Syftet och frågeställningarna med uppsatsen är att fastsälla vilka de betydelsebärande skillnaderna är i filmerna 13 Ghosts (1960) och Thir13en Ghosts (2001) gällande hur kvinnor framställs i aspekterna våld, scener med övernaturligt innehåll samt sexualitet. Syftet är även att ta reda på hur övernaturlighet och våldsscener skiljer sig från varandra mellan filmerna utan att väga in ett genusperspektiv, samt vad det finns för stora skillnader i hur kvinnor framställs i förhållande till männen med betoning på remaken.Teorier hämtas från Karen Boyle och Göran Bolins teorier om våld i film och feministisk filmteoretisk forskning med namn som Marianne Kleberg, Elisabeth Cowie, Laura Mulvey och Shohini Chaudhuri, där sexualitet och objektifiering av kvinnokroppen står i centrum. Vidare behandlas teorier av Emely D. Edwards, Carrol F. Fry, Marina Warner samt Tom Ruffles angående populärkultur och andlighet.Metoden som används i denna studie är en semiotisk analys, där Roland Barthes beteckningar denotation, konnotation och myt agerat grundpelare.Resultat påvisar att filmerna skiljer sig till stor del inom alla aspekter och att kvinnor i remaken oftare är mer stereotypa i sina framställningar. Analysen visar att kvinnors roll i scener med våld tenderar att sexualiseras, ofta har de inte samma mål med sina ockulta praktiker som männen samt att det har skett en stor ökning i nyinspelningen vad gäller objektifiering och sexuella anspelningar på kvinnokroppen. Det har även skett en stor ökning av scener med våldsinnehåll och det är dessutom ett brutalare sådant, samt att det övernaturliga ges betydligt mycket mer utrymme i remaken.Det kan i slutsatsen konstateras att filmer idag innehåller mer av allt inom de aspekter som jag hade för avsikt att undersöka i den här studien, och att detta i sin tur kan relateras till en något mer avtrubbad publik idag som möjligtvis kräver att filmer ska vara mer övertydliga i sin framtoning.

Research for new biocompatible and easily implantable materials continuously proposes new molecules and new substances with biological, chemical and physical characteristics, that are more and more adapted to aesthetic and reconstructive surgery and to the development of biomedical devices such as cardiovascular prostheses. Two classes of polymeric biomaterials seem to meet better these requirements: “hydrogels” , which includes polyalkylimide (PAI) and polyvinylalcohol (PVA) and “elastomers”, which includes polyurethanes (PUs). The first ones in the last decade have had a great application for soft tissue augmentation, due to their similarity to this tissue for their high water content, elasticity and oxygen permeability (Dini et al., 2005). The second ones, on the contrary, are widely used in cardiovascular applications (catheters, vascular grafts, ventricular assist devices, total artificial hearts) due to their good mechanical properties and hemocompatibility (Zdrahala R.J. and Zdrahala I.J., 1999). In the biocompatibility evaluation of these synthetic polymers, that is important for its potential use in clinical applications, a fundamental aspect is the knowledge of the polymers cytotoxicity and the effect of their interaction with cells, in particular with the cell populations involved in the inflammatory responses, i.e. monocyte/macrophages. In consideration of what above said, the aim of this study is the comprehension of the in vitro effect of PAI, PVA and PU on three cell lines that represent three different stages of macrophagic differentiation: U937 pro-monocytes, THP-1 monocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by measuring the rate of viability with MTT, Neutral Red and morphological analysis at light microscope in time-course dependent experiments. The influence of these polymers on monocyte/macrophage activation in terms of cells adhesion, monocyte differentiation in macrophages, antigens distribution, aspecific phagocytosis, fluid-phase endocitosis, pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and nitric oxide (NO) release was evaluated. In conclusion, our studies have indicated that the three different polymeric biomaterials are highly biocompatible, since they scarcely affected viability of U937, THP-1 and RAW 264.7 cells. Moreover, we have found that even though hydrogels and polyurethane influences monocyte/macrophage differentiation (depending on the particular type of cell and polymer), they are immunocompatible since they not induced significantly high cytokine release. For these reasons their clinical applications are strongly encouraged.

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No description available.

Purpose: to quantify the mRNA levels of MMP-3, MMP-9, VEGF and Survivin in peripheral blood and the serum levels of CA-125, Ca19-9 in women with and without endometriosis and to investigate the performance of these markers to differentiate between deep and ovarian endometriosis. Methods: a case controls study enrolled a series of 60 patients. Twenty controls have been matched with 20 cases of ovarian and 20 cases of deep endometriosis. Univariable and multivariable performance of serum CA125 and CA19-9, mRNA for Survivin, MMP9, MMP3 and VEGF genes have been evaluated by means of ROC curves and logistic regression respectively. Results: No difference in markers concentration were detected between ovarian and deep endometriosis. In comparison with controls serum CA19 and CA125 yielded the better sensitivity followed by mRNA for Survivin gene (81.5%, 51.9% and 7.5% at 10% false positive rate respectively). Multivariable estimated odds of endometriosis yielded a sensitivity of 87% at the same false positive rate. Conclusions: A combination of serum and molecular markers could allow a better diagnosis of endometriosis.

