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Background: Low-grade epilepsy-associated neuroepithelial tumors (LEATs) are a frequent etiology in pediatric patients with epilepsy undergoing surgery. Objective: To identify differences in clinical and post-surgical follow-up between patients with focal meningeal involvement (MI) and those without MI within our cohort of pediatric patients with LEATs. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all pediatric patients (Results: We identified 37 patients: five with MI and 32 without. Half of patients (19) were drug sensitive at surgery; similar between groups. The group with MI differed mainly for age of epilepsy-onset (0.6 vs. 7.0 y) but not for epilepsy duration (0.9 vs. 1.5 y). Post-surgery radiological follow-up (median 4.0 y; IQR 2.8–5.0 y) did not indicate disease progression. Seizure outcome was excellent in both groups, with 34 patients overall being both drug- and seizure-free. Conclusions: Our study identified a new subgroup of LEATs with focal MI and excellent post-surgical outcome. Moreover, this highlights the effectiveness of early surgery in pediatric LEATs.

Noonan syndrome (NS) is a congenital autosomic dominant condition characterized by a variable spectrum from a clinical and genetical point of view. Germline mutations in more than ten genes involved in RAS–MAPK signal pathway have been demonstrated to cause the disease. An higher risk for leukemia and solid malignancies, including brain tumors, is related to NS. A review of the published literature concerning low grade gliomas (LGGs) in NS is presented. We described also a 13-year-old girl with NS associated with a recurrent mutation in PTPN11, who developed three different types of brain tumors, i.e., an optic pathway glioma, a glioneuronal neoplasm of the left temporal lobe and a cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma. Molecular characterization of the glioneuronal tumor allowed to detect high levels of phosphorylated MTOR (pMTOR); therefore, a therapeutic approach based on an mTOR inhibitor (everolimus) was elected. The treatment was well tolerated and proved to be effective, leading to a stabilization of the tumor, which was surgical removed. The positive outcome of the present case suggests considering this approach for patients with RASopathies and brain tumors with hyperactivated MTOR signaling.

Mammalian Orthoreoviruses (MRV) are segmented dsRNA viruses in the family Reoviridae. MRVs infect mammals and cause asymptomatic respiratory, gastro-enteric and, rarely, encephalic infections. MRVs are divided into at least three serotypes: MRV1, MRV2 and MRV3. In Europe, swine MRV (swMRV) was first isolated in Austria in 1998 and subsequently reported more than fifteen years later in Italy. In the present study, we characterized two novel reassortant swMRVs identified in one same Italian farm over two years. The two viruses shared the same genetic backbone but showed evidence of reassortment in the S1, S4, M2 segments and were therefore classified into two serotypes: MRV3 in 2016 and MRV2 in 2018. A genetic relation to pig, bat and human MRVs and other unknown sources was identified. A considerable genetic diversity was observed in the Italian MRV3 and MRV2 compared to other available swMRVs. The S1 protein presented unique amino acid signatures in both swMRVs, with unexpected frequencies for MRV2. The remaining genes formed distinct and novel genetic groups that revealed a geographically related evolution of swMRVs in Italy. This is the first report of the complete molecular characterization of novel reassortant swMRVs in Italy and Europe, which suggests a greater genetic diversity of swMRVs never identified before.

As a neglected zoonotic disease, rabies causes approximately 5.9 × 104 human deaths annually, primarily affecting low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa. In those regions, insufficient surveillance is hampering adequate medical intervention and is driving the vicious cycle of neglect. Where resources to provide laboratory disease confirmation are limited, there is a need for user-friendly and low-cost reliable diagnostic tools that do not rely on specialized laboratory facilities. Lateral flow devices (LFD) offer an alternative to conventional diagnostic methods and may strengthen control efforts in low-resource settings. Five different commercially available LFDs were compared in a multi-centered study with respect to their diagnostic sensitivity and their agreement with standard rabies diagnostic techniques. Our evaluation was conducted by several international reference laboratories using a broad panel of samples. The overall sensitivities ranged from 0% up to 62%, depending on the LFD manufacturer, with substantial variation between the different laboratories. Samples with high antigen content and high relative viral load tended to test positive more often in the Anigen/Bionote test, the latter being the one with the best performance. Still, the overall unsatisfactory findings corroborate a previous study and indicate a persistent lack of appropriate test validation and quality control. At present, the tested kits are not suitable for in-field use for rabies diagnosis, especially not for suspect animals where human contact has been identified, as an incorrect negative diagnosis may result in human casualties. This study points out the discrepancy between the enormous need for such a diagnostic tool on the one hand, and on the other hand, a number of already existing tests that are not yet ready for use.

Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are commonly used in experimental laparoscopy in swine undergoing carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum. Hypercapnia may be present and may prolong NMBAs' pharmacologic activity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of permissive hypercapnia on the neuromuscular blockade of atracurium in swine. Six Large White swine weighing 30.5 ± 1.6 kg were sedated with intramuscular ketamine and medetomidine, after which anaesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with sevoflurane. Atracurium 0.4 mg/kg was administered intravenously and the neuromuscular block monitored by acceleromyography during normocapnic and hypercapnic conditions (PaCO2 range 35-45 mmHg and 60-70 mmHg, respectively). Onset time and time to reach a train of four ratio (TOFR) of 0.7 and 0.9 were recorded. Cardiorespiratory parameters, electrolytes and acid-base status were measured under both conditions. Onset time was similar between the two conditions. Time to reach a TOFR of 0.7 and 0.9 (duration of the neuromuscular block) was longer in hypercapnic compared to normocapnic animals being 1325 ± 300 vs 855 ±111 (p = 0.002) and 1823 ± 434 vs 1218 ± 210 seconds (p = 0.005), respectively. Three hypercapnic swine had a TOF count of 2 and 1 instead of a count of 4 with fade. Permissive hypercapnia was associated with a decrease in pH from 7.444 ± 0.039 to 7.257 ± 0.025 (p < 0.001). No differences were observed for heart rate, end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane, body temperature and arterial haemoglobin saturation. Nonetheless, hypercapnic swine had a statistically significant increase in mean arterial pressure (p = 0.020) and plasma potassium concentration (p = 0.003). The values of PaCO2 achieved during hypercapnia were well tolerated in swine undergoing CO2 pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopy. Permissive hypercapnia increased the duration of the atracurium effect and caused an increase in the intensity of the neuromuscular block in few swine.

The enzyme phytochelatin synthase (PCS) has long been studied with regard to its role in metal(loid) detoxification in several organisms, i.e., plants, yeasts, and nematodes. It is in fact widely recognized that PCS detoxifies a number of heavy metals by catalyzing the formation of thiol-rich oligomers, namely phytochelatins, from glutathione and related peptides. However, recent investigations have highlighted other possible roles played by the PCS enzyme in the plant cell, e.g., the control of pathogen-triggered callose deposition. In order to examine novel aspects of Arabidopsis thaliana PCS1 (AtPCS1) functions and to elucidate its possible roles in the secondary metabolism, metabolomic data of A. thaliana wild-type and cad1-3 mutant were compared, the latter lacking AtPCS1. HPLC-ESI-MS analysis showed differences in the relative levels of metabolites from the glucosinolate and phenylpropanoid pathways between cad1-3 and wild-type plants. Specifically, in control (Cd-untreated) plants, higher levels of 4-methoxy-indol-3-ylmethylglucosinolate were found in cad1-3 plants vs. wild-type. Moreover, the cad1-3 mutant showed to be impaired in the deposit of callose after Cd exposure, suggesting that AtPCS1 protects the plant against the toxicity of heavy metals not only by synthesizing PCs, but also by contributing to callose deposition. In line with the contribution of callose in counteracting Cd toxicity, we found that another callose-defective mutant, pen2-1, was more sensitive to high concentrations of Cd than wild-type plants. Moreover, cad1-3 plants were more susceptible than wild-type to the hemibiotrophic bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae. The metabolome also revealed differences in the relative levels of hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols, with consequences on cell wall properties and auxin content, respectively. First, increased lignification in the cad1-3 stems was found, probably aimed at counteracting the entry of Cd into the inner tissues. Second, in cad1-3 shoots, increased relative levels of kaempferol 3,7 dirhamnoside and quercetin hexoside rhamnoside were detected. These flavonols are endogenous inhibitors of auxin transport in planta; auxin levels in both roots and shoots of the cad1-3 mutant were in fact lower than those of the wild-type. Overall, our data highlight novel aspects of AtPCS1 functions in A. thaliana.

