Validità della transferrina decarboidrata (CDT) nell'accertamento dell'abuso cronico di alcol etilico in adetti al trasporto pubblico urbano = Validity of carbohydrate-deficient transferrine (CDT) in assessing chronic abuse of ethyl alcohol in urban public transport workers

L\u2019obiettivo di questo studio \ue8 stato quello di verificare, in un gruppo di lavoratori addetti al trasporto pubblico urbano, la capacit\ue0 di accertare l\u2019abuso cronico di alcol etilico da parte di alcuni parametri chimico-clinici, con particolare riferimento alla transferrina decarboidrata (CDT). Sono stati indagati 512 guidatori di tram, di sesso maschile, per i quali sono state raccolte informazioni relative sull\u2019assunzione di bevande alcoliche in occasione della visita medica periodica effettuata ai sensi della vigente normativa (DM88/99). Per questi soggetti sono stati determinati i parametri chimico-clinici: CDT, gamma-glutamiltransferasi ematica (GGT), volume corpuscolare medio degli eritrociti (MCV), aspartato aminotransferasi (AST), alanina aminotransferasi (ALT). I soggetti sono stati suddivisi in cinque categorie a diverso grado di assunzione di alcol: non bevitori, bevitori saltuari, bevitori moderati, bevitori abituali e forti bevitori. I valori mediani di CDT, GGT e MCV sono risultati superiori nei bevitori rispetto ai non bevitori, con una tendenza all\u2019aumento proporzionale alla quantit\ue0 di alcol etilico assunto. La validit\ue0 di ciascun parametro nell\u2019accertare l\u2019abuso di alcol \ue8 stata calcolata rilevando la dichiarazione sul consumo di bevande alcoliche rilasciata dal soggetto. CDT \ue8 il parametro con migliori sensibilit\ue0 e specificit\ue0, che sono risultate pari a 90% e 98%, rispettivamente; il valore predittivo negativo \ue8 risultato del 99%, mentre la predittivit\ue0 positiva del 45%. L\u2019associazione di CDT positiva con GGT o MCV ha portato a piccoli miglioramenti della capacit\ue0 predittiva positiva, che \ue8 passata al 50% per CDT associata a MCV e al 60% per CDT associata a GGT. I nostri risultati confermano che, anche in ambito lavorativo, la CDT \ue8 il parametro pi\uf9 importante per la diagnosi dell\u2019abuso cronico di bevande alcoliche, ma indicano anche che la positivit\ue0 di questo indicatore non pu\uf2 essere assunta come certezza d\u2019abuso. Si propone quindi l\u2019adozione di ulteriori strumenti diagnostici quali un questionario specifico per la raccolta del consumo alcolico e, in caso di CDT positiva, di un test di secondo livello ad elevata specificit\ue0.Objectives: The aim of this study was to verify the ability of some chemical-clinical parameters, with particular emphasis on carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), in assessing chronic abuse of ethanol in a group of urban public transport workers. Methods: In the 512 subjects, public transport tram drivers, all males, who entered the study, information on the intake of alcoholic beverages was collected during the periodical health surveillance controls performed according to Italian legislation (DM88/99). In the study subjects the following clinical-chemical parameters were measured: CDT, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), mean corpuscular volume of erythrocytes (MCV), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Results: The subjects were divided into five groups according to different levels of alcohol intake: non-drinkers, occasional drinkers, moderate drinkers, habitual drinkers and heavy drinkers. The median values of CDT, GGT and MCV were higher in drinkers than in non-drinkers, with an increasing trend in proportion to the amount of ethanol ingested. The validity of each parameter in determining chronic abuse of ethyl alcohol was calculated taking as true the statement on alcohol intake made spontaneously by the subject. CDT was confirmed as the parameter with the best sensitivity and specificity: 90% and 98%, respectively, the negative predictive value was 99%, while the positive predictive power was 45%. The combination of CDT with GGT or MCV led to small improvements in the positive predictive ability, which reached 50% for CDT and MCV and 60% for CDT and GGT. Conclusions: Our results confirmed that, also in the workplace, CDT is the most important parameter for the diagnosis of chronic abuse of alcohol intake, but also showed that the positivity of this marker cannot be taken as certainty of abuse. The adoption of further diagnostic tools is therefore proposed, such as a specific questionnaire to collect information on alcohol intake, and in case of positive CDT, a second-level test with a high specificity

