Linking NAMEA and Input output for 'consumption vs. production perspective' analyses.

We integrate input output and NAMEA tables for Spain and Italy in 1995, 2000 and 2005, in order to address the hot policy issue of sustainable consumption and production. A comparison of a production and consumption perspective may have relevant policy implications. We deal with the domestic technology assumption and primarily the aggregation bias that may result when calculating indirect emission using different sector aggregation in the analyses (e.g. 16, 32, 50). Extended Input output analysis provides analyses of the emissions embodied in domestic consumption and domestic production by considering the structure of intermediate inputs and environmental efficiency in each production sector. Our empirical findings show that different sectoral aggregation significantly biases the amount of emissions both for the consumption and the production perspective, though differently in the two countries. Italy surprisingly show consumption/production ratios around or lower than one, but in line with some major work at EU level. Our results thus suggest that special attention must be paid when interpreting the EE-IOA of country estimated amounts of embodied emissions, both in domestic final demand and those directly associated with the production sectors when the sectoral aggregation level has a low definition as considered in some recent similar studies.NAMEA, extended input output, sustainable consumption and production, aggregation bias, final demand

Linking NAMEA and Input output for 'consumption vs. production perspective' analyses

We integrate input output and NAMEA tables for Spain and Italy in 1995, 2000 and 2005, in order to address the hot policy issue of sustainable consumption and production. A comparison of a production and consumption perspective may have relevant policy implications. We deal with the domestic technology assumption and primarily the aggregation bias that may result when calculating indirect emission using different sector aggregation in the analyses (e.g. 16, 32, 50). Extended Input output analysis provides analyses of the emissions embodied in domestic consumption and domestic production by considering the structure of intermediate inputs and environmental efficiency in each production sector. Our empirical findings show that different sectoral aggregation significantly biases the amount of emissions both for the consumption and the production perspective, though differently in the two countries. Italy surprisingly show consumption/production ratios around or lower than one, but in line with some major work at EU level. Our results thus suggest that special attention must be paid when interpreting the EE-IOA of country estimated amounts of embodied emissions, both in domestic final demand and those directly associated with the production sectors when the sectoral aggregation level has a low definition as considered in some recent similar studies.NAMEA; extended input output; sustainable consumption and production; aggregation bias; final demand

Pediatric febrile urinary tract infections: the current state of play

Studies undertaken in recent years have improved our understanding regarding the consequences and management of febrile urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are amongst the most common serious bacterial infections in childhood, with renal scarring a frequent outcome

Renal Mitochondrial Cytopathies

Renal diseases in mitochondrial cytopathies are a group of rare diseases that are characterized by frequent multisystemic involvement and extreme variability of phenotype. Most frequently patients present a tubular defect that is consistent with complete De Toni-Debré-Fanconi syndrome in most severe forms. More rarely, patients present with chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis, cystic renal diseases, or primary glomerular involvement. In recent years, two clearly defined entities, namely 3243 A > G tRNALEU mutations and coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis defects, have been described. The latter group is particularly important because it represents the only treatable renal mitochondrial defect. In this paper, the physiopathologic bases of mitochondrial cytopathies, the diagnostic approaches, and main characteristics of related renal diseases are summarized

A Case of Hypotonia-Cystinuria Syndrome With Genito-Urinary Malformations and Extrarenal Involvement

Hypotonia-Cystinuria syndrome (HCS) is a rare disease, caused by a mutation in two contiguous genes (SLC3A1 and PREPL) localized on chromosome 2p21, and it is characterized by both renal involvement with cystine stones and nervous involvement with hypotonia. We here describe a 2 years old child with HCS associated with other clinical features as congenital anomalies of kidney and urinary tract (primary obstructed megaureter, POM), cryptorchidism and cardiac involvement (patent foramen ovale with atrial septum aneurysm). To the best of our knowledge, cryporchidism and POM have never been reported before in patients with HCS. Moreover, a cardiac involvement has been described only in another case of HCS that, interestingly, presents the same genetic abnormalities as our patient. The diagnosis of HCS can be difficult because neurological signs are aspecific and kidney stones are commonly absent during the first months of life. A better understanding of the complete clinical scenario associated with HCS can help clinicians suspect, diagnose and treat HCS earlier with a positive influence on both neurological and renal outcome

