Francesco Grimaldi, un mercader-banquero genovés entre Granada, la corte e Inglaterra (siglos xv-xvi)

Los estudios sobre la comunidad genovesa del Reino de Granada suelen centrarse en las actividades desarrolladas en el territorio y rara vez en la reconstrucción de trayectorias individuales, circunstancia determinada por el recurso casi exclusivo a los protocolos notariales. El caso de Francesco Grimaldi es singular por muchas razones: su localización en fuentes de naturaleza muy variada –protocolos notariales de Granada y Málaga, Registro del Sello de Simancas y Granada, Chancillería de Valladolid, el epistolario del comendador Fuensalida y el archivo privado de la familia Grimaldo de Cáceres– ha permitido seguir su presencia y sus actividades en Granada, la Corte e Inglaterra –donde desempeñó un papel fundamental en el matrimonio entre Catalina de Aragón y Enrique VIII–. Así se conoce su interés por los préstamos y el negocio de la renta, las circunstancias de su matrimonio con Francisca de Cáceres y la adquisición de un importante patrimonio en el reino granadino.

Recupero e conservazione del secondo chiostro dell'ex convento di San Francesco a Bologna. Analisi delle fasi costruttive, interventi di miglioramento sismico e di riqualificazione.

L’obiettivo principale della presente tesi è quello di realizzare un progetto di miglioramento sismico per la porzione del secondo chiostro dell’ ex convento di S. Francesco, a cui è stato affiancato un progetto architettonico di riqualificazione di alcune aree al momento non valorizzate e un progetto di prevenzione incendi. In seguito all’analisi dell’evoluzione storica è stata effettuata una caratterizzazione costruttiva degli elementi strutturali tramite rilievi e sono state quindi individuate le vulnerabilità strutturali che potrebbero portare, in caso di sisma, all’attivazione dei cinematismi di collasso. Si è poi svolta un’analisi del livello di sicurezza sismica secondo il livello di valutazione LV1, cioè un’analisi qualitativa secondo modelli semplificati, applicando il modello semplificato proposto dalle Linee Guida per la tipologia “Palazzi, ville e altre strutture con pareti di spina ed orizzontamenti intermedi”, che ha lo scopo di fornire come risultato un indice della sicurezza sismica dell’intero edificio. I risultati della valutazione globale sono affiancati dai risultati ottenuti tramite l’applicazione delle tabelle CINE, che esemplificano e sintetizzano gli aspetti significati dei cinematismi di collasso e permettono di effettuare delle verifiche locali. Sulla base dei risultati ottenuti, sono stati progettati diversi interventi strutturali, con lo scopo di migliorare la sicurezza sismica dell’edificio, concepiti con lo scopo di eliminare o limitare le vulnerabilità dell’edificio, con particolare attenzione ai temi della scatolarità dell’edificio e della presenza di connessioni tra strutture verticali e orizzontali. Per verificare l’efficacia di questi interventi sono state ripetute le verifiche del cinematismi locali tramite le tabelle CINE e i risultati sono stati positivi, in quanto l’accelerazione necessaria per l’attivazione dei cinematismi ora risulta essere uguale o superiore a quella caratteristica del sito.

Francesco Guardi

Mode of access: Internet.

"Storia di Ugho da Vernia" de Andrea da Barberino: Edición crítica

En la “Storia di Ugho da Vernia de Andrea da Barberino: Edición crítica” se ha querido replantear el estudio de un escritor toscano a caballo entre los siglos XIV y XV cuya producción tuvo mucha difusión y aceptación en su tiempo, y del que algunas de sus obras siguen interesando en nuestros días. Para ello el objetivo principal ha sido el de esbozar un análisis de una de sus obras más peculiares, la Storia di Ugho da Vernia, peculiar porque en ella se reúnen aspectos importantes de las chansons de geste francesas, de las novelas caballerescas y de los libros de caballerías; especialmente de la chanson se puede destacar que el protagonista pertenece al linaje de Garin de Monglane le fier o narbonnais que, como sus parientes, lucha contra los sarracenos y es un buen vasallo ―no se rebela ante la absurda petición de su señor de ir al infierno e incluso soporta las burlas de este―; de los libros de caballería podrían proceder los seres irreales contra los que se enfrenta como dragones, serpientes enormes, gigantes, etc., a los que indefectiblemente vence y, por último, de las novelas caballerescas, la pátina de realidad que se desprende del modo de narrar y de algunos lugares evocados en los que se desarrolla la acción, como Santiago de Compostela, Roma, Jerusalén, Calabria, Grecia, etc., donde los tres primeros son los principales puntos de peregrinación occidentales. En lo que concierne al texto, se ha tratado de ofrecer una edición crítica que dé inicio a posteriores investigaciones desde las distintas perspectivas de análisis que el texto exige; hay que tener en cuenta que en 1882 F. Zambrini y A. Bacchi della Lega editaron la obra, pero se limitaron a transcribirla, como ellos mismos comentan en la introducción; es más, siguieron la copia que había transcrito un bibliotecario de la Biblioteca Magliabechiana. En 1968 se realizó una reimpresión del texto sin aportar nada nuevo y en 2013 se ha incorporado a la red siguiendo los formatos MLA y APA, cuya diferencia radica en la forma de presentar los textos...

Propylthiouracil Quantification In Human Plasma By High-performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled With Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Application In A Bioequivalence Study.

