Spontaneous intracranial hypotension : two steroid-responsive cases

Purpose: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is characterised by orthostatic headache, low cerebrospinal fluid pressure and diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement after intravenous gadolinium contrast administration. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often plays a crucial role for correct diagnosis. Case description: We described two similar cases of SIH, whose clinical and imaging features are typical for this pathology. At MRI brain scan, both patients showed diffuse and intense pachymeningeal enhancement and moderate venous distension and epidural vein engorgement. The two patients were treated with bed rest and oral steroid therapy, with complete and long-lasting symptomatic relief. Conclusions: Orthostatic nature of headache is the most indicative clinical feature suggesting SIH; contrast-enhanced MRI provides definite imaging diagnostic findings. Conservative treatment coupled to steroid therapy is often sufficient to obtain complete disappearance of symptoms

Lettura della canzone O Venere formosa, o sacro lume, di Leonardo Bruni

Il contributo propone una lettura della canzone O Venere formosa, o sacro lume di Leonardo Bruni. Il componimento, che si inserisce in una produzione in versi piuttosto esigua e scarsamente indagata dalla critica, viene analizzato con particolare attenzione alle fonti utilizzate. Risultano dominanti, in particolare, il lucreziano inno alla Venus genetrix, ripreso quasi alla lettera nella prima parte della canzone, e il Fedro di Platone, su alcuni passi del quale è costruito, di fatto, il discorso poetico delle ultime stanze. L’impiego simultaneo delle due fonti classiche, certamente significativo a quest’altezza cronologica, è posto al servizio di una concezione dell’amore nella quale si coniugano l’idea lucreziana di Venere come principio vivificatore della natura e quella platonica, che esalta l’amore come ‘divin furore’. In questa prospettiva sembrano anticipate, pertanto, alcune delle posizioni della pia philosophia di Marsilio Ficino

Chapter L’Urbano. Origine e fortuna di una novella pseudo-boccaccesca

The paper pursues an investigation on an apocryphal text still underinvestigated by scholars: the Urbano, falsely attributed to Boccaccio. The first part focuses on its fortune in the Boccaccio’s canon, from the first edition of the Vocabolario della Crusca to the Boccaccio’s complete works edited in the Ottocento; furthermore, are pointed out its connections with the Libellus de Constantino Magno eiusque matre Helena, the main source of the plot, and with other genealogical medieval tales, such as the Libro imperiale and the Manfredo. The second part focuses on the manuscript tradition of the text, in order to demonstrate as its circulation in Quattrocento’s miscellaneous manuscripts of rhetorical texts in the vernacular, containing several texts by Boccaccio, has probably influenced the spurious attribution

Intracranial tuberculous mass lesions treated with thalidomide in an immunocompetent child from a low tuberculosis endemic country: A case report

Rationale: Tuberculous meningitis is a highly morbid, often fatal disease. Patient concern: We describe a case of an Italian child. Diagnoses: we diagnosed early a Tuberculous meningitis complicated by the occurrence of hydrocephalus, stroke, and paradoxical reaction with brain pseudo-abscesses. Interventions: The child started readily a specific therapy associated with steroids and thalidomide was introduced few month later. Outcomes: the patient had a favorable outcome without neurologic sequelae. Lessons: Despite the prompt specific anti-tubercular and adjuvant corticosteroid therapies, only the addition of thalidomide to the treatment allow to a favorable clinical outcome

Two-step nucleation in a binary mixture of patchy particles

Nucleation in systems with a metastable liquid–gas critical point is the prototypical example of a two-step nucleation process in which the appearance of the critical nucleus is preceded by the formation of a liquid-like density fluctuation. So far, the majority of studies on colloidal and protein crystallization have focused on one-component systems, and we are lacking a clear description of two-step nucleation processes in multicomponent systems, where critical fluctuations involve coupled density and concentration inhomogeneities. Here, we examine the nucleation process of a binary mixture of patchy particles designed to nucleate into a diamond lattice. By combining Gibbs-ensemble simulations and direct nucleation simulations over a wide range of thermodynamic conditions, we are able to pin down the role of the liquid–gas metastable phase diagram on the nucleation process. In particular, we show that the strongest enhancement of crystallization occurs at an azeotropic point with the same stoichiometric composition of the crystal

Evaluation of White Striping prevalence and predisposing factors in broilers at slaughter

White striping ( WS: ) is an alteration of breast and thigh muscles of broiler chickens characterized by the presence of white striations parallel to the direction of muscle fibers. This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence and the predisposing factors to WS in commercial broilers of different weight reared in northern Italy. Fifty seven broiler flocks, including animals of medium- and heavy-weight, were grossly evaluated at slaughter for the presence of WS. For each flock, breeding data (mean BW at slaughter, ADG, sex, color of skin and fat, genetic line, age, antibiotic treatment, and prevalence of deep pectoral myopathy) were collected and statistically analyzed to assess their correlation with WS. Histology of breast fillets affected by different grades of WS was performed to evaluate potential differences between medium- and heavy-weight broilers. The overall prevalence of WS in medium- and heavy-weight broilers (mean BW 2.59 \ub1 0.13 kg and 3.64 \ub1 0.34 kg, respectively) was 70.2 \ub1 7.9% and 82.51 \ub1 8.5%, respectively, while the percentage of severe WS was 13.3 \ub1 7.1% and 25.7 \ub1 12.8%, respectively. A strong correlation was found between presence of WS, BW at slaughter, and ADG (Pearson correlation = 0.69, P < 0.01; Pearson correlation = 0.67, P < 0.01). WS also closely correlated with the prevalence of deep pectoral myopathy (Spearman's Rho slaughterhouse 1 = 0.74, Spearman's Rho slaughterhouse 2 = 0.51, P < 0.01). No correlation was found between genetics or sanitary status of the flock and WS. Histology confirmed that breasts with WS lesions were affected by a polyphasic degenerative and necrotizing myopathy, and that the lesions, as expected, were more severe in heavy-weight broilers. In conclusion, WS is a major concern in commercial meat poultry reared in Italy, affecting more severely heavier broilers, and it is mainly related to the BW and ADG of animals

