The changing scenario of hepatocellular carcinoma over the last two decades in Italy

Background & Aims: This study investigates whether the aetiologic changes in liver disease and the improved management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have modified the clinical scenario of this tumour over the last 20 years in Italy. Methods: Retrospective study based on the analysis of the ITA.LI.CA (Italian Liver Cancer) database including 3027 HCC patients managed in 11 centres. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the period of HCC diagnosis: 1987–1996 (year of the ‘‘Milano criteria’’ publication), 1997–2001 (year of release of the EASL guidelines for HCC), and 2002–2008. Results: The significant changes were: (1) progressive patient ageing; (2) increasing prevalence of HCV infection until 2001, with a subsequent decrease, when the alcoholic aetiology increased; (3) liver function improvement, until 2001; (4) increasing ‘‘incidental’’ at the expense of ‘‘symptomatic’’ diagnoses, until 2001; (5) unchanged prevalence of tumours diagnosed during surveillance (around 50%), with an increasing use of the 6- month schedule; (6) favourable HCC ‘‘stage migration’’, until 2001; (7) increasing use of percutaneous ablation; (8) improving survival, until 2001. Conclusions: Over the last 20 years, several aetiologic and clinical features regarding HCC have changed. The survival improvement observed until 2001 was due to an increasing number of tumours diagnosed in early stages and in a background of compensated cirrhosis, and a growing and better use of locoregional treatments. However, the prevalence of early cancers and survival did not increase further in the last years, a result inciting national policies aimed at implementing surveillance programmes for at risk patients

Archimede tra mito e realtà scientifica

Il laboratorio “Archimede tra mito e realtà scientifica” nasce come modulo didattico interdisciplinare di matematica e fisica nel Biennio del Liceo Scientifico con lingua d’insegnamento slovena “France Prešeren” di Trieste, con sperimentazione PNI (Piano Nazionale Informatica). Il tema ben si prestava a essere trattato sia durante le ore di fisica, che gli alunni studiano già dal primo anno delle superiori, sia durante le ore di matematica. La Classe II B, a cui abbiamo proposto di realizzare il laboratorio da presentare a “La matematica dei ragazzi”, è composta da dieci allievi, sei ragazze e quattro ragazzi, che hanno aderito volentieri fin da subito. Gli argomenti da presentare sono stati sviluppati durante l’orario curricolare, dall’inizio del primo quadrimestre, sfruttando le ore previste dall’autonomia didattica, in modo da dare agli alunni tutto il tempo necessario per approfondirli, trovare articoli da libri e in Internet, scegliere delle presentazioni appropriate e realizzare – lavorando anche a casa – i diversi materiali e strumentazioni. Nel secondo quadrimestre, è stata fatta una selezione delle tematiche e degli esperimenti trattati, del materiale didattico e delle apparecchiature realizzate, e si è incominciata a preparare la presentazione definitiva. Per mantenere una certa omogeneità, i cartelloni sono stati assemblati dalle insegnanti, utilizzando il materiale preparato dagli alunni stessi

La gestione delle emergenze: gli incidenti rilevanti. Come si è evoluta la normativa italiana.

Come si articola la disciplina italiana sul rischio di incidenti rilevanti: dal D.P.R. 175/1988 all'attuale Decreto legislativo 238/2005

Chapter Una lettura dell’approccio quainiano alla cartografia attraverso la lente degli ingegneri geografi napoleonici

Massimo Quaini wrote about ninety titles strictly connected to cartography in his long academic career and his large scientific production. Considering this quantity of works, the articles published by Quaini about geographic engineers’ activity represent a seamless thread. In this contribution I examine such articles focusing on the heuristic motivations that have pushed him to put these actors at the centre of his historical-cartographic reflection

Representing the War. Early Twentieth Century Maps and Models in the Fonds of the Italian War History Museum in Rovereto

Abstract. The representation of the areas in which some of the most significant events of the First World War took place has produced a wide range of materials, such as cartography, aerial and terrestrial photos, textual descriptions and field surveys. In addition, war events were also represented through three-dimensional models. Topographic maps and models constitute composite figurations, which are rich in informative data useful for the preservation of the memory of places and for increasing the knowledge of cultural heritage. Hence, these sources need to be studied, described, interpreted and used for future enhancement. The focus of this paper are archival materials from the collections kept at the Italian War History Museum of Rovereto (Museo Storico Italiano della Guerra), in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. Firstly, we will investigate the cartographic fond in order to assess the composition and origin of its materials. Secondly, we will present the Museum's collection of Early-Twentieth Century models. Such precious heritage is not yet part of an exhibition, and is kept in the Museum's warehouses. The paper constitutes the occasion to present the initial results of a still ongoing project by the Geo-Cartographic Centre for Study and Documentation (GeCo) of the University of Trento on the study and analysis of two archival complexes preserved in the abovementioned Museum. In particular, the paper focuses on the heuristic value of such representational devices, which enable an analysis of the different methods and languages through which space is planned and designed, emphasizing the complementarity between different types of visualization

