criminal couples from madness shared by two to the mental illness a review of brutal crimes

The criminal couple is an uncommon phenomenon, since criminals act alone or involving other individuals in a fortuitous manner. The murders committed in pairs represent a rather rare eventuality (it is estimated that in Italy they are about 5%). At the base of this very particular dynamic there is the c.d. folie à deux, otherwise indicated in the psychiatric nosography as "Shared Psychotic Disorder" and ICD-10 as "Induced Delusional Disorder". Described for the first time in 1887 by Lasègue and Falret, it is characterized by the appearance of a delirium in a subject called the Primary Case, shared by the induced subject. The delusional couple lives in close correlation and at the same time isolated from the social context, conditions that facilitate the influence of the incube, bearer of a more serious mental pathology, on the succubus not necessarily affected by a psychotic pathology, nor, by force coming from a criminal subculture. The succubus therefore welcomes the delirious ideas of the incube and makes them its own, giving life not to the simple sum of two individuals but to a quid novi represented by the couple, united by a very strong pathological dependence. This contribution aims to highlight, through the analysis of some famous homicidal couples, the recognition or otherwise of the perpetrators of crimes, a total or partial defect of mind and the consequent imputability not omitting considerations on the social reintegration of them; once the prison sentence has been expiated

Zinc dialkyldithiophosphates adsorption and dissociation on ferrous substrates: an ab initio study

Zinc dialkyldithiophosphates (ZDDPs) have been commonly used as anti-wear additives in the automotive industry for the past 80 years. The morphology, composition and structure of the ZDDPs phosphate-based tribofilm, which is essential for its lubricant functioning, have been widely studied experimentally. However, despite their widespread use, a general agreement on their primary functioning mechanism is still lacking. The morphology and composition of the ZDDPs phosphate-based tribofilm have been widely studied experimentally, but the formation process and the relevant driving forces are still largely debated. In particular, it is unclear whether the stress-induced molecular dissociation occurs in the bulk oil or on the substrate. In this work, we employ ab initio density-functional theory simulations to compare ZDDP fragmentation in vacuum and over a reactive substrate, considering the effects of surface oxidation on the dissociation path. Our results show that the molecular dissociation is highly endothermic in the absence of a supporting substrate, while in the presence of an iron substrate it becomes highly energetically favoured. Moreover, the presence of the substrate changes the reaction path. At the same time, surface oxidation reduces the molecule-substrate interaction. These findings provide valuable insights into the early stages of the formation of phosphate-based tribofilms

Mycosporine-like Amino Acids and Other Phytochemicals Directly Detected by High-Resolution NMR on Klamath (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae) Blue-Green Algae

This study describes for the first time the use of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on Klamath (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, AFA) blue-green algae directly on powder suspension. These algae are considered to be a "superfood", due to their complete nutritional profile that has proved to have important therapeutic effects. The main advantage of NMR spectroscopy is that it permits the detection of a number of metabolites all at once. The Klamath alga metabolome was revealed to be quite complex, and the most peculiar phytochemicals that can be detected directly on algae by NMR are mycosporine-like amino acids (porphyra-334, P334; shinorine, Shi) and low molecular weight glycosides (glyceryl \u3b2-d-galactopyranoside, GalpG; glyceryl 6-amino-6-deoxy-\u3b1-d-glucopyranoside, ADG), all compounds with a high nutraceutical value. The presence of cis-3,4-DhLys was revealed for the first time. This molecule could be involved in the anticancer properties ascribed to AFA

Low doses of lactoferrin supplementation in weaning calves

Different trials demonstrated lactoferrin (LF) to possess antimicrobial, antiviral, antimycotic and anti-inflammatory activity. This molecule is an iron-binding protein that could have preventive effects on calf diseases. Several authors studied the effects of LF at doses between 1 and 10 g/calf/day as a supplement in milk administrated to weaning calves. The results are variable and not always consistent. Twenty-two female replacement calves divided into 2 groups (Control-C and Treated-LF) during a 56-d experimental period were employed to investigate the effect of the use of 0.1 g/d of LF during weaning on growth performances, feed efficiency and health status. The field trial was conducted employing an early weaning protocol (49-d of length, excluding the colostral phase). After parturition, density and immunoglobulin G (IgG) content of dam colostrum were measured as a colostrum quality indicator. Only colostrum with at least 50 mg/mL of IgG was bottle-fed to the calf. Morphometric measurements and feedstuff intake were recorded weekly. Health status and milk consumption were evaluated daily. Calves receiving low doses of LF had numerically less incidence of diarrhoea than the C group (P > 0.05). From a statistical point of view, any significant difference was observed between groups both on growth performances and feed efficiency. A trend for an increase of the FCR was found for LF group at weaning (P = 0.099). More researches are needed to define the optimal dose and the real action of LF in weaning calves

Evaluation of the oxidative status of periparturient mares supplemented with high amount of α-tocopherol

Aim of the study was to investigate the oxidative status during peripartum period in mares fed high amount of dietary α-tocopherol. α-Tocopherol, ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) levels were measured in blood samples from 17 Thoroughbred mares at three intervals: (1) 20 days before the expected foaling date; (2) 12 h following parturition; (3) 7 days post-partum. The levels of α-tocopherol, d-ROMs and FRAP were retrospectively analysed in relation to the number of insemination services (Ins) after foaling performed per conception. The parameters α-tocopherol and d-ROMs evidenced minimal fluctuations during peripartum period while FRAP levels showed a linear decrease. The α-tocopherol did not show significant variations and was numerically higher in mares >10 years old while FRAP levels were significantly higher in older mares in the post-partum. Mares receiving three natural insemination services showed higher levels of FRAP in the pre-partum period (p = .009) and lower values of α-tocopherol (p = .015) in the postpartum compared to mares receiving one service. No d-ROMs level differences appeared among service classes. Oxidative stress is not present in periparturient mares fed 2.750 IU of supplementary α-tocopherol. Differences in redox metabolism are detectable between young and old mares. Plasma antioxidant potential is higher in older mares particularly in the post-partum period.Highlights Oxidative stress is not present in periparturient mares fed 2.750 IU of supplementary α-tocopherol. Antioxidant potential of plasma is higher in mares older than 10 years compared to younger mares. The increased plasma antioxidant potential seems related to an increase in services per conception

HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy in the characterization of human tissues: Application to healthy gastric mucosa

The HR-MAS is an ideal technique for the investigation of intact tissue specimens (10-50 mg) and permits the obtainment of spectra with a resolution comparable to that observed in solution in a time that does not exceed a half of an hour for a routine analysis. The potentialities of HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy in the identification of the metabolites characterizing the healthy gastric mucosa are here presented. The direct 1D H-1 NMR spectra enables only few metabolites to be confidently assigned, and the use of selected 2D experiments strongly amplify the analytical effectiveness of the technique

Role of cardiac magnetic resonance in MINOCA of unclear etiology: A case report of a suspicious paradoxical coronary embolism

The acronym MINOCA (Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries) refers to myocardial infarction with normal or near-normal coronary arteries on invasive angiography. The broad spectrum of pathological mechanisms responsible for myocardial injury in MINOCA makes defining the exact underlying etiology challenging. We report the uncommon case of an acute myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries suggestive of MINOCA caused by paradoxical coronary embolism due to a wide right-to- left shunting through a patent fossa ovalis. Integrated multimodality imaging diagnostic work-up, including cardiac magnetic resonance, transesophageal contrast echocardiography, and transcranial contrast Doppler, has been crucial for identifying the most likely mechanism underlying MINOCA