Graffiti removal from granite cladding by abrasive water-jet

This study focuses on the assessment of a graffiti removal system based on abrasive water-jet technology (AWJ). Spray paints were applied on samples of an important Italian granite commercially-named as “Rosa Limbara”. This granite has been used worldwide as dimension stone for paving and cladding. Two different commercial abrasives have been added in the high-pressure water-jet in order to clean the granite saw-plane surfaces from graffiti. After a check by the naked eye, different criteria have been chosen for assessing the effectiveness of the cleaning process: the similarity in roughness (Ra, Rz, and Rmax) between the original surface and the one resulted after cleaning, the total colour difference (ΔE) and the depth of material removed by the AWJ action. The tests showed that excellent cleaning results can be achieved with both abrasives by correctly combining the operational parameters of the technology (i.e., water pressure, spacing between passes, stand-off distance, travel speed and abrasive flow-rate) without giving any damage to the stone material. The two abrasives showed good results in total colour difference although one of them gave better results in both roughness difference and material removal. Economic considerations on paint removal with AWJ technology are also offered

Trace elements and stable isotopes in penguin chicks and eggs: A baseline for monitoring the Ross Sea MPA and trophic transfer studies

Multi-tissue trace elements (TEs), C, N concentrations and stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) of chick carcasses and eggs of Adélie and Emperor penguins were studied to i) provide reference data before the recent institution of the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (Antarctica), and ii) provide conversion factors that allow estimating C, N, δ13C and δ15N in edible tissues from non-edible ones, thus improving the use of stable isotopes in contamination and trophic transfer studies. Higher concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn and Pb were found in chick carcasses than in eggs, suggesting increasing contamination in recent decades and high toxicity risks for penguin consumers. Isotopic conversion factors highlighted small differences among body tissues and conspecifics. These values suggest that chick carcasses are reliable indicators of the energy pathways underlying the two penguin species, their trophic position in the food web and their exposure to TEs

Vitamin D in pediatric age: consensus of the Italian Pediatric Society and the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics, jointly with the Italian Federation of Pediatricians.

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in the regulation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism, particularly during pediatric age when nutritional rickets and impaired bone mass acquisition may occur.Besides its historical skeletal functions, in the last years it has been demonstrated that vitamin D directly or indirectly regulates up to 1250 genes, playing so-called extraskeletal actions. Indeed, recent data suggest a possible role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of several pathological conditions, including infectious, allergic and autoimmune diseases. Thus, vitamin D deficiency may affect not only musculoskeletal health but also a potentially wide range of acute and chronic conditions. At present, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is high in Italian children and adolescents, and national recommendations on vitamin D supplementation during pediatric age are lacking. An expert panel of the Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics reviewed available literature focusing on randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation to provide a practical approach to vitamin D supplementation for infants, children and adolescents

Phytotherapeutic and naturopathic adjuvant therapies in otorhinolaryngology

Phytotherapeutic pharmaceuticals and herbal medicinal products with its roots in classical phytotherapeutic medicine have a well-established role in otolaryngological therapy, especially for diseases of the upper airways and acute and chronic infections. A thorough selection and application could mean huge benefit for the patient, in particular in cases with contraindications, chemo- and antibiotic resistance or patient request. Besides, it might spare other medications. Phytotherapeutic pharmaceuticals must fulfil the same criteria of quality, effectiveness and harmlessness of evidence-based medicine like chemical pharmaceuticals, although they are often prescribed due to its well established or traditional based use. This review focuses on phytotherapeutic therapies well established within the European Community for otolaryngologic disease patterns by referring to clinical studies or meta-analysis

Quality of life and treatment satisfaction in adults with Type 1 diabetes: A comparison between continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion and multiple daily injections

