Archivi d'impresa: infrastrutture e fabbriche dell'Impresa Budini-Gattai

Fra le imprese che hanno operato nel panorama toscano del XIX secolo, molte hanno lasciato testimonianze evidenti nel quadro del costruito. Tuttavia solo di alcune si conosce la storia. È il problema della misura dell’impegno di operatori, non di primo piano, nell’universo edilizio regionale. La ditta Gattai, poi società Gattai-Budini, si colloca proprio in questo contesto. L’azienda svolgeva la propria attività prevalentemente in ambito infrastrutturale - ha realizzato, fra gli altri, porzioni dei Lungarni fiorentini ed una tratta della ferrovia per Faenza -, ma costruito anche edifici nell’ambito della ristrutturazione poggiana di Firenze. Dall’analisi di prima mano dei suoi archivi, oltre che da ricerche bibliografiche mirate, si è potuto ricostruire non solo la storia, ma anche la modalità di progettazione, di esecuzione e di gestione di molte opere edili del fine Ottocento

Verso un’architettura della luce: la “lucicultura” in Italia negli anni ’20

Negli anni ’20 anche in Italia, progresso scientifico e avanzamenti tecnologici in campo illumino-tecnico sono maturi per avviare un più consapevole approccio al “progetto luce” in architettura, superando l’empirismo delle prime applicazioni. La disponibilità di nuovi apparecchi e lampade sempre più potenti ed efficienti, unita ad una approfondita conoscenza dei fattori della visione e dei fenomeni percettivi, consente di sviluppare metodologie di progettazione strettamente integrate in teoria e prassi. Agli iniziali scopi utilitaristici degli impianti di illuminazione, concepiti esclusivamente per migliorare la sicurezza stradale o il comfort degli spazi per abitare e del lavoro, si sovrappongono istanze simboliche ed evocative, giungendo ad immaginare installazioni con un effetto puramente decorativo, in continuità con le idee di illuminazione effimera dei monumenti già sviluppate nel corso dell’Ottocento. Negli ambienti scientifici e professionali il dibattito si concentra sul concetto di ”illuminazione razionale” e sulle molteplici problematiche che il progetto illumino-tecnico pone. La promozione della “cultura della luce”, o come viene definita la “lucicultura”, trova così impegnati molti tecnici e amministratori con mostre, articoli di ampia divulgazione ed esperimenti pubblici in luoghi urbani. Con tale obiettivo nasce anche in Italia un’Associazione Nazionale per lo Sviluppo dell’Illuminazione. Il presente lavoro intende approfondire proprio il passaggio dalla pratica empirica delle prime applicazioni illumino-tecniche, all’individuazione di una rigorosa sistematica progettuale basata su una “idea-luce”. Un vario repertorio di metodi per la soluzione di problemi tecnici, funzionali e scenici vengono messi a punto di volta in volta, sulla base di differenti modellazione dei fenomeni luminosi a carattere analitico, grafico, ecc.. È l’avvio di quella progressiva definizione dei fondamenti disciplinari dell’illumino-tecnica moderna, articolata nel duplice approccio del “progetto della luce per l’architettura” e del “progetto di architetture per la luce”

Daytime sleepiness in de novo untreated patients with epilepsy.

The aims of our study were to evaluate excessive daytime sleepiness in a group of de novo untreated people with epilepsy using a comprehensive and standardized approach, including subjective evaluation and neurophysiological and performance tests, and to compare these results with those obtained in a control group. Forty-seven patients with epilepsy (17 affected by primary generalized epilepsy and 30 by partial epilepsy), with a new epilepsy diagnosis and never treated, and 44 controls underwent Multiple Sleep Latency Test (preceded by nocturnal polysomnography), simple/complex visual reaction times, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale evaluation. Newly diagnosed and drug-free patients with epilepsy did not differ from controls in any of the tests performed to evaluate daytime sleepiness. In clinical practice, daytime sleepiness is a well-known and frequent complaint of patients with epilepsy, but different mechanisms and causes, such as associated psychiatric or sleep disorders, nocturnal seizures, sleep fragmentation, and antiepileptic drugs, must be taken into account. Excessive daytime sleepiness should not be considered an unavoidable consequence of epilepsy. Thus, a complete diagnostic work-up in patients with epilepsy and sleepiness should be undertaken whenever possible

