48 research outputs found
L'artista satirico nell'epos: Giandomenico Tiepolo e il cavallo di Troia
No full textThe Artist Satirist and the Classical Epos: Giandomenico Tiepolo and the Trojan Horse
This study reconsiders a remarkable but overlooked work by Giandomenico Tiepolo–the so-called Building of the Trojan Horse in the collections of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art at Hartford. Starting from a fresh look to the content, the author identifies a slightly different iconography, as well as the presence of an enigmatic self-portrait of the painter seen from the back. The possible precedents in the tradition of the artists' self-portraits in Venice are investigated, and an interpretation is offered in connection with the peculiar satirical themes of Gian Domenico's art
FADS cluster variants are associated with insulin sensitivity in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity
No full textChanges in the desaturation activity of LC-PUFAs may influence insulin sensitivity by modulating the relative abundance of omega-3. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the association between genetic variants of fatty acid desaturase cluster genes (FADS1, FADS2, FADS3) and insulin sensitivity in a cohort of children and adolescents with obesity. Anthropometric evaluation, lipid profile, glucose metabolism parameters and the genotype of rs1535 on FADS2 gene were assessed. In 162 obese children and adolescents (12.6 +/- 2.3 years; BMI 30.9 +/- 7.3), we found a significant association between an index of insulin sensitivity, i.e., Matsuda index, and rs1535 (B = -0,192; p = 0.008), BMI (B = -0,003; p < 0.001), and triglycerides (B = -0,034; p < 0.001), independent of age and sex [R-2 = 0.35; p = <0.001]. In conclusion, FADS cluster variants were associated with insulin sensitivity in a population of children and adolescents with obesity, contributing to identify individuals who may benefit from personalised prevention and treatment nutritional strategies since childhood
Vitamin D at the onset of type 1 diabetes in Italian children
No full textLow vitamin D levels have been reported in multiple immune disorders such as type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The purpose of our study was to determine vitamin D levels in children at the onset of T1DM compared with children with other diseases and to test the hypothesis that low vitamin D may increase the odds for developing diabetes. All the children (n = 58) that were consecutively admitted to our clinic at T1DM onset between May 2010 and July 2012 were compared with a control group of children (n = 166) hospitalized for other diseases, matched for sex, season of visit, and age. For each subject, we considered clinical and anthropometric data, the season at time of hospitalization, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), which were analyzed and compared using multivariable conditional logistic regression. Median 25(OH)D was significantly lower in the diabetic patients (36.2 nmol/l, range = 7.5-121.0 nmol/l) than in controls (48.7 nmol/l, range = 7.5-190.2 nmol/l), p = 0.010. Low 25(OH)D levels seem to increase the odds for developing T1DM (odds ratio (OR) = 3.45 for 25(OH)D 51-74 nmol/l, OR = 5.56 for 25(OH)D ≤ 50 nmol/l). There was no seasonal effect on the risk of developing T1DM. Median 25(OH)D level was significantly lower in patients admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis (30.2 nmol/l, range = 7.5-101.8 nmol/l) than in patients without ketoacidosis (40.7 nmol/l, range = 15.2-121.1 nmol/l), p = 0.019; but when adjusted for season, the p value was 0.116. Conclusions: Children at onset of T1DM have lower vitamin D serum levels than those with other diseases. Further longitudinal studies on children before the onset of T1DM will allow clinicians to explore the causal relationship between vitamin D and T1DM
Analysis of factors affecting short-term results in elderly patients undergoing elective surgical resection for stage I-II colon cancer
No full textAIM: The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of comorbidities and to compare the short-term results of elective surgical resection of stage I-II colon adenocarcinoma in elderly (≥65 years) versus younger patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two groups of sex-matched younger and older patients were compared: Group A: N=36, median age 58 (range=43-65) years; and group B: N=67, median age 73 (range=66-86) years.
