1,932 research outputs found
Note inedite di W.G. Arnott alle 'Baccanti' di Euripide
This paper is devoted to W.G. Arnott’s handwritten annotations on the edition with commentary of Euripides’ Bacchae edited by E.R. Dodds. A reprint of Dodd’s edition (1953) was bought by Arnott in 1953; after his death (2010) this and other books belonging to Arnott’s collection were acquired by Scrinium Classical Antiquity, a Dutch antiquarian bookstore, and the author of this paper came into possession of this book in July 2013. The Greek text of Dodd’s edition presents Arnott’s marginalia, mostly in pencil, on both the right- and the left-handed margins, and there are even some slips of paper with copious glosses on longer passages. Further annotations in the book’s introduction might give some clues to propose a dating. This paper will offer a transcript and discussion of Arnott’s major annotations on Dodd’s introduction and Greek text, including his remarks in the slips of paper. This will make it possible to shed light on Arnott’s reflections on Euripides’ Bacchae over the years and his critical approach to the Greek text and to Dodd’s edition itself.This paper is devoted to W.G. Arnott’s handwritten annotations on the edition with commentary of Euripides’ Bacchae edited by E.R. Dodds. A reprint of Dodd’s edition (1953) was bought by Arnott in 1953; after his death (2010) this and other books belonging to Arnott’s collection were acquired by Scrinium Classical Antiquity, a Dutch antiquarian bookstore, and the author of this paper came into possession of this book in July 2013. The Greek text of Dodd’s edition presents Arnott’s marginalia, mostly in pencil, on both the right- and the left-handed margins, and there are even some slips of paper with copious glosses on longer passages. Further annotations in the book’s introduction might give some clues to propose a dating. This paper will offer a transcript and discussion of Arnott’s major annotations on Dodd’s introduction and Greek text, including his remarks in the slips of paper. This will make it possible to shed light on Arnott’s reflections on Euripides’ Bacchae over the years and his critical approach to the Greek text and to Dodd’s edition itself
Musculoskeletal Pain in Gymnasts: A Retrospective Analysis on a Cohort of Professional Athletes
Gymnastics athletes are exposed to a high risk of injury, but also of developing muscu- loskeletal pain. These data are still little investigated in the available scientific literature. An online survey was distributed to 79 professional athletes who practiced artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. The survey collected demographic and anthropometric data, information about the sport practice, the training sessions, the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain gymnastics-related, and lifestyle habits. Musculoskeletal pain had a high prevalence, involving 65 of 79 athletes (82.3%). A significant correla- tion was found between musculoskeletal pain and the duration of sports practice, both for general pain (p = 0.041) and for specific districts: right wrist pain (p = 0.031), left wrist pain (p = 0.028), right shoulder (p = 0.039), left hip (p = 0.031), right thigh (p = 0.031), and left knee (p = 0.005). Another statistical association was found between right wrist pain and BMI (p = 0.001), and hip pain and BMI (p = 0.030). Hours spent in a sitting position were also correlated with the incidence of pain (p = 0.045). Wrist pain and right shoulder pain had a statistically significant association with the age of the athletes (right wrist pain: p = 0.038; left wrist pain: p = 0.004; right shoulder pain: p = 0.035). The more the gymnasts practice this sport, the more likely they are to develop musculoskeletal pain. Increased age and a higher BMI, as well as daily prolonged sitting position, seem to be potential risk factors for the onset of musculoskeletal pain. Future studies could plan training strategies aimed at preventing musculoskeletal pain associated with gymnastics, in order to promote its further spread
Non—Organ-Specific Autoantibodies in Children with Chronic Hepatitis C: Clinical Significance and Impact on Interferon Treatment