Gly482Ser PGC-1α gene polymorphism and exercise-related oxidative stress in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients

The role of exercise in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) pathogenesis is controversial and unclear. Exercise induces a pleiotropic adaptive response in skeletal muscle, largely through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), a transcriptional coactivator that regulates mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidant defense mechanisms. It has been suggested that a Gly482Ser substitution in PGC-1α has functional relevance in human disorders and in athletic performance. To test this hypothesis, we examined the genotype distribution of PGC-1α Gly482Ser (1444 G > A) in ALS patients to evaluate whether or not the minor serine-encoding allele 482Ser is involved in oxidative stress responses during physical exercise. We genotyped 197 sporadic ALS patients and 197 healthy controls in order to detect differences in allelic frequencies and genotype distribution between the two groups. A total of 74 ALS patients and 65 controls were then comparatively assessed for plasmatic levels of the oxidative stress biomarkers, advanced oxidation protein products, ferric reducing ability and thiol groups. In addition a subgroup of 35 ALS patients were also assessed for total SOD and catalase plasmatic activity. Finally in 28 ALS patients we evaluated the plasmatic curve of the oxidative stress biomarkers and lactate during an incremental exercise test. No significant differences were observed in the genotype distribution and allelic frequency in ALS patients compared to the controls. We found significant increased advanced oxidation protein products (p A SNP, ALS patients with Gly482Ser allelic variant show increased exercise-related oxidative stress. This thus highlights the possible role of this antioxidant defense transcriptional coactivator in ALS

Excessive daytime sleepiness in myotonic dystrophy: a narrative review

IntroductionExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a common and debilitating symptom in both forms of myotonic dystrophy (DM), significantly impacting patients’ quality of life. The review focuses on the purpose of examining the current understanding of EDS in these conditions, the difficulty in correctly accessing it, the recent findings related to its etiology and prevalence, and a summary of potential therapeutic implications.MethodsWe conducted a comprehensive search through PubMed, selecting studies that provided significant insights into the mechanisms, prevalence, and management of EDS in DM1 and DM2.Results and discussionEDS is highly prevalent in both DM1 and DM2. Polysomnographic studies have revealed prominent dysregulation of REM sleep in DM1, suggesting a possible narcoleptic-like phenotype and alterations in NREM sleep that contributes to daytime sleepiness. Other factors have been proposed to explain EDS in DM1, including dysregulation of the sleep-wake circadian rhythm through nocturnal actigraphy analysis. The central origin of EDS is increasingly delineated supported by serotonin and orexin pathways dysfunction, and recent neuroradiological findings showing that in DM1 hippocampus volume was positively correlated with self-reported fatigue and somnolence. Sleep-disordered breathing and respiratory dysfunctions are prevalent in DM, their direct correlation with EDS remains complex and inconclusive, but respiratory evaluation should be recommended if obstructive sleep apneas or respiratory muscle dysfunctions are suspected. Drug interventions, such as modafinil and mexiletine, have shown promise in managing excessive daytime sleepiness and reducing myotonia without significant cardiac conduction effects. Enhancing EDS management in myotonic dystrophy is key to improving overall patient well-being

Sleep quality, chronotypes and preferential timing of attacks in migraine without aura

Abstract Clinical observations show that migraine attacks have a seasonal, menstrual and circadian timing, suggesting a role of chronobiological mechanisms and their alterations in the disease, but little experimental data exists about this issue. The aim of this study was to estimate sleep quality chronotypes and the possible circadian timing of attacks in migraneurs. One hundred patients suffering from migraine without aura according to the IHS criteria (2004), and 30 controls were enrolled. Morning and evening type subjects were more represented in migraine patients than in controls and showed a tendency towards worse sleep quality and higher disability. Forty-two percent of migraineurs presented more than 75% of their attacks at night. Morning and evening types rather than intermediate and differences between real and preferred times may represent stressors that can worsen the disease. A preferential timing for occurrence of migraine attacks during the night and early morning hours was documented

L'insonnia nella Medicina del Lavoro

La pubblicazione riporta alcune esperienze relative alla valutazione dell'insonnia in presenza di alcune attività lavorative a rischi

