In this paper, we present a general oligopolistic market equilibrium model in which each firm produces several commodities in a time interval. To this aim, we introduce tensor variational ...inequalities in Hilbert spaces which are a powerful tool to analyse the model. Indeed we characterize the equilibrium condition by means of a suitable time-dependent tensor variational inequality. In addition, we prove some existence and regularity results and a numerical scheme to compute the solution. Finally we provide a numerical example.
ELSE (E-Learning for the Semantic ECM) is an ontology-based system which integrates semantic search methodologies and e-learning technologies. It has been developed within a project of the CME ...(Continuing Medical Education) program - ECM (Educazione Continua nella Medicina) for Italian participants. ELSE allows the creation of e-learning courses which are customized according to the needs and learning preferences of the user. It relies on a reference domain ontology and teaching multimedial interactive modules, referred to as Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs), which are annotated according to the concepts of the ontology. The SemSim semantic search method allows the selection of the set of RLOs that satisfy the user request at best in efficient way. This set is successively reorganized according to the learning preferences of the user. ELSE has been validated and experimented in the domain of osteoporosis, and the overall judgment about it is very positive, both in terms of usability and effectiveness of customization.
Background and Objective: There is a bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and type‐2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Inflammatory mediators may negatively affect glycemic control, and ...increased glucose levels and resultant glycation end‐products may alter the host response against bacterial infection. However, no agreement has been reached regarding the effect of DM on periodontal subgingival microbiota. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the subgingival biodiversity in deep periodontal pockets of subjects with chronic periodontitis and either uncontrolled type‐2 diabetes or no diabetes using 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing.
Material and methods: Twelve subjects with uncontrolled type‐2 diabetes (glycated hemoglobin > 8%) and eleven nondiabetic subjects presenting severe and generalized chronic periodontitis were selected. Subgingival biofilm from periodontal pockets > 5 mm were assessed using the 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing technique.
Results: Significant differences were observed in subgingival microbiota between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Diabetic subjects presented higher percentages of total clones of TM7, Aggregatibacter, Neisseria, Gemella, Eikenella, Selenomonas, Actinomyces, Capnocytophaga, Fusobacterium, Veillonella and Streptococcus genera, and lower percentages of Porphyromonas, Filifactor, Eubacterium, Synergistetes, Tannerella and Treponema genera than nondiabetic individuals (p < 0.05). Moreover, some phylotypes, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Veillonella parvula, V. dispar and Eikenella corrodens were detected significantly more often in diabetic subjects than in nondiabetic subjects (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Subjects with uncontrolled type‐2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis presented significant dissimilarities in subgingival biodiversity compared with nondiabetic subjects.
An evolutionary model for a multi-sector, multi-instrument financial equilibrium problem, with a general utility function, different prices for assets and liabilities and including the expenses for ...the management of the financial institutions is presented. In this general case, we give the evolutionary financial equilibrium conditions and prove their equivalence with an evolutionary variational inequality, from which existence results of the financial equilibrium follow. Moreover, making use of new nonlinear analysis results, we develop a Lagrange theory which allows one to study the behaviour of the financial equilibrium by means of the Lagrange multipliers. As a product of this analysis, we prove that for the financial model an equilibrium law together with a liability formula must be fulfilled, from which the reorganization of the existing financial disequilibrium depends.
The aim of this paper is to present the relation between an evolutionary variational inequality with long-term memory and Lagrange multipliers. More precisely, we study the oligopolistic market ...equilibrium problem in which the profit function depends also on previous events of the market by means of a long-term memory which takes into account the previous states of the equilibrium. Moreover, thanks to the variational formulation, we are able to show existence and regularity results for equilibrium solutions. Then, we apply the infinite dimensional duality theory through which we obtain the existence of Lagrange multipliers which are great utility in order to understand the behaviour of the market. Finally, an example is provided, which allows to analyse the influence of the long-term memory on the equilibrium solution.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
BFBNIB, DOBA, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
This study aimed to evaluate pain and its symptoms in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) refractory to other therapies, treated with a combination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) ...and cannabidiol (CBD), in association with spinal cord stimulation (SCS).
Outpatients referred at Pain Unit of San Vincenzo Hospital in Taormina (Italy), between September 2014 and January 2016.
Eleven FBSS patients diagnosed with neuropathic pain using the Douleur Neuropathique 4 questionnaire and suffering from moderate to severe chronic refractory pain, and undergoing treatment with SCS and a combination of THC/CBD for 12 consecutive months.
