7 research outputs found
Introduction
No full textNetworks are pervasive in social and economic life, and the concept itself has been used to describe a plethora of different phenomena. The multidisciplinary origins of network studies gave birth to one of the most prolific and transversal areas of research for its application to many fields as different as physics, biology, linguistics, anthropology, sociology, economics and management. The network approach, in fact, “allows researchers to capture interactions of any individual unit within the larger field of activity to which the unit belongs” (Kilduff & Tsai, 2003, p. 13). In this view, the network perspective offers a distinctive focus on social interactions that allow capturing the complexity of organizations and their micro, meso and macro social systems necessary to tackle some fundamental questions for management and organization scholars. The rich multidisciplinary approach that characterized the birth and life of network studies suggests that they have the potential to complement management studies in the analysis of an increasingly complex world, where challenges as important as the digital transformation, the sustainable development, and the international tensions in the political, social, health and safety domains are changing organizations and institutions. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
New Perspectives in Network Studies: A Multidisciplinary Approach
No full textIn line with the multi-disciplinary nature of network research, this edited volume collects both empirical and conceptual contributions that nurture the debate on network research, specifically dealing with the topics of network performance and agency. The contributions draw on different literatures and epistemic approaches and address different levels of analysis, both from a static and a dynamic point of view. It will be of great interest to academics and students developing research in the field of network studies. It will also be of interest to scholars of operations management, organization studies, strategy, innovation, financial management and business history. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2023
Case report: Exploring under the tip of the iceberg: A case series of “self-limiting” multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children
No full textMultisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a serious condition triggered by SARS-COV-2 infection, characterized by persistent fever, multiorgan dysfunction, and increased inflammatory markers. It requires hospitalization and prompt treatment, with nearly 60% of the cases needing intensive care and 2% fatality rate. A wide spectrum of clinical characteristics and therapeutic approaches has been reported in MIS-C. We describe a series of four patients with MIS-C, defined according to the current case definitions, with a self-limiting course and no need for immunomodulatory treatment (“self-limiting MIS-C”). Few data about self-limiting MIS-C are available to date and no information on medium- and long-term outcome of this subset of patients has been reported. Although limited in size, our experience provides new insights into the MIS-C syndrome, highlighting an underestimated aspect of the disease that may have significant therapeutic implications
Joint hypermobility, growing pain and obesity are mutually exclusive as causes of musculoskeletal pain in schoolchildren
No full textObjective: Chronic musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is common in children and can be due to several non-inflammatory conditions such as the benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS), and growing pains (GP). We evaluated frequency, risk factors and causes of MSP in a large cohort of healthy schoolchildren. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study in a cohort of healthy schoolchildren, aged 8-13 years, by collecting information and performing a physical examination. The anamnesis was focused on family history for MSP, presence and sites of MSP interfering with the regular daily activities during the previous 6 months and presence of GP. Physical examination included body mass index, pubertal stage and musculoskeletal examination focused on the presence of hypermobility according to the Beighton criteria. Results: Two hundred and eighty-nine schoolchildren, 143 females and 146 males, participated in the study. Chronic MSP occurred in 30.4% of subjects, BJHS occurred in 13.2%. GJH was more frequent in symptomatic subjects than in asymptomatic ones (p=0.054). Symptomatic subjects were more frequently pre-pubertal than pubertal (p=0.006). In general, GP, BJHS and obesity (OB) were mutually exclusive as causes of MSP as, among 88 symptomatic subjects, 52.3% had GP, 40.9% presented BJHS, 4.5% were OB and only two (2.3%) presented both BJHS and OB. After puberty, GP persisted in 66.7%, BJHS in 26.7% and in association with OB in 6.7%. Conclusion: Approximately one third of schoolchildren suffer from MSP. BJHS, GP and OB are mutually exclusive as causes of MSP in schoolchildren. Pubertal stage plays an important role in the physiopathology of this condition
Hip Involvement in Pediatric Scurvy: Early Magnetic Imaging Signs
No full textBackground: Scurvy is an uncommon and often underrecognized disease. However, conditions associated with a restrictive and/or selective diet and inadequate absorption still pose a high risk for developing vitamin C deficiency. Musculoskeletal symptoms are among the most characteristic manifestations of scurvy, often requiring radiological investigations. Objective: This study aims to describe the radiological signs of scurvy on pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children presenting with musculoskeletal symptoms and to highlight features that may help differentiate it from other conditions with similar presentations. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including children admitted for musculoskeletal symptoms requiring a pelvic MRI and who were subsequently diagnosed with scurvy. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological data were extracted from electronic medical records. Results: We identified ten patients with a median age at disease onset of 45 months (range 17–133 months) admitted between 2016 and 2022. All ten patients included in the study were male. All had at least one of the following symptoms: limping, pain in the lower limbs, or refusal to walk, in addition to gum bleeding (7/10), hypertrophic gums (5/10), purpura (3/10), irritability (3/10), and fever (2/10). In all patients, pelvic MRI showed a bilateral, patchy, abnormal, water-like signal intensity pattern in the sacroiliac area. Sacroiliitis was detected in three children and hip effusion in another child. Seven out of these ten patients had a previous pelvis X-ray that was negative. Conclusions: In scurvy, the pelvis is often prematurely affected, with bone marrow accumulating water and joints showing inflammatory changes, particularly at the hips and sacroiliac joints. Due to its ability to assess soft tissues and its high sensitivity to water content, MRI is the ideal imaging tool to assess these changes. In contrast, plain radiography is less sensitive and specific and may be uninformative in the early stages of the disease
