La dimensión política de la demonología cristiana en el Fortalitium Fidei de Alonso de Espina (Castilla, siglo XV): 'A facie inimici'

El presente trabajo se ocupa de reconstruir el lazo que toma inseparables la cuestión demonológica y la dimensión estrictamente "política" -aislable únicamente a efectos analíticos- en la sociedad castellana del siglo XV. A partir del estudio del Fortalitium fidei de Alonso de Espina, se intenta definir en qué medida el discurso demonológico, incluso en su versión "moderada", opera como criterio político por antonomasia en la época y como el lenguaje que permite identificar enemigos, zanjar conflictos y, también, declarar batallas y clausurar otras posibles. Tomando como punto de partida el criterio político expuesto por el discutido jurista alemán Carl Schmitt -esto es, la contraposición Freund-Feind-, se analiza el vínculo medular establecido entre el demonio y los restantes enemigos de la ecclesia combatidos por Espina: herejes judaizantes, judíos y sarracenos. El presente análisis permite no sólo ejemplificar la potencialidad política de la demonología cristiana sino también desplegar las particularidades del discurso sobre el demonio del fraile castellano Alonso de Espina.This paper deals with the reconstruction of the inseparable bond between demonology and the purely "political" dimension (isolated only for analytical purposes) in 15th-century Castilian society. On the basis of a study of Alonso de Espina's Fortalitium fidei, this article attempts to define the extent to which the demonological discourse, even in its "moderate" version, serves both as the quintessential political standard of the period and as the language that makes it possible to identify enemies, settle conflicts, declare battles or bring them to a close. Taking as a starting point the political criteria proposed by the controversial German jurist Carl Schmitt, namely the opposition Freund-Feind, this article analyses the fundamental relationship established between the Devil and the other enemies of the ecclesia fought by Espina: 'judaizing" heretics, Jews and Saracens. Such an analysis allows us not only to exemplify the political potential of Christian demonology, but also to highlight the special features of Alonso de Espina's discourse on the Devil

TA treatment of depression : a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design study - ‘Anna’

This study is the first of a series of seven, and belongs to the second Italian systematic replication of findings from two previous series (Widdowson 2012a, 2012b, 2012c, 2013; Benelli, 2016a, 2016b, 2016c) that investigated the effectiveness of a manualised transactional analysis treatment for depression through Hermeneutic Single- Case Efficacy Design (HSCED). The therapist was a white Italian woman with 8 years of clinical experience and the client, Anna, was a 33-year old white Italian woman who attended 16 sessions of transactional analysis psychotherapy. Anna satisfied DSM-5 criteria for mild persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) with anxious distress. The conclusion of the judges was that this was a good-outcome case: the dysthymic symptoms improved over the course of the therapy and were maintained in the ‘healthy’ range at the 6-month followup, the client reported a positive experience of the therapy and described important changes in intrapsychic and interpersonal patterns. In this case study, transactional analysis treatment for depression has proven its efficacy in treating persistent depressive disorder

Locking Plate Fixation in a Series of Bicondylar Tibial Plateau Fractures Raises Treatment Costs Without Clinical Benefit

Objectives: To compare outcomes and costs between locking and nonlocking constructs in the treatment of bicondylar tibial plateau (BTP) fractures. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Level 1 academic trauma center. Patients: All patients that presented with complete articular, BTP fractures (AO/OTA 41-C and Schatzker 6) between 2013-2015 were screened (n=112). Patients treated with a mode of fixation other than plate-and-screw were excluded. 56 patients with a minimum follow-up of 12 months were included in the analysis. Intervention: Operative fixation of BTP fractures with locking (n=29) or nonlocking (n=27) implants. Main outcome measurements: Implant cost, patient reported outcomes (PROMIS physical function and pain interference), clinical, and radiographic outcomes. Results: There were no differences between the two groups with respect to demographics, injury characteristics, radiographic outcomes (change in alignment) or clinical outcomes (PROMIS, reoperation, nonunion, infection). Implant costs were significantly greater in the locking group compared to the nonlocking group (mean L $4453; mean NL$2569; p<0.01). Conclusions: This study demonstrated improved value of treatment (less cost with no difference in clinical outcome) with nonlocking implants for bicondylar tibial plateau fractures when dual plate fixation strategies are performed. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence

Toxoplasmosis and knowledge. What do the Italian women know about?

