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Introduction: Skin inflammations that are more common and affect the pediatric age group more are rash, atopic dermatitis, fungal infections, psoriasis. The use of medicinal plants and herbal based preparations in the treatment of skin diseases, results from their impact on several stages of inflammation. The aim of this study was to review the information about the effects and anti-inflammatory activity, of medicinal plants and their preparations related to the treatment of most frequent skin inflammations in the pediatric age group, and to assess the trend of use of herbal remedies for these inflammations from our population. Methodology: For the realization of this descriptive and analytical study, multiple sources of information were used for the literature review, as well as through a random questionnaire conducted in a sample of 120 pharmacies in country. The data was collected from the pharmacists ‘responses and was analyzed specifically for the skin inflammations of pediatric age groups and the use of herbal preparations for the treatment of this disorders. Results: From the literature review the most frequent skin inflammations in the pediatric age group identified were rash, atopic dermatitis, fungal infections, folliculitis, furuncle, carbuncles. During the last years, among the medicinal plants mostly used locally for skin treatment areMatricaria Recutita,Calendula officinalis,Aloe Vera,Echinacea purpurea,Oenothera biennis, etc. From the completed questionnaire, a significant part of pharmacists (45%), reported that the most common skin inflammations in pediatric age presented in pharmacy are atopic dermatitis, rash for 17% of them, and fungal infections (12%). Regarding the way of using these preparations, 57% of them reported that they are used locally as combined therapy with the conventional one. Pharmacists reported that herbal preparations mostly used locally are those withAloe Vera(31%), 13% of them reported those withCalendula officinalisand 5% of them reported preparations withMatricaria Recutita. Meanwhile, 48% of them reported that combined preparations of these herbs were used. Pharmacists are mostly the ones who suggest the use of these herbal based preparations (48.31%). Also, 65% of them think that the use of herbal based preparations for the treatment of skin inflammations in the pediatric age group has increased in recent years. Conclusions: Medicinal plants are rich with active ingredients and can be effective for the treatment of skin inflammations in the pediatric age group. As their use has increased in recent years, further research is needed regarding the efficacy, safety, optimal uses, and standardization of herbal preparations.

Background Multiple studies conducted worldwide and in Albania documented an important reduction of acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) admissions during the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. There are few studies regarding STEMI admissions and outcomes during the ongoing pandemic after the initial lockdown. We aimed to study STEMI admissions and in-hospital outcomes after the COVID-19 lockdown period. Methods A retrospective single-center study was conducted, collecting data for all consecutive STEMI admissions from March 9th, (the first COVID-19 case) until April 30

Liquid crystalline networks based on compositions of cholesteric siloxanes and low molar mass compounds are studied as components of a liquid crystal nose (LC-nose) that is able to detect a number ...

Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Background Multiple studies documented an important reduction of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) admissions during the Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. There are few studies regarding the ACS admissions and outcomes during the ongoing pandemic after the initial lockdown. Purpose We aimed to study the ACS admissions and in-hospital outcomes during and after the COVID-19 lockdown period. Methods A retrograde single-center study was conducted. The data for all admissions were collected from March 9th, (first COVID-19 case) until April 30th, the corresponding period of 2020 total lockdown, for three consecutive years from 2019 to 2021. The control period was considered the year 2019 and the study periods were in 2020 (lockdown) and 2021 (ongoing pandemic). ACS admissions were classified as ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non-STEMI (NSTEMI), and unstable angina (UA). Incidence rate ratio (IRR [95%CI]) was used to compare all-ACS and subgroups admissions, and risk ratio (RR [95%CI]) to compare the mortality between each study period with the control one. Results Were included 550 ACS patients (pts) during 2019, 321 pts during 2020, and 473 pts during 2021 period. The overall-ACS admissions IRR was significantly lower during 2020 lockdown (0.58 [0.44-0.76]), and not significant during 2021 ongoing pandemic (0.86 [0.62-1.18]). During 2020 lockdown, significant reduction for STEMI and UA, the IRR respectively (0.72 [0.56-0.94]) and (0.42 [0.22-0.76]), and not significant during 2021 respectively (0.87 [0.63-1.21]) and (0.86 [0.51-1.46]) were observed. The reduction in NSTEMI admissions was not significant in both periods. The overall mortality was, importantly increased during the lockdown period (7.45 vs. 3.4 %), RR=2.16 (1.2-3.89). Meanwhile the 2021 mortality was similar (4.2 vs. 3.4%), RR=1.22 (0.66-2.26). Conclusions After the initial reduction of admissions in all-ACS, STEMI and UA during the 2020 lockdown period and the increase of all-ACS mortality, the number of admissions and the mortality returned to a similar range during 2021 despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The current situation regarding air pollution, global warming and the world approaching the point of no return have led the United Nations to focus on improving the environmental situation through the SDGs [1]. In line with these ambitions, O-ZONE team, was born in 2019 with the clear objective of taking concrete action against climate change [2]. The team's goal is to build a compact, low-cost, and reusable device to sample stratospheric pollutants, at various altitudes and thus provide air quality indications in mid-range areas for monitoring, prevention, and rapid intervention in case of unpredictable events. The O-ZONE team was therefore born as an idea of some students from the Aerospace Engineering course at the same University. The students took part in the REXUS/BEXUS project by Swedish National Space Agency (SNSA), Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) and European Space Agency (ESA) [3]. As in each of these projects, the team tackled the various steps of space missions but, in this case, with extra constraints. They had to work during the lockdown with various complications due to the pandemic. Although the launch was delayed, the students carried on with their motivation and then launched their device on board the BEXUS 30. The prototype launched in Kiruna - Sweden (at the Esrange base), and which reached an altitude of 27.8 km, is a sampling system for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), such as NOX and SOX, Particulate Matter (PM) and Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) responsible for the depletion of the Ozone layer [4]. These types of samplers [2] fill the technological gap in atmospheric analysis; the current state of the art allows air to be monitored only statically from ground stations or by satellite analysis [5], while O-ZONE presents an accessible, easy-to-use and rapid in situ sampling method. This paper describes the technical specifications and design aspects of the device and the experience that has allowed the students to grow as a team, especially in terms of personal skills and the ability to work with concurrent engineering and interdisciplinarity. Finally, the experiment results will be shown.

