47 research outputs found
Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography of Choroidal and Outer Retinal Layer Thickness in the Sturge Weber Syndrome
No full textPurpose: To evaluate choroidal thickness and its effect on the outer retinal layers in patients with Sturge Weber syndrome (SWS). Materials and methods: Twenty eyes of 10 patients with SWS and 20 eyes of 10 healthy controls were evaluated at the ophthalmology unit of the Umberto I Policlinic, Rome from December 2015 to May 2015. Manual segmentation measurements of choroidal and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-photorec eptor layer (PHL) thickness were performed at the subfovea and at 500 μm intervals over 3 mm-long horizontal and vertical segments using enhanced depth spectral domain optical coherence tomography. Results: Mean choroidal thickness of the affected (561.6 μm ± 208.8) and fellow eyes (322.0 μm ± 56.6) of patients with SWS was significantly higher with respect to controls (266.5 μm ± 48.5 μm), p = 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively. Mean RPE-PHL thickness was significantly lower in both the affected and fellow eyes of patients with respect to controls (p = 0.039 and p = 0.025, respectively). Conclusions: The choroid is thickened in patients with SWS, but the RPE-PHL is thinner. Choroidal thickening may lead to functional impairment causing disruption in the fine equilibrium between the choroid and retina and consequent outer retinal layer thinning
An update on oculodermal melanocytosis and rare associated conditions
No full textOculodermal melanocytosis (ODM) is a rare disease, which is characterized by hyperpigmentation of facial skin and several parts of the eye, such as the sclera, conjunctiva, cornea, iris, ciliary body, and choroid. The condition usually affects the Asian female population. The most typical presenting ocular sign is iris heterocromia. Iris hyperpigmentation may be associated with iris mammillations, which are dome-shaped protuberations of the iris surface. They are linked to a higher risk of malignant transformation when present in patients with ODM. Glaucoma is a complication of ODM and is caused by angle abnormalities or mechanical occlusion by melanocytes in an open irido-corneal angle. Choroidal and ciliary body melanoma have a higher incidence in this condition characterized by melanocytosis. Patients presenting ODM should undergo routine ophthalmological examination in order to carefully monitor for glaucoma and melanoma
Spectral domain optical coherence tomography and B-scan ultrasonography in the evaluation of retinal tears in acute, incomplete posterior vitreous detachment
No full textBACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extension and traction
effects of posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) complicated with retinal tears
using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) and B-scan
ultrasonography.
METHODS: Complete ophthalmological examination, B-scan ultrasonography and
spectral domain OCT were performed in patients with acute PVD and retinal tears.
Vitreous detachment was classified as complete or incomplete, based on extent of
posterior pole or peripheral vitreous detachment. Retinal tear location and
persistent traction on the retinal flap was evaluated with B-scan ultrasonography
and OCT. Categorical data were evaluated with Fisher's exact test. Statistical
significance was considered as P < 0.05.
