Enrico VII e gli ebrei di Pisa e d'Italia

Il contributo, pensato e scritto congiuntamente, esamina le relazioni esistenti tra l'imperatore Enrico VII e gli ebrei pisani e romani all'epoca del viaggio in Italia, ed evidenzia come la Bilderkronik sia stata utilizzata dal di lui fratello Baldovino, arcivescovo di Trier, per evidenziare la natura dei suoi legami con gli ebrei di Trier e più in generale delle diocesi vicine, in un periodo di grande tensione, dovuto in parte all'immigrazione di un elevato numero di profughi dai regni di Francia e Inghilterra

Lucca 1493: un sequestro di lettere ebraiche: Edizione e commento storico

[Italiano]:Il libro ricostruisce un episodio di storia toscana ed ebraica avvenuto nel 1493, che consente di evidenziare una lunga serie di aspetti peculiari del rapporto fra ebrei e cristiani nel Rinascimento italiano. Si tratta di una serie di accuse, incriminazioni, processi, incarcerazioni, che vedono al centro il prestatore ebreo Davide da Tivoli. La vicende si concluderà con la chiusura del suo banco a Lucca e con la sostituzione del prestito ebraico con il Monte di Pietà. All’ampia gamma di fonti disponibili, che documentano l’altissimo livello socio-economico e culturale dei protagonisti, si aggiunge ora questa preziosa corrispondenza in ebraico che che ci permette di avvicinarci, da una prospettiva unica, all’attività epistolare quotidiana delle famiglie ebraiche nella Toscana del tardo Quattrocento, offrendo un quadro nuovo sia sui rapporti familiari, sociali e culturali dei prestatori ebrei, sia sui loro legami con le persone e le istituzioni del mondo cristiano ./[English]: The book reconstructs an episode of Tuscan and Jewish history that took place in 1493, which allows us to highlight a long series of peculiar aspects of the relationship between Jews and Christians in the Italian Renaissance. It is a series of accusations, incriminations, trials, incarcerations, which see the Jewish moneylender Davide da Tivoli at its center. The story will end with the closure of his bank in Lucca, and with the replacement of the Jewish loan with the Christian Monte di Pietà. To the wide range of available sources ‒ which document the very high socio-economic and cultural level of the protagonists ‒ we now add this precious correspondence in Hebrew, which allows us to approach, from a unique perspective, the daily epistolary activity of Jewish families in late fifteenth century Tuscany: offering a new picture of the familiar, social and cultural relationships of these Jewish moneylenders, and their links with the people and institutions of the Christian world

How do we estimate survival? External validation of a tool for survival estimation in patients with metastatic bone disease-decision analysis and comparison of three international patient populations

How do we estimate survival? External validation of a tool for survival estimation in patients with metastatic bone disease-decision analysis and comparison of three international patient population

Epidemiology, Species Distribution, Antifungal Susceptibility and Outcome of Nosocomial Candidemia in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Italy

Candida is an important cause of bloodstream infections (BSI), causing significant mortality and morbidity in health care settings. From January 2008 to December 2010 all consecutive patients who developed candidemia at San Martino University Hospital, Italy were enrolled in the study. A total of 348 episodes of candidaemia were identified during the study period (January 2008–December 2010), with an incidence of 1,73 episodes/1000 admissions. Globally, albicans and non-albicans species caused around 50% of the cases each. Non-albicans included Candida parapsilosis (28.4%), Candida glabrata (9.5%), Candida tropicalis (6.6%), and Candida krusei (2.6%). Out of 324 evaluable patients, 141 (43.5%) died within 30 days from the onset of candidemia. C. parapsilosis candidemia was associated with the lowest mortality rate (36.2%). In contrast, patients with C. krusei BSI had the highest mortality rate (55.5%) in this cohort. Regarding the crude mortality in the different units, patients in Internal Medicine wards had the highest mortality rate (54.1%), followed by patients in ICU and Hemato-Oncology wards (47.6%)

