1,720,965 research outputs found
Cronaca del Seminario
No full textIl contributo ripercorre alcune fasi salienti del Seminario svoltosi presso il Dipartimento di giurisprudenza dell'Università di Pisa il 4 marzo 2012, nell'ambito del tema "Diritto e religione". Si è trattato di un incontro che si è articolato in fasi specifiche distribuite secondo orari precisi nel corso della giornata allo scopo di garantire l’applicazione di una metodologia partecipativa, solitamente poco utilizzata nei consessi accademici. Infatti, mentre la prima parte della giornata ha seguito un andamento tradizionale, con i saluti e le relazioni introduttive, l’attività pomeridiana si è strutturata nella forma della divisione in gruppi facilitati. Questo elemento, che ha costituito la novità dell’incontro e la cui previsione nel programma aveva suscitato negli iscritti una certa suspence, ha svolto un ruolo significativo per una serie di ragioni che il contributo mette in rilievo
Le esigenze strumentali delle organizzazioni religiose nei recenti disegni di legge sulla libertà religiosa.
No full textL'approvazione di un disegno di legge sulla libertà religiosa costituisce un fattore di riflessione e divisione tra coloro i quali vorrebbero una legge sulla libetà religiosa e coloro i quali ritengono sufficientemente garantista l'attuale quadro normativo. Il valore della libertà religiosa è comunque un valore primario poichè essa è la libertà da cui promanano tutti gli altri diritti
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Geometrical Analysis and Initial Experience With Bentley's BeFlared Bridging Stent for Fenestrated Endovascular Aneurysm Repair
No full textIntroduction: Endovascular treatment of juxtarenal aortic aneurysms is now widely accepted as a safe and effective alternative to open repair. Bridging stent-grafts (BSGs) are used to provide continuity between the main aortic graft and renovisceral target vessels (TVs) in fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR). The BeFlared (Bentley InnoMed GmbH, Hechingen, Germany) represents the first dedicated BSG specifically designed for FEVAR, incorporating a novel flaring system that enables precise positioning and sealing in a single step. This study aims to evaluate the impact of BeFlared on procedural efficiency, radiation exposure, and deployment accuracy. Methods: A prospective registry of patients who underwent elective FEVAR at 3 Italian centers during February and March 2025 was retrospectively reviewed. Procedural parameters, including mean operative time, mean bridging time, and fluoroscopy duration, were recorded. Technical success was defined as successful stent deployment in all intended TVs. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed intraoperatively, and follow-up computed tomography angiography (CTA) was conducted 1 month post-procedure to assess geometric outcomes and complications. These parameters were compared with corresponding measurements obtained from a control cohort of patients who underwent FEVAR procedures, between 2020 and 2024 in the same 3 Italian centers, utilizing the Bentley BeGraft as BSG. Results: Eight FEVAR procedures were performed, with a total of 31 TVs treated using BeFlared stents. The control cohort comprised 60 FEVAR procedures performed using the Bentley BeGraft as the BSG, involving a total of 185 renovisceral TVs. The BeFlared group demonstrated significantly improved intraoperative outcomes compared with the control group. Median operative time was 241 (interquartile range [IQR]=185-295) minutes vs 270.3 (IQR=207-365) minutes (p=0.022), mean bridging stent deployment time was 5 (IQR=4.25-6.15) minutes vs 7.6 (IQR=4.8-9.7) minutes (p<0.001), and median fluoroscopy time was 72.2 (IQR=51-81) minutes vs 82.7 (IQR=49.5-113) minutes (p=0.064). Only 1 patient in the BeFlared cohort required brief intensive care unit admission. The average hospital stay was 5.1 (IQR=4-6) days compared with 5.7 (3-10) days in the control group (p=0.882). In the BeFlared cohort, technical success was achieved in 96.7% of TVs (30/31), no perioperative deaths or TV-related complications were observed. Geometric analysis showed that BeFlared stents had more uniform deployment, with lower variability regarding the landing zone of the BSG in the TV (16.4 mm, IQR=16-17.1 vs 15.4 mm, IQR=14.2-16.6; p<0.001) and BSG aortic protrusion (4.2 mm, IQR=4.1-4.4 vs 5.1 mm, IQR=4.2-5.7; p<0.001) compared with BeGraft. BeFlared also demonstrated a significantly larger proximal stent diameter (10.6 mm, IQR=10.4-11.4 vs 99.5 mm, IQR=8.7-10.2; p<0.001), greater mean flaring angle (51.9 mm, IQR=47.4-55.8 vs 41.4 mm, IQR=37-48.3; p<0.001), and reduced inferior flaring angle (67.8 mm, IQR=61.5-72.4 vs 75.1 mm, IQR=67.4-82; p<0.001). Conclusions: BeFlared demonstrated favorable short-term outcomes, with notable reductions in operative time, radiation exposure, and device manipulation. The geometric consistency and standardized deployment process offer encouraging early evidence of the system's clinical utility. Further studies are required in order to assess long-term safety