A New Heaven and A New Earth. Le posizioni e gli obiettivi del Catholic Worker Movement (1933-1987).

L’elaborato si propone di mostrare attraverso l’analisi dei documenti (dal 1933 al 1987) concernenti gli obiettivi, le finalità e i mezzi del Catholic Worker Movement (CWM) e mediante l’organo editoriale principale del movimento, il mensile Catholic Worker, in che modo il CWM, movimento laico cattolico e radicale, fondato a New York il 1° maggio 1933 da Dorothy Day e Peter Maurin, diffusosi in gran parte degli Stati Uniti d’America (soprattutto negli anni Sessanta-Settanta-Ottanta) e non solo, sia rimasto fedele al programma e ai principi personalisti e distribuisti dei primi anni

Studio di resistotipi di Enterococcus spp. isolati da galline ovaiole

Gli enterococchi (Enterococcus faecalis ed Enterococcus faecium), considerati inizialmente come batteri ubiquitari, commensali della flora gastrointestinale dell’uomo e degli animali, sono emersi come importanti agenti di infezioni nosocomiali con spiccata capacità di acquisire antibiotico-resistenza, comportandosi anche da efficaci donatori di geni di resistenza. In questo studio, sono stati isolati 115 ceppi di Enterococcus spp. da tamponi cloacali di galline ovaiole di allevamenti rurali della provincia di Massa Carrara. Di questi ceppi è stato valutato il profilo di antibiotico-resistenza tramite antibiogramma (metodo Kirby-Bauer), valutazione della minima concentrazione inibente e determinazione della resistenza ad alti livelli di aminoglicosidi (streptomicina e gentamicina). I ceppi sono risultati resistenti prevalentemente a: aminoglicosidi, eritromicina, fuorochinoloni, tetraciclina e nitrofurantoina. Un’alta percentuale di ceppi (49%) è risultata contemporaneamente resistente a macrolidi, lincosamidi e streptogramina B. Moderata resistenza è stata osservata anche per linezolid (35,6%) e tigeciclina (26,1%). Le classi di resistenza sono risultate disomogenee, ma sono stati individuati 59 ceppi caratterizzati da multi-farmaco resistenza (multi drug resistance) e 10 ceppi con estesa antibiotico-resistenza (extensive drug resistance). La tipizzazione dei 69 resistotipi caratterizzati da diffusa antibiotico-resistenza, ha permesso di identificare 48 ceppi di E. faecium e 14 ceppi di E. faecalis. Gli allevamenti rurali di galline ovaiole possono quindi rappresentare un rischio per la sanità pubblica, quali serbatoi di enterococchi antibiotico-resistenti. Enterococci (Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium) belong to the gastrointestinal flora of humans and animals and have become recognized as significant cause of nosocomial infections. Enterococci can acquire resistance to numerous antimicrobial agents, acting also as efficient donor of resistance genes. In this study, 115 strains of Enterococcus spp. have been isolated from cloacal swabs of laying hens of rural farms in the Massa Carrara province. Antibiotic-resistance has been evaluated with disc diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration and high-level aminoglycoside resistance. Isolated strains showed resistance mainly to: aminoglycosides, erythromycin, fluoroquinolones, tetracycline and nitrofurantoin. Numerous strains (39,1%) showed combined resistance to macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramin B. Moderate resistance have been also detected for linezolid and tigecycline. 59 strains have been classified as multidrug-resistant and 10 strains have been classified as extensively drug-resistant. Of them, 48 E. faecium and 14 E. faecalis have been identified. Rural laying hen farms could represent an hazard for public health as reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant enterococci

Potential role of low kV ex vivo micro-CT for 3D morphometry of paraffin embedded coronary vessels before histology

