Intentiones e significationes. La filosofia della grammatica dei modisti

2009 - 2010The aim of this thesis is to offer a global and theoretical reconstructions of the grammatical speculative of the Modistae. Medieval speculative grammar is a theory that grew out of the schoolmens work with ancient Latin grammar, but with a new approach. There is a double consideration of the linguistics facts: a grammatical and logical one. This autors tried to give a theoretical frame work based on expressly formulated premises. This theory has been labeled “modistic” froma the concept of modus significandi. In the first part of my work a try to give a briefly roundup on the most important critical works with the aims to explore the reasons why the storiography used the categories of modistae and speculative grammar. In the central part I give a reconstruction of the modistic theory of grammar. The most important factor for the development of this theory is the recovery of the whole Aristotelian corpus, especially the Posterior Analitics, the Metaphisics and the De Anima, with their strong requirements for the construction for the construction of a scientific theory and their more complex semantic doctrines based on an elaborate epistemological foundation. Since vocal expressions differ from one language to another, they cannot constituite the true objects of grammar. The obvious place to look for universal features of language is in the semantic component, but it is not the meanings of the individual words which prove to be relevant to the grammarian. But a different form of sinfication that Modistae call modi significandi. When the grammarians wanted to raise the course of grammar they try to collect it with the medieval status of the science. It was accordingly determined to be a speculative and auxiliary science: speculative because its goal was not to teach language but to describe and explain the nature anfd organization of the language (in this case Latin) as the most important and convenient vehicle of communication; auxiliary because grammar, like logic, was not directly concerned with the world, but with the reflection of it in our decription. In the final part of the work I give some introductory remarks on the problem of intentionality in the last decades of XIII century – and particularly on the Modistic doctrine of intentiones. In the last years many scholars have faced the problem of intentionality in the Middle Ages, but very few studies have been dedicated to the modistic theory of intentiones. The Modistae, a group of Masters who taught Logic and Grammar in Paris in the second half of XIII Century –, maintained a very original theory of intentionality: in other contexts and in other authors, the intentiones were either a psychological-ontological content of the knowledge’s theory (the so called species theory), or the mind’s capacity to tend towards things. In the modistic theory there is a double approach to the problem of intentiones: a psycho-logical approach and a linguistic one, according to their tendency to melt the respective limits of Logic and Grammar. That is why we can call the approach of the Modistae, to the theory of intentionality, a Semantical approach. A part of this section is dedicated to the origin of the concept (from the Aristotelian and Arabic logic) of intentio. In the Aristotelian works De interpretatione and De Anima, through their Latin and Arabic translations/commentaries,- many authors had seen the origin of the concept, but in these two books there is also the beginning of many problems (in connection with intentionality), which were handed on from author to author until the end of the Middle Ages, such as the nature of the passiones animae and the species. These problems were also discussed by the Modistae who gave an original answer to the question of the nature of intentiones, on which focuses the subsequent part of my paper. Definitely, intentio, for the Modistae, is something like a processio through which a thing, outside the mind, is intellecta and then expressed by a word.[a cura dell'autore]IX n.s

Alcohol use and abuse: a cross-sectional study among Italian adolescents

Introduction. Alcohol is recognized as one of four major risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Exposure to alcoholic beverages during the adolescence has been linked to increased heavier drinking habits: obviously, the age of alcohol initiation resulted an important determinant of alcohol dependence. The aim of this study is to analyze knowledge, attitudes and practices in alcohol habit of adolescent population.Methods. 943 students from 13 schools (middle and upper secondary schools) of the Bari district were enrolled in the study: in each school one class for each age was randomly selected. The research was carried out by an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire which investigated alcohol consumption, knowledge of alcohol consumption of parents and knowledge of the law regulating alcohol consumption.Results. 34.8% (328) have never consumed alcoholic drinks while 65.2% (615) declare the use of alcohol; the average age of alcohol initiation was 12.2 years. 35.7% (329/921) of mothers and 36.6% (335/915) of fathers drink alcohol only on special occasions. 17.9% (168/939) considered that alcohol could be free sale at all while 16.4% (154/939) reported that sale is forbidden for children under 14.Conclusions. The higher prevalence of alcohol habits and the poor knowledge on alcohol law seemed to indicated the need of improving public health efforts in the prevention of alcohol consumption among Italian adolescents

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of occupational health physicians in the promotion of vaccinations recommended for health care workers: An Italian study

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Epidemiology and costs of hospital care for COPD in Puglia

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently the 5(th )cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world and represents a substantial economic and social burden. The aim of this study is to report on hospital admissions and related costs of hospital treatment for COPD in the Puglia Region of Italy in the years 2005-2007. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were selected who were hospitalized between 01/01/2005 and 31/12/2007 with ICD-9-CM code: 490.xx: bronchitis not specified as acute or chronic; 491.xx: chronic bronchitis; 492.xx: emphysema; 493.xx: asthma; 494.xx: bronchiectasis; 496.xx: chronic airway obstruction not elsewhere classified; 518.81: acute respiratory failure as principal or secondary diagnosis. RESULTS: In the period 2005-2007, there were 73,721 hospital admissions for COPD registered in Puglia (25,690 in 2005; 24,153 in 2006 and 23,878 in 2007) of which 34.3% were women, with no significant variation in the three years. There appears to be a negative trend in hospitalisations in Puglia for chronic bronchitis with ratios decreasing from 359.4 per 100,000 population in 2005 to 307.9 per 100,000 in 2007. The overall cost of COPD for Apulian hospital trusts was €272,293,182.85 over the 3-year period. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the data for hospital care, its costs and performance may be an important indicator of the efficacy of community care. In particular, the lack of reduction in admissions for COPD should lead decision makers to question both the appropriateness and quality of the care given

