El comportamiento del consumidor de películas en la era digital actual

El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como objetivo principal estudiar las motivaciones que influyen sobre la toma de decisiones de compra de los consumidores sobre el visionado de películas en salas de cine y por Internet para determinar si el cine llegará a la obsolescencia e inevitable desaparición

A case of disseminated BCG infection in a daughter of Italian immigrants in Switzerland

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a vaccine against tuberculosis and contains a live, attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis as its essential constituent. Being a live, attenuated strain with potential pathogenicity, BCG can cause different complications, both near the inoculation site and through blood dissemination, especially in patients with immunodeficiency. IFN-gamma R1 deficiency is an autosomal recessively inherited immunodeficiency characterized by predisposition to infections with intracellular pathogens, in particular mycobacteria. We report a rare case of chronic osteomyelitis lasting 30 years due to BCG in a woman with IFN-gamma R1 deficiency who had previous clinical history of multi-organ BCGitis. Diagnosis of chronic osteomyelitis was confirmed by an 18-fluorine fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography combined with CT scan (18F-FDG PET/CT). In children with a history of BCG vaccination and chronic unexplained infections, a clinical suspicion of BCG-related disease must arise, and a reason of immunodeficiency should be sought

Effectiveness of citrate buffer-fluoride mixture in Terumo tubes as an inhibitor of in vitro glycolysis

Introduction: Glycolysis affects glucose determination in vitro. The placement of sample tubes in ice-water slurry with plasma separation within 30 minutes is recommended, or alternatively the use of a glycolysis inhibitor. The aim of our two-steps study was to evaluate which Terumo tube is best for glucose determination in routine clinical setting. Materials and methods: In the first study, blood from 100 volunteers was collected into lithium heparin (LH), NaF/Na heparin (FH) and NaF/citrate buffer/Na2EDTA (FC-Mixture) tubes. LH sample was treated as recommended and considered as reference, while FH and FC-Mixture samples were aliquoted, maintained at room temperature (RT) for 1, 2 and 4 hours; centrifuged and plasma analysed in triplicate. In the second study, samples from 375 volunteers were collected in LH, FH and FC-Mixture tubes and held at RT before centrifugation from 10 to 340 minutes, depending on each laboratory practice. Samples were analysed in one analytical run. Results: In the first study, FH glucose concentrations were 5.15 ± 0.66 mmol/L, 5.05 ± 0.65 mmol/L and 5.00 ± 0.65 mmol/L (P < 0.001) in tubes stored at RT for 1, 2 and 4 hours, respectively. Mean biases in all time points exceeded the analytical goal for desirable bias based on biological variation criteria. FC-Mixture glucose concentrations were 5.48 ± 0.65 mmol/L, 5.46 ± 0.6 mmol/L and 5.46 ± 0.64 mmol/L in tubes stored at RT for 1, 2 and 4 hours, respectively. Mean biases for FC-Mixture glucose in all time points reached optimal analytical goals. In the second study, the biases for LH and FH glucose compared to reference FC-Mixture glucose exceeded the preset analytical goals, regardless of the blood collection to centrifugation time interval. Conclusions: FC-mixture tubes glucose concentrations were preserved up to 4h storage at RT. We confirmed that NaF alone does not allow immediate glycolysis inhibition in real life pre-centrifugation storage conditions (up to 340 minutes). FC-Mixture should be used exclusively for glucose determination in laboratories unable to implement the recommended blood samples’ treatment

Unexpected phylogeographic affinities of Psammodromus algirus from Conigli islet (Lampedusa)

The only Italian population of the lacertid Psammodromus algirus is found in Conigli islet whereas the species is absent from the nearby island of Lampedusa. The phylogeographic relationships of this population were investigated. Mitochondrial DNA (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA) fragment sequences were analysed and compared with already published sequences from the whole species range. In all the analyses, the sample from Conigli grouped with those from Morocco and not with the closer Tunisian ones. Such surprising result poses serious doubts to the traditional interpretation of the enigmatic distribution pattern of this species in Italy suggesting a recent colonisation of the islet from NW Africa, probably human-mediated, rather than a land crossing from Tunisia during the Pleistocene

XI International Symposium on the Mediterranean Lacertid Lizards

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Monitoraggio della biodiversità in relazione all'applicazione degli standard di condizionalità: 4.2c, 4.6, 4.3 (olivo)

Nel presente lavoro vengono riportati i risultati relativi ai monitoraggi della diversità faunistica per i seguenti standard: 4.2c, 4.3 (olivo), 4.6. I risultati ottenuti sono nel complesso interessanti sia dal punto di vista metodologico sia per quanto concerne gli aspetti conservazionistici e gestionali. Emerge l'importanza di utilizzare più indicatori o gruppi tassonomici che comprendano taxa ecologicamente e funzionalmente diversi per valutare la "biodiversità". Relativamente allo sfalcio è stato osservato che una "blanda gestione" dei ritirati dalla produzione può favorire un certo incremento di biodiversità sia per quanto riguarda gli Artropodi, sia per quanto riguarda i Rettili. Risultati concordi sono stati osservati anche negli oliveti dove la gestione della vegetazione al suolo (sfalcio) sembrerebbe incrementare la diversità. Tuttavia è opportuno ricordare che l'effetto monitorato, almeno nei ritirati dalla produzione, non è quello immediatamente successivo all'azione meccanica che invece provoca danni diretti e immediati alla fauna (ferimento e uccisione). Emerge con evidenza dai dati raccolti anche l'importanza della presenza, all'interno degli agro-ecosistemi, di aree a minor disturbo antropico, naturali e semi-naturali: fasce ecotonali e ripariali, ma anche bordure dei campi. Viceversa l'uniformità del paesaggio e la presenza di grandi estensioni coltivate a monocoltura rappresentano elementi sfavorevoli alla biodiversità animale. Nel monitoraggio attraverso l'utilizzo della tecnica di fototrappolaggio è emersa l'importante funzione svolta dai muretti a secco, "presenze" tipiche e diffuse nel paesaggio agricolo tradizionale del nostro territorio italiano. Per molti taxa animali detti manufatti assolvono a funzioni ecologiche diverse, quali: rifugio, aree di foraggiamento, passaggio o sosta nonché punti ottimali per la termoregolazione.</p