We evaluated the prevalence and clinical significance of non-organ-specific autoantibodies (NOSAs) in 47 hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive children with abnormal alanine transaminase levels and analyzed the association between NOSAs and virus level, genotype, human leukocyte antigen status, and interferon (IFN) response. Forty-two hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive children and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy children served as control subjects. NOSAs were found in 34% of the HCV-positive children, 12% of the HBV-positive controls, and none of the healthy control subjects. Liver-kidney microsomal antibody type 1 (LKM1) was detected in 11% of the HCV-positive children but in none of the controls. The HCV load was significantly higher in NOSA-negative than in NOSA-positive children. HCV genotype distribution and human leukocyte antigen alleles were similar, irrespective of NOSA status. Long-term response to IFN therapy was achieved by 18% of the NOSA-positive and 55% of the NOSA-negative subjects. Two LKM1-positive children developed acute, self-limited hepatocellular necrosis while receiving IFN therapy. NOSAs are frequently present in children with hepatitis C, who are less likely to benefit from IFN therapy
A Computational Tool for the Design of Hybrid Rockets
AbstractA computational tool able to perform a fast analysis of hybrid rocket engines is presented, describing briefly the mathematical and physical models used. Validation of the code is also shown: 16 different static firing tests available in the open literature are used to compare measured operational parameters such as chamber pressure, thrust, and specific impulse with the code's output. The purpose of the program is to perform rapid evaluation and assessment on a possible first design of hybrid rockets, without relying on computationally expensive simulations or onerous experimental tests. The validated program considers as benchmark and study case the design of a liquid-oxygen/paraffin hybrid rocket engine to be used as the upper stage of a small launcher derived from VEGA building blocks. A full-factorial parametric analysis is performed for both pressure-fed and pump-fed systems to find a configuration that delivers the equivalent total impulse of a VEGA-like launcher third and fourth stage as a first evaluation. This parametric analysis is also useful to highlight how the oxidizer injection system, the fuel grain design, and the nozzle features affect the performance of the rocket
Knowledge of public health informatics among Italian medical residents: design and preliminary validation of a questionnaire
Background: public health requires strong information skills and competencies, as it is information-intensive and information-driven. Public health informatics has been defined as the “systematic application of information, computer science, and technology to public health practice, research, and learning”. New information and communication technologies offer unprecedented opportunities, such as linking smart-phones and mobiles devices to web based tools for data collection, enabling and enhancing participatory epidemiology. However, being an emerging discipline, despite its potential and importance, public health informatics is often neglected and overlooked, being rarely offered as course. The present study was designed as a pilot study, with the aim of designing and validating a questionnaire on the knowledge of public health informatics among medical residents in public health in Italy.
Methods and Results: thirty-two Italian residents in public health volunteered to take part into the study. Mean age of the sample was 31.44±2.23 years, most responders were males (68.8%), from northern Italy (53.1%), at the third year of residency (34.4%) and currently doing practical training at the clinical management staff/hospital directorate (34.4%). Other places of training were the Prevention Department (21.9%), the Institute of Hygiene (18.8%), the local health units and the territory (12.5%), the occupational health service (6.3%) and the Regional Health Agency (3.1%). Cronbach’s alpha coefficient yielded a value of 0.909, demonstrating excellent psychometric properties of the instrument.
Conclusion: in conclusion, the developed questionnaire seems to be an appropriate and useful tool to detect gaps concerning knowledge, education and practices of public health informatics among residents in public health. 
Long-term persistence of poliovirus neutralizing antibodies in the era of polio elimination: An Italian retrospective cohort study.
