Parkinson's disease: autoimmunity and neuroinflammation

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that causes the death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The resulting dopamine deficiency in the basal ganglia leads to a movement disorder that is characterized by classical parkinsonian motor symptoms. Parkinson's disease is recognized as the most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer's disease. PD ethiopathogenesis remains to be elucidated and has been connected to genetic, environmental and immunologic conditions. The past decade has provided evidence for a significant role of the immune system in PD pathogenesis, either through inflammation or an autoimmune response. Several autoantibodies directed at antigens associated with PD pathogenesis have been identified in PD patients. This immune activation may be the cause of, rather than a response to, the observed neuronal loss. Parkinsonian motor symptoms include bradykinesia, muscular rigidity and resting tremor. The non-motor features include olfactory dysfunction, cognitive impairment, psychiatric symptoms and autonomic dysfunction. Microscopically, the specific degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the presence of Lewy bodies, which are brain deposits containing a substantial amount of α-synuclein, have been recognized. The progression of Parkinson's disease is characterized by a worsening of motor features; however, as the disease progresses, there is an emergence of complications related to long-term symptomatic treatment. The available therapies for Parkinson's disease only treat the symptoms of the disease. A major goal of Parkinson's disease research is the development of disease-modifying drugs that slow or stop the neurodegenerative process. Drugs that enhance the intracerebral dopamine concentrations or stimulate dopamine receptors remain the mainstay treatment for motor symptoms. Immunomodulatory therapeutic strategies aiming to attenuate PD neurodegeneration have become an attractive option and warrant further investigation

Exploring consumer attitudes toward plant-based fish analogues for sustainable dietary choices

Aim: The food system is facing numerous challenges in advancing environmental sustainability, human health, and animal welfare. A promising solution is the transition towards plant-based diet. Nevertheless, the perceived poor sensory quality of new plant-based products and the resistance to changing eating habits remain significant hurdles for consumers. Method: 165 consumers (48.5% F; 18-65 years) were clustered based on their attitudes towards food purchase, quality, preparation and consumption using the Food Related Lifestyle questionnaire. The segments of consumers were chracterised according to socio-demographic variables, personality traits and frequency of consumption of plant-based alternatives products. Results: Three clusters of conumers were identified: 1) The largest and oldest group "Careful consumers" (55.1%) prioritized health aspects and carefully read label information. They placed greater importance on food shopping, price criteria and utilized shopping lists for their purchases. They also showed a higher consumption of plant-based analogues. 2) 'Hedonic consumers' (26.1%) were mainly young consumer inclined to try new food products. Their attention is focused on the sensory aspects and food taste; finally 3) 'Uninvolved consumers' (18.8%) showed less interested in food-related activities and information and are less interested in cooking. They exhibit higher neophobia index and they rank among the least frequent consumers of analogues products. Conclusion: Three distinct groups of consumers with significantly different behaviour and attitudes towards the consumption of plant-based analogues were identified. The findings from this study offer valuable insights for the food industry, enabling more targeted communication and educational efforts aimed at promoting sustainable nutrition

Correlazione tra proprietà e struttura di una ghisa vermicolare

LAUREA SPECIALISTICAIl ciclo produttivo di un rocchetto in ghisa CGI250 impiegato per l’avvolgimento di fili tessili prevede, dopo la fusione del getto, un trattamento termico di ricottura per garantire al pezzo la lavorabilità alle macchine utensili. L’azienda ha eseguito prove di lavorazione su rocchetti non trattati, riscontrando dei problemi di usura e rottura dell’utensile, senza però rilevare grandi diversità a livello metallurgico tra la ghisa trattata e quella non trattata . La tesi quindi si focalizzerà sulla caratterizzazione dei due materiali, con lo scopo di evidenziare le differenze e di determinare il motivo per cui la ghisa non trattata mostri problemi di lavorabilità, pur avendo caratteristiche simili a quella ricotta. Difficoltà ulteriori per lo studio derivano dal fatto che il materiale impiegato è poco diffuso sia in fonderia che in letteratura: si tratta di una ghisa sferoidale degradata in vermicolare e mostra una microstruttura molto eterogenea. La geometria del rocchetto è inoltre assai complicata, con forti variazioni di spessore e pure la morfologia delle cave per l’avvolgimento del filo è molto complessa, soprattutto per le lavorazioni alle macchine utensili.The production cycle of a textile reel made of CGI250 schedules an heat treatment (annealing) to assure the machinability on the tool machines. Fondershell made a machining experiment on the untreated reel, finding tool problems but not great metallurgical differences between the untreated iron and the treated one. The thesis will focalize on the characterization of the two materials, aiming to highlight the differences and to understand why the untreated iron shows machinability problems, although having similar characteristics to the annealed one. Further difficulties derive from the fact that this kind of cast iron is rarely spread both in foundry and in literature: the examined material is a spheroidal graphite iron degradated to compacted graphite iron. Besides, the geometry of the reel is very complex, with great thickness variations and the morphology of the quarries for the reeling is as well very complicated, in particular for the tool machinin