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonotic infectious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii. This infection is estimated to affect about a third of the world’s population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of Italian women about toxoplasmosis and its forms of transmission, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and prevention through two different modalities (e-research and traditional research). In a cross-sectional study 808 Italian women were interviewed, using a self-administered questionnaire, through two different modalities: an e-research or web survey and a traditional paper research. By the 84% of women interviewed, it was reported to have hear about toxoplasmosis, but from the most of the sample, it resulted that the knowledge of protozoan disease was superficial and incomplete. The assessment of the dimensionality related to the toxoplasmosis knowledge’s instrument showed that the scale is composed by two stable and reliable factors which explain 58.6% of the variance: a) the basic knowledge (α=0.83), which explains the 45.2% of the variance, and b) the specialist knowledge (α=0.71), which explains the 13.4% of the variance. The variance and the multiple linear regression data analysis showed significant predictors of correct basic knowledge of toxoplasmosis: the highest age, the highest degree of study, to have previously contracted illness or to know someone who had contracted, to be working or to be housewives. In conclusion, this study showed limited awareness of toxoplasmosis and suggested the implementation of the effective education and learning programs. The results also showed that online data collection, in academic research, might be a valid alternative to more traditional (paper-and-pencil) surveys

Morphological and molecular characterization of trichuris sp. (nematoda: Trichuridae) in crested porcupines (hystrix cristata; rodentia: Hystricidae) from Italy

Adult specimens of Trichuris sp. collected from crested porcupines (Hystrix cristata) from Italy were characterized using an integrative taxonomic approach involving morphological and molecular tools. The morphological features of this Trichuris sp. were compared to data already available for Trichuris spp. from Hystrix sp., revealing diagnostic traits, such as spicule length in males or vulva shape in females, which distinguish this Trichuris sp. from the other species. Evidence from sequences analysis of the partial mitochondrial COX1 region indicated that the taxon under study is a distinct lineage. Biometrical and genetic data suggested this Trichuris sp. to be a valid and separated taxon. However, since molecular data from other Trichuris spp. infecting Hystrix, such as T. infundibulus, T. hystricis, T. javanica, T. landak and T. lenkorani, are missing in public repositories, the number and identity of distinct lineages able to infect porcupines remain only partially defined

The renin angiotensin system in the central nervous system

The first evidences indicating that angiotensin II (ANG II) was a peptide with action on the brain were shown in 1961 when it was found that the intraventricular injection of ANG II induces a centrally mediated pressor response (1). As a neuropeptide, ANG II belongs to the class of neuromodulators. The brain renin angiotensin system (RAS) exerts paracrine, autocrine and intracrine functions independently of circulating blood-borne ANG II which has a limited access to the brain by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the circumventricular organs (CVOs) (2). Brain-generated ANG II controls several physiological processes like stimulation of thirst, water intake and sodium appetite, acting as a neurotransmitter in neurons of brain areas such as the Subfornical organ (SFO) and Organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT). Generated angiotensins (ANGs) at the central nervous system (CNS) also stimulate endocrine secretions like argininevasopressin (AVP), oxytocin (OT), corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) and adenocorticotrophin (ACTH secretion). Brain ANG II modulates the sympathetic autonomic functions and regulates blood pressure by increasing AVP and ACTH secretion and modulating the baroceptor reflex and the sympathetic output (3). During the last decade it has been established that, apart from its classical actions, ANG II exhibits other effects induced by direct action on its receptors or via local effects of its metabolites (4). Thereby, central actions of ANGs are not exclusively associated with their traditional roles. Indeed, several studies have shown that central ANGs are also involved in sexual behavior, stress, learning, and memory (5).Sociedad Argentina de Fisiologí

The Role of HE4 in Ovarian Cancer Follow-up: A Review.

Objective: The aim of this review was to analyze the state of the art about HE4 and follow-up in patients treated for ovarian cancer. Methods: A literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE database using the key words "HE4" and "ovarian cancer" and "recurrence" or "relapse" or "follow up." Results: Seven of 28 clinical studies were selected. Four studies were prospective, and all of them were based on a small number of patients (8Y73 women). A failure of HE4 levels to normalize at completion of standard therapy may indicate a poor prognosis, thus suggesting the need of a closer follow-up. Moreover, HE4 showed better sensibility and specificity in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer recurrence with respect to CA-125, being also an earlier indicator of the relapse with a lead time of 5 to 8 months. HE4 showed a better performance in this setting if performed in association with other markers (CA-125, CA-72.4). HE4 seems to be an independent predictive factor for the surgical outcome at secondary cytoreductive surgery and to maintain its prognostic role even after the recurrence. Conclusions: These preliminary data start to suggest a superiority of HE4 over CA-125 in the detection of ovarian cancer recurrence. Moreover, the prognostic role of HE4 could help clinicians to personalize the follow-up program, whereas its predictive role could be useful to plan the treatment of the relapse. The role of HE4 in ovarian cancer follow-up deserves to be further investigated in prospective randomized multicentric studies

expression of tk1 and cdk9 in plasma derived exosomes is associated with clinical response to cdk4 6 inhibitors in breast cancer

n/

Bose-Einstein correlations of same-sign charged pions in the forward region in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

Bose-Einstein correlations of same-sign charged pions, produced in protonproton collisions at a 7 TeV centre-of-mass energy, are studied using a data sample collected by the LHCb experiment. The signature for Bose-Einstein correlations is observed in the form of an enhancement of pairs of like-sign charged pions with small four-momentum difference squared. The charged-particle multiplicity dependence of the Bose-Einstein correlation parameters describing the correlation strength and the size of the emitting source is investigated, determining both the correlation radius and the chaoticity parameter. The measured correlation radius is found to increase as a function of increasing charged-particle multiplicity, while the chaoticity parameter is seen to decreas