Chapter Massimo Quaini. Bibliografia 1963-2020

A detailed bibliography of Massimo Quaini's works

Rappresentazioni planimetriche, vedutistiche e tridimensionali per la fortificazione di due isole del Mediterraneo occidentale: Elba e Palmaria (secolo XIX)

[EN] The French expansion and domination in Italy between the Revolutionary Age and the Empire based on a widespread activity of territorial knowledge, which rested in the Corps of Engineers-Geographers and in the Military Genius the main actors. The paper summarizes the results of long research on this activity, carried out in the islands of Elba (Tuscany) and Palmaria (Liguria): two strategic islands in the western Mediterranean. The need to equip the territories dominated by the French with increasingly functional defenses, gave a strong impulse to the renewal of surveying and cartography, with the use of geodetic projections, views and three-dimensional models. Elba example is significant for the complete triangulation of the island connected to the Corsica one (with part of Sardinia and the smaller islands of the Tuscan archipelago). Geographer engineers such as Tranchot, Simonel, Moynet, Puissant worked on these activities and produced some maps and a small model of part of Elba. In the Palmaria example the threedimensional reproduction (plan-relief) was contextual to the work of Genius engineers who produced a vast and organic corpus of maps of various scales, views, sketches and watercolors, suitable to represent the most complete visualization of the landscapes where to insert defensive buildings. The collaboration between French and Italian engineers took advantage of this first experience in designing some batteries. However, it was the post-Napoleonic decades that made Palmaria island a powerful “fortress island” to defend the entrance to the Gulf of La Spezia, where the military arsenal (commissioned by Cavour and built by Domenico Chiodo) arose.De Santi, V.; Gemignani, C.; Guarducci, A.; Rossi, L. (2020). Rappresentazioni planimetriche, vedutistiche e tridimensionali per la fortificazione di due isole del Mediterraneo occidentale: Elba e Palmaria (secolo XIX). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 751-758. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2020.2020.11497OCS75175

Thyroid ultrasound alterations occurrence in patients with previous negative examination: A 6-years observational follow-up trial

10.1530/endoabs.56.P105

Enzyme bioprospection of marine-derived actinobacteria from the Chilean Coast and New Insight in the aechanism of keratin degradation in Streptomyces sp. G11C

Marine actinobacteria are viewed as a promising source of enzymes with potential technological applications. They contribute to the turnover of complex biopolymers, such as pectin, lignocellulose, chitin, and keratin, being able to secrete a wide variety of extracellular enzymes. Among these, keratinases are a valuable alternative for recycling keratin-rich waste, which is generated in large quantities by the poultry industry. In this work, we explored the biocatalytic potential of 75 marine-derived actinobacterial strains, focusing mainly on the search for keratinases. A major part of the strains secreted industrially important enzymes, such as proteases, lipases, cellulases, amylases, and keratinases. Among these, we identified two streptomycete strains that presented great potential for recycling keratin wastes—Streptomyces sp. CHA1 and Streptomyces sp. G11C. Substrate concentration, incubation temperature, and, to a lesser extent, inoculum size were found to be important parameters that influenced the production of keratinolytic enzymes in both strains. In addition, proteomic analysis of culture broths from Streptomyces sp. G11C on turkey feathers showed a high abundance and diversity of peptidases, belonging mainly to the serine and metallo-superfamilies. Two proteases from families S08 and M06 were highly expressed. These results contributed to elucidate the mechanism of keratin degradation mediated by streptomycetes

Quali strumenti giuridici statali e regionali per le comunit\ue0 patrimoniali?

The Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro Convention, 2005) recognizes a central role to heritage communities in the process of identification, study, interpretation, protection, conservation and presentation of the cultural heritage. As a signatory State of the Convention (signed on 27th February 2013, still waiting for ratification), Italy has in any case to ensure its contribution to the safeguarding of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage by adequate policies. Currently, a State law providing a general regulation of the participation of civil society to the protection and the enhancement of cultural heritage in the Italian legal system has not been adopted yet. Nevertheless, communities, groups and individuals have a wide range of instruments available, which can be drawn by an accurate interpretation of the Constitution and of many State and regional laws. In the long run, the persistent lack of common rules on this subject may be a source of uncertainty, capable of weakening, instead of strengthening, the role of heritage communities, in contrast with the principles of the Faro Convention