Le Corbusier in Alessandro Fonti’s “historical project"

[EN] An all-round intellectual, a scholar and professor in the history of Contemporary Architecture, Alessandro Fonti had been a teacher at the IUAV University of Venice since 1981 when, in 2003, he came to Alghero to found the new Faculty of Architecture. Developing the teachings of Manfredo Tafuri, of whom he had been a pupil, his research developed in breadth and depth together with his work as a lecturer, in which he delivered original and up-to-date lessons: Vienna and Otto Wagner, Barcelona and Gaudi, the new arts and modernisms, the artistic and architectural avant-garde, the English neo-avant-garde, American architecture, the Community of Adriano Olivetti, up to the present day. In Alghero, he directed the Workshop on the History of Metropolitan Architecture (LABSAN), Witch reseached the history of architecture with regard to the concep of metrópolis through the analysis of artefacts composing network systems, referable to the well-established categories of the history of Western architecture, as categories of objects referable to a common symbolic and functional matrix (meter polis= mother city). In the sense os Alberti’s QUID TUM and against any “historical perspective”, the workshop’s approach to research was based on the radical assumption of the principle of non-objectivity, which defines history Project to the built, a historical Project. But the main subjects of his reseach werw firts Paul Klee and then Le Corbusier. Expanding an idea by Tafuri, he imagined for both the existence os a “discreet” historical avant-garde.Mameli, M. (2020). Le Corbusier in Alessandro Fonti’s “historical project". LC. Revue de recherches sur Le Corbusier. 1(2):24-27. https://doi.org/10.4995/lc.2020.14335OJS24271

The coastal military architecture of World War II in Sardinia

[EN] After the Unification of Italy and after the First World War, the Stato Maggiore of the Royal Italian Army had to change the defence strategies and give more attention to coastal defence, because of the changing political relations and the development of military technology. In this overall strategic framework, the island of Sardinia was considered an "outpost of Italy", because of its defensive and offensive importance in the Mediterranean Sea. During World War II coastal defence became the operational priority of the Italian Army. In Sardinia, this was crucial for its proximity to Corsica and Tunisia and as a target of the Allies (after 1943). Consequently, substantial defence forces were introduced: army corps, brigades, mobile divisions, assault guns and gun trucks. The Army started to erect permanent fortification, in particular reinforced concrete structures produced designed according to standardized modules but adapted to the context using the means, resources and techniques available. Along the Sardinian coast, hundreds of bunkers were built and most of them are still existing in a state of neglect, sometimes in contexts of particular of great landscape and environmental value. This paper presents the systematic study of these "modern ruins built in concrete", through the examination of documents found in historical military archives and through a direct investigation of some of the most significant works. Also it offers a cataloguing through the categories of different disciplines (history, architecture, engineering, "Art of War" and ballistics) to encourage their enhancement and conservation, as architectural expression of a particular period of the 20th century history.Mameli, M.; Sanjust, P. (2015). The coastal military architecture of World War II in Sardinia. En Defensive architecture of the mediterranean: XV to XVIII centuries. Vol. II. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 199-206. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2015.2015.1784OCS19920

Le Corbusier and the American Modulor

[EN] The definition of the Modulor as a set of measurements obtained through “universal” rules for composition of the new architecture has a long and complex development, stemming from a combination of studies in architecture, geometry and mathematics, but also from approximation and intuition. The process began in Paris in 1920, was completed in 1946 in New York and its results were published in an autobiographical vein in 1950 in the book entitled Le Modulor completed in 1955 by the book Le Modulor II. In his trip to New York in 1946 as French delegate for the project of the United Nations’ headquarters, his urgency to define the Modulor responded to an immediate need: to create a simple tool and a compositional principle to be applied to the United States’ building programme and to UN reconstruction and recovery programs. Unfortunately Le Corbusier did not manage to find a patron in America. He was unable to apply the Modulor in the USA. Not so in Europe, where work started on building the Unités d’habitation in Marseilles.[ES] La definición del Modulor como un conjunto de medidas obtenidas a través de reglas "universales" para la composición de la nueva arquitectura tiene un largo y complejo desarrollo, derivada de una combinación de estudios de arquitectura, geometría y matemáticas, sino también de aproximación y intuición. El proceso comenzó en París en 1920, se completó en 1946 en Nueva York y sus resultados se publicaron en el libro titulado Le Modulor completado en 1955 por el libro Le Modulor II. En su viaje a Nueva York en 1946 como delegado francés para el proyecto de la sede para las Naciones Unidas, la urgencia de definir el Modulor respondió a una necesidad inmediata: para crear una instrumento fàcil y un principio compositivo que se aplicará al programa de construcción de los Estados Unidos y para los programas de reconstrucción de la ONU. Desafortunadamente Le Corbusier no encontró un patrón en América. No fue capaz de aplicar el Modulor en los EE.UU.. No es así en Europa, donde comenzó a trabajar en la construcción de la Unités d'habitation de MarsellaMameli, M. (2016). Le Corbusier and the American Modulor. En LE CORBUSIER. 50 AÑOS DESPUÉS. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1282-1297. https://doi.org/10.4995/LC2015.2015.984OCS1282129

