An Annotated List and New Species Descriptions of Collembola Found in the Project Elf Study Area of Michigan

An annotated list of 80 collembolan species taken from the ELF Project area in Dickinson County. Michigan, is presented. Two new species are described, a new record for the United States is established, and new records for Michigan\u27s Upper Peninsula are reported. Specimens were obtained using pitfall traps and extraction of liner and soil cores taken from deciduous forest.

Regimes de identidade, regimes de propriedade

A Constituição Brasileira de 1988 reconheceu o Brasil como um Estado Pluriétnico, ao assegurar a reprodução cultural aos povos indígenas, aos remanescentes de quilombos e aos demais grupos étnicos formadores da nação. Entretanto, a legislação infraconstitucional, limitada aos aspectos de ocupação e posse dos espaços territoriais onde estes direitos se realizam, não consegue estabelecer as condições de efetivação de tais direitos. Se de um lado há múltiplas relações de pertencimento entre os lugares de moradia e reprodução material, de outro há o monismo jurídico, que entende a propriedade como um feixe de direitos que se realiza integralmente nas ações de usar, gozar e dispor. A tensão entre o plural e o singular aumenta com as lentes multifocais da conservação da natureza, que oscilam entre polos de representações sobre uma natureza que não pode ser conspurcada pela presença humana e uma necessária relação entre o homem e a natureza

PO-0940: Feasibility of planning CT to MVCT deformable registration for ìdose of the dayî calculation in helical Tomotherapy

Núm. a Art públic: 1135Digitalitzat per Tecnodo

Lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation are related to the severity of OSAS

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Considering that oxidative stress is involved in endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis development, our aim was to examine lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation, two parameters of oxidative status, in a group of subjects with OSAS. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We consecutively enrolled 48 patients (36 men and 12 women; mean age 49.7\ub114.6 yrs) with OSAS, subsequently subdivided according to the apnea/hy-popnea index (AHI) value in two subgroups: Low (L= 21 subjects with AHI30). We examined lipid peroxidation, expressed as TBARS, and protein oxidation, measured as carbonyl groups in plasma samples from fasting venous blood. RESULTS: We observed that TBARS and car-bonyl groups were significantly higher in subjects with AHI > 30 in comparison with the L subgroup and the whole group of OSAS subjects. In addition, we found that these parameters were positively correlated with neck and waist circumference, with the AHI value and with the oxygen desaturation index, and negatively correlated with the mean oxygen saturation. CONCLUSIONS: Lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation in OSAS patients are significantly correlated with the severity of the disease

Gelatinases and their tissue inhibitors in a group of subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular events and stroke. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases involved in extracellular matrix degradation and then in the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to evaluate plasma levels of gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) in a group of subjects with OSAS. We enrolled 48 subjects (36 men and 12 women; mean age 49.7 \ub1 14.68 yrs) with OSAS diagnosed with a 1-night cardiorespiratory study and then we subdivided these subjects into two subgroups according to the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI): Low (L = 21 subjects with AHI <30) and High (H = 27 subjects with AHI >30). We measured plasma concentration of the gelatinases and their inhibitors using ELISA kits. We observed a significant increase in plasma concentration of MMP-9, MMP-2, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in the entire group of OSAS subjects and in the two subgroups, with higher levels in the H in comparison with the L subgroup. In the whole group of OSAS subjects we also noted a significant decrease in MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in comparison with normal controls. Only MMP-9 was significantly correlated with the severity of the disease, expressed as AHI, with the oxygen desaturation index and also with the mean oxygen saturation. MMPs pattern is altered in OSAS and significantly influenced by the severity of the disease; it probably contributes to the vascular remodeling that leads to the atherosclerotic disease and cardiovascular complications

