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The association drug addiction-hepatitis has so increased in recent years to represent a social epidemiological and clinical problem all over the world. Although the clinical picture of hepatitis is already well defined in drug-abusers, it remains to be completely understood the mechanism responsible for the significant incidence of progression from acute to chronic hepatitis in this population. The viral infection, the drug itself, the drug contaminants, the immunological defects (cellular and/or humoral) may be considered as possible contributing factors to this event. For this reason the Authors have performed an immunological study either in a group of drug-abusers with acute and chronic hepatitis, or in a group of 82 "asymptomatic" drug addicts without a history of liver diseases. The results of this study are the following: - In all the drug-addicts considered there is a common contact with virus B. - There are significant alternations of the cellular and humoral immunity in drug-addicts with acute and chronic hepatitis. - In the "asymptomatic" group the humoral immunity is slightly altered (hyper IgM, circulating immunocomplexes), while normal the cellular response. All these findings are critically evaluated also in respect with the new immunopathological mechanisms of hepatitis B.

The use of psychoactive drugs in geriatric nursing homes has to be considered within the peculiar frame work of the elderly condition. The present study was aimed at verifying the prevalence and characteristics of prolonged benzodiazepine use (greater than 1 month) in the entire elderly institutionalized population of an Italian region (Molise). In the 31 benzodiazepine consumers identified, psychosocial and clinical data were recorded by means of a specific scale and of a semistructured interview for the assessment of drug effects. The dependence potential was evaluated in a smaller sample of 18 patients, recording with a scale the onset of withdrawal and/or rebound symptoms following discontinuation of drug treatment. The characteristics of prescription appeared to be generally correct and no appreciable tendency toward abuse was evidenced. In only one patient, discontinuation of benzodiazepines precipitated a confusional state. In other 5 patients significant but not severe withdrawal symptoms were recorded. Duration of treatment was the only variable moderately correlated with the onset of withdrawal/rebound symptomatology (p less than 0.1). In conclusion, the results of our study are reassuring but they should not induce to disregard important clinical aspects of psychopharmacotherapy in the elderly, such as: psychopathological diagnosis, drug associations and interactions, duration of treatment and dosage of prescribed benzodiazepines.

The capacity of some industrial waste to sequester carbon dioxide is well known and it is also noted that to achieve the carbonation reaction it is necessary to activate the precursors overcoming the initial energy barrier through processes of dissolution in an autoclave at high temperature and pressure. To develop the direct carbonation, without autoclaving, our research group uses the mechanical activation of precursor minerals realized through an intense grinding made with friction mill (ring mill). We can estimate the timing of activation of mineral phases using a calculation model realized by us. Knowing the mechanical parameters of the grinding machines, the thermodynamic parameters of the material and the amount of radicalic sites obtained by grinding, we can evaluate the rate of carbonation for each type of mineral. The results show a good correlation between the activation level of the materials and the efficiency of carbon dioxide fixation: at ambient temperature and pressure a yield of up to 98% can be achieved.