131,155 research outputs found
Vitamina D e artrite reumatoide
No full textRecentemente si è osservato che la vitamina D svolge un ruolo importante nella regolazione della risposta immune. Molte cellule del sistema immunnitario esprimono i recettori della vitamina D. Studi in vitro e in vivo hanno mostrato che i metabolici della vitamina D modulano la proliferazione dei linfociti T e l’attività delle cellule dendritiche. Inoltre dati epidemiologici mostrano che la carenza di vitamina D si associa ad un aumentato rischio di sviluppare malattie autoimmuni. La carenza di vitamina D è piuttosto frequente tra la popolazione anziana e si associa a sintomi muscoloscheletrici. Nell’ artite reumatoide la sua carenza parrebbe associarsi ad un aumentato rischio di disabilità e ad un aumentata attività di malattia. Abbiamo studiato 1191 pazienti affetti da AR (85% donne) provenienti da 22 Centri reumatologici italiani. Sono stati eseguiti dosaggi centralizzati della 25 OH vitamina D e del PTH, sono stati valutati i parametri di attività di malattia, lo stato funzionale di malattia, il tempo di esposizione al sole. Il 55% dei pazienti non assumevano supplementi di vitamina D, tra questi il 52% avevano livelli vitaminici D 0.000). The patients with the worse indices of disease activity were spending significantly less time at sunshine. The association between disease activity scores or functional sores and 25(OH)D levels remained statistically significant even adjusting 25(OH)D levels for both sun exposure time and BMI. In conclusion, in RA patients disease activity and disability scores are inversely related with 25(OH)D levels. The causality of these associations must be confirmed by longitudinal studies aimed at evaluating the clinical response of disease activity to large vitamin D supplementations
Vitamin D and rheumatic diseases
No full textVitamin D has some well-known effects on calcium, phosphate and bone metabolism, but it has recently shown to have many other effects, which may potentially be relevant to patients with extra-skeletal rheumatic diseases. Such effects may be justified by: 1) the presence of the vitamin D receptors also on extra-osseous cells, such as cartilage cells, sinoviocytes, muscle cells; 2) the proven role of vitamin D in the control of the transcription of genes involved in rheumatic diseases; 3) the evidence that vitamin D has multiple endocrine effects not only on calcium homeostasis; 4) the activation of vitamin D not only in the kidneys, but also in monocyte-macrophage and lymphocytic cell lines and in some epithelial cells with additional intracrine and paracrine effects. Vitamin D deficiency has been reported in numerous metabolic, degenerative, inflammatory and autoimmune rheumatic diseases. In some cases this association was also related to the risk of developing a rheumatic disease or the degree of disease activity. However there is no conclusive evidence of the efficacy of a preventive or therapeutic strategy based on vitamin D supplementation in extra-skeletal rheumatic diseases. This review aims to provide an overview of the latest evidence concerning the relationship between vitamin D and the most relevant rheumatic diseases
Il gel piastrinico nel trattamento del “piede diabetico”: esperienza preliminare
No full textIL GEL PIASTRINICO NEL TRATTAMENTO DEL “PIEDE DIABETICO”: ESPERIENZA PRELIMINARE
Massimo Chiaretti*, Giancarlo Ferrazza+, Rita Maria Fracassi@ , Andrea Negro°, Domenico Tuscano*
(*) Dipartimento di Chirurgia Generale, Specialità Chirurgiche e Trapianti d’Organo “Paride Stefanini” Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”
(+ ) Servizio di Immunoematologia e Medicina Trasfusionale Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”
(@) Servizio di Immunoematologia IRCCS Ospedale Bambino Gesù, sede di Roma.
