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This study intends to explore the leverage of technology devices and their impact on the digital natives’ experiences in enhancing EFL learning using Mobile-Assested Language Learning (MALL). Pointedly, (1) how digital natives’ attitudes toward technology influence their use of smartphones for EFL learning, and (2) the effectiveness of MALL activities in boosting English skills. Then, this research uses a narrative inquiry research design with in-depth interviews of six English teachers in various grades. By using thematic analysis revealed that digital natives enjoy the interactive nature of MALL activities and concern arose regarding their potential dependence on personal devices. The findings have been obtained to answer the questions that have been desired. (1) digital natives look to enjoy with MALL procedures; it narrates with digital natives’ interest and, (2) Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) offers digital natives particularly to access web-based learning and online learning courses. These provide audio-visual presentations that are helpful for digital natives to supercharge their English competencies with various activities. These findings ensure that Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) is a valuable potential tool in EFL classrooms, but careful attention to consideration for fostering responsible technology use in addressing potential distractions.

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengungkap perjuangan tokoh perempuan yang tertuang dalam novel Tutur Dedes Doa dan Kutukan karya Amalia Yunus menggunakan pendekatan feminisme dan dikaji melalui teori kritik sastra feminisme. Metode yang digunakan adalah deskriptif kualitatif. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian bahwa novel tersebut memiliki fungsi sebagai sarana pencitraan perlawanan simbolis, diantaranya yaitu: 1) perlawanan simbolis melalui perjuangan tokoh perempuan dalam pendidikan; dan 2) perlawanan simbolis melalui perjuangan tokoh perempuan dengan masuknya perempuan ke arena publik.

A lo largo de dos cursos escolares se llevó a cabo un proceso de formación de maestros, mediante seminarios, en tres centros públicos de Educación Infantil y Primaria de Cataluña, con el objetivo de mejorar las relaciones interculturales en la escuela. El enfoque socioantropológico y la consideración de la dimensión de sujetos culturales de cada miembro del seminario, son las novedades de esta propuesta que ha posibilitado la transformación de las relaciones socioculturales y de la práctica educativa en colectivos de minorias culturales con riesgo de marginación.

The well-known "click chemistry" reaction copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) was used to transform under very mild conditions hyaluronan-based graft copolymers HA(270)-FA-Pg into the crosslinked derivatives HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL . In particular, medium molecular weight (i.e., 270 kDa) hyaluronic acid (HA) grafted at various extents (i.e., 10, 20, and 40%) with fluorogenic ferulic acid (FA) residue bonding propargyl groups were used in the CuAAC reaction with novel azido-terminated crosslinking agents T ri( E thylene G lycol) E thyl R esorcinol A crylate ( TEGERA ) and H exa( E thylene G lycol) E thyl R esorcinol A crylate ( HEGERA ). The resulting HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL materials were characterized from the point of view of their structure by performing NMR studies. Moreover, the swelling behavior and rheological features were assessed employing TGA and DSC analysis to evaluate the potential gel-like properties of the resulting crosslinked materials. Despite the 3D crosslinked structure, HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL frameworks showed adequate swelling performance, the required shear thinning behavior, and coefficient of friction values close to those of the main commercial HA solutions used as viscosupplements (i.e., 0.20 at 10 mm/s). Furthermore, the presence of a crosslinked structure guaranteed a longer residence time. Indeed, HA(270)-FA-TEGERA-CL-40 and HA(270)-FA-HEGERA-CL-40 after 48 h showed a four times greater enzymatic resistance than the commercial viscosupplements. Based on the promising obtained results, the crosslinked materials are proposed for their potential applicability as novel viscosupplements.

