Prospettiva

La prospettiva è una forma di rappresentazione che permette di costruire su un piano l’immagine di un oggetto, proiettandolo da un centro a distanza finita, definito geometricamente “centro della proiezione” e storicamente configuratosi nella cultura occidentale come “punto di vista”. Il termine prospettiva, dal lat. perspicere, cioè ‘vedere attraverso’, viene impiegato negli studi di ottica dell’antichità greca e latina, pertanto, fin dalla sua origine, è profondamente correlato ai fenomeni della visione, appartenendo al tempo stesso agli ambiti della fisica e della geometria. Sono proprio le indagini geometriche, prolungatesi per tutto l’evo moderno, a codificare la forma di rappresentazione che oggi comunemente usiamo con il termine di prospettiva geometrica nel processo progettuale dell’architettura

Representation and Visualization Processes for a Sustainable Approach to Landscape/Heritage

This paper intends to focus on the modes and forms of representation for a novel and sustainable approach to landscape/heritage, to those “tangible and intangible landscapes”, which are also called “emerging landscapes of heritage”. The long tradition of landscape description is grounded in visibility/objectivity terms as well as on nature/history. Nowadays, a sustainable approach to landscape/heritage should also carefully describe the participatory processes in recognizing, enhancing, and sharing meaningful values for a community. Starting with the Icomos recommendations about heritage modes of representation, this paper extends the research question to landscape/heritage where there are required methodologies that take into consideration both visible and objective aspects for depicting the interactions of people and territory, and its “becoming”. This contribution will therefore outline the main forms adopted today for the visualization and communication of the landscape that can monitor human and physical processes in progress and that, while being in continuity with the idea of landscape rooted in the West on the intangible aspect of “visibility”, they also need to be increasingly performative in describing the territorial and tangible complexity of dynamics and phenomena on a large scale

A toolkit for collaborative design: envisioning and sharing the identity of place through traditional and emergent techniques of simulation

This paper presents the outcomes of an ongoing co-design process and aims to demonstrate the efficacy of novel urban simulation techniques beside traditional forms of representation for fostering citizen inclusion in decision-making processes. The activities involve researchers, students, citizens, and local authorities, collaborating to give a new identity to an urban street. Different forms of representation and simulation have been tested among different actors aiming to support the dialogue, from observing the current condition to defining a shared scenario that will guide the design phase and the evaluation of proposals. The contextual use of multiple forms of representation was a crucial element of the applied methodology; in fact, we argue that depicting the environment in several ways and through various modes altogether, can support an effective understanding of the future transformation, and can contribute to overcoming the intrinsic limits of a single representation mode. Traditional plans and sections are still essential, but new techniques can easily enhance design thinking in all its forms. We tested the proposed approach on the case-study area of a street during public events and on social media. The first results indicate that being physically present and direct interaction are crucial for achieving public involvement, while emerging forms of digital simulations are greatly efficient for an effective understanding of the place, and especially of its future transformation. Several techniques, like Augmented Reality, enable people to get closer to the realistic perception occurring in the future environment

Comparison between soluble ST2 and high-sensitivity troponin I in predicting short-term mortality for patients presenting to the Emergency Department with chest pain

Background: High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and the soluble isoform of suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) are useful prognostic biomarkers in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study was to test the short term prognostic value of sST2 compared with hs-cTnI in patients with chest pain. Methods: Assays for hs-cTnI and sST2 were performed in 157 patients admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) for chest pain at arrival. In-hospital and 30-day follow-up mortalities were assessed. Results: The incidence of ACS was 37%; 33 patients were diagnosed with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and 25 were diagnosed with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI). Compared with the no acute coronary syndrome (NO ACS) group, the median level of hs-cTnI was higher in ACS patients: 7.22 (5.24-14) pg/mL vs 68 (15.33-163.50) pg/mL (P35 ng/mL at ED arrival died during the 30-day follow-up. Conclusions: sST2 has a greater prognostic value for 30-day cardiac mortality after discharge in patients presenting to the ED for chest pain compared with hs-cTnI. In STEMI patients, an sST2 value > 35 ng/mL at ED arrival showed the highest predictive power for short-term mortality

4BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and semen. What do we know?

