the role of lipids in the pathogenesis of neuroHIV

A critical comorbidity of HIV infection is HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Although combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) is an effective treatment in blocking systemic viral replication, it is unsuccessful in reducing the incidence of HAND. HIV CNS damage, in the current cART era, can be associated to the presence of latently HIV-infected cells including microglia/macrophages and a small population of astrocytes. This Ph.D. thesis focuses on identifying, localizing, and quantifying viral reservoirs using an improved staining and microscopy technique. Although in low amount, our data confirmed that microglia/macrophages and a small population of astrocytes are still infected. These cells synthetize and secrete viral proteins generating a bystander damage in the CNS. Viral proteins are also involved in lipid dysregulation. We demonstrated by Mass Spectrometry Imaging (MSI) that in the brain of HIV-infected individuals with HAND lipids including sulfatide play a key role in bystander damage. Sulfatide is dysregulated in several neurocognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Thus, we propose that sulfatide as a potential biomarker of neurocognitive disorders. We demonstrated that sulfatide secretion can be regulated by HIV proteins and we evaluated sulfatide effects in vitro, focusing on cell-to-cell communication and mitochondrial metabolism, all parameters altered in NeuroHIV. Therefore, this thesis provides specific tools and unique data to a better understanding the neuropathogenesis of HAND in the current cART-era and may lead to the identification of new molecular targets for preventing or curing HIV neurological decline

Brief notes on rural territoriality in the Lavalle desert, Mendoza (Argentina)

El presente artículo toma como zona de estudio al desierto de Lavalle, ubicado en la provincia de Mendoza, al centro oeste de Argentina. Como su nombre lo indica, constituye una extensa planicie árida con precipitaciones que oscilan entre los 80 y 130 mm. anuales y posee temperaturas que, en verano, pueden alcanzar los 48° C. La cría de ganado caprino es la actividad productiva más importante de la zona. Este lugar ha sido analizado desde diversas perspectivas e intereses teóricos, entre los que se destacan las modalidades de acceso, uso y control de los recursos, principalmente hídricos, y sus conflictos derivados; la pobreza y la exclusión social y su relación con problemáticas ambientales (desertificación); el desarrollo local y sustentable; así como la apropiación territorial, los procesos identitarios y la organización comunitaria. Luego de la revisión y lectura crítica de distintas fuentes de información, nos propusimos comprender a la luz de las categorías de territorio y territorialidad campesina de qué manera y en qué contexto los pobladores del desierto de Lavalle, al desplegar formas de reproducción social, definen y redefinen el territorio. Así, sostenemos que las prácticas que sinergizan los habitantes del desierto, deben ser comprendidas en un marco de mayor complejidad que involucre procesos económicos, sociales y políticos.This article focus on the Lavalle desert, located in the province of Mendoza, west central Argentina. This area is a vast arid plain with rainfall ranging between 80 and 130 mm per year, and temperatures that can reach 48° C on summer seasons. The goat production is the major activity in this area. Among the background of this area it stands the modalities of: access, use and control of resources, mainly water, and their derivatives conflicts; poverty and social exclusion and its relationship to environmental issues (desertification); sustainable and local development as well as territorial ownership, identity processes and community organization. The aim of this article is to understand how and in what context the Lavalle desert dwellers define and redefine the territory as they deploy forms of social reproduction. Based on this, it was used a methodological approach which has led to a critical review of the background, while proposes two theoretical categories that allow an alternative analytical perspective. It is concluded that the practices that synergize desert dwellers must be understood within a framework of greater complexity involving economic, social and political processes.Fil: Accorinti, Carla Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Pessolano, Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Marta Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: D'amico, María Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentin

Territoire et reproduction sociale: outils conceptuels pour repenser le désert de Lavalle (Argentine)

