Le fonti sul terremoto del 10 settembre 1881 in provincia di Chieti: revisione critica e nuove conoscenze

Si e' provveduto ad una rivalutazione della distribuzione del danno legato al terremoto del 10 settembre 1881 nella provincia di Chieti, mediante una rilettura delle fonti e l'acquisizione di nuova documentazione d'archivio

¿CARDIORENAL SYNDROME-ANEMIA¿ COMPLEX IN SMALL ANIMAL MEDICINE: RESEARCH IN DIAGNOSTIC

La sindrome cardiorenale (CRS) pu\uf2 essere definita come un disordine fisiopatologico di cuore e reni in cui la disfunzione acuta o cronica di un organo pu\uf2 indurre una disfunzione acuta o cronica dell'altro. La cardiopatia acquisita pi\uf9 comune che colpisce i cani anziani e che porta a insufficienza cardiaca congestizia (CHF) \ue8 la degenerazione mixomatosa della valvola mitrale (MMVD). Il peggioramento della performance cardiaca e la riduzione della perfusione renale contribuiscono allo sviluppo della malattia renale cronica (CKD) (CRS tipo 2). Nei gatti la pi\uf9 frequente malattia cardiaca \ue8 la cardiomiopatia ipertrofica (HCM), un disturbo miocardico primario caratterizzato da un aumento della massa cardiaca ipertrofia ventricolare sinistra. L'anemia \ue8 spesso associata a insufficienza cardiaca e insufficienza renale in una triade sfavorevole denominata \u201ccomplesso sindrome cardiorenale - anemia". La carenza di ferro pu\uf2 essere presente, da sola o in combinazione con l\u2019anemia, con peggioramento della qualit\ue0 della vita e riduzione della sopravvivenza. Lo scopo della tesi era di descrivere la sindrome cardiorenale nella medicina dei piccoli animali attraverso lo studio delle comorbidit\ue0 e degli strumenti diagnostici innovativi per migliorare la diagnosi rapida e l'approccio medico alle malattie cardiovascolari. In primo luogo, \ue8 stato valutato lo stato di ferro nei cani con MMVD; sebbene non cos\uec frequente come negli esseri umani, la carenza di ferro \ue8 stata riconosciuta in quasi il 20% dei cani con MMVD, con un rischio di 6,3 maggiore di essere incluso in una classe ACVIM pi\uf9 alta per cani con basse concentrazioni di ferro. La dimetilarginina simmetrica, un nuovo biomarker di velocit\ue0 di filtrazione glomerulare, \ue8 stata valutata su sieri di cani con MMVD e si \ue8 dimostrata non influenzata dalla presenza della malattia cardiaca, potendo quindi essere considerata un biomarker di funzionalit\ue0 renale affidabile in questi cani. La creatin-chinasi \ue8 stata misurata in sieri di gatti sani e gatti con diverse forme di cardiomiopatia per evidenziare il suo eventuale ruolo nella diagnosi precoce della malattia; i risultati suggeriscono che la macro-CK1 felina pu\uf2 avere una struttura diversa rispetto a quella di altre specie e che, fra le frazioni espresse, CK-MB potrebbe avere un ruolo nella diagnosi delle cardiomiopatie feline. La precisione e l'affidabilit\ue0 di D-Heart, il primo elettrocardiografo portatile a pi\uf9 derivate utilizzabile nel paziente canino, sono state valutate, per la diagnosi rapida delle aritmie. Il dispositivo ha dimostrato una registrazione efficace e accurata dell'ECG nei cani inclusi nello studio. Infine, il kit ELISA selezionato per rilevare l'aldosterone su campioni di urina di cane \ue8 risultato essere accurato ed efficace, costituendo un'alternativa semplice, sicura ed economica al metodo RIA. Il confronto tra cani sani e cani con MMVD (B1) non ha mostrato differenze statisticamente significative nel rapporto aldosterone urinario:creatinina (UAldo:C). I valori medi del rapporto UAldo: C nel presente studio erano maggiori di quelli riportati in letteratura, suggerendo la necessit\ue0 di uno studio approfondito per rivalutare la soglia di normalit\ue0 stabilita dalla letteratura (1.0 \u3bcg/g), che non sembra essere valida nella popolazione del presente studio.Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) can be defined as a pathophysiologic disorder of the heart and kidneys whereby acute or chronic dysfunction of one organ may induce acute or chronic dysfunction of the other. The most common acquired heart disease affecting old dogs and leading to congestive heart failure (CHF) is myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD). The worsening of cardiac performances and reduction of renal perfusion contribute to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) (CRS type 2). In cats the most common cardiac disease is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a primary myocardial disorder characterized by increased cardiac mass and a hypertrophied, not dilated, left ventricle. Anemia is often associated with heart failure and renal insufficiency in an unfavorable triad called \u201cCRS-anemia\u201d complex. Iron deficiency can be present, alone or in combination with anemia, worsening quality of life and shortening survival. The aim of the thesis was to describe cardiorenal syndrome in small animal medicine trough the identification of general comorbidities and particular novel diagnostics tools to improve fast diagnosis and the medical approach to the cardiovascular diseases in small animal medicine. Firstly, iron status in dogs with MMVD was evaluated; although not as frequent as in humans, iron deficiency was recognized in almost the 20% of dogs with MMVD, with a 6.3 higher risk of being included in a higher ACVIM class. Symmetric dimethylarginine, a novel biomarker of glomerular filtration rate, was evaluated on sera of dogs with MMVD and proved to be not influenced by the presence of the heart condition and can thus be considered a reliable biomarker in these dogs. Creatine-kinase was measured in sera of healthy cats and cats with different forms of cardiomyopathy to highlight its role in the early diagnosis of the disease; the results suggests that feline macro-CK1 may have a different structure compared with other species and a potential role of CK-MB in the evaluation of feline cardiomyopathies. Accuracy and reliability of D-Heart, the first portable, multiple lead smartphone electrocardiograph in the canine patient, was evaluated, for rapid diagnosis of arrhythmias. The device proved effective and accurate recording of ECG in the canine patient. Finally, the selected ELISA kit to detect aldosterone in canine urine was found to be accurate and effective, constituting a simple, safe and economical alternative to the radioimmunoassay method. Comparison between healthy dogs and dogs with MMVD (B1) showed no statistically significant difference in urinary aldosterone:creatinine (UAldo:C) ratio. The mean values of UAldo:C ratio in the present study were greater than those reported in literature, suggesting the need of a deep study to re-evaluate the normality threshold set by the literature (1.0 \u3bcg/g), which does not seem to be valid in the population of the present study