RESULTS: Overall, 71 out of 103 (68.9%) patients had one or more comorbidities. A greater number of older patients had an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score >2 (p=0.004) and were on multiple medications (polypharmacy) (p=0.016), but the distribution of the other parameters was similar (p≥0.05). Intra- and postoperative complications in group A vs. B occurred in 25.0% vs. 26.9%, and 47.2% vs. 64.2%, respectively (p≥0.05). CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with colon cancer scheduled to elective surgical resection should not be considered at increased risk of intra- or short-term postoperative complications with respect to younger patients. However, they require careful individual preoperative evaluation because they are usually polypharmacy users and have a higher ASA score
Mini-invasive distal pancreatectomy: a feasible and cost-effective technique
No full textAim: Laparoscopic pancreatic surgery is a minimally invasive technique that has been widely applied only in the past decade. The purpose of this study was to evaluate its safety and assess whether laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP) is cost-effective compared with open distal pancreatectomy (ODP). Methods: The medical records of patients treated for left-sided pancreatic lesions were retrospectively analysed, and the analysis of costs for hospital stay, operative time, and equipment were analysed. Twelve patients underwent LDP, while 12 patients underwent ODP. Results: The two groups were homogeneous according to age, ASA score, BMI, and distribution of pathological findings. Both the size of the specimen (5.33 ± 3.2 vs. 5.58 ± 2.57 cm) and the number of removed lymph nodes (10.5 ± 4.3 vs. 12.1 ± 3.1) did not differ. Although LDP required a longer operative time (197.5 ± 33.7 vs. 122.5 ± 35.4 min), intraoperative bleeding, postoperative pain intensity (measured by VAS scale) and hospital stay were significantly reduced. Conclusion: The mini-invasive approach offers several advantages compared with open surgery, including a significant reduction of blood loss and postoperative pain, and an earlier recovery. The global costs of laparoscopic surgery should be carefully re-evaluated, considering the saving that arises from these advantage
Applicazione di procedure ISO per la valutazione e documentazione della qualità dei geodati
No full textA GIS application of urban data for the visualization of the impact of a motorway construction in northern Italy
No full textA database oriented approach to GIS designing
No full textIn the framework of Land Planning and Management
activities, a database including a large variety of
datasets of heterogeneous typology and acquisition is
fundamental in order to allow for diversified queries and
efficient selection of data. Local municipalities (and unions
or consortia of municipalities) in Regione Lombardia are
encouraged to create their own geographical information
systems (GIS) for territorial data management and to
incorporate in the database the results of the nowadays
on-going photogrammetric surveys which will produce the
updated cartography of the region in the form of a database
with geo-referenced and topologically structured data (the
Italian definition is Database Topografico, and the acronym
is DBT). Usually, the towns’ technical departments have
cartographic data available in digital format, which means
that at least a part of their digital information archives are
geographically referenced. However, this does not imply
that all the data are already organized as a DB. In general,
when newly surveyed data have to be integrated with
already existing digital archives containing spatial and
thematic information, the challenge is twofold: (a) to
structure the existing data archives according to the rules
of relational DB design (in the case that it is not already so),
in order to obtain a model which univocally organizes and
describes the information content of the GIS (thus allowing
also for data interoperability); (b) to incorporate the new
updated cartographic data (DBT) in the “old” database,
without compromising the newly created structure. Both
aspects can be studied and solved in the frame of conceptual
modeling, which represents the basis for structuring large
sets of data enabling to manage a variety of applications for
a wide spread of potential users. In this paper, a conceptual
model is presented for a relational database for a GIS
application to be the main tool supporting everyday work
of a Consortium of Local Municipalities in Regione
Lombardia. Solutions are presented for both problems
described above. After logical modeling, the system was
implemented and tested at a prototype level, showing that
several data sets (many of them with spatial reference)
could be structured in a unique database, producing analysis
and elaborations both in an automatic and efficient way
IGF1 and PPARG polymorphisms are associated with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate in a cohort of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
No full textIntroductionSeveral genetic loci have been associated with diabetic nephropathy; however, the underlying genetic mechanisms are still poorly understood, with no robust candidate genes identified yet.AimWe aimed to determine whether two polymorphisms, previously associated with renal decline, influence kidney impairment evaluating their association with markers of renal function in a pediatric population with type 1 diabetes (T1D).Material and methodsRenal function was evaluated by glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) in a cohort of pediatric subjects with T1D (n = 278). Risk factors for diabetes complications (diabetes duration, blood pressure, HbA1c) were assessed. The IGF1 rs35767 and PPARG rs1801282 SNPs were genotyped by TaqMan RT-PCR system. An additive genetic interaction was calculated. Association analysis between markers of renal function and both SNPs or their additive interaction were performed.ResultsBoth SNPs showed a significant association with eGFR: the A allele of rs35767 or the C allele of rs1801282 were associated to reduced eGFR compared to G alleles. Multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, z-BMI, T1D duration, blood pressure and Hba1c values showed that the additive genetic interaction was independently associated with lower eGFR (& beta; = -3.59 [-6.52 to -0.66], p = 0.017). No associations were detected between SNPs, their additive interaction and ACR.ConclusionsThese results provide new insight into the genetic predisposition to renal dysfunction, showing that two polymorphisms in IGF1 and PPARG genes can lead to a reduction in renal filtration rate leading these patients to be exposed to a higher risk of early renal complications
