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Femoral medullary infarction incidence secondary to canine total hip replacement
No full textThe purpose of this study is to define presence and incidence of femoral medullary infarct in
dogs after THR (total hip replacement) surgery using ZCTHR (Zurich Cementless Canine Total
Hip Arthoplasty, Zurich, Switzerland). This study also want to define the appearance, the
extension and predisposition factors of femoral medullary infarct; this study focused the attention
on breed, age, sex and weight at surgery. This study propose also a percentage stadiation of
femoral medullary infarction related to total femoral lenght. Second type of stadiation was
performed thanks to ImageJ program, CBD (calibrated bone density) was calculated to find out
radio opacity intensity of infarction. Results show that males are more than females. Most
frequent age is less than 9 months at surgery. This information and most represented breed agree
with previous veterinary medicine literature. Besides ZCTH do not occupy total femoral canal as
all the other cement sistem do, femoral medullary infarction can be present with this prothesis
Schiume ed emulsioni per applicazioni a terra e nello spazio
No full textMany of the things around us are “Soft Matter”. Soft Matter can form complex, out-of-equilibrium, and marginally stable structures that are extremely interesting from the perspective of fundamental research. Investigating their dynamic and structural properties from the molecular to the macroscopic scale, and then understating the physical mechanisms behind them, is a captivating challenge with significant implications for their exploitation in various technological fields. Multi-phase soft-matter structures where one phase is finely dispersed in another, such as in emulsions or colloidal suspensions, or where there is percolation of two or more immiscible phases, as in bijels or open-cell foams, are primarily characterized by a high surface/interface density. This characteristic makes them ideal systems for applications in synthetic chemistry, catalysis, adsorption or desorption of chemical species, drug delivery. At the same time, the low interaction energies among the constituents of soft matter structures are responsible of properties such as a mechanical response intermediate between solids and liquids, the ability to respond to external stimuli, to self-assembly or to disassembly, etc. As such, soft matter multi-phase structures are intensively studied for the creation of new materials with applications ranging from food to cosmetics and pharmaceutics, as well as in mechanical engineering and aerospace industry.
This thesis is divided into two parts. The first part (sections 1-3) reports on the investigation of solid foams with photocatalytic titania nanoparticles as building blocks, designed to be the basis of high-efficiency photocatalytic oxidation filters for the degradation of contaminants in water and air, upon activation by visible light. My work started from the synthesis of doped titania anatase nanoparticles with custom thermal and optical properties; these were then conjugated with surfactant to form amphiphilic complexes that have been used as building blocks of liquid foams. The liquid foams were then stabilized into “green bodies”, i.e. organic-inorganic solid foams, that were then sintered into a purely inorganic, photocatalytic solid foam. A prototype of photocatalytic filter based on these solid foams is then proposed and tested.
The second part of the thesis (sections 4-8) reports on the study of drop dynamics in marginally stable emulsions in microgravity conditions, in the framework of the project funded by the European Space Agency “Emulsion Dynamics and Droplet Interfaces - EDDI”; this research exploited the “Soft Matter Dynamics” facility onboard the International Space Station [3]. By removing sedimentation/creaming, the microgravity environment decouples and allow to study independently the different destabilization mechanisms in emulsions, such as coalescence, aggregation or Ostwald ripening. In this work, the evolution of the drop population of medium chain triglycerides (MCT) oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by non-ionic surfactant was investigated by Diffusing Wave Spectroscopy, a correlation spectroscopy technique for the study of turbid samples. Two different ageing regimes were identified: an early regime driven by coalescence between small drops, and a later regime characterized by coalescence events between small and large drops
