202 research outputs found
Correction to: Diffusion, outcomes and implementation of minimally invasive liver surgery: a snapshot from the I Go MILS (Italian Group of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery) Registry
No full textA technical error led to incorrect rendering of the author group in this article. The correct authorship is as follows: Luca Aldrighetti, Francesca Ratti, Umberto Cillo, Alessandro Ferrero, Giuseppe Maria Ettorre, Alfredo Guglielmi, Felice Giuliante, Fulvio Calise on behalf of the Italian Group of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery (I GO MILS) The collaborators are: Raffaele Dalla Valle, AOU Parma, Parma; Vincenzo Mazzaferro, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milano; Elio Jovine, Ospedale Maggiore, Bologna; Luciano Gregorio De Carlis, Ospedale Niguarda Ca’ Granda, Milano; Ugo Boggi, AOU Pisana, Pisa; Salvatore Gruttadauria, ISMETT, Palermo; Fabrizio Di Benedetto, AOU Policlinico di Modena, Modena; Paolo Reggiani, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano; Stefano Berti, Ospedale Civile S.Andrea, La Spezia; Graziano Ceccarelli, Ospedale San Donato, Arezzo; Leonardo Vincenti, AOU Consorziale Policlinico, Bari; Giulio Belli, Ospedale SM Loreto Nuovo, Napoli; Guido Torzilli, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano; Fausto Zamboni, Ospedale Brotzu, Cagliari; Andrea Coratti, AOU Careggi, Firenze; Pietro Mezzatesta, Casa di Cura La Maddalena, Palermo; Roberto Santambrogio, AO San Paolo, Milano; Giuseppe Navarra, AOU Policlinico G. Martino, Messina; Antonio Giuliani, AO R.N. Cardarelli, Napoli; Antonio Daniele Pinna, Policlinico Sant’Orsola Malpighi, Bologna; Amilcare Parisi, AO Santa Maria di Terni, Terni; Michele Colledan, AO Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo; Abdallah Slim, AO Desio e Vimercate, Vimercate; Adelmo Antonucci, Policlinico di Monza, Monza; Gian Luca Grazi, Istituto Nazionale Tumori Regina Elena, Roma; Antonio Frena, Ospedale Centrale, Bolzano; Giovanni Sgroi, AO Treviglio-Caravaggio, Treviglio; Alberto Brolese, Ospedale S.Chiara, Trento; Luca Morelli, AOU Pisana, Pisa; Antonio Floridi, AO Ospedale Maggiore, Crema; Alberto Patriti, Ospedale San Matteo degli Infermi, Spoleto; Luigi Veneroni, Ospedale Infermi AUSL Romagna, Rimini; Giorgio Ercolani, Ospedale Morgagni Pierantoni, Forlì; Luigi Boni, AOU Fondazione Macchi, Varese; Pietro Maida, Ospedale Villa Betania, Napoli; Guido Griseri, Ospedale San Paolo, Savona; Andrea Percivale, Ospedale Santa Corona, Pietraligure; Marco Filauro, AO Galliera, Genova; Silvio Guerriero, Ospedale San Martino, Belluno; Giuseppe Tisone, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Roma; Raffaele Romito, AOU Maggiore della Carità, Novara; Umberto Tedeschi, AOU Integrata Verona, Verona; Giuseppe Zimmitti, Fondazione Poliambulanza, Brescia
Pressure Losses in Multiple-Elbow Paths and in V-Bends of Hydraulic Manifolds
No full textHydraulic manifolds are used to realize compact circuit layouts, but may introduce high pressure losses in the system because their design is usually oriented to achieving minimum size and weight more than reducing the pressure losses. The purpose of this work is to obtain the pressure losses when the internal connections within the manifold are creating complex paths for the fluid and the total loss cannot be calculated simply as the sum of the single losses. To perform the analysis both Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis and experimental tests have been executed. After the comparison between numerical and experimental results, it was possible to assess that the numerical analysis developed in this work is able to depict the correct trends of the pressure losses also when complex fluid path are realized in the manifold. Successively, the numerical analysis was used to calculate the pressure loss for inclined connections of channels (or V-bends), a solution that is sometimes adopted in manifolds to meet the design requirements aimed towards the minimum room-minimum weight objective
Money, privacy, anonimity: what experiments tell us
No full textThe attention paid to the role of money as a store of plivacy is increasing. In a monetmy transaction, full plivacy protection coincides with anonymity. In such situations, an empilical question arises: Is anonymity relevant in shaping the demand for money? We attempt to answer this question through laborat01Y experiments. The results show that anonymity matters and increases the overall appeal of a medium of payment, and that this effect is stronger for lisk-prone individuals. Moreover, the trade-off between the two propelTies of liquidity and retum is relatively high — to accept higher illiquidity risks, individuals require a more-than-propolTional increase in the expected retum. In general, the expeliments suggest that the future attractiveness of altemative cunencies depends on whether the three propelTies of money are mixed in a way that is consistent with the individual's preferences
DESIGN AND MODELLING OF A CARTRIDGE PRESSURE AMPLIFIER
No full textThis works describes the modelling and simulation of a
compact cartridge pressure amplifier for linear actuators,
especially designed to fit within the rod of the piston. Hydraulic
pressure amplifiers of the cylinder type are appreciated in
hydraulic systems where high pressure work is needed,
especially for a small part of the overall duty cycle. The use of
these boosters allows the designer not to oversize the system,
which will perform confining the high pressure operation only
on the side of the hydraulic actuator.