Lower mortality rate in elderly patients with community-onset pneumonia on treatment with aspirin

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is complicated by high rate of mortality and cardiovascular events (CVEs). The potential benefit of aspirin, which lowers platelet aggregation by inhibition of thromboxane A2 production, is still unclear. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of aspirin on mortality in patients with pneumonia. METHODS AND RESULTS: Consecutive patients admitted to the University-Hospital Policlinico Umberto I (Rome, Italy) with community-onset pneumonia were recruited and prospectively followed up until discharge or death. The primary end point was the occurrence of death up to 30 days after admission; the secondary end point was the intrahospital incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. One thousand and five patients (age, 74.7±15.1 years) were included in the study: 390 were receiving aspirin (100 mg/day) at the time of hospitalization, whereas 615 patients were aspirin free. During the follow-up, 16.2% of patients died; among these, 19 (4.9%) were aspirin users and 144 (23.4%; P<0.001) were aspirin nonusers. Overall, nonfatal CVEs occurred in 7% of patients, 8.3% in nonaspirin users, and 4.9% in aspirin users (odds ratio, 1.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.03 to 3.04; P=0.040). The Cox regression analysis showed that pneumonia severity index (PSI), severe sepsis, pleural effusion, and PaO(2)/FiO(2) ratio <300 negatively influenced survival, whereas aspirin therapy was associated with improved survival. Compared to patients receiving aspirin, the propensity score adjusted analysis confirmed that patients not taking aspirin had a hazard ratio of 2.07 (1.08 to 3.98; P=0.029) for total mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that chronic aspirin use is associated with lower mortality rate within 30 days after hospital admission in a large cohort of patients with pneumonia

Electro-oxidation of phenol over electrodeposited MnOx nanostructures and the role of a TiO2 nanotubes interlayer

More and more attention has recently been paid to the electrochemical treatment of wastewater for the degradation of refractory organics, such as phenol and its derivatives. The electrodeposition of different types of manganese oxides (MnOx) over two substrates, namely metallic titanium and titania nanotubes (TiO2-NTs), is reported herein. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analyses have confirmed the formation of different oxidation states of the manganese, while Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy (FESEM) analysis has helped to point out the evolutions in the morphology of the samples, which depends on the electrodeposition parameters and calcination conditions. Moreover, cross section FESEM images have demonstrated the penetration of manganese oxides inside the NTs for anodically deposited samples. The electrochemical properties of the electrodes have been investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), both of which have shown that both calcination and electrodeposition over TiO2-NTs lead to more stable electrodes that exhibited a marked increase in the current density. The activity of the proposed nanostructured samples toward phenol degradation has been investigated. The cathodically electrodeposited manganese oxides (α-MnO2) have been found to be the most active phase, with a phenol conversion of 26.8%. The anodically electrodeposited manganese oxides (α-Mn2O3), instead, have shown higher stability, with a final working potential of 2.9 V vs. RHE. The TiO2-NTs interlayer has contributed, in all cases, to a decrease of about 1–1.5 V in the final (reached) potential, after a reaction time of 5 h. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and accelerated life time tests have confirmed the beneficial effect of TiO2-NTs, which contributes by improving both the charge transfer properties (kinetics of reaction) and the adhesion of MnOx films

Multiple vertebral hemangiomas of the thoracic spine with atypical radiological features and aggressive behavior causing myelopathy: A case report

Abstract Background Vertebral Haemangiomas (VHs) are frequent and generally asymptomatic benign tumors, involving the spine, usually incidentally found on computed tomography and magnetic resonance. Despite being usually asymptomatic and quiescent lesions, VHs can occasionally manifest aggressive features, leading to clinical manifestations such as back pain and neurological deficits. Case report. We report a case of a 54-year-old man, presented with 5 months history of pain, associated with lower limbs paraesthesia and weakness, gait disturbance and episodes of accidental falls. Radiological evaluation by spine pre- and post-contrast MRI indicated multiple vertebral hypervascular lesions, compatible with haemangiomas, involving from T3 to T11 levels, showing several different features (typical and atypical); aggressive haemangioma radiological pattern may be valuable at T3 and T4 vertebras. A thoracic spine pre- and post-contrast computed tomography confirmed the radiological diagnosis of multiple aggressive haemangiomas. Discussion Aggressive VH consists in a very rare subset of vertebral haemangiomas characterized by a greater tendency in being symptomatic. They may show atypical radiological features, that make their diagnosis very complex. In the recent years, many strategies for treatment of symptomatic or aggressive VHs have been developed, but the optimal treatment strategy is still controversial. Conclusion Although aggressive VHs being extremely rare, recognizing radiological features of these lesions is mandatory to achieve a correct diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic targets