Certificazione ambientale del patrimonio costruito. Proposta di uno strumento di autovalutazione

LAUREA MAGISTRALEL’ aumento delle emissioni di co2 dovute all’uso massiccio di sostanze ad alto contenuto energetico e a basso costo, come il petrolio e successivamente il gas, ha portato i governi a riflettere sul futuro del nostro pianeta. L’attività edilizia è uno dei settori a più alto impatto ambientale che si estrinseca attraverso l’inarrestabile consumo del territorio, l’alto consumo energetico e le emissioni in atmosfera ad esso connesse. Nell’ultimo ventennio, i governi si sono orientati verso politiche di green growth con lo scopo di ridurre le emissioni di carbonio attraverso l’uso efficiente delle risorse e grazie all’introduzione di sempre più esigenti certificazione energetiche. Rispetto a queste premesse la tesi si colloca nell'ambito degli studi sulla sostenibilità degli edifici e, in particolare, approfondisce i metodi e gli strumenti disponibili per la certificazione di sostenibilità ambientale degli immobili. Il lavoro di analisi e inquadramento è partito dall' individuazione dei principali e più utilizzati modelli di certificazione disponibili, focalizzando successivamente l' attenzione sul tema dei protocolli di certificazione per gli edifici esistenti. In questo ambito si è approfondito il modello proposto dal protocollo LEED Existing Buildings Operation and Maintenace. Il lavoro procede dunque con l’analisi del citato protocollo, ancora poco conosciuto ed utilizzato in Italia, concentrandosi sulle operazioni manutentive e di efficientamento energetico necessarie per l’accesso e l’acquisizione dei crediti necessari per ottemperare la certificazione. Grazie allo studio sul Centro Servizi di Rho Fieramilano, già in possesso della certificazione, è possibile osservarne le criticità e i requisiti da essa richiesti. Successivamente vengono analizzati i benefici economici che l’accesso alla certificazione porta, sia a livello immobiliare che energetico. L'esito finale consiste nella messa a punto di uno strumento di autovalutazione che può essere utilizzato da proprietari e property manager di edifici esistenti che vogliano stabilire il proprio livello di conformità rispetto ai requisiti del protocollo LEED Exisiting Buildings O+M. In particolare lo strumento di autovalutazione si basa sulla identificazione della documentazione tecnico amministrativa da assumere come supporto per la dimostrazione del soddisfacimento dei diversi requisiti stabiliti dal protocollo

Green Oxidation of Ketones to Lactones with Oxone in Water

Cyclic ketones were quickly and quantitatively converted to 5-, 6- and 7-membered lactones, very important synthons, by treatment with Oxone, a cheap, stable, and non-pollutant oxidizing reagent, in 1M NaH2PO4/Na2HPO4 water solution (pH 7). Under such simple and green conditions, no hydroxyacid was formed thus making unnecessary the adoption of more com-plex and non-ecofriendly procedures previously developed to avoid lactone hydrolysis. With some changes, the method was successfully applied also to water insoluble ketones such as adamantanone, acetophenone, 2-indanone and challenging cy-cloheptanone

Exploring perceptive drivers and barriers to the consumption of plant-based alternatives

Nowadays, a major global challenge is to find healthy and sustainable alternative food sources to meet the growing demand for food. One of the strategies adopted to reduce the environmental impact of the food system is the development of plant-based foods used as substitutes for animal products (i.e. plant-based meat analogues, plant-based dairy alternatives). Although consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their food choices, barriers to the transition towards these products still exist. In this context, the aims of this study were to: a) obtain a sensory mapping of animal product alternatives of the Italian market b) identify the main perceptive drivers of acceptability and rejection of plant-based products.  A sample of adult consumers (n ≥ 100; age > 18 years) balanced according to gender and age was recruited. Consumers were asked to taste and rate their overall liking of commercial plant-based foods and to perform a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) task to describe the samples. Consumers also completed questionnaires to investigate their food consumption behaviour.  Through this study, a sensory database of plant-based products was defined based on compositional, nutritional and sensory characteristics. This database showed that there is a large diversity within the same food category with reference to the raw ingredients used and the sensory characteristics. Furthermore, through Principal Coordinate Analysis, obtained by linking liking data with CATA descriptions, the drivers of liking and rejection towards these food products were identified. Further analyses are in progress to verify the effect of consumers eating behaviour on the acceptability of these products.  The present study provides useful information for food companies for identifying potential reformulation opportunities and product development. Indeed, the optimization of the sensory and nutritional properties of plant-based food is a key strategy to improve its liking and to promote its consumption with consequent environmental and health benefits

