Heterotrophic cultivation of microalgae: metabolism and biotechnological applications

This PhD thesis aims to explore the biotechnological potential of the marine diatom Cyclotella cryptica grown under heterotrophic growth conditions. Diatoms are microorganisms generally cultivated in autotrophy, representing an important green source of valuable bio-products, like vitamins, pigments, omega-3 fatty acids and biofuels. However, there are significant limitations associated with autotrophic cultivation of microalgae on large scale, such as light supply and seasonal fluctuations, that affects overall costs. On these grounds, we decided to explore the heterotrophic growth condition that appears to be interesting for the development of commercial products of interest. In this way, all the light dependence constraints would be completely eliminated, by using the fermenter technology already consolidated in the pharmaceutical field at industrial scale. The process could be well controlled in terms of pH, temperature, addition and consumption of nutrients and maintenance of axenicity. The identification of candidate species and strains that have a high potential to grow in heterotrophy, as well as the improvement of culture conditions, represent a major challenge for biotechnology research. We chose Cyclotella cryptica as a model, due to its metabolic plasticity, robustness and the potential of obtainable products as reported in the Aquatic Species Program (ASP) funded by the US Department of Energy. The thesis is developed on several levels, conceptually grouped into three parts: the first one described the assessment of heterotrophic culture conditions and the behavior of C. cryptica grown in dark, the second part explores the potential products obtainable from the heterotrophic growth of C. cryptica and the last one give insights into the lipid pathway, through -omics analysis

Toward a Theory of Female Subjectivity

Poststructuralist accounts of gender provide a useful theoretical space to unpack the workings of power and domination as they structure the organization of our language, representations, concepts, and discourse in general. One significant flaw of this theory is a failure to adequately account for the social realm of embodied individuals, social interactions, and interpretive moments. In this paper, I offer conventional femininity as a particular type of gendered habitus that highlights this theoretical flaw as it necessarily links what is promising and useful about poststructuralist accounts of gender with the physical, social, interactive, and interpretive everyday lives of women

La valutazione del merito creditizio in agricoltura alla luce dell’Accordo Basilea 2: un applicazione ad un’impresa floricola

The markets’ globalisation induces the national agriculture sector to improve its competitiveness by structural adjustment of the farms. This process requires financial resources so that new and more intensive relations will be necessary between bank and farm. From this point of view the new agreement named Basilea 2 is seen as a potential threat that may reduce the capability to credit access for the agricultural entrepreneurs. For this reason this study has verified the principal aspects that will influence the assessment of the farms’ rating by applying the procedure in a floricultural farm. A sensitive analysis has been developed in order to evaluate if the new agreement constitutes a threat or an opportunity for the farm in receiving funds from the bank

«Un vero scrittore internazionale». La diffusione mondiale delle opere di Giorgio Bassani

Il saggio ripercorre le fasi del successo editoriale delle opere di Giorgio Bassani nel mondo; attraverso l’analisi dei carteggi intrattenuti con editori e traduttori, mette in rilievo da un lato la ferrea volontà dell’autore di far giungere il proprio messaggio intellettuale e morale ad un pubblico il più ampio possibile; dall’altra la cura scrupolosa esercitata nel seguire la delicata operazione di traduzione, al fine di consegnare una versione aderente non solo ai contenuti ma anche e soprattutto alla forma del testo.This paper reconstructs the international circulation of Bassani’s œuvre. The analysis of Bassani’s correspondence with publishers and translators shows his strong determination to convey his intellectual and moral message to a wide international audience, as well as the scrupulous attention he devoted to the translation process. In his supervision of a translation, Bassani’s consistent goal was to develop a version that was precise, aesthetically valid, and respectful of the formal qualities of the original text.L’essai suit les étapes du succès éditorial des œuvres de Giorgio Bassani dans le monde. L’analyse des correspondances entre l’auteur, ses éditeurs et ses traducteurs montre non seulement la volonté de Bassani de faire parvenir son message intellectuel et moral à un public aussi large que possible, mais aussi la méticulosité avec laquelle il a suivi le travail de la traduction, dans le but d’obtenir un texte non seulement exact mais aussi respectueux de la forme de l’original et de ses qualités esthétiques

Dime cómo te mueves y te diré qué profesional eres

El presente Trabajo Fin de Máster tiene como propósito el diseño de una didáctica mejorada sobre el estudio del aparato locomotor humano, impartida durante el periodo de prácticas en el 1º curso de Bachillerato. Para ello, se toman como referencia los conocimientos adquiridos durante las clases teóricas del máster y la experiencia extraída durante el practicum. Esta propuesta de mejora busca subsanar los errores cometidos durante dicho periodo, en el que principalmente, hubo una supremacía del aprendizaje memorístico y por consiguiente, poco significativo por parte del alumnado. Teniendo esto en cuenta, orientaremos la innovación docente hacia un enfoque metodológico basado en la corriente pedagógica del constructivismo, haciendo uso de distintas estrategias y recursos acorde a dicha corriente. A lo largo del presente trabajo, se realiza una revisión sobre los principales referentes teóricos que sustentan y orientan nuestra propuesta de mejora. Posteriormente, presentaremos la unidad didáctica especificando los contenidos, las competencias, las actividades y la evaluación. Como conclusión, se hará una valoración en la que a modo de síntesis, se destacan otras posibles mejoras para la unidad y para la acción docente