Background: cholera is an acute infectious-contagious bowel disease with a high transmissibility, which can become a health problem on a regional and global scale. Researching on this disease is a necessity.Objective: to assess the global scientific production on cholera in the Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, SciELO, LILACS and Science Citation Index (SCI) databases.Methods: an observational, descriptive and bibliometric study was carried out using the information deposited in the biomedical and multidisciplinary indexation databases of journals herein declared. In the search the term "cholera" was used as the main operator. No temporal restriction was performed.Results: 63028 articles were registered; the databases with more publications were Scopus, with 35418 (10860 from the United States of America, 2234 from the United Kingdom and 1980 from Japan) and Medline, 25720 articles (1614 from the United States of America, 341 from Japan and 271 from India); in SCI, there were 7971 articles (3102 United States, 626 India and 578 China), in contrast, SciELO showed only 279 articles (89 Brazil, 46 Cuba and 18 Chile). The h-index from 2004 to 2014 in Scopus was 221, dropping to 21 from 2015 to the present.Conclusions: the largest contribution of publications on cholera is made by developed countries. The scientific production on this disease in Latin America is low, despite being a region with high probability of incidence.

Among the multitude of Luther studies, the review takes into account two books: the biography written by Heinz Schilling (Der Reformator Martin Luther 2017. Eine wissenschaftliche und ge­denkpolitische Bestandsaufnahme, Berlin-München: De Gruyter-Oldenbourg, 20142), lately translated in Italian (Martin Lutero. Ribelle in un’epoca di cambiamenti radicali, edizione italiana a cura di Roberto Tresoldi, Torino: Claudiana, 2016) and the Robert von Friedeburg’s recent book Luther’s Legacy. The Thirty Years War and the Modern Notion of ‘State’ in the Empire, 1530s to 1790s, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. The main issue raised by both books concerns the “evergreen” political theme of Luther’s and Lutheranism’s contribution to the formation of the “modern State” in a comparative perspective between German and Italian late-medieval and early-modern historiography.

Genipin (GN) is a natural molecule extracted from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis according to modern microbiological processes. Genipin is considered as a favorable cross-linking agent due to its low cytotoxicity compared to widely used cross-linkers; it cross-links compounds with primary amine groups such as proteins, collagen, and chitosan. Chitosan is a biocompatible polymer that is currently studied in bone tissue engineering for its capacity to promote growth and mineral-rich matrix deposition by osteoblasts in culture. In this work, two genipin cross-linked chitosan scaffolds for bone repair and regeneration were prepared with different GN concentrations, and their chemical, physical, and biological properties were explored. Scanning electron microscopy and mechanical tests revealed that nonremarkable changes in morphology, porosity, and mechanical strength of scaffolds are induced by increasing the cross-linking degree. Also, the degradation rate was shown to decrease while increasing the cross-linking degree, with the high cross-linking density of the scaffold disabling the hydrolysis activity. Finally, basic biocompatibility was investigated in vitro, by evaluating proliferation of two human-derived cell lines, namely, the MG63 (human immortalized osteosarcoma) and the hMSCs (human mesenchymal stem cells), as suitable cell models for bone tissue engineering applications of biomaterials.

In recent years, scholars of Machiavelli have dedicated closer attention to, on one hand, the role played by tumults, and the presence of the language of jurisprudence in his work. Until now, these two readings of Machiavelli have never intersected. This essay aims to show to what extent the language of jurisprudence was present in Machiavelli’s writings on tumults both in his early works, and above all in the Florentine Histories. Starting from Machiavelli’s analysis of the Valdichiana rebellion (1503), the first part of the essay deals with ‘rebellion’ as a legal and political issue, as a specific case of the crime of lese majesty, discussed among civil and canon lawyers from commentaries on the famous imperial laws of Henry VII (1313) up through some legal consilia written in defense of Lorenzo de’ Medici and the city of Florence in relation to the Pazzi Conspiracy (1478), as well as first treatise dedicated specifically to the subject of seditions by a French jurist (1515). The essay’s second part considers the famous speech of the anonymous Ciompo in the third book of the Florentine Histories, and analyses a passage commonly overlooked by scholars : “When many err, no one is punished”. The essay shows that in this passage Machiavelli used a juridical principle, a regula iuris, which was certainly controversial and very frequently not accepted, but theoretically admitted as such. In concluding, the essay proposes some possible paths for further researchs.