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), possessing a strong ability to form hydrogels, has been widely used for various pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. In particular, the use of PVA-PEG in the form of theta gels for altered cartilage treatment has attracted an enormous amount of attention in the last 20 years. In this paper, we prepared 42 PVA-PEG in the form of theta gels at room temperature in an aqueous environment, testing the crystallization occurrence at basic pH (10 or 12). Using a statistical approach, the effect of PEG molecular weight, PVA molecular weight and alkaline pH values on water content and mechanical performance was evaluated. The used procedure permitted the theta gels to maintain swelling properties comparable to those of human cartilage, from 60% to 85%, with both polymers having the same influence. PEG MW mainly affected the hydrophilic properties, whereas the thermal properties were mostly influenced by the PVA. The shear and compression mechanical behavior of the produced materials were affected by both the polymers' MWs. The sample obtained using PVA 125 kDa with PEG 20 kDa as a porogen appeared to be the most suitable one for cartilage disease treatment, as it had an equilibrium shear modulus in the range of 50-250 kPa, close to that of native articular cartilage, as well as optimal mechanical response under compression along the entire analyzed frequency range with a mean value of 0.12 MPa and a coefficient of friction (COF) which remained under 0.10 for all the tested sliding speeds (mm/s).

Natamycin is a tetraene polyene that exploits its antifungal properties by irreversibly binding components of fungal cell walls, blocking the growth of infections. However, topical ocular treatments with natamycin require frequent application due to the low ability of this molecule to permeate the ocular membrane. This limitation has limited the use of natamycin as an antimycotic drug, despite it being one of the most powerful known antimycotic agents. In this work, different lipidic nanoformulations consisting of transethosomes or lipid nanoparticles containing natamycin are proposed as carriers for optical topical administration. Size, stability and zeta potential were characterized via dynamic light scattering, the supramolecular structure was investigated via small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering and 1H-NMR, and the encapsulation efficiencies of the four proposed formulations were determined via HPLC-DAD.

Glaucoma represents a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by optic nerve damage and the slowly progressive death of retinal ganglion cells. Glaucoma is considered the second leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Pharmaceutical treatment of glaucoma is critical because of the properties of the ocular barrier that limit the penetration of drugs, resulting in lower systemic bioavailability. This behavior causes the need of frequent drug administration, which leads to deposition of concentrated solutions on the eye, causing toxic effects and cellular damage to the eye. To overcome these drawbacks, novel drug-delivery systems, such as liposomes, can play an important role in improving the therapeutic efficacy of antiglaucomatous drugs. In this work, liposomes were synthesized to improve various aspects, such as ocular barrier penetration, bioavailability, sustained release of the drug, targeting of the tissue, and reduction in intraocular pressure. Citicoline (CDP-choline; cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine) is an important intermediate in the biosynthesis of cell membrane phospholipids, with neuroprotective and neuroenhancement properties, and it was used in the treatment on retinal function and neural conduction in the visual pathways of glaucoma patients. In this study, citicoline was loaded into the 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphocholine and cholesterol liposomal carrier to enhance its therapeutic effect. The citicoline encapsulation efficiency, drug release, and size analysis of the different liposome systems were investigated using dynamic light scattering, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, and ToF-SIMS experiments.

New graft copolymers were prepared by reaction of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with mono-imidazolide or bis-imidazolide derivatives of ferulic acid (FA) with the formation of ester bonds. The obtained graft copolymers, thanks to the crosslinking capability of FA, formed in water strong gels as verified by rheological analyses. The resulting hydrogels were characterized to evaluate their applicability as wound dressing. In this perspective, their capability to absorb and retain a large amount of fluid without dissolving was verified by swelling kinetics and Moisture Vapour Transmission Rate measurements. Their stability towards mechanical solicitations was assessed by quantifying elasticity, compliance, stress-relaxation, and adhesivity properties. The analyses pointed out that hydrogel PVA-FA2-3 obtained by feruloylation of PVA with bis-imidazole derivative of ferulic acid using an acylation agent/polymer molar ratio 0.03/1 resulted the best candidate for the foreseen application., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Principles of quality by design and design of experiments are acquiring more importance in the discovery and application of new drug carriers, such as solid lipid nanoparticles. In this work, an optimized synthesis of solid lipid nanoparticles loaded with Triamcinolone Acetonide is presented using an approach that involves Stearic Acid as a lipid, soy PC as an ionic surfactant, and Tween 80 as a nonionic surfactant. The constructed circumscribed Central Composite Design considers the lipid and nonionic surfactant quantities and the sonication amplitude in order to optimize particle size and Zeta potential, both measured by means of Dynamic Light Scattering, while the separation of unentrapped drug from the optimized Triamcinolone Acetonide-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles formulation is performed by Size Exclusion Chromatography and, subsequently, the encapsulation efficiency is determined by HPLC-DAD. The proposed optimized formulation-with the goal of maximizing Zeta potential and minimizing particle size-has shown good accordance with predicted values of Zeta potential and dimensions, as well as a high value of encapsulated Triamcinolone Acetonide. Experimental values obtained from the optimized synthesis reports a dimension of 683 ± 5 nm, which differs by 3% from the predicted value, and a Zeta potential of -38.0 ± 7.6 mV (12% difference from the predicted value).

