Giocare per finta: un'analisi etnografica del Gioco di Ruolo

Questa tesi ha come oggetto di studio l'analisi di un'attività ludica quale il Gioco di Ruolo. Tale analisi è supportata dalla descrizione etnografica di un caso specifico: un gruppo di giocatori che è stato osservato e intervistato. Il capitolo 1 è un'introduzione e spigazione di cosa siano i Giochi di Ruolo; il capitolo 2 tratta della letteratura su i quattro temi legati a al gioco di ruolo, ovvero: gioco, ruolo, narrazione, finzione; il capitolo 3 tratta invece della letteratura specifica dei Giochi di Ruolo; il capitolo 4 è la presentazione del gruppo studiato attraverso le interviste svolte; il capitolo 5 è un'analisi delle osservazioni compiute. Seguono le conclusioni

Impact of chronic exposure to bevacizumab on EpCAM-based detection of circulating tumor cells

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are often undetected through the immunomagnetic epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-based CellSearch(®) System in breast and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients treated with bevacizumab (BEV), where low CTC numbers have been reported even in patients with evidence of progression of disease. To date, the reasons for this discrepancy have not been clarified. This study was carried out to investigate the molecular and phenotypic changes in CRC cells after chronic exposure to BEV in vitro. METHODS: The human CRC cell line WiDr was exposed to a clinically relevant dose of BEV for 3 months in vitro. The expression of epithelial and mesenchymal markers and EpCAM isoforms was determined by western blotting and immunofluorescence. To evaluate the impact of EpCAM variant isoforms expression on CTC enumeration by CellSearch(®), untreated and treated colon cancer cells were spiked into 7.5 mL of blood from a healthy donor and enumerated by CellSearch(®). RESULTS: Chronic exposure of CRC cell line to BEV induced decreased expression of EpCAM 40 kDa isoform and increased expression EpCAM 42 kDa isoform, together with a decreased expression of cytokeratins (CK), while no evidence of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in treated cells was observed. The recovery rate of cells through CellSearch(®) was gradually reduced in course of treatment with BEV, being 84%, 70% and 40% at 1, 2 and 3 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We hypothesize that BEV may prevent CellSearch(®) from capturing CTCs through altering EpCAM isoforms

HMGB1-Induced Cross Talk between PTEN and miRs 221/222 in Thyroid Cancer

High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is an ubiquitous protein that plays different roles in the nucleus, cytoplasm and extra-cellular space. It is an important DAMP molecule that allows communication between damaged or tumor cells and the immune system. Tumor cells exploit HMGB1’s ability to activate intracellular pathways that lead to cell growth and migration. Papillary thyroid cancer is a well differentiated tumor and is often used to study relationships between cells and the inflammatory microenvironment as the latter is characterized by high levels of inflammatory cells and cytokines. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is one of the most lethal human cancers in which many microRNAs and tumor suppressor genes are de-regulated. Up-regulation of microRNAs 221 and 222 has been shown to induce the malignant phenotype in many human cancers via inhibition of PTEN expression. In this study we suggest that extracellular HMGB1 interaction with RAGE enhances expression of oncogenic cluster miR221/222 that in turn inhibits tumor suppressor gene PTEN in two cell lines derived from human thyroid anaplastic and papillary cancers. The newly identified pathway HMGB1/RAGE/miR 221/222 may represent an effective way of tumor escape from immune surveillance that could be used to develop new therapeutic strategies against anaplastic tumors

Aspirin-dependent effects on purinergic P2Y1 receptor express

Chronic treatment with aspirin in healthy volunteers (HVs) is associated with recovery of adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet activation. The purinergic P2Y1 receptor exerts its effects via a Gq-protein, which is the same biochemical pathway activated by thromboxane-A2 receptor. We hypothesized that recovery of ADP-induced platelet activation could be attributed to increased P2Y1 expression induced by chronic aspirin exposure. We performed a multi-phase investigation which embraced both in vitro and in vivo experiments conducted in (1) human megakaryoblastic DAMI cells, (2) human megakaryocytic progenitor cell cultures, (3) platelets obtained from HVs treated with aspirin and (4) platelets obtained from aspirin-treated patients. DAMI cells treated with aspirin or WY14643 (PPARα agonist) had a significant up-regulation of P2Y1 mRNA, which was shown to be a PPARα-dependent process. In human megakaryocytic progenitors, in the presence of aspirin or WY14643, P2Y1 mRNA expression was higher than in mock culture. P2Y1 expression increased in platelets obtained from HVs treated with aspirin for 8 weeks. Platelets obtained from patients who were on aspirin for more than 2 months had increased P2Y1 expression and ADP-induced aggregation compared with patients on aspirin treatment for less than a month. Overall, our results suggest that aspirin induces genomic changes in megakaryocytes leading to P2Y1 up-regulation and that PPARα is the nuclear receptor involved in this regulation. Since P2Y1 is coupled to the same Gq-protein of thromboxane-A2 receptor, platelet adaptation in response to pharmacological inhibition seems not to be receptor specific, but may involve other receptors with the same biochemical pathway