Estimado editor, Por medio de la presente nos gustaría traer a discusión la importancia que tiene la enfermedad celiaca (EC), también conocida como esprúe celiaco o enteropatía sensible al gluten, la cual corresponde a una enfermedad autoinmune desencadenada por la ingesta de gluten en individuos predispuestos genéticamente (1). La EC se caracteriza por una amplia variabilidad de manifestaciones clínicas, pero su forma clásica es la más habitual en el adulto; aquí los síntomas guía son de naturaleza gastrointestinal (diarrea, esteatorrea y dolor abdominal inespecífico). Por otro lado, las formas no clásicas y silentes son cada vez más frecuentes y se caracterizan por un amplio abanico de signos y síntomas como osteoporosis, hipovitaminosis D, anemia ferropénica, dermatitis herpetiforme, ataxia, polineuropatía sensitiva periférica, migrañas y alteración de las pruebas de función hepática (2).

One of the most relevant issues in the development of a haptic interface is the choice of the actuators that are devoted to generating the reflection forces. This work has been particularly focused on the employment of the McKibben muscle to this aim. A prototype of one finger has been realized that is intended to be part of a haptic glove, and is based on an articulated mechanism driven by a McKibben muscle. A dynamic model of the finger has been created and validated; then, it has been used to define the control algorithm of the device. Experimental tests highlighted the static and dynamic effectiveness of the device and proved that a McKibben muscle can be appropriately used in such an application.

Muitas orações introduzidas por 'conjunção subordinativa causal não são realmente subordinadas adverbiais causais: a conjunção porque pode introduzir três tipos de leitura da relação causal, segundo Sweetser (1991) de conteúdo, epistêmico e de ato de fala. Por outro lado, a relação causa-efeito nem sempre é sinalizada por meios tradicionais, podendo mesmo ocorrer implicitamente, caso em que o ouvinte precisa deduzir a conexão através do contexto. Além disso, a construção causal envolve funções discursivas: dentro da perspectiva dialógica da linguagem, ela emerge em geral depois de relações retóricas de contraste e negação ou, mais genericamente, depois de proposições que vão contra as expectativas partilhadas, de acordo com Ford (2000). Esta pesquisa busca caracterizar as escolhas léxico- gramaticais para a realização da relação causal, com base em Jordan (1998), bem como especificar as funções discursivas da causalidade no português, além das tradicionalmente conhecidas funções de explicação e de solução, estudadas no inglês por Ford (1994, 2000). A causalidade será enfocada na modalidade oral, em diálogos entre falantes da norma culta. A metodologia consiste na contagem das escolhas léxico-gramaticais para sua expressão, bem como de posterior classificação dessas realizações, tendo em conta sua função discursiva.

The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the properties of the different types of orthodontic retainers, identify their differences and define which type of device is most effective and less harmful to periodontal health. A literature search was carried out by a reviewer by consulting PubMed, Lilacs, Embase, Medline full text, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane library, and Science Direct electronic databases for biomedical and health literature as well as the grey literature and setting up the search from December 2010 without any restriction about articles languages. The results showed that patients who wear retainers for a long period have significant differences in clinical parameters compared to patients without retainers. The type of retainer chosen also significantly influences the overall periodontal health of patients. Fixed retainers, both glass-fibre reinforced and steel wire retainers, proved to be the retainer type with the highest plaque and calculus accumulation values compared to removable retainers. In addition, among fixed retainers, glass-fibre reinforced retainers proved to be those that mostly promote the plaque and calculus accumulation in the application site. Fixed retainers are the best devices to maintain the alignment of mandibular anterior teeth in the long term. Among these devices, stainless steel lingual retainers, plain or braided, should remain the first choice. Although they are also susceptible to periodontal complications, their effect on periodontal health can be considered statistically insignificant if compared to glass-fibre reinforced retainers which, showing worse periodontal complications, should not be used. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To report on 4 patients affected by Stargardt’s disease (STGD) with fundus flavimaculatus (FFM) and ABCA4 gene mutation associated with subretinal fibrosis. Methods: Four patients with a diagnosis of STGD were clinically examined. All 4 cases underwent a full ophthalmologic evaluation, including best-corrected visual acuity measured by the Snellen visual chart, biomicroscopic examination, fundus examination, fundus photography, electroretinogram, microperimetry, optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence. All patients were subsequently screened for ABCA4 gene mutations, identified by microarray genotyping and confirmed by conventional DNA sequencing of the relevant exons. Results: In all 4 patients, ophthalmologic exam showed areas of subretinal fibrosis in different retinal sectors. In only 1 case, these lesions were correlated to an ocular trauma as confirmed by biomicroscopic examination of the anterior segment that showed a nuclear cataract dislocated to the superior site and vitreous opacities along the lens capsule. The other patients reported a lifestyle characterized by competitive sport activities. The performed instrumental diagnostic investigations confirmed the diagnosis of STGD with FFM in all patients. Moreover, in all 4 affected individuals, mutations in the ABCA4 gene were found. Conclusions: Patients with the diagnosis of STGD associated with FFM can show atypical fundus findings. We report on 4 patients affected by STGD with ABCA4 gene mutation associated with subretinal fibrosis. Our findings suggest that this phenomenon can be accelerated by ocular trauma and also by ocular microtrauma caused by sport activities, highlighting that lifestyle can play a role in the onset of these lesions.

