67 research outputs found
The mark beyond the point of the pencil / Sulla punta della matita il segno
No full textIl testo è incentrato sul tema del disegno e della rappresentazione del progetto di architettura, e più in particolare del disegno a mano libera, dello schizzo come essenziale strumento di progettazione, e del rapporto tra disegno a mano libera e disegno digitale.
Il volume in cui è stato pubblicato raccoglie oltre quattrocento disegni e schizzi donati da architetti di tutto il mondo al Fondo Ambiente Italiano in omaggio a Piero Portaluppi. I disegni sono stati esposti a Villa Necchi-Campiglio e in Triennale nel maggio 2009, poi messi all’asta per raccogliere fondi per finanziare le attività del FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano).
Nel volume vi sono testi sul tema del disegno di architettura, di Stefano Boeri, Giulia Maria Mozzoni Crespi, Francesca Serrazanetti, Marco Muscogiuri, Gabriele Neri, Matteo Schubert
Sketching Urbano. Visione, percezione aptica e narrazione della città che cambia / Urban Sketching, Vision, Haptic perpeption and Narration of the Changing City
No full textThis article focuses on freehand sketching and on the increasingly popular phenomenon of "Urban Sketching". The author places the topic in the broader scenario of the ‘rediscovery’ of freehand drawing and describes some of the main events associated with this trend (including Sketchmob, an event he has organised for many years). He also illustrates some of its inherent characteristics from the point of view of phenomenology of perception and cognitive neurosciences. These collective practices succeed in creating an original interpretation and shared narrative capable of not only merging the intimate and yet also public dimension of urban spaces, but also finding alternative ways to describe the complex reality of contemporary cities
Progettare per gli utenti, progettare con gli utenti.
No full textThe article illustrates the importance and the role that Community Planning methods can play in defining innovative functional program of public libraries, also reporting the experience of the project of a branch library to be built in the Lorenteggio district of Milan. In fact, the author has drawn up
the project guidelines of this library, starting from the local community consultation work (carried out by ABCittà). The focus of the article is the idea that it would be useful to move from designing public libraries for the users to design public libraries together with the user
Nel segno di Francesco De Sanctis: Di alcuni caratteri meno popolari della Divina Commedia di Francesco Muscogiuri
No full textEnThis paper examines a short essay by Francesco Muscogiuri, entitled Di alcuni caratteri meno popolari della Divina Commedia, published in Florence in 1889. Here the author, who had been a pupil of Francesco De Sanctis at the University of Naples, analyzes three figures from Dante's poem, Guido da Montefeltro, Belacqua and Piccarda Donati, trying to highlight their "characters". The essay retraces the main points of this study, which deserves to be remembered in the panorama of Dante's criticism of the late nineteenth century because it is one of the few who remain faithful to the method and overall interpretation of the Commedia offered by De Sanctis in a period of clear prevalence of the "historical school", as we try to demonstrate.ItIl presente articolo prende in esame un volumetto di Francesco Muscogiuri, dal titolo Di alcuni caratteri meno popolari della Divina Commedia, pubblicato a Firenze nel 1889. Qui l'autore, che era stato allievo di Francesco De Sanctis presso l'Università di Napoli, analizza tre figure del poema dantesco, Guido da Montefeltro, Belacqua e Piccarda Donati, cercando di metterne in evidenza i "caratteri". Nel saggio si ripercorrono i punti principali di questo studio, che merita di essere ricordato nel panorama della critica dantesca dell'ultimo Ottocento perché è uno dei pochi che si mantengono fedeli al metodo e all'interpretazione complessivo della Commedia offerta dal De Sanctis in un periodo di netta prevalenza della "scuola storica", come si cerca di dimostrare
Impact of a Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) on Changes in Handgrip Strength in Women with Obesity