Perinatal exposure to an environmental endocrine disruptors mixture : effects on physiological and neurobehavioural development in CD-1 mice
No full textGli interferenti endocrini (EDC) sono composti chimici presenti in numerosi oggetti di uso quotidiano, ai quali l'essere umano è esposto costantemente. Sebbene numerosi studi abbiano analizzato gli effetti dei singoli EDC, di recente l’attenzione si è spostata sulle miscele, più rappresentative dell’esposizione reale, che possono interagire a livello biochimico generando effetti aggiuntivi sulla salute. Il progetto Life-MILCH ha misurato i livelli di esposizione della diade madre-infante a diversi EDC ambientali e valutato i loro effetti sullo sviluppo fisiologico e neurocomportamentale dei bambini. Sulla base dei risultati del progetto Life-MILCH, abbiamo sviluppato uno studio analogo su modello murino. È stata somministrata una miscela di EDC (LM-Mix) che rispecchia l’esposizione reale della popolazione umana esaminata, in tre diverse concentrazioni (1x, 10x, 100x) a femmine di topo CD-1, a partire dal dodicesimo giorno di gestazione (GD12) fino al termine dell’esperimento. Sono stati valutati il comportamento delle madri (fino al giorno del parto, PND0, e durante l’allattamento) e lo sviluppo fisiologico e neurocomportamentale dei piccoli nei primi 12 giorni postnatali (PND12). I risultati mostrano che l’esposizione perinatale alla miscela di EDC ha influenzato significativamente il comportamento materno spontaneo aumentando la frequenza dei comportamenti rivolti alla cura dei piccoli. Inoltre, nei piccoli, l’esposizione alla miscela ha aumentato i livelli di attaccamento materno e alterato la crescita corporea, con particolare riferimento ai maschi. Gli effetti più marcati sono stati osservati nella concentrazione 10x, mentre alle dosi più alte (100x) si è riscontrato un ritorno verso valori simili al controllo, delineando una curva dose-risposta non monotona, tipica dell’azione degli EDC e, più in generale, dell’attività ormonale. Questi risultati evidenziano il potenziale impatto transgenerazionale dell’esposizione ambientale a miscele di EDC, sottolineando l’importanza di modelli sperimentali realistici nella valutazione del rischio.Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are compounds commonly found in everyday objects, leading to constant human exposure. While the effects of individual EDCs have been widely studied, recent attention has shifted toward mixtures, which more accurately reflect real-world exposure scenarios. These mixtures can interact at the biochemical level, potentially resulting in additive or synergistic effects on health. The Life-MILCH project has assessed environmental exposure to EDCs in mother-child dyads and investigated their effects on infant physiological and neurobehavioral development. Based upon the results of the Life-MILCH project we designed a mouse model study by administering a mixture of EDCs (LM-Mix) mimicking actual environmental exposure levels to CD-1 female mice at three concentrations (1x, 10x, 100x), from gestational day 12 (GD12) until postnatal day 12 (PND12). Maternal behaviour and offspring physiological and behavioural development was assessed. Results showed that perinatal exposure to the EDC mixture significantly affected spontaneous maternal behaviour by increasing the frequency of pup-related caregiving behaviours. Moreover, in their offspring, exposure to the mixture enhanced maternal attachment levels as well as altered body growth, particularly in males. The most pronounced effects were observed at the 10x concentration, while the highest dose (100x) did not affect the observed endpoints, thus indicating a non-monotonic dose–response curve, that is characteristic of EDCs and, more generally, of hormonal activity. These findings highlight the potential transgenerational impact of environmental EDC mixtures and emphasize the need for top-down experimental models in risk assessment
Tolerability and outcome of metronomic chemotherapy in dogs with neoplasia
