357 research outputs found
Expansion of the core business of traditional media companies in Spain through SVOD services
The strategic importance of the internet for television became evident in the early 2000s, even destabilizing its very concept and finally resulting in convergence towards a profound transformation of the sector. The introduction of global over-the-top (OTT) media services into local markets has led to strategic changes in multimedia groups. This study considers the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services of Atresmedia and Mediaset España, the two main traditional media organizations in Spain that form a duopoly in the country’s commercial television sector, with the aim of understanding and evaluating their positioning strategy in this market and the results obtained through the diversification of their core business. Based on an analysis of their content, price, and promotion policies and the results in terms of subscriptions and revenues, slight differences emerge regarding the strategy and scope of these two groups in their own environment in the sector. They compete for customers to achieve growth in the audiovisual market while seeking to retain a cross-media, multiplatform audience, as well as expand their core business of commercial linear television against a background of a reduction of advertising spend on television and the expected increase of hybrid financing models
BAISO - ambiente, storia e paesaggio di un territorio appenninico
Questa pubblicazione intende fornire in modo facilmente comprensibile le informazioni essenziali riguardanti la storia naturale e le vicende umane che nel tempo hanno costruito l'assetto dell'attuale territorio comunale di Baiso (RE). Il volume comprende informazioni su Ambiente naturale, Vegetazione, Patrimonio faunistico, Vicende storiche, Patrimonio architettonico, Particolarit\ue0 del territorio e Nuove opportunit\ue0. Per quanto riguarda quest'ultima parte, sono presentati alla cittadinanza i risultati di uno studio congiunto sui percorsi minerari, in collaborazione con l'Universit\ue0 di Modena e Reggio Emilia e nell'ambito del Progetto Europeo MinLand
Primary Absence of Type II Endoleak is A Positive Prognostic Factor against the Risk of Late Conversion of EVAR for AAA
Introduction: The aim of this study is to analyze 12 late conversion to open surgery after Endovascular Repair of
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (EVAR) while comparing the follow up of these cases to that of the definitely
successful procedures (absence of surgical conversion, type I or III endoleaks, or presence of type II endoleaks
without any aneurysmal sac enlargement) .
Methods: From a series of over 300 EVAR procedures performed at our department we have selected 215 cases
with a follow up ≥ 6 month and primary technical success (successful deployment of the devices and discharge of
patients without neither type I nor III endoleaks). Based on the final data recorded at the end of the follow up (mean+
IQR: 38.16 months + 41), these cases were divided into three groups: group 1, with 12 cases (5.6%) which needed
surgical conversion in a later stage (5 to 55 months from EVAR); group 2, with 39 cases (18.1%) with type II
endoleaks without aneurysmal sac enlargement; group 3, with 164 cases (76.5%) without endoleaks. The groups
were compared in relation to the following parameters: a) personal data and common atherogenic risk factor, b)
diameter of the aneurysm, c) kind of the proximal fixation of the endograft (suprarenal or infrarenal), d) presence of
endoleaks at the first postoperative check. We have compared the data from the three groups and we have
analyzed them with chi-square test (Χ2).
Results: Personal data and common atherogenic risk factor have proved no significant difference among the
three groups. The incidence of the other three parameters of group 1 was compared with the incidence of these in
groups 2 and 3: the mean pre-operative diameter of the aneurysm results 51 mm in group 1, 54 mm in group 2 and
55 mm in group 3 (not significant); suprarenal fixation of the prosthesis accounts for 50% in group 1, 51% in group 2
and 60% in group 3 (not significant); presence of type II endoleak at the first post-operative check was 41.6% in
group 1, 56.4% in group 2 (not significant) and 9.7% in group 3 (p<0.001, compared to groups 1 and 2).
Conclusion: In the EVAR procedures with primary technical success, the absence of type II endoleak at the first
post-operative check represents a favorable prognostic factor against the risk of late conversion to open repair.