Il saggio ripercorre le vicende di Trieste nella seconda metà dell'Ottocento quando la città affronta la possibile abolizione del regime di porto franco, che poi avverrà nel 1891, e i problemi relativi all'infrastrutturazione portuale e ferroviaria.

Il lavoro affronta brevemente i temi della formazione, della partecipazione e del welfare aziendale e il loro ruolo nella contrattazione collettiva.

La ricerca si sofferma specialmente sui lavoratori bangladesi di Monfalcone, perlopiù impiegati nell’appalto e subappalto della costruzione delle grandi navi da crociera di Fincantieri, e sui lavoratori bosniaci in Slovenia, lavoratori che costituiscono quasi la metà della popolazione immigrata e che, pur provenendo da un Paese che, fino alla dissoluzione della Jugoslavia, era unico, sono oggi stranieri a tutti gli effetti e, dopo l’entrata della Slovenia nell’Unione europea, extracomunitari. Ambedue questi gruppi di lavoratori sono stati sempre considerati “complementari” e non “sostitutivi” della manodopera autoctona, dove per complementare si intende la possibilità di essere impiegati quasi esclusivamente nei lavori più gravosi e peggio pagati. Nel tempo questi lavoratori sono stati investiti dai lamenti riguardanti la loro scarsa conoscenza della lingua e la loro elevata possibilità di accesso al welfare uniti al fastidio degli indigeni per gusti, abitudini e tradizioni considerati distanti. La crisi, oltre ad aver amplificato questi atteggiamenti, ha permesso che venissero promulgate norme e regolamenti, o che si consolidassero prassi, che hanno creato percorsi separati all’interno del mercato del lavoro con diversi diritti e diverse tutele.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that causes multiple airway abnormalities. Two major respiratory consequences of CF are airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway remodeling. Airway smooth muscle (ASM) is hypothesized to be responsible for the airway dysfunction, since their thickening is involved in remodeling, and excessive contraction by the ASM may cause AHR. It is unclear whether the ASM is intrinsically altered to favor increased contractility or proliferation or if microenvironmental influences induce pathological behavior in vivo. In this study, we examined the contractile and proliferative properties of ASM cells isolated from healthy donor and CF transplant lungs. Assays of proliferation showed that CF ASM proliferates at a higher rate than healthy cells. Through calcium analysis, no differences in contractile activation in response to histamine were found. However, CF ASM cells lagged in their reuptake of calcium in the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The combination CFTR corrector and potentiator, VX-809/770, used to restore CFTR function in CF ASM, resulted in a reduction in proliferation and in a normalization of calcium reuptake kinetics. These results show that impaired CFTR function in ASM cells causes intrinsic changes in their proliferative and contractile properties.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal-recessive disease caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator gene. Many patients with CF have asthma-like symptoms and airway hyperrespon...

