Clinical and pathological findings of a fatal systemic capillary leak syndrome (Clarkson Disease)

Systemic capillary leak syndrome (SCLS) is a rare disorder with episodes of hypotension, hypoalbuminemia, and hemoconcentration. During attacks endothelial hyperpermeability results in leakage of plasma proteins into the interstitial space. Attacks vary in severity and may be lethal.A 49-year-old previously healthy man was admitted to hospital for hypovolemic shock, anasarca with pleuropericardial effusion, muscle fatigue, and oliguria occurring after a flu-like syndrome. Laboratory data showed an increase in hematocrit (65%), leucocytes (24.590\u200a\u3bc/L), creatinine (2.5\u200amg/dL), creatine phosphokinase (10.000\u200aU/L), and a decrease in serum albumin (17\u200ag/L) without proteinuria. Immunoglobulins of class G/\u3bb monoclonal gammopathy were detected (1.3\u200ag/L). The initial suspicions addressed to a protein-loosing syndrome or to an effort-related rhabdomyolysis. Initial therapy was based on steroids, albumin, and high molecular weight plasma expanders (hydroxyethyl starch). Because of high hematocrit, phlebotomy was also performed. The patient had complete clinical remission and a diagnosis of SCLS was finally made. He received prophylactic therapy with verapamil and theophylline that was self-stopped for intolerance (hypotension and tachycardia). He had a new crisis 2 days after a physical effort, and was admitted in intensive care unit. The patient died for severe hypovolemic shock with multiorgan failure and sudden cardiac arrest 15 hours after hospital admission. Postmortem investigation revealed massive interstitial edema of main organs with myocardial hyperacute ischemia.Studies on SCLS are limited for the rarity of the disease and its unpredictable course. Both prophylactic and acute crisis treatments are empirical and optimal management of severe attacks is still lacking

Combined field inoculations of pseudomonas bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and entomopathogenic nematodes and their effects on wheat performance

In agricultural ecosystems, pest insects, pathogens, and reduced soil fertility pose major challenges to crop productivity and are responsible for significant yield losses worldwide. Management of belowground pests and diseases remains particularly challenging due to the complex nature of the soil and the limited reach of conventional agrochemicals. Boosting the presence of beneficial rhizosphere organisms is a potentially sustainable alternative and may help to optimize crop health and productivity. Field application of single beneficial soil organisms has shown satisfactory results under optimal conditions. This might be further enhanced by combining multiple beneficial soil organisms, but this remains poorly investigated. Here, we inoculated wheat plots with combinations of three beneficial soil organisms that have different rhizosphere functions and studied their effects on crop performance. Plant beneficial Pseudomonas bacteria, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), were inoculated individually or in combinations at seeding, and their effects on plant performance were evaluated throughout the season. We used traditional and molecular identification tools to monitor their persistence over the cropping season in augmented and control treatments, and to estimate the possible displacement of native populations. In three separate trials, beneficial soil organisms were successfully introduced into the native populations and readily survived the field conditions. Various Pseudornonas, mycorrhiza, and nematode treatments improved plant health and productivity, while their combinations provided no significant additive or synergistic benefits compared to when applied alone. EPN application temporarily displaced some of the native EPN, but had no significant long-term effect on the associated food web. The strongest positive effect on wheat survival was observed for Pseudomonas and AMF during a season with heavy natural infestation by the frit fly, Oscinella frit, a major pest of cereals. Hence, beneficial impacts differed between the beneficial soil organisms and were most evident for plants under biotic stress. Overall, our findings indicate that in wheat production under the test conditions the three beneficial soil organisms can establish nicely and are compatible, but their combined application provides no additional benefits. Further studies are required, also in other cropping systems, to fine-tune the functional interactions among beneficial soil organisms, crops, and the environment

Niki de Saint Phalle’s Tarot Garden in Garavicchio (GR): a proposal for a tourist visit.

