Papers by Silvano Monarca
Tecniche Nuove SPA:via Eritrea 21, I 20157 Milan Italy:011 39 02 39090241, INTERNET: http://www.tecnichenuove.com, Fax: 011 39 02 39090335, 1997
The sum-product phenomenon predicts that a finite set A in a ring R should have either a large su... more The sum-product phenomenon predicts that a finite set A in a ring R should have either a large sumset A + A or large product set A • A unless it is in some sense "close" to a finite subring of R. This phenomenon has been analysed intensively for various specific rings, notably the reals R and cyclic groups Z/qZ. In this paper we consider the problem in arbitrary rings R, which need not be commutative or contain a multiplicative identity. We obtain rigorous formulations of the sum-product phenomenon in such rings in the case when A encounters few zero-divisors of R. As applications we recover (and generalise) several sum-product theorems already in the literature.
Water Science and Technology, 1996
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2013
Disinfection with performic acid (PFA) represents an emerging technology in wastewater treatment.... more Disinfection with performic acid (PFA) represents an emerging technology in wastewater treatment. Many recent studies indicate its effectiveness and suitability as a disinfectant for different applications; several have demonstrated its reliability as an alternative to chlorine for disinfecting secondary effluents from urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Some disinfection technologies, in relation to their oxidative power, lead to the formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs), some of which are of concern for their toxic and carcinogenic potential. The aim of this study was to investigate potential genotoxic, cytotoxic, and mutagenic effects of this disinfection agent on treated secondary effluent coming from a municipal WWTP. A strategy with multiple short-term tests and different target cells (bacterial, plant, and mammalian) was adopted to explore a relatively wide range of potential genotoxic events. The Ames test (point mutation in Salmonella), the micronucleus (chromosomal damage) and Comet tests (primary DNA damage) on human hepatic cells (HepG2) were conducted to detect mutagenicity and chromosomal DNA alterations. DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial potential assays were conducted to evaluate apoptosis in the same kinds of cells. Mutagenic and clastogenic effect potentials were evaluated by examining micronucleus formation in Allium cepa root cells. In all the in vitro tests, carried out on both disinfected and non-disinfected effluents, negative results were always obtained for mutagenic and genotoxic effects. In the Allium cepa tests, however, some non-concentrated wastewater samples after PFA treatment induced a slight increase in micronucleus frequencies in root cells, but not in a doserelated manner. In conclusion, PFA applied for disinfection to a secondary effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant did not contribute to the release of genotoxic or mutagenic compounds. Further studies are required to establish to which extent these findings can be generalized to support PFA for other disinfection applications.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the main causes of mortality and morbidity in the indust... more Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the main causes of mortality and morbidity in the industrialised countries and their main risk factors are hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, alcohol abuse, dietary habits and physical inactivity (1, 2). However, these classic factors do not entirely explain the variability of CVD mortality in different countries. In order to better
Dynamic community detection provides a coherent description of network clusters over time, allowi... more Dynamic community detection provides a coherent description of network clusters over time, allowing one to track the growth and death of communities as the network evolves. However, modularity maximization, a popular method for performing multilayer community detection, requires the specification of an appropriate null model as well as resolution and interlayer coupling parameters. Importantly, the ability of the algorithm to accurately detect community evolution is dependent on the choice of these parameters. In functional temporal networks, where evolving communities reflect changing functional relationships between network nodes, it is especially important that the detected communities reflect any state changes of the system. Here, we present analytical work suggesting that a uniform null model provides improved sensitivity to the detection of small evolving communities in temporal correlation networks. We then propose a method for increasing the sensitivity of modularity maximization to state changes in nodal dynamics by modeling self-identity links between layers based on the self-similarity of the network nodes between layers. This method is more appropriate for functional temporal networks from both a modeling and mathematical perspective, as it incorporates the dynamic nature of network nodes. We motivate our method based on applications in neuroscience where network nodes represent neurons and functional edges represent similarity of firing patterns in time. Finally, we show that in simulated data sets of neuronal spike trains, updating interlayer links based on the firing properties of the neurons provides superior community detection of evolving network structure when group of neurons change their firing properties over time. networks, modularity, community detection, multilayer, temporal
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Recenti progressi in medicina, 2017
Nowadays, the community pharmacist's role is undergoing profound transformations. As a health... more Nowadays, the community pharmacist's role is undergoing profound transformations. As a healthcare provider of the National Health Service, pharmacists are expanding their expertise in Public Health through disease prevention and health promotion programme. In relation to health education and health promotion interventions, this research was aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of a selected sample of private and public pharmacists, working in the Province of Perugia and Terni, Umbria region. Cross-sectional study conducted using two detection tools: a 29-items self-administered, anonymous questionnaire and a 21-items environmental evaluation sheet, compiled by students of Pharmaceutical Sciences. 70% of umbrian pharmacists participated in the project, 68.9% of them consider health education interventions "very important", 57% support the gratuity of these interventions with a 14.5 hours/week dedicated to these activities. The survey shows a good ph...