No full textNegli ultimi decenni in oncologia veterinaria sono emerse nuove alternative terapeutiche. Una di queste è la chemioterapia metronomica (MC), che consiste nella somministrazione orale continua di farmaci chemioterapici a basse dosi per periodi prolungati di tempo (Petrucci et al., 2024). La MC è stata descritta come terapia multitarget, in quanto agisce con diversi effetti su più bersagli tra cui la vascolarizzazione tumorale, la proliferazione delle cellule tumorali, il microambiente tumorale e le cellule immunitarie dell’ospite (Romiti et al., 2017). Gli obiettivi di questo studio retrospettivo erano determinare la tollerabilità e l’outcome della chemioterapia metronomica nei cani affetti da neoplasia, di diverso stadio clinico, trattati presso l’Ospedale Veterinario Universitario Didattico di Parma. Nel seguente studio sono stati inclusi 41 cani selezionati tra quelli trattati dal 1 Novembre 2020 al 1 Luglio 2025. La chemioterapia metronomica è stata impiegata come terapia di prima linea per i cani affetti da neoplasie maligne in fase avanzata; in altri casi è stata somministrata in seguito al fallimento della chemioterapia tradizionale o al rifiuto da parte del proprietario di quest’ultima e di altre opzioni terapeutiche. I farmaci chemioterapici impiegati sono stati la ciclofosfamide somministrata alla dose di 12,5 mg/m2 o il clorambucile somministrato a 4 mg/m2. Questi farmaci sono stati somministrati per via orale ogni 24 ore associati ad un FANS, come meloxicam, somministrato per via orale a 0,1 mg/kg una volta al giorno o a giorni alterni, o piroxicam, somministrato per via orale a 0,3 mg/kg una volta al giorno o a giorni alterni, e alla talidomide utilizzata ad un dosaggio da 2 a 4 mg/kg. Il trattamento è risultato ben tollerato: solo 17 cani hanno presentato effetti avversi lievi, autolimitanti o risolvibili con terapia di supporto. Il tempo di sopravvivenza (OST – Overall Survival Time) mediano dei 41 cani è stato di 210 giorni. L’OST mediano dei cani affetti da tumore rotondocellulare era di 239 giorni, tumore epiteliale era di 232,5 giorni e tumore mesenchimale era di 129 giorni. A causa delle limitazioni del seguente studio, i risultati ottenuti dovrebbero essere considerati preliminari per nuovi studi prospettici. Un obiettivo futuro sarà quello di determinare protocolli metronomici con dosaggi standardizzati ed efficaci per le diverse neoplasie maligne canine. Grazie a studi più approfonditi sarà possibile impiegare la MC come trattamento mirato ad aumentare significativamente le prospettive di sopravvivenza dei cani trattati, selezionando gli istotipi tumorali e lo stadio clinico in cui questa si rivelerà più efficace.In recent decades, new therapeutic alternatives have emerged in veterinary oncology. One of these is metronomic chemotherapy (MC), which involves the continuous oral administration of low-dose chemotherapy drugs for prolonged periods of time (Petrucci et al., 2024). MC has been described as a multitarget therapy, as it acts with different effects on multiple targets, including tumor vasculature, tumor cell proliferation, tumor microenvironment and host immune cells (Romiti et al., 2017). The aims of this retrospective study were to determine the tolerability and outcome of metronomic chemotherapy in dogs with neoplasia, of various clinical stage, treated at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Parma. The following study included 41 dogs selected from those treated between 1st November 2020 and 1st July 2025. Metronomic chemotherapy was employed as a first-line therapy for dogs with advanced-stage malignant neoplasia; in other cases, it was administered following the failure of conventional chemotherapy or the owner’s refusal of it and other therapeutic options. The chemotherapy drugs used were cyclophosphamide, administered at dose of 12.5 mg/m2, or chlorambucil, administered at 4 mg/m2. These drugs were administered orally every 24 hours in combination with an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug), such as meloxicam, administered orally at 0.1 mg/kg once daily or every other day, or piroxicam, administered orally at 0.3 mg/kg once daily or every other day, and thalidomide used at a dose of 2 to 4 mg/kg. The treatment was well tolerated: only 17 dogs experienced mild adverse effects, which were self-limiting or resolvable with supportive care. The median overall survival time (OST) of the 41 dogs was 210 days. The median OST of dogs with round cell tumor was 239 days, epithelial tumor was 232.5 days, and mesenchymal tumor was 129 days. Due to the limitations of the present study, the results obtained should be considered preliminary for further prospective studies. A future goal will be to establish metronomic protocols with standardized and effective dosages for the different types of canine malignant tumors. Thanks to more in-depth studies, it will be possible to use MC as a targeted treatment to significantly increase the survival prospects of treated dogs, by selecting the tumor histotypes and clinical stages in which it will prove most effective