Ο Ζωγράφος της Μέγαιρας (Beldam Painter, Hexen Maler, Peintre de la Mégère, Pittore della Megera) είναι ένας αγγειογράφος του ύστερου μελανόμορφου ρυθμού. Η δραστηριότητά του τοποθετείται στο β΄ τέταρτο του 5ου αιώνα π.Χ., περί το 470-450 π.Χ. Το εργαστήριό του, όμως, το οποίο υπήρξε δραστήριο, φαίνεται ότι συνέχισε τη λειτουργία του μέχρι τουλάχιστον το 440/430 π.Χ. Ο Ζωγράφος της Μέγαιρας επιδόθηκε κυρίως στην παραγωγή ληκύθων, ιδιαίτερων σχημάτων (λήκυθοι τύπου BEL με εσωτερικό ελαιοδοχείο, λήκυθοι τύπου ATL, λήκυθοι με στόμιο τύπου καπνοδόχου), τα οποία δημιουργήθηκαν κατά βάση από τον ίδιο και περιορίστηκαν σχεδόν αποκλειστικά εντός του εργαστηρίου του. Eλάχιστα ακόμη αγγεία άλλων σχημάτων, μικρού επίσης μεγέθους, όπως αλάβαστρα, ένας αρύβαλλος και μερικές αρυβαλλοειδείς λήκυθοι έχουν συσχετιστεί μαζί του. Παίρνει το όνομά του από τη λήκυθο 1129 (CC961) του Εθνικού Αρχαιολογικού Μουσείου, στην οποία απεικονίζεται μία δεμένη σε φοίνικα γυναικεία μορφή βασανιζόμενη από σατύρους, που χαρακτηρίστηκε από τον Beazley ως ένα είδος Μέγαιρας. Στη διατριβή εξετάζεται αρχικά το σχήμα των ληκύθων του Ζωγράφου της Μέγαιρας, επισημαίνονται τα γενικά χαρακτηριστικά τους που τις καθιστούν ευκόλως αναγνωρίσιμες, εξετάζονται αναλυτικά τα επιμέρους χαρακτηριστικά του κάθε τύπου και ταξινομούνται χρονολογικά σε πρώιμη (470-460 π.Χ.), μέση (460-450 π.Χ.) και ύστερη φάση (περί το 450 π.Χ.). Διερευνόνται επίσης τα τεχνικά χαρακτηριστικά των ληκύθων του ζωγράφου, η τεχνοτροπία του, τα γενικά χαρακτηριστικά διακόσμησης. Εξετάζονται επίσης τα εικονογραφικά πρότυπα μέσα στο εργαστήριό του και οι ενδείξεις τυποποίησης της παραγωγής του εργαστηρίου του. Γίνεται ειδική μνεία στη χρονολόγηση των ληκύθων του και στην εξάπλωσή τους.Ιδιαίτερο κεφάλαιο καταλαμβάνει η εικονογραφική ανάλυση των παραστάσεων που κοσμούν τις ληκύθους του αγγειογράφου μας, καθώς επίσης εκείνων της τεχνοτροπίας και του εργαστηρίου του και ορισμένων ληκύθων άλλων αγγειογράφων που όμως εμπίπτουν στην παράδοσή του. Η ανάλυση της εικονογραφίας αναπτύσσεται σε τέσσερεις επιμέρους ενότητες στις οποίες περιλαμβάνονται σκηνές μυθολογικού περιεχομένου, σκηνές από την καθημερινή ζωή, σκηνές με θρησκευτικό περιεχόμενο και σκηνές σχετιζόμενες με τον κόσμο των νεκρών. Σε ξεχωριστό υποκεφάλαιο εξετάζονται ορισμένες λήκυθοι οι οποίες ύστερα από τη συνολική θεώρηση του έργου του αποκαλύπτεται ότι αποδόθηκαν εσφαλμένα από τους μελετητές στον ζωγράφο μας.Οι λήκυθοι με φυτικά και γραμμικά μοτίβα του ζωγράφου και του εργαστηρίου του υπήρξαν εξαιρετικά πολυάριθμες. Εξετάζεται η κατανομή τους κατά το σχήμα της ληκύθου και κατηγοριοποιούνται σε ομάδες με βάση τη διακόσμησή τους. Διακρίνονται σε ληκύθους με φυτικά μοτίβα (ανθέμια, θαλλός κισσού, θαλλός δάφνης) και σε ληκύθους με γραμμικά μοτίβα (δικτυωτά κοσμήματα, απλά γραμμικά μοτίβα), στις οποίες περιλαμβάνονται επιμέρους υποκατηγορίες με βάση τη διευθέτηση των μοτίβων επάνω στη διακοσμητική επιφάνεια ή/και την ανάπτυξη των ζωνών με παραπληρωματικά μοτίβα διακόσμησης. Περιλαμβάνονται επίσης ειδικές κατηγορίες ληκύθων με συνδυασμό ζωνών από φυτικά και γραμμικά μοτίβα, με συνδυασμό φυτικών μοτίβων και λιγοστές ακόμη μελαμβαφείς λήκυθοι. Γίνεται επίσης αναφορά σε ληκύθους με φυτικά και γραμμικά μοτίβα άλλων αγγειογράφων, οι οποίες φέρουν συναφή διακόσμηση με τις παραπάνω και, επιπλέον, στοιχεία της παράδοσης του αγγειογράφου μας, αλλά χωρίς να αποτελούν τυπικά δείγματά του. Ακόμη, εξετάζονται λήκυθοι άλλων εργαστηρίων, π.