No full textThe preservation of muscle mass, which is positively associated with muscle strength, has been included among the benefits of ketogenic diets due to the synergistic effects exerted by the reduction in visceral adipose tissue and obesity-related pro-inflammatory status. The handgrip strength (HGS) test is widely used as a single indicator to represent overall muscle strength. The possible association of changes in HGS in patients with obesity during the consumption of a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) has not yet been investigated. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the efficacy of VLCKD on promoting changes in HGS and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, as a serological marker of obesity-related, low-grade inflammation, in a population of women with obesity after 45 days of active phase of the VLCKD. This pilot, uncontrolled, single-center, open-label clinical trial examined 247 Caucasian women, aged 18–51 years (body mass index, BMI: 30.0–50.9 kg/m2) who were consecutively enrolled following 45 days of active phase the VLCKD. Anthropometric measures and physical activity were evaluated. Muscle strength was measured by HGS using a grip strength dynamometer. Body composition was evaluated using a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) phase-sensitive system. hs-CRP levels were determined by nephelometric assay. Adherence to the VLCKD, ketosis status, and physical activity were checked weekly by phone call. At day 45, BMI, fat mass (FM), and hs-CRP levels were significantly decreased (∆-7.5 ± 3.1%, ∆-15.6 ± 9.0%, and ∆-39.9 ± 44.6%; respectively; p < 0.001 for all three parameters), while HGS had increased (∆+17.4 ± 13.2%; p < 0.001). After adjusting for ∆BMI, ∆waist circumference, ∆hs-CRP levels, and physical activity, the correlation among changes in ∆HGS (kg), ∆FM (kg), and ∆ fat free mass (FFM) (kg) remained statistically significant (r = −0.331, and r = 0.362, respectively; p < 0.001). Interestingly, the correlation between ∆HGS with ∆FM (r = −0.288, p < 0.001) and ∆FFM (r = 0.395, p < 0.001) were also independent of the percentage of weight loss. We are the first to report that, along with a significant reduction in body weight and an overall improvement in body composition and inflammatory status, the muscle strength evaluated by the HGS test increased in a population of women with obesity after 45 days of the active phase of the VLCKD, also following adjustment for common confounding variables
Harnessing the Synergy of SGLT2 Inhibitors and Continuous Ketone Monitoring (CKM) in Managing Heart Failure among Patients with Type 1 Diabetes
No full text: Heart failure (HF) management in type 1 diabetes (T1D) is particularly challenging due to its increased prevalence and the associated risks of hospitalization and mortality, driven by diabetic cardiomyopathy. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-is) offer a promising avenue for treating HF, specifically the preserved ejection fraction variant most common in T1D, but their utility is hampered by the risk of euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This review investigates the potential of SGLT2-is in T1D HF management alongside emergent Continuous Ketone Monitoring (CKM) technology as a means to mitigate DKA risk through a comprehensive analysis of clinical trials, observational studies, and reviews. The evidence suggests that SGLT2-is significantly reduce HF hospitalization and enhance cardiovascular outcomes. However, their application in T1D patients remains limited due to DKA concerns. CKM technology emerges as a crucial tool in this context, offering real-time monitoring of ketone levels, which enables the safe incorporation of SGLT2-is into treatment regimes by allowing for early detection and intervention in the development of ketosis. The synergy between SGLT2-is and CKM has the potential to revolutionize HF treatment in T1D, promising improved patient safety, quality of life, and reduced HF-related morbidity and mortality. Future research should aim to employ clinical trials directly assessing this integrated approach, potentially guiding new management protocols for HF in T1D
Evening chronotype is associated with hormonal and metabolic disorders in polycystic ovary syndrome
No full text: Despite current treatments for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a considerable number of women with this syndrome do not reach the treatment goal, suggesting the presence of other probable misdiagnosed features of this syndrome that are not taken into account in the assessment and therefore in the therapeutical approach. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of chronotype categories in women with PCOS and their role in determining hormonal and metabolic aspects of PCOS. This observational case-control study was conducted on 112 women with PCOS and 112 healthy women matched for age and body mass index (BMI). At baseline anthropometric parameters such as weight, height, BMI and waist circumference, clinical parameters such as Ferriman-Gallwey (FG) score, biochemical parameters such as fasting plasma glucose, insulin levels and assessment of the homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HoMA-IR), inflammatory parameters such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and hormonal parameters such as testosterone levels were evaluated. Women with PCOS had a lower chronotype score (p < .001) which indicates a higher prevalence of evening chronotype (EC) category (p = .037) compared to controls. After adjustment for BMI, chronotype score was significantly negatively correlated with CRP levels (r = -0.418, p < .001), testosterone levels (r = -0.543, p < .001) and FG score (r = -0.514, p < .001). Linear regression analysis showed that high testosterone levels were among the factors most associated with a lower chronotype score (p < .001), followed by BMI (p < .001) and HoMA-IR (p < .05). In conclusion, there is a higher prevalence of EC in women with PCOS than in women without the condition, which in turn was associated with a worse hormonal and metabolic profile. These findings provide support for the relevance of including chronotype assessment in the treatment of women with PCOS