Background The effects of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on spermatozoa parameters are not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine on human semen, comparing spermatozoa parameters before and after vaccine inoculation. Materials and methods In this single-center prospective study, voluntary subjects who received mRNA vaccines from February to July 2021 were enrolled. The study population included male subjects aged between 18 and 45 years who completed the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine cycle. All subjects were evaluated before the first dose of vaccine (T0) and after 3 months (T1) with semen analysis and further analysis of seminal plasma, including colorimetric determination of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM test), electrolytes, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) assessment by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology. Results The experimental sample included 47 subjects (age: 29.3 +/- 6.0 years, range 24-32; body mass index: 23.15 +/- 2.5 kg/m(2), range 19.2-28.0). All the subjects reported no systemic side effects. No significant differences were observed in any spermatozoa parameter between T0 and T1. A subanalysis was performed in oligoazoospermic and asthenozoospermic subjects, confirming the same results. Electrolyte analysis also showed no significant differences before and after vaccine inoculation. Finally, no significant differences were observed in T0, compared to T1 for the d-ROM test and IL-6. Discussion and conclusion In this study, no significant differences in spermatozoa parameters before and after vaccine inoculations were found. Furthermore, oxidative stress analysis,, the activity of the cell membrane, and IL-6, as a marker of inflammation, was not affected by the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. These results suggest that this vaccine is safe for male semen quality

Soluble ST2 levels and left ventricular structure and function in patients with metabolic syndrome

Background: A biomarker that is of great interest in relation to adverse cardiovascular events is soluble ST2 (sST2), a member of the interleukin family. Considering that metabolic syndrome (MetS) is accompanied by a proinflammatory state, we aimed to assess the relationship between sST2 and left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients with MetS. Methods: A multicentric, cross-sectional study was conducted on180 MetS subjects with normal LV ejection fraction as determined by echocardiography. LV hypertrophy (LVH) was defined as an LV mass index greater than the gender-specific upper limit of normal as determined by echocardiography. LV diastolic dysfunction (DD) was assessed by pulse-wave and tissue Doppler imaging. sST2 was measured by using a quantitative monoclonal ELISA assay. Results: LV mass index (β=0.337, P<0 .001, linear regression) was independently associated with sST2 concentrations. Increased sST2 was associated with an increased likelihood of LVH [Exp (B)=2.20, P=0.048, logistic regression] and increased systolic blood pressure [Exp (B)=1.02, P=0.05, logistic regression]. Comparing mean sST2 concentrations (adjusted for age, body mass index, gender) between different LV remodeling patterns, we found the greatest sST2 level in the group with concentric hypertrophy. There were no differences in sST2 concentration between groups with and without LV DD. Conclusions: Increased sST2 concentration in patients with MetS was associated with a greater likelihood of exhibiting LVH. Our results suggest that inflammation could be one of the principal triggering mechanisms for LV remodeling in MetS

Sperm culture and bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics in a large andrological population: prevalence and impact on seminal parameters

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate (i) the prevalence of subjects with a positive sperm culture (SC) for bacteria in subjects with or without genitourinary tract inflammation (GTI); (ii) the actual distribution of the species analysed, according to Gram stain; (iii) the impact on sperm parameters; and (iv) the actual bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics.Methods A total of 930 subjects (18-55) years, were retrospectively studied. All the patients underwent SC and in the case of positive tests (CFU&gt; 10(6)), a microbiological susceptibility analysis. The subjects studied were subdivided into group A (n =452), with subjective signs of GTI; group B (n=478), male partners of infertile couples; and group C, 30 healthy normospermic subjects. In group B and in the control group, a semen analysis was performed.Results Overall, the prevalence of positive SC was 21.5% (200/930). The prevalence of positive SC in group A (113/200; 56.5%) was significantly higher vs. group B (87/200; 43.5%; p =0.01) and control group (1/30; 3.3%; p =0.0001). In subjects with GTI, the prevalence of asthenozoospermic (96/285; 33.7%) and oligo-asthenozoospermic (98/285; 34.4%) was significantly higher vs. normospermic, oligo-astheno-teratozoospermic, oligozoospermic and azoospermic subjects (22/285 (7.7%), 48/285 (16.8%), 15/285 (5.3%) and 6/285 (2.1%), respectively; p= 0.001). Finally, Enterococcus faecalis (Grampositive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) showed the highest prevalence of antibiotic resistance.Conclusions The prevalence of positive SC is higher in GTI subjects; however, the SC could also be positive in subjects without GTI. Commonly used antibiotics have an increasing risk of being useless for the treatment of bacterial infections. Finally, the diagnosis of GTIs is important also for male fertility

3D Microfluidic model for evaluating immunotherapy efficacy by tracking dendritic cell behaviour toward tumor cells