Pyrrolidinyl benzofurans and benzodioxanes: Selective α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ligands with different activity profiles at the two receptor stoichiometries

A series of racemic benzofurans bearing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl residue at C(2) or C(3) has been synthesized and tested for affinity at the α4β2 and α3β4 nicotine acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). As previously reported for the benzodioxane based analogues, hydroxylation at proper position of benzene ring results in high α4β2 nAChR affinity and α4β2 vs. α3β4 nAChR selectivity. 7-Hydroxy-N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl-1,4-benzodioxane (2) and its 7- and 5-amino benzodioxane analogues 3 and 4, which are all α4β2 nAChR partial agonists, and 2-(N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinyl)-6-hydroxybenzofuran (12) were selected for functional characterization at the two α4β2 stoichiometries, the high sensitivity (α4)2(β2)3 and the low sensitivity (α4)3(β2)2. The benzene pattern substitution, which had previously been found to control α4β2 partial agonist activity and α4β2 vs. α3β4 selectivity, proved to be also involved in stoichiometry-selectivity. The 7-hydroxybenzodioxane derivative 2 selectively activates (α4)2(β2)3 nAChR, which cannot be activated by its 5-amino analogue 4. A marginal structural modification, not altering the base pyrrolidinyl benzodioxane scaffold, resulted in opposite activity profiles at the two α4β2 nAChR isoforms providing an interesting novel case study

4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-Hydroxybenzofuran: a unified strategy for a two-step synthesis of versatile benzofuranic building blocks

Over several decades, many different strategies have been reported to prepare 4-, 5- , 6-, and 7- hydroxybenzofuran (HBF), which are very important synthetic intermediates. Interested in addition of their 2- lithiated O-protected derivatives to transient 1-pyrroline as a straightforward way to nicotinoids, we have developed a unique two-step procedure to obtain 4-, 5- , 6-, and 7-HBF from 2,6-, 2,5-, 2-4- and 2,3- dihydroxyacetophenone, respectively, by conversion into 4-, 5-, 6- and 7-hydroxybenzofuranone and successive reduction of these latter with lithium borohydride. On the basis of the overall yields, the number of steps and the availability of the starting materials, such a synthetic strategy can be advantageously compared with the literature methods, here briefly reviewed, developed to synthesize the four HBFs.(piture presented

La costruzione del sapere degli insegnanti nella didattica delle scienze: uno studio relativo alla conoscenza professionale dei docenti pre-servizio di scuola primaria

