A priori convergence of the Greedy algorithm for the parametrized reduced basis method

The convergence and efficiency of the reduced basis method used for the approximation of the solutions to a class of problems written as a parametrized PDE depends heavily on the choice of the elements that constitute the “reduced basis”. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the a priori convergence for one of the approaches used for the selection of these elements, the greedy algorithm. Under natural hypothesis on the set of all solutions to the problem obtained when the parameter varies, we prove that three greedy algorithms converge; the last algorithm, based on the use of an a posteriori estimator, is the approach actually employed in the calculations

[Eculizumab as rescue therapy for lupus nephritis-related thrombotic microangiopathy]

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) is a frequent and severe complication in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is reported in almost 20-25% of renal biopsies of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and is associated with a poor renal prognosis. We report the case of a patient suffering from an aggressive form of proliferative LN in association with thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA-LN), who was resistant to standard combined immunosuppressive treatment with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide, as well as to plasma exchange (PEX). Eculizumab was given as a rescue therapy with an optimal clinical response. We performed a systematic review of the literature and identified 11 papers, published between 2011 and 2018, with a total of 20 patients, in which eculizumab was used, always as rescue therapy, to treat TMA-LN. All reported cases showed a positive clinical response to eculizumab with a high rate of remission. Even if sparse, available clinical cases and case series support the use of eculizumab in highly selected cases as rescue treatment for LN-TMA resistant to conventional combined immunosuppressive treatment

Radiofrequency Ablation, Cryoablation, and Microwave Ablation for the Treatment of Small Renal Masses: Efficacy and Complications

Over the last two decades the detection rate of small renal masses has increased, due to improving diagnostic accuracy, and nephron-sparing treatments have become the first-choice curative option for small renal masses. As a minimally invasive alternative, thermal ablation has increased in popularity, offering a good clinical outcome and low recurrence rate. Radiofrequency ablation, Cryoablation, and Microwave ablation are the main ablative techniques. All of them are mostly overlapping in term of cancer specific free survival and outcomes. These techniques require imaging study to assess lesions features and to plan the procedure: US, CT, and both of them together are the leading guidance alternatives. Imaging findings guide the interventional radiologist in assessing the risk of complication and possible residual disease after procedure. The purpose of this review is to compare different ablative modalities and different imaging guides, underlining the effectiveness, outcomes, and complications related to each of them, in order to assist the interventional radiologist in choosing the best option for the patient

GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo simulation of electron and photon interactions for radiotherapy applications

The Monte Carlo simulation software is a valuable tool in radiation therapy, in particular to achieve the needed accuracy in the dose evaluation for the treatment plans optimisation. The current challenge in this field is the time reduction to open the way to many clinical applications for which the computational time is an issue. In this manuscript we present an innovative GPU-accelerated Monte Carlo software for dose valuation in electron and photon based radiotherapy, developed as an update of the FRED (Fast paRticle thErapy Dose evaluator) software

High frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in Italian children: A nationwide longitudinal study, 2004-2013

This longitudinal population-based study analyses the frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at type 1 diabetes diagnosis in Italian children under 15 years of age, during 2004–2013. DKA was defined as absent (pH ≥ 7.30), mild/moderate (7.1 ≤ pH < 7.30) and severe (pH < 7.1). Two multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate the time trend of DKA frequency considered as present versus absent and severe versus absent, adjusted for gender, age group and geographical area of residence at diagnosis. Overall, 9,040 cases were ascertained. DKA frequency was 40.3% (95%CI: 39.3–41.4%), with 29.1% and 11.2% for mild/moderate and severe DKA, respectively. Severe DKA increased significantly during the period (OR = 1.03, 95%CI: 1.003–1.05). Younger-age children and children living in Southern Italy compared to Central Italy were at significantly higher risk of DKA and severe DKA. Family history of type 1 diabetes and residence in Sardinia compared to Central Italy were significantly associated with a lower probability of DKA and severe DKA. The high frequency of ketoacidosis in Italy over time and high variability among age groups and geographical area of residence, strongly suggests a continuing need for nationwide healthcare strategies to increase awareness of early detection of diabetes

