Same-sex families e genitorialit\ue0 omosessuale. Controversie internazionali e spazi di riconoscimento in Italia

Lesbian and gay parenthood is the most adversed topics of the recognition of lesbian and gay families, both from the point of view of the concession of rights and the one of social legitimation. In Italy, the sociological research on the recognition of lesbian and gay families with children is not comparable to the international one. Nevertheless, the development of a political discourse on the rights of lesbian and gay people \u2013 with or without families, with or without children \u2013 by European institutions is broadening the interest of Italian sociologists. The article analyses the experiences of 12 gay Italian lesbian and gay parents in order to understand how they negotiate and achieve social legitimation in front of their families of origin, local institutions and neighbours. Results show that lesbian and gay families with children give an important contribution for the pluralization of practices and meanings related to the family. At the same time, they reproduce some crucial features supporting the hegemonic interpretation of the family: the centrality of the couple and the importance of blood ties for the definition of kinship

LA PARODONTITE NEL CANE

Con il termine parodontopatia si riassumono diverse condizioni patologiche identificate come gengivite e parodontite. Secondo i dati forniti dall’American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) le parodontopatie sono tra i problemi di maggior riscontro nella pratica ambulatoriale per i carnivori domestici, infatti, colpisce oltre l’80% dei cani ed è anche largamente diffusa nei felini, a partire dai tre anni di età. La prevenzione e terapia delle patologie parodontali nei cani prevede la conoscenza della fisiologia, dell’anatomia del cavo orale, le capacità tecniche e molto tatto nei riguardi dei rapporti con il cliente, infatti, la mancanza di collaborazione di quest’ultimo nella cura del proprio animale domestico può vanificare lo scrupoloso lavoro svolto dal veterinario. La mancanza di una igiene orale quotidiana provoca l’insorgenza della placca e del tartaro, fattori predisponenti della patologia parodontale che esita in una via naturale di guarigione a discapito degli elementi dentali e della salute del cane. La salute del periodonto non è importante solo per il mantenimento dei denti, ma la malattia parodontale può avere un impatto significativo sulla salute in generale ed è responsabile della morbilità e mortalità soprattutto in alcune razze di cani sensibili

Coenzyme Q10 as a therapeutic candidate for treating inherited photoreceptor degeneration

Inherited photoreceptor degeneration (IPD): The human retina is a highly specialised tissue that enables the perception of light across a range of intensities and colours. It covers about 65% of the inner surface of the eye and contains three layers of cells: the outer nuclear layer (ONL) containing the cell bodies and nuclei of the light-sensitive rod and cone photoreceptors whose photopigment-containing outer segments form the photoreceptor layer; the inner nuclear layer (INL) containing bipolar, horizontal and amacrine cells; and the ganglion cell layer (GCL) from which the optic nerve arises. There are two layers of synaptic connections between these three layers: the photoreceptors synapse with second order neurons, mainly bipolar cells, in the outer plexiform layer (OPL), while in turn the bipolar cells form connections in the inner plexiform layer (IPL) with ganglion cells. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) lies directly behind the photoreceptor layer, is heavily pigmented to reduce scattering of light, and is essential for the nourishment, maintenance and metabolism of photoreceptors

Therapeutic potential of co-enzyme Q10 in retinal diseases

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays a critical role in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by serving as an electron carrier in the respiratory electron transport chain. CoQ10 also functions as a lipid-soluble antioxidant by protecting lipids, proteins and DNA damaged by oxidative stress. CoQ10 deficiency has been associated with a number of human diseases including mitochondrial diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, and with the ageing process. In many of these conditions CoQ10 supplementation therapy has been effective in slowing or reversing pathological changes. Oxidative stress is a major contributory factor in the process of retinal degeneration. In this brief review, we summarize the functions of CoQ10 and highlight its use in the treatment of age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. In light of these data we propose that CoQ10 could have therapeutic potential for other retinal diseases