RESULTS: Twenty-six eyes of 25 patients were assessed. Four eyes (15 %) presented
complete PVD with detachment at the posterior pole and periphery. 22 eyes (85 %)
presented incomplete PVD with detachment in the periphery. Twenty eyes presented
retinal tears in the superior quadrants with respect to only 6 in the inferior
quadrants (p = 0.006). There was a higher incidence of retinal tears in the pre
with respect to post-equatorial areas (19 vs 7 eyes, p = 0.019). B-scan
ultrasonography and OCT revealed persistent traction on the retinal tear flap in
19 and 15 eyes, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: In acute PVD, retinal tears are prevalently associated with
peripheral vitreous detachment. The impact of complete or incomplete PVD can be
of clinical value when evaluating patients with retinal tears
The role of contact lenses and ocular TRAUMA in determining Acanthamoeba Keratitis: A case-control study in Italy
No full textBackground: Acanthamoeba Keratitis (A.K.) is a rare secondary infection due to Acanthamoeba (A) invading the cornea. Cofactors of risk may include TRAUMA and contact lenses (CL). The objectives of this observational study are to evaluate the occurrence of A.K. in patients accessing the Department of Special Senses of the Teaching Hospital "Policlinico Umberto I" of Rome with ocular infections during the period from 2005 to 2011, and the role played by risk factors which included contact lenses, TRAUMA, sex and age. Methods: A case-control study involving 714 subjects was conducted (350 male and 364 female). All of the patients underwent a thorough ocular examination with confocal microscopy and a review of their medical history to outline relevant variables (contact lens and TRAUMA). Statistical analysis calculated the frequency distribution and the Odds ratio (OR) (95%CI) for the risk factors "contact lenses" (CL) and "TRAUMA". The Odds ratio (95%CI) was adjusted for age and sex trough Logistic Regression. Results: Out of 714 patients, 11 patients (7 male and 4 female) with a mean age of 34.09 years (19 to 51 years old) were found to be affected by A.K. The age group most afflicted ranged from 30 to 51 years old. Statistical analysis produced a crude OR equal to 17.68 (95%CI 2.25-138.89) for CL-A.K. and OR equal to 7.71 (95%CI 0.89-66.75) for Ocular TRAUMA.-A.K. Logistic Regression performed to adjust OR for age and sex showed the following values, respectively: OR*=82.54 (95%CI 3.04-2239.58) and OR*=11.52 (95%CI 1.19-111.76). Conclusions: The data highlights an increase in A.K. cases during the 6 year study period. The association between this pathology and the use of contact lenses and/or TRAUMA has been statistically proven. The strength of this association increases when the Odds Ratio (OR*) is adjusted for the confounding risk factors of age and sex. When dealing with the topic of Acanthamoeba Keratitis, it is important to remember that educating patients on proper hygiene practice for contact lenses is the first step towards preventing A.K. The results obtained are important because they are derived from the first Italian case-control study on A.K
Pier Vittorio Tondelli and the Contemporary Literary Representations of the Male Subject
No full textopenIl presente lavoro si propone di ricostruire alcune tra le prospettive e gli approdi teorici più significativi nell’ambito dei masculinity studies, mettendo in luce le potenzialità date dall’utilizzo di questa lente critica nell’analisi dell’opera letteraria. In particolare, viene approfondito il contesto storico e culturale in cui gli studi sul maschile nascono e si sviluppano, con un’attenzione specifica alle teorie sociologiche che elaborano i concetti di maschilità egemone e subordinata. Si analizzano, inoltre, le origini e i significati di quella che è stata spesso definita come “crisi del maschio contemporaneo”: un motivo retorico che si dimostra molto più antico di quanto si possa pensare.
All’interno di questo quadro teorico di riferimento, si intende mostrare come la letteratura rappresenti uno strumento privilegiato per l’osservazione, la messa in discussione e la ridefinizione dei modelli tradizionali di maschilità. L’attenzione è rivolta, in particolare, alla figura di Pier Vittorio Tondelli, la cui produzione si distingue per l’originalità e per l’innovazione introdotta nella caratterizzazione dei personaggi maschili all’interno delle sue opere.
L’analisi delle modalità rappresentative proposte dall’autore – che si concentra in particolare sulle prime due opere tondelliane, Altri libertini e Pao pao – consente, inoltre, di individuare alcune delle principali traiettorie prese dalla letteratura contemporanea nella rappresentazione del soggetto maschile. Tondelli propone infatti maschilità alternative e non conformi ai codici tradizionali, aprendo nuove possibilità di definizione e interpretazione dell’identità maschile.The present study aims to reconstruct some of the most significant perspectives and theoretical developments within the field of masculinity studies, highlighting the potential offered by this critical lens in the analysis of literary works. In particular, it explores the historical and cultural context in which studies on masculinity emerged and evolved, with specific attention to the sociological theories that elaborate the concepts of hegemonic and subordinate masculinities. It also examines the origins and meanings of what has often been defined as the “crisis of contemporary man,” a rhetorical motif that proves to be much older than one might think.
Within this theoretical framework, the study tries to demonstrate how literature serves as a privileged tool for observing, questioning, and redefining traditional models of masculinity. Particular attention is devoted to the figure of Pier Vittorio Tondelli, whose work stands out for its originality and for the innovative ways in which it constructs male characters.