Aims: The aim of this case-control study was to compare quality of life (QoL) and treatment satisfaction in adults with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) treated with either continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) or multiple daily injections (MDI). Methods: Consecutive patients aged between 18 and 55 years, and attending diabetes clinics for a routine visit, completed the Diabetes-Specific Quality-of-Life Scale (DSQOLS), the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) and the SF-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Case (CSII) and control subjects (MDI) were recruited in a 1 : 2 ratio. Results: Overall, 1341 individuals were enrolled by 62 diabetes clinics; 481 were cases and 860 control subjects. Cases had a longer diabetes duration and were more likely to have eye and renal complications. Age, school education, occupation and HbA1c were similar. Of control subjects, 90% followed glargine-based MDI regimens and 10% used NPH-based MDI regimens. On multivariate analysis, after adjusting for socioeconomic and clinical characteristics, scores in the following areas of the DSQOLS were higher in cases than control subjects: diet restrictions (β = 5.96; P < 0.0001), daily hassles (β = 3.57; P = 0.01) and fears about hypoglycaemia (β = 3.88; P = 0.006). Treatment with CSII was also associated with a markedly higher DTSQ score (β = 4.13; P < 0.0001) compared with MDI. Results were similar when CSII was compared separately with glargine- or NPH-based MDI regimens. Conclusions: This large, non-randomized, case-control study suggests quality of life gains deriving from greater lifestyle flexibility, less fear of hypoglycaemia, and higher treatment satisfaction, when CSII is compared with either glargine-based or NPH-based MDI regimens. © 2008 The Authors

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

Pelargonium sidoides extract EPs 7630: a review of its clinical efficacy and safety for treating acute respiratory tract infections in children

Domenico Careddu,1 Andrea Pettenazzo2 1Pediatrics, Italian Health Service, Cameri, Italy; 2Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, University Hospital of Padua, Padova, Italy Background: In numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews such as those published by the Cochrane Collaboration, Pelargonium sidoides extract EPs® 7630 was shown to be effective in acute respiratory tract infections (aRTI) in all investigated age-groups. This narrative review focuses on recently published results from RCTs investigating the clinical efficacy and safety of EPs 7630 in children and adolescents with different manifestations of aRTI, in order to present a broader overview and to provide an update on the state of knowledge regarding the use of EPs 7630 in this age-group.Methods: The Cochrane review on P. sidoides extract for aRTI published by the Cochrane Collaboration was searched for cited RCTs with EPs 7630 in children and adolescents suffering from aRTI. A PubMed and SCOPUS literature search was performed for publications issued before June 13, 2017 (search terms: children, Pelargonium sidoides, EPs 7630, respiratory). Reference lists of publications found were searched for relevant citations. Results: Eight RCTs investigating the application of EPs 7630 in acute bronchitis, acute tonsillopharyngitis, and aRTI in the context of chronic preconditions were identified. Results showed a statistically significant improvement of aRTI symptom severity for EPs 7630 as compared to controls. The investigation of EPs 7630 in asthmatic children and adolescents with aRTI demonstrated a significant symptom-alleviating effect and a possibly associated reduction of asthma attacks. In immunocompromised children with acute upper RTI, an alleviating effect of EPs 7630 was shown. All RCTs reviewed reported good safety and tolerability of EPs 7630.Conclusion: The P. sidoides extract EPs 7630 is effective and safe for those of pediatric age and may be regarded as an alternative option for the management of aRTI. Keywords: Pelargonium sidoides, EPs 7630, children, acute respiratory tract infections, acute bronchitis, asthm

Difetto del setto interatriale

Il difetto interatriale (DIA), \ue8 un difetto del setto atriale che determina una comunicazione di flusso tra gli atri sinistro e destro. Si presenta nel 30-50% dei pazienti affetti da cardiopatie congenite ed \ue8 dovuto alla mancata completa formazione del setto atriale durante la vita fetale

Stenosi Polmonare

La stenosi della polmonare, definita come un\u2019ostruzione del tratto di efflusso del ventricolo destro, \ue8 localizzata generalmente a livello della valvola (stenosi valvolare polmonare isolata). Tuttavia, in rari casi, l\u2019ostruzione pu\uf2 essere al di sopra del piano valvolare (stenosi sopravalvolare polmonare) o al di sotto del piano valvolare (stenosi sottovalvolare polmonare). E\u2019 il secondo pi\uf9 comune difetto cardiaco congenito rappresentando circa l\u20198-10% di tutte le cardiopatie congenit