27 research outputs found
A Trust-Centered Approach for Building eVoting Systems
Abstract. eVoting is a challenging approach for increasing eParticipation. However, lack of citizens ’ trust seems to be a main obstacle that hinders its successful realization. In this paper we propose a trust-centered engineering approach for building eVoting systems that people can trust, based on transparent design and implementation phases. The approach is based on three components: the decomposition of eVoting systems into “layers of trust ” for reducing the complexity of managing trust issues in smaller manageable layers, the application of a risk analysis methodology able to identify and document security critical aspects of the eVoting system, and a cryptographically secure eVoting protocol. Our approach is pragmatic rather than theoretical in the sense that it sidesteps the controversy that besets the nature of trust in information systems and starts with a working definition of trust as people’s positive attitude towards a system that performs its operations transparently
The effect of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of diet on psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis phenotype: Nutrition as therapeutic tool?
Chronic inflammation and increased oxidative stress are contributing factors to many non-communicable diseases. A growing body of evidence indicates that dietary nutrients can activate the immune system and may lead to the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Fatty acids as macronutrients are key players for immunomodulation, with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids having the most beneficial effect, while polyphenols and carotenoids seem to be the most promising antioxidants. Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease with multifactorial etiology. Obesity is a major risk factor for psoriasis, which leads to worse clinical outcomes. Weight loss interventions and, generally, dietary regimens such as gluten-free and Mediterranean diet or supplement use may potentially improve psoriasis’ natural course and response to therapy. However, data about more sophisticated nutritional patterns, such as ketogenic, very low-carb or specific macro-and micro-nutrient substitution, are scarce. This review aims to present the effect of strictly structured dietary nutrients, that are known to affect glucose/lipid metabolism and insulin responses, on chronic inflammation and immunity, and to discuss the utility of nutritional regimens as possible therapeutic tools for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
Echocardiography, an indispensable tool for the management of diabetics, with or without coronary artery disease, in clinical practice
Diabetes mellitus is a major factor contributing to the development of cardiovascular disease. As morbidity and mortality rates rise dramatically, when target organ damage develops pre-symptomatic assessment is critical for the management of diabetic patients. Echocardiography is a noninvasive and reproducible method that may aid in risk stratification and in evaluation of treatment effects. The aim of this review is to analyze the echocardiographic techniques which can detect early alteration in cardiac function in patients with diabetes. © 2020 by the authors
Plasma nesfatin-1 and DDP-4 levels in patients with coronary artery disease: Kozani study
Background Nesfatin-1, a novel adipokine and dipeptidyl peptidase-4
(DPP4), a mam malian serine protease, are potent factors of
atherosclerosis. In the present cross-sectional study, we investigated
whether the plasma nesfatin-1 and DPP4 is associated with the prevalence
and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) with and without diabetes
mellitus (DM). Methods We consecutively enrolled a total of 240 patients
with significant CAD (previous revascularization or
angiographically-proven coronary artery stenosis > 50%) presented with
either unstable angina (UA, N = 76) or stable chronic CAD (SCAD, N =
165). 85 patients with at least 2 classical cardiovascular risk factors
but without significant CAD served as controls. The severity of CAD was
assessed using coronary angiography by the Gensini score. Clinical
parameters, glycemic and lipid profile, high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP),
nesfatin-1 and DPP4 levels were assayed. Results No differences were
found for age, sex, hypertension and diabetes distribution between
groups. Low nesfatin-1 levels were found in both CAD groups (UA & SCAD)
with respect to controls. The difference between UA and SCAD groups was
marginally non-significant. There was a significant increase of DPP4
along UA to SCAD and control groups. Differences between groups remained
unchanged in non-diabetic participants. Nesfatin-1 significantly
correlated to hsCRP (r = - 0.287, p = 0.036), HOMA-IR (r = - 0.587, p =
0.007) and hyperlipidemia (r = - 0.331, p = 0.034). DPP4 was
significantly associated with hs-CRP (r = 0.353 p < 0.001) and FPG (r =
0.202, p = 0.020) in univariate analysis, but those correlations were
lost in multiple regression analysis. There was a negative correlation
between nesfatin-1 and the severity of CAD, quantified by the Gensini
score (r = - 0.511, p < 0.001), but no association was found for DPP4.
Conclusions Serum DPP4 levels are increased in patients with CAD, while
serum nesfatin-1 levels have a negative association with both the
incidence and the severity of CAD. These results are independent of the
presence of diabetes mellitus. In addition, both peptides have a strong
association with hsCRP. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov
Identifier: NCT0030617