Search Results (14)

Background: Sarcopenia is a clinical condition linked to various liver diseases, including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). MASLD includes a spectrum from steatosis to steatohepatitis, which may progress to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The influence of dietary habits and nutrient intake on MASLD and its progression is well-established. However, the association between dietary consumption and sarcopenia in MASLD patients remains underexplored. This study evaluated whether there is an association between sarcopenia and habitual food consumption in MASLD patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with outpatients diagnosed with MASLD. Sarcopenia was defined based on the 2019 EWGSOP2 criteria. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24 h recalls per patient, with intrapersonal variance corrected using the Multiple Source Method (MSM) software (Version 1.0.1). Steatosis was diagnosed via upper abdominal ultrasound, and the Fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) was used to assess hepatic fibrosis. Results: MASLD patients (n = 76) were evaluated. The mean age was 52.9 (SD, 12.0) years, and 75.0% were female. Two had sarcopenia, and 27.6% (n = 21) had probable sarcopenia (characterized by low muscle strength only). Among probable sarcopenia, F1-F2 were observed in 61.9%, and 23.8% had indeterminate FIB-4 grades. Calcium intake was lower among patients with probable sarcopenia than those no sarcopenia (p = 0.04). Conclusions: In these MASLD patients, only two patients were diagnosed with sarcopenia, and around a third had probable sarcopenia. The majority of MASLD patients with lower calcium, energy, and protein intake, but only lower calcium intake in those with probable sarcopenia. Full article

The article is devoted to the musical context of the works of James Joyce and Vladimir Nabokov. Joyce’s Ulysses, one of the most important literary texts of the twentieth century, is filled with musical allusions and various musical techniques. The chapter “Sirens” is the most interesting in this context as it features a “musical” form and contains a large number of musical quotations. The myth of the singing sirens, recreated by Joyce in images and characters from the modern world, encapsulates the idea of erotic seduction, bringing threat and doom to the seduced. Joyce offers a new version of the sea world filled with music, creating a system of musical leitmotifs and lexical patterns within the text. Developing the themes of temptation, the danger that temptation entails, doom, uniting with the vital forces of the world, and loneliness, Joyce in “Sirens” reveals the semantics of music, showing the specific nature of its effect on listeners. Vladimir Nabokov, who praised Ulysses and devoted a lecture to “Sirens”, is much less musical than Joyce. However, he, like Joyce, also refers to the images of singing sirens and the accompanying images of the aquatic world. One of the central, meaning-making signs in his work is the “Sirin complex”, his pseudonym. This sign, which refers to a large number of pretexts, refers in particular to the lilac (siren’) and to the mythological “musical” sirens. As in Joyce’s work, sirens are present in his texts as mermaids and naiads, or as figures of seducers who fulfil their function and bring doom. Joyce and Nabokov are also united by the presence of recurrent leitmotifs, lexical patterns, and the presence of auditory impressions in their text that are evoked by the sound of the everyday world. Full article

Genetic and epigenetic changes contribute to intratumor heterogeneity and chemotherapy resistance in several tumor types. LncRNAs have been implicated, directly or indirectly, in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. We investigated lncRNAs that potentially mediate carboplatin-resistance of cell subpopulations, influencing the progression of ovarian cancer (OC). Four carboplatin-sensitive OC cell lines (IGROV1, OVCAR3, OVCAR4, and OVCAR5), their derivative resistant cells, and two inherently carboplatin-resistant cell lines (OVCAR8 and Ovc316) were subjected to RNA sequencing and global DNA methylation analysis. Integrative and cross-validation analyses were performed using external (The Cancer Genome Atlas, TCGA dataset, n = 111 OC samples) and internal datasets (n = 39 OC samples) to identify lncRNA candidates. A total of 4255 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 14529 differentially methylated CpG positions (DMPs) were identified comparing sensitive and resistant OC cell lines. The comparison of DEGs between OC cell lines and TCGA-OC dataset revealed 570 genes, including 50 lncRNAs, associated with carboplatin resistance. Eleven lncRNAs showed DMPs, including the SNHG12. Knockdown of SNHG12 in Ovc316 and OVCAR8 cells increased their sensitivity to carboplatin. The results suggest that the lncRNA SNHG12 contributes to carboplatin resistance in OC and is a potential therapeutic target. We demonstrated that SNHG12 is functionally related to epigenetic mechanisms. Full article