Analysis of the correlations between oxidative stress, gelatinases and their tissue inhibitors in the human subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is commonly associated with endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disorders. On the basis of this observation, our aim was to examine the oxidative status and the matrix metalloproteases (MMP) profile in a group of subjects with OSAS. We enrolled 48 subjects with OSAS defined after a 1-night cardiorespiratory sleep study, who were subsequently subdivided in two subgroups according to the severity of OSAS (low grade = L-OSAS; high grade= H-OSAS). We measured the parameters of oxidative stress, such as lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, total antioxidant status (TAS), nitric oxide metabolites (NOx), and the plasma concentrations of the gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2). We found a significant impairment of oxidative status in H-OSAS compared to L-OSAS and higher plasma levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in H-OSAS compared to L-OSAS. In this study we observed a positive correlation between TBARS and MMP-9, a positive correlation between PC and MMP-9, and a negative correlation between NOx and MMP-9, especially in the whole group of OSAS subjects. These data underline how strong interrelationships among some parameters of the oxidative stress, in particular those reflecting lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and NOx, and MMP-9 are evident in OSAS subjects. All these information may be useful in the clinical practice keeping in mind the cardiovascular complications generally accompanying the obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Erythrocyte deformability, plasma lipid peroxidation and plasma protein oxidation in a group of OSAS subjects

Considering that obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is usually associated with endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disorders, our aim was to examine the erythrocyte deformability and the oxidative status in a group of OSAS subjects. We consecutively enrolled 48 subjects with OSAS defined after a 1-night cardiorespiratory sleep study, subsequently subdivided according to the apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) value in two subgroups: Low (L = 21 subjects with AHI30). We evaluated the erythrocyte deformability, expressed as elongation index (EI) and the parameters of the oxidative status, such as lipid peroxidation (expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances TBARS) and protein oxidation (measured as carbonyl groups PC). In the entire group and in the two subgroups of OSAS subjects we found a decreased erytrocyte deformability at all shear stresses, not correlated with the plasmatic oxidative stress nor with the polysomnographic parameters. Lipid peroxidation was increased in the whole group and in the H subgroup of OSAS while protein oxidation showed a different trend. As in OSAS the osmotic fragility and the metabolism of the red cells seem to be not impaired, the oxidative damage to the red cell membrane proteins might be responsible for the reduced erythrocyte deformability. This rheological alteration, in addition to the increase in whole blood and plasma viscosity and to the erythrocyte hyperaggregation, could influence the microcircolatory profile in OSAS subjects

Hydrogel network in a porous resin matrix : a study for chromatographic applications

LAUREA MAGISTRALEIn questo lavoro è stata esplorata la possibilità di riempire particelle porose di poli(stirene-divinilbenzene) con un idrogel, e l'attitudine di un simile materiale composito a scopi cromatografici è stata valutata. L'attenzione è stata rivolta principalmente alla capacità del materiale verso le proteine, ma anche le proprietà di swelling e di capacità ionica sono state misurate. sia la resina che l'idrogel sono stati appositamente prodotti per questo studio: la porosità e la distribuzione della dimensione delle particelle sono state attentamente controllate. Inoltre, varie composizioni sono state sperimentate per l'idrogel, cambiando sia la natura che le quantità dei diversi componenti. Diversi processi atti a combinare i due materiali sono stati sviluppati, in modo da ottenere proprietà cromatografiche ottimali del composito finale. I materiali prodotti sono stati impaccati in colonne cromatografiche e testati in un opportuno ciclo di cromatografia liquida ad alta resa e con una proteina adatta, così da verificarne le potenzialità per applicazioni in biocromatografia. I risultati ottenuti hanno dimostrato che con gli opportuni miglioramenti il materiale potrebbe prestarsi ad applicazioni su scala industriale.In this work the possibility of filling porous poly(styrene-divinylbenzene) resin particles with hydrogel has been investigated, and the viability of such a composite material for chromatographic purposes has been assessed. The main focus was put on the loading capacity of the material with respect to proteins, but ion capacity and swelling properties were measured as well. Both resin and hydrogel were expressly produced for this study: porosity and particle size distribution of the resin were accurately controlled. Moreover, several compositions of the hydrogel were tested, changing both nature and quantities of the various components. Different processes for combining the two materials were developed, in order to achieve optimal chromatographic properties of the final composite. All materials produced were packed into a chromatography column and tested inside a suitable high performance liquid chromatography cycle and with respect to an appropriate protein, so as to verify their viability for biochromatography. The obtained results proved that a few improvements are required in order to make the material suitable for industrial applications

Nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite and nitrate) in several clinical condition

We determined the concentration of nitric oxide metabolites (NO2-+ NO3-), expressed as NOx, in several clinical conditions. Regarding this, we have examined 25 subjects with arterial hypertension, 41 subjects with chronic kidney disease in conservative treatment, 106 subjects with metabolic syndrome subdivided according to the presence (n=43) or not (n=63) of diabetes mellitus, 48 subjects with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS),14 women with systemic sclerosis complicated with Raynaud's phenomenon, 42 dialyzed subjects and 105 young subjects with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In subjects with arterial hypertension, chronic kidney disease, metabolic syndrome, systemic sclerosis, as well as, in dialyzed and AMI subjects, we found at baseline a NOx increase. In dyalized subjects after a standard dialysis session, we observed a decrease in NOx. The increase in NOx in juvenile AMI was significantly influenced by cigarette smoking and less by cardiovascular risk factors and the extent of coronary lesions; at 3 and 12 months later than the initial event, we observed a decrease of NOx that remains significantly higher than the control group. In subjects with OSAS no difference in NOx was noted in comparison with normal controls, although their subdivision according to the apnea/hypopnea index operates a clear distinction regarding NOx concentration

Moisture Buffering evaluation methodology : the case study of an office building

LAUREA MAGISTRALEQuesta tesi esplora il concetto di “Moisture Buffering”, analizza i suoi metodi di misurazione e valuta le capacità di tamponamento igrometrico di diverse finiture interne utilizzando Wufi, un noto software di simulazione dinamica del trasferimento di calore e umidità, per modellare l'interazione tra loro e lo spazio interno di un edificio. Nella prima parte del lavoro vengono esplorati i principi teorici alla base del moisture buffering: rappresenta la prima fase formativa del Candidato che acquisisce i fondamenti della modellazione del comportamento di interazione con l'umidità a livello di materiale, i processi di diffusione e adsorbimento dell'umidità e si conclude con l'analisi della loro capacità di buffering e delle condizioni al contorno che possono o meno influenzare il valore MBV del materiale. L'analisi si concentra su come le sue caratteristiche e le condizioni esterne influenzino le prestazioni di una finitura interna in gesso applicata a una parete in laterizio, in termini di capacità di buffering del materiale e di "spessore di penetrazione" ottimale, in condizioni simulate di laboratorio, in accordo con i protocolli NordTest. La seconda parte della tesi estende l'analisi ad un modello di edificio di riferimento in un clima reale per comprendere l'effetto di moisture buffering di diverse finiture interne, partendo e replicando l'esperienza analitica di un gruppo di ricercatori cinesi e replicando la loro analisi sullo stesso edificio per uffici trasferito a Milano: i primi risultati confermano in gran parte le conclusioni dei ricercatori cinesi anche nei nostri climi. La tesi si conclude con un'analisi di sensibilità provvisoria di questi risultati.This thesis explores the concept of moisture buffering, analyses it measurement methods, and evaluates the hygrometric buffering capabilities of different interior finishes using Wufi, a well-known dynamic Heat and Moisture Transfer simulation software to model the interaction between them and the indoor space of a building. In the first part of the work, the theoretical principles underlying moisture buffering are explored: it represents the first training phase of the Candidate acquiring the fundamentals of modelling the moisture interaction behavior at the material level, the moisture diffusion and adsorption processes and ends with the analysis of their moisture buffering and the boundary conditions that may or may not affect the MBV value of the material. The analysis focuses on how its characteristics and the external conditions affect the performances of an internal plaster finish applied to a brick wall, in terms of moisture buffering capacity, and optimal “penetration thickness”, in simulated laboratory conditions, in accordance with the NordTest protocols. The second part of the thesis extends the analysis to a reference model building in a real climate to understand the moisture buffering effect of different internal finishings, starting from and replicating the analytical experience of a group of Chinese researchers and replicating their analysis on the same office building moved to Milano: the first results mostly confirm the conclusions of the Chinese researchers also in our climates. The thesis ends with a tentative sensitivity analysis of these results