153 research outputs found
CIGARETTE-SMOKING AND ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY FROM THE GISSI-2 TRIAL
No full textTo make a further quantitative assessment of the relationship between cigarette smoking and the risk of myocardial infarction, a multicentric case-control study was conducted in Italy between September 1988 and June 1989 within the framework of the GISSI-2 trial. Ninety hospitals in various Italian Regions participated. 916 cases of acute myocardial infarction with no history of ischaemic heart disease and 1106 controls admitted to hospital for acute conditions not related to known or suspected risk factors for ischaemic heart disease were studied. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of myocardial infarction according to various measures of tobacco smoking, were adjusted for identified potential confounding factors using multiple logistic regression. Compared to lifelong non-smokers, the RR was 1.3 (95% CI 1.0 to 1.9) for ex-smokers, 2.0 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.9) for current smokers of less than 15 cigarettes per day, 3.1 (95% CI 2.2 to 4.2) for 15-24 cigarettes per day and 4.9 (95% CI 3.4 to 7.1) for 25 or more cigarettes per day. No trend in risk was evident for the duration, the RR being around 3 for subsequent categories. There was a significant interaction between smoking and age. Below the age 45, smokers of 25 or more cigarettes per day had a 33 times higher risk than nonsmokers, compared to 7.5 at in the age group 45-54, 4.4 between the ages 55-64 and 2.5 at the age of 65 or over. The risk estimates were higher in women (RR for greater than or equal to 25 cigarettes per day = 10.1), in subjects in the lowest cholesterol tertile (RR = 11.9), with no history of diabetes (RR = 6.8), hypertension (RR = 9.5), no family history ischaemic heart disease (RR = 9.1) and low body mass index (RR = 9.3). The importance of smoking is confirmed as a cause of acute myocardial infarction: about 50% of all nonfatal infarctions in this Italian population could be attributable to cigarette smoking. The relative risks for smokers were higher at a younger age, in women and in subjects with a low baseline risk for other risk factors
The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Normative data for the Italian population
No full textThe brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia. Normative data for the Italian population
No full textValidation of a Low-Thrust Spacecraft Simulator for Earth Observation Missions
No full textThis paper presents the new developments and the validation of the software suite SATSLab (Spacecraft Attitude, Trajectory and Subsystems Laboratory); a low-thrust space mission simulator developed as a collaboration between Alta SpA and the University of Pisa [1]. SATSLab is a fundamental tool for mission analysis and spacecraft subsystem sizing for missions where the usage of electric propulsion systems is envisaged. SATSLab allows for an accurate assessment of orbital trajectory and spacecraft subsystems energy status, fundamental aspects to take into account in the design of missions with small satellites and limited onboard resources. SATSLab has been recently fitted with new functionalities specially aimed at easing the design of advanced Earth observation missions. A new module for ground station visibility and for the computation of link budgets has been integrated. The NRLMSISE-00 atmospheric model has been added for an accurate atmospheric drag computation. SATSLab has been validated by several numeric applications and semi-analytic comparisons. In the paper, a representative Earth-observation mission scenario is presented; highlighting the simulator capability to reveal the non-trivial features of the energy-trajectory interplay
A Regional Microsatellite Constellation with Electric Propulsion in Support of Tuscan Agriculture
No full textThis paper presents the mission design of a microsatellite constellation with electric propulsion to monitor and support the agriculture activities in the Tuscany region. The activity was carried out in collaboration between Alta SpA and University of Pisa. Starting from the user requirements and considering the performance of existing small optical instruments, our analysis has resulted in a constellation based on four microsatellites, each equipped with a different optical instrument (multispectral, hyperspectral and thermal infrared) responding to specific spatial and spectral perfomance. In order to guarantee very frequent revisit, microsatellites are placed in Sun-synchronus Repeating Ground Track (SSRGT) orbits from 358 km to 554 km. Each microsatellite is equipped with a low power Hall effect thruster, to provide orbital maneuvering capability and drag compensation for station keeping. The software suite SATSLab (Spacecraft Attitude, Trajectory and Subsystems LABoratory), suited for Earth Observation missions analysis, has been used to evaluate platform capabilities to compensate atmospheric drag, to perform orbital transfers, and to evaluate the instantaneous balance of energy exchanges onboard due to thruster firing, operation of observation instruments and data transmission
Testosterone-Induced Effects on Lipids and Inflammation
No full textChronic pain has to be considered in all respects a debilitating disease and 10–20% of the world's adult population is affected by this disease. In the most general terms, pain is symptomatic of some form of dysfunction and (often) the resulting inflammatory processes in the body. In the study of pain, great attention has been paid to the possible involvement of gonadal hormones, especially in recent years. In particular, testosterone, the main androgen, is thought to play a beneficial, protective role in the body. Other important elements to be related to pain, inflammation, and hormones are lipids, heterogenic molecules whose altered metabolism is often accompanied by the release of interleukins, and lipid-derived proinflammatory mediators. Here we report data on interactions often not considered in chronic pain mechanisms
Le role de l'endoscipie fonctionnelle dans la comprehension des fonctions du tractus digestif duperioeur
No full textFunctional endoscopy is a technique to analyse the upper G-I functioning under physiological conditions. Physiological conditions are those of daily life, i.e. walking, sitting, sleeping or eating, drinking and belching. Only in this way we are able to understand what happens during 24 h. This includes longitudinal observation over a 24 hr period. Observation in combination with measurement techniques like pH-metry, impedancemetry, manometry enables us to see and to measure. In this way an accurate interpretation of our results becomes possible. The aim is to get a better understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of the upper G-I tract, particularly of digestion and reflux. The result was the identification of three different reflux-mechanisms : — Reflux-oesophagitis is caused predominantly by saliva-acid-bile-compound or saliva-acid-pancreatic-juice-compound. The local effect over time is proven. The presence of the compound is always combined with globus and burning sensation ; — The important mechanism for the extra-oesophageal complications is gas reflux (EsoPharyngeal-Reflux-Disease – EPRD). The gas model explains the great variety of the different diseases such as e.g. asthma, chronic laryngitis, laryngeal polyps and granulomas, chronic sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, recurrent otitis media and hyperplastic tonsils in infants etc. — The oesophagus acts as a filter system e.g. for the gas particles of the refluxedmaterial to prevent extra-oesophageal complications. This system is based on 3 different filtration mechanisms : the labyrinth effect, the undulation and the pressure change. This illustrates that apart from the peristaltic activity, one important mechanismof the oesophagus is the protection of the pharyngo-larynx against reflux
Chlamydia trachomatis infection is related to poor semen quality in young prostatitis patients
No full textCytokines at the materno-fetal interface in non-mammals.JOINT MEETING, II LATIN-AMERICAN SYMPOSIUM MATERNO-FETAL INTERACTION & PLACENTA: FROM BASIC TO CLINICAL RESEARCH AND XIX ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CHILEAN PHYSIOLOGICA SOCIETY
No full textSerenoa repens associated with Urtica dioica (ProstaMEV��) and curcumin and quercitin (FlogMEV��) extracts are able to improve the efficacy of prulifloxacin in bacterial prostatitis patients: results from a prospective randomised study
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