Evaluation of symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) as a biomarker of early kidney damage in common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops runcatus) under human care: a comparative study in three facilities
No full textThe aim of this study was to describe the distribution and variation of renal biomarkers among bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) under human care, namely symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), and establish their correlations with standard markers of renal function. A retrospective observational study on sixteen dolphins was conducted in three European facilities (Acquario di Genova, Mediterraneo Marine Park, Oltremare Riccione), where the individuals were monitored from November 2022 to August 2025. Blood was sampled longitudinally at baseline (T0) and at follow-up visits (T3, T12, T18) during routine voluntary health checks. At baseline, means were: SDMA 14.5 ± 4.8 mg/dl, creatinine 1.62 ± 0.42 mg/dL, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 41.2 ± 6.3 mEq/L, and haematocrit (HCT) 38.0 ± 3.8%. The biomarkers were in the expected range and reflected minimal intra and inter institutional variability. Dolphins with diagnosed nephrolithiasis (n=4) had slightly increased mean creatinine (1.9 vs. 1.5 mg/dl) and SDMA (16.3 vs. 13.9 mg/dl) compared to unaffected animals. Hydration habits were extremely variable with weekly intake of water ranging from 0 to 42 L, but no concurrent changes in renal biomarkers were identified. However, interestingly, in two individual-based evaluations, gelatin supplementation appeared to promote lower and more stable SDMA and creatinine values compared to water, suggesting its potential as an effective hydration strategy under human care. Renal biomarkers, including SDMA, remained stable over time in healthy dolphins in human care with no progression or disease. Also, longitudinal analysis confirmed the stability of all the parameters during the 18- month follow-up, with no evidence of progressive renal dysfunction. Renal biomarkers, including SDMA, remained stable over time in healthy dolphins under human care with no progression or disease. Although the study cannot be accessed to draw conclusions on the diagnostic value of SDMA in renal disease, it provides the first dataset to serve as a reference for future studies. Prospective studies on a larger scale with urinalysis and imaging need to validate SDMA as a renal biomarker in dolphins and establish its clinical application
The language of our ancestors : theories, anatomical-functional basis and the social role of laughter
No full textEsplorando le principali correnti di pensiero riguardo alla genesi delle emozioni, somatica o centrale, e concernenti l’aspetto innato o costruito di esse, delineerò i numerosi studi riguardanti il riconoscimento delle espressioni facciali emozionali, discutendo il dualismo tra espressione comportamentale ed esperienza soggettiva. Successivamente porterò a sostegno dell’ipotesi della continuità filogenetica del riso, derivante dalla ritualizzazione del morso in contesto di gioco, le evidenze provenienti dall’utilizzo del Facial Action Coding System nel coinvolgimento di differenti distretti muscolari in base al contesto e alla ragione per cui una risata è espressa: distinguerò tra riso emozionale e non emozionale. Tale distinzione viene evidenziata sia da un excursus sui territori corticali e sottocorticali implicati a livello cerebrale, sia attraverso la scoperta di due network anatomo-funzionali parzialmente indipendenti riguardanti il riso emozionale e non emozionale. Le ampie possibilità espressive della nostra risata in termini acustici e linguistici riflettono il fatto che essa sia primis una strategia comunicativa utilizzata prima dell’avvento del codice linguistico sia a livello filogenetico che ontogenetico. Tuttavia, il senso primario della sua espressione è di rassicurare l’Altro che la situazione è sicura: la teoria dell’interazione sociale considera il riso come la chiave per promuovere relazioni affiliative. Questo avviene tramite i sistemi specchio della risata, di cui il fenomeno di mimica facciale rapida è un chiaro esempio. Il centro principale del sistema di risonanza emozionale, la corteccia cingolata anteriore (ACC), è connesso al sistema degli oppioidi. L’attivazione di ACC è suscitata dall’osservazione della