Personal data, common atherogenic risk factor, diameter of the aneurysm and fixing type of the prosthesis don’t
seem to influence the onset of this complication
Copper transformation, speciation, and detoxification in anoxic and suboxic freshwater sediments
The complex chemistry of copper (Cu) in freshwater sediments at low concentrations is not well understood. We evaluated the transformation processes of Cu added to freshwater sediments under suboxic and anoxic conditions. Freshwater sediments from three sources in Michigan with different characteristics (Spring Creek, River Raisin, and Maple Lake) were spiked with 30 or 60 mg kg-1 Cu and incubated under a nitrogen atmosphere. After 28-d, each treatment subset was amended with organic matter (OM) to promote anoxic conditions and evaluate its effects on Cu speciation. OM addition triggered a shift from suboxic to anoxic conditions, and sequential extractions showed that Cu accordingly shifted from acid-soluble to oxidizable fractions. Extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy revealed that Cu sulfides dominated all anoxic samples except for Spring Creek 30 mg kgxfffd; 1, where Cu(I) was predominantly complexed to thiol groups of OM. Covellite and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) were the predominant Cu species in nearly all anoxic samples, as determined by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. Copper reduction also occurred under suboxic conditions: for two of three sediments, around 80% had been reduced to Cu(I), while the remaining 20% persisted as Cu(II) complexed to OM. However, in the third coarsest (i.e., Spring Creek), around 50% of the Cu had been reduced, forming Cu(I)-OM complexes, while the remainder was Cu(II)-OM complexes. Toxicity tests showed that survival of H. azteca and D. magna were significantly lower in suboxic treatments. Anoxic sediments triggered a near-complete transformation of Cu to sulfide minerals, reducing its toxicity
A randomized, controlled trial on the effectiveness of a proprietary marine lipo-peptide formula vs omega-3 on cytokines profile, anxiety, and pain symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia
Objective: The aim of the present study in an RCT manner (physicians and patients) a novel lipo-peptide marine compound, LD-1227, on physical-, emotional- and functional-related symptomatic complaints in fibromyalgia patients as well as inflammatory cytokines profile and gene expression while using omega-3 as a control group. Methods: The following questionnaire-based or clinical evaluation-based parameters were evaluated: widespread pain index [WPI] patient global impression of change, total tender points [TTP], fibromyalgia impact questionnaire, Beck depression inventory, fatigue severity ratings, cognitive symptom severity, symptom severity score [SSS] and weekly pain intensity ratings. Additional biochemical and gene expression analysis of cytokines (IL6, TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1, IL-8, IL-13, IL-1α, and GM-CSF) was performed as well. Data were analyzed with either a paired t-test or the Wilcoxon signed rank test depending on the parametric or non-parametric distribution. Results: Comparing the data from before and after treatment for Group B indicated a statistically significant reduction (p=0.05) in TTP, WPI score, and SSS score. These data suggest a positive effect of a 3-month treatment with the LD-1227 but not omega-3 treatment on Fibromyalgia pain and related anxiety/depressive symptoms. Inspections of HRV and Cytokines found a statistically significant improvement after LD1227 treatment. Unlike the group supplemented with omega-3, the treatment with LD-1227 brought about a decrease in WPI and weekly pain intensity symptoms for the majority of participants. The pre-and post-treatment data for Group B indicated a statistically significant reduction (p=0.05) in TPC, WPI, and SSS scores. No adverse events were reported. Conclusion: These results provide the first indications that the LD-1227 treatment has a statistically significant effect on the recognized fibromyalgia diagnosis metrics of WPI, TTP, and SSS as well on inflammatory markers and parasympathetic balance
Outcomes following general anaesthesia in children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
BACKGROUND: Children with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) have historically been considered to be high-risk candidates for general anaesthesia (GA), but there is currently a paucity of evidence regarding the safety of anaesthesia and perioperative outcomes in this population. METHODS: Clinical features and outcomes of all paediatric patients (30 mm) and 35 (21%) patients had a haemodynamically significant left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) gradient (>50 mm Hg). The majority (n=143, 87%) had no perioperative complications. 20 (12%) patients had minor perioperative complications: bradycardia (n=4), hypotension (n=15) or transient ST segment changes (n=1). One (0.6% of GA procedures) patient experienced a cardiac arrest during anaesthetic induction with death occurring 3 days later. Clinical parameters (including age, MWT, LVOT gradient, systolic and diastolic dysfunction) were not associated with an increased risk of complications CONCLUSIONS: This is the largest published series to date of paediatric patients with HCM undergoing GA, which demonstrates that, in an expert centre, patients can be anaesthetised with a relatively low perianaesthetic mortality (0.6%) and prevalence of minor complications (12%). Future studies are required to systematically identify clinical features that may predict anaesthetic risk
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