Quantitative EEG analysis in post-traumatic anosmia

Many objective and quantitative methods have been developed to create a procedure or a device to prove, describe and quantify olfactory deficit and anosmia, especially after a head trauma. Electrophysiological testing throughout olfactoelectroencephalography (olfactoEEG) is based on brain activity desynchronisation, and on the subsequent disappearance of alpha activity on the posterior regions after an olfactory stimulus. Yet traditional evaluation of EEG can be difficult, because of little or hardly detectable alpha activity on the posterior regions ('alpha rare'). The aim of this study was to evaluate the Olfactory Stop Reaction (OSR) by means of frequency band power calculation and subsequent topographical mapping in patients with post-traumatic anosmia, who presented 'alpha rare' EEG. Twenty-five consecutive patients, affected by anosmia caused by head trauma, were submitted to an EEG recording with olfactory stimulation. After signal processing and analysis, an Olfactory Stop Reaction was detected in 17 out of 25 patients; moreover, in these patients we detected a significant decrease in alpha band power in the occipital regions and an increase in theta band power on midline frontal and central regions after olfactory stimulation. In the remaining eight patients, no significant variation in band power was observed. In conclusion, an objective evaluation of the olfactory function with this method of automatic EEG signal analysis allows the limits given by psychophysical methods and traditional EEG to be overcome and attempts to fulfil the requirements for standardization of olfactory function evalution

Psychological well-being of patients with insomnia and its relationship with anxiety and depression

The aims of the present study are to evaluate the impact of insomnia on psychological well-being and to examine the associations of insomnia and psychological well-being with anxiety and depression. Forty-one patients attending our hospital-based Centre for sleep medicine were administered scales for the evaluation of insomnia (ISI), anxiety (STAI-Y), depression (BDI-II) and psychological well-being (PWB). The scores were compared to those of a control group of 68 subjects attending the hospital for routine examinations or as accompanying persons. Significant differences between patients and controls were detected for anxiety and depression, as well as for psychological well-being. Even if subclinical on average, anxiety and depression symptoms were significantly related to poor psychological well-being, whereas insomnia per se was not. These findings suggest that patients with insomnia report a relevant impact on their psychological well-being, and that such an impact seems to be strongly associated with concomitant subthreshold symptoms of anxiety and depression. The implications for diagnosis and treatment are discussed

Trombofilia e disordini autoimmuni in gravidanza: implicazioni sull’outcome gravidico

Il ritardo di crescita intrauterino (IUGR) può essere associato sia a patologia materna (abuso di sostanze, ipertensione arteriosa) sia a patologia fetale (gravidanza multipla, infezioni, malformazioni); tuttavia spesso la causa rimane sconosciuta. Probabilmente essa è in questi casi da ricercarsi in un anomalo sviluppo placentare con conseguente insufficienza vascolare causata da fattori immunologici che inducono una placentazione anomala, da una vascolopatia associata a ipertensione cronica o diabete mellito o, secondo studi recenti, da uno stato trombofilico. L’ipotesi è che mutazioni che predispongono a trombosi (mutazione del fattore V di Leiden, mutazione del fattore II, polimorfismo della metiltetraidrofolato-reduttasi, deficit di antitrombina III e delle proteine C e S, anticorpi anticardiolipina) sarebbero associate a severe complicazioni ostetriche, come IUGR, pre-eclampsia, morte endouterina fetale e distacco placentare. La sola metodica diagnostica di IUGR è l’ecografia, che permette il calcolo della biometria valutando la crescita fetale, associata alla flussimetria Doppler dei vasi ombelicali e di altri distretti circolatori, come quello cerebrale, per evidenziare un eventuale impegno emodinamico e/o la presenza di ischemie distrettuali. Nel caso riportato abbiamo valutato in IUGR precoce l’importanza, anche in presenza di un profilo coagulativo normale ed anamnesi negativa per tromboembolismo, della ricerca non solo delle mutazioni in omo- ed eterozigosi dei fattori della coagulazione più comuni (fattore V di Leiden, protrombina G20210, MTHFR), ma anche dei polimorfismi genetici finora noti associati a trombofilia (mutazioni del fattore XIII V34L e del B-fibrinogeno-4SS G>A, genotipi PI-1 4G/4G e HPA con polimorfismo 1°/1b) e del profilo autoimmune (anticorpi antifosfolipidi ed anticardiolipina)