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Air pollution is an increasingly debated and relevant topic; recent natural disasters define the need to study and intervene for environmental protection. To date, atmospheric studies are mainly satellite-based and static at ground level. O-Zone Team was set up based on this state of the art to encourage technological development regarding dynamic sampling analysis. This paper introduces the O-Zone experiment and describes the system employed in pollutants detection; details are provided on sensors metrology and samples analysis.

Il saggio ripercorre le vicende dell'Ideal Standard, seconda fabbrica per numero d'impiegati del Pordenonese, dalla nascita alla chiusura. L'introduzione ricostruisce il contesto industriale nel quale si sviluppò la crisi che portò alla chiusura dello stabilimento e i meccanismi di funzionamento dei fondi di private equity con particolare attenzione a Bain Capital che acquistò la fabbrica dalla multinazionale americana Amercan Standard.

L'intervento prende in esame la posizione di quanti sostengono che i conflitti costituiscano un motore di sviluppo confrontandole con quelle di chi studia le cause e le conseguenze economiche negative delle guerre.

The heterogenization of 2,6-dimethylarylimido-vanadium(V) dichloride via chemical tethering on insoluble silica supports is reported. The effects of the silica particle size, drying conditions, and the reaction time were investigated. The drying conditions of the support were found to be a crucial parameter: drying temperatures over 400 degrees C were needed to achieve successful catalysis. The supported catalytic systems were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray (TEM-EDX), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), while the polymers were characterized by FT-IR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and rheology. Ethylene polymerization tests were performed employing the prepared heterogenized catalysts with methylaluminoxane/diethylaluminum chloride as a cocatalyst. The supported catalyst precursor, when activated with diethylaluminum chloride, promotes the synthesis of polyethylene with seemingly controlled particle size in the absence of reactor fouling, suggesting the successful immobilization of the complex over the inert support. The resulting polymer shows features of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). These findings present a proof-of-concept for a new approach toward the heterogenization of arylimido-vanadium complexes.

This paper traces the evolution of housing typologies, focusing in Tirana, Albania. The study reviews the fundamentals of housing throughout the two historical periods, 1929-1932 and 1939-1943. The housing projects analysed are designed mostly by Austrian and Italian architects. The methodological approach is based on reviewing a number of case studies starting from one-family house to multi-family housing typology. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the process of transformation and development of housing based on the typologies, functionality, and occupancy. Also, particular elements of asthetics are analyzed and compared. This study highlights that the improvement of living conditions happened because of a better design and situation of housing in anurban context.

Il saggio esamina le ragioni del successo in campo assicurativo di Trieste. La nascita delle prime società assicurative in una piazza in cui il ruolo dei sensali di sicurtà nel mercato assicurativo era più complementare che concorrenziale, i privilegi e le esenzioni di cui le società assicurative godevano e le relazioni degli assicuratori permisero la creazione di un sistema diffuso basato su fiducia, informazione e condivisione in modo da ridurre la concorrenza esterna. Nella seconda metà dell'Ottocento, quando il processo d'integrazione dei mercati su scala mondiale si realizzò, al sistema diffuso si sostituì un solido oligopolio capace di combattere la concorrenza esterna e abbassare i premi.

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an interprofessional program that can lead to hastened patient recovery and reduced time in hospital. Nursing staff play a key role in the implementation of enhanced recovery protocols. This issue focalizes the role of nurses in ERAS program for patients submitted to Thoracic Surgery, in particular for cases of major lung resection performed by a minimally invasive surgical approach (VATS, video assisted thoracic surgery).

Airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) are phenotypically regulated to exist in either a proliferative or a contractile state. However, the influence of other airway structural cell types on ASMC phenotype is largely unknown. Although epithelial cells are known to drive ASM proliferation, their effects on the contractile phenotype are uncertain. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that epithelial cells reduce the contractile phenotype of ASMCs. To do so, we measured force production by traction microscopy, gene and protein expression, as well as calcium release by Fura-2 ratiometric imaging. ASMCs incubated with epithelial-derived medium produced less force after histamine stimulation. We observed reduced expression of myocardin, α-smooth muscle actin, and calponin within ASMCs after coculture with epithelial cells. Peak calcium release in response to histamine was diminished, and depended on the synthesis of cyclo-oxygenase-1 products by ASM and on prostaglandin E receptors 2 and 4. Together, these in vitro results demonstrate that epithelial cells have the capacity to coordinately reduce ASM contraction by functional antagonism and by reduction of the expression of certain contractile proteins.

