Un’interpretazione veneta del nuovo giardino europeo: Selvaggiano, il ritiro campestre di Cesarotti

Dopo aver ripercorso le tappe dell’affermazione del giardino inglese nel Settecento, il contributo esamina il dibattito teorico sui giardini inglesi svoltosi presso l’Accademia patavina di Lettere Scienze ed Arti, dibattito di cui Melchiorre Cesarotti è uno dei principali promotori. Emerge un Cesarotti, anche nell’estetica del giardino, così come nella letteratura e nella politica, oscillante fra il moderno e l’antico, fra l’apertura al nuovo e la conservazione di valori e istanze tradizionali. Si ricostruiscono infine le fasi evolutive del giardino di Selvazzano e l’estetica che presiede alla sua realizzazione

Urban PM2.5 oxidative potential: Importance of chemical species and comparison of two spectrophotometric cell-free assays

Oxidative potential (OP) of particulate matter (PM) - defined as the capacity of PM to oxidize target molecules generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) - has been proposed as a more health relevant metric than PM mass. In this study two cell-free methods were used to assess the OP of PM filters collected at an urban site and to evaluate correlation with PM mass and PM composition. Among the different assays existing, two inexpensive and user-friendly methods were used both based on spectrophotometric measurements of depletion rate of target reagents oxidized by redox-active species present in PM. One assay measures the consumption of dithiothreitol (OPDTT) and the other the ascorbate (OPAA). Although both assays respond to the same redox-active species, i.e., quinones and transition metals, no correlations were found between OPDTT and OPAA responses to compounds standard solutions as well as to ambient samples. When expressed in relation to air volume, OPDTT m-3 strongly correlates with PM2.5 mass whereas no correlation was found for OPAA m-3 with PM2.5. When expressed on mass basis, both OPDTT ug-1 and OPAA ug-1 show a strong dependence on the sample composition, with higher OP for summer samples. OPDTT m-3 were highly correlated with the determined metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Fe, Ni, Mn) whereas OPAA m-3 showed only moderate correlation with Cu and Mn. Thus, the two assays could potentially provide complementary information on oxidative potential characteristic of PM. Consequently, the combination of the two approaches can strengthen each other in giving insight into the contribution of chemical composition to oxidative properties of PM, which can subsequently be used to study health effects

Characterization of new types of stationary phases for fast and ultra-fast liquid chromatography by signal processing based on AutoCovariance Function: A case study of application to Passiflora incarnata L. extract separations

In this study, a comparative investigation was performed of HPLC Ascentis (R) (2.7 mu m particles) columns based on fused-core particle technology and Acquity (R) (1.7 mu m particles) columns requiring UPLC instruments, in comparison with Chromolith (TM) RP-18e columns. The study was carried out on mother and vegetal tinctures of Passiflora incarnata L on one single or two coupled columns. The fundamental attributions of the chromatographic profiles are evaluated using a chemometric procedure, based on the AutoCovariance Function (ACVF). Different chromatographic systems are compared in terms of their separation parameters, i.e., number of total chemical components (m(tot)), separation efficiency (sigma), peak capacity (n(c)), overlap degree of peaks and peak purity. The obtained results show the improvements achieved by HPLC columns with narrow size particles in terms of total analysis time and chromatographic efficiency: comparable performance are achieved by Ascentis (R) (2.7 mu m particle) column and Acquity (R) (1.7 mu m particle) column requiring UPLC instruments. The ACVF plot is proposed as a simplified tool describing the chromatographic fingerprint to be used for evaluating and comparing chemical composition of plant extracts by using the parameters D% - relative abundance of the deterministic component - and C(EACF) - similarity index computed on ACVF

Acquired factor VIII:C inhibitor in a patient with Sj\uf6gren's syndrome: successful treatment with steroid and immunosuppressive therapy.