Ceftolozane/Tazobactam for Treatment of Severe ESBL-Producing Enterobacterales Infections: A Multicenter Nationwide Clinical Experience (CEFTABUSE II Study)

Background. Few data are reported in the literature about the outcome of patients with severe extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) infections treated with ceftolozane/tazobactam (C/T), in empiric or definitive therapy.Methods. A multicenter retrospective study was performed in Italy (June 2016-June 2019). Successful clinical outcome was defined as complete resolution of clinical signs/symptoms related to ESBL-E infection and lack of microbiological evidence of infection. The primary end point was to identify predictors of clinical failure of C/T therapy.Results. C/T treatment was documented in 153 patients: pneumonia was the most common diagnosis (n = 46, 30%), followed by 34 cases of complicated urinary tract infections (22.2%). Septic shock was observed in 42 (27.5%) patients. C/T was used as empiric therapy in 46 (30%) patients and as monotherapy in 127 (83%) patients. Favorable clinical outcome was observed in 128 (83.7%) patients; 25 patients were considered to have failed C/T therapy. Overall, 30-day mortality was reported for 15 (9.8%) patients. At multivariate analysis, Charlson comorbidity index >4 (odds ratio [OR], 2.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.9-3.5; P = .02), septic shock (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 3.8-7.9; P < .001), and continuous renal replacement therapy (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.9-5.3; P = .001) were independently associated with clinical failure, whereas empiric therapy displaying in vitro activity (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.01-0.34; P < .001) and adequate source control of infection (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.14-0.55; P < .001) were associated with clinical success.Conclusions. Data show that C/T could be a valid option in empiric and/or targeted therapy in patients with severe infections caused by ESBL-producing Enterobacterales. Clinicians should be aware of the risk of clinical failure with standard-dose C/T therapy in septic patients receiving CRRT

Prolonged higher dose methylprednisolone vs. conventional dexamethasone in COVID-19 pneumonia: a randomised controlled trial (MEDEAS)

Dysregulated systemic inflammation is the primary driver of mortality in severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Current guidelines favor a 7-10-day course of any glucocorticoid equivalent to dexamethasone 6 mg·day-1. A comparative RCT with a higher dose and a longer duration of intervention was lacking

What is the role of the placebo effect for pain relief in neurorehabilitation? Clinical implications from the Italian consensus conference on pain in neurorehabilitation

Background: It is increasingly acknowledged that the outcomes of medical treatments are influenced by the context of the clinical encounter through the mechanisms of the placebo effect. The phenomenon of placebo analgesia might be exploited to maximize the efficacy of neurorehabilitation treatments. Since its intensity varies across neurological disorders, the Italian Consensus Conference on Pain in Neurorehabilitation (ICCP) summarized the studies on this field to provide guidance on its use. Methods: A review of the existing reviews and meta-analyses was performed to assess the magnitude of the placebo effect in disorders that may undergo neurorehabilitation treatment. The search was performed on Pubmed using placebo, pain, and the names of neurological disorders as keywords. Methodological quality was assessed using a pre-existing checklist. Data about the magnitude of the placebo effect were extracted from the included reviews and were commented in a narrative form. Results: 11 articles were included in this review. Placebo treatments showed weak effects in central neuropathic pain (pain reduction from 0.44 to 0.66 on a 0-10 scale) and moderate effects in postherpetic neuralgia (1.16), in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (1.45), and in pain associated to HIV (1.82). Moderate effects were also found on pain due to fibromyalgia and migraine; only weak short-term effects were found in complex regional pain syndrome. Confounding variables might have influenced these results. Clinical implications: These estimates should be interpreted with caution, but underscore that the placebo effect can be exploited in neurorehabilitation programs. It is not necessary to conceal its use from the patient. Knowledge of placebo mechanisms can be used to shape the doctor-patient relationship, to reduce the use of analgesic drugs and to train the patient to become an active agent of the therapy