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Differenze di sesso-genere nella retinopatia diabetica
No full textAim and background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the main causes of visual loss in individuals aged 20-64 years old. Some evidence indicate clear sex gender differences in diabetes: renal disease progresses at a faster rate in females compared with males and women benefit less from treatment than men do, while studies focused on sex-gender differences in diabetic retinopathy do not give clear indications. The aim of my study was to investigate sex gender difference in DR.
Methods: During the period 2015-2016 we performed 3573 (2159 males, 1414 females) retinographies in type 2 diabetic patients referring to our outpatient clinic. Each imagine was independently evaluate by an experienced diabetologist and one oculist. In case of disagreement, patient was examined under mydriasis. Patients were classified as having: a) No DR (NRD), b) non proliferative DR (RDNP), c) pre-proliferative and proliferative DR (RDPP), e) maculopathy (MAC). Each patient had full clinical and laboratory data in the database.
Results: The two groups were homogeneous for age, diabetes duration, BMI, glicometabolic and lipidic assess, kidney function and ACEI use. In general 75,2 % were NRD, 17,2% RDNP, 3,4% RDPP and 4,2% MAC without sex gender differences.
Conclusion: Our study shows: a) No sex gender differences in the different classes of DR for any of the analyzed parameters, b)Retinography allows to exclude DR in 75,2% of our patients avoiding the more expensive oculist assessment
L’Isteroscopia nel percorso diagnostico della coppia infertile: tra falsi miti e realtà
No full textSTUDY DESIGN: More than 72 million couple in the world are sterile and over half of them are looking for a cure for infertility. Nowadays the literature available is almost exclusively based on a population that has already started a MAP path rather than in the early stages of diagnosis.
Infertility evaluation and treatment is challenging both physically and psychologically for the couple and often suggesting an hysteroscopic exam affects negatively patients, especially for the incomplete or inadequate information received by the medical staff.
RESULTS: We conducted a study on the population of the hysteroscopic office of the Gynecological Obstetrics Clinic of Sassari with the aim of improving information channels. There were 196 subjects between 25 and 45 years. 16% of patients reported lack of information received, but overall we observed a prejudice in almost all subjects about the pain during the examination. In the 41% of the patients, even if with a normal US, we found endometrial, cervical or, myometrial anomalies locally treated.
CONCLUSION: Our data, albeit partial, show the technical feasibility and good compliance during the exam. Furthermore we observed that a a good agreement between the report and the histological examination, due to the continuous updating of the endoscopic staff, improve the patients-doctor relationship and the compliance to any treatment
Detroit: dalla crisi agli eseprimenti di rinascita
No full textThe gradual dissolution of the Fordist production system since the 1970s, has entailed a complete reorganization of many European and American cities, especially where industrial experience has had a major impact on the economic, social and territorial aspects.
The city of Detroit is the most recent case in time that shows the effects of the city's industry crisis, culminating in the bankruptcy petition in 2013 and more generally the decline of an economic system that has gradually emptied the city. Firstly, in demographic terms; secondly, in terms of dismantled and abandoned artifacts; thirdly, in terms of growth of economic and social disadvantage.
Among urban renewal strategies, even in Detroit is spreading the practice of urban gardens installed in vacant lots. This practice could be represent a social inclusion initiative, while it further intends to halt the so-called food-insecurity, which limits the access to fresh, wholesome foods to the vast majority of urban inhabitants.
In Detroit operate numerous associations that have long engaged in training activities directed at the local population regarding fruit and vegetable cultivation in their backyards and involvement in the several urban gardens located within the city limits.
The thesis aims to examine the contribution of this practice in the process of urban renaissance and on the local residents.
