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The aim of this study was to develope hydrophilic nanoparticles able to encapsulate and deliver lipophilic curcumin to intestinal epithelial (I-407) and colorectal cancer (HT-29) cells.

La riconfigurazione dell'area della Fiera del Mediterraneo di Palermo, da destinare a sede di un centro congressi di rilevanza internazionale e di vari servizi connessi con la cultura, è un tema di grande attualità e urgenza nel dibattito cittadino. L'area considerata, che oggi versa in condizioni di grave degrado, rappresenta la tipica manifestazione delle asimmetrie urbane delle grandi città. Un tempo sede della Fiera del Mediterraneo, campionaria nata sotto grandi auspici negli anni '50, e progressivamente precipitata nel tempo della mala gestione prima e dell'incuria dopo, oggi rappresenta un simbolo negativo della città, un monumento alle occasioni perdute tanto più malinconico in virtù della sua grande rilevanza urbana e paesaggistica. I progetti elaborati sono anche l’occasione per una riflessione più generale sul ruolo del progetto di architettura nelle trasformazioni urbane della nostra città.

Le tecniche di rilievo fotogrammetrico stanno trovando un sempre più largo impiego nel campo dei BB.CC. Esse, infatti, consentono una rappresentazione dei manufatti con un'elevata cura del dettaglio geometrico mediante la restituzione vettoriale ed una elevata definizione degli aspetti materici degli oggetti attraverso la realizzazione dei fotopiani, che forniscono informazioni sia metriche che qualitative dell'oggetto. Tali tecniche, pertanto, costituiscono un fondamentale strumento di supporto alle attività di diagnostica e restauro dei monumenti antichi. Il presente articolo illustra la metodologia, le fasi operative e gli strumenti impiegati per il rilievo fotogrammetrico di un edificio complesso: il Castello di Maredolce a Palermo. Nel caso in esame la geometria dell'edificio, i dislivelli del suolo e la presenza di elementi fisici generanti ombre sull'edificio hanno sensibilmente condizionato le operazioni di rilievo, consentendo di affrontare e risolvere una vasta compagine di problematiche che il rilievo di un edificio storico, sito in un contesto oggi urbanizzato, comporta. Lo scritto, in particolare, descrive il workflow seguito e le procedure impiegate sino alla modellazione 3D image-based. Quest'ultima è stata implementata a partire dal blocco fotogrammetrico georiferito ottenuto dall'orientamento dei fotogrammi. I fotopiani del castello prodotti sono stati utilizzati come texture fotorealistica del modello fotogrammetrico tridimensionale. The techniques related to the photogrammetric survey are even more widely used in the field of Cultural Heritage In fact, they allow a representation of artifacts with a high attention to the geometric detail by a vector restitution and a high definition of the textural aspects of objects: they based on the creation of photo-plans, which provide information both metrics and qualitative about the object. These techniques, therefore, are an essential tool supporting diagnostics and restoration of ancient monuments. This article discusses the methodology, the operational phases and the instruments used for the photogrammetric survey of a building complex: the Castle of Maredolce in Palermo. In this case the geometry of the building, the uneven ground and the pres ence of physical elements creating shadows on the building have significantly affected the operations of relief: they have allowed to address and solve a wide range of issues deriving from the survey of historic buildings that are located in a urban context today. This paper, in particular, describes the workflow and the procedures used until the 3D image-based modeling. The latter was implemented from the georeferenced photogrammetric block obtained by the orientation of the frames. The photo-plans of the castle have been used as photo-realistic texture of the photogrammetric three-dimensional model.