Psychology and hereditary angioedema: A systematic review

Background: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is caused by mutations in the C1 inhibitor (C1-INH) gene Serpin Family G Member 1(SERPING1), which results in either the decreased synthesis of normal C1-INH (C1-INH–HAE type I) or expression of unfunctional C1-INH (C1-INH–HAE type II). In recent studies, emotional stress was reported by patients as the most common trigger factor for C1-INH–HAE attacks. Moreover, patients reported considerable distress over the significant variability and uncertainty with which the disease manifests, in addition to the impact of physical symptoms on their overall quality of life. Objective: We did a systematic review of the literature to shed light on the advancements made in the study of how stress and psychological processes impact C1-INH–HAE. Methods: All of the articles on C1-INH–HAE were analyzed up to December 2019. Both medical data bases and psychological data bases were examined. The keywords (KWs) used for searching the medical and psychological data bases were the following: “hereditary angioedema,” “psychology,” “stress,” “anxiety,” and “depression.” Results: Of a total of 2549 articles on C1-INH–HAE, 113 articles were retrieved from the literature search by using the related KWs. Twenty-one of these articles were retrieved, examined, and classified. Conclusion: Although the literature confirmed that stress may induce various physical diseases, it also warned against making simplistic statements about its incidence that did not take into account the complexity and multicausality of factors that contribute to C1-INH–HAE expression