Keywords: Detroit, deindustrialization, urban gardens, regeneration, food-securit
Effects of animal welfare measures on milk sheep and goat quality and dairy production in Sardinia
No full textThis paper will explore how the massive application of animal welfare on the sheep sector in Sardinia has been implemented both from the point of view of the effectiveness and efficiency of the interventions of the EU measure which has made it possible to evaluate the results, both through an analysis of the perception consumers have of the concept of animal welfare on the sheep sector. Wide space has been given to the deepening of the concept of animal welfare is as ethical concept, whether scientific, both as a Community definition. After having extensively analyzed the Community legislation governing the implementation of animal welfare in Europe, have been taken into account the data of the experience gathered in Sardinia by the sheep sector in recent 10 years. Therefore, the present research aims to: (1) highlight the features of this complex and significant policy, which has undergone a few changes over the years; (2) examine the multiple and profound reasons to the source of that policy; (3) see if any ambitious objectives were achieved at the end of the second implementation period in 2015 and (4) identify whether and how the implementation of measures on animal welfare has been instrumental in pushing the livestock industry toward a more modern and rational; (5) try to outline future perspectives from the results achieved. Nevertheless, the current market trends will be examined again to categorize new perspectives in a bi-dimensional reality opportunities and weaknesses to overcome. To describe some prospects in the sixth chapter were analyzed the opinions of stakeholders, to examine in depth the critical remarks on the necessity of the measure and on the advisability of commercial exploitation, and consumers, to analyze in the context of product demand any propensity to purchase products resulting from the respect of animal welfare. Research has shown on an economic basis that the existence of a measure that guarantees public good "welfare of sheep" is still fully justified. Application analytics measure demonstrates the high value and the results achieved through this valuable policy designed and implemented by the region of Sardinia. The future financial situation is the first tough step ahead. The amount and manner of access to financial resources by farmers could drastically change, consider new emergencies facing Europe and the profound change in the global scenario. Whatever the future scenario, the opportunity must be grasped today. On the basis of the new legislation on the CMO, more organizational innovations are possible to improve the Organization of producers and organizing inter-professional and learn to use new tools to plan production and regulate supply, as established in particular for the milk
Agonistic interactions between the honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera ligustica</i>) and the European wasp (<i>Vespula germanica</i>) reveal context-dependent defense strategies
No full textPredator–prey relationships between sympatric species allow the evolution of defense behaviors, such as honeybee colonies defending their nests against predatory wasps. We investigated the predator–prey relationship between the honeybee (Apis mellifera ligustica) and the European wasp (Vespula germanica) by evaluating the effectiveness of attack and defense behaviors, which have coevolved in these sympatric species, as well as the actual damage and disturbance caused to the colonies under attack. Attack and defense behaviors were recorded in front of the hive to observe attacks at the hive entrance (68 attacks in 279 h) and at ground level on isolated and weakened honeybees close to the hive (465 attacks in 32 h). We found that V. germanica attacked the hive entrance infrequently due to the low success rate of this strategy and instead preferred a specialized attack method targeting adult honeybees at ground level, demonstrating opportunistic scavenger behavior. Individual honeybees usually responded effectively to an attack by recruiting an average of two nestmates, causing the wasp to flee, whereas collective balling behavior was only observed on four occasions. V. germanica does not appear to disrupt the foraging activity of the colonies under attack. We found that agonistic events supported by other nestmates were typically the most intense ones, involving physical combat and prolonged attacks at the entrance to the hive. These observations support the hypothesis that A. mellifera ligustica can adapt its behavior to match the severity of the threat and the context of the attack
Assessment of asthma severity in adults with ever asthma: a continuous score
No full textBackground: In epidemiological studies, continuous measures of asthma severity should be used to catch the heterogeneity of phenotypes. This study aimed at developing and validating continuous measures of asthma severity in adult patients with ever asthma from the general population, to be used in epidemiological studies.
Methods: Respiratory symptoms, anti-asthmatic treatment and lung function were measured on 520 patients with ever asthma aged 20–64 years from the general Italian population (GEIRD study; 2007/2010). The variables that represent the same dimension of asthma severity were identified through an exploratory factor analysis and were summarized through a multiple factor analysis.
Results: Only respiratory symptoms and anti-asthmatic treatment were summarized in a continuous score (STS). STS ranges from 0 (no symptoms/treatment) to 10 (maximum symptom frequency and treatment intensity). STS was positively correlated with the Global Initiative for Asthma classification of asthma severity computed on the 137 cases with a doctor's diagnosis (Spearman’s coefficient = 0.61, p-value <0.0001) (concurrent validity). Furthermore, using a cohort of 1,097 European asthmatics (ECRHS II study; 1999/2002), increasing STS levels at baseline (1991/1993) were positively associated with long-term outcomes (hospitalization and lost workdays for breathing problems, asthma attack frequency and use of asthma controllers) (predictive validity). Finally, the STS scores computed from the GEIRD and ECRHS II data were comparable (Lin’s coefficient = 0.95, p-value <0.0001) (replication analysis).
Conclusions: STS is a valid and replicable measure of asthma severity in adults, which could be used in association studies
Safety and tolerability of Elvitegravir/Cobicistat/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil fumarate in a real life setting: data from surveillance cohort long-term toxicity antiretrovirals/antivirals (SCOLTA) project
No full textObjectives: The study aim was to evaluate the impact on Liver and Kidney toxicity of the single tablet regimen Elvitegravir/Cobicistat/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate (EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF) on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) experienced or naïve patients.
