Il commento di Antonio Costanzi da Fano ai Fasti di Ovidio Edizione critica del commento a Fast. I-III

2013 - 2014La tesi consiste nell’edizione critica del commento di Antonio Costanzi da Fano (Fano 1436 - 1490) a Fast. I-III, tràdito in due diverse stesure, precisamente, quella contenuta nel manoscritto BAV Vat. lat. 360 (1480) e quella testimoniata dagli esemplari dell’editio princeps dell’opera (1489). A questo materiale esegetico vanno accostate le note marginali al testo dei Fasti, contenute nel ms. BAV Chig. H.VI.204, che testimoniano la lettura dell’opera da parte dell’umanista, antecedente alla stesura del commentario. La lettura del commento di Costanzi si rivela giovevole, non soltanto perché l’opera costituisce una miniera di informazioni sulla ricezione del testo del poeta di Sulmona in età umanistica, e, più in generale, sulla storia dell’esegesi dei testi classici nell’Umanesimo, ma in quanto essa è anche preziosa fonte di notizie utili alla delineazione del réseau ideologico e culturale nel quale furono letti e commentati i Fasti nella seconda metà del secolo XV. Alla luce di ciò, al fine dunque di una più consapevole lettura del testo del commentario, l’edizione è preceduta da un’ampia introduzione, ripartita in quattro capitoli, in cui è tratteggiato un breve quadro dell’attività esegetica sui Fasti fra XI e XV secolo; sono forniti cenni sulla vita e le opere di Antonio Costanzi; sono analizzati, dal punto di vista codicologico e paleografico, i testimoni del commento; infine, sono presi in esame i documenti paratestuali (epigramma ad posteros, lettera prefatoria a Federico di Montefeltro, praefationes al commento a Fast. II e III, epilogo rivolto al lettore, lettera di Costanzi a Zagarello Gambitelli) ed è delineato il processo di gestazione redazionale dell’opera, il metodo adottato dall’umanista nell’esegesi del testo dei Fasti e l’iter di allestimento degli scolii. Seguono all’edizione del commento e delle note del manoscritto Chigiano a Fast. I-III due appendici: nella prima è data l’edizione dell’epilogo al lettore, presente in duplice stesura nel manoscritto Urbinate e nell’editio princeps, nella seconda della lettera di Costanzi a Zagarello Gambitelli, posta a chiusura degli esemplari a stampa del commentario. The thesis consists in the critical edition of Antonio Costanzi’s (Fano 1436-1490) commentary on Ovid’s Fasti, transmitted in two different versions, namely, the first one contained in the manuscript BAV Vat. Lat. 360 (1480) and the second one in the editio princeps of the work (1489). In addition to this exegetical material, there are the marginalia, contained in the ms. BAV Chig. H.VI.204, which prove a Costanzi’s lectura of the Fasti prior to the commentary. The reading of this commentary is beneficial, not only because the work is a mine of information on the fortune of the ovidian poem, and, more generically, about the exegetical history of classical texts during the Renaissance, but also because it is also an invaluable source of useful information about the ideological and cultural réseau in which Fasti were read and commented in the second half of the 15th century. So, in order of a more conscious reading of the commentary, the edition is preceded by an extensive introduction, divided in four chapters: a brief picture of 11th-15th exegesis on Fasti; life and works of Antonio Costanzi; codicological and palaeographical (and typographical) description of the witnesses of the commentary; the analysis of the paratextual documents (epigramma ad posteros, dedicatory letter to Federico da Montefeltro, praefationes to the commentary on Fast. IIII, epilogue to the reader, letter of Costanzi to Zagarello Gambitelli), the editorial process of the work, the exegetical method of the humanist and the iter of construction of the scholia. Finally, there are also two appendices: the first one contanis the edition of the epilogue to the reader; the second one the letter of Costanzi to Zagarello Gambitelli. [a cura dell'autore]XIII n.s

Biotechnological synthesis of succinic acid by actinobacillus succinogenes by exploitation of lignocellulosic biomass

Succinic acid is increasingly used in pharmaceutical industries, for the production of additives in food industries, in agriculture and in refinery processes as a precursor of many chemical compounds among which the most important is the succinate salt. It is also used as an ion chelator and surfactant, and for the biochemicals production. Currently, succinic acid is mainly produced through chemical petroleum-based processes, usually from n-butane using maleic anhydride. However, the use of petrochemical feedstocks raises serious environmental problems, due to the higher values of temperature and pressure required. The biotechnological production of succinic acid by microbial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass is attracting growing interest due to the environmental and economic advantages offered. This research is focused on the exploitation of Arundo donax (Giant reed) as a source of lignocellulosic biomass. Arundo donax is a perennial crop particularly suitable for energy production, as it offers high yields per hectare, even in partially fertile or polluted soils, not used for agriculture. Hydrolyzate of Arundo donax will be used as growth media for the Actinobacillus succinogenes 130Z, a bacterium typically found in the bovine rumen, that is recognized as one of the most promising for the biotechnological production of succinic acid, as it is able to produce higher concentrations of succinic acid. The experimental analysis is carried out to optimize the production of succinic acid taking into account the effect of the most critical parameters of the process (microbial biomass, pH, reducing sugars, volatile fatty acids, and succinic acid). Tests have shown that in 48h the sugars are completely biodegraded with a total production of bio-succinic acid of 5.9 g for 9.1 g of reducing sugars, an hourly production 0.12 g h-1 with a yield equal to 65%

