Nuove acquisizioni sull'impiego di bicicli solfonilici rigidi in sintesi organica e in studi di riconoscimento molecolare

Sulla base degli aspetti cardine descritti precedentemente e degli studi condotti su bicicli solfonilici rigidi negli ultimi anni, saranno presentati i più recenti risultati ottenuti, soprattutto per quanto concerne a) la reattività di alcheni biciclici come accettori di Michael in presenza di ammine chirali e b) la costruzione di famiglie di analoghi a scheletro [2.2.x]biciclico e benzo[2.2.1]biciclico, adatte alla elaborazione di modelli di riconoscimento chirale di tipo empirico, basati su analisi cromatografica (HPLC)

Variations of biofouling communities in an off-shore fish cage farm from North-Western Sardinia = Variazioni del biofouling in un allevamento ittico in gabbie off-shore della Sardegna nord-occidentale

Biofouling variations were studied in a fish farming facility near Alghero (Italy) between November 2007 and November 2008. Net panels suitable for the settlement of encrusting organisms were immersed in cages in which large and small gilthead seabream specimens were reared. Significant differences in biofouling biomass and coverage were observed between cages containing fish and controls. The results obtained revealed that gilthead seabream can exert a crucial role in controlling biofouling growth, independently from its size

Continual Learning with Gated Incremental Memories for sequential data processing

The ability to learn in dynamic, nonstationary environments without forgetting previous knowledge, also known as Continual Learning (CL), is a key enabler for scalable and trustworthy deployments of adaptive solutions. While the importance of continual learning is largely acknowledged in machine vision and reinforcement learning problems, this is mostly under-documented for sequence processing tasks. This work proposes a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) model for CL that is able to deal with concept drift in input distribution without forgetting previously acquired knowledge. We also implement and test a popular CL approach, Elastic Weight Consolidation (EWC), on top of two different types of RNNs. Finally, we compare the performances of our enhanced architecture against EWC and RNNs on a set of standard CL benchmarks, adapted to the sequential data processing scenario. Results show the superior performance of our architecture and highlight the need for special solutions designed to address CL in RNNs.Comment: Accepted as a conference paper at 2020 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2020). Part of 2020 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI 2020

Molecular analysis of appendiceal mucinous cystadenoma and rectal adenocarcinoma in a patient with urothelial carcinoma: a case report

Introduction: In this report, we present the case of a patient affected by appendiceal cystadenoma, a colorectal adenocarcinoma, and a concomitant bladder carcinoma, as well as the results of the molecular study of the most relevant mutational pathways involved in these tumors. Case presentation: A 68-year-old Italian man was admitted to our unit complaining of macrohematuria, rectorrhagia, and rectal tenesmus for about 2 months. A colonoscopy showed the presence of a rectal lesion at 11cm from the anal margin; multiple biopsies were performed and a diagnosis of moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma was made. Abdominal ultrasonography and total body computed tomography performed subsequently to stage the rectal cancer showed the presence of two round nodules, interpreted as swollen lymph nodes of neoplastic origin, at the anterior aspect of the iliopsoas muscle and a budding lesion affecting the bladder. The patient underwent transurethral biopsy of the lesion in the right retrotrigonal region; the diagnosis was grade II urothelial carcinoma. The patient underwent an open anterior rectal resection with loco-regional lymphadenectomy. An enlarged appendix and a voluminous whitish soft-tissue lesion requiring an appendicectomy were detected perioperatively. Transurethral resection of the bladder lesion was also performed. The histological examination revealed that the nodular lesions in the appendix were due to a cystadenoma. For mutation analysis, genomic deoxyribonucleic acid was isolated from tumor tissue samples; for PIK3CA mutations, screening revealed that all three samples analyzed carried mutations in exon 9. Conclusions: Appendiceal mucoceles are rare but require adequate surgical treatment, given their malignant potential and the possibility of causing peritoneal pseudomyxoma. It is essential to make a correct preoperative evaluation based on a colonoscopy rather than ultrasound and computed tomography to exclude synchronous neoplasias often associated with mucoceles and to plan the optimum surgical strategy. The association between appendiceal mucoceles and other neoplasias is relatively frequent, especially with colorectal cancer. Oncogenic activation in the PIK3CA-depending pathway may contribute substantially to the pathogenesis of the different solid tumors in the same patient

Definizione degli elementi conoscitivi e progettuali per l'istituzione di aree marine protette

La sensibilizzazione alla tutela ambientale, fatto prioritario per la creazione di parchi, riserve od oasi naturali, deve inevitabilmente passare attraverso l'acquisizione di tutte le componenti del sistema, macro e microscopiche, e del loro ruolo nel contesto ambientale. Ci riferiamo qui a quel processo cognitivo che va sotto la denominazione di "analisi strutturale o formale degli ecosistemi", un metodo che rappresenta l'opposto all'approccio naturalistico-descrittivo che negli anni passati ha avuto così grande spazio e che è stato il massimo responsabile della diffusione di una visione statica dell'ambiente che fatichiamo a toglierci di dosso

Alcheni policiclici a ponte fenilsolfonilsostituiti: versatili intermedi nella sintesi di molecole biologicamente attive

Nel campo della sintesi totale di molecole biologicamente attive, risultano di interesse, da un punto di vista sintetico-stereochimico, molecole policicliche a struttura pontata che, negli ultimi anni, sono state largamente studiate, sia come principi attivi che come intermedi sintetici. La ricerca di base si è quindi orientata verso lo studio della reattività di tali substrati e dei meccanismi che la regolano. In questi ambiti, il nostro interesse si rivolge verso lo studio della reattività di alcheni policiclici a ponte fenilsolfonilsostituiti

