The Adoption of ICT in Small And Medium-sized Family Business. The Role of Younger Generation

The aim of this paper is to understand if the involvement of younger generation in small and medium-sized family firms can encourage a process of technological innovation, realized through the introduction and use of Information and Communication Technology. Younger entrepreneurs, that we call digital successors, compared to their predecessors, has a higher level of education and, living in an era dominated by electronics and digital information, should be able to exploit the new technologies in business organization and management. The new generation has skills, energy and innovative spirit necessary to start the process of technological innovation. From the methodological point of view, this work is based on a qualitative research involving two case studies. In both the family firms analyzed the involvement of the younger generation promoted the adoption of ICTs. This study is proposed as an initial moment of reflection to better identify some hypothesis to be tested with further investigations and a quantitative analysis.ICT, digital entrepreneur, family business, small and medium enterprises, technological innovation, generational change

Human plasmacytoid dendritic cells and cutaneous melanoma

The prognosis of metastatic melanoma (MM) patients has remained poor for a long time. However, the recent introduction of effective target therapies (BRAF and MEK inhibitors for BRAFV600-mutated MM) and immunotherapies (anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1) has significantly improved the survival of MM patients. Notably, all these responses are highly dependent on the fitness of the host immune system, including the innate compartment. Among immune cells involved in cancer immunity, properly activated plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) exert an important role, bridging the innate and adaptive immune responses and directly eliminating cancer cells. A distinctive feature of pDCs is the production of high amount of type I Interferon (I-IFN), through the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7 and 9 signaling pathway activation. However, published data indicate that melanoma-associated escape mechanisms are in place to hijack pDC functions. We have recently reported that pDC recruitment is recurrent in the early phases of melanoma, but the entire pDC compartment collapses over melanoma progression. Here, we summarize recent advances on pDC biology and function within the context of melanoma immunity

Circulating Tumor Cells and Cardiac Metastasis from Esophageal Cancer: A Case Report

We report the case of a 67-year-old man affected by metastatic esophageal cancer. The patient developed a symptomatic heart metastasis presenting as mimicking ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) documented the presence of a mass in the apex and septum of the left ventriculum. The dissemination of cancer was confirmed by the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the peripheral blood, measured by the CellSearch System (Veridex, LLC, Raritan, N.J., USA). The blood sample drawn at cardiac disease progression revealed the presence of 2 CTCs per 7.5 ml of blood. This report highlights the potential role of CTCs as markers of metastatic spread

Executive function abnormalities in pathological gamblers

doi:10.1186/1745-0179-4

Low Levels of Serum Paraoxonase Activities are Characteristic of Metabolic Syndrome and May Influence the Metabolic-Syndrome-Related Risk of Coronary Artery Disease

Low concentrations of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDLs) are characteristic in metabolic syndrome (MS). The antioxidant ability of HDLs is, at least in part, attributable to pleiotropic serum paraoxonase (PON1). Different PON1 activities have been assessed in 293 subjects with (n = 88) or without MS (n = 205) and with (n = 195) or without (n = 98) angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD). MS subjects had low PON1 activities, with a progressively decreasing trend by increasing the number of MS abnormalities. The activity versus 7-O-diethyl phosphoryl,3-cyano,4-methyl,7-hydroxycoumarin (DEPCyMC), which is considered a surrogate marker of PON1 concentration, showed the most significant association with MS, independently of both HDL and apolipoprotein A-I levels. Subjects with MS and low DEPCyMCase activity had the highest CAD risk (OR 4.34 with 95% CI 1.44–13.10), while no significant increase of risk was found among those with MS but high DEPCyMCase activity (OR 1.45 with 95% CI 0.47–4.46). Our results suggest that low PON1 concentrations are typical in MS and may modulate the MS-related risk of CAD

Congenital defects of pericardium: case reports and review of literature

Introduction: Pericardial defects are a rare condition, generally asymptomatic, due to failure in development of pericardial sac. They are difficult to detect, particularly the complete absence of the pericardium. At present magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the best performing exam and it could be the first choice in the diagnosis of agenesia of the pericardium. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of dedicated books and PubMed literature was performed and three clinical cases have been analyzed. Results: We report three cases , one with partial and two with total agenesia of the left pericardium, seen at our Institute and diagnosed at MRI as unexpected findings. Discussion: The diagnosis of a congenital defect of the pericardium is challenging, even for expert radiologists, because this kind of deformity does not provide specific clinical nor conventional radiology findings. Nowadays, the most effective instrument for a certain diagnosis is MRI, interlocked with electrocardiography

Policaptil Gel Retard® reduces body weight and improves insulin sensitivity in obese subjects

Policaptil Gel Retard® (PGR), a natural fiber-based molecule, has been shown to prevent weight gain and ameliorate insulin-resistance indices in obese children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 12 weeks of low calories and low glycemic index (LC-LGI) diet associated or not with the intake of PGR on anthropometric, bioimpedance, and metabolic parameters. Data from 20 obese adult subjects (10 per group) were analyzed. An LC-LGI diet with or without PGR intake reduced weight, BMI, and waist circumference. PGR intake elicited a reduction in fasting plasma insulin and insulin resistance index together with an improvement in insulin sensitivity

Small vessel disease and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction after ischaemic stroke

Abstract Introduction: Although pathogenesis of small vessel disease is poorly understood, increasing evidence suggests that endothelial dysfunction may have a relevant role in development and progression of small vessel disease. In this crosssectional study, we investigated the associations between imaging signs of small vessel disease and blood biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction at two different time points in a population of ischaemic stroke patients. Patients and methods: In stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis, we analysed blood levels of von Willebrand factor, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor. Three reviewers independently assessed small vessel disease features using computed tomography. At baseline and 90 days after the index stroke, we tested the associations between single and combined small vessel disease features and levels of blood biomarkers using linear regression analysis adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, smoke. Results: A total of 263 patients were available for the analysis. Mean age (SD) was 69 (13) years, 154 (59%) patients were male.We did not find any relation between small vessel disease and endothelial dysfunction at baseline. At 90 days, leukoaraiosis was independently associated with intercellular adhesionmolecule-1 (b¼0.21; p¼0.016) and vascular cell adhesionmolecule- 1 (b¼0.22; p¼0.009), and lacunes were associated with vascular endothelial growth factor levels (b¼0.21; p¼0.009) whereas global small vessel disease burden was associated with vascular endothelial growth factor (b¼0.26; p¼0.006). Discussion: Leukoaraiosis and lacunes were associated with endothelial dysfunction, which could play a key role in pathogenesis of small vessel disease