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies: types II, III, and IV

The hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSAN) encompass a number of inherited disorders that are associated with sensory dysfunction (depressed reflexes, altered pain and temperature perception) and varying degrees of autonomic dysfunction (gastroesophageal reflux, postural hypotention, excessive sweating). Subsequent to the numerical classification of four distinct forms of HSAN that was proposed by Dyck and Ohta, additional entities continue to be described, so that identification and classification are ongoing. As a group, the HSAN are rare diseases that affect both sexes. HSAN III is almost exclusive to individuals of Eastern European Jewish extraction, with incidence of 1 per 3600 live births. Several hundred cases with HSAN IV have been reported. The worldwide prevalence of HSAN type II is very low. This review focuses on the description of three of the disorders, HSAN II through IV, that are characterized by autosomal recessive inheritance and onset at birth. These three forms of HSAN have been the most intensively studied, especially familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome or HSAN III), which is often used as a prototype for comparison to the other HSAN. Each HSAN disorder is likely caused by different genetic errors that affect specific aspects of small fiber neurodevelopment, which result in variable phenotypic expression. As genetic tests are routinely used for diagnostic confirmation of HSAN III only, other means of differentiating between the disorders is necessary. Diagnosis is based on the clinical features, the degree of both sensory and autonomic dysfunction, and biochemical evaluations, with pathologic examinations serving to further confirm differences. Treatments for all these disorders are supportive

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Effect of Nickel Contamination on the Growth of Oleaginous Yeasts in Hydrolisates of Arundo Donax

Hydrolysates of Arundo donax, a crop offering high productivity in contaminated orsalinized soils with no inputs of irrigation and agrochemicals, were used in a discontinuous fermenter to grow the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkey, to obtain microbial oils potentially useful for the production of 2nd-generation biodiesel. A mixture of fermentable sugars was obtained by steam-explosion and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic materials. The concentration of Ni2+ ions and of inhibitors of the microbial growth significantly affected both the biomass and the triglyceride yields. The microbial lipids produced were compatible with the synthesis of an automotive-grade biodiesel. A physico-mathematical model, developed todescribe the biomass growth, demonstratedthat the concentration of heavy metals affected the maximum biomass concentration,though its influence on the specific growthrate of the yeasts was not significant

Effect of Nickel Contamination on the Growth of Oleaginous Yeasts in Hydrolisates of Arundo Donax

Hydrolysates of Arundo donax, a crop offering high productivity in contaminated orsalinized soils with no inputs of irrigation and agrochemicals, were used in a discontinuous fermenter to grow the oleaginous yeast Lipomyces starkey, to obtain microbial oils potentially useful for the production of 2nd-generation biodiesel. A mixture of fermentable sugars was obtained by steam-explosion and subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic materials. The concentration of Ni2+ ions and of inhibitors of the microbial growth significantly affected both the biomass and the triglyceride yields. The microbial lipids produced were compatible with the synthesis of an automotive-grade biodiesel. A physico-mathematical model, developed todescribe the biomass growth, demonstratedthat the concentration of heavy metals affected the maximum biomass concentration,though its influence on the specific growthrate of the yeasts was not significant

Switching long acting antipsychotic medications to aripiprazole long acting once-a-month: Expert consensus by a panel of Italian and Spanish psychiatrists

Introduction: Aripiprazole long acting once-monthly (AOM) is a long acting atypical antipsychotic with proven efficacy in schizophrenia and with a pharmacological and a side effect profile that is different from other antipsychotics. These and other characteristics make AOM a possible alternative in patients requiring a change in long acting antipsychotic treatment due to issues such as lack of efficacy or persistent side effects. Both clinical and pharmacological factors should be considered when switching antipsychotics, and specific guidelines for long acting antipsychotic switching that address all these factors are needed.Areas covered: A panel of Italian and Spanish experts in psychiatry met to discuss the strategies for the switch to AOM in patients with schizophrenia. Real life clinical experiences were shared and the clinical strategies to improve the likelihood of success were discussed.Expert Opinion: Due to its specific pharmacological and tolerability profile, AOM represents a suitable alternative for patients with schizophrenia requiring a switch to a new LAI treatment because of lack of efficacy or persistent side effects from another LAI. Possible strategies for the switch to AOM are presented in this expert consensus paper in an attempt to provide guidance throughout the entire switching proces