Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università dell'Insubria
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Race and ethnicity reporting in endometriosis literature: a systematic review
No full textBackground: Accurate reporting of participants’ race and ethnicity is essential for assessing the representativeness of study populations and for identifying potential disparities in diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Objectives: To assess the quantity and quality of race and/or ethnicity reporting in the endometriosis literature. Methods: A systematic review of all human studies reporting data about endometriosis as the primary objective published in 2022. Studies were identified from electronic searches of MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the Cochrane Library databases. Main Outcomes Measures: The frequency and quality of participants’ race and/or ethnicity reporting based on compliance with the guidelines set by the ICMJE. Study characteristics that influenced the reporting of race and/or ethnicity were assessed. Publications from journals that followed ICMJE recommendations were compared with those from journals that did not. Results: 648/2054 (31.6%) articles met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-five studies (10.0%) reported participants’ race and/or ethnicity, and the overall quality of this reporting was poor. The frequency of reporting did not differ between journals adhering to ICMJE guidelines and those that did not (24, 11% vs. 41, 9.5%; P=0.52), between studies involving national versus international populations (60, 92.3% vs. 5, 7.7%; P=0.28), or between male and female authors (33, 50.8% vs. 32, 49.2%; P=0.38) respectively. Race and/or ethnicity were reported more often in prospective than in retrospective studies (37, 56.9% vs. 18, 27.7%; P<0.001), and in multicentre compared to single-centre studies (44, 67.7% vs. 21, 32.3%; P<0.001). Conclusions: The reporting of race and/or ethnicity in human-based endometriosis research remains both infrequent and inconsistent, including in journals claiming adherence to ICMJE standards. These results highlight the need for improved and uniform documentation of racial and ethnic data in endometriosis research. What is New? Human-based articles focusing on endometriosis have a low frequency and quality of race and/or ethnicity reporting, even in journals claiming to follow ICMJE recommendations
Surgical margin assessment and prognostic impact in sinonasal cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textObjective. Surgery remains a cornerstone in treatment of sinonasal malignancies, but the prognostic role of margin status is controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the prognostic significance of surgical margins in sinonasal cancer and their impact on survival, alongside key challenges in its evaluation. Methods. A systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science identified 64 studies (34,120 patients). Results. The overall margin infiltration rate was 33.2%, varying widely across studies (4.5-88.2%) and histotypes, and was the highest in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC, 61.5%). Meta-analysis of 31 studies showed positive margins were associated with worse survival (overall survival, odds ratio [OR] 2.61; disease-specific survival, OR 5.89; disease-free survival, OR 4.40). Squamous cell carcinoma, olfactory neuroblastoma, and mucosal melanoma had the strongest correlation with margin status, while for ACC and adenocarcinomas statistical significance was not reached. High heterogeneity was noted across studies, alongside inconsistent margin classification, distance thresholds, and use of frozen sections, limiting cross-study comparability. Conclusions. This study confirms the prognostic value of surgical margins, but underscores the urgent need for standardised definitions to improve prediction of oncologic outcomes and clinical decision-making
Conflitti, accordi e processi di comunicazione. Gli studi e alcune best practice per mantenere e recuperare coesione nel sistema famiglia-proprietà- impresa
No full textLa continuità delle imprese familiari e delle famiglie imprenditoriali è
sempre stata un tema di grande interesse per Gianluca Colombo.
Questo articolo ha per oggetto uno dei rischi maggiori per la
continuità e il benessere di imprese e famiglie, ovvero il rischio di
conflitti familiari, e presenta anzitutto lo stato dell’arte della
letteratura di family business attraverso una rassegna selezionata di
studi che hanno consentito di esplorare le caratteristiche dei conflitti,
la loro tipologia e le strategie atte ad affrontarli e, con riguardo a
queste ultime, approfondisce lo strumento degli accordi familiari.
Quindi, sulla base sia della letteratura sia dell’esperienza
consulenziale, si applicano i concetti esaminati in tema di conflitti e
accordi ad alcune situazioni di elevata complessità potenziale (e
spesso effettiva) quali i conflitti tra soci (o consiglieri) esecutivi e non
esecutivi e tra co-leader della stessa generazione. L’articolo si
conclude con alcune riflessioni nel ricordo di Gianluca sul ruolo
chiave della comunicazione, altro tema a lui caro, ai fini del successo
degli accordi e della gestione e prevenzione dei conflitti
Cocoa Powder and Explosion Risk: An Analysis of Components and Triggering Causes
No full textDust explosions represent a major hazard in food processing industries, particularly when dealing with organic powders. Cocoa powder, although widely produced and consumed, has received little scientific attention regarding its explosibility compared to other food powders such as flour or sugar. This work investigates the potential explosiveness of cocoa powder by analysing its chemical and physical properties and identifying the main parameters influencing ignition sensitivity. Five commercial cocoa powders were selected, and an experimental campaign consisting of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), crystallization and melting studies using reaction calorimetry, granulometric analysis, ICP-MS for metallic content, and pH/colorimetric analysis was carried out. A Matlab-based fitting model was developed to extract kinetic constants from TGA data, while a second code was implemented to calculate the theoretical Minimum Ignition Energy (MIE) from the collected experimental data. Results show that kinetic constants, crystallization enthalpies, particle size distribution, and metallic content significantly influence cocoa powder explosiveness. In particular, the presence of potassium carbonate/hydroxide and aroma additives can alter ignition susceptibility with respect to pure cocoa powders. The correlation between metal content (notably Al and Mg), pH, and colour was confirmed, indicating that darker powders with higher alkalinity may present lower ignition sensitivity. The theoretical protocol for MIE estimation developed in this work provides a valuable predictive tool that can reduce the need for extensive practical testing, also contributing to both the understanding of cocoa powder explosiveness and the safer handling of such powders in food industries
