215 research outputs found

    Classi\ufb01cation problems for Hamiltonian evolutionary equations and their discretizations

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    In the present Thesis, we deal mainly with the subclass of Hamiltonian evolutionary PDEs and their Poisson brackets (PBs). We address the problem of classifying discrete differential-geometric PBs (dDGPBs) of any \ufb01xed order on target space of dimension 1 and describing their compatible pencils. Furthermore, we explain a new criterium about the existence of tri-Hamiltonian structures for nonlinear wave systems

    Serology of Lupus Erythematosus: Correlation between Immunopathological Features and Clinical Aspects

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    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the aberrant production of a broad and heterogenous group of autoantibodies. Even though the presence of autoantibodies in SLE has been known, for more than 60 years, still nowadays a great effort is being made to understand the pathogenetic, diagnostic, and prognostic meaning of such autoantibodies. Antibodies to ds-DNA are useful for the diagnosis of SLE, to monitor the disease activity, and correlate with renal and central nervous involvements. Anti-Sm antibodies are highly specific for SLE. Anti-nucleosome antibodies are an excellent marker for SLE and good predictors of flares in quiescent lupus. Anti-histone antibodies characterize drug-induced lupus, while anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La antibodies are associated with neonatal lupus erythematosus and photosensitivity. Anti-ribosomal P antibodies play a role in neuropsychiatric lupus, but their association with clinical manifestations is still unclear. Anti-phospholipid antibodies are associated with the anti-phospholipid syndrome, cerebral vascular disease, and neuropsychiatric lupus. Anti-C1q antibodies amplify glomerular injury, and the elevation of their titers may predict renal flares. Anti-RNP antibodies are a marker of Sharp’s syndrome but can be found in SLE as well. Anti-PCNA antibodies are present in 5–10% of SLE patients especially those with arthritis and hypocomplementemia

    Results of COVID-19 screening in a dermatologic clinic in northern Italy

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    Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has been a social, economic and sanitary challenge, which caused a great slowdown in most clinical activities. At the beginning of 2021, the gradual reopening of outpatient services was threatened by the risk of COVID-19 outbreaks in healthcare facilities. Methods Between January and March 2021, our dermatologic clinic promoted a screening campaign based on rapid antigen-testing: adhering patients were tested for COVID-19 and were visited only after getting a negative result. Results Among 635 recruited subjects, 514 agreed to be enrolled in the study, while 121 refused and were not tested. Only 1 of the 514 tests was positive for COVID-19, thus the incidence of COVID-19 infections was very low (0,002%). A significant percentage of patients (19,1%) refused to be tested. Among those who did not give consent for COVID-19 testing, 52,9% were male, although the total recruited population was prevalently female (56,1%). Discussion and conclusions Screening for COVID-19 in outpatient clinics is a promising tool to prevent virus outbreaks, despite the limitations posed by testing hesitancy. Moreover, the very low incidence of COVID-19 infection we detected could be seen as a sign of hope for the resumption of non-essential clinical activities

    The avid eaters of lives. New and old infectious diseases in Italy at the time of World War 1: a historical overview of military medicine and public health

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    World War I bursted Italy from different perspectives. The one here described under an historical point of view reguards health of military and civil population, with a special focus on infective diseases. The 20th Century was the fuse of degeneration and eugenetics theories; which grew in the meliè of war and technological innovation. Indeed, war is interestingly depicted as an entity capable of blooming the differences between those who wore a uniform and those who do not. As a matter of fact, some infection spared the civilian population while others felt with greater vengeance on this subgroup. Moreover, the incidence of different feared diseases was brought back to the rates of the late 19th Century. Thanks to a statistician, Giorgio Mortara (1885-1967) the impact of infective diseases in Wolrd War I on Italian demography is well established. Moreover, different military and civilian contribute to enrich the picture of the consequences of war. In conclusion World War I could see considered as a litmus paper. The litmus paper of successes and failures of italian public health management to face new medical challenges exacerbated by the crisis

    Effects of Late Conversion from Twice-Daily to Once-Daily Slow Release Tacrolimus on the Insulin Resistance Indexes in Kidney Transplant Patients

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    The use of tacrolimus (Tac) may be involved in the development of new-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) in a dose-related manner. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a standard twice-daily formulation of Tac (TacBID) vs. the once-daily slow-release formulation (TacOD) on the basal insulin resistance indexes (Homa and McAuley), and related metabolic parameters, in a cohort of kidney transplant patients. We retrospectively evaluated 20 stable renal transplant recipients who were switched from TacBID to TacOD. Blood levels of Tac were analyzed at one-month intervals from 6 months before to 8 months after conversion. Moreover, Homa and McAuley indexes, C-peptide, insulin, HbA1c, uric acid, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol serum levels and their associations with Tac levels were evaluated. We observed a significant decrease in Tac exposure (8.5 ± 2 ng/mL, CV 0.23 vs. 6.1 ± 1.9 ng/mL, CV 0.31, TacBID vs. TacOD periods, p 0.05) and McAuley indexes (7.12 ± 1 vs. 7.58 ± 1.4, p > 0.05). Similarly, blood levels of glucose, insulin, HbA1c, lipids, and uric acid were unchanged between the two periods, while C-peptide resulted significantly lower after conversion to TacOD. These data suggest that in kidney transplant recipients, reduced Tac exposure has no significant effects on basal insulin sensitivity indexes and metabolic parameters

    Comparing questionnaires across cultures: Using Mokken scaling to compare the Italian and English versions of the MOLES index

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    Aim The aims of this study were: i) to translate the MOLES index from English to Italian and to compare the two versions using non-parametric item response theory. Design A online survey was used to gather data. Methods Forward and back-translation was used to prepare the Italian version of the MOLES which was then analysed using the non-parametric item response theory of Mokken scaling. Results Mokken scales were found in both the English and the Italian versions of the MOLES index. However, the two scales—while the total scale score was not significantly different—showed different properties, and Mokken scaling selected different items from each scale
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