No description available.

Food packaging protects food, but it can sometimes become a source of undesired contaminants. Paper based materials, despite being perceived as “natural” and safe, can contain volatile contaminants (especially if made from recycled paper) able to migrate to food, as mineral oil, phthalates and photoinitiators. Mineral oil is a petroleum product used as printing ink solvent for newspapers, magazines and packaging. From paperboard printing and from recycled fibers (if present), mineral oil migrates into food, even if dry, through the gas phase. Its toxicity is not fully evaluated, but a temporary Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 0.6 mg kg-1 has been established for saturated mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOSH), while aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) are more toxic. Extraction and analysis of MOSH and MOAH is difficult due to the thousands of molecules present. Extraction methods for packaging and food have been optimized, then applied for a “shopping trolley survey” on over 100 Italian and Swiss market products. Instrumental analyses were performed with online LC-GC/FID. Average concentration of MOSH in paperboards was 626 mg kg-1. Many had the potential of contaminating foods exceeding temporary ADI tens of times. A long term migration study was then designed to better understand migration kinetics. Egg pasta and müesli were chosen as representative (high surface/weight ratio). They were stored at different temperatures (4, 20, 30, 40 and 60°C) and conditions (free, shelved or boxed packs) for 1 year. MOSH and MOAH kinetic curves show that migration is a fast process, mostly influenced by temperature: in egg pasta (food in direct contact with paperboard), half of MOSH is transferred to food in a week at 40°C and in 8 months at 20°C. The internal plastic bag present in müesli slowed down the startup of migration, creating a “lag time” in the curves.

La libertad de establecimiento y la movilidad de las empresas juegan un papel fundamental en el proceso comunitario de integración. Las empresas buscan nuevas formas de cooperación e integración que les permitan ocupar cuotas de mercado cada vez más importantes. De entre las modalidades de integración y cooperación que tienen a su disposición, la fusión transfronteriza de sociedades es, sin duda, una de las más relevantes. Es evidente que las fusiones de sociedades pertenecientes a Estados miembros distintos podrían tener una enorme importancia en el proceso de integración del mercado único. Sin embargo, la posibilidad de llevar a cabo con éxito una fusión transfronteriza en el ámbito comunitario era improbable hasta época reciente. Dos tipos de impedimentos la dificultaban: por una parte, obstáculos a la libertad de establecimiento por parte de los ordenamientos jurídicos de los Estados miembros; por otro, obstáculos de Derecho internacional privado. En cambio, hoy la mayor parte de estos impedimentos han sido superados gracias, en primer lugar, al progresivo reconocimiento del derecho de establecimiento de las sociedades por el Tribunal de Justicia, y en segundo, a la importante Directiva 2005/56/CE relativa a las fusiones transfronterizas de sociedades de capital. Esta Directiva impone a los Estados miembros una serie de normas de mínimos de derecho material a fin de armonizar la tutela de los intereses de los sujetos implicados más débiles (sobre todo, los trabajadores y los socios). De igual manera, establece una serie de normas de conflicto para resolver la cuestión de la ley aplicable a las fusiones transfronterizas. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo principal valorar la relevancia de los pronunciamientos del Tribunal de Justicia y de las actuaciones del legislador europeo orientados a impedir las restricciones a las fusiones transfronterizas de sociedades en el territorio comunitario. / Freedom of establishment and cross-border mobility of companies play a fundamental role in the European process of integration. Companies seek new ways to cooperate and associate which might help them to hold increasingly more important market shares. Among the different cooperation and association methods they can choose from, cross-border mergers are definitely one of the most significant. It is clear that mergers between companies from different Member States could have a great influence on the integration process of the Single Market. Nevertheless, the possibility of successfully completing a cross-border merger in the European Community was unlikely until recent years. Two types of impediments could be distinguished: on the one hand, obstacles to the freedom of establishment set by the Member States; on the other hand, obstacles that stemmed from International Private Law rules. However, today most of those impediments have been overcome, first of all thanks to the gradual recognition of companies’ right of establishment by the Court of Justice, but also to the very important Directive 2005/56/CE on cross-border mergers of limited liability companies. This Directive imposed on the Member States a number of material rules of minimum standards with the intention of harmonizing the protection of the interests of the weakest parties involved (especially employees and members of the company). Likewise, it sets a number of conflict-of-law rules in order to answer the question of the Law applicable to cross-border mergers. The overall aim of this thesis is to assess the relevance of the rulings of the Court of Justice, as well as that of the interventions of the European legislator directed at preventing any restriction to cross-border mergers within the European territory. / Nel processo comunitario d’integrazione, la libertà di stabilimento e la mobilità delle imprese assumono un ruolo fondamentale. L’impresa ricerca nuove forme di cooperazione ed integrazione in modo da poter occupare quote di mercato sempre più importanti. Fra le modalità d’integrazione e cooperazione che le imprese hanno a loro disposizione, la fusione transfrontaliera di società è sicuramente una delle più rilevanti. È evidente que le fusioni di società appartenenti a Stati membri diversi potrebbero avere un’enorme importanza ai fini dell’integrazione del mercato unico. Tuttavia, la possibilità di realizzare con successo una fusione transfrontaliera di società in ambito comunitario era improbabile fino a tempi recenti. Due categorie di impedimenti la rendevano difficile: da un lato, ostacoli alla libertà di stabilimento da parti degli ordinamenti giuridici degli Stati membri; dall’altro, ostacoli di Diritto internazionale privato. Oggi però la maggior parte di questi impedimenti sono stati superati grazie, da un lato, al progressivo riconoscimento da parte della Corte di Giustizia del diritto di stabilimento delle società e, dall’altro, all’importante la Direttiva 2005/56/CE relativa alle fusioni transfrontaliere di società di capitali. Questa Direttiva impone agli Stati membri una serie di norme minime di diritto materiale al fine di armonizzare la tutela degli interessi dei soggetti coinvolti piè deboli (soprattutto lavoratori e soci). Allo stesso modo, pone in essere una serie di norme di conflitto per risolvere la questione della legge applicabile alle fusioni transfrontaliere. Il presente lavoro si pone come obiettivo principale quello di valutare la rilevanza delle pronunce della Corte di Giustizia e degli interventi del legislatore europeo volti ad impedire le restrizioni alle fusioni transfrontaliere di società nel territorio comunitario.