Cardiovascular risk factors management in older adults: a clinical consensus statement from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology of the ESC and the ESC Council for Cardiology Practice
No full textCardiovascular disease (CVD) currently ranks first in global mortality and morbidity and its prevalence increases with age. The most common risk factors for CVD are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemias, adipositas, smoking, and physical inactivity, Also, depression, anaemia and frailty can be considered important risk factors for CVD. Incidence and prevalence of risk factors and comorbidities increase with age. Nevertheless, risk factor management in older adults and how intensively they should be treated are challenging for cardiovascular specialists and other clinicians, and an intensive and individual approach is needed, given the limited evidence available to date.Therefore, in this clinical consensus document from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology of ESC and ESC Council for Cardiology Practice, a modern reappraisal of the evidence on the field is provided, together with simple, practical, and feasible suggestions to achieve the best goal in the clinical setting, focusing on evidence-based concepts
The Chinese diaspora's engagement with transnational narrative galaxies
No full textChina is a much more active player in the lives of Chinese diasporas than it has been in recent decades. In this paper, based on rich empirical material, we depart from the dominant approach that dissects China’s practices of direct digital diaspora engagement and take a new perspective. Focusing on broader multilingual transnational narrative galaxies, we argue that while processes of selective diaspora engagement with China do take place, they also result from diasporic participation in transnational narrative galaxies not specifically targeted at diasporics. In a binary global discursive context that requires everyone, and especially diasporics, to take sides, narratives critical of the US-dominated world order have a greater impact on the young adult Chinese diasporics discussed here than any direct attempt by the Chinese party-state to engage its diaspora. In turn, China’s ability to capitalise on narratives and actors also facilitates diasporic participation in the Chinese transnational space
Review: A journey into the black soldier fly digestive system: From current knowledge to applied perspectives
No full textRecent literature on the black soldier fly (BSF) confirms the deep interest in this species for the bioconversion of organic waste, including challenging substrates that contain recalcitrant macromolecules, and highlights the growing trend in new applications for this insect. While protein meal remains the most prominent use of BSF larvae, emerging research is increasingly exploring alternative applications of biomolecules derived from these larvae, including proteins, lipids, chitin, and antimicrobial peptides. Moreover, the high feeding versatility of this insect is being recognised in fields beyond animal feed, such as bioremediation, where its potential ability to degrade contaminants can present significant ecological benefits. Although there is now widespread agreement that a thorough understanding of BSF biology is essential to enlarge the range of applications in which this insect may offer new sustainable solutions, studies on the digestive system are still limited and we are far from having a whole comprehension of the functional features of this complex structure. In fact, the gut is not only the core of the bioconversion process but also represents the first defence barrier against ingested pathogens, and due to the presence of a highly versatile gut microbiota, it may be a potential source of novel microbes and enzymes that could find application in various biotechnological sectors. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on the BSF midgut -the central region of the gut responsible for nutrient digestion and absorption- in both larvae and adults, together with information about mouthparts and the organisation of the alimentary canal. Moreover, starting from the most recent studies on the midgut and its microbiota, we discuss implications for improving larval production, exploiting challenging substrates, and mitigating pollutants in contaminated biomasses
Spillover Effects Between Urban and Non-Urban Cycling Tourism in Italy. What Is the Role of Public Transport?
Get PDFCycling tourism gained a growing popularity in non-urban travel experiences, but the use of eventual complementary motorised vehicles may generate emissions, negatively impacting the environment. The paper, focusing on the role of public transport for intra-and inter-destination trips, has a twofold objective. First, it aims to identify the different determinants of the destination choice by bikers, considering both urban and non-urban
places. Second, it investigates whether the choice of urban destinations might influence the decision of varying the frequency of cycling in non-urban places. By using primary data from an Italian survey on cycling tourism in 2020, the work outlines unobserved effects and reveals the existence of a behavioural spillover effect that is enhanced when cycling tourists use public transport. Thus, public and private investments in transport services are needed to connect urban and non-urban tourism destinations, attracting more tourists to non-urban places
Round Well Inset for Uniform Electric Field Distribution in Electroporation Applications
Get PDFUniform electric field distribution in electroporation is crucial for achieving the effective localized delivery of drug molecules. Currently, in vitro electroporation studies on adherent cells lack a standardized test setup for obtaining consistent and repeatable results, unlike in vitro electroporation studies on cell suspensions that use electroporation cuvettes, which provide uniform electric field distribution. Considering this, we designed, built, and tested a novel inset design for low-volume round well plates, such as the 24- and 96-well plates which are most commonly used in cell culture labs. The inset design was realized using 3D printing and experimentally tested using potato phantoms and HeLa cells. Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to compute the electric field distribution in the round well plates with and without the inset. The FEA indicated that the electric field contour map at the bottom of the well with the inset had a more uniform electric field distribution, with an average value close to the expected 1000 V/cm. In contrast, it was only 840 V/cm without the inset, indicating non-uniform electric field distribution. Uniform electric fields were also obtained using the inset for the potato phantoms and the HeLa cells, indicating the merit of the inset and its usability with low-volume cell culture well plates, which enable the transfer of cells for various assays without additional steps, as well as its cost-effectiveness
