Analisi di criticità e gestione dei piani di ispezione in un impianto di produzione di energia elettrica

Creazione di un Tool per l'analisi di Criticità dell'impianto e eleborazione di un database per la gestione dei piani di ispezion

Bilanciare insieme verità di parto e interesse del minore. La Corte Costituzionale in materia di maternità surrogata mostra al giudice come non buttare il bambino con l'acqua sporca

L’articolo propone una riflessione sul divieto di maternità surrogata dopo la sentenza della Corte costituzionale n. 272/2017. La Corte ha confermato il divieto di maternità surrogata a garanzia del principio Mater semper certa posto dall’ordinamento a tutela della dignità e della libertà della madre e del bambino. Il rilievo riconosciuto a tale regula juris, in caso di surrogazione di maternità, impone al giudice di bilanciare la verità di parto con l’interesse del minore.The article proposes a reflection on the prohibition of surrogate motherhood after the ruling of the Constitutional Court no. 272/2017. The decision confirmed the prohibition of surrogacy as a means of guaranteeing the Mater semper certa principle; this principle is provided for in the Italian legal order to protect the dignity and the freedom of the mother and the child. The importance given to the Mater semper certa principle gives the judge the task of balancing, in the event of surrogacy, this principle with the interests of the child

Getting old through the blood. Circulating molecules in aging and senescence of cardiovascular regenerative cells

Global aging is a hallmark of our century. The natural multifactorial process resulting in aging involves structural and functional changes, affecting molecules, cells, and tissues. As the western population is getting older, we are witnessing an increase in the burden of cardiovascular events, some of which are known to be directly linked to cellular senescence and dysfunction. In this review, we will focus on the description of a few circulating molecules, which have been correlated to life span, aging, and cardiovascular homeostasis. We will review the current literature concerning the circulating levels and related signaling pathways of selected proteins (insulin-like growth factor 1, growth and differentiation factor-11, and PAI-1) and microRNAs of interest (miR-34a, miR-146a, miR-21), whose bloodstream levels have been associated to aging in different organisms. In particular, we will also discuss their potential role in the biology and senescence of cardiovascular regenerative cell types, such as endothelial progenitor cells, mesenchymal stromal cells, and cardiac progenitor cells

The digitalization-reputation link: a multiple case-study on Italian banking groups

Purpose – This paper aims to focus on the relation between digital transformation and banks’ reputation, as examined through the information disclosed by the five largest Italian banking groups’ efforts to extend and enhance their digital resources. Considering digitalization as a key strategy for managing reputation, which, in turn, can leverage financial and value performance management, the paper investigates whether and how digital activities might affect banks’ reputation. Therefore, this paper proposes the relationship between digitalization and reputation as a lever for performance management and for increasing efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use content analysis to generate a digital disclosure index, categorizing activities human, structural and relational. For banks’ reputations, the proxies are a measure of corporate reputation and a reputational risk index. Methodologically the study used multiple case studies, considered as particularly suitable to gain an in-depth understanding of the topic in the case of the five banks. A collection of secondary data and semi-structured interviews are included. Findings – Overall, the digitalization-reputation link shows that banks’ reputation is variously affected, not only by exposure to risk (including reputational risk) but also by strategic issues such as digitalization and the effectiveness of the corresponding communication. Consequently, banks should view digitalization as a key driver to be considered not in a stand-alone perspective, but in a combined approach. Research limitations/implications – Continued research should include the Covid-19 implications. Additionally, it would be important to compare a larger number of banks, with different characteristics, also including variables indicating the corporate governance mechanisms. Practical implications – The analysis contributes to fostering scholars’ and practitioners’ management of the digital transformation challenge that is a current key-factor, capable of increasing banks’ value. It considers not only the drivers directly affecting monetary value but also the institutions’ social and relational value, as well as their reputation. Originality/value – This paper extends prior research on the digitalization-reputation relation by investigating digital transformation through disclosure of activities in this area within the Italian banking sector. It allows to leverage the key-factors that can contribute to increasing banks’ value, considering not only the drivers directly affecting monetary value but also the institutions’ social and relational value, as well as their reputation