χ. του κορινθιακού, που αντιγράφουν εκείνες του ζωγράφου μας, καθώς επίσης λιγοστά αγγεία άλλων σχημάτων που αποδόθηκαν στον ζωγράφο μας ή θεωρείται ότι η νοοτροπία διακόσμησής τους εμπνέεται από αυτόν.Οι σχέσεις του Ζωγράφου της Μέγαιρας με άλλους συγχρόνους του αγγειογράφους αναπτύσσονται σε ξεχωριστό κεφάλαιο. Εντοπίζονται οι επιρροές που δέχτηκε από ομοτέχνους του (Ζωγράφος του Θησέως, Ζωγράφος της Αθηνάς), που πιστοποιούν την προέλευσή του από συγκεκριμένο καλλιτεχνικό κύκλο. Διερευνόνται επίσης οι σχέσεις του με άλλους ζωγράφους του μελανόμορφου και ερυθρόμορφου ρυθμού (π.χ. Ζωγράφος του Φόλου, Ζωγράφος του Αίμονος, Ζωγράφος της Καρλσρούης), όπως αυτές πιστοποιούνται από επιρροές του που είναι εμφανείς σε ληκύθους των αγγειογράφων αυτών. Γίνεται απόπειρα σύνδεσης σε ορισμένες περιπτώσεις συγκεκριμένων αγγειογράφων με συγκεκριμένες φάσεις του έργου του ζωγράφου μας. Γίνεται ακόμη αναφορά στο έργο άλλων αγγειογράφων που δέχτηκαν την επιρροή του Ζωγράφου της Μέγαιρας σε μικρότερο βαθμό και μάλλον με τρόπο έμμεσο (π.χ. Ζωγράφος του Ικάρου, Ζωγράφος του Αισχίνου, Ζωγράφος του Τύμβου). Τέλος, επιχειρείται μια συνολική ερμηνεία του έργου του Ζωγράφου της Μέγαιρας, η οποία εμφορείται από την προσπάθεια τοποθέτησης του αγγειογράφου στην εποχή του, δηλαδή στο β΄ τέταρτο του 5ου αιώνα π.Χ. Εξετάζονται οι επιρροές στο έργο του από τις τεχνικές κατακτήσεις της μεγάλης ζωγραφικής που βρίσκεται σε άνθιση την περίοδο αυτή, καθώς επίσης η επίδραση του θεάτρου και της επικής ποίησης στην επιλογή και στη διαμόρφωση της εικονογραφίας του. Διερευνόνται επίσης πιθανές επιδράσεις στο έργο του από τις μεταθανάτιες αντιλήψεις της εποχής και πιθανή συσχέτιση αυτών με τα ιδιαίτερα και πρωτότυπα θέματα που συχνά επιλέγει να απεικονίσει επάνω στα αγγεία του, κυρίως στις ληκύθους του τύπου BEL.

The increased mass of airway smooth muscle (ASM) in the airways of asthmatic patients may contribute to the pathology of this disease by increasing the capacity for airway narrowing. Evidence for the airway epithelium as a participant in ASM remodeling is accruing. To investigate mechanisms by which airway epithelial cells induce ASM cell (ASMC) proliferation, we have employed a co-culture model to explore markers of ASMC proliferative phenotype. Co-culture with epithelial cells led to incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine into ASMCs, indicating augmented proliferation and an associated increase in mRNA of the pro-proliferative co-transcription factor Elk1. Although the mitogen heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) was augmented in the co-culture supernatant, the ASMC epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), an effector of HB-EGF induced proliferation, did not mediate epithelial-induced proliferation. The co-culture increased the expression of ASMC mRNA for the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 as well as the pro-proliferative microRNA miR-210. The transcriptional repressor Max-binding protein (Mnt), a putative target of miR-210, was transcriptionally repressed in co-cultured ASMCs. Together, these data indicate that the airway epithelium-induced proliferative phenotype of ASMCs is not driven by EGFR signaling, but rather may be dependent on miR210 targeting of tumor suppressor Mnt.