Chrysotile, crocidolite, asbestiform erionite: mineralogical characterization and cytotoxic effects

UICC chrysotile, chrysotile from Val Malenco, erionite from Nevada and UICC crocidolite fibers were characterized through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) with annexed Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The TEM study was performed forward on three levels for each single sample. The first observed aspect was the morphological and dimensional study: typical fibrous morphology was observed for all the analyzed samples. For each sample 100 fibers were investigated: were registered their dimension (length and diameter) and the L/d ratio were calculated in order to understand if the fibers population can entry in particular dimensional categories (e.g. WHO criteria, Stanton’s Hypothesis criteria or EPA dimensional limits). The second observed aspect was the chemical composition of the fibers. Also the chemistry match well with the expected for this minerals. In particular, both the chrysotile samples show the presence of aluminum and iron as substitute of tetrahedral and octahedral typical cations; the crocidolite bears an adding of calcium and the erionite has magnesium and iron cations normally unexpected in the general formula. At the latter investigation level, all the fibers showed a high degree of crystallinity in the diffraction patterns study, without evidence of natural amorphization (e.g. weathering). These characterized mineral fibres were administrated for 6, 12, 24 and 48h in human bronchial and mesothelial cells, at the concentration of 50µg/ml, to evaluate their cytotoxic effects; some biofunctional parameters at time points were evaluated: % number of alive, death and apoptotic cells; % number of cells with low, medium, high ROS content. These data confirm higher cytotoxic effects exerted by UICC crocidolite and UICC chrysotile, particularly evident since short times of contact (6, 12h). Our next purpose will be to characterize the same fibers extracted from cells after culture treatments

Copper monitoring in vineyard soils of central Italy subjected to three antifungal treatments, and effects of copper sub-lethal doses on the earthworm Eisenia fetida.

none6The extensive employment of copper-based fungicides has increased copper concentration in vineyard soils. The present study’s objectives were to monitor copper concentration in two vineyard soils during two cropping seasons and study the ecotoxicological effects on the earthworm Eisenia fetida. Total, soluble, and bioavailable copper fractions were measured at the end of two cropping seasons and different depths in two vineyards of central Italy, characterised by three anticryptogamic control methods: copper compounds, chitosan, and combined treatments of them. A laboratory experiment to assess the effects on Eisenia fetida was conducted with soil samples collected in the vineyards with a mean copper concentration of 60 mg/kg and two higher concentrations of 90 and 150 mg/kg. Results showed low levels of total copper concentration in the first 20 cm of soils, regardless of antifungal treatment, highlighting prudent management of the vineyards under study, but the soluble fractions showed a significant increase in all samples during the two cropping seasons. At the dose of 150 mg/kg, earthworms suffer during the first two days, showing weight loss and DNA damage, but they are able to recover until day 28, showing no permanent harm at this copper concentration in soil.openArianna De Bernardi, Enrica Marini, Cristiano Casucci, Luca Tiano, Fabio Marcheggiani, Costantino VischettiDE BERNARDI, Arianna; Marini, Enrica; Casucci, Cristiano; Tiano, Luca; Marcheggiani, Fabio; Vischetti, Costantin

Zebrafish caudal fin as a model to investigate the role of probiotics in bone regeneration

: Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer several beneficial effects to the host, including enhancement of bone mineralization. However, probiotic action on bone regeneration is not well studied and therefore we analysed various effects of probiotic treatment on the caudal fin regeneration of zebrafish. Morphological analysis revealed an increased regenerated area with shorter and thicker lepidotrichia segments after probiotic treatment. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy imaging analysis highlighted the distribution of phosphate groups in the regenerated fins and probiotic group showed higher amounts of well-crystallized hydroxyapatite. At the midpoint (5 days post amputation) of regeneration, probiotics were able to modulate various stages of osteoblast differentiation as confirmed by the upregulation of some key marker genes such as runx2b, sp7, col10a1a, spp1 and bglap, besides suppressing osteoclast activity as evidenced from the downregulation of ctsk. Probiotics also caused an enhanced cell cycle by regulating the expression of genes involved in Retinoic acid (rarga, cyp26b1) and Wnt/β-catenin (ctnnb1, ccnd1, axin2, sost) signaling pathways, and also modulated phosphate homeostasis by increasing the entpd5a levels. These findings provide new outlooks for the use of probiotics as a prophylactic treatment in accelerating bone regeneration and improving skeletal health in both aquaculture and biomedical fields

