Introduction: Studies on the durability of an intensive, structured education protocol on best insulin injection practice are missing for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of this study was to assess the durability of an intensive, structured education-based rehabilitation protocol on best insulin injection practice in well-trained subjects from our previous intensive, multimedia intervention study registered as the ISTERP-1 study. A total of 158 subjects with T2DM from the well-trained group of the 6-month-long ISTERP-1 study, all of whom had successfully attained lower glucose levels compared to baseline levels with lower daily insulin doses and with less frequent and severe hypoglycemic episodes, participated in the present investigation involving an additional 6-month follow-up period, called the ISTERP-2 study. Methods: Participants were randomized into an intervention group and a control group, depending on whether they were provided or not provided with further education refresher courses for 6 months. At the end of the 6 months, the two groups were compared in terms of injection habits, daily insulin dose requirement, number of severe or symptomatic hypoglycemic events, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.

For this study, the rare Cu-bearing silicate fumarolic assemblages from the Somma-Vesuvius volcano (Italy), characterized by the rare mineral litidionite, CuKNaSi 4 O 10 , were investigated.Recently other Cu-and Ti-bearing phases were found in these associations and here we report new data about these mineralizations, in which Ti-bearing litidionite occurs together with kamenevite, perovskite and rutile. Ti-bearing litidionite appears on the latest stages of partial crystallization of Ti-bearing silica glass. Incorporation of Ti 4+ into litidionite crystal structure was investigated in detail. The Raman spectra of Ti-bearing litidionite contain intense band at 597 cm −1 related to antisymmetric bending vibrations of Si-O bonds or overlapping stretching vibrations of Ti-O bonds. The bands in the range 350-500 cm −1 correspond to symmetric bending vibrations of O-Si-O bonds and overlapping stretching vibrations of Ti-O bonds. The crystal structure of Ti-litidionite has been refined in the P ̅ space group, a = 6.9699(7), b = 7.9953(10), c = 9.8227(10) Å, α = 105.186(9), β = 99.458(8), γ = 114.489(10) to R 1 = 0.064 for 1726 unique observed reflections. The refinement of the site-occupation factors confirmed the presence of Ti at five-coordinated M-site.The mean bond distance of 2.125 Å of M-site agrees with its refined occupancy (Ti 0.32 Cu 0.30 Ca 0.29 Fe 0.09 ) 1.00 . The incorporation of Ti into litidionite structure is accompanied by the complex heteropolyhedral substitution according to the scheme V Ti 4+ + VII-VIII □ + IV Al 3+ ↔ V Cu 2+ + VII-VIII (Na,K) + + IV Si 4+ . Two possible configurations for the phase with maximal TiO 2 content (12.06 wt% or 0.56 Ti apfu) CuTiK□Na 2 Si 7 AlO 20 (Z = 1) or CuTiK 2 Na□Si 7 AlO 20 (Z = 1) have been proposed.

The Real Museo Mineralogico of the University of Naples Federico II was established in 1801 by Ferdinando IV of Bourbon and his queen, Maria Carolina. Their aim was to create a centre for minerals research and education. The museum at present preserves over 50,000 objects, mainly minerals, but also books, teaching models and instruments. The last of these form a little-known collection of considerable scientific and historical value. Historical studies of the instruments collection are based on extensive archival research conducted on documents and ancient catalogues of the museum and the Archivio di Stato in Naples. This study describes the main instruments, detailing their date of acquisition, typology and use. Its goal is to provide a testimony to the contribution of the Real Museo Mineralogico to the development of the science of mineralogy in Naples, and at the same time to extend, by means of new data (suppliers, acquisition methods, price), the catalogue of the instruments collection.