Purpose: Micro CT is an established tool for non destructive 3D inspection of small specimens. Aim of the study was to demonstrate that despite its limitations in differentiation of soft materials, micro CT can reliably display coronary vessel structure and surrounding tissues after paraffin embedding. Data were obtained from coronary specimens of pig, physical phantoms and numerical simulations. Preliminary images with dual-energy techniques are also shown. Methods: A micro CT scanner built by our group was used for the experiments. The x-ray tube was set up in the range of 20-50 kV; the voxel size was set to 21 μm. A phantom composed of formalin fixed fat and myocardium of rat, dehydrated and paraffin embedded, was used to measure the contrast of different tissues with respect to background. Similar acquisitions were simulated numerically. Real samples of pig excised coronary arteries were processed in the same way and acquired with the same settings; resulting images were compared to those obtained by histology. Results: In phantom, the myocardium contrast vs. paraffin varied from 40% at 20 kV to 29% at 50 kV. The fat contrast vs. background was 2% at 20 kV, whereas it was indistinguishable from the background at 50 kV; all the contrasts in phantom appeared lower than those expected from simulations, probably because of tissue shrinkage. In the samples from pig (see Figure), the vessel wall contrast was 25% greater than the myocardium contrast; the pericardium and a balloon induced stenosis were clearly distinguished. All micro CT scans were shorter than 1 hour. Conclusion: Micro CT is a useful complementary tool for the 3D morphometry of coronary vessels after paraffin embedding, and it can help for the preliminary identification of features of interest for subsequent histological analysis

Gastrointestinal cytomegalovirus disease in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris treated with corticosteroid and mycophenolate mofetil

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune disease characterized by the formation of suprabasal intra-epidermal blisters on the skin and mucosal surfaces. Infectious diseases are the main cause of death in patients with pemphigus due to the disrupture of the physiological skin barrier, immune dysregulation, and the use of immunosuppressive medications leaving the patient prone to acquire opportunistic infections. We report the case of a 67-year-old woman diagnosed with pemphigus vulgaris, who was irregularly taking prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil. She was hospitalized because of a 1-month history of watery diarrhea and oral ulcers. Unfortunately, the patient died suddenly on the ward. The autopsy revealed a bilateral saddle pulmonary embolism, Gram-positive cocci bronchopneumonia, and gastrointestinal cytomegalovirus infection, causing extensive gastrointestinal mucosal ulcer

Antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus strains isolated from healthy domestic dogs

Enterococci are opportunistic bacteria that cause severe infections in animals and humans, capable to acquire, express, and transfer antimicrobial resistance. Susceptibility to 21 antimicrobial agents was tested by the disk diffusion method in 222 Enterococcus spp. strains isolated from the fecal samples of 287 healthy domestic dogs. Vancomycin and ampicillin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and high-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR) tests were also performed. Isolates showed resistance mainly to streptomycin (88.7%), neomycin (80.6%), and tetracycline (69.4%). Forty-two (18.9%) isolates showed an HLAR to streptomycin and 15 (6.7%) to gentamicin. Vancomycin and ampicillin MIC values showed 1 and 18 resistant strains, respectively. One hundred and thirty-six (61.2%) strains were classified as multidrug resistant and six (2.7%) strains as possibly extensively drug-resistant bacteria. Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis were the most prevalent antimicrobial resistant species. Companion animals, which often live in close contact with their owners and share the same environment, represent a serious source of enterococci resistant to several antibiotics; for this reason, they may be a hazard for public health by providing a conduit for the entrance of resistance genes into the community

Effects of electrochemotherapy with cisplatin and peritumoral IL-12 gene electrotransfer on canine mast cell tumors: A histopathologic and immunohistochemical study