risata altrui e provoca in noi il pattern motorio del riso, mediante risonanza motoria, ma anche la componente soggettiva di gioia; inoltre aumenta il rilascio di oppioidi la cui azione contribuisce a rinforzare il legame sociale tra individui. Exploring the main theoretical perspectives on the origins of emotions—whether somatic or central—and their innate or constructed nature, I will outline numerous studies on the recognition of emotional facial expressions, discussing the dualism between behavioral expression and subjective experience. I will then support the hypothesis of the phylogenetic continuity of laughter, which originates from the ritualization of play biting, by presenting evidence from the use of the Facial Action Coding System. This evidence highlights the involvement of different muscle groups depending on the context and the reason why laughter is expressed, distinguishing between emotional and non-emotional laughter. This distinction is emphasized both through an analysis of the cortical and subcortical areas involved at the brain level and through the discovery of two partially independent anatomo-functional networks related to emotional and non-emotional laughter. The extensive expressive possibilities of human laughter in both acoustic and linguistic terms reflect its primary role as a communicative strategy, employed before the emergence of linguistic coding at both the phylogenetic and ontogenetic levels. However, the primary function of laughter is to reassure others that a situation is safe. The social interaction theory considers laughter as a key mechanism for fostering affiliative relationships. This is achieved through the mirror systems of laughter, with rapid facial mimicry being a clear example. The main center of the emotional resonance system, the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), is connected to the opioid system. The activation of the ACC is triggered by observing others’ laughter, inducing both the motor pattern of laughter, through motor resonance, and the subjective experience of joy. Additionally, it increases the release of opioids, whose effects contribute to strengthening social bonds between individuals
Sorveglianza epidemiologica dell’influenza aviaria negli anatidi selvatici in Lombardia nelle stagioni venatorie 2023 2024 e 2024-2025.
No full textAvian influenza viruses (AIV) pose a continuous challenge to animal and public health due to their
broad host range, high capacity for genetic reassortment, and ability to spread across long
distances through migratory birds. Lombardy is a region of Northern Italy with high density of
poultry farms, and vicinity to wetland environment that make her a high-risk region for the
introduction and spread of avian influenza virus. This study focuses on the active surveillance of
hunted Anatidae in this region, during the 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 hunting seasons providing
an updated overview of the circulation of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in these species.
The sample collected were analysed by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della
Lomobardia e Emilia Romagna (IZSLER) by Real Time RT-PCR assays targeting gene M for influenza
A as well as gene H5 and H7. Positive samples were sequenced by Next Generation Sequencing
(NGS) method with particular attention to H5 and H7, and this were after confirmed by the
Reference centre IZS delle Venezie.
A total of 3,543 cloacal swabs were collected, with 5,92% of positive samples, further subtyped
and sequenced, divided in 5,53% for the first season, and 6,35% for the second one. The results
revealed that Teal (Anas crecca) and Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) were the most frequently
sampled species and confirmed their role as key reservoirs: Teal showed a stable positivity of
around 6% in both seasons, while Mallards increased from 2.8% in 2023–2024 to 7.3% in 2024
2025. AIV prevalence was highest at the beginning of each hunting season, consistent with the
arrival of migratory, immunologically naïve birds, and decreased in the following months.
A remarkable diversity of 25 subtypes was identified, with Mallards hosting up to nine subtypes
and Teal seven, supporting their role as “mixing vessels” that sustain subtype diversity and create
opportunities for reassortment. Interestingly, the 2023–2024 season was dominated by LPAI
subtypes (H5N2, H5N3), whereas in 2024–2025 the emergence of H5N1 HPAI (18% prevalence)
marked a shift in trend.
