Search results for "Unity"

Hospital, local palliative care network and public health: how do they involve terminally ill patients?

2017

Background: Over one quarter of the health care expenditures is estimated to be spent for patients in the last year of life (LYL). For these patients, palliative care (PC) has been suggested as a response for improving the standards of care and reducing health costs. The aim of this study was to analyze a cohort of LYL people, in terms of comparing hospitalised patients who had been referred for PC to patients receiving usual care (UC). Methods: Retrospective study carried out on patients resident in Lecco (Italy) who died between 2012 and 2013. Records of patients were obtained from the Death certificate registry and cross-linked with Regional Healthcare Information System, Hospital Discha…

Vegetation, soils, and humus forms of Sardinian holm oak forests and approximated cross-harmonization of vegetation types, WRB Soil Groups and humus …

2018

Five plant communities, related to elevation above sea level and geological substrata, are recognized in the holm oak forests of Sardinia (Italy). These forests show a considerable inhomogeneous structure due to present day and past uses. Coppice management prevails, influencing the quantity and quality of organic horizons. Most frequent mineral soils are Cambisols, Leptosols, and Regosols. Regarding the humus forms, Moder and, with less extent, Amphi, are prevailing. Furthermore, the paper presents a synoptic table giving a rough picture of the relationships between vegetation types, WRB Soil Groups and humus forms in selected Mediterranean ecosystems.

2013

MicroRNAs of the miR-302 cluster are involved in early embryonic development and somatic cell reprogramming. Expression of the miR-302 gene is regulated by the binding of the pluripotency factors Oct4, Sox2 and Nanog to the miR-302 promoter. The specific expression pattern of the miR-302 gene suggested that additional transcription factors might be involved in its regulation. Here, we show that the miR-302 promoter is a direct target of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We found that the miR-302 promoter contains three different functional Tcf/Lef binding sites. Two of the three sites were located within the cluster of Oct4/Sox2/Nanog binding sites and were essential for Wnt/β-catenin-me…

Toll-like receptors and autoimmunity

2008

The understanding of autoimmune diseases experienced an impressive boost since the Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been identified as possible key players in autoimmune pathophysiology. Although these receptors recognize a variety of structures derived from viruses, bacteria and fungi leading to subsequent initiation of the relevant immune responses recent data support the idea that TLRs are crucial in the induction and perpetuation of certain autoimmune diseases, especially the systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this review we will summarize recent data on involvement of TLRs in the development of autoimmune diseases. This review will focus on TLRs 7, 8 and 9 which were originally iden…

Cutting Edge: Trans-Signaling via the Soluble IL-6R Abrogates the Induction of FoxP3 in Naive CD4+CD25− T Cells

2007

Abstract Chronic inflammatory diseases may develop when regulatory T cells (Tregs) fail to control the balance between tolerance and immunity. Alternatively, activated immune cells might prevent the induction or activation of Tregs in such diseases. In this study, we demonstrate that trans-signaling into T cells via the soluble IL-6 receptor completely abrogates the de novo induction of adaptive Tregs. Mechanistically, IL-6 trans-signaling augmented the expression of the TGF-β signaling inhibitor SMAD7. Consequently, SMAD7 overexpression in T cells using newly created transgenic mice rendered CD4+CD25− T cells resistant to the induction of FoxP3. Finally, IL-6 trans-signaling inhibited Treg…

Effects of Regulatory T Cell–Dendritic Cell Interactions on Adaptive Immune Responses

2014

The limited efficacy of chemo- or radiotherapy against neoplasias necessitates the development of complementary therapeutic strategies. Tumor immunotherapy represents a promising approach as it harnesses the potential of the host immune system to recognize and eradicate transformed cells. So far, T cell-based immunotherapy still suffers from a striking discrepancy between the induction of tumor-specific immune responses in experimental settings and therapeutic immunity in clinically relevant conditions. However, therapeutic approaches targeting immune regulatory mechanisms have lately shown encouraging results and have initiated long-lasting tumor control in patients. Therefore, a deeper un…

2013

Dendritic cells (DC) are sentinels of immunity, essential for homeostasis of T cell-dependent immune responses. Both functions of DC, initiation of antigen-specific T cell immunity and maintenance of tissue-specific tolerance originate from distinct stages of differentiation, immunogenic versus tolerogenic. Dependent on local micro milieu and inflammatory stimuli, tissue resident immature DC with functional plasticity differentiate into tolerogenic or immunogenic DC with stable phenotypes. They efficiently link innate and adaptive immunity and are ideally positioned to modify T cell-mediated immune responses. Since the T cell stimulatory properties of DC are significantly influenced by thei…

Promuovere la relazione scuola-famiglia. Il punto di vista dei dirigenti e dei genitori

2018

Per costruire una scuola inclusiva, è indispensabile curare la collaborazione con le famiglie, il territorio, gli operatori scolastici ed extrascolastici in un’ottica di costruzione di alleanze concrete e significative. Un positivo rapporto tra famiglia e scuola è considerato un indicatore di qualità della scuola stessa poiché influisce significativamente sull’apprendimento e sul benessere degli alunni. Promuovere la cultura della partecipazione e creare una scuola come comunità, diventa un obiettivo prioritario per alimentare una corresponsabilità fondata sulla reciprocità tra famiglia e scuola. La ricerca, di tipo qualitativo, si è basata sull’analisi delle interviste e sull’analisi dei R…

Enamel remineralization and surface roughness after treatment with herbal-containing toothpastes

2021

Background Oral care products containing bioactive agents obtained from extracts of plant drugs were launched. This in vitro study investigated the effects of herbal-containing toothpastes associated or not with fluoride to remineralize the enamel after cariogenic challenge with pH cycling. The chemical and physical factors of toothpastes and the enamel surface roughness after brushing were also analyzed. Material and methods Sixty bovine enamel blocks were obtained and divided into 3 thirds: intact (untreated), demineralized (artificial caries lesion), and treated (caries lesion, pH cycling, and brushing with toothpastes). Toothpastes containing herbal compounds contained no fluoride [Gall…

Which Landscape for Which Community? Opportunities and Pitfalls in the Application of the European Landscape Convention in Uncollaborative Context

2023

L’articolo, diviso in due sezioni principali, si propone di valutare le possibili ambiguità nell'applicazione dei principi della Convenzione Europea del Paesaggio in Italia. La prima sezione propone un quadro teorico, analizzando le relazioni tra i termini "ambiente", "territorio" e "paesaggio". L'attenzione si concentra sulle conseguenze che le diverse prospettive aprono sia a livello valoriale che operativo, oltre a trattare i tentativi di definizione. L'idea di comunità viene messa in discussione e vengono analizzate alcune sfide teoriche e pratiche legate al coinvolgimento e alla partecipazione nei processi di pianificazione del paesaggio. Nella seconda parte dell’articolo, il rapporto …