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Many similarities in kidney-function abnormalities were found between hypertensive rats of the Milan strain (MHS) and young normotensive human subjects with hypertensive parents, compared with the appropriate controls. These similarities included an increased glomerular filtration rate, increased pressor effect of the kidney after transplantation, increased 24-h urinary output and lower plasma renin activity and urinary kallikrein. The isolated MHS kidney perfused in vitro with an artificial medium had a higher glomerular filtration rate, a higher urinary output, higher tubular sodium reabsorption and higher oxygen consumption than the kidney of control Milan normotensive rats (MNS). Further, reogenic sodium transport across brush border vesicles isolated from proximal tubular cells is faster in MHS than in MNS. Erythrocytes and proximal tubular cells of MHS have a lower volume and sodium content than those of MNS, while sodium transport is faster and the Ca2+-ATPase at Vmax is lower. This indicates that the 'genetic' cellular abnormality responsible for the renal-function abnormality and the hypertension is also present in erythrocytes. Thus these cells may be used to study the genetic cellular mechanisms of hypertension. Experiments with bone marrow transplantation and with F2 hybrids obtained by crossing the F1 (MHS X MNS) hybrids showed that the MHS erythrocyte abnormalities are genetically determined within the stem cells and are genetically associated with the hypertension. Since, in human hypertensives, there was a correlation between abnormal erythrocyte sodium transport and renal function, it is proposed that erythrocytes may be used in studying the cellular molecular mechanisms of hypertension.

Described experiences have been conducted within the application of plans of self-control in Islamic butcheries, in compliance to the Emilia Romagna and AUSL Modena guidelines. Purpose of the job is to verify the effectiveness of the plans of self-control applied to Islamic butcheries following audit of such particular realities, both to structural, managerial and documental level. The experience conducted till now has put in evidence positive result with implementation of a system of comprehensive self-control based on a plain HACCP and its prerequisites (GMP and SSOP). Particularly, for the application of the self-control plan has been useful as the not conformity management and the scheme of application of HACCP according to the regional and AUSL Modena guidelines.

The study examined how 807 undergraduate Italian students coped with synchronous, asynchronous, and blended learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Strengths and weaknesses of online learning were collected via an electronic platform (SurveyMonkey) and then categorized by grounded theory analysis using ATLAS.ti 8.0 software. The results showed technical, practical, relational, organizational, and transformative features of online learning emerged, differentiated in synchronous, asynchronous, and blended modes. Emotional aspects also affected the evaluation of distance learning because depression and fear were more frequent among the students who found distance learning to be an obstacle rather than a resource or felt ambivalent about it.

This study investigated how young Italian people experienced the period of peak spread of COVID-19 in their country by probing their emotions, thoughts, events, and actions related to interpersonal and community bonds. This approach to the pandemic will highlight social dimensions that characterized contextual interactions from the specific perspective of Community Psychology. The aim was to investigate young people's experiences because they are the most fragile group due to their difficulty staying home and apart from their peers and because they are, at the same time, the most potentially dangerous people due to their urge to gather in groups. The research involved 568 university students, 475 females, and 93 males, with an average age of 21.82 years (SD = 4.836). The collected data were analyzed with the Grounded Theory Methodology, using the Atlas 8.0 software. From the textual data, representative codes were defined and grouped into 10 categories, which reflect the individuals' prosocial attitudes, behaviors, and values. These categories formed three macro-categories, called: “Collective Dimensions,” which includes Connectedness, Solidarity, Italian-ness, Social Problems, and Collective Mourning; “Prosocial Orientation,” which includes Trust and Hope; and “Collective Values,” which includes Values of Freedom, Respect of Social Rules, and Civic-Mindedness. All these macro-categories are indicative of the shared feelings experienced by Italians during the first time of the pandemic. Further practical implications of these results will be discussed, including a consideration of the risk of developing distress and improving well-being, as well as promoting preventive behaviors.