En este artículo partimos del supuesto de que los conceptos de territorio y reproducción social permiten pensar en términos materiales y simbólicos la complejidad de las relaciones de poder desplegadas en el espacio, posibilitando, de este modo, articular dimensiones biológicas y sociales y superar viejos dualismos (individuo/sociedad, familia/trabajo, cultura/naturaleza). En consecuencia, nos proponemos poner en diálogo estas dos categorías analíticas con algunas investigaciones sobre el desierto de Lavalle (Mendoza), a fin de visibilizar que, aun en el marco de importantes restricciones tanto ambientales como socioeconómicas, sus pobladores llevan adelante un entramado complejo de prácticas que aseguran su persistencia, a la vez que construyen territorio a partir de lógicas, en muchos casos, alternativas a la capitalista.BIn this article we assume that the concepts of territory and social reproduction allow thinking in material and symbolic terms the complexity of the power relationships deployed in space, making possible, in this way, articulating biological and social dimensions and overcoming old dualisms (individual / society, family / work, culture / nature). Consequently, we propose involving these two analytical categories in some research projects in the desert Lavalle (Mendoza) to show that, even in the context of major environmental and socio-economic constraints, its inhabitants carry on a complex scheme of practices that ensure their persistence, while they construct territory from lines of reasoning, in many cases, alternative to the capitalist logic.Dans cet article, on suppose que les concepts de territoire et de reproduction sociale permettent de penser en termes matériaux et symboliques la complexité des relations de pouvoir déployées dans l’espace, en permettant, de cette manière, articuler des dimensions biologiques et sociales et surmonter les vieux dualismes (individu/société, famille/travail, culture/nature). En conséquence, on a l’intention de mettre en dialogue ces deux catégories analytiques avec quelques recherches sur le désert de Lavalle (Mendoza), afin de savoir que, même dans le contexte de grandes contraintes environnementales et socio-économiques, sa population mène une ensemble de pratiques complexes qui assurent son persistance, au même temps qu’elles construisent de territoire à partir de logiques, dans des nombreux cas, alternatives à la capitaliste.Fil: D'amico, María Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Aridas; ArgentinaFil: Moreno, Marta Silvia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Aridas; ArgentinaFil: Pessolano, Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Aridas; ArgentinaFil: Accorinti, Carla Eugenia. Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Cientifíca y Tecnológica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Aridas; Argentin

Inversion of surface wave data for shear-wave velocity profiles : case studies of a thick buried low-velocity layer in Malta

The islands composing the Maltese archipelago (Central Mediterranean) are characterised by a four layer sequence of limestones and clays, with the Lower Coralline Limestone being the oldest exposed layer. The hard Globigerina Limestone (GL) overlies this layer and is found outcropping in the eastern part of Malta and western part of Gozo. The rest of the islands are characterised by Upper Coralline Limestone (UCL) plateaus and hillcaps covering a soft Blue Clay (BC) layer which can be up to 75 m thick. Thus the BC layer introduces a velocity inversion in the stratigraphy, and makes the Vs30 parameter not always suitable for seismic microzonation purposes. Such a layer may still produce amplification effects, however would not contribute to the numerical mean of Vs in the upper 30m. Moreover, buildings are being increasingly constructed on this type of geological foundation. Obtaining the shear wave (Vs) profiles of the different layers around the islands is the first step needed for a detailed study of local seismic site response. A survey of Vs in each type of lithology and around the islands has never been undertaken.N/

Development of a Simple and Cost-Effective Bead-Milling Method for DNA Extraction from Fish Muscles

In the fish food sector, due to a growing globalization of the market, where intentional and unintentional frauds reach alarming levels, the molecular analysis is increasingly used by both official agencies, to enforce the law on traceability, and private companies, to verify the quality of goods. DNA extraction represents a necessary and critical step for all types of DNA analysis. Among the drawbacks associated with this procedure, there are handling of toxic materials, low DNA yield, and low throughput, due to time-consuming manual procedures. In this work, to overcome some of these problems, we developed an alternative method based on a bead-milling procedure without proteinase K digestion. The new method was then compared with both a salting-out protocol, developed in a previous work, and a commercial kit. Yield, spectrophotometric purity, electrophoretic degradation pattern, and amplificability of the extracted DNA were assessed. In particular, DNA amplificability was evaluated by comparing the band intensity on the gel, after amplification of the 16S rRNA and cytochrome oxidase I genes with a conventional PCR, and the take-off cycles, after amplification of the 16S rRNA gene with a real-time PCR. The results showed that the bead-based method allowed to obtain acceptable amounts of DNA, with good purity and good characteristics of amplificability. Although the salting-out method remains the most effective protocol in terms of pure performances, the bead-milling procedure can be considered a valid alternative, in the light of its lower demand in terms of labor and costs

Dynamic characteristics of an active coastal spreading area using ambient noise measurements - Anchor Bay, Malta

Anchor Bay and surrounding regions are located on the northwest coast of the island of Malta, Central Mediterranean. The area is characterized by a coastal cliff environment having an outcropping layer of hard coralline limestone (UCL) resting on a thick (up to 50 m) layer of clays and marls (Blue Clay, BC). This configuration gives rise to coastal instability effects, in particular lateral spreading phenomena and rock falls. Previous and ongoing studies have identified both lateral spreading rates and vertical motions of several millimetres per year. The area is an interesting natural laboratory as coastal detachment processes in a number of different stages can be identified and are easily accessible. We investigate the site dynamic characteristics of this study area by recording ambient noise time-series at more than 30 points, over an area of 0.07 km2, using a portable three-component seismograph. The time-series are processed to give both horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio graphs (H/V) as well as frequency-dependent polarisation analysis. The H/V graphs illustrate and quantify aspects of site resonance effects due both to underlying geology as well as to mechanical resonance of partly or wholly detached blocks. The polarization diagrams indicate the degree of linearity and predominant directions of vibrational effects. H/V curves closer to the cliff edge show complex responses at higher frequencies, characteristic of the dynamic behaviour of individual detached blocks. Particle motion associated with the higher frequencies shows strongly directional polarization and a high degree of linearity at well-defined frequencies, indicative of normal-mode vibration. The stable plateau areas, on the other hand, show simple, single-peak H/V curves representative of the underlying stratification and no predominant polarization direction. These results, which will be compared with those from other experiments in the area, have important implications for the understanding of ongoing processes in geologically active and unstable coastal environments.peer-reviewe