Starting from a previous research work on the same topic,
this work proposes new designs for the cartridge amplifier to
explore the influence of the control valve, which is the
responsible for the delivering of the fluid to the amplifier. The
new designs are discussed and then the results coming from the
simulation performed with a lumped parameter model in a virtual
test rig are shown. The operation of the amplifier is then applied
to a more realistic duty cycle to illustrate and validate its
operation
Rapid identification of tomato Sw-5 resistance-breaking isolates of <i>Tomato spotted wilt virus</i> using high resolution melting and TaqMan SNP Genotyping assays as allelic discrimination techniques
No full textIn tomato, resistance to Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is conferred by the dominant gene, designated Sw-5. Virulent Sw-5 resistance breaking (SRB) mutants of TSWV have been reported on Sw-5 tomato cultivars. Two different PCR-based allelic discrimination techniques, namely Custom TaqMan™ SNP Genotyping and high-resolution melting (HRM) assays, were developed and compared for their ability to distinguish between avirulent (Sw-5 non-infecting, SNI) and SRB biotypes. TaqMan assays proved to be more sensitive (threshold of detection in a range of 50–70 TSWV RNA copies) and more reliable than HRM, assigning 25 TSWV isolates to their correct genotype with an accuracy of 100%. Moreover, the TaqMan SNP assays were further improved developing a rapid and simple protocol that included crude leaf extraction for RNA template preparations. On the other hand, HRM assays showed higher levels of sensitivity than TaqMan when used to co-detect both biotypes in different artificial mixtures. These diagnostic assays contributed to gain preliminary information on the epidemiology of TSWV isolates in open field conditions. In fact, the presented data suggest that SRB isolates are present as stable populations established year round, persisting on both winter (globe artichoke) and summer (tomato) crops, in the same cultivated areas of Southern Italy.</div
Mesenchymal Hamartoma of the Liver in Older Children: An Adult Variant or a Different Entity? Report of a Case With Review of the Literature.
No full textMesenchymal hamartoma of the liver (MHL) is an uncommon benign hepatic tumor typically affecting children under 2 years of age. Only 5% of MHL occur after 5 years and are very rarely observed in adults. According to age, MHL may differ in their morphologic features. We report a case of an 11-year-old boy with MHL, resembling a malignant lesion from a clinical point of view, characterized by unusual histologic features: a prominent myxoid stroma, with a minimal ductular component, and absent cystic spaces. The present case and others reported in older children or adults demonstrate that these lesions may represent a potential diagnostic pitfall when occurring outside their classic clinical context especially because of their peculiar histologic findings. Moreover, it may be hypothesized that variation in morphology might be related to different evolutive stages of the cell of origin. To support this hypothesis, we therefore studied the presence of components of the Notch pathway inside and outside the lesion. Their absence inside the tumor and, in contrast, the expression of Notch2 and HES1 evident in overrepresented bile ducts present at the periphery might explain not only the lack of bile ducts, but also indicate a more adult phenotype compared with classic pediatric MHL, which show more bile ducts and liver trabeculae embedded in the mesenchymal matrix
Modelling and Simulation of a Cartridge Pressure Amplifier
No full textHydraulic pressure amplifiers of the cylinder type are much appreciated in hydraulic systems where high pressure work is needed only for a limited period of time, while during the remaining duty cycle the system operates at a standard level of pressure. The use of these elements allows the designer not to oversize the system, which will perform the work with a considerable power saving, confining the high pressure operation only on the side of the hydraulic cylinder.
This works describes the modelling and simulation of a compact cartridge pressure amplifier for linear actuators. The cartridge amplifier is able to double or more the pressure in the system when needed and to not interfere during normal operation of the system. It has been designed to fit in the narrow space of the rod of normal hydraulic cylinder, being extremely compact and efficient. Designing such a component and the study of the main design parameters influence have required a strong work of modelling and simulation, performed with a lumped parameters approach to depict the dynamic behaviour of the amplifier. This work illustrates the building of the model and a first comparison between simulated and experimental data. Moreover, the simulation activity is enlarged to analysis of the influence of some operating and design parameters on the amplifier dynamic behavio
Long-term outcome of bone mineral density in children who underwent a successful liver transplantation
No full textAbstract
BACKGROUND:
It has previously been shown that bone mineral density (BMD) during the first year after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in children with osteodystrophy increases remarkably and according to height. The effect of posttransplant factors possibly influencing bone mass in the long-term after a successful OLT in children is unknown.