This article provides an overview related to the establishment of the Albanian Power Exchange, an innovation brought by the demands of the local energy market and the implementation of the European Union legislation in Albania. For this purpose, the article analyses the applicable legal framework and practice.

Constriction of airways during asthmatic exacerbation is the result of airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction. Although it is generally accepted that ASM is hypercontractile in asthma, this has not been unambiguously demonstrated. Whether airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is the result of increased ASM mass alone or also increased contractile force generation per unit of muscle directly determines the potential avenues for treatment.To assess whether ASM is hypercontractile we performed a series of mechanics measurements on isolated ASM from intrapulmonary airways and trachealis from human lungs. We analysed the ASM and whole airway proteomes to verify if proteomic shifts contribute to changes in ASM properties.We report an increase in isolated ASM contractile stress and stiffness specific to asthmatic human intrapulmonary bronchi, the site of increased airway resistance in asthma. Other contractile parameters were not altered. Principal component analysis (PCA) of unbiased mass spectrometry data showed clear clustering of asthmatic subjects with respect to ASM specific proteins. The whole airway proteome showed upregulation of structural proteins. We did not find any evidence for a difference in the regulation of myosin activity in the asthmatic ASM.In conclusion, we showed that ASM is indeed hyperreactive at the level of intrapulmonary airways in asthma. We identified several proteins that are upregulated in asthma that could contribute to hyperreactivity. Our data also suggest enhanced force transmission associated with enrichment of structural proteins in the whole airway. These findings may lead to novel directions for treatment development in asthma.

Sondaggi di scavo condotti negli anni 1999-2002 all’interno del parcheggio e della Stazione di Ostia Antica hanno portato alla scoperta di edifici connessi con la necropoli di Pianabella e con impianti abitativi ad essa preesistenti. Il comune denominatore di questi rinvenimenti è l’uso di anfore funzionali al drenaggio nel caso della struttura ad uso funerario, inserite su doppia fila a contenere la parete retrostante nello scavo presso la Stazione. In quest’ultimo caso, la disposizione consentiva di sfruttare una falda d’acqua mineralizzata tramite l’uso della ruota idraulica del tipo «a cassetta». Secondo la tipologia delle anfore di tipologia simile a quelle della zona vicina della Longarina, l’attività dell’impianto si colloca tra la seconda metà del I sec. a.C. e la prima metà del I sec. d.C. L’estensione e le modalità di sistemazione di questi ultimi ritrovamenti fa ipotizzare un grande intervento pubblico di risanamento del suolo probabilmente realizzato in età augustea. Amphorae placing for different uses in the Ostia suburb. Excavations conducted in the years 1999-2002 inside the station of Ostia Antica for the construction of a pedestrian underpass and for the creation of an external parking area, permitted the discovery of buildings connected with the necropolis of Pianabella and with housing systems. Both for the funerary structure and for the ditch with the remains of an hydraulic wheel pertinent to a villa, common is the use of amphorae functional to the drainage in the first case, and inserted vertically on double row to contain the wall behind in the second case; in this latter form, the disposal allowed to exploit a mineral water flap through the use of the «cassette» type hydraulic wheel. Following the typology of amphorae, similar to those in the close area of the Longarina, the activity of this disposal ranks between the second half of the first century B.C. and the first half of the first century A.D. Form and size of this disposal suggest a large and public intervention of drainage realized in the Augustan age.

Purpose Nanotechnologies turned out to be promising in the development of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches toward neurodegenerative disorders. However, only a very scant number of nanodevices until now proved to be effective on preclinical animal models. Although specific tests in vivo are available to assess the potential toxicity of these nanodevices on cognitive functions, those to evaluate their biosafety in vitro on neurons are still to be improved. Materials and methods We utilized the patch-clamp technique on primary cultures of cortical neural cells isolated from neonatal rats, aiming to evaluate their electrical properties after the incubation with liposomes (mApoE-PA-LIPs), previously proved able to cross the blood–brain barrier and to be effective on mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), both in the absence and in the presence of β-amyloid peptide oligomers. Results Data show a high degree of biocompatibility, evaluated by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and MTT assay, and the lack of cellular internalization. After the incubation with mApoE-PA-LIPs, neuronal membranes show an increase in the input resistance (from 724.14±76 MΩ in untreated population to 886.06±86 MΩ in the treated one), a reduction in the rheobase current (from 29.6±3 to 24.2±3 pA in untreated and treated, respectively), and an increase of the firing frequency, consistent with an ultimate increase in intrinsic excitability. Data obtained after co-incubation of mApoE-PA-LIPs with β-amyloid peptide oligomers suggest a retention of liposome efficacy. Conclusion These data suggest the ability of liposomes to modulate neuronal electrical properties and are compatible with the previously demonstrated amelioration of cognitive functions induced by treatment of AD mice with liposomes. We conclude that this electrophysiological approach could represent a useful tool for nanomedicine to evaluate the effect of nanoparticles on intrinsic neuronal excitability.