(°) Azienda S. Andrea, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia dell’Università degli Studi di Roma “La Sapienza”
La nostra esperienza evidenzia l’utilità del gel piastrinico (GP) nel trattamento ambulatoriale delle piaghe torpide della pianta del piede in paziente diabetico. Il GP guarisce in tempi prevedibili ulcerazioni torpide che richiedevano lunghissimi periodi di medicazioni complesse senza raggiungere il risultato prefissato. La nostra esperienza, analogamente ai risultati di altri autori, depone favorevolmente per questo trattamento. La metodica personalmente messa a punto prevede il curettage dopo disinfezione, l’inoculazione di 1 UI di insulina pronta alla base del cratere ulcerativo e quindi l’applicazione di 5 ml di GP con 1 ml di Trombina autologa attivata. L’applicazione può essere eseguita mediante un puntale spray o cannula a seconda delle esigenze dell’operatore o del tipo di lesione. In caso di ferite più piccole o man mano che la ferita in trattamento si riduce di ampiezza, il prodotto può essere aliquotato e congelato per successive somministrazioni. Il GP e la trombina vanno spalmati in situ e su un supporto inerte riassorbibile di acido ialuronico (Hialogel) con il quale si zaffa la cavità e che impedisce la dispersione della parte liquida e non completamente gelificabile, ricca dei fattori di crescita (PDGF, TGF, EGF, ed altri). Il rapporto strettamente collaborativo tra dermatologo, chirurgo, ortopedico, immunotrasfusionista, diabetologo e cardiologo, risolve questa problematica con un approccio multidisciplinare. Lo stretto coordinamento tra centro trasfusionale ed ambulatorio chirurgico evita inutili attese al Paziente, accorcia i tempi di esecuzione della medicazione, abbatte i costi per l’impiego di materiali e alla lunga diventa conveniente rispetto al tradizionale trattamento.Our study proves the usefulness of platelet gel in the treatment of the diabetic foot. We started in January 2006 to treat diabetic wounds of the foot in the outpatients’ surgical department with encouraging results. Despite its expensive and complex preparation, the platelet gel is useful and convenient because it succeeds in shortening the ambulatory treatment period. Besides, in our opinion, the multidisciplinary approach of this treatment is rather important: actually, it implies the cooperation of dermatologist, surgeon, orthopaedist, immunologist, diabetologist and, if necessary, the cardiologist. That is why it reduces wastes of work-time and the expenses for consultants, medications and dressing material
Las Carabidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) de los suelos del Bajo Delta Bonaerense del Río Paraná : Estado actual de su conocimiento
No full textFil: Cicchino, Armando Conrado. División Entomología. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Nanni, Analía S.. Instituto de Investigación e Ingeniería Ambiental. Universidad Nacional de San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Fracassi, Natalia G.. EEA INTA. Campana; ArgentinaFil: Quintana, Rubén D.. Laboratorio de Ecología Regional. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentin
Response to Giannelli et al.-comments on potential efficacy of monthly administrations of spot-on moxidectin 2.5 %/imidacloprid 10 % in the simultaneous prevention of major canine filarioses.
No full textSome comments have been done on an article describing a pilot trial evaluating the potential use of moxidectin contained in a spot-on formulation in the prevention of canine filarioses in a confined area where the three major canine filariae live in sympatry. We herein present our response to these comments
Essays in corporate finance
No full textThis dissertation bundles three essays in the area of corporate finance. It deals with two main issues:
capital structure decisions in financially distressed firms and the role of the investor identity on the
acquisition performance.
The first essay is a literature review about equity issues as a means to recover from financial distress.
The study provides, firstly, an overview of the extant literature on capital structure theory and financial
distress in order to deepen the understanding of how a firm can resolve its financial constraints. On the
one hand, some of the most important contributions in capital structure theory are reviewed with a
specific focus on equity issues. On the other hand, financial distress is discussed examining the main
solutions adopted by distressed firms in order to reorganize (i.e. formal in court proceedings and
private reorganizations). Finally, it is discussed a possible gap in capital structure theory and financial
distress literature arguing that most of previous research, in the attempt to explain the occurrence of
equity issues, just focused on firm specific determinants. With the aim to provide a further perspective
for future research, the study examines a series of contributions that consider how capital structure
decisions can be affected by external determinants related to the legal system in which the firm
operates. These works are aggregated to the discussion in order to suggests a conceptual framework
suitable to explain equity issues in financial distress through the integrations of capital structure theory
with Law literature.
The second essay is a theoretical and empirical investigation on equity issues in distressed firms.
Specifically, I explore the effectiveness of equity issue as a means to recover from distress. I argue the
relationship between equity issues and recovery controlling for the legal system in which the firm
operates. Central to the thesis is the role of the Bankruptcy Law on the firm’s propensity to issue equity
which varies according to the legal protection of the creditors. Controlling for this exogenous factor
allows me to explain how recovery is affected by the issuance of equity. This study contributes to both
capital structure theory and financial distress literature providing evidence on how the capital structure
decision to issue equity can drive the process of firm’s recovery from distress. Then, it suggests an
alternative explanation of the decision to issue equity in distress arguing the relevance of the legal
system as a determinant of this choice. The hypotheses are tested on a sample of 70 firms that
recovered from financial distress in 49 countries. The sample is divided in to 34 distressed firms who
recovered issuing equity and 36 firms who recovered without an equity issue. Results show that the
legal system matters for understanding the occurrence of equity issues in distress; they are more likely
to occur in countries with a debtor friendly legal system. Conditionally to the incidence of the law on
the firm’s choice to issue equity, equity issues positively affect the firm’s recovery from distress.
The third study is a theoretical and empirical examination about the relationship between the buyer
identity and the acquisition performance. This relationship is argued advancing and testing the idea that
different identities of the buyer, specifically strategic or financial investors, have different effects on
the performance of the target firm after an acquisition. We suggest that the different resource and
knowledge base of the buyer, i.e. its identity, drives the target performance: on the one hand it affects
the innovative output and so the patenting activity of the target, on the other hand it has an impact on
the economic results of the acquired firm. This study contributes to literature on M&A by providing a
complementary explanation of M&A performance, unraveling how the identity of the buyer can play a
significant role in driving post-acquisition performance. Moreover, it suggests a more complete
analysis of the deal’s output considering both the innovative and the economic output. The study relies
on a sample of 234 acquisitions in any industry completed between 2006 and 2011. Results show that
the identity of the buyer has a direct effect on the performance of the target firm after the acquisition.
