In vivo and in vitro effects of genistein as obesogenic/anti-obesogenic compound in the lipid metabolism of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Nowadays, soy is one of the most used ingredients in the formulation of fish feed, due to the ample market supply, lower market price, high protein concentration and favorable amino acid composition. Nevertheless, soybean meal products are rich and primary diet source of phytoestrogens, as genistein, which may have a potential negative impact on growth, hormonal regulation and lipid metabolism in fish. The principal aim of this study was to better understand in vivo and in vitro genistein’s effects on lipid metabolism of rainbow trout. In adipose tissue it was showed an unclear role of genistein on lipid metabolism in rainbow trout, and in liver an anti-obesogenic effect, with an up-regulation of autophagy-related genes LC3b (in adipose tissue) and ATG4b (in liver and adipose tissue), a down-regulation of apoptosis-related genes CASP3 (in adipose tissue) and CASP8 (in liver). An increase of VTG mRNA levels in liver was also observed. Genistein partially exerted these effects via estrogen- receptor dependent mechanism. In white muscle, genistein seemed to promote lipid turnover, up-regulating lipogenic (FAS and LXR) and lipolytic (HSL, PPARα and PPARβ) genes. It seemed that genistein could exert its lipolytic role via autophagic way (up-regulation of ATG4b and ATG12l), not through an apoptotic pathway (down-regulation of CASP3). The effects of genistein on lipid-metabolism and apoptosis-related genes in trout muscle were not dose-dependent, only on autophagy-related genes ATG4B and ATG12l. Moreover, a partial estrogenic activity of this phytoestrogen was also seen. Through in vitro analysis (MTT and ORO assay), instead, it was observed an anti-obesogenic effect of genistein on rainbow trout adipocytes, and this effect was not mediated by ERs. Both in vivo and in vitro, genistein exerted its effects in a dose-dependent manner.

Correlation between structure and electrochemistry of LiMO2 cathode materials (M = Ni, Co)

Technical diversity and various knowledge is required for the understanding of undoubtedly complex system such as a Lithium-ion battery. The peculiarity is to combine different techniques that allow a complete investigation while the battery is working. Nowadays, research on Li-ion batteries (LIBs) is experiencing an exponential growth in the development of new cathode materials. Accordingly, Li-rich and Ni-rich NMCs, which have similar layered structure of LiMO2 oxides, have been recently proposed. Despite the promising performance on them, still a lot of issues have to be resolved and the materials need a more in depth characterisation for further commercial applications. In this study LiMO2 material, in particular M = Co and Ni, will be presented. We have focused on the synthesis of pure LiCoO2 and LiNiO2 at first, followed by the mixed LiNi0.5Co0.5O2. Different ways of synthesis were investigated for LCO but the sol-gel-water method showed the best performances. An accurate and systematic structural characterization followed by the appropriate electrochemical tests were done. Moreover, the in situ techniques (in-situ XRD and in situ OEMS) allowed a deep investigation in the structural change and gas evolution upon the electrochemically driven processes.

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Phosporite Deposits from Tropic Seamount (NE Tropical Atlantic Ocean)

Marine phosphorite deposits can form in a variety of environments, and despite of similar P contents, their mineralogy can change substantially. Seamount phosphorites are increasingly recognized for their P resources and are known to concentrate rare earth elements (REEs) and yttrium (Y) during early diagenetic formation, much more than continental-margin phosphorite deposits. Their importance is increasing in terms of economic potential but have always been studied for paleoenvironmental reconstruction purposes. The Canary Island Seamount Province (CISP) has been extensively studied for its Fe-Mn crusts and nodules deposits, but to date there has not been any systematic study on the phosphorite substrate rocks. This study aims at characterizing the mineralogy and geochemistry of the Tropic seamount phosphorites and offer insights into their mechanisms of formation. The Tropic seamount is a guyot that presents a variety of depositional environments. Two types of phosphorite slabs were identified: (1) a massive facies with oxic enrichments of Mn, Cr, Co, Ni and Cu located on the summit edges and flanks, and (2) a complex facies with suboxic-to-anoxic enrichments of U and V observed on the phosphorites located on the summit of the guyot. Both phosphorite types experienced advanced phosphatization (P2O5 between 24 and 31 wt.%, 3-4 wt.% of F). Differences in uptake of rare earth elements + yttrium (REY) and variations in mineralogy (e.g., presence of foraminifera vs. rounded glauconite grains, carbonate fragments or bioclasts) between the two types, allow phosphorites that formed in upwelling, nutrient-rich and oxic-suboxic environments to be distinguished from those which formed in suboxic-anoxic organic-poor environments. A potential combined ore deposit (Fe-Mn crusts + phosphorites) with high REY contents, like the seamount phosphorites analyzed in this study (ΣREY=870 μg/g on average), could help supply the resources needed for green-tech and high-tech applications.

Tradurre il genere documentario : Due proposte di sottotitolaggio del documentario Little Land a confronto

The aim of this thesis is to discuss the main translation issues encountered while performing a double version of the subtitles of the documentary “Little Land” from English into Italian. The main motivation behind my choice is a personal interest in the subtitling field applied to the documentary filmic genre. This project is divided into two parts. The first part constitutes the theoretical basis of the thesis and is divided in three chapters. The first chapter introduces the documentary “Little Land” and analyses its main features and characteristics. The second chapter is devoted to documentary studies and theory of documentary, including the historical overview of the changes of this filmic genre and an overview of its market potential in order to meet both the audience and the director’s requirements. The third chapter deals with audiovisual translation as a discipline, and analyses the main translation techniques adopted for the documentary genre: dubbing, voice-over and subtitling. The subtitling section is particularly rich, and a discussion of the use of double and pivot subtitles and the possibilities of subtitling for accessibility issues is included. The second part constitutes the practical development of the theories introduced and dealt with in the first part. Chapter four provides an overview of the history of the Cineteca di Bologna, for whom I worked as a subtitler, and explains the guide lines and equipment required in order to perform the manual launch of the subtitles during their festival Human Rights Nights. The fifth and final chapter provides an analysis of the second version of the subtitles, meant for TV broadcasting, and highlights the main issues encountered during the translation process, both from a structural and a lexical point of view. A discussion of the different translation strategies adopted is provided, in a constant comparison with the first version of the subtitles. The function of self-reflection and self-observation in translation is also examined. Appendix A and B contain the interviews with “Little Land”’s director and protagonist respectively, Appendix C contains the subtitles table.