L’insegnamento è un’attività molto complessa alla cui base vi è una forma specializzata di conoscenza professionale. Indagini e ricerche in ambito internazionale sottolineano che l’insegnamento delle scienze risulta essere problematico, in particolare per gli insegnanti di scuola primaria. I ricercatori hanno studiato la natura del pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) soprattutto per insegnanti di scienze in servizio di scuola secondaria. Molti studi hanno utilizzato interviste, test e questionari scritti per indagare gli aspetti relativamente più “statici” del PCK degli insegnanti in contesti didattici semplificati, spesso fittizi o comunque lontani da situazioni concrete di apprendimento in classe. Pochi lavori di ricerca hanno preso in considerazione le conoscenze che gli insegnanti pre-servizio attivano e utilizzano in contesti simili a reali situazioni di apprendimento in aula, soprattutto nel contesto della formazione iniziale degli insegnanti di scuola primaria. Questo studio qualitativo è un tentativo di esplorare e caratterizzare, utilizzando un approccio basato sull’utilizzo del video, gli aspetti più “dinamici” del PCK alla base del ragionamento pedagogico messo in atto dall’insegnante, indagando due delle basi della conoscenza professionale dei docenti relative al PCK “messo in atto”, nello specifico le dimensioni: KSU – knowledge of students’ understanding e KISR – knowledge of the instructional strategies and representations. Tra i ricercatori soprattutto nell’ambito della didattica della matematica, infatti, è emerso un consenso diffuso sul fatto che un insegnamento efficace implichi attenzione al pensiero degli studenti. In questa prospettiva, il costrutto del PCK è strettamente legato a quello della professional vision degli insegnanti, che la videoanalisi promuove attraverso lo sviluppo di quelle capacità analitiche e riflessive, di osservazione e di ragionamento, utili a sostenere il cambiamento di convinzioni e pratiche didattiche. I dati di questo progetto di ricerca sono stati raccolti al termine di un corso di Fisica sperimentale; cinquantanove insegnanti pre-servizio, che frequentavano il corso di laurea in Scienze della formazione primaria, si sono cimentati in due attività basate sull’osservazione di un video che rappresentava una reale situazione di apprendimento in classe, registrato dall’autrice per approssimare il più possibile un contesto d’aula autentico. Le risposte sono state analizzate qualitativamente ed è stata osservata una relazione tra il livello di noticing e la connection with students’ thinking quando gli insegnanti pre-servizio dovevano prendere decisioni. Le implicazioni dei risultati dello studio sottolineano la necessità di favorire molteplici occasioni per imparare a notare i dettagli del pensiero scientifico degli studenti e le relazioni tra insegnamento e apprendimento, soprattutto nel corso di laurea in Scienze della formazione primaria.Teaching is a complex activity informed by professional knowledge. International surveys and research underline that science teaching is problematic, especially for primary school teachers. Researchers have investigated the nature of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) mainly for in-service secondary science teachers. Many studies used a text-based approach to elicit the more declarative and static form of teachers’ PCK in simplified teaching contexts. Few research papers have considered the knowledge that pre-service teachers activate and use in contexts like real learning classroom situations, especially in the context of initial primary teachers’ education. This qualitative study is an attempt to explore and characterize, using a video-based approach, the more situated and dynamic form of PCK underpinning a teacher’s pedagogical reasoning investigating two of the bases of teachers’ professional knowledge related to enacted PCK, specifically the dimensions of KSU – knowledge of students’ understanding and KISR – knowledge of the instructional strategies and representations. Among mathematics teacher educators, in fact, a consensus has emerged that effective teaching involves attention to students’ thinking. In this perspective, the construct of PCK is closely related to that of teachers’ professional vision (noticing and reasoning), which video analysis promotes through the development of those analytical and reflective skills, noticing and reasoning, useful in supporting change in teaching beliefs and practices. The data for this study were collected at the end of a Physics education course and fifty-nine pre-service primary teachers attending a degree programme in Primary education attempted two video-based tasks. The clips were taken from authentic classroom situations recorded by the author to approximate real contexts. The responses were analysed qualitatively and the association between the level of noticing and the connection with student thinking when pre-service primary teachers take decisions has been observed. The implications of the findings stress the need to foster extended opportunities for learning to notice the details of students’ scientific thinking and the relationship between teaching and student learning, especially in Primary education degree programs

Understanding the perceptual and behavioural barriers influencing the acceptance of plant-based tuna analogues

Fish demand is linked to unsustainable fishing practices, posing risks to the loss of marine biodiversity. Increasing attention to environmental issues has led to the development of plant-based fish formulations designed to mimic the taste, texture and appearance of fish. This category has experienced the fastest growth in sales of plant-based analogues, but several factors still hinder their consumption, including sensory characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate consumer perceptions, liking and drivers of acceptance of plant- based canned tuna. A sample of 165 adults balanced according to gender and age evaluated eight commercial samples: five formulated with different plant-based protein sources (e.g. textured soy, pea or wheat protein) and three animal-based control samples. Overall liking and sensory attributes characterizing food samples by means of CATA questionnaire were evaluated. Data about socio-demographics, food frequency consumption, food related lifestyles and personality traits were also collected. The results showed that samples (F=92.96; p<0.001) and age (F=4.19; p=0.01) had a significant effect on liking. All plant-based samples received low liking scores (<40), while those of animal origin were in general well appreciated (Ls-mean = 63.4 – 65.6). Principal Coordinate analysis showed that “Pink colour”, “Tuna odour/flavour”, “Oil odour/flavour” and “Saltiness” were drivers of liking, while «Unappealing appearance», «Legume/vegetable odour/flavour », “Off-flavours”, “Bitterness”, “Gumminess” had a negative impact. Two consumer clusters were identified: 'Dislikers of plant-based samples' (PB_Dislikers, 73%) and 'Likers of plant-based samples' (PB_Likers, 27%). This study provides valuable insights into the sensory attributes of canned tuna analogues and underscores the importance of sensory optimization in the development of plant-based alternatives that meet consumer preferences. This study was funded by National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), Mission 4 Component 2 Investment 1.3 by the Italian Ministry of University and Research through the European Union— NextGenerationEU funding (OnFoods project, PE00000003-CUP D93C22000890001