Background: Neutropenia and its complications represent one of the principal dose-limiting toxicity issues in chemotherapeutic regimens for soft tissue sarcoma. Prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) reduces the risk of febrile neutropenia (FN). The correct timing of G-CSF administration should be considered in order to optimize the prophylactic treatment. Patients and Methods: Patients (≥18 years old) affected by soft tissue sarcoma and treated with epirubicin and ifosfamide, underwent prophylactic treatment with G-CSF (lenograstim at 263 μg) from day 5 to day 9. The proportion of patients experiencing FN and G4 neutropenia was considered. Results: A total of 36 patients receiving three cycles of chemotherapy with epirubicin plus ifosfamide were treated. None developed FN; G4 neutropenia was reported in 17% of patients. No treatment delay or dose reduction was required, no antibiotic therapy was administered and no hospitalization occurred. Conclusion: Five-day lenograstim treatment is efficient as prophylaxis of FN for soft tissue sarcoma chemotherapy regimens and allows maintenance of chemotherapy dose intensity.

To reduce the number of negative prostate biopsies in patients with elevated PSA serum levels represents a major challenge in urological oncology. Angiogenetic factors might be involved in initial stages of prostate cancer and might represent useful tools in patients' selection for prostate biopsy. The plasmatic levels of Angiopoietin-2, Follistatin, G-CSF, HGF, IL-8, Leptin, PDGF-BB, PECAM-1 and VEGF were measured by BioPlex immunoassay in patients undergoing prostate biopsy for palpable prostate nodule and/or elevated PSA levels (≥4 ng/mL). They were related with biopsy results. ROC curve analysis was exploited to test the diagnostic accuracy of each biomarker by AUC calculation. A potential cut-off level was computed. Fifty patients were entered. Median PSA was 6.8 ng/mL. A prostate nodule was palpable in 18 (36%) patients. The median number of biopsy cores was 12. Prostate cancer was detected in 25 (50%) and ASAP and PIN in 2 more patients (4%) respectively. Among the 9 considered biomarkers, only leptin showed an interesting diagnostic performance with an AUC of 0.781, at a cut-off value of 2.11 ng/mL, demonstrating a sensitivity of 78%, a specificity of 77% and a positive predictive value of 85%. Main limitations of our study are the exploratory design and the criteria adopted for patients' selection determining a detection rate for prostate cancer above the usual range. Leptin only, in our preliminary study, shows promising diagnostic accuracy for the selection of patients candidate to prostate biopsy. Further studies are required to confirm its diagnostic value and its relation with BMI.

non presente (capitolo di libro)

The Paper aims to contribute to reflection on the peculiarities of the cases of functional and morphological regeneration of the waterfront historic European cities. Since the identification of a range of issues common to these types of projects, some interventions are analyzed and characterized by approaches different outcomes. We analyze in detail the case of redevelopment of the waterfront's historic city of Palermo, whose degradation is similar to that of many other big cities of the Mediterranean and whose dynamics retraining, are believed to be a useful contribution for debate on the issue of redevelopment of the waterfront of the historic centers. Today the city of Palermo is "denied Sea" are in fact very few public spaces associated with the use or even the mere sight of the sea. In recent years the Port Authority of Palermo has initiated a process of reconnecting to the port with the city through a series of actions designed to hybridize to the port functions defining new public spaces open to the enjoyment of the community. The paper aims to describe the main phases of the project for a new waterfront historic city. The project rewrites the Old Port of Cala, which covered an area of 27,000 square meters affected by the presence of important historical monuments emergencies. In short the aim of the project, in accordance with current trends in the culture of urban waterfront project, is to bring the basin of the Cala to the role of "port city", in which the specific functions of the port, you hybridize with urban areas intended for public use and in which Palermo has rediscovered the etymological symbiotic relationship with its port system.

The growing number of projcts for floating structures or artificial islands in response to the problems of urhan congestion or environmental emergency requires a critical reflection on the prospectives and the risks implied in this new trend of urban water colonization. This paper intends to test the hypothesis thaht the value of a new and emerging issue of Architecrure can be recognized to this trend and, trhrough a comparison with a series of experiences, wants to bring to the attention of the debate a number of questions which, for exigency of synthesis, analyze in particular the morpholinguistic issues re1ated to the diffusion of this new architecture theme.