Vitamin C intake potentially lowers total cholesterol to improve endothelial function in diabetic patients at increased risk of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Background: Vitamin C is one of the most consumed dietary compounds and contains abundant antioxidant properties that could be essential in improving metabolic function. Thus, the current systematic review analyzed evidence on the beneficial effects of vitamin C intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related outcomes in patients with diabetes or metabolic syndrome. Methods: To identify relevant randomized control trials (RCTs), a systematic search was run using prominent search engines like PubMed and Google Scholar, from beginning up to March 2022. The modified Black and Downs checklist was used to assess the quality of evidence. Results: Findings summarized in the current review favor the beneficial effects of vitamin C intake on improving basic metabolic parameters and lowering total cholesterol levels to reduce CVD-risk in subjects with type 2 diabetes or related metabolic diseases. Moreover, vitamin C intake could also reduce the predominant markers of inflammation and oxidative stress like C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and malondialdehyde. Importantly, these positive outcomes were consistent with improved endothelial function or increased blood flow in these subjects. Predominantly effective doses were 1,000 mg/daily for 4 weeks up to 12 months. The included RCTs presented with the high quality of evidence. Conclusion: Clinical evidence on the beneficial effects of vitamin C intake or its impact on improving prominent markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with diabetes is still limited. Thus, more RCTs are required to solidify these findings, which is essential to better manage diabetic patients at increased risk of developing CVD

Simple Detection of Unstained Live Senescent Cells with Imaging Flow Cytometry

Cellular senescence is a hallmark of aging and a promising target for therapeutic approaches. The identification of senescent cells requires multiple biomarkers and complex experimental procedures, resulting in increased variability and reduced sensitivity. Here, we propose a simple and broadly applicable imaging flow cytometry (IFC) method. This method is based on measuring autofluorescence and morphological parameters and on applying recent artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) tools. We show that the results of this method are superior to those obtained measuring the classical senescence marker, senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-β-Gal). We provide evidence that this method has the potential for diagnostic or prognostic applications as it was able to detect senescence in cardiac pericytes isolated from the hearts of patients affected by end-stage heart failure. We additionally demonstrate that it can be used to quantify senescence “in vivo” and can be used to evaluate the effects of senolytic compounds. We conclude that this method can be used as a simple and fast senescence assay independently of the origin of the cells and the procedure to induce senescence

Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction across Broad-Ranging Pathologies: Toward Mitochondria-Targeted Clinical Strategies

Beyond the disorders recognized as mitochondrial diseases, abnormalities in function and/or ultrastructure of mitochondria have been reported in several unrelated pathologies. These encompass ageing, malformations, and a number of genetic or acquired diseases, as diabetes and cardiologic, haematologic, organ-specific (e.g., eye or liver), neurologic and psychiatric, autoimmune, and dermatologic disorders. The mechanistic grounds for mitochondrial dysfunction (MDF) along with the occurrence of oxidative stress (OS) have been investigated within the pathogenesis of individual disorders or in groups of interrelated disorders. We attempt to review broad-ranging pathologies that involve mitochondrial-specific deficiencies or rely on cytosol-derived prooxidant states or on autoimmune-induced mitochondrial damage. The established knowledge in these subjects warrants studies aimed at elucidating several open questions that are highlighted in the present review. The relevance of OS and MDF in different pathologies may establish the grounds for chemoprevention trials aimed at compensating OS/MDF by means of antioxidants and mitochondrial nutrients