These findings confirm the value of hunted Anatidae as effective sentinels for avian influenza
surveillance and demonstrate the importance of active monitoring in complementing passive
surveillance confirming Lombardy as a high-risk area for AIV introduction and highlight the need
for targeted surveillance plan
Head trauma in cats: computed tomography findings and neurological assessment
No full textIl trauma cranico ha alti tassi di mortalità e morbidità ed è una lesione comune nei gatti. Le cause più frequenti di trauma includono incidenti stradali, cadute dall’alto e morsi di cane. Durante il trauma cranico (TBI), possono verificarsi lesioni focali o diffuse nel parenchima cerebrale. Le tecniche di imaging, in particolare la tomografia computerizzata (TC), sono essenziali per diagnosticare il TBI, con la TC che rappresenta il gold standard. Lo scopo di questo studio è analizzare le TC dei pazienti con trauma cranico per identificare le fratture ossee e determinare se esiste un pattern nella distribuzione delle fratture del cranio. I risultati sono stati poi confrontati con i segni neurologici osservati durante gli esami clinici e le risposte fornite dai proprietari tramite un questionario sulla qualità di vita dei propri animali. Il secondo obiettivo è esaminare la correlazione tra le lesioni cerebrali, la risoluzione dei segni neurologici iniziali e lo sviluppo di nuove condizioni nel tempo. Lo studio ha coinvolto 42 pazienti per l’analisi delle fratture craniche e 23 per la valutazione neurologica. La distribuzione delle fratture ha rivelato che il 90,5% dei gatti aveva fratture facciali. Nonostante la protezione offerta dalle ossa, il cervello subisce lesioni di diversa gravità e altri organi, in particolare gli occhi, sono anch'essi coinvolti. Non sono stati segnalati casi di convulsioni. In conclusione, i risultati suggeriscono che le fratture più comuni si verificano nelle ossa facciali, grazie all'anatomia unica del cranio felino. Tuttavia, non è stata riscontrata una correlazione tra le fratture e gli esiti neurologici. Inoltre, sembra che l'osso pterigoideo agisca come una struttura protettiva, poiché i gatti con fratture del pterigoideo non hanno mostrato lesioni cerebrali. Nei pazienti sopravvissuti, i segni neurologici iniziali tendono a risolversi nel tempo, mentre le crisi epilettiche a non comparire. Sono necessari ulteriori studi per convalidare questi risultati.Head trauma has high mortality and morbidity rates and is a common injury in cats. The most frequent causes of trauma include road traffic accidents, falls from height, and dog bite wounds. During traumatic brain injury (TBI), focal or diffuse lesions may occur in the brain parenchyma. Imaging techniques, particularly computed tomography (CT), are essential for diagnosing TBI, with CT being the gold standard. This study aims to analyze CT scans of patients with head trauma to identify bone fractures and determine if there is a pattern in the distribution of skull fractures. The findings were then compared with neurological signs observed during clinical exams and owners’ responses to a quality-of-life questionnaire regarding their cat. The second aim is to examine the correlation between brain lesions, the resolution of initial neurological signs, and the development of any new conditions over time. The study involved 42 patients for the cranial fracture analysis and 23 patients for the neurological assessment. The distribution of fractures revealed that 90,5% of the cats had facial fractures. Despite the protection offered by the bones, the brain sustains injuries of varying severity, and other organs, especially the eyes, are also affected. No cases of seizures were reported. In conclusion, the results suggest that facial bone fractures are the most common, likely due to the unique anatomy of the feline skull. However, no correlation was found between fractures and neurological outcomes. Additionally, the pterygoid bone appears to act as a protective structure, as cats with pterygoid fractures did not exhibit brain lesions. In surviving patients, initial neurological signs tend to resolve over time, while seizures do not occur. Further studies are needed to validate these findings
Correlati anatomici e funzionali del deficit di memoria episodica post infezione da SARS-CoV-2
No full textWhen reflecting on the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, much of the focus is often placed on its impact and consequences on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems (with the common symptoms at the onset of the disease being fever, dry cough and fatigue). However, numerous studies conducted over the past five years have highlighted that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a wide range of sensory and motor symptoms, as well as sequelae affecting both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) (Guedes, 2022). These symptoms persist even after the resolution of the infection (Amadoro, Latina, Stigliano, and Micera, 2023). Furthermore, many patients have reported various cognitive impairments, which are often attributed to brain dam
age (Generoso et al., 2021). The question of whether these symptoms represent a direct consequence of the infection or, as suggested by some studies (Needham et al., 2022), the result of an autoimmune response remains unresolved. Furthermore, it has been proposed that a combination of both factors could be responsible for the observed pathology (Hu, Jolkkonen, and Zhao, 2020).
