministas sobre abortos en varios sentidos: para denunciar violencias e injusticias; para sortean las narrativas hegemónicas patriarcales que condenan las prácticas; para reivindicar derechos y para posibilitar otras maneras de imaginar, pensar y representar a las mujeres que abortan, de formas más cercanas y empáticas con sus experiencias contextualizadas. intergénero e intragénero que conforman las experiencias narradas y se valora la intervención de las escritoras feministas en los discursos socialmente disponibles sobre el tema. En el caso de Código Rosa, esta intervención es entendida como parte de procesos de despenalización social más amplios impulsados por los activismos feministas socorristas en Argentina.This essay is based on a feminist situated reading of two literary works by South American writers: La Casa de los Espíritus (1981) by Isabel Allende and Código Rosa. Relatos sobre abortos (2015) by Dahiana Belfiori. It reflects on the meanings, affects, representations and self-representations of gender and the political meanings noted in a selection of stories from each book about experiences of clandestine abortions of women's experiences of clandestine abortions. Literature can be at the service of the construction of feminist gender meanings about abortions in several ways: to denounce violence and injustice; to circumvent the patriarchal hegemonic narratives that condemn abortion practices; to claim rights and to enable other ways of imagining, thinking and representing women who abort, in ways that are closer and more empathetic to their contextualized experiences. From the reading of both works, some intergender and intragender differences that make up the narrated experiences are recognized and the intervention of feminist writers in the socially available discourses on the subject is appreciated. In the case of Código Rosa, this intervention is understood as part of broader social decriminalization processes driven by socorristas feminist activisms in Argentina.Fil: Santarelli, Maria Natalia. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Psicología. Departamento de Formación Profesional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentin

Controlling crystallization damage by the use of salt inhibitors on Malta's limestone

Parallel text in Spanish and EnglishThe main building stone in the Maltese Islands is the Globigerina Limestone, of which the Lower member is commonly used. This occurs in two types, the durable franka and the more easily weathered soll. Two types of fresh franka (bajda (white) and safra (yellow)), as well as fresh soll stone blocks, were obtained, based on the identification by quarry owners. Their designation was confirmed by geochemistry. Physical and mechanical properties of the three were investigated, including uniaxial compressive strength, water absorption by capillarity, permeability and porosimetry. Porosimetry results confirmed outcomes of previous research work. Soll was found to have a lower overall porosity, but a high percentage of small pores with practically no large pores. Some of the tested stones were then treated with a non-toxic phospho- organic compound containing carboxylic moieties as a salt inhibitor and the corresponding non-phosphorylated compound.peer-reviewe

Embarazo no deseado/aborto voluntario y salud mental de las mujeres: una problematización de discursos psi patologizantes

El objetivo de este artículo es problematizar discursos psi patologizantes sobre aborto voluntario en relación con la salud mental de las mujeres. Primero, se abordan desde una mirada crítica aquellos discursos psi que vinculan las nociones de trauma, duelo y daño psíquico con las prácticas abortivas. También, se señalan algunos riesgos implícitos en estas posturas. Luego, se propone otra mirada sobre el tema, desde una concepción participativa de salud mental, basada en una investigación cualitativa con perspectiva de género. Dicha investigación revaloriza las necesidades emocionales de mujeres que abortaron con medicamentos en clandestinidad en dos provincias de Cuyo (Argentina) y que recurrieron a consulta con profesionales en Psicología. Los resultados permiten cuestionar la patologización de las situaciones de aborto voluntario y la asociación intrínseca de sentimientos de culpa, tristeza incluso de consecuencias negativas en la salud mental de las mujeres que abortan.The aim of this article is to problematize pathologizing psi-discourses on voluntary abortion in relation to women's mental health. First, the article approaches to a critical perspective of those psi discourses that link notions of trauma, grief and psychic damage to abortive practices. Also, point out some risks implicit in these positions. Then, it proposes another perspective on the subject, is a participatory conception of mental health, based on a qualitative research with a gender perspective. This research revalued the emotional needs of women who aborted using medication in a clandestine way in Cuyo (Argentina), and who consulted psychology professionals. The results enable to challenge the pathologization of voluntary abortion situations and the intrinsic association of guilt and sadness feelings, even the negative consequences in the mental health of the women who abort.O objetivo deste artigo é problematizar os discursos psi que patologizam o aborto voluntário em relação à saúde mental das mulheres. Primeiro, ele aborda, de uma perspectiva crítica, os discursos psi que vinculam as noções de trauma, sofrimento e dano psíquico a práticas abortivas. Além disso, aponte alguns riscos implícitos nessas posições. Em seguida, ele propõe outra perspectiva sobre o assunto, a partir de uma concepção participativa da saúde mental, resultante de uma pesquisa qualitativa com perspectiva de gênero. Esta pesquisa revalorizou as necessidades emocionais de mulheres que abortaram clandestinamente com medicamentos em duas províncias de Cuyo (Argentina) e que consultaram profissionais de psicologia. Os resultados permitem questionar a patologização de situações de aborto voluntário e a associação intrínseca de sentimentos de culpa, tristeza, inclusive de consequências negativas à saúde mental das mulheres que abortam.Fil: Santarelli, Maria Natalia. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Psicología. Departamento de Formación Profesional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis; Argentin

A fast and accurate simulator for the design of birdcage coils in MRI

The birdcage coils are extensively used in MRI systems since they introduce a high signal to noise ratio and a high radiofrequency magnetic field homogeneity that guarantee a large field of view. The present article describes the implementation of a birdcage coil simulator, operating in high-pass and low-pass modes, using magnetostatic analysis of the coil. Respect to other simulators described in literature, our simulator allows to obtain in short time not only the dominant frequency mode, but also the complete resonant frequency spectrum and the relevant magnetic field pattern with high accuracy. Our simulator accounts for all the inductances including the mutual inductances between conductors. Moreover, the inductance calculation includes an accurately birdcage geometry description and the effect of a radiofrequency shield. The knowledge of all the resonance modes introduced by a birdcage coil is twofold useful during birdcage coil design: - higher order modes should be pushed far from the fundamental one, - for particular applications, it is necessary to localize other resonant modes (as the Helmholtz mode) jointly to the dominant mode. The knowledge of the magnetic field pattern allows to a priori verify the field homogeneity created inside the coil, when varying the coil dimension and mainly the number of the coil legs. The coil is analyzed using equivalent circuit method. Finally, the simulator is validated by implementing a low-pass birdcage coil and comparing our data with the literature