Archivio istituzionale della Ricerca - Università degli Studi di Parma
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Cholecystectomy at the time of COVID-19: how pandemic changed surgical management
No full textBackground: The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on health services worldwide. Northern Italy was the first outbreak and one of the most affected areas of Europe. Most procedures were canceled or delayed. Surgeons were challenged to find the best management for patients. Surgery for benign conditions such as uncomplicated gallstone disease (UGD) was often given low priority in an elective setting. In literature there is little evidence of pandemic effects on routine surgical procedures in non-COVID-19 UGD patients.This study investigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on a cohort of patients tested negative for COVID-19 infection undergoing (elective and emergency) cholecystectomy in a secondary care hospital in northern Italy. Methods: A total of 200 patients were enrolled in the study. We compared two groups of 100 patients each undergoing cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis in two different time frames: one before and one during the pandemic outbreak, respectively in 2019 and 2020. Pre-, intra-and post-operative features were evaluated. Results: There were statistically significantly higher preoperative blood levels of GOT (p=0.0164), GPT (p=0.0273) and ALP (p=0.0097) in the pre-pandemic group. Moreover, a significantly higher number of patients with acute biliary pancreatitis (AP) and common bile duct stones (CBDS) was detected in the pre-pandemic group (p=0.001). During the pandemic outbreak, significantly more cholecystectomies were performed by traditional approach (p=0.0001) and a shorter hospital stay was recorded. Conclusion: Patients undergoing cholecystectomy before COVID-19 pandemic showed a higher rate of AP and CBDS. A more conservative approach was preferred by surgeons
Olive leaf extract and butylated hydroxytoluene as antioxidants in refined versus whole wheat flour crackers: a physico-chemical characterization
No full textBACKGROUND This study investigated the physico-chemical properties of four cracker samples formulated with refined (RF) or whole wheat flour (WF), and enriched with olive leaf extract in either free form (OLE) or encapsulated form (MCR), as well as with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) antioxidant, in comparison with non-enriched control samples (CTR).RESULTS The MCR sample showed the highest total antioxidant capacity. Free OLE showed an intermediate value among all the tested samples and OLE reduced the peroxide value significantly in comparison with CTR. Encapsulated OLE was similar to the other formulations. The WF crackers showed lower moisture content, softer texture, and a lower impact of the natural antioxidant on color the parameters than the RF samples. The antioxidant type displayed little impact on the physical properties of crackers, with MCR showing the highest moisture content and texture consistency, and free OLE was comparable to CTR and BHT. Although free OLE revealed the greatest impact on the crackers' color, encapsulation significantly reduced this effect. Significant changes in proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) parameters were mainly associated with the higher fiber and lower gluten content of WF in comparison with RF; the type of antioxidant used affected the size of its impact.CONCLUSIONS The results revealed the potential of encapsulated OLE as a natural antioxidant for the development of clean label snacks. (c) 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry
The Effects of Hyaluronic Acid on Gait Parameters in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textBackground and Objectives: Knee Osteoarthritis affects about 10% of people over 50, causing pain and functional limitation. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is crucial in regulating the osteocartilaginous matrix. Patients are usually assessed using clinical scores to examine symptoms and quality of life, and in this context, gait analysis could provide an objective assessment of walking patterns to identify any deficits. This systematic review investigates the short and long-term effects of intra-articular HA injections on gait kinematics, pain and activities of daily living (ADL), investigating the correlation between outcomes. Materials and Methods: The review followed PRISMA guidelines. The PICO model included patients with radiographic knee osteoarthritis who received intra-articular HA injections, comparing them to healthy controls or those receiving corticosteroids or placebo. Outcomes included gait kinetics and functional scales at baseline and during follow-ups. Results: From 342 identified articles, 13 were included, comprising a total of 321 patients. The gait analysis utilized optoelectronic systems, inertial sensors, and electromyographic sensors pre- and post-HA treatment. Clinical parameters were assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale, WOMAC OA, Knee Society Score, Lequesne Score, and SF-36. The data showed significant improvement in speed (p = 0.001) and step cadence (p < 0.005) 30 days post-treatment and improvements in knee adduction moment (p < 0.001) and sagittal ground reaction force vectors (p < 0.01) up to six months post-treatment. Pain reduction and improvements in VAS (p < 0.001) and Lequesne score (p < 0.001) were observed in short-term follow-ups. Conclusions: Our study suggests an improvement in pain and knee function after hyaluronic acid injection. Moreover, gait analysis is an important tool for objectively assessing deficits and developing personalized rehabilitation programs. Furthermore, combining infiltrative treatment with rehabilitation could extend the effects of hyaluronic acid and improve results