Purpose: Chitosan-shelled/decafluoropentane-cored oxygen-loaded nanodroplets (OLN) are a new class of nanodevices to effectively deliver anti-cancer drugs to tumoral cells. This study investigated their antitumoral effects ‘per se’, using a mathematical model validated on experimental data. Methods: OLN were prepared and characterized either in vitro or in vivo. TUBO cells, established from a lobular carcinoma of a BALB-neuT mouse, were investigated following 48 h of incubation in the absence/presence of different concentrations of OLN. OLN internalization, cell viability, necrosis, apoptosis, cell cycle and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were checked as described in the Method section. In vivo tumor growth was evaluated after subcutaneous transplant in BALB/c mice of TUBO cells either without treatment or after 24 h incubation with 10% v/v OLN. Results: OLN showed sizes of about 350 nm and a positive surface charge (45 mV). Dose-dependent TUBO cell death through ROS-triggered apoptosis following OLN internalization was detected. A mathematical model predicting the effects of OLN uptake was validated on both in vitro and in vivo results. Conclusions: Due to their intrinsic toxicity OLN might be considered an adjuvant tool suitable to deliver their therapeutic cargo intracellularly and may be proposed as promising combined delivery system.

Isolated human airway smooth muscle (ASM) tissue contractility studies are essential for understanding the role of ASM in respiratory disease, but limited availability and cost render storage options necessary for optimal use. However, to our knowledge, no comprehensive study of cryopreservation protocols for isolated ASM has been performed to date. We tested several cryostorage protocols on equine trachealis ASM using different cryostorage media [1.8 M dimethyl sulfoxide and fetal bovine serum (FBS) or Krebs-Henseleit (KH)] and different degrees of dissection (with or without epithelium and connective tissues attached) before storage. We measured methacholine (MCh), histamine, and isoproterenol (Iso) dose-responses and electrical field stimulation (EFS) and MCh force-velocity curves. We confirmed our findings in human trachealis ASM stored undissected in FBS. Maximal stress response to MCh was decreased more in dissected than undissected equine tissues. EFS force was decreased in all equine but not in human cryostored tissues. Furthermore, in human cryostored tissues, EFS maximal shortening velocity was decreased, and Iso response was potentiated after cryostorage. Overnight incubation with 0.5 or 10% FBS did not recover contractility in the equine tissues but potentiated Iso response. Overnight incubation with 10% FBS in human tissues showed maximal stress recovery and maintenance of other contractile parameters. ASM tissues can be cryostored while maintaining most contractile function. We propose an optimal protocol for cryostorage of ASM as undissected tissues in FBS or KH solution followed by dissection of the ASM bundles and a 24-h incubation with 10% FBS before mechanics measurements.

Pathogen persistence in the respiratory tract is an important preoccupation, and of particular relevance to infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. The equilibrium between elimination of pathogens and the magnitude of the host response is a sword of Damocles for susceptible patients. The alveolar macrophage is the first sentinel of the respiratory tree and constitutes the dominant immune cell in the steady state. This immune cell is a key player in the balance between defense against pathogens and tolerance toward innocuous stimuli. This review focuses on the role of alveolar macrophages in limiting lung tissue damage from potentially innocuous stimuli and from infections, processes that are relevant to appropriate tolerance of potential causes of lung disease. Notably, the different anti-inflammatory strategies employed by alveolar macrophages and lung tissue damage control are explored. These two properties, in addition to macrophage manipulation by pathogens, are discussed to explain how alveolar macrophages may drive pathogen persistence in the airways.