Methods: Patients initiating EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF were enrolled in the SCOLTA project, a multicenter observational study reporting grade 3–4 Adverse Events in subjects beginning new antiretroviral drug regimens. In this analysis, patients were evaluated at T0 (baseline), T1 (six months) and at T2 (twelve months).
Results: A total of 329 patients were enrolled, and 280 (85.1%) of these had at least one follow-up visit. Median observation time was 11 months (IQR 7.0–15.5). Two hundred and two patients (72.1%) were ART experienced and 78 (27.9%) ART naive. Prevalence of HCV-co-infection was 21.4%. At T1, we observed a significant decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), both in experienced and naive patients (mean change from T0–7.5 ± 12.8 ml/min, -15.5 ± 17.8 ml/min, respectively, p = 0.0005), which was confirmed at T2 (mean change from T0–8.2 ± 15.8 ml/min, -17.6 ± 19.4 ml/min, respectively, p = 0.001). Regarding aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT) grade 1–2 modifications, no significant differences were observed between experienced and naïve subjects, but an increased prevalence of abnormal liver function test was observed in patients with chronic HCV infection (p<0.001).
Conclusions: A significant decline in eGFR was observed in patients initiating EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF in the first 6 months, with no significant worsening occurring at 12 months vs. 6 months of therapy. Patients with chronic HCV infection were at higher risk to develop abnormal liver tests
One year monitoring of bud break phenology in a FAIR 202 (Grighine, Sardinia) international field test
No full textPhenology, the study of recurrent biological events and biotic and abiotic factors that determine them, allows to know how a species respond to seasonal environmental events. In phenological traits analysis, the variance components due to the climate effects as well as the genetic one are important. These traits are characterized by high heritability and genetic variability and are considered important adaptive traits, able to influence species distribution and fitness in response to variations of air temperature and water availability. The monitoring of phenology is considered a useful tool to investigate the species adaptability in a climate change scenario
On the accuracy of <i>in vivo</i> ethanol and acetaldehyde monitoring, a key tile in the <i>puzzle of acetaldehyde as a neuroactive agent</i>
No full textOver the last 20 years researchers have explored the postulated role of acetaldehyde (ACD) as a mediator of some of the actions of ethanol (EtOH) in the central nervous system (CNS). However, efforts have been hampered mainly by the difficulty of directly measuring in vivo EtOH and ACD levels in the CNS and thus, our knowledge is based on indirect evidences. Although technically challenging, the development of reliable methods for in vivo measurement of ACD and EtOH is of paramount importance to solve the “puzzle of acetaldehyde as a neuroactive agent.” In this short review we discuss the recent advances on brain EtOH pharmacokinetic and state-of-the-art available techniques that could be used for in vivo detect EtOH and ACD both non-invasively (magnetic resonance spectroscopy), and invasively (microdialysis and biosensors). Among the different in vivo sampling techniques described, particular emphasis is paid to the field of enzyme-based amperometric biosensors. Biosensors have gained much attention in recent years for their ability to online monitor biological signals in vivo, and several micro- and nano-structured devices have been successfully used for in vivo studies. Owing to their high temporal and spatial resolution, biosensors could provide the adequate technology for studying in vivo EtOH pharmacokinetic
Analisi dei polimorfismi del gene della miostatina (MSTN) e loro associazione con le performance del cavallo anglo arabo da corsa
Get PDFThe Anglo Arabian horse breed is spread all over the world. The aim of this study was to investigate polymorphisms of the myostatin gene (MSTN) in Anglo Arabian racehorses.
Blood samples were collected from 180 horses and DNA was extracted. Data concerning the sport career were achieved. MSTN gene was entirely sequenced from two subjects and 14 polymorphic sites were detected. Resequencing of the fragments 3 and 6 in all the 180 horses was later performed.
The only SNP that showed a significant effect on sport performance (arrival and success indexes) was g.66,493,737, which showed three genotypes, CC, CT and TT. Heterozygotes CT were characterized by the best performances considering the arrival index. As regard the success index, no difference was registered between homozygous and heterozygous for short distances, but the latter are always the best on medium and long distances. Orthogonal contrasts showed that heterozygous horses attained the highest cash prize in the medium distances while CC homozygotes have better performances in the short distances. CT and TT showed the same results on long and short distances.
In conclusion, flexibility of the Anglo Arabian racehorse was evidenced. Selection led to particularly resistant horses, easily and indifferently adapted for race distances ranging from 1400 to 2400 meters. These findings should be useful both to bring higher value to the genotyped animals and for better selection schemes