Journal of Public Health Research, 2016
Many studies have shown the presence of numerous organic genotoxins and carcinogens in drinking w... more Many studies have shown the presence of numerous organic genotoxins and carcinogens in drinking water. These toxic substances derive not only from pollution, but also from the disinfection treatments, particularly when water is obtained from surface sources and then chlorinated. Most of the chlorinated compounds in drinking water are nonvolatile and are difficult to characterize. Thus, it has been proposed to study such complex mixtures using short-term genotoxicity tests predictive of carcinogenic activity. Mutagenicity of water before and after disinfection has mainly been studied by the Salmonella/microsome (Ames test); in vitro genotoxicity tests have also been performed in yeasts and mammalian cells; in situ monitoring of genotoxins has also been performed using complete organisms such as aquatic animals or plants (in vivo). The combination of bioassay data together with results of chemical analyses would give us a more firm basis for the assessment of human health risks relate...
Journal of environmental pathology, toxicology and oncology : official organ of the International Society for Environmental Toxicology and Cancer, 1994
The effect of the ureic herbicide Linuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea] on the ... more The effect of the ureic herbicide Linuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methoxy-1-methylurea] on the levels of some hepatic xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes was studied in rats. The cytochrome P450-dependent monooxigenase activities of aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) and of aminopyrine N-demethylase (APD) were measured in rat livers after a 14-d treatment by gavage with Linuron. AHH was employed as a marker of the catalytic activity of P450IA1 and APD as a marker of the catalytic activity of P450IIB1/2. Furthermore, the enzymatic activities of the cytosolic via glutathione detoxifying enzymes glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase were assessed. Three doses of Linuron (both as pure compound and as commercial preparation) were tested. The doses tested were 150, 300, and 450 mg/kg body weight for the pure compound and 315.8, 631.6, and 947.4 mg/kg for the commercial preparation. Differences were found in the relative liver weight only in rats treated with the commercial fo...
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 2014
Central Italy. Evaluation of surface contamination and dermal exposure to ANPD was assessed by de... more Central Italy. Evaluation of surface contamination and dermal exposure to ANPD was assessed by determining cyclophosphamide (CP) on selected surfaces (wipes) and on exposed nurses' clothes (pads). The concentration of unmetabolized CP-as a biomarker of internal dosewas measured in end-shift urine samples. Biomonitoring of genotoxic effects (i.e., biological effect monitoring) was conducted by analyzing micronuclei (MN) and chromosome aberrations (CA) in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Genetic polymorphisms for enzymes involved in metabolic detoxification (i.e., glutathione S-transferases) were analyzed as well. Results We observed a significant increase in MN frequency (5.30 ± 2.99 and 3.29 ± 1.97; mean values ± standard deviation; p < 0.0001) in exposed nurses versus controls, as well as in CA detection (3.30 ± 2.05 and 1.84 ± 1.67; p < 0.0001), exposed subjects versus controls. Our results provide evidence that, despite safety controlled conditions, ANPD handling still represents a considerable genotoxic risk for occupationally exposed personnel. Conclusions Because both MN and CA have been described as being predictive of group-increased cancer risk, our findings point to a need for improving specific safety procedures in handling and administering ANPD.
Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, 1997
w Ž. xŽ. The ureic herbicide linuron 3-3,4-dichlorophenyl-1-methoxy-1-methylurea CAS 330-55-2 was... more w Ž. xŽ. The ureic herbicide linuron 3-3,4-dichlorophenyl-1-methoxy-1-methylurea CAS 330-55-2 was investigated for genotoxicity in a series of in vivo experiments. Since human exposure to herbicides is not only to the active principles, but also to all the chemicals present in the commercial formulation, we tested both pure and commercial linuron. Groups of rats Ž. were treated with gavage containing different doses of the herbicide pure compound or commercial formulation for 14 days. The doses were 150, 300 and 450 mgrkg b.wt. for the pure compound and 315.8, 631.6 and 947.4 mgrkg b.wt. for Ž. the commercial formulation 47.5% of linuron. Faeces and urine were collected at regular intervals. Urine specimens were analysed for their mutagenic metabolites, thioethers and D-glucaric acid content. Faeces extracts were tested for mutagenicity. Linuron's ability to cause DNA damage and cytogenetic effects was also investigated after treating groups of rats once with different doses of pure or commercial linuron. DNA single-strand breaks were assessed in rat liver using the alkaline Ž. elution technique and the single-cell microgel electrophoresis assay SCGE: 'comet' assay , and in rat testes cells with the SCGE assay. Micronuclei induction was analysed in rat bone marrow erythrocytes. Results obtained were mainly negative when the excretion of mutagenic metabolites in urine and faeces of animals treated with the pure compound or with the linuron-based commercial formulation were monitored, whereas an increase in the urinary excretion of thioethers and D-glucaric acid was observed in rats treated with the commercial formulation. No increase in the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes was observed in the treated animals. However, linuron affected the viability of hepatocytes isolated from animals treated with higher doses. This cytotoxicity was accompanied by the induction of DNA single-strand breaks in the liver, as seen by the alkaline elution assay. The potential of pure linuron to induce in vivo DNA damage was Ž. confirmed with the microgel electrophoresis technique 'comet' assay. Cytotoxicity was also seen in rat testes cells. However, no indication of DNA damage was visible.
Mutagenesis, 2010
The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified several antineoplastic drugs in Gr... more The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified several antineoplastic drugs in Group 1 (human carcinogens), among which chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide (CP) and tamoxifen, Group 2A (probable human carcinogens), among which cisplatin, etoposide, N-ethyland N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, and Group 2B (possible human carcinogens), among which bleomycins, merphalan and mitomycin C. The widespread use of these mutagenic/ carcinogenic drugs in the treatment of cancer has led to anxiety about possible genotoxic hazards to medical personnel handling these drugs. The aim of the present study was to evaluate work environment contamination by antineoplastic drugs in a hospital in Central Italy and to assess the genotoxic risks associated with antineoplastic drug handling. The study group comprised 52 exposed subjects and 52 controls. Environmental contamination was assessed by taking wipe samples from different surfaces in preparation and administration rooms and nonwoven swabs were used as pads for the surrogate evaluation of dermal exposure, 5-fluorouracil and cytarabine were chosen as markers of exposure to antineoplastic drugs in the working environment. The actual exposure to antineoplastic drugs was evaluated by determining the urinary excretion of CP. The extent of primary, oxidative and excision repaired DNA damage was measured in peripheral blood leukocytes with the alkaline comet assay. To evaluate the role, if any, of genetic variants in the extent of genotoxic effects related to antineoplastic drug occupational exposure, the study subjects were genotyped for GSTM1, GSTT1, GSTP1 and TP53 polymorphisms. Primary DNA damage significantly increased in leukocytes of exposed nurses compared to controls. The use of personal protective equipment (i.e. gloves and/mask) was associated with a decrease in the extent of primary DNA damage.
BMC Public Health, 2011
Background Some industrial hygiene studies have assessed occupational exposure to antineoplastic ... more Background Some industrial hygiene studies have assessed occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs; other epidemiological investigations have detected various toxicological effects in exposure groups labeled with the job title. In no research has the same population been studied both environmentally and epidemiologically. The protocol of the epidemiological study presented here uses an integrated environmental and biological monitoring approach. The aim is to assess in hospital nurses preparing and/or administering therapy to cancer patients the current level of occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs, DNA and chromosome damage as cancer predictive effects, and the association between the two. Methods/Design About 80 healthy non-smoking female nurses, who job it is to prepare or handle antineoplastic drugs, and a reference group of about 80 healthy non-smoking female nurses not occupationally exposed to chemicals will be examined simultaneously in a cross-sectional study. ...
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Papers by Silvano Monarca