The present paper describes the functionalization of sodium hyaluronate (NaHA) with a small molecule (2-((N-(6-aminohexyl)-4-methoxyphenyl)sulfonamido)-N-hydroxyacetamide) (MMPI) having proven inhibitory activity against membrane metalloproteins involved in inflammatory processes (i.e. MMP12). The obtained derivative (HA-MMPI) demonstrated an increased resistance to the in-vitro degradation by hyaluronidase, viscoelastic properties close to those of healthy human synovial fluid, cytocompatibility towards human chondrocytes and nanomolar affinity towards MMP 12. Thus, HA-MMPI can be considered a good candidate as viscosupplement in the treatment of knee osteoarticular disease., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Topical instillation of eye drops represents the treatment of choice for many ocular diseases. Ophthalmic formulations must meet general requirements, i.e. pH, osmolality, transparency and viscosity to ensure adequate retention without inducing irritation and the development of eye infections. We developed a phosphorylated xanthan gum-Ag(I) complex (XGP-Ag) showing pH (pH = 7.1 ± 0.3) and osmolality values (311 ± 2 mOsm/kg) close to that of human tears (pH = 6.5-7.6 and 304 ± 23 mOsm/kg) thanks to the presence of phosphate moieties along the chain. The presence of phosphate groups covalently bound to the XG chains avoids their dispersion in fluid, thus reducing the risk of corneal calcification. 0.02% w/v XGP-Ag solution showed high transparency (higher than 95% along the entire visible range), adequate refractive index (1.334 ± 0.001) and viscosity in the range: γ 1 s -1 -10,000 s - 1 (26.4 ± 0.8-2.1 ± 0.4 mPa·s). Its cytotoxicity and capability to hinder bacterial proliferation was also verified., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Viscosupplementation, i.e. intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid derivatives, is considered as the most effective treatment for patients with mild to moderate osteoarthritis. Even if hyaluronic acid is still considered as the gold standard, research is now focusing on the development of new products with enhanced injectability and yet reasonable viscoelastic behavior for OA treatment. A Gellan Gum (GG) hydrogel was synthesized and coated with crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to protect the polysaccharide from degradation during sterilization and improve its performance for the foreseen application. Thermal analyses indicated that mixed hydrogel showed a higher degree of structuring than the bare polysaccharide core without losing its swelling properties, thanks to the hydrophylicity of both coating and cross-linking agent. The PVA coating increased elastic and viscous moduli of the polysaccharide core conferring it a higher resistance to shear and compression and better thixotropic properties. Despite the double crosslinking, hydrogel was injectable. Cytocompatibility towards chondrocytes was verified., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Geochemical fingerprints in grape require an identification of major and trace elements that show correlations between concentrations in soil and in plant tissues: these correlations are relevant to discriminate grapes according to geographical origin. The Vitis vinifera cultivar Cannonau is used to produce the renowned Italian controlled designation of origin (DOC) wine "Cannonau" from Sardinia. Two Cannonau vineyards located in Sardinia Region were studied to establish the relationship between geochemical features of vineyard soil and chemical composition of leaves and grape berries. Major and trace elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in soil, leaf, and grape berry samples. The index of bioaccumulation and the translocation coefficients were also calculated for all elements. Data from the two study areas were compared by a non-parametric test and multivariate statistics (principal component analysis). The results showed a specific assimilation of these elements in leaf and grape berry from vine in two different soils. Moreover, geochemical characterization and statistical analysis enabled to discriminate the cultivar "Cannonau" according to geographical origin. The results showed that the elements that could establish a reliable correlation between the soil vineyard and leaves and grape berries from the two study areas were B, Sr, and Zr. These elements may therefore be used as geochemical fingerprints to identify the geographic origin of V. vinifera cv. Cannonau in the two study areas.