A zoning of the Metropolitan City of Naples and analysis of land values

This paper presents the results of a zoning study involving the metropolitan city of Naples, for the purpose of identifying the areas within which to perform a comparable search by applying the synthetic-comparative market value procedure of appraisal. Moreover, an analysis was carried out of the values of agricultural land reported by two official sources, i.e. average land values (VFM) and average agricultural values (VAM), and by an unofficial source, i.e. the values of the Observatory of Agricultural Values (VAO). The results show that for some area/crop quality combinations, the values recorded can provide a significant indication of the agricultural value to be estimated. Vice versa, for estimating the agricultural value of land cultivated with the most profitable crops, the official values showed to be unreliable, meaning that the appraisal requires an accurate field survey. As for the differences between the different homogeneous areas, VAO prove to be more reliable, while VAM are the least significant values

Proposta de abolição do teste de sensibilidade cutâneo antes da aplicação do soro anti-rábico de origem eqüina

An epizootic outbreak of rabies occurred in 1995 in Ribeirão Preto, SP, with 58 cases of animal rabies (54 dogs, 3 cats and 1 bat) confirmed by the Pasteur Institute of São Paulo, and one human death. The need to provide care to a large number of people for the application of equine rabies immune globulin (ERIG) prevented the execution of the skin sensitivity test (SST) and often also the execution of desensitization, procedures routinely used up to that time at the Emergency Unit of the University Hospital of the Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (EU-UHFMRP-USP), a reference hospital for the application of heterologous sera. In view of our positive experience of several years with the abolition of SST and of the use of premedication before the application of antivenom sera, we used a similar schedule for ERIG application. Of the 1489 victims of animal bites, 1054 (71%) received ERIG; no patient was submitted to SST and all received intravenously anti-histamines (anti-H1 + anti-H2) and corticosteroids before the procedure. The patients were kept under observation for 60 to 180 minutes and no adverse reaction was observed. On the basis of these results, since December 1995 ERIG application has been decentralized in Ribeirão Preto and has become the responsibility of the Emergency Unit of the University Hospital and the Central Basic Health Unit, where the same routine is used. Since then, 4216 patients have received ERIG (1818 at the Basic Health Unit and 2398 at the EU-UHFMRP), with no problems. The ideal would be the routine use of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) in public health programs, but this is problematic, because of their high cost. However, while this does not occur, the use of SST is no longer justified at the time of application of ERIG, in view of the clinical evidence of low predictive value and low sensitivity of SST involving the application of heterologous sera. It is very important to point out that a negative SST result may lead the health team to a feeling of false safety that no adverse reaction will occur, but this is not true for the anaphylactoid reactions. The decision to use premedication, which is based on knowledge about anaphylaxis and on the pharmacology of the medication used, is left to the judgment of health professionals, who should always be prepared for eventual untoward events.Durante o ano de 1995, ocorreu em Ribeirão Preto, SP, uma epizootia de raiva, com 58 casos de raiva animal (54 cães, 3 gatos, 1 morcego), confirmados pelo Instituto Pasteur, S. Paulo, e um óbito humano. A necessidade de prestar atendimento a um grande número de pessoas para aplicação do soro anti-rábico eqüino, tornou inviável a realização do teste de sensibilidade intradérmico (TSI) e da dessensibilização, utilizados até então como rotina, conforme orientação da Organização Mundial da Saúde e do Ministério da Saúde, na Unidade de Emergência do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, hospital de referência para aplicação de soros heterólogos. Com base na experiência positiva de vários anos com a abolição do TSI e uso de pré-medicação antes da aplicação endovenosa de soros antivenenos, foi utilizado esquema semelhante para a aplicação de soro anti-rábico eqüino (SARE). Das 1489 vítimas de mordeduras de animais, 1054 (71%) receberam SARE; nenhuma delas foi submetida ao TSI e todas receberam previamente anti-histamínicos (anti-H1 + anti-H2) e corticosteróides por via intravenosa, permanecendo em observação durante 60 a 180 minutos, não sendo verificada nenhuma reação adversa. A partir desses resultados, desde dezembro de 1995 a aplicação do SARE foi descentralizada em Ribeirão Preto, ficando responsável a Unidade Básica de Saúde Central (UBDS) pelos pacientes moradores da cidade de Ribeirão Preto, e a Unidade de Emergência do Hospital das Clínicas, pelos provenientes das cidades componentes da macroregião, utilizando-se a mesma rotina nesses dois locais, ou seja, abolição do TSI e uso de pré-medicação. Desde então até dezembro de 1999, 4216 pacientes receberam SARE, sem problemas (2398 na UE-HCFMRP e 1818 na UBDS). O ideal seria a possibilidade de utilização de imunoglobulina anti-rábica humana nos programas de saúde pública, o que é problemático devido ao seu alto custo. Enquanto isso não ocorrer, a realização de TSI quando da aplicação de SARE não mais se justifica, devido às evidências do baixo valor preditivo e baixa sensibilidade dos TSI frente à aplicação de soros heterólogos. Mais importante ainda, um TSI negativo pode dar ao profissional de saúde a falsa segurança de que não ocorrerá nenhuma reação, o que não é válido para as reações anafilactóides. A decisão da utilização de pré-medicação, que se baseia no conhecimento da fisiopatologia da anafilaxia e na farmacologia da medicação utilizada, fica a critério do profissional de saúde, que deve sempre estar preparado para eventuais intercorrências