1,720,980 research outputs found
Mineral equilibrium in commercial curd and predictive ability of near-infrared spectroscopy
Full text linkCurd samples (n = 83) from 3 European dairy companies were analyzed for micellar and soluble mineral fractions content using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry as a gold standard method. The same curd samples were analyzed through 3 different near-infrared (NIR) instruments, and NIR spectra were merged with reference data. Prediction equations were developed using modified partial least squares analysis, and the accuracy of prediction was evaluated through leave-one-out cross validation. Overall, NIR spectroscopy was capable of predicting micellar and soluble mineral fractions in curd, but with differences among instruments. Fitting statistics showed that the visible NIR instrument in reflectance mode outperformed the NIR instrument in transmittance mode as well as the portable NIR instrument in reflectance mode. Prediction accuracies for most of the analyzed mineral fractions can be used for curd quality control in dairy companies and to aid in decision-making during the cheesemaking process
Malformazioni congenite: quale ruolo per l’acido folico?
No full textPubblicazione in News & Opinions in Ginecologi
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
Surgical Unit volume and 30-day reoperation rate following primary resection for colorectal cancer in the Veneto Region (Italy)
No full textAbstract
BACKGROUND:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Surgical Unit volume on the 30-day reoperation rate in patients with CRC.
METHODS:
Data were extracted from the regional Hospital Discharge Dataset and included patients who underwent elective resection for primary CRC in the Veneto Region (2005-2013). The primary outcome measure was any unplanned reoperation performed within 30 days from the index surgery. Independent variables were: age, gender, comorbidity, previous abdominal surgery, site and year of the resection, open/laparoscopic approach and yearly Surgical Unit volume for colorectal resections as a whole, and in detail for colonic, rectal and laparoscopic resections. Multilevel multivariate regression analysis was used to evaluate the impact of variables on the outcome measure.
RESULTS:
During the study period, 21,797 elective primary colorectal resections were performed. The 30-day reoperation rate was 5.5 % and was not associated with Surgical Unit volume. In multivariate multilevel analysis, a statistically significant association was found between 30-day reoperation rate and rectal resection volume (intermediate-volume group OR 0.75; 95 % CI 0.56-0.99) and laparoscopic approach (high-volume group OR 0.69; 95 % CI 0.51-0.96).
CONCLUSIONS:
While Surgical Unit volume is not a predictor of 30-day reoperation after CRC resection, it is associated with an early return to the operating room for patients operated on for rectal cancer or with a laparoscopic approach. These findings suggest that quality improvement programmes or centralization of surgery may only be required for subgroups of CRC patients
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
Mortality from chronic liver diseases in diabetes
Full text linkOBJECTIVES: Mortality from chronic liver diseases (CLDs) is increased in diabetes, but little is known about the etiology. The aim of this study was to assess mortality rates from CLD by etiology in known diabetic subjects living in the Veneto Region, Northern Italy.
METHODS: A total of 167,621 diabetic subjects, aged 30-89 years (54.6% men), were identified in the year 2007 and their vital status was assessed between 2008 and 2010. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed with regional mortality rates as reference. The underlying cause of death and all comordidities reported on the certificate were scrutinized in order to identify CLD deaths and their main etiologies. The latter were grouped into the following three categories: (i) virus-related, (ii) alcohol-related, and (iii) non-virus, non-alcohol-related (mainly represented by nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD).
RESULTS: Analyses were based upon 473,374 person-years of follow-up and 17,134 deaths. We observed an increased risk of dying from CLD in diabetic subjects with an SMR of 2.47 (95% CI=2.19-2.78) in men and 2.70 (2.24-3.23) in women. SMRs were 2.17 (1.90-2.47), 2.25 (1.98-2.54), and 2.86 (2.65-3.08) for virus-related, alcohol-related, and non-virus, non-alcohol-related CLD, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic patients have a twofold to threefold higher risk of dying of CLD, mainly associated with a non-virus and non-alcohol-related etiology, which is largely attributable to NAFLD. An early diagnosis and treatment of NAFLD, if any, may have a beneficial clinical impact on the survival of diabetic patients
A multicenter survey on profile of care for hip fracture: predictors of mortality and disability.
No full textSummary
Because delay in time to surgery beyond 24–48 h
has been observed in many studies to be associated with
adverse outcomes, a survey in nine centers in Italy was
undertaken to examine the impact of time to surgery on
mortality and disability at 6 months after hospitalization.
Introduction
Delays in surgery for hip fracture have been
reported to be associated with negative outcomes. However,
most studies are based on retrospective analysis of hospital
discharge data, which cannot determine functional status or
general health status of patients prior to the fracture.
Methods
Using a prospective cohort design, data were
collected on 3,707 patients aged >50 years during hospitalization
for hip fracture and in a 6-month postdischarge
follow-up. Baseline information included age, gender,
living arrangement, prefracture walking ability, walking
aid, ASA grade, type and reason of fracture, time to
surgery, type of surgery, date and destination at discharge,
and osteoporosis treatment. Follow-up data included living
arrangement, walking ability, and mortality.
Results
Six-month mortality was positively associated with
increasing age, comorbidity, prefracture functional disability,
and having surgery more than 48 h after admission.
Higher levels of functional status at 6 months were
independently associated with surgery occurring within
24 h of the fracture and with osteoporosis therapy at
discharge. Walking disability was associated with older age,
comorbidity, disability before fracture, and time to surgery
after 24 h.
Conclusions
Delay in surgery is a major cause of mortality
and disability at 6 months, and interventions to modify this
pattern of care are urgently needed
Prevalence of diabetes across different immigrant groups in North-eastern Italy
No full textType 2 diabetes, one of the most important non-communicable diseases, represents a major health problem worldwide. Immigrants may contribute relevantly to the increase in diabetes. The aim of the study was to investigate variability in diabetes prevalence across different immigrant groups in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy)
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