The theme of urban redevelopment and regeneration has long been a priority in the international debate and current practices in the field of urban policies and strategic programs for sustainable development, implemented according to the circular economy model. In the contemporary city, there are fragments of unused, residual, abandoned landscapes, defined as “Waste LandScapes” which are the natural consequence of the metabolic process of growth and development of cities, both for the incompatibility of their original use and for the loss of their economic value. These waste landscapes, if inserted in virtuous processes of urban redevelopment, have a great intrinsic value and a considerable regenerative potential, capable of triggering virtuous development processes, not only on an urban scale but also on a territorial level. In this context, the research applied to a degraded area located on the edge of the historic center of Catanzaro (Italy) illustrates an adaptive and multi-methodological, inclusive and site-specific evaluation process, useful to support decision-makers in the selection of a shared scenario, evaluated both in multi-group and multi-criteria terms, capable of generating benefits in terms of cultural enhancement, social inclusion and economic development for a circular city. Full article

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare fibrovascular benign tumor showing an invasive growth pattern and affecting mainly male adolescents. We investigated the role of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and WNT signaling pathways in JNA. Gene expression profiles using nine JNA paired with four inferior nasal turbinate samples were interrogated using a customized 2.3K microarray platform containing genes mainly involved in EMT and WNT/PI3K pathways. The expression of selected genes (BCL2, CAV1, CD74, COL4A2, FZD7, ING1, LAMB1, and RAC2) and proteins (BCL2, CAV1, CD74, FZD7, RAF1, WNT5A, and WNT5B) was investigated by RT-qPCR (28 cases) and immunohistochemistry (40 cases), respectively. Among 104 differentially expressed genes, we found a significantly increased expression of COL4A2 and LAMB1 and a decreased expression of BCL2 and RAC2 by RT-qPCR. The immunohistochemistry analysis revealed a low expression of BCL2 and a negative to moderate expression of FZD7 in most samples, while increased CAV1 and RAF1 expression were detected. Moderate to strong CD74 protein expression was observed in endothelial and inflammatory cells. A significant number of JNAs (78%) presented reduced WNT5A and increased WNT5B expression. Overall, the transcript and protein profile indicated the involvement of EMT and WNT pathways in JNA. These candidates are promising druggable targets for treating JNA. Full article

Cultural heritage can play a strategic role in developing a sustainable built environment, contributing to the improvement of the economic, social, and environmental productivity of a city. Human activities are constantly affecting the quality of the environment and altering the ecosystems, which produce negative consequences also on human wellbeing. Within this context, it has been much discussed how cities and the built environment can counteract this process by supporting more sustainable development. Adaptive reuse is defined as “a process that changes a disused or ineffective item into a new item that can be used for a different purpose”, which strongly triggers the sustainable development of cities. It can be recognized as a promoter of economic growth, social wellbeing, and environmental preservation, given its capability of both preserving past values and creating new ones. The adaptive reuse matches the main points of the circular economy, seen as the sustainable economy, which is aimed at the reduction of natural resource extraction and environmental impact by extending the useful life of materials and promoting recovery, reuse, and regeneration processes. Given these premises, the current contribution aimed to evaluate alternative scenarios for reuse in Castello Visconteo in Cusago, located in the Lombardy region (Italy), and understanding how adaptive reuse could contribute to generating new values within a circular economy perspective. In detail, four alternative scenarios were proposed to face the new needs born during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Since both intangible and tangible values must be considered, a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) has been applied by combining economic and qualitative indicators to define the most suitable function for its adaptive reuse. In detail, the Novel Approach to Imprecise Assessment and Decision Environments (NAIADE) was used to identify the best alternative solution based on the opinions of conflicting stakeholders. The innovativeness of the contribution is given by the combination of different methodologies, the preservation of the memory and the generation of new values, and the consideration of adaptive reuse as a strategy for the achievement of sustainable development within a circular economy perspective. Full article