Speed planning by minimizing travel time and energy consumption
No full textIn this paper we address the speed planning problem for a vehicle over an assigned path with the aim of minimizing a weighted sum of travel time and energy consumption under suitable constraints (maximum allowed speed, maximum traction or braking force, maximum power consumption). The resulting mathematical model is a non-convex optimization problem. We prove that, under some mild assumptions, a convex reformulation of the non-convex problem is exact. In particular, the convex reformulation is a Second Order Cone Programming (SOCP) problem, for which efficient solvers exist. Through the numerical experiments we confirm that the convex relaxation can be solved very efficiently and, moreover, we also provide the Pareto front of the trade-off between the two objectives (travel time and energy consumption)
Mechanical characterization of innovative recyclable monomaterial films and laminates for food packaging
No full textThis work has been done within the RE.MO.PACK (REcyclable MOnomaterial PACKaging) project, that focuses on the development of innovative flexible packaging structures made from a single type of polymer, such as polyolefins, that can be effectively integrated into the recycling technologies used in the industry. The OTR (Oxygen Transmission Rate) and WVTR (Water Vapour Transmission Rate) performance (i.e., the so-called ‘barrier’ properties of the film) is ensured by vacuum deposition of aluminium oxides (AlOx) and lacquering on the polymer film, while still being considered a mono-material under EU regulations. However, the success in the application of a polymeric film to seal a food tray or the shaping of a laminate into a primary packaging (i.e., in direct contact with food) are much dependent on its mechanical behaviour. Therefore, a part of the RE.MO.PACK project is dedicated to the mechanical characterisation of the different types of laminates developed within the project based on PE and with either AlOx or conventional aluminium metallization for water barrier. In particular, the following tests are performed: i) tensile testing according to the standard UNI-ISO 527-1,3 in machine (MD) and transverse (TD) directions; ii) AlOx coating adhesion through custom peel tests. The results show that the AlOx deposition do not affect the mechanical properties of the base film, and its adhesion is comparable with that of the conventional aluminium coating
Multi-temperature hydrodynamic limits derived from a hybrid Boltzmann-BGK model
No full textStarting from a mixed Boltzmann-BGK model for mixtures of monatomic gases with intra-species collisions modeled by Boltzmann operators and inter-species interactions described by relaxation terms of BGK type, we formally derive hydrodynamic equations in the regime dominated by intra-species interactions at Euler and Navier-Stokes level of accuracy. Explicit computation of transport coefficients of viscosity and thermal conductivity is also provided, showing realistic values for the Prandtl number of each species. We then discuss the shock wave structure problem for the multi-temperature Navier-Stokes description and we investigate the thickness of the shock profile for varying Mach number and different viscosity laws
The “2.0” prototype of 3D-printed oak gall nests: closely observing the ant colonies inside
No full textReal-Life Experience with Tildrakizumab in Plaque Psoriasis with Palmoplantar Involvement: A Multi-Center Retrospective Italian Study
No full textIntroduction: Palmoplantar psoriasis (PPp) has a profound negative impact on patients’ quality of life, and it represents a therapeutic challenge, as palms and soles are difficult to treat area. Although the efficacy profile of tildrakizumab has been well evaluated in the literature, data on its use for PPp are still limited. The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tildrakizumab on moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis with involvement of the palmoplantar area. Methods: A multicenter, retrospective, real-life study was performed enrolling patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis involving the palmoplantar area undergoing treatment with tildrakizumab with a follow-up of at least 52 weeks. At baseline, demographic and clinical data were assessed. Psoriasis severity was evaluated by using Psoriasis Activity Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA), Psoriasis Global Assessment (PGA), Pruritus-Numerical Rating Scale (P-NRS) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Palmoplantar PASI (ppPASI) was used to evaluate psoriasis severity in the palmoplantar region. Clinical improvement was evaluated at each follow-up visit [week (W) 4, 16, 52]. Results: A total of 99 patients were enrolled. A reduction in PASI, BSA, PGA, P-NRS and DLQI was observed at each time point. Mean ppPASI at baseline was 16.9 ± 13.2, which started to improve at W4 (8.9 ± 9.1) and continued to decrease at W16 (2.1 ± 3.1) and W52 (0.5 ± 1.0). Moreover, a sub-analysis showed that the probability of achieving ppPASI50 at W4 increased in case of nail psoriasis (p < 0.05) and decreased in bio-experienced patients (p < 0.001). Similarly, the probability of achieving ppPASI75 at W4 decreased in the case of prior biologic exposure (p < 0.05). Finally, patients with nail psoriasis showed a higher probability of reaching ppPASI75 at W16 (p < 0.05), whereas patients previously treated with systemic therapies for psoriasis reported a reduced probability of ppPASI75 achievement at this time point (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Tildrakizumab was shown to be a fast and effective treatment for patients with PPp, being able to achieve significant results already after only 4 weeks of treatment. Moreover, the identification of potential clinical factors predictive of response may improve the selection of the best treatment in patients with PPp