Attualità in nefrologia pediatrica: le conoscenze di rilievo per il nefrologo dell'adulto

Examples of innovative research in pediatric nephrology include: a) the typically pediatric field of Congenital Anomalies of the Kidney and Urinary Tract (CAKUT), which has benefited from the discovery of numerous gene mutations responsible for the various malformations and the demonstration of the congenital origin of most of the renal damage, resulting in a decrease of invasive imaging, antibiotic prophylaxis and surgery; b) the approach to glomerular diseases that appear in childhood, like idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS), IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and C3 glomerulopathies (C3G). B and T lymphocyte disregulations and molecular podocyte alterations of immunological and genetic origin have been described in INS as main determinants of proteinuria. In IgAN, the discovery of an abnormal IgA glycosilation in the mucosal B cells has driven to new trials with Budesonide and Sparsentan and to innovative therapies, like atacicept. A new classification of C3G has been proposed after the description of genetic mutations of factors inhibiting activation of the alternative complement pathway, and monoclonal anti-C5 antibody Eculizumab has consequently entered the therapeutic armamentarium; c) the initial attempts at gene therapy, with promising results obtained in Alport syndrome, nephropathic cystinosis and Dent syndrome. Moreover, a clear example of precision medicine is represented by the refinement of the dosage of Eculizumab in the treatment of atypical HUS, while slow-medicine recommendations exist for common clinical conditions, like urinary tract infections, microscopic hematuria and proteinuria

Is Serum Cystatin C a Sensitive Marker of Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)? A Preliminary Study on Renal Transplant Patients

Human cystatin C is a basic low molecular mass protein (13,359 Dalton) freely filtered through the glomerulus and almost completely re-absorbed and catabolized by proximal tubular cells. We measured serum cystatin C in 38 kidney transplant patients (23 males, 15 females) aged between 6 and 32 years. To assess renal function, serum and urinary creatinine were also determined in all patients, and creatinine clearance was finally calculated. Cystatin C was determined by a particle-enhanced turbidimetric assay, and creatinine was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. To compare the diagnostic efficiency of cystatin C with that of creatinine, inulin clearance was performed on 12 renal transplant patients, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied. The results of this study demonstrate that serum cystatin C significantly increases in renal transplant patients with reduced creatinine clearance (70 mL/min per 1.73 m2) and that the diagnostic accuracy of serum cystatin C is better than of serum creatinine. Cystatin C may be utilized as a very marker of reduced GFR

Multicenter evaluation of mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) compared with the BACTEC radiometric method, BBL biphasic growth medium and Löwenstein—Jensen medium

ObjectiveTo evaluate the new BBL mycobacteria growth indicator tube (MGIT) in comparison with other media.MethodsMGIT was evaluated in 10 Italian centers on 433 clinical samples, mainly of respiratory origin and mainly smear positive, in comparison with Löwenstein—Jensen and with one or more other methods represented, according to participating centers, by the BACTEC radiometric method or by the biphasic BBL Septi-Chek AFB system. While MGIT and Löwenstein—Jensen were used for all the samples, 285 of them were also inoculated in BACTEC vials and 274 in biphasic bottles. Of these samples, 132 were investigated with all the four methods.ResultsAlthough less rapid and sensitive than the radiometric method, the results of MGIT were equal when compared with the other two media with respect to overall isolation yield; furthermore, it allowed the detection of growth in significantly shorter times.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate the value of MGIT for the detection of mycobacteria and, thanks to its extreme simplicity of use, its suitability for small and large laboratories. Its combined use with a solid medium can substantially improve the diagnosis of mycobacterial infection

Born with a solitary kidney: at risk of hypertension

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