While it is well-established that some of these issues stem from the psychological effects of social isolation and pandemic-related stress (Vindegaard and Benros, 2020; Orrù et al., 2023), neurological damage has also been observed in a significant number of patients (Manca, De Marco, Ince, and Venneri, 2021; Moretti et al., 2021; Shan et al., 2022) even several months after infection (Wood and Sargent, 2024). Although the exact causal relationship between neurological damage and SARS-CoV-2 infection — and the mechanisms through which the virus induces these effects — remains unclear, several hypotheses have been proposed (Awan et al., 2021; Voruz et al., 2023). One of the most concerning cognitive impairments involves memory deficits, which have been reported by a large proportion of patients. While many of these issues relate to working memory or short-term memory, complaints related to long-term episodic memory (Aiello et al., 2022), particularly in individuals with what is commonly referred to as "long COVID" or "post-COVID-19 syndrome" (Lechner-Scott, Levy, Hawkes, Yeh, and Giovannoni, 2021; Premraj et al., 2022) (a term used to describe lingering effects of the infection months after recovery), are especially noteworthy.
The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection on episodic memory in a 62-year-old man who contracted the infection in 2020 and has been experiencing difficulties since. In particular, the patient has exhibited retrograde episodic memory impairment affecting personal events and experiences occurring approximately between 2015 and 2020. This thesis is structured into four main sections. The first two chapters introduces the topic, reviewing the relevant literature and discussing key findings from a comprehensive bibliographic search. Specifically, the first chapter focuses on the neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 and neuroinflammation, while the second chapter reviews the current state of research on memory. The third chapter presents the clinical case under investigation, outlining the methodology employed and the analyses conducted to support the research. Finally, the fourth chapter presents the conclusions drawn from the study, addressing its limitations and suggesting potential directions for future research.Quando si riflette sulla pandemia di COVID-19 del 2020, gran parte dell'attenzione viene spesso rivolta al suo impatto e alle sue conseguenze sui sistemi respiratorio e cardiovascolare (con i sintomi comuni all'esordio della malattia rappresentati da febbre, tosse secca e affaticamento). Tuttavia, numerosi studi condotti negli ultimi cinque anni hanno evidenziato che l'infezione da SARS-CoV-2 è associata a un'ampia gamma di sintomi sensoriali e motori, nonché a sequele che coinvolgono sia il sistema nervoso centrale (SNC) sia il sistema nervoso periferico (SNP) (Guedes, 2022). Questi sintomi persistono anche dopo la risoluzione dell’infezione (Amadoro, Latina, Stigliano e Micera, 2023). Inoltre, molti pazienti hanno riferito vari deficit cognitivi, spesso attribuiti a danni cerebrali (Generoso et al., 2021). Resta ancora irrisolta la questione se tali sintomi rappresentino una conseguenza diretta dell’infezione o, come suggerito da alcuni studi (Needham et al., 2022), siano il risultato di una risposta autoimmune. È stato inoltre ipotizzato che una combinazione di entrambi i fattori possa essere responsabile della patologia osservata (Hu, Jolkkonen e Zhao, 2020).