METHODS:
Eighteen patients (9 male), median age 13.3 (range 4.7-23.7) years, median time after OLT 8.3 (1.1-17.3) years were enrolled. Indications for OLT were biliary atresia (8), Alagille (3), hepatoblastoma (2), NonA-NonG acute liver failure (2), intrahepatic cholestasis, cryptogenic cirrhosis, and cholesteryl-ester disease (1 each). At OLT, all were prepubertal and 12 were severely cholestatic. We recorded anthropometric data, immunosuppression, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), biochemical markers of bone metabolism, and liver function.
RESULTS:
Six children were on steroid therapy, eight were on cyclosporine, nine on tacrolimus. Median L1 to L4 spinal BMD was 0.720 (range 0.524-1.127) g/cm3, Z score -0.70 (-2.2- +2.1), height Z score -0.31 (-1.83- +1.96). Median bone mineral apparent density was 0.112 (0.084-0.142) (normal value 0.10-0.14) g/cm3. Median alanine aminotransferase level was 22 (range 11-79) IU/L, urinary free deoxypyridinolines 20.6 (7.1-62) nmol/mmol creatinine, osteocalcin 14 (2.3-45) microg/L, parathyroid hormone 51 (2-87) ng/L, Vitamin D3 67 (17-102) nmol/L.
CONCLUSION:
BMD after the first year from a successful pediatric liver transplantation is normal. Our study suggests that normal bone density in this setting is maintained for at least 1 decade.
Comment in
• Transplantation. 2005 Oct 27;80(8):1135-6.
• Transplantation. 2005 Oct 27;80(8):1135; author reply 1135-6
A novel view on knowledge sharing in the agri-food sector
No full textPurpose – Nowadays, the agri-food sector is facing several challenges due to a rapid technological
change which calls for knowledge sharing (KS) practices to enhance businesses’ performance. This has
spurred a collaborative approach and the creation of networks. Since there still is a paucity of research on
the quality degree of KS, the purpose of this study is to offer an empirical research on the quality degree
of KS by exploring outcome expectations and social exchange dimensions. Theoretically, it is examined
by a double lens of social capital and social cognitive theory.
Design/methodology/approach – This study offers an empirical analysis of 313 directors of 11
‘‘consortia’’ in the agri-food sector in Italy by using the fuzzy expert system. The model allows to
aggregate multi criteria dimensions of KS and rates its quality.
Findings – As resulted, the quality degree of KS is influenced by outcome expectations – personal and
community expectations – and three forms of dimensions of social exchange: structural, relational and
cognitive. The paper ends with a discussion of research findings, its limitations and implications.
Originality/value – As there is still a paucity of research on the determinants of quality degree of KS, the
research adopts a double lens of social capital and social cognitive theories to explore what are these
determinants
Is there a link between Open Innovation, Strategic Agility and Intellectual Capital?
No full textFirms’ and startups’ ability to enhance their level of innovation in a world characterized by
VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) factors depends mostly on
resilience processes like the capacity for self-organization and self-management. Such
processes require the devise of new dynamic strategies and adoption of more flexible and
effective management approaches that have emerged in recent years, like the paradigms
of Strategic Agility (SA) and Open Innovation (OI).
Especially for startups, adoption of these paradigms may foster cooperation and
establishing collaborative ties based on trust and shared economic goals that is considered
among the main ways to overcome the limitation of internal resources, allowing access to
additional or complementary resources.
The firm's value derived from interactions with other parties can be defined as Relational
Capital and is a crucial aspect of Intellectual Capital (IC). Although the issues of Strategic
Agility and Open Innovation have been widely discussed, and numerous research have
confirmed the role of Intellectual Capital in the development and application of an OI
paradigm to date, no research directly correlates IC and SA.
To fill this gap, the present work carries out a literature review, bringing together
systematic findings of previous research looking for a relationship between these three
topics, but also on studies that independently analyse OI, SA, and IC in the context ofstartups in order to be able to identify commonalities that will allow points of intersection
to be drawn between them, facilitating the identification of a link.
Open Innovation (OI) leverages external knowledge and resources, enhanced by
Intellectual Capital (IC), particularly through diverse skills and strong external networks, to
drive innovation. Strategic Agility (SA) enables quick adaptation and resource
reconfiguration, facilitating the effective implementation of OI. In turn, OI and IC support
the dynamism required for SA, creating a symbiotic relationship that enhances overall
business agility and innovation capacity.
This study has vital theoretical implications, enhancing knowledge in entrepreneurial
innovation and startup innovativeness, particularly in strategic agility and open innovation,
and offering new insights into intellectual capital's role in startups' strategic development
as for practical implications, providing evidence of intellectual capital's impact on startups'
innovation and agility benefits entrepreneurs in building valuable IC during startup phases
and aids institutions and incubators in supporting startup growth
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