Cesare Arzelà, Opere

Sono riprodotte in forma anastatica tutte le memorie scientifiche di Cesare Arzelà (1847-1912). Precede un saggio su Arzelà e l'analisi reale e complessa

Cesare Arzelà, Opere

Sono riprodotte in forma anastatica tutte le memorie scientifiche di Cesare Arzelà (1847-1912). Precede un saggio su Arzelà e l'analisi reale e complessa

Evaluating Program Impact on Resilience: Evidence from Lesotho’s Child Grants Programme

Social protection programmes can play a crucial role in enhancing household resilience. Although there is vast evidence on the impact of cash transfer projects on many welfare outcomes, no study examines the impact of cash transfers on a composite measure of resilience. This paper fills this important gap by employing a difference-in-difference estimator in the context of a randomised control trial in Lesotho to explore the causal effect of a Child Grant Programme on resilience capacity. Results show a positive and significant short-term impact, largely driven by the beneficial effects for less resilient households. The main transmission channels are increases in household expenditure and food security. Strong stimulus of the Programme on expenditure in education, a key resilience determinant, anticipates longer-run virtuous intergenerational dynamics in resilience building. The policy implication of this work is that social protection interventions should be embedded within the larger framework of resilience-enhancing programmes

Automated startup of the CEBAF 45 MeV injector

In order to improve the speed and reproducibility of restoring the beam in the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) 45 MeV injector after a full or partial shutdown of the accelerator, a program has been written using the Tcl/Tk scripting language to automate most of the required steps. The procedure is separated into four main parts. The first part performs preliminary checks that verify that the hardware is set correctly and then turns on the main interlocked systems including high power magnets and RF. The second step turns on the gun high voltage. The final steps turn on the beam and verify that the beam quality is satisfactory by measuring the transmission, orbit, transverse beam size, and bunch length. Minor corrections for phasing are also performed in the program. In order to identify inefficiencies in the startup, each is timed and parameter changes are logged so that system drifts can be tracked. This paper describes the software implementation, the logic to achieve a successful startup, and efficiency results

Characterization of antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties and apoA-I-containing subpopulations of HDL from family subjects with monogenic low HDL disorders

Background: Genetic factors regulate both high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and functionality, thus affecting HDL antiatherogenic properties. We characterized the HDL antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties and apoA-I-containing subpopulations in families with monogenic low HDL disorders. Methods: Subjects with mutations in apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) or lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and family controls were studied. HDL antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties were assayed by an in vitro fluorometric method and HDL-associated paraoxonase-1 (PON1), platelet activating factor-acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), LCAT, malondialdehyde (MDA), PAF and serum amyloid A (SAA) were measured. ApoA-I-containing HDL subpopulations were analyzed by two-dimensional non-denaturing gel electrophoresis. Results: ApoA-I heterozygotes and subjects with partial or complete ABCA1 or LCAT deficiency had HDL with reduced antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties and increased MDA levels. HDL-PON1 activity was reduced in apoA-I heterozygotes and in subjects with complete ABCA1 deficiency. HDL-PAF-AH activity was reduced in subjects with partial or complete ABCA1 deficiency or complete LCAT deficiency. HDL-LCAT activity was reduced in all LCAT mutation carriers. HDL-PAF levels were increased in apoA-I heterozygotes. HDL-SAA levels were increased in subjects with complete ABCA1 deficiency. ApoA-I, ABCA1 and LCAT heterozygotes were depleted of the large alpha 1 HDL subpopulation. Subjects with complete LCAT deficiency showed mostly the small alpha 4 HDL subpopulation and subjects with complete ABCA1 deficiency the alpha 4 and pre beta HDL subpopulations. Conclusions: This study shows that mutations in apoA-I, ABCA1 and LCAT have direct effect on the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties of HDL Furthermore, our study shows the effect of specific mutations on the apoAI-containing HDL subpopulation profiles. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserve

Predictive biomarkers of preeclampsia severity in a low resource setting: Role of red blood cell indices, NLR, and albumin-to-creatinine ratio

Preeclampsia (PE), a serious medical condition with substantial maternal and perinatal implications, poses a significant challenge, particularly in high-incidence countries like Indonesia. Red blood cell (RBC) indices, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and microalbuminuria (albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR)) may signal systemic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, recently recognized as potential indicators for diagnosing and predicting disease severity. The aim of this study was to analyze RBC indices, NLR, and ACR changes in women with PE and their potential for predicting disease severity. A cross-sectional study was conducted at multi-center hospitals across Medan, Indonesia, from June 2022 to June 2023. The patients were grouped into PE cases with and without severe features. Demographic characteristics and complications were recorded while blood and urine were tested. The Chi-squared test, Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney test were used to determine biomarkers associated with severe PE. A total of 208 PE patients were included in the study (104 patients for each PE with and without severe features). Our data indicated that PE patients with severe features had higher red cell distribution width (18.5% vs 13.7%; p<0.001), NLR (5.66% vs 4.1%; p<0.001), and ACR (755.97 mg/dL vs 468.63 mg/dL; p<0.001) compared to those without severe features. In contrast, the platelet count was lower in severe features than those without (21.9 × 106/µL vs 27.0 × 106/µL; p=0.002). This study highlighted that PE patients with severe features predominantly had higher levels of RDW, NLR, and ACR and lower platelet counts compared to those without severe features. Therefore, basic tests such as complete blood count and urinalysis, which are inexpensive and feasible in primary care settings with limited resources, offer hope as valuable diagnostic biomarkers for pregnant women diagnosed with PE in a low resource setting