Trophic effects of sponge feeding within Lake Baikal\u27s littoral zone .2. Sponge abundance, diet, feeding efficiency, and carbon flux

Endemic freshwater demosponges in the littoral zone of Lake Baikal, Russia, dominate the benthic biomass, covering 44% of the benthos. We measured in situ sponge abundance and,orating and calculated sponge-mediated Fluxes of picoplankton (plankton \u3c2 mu m) for two common species, Baikalospongia intermedia and Baikalospongia bacillifera. By means of dual-beam how cytometry, we found retention efficiencies ranging from 58 to 99% for four types of picoplankton: heterotrophic bacteria, Synechococcus-type cyanobacteria, autotrophic picoplankton with one chloroplast, and autotrophic picoplankton with two chloroplasts. By using a general model for organism-mediated fluxes, we conservatively estimate that through active suspension feeding, sponges are a sink for 1.97 g C d(-1) m(-1), mostly from procaryotic cell types. Furthermore, grazing by these extensive sponge communities can create a layer of picoplankton-depleted water overlying the benthic community in this unique lake

Cell cultures harbouring constructs of different pig promoter polymorphisms show different transcriptional efficiency in gene reporter systems

AbstractProduction traits variability among and within breeds, differences among developmental stages or the response to different environments are in part due to genetic factors that affect gene expression. Within the context of an Italian FIRB project, whose objective is to identify genes and molecular mechanisms affecting meat quality and production traits in pig, we studied the promoter regions of candidate genes selected on the basis of their physiological role in animal tissue development or composition. Genomic DNA was isolated from liver or muscle tissue of individuals belonging to Large White and Casertana breed. PCR primers were designed to amplify 5' upstream region of SCD (Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase), LDLR (Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor), LEP (Leptin), MSTN (Myostatin), ACTA1 (Alpha-actin) and HFABP (Heart Fatty Acid Binding Protein) genes using sequences available at NCBI. A total of 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) not previously described were characterised. Some haplotypes, harbou..

Children on the Autism Spectrum and the Use of Virtual Reality for Supporting Social Skills

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by differences in socio-pragmatic communication. These conditions are allocated within a “spectrum” of phenotypic variability. Virtual reality (VR) is a useful tool for healthcare intervention and particularly safely advancing social abilities in children with ASD. Methods: In our study two types of intervention for improving social skills were compared: (i) emotional training obtained by the use of virtual reality (Gr1), (ii) traditional emotional training performed individually with a therapist (Gr2). We aimed to identify the intervention with the shortest acquisition time for the proposed social tasks. Results: Our findings show that both types of intervention had the same acquisition time for the recognition of primary emotions. However, for the use of primary and secondary emotions, the group using VR showed shorter acquisition times. Conclusions: These findings together with previous preliminary datasuggest that VR can be a promising, dynamic and effective practice for the support of basic and complex social skills of these individuals

Multimorbidity in Heart Failure: Leveraging Cluster Analysis to Guide Tailored Treatment Strategies

REVIEW PURPOSE: This review summarises key findings on treatment effects within phenotypical clusters of patients with heart failure (HF), making a distinction between patients with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). FINDINGS: Treatment response differed among clusters; ACE inhibitors were beneficial in all HFrEF phenotypes, while only some studies show similar beneficial prognostic effects in HFpEF patients. Beta-blockers had favourable effects in all HFrEF patients but not in HFpEF phenotypes and tended to worsen prognosis in older, cardiorenal patients. Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists had more favourable prognostic effects in young, obese males and metabolic HFpEF patients. While a phenotype-guided approach is a promising solution for individualised treatment strategies, there are several aspects that still require improvements before such an approach could be implemented in clinical practice. SUMMARY: Stronger evidence from clinical trials and real-world data may assist in establishing a phenotype-guided treatment approach for patient with HF in the future