Benthic macroinvertebrates and sediments can act as good indicators of environmental quality. The aim of this study was to assess the accumulation of chemical elements in the Gomphidae (Odonata) collected in the Blyde River. Seven sites were sampled for river sediments assessment and five sites for larvae (naiads) of Gomphidae bioaccumulation analysis. The tissue samples were analysed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The results showed high levels of all of the tested elements except Cd in the sediment. The mean concentrations of As, Cu and Cr exceeded the standard guideline values, whereas Pb and Zn were below the standard guideline values. In the insect body tissue, the concentrations of most elements were higher than in the sediments. The elements with the highest concentrations were Mn, Zn, Cu, and As. The bioaccumulation factor (BF) showed a tendency for bioaccumulation for almost all of the selected elements in the insect. The BF value was high for Cu, Mn, Sb, and Zn (BF > 1). The high concentrations of elements in the insect body tissue may pose a risk to fish that consume them, and subsequently to humans when fish from the river are consumed. It is therefore important to monitor the river to reduce pollution to prevent health risks in humans, especially in communities that rely on the river for water and food. Full article

Comprehensive large-scale sequencing and bioinformatics analyses have uncovered a myriad of cancer-associated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Aberrant expression of lncRNAs is associated with epigenetic reprogramming during tumor development and progression, mainly due to their ability to interact with DNA, RNA, or proteins to regulate gene expression. LncRNAs participate in the control of gene expression patterns during development and cell differentiation and can be cell and cancer type specific. In this review, we described the potential of lncRNAs for clinical applications in ovarian cancer (OC). OC is a complex and heterogeneous disease characterized by relapse, chemoresistance, and high mortality rates. Despite advances in diagnosis and treatment, no significant improvements in long-term survival were observed in OC patients. A set of lncRNAs was associated with survival and response to therapy in this malignancy. We manually curated databases and used bioinformatics tools to identify lncRNAs implicated in the epigenetic regulation, along with examples of direct interactions between the lncRNAs and proteins of the epigenetic machinery in OC. The resources and mechanisms presented herein can improve the understanding of OC biology and provide the basis for further investigations regarding the selection of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Full article

The concept of sustainability is widely seen as fundamental to set up urban and territorial transformations. Sustainable development is a multidimensional and multi-perspective process that deals with the environmental, economic, and social dimensions, with the aim to find a balance among these. Despite this growing attention to sustainability the social perspective has been the less explored of these dimensions and only recently it is receiving consideration due the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim at creating sustainable and inclusive cities and communities. In the SDGs, specific attention is focused on the improvement of the quality of life of inhabitants through specific actions dedicated to the valorization of cultural resources, to the protection of the environment, and also to promote the involvement of the local communities in setting policies and programs. The final objective is defining projects based on the social needs shared by the communities. This paper aims at exploring the social sustainability related to urban regeneration processes with particular attention to social cohesion and community engagement. Six different urban regeneration strategies, developed for the regeneration of an urban area located in Northern Italy and based on social housing interventions, have been evaluated in accordance with their social impacts on the stakeholders involved. The paper proposes a multi-methodological approach based on the combination of the stakeholder analysis with the NAIADE (Novel Approach to Imprecise Assessment and Decision Environments) methodology, a particular type of Social Multi-Criteria Evaluation. The stakeholder analysis has been applied to identify the actors to involve in the evaluation, whereas the NAIADE methodology has been implemented for the selection of the most preferable strategy. This method allowed the assessment of the different strategies through the comparison and the mediation between the technical and the social rankings, thus considering the stakeholder preferences in the final evaluation. The final result is coherent with the initial purpose and it demonstrates that the inclusion of the stakeholder is fundamental for the achievement of a consensus solution. Full article

This paper addresses the debate regarding weak versus strong sustainability in the field of rural land use planning. Both concepts correspond to opposing paradigms on sustainability and both their fundamentals of economic roots and comparative analyses from a theoretical point of view enjoy a contrasting trajectory. However, their inclusion in land use planning has been an issue not sufficiently studied despite their relevance in the field of local development and sustainability. The aim of this study is to shed light on this gap by exploring the assessment of the degree of sustainability in rural land use planning. To this end, two case studies involving forestry in the Basque Country (Spain) have been analyzed based on a multi-criteria analysis technique. As a result, we have observed the importance of setting thresholds in the valuations of the criteria, as well as the effect of varying such thresholds above the compensability degree. Full article