Immunotherapy efficacy relies on the crosstalk within the tumor microenvironment between cancer and dendritic cells (DCs) resulting in the induction of a potent and effective antitumor response. DCs have the specific role of recognizing cancer cells, taking up tumor antigens (Ags) and then migrating to lymph nodes for Ag (cross)-presentation to naïve T cells. Interferon-α-conditioned DCs (IFN-DCs) exhibit marked phagocytic activity and the special ability of inducing Ag-specific T-cell response. Here, we have developed a novel microfluidic platform recreating tightly interconnected cancer and immune systems with specific 3D environmental properties, for tracking human DC behaviour toward tumor cells. By combining our microfluidic platform with advanced microscopy and a revised cell tracking analysis algorithm, it was possible to evaluate the guided efficient motion of IFN-DCs toward drug-treated cancer cells and the succeeding phagocytosis events. Overall, this platform allowed the dissection of IFN-DC-cancer cell interactions within 3D tumor spaces, with the discovery of major underlying factors such as CXCR4 involvement and underscored its potential as an innovative tool to assess the efficacy of immunotherapeutic approaches

Relationship between anxiety level and radiological investigation. Comparison among different diagnostic imaging exams in a prospective single-center study

Objective: Every patient could feel anxious when he waits in a radiological department to undergo diagnostic exams. The aim of our study is to evaluate the impact of the radiological exams on patient anxiety. Materials and methods: We evaluated 343 patients (mean age 54.83 years) who underwent different types of diagnostic exams in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging at our Hospital from April 2013 to August 2014. We administered to patients the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory Test, which detected with high sensitivity both state anxiety and trait anxiety. A team of clinical psychologists and radiologists evaluated the scores obtained. Results: 83 out of 343 patients were excluded because refused to file the questionnaire. 31 % of the patients were submitted to MR, 18 % to breast imaging, 10 % to X-ray, 22 % Computer Tomography and 19 % to ultrasound, as previously described. 41 % of patients were submitted to the examination because of an oncologic disease, while 59 % because of non-oncological disease. Therefore, it was found that high levels of anxiety were present in most (about 91 %) of the patients and the scores varied according to the imaging examination and to the examination’s reason: anxiety level was higher in non-oncological patients (54 %) and in patients waiting to undergo to MRI exams (29 %). Conclusion: Our data suggest that the diagnostic exams are stressful events for the patient, also in non-oncological patients. So, it is important to adequate the radiological staff to receive the patient, to inform him and perform exams with emotive involvement with a targeted education. Also, further studies are needed to evaluate the anxiety level and the quality of the images, because the anxiety can result in a somatic disorder with hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system which may affect the patient’s physical examination, causing problems in the evaluation of radiological images making to non-cooperative patient. MRI imaging is the examination that more of all led to an anxious state of patients but the main stressor is not related to the type of diagnostic examination, but to the uncertainty of the diagnosis, therapy and prognosis

A multicenter randomized phase 4 trial comparing sodium picosulphate plus magnesium citrate vs. polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid for bowel preparation before colonoscopy. The PRECOL trial

Background: Adequate bowel preparation before colonoscopy is crucial. Unfortunately, 25% of colonoscopies have inadequate bowel cleansing. From a patient perspective, bowel preparation is the main obstacle to colonoscopy. Several low-volume bowel preparations have been formulated to provide more tolerable purgative solutions without loss of efficacy. Objectives: Investigate efficacy, safety, and tolerability of Sodium Picosulphate plus Magnesium Citrate (SPMC) vs. Polyethylene Glycol plus Ascorbic Acid (PEG-ASC) solutions in patients undergoing diagnostic colonoscopy. Materials and methods: In this phase 4, randomized, multicenter, twoarm trial, adult outpatients received either SPMC or PEG-ASC for bowel preparation before colonoscopy. The primary aims were quality of bowel cleansing (primary endpoint scored according to Boston Bowel Preparation Scale) and patient acceptance (measured with six visual analogue scales). The study was open for treatment assignment and blinded for primary endpoint assessment. This was done independently with videotaped colonoscopies reviewed by two endoscopists unaware of study arms. A sample size of 525 patients was calculated to recognize a difference of 10% in the proportion of successes between the arms with a two-sided alpha error of 0.05 and 90% statistical power. Results: Overall 550 subjects (279 assigned to PEG-ASC and 271 assigned to SPMC) represented the analysis population. There was no statistically significant difference in success rate according to BBPS: 94.4% with PEG-ASC and 95.7% with SPMC (P = 0.49). Acceptance and willing to repeat colonoscopy were significantly better for SPMC with all the scales. Compliance was less than full in 6.6 and 9.9% of cases with PEG-ASC and SPMC, respectively (P = 0.17). Nausea and meteorism were significantly more bothersome with PEG-ASC than SPMC. There were no serious adverse events in either group. Conclusion: SPMC and PEG-ASC are not different in terms of efficacy, but SPMC is better tolerated than PEG-ASC. SPMC could be an alternative to lowvolume PEG based purgative solutions for bowel preparation