Migrant health: the Apulian model

Since the 1990s Puglia has been totally involved in the reception and assistance of refugees. The prevention of infectious diseases among migrants, especially those residing in communities, is an important concern for public health authorities, since infectious diseases eliminated in Europe may still be widespread in the migrants' countries of origin, and other diseases may have a higher incidence than in European countries. Thus immigrants may contribute to the burden and spread of infectious diseases

Frequency of hypertension in hospitalized population with osteoporotic fractures: Epidemiological retrospective analysis of Hospital Discharge Data in the Apulian database for the period 2006–2010

Osteoporosis and hypertension are two widespread diseases, which share many of the same risk factors such as advanced age, early menopause, smoking, and physical inactivity. The aim of this study is to examine the association between fragility fractures, anti-hypertensive drugs (subgroup C02, according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system [ATC]), diuretics (subgroup C03), b-blocker (subgroup C07), calcium antagonist (subgroup C08) and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system regulator (subC09), and drugs administration for osteoporosis among the osteoporotic population of a region of Southern Italy. We retrospectively studied “Hospital Discharge Data” (HDD) in the Apulian database for the period 2006–2010 to find fragility fractures treated with hospitalization in men aged over 65 years and in women aged over 50 years. We then checked the database for drug prescriptions to identify those patients who had taken at least one osteoporosis drug. Within this latter group, based on hospital admissions and prescription records, we identified the patients affected with hypertension. We observed that, between 2006 and 2010, in Apulia, 177,639 patients were hospitalized and diagnosed as having fragility fractures. The prevalence of hypertension patients in Apulia in this period was estimated at 44.3%. In the same region and period, the prevalence of patients with fragility fracture, who also had hypertension, was 80.9%. The percentage of fracture was lowest in the female population aged 50–59 years (52.5%), while the highest was in women aged > 80 years (92.5%). We observed that in hypertensive patients the most frequent site of fracture was the femur (43,638 cases), while the least frequent were the tarsus and metatarsus (742 cases combined). The patients who took angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and diuretic drugs presented a higher number of fragility fractures, while the calcium antagonists, beta-blockers, and ATC anti-hypertensive drugs were linked to a reduced incidence of lesions. Hypertension is associated with increased fracture risk in the Apulia population. The bone demineralization effect of this disease should be taken into account during the management of these patients. The different distribution of fragility fractures in relation to anti-hypertensive treatment warrants further investigatio

How will the MMR universal mass vaccination change the epidemiologic pattern of mumps? A 2012 Italian serosurvey

To investigate the changes in the epidemiologic pattern of mumps, we carried out a serosurvey among young adults from Apulia, Italy. A convenience sample of 1,764 blood donors were enrolled in 2012: 93.4% (95% confidence interval, 92.1-94.5) showed a positive antimumps immunoglobulin G titre, geometric mean titer was 2.05. Results were consistent with previously published data on the immunogenicity of mumps vaccine but showed a lack of immunity (10% of people aged 18-26 years susceptible for mumps). Future research must be focused on the long-time immunogenicity of the mumps vaccine

Patient Safety Walkaround: a communication tool for the reallocation of health service resources: An Italian experience of safety healthcare implementation

The study aims to evaluate the use of Patient Safety Walkaround (SWR) execution model in an Italian Hospital, through the adoption of parametric indices, survey tools, and process indicators.In the 1st meeting an interview was conducted to verify the knowledge of concepts of clinical risk management (process indicators). One month after, the questions provided by Frankel (survey tool) were administered.Each month after, an SWR has been carried trying to assist the healthcare professionals and collecting suggestions and solutions.Results have been classified according to Vincent model and analyzed to define an action plan. The amount of risk was quantified by the risk priority index (RPI).An organizational deficit concerns the management of the operating theatre.A state of intolerance was noticed of queuing patients for outpatient visits. The lack of scheduling of the operating rooms is often the cause of sudden displacements. A consequence is the conflict between patients and caregivers. Other causes of the increase of waiting times are the presence in the ward of a single trolley for medications and the presence of a single room for admission and preadmission of patients.Patients victims of allergic reactions have attributed such reactions to the presence of other patients in the process of acceptance and collection of medical history.All health professionals have reported the problem of n high number of relatives of the patients in the wards.Our study indicated the consistency of SWR as instrument to improve the quality of the care

Clinical Evaluation and Orodental Status in a Group of Elderly Institutionalised Patients

10% of elderly patients are functionally dependents and they therefore need permanent assistance. Orodental alterations may evolve into a pathological state in elderly people, which is increasing in the recent decades. The current study analysed institutionalized patients in the district of Bari (Southern Italy), who have been so far monitored. We assessed 125 elderly institutionalized patients. The assessment has been carried out by an assessment questionnaire aiming at evaluating the patient’s psychophysical health status, objective intraoral test and prosthetic rehabilitations. About 90% of enrolled patients reported a good general health status. The main dental problems are due to the complete lack of specific prevention and treatment programs, together with handicap, presence of systemic diseases and medicines taken. The level of oral hygiene is poor and the conditions of the residual dental elements are precarious because of root caries and periodontal problems. Prostheses are usually old (on average 15) and appear scarcely retentive and unstable. We believe in the need for specific interventions aiming at the various issues emerging from the present study, so as to achieve a smaller prevalence of dental loss, periodontal disease and caries. These relatively simple interventions are now lacking because of the non-demand of treatment from patients and for economical reasons