The full-term human umbilical cord is made of three blood vessels (two arteries and a vein) surrounded by the Wharton’s jelly, a soft connective tissue made of few mesenchymal stromal cells and an abundant extracellular matrix. Both endothelial and Wharton’s jelly cells are versatile in their differentiation potential; they have shown to be able to differentiate into several cell lineages. Since the differentiation potential of these cells is very wide, we thought it could be interesting to investigate the expression of several cell differentiation markers in the different regions of human umbilical cord. Immunohistochemistry showed the expression of E-cadherin and cytokeratins in the amniotic epithelium, cytokeratins were also expressed in the cells of Wharton’s jelly. Actin and Desmin immunoreactivity localizes in vessel musculature and in Wharton’s jelly. CD31 was expressed only in vessels endothelium, while CD68 by many cells scattered in the Wharton’s jelly and in the vascular compartment.

The full-term human umbilical cord is made of three blood vessels ( two arteries and a vein) surrounded by the Wharthon's jelly, a soft cennective tissue made of new mesenchymal stromal cells and an abundant extracellular matrix. Both endothelial and Wharton's jelly are versdatile in their differenciation potential;tewhy have shown to be able to differentiate into sevaral cell lineages. Since the differentiation potential of these cells is very wide, we thought it could be interesting to investigate the expression of several cell differentiation markers in the different regions of human umbilical cord. Immunohistochemistry showed the expression of E- Cadherin and cytokeratyns in the amniotic epithelium, cytokeratins were also expressed in the cells of Wharthon's jelly. Actin and Desmin immnuoreactivity localizes in vessels musculature and in Wharton's jelly. CD31 was expressed only in vessels endothelium, while CD68 by many cells scattered in teh Wharton's jelly and in the vascular compartment.

Introduction. Cytokeratins (Cks) are the proteins that constitute intermediate filaments. The pattern of expression of cytokeratins is frequently organ or tissue specific and depends mainly on the type of epithelium, the level of differentiation and the stage of development. With this study we tried to make light on the pattern of expression of a wide range of CKs in human umbilical cord at term. Materials and methods. We investigated the expression of CKs through immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR assay. Results. AE1/AE3 antibody reacts with the basic CKs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, and with the acidic CKs 10, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 19. The reactivity for this antibody is localized in the amniotic epithelium. Fibroblasts of the Wharton’s jelly did not react with this antibody. Endothelial cells and some cells of the vessel wall seem to express CKs at low levels. Reactivity for 34βE12 antibody (that recognizes CKs 1, 5, 10 and 14) is localized in the cells of the umbilical epithelium, while all the other regions of the umbilical cord did not react with the antibody. The immunoreactivity for MNF116 antibody (that recognizes CKs 5, 6, 8, 17 and 19) is restricted to the cells of the umbilical epithelium while all the other cells of the umbilical cord seems not to express these types of Cks. RT-PCR analysis revealed gene expression for CKs 5, 6, 8, 10, 14 and at a lower level also cytokeratins 1 and 17. Conclusions. We identified the expression of several types of CKs in human umbilical cord at term both at proteic and RNA level. References. 1) Bea F, Bär H, Watson L, Blessing E, Kübler W, Kreuzer J, Jahn L.Cardiac alpha-actin in smooth muscle cells: detection in umbilical cord vessels and in atherosclerotic lesions.Basic Res Cardiol. 2000 Apr;95(2):106-13. 2) Livasy CA, Karaca G, Nanda R, Tretiakova MS, Olopade OI, Moore DT, Perou CM.P henotypic evaluation of the basal-like subtype of invasive breast carcinoma. Mod Pathol. 2006 Feb;19(2):264-71.

This study was aimed to explain the functional role of mediation in the organs of the male reproductive system (prostate and seminal vesicles of rat and hamster), representing throught the visualization of adrenergic fibres (Falck Method), cholinergic fobres (Martinez-Rodriguez method) and by immunohistochemical methods to detect the P substance and the CGRP (PAP) in glandular structures. The adrenocholinergic and peptidergic mediators have a growing interest for their synergic action in the control of contractility, vasodilatation and most likely, of the secretory activity of the epithelium, probably expressed by andocrine-paracrine mechanisms.