Avaliação do desempenho clínico entre coroas metalo-cerâmicas e coroas cerâmicas

As coroas metalo-cerâmicas, durante alguns anos, foram as restaurações protéticas mais utilizadas por serem bastante previsíveis, pois unem a alta resistência, a longa sobrevida em meio oral e a precisão de um metal fundido à base de ligas nobres. Contudo, na busca por estética, foram desenvolvidos materiais para próteses livres de metal como a zircónia, que seriam materiais mais adequados para substituir as coroas metalo-cerâmicas. O objetivo deste trabalho consiste na realização de uma revisão sistemática integrativa sobre avaliação do desempenho clínico entre coroas metalo-cerâmicas e coroas cerâmicas. Uma pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada na base de dados da PubMed dos artigos mais recentes na literatura sobre este tema. A busca na plataforma PubMed gerou um total de 243 artigos, dos quais 20 foram considerados relevantes para este estudo. A crescente demanda de busca por restaurações mais estéticas, as coroas em cerâmica, introduzidas no mercado obtiveram bastante aceitação, devido aos seus excelentes resultados estéticos, biocompatibilidade e estabilidade mecânica adequada. Como conclusão, é possível observar que cada material possui limitações quanto ao uso clínico e cabe ao médico dentista possuir conhecimento destes materiais disponíveis bem como realizar um diagnóstico e planeamento preciso, para que o procedimento seja realizado com segurança e satisfação do paciente.The metal-ceramic crowns, for some years, were the most used prosthetic restorations because they are quite predictable, as they combine high strength, long survival in the oral environment and the precision of a cast metal based on noble alloys. However, in the search for aesthetics, materials for metal-free prostheses such as zirconia were developed, which would be more suitable materials to replace metal-ceramic crowns. The objective of this work is to carry out an integrative systematic review on the evaluation of clinical performance between metal-ceramic and ceramic crowns. A literature search was performed on the PubMed database. A search for more recent articles in the literature was performed. The search on the PubMed platform generated a total of 243 articles, of which 20 were considered relevant for this study. The growing demand for more esthetic restorations, ceramic crowns, introduced in the market, were widely accepted, due to their excellent esthetic results, biocompatibility and adequate mechanical stability . In conclusion, it is possible to observe that each material has limitations regarding clinical use and it is up to the dentist to have knowledge of these available materials as well as to perform a diagnosis and accurate planning, so that the procedure is performed with safety and patient satisfaction

A Macroscopic Mathematical Model For Cell Migration Assays Using A Real-Time Cell Analysis

Experiments of cell migration and chemotaxis assays have been classically performed in the so-called Boyden Chambers. A recent technology, xCELLigence Real Time Cell Analysis, is now allowing to monitor the cell migration in real time. This technology measures impedance changes caused by the gradual increase of electrode surface occupation by cells during the course of time and provide a Cell Index which is proportional to cellular morphology, spreading, ruffling and adhesion quality as well as cell number. In this paper we propose a macroscopic mathematical model, based on \emph{advection-reaction-diffusion} partial differential equations, describing the cell migration assay using the real-time technology. We carried out numerical simulations to compare simulated model dynamics with data of observed biological experiments on three different cell lines and in two experimental settings: absence of chemotactic signals (basal migration) and presence of a chemoattractant. Overall we conclude that our minimal mathematical model is able to describe the phenomenon in the real time scale and numerical results show a good agreement with the experimental evidences

EMT/MET at the crossroad of stemness, regeneration and oncogenesis. The Ying-Yang equilibrium recapitulated in cell spheroids