A 57-year-old woman affected with Sj\uf6gren's syndrome without bleeding history developed spontaneous hematomas at the arms, the left foot and the thigh, cutaneous hemorrhages and hematuria. Routine coagulation tests showed a prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time associated with a marked reduction of factor VIII activity (VIII: C 5%). Other deficiencies of blood coagulation factors, especially von Willebrand factor, were excluded. Measurement of factor VIII inhibitor revealed an activity of 26.4 Bethesda units/ml. These findings were consistent with the diagnosis of acquired hemophilia A due to the presence of a factor VIII inhibitor. The patient was treated with a combination of prednisone and azathioprine. The therapy led, in a few months, to a significant reduction of factor VIII: C inhibitor and she did not require replacement therapy. Furthermore, there was a complete remission of the bleeding tendency. Long-term therapy for about 3 years induced the complete disappearance of the inhibitor and a full normalization of coagulation tests

The quality of life of children and adolescents with X-linked agammaglobulinemia

INTRODUCTION: The health-related quality of life in X-linked agammaglobulinemia was investigated in 25 children and adolescents patients through the Italian version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scale for patients aged less then 18 years, comparing child perception to that of the parents and the physician's evaluation. The data were compared with the ones of 80 healthy controls and the literature data of a group of patients with rheumatic diseases. DISCUSSION: The agammaglobulinemia subjects perceived a lower global quality of life than the healthy subjects, but significantly higher than the rheumatic diseases controls. The clinical relevance of health-related quality of life assessment in X-linked agammaglobulinemia pediatric patients is discussed

The quality of life of children and adolescents with X-linked agammaglobulinemia

INTRODUCTION: The health-related quality of life in X-linked agammaglobulinemia was investigated in 25 children and adolescents patients through the Italian version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 Generic Core Scale for patients aged less then 18 years, comparing child perception to that of the parents and the physician's evaluation. The data were compared with the ones of 80 healthy controls and the literature data of a group of patients with rheumatic diseases. DISCUSSION: The agammaglobulinemia subjects perceived a lower global quality of life than the healthy subjects, but significantly higher than the rheumatic diseases controls. The clinical relevance of health-related quality of life assessment in X-linked agammaglobulinemia pediatric patients is discussed

Prevalence and features of delirium in older patients admitted to rehabilitation facilities: a multicenter study

Background: Delirium is thought to be common across various settings of care; however, still little research has been conducted in rehabilitation. Aim: We investigated the prevalence of delirium, its features and motor subtypes in older patients admitted to rehabilitation facilities during the three editions of the "Delirium Day project". Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in which 1237 older patients (age ≥ 65 years old) admitted to 50 Italian rehabilitation wards during the three editions of the "Delirium Day project" (2015 to 2017) were included. Delirium was evaluated through the 4AT and its motor subtype with the Delirium Motor Subtype Scale. Results: Delirium was detected in 226 patients (18%), and the most recurrent motor subtype was mixed (37%), followed by hypoactive (26%), hyperactive (21%) and non-motor one (16%). In a multivariate Poisson regression model with robust variance, factors associated with delirium were: disability in basic (PR 1.48, 95%CI: 1.17-1.9, p value 0.001) and instrumental activities of daily living (PR 1.58, 95%CI: 1.08-2.32, p value 0.018), dementia (PR 2.10, 95%CI: 1.62-2.73, p value < 0.0001), typical antipsychotics (PR 1.47, 95%CI: 1.10-1.95, p value 0.008), antidepressants other than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (PR 1.3, 95%CI: 1.02-1.66, p value 0.035), and physical restraints (PR 2.37, 95%CI: 1.68-3.36, p value < 0.0001). Conclusion: This multicenter study reports that 2 out 10 patients admitted to rehabilitations had delirium on the index day. Mixed delirium was the most prevalent subtype. Delirium was associated with unmodifiable (dementia, disability) and modifiable (physical restraints, medications) factors. Identification of these factors should prompt specific interventions aimed to prevent or mitigate delirium