I Paesi dell'Europa orientale e sud orientale Storia degli insegnamenti linguistico-culturali a Ca’ Foscari

The present work aims to investigate the academic life-span of courses in Eastern and South-Eastern European languages and literatures at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, currently taught in the Department of Linguistic and Cultural Comparative Studies. It presents a historical reconstruction of the teaching of Albanian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Russian, Slovenian and Serbo-Croatian languages and literatures from their emergence as academic disciplines to the present day when they continue to be taught at the undergraduate and the graduate level (except for Bulgarian). The section on Russian language and literature is further enriched with a biography of Evel Gasparini. As the article shows, each language has followed a different path, but, with the important exception of Russian language and literature, what they have in common is the long-term attempt and the strong will to maintain their presence in the academic curricula in spite of the continuous fluctuation of conditions that has shaped their history at Ca’ Foscari

Galectin 1-A Key Player between Tissue Repair and Fibrosis

Galectins are ten family members of carbohydrate-binding proteins with a high affinity for β galactose-containing oligosaccharides. Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is the first protein discovered in the family, expressed in many sites under normal and pathological conditions. In the first part of the review article, we described recent advances in the Gal-1 modulatory role on wound healing, by focusing on the different phases triggered by Gal-1, such as inflammation, proliferation, tissue repair and re-epithelialization. On the contrary, Gal-1 persistent over-expression enhances angiogenesis and extracellular matrix (ECM) production via PI3K/Akt pathway activation and leads to keloid tissue. Therefore, the targeted Gal-1 modulation should be considered a method of choice to treat wound healing and avoid keloid formation. In the second part of the review article, we discuss studies clarifying the role of Gal-1 in the pathogenesis of proliferative diabetic retinopathy, liver, renal, pancreatic and pulmonary fibrosis. This evidence suggests that Gal-1 may become a biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of tissue fibrosis and a promising molecular target for the development of new and original therapeutic tools to treat fibrosis in different chronic diseases

The uncertainty of seafood labeling in China: A case study on Cod, Salmon and Tuna

Exotic marine fish products are increasingly appreciated in China. In this study, 100 samples of Cod, Salmon and Tuna products were collected from supermarkets in Shanghai, Nanjing and Hangzhou. First the information reported on the label were assessed in the light of the Chinese legislation, paying particular attention to the fish names and the geographical origin. Then, a comparative analysis of the official trade denominations adopted by five European countries (Italy, France, Germany, Spain and United Kingdom) for Cod, Salmon and Tuna was performed. Finally, the Chinese names of the species considered in the EU list were verified consulting the available international lists. Overall, 95% of the samples employed just generic names. In particular, 98% of Salmon and 100% of Tuna products were generically labeled while the labeling of Cod products was more diversified, even though 80% reported misleading or fake denominations. The results of this work highlighted the lack of a mandatory legislation on seafood traceability and of an official naming system. In particular, this study propose the introduction of a detailed Chinese naming system based on the Chinese Latin Dictionary for Seafood Names, following the EU approach. In fact, inaccurate labeling can have both economic and health implications for consumers as well as it may distort the true abundance of fish stocks. These drawbacks can be particularly serious considering the pivotal role of China in the global fishery industry

Exploring Purchasing Determinants for a Low Fat Content Salami: Are Consumers Willing to Pay for an Additional Premium?

Consumers today are increasingly moving toward healthier lifestyles and food purchasing habits. This new awareness has also prompted the meat industry, usually indicted for the use of harmful compounds and ingredients such as additives, salt, and fat, to introduce innovative measures to meet demand. This study aims to assess consumer willingness to pay an additional price premium (APP) for a healthy salami by identifying which factors are more likely to have an effect on the willingness to purchase, such as socio-demographic and product and market-related attributes. An Ordered Logit model has been applied to define factors influencing consumers' willingness to pay for a low-fat salami. Results show a favorable consumer acceptance of reduced-fat salami conveyed by the willingness of consumers to pay an additional price for this product and confirm that the health awareness of consumers is an important driving force in cured meat marketing strategies