Short Term External Debt and Economic Growth—Granger Causality: Evidence from Latin America and the Caribbean

Short-term external debt, Causality, Economic growth, Absorptive capacity,

Rendimento de cortes comerciais e composição tecidual da carcaça de cabritos mestiços Commercial cut and tissue yields in carcasses from crossbred kid goats

A composição relativa dos cortes comerciais da carcaça e a composição tecidual (músculo, osso e gordura) da perna, do lombo e da paleta de cabritos mestiços Boer e Anglo-nubiano foram analisadas em 20 cabritos de dois grupos genéticos diferentes (13 &frac12; Anglo-nubiano &times; &frac12; sem raça definida, SRD e 7 &frac12; Boer &times; &frac12; SRD). Os animais foram abatidos aos 10 meses de idade, com 29 &plusmn; 0,08 kg peso corporal. Após resfriamento (2&deg;C) da carcaça por 24 horas, as carcaças foram separadas nos cortes: perna, lombo (anterior e posterior), paleta, peito, costela, pescoço e fraldinha para determinação dos rendimentos em relação ao peso da carcaça fria. Em seguida, a perna, o lombo (anterior e posterior) e a paleta foram dissecados em tecidos muscular, adiposo e ósseo para estimação das relações músculo:osso (RMO) e músculo:gordura (RMG). Os rendimentos médios dos cortes foram: 30,8% de perna, 25,1% de lombo (17,9% no anterior e 7,0% no posterior), 22,0% de paleta, 4,8% de peito, 6,8% de pescoço, 4,8% de costela e 5,6% de fraldinha. Não foi observado efeito entre os grupos genéticos para os rendimentos dos cortes, exceto o rendimento de costela, que foi superior nos cabritos Anglo-nubiano &times; SRD (5,12%) em comparação aos Boer &times; SRD (4,49%). Nos cabritos Boer &times; SRD, os rendimentos de tecido muscular (61,05%), as relações RMO (3,91) e RMG (6,85) foram superiores, enquanto, nos cabritos Anglo-nubiano &times; SRD, os rendimentos foram superiores para os tecidos adiposo (10,23%) e ósseo (16,79%). A carcaça dos cabritos Boer &times; SRD apresenta maior proporção de tecido muscular nos cortes de maior valor comercial em comparação à de cabritos Anglo-nubiano &times; SRD.<br>Carcass composition related to commercial cuts and tissue composition (muscle, bone and fat) from leg, loin and shoulder of kid goats crossbred Anglo-Nubian or Boer were evaluated in 20 kids from two different genetic groups (13 &frac12; Anglo-Nubian &times; &frac12; Undefined Breed - UB and 7 &frac12; Boer &times; &frac12; UB). The animals were slaughtered at 10 months of age and average body weight of 29 kg &plusmn; 0.08. After 24 hours of cooling (2ºC), the carcasses were separated in the cuts: leg, loin (fore loin and rear loin), shoulder, breast, rib, neck and flank for the determination of yields related to cold carcass weight. After that, leg, loin (fore loin and rear loin )and shoulder were dissected in muscle, fat and bone tissues to estimate muscle:bone (MBR) and muscle:fat (MFR) ratios. The average yields for the cuts were: 30.8% of leg, 25.1% of loin (17.9% fore loin and 7.0% rear loin), 22.0% of shoulder, 4.8% of breast, 6.9% of neck, 4.8% of rib, and 5.6% of flank. No significant effect of genetic groups on cut yields was detected, except for the rib, that was higher for Anglo-Nubian &times; UB (5.12%) than for Boer &times; UB (4.49%). %). In Boer &times; UB kids, muscle tissue yield (61.05%), MBR (3.91) and MFR (6.85) were higher, while for Anglo-Nubian &times; UB yield were higher for fat (10.23%) and bone (16.79%) tissues. The carcass from crossbred Boer &times; UB kids showed higher muscle tissue in the cuts of major commercial value than that from Anglo-Nubian &times; UB kids