Determinants of worse liver-related outcome according to HDV infection among HBsAg positive persons living with HIV: Data from the ICONA cohort

Objectives: We aimed to study hepatitis D virus (HDV) prevalence and risk of progression to severe liver-related events (SLRE) in HBsAg positive people living with HIV (PLWH) in Italy; role of HDV-RNA copy levels, HCV coinfection and nadir CD4 counts were also investigated. Methods: People living with HIV (PLWH) from Italian Foundation cohort Naïve antiretrovirals (ICONA) with available HBsAg and HDV Ab were enrolled. HBsAg, HDV Ab, HDV-RNA and HDV genotypes were tested. Primary end-point: time from first HDV screening to Severe Liver Related Events (SLRE: decompensated cirrhosis, liver transplantation, HCC). Fine-grey regression models were used to evaluate the association of HDV Ab, HDV-RNA, HDV/HCV coinfection, CD4 nadir and outcome. Secondary end-points: time to SLRE or death;&nbsp;HDV Ab and HDV-RNA prevalence. Results: A total of 152/809 (18.8%) HBsAg positive PLWH showed HDV Ab reactivity; 63/93 (67.7%) were HDV-RNA positive. Being male, persons who inject drugs (PWID), HCV Ab positive, with FIB-4 &gt; 3.25 were independent factors of HDV Ab positivity. In a median follow-up of 5 years, 37 PLWH (4.1% at 5-year) developed SLRE and 97 (12.0%) reached the SLRE or death end-point. HDV-RNA positive (independently from HDV-RNA copy level) PLWH had a 4.6-fold (95%CI 2.0-10.5) higher risk of SLRE than HDV negatives. PLWH positive for both HCV Ab and HDV Ab showed the highest independent risk of SLRE (ASHR: 11.9, 95%CI: 4.6-30.9 vs. HCV neg/HDV neg). Nadir CD4 &lt; 200/mL was associated with SLRE (ASHR: 3.9, 95% 1.0-14.5). Conclusions: One-fifth of the HBsAg positive PLWH harbour HDV infection, and are at high risk of progression to advanced liver disease. HCV contributes to worse outcomes. This population needs urgently effective treatments

Il Ruanda e le donne: il coraggio di sopravvivere La femme aux pieds nus di Scholastique Mukasonga Traduzione e commento

Il presente lavoro è così articolato: un primo capitolo che ha come scopo quello di delineare il contesto storico, illustrando le motivazioni e le cause alla base degli accadimenti del 1994, al fine di contestualizzare l’opera di Scholastique Mukasonga. Il secondo capitolo fornisce, quanto più dettagliatamente possibile, le informazioni sull’autrice, la sua vita, la produzione letteraria con particolare attenzione alle traduzioni dei suoi testi e le tematiche affrontate ne La femme aux pieds nus. Il terzo capitolo presenta la traduzione integrale de La femme aux pieds nus, dal titolo La donna scalza, con il testo originale a fronte, nonché il glossario delle parole in kinyarwanda presenti nel testo, di cui la stessa autrice ci fornice la relativa traduzione, che ho raccolto in un’unica sezione con lo scopo di semplificare la lettura del testo. Il quarto capitolo mette in evidenza le caratteristiche del testo e fornisce degli esempi riguardanti le tecniche e le strategie di traduzione adottate

The Guarantee System in Spain

There has always been a significant presence of SMEs in Spain, both in numerical terms and as far as their contribution to the development of the economy is concerned; however, it was only in 1978 that the so called Sociedades de Garantìa Recìproca (SGRs) were introduced in the country as non-profit-making mutualistic companies whose mission s to support SMEs through guarantee-granting activities. In spite of their having recent history, Spanish SGRs represent today an interesting interpretation of the mutualistic guarantee institution model, combining the interest of policy makers, SMEs and banks. Today, SGRs are supervised financial intermediaries offering guarantee to their own shareholder, subject to the supervisory activity of the Bank of Spain. The starting point of the analysis conducted in the present work is the legal and regulatory framework of reference, which, on the one hand, defines the scope of action and the operational procedures of the field and, on the other hand, proves useful for comprehending the role assigned by policy-makers to this ‘instrument’ in supporting SMEs. An in-depth examination follows, regarding the morphology of the guarantee system, including considerations of the relations established with enterprises, with public sector (both national and local) and with the banking system. Moreover, after having clarified their operational procedures, the SGRs’ performance has been analysed in order to evaluate the benefit enjoyed by SMES and the economic and financial sustainability of the guarantee institutions. Finally, the last section provides an analysis of the intervention implemented by policy-makers supporting SMEs during the recent crisis, employing SGRs as a means of transmission