Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening

Riqualificazione degli edifici scolastici. L’esperienza della Regione Veneto

Per approfondire e completare il quadro, la campagna “Accendi il risparmio” condotta da Legambiente Veneto, finanziata dalla Regione Veneto e sostenuta da ANCE Veneto, ha messo sotto osservazione oltre 50 complessi edilizi pubblici ad uso scolastico, con lo scopo di valutare più in dettaglio lo stato di conservazione e in particolare il comportamento energetico. Solo un piccolo campione rispetto all’enorme patrimonio di edifici scolastici italiani, ma sufficiente per farsi un’idea di quali sono i problemi e le possibili soluzioni

Riqualificazione degli edifici scolastici: risultati di una campagna di monitoraggio energetico

La campagna “Accendi il risparmio” condotta da Legambiente Veneto, finanziata dalla Regione Veneto e sostenuta da ANCE Veneto, ha messo sotto osservazione oltre 50 complessi edilizi pubblici ad uso scolastico, con lo scopo di valutare più in dettaglio lo stato di conservazione -e in particolare il comportamento energetico- e delineare le strategie di riqualificazione energetica più efficaci, tramite l'applicazione sperimentale di una metodologia di rilievo semplificato appositamente sviluppata. Il presente lavoro presenta le metodologie adottate ed i risultati conseguiti da questa campagna di indagine

Precipitation Estimation: From the RAO to EURAINSAT and Beyond

The key objective of the project “Use of the MSG SEVIRI channels in a combined SSM/I, TRMM and geostationary IR method for rapid updates of rainfall” is the development of algorithms for rapid-update of satellite rainfall estimations at the geostationary (GEO) scale. The new channels available with the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) radiometer in the visible (VIS), near infrared (NIR) and infrared (IR) portions of the spectrum provide new insights into the microphysical and dynamic structure of precipitating clouds thus allowing for a more precise identification of precipitation intensities. Passive microwave (PMW) radiometers on board low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites are used to determine information on the vertical cloud structure. Key features of the new method(s) are: 1. Microphysical characterization of precipitating clouds with VIS/IR sensors; 2. Creation of cloud microphysical and radiative databases from cloud model outputs and aircraft penetrations; 3. Tuning of PMW algorithms for different cloud systems (maritime, continental, convective, stratiform,...); 4. Combination of data from different algorithms and application to a rapid update cycle at the GEO scale. The project provided the background for EURAINSAT “European Satellite Rainfall Estimation and Monitoring at the Geostationary Scale”, a research project co-funded by the Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development Programme of the European Commission within the topic “Development of generic Earth observation technologies”. The project web site is accessible at http://www.isac.cnr.it/~eurainsat/. Moreover, it has represented the European framework for the launch of the International Precipitation Working Group (IPWG)