Phase Angle as an Easy Diagnostic Tool of Meta-Inflammation for the Nutritionist
No full textPhase angle (PhA), a noninvasive bioimpedance marker, is a useful tool for nutritional screening in several diseases. C-reactive protein (CRP), a strong risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, is a commonly used biomarker of meta-inflammation. As both PhA and CRP are influenced by age, BMI, and nutritional status, and exhibit a clear sex dimorphism, we examined the association between PhA and CRP levels in 1855 subjects (680 males and 1175 females), aged 18–59 years, with BMIs ranging from 19.5 to 69.4 kg/m2, stratified according to sex. PhA values and CRP levels were significantly lower in females than males (p < 0.001), while the adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) was lower in males compared to females (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, physical activity, BMI, waist circumference, and adherence to the MD, PhA remained negatively associated with CRP levels in both genders (p < 0.001). In the ROC analysis, PhA ≤ 5.5° in males and ≤5.4° in females were the threshold values predicting increased hs-CRP levels. These results suggested that PhA might represent a valid predictor of CRP levels in both sexes regardless of body weight and adherence to the MD, which avoids the collection of blood sampling and expensive biochemical assays
Phase angle as an easy diagnostic tool for the nutritionist in the evaluation of inflammatory changes during the active stage of a very low-calorie ketogenic diet
No full textBACKGROUND AND AIMS: Very low-calorie ketogenic diets (VLCKDs) have recently gained increasing interest for their anti-inflammatory effects. Phase angle (PhA), a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA)-derived measure used as a screening tool to assess inflammatory status in various clinical conditions has recently been suggested as a novel predictor of inflammatory status in correlation with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels. PhA’s usefulness in monitoring inflammatory status changes in patients with obesity during active phase VLCKD has not yet been explored. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the role of PhA as a biomarker detecting early inflammatory status changes in women with overweight and obesity 1 month into the active stage of a VLCKD. METHODS—RESULTS: This uncontrolled, single-center, open-label pilot clinical study investigated 260 consecutively enrolled Caucasian women aged 18–69 years (BMI 25.0–50.9 kg/m(2)) after 31 days of an active stage VLCKD. Anthropometric measurements and PhA were assessed. hs-CRP levels were determined by nephelometric assay. Dietary compliance, physical activity recommendations, and ketosis status were tested weekly by telephone recall. At Day 31, BMI, WC, and hs-CRP levels were observed to have decreased (∆−7.3 ± 2.9%, ∆−6.3 ± 5.0%, and ∆−38.9 ± 45.6%; respectively), while PhA had increased (∆+8.6 ± 12.5%). Changes in ∆ hs-CRP were significantly correlated with changes in BMI, WC, and PhA (p < 0.001). After adjusting for confounding variables, the correlation between changes in ∆ PhA and ∆ hs-CRP remained statistically significant, albeit attenuated (p = 0.024). CONCLUSION: This is the first study reporting how, along with the expected rapid effect on body weight, PhA changes during active stage VLKCD occurred very early on and independently of weight loss, and were negatively associated with hs-CRP levels. These findings further support the VLCKD as a first-line dietary intervention to obtain a rapid effect on the obesity-related inflammatory status. They also suggest the possible role of PhA as an easy diagnostic tool to detect inflammation, thereby avoiding blood sampling and expensive biochemical assays. It is also posited that changes in PhA could help nutritionists correctly plan the different stages of the VLCKD protocol
Evening chronotype is associated with severe NAFLD in obesity
No full textChronotype, i.e., the individual attitude to carry out the daily activities at a certain time of the day, has been reported to play a role in metabolic diseases. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate the association of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with chronotype categories in individuals with obesity
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