Una visione dell'insieme dell'ipotesi di efficienza di Mercato: indagine sull'EMH & sul mercato italiano. An Overall View Of The Efficient Market Hypothesis: investigation on the EMH & on the italian market

Il presente lavoro è stato sviluppato col proposito di esaminare l’ipotesi di efficienza di mercato definita da Eugene Fama. Dopo un’analisi preliminare, si è proceduto con un’osservazione relativa alle critiche poste in essere contro la tesi a partire dagli anni 80'. Quindi dopo una panoramica più dettagliata si è proceduto con una personale analisi empirica sugli indici di Borsa italiana e sugli ETF.ope

Pharmacological effects of raas blockade in ischemic nephropathy

Background: The management of ischemic nephropathy due to atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis has become increasingly conservative in the modern era, with current guidelines recommending optimized medical therapy as the initial step. The doubts raised by the recently published trials of revascularization strategies have led to a renewed focus on pharmacological strategies promoting blood pressure control and renal protection. It is essential to further elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying hypoperfusion induced renal microvascular dysfunction with subsequent tissue injury and fibrogenesis. The role of renin angiotensin aldosterone system as a mediator of the main pathophysiological consequences of ischemic nephropathy is well known. However, more recent experimental evidence on the adrenergic system and intrarenal tubular feedback mechanisms has stimulated new interest towards a multi-target therapeutic approach. Methods: This review focuses on the pharmacology of the principle therapeutic drug classes currently used in the treatment of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis with an analysis of their metabolic aspects and use in clinical practice based on evidence from clinical trials. Results and Conclusions: An optimal pharmacologic approach is crucial for a successful prevention of renal injury and cardiovascular events in this high-risk population. Antihypertensive treatment should include renin angiotensin aldosterone system blockade medication not only for their antihypertensive properties, but especially for those cardio and renoprotectiv

A Novel Equivalent Time Sampling-Based Method for Pulse Transit Time Estimation with Applications into the Cardiovascular Disease Diagnosis

The increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is reflected in additional costs for healthcare systems all over the world. To date, pulse transit time (PTT) is considered a key index of cardiovascular health status and for diagnosis of CVDs. In this context, the present study focuses on a novel image analysis-based method for PTT estimation through the application of equivalent time sampling. The method, which post-processes color Doppler videos, was tested on two different setups: a Doppler flow phantom set in pulsatile mode and an in-house arterial simulator. In the former, the Doppler shift was due to the echogenic properties of the blood mimicking fluid only, since the phantom vessels are non-compliant. In the latter, the Doppler signal relied on the wall movement of compliant vessels in which a fluid with low echogenic properties was pumped. Therefore, the two setups allowed the measurement of the flow average velocity (FAV) and the pulse wave velocity (PWV), respectively. Data were collected through an ultrasound diagnostic system equipped with a phased array probe. Experimental outcomes confirm that the proposed method can represent an alternative tool for the local measurement of both FAV in non-compliant vessels and PWV in compliant vessels filled with low echogenic fluids

Body Mass Index in Children and Their Parents: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Study Population of Children from Southern Italy

The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased over the last decades. Parental obesity plays an important role in determining childhood obesity. We aimed to evaluate the relationship between parental and offspring’ weight status in a population of children from South of Italy, as no data have ever been published from this area. We recruited 636 children (5.7 ± 1.5 years old) and their parents. Seventy-three (11.5%) and sixteen (2.5%) children were overweight and obese, respectively. Offspring weight status was significantly associated with parents’ weight status. The linear regression analysis showed that offspring BMI was more affected by paternal than by maternal BMI. Our data confirmed that parents’ weight status plays an important role on children’s BMI. Interestingly, in our study, parents’ height and weight were measured and not reported as in most of the previous papers, strengthening our conclusions. We suggest that intensive nutritional education and preventive programs should be performed in children with overweight / obese parents rather than in children with normal weight parent. Furthermore, nutritional education should be performed also for overweight parents to modify preventable risk factor for pediatric obesity

Evaluation of proprioception and postural control at a minimum 1 year follow-up after ankle capsuloligamentous lateralplasty with Brostrom technique: A cohort study