From human Megakaryocytes to platelets: Effects of aspirin on high-mobility group Box 1/receptor for advanced glycation end products axis

Platelets (PLTs) are the major source of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a protein that is involved in sterile inflammation of blood vessels and thrombosis. Megakaryocytes (MKs) synthesize HMGB1 and transfer both protein and mRNA into PLTs and PLT-derived microvesicles (MV). Free HMGB1 found in supernatants of in vitro differentiated MKs and in a megakaryoblastic cell line (DAMI cells). Aspirin “in vivo” and “in vitro” not only reduces HMGB1 and receptor for advanced glycation end products expression on MKs and PLTs but also drives the movement of HMGB1 from MKs into PLTs and PLT-derived MV. These findings suggest that consumption of low doses of aspirin reduces the risk of atherosclerosis complications as well as reducing PLT aggregation by the inhibition of COX-1

Hardware prototyping and validation of a W-ΔDOR digital signal processor

Microwave tracking, usually performed by on ground processing of the signals coming from a spacecraft, represents a crucial aspect in every deep-space mission. Various noise sources, including receiver noise, affect these signals, limiting the accuracy of the radiometric measurements obtained from the radio link. There are several methods used for spacecraft tracking, including the Delta-Differential One-Way Ranging (ΔDOR) technique. In the past years, European Space Agency (ESA) missions relied on a narrowband ΔDOR system for navigation in the cruise phase. To limit the adverse effect of nonlinearities in the receiving chain, an innovative wideband approach to ΔDOR measurements has recently been proposed. This work presents the hardware implementation of a new version of the ESA X/Ka Deep Space Transponder based on the new tracking technique named Wideband ΔDOR (W-ΔDOR). The architecture of the new transponder guarantees backward compatibility with narrowband ΔDOR

Tumores intrarraquianos : análise dos resultados do tratamento cirúrgico em serviço especializado de hospital público

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, 2019.INTRODUÇÃO: Cerca de 15% dos tumores primários do sistema nervoso central (SNC) são intrarraquianos. A maioria deles necessita de tratamento cirúrgico. OBJETIVO GERAL: Avaliar os resultados do tratamento cirúrgico para os pacientes com tumor intrarraquiano primário. MÉTODO: Trata-se de estudo retrospectivo de pacientes com diagnóstico de tumor intrarraquiano primário, sendo eles extradural, intradural-extramedular ou intramedular, admitidos e operados no Instituto Hospital de Base do Distrito Federal, no período de janeiro de 2012 á junho de 2018. Os dados foram obtidos do prontuário eletrônico TrakCare, e, analisados, tipo histológico do tumor, sua localização topografica na coluna vertebral e os resultados da cirurgia com a Escala de Frankel. Foram usados os testes da Anova de Friedman e Teste de Fisher. RESULTADOS: Foram 84 pacientes, sendo 48 mulheres (57,14%). Na avaliação após a cirurgia, observou-se que 85,7% melhoraram ou tiveram seus escores mantidos; ocorreu piora em 6%. Esses resultados foram significativos somente nos tumores intradurais-extramedulares. Na analise dos tumores mais frequentes, obteve-e melhora em 94% dos meningiomas, 93,8% dos schwanomas e 71,7% dos ependimomas. CONCLUSÃO: Concluímos que a cirurgia para a exerese dos tumores intrarraquianos tem benefícios, sendo estes mais evidentes nos tumores intradural-extramedular. Portadores de meningiomas, schwanomas e ependimomas tem melhora importante com o tratamento cirurgico.INTRODUCTION: About 15% of primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) are intrarraquian. Most of them require surgical treatment. GENERAL OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of surgical treatment for patients with primary intraraphic tumor. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with primary intraraterial tumor, extradural, intradural-extramedullary or intramedullary, admitted and operated at the Base Hospital Institute of the Federal District from January 2012 to June 2018. The data were obtained from the TrakCare electronic medical record and, analyzed, histological type of the tumor, its topographic location in the vertebral column and the results of the surgery with the Frankel Scale. Friedman's Anova tests and Fisher's test were used. RESULTS: There were 84 patients, of whom 48 were women (57.14%). In the assessment after surgery, it was observed that 85.7% improved or had their scores maintained; worsening by 6%. These results were significant only in intradural-extramedullary tumors. In the analysis of the most frequent tumors, it obtained and improved in 94% of meningiomas, 93.8% of schwannomas and 71.7% of ependymomas. CONCLUSION: We conclude that surgery for the exeresis of intrarectal tumors has benefits, which are more evident in the intradural-extramedullary tumors. Carriers of meningiomas, schwannomas and ependymomas have significant improvement with surgical treatment

Le fortificazioni di confine: l’organizzazione del territorio tarquiniese al tempo della conquista romana

Forthcoming