L'"arcobaleno dei diritti della cittadinanza digitale" alla prova

We live in a society shaped by information and communication technologies, a continuous interplay between what happens in the physical world and what happens online. This inevitably extends the citizenship concept which becomes digital, where rights and obligations are properly declined to meet technology opportunities. These opportunities, however, challenge the very idea of citizenship and the exercise of underlying rights. The authors, along with Leonardo Sonnante, proposed a layerization called \u201cThe rainbow of digital citizenship rights\u201d [De Cindio et al., 2012] to slice all aspects of digital citizenship in conceptual levels. The framework consists of abstraction layers spanning from basic network access up to the highest \u201cright to active involvement in policy-making.\u201d This article describes the framework first application. The authors, with their students (\u201cDigital Citizenship and Technocivism\u201d course) used it to analyze the \u201cPublic consultation on the fundamental principles of the Internet\u201d promoted by the italian Ministry of Education

An investigation of the accessible information process for adults with learning disabilities

Background: The importance of accessible information within modern learning disability services and the wider society cannot be underestimated. This research aimed to explore both the production and implementation of accessible information for adults with learning disabilities. A novel approach to the accessible information ‘process’ was adopted; resulting in a movement away from specific resource focused research to a process focused approach. The research was conducted in three stages: a comprehensive review of the literature; a qualitative scoping exercise which investigated the firsthand experience of producing and implementing accessible information; and a qualitative investigation of the dynamic behaviours involved in the implementation of health related accessible information at a clinical level. Methodology: The purpose of the first stage was to comprehensively review and critically appraise the literature relating to accessible information, learning disabilities and symbolic development. This was achieved through a detailed search of electronic databases and hand-searches of the grey literature. For the scoping exercise, eighteen participants were recruited from four distinct sampling groups: adults with learning disabilities; staff from a specialist learning disability service; mainstream NHS and local authority staff; and speech and language therapists. Each participant took part in either a semi- structured focus group or interview. Eight participants (four community learning disability nurses and four of their learning disabled clients) took part in a non- participatory observational study. Conversational analysis was used to explore the sequence of both the vocal and non-vocal behaviours. Findings: The literature review revealed that there was a dearth of high quality primary research that has investigated accessible information within the field of learning disabilities. Of the seven relevant primary research studies, two quantitative studies measured the effectiveness of specific accessible resources through pre and post comprehension scores. Three mixed method studies, which were generally poorly reported, described a qualitative process of developing and/or appraising a specific accessible resource or guidelines as well as a quantitative element to investigate its effectiveness. Two qualitative studies attempted to answer broader questions relating to the human dimensions and experiences of accessible information. One explored the use of accessible information with a wider population and the other explored issues relating to the implementation of a specific accessible resource. These findings highlighted the largely resource-focused research and failed to report on accessible information as a process which involves the implementation of such resources. A Framework approach to thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected from the scoping exercise which led to three main classifications: the ideology of accessible information, accessible information practice and the outcomes of accessible information. Firsthand experience varied across the stakeholders, highlighting differences in the operationalisation of national policies and legislation. The notion of accessible information being relevant to more than just people with learning disabilities was introduced. The data supported the approach of accessible information as a process, although the practice of implementing accessible resources appeared less advanced. Three main clusters of episodes were identified through the conversational analysis of the non-participatory observations. Cluster one related to providing the accessible health information; cluster two to topic development; and cluster three to consent. The findings revealed numerous intricacies in the vocal and non-vocal exchange. The use of an accessible resource appeared to promote joint attention; communicative style appeared influenced by the primary and secondary reported outcomes of the resource; practical considerations of the topic development were evident; and contradictory goals in the decision making process were highlighted. The notion of the implementation of accessible information as a dynamic process was confirmed. Conclusions: The combination of the chosen methodology and subsequent findings generated a novel approach to accessible information within the field of learning disability. In conceptualising accessible information as a process, with a particular focus on the implementation phase, the findings illustrated that it was the implementation phase that allowed for personalisation in providing and developing the information, which was dependent on the intersubjectivity of the communication partner and the person with learning disabilities. This in turn supported the accessibility of the information. These findings would not have been apparent without the movement away from specific resource focused research to a process focused approach.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Role for ribosome-associated quality control in sampling proteins for MHC class I-mediated antigen presentation

Pathogens and tumors are detected by the immune system through the display of intracellular peptides on MHC-I complexes. These peptides are generated by the ubiquitin−proteasome system preferentially from newly synthesized polypeptides. Here we show that the ribosome-associated quality control (RQC) pathway, responsible for proteasomal degradation of polypeptide chains that stall during translation, mediates efficient antigen presentation of model proteins independent of their intrinsic folding properties. Immunopeptidome characterization of RQC-deficient cells shows that RQC contributes to the presentation of a wide variety of proteins, including proteins that may otherwise evade presentation due to efficient folding. By identifying endogenous substrates of the RQC pathway in human cells, our results also enable the analysis of common principles causing ribosome stalling under physiological conditions.publishedVersio

A convivência com diabetes mellitus tipo 2

Estudo qualitativo que teve como objetivo investigar a convivência dos sujeitos da pesquisa com a diabetes mellitus bem como o cuidado dispensado pela família ao diabético. Participaram deste estudo 20 pessoas com diabetes mellitus tipo 2,  usuários do Programa de Atenção Básica, do Município de Concórdia – SC. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevista, e  organizados em quatro categorias: 1 – Reviravolta na vida, caracterizada por ter que seguir dieta, tomar os remédios, fazer atividade física e também como fator de isolamento social; 2 – Desgosto por não aceitar a doença; 3 – Cuidado familiar enumerado como apoio, dar os remédios, ajuda com a dieta, controle do resultado da glicemia, acompanhamento e participação nas consultas; 4 – Auto cuidado. Conclui-se que a diabetes mellitus requerem novas atitudes e a família é um importante fator que influencia na tomada de decisões frente ao novo estilo de vida que esta condição crônica impõe

