La fattibilità della filiera agroenergetica in Toscana. Il bioetanolo.

Il lavoro da me svolto ha lafinalità di andare a verificare la possibilità di attivare una filiera agroenergetica in Toscana per la produzione del bioetanolo. Il lavoro parte da un analisi energetica e normativa dell'Europa e in particolare dell'Italia, poi continua con una descrizione del bioetanolo, del processo produttivo per generarlo e dei costi da sostenere per produrlo. Il lavoro continua andando a verificare sperimentalmente la possibilità di produrre bioetanolo in Toscana, concentrando lo studio in particolar modo sulla determinazione di un giusto prezzo da comminare agli agricoltori, primi attori della filiera

Squamous cell carcinoma of the middle rectum: Report of a case and literature overview

AbstractINTRODUCTIONSquamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the middle rectum is a rare disease with an estimated incidence of 0.1–0.25/1000 colorectal neoplasms. Literature is represented essentially by case report and short series, and only seventy-six cases of colorectal squamous carcinoma have been documented in literature.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe report the case of a SCC of the middle rectum, associated to an ureteral inverted papilloma, occurred in a patient with a past history of prostate cancer treated with prostatectomy and radiotherapy.DISCUSSIONColorectal squamous-cell carcinoma is a rare disease. This localization is more frequent than the right colon, but no more epidemiological informations are actually available apart from a slight predominance of the female sex. Risk factors for SCC of the rectum are unknown and many hypotheses have been evocated. Because of its rarity, the interpretation of available information is clouded by a lack of uniformity in diagnosis and treatment.CONCLUSIONTreatment of SCC remains very challenging, and the acquisition of more consistent data is needed

Telocytes are reduced during fibrotic remodelling of the colonic wall in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by chronic relapsing intestinal inflammation finally leading to extensive tissue fibrosis and resulting in a stiff colon unable to carry out peristalsis or to resorb fluids. Telocytes, a peculiar type of stromal cells, have been recently identified in the human gastrointestinal tract. Several roles have been proposed for telocytes, including mechanical support, intercellular signalling and modulation of intestinal motility. The aim of the present work was to investigate the presence and distribution of telocytes in colonic specimens from UC patients compared with controls. Archival paraffin-embedded samples of the left colon from UC patients who underwent elective bowel resection and controls were collected. Tissue sections were stained with Masson's trichrome to detect fibrosis. Telocytes were identified by CD34 immunohistochemistry. In early fibrotic UC cases, fibrosis affected the muscularis mucosae and submucosa, while the muscularis propria was spared. In advanced fibrotic UC cases, fibrosis extended to affect the muscle layers and the myenteric plexus. Few telocytes were found in the muscularis mucosae and submucosa of both early and advanced fibrotic UC colonic wall. In the muscle layers and myenteric plexus of early fibrotic UC, telocytes were preserved in their distribution. In the muscularis propria of advanced fibrotic UC, the network of telocytes was reduced or even completely absent around smooth muscle bundles and myenteric plexus ganglia, paralleling the loss of the network of interstitial cells of Cajal. In UC, a loss of telocytes accompanies the fibrotic remodelling of the colonic wall and might contribute to colonic dysmotility

Glycogenic hepatopathy associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus as a cause of recurrent liver damage

Aminotransferase elevation is a frequent cause of consultation for the Hepatologist, in both the outpatient and inpatient settings, but identifying the origin of these biochemical alterations may be challenging. Here we report a case where acute elevation of aminotransferases, associated with abdominal symptoms, was the cause of two hospitalizations in a short period of time. As the patient suffered from type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis, several potential causes of damage could be hypothesized, including celiac hepatitis, fatty liver, and autoimmune hepatitis. A liver biopsy performed in the occasion of the second hospitalization allowed to rule out autoimmune hepatitis and celiac hepatitis, showing mild signs of fatty infiltration. Staining with periodic acid-Schiff with or without diastase showed a marked accumulation of glycogen, indicating the presence of a glycogenic hepatopathy associated with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. This condition may be a cause of liver damage in patients with type 1 and occasionally type 2 diabetes, but its occurrence is often overlooked. This case report illustrates the fact that glycogenic hepatopathy may relapse, and prompts the clinician to take into account this condition in the differential diagnosis of causes of liver injury