Beer is a popular alcoholic beverage worldwide, traditionally made from water, barley and hop (Humulus lupulus L.) strobili. The strobili contain lupulin glands whose components (mostly bitter acids and polyphenols) confer unique and locally different flavours to beer types. It is therefore relevant for brewers and consumers to precisely know the geographical origin of hop plants used for high-quality beer. Hop plants belonging to the variety Hallertau Perle, grown in two locations, Cavalese and Imèr, of the Trentino Region (Italy) were analysed to establish a direct relationship between the chemical elements detected in soil and in plant parts. Chemical elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in soil, leaf and strobili samples from Cavalese and Imèr. The data from the two areas were compared by a nonparametric test (Mann-Whitney) and multivariate statistics (principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis). The geochemical characterization and the statistical analyses showed different concentrations of major and trace elements in soil and plant parts from the two areas. A reliable correlation could be established between some elements in soil and strobili samples, that is Nb, Fe, Rb and Zr for Cavalese and Mg, Ni, Zn and Zr for Imèr. These elements could therefore be used as geochemical fingerprints to identify the geographical origin of strobili from the two study areas, an approach useful to verify the origin of hop plants for the production of high-quality beer.

The identification of geographical origin of food products is important for both consumers and producers to ensure quality and avoid label falsifications. The caper plant (Capparis spinosa L., Brassicales Capparidaceae), a xerophytic shrub common in the Mediterranean area, produces buds and fruits that are commercialized in brine at high price. Those grown in Italy in the Aeolian Islands are renowned for their high quality. This study is aimed to establish a correlation between the geological and geochemical features of soil and the chemical composition of caper buds grown in two Aeolian Islands, Lipari and Salina. Major and trace elements were investigated by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in soil and caper samples from three localities in Lipari and Salina, and data from the three sites were compared by a nonparametric test, a correlation test and multivariate statistics (principal component analysis). The results allowed to discriminate soils according to geolithological characteristics of each area and detect a statistically significant correspondence between soil and caper samples for the elements Co, Fe, Mg and Rb, identifying thus possible geochemical caper fingerprints of origin. These results may also be useful to protect the high quality of Aeolian caper products by a suitable "Made in Italy" trademark and avoid falsifications and frauds.

The terroir can be defined as interactive ecosystem that includes climate, geology, soil and grapevine, and it is used to explain the hierarchy of high quality of wine. In order to understand the terroir functions, it is necessary to analyse the interactions among the geology, soil and wine. To define a geochemical fingerprint, the relationship between geochemistry of vineyard soil and chemical composition of wine from Veneto Italian Region was studied. The vineyards tested belonged to four distinct wineries located in the Veneto alluvial plain, included in the Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC) area of Prosecco. We investigated the relationship between major and trace elements in soil and their concentrations in Prosecco wine according to geographical origin. The detection of chemical composition in soil and wine were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and data were elaborated by nonparametric test and multivariate statistics Linear Discrimination Analysis. The geochemical and statistical analyses allowed to discriminate the vineyard soils according to geo-lithological characteristics of each area and to identify the geochemical "Prosecco" fingerprints, useful against fraudulent use of DOC wine labels.