Use of adipose derived stem cells in Treacher Collins syndrome

Objective: Treacher Collins syndrome (TCS) is a rare congenital disorder of craniofacial development. TCS occurs with an incidence of 1:50,000, and more than 60% of TCS cases have no previous family history and arise as the result of de novo mutations. The high rate of de novo mutations, together with the extreme variability in the degree to which individuals can be affected, makes the provision of genetic counseling extremely complicated. Consequently, every case of TCS is unique and needs to be assessed individually. Patients with TCS frequently undergo multiple reconstructive surgeries from birth through adulthood, which rarely are fully corrective in the long-term. The nascent field of regenerative medicine offers the promise to improve some of these treatments. In particular, structural fat grafting (SFG) seems to be a good strategy not only to restore the normal volume and contour of the face, but also to provide a source of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) with a multilineage differentiation potential. In this work, we present genetical analyses of ADSC affected by TCS. Materials and methods: ADSCs from were analyzed for their stemness properties and shared many characteristics with those of a healthy subject. Screening of the genome of the TCS patient using array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization allowed us to identify some chromosomal imbalances that are probably associated with TCS. Results: We found that some alterations, involving the TIMELESS gene, were usually associated with embryonic stem cells. Conclusions: With the aim to improve the final results, we need to consider combining knowledge of genetic alterations and expression profiles as a fundamental step before starting with surgical procedures

Multiplex Matrix Metalloproteinases Analysis in the Cerebrospinal Fluid Reveals Potential Specific Patterns in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are pleiotropic enzymes involved in extracellular protein degradation and turnover. MMPs are implicated in the pathogenesis of many neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To search the level of MMPs in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients and detect possible disease-specific patterns. Methods: CSF samples from 32 MS patients and, from 15 control subjects with other inflammatory neurological diseases (OIND) were analyzed. The Bio-Plex Pro Human MMP 9-Plex Panel (Bio-Rad) was used for the quantification of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-10, MMP-12, and MMP-13. Results: CSF MMP-1 and MMP-12 levels were significantly reduced in MS as compared with OIND. In MS patients' CSF: (i) MMP-1 levels were significantly higher in women vs. men; (ii) MMP-10 concentrations were higher in patients with CSF-restricted IgG oligoclonal bands, and (iii) MMP-7 levels were increased in patients with longer disease duration. In the OIND group MMP-7 and MMP-12 levels significantly and directly correlated with age. Conclusions: Our study contributes to investigating the role of MMPs in MS, with regard to CSF immunological features and disease duration. Sex-specific differences were also detected in MMPs CSF levels

Co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Gamma variants in Italy, February and March 2021

Background. Several SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) have emerged through 2020 and 2021. There is need for tools to estimate the relative transmissibility of emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 with respect to circulating strains.AimWe aimed to assess the prevalence of co-circulating VOC in Italy and estimate their relative transmissibility.Methods. We conducted two genomic surveillance surveys on 18 February and 18 March 2021 across the whole Italian territory covering 3,243 clinical samples and developed a mathematical model that describes the dynamics of co-circulating strains.Results. The Alpha variant was already dominant on 18 February in a majority of regions/autonomous provinces (national prevalence: 54%) and almost completely replaced historical lineages by 18 March (dominant across Italy, national prevalence: 86%). We found a substantial proportion of the Gamma variant on 18 February, almost exclusively in central Italy (prevalence: 19%), which remained similar on 18 March. Nationally, the mean relative transmissibility of Alpha ranged at 1.55-1.57 times the level of historical lineages (95% CrI: 1.45-1.66). The relative transmissibility of Gamma varied according to the assumed degree of cross-protection from infection with other lineages and ranged from 1.12 (95% CrI: 1.03-1.23) with complete immune evasion to 1.39 (95% CrI: 1.26-1.56) for complete cross-protection.Conclusion. We assessed the relative advantage of competing viral strains, using a mathematical model assuming different degrees of cross-protection. We found substantial co-circulation of Alpha and Gamma in Italy. Gamma was not able to outcompete Alpha, probably because of its lower transmissibility

Estimation of the incubation period and generation time of SARS-CoV-2 Alpha and Delta variants from contact tracing data

Quantitative information on epidemiological quantities such as the incubation period and generation time of SARS-CoV-2 variants is scarce. We analyzed a dataset collected during contact tracing activities in the province of Reggio Emilia, Italy, throughout 2021. We determined the distributions of the incubation period for the Alpha and Delta variants using information on negative PCR tests and the date of last exposure from 282 symptomatic cases. We estimated the distributions of the intrinsic generation time using a Bayesian inference approach applied to 9724 SARS-CoV-2 cases clustered in 3545 households where at least one secondary case was recorded. We estimated a mean incubation period of 4.9 days (95% credible intervals, CrI, 4.4-5.4) for Alpha and 4.5 days (95%CrI 4.0-5.0) for Delta. The intrinsic generation time was estimated to have a mean of 7.12 days (95% CrI 6.27-8.44) for Alpha and of 6.52 days (95%CrI 5.54-8.43) for Delta. The household serial interval was 2.43 days (95%CrI 2.29-2.58) for Alpha and 2.74 days (95%CrI 2.62-2.88) for Delta, and the estimated proportion of pre-symptomatic transmission was 48-51% for both variants. These results indicate limited differences in the incubation period and intrinsic generation time of SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha and Delta compared to ancestral lineages