Evidence for preferences of Italian patients for physician attire

BACKGROUND: The relationship between patient and physician is a complex interaction that includes multiple factors. The objective of this study was to explore Italian patients' preferences regarding physician appearance. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed to survey patients in different medical and surgical settings; each subject was asked to choose one picture of either a male or female physician from a selection of different attires (professional, casual, surgical scrubs, trendy, and careless). Patients were also surveyed about issues such as the presence of a name tag, hair length, trousers on women, amount of makeup, presence of tattoos, and body piercing. Statistical analysis was performed using a Chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 765 questionnaires (534 completed from patients waiting for an internal medicine visit and 231 for other subspecialties) were completed. The majority (45%) of patients preferred the gastroenterologist to wear a surgical scrub with a white coat. For the other specialists, patients accepted either scrubs or formal dress under a white coat (P ≤ 0.05), with a name tag. Trendy attire was preferred by nine patients (1.1%). The entire sample judged it inappropriate for clinicians to have long hair, visible tattoos, body piercing, and, for women, to wear trousers and use excessive makeup. CONCLUSION: This is the first study conducted in Italy regarding physician attire. As in other Western countries, Italian patients favor physicians in professional attire with a white coat. Wearing professional dress is part of "etiquette based medicine" and may favorably influence clinician-patient relationships and patient compliance.</br

Prostaglandin E2 Stimulates the Expansion of Regulatory Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Type 1 Diabetes

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are multipotent stem cells that have been harnessed as a curative therapy for patients with hematological malignancies. Notably, the discovery that HSPCs are endowed with immunoregulatory properties suggests that HSPC-based therapeutic approaches may be used to treat autoimmune diseases. Indeed, infusion with HSPCs has shown promising results in the treatment of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and remains the only “experimental therapy” that has achieved a satisfactory rate of remission (nearly 60%) in T1D. Patients with newly diagnosed T1D have been successfully reverted to normoglycemia by administration of autologous HSPCs in association with a non-myeloablative immunosuppressive regimen. However, this approach is hampered by a high incidence of adverse effects linked to immunosuppression. Herein, we report that while the use of autologous HSPCs is capable of improving C-peptide production in patients with T1D, ex vivo modulation of HSPCs with prostaglandins (PGs) increases their immunoregulatory properties by upregulating expression of the immune checkpoint-signaling molecule PD-L1. Surprisingly, CXCR4 was upregulated as well, which could enhance HSPC trafficking toward the inflamed pancreatic zone. When tested in murine and human in vitro autoimmune assays, PG-modulated HSPCs were shown to abrogate the autoreactive T cell response. The use of PG-modulated HSPCs may thus provide an attractive and novel treatment of autoimmune diabetes

Role of nucleus accumbens core but not shell in incubation of methamphetamine craving after voluntary abstinence

We recently introduced an animal model to study incubation of drug craving after prolonged voluntary abstinence, mimicking the human condition of relapse after successful contingency management treatment. Here we studied the role of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in this model. We trained rats to self-administer a palatable solution (sucrose+maltodextrin 1%, 6 h/day, 6 days) and methamphetamine (6 h/day, 12 days). We then evaluated relapse to methamphetamine seeking after 1 and 15 days of voluntary abstinence, achieved via a discrete choice procedure between the palatable solution and methamphetamine (14 days). We used RNAscope in-situ hybridization to quantify the co-labeling of the neuronal activity marker Fos, and dopamine Drd1- and Drd2-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in NAc core and shell during the incubation tests. Next, we determined the effect of pharmacological inactivation of NAc core and shell by either GABAA and GABAB agonists (muscimol+baclofen, 50+50 ng/side), Drd1-Drd2 antagonist (flupenthixol, 10 µg/side) or the selective Drd1 or Drd2 antagonists (SCH39166 1.0 µg/side or raclopride 1.0 µg/side) during the relapse tests. Incubated methamphetamine seeking after voluntary abstinence was associated with a selective increase of Fos expression in the NAc core, but not shell, and Fos was co-labeled with both Drd1- and Drd2-MSNs. NAc core, but not shell, injections of muscimol+baclofen, flupenthixol, SCH39166, and raclopride reduced methamphetamine seeking after 15 days of abstinence. Together, our results suggest that dopamine transmission through Drd1 and Drd2 in NAc core is critical to the incubation of methamphetamine craving after voluntary abstinence

The Silent Epidemic of Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes in Children and Adolescents in Italy During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020

To compare the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 with the frequency of DKA during 2017-2019

New therapies towards a better glycemic control in youths with type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the most frequent form of diabetes in pediatric age, affecting more than 1.5 million people younger than age 20 years worldwide. Early and intensive control of diabetes provides continued protection against both microvascular and macrovascular complications, enhances growth, and ensures normal pubertal development. In the absence of definitive reversal therapy for this disease, achieving and maintaining the recommended glycemic targets is crucial. In the last 30 years, enormous progress has been made using technology to better treat T1D. In spite of this progress, the majority of children, adolescents and young adults do not reach the recommended targets for glycemic control and assume a considerable burden each day. The development of promising new therapeutic advances, such as more physiologic insulin analogues, pioneering diabetes technology including continuous glucose monitoring and closed loop systems as well as new adjuvant drugs, anticipate a new paradigm in T1D management over the next few years. This review presents insights into current management of T1D in youths

New therapies towards a better glycemic control in youths with type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is the most frequent form of diabetes in pediatric age, affecting more than 1.5 million people younger than age 20 years worldwide. Early and intensive control of diabetes provides continued protection against both microvascular and macrovascular complications, enhances growth, and ensures normal pubertal development. In the absence of definitive reversal therapy for this disease, achieving and maintaining the recommended glycemic targets is crucial. In the last 30 years, enormous progress has been made using technology to better treat T1D. In spite of this progress, the majority of children, adolescents and young adults do not reach the recommended targets for glycemic control and assume a considerable burden each day. The development of promising new therapeutic advances, such as more physiologic insulin analogues, pioneering diabetes technology including continuous glucose monitoring and closed loop systems as well as new adjuvant drugs, anticipate a new paradigm in T1D management over the next few years. This review presents insights into current management of T1D in youths