open 7 si The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that ocean surface temperature will rise of 0.6–2.0◦C by 2100. Ocean warming is expected to produce strong impacts on marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, affecting their physiological events including reproductive processes. To date, relatively few studies have examined the effects of climate change on the reproductive success of temperate corals and even less in the azooxanthellate ones. This study examined the reproductive output of the azooxanthellate Mediterranean coral Caryophyllia inornata along a wide latitudinal gradient of seawater temperature and solar radiation. A total of 260 samples, collected from five populations along the Western Italian coast, have been analyzed through histological techniques. The intriguing aspects characterizing all populations of C. inornata along the latitudinal gradient are a strong male-biased sex ratio and the presence of embryos in all stages of development throughout the year in females, males, and sexually inactive individuals. This peculiarity could suggest a mixed strategy of sexual and asexual reproduction in this species as has been observed for some anemones of the genus Actinia. Fecundity and spermary abundance (i.e., the number of reproductive elements per body volume unit), gonadal index (i.e., the percentage of body volume occupied by the germ cells) and fertility (i.e., the number of embryos per body volume unit) in females, males and sexually inactive individuals were unrelated to solar radiation and temperature along the latitudinal gradient. These results suggest that the reproduction in C. inornata is not affected by increasing solar radiation and temperature. The lack of zooxanthellae could make this species less dependent on these environmental parameters, as previously hypothesized for another azooxanthellate species, Leptopsammia pruvoti, investigated along the same gradient. open Marchini C., Tortorelli G., Guidi E., Airi V., Falini G., Dubinsky Z., Goffredo S. Marchini C., Tortorelli G., Guidi E., Airi V., Falini G., Dubinsky Z., Goffredo S.

New formulations based on red grape pomace polyphenols and deep eutectic solvents (DES) have been here evaluated as inhibitors of urease of agricultural interest (jack bean urease, JBU). DES based on choline chloride (CHO) and betaine (BET), combined with ethylene glycol (EG), citric acid (CA), and urea (U), were used both as extracting and carrying agents for polyphenols, becoming active components of the formulations here obtained. Among the various DES combinations, U- and CA-based ones gave the best polyphenol extraction performances, 1.2-1.4-times higher than those of the hydroalcoholic mixture. Among the various DES-polyphenols formulations, the one composed by CHO-EG showed the best antioxidant potential and urease inhibition: 60-90% inhibition of the total JBU activity was achieved with a CHO concentration of 5-20 mM. Good results were also achieved with the BET-EG polyphenol formulation, which was able to inhibit ca. 50% of urease activity at 20 mM concentration of BET. Low phytotoxicity of DES and their polyphenol formulations tested at a concentration of 34 mM of CHO or BET was here observed on cress seedlings and the early growth of oat, in particular, for EG-based DES. On the other hand, tests performed on earthworms showed that CHO-based DES could impair the reproduction, and U-based DES caused severe mortality.

Questo libro ha in sè la metodologia di lavoro che consente di studiare un qualsiasi contesto professionale. L'approccio è antropologico-etnografico perché per capire un contesto professionale è fondamentale comprenderne la cultura e la sub-cultura. In questo modo si è in grado di diagnosticare sia i bisogni formativi sia di progettare e realizzare affascinanti percorsi di formazione. E’ soprattutto nelle sub-culture dei contesti professionali che si nascondono quegli elementi virali che determinano i climi degli ambienti di lavoro, con le inevitabili ricadute sulle prestazioni professionali. Capire la natura di quegli elementi diventa l’arma vincente di ogni analista dei bisogni formativi. Per questo, il libro, può essere considerato un manuale del formatore, attraverso uno stile narrativo. E sebbene questo lavoro sia dedicato principalmente alle attività professionali della Polizia di Stato, è un lavoro di comparazione professionale che fa intravvedere come in tutte le professioni, svolte in contesti ospedalieri, scolastici, aziendali, ecc., l’identità professionale abbia dei denominatori in comune, pur considerando tutte le differenze di ruolo e di funzione.

