Ghrelin and fibrogenesis: relief for a hungry liver.

Ghrelin attenuates hepatocellular injury and liver fibrogenesis in rodents and influences fibrosis progression in humans

Macroeconomic forecasting: a non-standard optimisation approach to the calibration of dynamic factor models.

In this paper, we present a comparison of the forecasting perfomance of selected static and dynamic factor models on two large monthly data panels. The first dataset contains EU variables, whereas the other contains US variables. These data panels are split into two parts: the first subsample (the calibration sample) is used to select the most performing specification for each class of models in a in- sample environment and the second subsample (the proper sample) is used to compare the performances of the selected models in an out-of-sample environment. In the calibration sample, genetic algorithms are employed to achieve an efficient exploration of the parameter space. We find that dynamic factor models are globally the most performing methods on both data panels

Fibrogenic signalling in hepatic stellate cells

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salluting a new biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma

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Molecular pathogenesis of NASH

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is the main cause of chronic liver disease in the Western world and a major health problem, owing to its close association with obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome. NASH progression results from numerous events originating within the liver, as well as from signals derived from the adipose tissue and the gastrointestinal tract. In a fraction of NASH patients, disease may progress, eventually leading to advanced fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Understanding the mechanisms leading to NASH and its evolution to cirrhosis is critical to identifying effective approaches for the treatment of this condition. In this review, we focus on some of the most recent data reported on the pathogenesis of NASH and its fibrogenic progression, highlighting potential targets for treatment or identification of biomarkers of disease progression

GRANULAR FLOW SIMULATIONS OF LIMITING REGIMES OF PARTICLES–WALL INTERACTION RELEVANT TO SLAGGING COAL GASIFIERS

In pilot entrained-flow slagging coal gasifiers, high conversion efficiency and low pollutant emission levels have been observed, but the mechanism leading to this behaviour is not fully understood. Recent literature proposes several different mechanisms as playing an important role, ranging from the sticking properties of both particles and slag-covered walls to the thermal and chemical history along the trajectory of the particles in the entire gasifier. Nonetheless, very few attention has been devoted to the role of particle–particle interactions, even if it has been shown that this mechanism can lead to new regimes likely to occur in slagging gasifiers and to promote the rise in the coal conversion efficiency. This study presents the results of a simplified configuration that allows to highlight the role of the four different interactions that can be envisaged when considering particles and confining walls as either sticky or non sticky. Particles are subjected to a body force that mimics the action of the drag exerted by a swirling flow field in a cylindrical vessel. Particle–particle collisions are modelled with an Hertzian approach that includes torque and cohesion effects. Results clearly indicate the different structure of the layer of particles establishing on the wall surface in the different interaction regimes. They confirm the importance to adequately take into account particle–particle interactions for a correct prevision of the fate of coal particles in slagging gasifiers

Glycogenic hepatopathy associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus as a cause of recurrent liver damage

Aminotransferase elevation is a frequent cause of consultation for the Hepatologist, in both the outpatient and inpatient settings, but identifying the origin of these biochemical alterations may be challenging. Here we report a case where acute elevation of aminotransferases, associated with abdominal symptoms, was the cause of two hospitalizations in a short period of time. As the patient suffered from type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis, several potential causes of damage could be hypothesized, including celiac hepatitis, fatty liver, and autoimmune hepatitis. A liver biopsy performed in the occasion of the second hospitalization allowed to rule out autoimmune hepatitis and celiac hepatitis, showing mild signs of fatty infiltration. Staining with periodic acid-Schiff with or without diastase showed a marked accumulation of glycogen, indicating the presence of a glycogenic hepatopathy associated with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. This condition may be a cause of liver damage in patients with type 1 and occasionally type 2 diabetes, but its occurrence is often overlooked. This case report illustrates the fact that glycogenic hepatopathy may relapse, and prompts the clinician to take into account this condition in the differential diagnosis of causes of liver injury

Un client web EPP per la Regione Toscana

L\u27Istituto di Informatica e Telematica del CNR di Pisa (IIT-CNR) gestisce il Registro del country code Top Level Domain .it (Registro .it). Nel corso del 2009, il Registro .it ha attivato un nuovo sistema di registrazione, denominato "sistema sincrono", basato sul protocollo di comunicazione EPP (Extensible Provisioning Protocol). Al fine di supportare la Regione Toscana nell\u27evoluzione dei propri sistemi di gestione dei domini, conseguentemente al passaggio dal vecchio sistema asincrono al nuovo sistema sincrono, lo IIT-CNR, sulla base di una convenzione tra i due enti, ha fornito il supporto tecnico per la progettazione e realizzazione di un\u27interfaccia client web EPP che disponesse delle funzionalit? necessarie alla registrazione e al mantenimento dei nomi a dominio nel .it in modalit? sincrona. Il client web ? stato implementato con un\u27applicazione J2EE da deployare su un\u27opportuna istanza dell\u27application server JBoss