The study was aimed to characterize tumor response after combined treatment employing electrochemotherapy with IL-12 gene electrotransfer in dogs with spontaneous mast cell tumors (MCT). Eleven dogs with eleven MCTs were included in the study. Histological changes were investigated in biopsy specimens collected before the treatment (T0), and 4 (T1) and 8 weeks (T2) later. Cellular infiltrates were characterized immunohistochemically by using anti CD3, CD20, Foxp3 (Treg), CD68 and anti MHC-class II antibodies. Proliferation and anti-apoptotic activity of neoplastic cells were assessed using anti Ki-67 and Bcl-2 antibodies. Angiogenetic processes were investigated immunohistochemically by using anti Factor VIII and anti CD31 antibodies and micro vessel density quantification. Histopathological examination of samples at T0 confirmed the diagnosis and the presence of scanty infiltrates consisted mainly of T-lymphocytes and macrophages. At T1 and T2 neoplastic cells were drastically reduced in 7/11 cases, small clusters of neoplastic cells were detected in 3/11 cases and 1/11 cases neoplastic cells were still evident. Proliferation activity of neoplastic cells was significantly reduced at T1 and T2 and expression of anti-apoptotic protein at T1. Microvessel density was drastically reduced in all samples after treatment. The number of T-lymphocytes increased at T1, although not significant, while Treg were significant higher at T1 and macrophages at T2. The combined electrochemotherapy and IL-12 gene electrotransfer effectively induced a cellular response against neoplastic cells characterized mainly by the recruitment of T-lymphocytes and macrophages and a fibrotic proliferation with reduction of microvessels

Abnormal coronary reserve and left ventricular wall motion during cold pressor test in patients with previous left ventricular ballooning syndrome

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Antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus spp. isolated from laying hens of backyard poultry floks

[b]Introduction and objective[/b]. Enterococci belonging to human and animal gastrointestinal flora are widely-distributed in the environment. They are opportunistic bacteria that can cause severe infections, with the ability to acquire, express and transfer antimicrobial resistance. The aim of the present study was to investigate antimicrobial resistance profiles of [i]Enterococcus[/i] spp. strains isolated from cloacal swabs of laying hens of small backyard flocks. [b]Materials and methods[/b]. Susceptibility to 21 antimicrobial agents was tested by the disc diffusion method in 115 [i]Enterococcus[/i] spp. strains. Vancomycin and ampicillin minimum inhibitory concentrations and high-level aminoglycoside resistance tests were also performed. [b]Results. [/b]Isolates showed resistance mainly to aminoglycosides, eritromycin, fluoroquinoles, tetracycline and nitrofurantoin. 19 (16.5%) isolates showed a high level of resistance to streptomycin, but no high level resistance to gentamycin. No significant resistance was detected for vancomycin. Several strains (45; 39.1%) showed combined resistance to macrolides, lincosamides and streptogramin B. 61 (53%) isolates were classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR) and 6 (5.2%) strains as possibly extensively drug-resistant (XDR). [i]E. faecium[/i] was the most prevalent antimicrobial resistant species, followed by [i]E. faecalis[/i] and [i]E. durans[/i]. [b]Conclusions.[/b] The results show that the risk of dissemination of antimicrobial resistant enterococci is related not only to the birds of large commercial flocks, but also to the birds of small backyard flocks. Thus, laying hens of hobby flocks, which share the outside environment with people, could represent a hazard for public health by providing a conduit for the entrance of resistance genes into the community

Osservatorio territoriale droga e tossicodipendenze. Il fenomeno delle dipendenze nel territorio della ASL della Provincia di Sondrio. Rapporto 2006

Report on the state of legal and illegal substances use in the territory of Sondrio Province.Il Report analizza il fenomeno delle dipendenze nel territorio Provincia di Sondrio. La descrizione del fenomeno si sviluppa intorno all\u27analisi degli indicatori individuati dall\u27Osservatorio Europeo delle Dipendenze di Lisbona (OEDT): 1-uso di sostanze nella popolazione generale (questo indicatore va a rilevare i comportamenti nei confronti di alcol e sostanze psicoattive da parte della popolazione generale); 2-prevalenza d\u27uso problematico delle sostanze psicoattive; 3-domanda di trattamento degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 4-mortalit? degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 5-malattie infettive. Altri due importanti indicatori che si stanno sviluppando, e che vengono qui illustrati, sono l\u27analisi delle Schede di Dimissione Ospedaliera (SDO) e gli indicatori relativi alle conseguenza sociali dell\u27uso di droghe (criminalit? droga correlata). Inoltre sono state applicate diverse metodologie standard di stima sia per quantificare la quota parte sconosciuta di utilizzatori di sostanze che non afferiscono ai servizi, sia per identificarne alcune caratteristiche