In the current scientific debate, cities represent the contexts in which resources, capital, skills, and talents are concentrated and, at the same time, they are places where many challenges are concentrated regarding environmental (pollution, waste, climate change), economic (unemployment, social exclusion, well-being), political (instability in governance processes, lack of strategic planning), and cultural (training, creativity and innovation) dimensions. The city and historic centers in particular, are able to experiment the paradigm shift from a linear economy to a circular economy, in which synergic, fair, and inclusive processes capable of activating new forms of urban productivity and social and economic innovation are promoted. In particular, the European Commission identifies cultural heritage as the main driver of development and supports strategies in which it is considered as one of the founding elements of possible transformations, which can be activated through mixed top-down/bottom-up approaches, in the short and long term. In this perspective, cultural heritage can play a decisive role in terms of the urban strategy capable of generating new economic, cultural, and social values, which trigger innovative dynamics of local development. To address current urban challenges, this paper attempts to use a multi-criteria analysis to decision support, starting with a Multi-Stakeholder Decision Analysis (M-SDA), in order to assist decision makers in choosing suitable scenarios to trigger circular development processes, taking into account the role of cultural heritage in a systemic landscape perspective. The result is a hybrid methodological approach for designing complex urban regeneration processes able to assess which new uses/functions and potential actions, identified by the involved community, can trigger a circular development model which could be more suitable to implement a model of “culture-led” and “community-driven” development. Full article

Nature-based solutions (NBS) are increasingly being considered as an option to reduce societies’ vulnerability to natural hazards, creating co-benefits while protecting ecosystem services in a context of changing climate patterns with more frequent and extreme weather events. The reinsurance and insurance industries are increasingly cited as sectors that can play a role to help manage risks, by improving disaster risk reduction (DRR) and loss prevention. This paper investigates how the (re)insurance industry could support the transition from a paradigm focused on ex-post responses to ex-ante risk reduction measures including NBS, in line with the Sendai Framework. This paper presents the results of a series of 61 interviews undertaken with the (re)insurance sector and related actors under the EU H2020 Nature Insurance Value Assessment and Demonstration (NAIAD) project. Methods based on a Grounded Theory approach indicate how this sector can play different roles in loss prevention, including ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (eco-DRR). Results illustrate how the (re)insurance industry, under these roles, is gradually innovating by having a better understanding of hazards and mitigation. The findings of the study contribute to wider discussions such as the possibility of new arrangements like natural insurance schemes and evidence-based assessment of avoided damage costs from green protective measures, in Europe and beyond. Full article

The new and more conscious sensibility towards the environmental sphere supports the idea of “green city”, promotes initiatives of structural integration of the green with the built environment and involves a considerable number of disciplines in a cultural and social debate. The literature reports different experiences of collaborative governance, between administrations and citizens, which tend to enhance the interaction between the different social actors involved in the investments of Green Infrastructures, to share objectives and management methods and to assess the extent of ecosystem services. The objective of this article is to propose a methodological approach to assessing green investments in the urban area, which is able to internalize the social perception of citizens regarding this important component for the urban landscape, with a view to guiding the city’s government towards a new urban eco-social-green planning and evaluation model. It presents a concise framework of the scientific debate on climate change and on the effects of urban planning issues; some relevant experiences of Green Infrastructures; and the proposed methodology, applied to the reality of the “urban green system” of Catania, based on an integrated approach between participatory planning and the method NAIADE (Novel Approach to Imprecise Assessment and Decision Environments). Full article

Italian harbours assume a decisive role in order to develop a Euro-Mediterranean web for maritime transportation. The geostrategic position of the Italian peninsula can be seen as a logistic platform at the centre of the maritime trades in the Mediterranean area, giving to its port cities the role of gateway of economic flows. The port poles, meant as hubs, are able to attract investments and create economic growth and territorial development through new operative models of urban usage and management. The management policies have to consider the environmental characteristics and distinctive features, respecting the identity of the places as concrete evidence of history, a source of intellectual development and therefore, cultural richness. In this sense, the current strategic plan “Palermo capital of the Euro-Mediterranean area” imagines the whole city, and not just its harbour, as a “gate city”, a sustainable and cosmopolitan city in the view of a recentralization of the Mediterranean area. The research tests an evaluation method in support of urban planning, which increases the active role of stakeholders in terms of participation and access to the decision-making process of urban renewal strategies for Palermo to the Euro-Mediterranean. Full article