71 research outputs found
A Problem of Minimum Area for Bodies with Constrains on Width and Curvature
In this paper we solve the problem of finding the convex
plane body of minimum area with the hypothesis of having a
limited radius of curvature, together with an assigned minimum
width. This result allows us to give a new and mainly analytical
proof of Pal’s Theorem
Selenium in humans: which is the safe range of intake?
Selenium in humans: which is the safe range of intake
Selenium, zinc and copper content of foods consumed in an Italian community
This study aimed to determine the concentrations of selenium,
zinc and copper in foods generally composing the diet of Northern
Italy population in order to implement a database of the quantitative
content for each of the three trace elements, according to
food category intake. Food samples were collected from (small to
large) distribution markets in triplicates and trace elements determination
was performed with ICP-MS after sample mineralization.
We found the highest levels of selenium in meat (202g/kg),
fish and seafood (489), dry fruits (314) and legumes (220). The
level of zinc was higher in cereal products (11.7 mg/kg), meat
(28.4), dairy products (18.8), legumes (21.2) and dry fruits (37.8).
Finally, the highest concentration of copper was found in dry fruits
(14.9 mg/kg), legumes (6.2), sweets (4.1) and meat (3.7). Our findings
will allow to estimate dietary trace elements exposure which
could be useful for both toxicological and epidemiological studies
Population density and risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: an Italian population-based study.
Population density and risk of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: an Italian population-based study
Thymus Imaging Detection and Size Is Inversely Associated With Metabolic Syndrome and Frailty in People With HIV
People with HIV (PWH) may experience accentuating aging in relation to immuno-activation. Little is known regarding thymus (THY) involution in this process. We sought to investigate the relationship between THY imaging detection/size and clinically relevant aging outcomes such as metabolic syndrome (MetS), multimorbidity (MM), and frailty in PWH
Environmental and Occupational Risk Factors of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A Population-Based Case-Control Study
Objectives: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease with still unknown etiology. We aimed at investigating the association between environmental and occupational factors with ALS risk. Methods: We performed a population-based case-control study in four Italian provinces (Catania, Modena, Novara, and Reggio Emilia) by administration of tailored questionnaires to ALS cases (n = 95) and randomly selected population referents (n = 135). We estimated ALS risk by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) using an unconditional logistic regression model. Results: We found a positive association with disease risk for history of occupation in the agricultural sector (OR = 2.09, 95% CI 0.79-7.54), especially for longer than 10 years (OR = 2.72, 95% 1.02-7.20). Overall occupational exposure to solvents also suggested a positive association, especially for thinners (OR = 2.27, 95% CI 1.14-4.54) and paint removers (OR = 2.01, 95% CI 0.90-4.48). Both occupational and environmental exposure to electromagnetic fields show a slightly increased risk with OR = 1.69 (95% CI 0.70-4.09) and 2.41 (95% CI 1.13-5.12), respectively. Occupational but not environmental exposure to pesticides (OR = 1.22, 95% CI 0.63-2.37), particularly fungicides, and exposure to metals (OR = 4.20, 95% CI 1.88-9.38), particularly lead, mercury, and selenium, showed an imprecise but positive association. Finally, there was an indication of increased risk for living in proximity to water bodies. Conclusions: Despite the caution that needs to be used due to some study limitations, such as the low number of exposed subjects and the possibility of recall bias, these results suggest the potential role of some environmental and occupational factors in ALS etiology
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