Sebbene sia ormai ben noto che alcuni di questi disturbi derivano dagli effetti psicologici dell’isolamento sociale e dello stress legato alla pandemia (Vindegaard e Benros, 2020; Orrù et al., 2023), in un numero significativo di pazienti sono stati riscontrati anche danni neurologici (Manca, De Marco, Ince e Venneri, 2021; Moretti et al., 2021; Shan et al., 2022), anche a diversi mesi di distanza dall’infezione (Wood e Sargent, 2024). Sebbene la relazione causale esatta tra i danni neurologici e l’infezione da SARS-CoV-2 — e i meccanismi attraverso i quali il virus induce tali effetti — resti ancora poco chiara, sono state avanzate diverse ipotesi (Awan et al., 2021; Voruz et al., 2023). Uno dei disturbi cognitivi più preoccupanti riguarda i deficit di memoria, riportati da una grande percentuale di pazienti. Sebbene molti di questi problemi siano legati alla memoria di lavoro o alla memoria a breve termine, sono particolarmente degne di nota le segnalazioni relative alla memoria episodica a lungo termine (Aiello et al., 2022), in particolare nei soggetti affetti da quella che viene comunemente definita "long COVID" o "sindrome post-COVID-19" (Lechner-Scott, Levy, Hawkes, Yeh e Giovannoni, 2021; Premraj et al., 2022), termine usato per descrivere gli effetti persistenti dell’infezione a distanza di mesi dalla guarigione.
L’obiettivo di questo studio è indagare le conseguenze a lungo termine dell’infezione da SARS-CoV-2 sulla memoria episodica in un uomo di 62 anni che ha contratto l’infezione nel 2020 e da allora presenta difficoltà. In particolare, il paziente ha mostrato un deficit della memoria episodica retrograda che riguarda eventi e esperienze personali avvenuti approssimativamente tra il 2015 e il 2020. Questa tesi è strutturata in quattro sezioni principali. I primi due capitoli introducono l’argomento, esaminando la letteratura di riferimento e discutendo i risultati principali emersi da un’approfondita ricerca bibliografica. Nello specifico, il primo capitolo si concentra sul neurotropismo del SARS-CoV-2 e sulla neuroinfiammazione, mentre il secondo capitolo presenta lo stato attuale della ricerca sulla memoria. Il terzo capitolo espone il caso clinico oggetto di studio, descrivendo la metodologia adottata e le analisi condotte a supporto della ricerca. Infine, il quarto capitolo presenta le conclusioni tratte dallo studio, affrontandone i limiti e suggerendo possibili direzioni per future indagini
Metodi topologici e capacitari per disuguaglianze di Poincaré
No full textThis thesis is devoted to prove characterizations of the validity of Poincaré-type inequalities on general open sets in the euclidean space. In the super-conformal case, i.e. when points are not removable sets, the finiteness of the inradius of an open set turns out to be alone a necessary and sufficient condition for the Poincarè inequality to hold. In the planar case, this condition is sufficient for open sets with prescribed topology. A similar characterization is still valid in arbitrary dimension and for a general open set, when the points are removable sets, by using the capacitary inradius, in place of the usual one. In the first two situations, we prove a geometric lower bound on the sharp Poincaré-Sobolev embedding constants associated to an open set, in terms of its inradius. In the sub-conformal case, we prove a two--sided estimate on the sharp Poincaré-Sobolev constants of a general open set, in terms of its capacitary inradius. This extends a result by Maz'ya and Shubin, originally proved for the case p=2.Questa tesi è dedicata a dimostrare caratterizzazioni della validità di disuguaglianze di tipo Poincaré su insiemi aperti generali nello spazio euclideo. Nel caso superconforme, ovvero quando i punti non sono insiemi rimovibili, la finitezza dell'inradius di un insieme aperto risulta essere da sola una condizione necessaria e sufficiente affinché la disuguaglianza di Poincaré sia valida. Nel caso planare, questa condizione è sufficiente per insiemi aperti con topologia prescritta. Una caratterizzazione simile è ancora valida in dimensione arbitraria e per un insieme aperto generale, quando i punti sono insiemi rimovibili, utilizzando l'inradius capacitario, al posto di quello usuale. Nelle prime due situazioni, dimostriamo una stima dal basso geometrica sulle costanti di immersione di Poincaré-Sobolev ottime associate a un insieme aperto, in termini del suo raggio interno. Nel caso subconforme, dimostriamo una stima bilatera sulle costanti ottime di Poincaré-Sobolev di un insieme aperto generale, in termini del suo inradius capacitario. Ciò estende un risultato di Maz'ya e Shubin, originariamente dimostrato per il caso p=2