1,724,491 research outputs found
Laparoscopic jejunostomy in a child with chronic intestinal pseudobstruction
No full textLaparoscopic jejunostomy in a child with chronic intestinal pseudobstruction
Li Voti G., Amoroso S.,Milazzo M.
Objective os the study: chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction (CIP) is a severe condition characterized by recurrent symptoms of bowel obstruction, in the absence of lumen occluding lesions. Because of motility disorders, since neonatal age these children show failure to thrive,vomiting,constipation and malnutrition. Long term enteral nutritional support, by gastrostomy or jejunostomy, appears the gold treatment. We performed a laparoscopy assisted jejunostomy in a patient with CIP. Our technique is described and results discussed.
Methods and procedures: a 14 years old male child, affected by CIP, was admitted to our unit with severe malnutrition. He had undergone,two years before, a duodeno jejunal anastomosis because of o diagnosis of duodenal compression by superior mesenteric artery. He had no improvement from this operation. Xray study demonstrated a persistent gastroparesis. A short term trial of nasojejunal feeding was effective in weight gain. Because of special anatomical pattern determined from previous operation we performed a laparoscopy assisted jejunostomy and inserted a mic key button for feeding.
A 5 mm laparoscopic camera poprt was placed through the umbilicus, by an open access. Two further 5 mm ports were placed in the left lower quadrant and in the cross point of umbilical transverse line and left breast midline. The camera was moved to the inferior port site. Avoding adhesions we managed to find the first jejunal loop. A bowel segment, approximately ten cm distal to the ligament of Treitz, was softly grasped and brought up to the abdominal wall at the left upper port site. Bowel was secured to abdominal wall by few unabsorbable sutures and minimally ostomy was done in order to insert the jejunostomy button. The correct position of the button was checked by laparoscopy. Enteral nutrition restarted via nasojejunal tube 3 days postoperatively and via jejunostomy 8 days later. We observed no intraoperative cpmplications or difficulties because of previous surgery adhesions.
Conclusions: laparoscopy assisted jejunostomy is a safe and effective procedure to achieving enteral access in patients with CIP
Prediction of the shear wave velocity Vs from CPT and DMT at research sites
No full textThe paper examines the correlations to obtain rough estimates of the shear wave velocity VS from nonseismic dilatometer tests (DMT) and cone penetration tests (CPT). While the direct measurement of VS is obviously preferable, these correlations may turn out useful in various circumstances. The experimental results at six international research sites suggest that the DMT predictions of VS from the parameters ID (material index), KD (horizontal stress index), MDMT (constrained modulus) are more reliable and consistent than the CPT predictions from qc (cone resistance), presumably because of the availability, by DMT, of the stress history index KD.Published83-923T. Pericolosità sismica e contributo alla definizione del rischioN/A or not JCRrestricte
Organizing the marketing actions around premium price and loyalty in technological brands: the case of Apple
No full textThe purpose of this study is to find out the behavioural differences of each generational cohort and to understand the effect on consumers’ willingness to pay a premium price and on brand loyalty in the case of technological brands. The research also aims to explore the impact on companies’ strategy and marketing processes. The study follows a quantitative research design and uses a survey as a tool to collect data.
The present work may enable firms to be more targeted in their approach to create competitive advantage and strong relationships with their audiences. Marketers and practitioners must recognize and take into consideration the differences across generational cohorts when developing their marketing strategy.
Keywords
Brand, Generation, Authenticity, Premium Price, Technological brand
Site Effects from the Building Scale to the Seismic Microzonation Scale: Examples from the Experience of L'Aquila
No full textThis paper illustrates the site characterization for evaluating local ground motion amplifications at two sites in the urban area of L'Aquila, performed for the reconstruction of buildings damaged by the April 6, 2009 earthquake. The paper is focused on the comparison between results obtained from site investigations carried out at the building scale and from information contained in the seismic microzonation study. Local amplifications inferred from microzonation may be considerably different from those provided by ground response analyses based on punctual soil data, due to the complex geological setting and the marked variability in geotechnical properties of the foundation soils. The practice of using seismic microzonation data for deriving the seismic action on buildings, not infrequent in structural engineering design, should be avoided or considered with caution
From Brand Experience to Brand Love. A tested model in OTT industry
No full textThe concept of brand experience has gained greater attention in the last decades by both
academics and practitioners and whilst there has been a growing number of studies in this area,
this concept remains relatively unexplored as compared to other branding constructs. The
present study seeks to address this need by developing a conceptual model of brand experience
on the basis of existing literature and analysing the findings in order to explain the role of brand
originality and brand trust as antecedents and brand love as behavioural outcome. This study
approaches the OTT sector with the case of Netflix and adopts Millennials as target.
The paper empirically examines the proposed model to test the hypothesized relationships.
Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA) were adopted to confirm the
variables in the study and a structural equation model (SEM) was performed to test the
hypotheses concerning the key influences among constructs
Geotechnical risk analysis by flat dilatometer (DMT)
No full textIn the last decades we have assisted at a massive migration from laboratory testing to in situ testing, to the point that, today, in situ testing is often the major part of a geotechnical investigation. The State of the Art indicates that direct-push in situ tests, such as the Cone Penetration Test (CPT) and the Flat Dilatometer Test (DMT), are fast and convenient in situ tests for routine site investigation. In most cases the DMT estimated parameters, in particular the undrained shear strength su and the constrained modulus M, are used with the common design methods of Geotechnical Engineering for evaluating bearing capacity, settlements etc. The paper focuses on the prediction of settlements of shallow foundations, that is probably the No. 1 application of the DMT, especially in sands, where undisturbed samples cannot be retrieved, and on the risk associated with their design. A compilation of documented case histories that compare DMT-predicted vs observed settlements, was collected by Monaco et al. (2006), indicating that, in general, the constrained modulus M can be considered a reasonable "operative modulus" (relevant to foundations in "working conditions") for settlement predictions based on the traditional linear elastic approach. Indeed, the use of a site investigation method, such as DMT, that improve the accuracy of design parameters, reduces risk, and the design can then center on the site’s true soil variability without parasitic test variability. In this respect, Failmezger et al. (1999, 2015) suggested to introduce Beta probability distribution, that provides a realistic and useful description of variability for geotechnical design problems. The paper estimates Beta probability distribution in research sites where DMT tests and observed settlements are available
Use Of Seismic Dilatometer For Design Infrastructures
No full textDuring the last decades we have assisted at a considerable shift from laboratory testing to in situ testing to the point that, today, in situ testing often represent the major part of a geotechnical investigation. Recommendations given in the State of the Art at the last Geotechnical World Conference in 2009 and in the Mitchell Lecture at the last International Conference on Geotechnical and Geophysical Site Characterization in 2012 indicate that direct-push in situ tests, such as the Seismic Cone Penetration Test (SCPT) and the Seismic Dilatometer Test (SDMT), are fast and very convenient tests for routine site investigations. The aim of this paper is to describe the SDMT, the obtained information and some engineering applications
for design infrastructures: settlements for bridges, subgrade compaction control for roads and liquefaction for harbors
Spectroscopic measurement of volatile organic compounds as biomarkers for human breath analysis
Full text linkI composti BTEX - benzene, toluene, etilbenzene e xileni - sono tra i composti organici volatili (COV) più pericolosi, pertanto il loro rilevamento altamente sensibile e selettivo può fornire informazioni chiave in molte applicazioni, dal monitoraggio ambientale all'analisi dell'espirato. I sensori ottici basati su tecniche di spettroscopia di assorbimento laser (LAS) possono rappresentare una soluzione per il rilevamento di BTEX poiché questi composti mostrano caratteristiche di assorbimento forti e distinte nella regione spettrale 13 - 15 μm. Tra queste tecniche, la spettroscopia fotoacustica a diapason di quarzo (QEPAS) e la spettroscopia termoelastica indotta dalla luce (LITES) rappresentano due tecniche efficaci. L'attività di ricerca svolta durante il mio dottorato di ricerca in Industria 4.0 presso il Politecnico di Bari si è concentrato sullo sviluppo di sensori ottici basati su tecniche QEPAS e LITES per il rilevamento di benzene, mirando la banda di assorbimento target centrata a 14,85 μm utilizzando un Laser a cascata quantica (QCL) non commerciale. I sensori QEPAS e LITES sviluppati hanno mostrato un'eccellente risposta lineare e sono stati ottenuti limiti di rilevamento minimi stimati (MDL), rispettivamente di 13 ppb e 105 ppb, con una costante di tempo del lock-in amplifier di 100 ms.BTEX compounds - benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes - are among the most hazardous Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), thus their highly sensitive and selective detection can provide key information in many applications, ranging from environmental monitoring to breath analysis. Optical sensors based on laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) techniques can represent a viable solution for BTEX detection since these compounds show strong and distinct absorption features in the spectral region 13 - 15 μm. Among these techniques, Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (QEPAS) and Light-Induced Thermoelastic Spectroscopy (LITES) represent two effective techniques. The research activity carried out during my Ph.D. program in Industry 4.0 at the Polytechnique University of Bari was focused on the development of optical sensors based on QEPAS and LITES techniques for benzene detection, targeting the absorption band centred at 14.85 μm using a non-commercial Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) source. The developed QEPAS and LITES sensors showed an excellent linear response and estimated minimum detection limits (MDL) of 13 ppb and 105 ppb, respectively, were obtained with a lock-in time constant of 100 ms
Review of the liquefaction cases triggered by the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake (Italy)
No full textThis paper describes three cases of liquefaction triggered by the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake. The sites are located along the Aterno river banks, in alluvial soil deposits of common depositional environment, at various epicentral distances: L’Aquila – Ponte Rasarolo (1.5 km), Fossa (10 km) and Vittorito (45 km). Liquefaction analyses were carried out at each site, aimed at reproducing the observed phenomena, using simplified methods based on in situ test results. The paper illustrates comparatively the results of the liquefaction analyses at the three sites, taking into account the local soil conditions and the markedly different seismic demand
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