Aim This study evaluated the knowledge and attitudes of Italian mothers – whose daughters had been vaccinated in 2012 – towards primary (anti-HPV vaccination) and secondary (Pap test screening) cervical cancer prevention, as well as sources of information and mother-daughter communication on health issues. Methods The survey – part of a multicenter study carried out in 4 Italian cities (Ferrara, Rome, Cassino and Palermo) – was conducted through self-administered questionnaires. The first univariate analysis evaluated differences between mothers of under-18s and over-18s relative to knowledge and attitudes on HPV vaccination and Pap test. The second univariate analysis evaluated differences between the 2 groups of mothers and possible geographical variations regarding the sources of information on HPV and Pap test. Results The sample proved knowledgeable about the correlation between HPV and cervical cancer (>85%) but less aware of other HPV-related diseases. HPV vaccination should be administered before first sexual intercourse according to mothers of over-18s, and to 14- to 17-year-olds according to mothers of under-18s. Up to 88% of mothers of under-18s and 80% of mothers of over-18s declared that the vaccine should be given free of charge. More mothers of under-18s consulted a general practitioner (GP) or gynecologist before deciding to vaccinate their daughters. Mothers of under-18s received information on HPV vaccination mainly from GPs and gynecologists, while mothers of over-18s were informed through TV and books/journals. Over 80% of the sample declared satisfaction with the information received from their gynecologist during the Pap test. Conclusions The findings provide useful information for the development of effective public health interventions that may help improve acceptance of HPV vaccination among mothers.

Prerequisite Programmes approach is a requirement for implementing a correct own check plan. This new approach, born according to the European Legislation, is completely recognized by third Nation Authorities and private Inspection and Accreditation Bodies. This method is the basis to verify if an own check system is under control and to verify if corrective actions are built up to warrant hygienic production standards. The present work demonstrate that a correct own check plan is built up only by a Pre Requisites Program approach. The new UNI EN ISO 22000:2005 standard describe this concept specifying the difference between PRP and CCP.

Background The Fragile Histidine Triad gene (FHIT) is an oncosuppressor implicated in many human cancers, including vesical tumors. FHIT is frequently hit by deletions caused by fragility at FRA3B, the most active of human common fragile sites, where FHIT lays. Vesical tumors affect also cattle, including animals grazing in the wild on bracken fern; compounds released by the fern are known to induce chromosome fragility and may trigger cancer with the interplay of latent Papilloma virus. Results The bovine FHIT was characterized by assembling a contig of 78 BACs. Sequence tags were designed on human exons and introns and used directly to select bovine BACs, or compared with sequence data in the bovine genome database or in the trace archive of the bovine genome sequencing project, and adapted before use. FHIT is split in ten exons like in man, with exons 5 to 9 coding for a 149 amino acids protein. VISTA global alignments between bovine genomic contigs retrieved from the bovine genome database and the human FHIT region were performed. Conservation was extremely high over a 2 Mb region spanning the whole FHIT locus, including the size of introns. Thus, the bovine FHIT covers about 1.6 Mb compared to 1.5 Mb in man. Expression was analyzed by RT-PCR and Northern blot, and was found to be ubiquitous. Four cDNA isoforms were isolated and sequenced, that originate from an alternative usage of three variants of exon 4, revealing a size very close to the major human FHIT cDNAs. Conclusion A comparative genomic approach allowed to assemble a contig of 78 BACs and to completely annotate a 1.6 Mb region spanning the bovine FHIT gene. The findings confirmed the very high level of conservation between human and bovine genomes and the importance of comparative mapping to speed the annotation process of the recently sequenced bovine genome. The detailed knowledge of the genomic FHIT region will allow to study the role of FHIT in bovine cancerogenesis, especially of vesical papillomavirus-associated cancers of the urinary bladder, and will be the basis to define the molecular structure of the bovine homologue of FRA3B, the major common fragile site of the human genome.