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Chitosan is the most common natural polymer after natural cellulose. It is obtained by deacetylating chitin and has many versatile uses because of its solubility in weak acids; it can be used to produce biodegradable adhesive films, fibers of different thicknesses obtained by means of electrospinning, functional hydrogels, nanoemulsions and nanoparticles for functions such as the packaging of active substances for controlled release administration, and other derivatives with great potential, in addition to its use in mineral complexing. The range of possible applications is very broad, from food to the environment, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, medical products, textiles, and cosmetics, and it is used not only for its chemical and physical characteristics but also for its antimicrobial, antibacterial, wound-healing, lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, antiatherosclerosis, and anticancer properties. Its nontoxicity allows chitosan to be used long term as a soluble dietary fiber to improve digestion and aid the development of intestinal microflora with significant benefits to the health of the organism.

The effects of type 2 diabetes on evoked otoacoustic emissions (e-OAEs) elicited by clicks in subjects with normal hearing and the involvement of the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous system and acute hyperglycemia were investigated. In study 1, 110 type 2 diabetic patients and 106 control subjects matched for age and gender were investigated by e-OAEs. Central and peripheral neuropathy were evaluated respectively by auditory brainstem responses {ABRs) and according to San Antonio Consensus Conference criteria. In study 2, 10 healthy and 10 type 2 diabetic men matched for age, all with normal e-OAEs, underwent a 5-hour hyperglycemic clamp study, e-OAE tests were performed before and during the hyperglycemic clamp. In study 1, e-OAEs were impaired in 51.8% (57 of 110) of the diabetic subjects, in comparison to 4.7% (five of 106) of the control group (P < .0001). Diabetics with impaired e-OAEs (e-OAEs-), in comparison to those with normal e-OAEs (e-OAEs+), were older (51.0 _+5.8 v 45.1 +- 6.0 years, P < .001), had diabetes longer {11.5 -+ 4.4 v 7.0 +- 3.9 years, P < .001), achieved poorer metabolic control as judged by hemoglobin Alc ([HbAlc] 6.9% -+ 0.4% v 6.5% -+ 0.3%, P < .001), and had more peripheral neuropathy (46% v 23%, P < .02). No difference was observed between e-OAEs- and e-OAEs+ subjects for retinopathy or nephropathy. Nevertheless, when the duration of diabetes was corrected by multiple regression analysis, the correlation between sensorineural damage and peripheral neuropathy lost significance (P = .12). Diabetic groups (e-OAEs+ and e-OAEs-) showed greater latency in waves I, III, and V and greater interwave latency for waves I to V than the control group, but there was no significant difference in ABRs between e-OAEs+ and e-OAEs- subjects. In study 2, there were no significant changes in e-OAE intensities compared with basal values during the entire hyperglycemic clamp in either type 2 diabetic or control subjects. No difference was observed between the two groups at each time of the clamp. Thus, type 2 diabetic subjects show a higher rate of compromised e-OAEs than healthy individuals. The e-OAE dysfunction does not associate with either an injury to the auditory nervous pathway or diabetic microvasculopathy. The apparent interference of peripheral neuropathy in e-OAEs loses significance when corrected for the duration of diabetes.

In the Campi Flegrei area of Campania, a region of Southern Italy, some thermal baths still exist, known for the therapeutical properties of their waters. Utilized since remote ages for the treatment of a variety of pathologies. In “De Balneis Terrae Laboris”, an Italian poet of the Middle Ages and scientist, Pietro Anzolino da Eboli, reports every detail about more than thirty different thermal sites in the Campi Flegrei, including all therapeutic effects of their waters. Based on Pietro’s manuscript, we report in the current paper all the sites whose waters were – among other indications – also recommended for the treatment of some urinary diseases.