Recommendations for self-monitoring in pediatric diabetes: A consensus statement by the ISPED

none165noScaramuzza, Andrea; Cherubini, Valentino; Tumini, Stefano; Bonfanti, Riccardo; Buono, Pietro; Cardella, Francesca; D’Annunzio, Giuseppe; Frongia, Anna Paola; Lombardo, Fortunato; Monciotti, Anna Carla Maria; Rabbone, Ivana; Schiaffini, Riccardo; Toni, Sonia; Zucchini, Stefano; Frontino, Giulio; Iafusco, Dario; Arnaldi, Claudia; Banin, Patrizia; Barbetti, Fabrizio; Beccaria, Luciano; Benelli, Marzia; Berardi, Rosario; Biagioni, Martina; Bianchi, Giuliana; Bizzarri, Carla; Blasetti, Annalisa; Bobbio, Adriana; Boccato, Stefano; Bontempi, Franco; Bruzzese, Mariella; Cadario, Francesco; Calcaterra, Valeria; Cannatà, Alessandra; Cappa, Marco; Cardani, Roberta; Cardinale, Giuliana Marcella; Carloni, Ines; Castaldo, Vincenzo; Cauvin, Vittoria; Cerutti, Franco; Cester, Anna Maria; Chessa, Margherita; Chiarelli, Francesco; Chiari, Giovanni; Chiumello, Giuseppe; Cicchetti, Mario; Cirillo, Dante; Citriniti, Felice; Citro, Giuseppe; Coccioli, Maria Susanna; Cotellessa, Mario; Crinò, Antonino; De Berardinis, Fiorella; De Filippo, Gianpaolo; De Giorgi, Giovanni; De Luca, Filippo; De Marco, Rosaria; Delvecchio, Maurizio; Faleschini, Elena; Federico, Giovanni; Fifi, Anna Rita; Fontana, Franco; Franzese, Adriana; Frezza, Elda; Frongia, Annapaola; Gaiero, Alberto; Galderisi, Alfonso; Gallo, Francesco; Gargantini, Luigi; Ghione, Silvia; Giorgetti, Chiara; Gualtieri, Antonella; Guasti, Monica; Guerraggio, Lucia; Iannilli, Antonio; Ingletto, Dario; Iossa, Carmine; Iovene, Brunella; Iughetti, Lorenzo; Kaufmann, Peter; La Loggia, Alfonso; Lazzaro, Nicola; Lenzi, Lorenzo; Lera, Riccardo; Lia, Rosanna; Lo Presti, Donatella; Lorini, Renata; Lucchesi, Sonia; Luceri, Sergio; Madeo, Simona Filomena; Maffeis, Claudio; Mainetti, Benedetta; Mammi, Francesco; Manca Bitti, Maria Luisa; Marigliano, Marco; Marinari, Alessandra; Marinaro, Anna Maria; Meloni, Gianfranco; Marsciani, Alberto; Mastrangelo, Lisa; Mastrangelo, Costanzo; Meschi, Franco; Minasi, Domenico; Minenna, Adelaide; Minuto, Nicola; Monciotti, Carlamaria; Morganti, Gianfranco; Mozzillo, Enza; Nugnes, Rosa; Paradiso, Emanuela; Pardi, Daniela; Pasquino, Bruno; Patrizia Patera, Ippolita; Pennati, Cristina; Pepe, Rossella; Piccini, Barbara; Perrotta, Angelo; Piccinno, Elvira; Pinelli, Leonardo; Piredda, Gavina; Pocecco, Mauro; Ponzi, Giuseppe; Prandi, Elena; Predieri, Barbara; Prisco, Francesco; Quinci, Maria; Ricciardi, Maria Rossella; Rigamonti, Andrea; Ripoli, Carlo; Sabbion, Alberto; Salardi, Silvana; Salvatoni, Alessandro; Salvo, Caterina; Salzano, Giuseppina; Saporiti, Anna; Sardi, Rita; Schieven, Eleonardo; Scipione, Mirella; Soci, Cristina; Soro, Miriam; Spallino, Luisa; Stamati, Filomena; Suprani, Tosca; Savastio, Silvia; Taccardi, Rosa Anna; Tarchini, Luis; Tomaselli, Letizia; Tonini, Giorgio; Torelli, Cataldo; Tornese, Gianluca; Trada, Michela; Valerio, Giuliana; Vanelli, Maurizio; Vanini, Roberto; Vascotto, Marina; Vergerio, Amedeo; Viscardi, Matteo; Zaffani, Silvana; Zampolli, Maria; Zanatta, Manuela; Zanette, Giorgio; Zanfardino, Angela; Zecchino, Clara; Zedda, Maria