The results also highlight how identity has a different impact regarding to the different measures of
performance: whilst the strategic buyers, moved by the interest for additional knowledge and
technology, tend to integrate their capabilities with target fostering innovative processes and improving
the innovative performance, the financial buyers use to undertake deals in order to maximize their
profits at the expense of the innovative performance. Different evidences emerge for the economic
performance of the involved firm which is positively affected by financial buyers respect to strategic
ones since they induce the target firm to undertake highly risky and long term investments in R&D.
The two papers of this dissertation have been presented at international Conferences on management
such as EURAM 2014 (European Academy of Management) and BAM 2015 (British Academy of
Management). The papers will be submitted to journals soon
MeSH term explosion and author rank improve expert recommendations
No full textInformation overload is an often-cited phenomenon that reduces the productivity, efficiency and efficacy of scientists. One challenge for scientists is to find appropriate collaborators in their research. The literature describes various solutions to the problem of expertise location, but most current approaches do not appear to be very suitable for expert recommendations in biomedical research. In this study, we present the development and initial evaluation of a vector space model-based algorithm to calculate researcher similarity using four inputs: 1) MeSH terms of publications; 2) MeSH terms and author rank; 3) exploded MeSH terms; and 4) exploded MeSH terms and author rank. We developed and evaluated the algorithm using a data set of 17,525 authors and their 22,542 papers. On average, our algorithms correctly predicted 2.5 of the top 5/10 coauthors of individual scientists. Exploded MeSH and author rank outperformed all other algorithms in accuracy, followed closely by MeSH and author rank. Our results show that the accuracy of MeSH term-based matching can be enhanced with other metadata such as author rank
Rational and results of weekly treatment with calcidiol in postmenopausal and senile osteoporosis,Razionale e risultati del trattamento settimanale con calcifediolo nell'osteoporosi postmenopausale e senile
No full textVitamin D plays a crucial role for the prevention and treatment of both postmenopausal and senile osteoporosis and possibly for a number of other conditions. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency remains extremely high among elderly subjects. This indicates that both the perception of the problem and the interventions so far implemented remain inadequate
Spontaneous acromegaly: A retrospective case control study in German shepherd dogs
No full textAcromegaly results from the overproduction of growth hormone in adulthood and is characterised by
overgrowth of soft tissue and/or bone as well as insulin resistance. There are few data indicating the risk
factors associated with this disease in dogs or its clinicopathological features and sequelae. The objective
of this retrospective study was to catalogue and assess these aspects of the disease in German shepherd
dogs (GSDs) which were found to be over-represented among acromegalic dogs attending two
veterinary referral clinics over a period of 7 years. Each acromegalic dog (AD) was compared with two
breed/age/sex matched controls.
Clinical signs of acromegaly included panting, polyuria/polydipsia, widened interdental spaces, weakness,
inspiratory stridor, macroglossia, weight gain, redundant skin folds, thick coat, exophthalmos and
mammary masses. Serum alkaline phosphatase, creatine-kinase, glucose, triglyceride, phosphate ion, and
‘calcium per phosphate product’ concentrations were significantly higher in acromegalic animals while
haemoglobin concentration, blood urea nitrogen, sodium and chloride ion concentrations, and urinary
specific gravity, osmolality and fractional excretion of phosphate were significantly lower. Although, in
the majority of cases clinicopathological abnormalities resolved following ovariohysterectomy, in one dog,
acromegalic signs abated and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations normalised only following the
surgical excision of mammary tumours carried out 2 months after ovariohysterectomy. The findings of
this study indicate that GSDs are predisposed to the development of acromegaly with a suspected inherited
susceptibility
Effects of environmental and electric perturbations on the pKa of thioredoxin cysteine 35: a computational study
No full textHere we present a theoretical-computational study dealing with the evaluation of the pKa of the Cysteine residues in Thioredoxin (TRX) and in its complex with the Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP). The free energy differences between the anionic and neutral form of the Cysteine 32 and 35 have been evaluated by means of the Perturbed Matrix Method with classical perturbations due to both the environment and an exogenous electric field as provided by Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations. The evaluation of the free energies allowed us to show that the effect of the perturbing terms is to lower the pKa of Cysteine 32 and Cysteine 35 with respect to the free amino-acid. On the other hand, in the complex TRX-TXNIP, our data show an enhanced stabilization of the neutral reduced form of Cys 35. These results suggest that external electric stimuli higher than 0.02 V/nm can modulate the Cysteine pKa, which can be connected to the tight regulation of the TRX acting as an antioxidant agent
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