and cost-effectiveness, as well as durability, across a wider patient population.Clinical ImpactThe BeFlared bridging stent introduces an innovative one-step flaring system that simplifies target vessel stenting during fenestrated endovascular aortic repair (FEVAR). This device enables more precise and reproducible deployment, reducing operative and fluoroscopy times while minimizing radiation exposure. For clinicians, these improvements translate into a safer, more standardized procedure with fewer technical maneuvers and potentially lower complication risks. The enhanced geometric consistency observed with BeFlared may improve long-term branch stability and durability, supporting its role as a next-generation device for complex aortic repair and a valuable advancement in endovascular practice
Red blood cell distribution width predicts 1-month complications after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty
No full textBackground: The identification of patients at higher risk of developing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA)-related complications is pivotal for achieving better clinical outcomes. We carried out a single-center, observational, retrospective study to explore whether in-hospital changes of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) may help predicting early development of PTA-related complications.Methods: The study population consisted of all consecutive patients who underwent PTA for severe peripheral artery occlusive disease (PAOD) during a 2-year period. RDW was measured at hospital admission and discharge, and the delta was calculated. Patient follow-up was routinely performed 1-month after hospital discharge, and was based on thoughtful medical assessment and arterial ultrasonography. The control population consisted of 352 ostensibly healthy subjects.Results: The final PTA group consisted of 224 patients. Hemoglobin was lower, whilst mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and RDW were higher in PAOD cases than in controls. Overall, 11 PAOD patients (4.9%) developed clinically significant PTA-related complications 1-month after hospital discharge. Patients who developed 1-month PTA-related complications had lower hemoglobin concentration, but higher RDW and delta RDW than those who did not. Patients with delta RDW >1 had 60% higher risk of developing 1-month PTA-related complications and 88% higher risk of developing early reocclusion. Overall, RDW exhibited an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.68 and 0.74 for predicting 1-month PTA-related complications and early reocclusion, respectively.Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that RDW may play a role for guiding the clinical decision making of PTA patients immediately after hospital discharge
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Thoracic Aortic Pseudoaneurysm after Esophageal Perforation and Mediastinitis Caused by Accidental Ingestion of a Mutton Bone: A Case Report on Staged Endoscopic and Endovascular Treatments
No full textBackground Esophageal perforation involving the thoracic aorta is a rare but potentially life-threatening event. Esophageal wall dehiscence, aortoesophageal fistula, mycotic aneurysms, or mediastinitis may complicate this challenging condition, and a multidisciplinary approach is mandatory. Aggressive endoscopic and medical therapy followed by thoracic endovascular aneurysm repair (TEVAR) may be a valuable approach to reduce the mortality rate of this catastrophic event. Case Report A 79-year-old man presented at the emergency department with a 2-day history of worsening dysphagia and fever, suddenly appeared after consuming mutton meat. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and computed tomography (CT) scan at admission showed a bone fragment penetrating the esophagus very close to the thoracic aorta, associated with signs of mild mediastinitis. After endoscopic removal of the bone, an esophageal fistula occurred. A conservative approach by means of endoscopic clipping of the esophageal perforation, nasojejunal tube for enteral nutrition and broad spectrum antibiotic therapy was preferred at this stage. Control chest X-ray with oral water-soluble contrast (Gastrografin) and repeat CT at 10- and 20-day follow-up showed a complete resolution of the esophageal fistula and mediastinitis. On the other hand, an increase of the aortic pseudoaneurysm was noted. This was treated by means of TEVAR. Subsequent clinical evolution was uneventful, and the patient was discharged in optimal clinical conditions with a 4-week course of home antibiotic therapy. The 6-month follow-up was uneventful. Conclusions Foreign body esophageal perforation causing mediastinitis and aortic pseudoaneurysm is a very rare and challenging situation that requires a strict follow-up and an intensive multidisciplinary approach. A staged approach, first by endoscopy followed by endovascular treatment, may be safe and effective in selected patients
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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