openNiki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002) nasce a Parigi nel pieno del crollo economico americano. La famiglia si sposta a New York, dove la giovane cresce con un'educazione cattolica fino al matrimonio con Harry Mathews, futuro scrittore. La coppia si trasferisce a Parigi e i due hanno una prima figlia, Laura. Nel 1953 Niki de Saint Phalle viene ricoverata in una clinica a Nizza, dove inizia il suo percorso artistico, in principio come terapia, per poi sfociare in un'espressione sempre più interiore dell'artista e in una celebrazione della vita e della femminilità. Cinque anni dopo la nascita del secondogenito Philip, nel 1960 Niki de Saint Phalle si separa dalla famiglia per dedicarsi a se stessa e alla propria arte, permettendole di affrontare i dolori passati e presenti, dagli abusi del padre all'artrite reumatoide in età adulta. Nello stesso anno Niki de Saint Phalle e Jean Tinguely iniziano un rapporto che durerà per tutta la vita, con un secondo matrimonio per de Saint Phalle nel 1973. Il percorso artistico di Niki de Saint Phalle trova successo a partire dai Tirs, performance di tiro pubbliche che la porteranno a conquistare un posto tra i Nouveaux Réalistes. Dopo un periodo di transizione in cui l'artista si dedica ad assemblages e composizioni figurative, segue la nascita delle Nanas nel 1965, sculture archetipiche femminili cariche di vitalità, che la porteranno in tutto il mondo, in particolare con Hon-en katedral nel 1966. Continua a lavorare su scala sempre più monumentale, collaborando spesso con Tinguely. Lo stile di Niki de Saint Phalle non è facilmente inquadrabile, e muta frequentemente, ma mantiene sempre un'espressione figurativa con forte simbolismo, come possiamo notare dalle varie statue che andranno a comporre il suo più grande operato: il Giardino dei Tarocchi a Garavicchio, in Toscana. Per la sua realizzazione de Saint Phalle dedicherà gran parte della la propria vita, dal 1978 fino alla morte in California nel 2002. Al fine di valorizzare i capolavori di Niki de Saint Phalle in Italia, saranno analizzate le modalità di ideazione e realizzazione delle opere, i loro significati, e viene avanzata una proposta di itinerario turistico in Toscana con tappe alla Nana' Fontaine di Capalbio e Il Giardino dei Tarocchi. Nell'elaborato vengono selezionati i trasporti, consigli di ristoro e di eventuale pernottamento, e infine il percorso di visita

Opere temporanee di sostegno per strutture in muratura

La tesi descrive i caratteri generali di una classe di opere provvisionali, ovvero i puntellament

Building up spectral libraries for mapping erythrocytes by hyperspectral dark field\ua0microscopy

Background: Red blood cells (RBC) are obtained by non-invasive methods and widely used for diagnostic tests of health status. Hyperspectral Dark Field Microscopy (HDFM) is a promising technique for nanoscale bio imaging and spectral analysis without additional sample preparation. Objective: Develop a protocol for human RBC characterization by HDFM, checking the feasibility of a reference spectral library that can image and afford a new comprehensive descriptor of RBC status. Method: A step-by-step protocol for HDFM measurement of human RBC was for the first time established using 5 \ub5l of EDTA-treated whole blood from healthy adults (n=30). Hyperspectral characteristics of solutions/suspensions at biological concentrations of phospholipids, hemoglobin, spectrin, cholesterol and protoporphyrin IX, as the most relevant RBC components, were also determined. Results: A library made of 8 end-member spectra and classification of their spectral distribution carried out by Single Angle Mapper (SAM) were determined, furnishing a comprehensive mapping and descriptor of healthy human RBC. The spectra of single components allowed some of the RBC spectral bands to be attributed. Conclusions: This work reports for the first time the hyperspectral optical imaging of the human RBC by a library made of 8 scattering spectra, whose spectral signatures are compared with those of the main RBC molecular components. The percent distribution of the spectral end-members was also achieved, thus giving for the first time the HDFM mapping of human healthy RBCs. The protocol developed herein allows the clinical potential of hyperspectral imaging to be developed for the use of RBC mapping in health and disease