A rapid, sensitive and specific method for quantifying propylthiouracil in human plasma using methylthiouracil as the internal standard (IS) is described. The analyte and the IS were extracted from plasma by liquid-liquid extraction using an organic solvent (ethyl acetate). The extracts were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) in negative mode (ES-). Chromatography was performed using a Phenomenex Gemini C18 5μm analytical column (4.6mm×150mm i.d.) and a mobile phase consisting of methanol/water/acetonitrile (40/40/20, v/v/v)+0.1% of formic acid. For propylthiouracil and I.S., the optimized parameters of the declustering potential, collision energy and collision exit potential were -60 (V), -26 (eV) and -5 (V), respectively. The method had a chromatographic run time of 2.5min and a linear calibration curve over the range 20-5000ng/mL. The limit of quantification was 20ng/mL. The stability tests indicated no significant degradation. This HPLC-MS/MS procedure was used to assess the bioequivalence of two propylthiouracil 100mg tablet formulations in healthy volunteers of both sexes in fasted and fed state. The geometric mean and 90% confidence interval CI of Test/Reference percent ratios were, without and with food, respectively: 109.28% (103.63-115.25%) and 115.60% (109.03-122.58%) for Cmax, 103.31% (100.74-105.96%) and 103.40% (101.03-105.84) for AUClast. This method offers advantages over those previously reported, in terms of both a simple liquid-liquid extraction without clean-up procedures, as well as a faster run time (2.5min). The LOQ of 20ng/mL is well suited for pharmacokinetic studies. The assay performance results indicate that the method is precise and accurate enough for the routine determination of the propylthiouracil in human plasma. The test formulation with and without food was bioequivalent to reference formulation. Food administration increased the Tmax and decreased the bioavailability (Cmax and AUC).

Accelerating aging chemotherapy on aged animals: Protective effect from nutraceutical modulation

The aim of this study was to test a novel phytocompound in an experimental model of antitumor-induced immunosuppression. Five groups of mice were considered: young (Y) and aged (A) that were given intraperitoneally 10 doses of cyclophosphamide (CPX, 25mg/kg/bw) or CPX plus (150 mg/kg/bw) of the nutraceutical DTS (Denshichi-Tochiu-Sen), and control. After sacrifice, macrophage chemotaxis and serum levels of IFN-gamma, IL-2, and GM-CSF were determined. Liver and urinary bladder were examined histologically, as were the liver and kidney for redox enzymes. CPX significantly decreased macrophage chemotaxis and all cytokines (p < 0.05, A >> Y). DTS restored macrophage function and cytokine concentration (p < 0.001) and partly improved the necro-inflammatory score and substance P receptor expression in the bladder and the redox status in liver and kidney (p < 0.05). Such data suggest that DTS effectively prevents CPX-induced immune suppression and oxidative-inflammatory damage, which are particularly enhanced in aged organisms.

Effectiveness of 980-mm Diode and 1064-nm Extra-Long-Pulse Neodymium-Doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet Lasers in Implant Disinfection

Objective: To evaluate the potential of 980-nm gallium aluminum arsenide (GaAlAs) and 1064-nm neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) lasers to reduce bacteria after irradiation of implant surfaces contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis and Porphyromonas gingivalis and on irradiated implant surface morphology. Background: Despite the frequency of implant success, some implant loss is related to peri-implantitis because of difficulty in eliminating the biofilm. Methods: Implants (3.75 x 13 mm) with machined surfaces, surfaces sand blasted with titanium oxide (TiO(2)), and sand-blasted and acid-etched surfaces were exposed to P. gingivalis and E. faecalis cultures and irradiated with 980-nm GaAlAs or 1064-nm Nd: YAG lasers. After laser treatments, the number of remaining colony-forming units and implant surface morphology were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: The Nd: YAG laser was able to promote a total contamination reduction on all implants irradiated. The results with the GaAlAs laser showed 100% bacteria reduction on the implants irradiated with 3 W. Irradiation with 2.5 W and 3 W achieved 100% of bacteria reduction on P. gingivalis-contaminated implants. Decontamination was not complete for the sand-blasted TiO(2) (78.6%) and acid-etched surfaces (49.4%) contaminated with E. faecalis and irradiated with 2.5 W. SEM showed no implant surface changes. Conclusion: The wavelengths used in this research provided bacteria reduction without damaging implant surfaces. New clinical research should be encouraged for the use of this technology in the treatment of peri-implantitis.

The Importance of Protein-Protein Interactions on the pH-Induced Conformational Changes of Bovine Serum Albumin: A Small-Angle X-Ray Scattering Study

The combined effects of concentration and pH on the conformational states of bovine serum albumin (BSA) are investigated by small-angle x-ray scattering. Serum albumins, at physiological conditions, are found at concentrations of similar to 35-45 mg/mL (42 mg/mL in the case of humans). In this work, BSA at three different concentrations (10, 25, and 50 mg/mL) and pH values (2.0-9.0) have been studied. Data were analyzed by means of the Global Fitting procedure, with the protein form factor calculated from human serum albumin (HSA) crystallographic structure and the interference function described, considering repulsive and attractive interaction potentials within a random phase approximation. Small-angle x-ray scattering data show that BSA maintains its native state from pH 4.0 up to 9.0 at all investigated concentrations. A pH-dependence of the absolute net protein charge is shown and the charge number per BSA is quantified to 10(2), 8(l), 13(2), 20(2), and 26(2) for pH values 4.0, 5.4, 7.0, 8.0, and 9.0, respectively. The attractive potential diminishes as BSA concentration increases. The coexistence of monomers and dimers is observed at 50 mg/mL and pH 5.4, near the BSA isoelectric point. Samples at pH 2.0 show a different behavior, because BSA overall shape changes as a function of concentration. At 10 mg/mL, BSA is partially unfolded and a strong repulsive protein-protein interaction occurs due to the high amount of exposed charge. At 25 and 50 mg/mL, BSA undergoes some refolding, which likely results in a molten-globule state. This work concludes by confirming that the protein concentration plays an important role on the pH-unfolded BSA state, due to a delicate compromise between interaction forces and crowding effects.