The analysis of the representational modes proposed by the author – focusing in particular on his first two works, Altri libertini and Pao Pao – also makes it possible to identify some of the main trajectories taken by contemporary literature in representing the male subject. Tondelli, in fact, presents alternative and non-conforming forms of masculinity, showing new possibilities for defining and interpreting male identity
LUIGI FERDINANDO MARSILI (1658-1730) E L'EDITORIA ERUDITA NELLA REPUBBLICA DELLE LETTERE TRA SEI E SETTECENTO
No full textThe research aims to investigate the epistolary network of Luigi Ferdinando Marsili (1658-1730), soldier, scientist and founder of the Institute of Sciences in Bologna. Marsili has been studied mainly in relation to his military and diplomatic activity and to his contribution to natural science. Nevertheless his role as an active member of the Republic of Letters between Seventeenth and Eighteenth century has been neglected by historiography. My research aims to fill this gap and to demonstrate the integration of Marsili in the european scientific community through the analysis of his epistolary connections with a large number of scientists and hommes de lettres. The consultation of the private archive of Marquis Bevilacqua Ariosti in Bologna, which conserves more than 6000 (almost forgotten) letters received by Marsili, was essential to achieve a deeper knowledge of these connections and to integrate the existing information, acquired through the materials held by the University Library of Bologna. In particular the letters exchanged with the editors of his scientific works represent an important starting point in order to understand Marsili’s position in the international book market in the early modern period. The epistolary documents allow, in conclusion, to design a quite new portrait of his activity as author and patron
La memoria imperfetta. Napoleone e la storia
No full textThe Imperfect Memory: Napoleon and History
The author discusses three volumes published on the bicentenary of Na-
poleon Bonaparte’s death: Ei fu by Vittorio Criscuolo; L’ultima stanza di
Napoleone by Luigi Mascilli Migliorini, dedicated to the last moments of
the emperor’s life and the construction of his memory; and Il naufrago e il
dominatore by Antonio De Francesco, which traces his internal political vi-
cissitudes, analyzing in particular his relationship to the French Revolution.
The article reflects on the influence memorial re-elaborations – and, more
generally, the political use of history – exert not only on the reconstruction
of past events, but also on the shaping and unfolding of future events
A Scoping Review with Bibliometric Analysis of Para-Rowing: State of the Art and Future Directions
No full textPara-rowing is a format of rowing practiced by people with different types of disabilities, thanks to adapted equipment set-ups and regulations. Para-rowing made its debut recently at the 2008 Paralympic Games. According to the mandate of the “International Paralympic Committee”, para-rowers should be enabled to pursue sporting excellence. Therefore, rigorous research is needed
in terms of well-designed, high-quality studies. To the best of our knowledge, there are no systematic appraisals of the body of scholarly evidence in the field of para-rowing. As such, a scoping review enhanced by bibliometric analyses was carried out to provide a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge related to para-rowing for the perusal of practitioners and athletes. By mining eighteen major databases, 17 studies were retained in the present review. The included studies were found to focus
on a range of aspects involving health, the etiology of injuries (n = 5), psychological and physiological responses (n = 5), performance, biomechanical analysis (n = 4), and new analytical approaches for kinematic assessments and predictions of mechanical outputs in para-rowers (n = 3). The scholarly community on para-rowing consists of 78 researchers, 16 (20.51%) of whom are highly interconnected.
The most prolific author was Smoljanovi ́c T., from Croatia, with three items/documents. In total, 93.6% of scholars have authored one single document. Topological features indicated a highly fragmented and dispersed, poorly connected community characterized by a high number of clusters and a low strength of connections. In terms of publication years, the first scholarly article dates back to 2008, with four articles (23.5%) published in the current year, showing an increasing interest in this
para-sports discipline. Finally, gaps in current research on para-rowing were identified in terms of overlooked topics, including sports nutrition, doping, and psychological aspects in para-rowers other than those with visual impairment
Erratum to: Measurement of the top quark mass with lepton+jets final states using pp collisions at
No full textIn this article the author name Luigi Calligaris was incorrectly written as A. Calligaris. The original article has been corrected