Recovery of postural control and proprioception in patients affected by chronic ankle instability (CAI) and operated on capsulo-ligaments reconstructive surgery lacks of objective assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term post-surgical postural and proprioceptive control through the DPPS device in a cohort of patients operated on ligaments reconstruction through the modified Brostrom procedure at a minimum follow up of 12 months.Eleven patients with post-traumatic lateral CAI, operated of external capsulo-ligamentous complex repair according to Brostrom technique at a minimum follow-up of 1 year were enrolled. Physical examination and American Orthopaedics Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score. Proprioceptive and postural stability was assessed by DPPS - Delos Postural Proprioceptive System, linked to a computer with a specific software and including a flat table, an electronic unstable proprioceptive board, a Delos Vertical Controller, a monitor and a horizontal bar fitted with an infra-red sensor for hand support.Patients were 5 males and 6 females, mean age of 38.4 ± 12 years. Mean BMI of the patients was 26.8 ± 4.4. Mean follow up was 13.4 ± 2.1. The mean value of (AOFAS) clinical score was 90.3/100. Mean Static Stability Index (SSI) with open eyes was 87.7% (±7.6) in the operated leg and 90.4% (±6.1) in the contra-lateral. SSI with closed eyes was 64.5% (±11.2) in the operated leg and 61.6% (±16.8) in the contra-lateral. Mean Dynamic Stability Index (DSI) without restrictions was 56.2% (±14.6) in the operated leg and 56.8% (±10.6) in the contra-lateral. DSI with restricted upper limbs, had a mean value of 56.3% (±11.4) in the operated leg and 58.1% (±11.9) in the contra-lateral.Re-tensioning capsular-ligamentous surgery of the external compartment for CAI allow to recovery proprioceptive and postural control on the operated side, comparable with data from the contralateral limb and from the healthy population of the same age and sex

Clinical radiographical outcomes and complications after a brand-new total ankle replacement design through an anterior approach: A retrospective at a short-term follow up

Recently, the progress in techniques and in projecting new prosthetic designs has allowed increasing indications for total ankle replacement (TAR) as treatment for ankle osteoarthritis. This retrospective work comprehended 39 subjects aged between 47 and 79 years old. The patients, observed for at least 12 months (mean follow up of 18.2 ± 4.1 months), have been evaluated according to clinical and radiological parameters, both pre-and post-operatively. The AOFAS and VAS score significantly improved, respectively, from 46.2 ± 4.8 to 93.9 ± 4.1 and from 7.1 ± 1.1 to 0.7 ± 0.5 (p value < 0.05). At the final evaluation, the mean plantarflexion passed from 12.2◦ ± 2.3◦ to 18.1◦ ± 2.4◦ (p value < 0.05) and dorsiflexion from a pre-operative mean value of 8.7◦ ± 4.1◦ to 21.7◦ ± 5.4◦ post-operatively (p value < 0.05). This study found that this new total ankle replacement design is a safe and effective procedure for patients effected by end-stage ankle osteoarthritis. Improvements have been demonstrated in terms of range of motion, radiographic parameters and patient-reported outcomes. However, further studies are needed to assess the long-term performance of these prostheses

The invisible fat

Childhood and adolescence are decisive periods in human life. Body composition and psychological changes determine nutritional requirements as well as eating and physical activity behavior variability. Aims of the present paper are to discuss recent advances in measurements for quantifying total body and regional adiposity, and for mapping adipose tissue distribution in order to evaluate metabolic risk factors in children. Among the new methods available for assessing pediatric body composition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can serve as a reference method for measuring tissue and organ volumes because estimates is reliable independent of age. MRI is the method of choice for calibrating field methods designed to measure adipose tissue and skeletal muscle in vivo and is the only method available for measurement of internal tissues and organs. MRI can be used to validate measures of important molecular level components such as fat measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and bioimpedance analysis. Moreover, the large gap in available information for certain topics makes MRI measurement a dynamic and growing scientific area of body composition investigation

Correction to: Management of early ankle osteoarthritis through anterior joint-preserving surgery: a retrospective evaluation at mid- to long-term follow-up

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