Antonietta; Zuccotti, Gian VincenzoScaramuzza, Andrea; Cherubini, Valentino; Tumini, Stefano; Bonfanti, Riccardo; Buono, Pietro; Cardella, Francesca; D’Annunzio, Giuseppe; Frongia, Anna Paola; Lombardo, Fortunato; Monciotti, Anna Carla Maria; Rabbone, Ivana; Schiaffini, Riccardo; Toni, Sonia; Zucchini, Stefano; Frontino, Giulio; Iafusco, Dario; Arnaldi, Claudia; Banin, Patrizia; Barbetti, Fabrizio; Beccaria, Luciano; Benelli, Marzia; Berardi, Rossana; Biagioni, Martina; Bianchi, Giuliana; Bizzarri, Carla; Blasetti, Annalisa; Bobbio, Adriana; Boccato, Stefano; Bontempi, Franco; Bruzzese, Mariella; Cadario, Francesco; Calcaterra, Valeria; Cannatà, Alessandra; Cappa, Marco; Cardani, Roberta; Cardinale, Giuliana Marcella; Carloni, Ines; Castaldo, Vincenzo; Cauvin, Vittoria; Cerutti, Franco; Cester, Anna Maria; Chessa, Margherita; Chiarelli, Francesco; Chiari, Giovanni; Chiumello, Giuseppe; Cicchetti, Mario; Cirillo, Dante; Citriniti, Felice; Citro, Giuseppe; Coccioli, Maria Susanna; Cotellessa, Mario; Crinò, Antonino; De Berardinis, Fiorella; De Filippo, Gianpaolo; De Giorgi, Giovanni; De Luca, Filippo; De Marco, Rosaria; Delvecchio, Maurizio; Faleschini, Elena; Federico, Giovanni; Fifi, Anna Rita; Fontana, Franco; Franzese, Adriana; Frezza, Elda; Frongia, Annapaola; Gaiero, Alberto; Galderisi, Alfonso; Gallo, Francesco; Gargantini, Luigi; Ghione, Silvia; Giorgetti, Chiara; Gualtieri, Antonella; Guasti, Monica; Guerraggio, Lucia; Iannilli, Antonio; Ingletto, Dario; Iossa, Carmine; Iovene, Brunella; Iughetti, Lorenzo; Kaufmann, Peter; La Loggia, Alfonso; Lazzaro, Nicola; Lenzi, Lorenzo; Lera, Riccardo; Lia, Rosanna; Lo Presti, Donatella; Lorini, Renata; Lucchesi, Sonia; Luceri, Sergio; Madeo, Simona Filomena; Maffeis, Claudio; Mainetti, Benedetta; Mammi, Francesco; Manca Bitti, Maria Luisa; Marigliano, Marco; Marinari, Alessandra; Marinaro, Anna Maria; Meloni, Gianfranco; Marsciani, Alberto; Mastrangelo, Lisa; Mastrangelo, Costanzo; Meschi, Franco; Minasi, Domenico; Minenna, Adelaide; Minuto, Nicola; Monciotti, Carlamaria; Morganti, Gianfranco; Mozzillo, Enza; Nugnes, Rosa; Paradiso, Emanuela; Pardi, Daniela; Pasquino, Bruno; Patrizia Patera, Ippolita; Pennati, Cristina; Pepe, Rossella; Piccini, Barbara; Perrotta, Angelo; Piccinno, Elvira; Pinelli, Leonardo; Piredda, Gavina; Pocecco, Mauro; Ponzi, Giuseppe; Prandi, Elena; Predieri, Barbara; Prisco, Francesco; Quinci, Maria; Ricciardi, Maria Rossella; Rigamonti, Andrea; Ripoli, Carlo; Sabbion, Alberto; Salardi, Silvana; Salvatoni, Alessandro; Salvo, Caterina; Salzano, Giuseppina; Saporiti, Anna; Sardi, Rita; Schieven, Eleonardo; Scipione, Mirella; Soci, Cristina; Soro, Miriam; Spallino, Luisa; Stamati, Filomena; Suprani, Tosca; Savastio, Silvia; Taccardi, Rosa Anna; Tarchini, Luis; Tomaselli, Letizia; Tonini, Giorgio; Torelli, Cataldo; Tornese, Gianluca; Trada, Michela; Valerio, Giuliana; Vanelli, Maurizio; Vanini, Roberto; Vascotto, Marina; Vergerio, Amedeo; Viscardi, Matteo; Zaffani, Silvana; Zampolli, Maria; Zanatta, Manuela; Zanette, Giorgio; Zanfardino, Angela; Zecchino, Clara; Zedda, Maria Antonietta; Zuccotti, Gian Vincenz