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an essential trans-differentiation process, which plays a critical role in embryonic development, wound healing, tissue regeneration, organ fibrosis, and cancer progression. It is the fundamental mechanism by which epithelial cells lose many of their characteristics while acquiring features typical of mesenchymal cells, such as migratory capacity and invasiveness. Depending on the contest, EMT is complemented and balanced by the reverse process, the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET). In the saving economy of the living organisms, the same (Ying-Yang) tool is integrated as a physiological strategy in embryonic development, as well as in the course of reparative or disease processes, prominently fibrosis, tumor invasion and metastasis. These mechanisms and their related signaling (e.g., TGF-β and BMPs) have been effectively studied in vitro by tissue-derived cell spheroids models. These three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems, whose phenotype has been shown to be strongly dependent on TGF-β-regulated EMT/MET processes, present the advantage of recapitulating in vitro the hypoxic in vivo micro-environment of tissue stem cell niches and their formation. These spheroids, therefore, nicely reproduce the finely regulated Ying-Yang equilibrium, which, together with other mechanisms, can be determinant in cell fate decisions in many pathophysiological scenarios, such as differentiation, fibrosis, regeneration, and oncogenesis. In this review, current progress in the knowledge of signaling pathways affecting EMT/MET and stemness regulation will be outlined by comparing data obtained from cellular spheroids systems, as ex vivo niches of stem cells derived from normal and tumoral tissues. The mechanistic correspondence in vivo and the possible pharmacological perspective will be also explored, focusing especially on the TGF-β-related networks, as well as others, such as SNAI1, PTEN, and EGR1. This latter, in particular, for its ability to convey multiple types of stimuli into relevant changes of the cell transcriptional program, can be regarded as a heterogeneous "stress-sensor" for EMT-related inducers (growth factor, hypoxia, mechano-stress), and thus as a therapeutic target

Molecular mechanisms driving the microgels behaviour: a Raman spectroscopy and Dynamic Light Scattering study

Responsive microgels based on poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) exhibit peculiar behaviours due to the competition between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions of the constituent networks. The interpenetration of poly-acrilic acid (PAAc), a pH-sensitive polymer, within the PNIPAM network, to form Interpenetrated Polymer Network (IPN) microgels, affects this delicate balance and the typical Volume-Phase Transition (VPT) leading to complex behaviours whose molecular nature is still completely unexplored. Here we investigate the molecular mechanism driving the VPT and its influence on particle aggregation for PNIPAM/PAAc IPN microgels by the joint use of Dynamic Light Scattering and Raman Spectroscopy. Our results highlight that PNIPAM hydrophobicity is enhanced by the interpenetration of PAAc promoting interparticle interactions, a crossover concentration is found above which aggregation phenomena become relevant. Moreover we find that, at variance with PNIPAM, for IPN microgels a double-step molecular mechanisms occurs upon crossing the VPT, the first involving the coil-to-globule transition typical of PNIPAM and the latter associated to PAAc steric hindrance.Comment: preprint versio

Quando non bastano le "regole del gioco" la Corte fa "ordine". Note a margine della sentenza n. 300 del 2012

commento alla sentenza della corte costituzionale n. 300 del 2012 sui giochi d'azzard

Dalla fine di un irragionevole divieto al caos di una irragionevole risposta. La sentenza n. 162 del 2014 della Corte costituzionale, lo Stato e Regioni sulla fecondazione assistita eterologa

Dopo una breve sintesi in cui si fa il punto sulle trasformazioni che la l. n. 40/2004, sulla procreazione medicalmente assistita, ha subito a 10 anni dalla sua approvazione, l’articolo prende in esame la sentenza della Corte costituzionale n. 162/2014, che ha annullato le disposizioni della l. n. 40/2004 che vietavano la pma di tipo eterologo. La possibilità della nuova terapia ammessa dalla Corte costituzionale ha tuttavia causato una contrapposizione fra lo Stato e le Regioni sulle modalità di attuazione delle relative prestazioni che ha risentito ampiamente del mancato inserimento della pma sia omologa che eterologa nei livelli essenziali delle prestazioni garantite dal servizio sanitario nazionale. Tale circostanza ha portato l’affermazione di un federalismo sanitario accentuato che mette in discussione la garanzia delle prestazioni a livello regionale e favorisce il turismo sanitario tra Regioni.After an introduction about modifications of the law 40/2004 on assisted reproduction, during the first 10 years after its approval, the article analyses decision n. 162/2014 of Italian Constitutional Court, nullifying provisions of Law 40/2004, prohibiting assisted procreation of heterologous type. New treatments now allowed by Constitutional Court’s decision, however, caused conflicts between State and Regions on the implementation of assisted procreation of heterologous type because of the non-inclusion of these treatments among the basic level of benefits guaranteed by National Health Service. This led to a kind of strong health’s federalism that put in question the guarantees of benefits at regional level and promotes health’s shopping among italian Regions