All the included patients discontinued previous unsuccessful therapy at least 2 months before the beginning of the cannabinoid therapy, with the exception of the SCS that was continued. Patients received a fixed dosage of cannabinoid agonists (THC/CBD) that could be increased subjective to pain control response. A Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire was administered to measure pain and its interference with characteristic dimensions of feelings and functions. The duration of treatment with SCS and THC/CBD combination was 12 months.
Effective pain management as compared to baseline result was achieved in all the cases studied. The positive effect of cannabinoid agonists on refractory pain was maintained during the entire duration of treatment with minimal dosage titration. Pain perception, evaluated through numeric rating scale, decreased from a baseline mean value of 8.18±1.07-4.72±0.9 by the end of the study duration (12 months) (
<0.001).
The results indicate that cannabinoid agonists (THC/CBD) can have remarkable analgesic capabilities, as adjuvant of SCS, for the treatment of chronic refractory pain of FBSS patients.
Recently, the Italian Ministry of Health developed a health prevention campaign against tobacco smoking entitled "Ma che sei scemo? Il fumo fammale" (Are you stupid? Smoking is bad). The aim of this ...study was to evaluate the diffusion of the ministerial campaign by analyzing data from two web platforms, Facebook and YouTube.
The study evaluated the dissemination of the campaign using the number of users reached, interactions and the interaction index (interactions/users reached) on the web platform Facebook and YouTube. A qualitative analysis of the text comments left by the users was also carried out.
The average number of interactions on Facebook was 6,087 and 400 for YouTube while the total views were 356,967 for Facebook and 174,763 for YouTube. The interaction index was very low for both platforms, between 0 and 1%. A total number of 156 comments were obtained on Facebook and 37 on YouTube, most of which were negative, or comments not related to the campaign.
The Italian campaign had low diffusion on the web platforms investigated. Evidence-based public health interventions can play a central role in the prevention field but must be based on elements of scientific effectiveness. Further research should analyze the effects of social media campaigns on direct health related outcomes.
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Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is a pathological condition that affects about 3% of the population, representing the most common valve disease. The main clinical feature of AS is ...represented by the impaired leaflet motility, due to calcification, which leads to the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction during systole. The formation and accumulation of calcium nodules are driven by valve interstitial cells (VICs). Unfortunately, to date, the in vitro and in vivo studies were not sufficient to fully recapitulate all the pathological pathways involved in AS development, as well as to define a specific and effective pharmacological treatment for AS patients.
Cyclophilin A (CyPA), the most important immunophilin and endogenous ligand of cyclosporine A (CsA), is strongly involved in several detrimental cardiovascular processes, such as calcification. To date, there are no data on the CyPA role in VIC-mediated calcification process of AS. Here, we aimed to identify the role of CyPA in AS by studying VIC calcification, in vitro.
In this study, we found that (i) CyPA is up-regulated in stenotic valves of AS patients, (ii) pro-calcifying medium promotes CyPA secretion by VICs, (iii) in vitro treatment of VICs with exogenous CyPA strongly stimulates calcium deposition, and (iv) exogenous CyPA inhibition mediated by CsA analogue MM284 abolished in vitro calcium potential. Thus, CyPA represents a biological target that may act as a novel candidate in the detrimental AS development and its inhibition may provide a novel pharmacological approach for AS treatment.
The growing data obtained from in vivo studies and clinical trials demonstrated the benefit of adult stem cells transplantation in diabetes; although an important limit is represented by their ...survival after the transplant. To this regard, recent reports suggest that genetic manipulation of stem cells prior to transplantation can lead to enhanced survival and better engraftment. The following review proposes to stimulate interest in the role of heme oxygenase-1 over-expression on transplantation of stem cells in diabetes, focusing on the clinical potential of heme oxygenase protein and activity to restore tissue damage and/or to improve the immunomodulatory properties of transplanted stem cells.
ELSE (E-Learning for the Semantic ECM) is an ontology-based system which integrates semantic search methodologies and e-learning technologies. It has been developed within a project of the CME ...(Continuing Medical Education) program--ECM (Educazione Continua nella Medicina) for Italian participants. ELSE allows the creation of e-learning courses which are customized according to the needs and learning preferences of the user. It relies on a reference domain ontology and teaching multimedial interactive modules, referred to as "Reusable Learning Objects" (RLOs), which are annotated according to the concepts of the ontology. The "SemSim" semantic search method allows the selection of the set of RLOs that satisfy the user request at best in efficient way. This set is successively reorganized according to the learning preferences of the user. ELSE has been validated and experimented in the domain of "osteoporosis," and the overall judgment about it is very positive, both in terms of usability and effectiveness of customization.
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