Rabies is a neglected zoonotic disease that causes an estimated 60,000 human deaths annually. The main burden lies on developing countries in Asia and Africa, where surveillance and disease detection is hampered by absence of adequate laboratory facilities and/or the difficulties of submitting samples from remote areas to laboratories. Under these conditions, easy-to-use tests such as immunochromatographic assays, i.e. lateral flow devices (LFD), may increase surveillance and improve control efforts. Several LFDs for rabies diagnosis are available but, except for one, there are no data regarding their performance. Therefore, we compared six commercially available LFDs for diagnostic and analytical sensitivity, as well as their specificity and their diagnostic agreement with standard rabies diagnostic techniques using different sample sets, including experimentally infected animals and several sets of field samples. Using field samples the sensitivities ranged between 0% up to 100% depending on the LFD and the samples, while for experimentally infected animals the maximum sensitivity was 32%. Positive results in LFD could be further validated using RT-qPCR and sequencing. In summary, in our study none of the tests investigated proved to be satisfactory, although the results somewhat contradict previous studies, indicating batch to batch variation. The high number of false negative results reiterates the necessity to perform a proper test validation before being marketed and used in the field. In this respect, marketing authorization and batch release control could secure a sufficient quality for these alternative tests, which could then fulfil their potential.

No presente artigo, relata-se alguns resultados da pesquisa monográfica de conclusão do curso de Licenciatura Plena em Geografia, realizada entre 2009 e 2010. Esse estudo objetivou analisar a prática da Educação Ambiental desenvolvida pela Escola Municipal Baixa da Fartura, localizada no Assentamento Amaralina, em Vitória da Conquista/BA. Buscou-se ainda, identificar práticas pedagógicas no cotidiano escolar. Empiricamente, foi possível verificar que o corpo docente direciona a discussão ambiental sob a perspectiva do descarte do lixo e a higiene pessoal. Ficou evidente que há a necessidade de planejamento referente à prática de ações que contemplem a Educação Ambiental na Instituição.

L'articolo, partendo dalle opere di Manlio Rossi-Doria e Paolo Sylos Labini, analizza i cambiamenti dell'agricoltura nella seconda metà del Novecento nel Sud Italia, con crescenti squilibri regionali tra il Nord e il Sud Italia.Testo del discorso tenuto alla conferenza "Paolo Sylos Labini e la politica delle riforme", tenutasi all'Università La Sapienza di Roma il 4 dicembre 2015, organizzata dall'Accademia dei Lincei con Economia Civile. The article, starting from Manlio Rossi-Doria’s and Paolo Sylos Labini’s works, analyses the changes in agriculture in the second half of the Twentieth century in Southern Italy, with growing regional imbalances between Northern and Southern Italy. Text of the speech given at the conference "Paolo Sylos Labini e la politica delle riforme", held at Sapienza University of Rome on 04 December 2015, organized by the Accademia dei Lincei with Economia Civile. JEL Codes: Q10, O13, B31

