Dynamic Collusion and Collusion Games in Knaster's Procedure

3noIn this paper we study the collusion in Knaster’s procedure, starting from the paper of Fragnelli and Marina (2009). First, we introduce a suitable dynamic mechanism, so that the coalition enlargement is always non-disadvantageous. Then, we define a new class of TU-games in order to evaluate the collusion power of the agents.openopenBriata, Federica; Dall'Aglio, Marco; Fragnelli, VitoBriata, Federica; Dall'Aglio, Marco; Fragnelli, Vit

Leptin system in obese dog skin: A pilot study

Obesity predisposes to several health problems including skin diseases. However, information on the relationship between obesity and skin disorders in pets is very scarce. Leptin (LEP) is mainly produced by adipose tissue and has a prominent role in skin biology. This study evaluated the LEP system in the skin of obese dogs compared to normal-weight animals. The investigation was carried out on 10 obese (Obese group) and 10 normal-weight (Normal-weight group) dogs through Real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Cells of skin associated immune system were also evaluated. No differences were evidenced between the two groups as well as skin inflammation. LEP differences were no significant, while LEPR transcript appeared 10-fold higher in obesedogs than in normal-weight ones. Immunostaining for both molecules was observed in several skin structures such as the epidermis, hair follicles, and glands. No differences appeared in the skin associated immune system composition. This study is a preliminary report showing that LEP system changes in obese dog skin. The increased LEPR expression observed in the obese group suggests that the receptor plays a modulating role in the system control. However, the exact role of LEPin the skin under obesity conditions needs further elucidation

Effects of obesity on adiponectin system skin expression in dogs: A comparative study

Obesity is an important health issue in dogs since it influences a plethora of associated pathologies, including dermatological disorders. Considering the scarcity of information in pets, this work aimed to evaluate the localization and expression of adiponectin (ADIPOQ) and its two receptors (ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2) in the skin of 10 obese dogs, compared with serum ADIPOQ level. Through immunohistochemistry, ADIPOQ and ADIPOR2 were observed in the adipose tissue, sweat and sebaceous glands, endothelium, and some connective cells. Both receptors were observed in the epidermis and the hair follicles, other than in the sweat and sebaceous glands. Real-time PCR evidenced that the ADIPOQ and ADIPOR2 transcripts were expressed 5.4-fold (p < 0.01) and 2.3-fold less (p < 0.01), respectively, in obese than in normal weight dogs, while ADIPOR1 expression did not change. Obese dogs showed lower serum ADIPOQ levels than the normal weight group. Accordingly, ADIPOQ and ADIPOR2 expression in the skin appear negatively correlated with obesity in the same way as the serum ADIPOQ level. These findings evidence that ADIPOQ system changes in the skin of obese dogs and suggest that the ADIPOQ effect on the skin is at least in part regulated by the reduced expression of ADIPOR2

Statistical Consequences of Devroye Inequality for Processes. Applications to a Class of Non-Uniformly Hyperbolic Dynamical Systems

In this paper, we apply Devroye inequality to study various statistical estimators and fluctuations of observables for processes. Most of these observables are suggested by dynamical systems. These applications concern the co-variance function, the integrated periodogram, the correlation dimension, the kernel density estimator, the speed of convergence of empirical measure, the shadowing property and the almost-sure central limit theorem. We proved in \cite{CCS} that Devroye inequality holds for a class of non-uniformly hyperbolic dynamical systems introduced in \cite{young}. In the second appendix we prove that, if the decay of correlations holds with a common rate for all pairs of functions, then it holds uniformly in the function spaces. In the last appendix we prove that for the subclass of one-dimensional systems studied in \cite{young} the density of the absolutely continuous invariant measure belongs to a Besov space.Comment: 33 pages; companion of the paper math.DS/0412166; corrected version; to appear in Nonlinearit

Pasta consumption and connected dietary habits: Associations with glucose control, adiposity measures, and cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes—TOSCA.IT study

Background: Pasta is a refined carbohydrate with a low glycemic index. Whether pasta shares the metabolic advantages of other low glycemic index foods has not really been investigated. The aim of this study is to document, in people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, the connected dietary habits, and the association with glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: We studied 2562 participants. The dietary habits were assessed with the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) questionnaire. Sex-specific quartiles of pasta consumption were created in order to explore the study aims. Results: A higher pasta consumption was associated with a lower intake of proteins, total and saturated fat, cholesterol, added sugar, and fiber. Glucose control, body mass index, prevalence of obesity, and visceral obesity were not significantly different across the quartiles of pasta intake. No relation was found with LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but there was an inverse relation with HDL-cholesterol. Systolic blood pressure increased with pasta consumption; but this relation was not confirmed after correction for confounders. Conclusions: In people with type-2 diabetes, the consumption of pasta, within the limits recommended for total carbohydrates intake, is not associated with worsening of glucose control, measures of adiposity, and major cardiovascular risk factors