Background Inhaled oxidative toxicants present in ambient air cause airway epithelial injury, inflammation, and airway hyperresponsiveness. Effective adaptation to such environmental insults is essential for the preservation of pulmonary function, whereas failure or incomplete adaptation to oxidative injury can render the host susceptible to the development of airway disease. Objective We sought to explore the mechanisms of airway adaptation to oxidative injury. Methods For a model to study pulmonary adaptation to oxidative stress–induced lung injury, we exposed mice to repeated nose-only chlorine gas exposures. Outcome measures were evaluated 24 hours after the last chlorine exposure. Lung mechanics and airway responsiveness to methacholine were assessed by using the flexiVent. Inflammation and antioxidant responses were assessed in both bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue. Using both loss or gain of function and genomic approaches, we further dissected the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in pulmonary adaptation. Results Repeated exposures to oxidative stress resulted in pulmonary adaptation evidenced by abrogation of neutrophilic inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. This adaptation was independent of antioxidant mechanisms and regulatory T cells but dependent on residential alveolar macrophages (AMs). Interestingly, 5% of AMs expressed forkhead box P3, and depletion of these cells abolished adaptation. Results from transcriptomic profiling and loss and gain of function suggest that adaptation might be dependent on TGF-β and prostaglandin E2. Conclusion Pulmonary adaptation during oxidative stress–induced lung injury is mediated by a novel subset of forkhead box P3–positive AMs that limits inflammation, favoring airway adaptation and host fitness through TGF-β and prostaglandin E2.

Antonina Orlando,1 Francesca Re,1 Silvia Sesana,1 Ilaria Rivolta,1 Alice Panariti,1 Davide Brambilla,2 Julien Nicolas,2 Patrick Couvreur,2 Karine Andrieux,2 Massimo Masserini,1 Emanuela Cazzaniga1 1Department of Health Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy; 2Institut Galien Paris Sud, University Paris-Sud, Châtenay-Malabry, France Background: As part of a project designing nanoparticles for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, we have synthesized and characterized a small library of nanoparticles binding with high affinity to the β-amyloid peptide and showing features of biocompatibility in vitro, which are important properties for administration in vivo. In this study, we focused on biocompatibility issues, evaluating production of nitric oxide by cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and macrophages, used as models of cells which would be exposed to nanoparticles after systemic administration. Methods: The nanoparticles tested were liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles carrying phosphatidic acid or cardiolipin, and PEGylated poly(alkyl cyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (PEG-PACA). We measured nitric oxide production using the Griess method as well as phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and intracellular free calcium, which are biochemically related to nitric oxide production. MTT viability tests and caspase-3 detection were also undertaken. Results: Exposure to liposomes did not affect the viability of endothelial cells at any concentration tested. Increased production of nitric oxide was detected only with liposomes carrying phosphatidic acid or cardiolipin at the highest concentration (120 µg/mL), together with increased synthase phosphorylation and intracellular calcium levels. Macrophages exposed to liposomes showed a slightly dose-dependent decrease in viability, with no increase in production of nitric oxide. Exposure to solid lipid nanoparticles carrying phosphatidic acid decreased viability in both cell lines, starting at the lowest dose (10 µg/mL), with increased production of nitric oxide detected only at the highest dose (1500 µg/mL). Exposure to PEG-PACA affected cell viability and production of nitric oxide in both cell lines, but only at the highest concentration (640 µg/mL). Conclusion: Liposomal and PEG-PACA nanoparticles have a limited effect on vascular homeostasis and inflammatory response, rendering them potentially suitable for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, they highlight the importance of testing such nanoparticles for production of nitric oxide in vitro in order to identify a therapeutic dose range suitable for use in vivo. Keywords: nanoparticles, nitric oxide, endothelial cells, macrophages, Alzheimer’s disease

Il contributo ripercorre la storia iniziale del sistema assicurativo triestino, che preparò la città a diventare una delle più importanti piazze assicurative del Mediterraneo centro-orientale con filiali e agenzie in tutte le maggiori città italiane, del Levante e dell'area mitteleuropea fino alle Americhe e delinea il processo di costruzione della "fiducia" come risorsa essenziale del capitale sociale in una città in forte crescita demografica ed economica, caratterizzata dalla robusta presenza di immigrati. Nel processo di creazione della ricchezza, la necessità di cooperare era essenziale e superare le diversità, almeno per quanto riguardava gli aspetti economici e nel caso di specie per far decollare le assicurazioni, divenne uno degli elementi caratterizzanti della storia economica del porto franco.

Si tratta della presentazione del Rapporto 2017 del mercato del lavoro in Friuli Venezia Giulia che contiene l'analisi dei dati occupazionali e delle politiche e dei servizi per il lavoro per l'anno 2016.