Questo saggio prende in esame Lumen di Franco Donatoni, e attraverso vari metodi analitici enuclea i processi compositivi completi. Ne risulta una composizione molto coerente, basata su procedimenti di riscrittura delle sezioni di cui è composta, teleologicamente condotti verso il culmine della forma. In finale il confronto con il materiale inedito di Dallapiccola da cui Donatoni ha preso avvio per comporre Lumen, e un'ipotesi di paragone tra il Nostro e i suoi contemporanei. Figure, Process and Parametric Articulation in Lumen by Franco Donatoni This paper examines Lumen by Franco Donatoni, elucidating the whole compositional process through various analytical methods. The analysis highlights a very consistent work, based on procedures of rewriting, driven in a teleological way to the culmination point of the composition. In the final part a comparison with Dallapiccola’s autograph materials Donatoni referred is developed, as well as a concise compare with the main coeval composers.

L'articolo si basa sugli atti di una commissione d'inchiesta parlamentare italiana del 1962 sulla concorrenza, per esaminare l'attuale situazione italiana e le prospettive di riforma. L'autore si concentra in particolare sulla testimonianza di Manlio Rossi-Doria. Il testo del discorso tenuto al convegno "Mercato e Concorrenza", il 18 novembre 2015, ha organizzato l'Accademia dei Lincei con Economia Civile. The article builds on the Proceedings of a 1962 Italian Parliamentary enquiry commission on competition, to examine the current Italian situation and the prospects for reform. The author focuses in particular on the testimony by Manlio Rossi-Doria. Text of the speech given at the conference "Mercato e Concorrenza", 18 November 2015, organised the Accademia dei Lincei with Economia civile JEL codes: B31, Q11, D42

Problematic severe asthma is the term used to describe children whose asthma is not responsive to standard therapy with high-dose inhaled corticosteroids and additional controllers. These children need to be assessed by a step-wise systematic protocol in order to confirm the diagnosis, evaluate co-morbidities, assess the adherence to treatment, and finally evaluate the basic management. More than half of these children have “difficult-to-treat asthma”, which improves if the basic management is correct. Children whose asthma remains uncontrolled despite resolution of any reversible factors are termed “severe therapy-resistant” asthmatics; for them, an individualised treatment plan is developed after a detailed and invasive protocol of investigation. Therapeutic options for these patients can be divided into medications used in lower doses for children with less severe asthma, and those used in other pediatric diseases but not for asthma. Most treatments are unlicensed and there is a lack of high-quality evidence. Children with recurrent severe exacerbations, in particular in the context of good baseline asthma control, are particularly difficult to treat, and there is no evidence on which therapeutic option to recommend. International collaborations, using standard protocols of investigation, are needed to better understand mechanisms of severe therapy-resistant asthma and to deliver evidence-based treatments in the future.

Muitas orações introduzidas por 'conjunção subordinativa causal não são realmente subordinadas adverbiais causais: a conjunção porque pode introduzir três tipos de leitura da relação causal, segundo Sweetser (1991) de conteúdo, epistêmico e de ato de fala. Por outro lado, a relação causa-efeito nem sempre é sinalizada por meios tradicionais, podendo mesmo ocorrer implicitamente, caso em que o ouvinte precisa deduzir a conexão através do contexto. Além disso, a construção causal envolve funções discursivas: dentro da perspectiva dialógica da linguagem, ela emerge em geral depois de relações retóricas de contraste e negação ou, mais genericamente, depois de proposições que vão contra as expectativas partilhadas, de acordo com Ford (2000). Esta pesquisa busca caracterizar as escolhas léxico- gramaticais para a realização da relação causal, com base em Jordan (1998), bem como especificar as funções discursivas da causalidade no português, além das tradicionalmente conhecidas funções de explicação e de solução, estudadas no inglês por Ford (1994, 2000). A causalidade será enfocada na modalidade oral, em diálogos entre falantes da norma culta. A metodologia consiste na contagem das escolhas léxico-gramaticais para sua expressão, bem como de posterior classificação dessas realizações, tendo em conta sua função discursiva.

Genetic characterization of a selection of influenza virus (H5N1) samples, circulating in 8 Nigerian states over a 39-day period in early 2007, indicates that a new reassortant strain is present in 7 of the 8 states. Our study reports an entirely different influenza virus (H5N1) reassortant becoming predominant and widespread in poultry.