Abstract Introduction The extensive use of oral and inactivated poliovirus (PV) vaccines has driven progress toward the global eradication of wild PV2 and PV3 and the elimination of PV1 in most countries, including Italy. Although the persistence of circulating neutralizing antibodies among the vaccinated is unclear, it is estimated that > 99% of the population vaccinated according to the recommended protocol should be protected for at least 18 years. Methods This study evaluated the seroprevalence of anti-PV neutralizing antibodies and the long-term immunogenicity of the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) in a sample of medical students and residents of the University of Bari who attended the Hygiene Department for a biological risk assessment between April 2014 and October 2020. Results The prevalence of protected vaccinated individuals was > 90% for PV1, PV2, and PV3. Specifically, >99% of the study group was protected against PV1, > 98% against PV2, and almost 93% against PV3. Protective antibodies against all three viruses persisted for at least up to 18 years after administration of the last OPV dose, with PV1 and PV2 antibodies detected in > 95% of the participants > 30 years after the last OPV dose. Conclusions The childhood series of four doses of OPV guarantees a long duration of protection, despite the elimination of the virus and therefore the absence of a natural booster. However, until PV1 is completely eradicated, maximum vigilance on the part of public health institutions must be maintained
Prognostic Biomarkers of Sarcoidosis: A Comparative Study of Serum Chitotriosidase, ACE, Lysozyme, and KL-6
Purpose. Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease with unknown etiology. Many clinical presentations have been reported, and acute disease needs to be distinguished from subacute and chronic disease. The unpredictable clinical course of the disease prompted us to evaluate the clinical utility of biomarker serum detection in sarcoidosis follow-up. Methods. Serum concentrations of chitotriosidase, ACE, KL-6, and lysozyme were analyzed by different methods in a population of 74 sarcoidosis patients (46 on steroid therapy at sampling) regularly monitored at Siena Sarcoidosis Regional Referral Centre and in a group of controls with the aim of comparing their contribution to clinical management of sarcoidosis patients. Results. KL-6 concentrations were significantly elevated in sarcoidosis patients with lung fibrosis and were significantly correlated with DLco and CPI score, while chitotriosidase was significantly higher in patients with extrapulmonary localizations. With a cut-off value of 303.5 IU/ml, KL-6 showed the best sensitivity (78%), while chitotriosidase reported the best specificity (85%) among the biomarkers. Conclusions. KL-6 is a reliable biomarker of fibrotic lung involvement in sarcoidosis patients. Among biomarkers, KL-6 showed the best sensitivity and serum chitotriosidase the best specificity, even in patients on chronic steroid therapy, and seemed to correlate with extrapulmonary localizations
Long time persistence of antibodies against Mumps in fully MMR immunized young adults: an Italian retrospective cohort study
n/
Two-Port Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy in Dogs
SIMPLE SUMMARY: An adrenal mass represents the primary indication for adrenalectomy. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy is a minimally invasive surgical technique that minimizes pain and improves patient recovery. The traditional technique involves the use of a single or multiple port (three or four). The objective of the study was to evaluate the feasibility and complication rate of two-port laparoscopic adrenalectomy to remove adrenal masses smaller than 4 cm in diameter. In total, 16 dogs with adrenal masses were enrolled in the study and clinicopathologic data were harvested from the medical records. The dogs were placed in sternal recumbency with cushions positioned under the sternum and pubis to simulate the quadrupedal station and displace the abdominal viscera. In all cases, the procedures were feasible with two ports. In five cases, capsule rupture occurred, and all were adrenal gland carcinomas. ABSTRACT: The gold-standard treatment for functional tumors is adrenalectomy, and the procedure can be either open or laparoscopic. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy (LA) is a minimally invasive technique designated for small–medium-sized adrenal tumors without vascular invasion. LA is routinely performed using three or four ports with the patient in sternal or lateral recumbency. The aim of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of LA with two ports in order to reduce invasiveness and improve patient recovery. In total, 16 dogs with adrenal tumors were included in the study and the two-port technique was performed. Adrenalectomy was performed based on the presence of hypercortisolism in thirteen cases, whereas, in three cases, adrenalectomy was performed in the absence of evidence of cortisol production. Thirteen cases were carcinomas and three were adenomas of the adrenal gland; furthermore, twelve were on the left side and four were on the right side. Capsule rupture occurred in five cases. After performing the technique in all cases, no additional ports or laparotomy conversion occurred. Based on the authors’ experience, laparoscopic adrenalectomy can be performed with two ports
- …