Origin and distribution of the BRCA2-8765delAG mutation in breast cancer

Background: The BRCA2-8765delAG mutation was firstly described in breast cancer families from French-Canadian and Jewish-Yemenite populations; it was then reported as a founder mutation in Sardinian families. We evaluated both the prevalence of the BRCA2-8765delAG variant in Sardinia and the putative existence of a common ancestral origin through a haplotype analysis of breast cancer family members carrying such a mutation. Methods: Eight polymorphic microsatellite markers (D13S1250, centromeric, to D13S267, telomeric) spanning the BRCA2 gene locus were used for the haplotype analysis. Screening for the 8765delAG mutation was performed by PCR-based amplification of BRCA2-exon 20, followed by automated sequencing. Results: Among families with high recurrence of breast cancer (≥ 3 cases in first-degree relatives), those from North Sardinia shared the same haplotype whereas the families from French Canadian and Jewish-Yemenite populations presented distinct genetic assets at the BRCA2 locus. Screening for the BRCA2-8765delAG variant among unselected and consecutively-collected breast cancer patients originating from the entire Sardinia revealed that such a mutation is present in the northern part of the island only [9/648 (1.4%) among cases from North Sardinia versus 0/493 among cases from South Sardinia]. Conclusion: The BRCA2-8765delAG has an independent origin in geographically and ethnically distinct populations, acting as a founder mutation in North but not in South Sardinia. Since BRCA2- 8765delAG occurs within a triplet repeat sequence of AGAGAG, our study further confirmed the existence of a mutational hot-spot at this genomic position (additional genetic factors within each single population might be involved in generating such a mutation)

Composti policiclici bridged fenilsolfonilsostituiti: caratterizzazione mediante tecniche NMR e cromatografia liquida ad alte prestazioni (<i>HPLC</i>)

Da alcuni anni, il nostro gruppo di ricerca svolge studi che hanno portato alla definizione di protocolli sintetici asimmetrici per la preparazione di chetoni policiclici enantiopuri e di nuove preparazioni di alcheni, bromoderivati e aldeidi policiclici. In particolare, i nostri studi si rivolgono verso sistemi [2.2.1]biciclici, costituendo questi lo scheletro carbonioso di base in composti biologicamente attivi, di interesse in campo farmacologico e nell’industria profumiera

Does the Dysregulation of Social Rhythms Syndrome (DYMERS) be Considered an Essential Component of Panic Disorders?

This editorial explores the role of hyperactivity and social rhythm dysregulation in bipolar disorder (BD) and related syndromes. Social Rhythm Dysregulation Syndrome (DYMERS) is proposed as a common vulnerability across various disorders, including panic disorder (PD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. A study conducted on a sample of elderly individuals participating in an active aging study investigated whether individuals with PD exhibit higher biological rhythm dysregulation compared to those without PD. The sample, consisting of 119 individuals, revealed that those with a lifetime PD diagnosis scored significantly higher on the dysregulation of biological rhythms scale compared to those without panic disorder. A higher prevalence of depressive episodes was found in individuals with PD at the time of the interview. Notably, a small sample of elderly individuals with panic disorder, voluntarily selected for a physical exercise trial, showed a significantly higher level of dysregulation of social rhythms compared to those without panic disorder. This study opens a debate on the accuracy of paper and pencil screening tests for bipolar disorders, especially regarding false positives in individuals with panic disorder. Our hypothesis is that DYMERS could be a shared vulnerability substrate for various disorders, serving as a basis for bipolar onset in the presence of a hyperactivity profile, even with genetic features. The data collected from older adults suggest that social rhythm dysregulation is a typical feature of PD, regardless of the coexistence of a depressive episode. While the study has limitations due to a small sample size, the findings warrant careful analysis and suggest the need for larger-scale replication studies. If confirmed, the dysregulation of rhythms and its association with depressive disorders highlight a significant area of vulnerability for serious psychopathological disorders, emphasizing the importance of extending research to younger populations

Lung cancer epidemiology in North Sardinia, Italy

Background The aim of this study was to analyze and describe the epidemiological characteristics and trends of lung cancer in North Sardinia, Italy, in the period 1992–2010. Methods Data were obtained from the tumor registry of Sassari province which is a part of a wider registry web, coordinated today by the Italian Association for Tumor Registries. Results The overall number of lung cancer cases registered was 4,325. The male-to-female ratio was 4.6:1 and the mean age 68.1 years for males and 67 years for females. The standardized incidence rates were 73.1/100,000 and 13.5/100,000 and the standardized mortality rates 55.7/100,000 and 9.9/100,000 for males and females, respectively. An increasing trend in incidence of lung cancer in women was evidenced. Conversely, incidence was found to decrease in males. Relative survival at 5 years from diagnosis was low (8.8% for males and 14.9% for females). Furthermore, an increase in mortality rates was observed in both sexes in the period under investigation. Conclusions Our data show an increasing trend of lung cancer incidence in women in North Sardinia in the last decades. Conversely, a reduction of incidence rates was observed in males. Furthermore, a slightly increasing trend in mortality rates was observed in both sexes, suggesting the need to enhance smoking control strategies, consider adoption of effective surveillance policies, and improve diagnosis and treatment methods