Nowadays obesity can be defined as a global epidemic. The precise identification of circulating biomarkers involved in this pathology could be essential to early diagnose potential co-morbidities and to better address the development of future therapeutic strategies. Published evidences show that circulating steroid hormones and endocannabinoids might have a role in the physiopathology of obesity; however, a precise and reliable quantification of these molecules is still lacking. In the first part of the present thesis, we developed a sensitive, specific and accurate quantification method for nine steroid hormones using a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) system. This method has been used first for a comparative study with immunoassays, currently used in the clinical practice to quantify these molecules and then to redefine circulating reference intervals in healthy subjects. Furthermore, we measured circulating steroid hormones in three groups of subjects: normo-weight, over-weight and obese, defining different steroid hormones profiles depending on the obesity state. The role of circulating endocannabinoids in humans is still unclear, however there are several evidences concerning their involvement in obesity. In the second part of the thesis, we determined changes of circulating endocannabinoids in obese patients after a weight loss induced by bariatric surgery, currently the most effective long-term treatment for obesity, using LC/MS-MS. We measured basal and dynamic endocannabinoids plasma levels in 12 patients with severe obesity before, one month after and six months after the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass intervention, currently one of the most performed types of bariatric surgery. All together the findings illustrated in this thesis project will help better define the role of steroid hormones and endocannabinoids in the framework of obesity in humans and the role that each type of molecule might have in its pathophysiology.

Cellular response to γ-rays is mediated by ATM-p53 axis. When p53 is phosphorylated, it can transactivate several genes to induce permanent cell cycle arrest (senescence) or apoptosis. Epithelial and mesenchymal cells are more resistant to radiation-induced apoptosis and respond mainly by activating senescence. Hence, tumor cells in a senescent state might remain as “dormant” malignant in fact through disruption of p53 function, cells may overcome growth arrest. Oncocytic features were acquired in the recurring neoplasia after radiation therapy in patient with colonrectal cancer. Oncocytic tumors are characterized by aberrant biogenesis and are mainly non-aggressive neoplasms. Their low proliferation degree can be explained by chronic destabilization of HIF1α, which presides to adaptation to hypoxia and also plays a pivotal role in hypoxia-related radio-resistance. The aim of the present thesis was to verify whether mitochondrial biogenesis can be induced following radiation treatment, in relation of HIF1α status and whether is predictive of a senescence response. In this study was demonstrate that mitochondrial biogenesis parameters like mitochondrial DNA copy number could be used for the prediction of hypoxic status of tissue after radiation treatment. γ-rays induce an increase of mitochondrial mass and function, in response to a genotoxic stress that pushes cells into senescence. Mitochondrial biogenesis is only indirectly regulated by p53, whose activation triggers a MDM2-mediated HIF1α degradation, leading to the release of PGC-1β inhibition by HIF1α. On the other hand, this protein blunts the mitochondrial response to γ-rays as well as the induction of p21-mediated cell senescence, indicating prevalence of the hypoxic over the genotoxic response. Finally in vivo, post-radiotherapy mtDNA copy number increase well correlates with lack of HIF1α increase in the tissue, concluding this may be a useful molecular tool to infer the trigger of a hypoxic response during radiotherapy, which may lead to failure of activation of senescence.