Asma y enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica (EPOC) son enfermedades pulmonares comunes con semejanzas y diferencias. Estudios genéticos recientes han dado información importante acerca de los múltiples loci susceptibles para cada enfermedad. Estudios del genoma han mostrado resultados similares en al menos una región cromosomal en ambas enfermedades, así como también evidencia de la interacción con factores ambientales (por ejemplo, el fumado activo en los pacientes con EPOC, o el pasivo en aquellos con asma). Existen pocos estudios recientes acerca del remodelamiento de la vía aérea y su importancia en pacientes asmáticos persistentes crónicos, lo que podría explicar de cierta forma la progresión de estas personas a enfermedades pulmonares obstructivas crónicas.

Violence with spiritual weapons, violence with temporal weapons: as contemporaries well knew, the Renaissance popes’ exercise of political power was characterized by a double violence. The overthrow of tyrants and the punishment of rebels were the chief aims of excommunication and interdict. Those weapons were actually first steps towards a declaration of a »just« war. This essay analyses how those arguments were developed, concentrating in particular on the censures of Sixtus IV against Florence (1478) and Venice (1483) and on the excommunications and interdicts levied by Julius II on Bologna (1506) and Venice (1509). In addition, the article expands on the defences that some lawyers constructed against those arguments, positing another truth against the truth of the papal laws. By this means they emphasised their dissent from the papal laws while themselves making use of the law. The »war of writings« caused by Paul V’s interdict against Venice (1606) produced a history of interdicts as a necessary tool for the defence, making explicit the opposition of ius and vis, that is to say, a critique of law’s violence.

The combination of bone grafting materials with guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes seems to provide promising results to restore bone defects in dental clinical practice. In the first part of this work, a novel protocol for decellularization and delipidation of bovine bone, based on multiple steps of thermal shock, washes with detergent and dehydration with alcohol, is described. This protocol is more effective in removal of cellular materials, and shows superior biocompatibility compared to other three methods tested in this study. Furthermore, histological and morphological analyses confirm the maintenance of an intact bone extracellular matrix (ECM). In vitro and in vivo experiments evidence osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties of the produced scaffold, respectively. In the second part of this study, two methods of bovine pericardium decellularization are compared. The osmotic shock-based protocol gives better results in terms of removal of cell components, biocompatibility, maintenance of native ECM structure, and host tissue reaction, in respect to the freeze/thaw method. Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the characterization of a novel protocol for the decellularization of bovine bone to be used as bone graft, and the acquisition of a method to produce a pericardium membrane suitable for GBR applications.

The first section of the introduction begins by providing a presentation of the nature and objectives of the workshop which took place from October 2-3 and concludes with a synthesis of the contributions of John Donoghue, Raffaele Laudani, Matteo Battistini and Paola Rudan.The second section discusses on some of the questions addressed during the introduction to the workshop that took place on October 2 (Neither disobedient nor rebels: arguments from the laws between the Old and the New World), through a reading of some English and French sources from the ends of the 17th and 18th centuries: the anonymous History of Self Defence, in requittal to the history of passive obedience (1689); Algernon Sidney, Discourses concerning Government (1698); James Murray, Fast Sermons (1781); Théophile Mandar, Des insurrections. Ouvrage philosophique et politique, sur le rapport des insurrections avec la liberté et la prospérité des empires (1793).

The object of this paper is to estimate if and how the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) and the Baltic Free Trade Agreement (BFTA) exerted a significant impact on intra-European trade, effectively reducing the influence of the European Association Agreements (EAs) in shaping the European trade structure as a hub-and-spoke system - with the EU15 being the hub and the CEECs the spoke. This paper analyses bilateral trade flows between eight CEECs and EU-23. We estimate a gravity equation using a system GMM dynamic panel data approach. Results support the assumptions that gravity forces and "persistence effects" matter. With respect to the effect of free trade agreements, evidence is found that Free trade agreements between CEECs matter: There is evidence that the presence of intra-periphery agreements helped expand intra-periphery trade and limited the emergence of a "hub-and-spoke" relationship between CEECs and EU. This results have important policy implications for the trade strategy of "future" EU members of the Southeastern European Countries as well as of the Southern Mediterranean Countries. According to the empirical results, these countries should move towards a regional free-trade area as exemplified by the CEFTA and the BFTA to avoid "hub-and-spoke" effects.