The uptake of major and trace elements in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) can be influenced by soil, climate, geographic origin, and rootstock type. Rootstocks were mainly selected to resist phylloxera and for specific tolerance to lime, mineral uptake, drought, and salinity. The relationship among concentrations of major, trace, and rare earth elements was studied in soil and leaves from two Italian grapevine cultivars, "Cabernet Sauvignon" and "Corvina," employed to produce renowned controlled designation of origin (DOC) wines. The cultivars were raised on the same rootstock SO4 in two different areas of the Veneto Region (Northern Italy). The elements were studied by X-ray fluorescence and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and data were elaborated by non-parametric tests and multivariate linear discrimination analysis. The related index of bioaccumulation was calculated to define the specific assimilation of the elements from soil to leaves. A statistically significant correspondence between soil and leaf samples was observed for Mg, Sm, V, and Zr. The results allowed to discriminate soil and leaf samples of the two cultivars according to geographical provenance, possibly providing geochemical markers (fingerprints) useful against fraudulent use of DOC wine labels.

Southern European countries are often affected in summer by transboundary air pollution from Saharan dust. However, very few studies deal with Saharan dust pollution at high altitudes in winter. In Italy, the exceptional event occurred on February 19, 2014, colored in red the entire mountain range (Alps and Apennines) and allowed to characterize the particulate matter deposited on snow from a morphological and chemical point of view. Snow samples were collected after this event in four areas in the Alps and one in the Apennines. The particulate matter of the melted snow samples was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS) and by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). These analyses confirmed the presence of Saharan dust particle components in all areas with similar percentages, supported also by the positive correlations between Mg-Ca, Al-Ca, Al-Mg, and Al-K in all samples.

Aim: The preparation of a delivery system able to guarantee a delayed release of lovastatin from red yeast rice (RYR) is mandatory to counteract cholesterol biosynthesis effectively., Materials & Methods: Polymeric formulations were prepared mixing alginate and gelatin, in different ratios, with RYR. The effect of different composition on stiffness, viscosity, swelling behavior and mesostructure of matrices was analyzed., Results: Formulations obtained combining polymers in comparable amount (i.e., 60/40 and 50/50) guaranteed a delayed release of lovastatin from RYR, a prolonged inhibitory activity toward 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and a decreased cholesterol synthesis., Conclusion: The formulation obtained combining 60% gelatin and 40% of alginate showed physicochemical properties suitable to lead a lovastatin release profile compatible with cholesterol biosynthesis.

The renowned Vitis vinifera L. cultivar "Glera" (Magnoliopsida Vitaceae) has been grown for hundreds of years in the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli to produce the sparkling Prosecco wine, with controlled designation of origin (DOC). We evaluated the relationship among the concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) in soil and in "Glera" grape berries in vineyards belonging to five different localities in the Veneto alluvial plain, all included in the DOC area of Prosecco. The concentration of REE in samples of soil and juice or solid residues of grape berries was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and the index of bioaccumulation was calculated to define the specific assimilation of these elements from soil to grape berries. The concentration of REE in soil samples allowed an identification of each locality examined, and REE were mostly detected in solid grape berry residues in comparison to juice. These data may be useful to associate REE distribution in soil and grape berries to a specific geographical origin, in order to prevent fraudulent use of wine denomination labels.

The present geochemical study concerns the impact of viticultural practices in the chemical composition of the grape cultivar "Negroamaro" in Apulia, a southern Italian region renowned for its quality wine. Three types of soil management (SM), two cover cropping with different mixtures, and a soil tillage were considered. For each SM, the vines were irrigated according to two irrigation levels. Chemical composition of soil and of berries of Vitis vinifera cultivar "Negroamaro" were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and multivariate statistics (linear discrimination analysis). In detail, we investigated major and trace elements behavior in the soil according to irrigation levels, the related index of bioaccumulation (BA) and the relationship between trace element concentration and soil management in "Negroamaro" grapes. The results indicate that soil management affects the mobility of major and trace elements. A specific assimilation of these elements in grapes from vines grown under different soil management was confirmed by BA. Multivariate statistics allowed to associate the vines to the type of soil management. This geochemical characterization of elements could be useful to develop fingerprints of vines of the cultivar "Negroamaro" according to soil management and geographical origin.

The effects of cytotoxic synchronisation polichemiotherapy on plasma levels of thyroid hormones, determined by radiochemical essays, were investigated. No revelant difference was noted between the two groups (before and after the treatment). The Authors concluded that a synchronisation polychemotherapy has no clinical evidence for the thyroid function.