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The level of secretory acid sphingomyelinase (S-ASM), a key enzyme in the sphingolipid metabolism, is elevated in a variety of human diseases, including in the serum of obese adults. Alterations in S-ASM were also found to induce morphological changes in erythrocytes. Consequently, the inhibition of S-ASM by functional Inhibitors of ASM (FIASMA) may have broad clinical implications. The purpose of this study was to assess S-ASM activity in pediatric patients with obesity and healthy matched controls, as well as to investigate the erythrocyte morphology using transmission electron microscopy. We recruited 46 obese patients (mean age 11 ± 2.9 years) and 44 controls (mean age 10.8 ± 2.9 years). S-ASM activity was significantly higher (Wilcoxon signed-rank test p-value: 0.004) in obese patients (mean 396.4 ± 49.7 pmol/ml/h) than in controls (mean 373.7 ± 23.1 pmol/ml/h). No evidence of morphological differences in erythrocytes was found between the two populations. We then carried out a case-control study based on the spontaneous reporting system database to compare FIASMAs with NON-FIASMAs in terms of weight gain risk. Children who received FIASMA had a significantly lower frequency of weight gain reports than patients who took NON-FIASMA agents (p 0.001). Our findings suggest there is an intriguing possibility that S-ASM may play a role in pediatric obesity. This pilot study could serve as the basis for future studies in this interesting field of research.

We present the results of an experiment comparing group and individual planning in the domain of lifecycle consumption/saving decisions. Individual decision making is compared to two group treatments, which differ based on the presence of a rematching rule. We find that individuals and groups differ in how they solve the intertemporal consumption problem, but not in how they improve their consumption planning within a sequence. Individuals’ performance improves across sequences, groups without rematching perform approximately the same, while groups with rematching do significantly worse. Our main finding is that while groups perform better than individuals in the first sequence, this difference seems to disappear in the second lifecycle. Results show that in the second sequence groups in the rematching treatment deviate substantially more from optimum than groups that are left stable across sequences.

Experiments on intertemporal consumption typically showthat people have difficulties in optimally solving such problems. Previous studies have focused on contexts in which agents are faced with risky future incomes and have to plan over long horizons.We present an experiment comparing decision making under certainty, risk, and ambiguity, over a shorter lifecycle. Results show that behavior in the ambiguity treatment is markedly different than in the risk condition and it is characterized by a significant pattern of under-consumption.

Resumen Se evaluaron la producción y la calidad de la lana en 139 ovejas de raza Milchschaf, del tambo ovino del Campo Experimental Nº 1 (Migues) de Facultad de Veterinaria. Los animales fueron esquilados en el preparto en el mes de julio de 2009, se registró el peso del vellón y se extrajeron muestras de lana de la zona del costillar para evaluar las características de medición objetiva y subjetiva. En 61 animales se extrajo además una muestra del cuarto para comparar la calidad de la lana y contenido de fibras meduladas con la muestra extraída del costillar. El peso del vellón fue de 3,3±0,7kg, el rendimiento 79,7±4,3%, el peso vellón limpio 2,6±0,6kg y el diámetro promedio 36,0±2,8µm. Las borregas 2 dientes tuvieron menores pesos de vellón, largo de mecha y diámetro promedio que las adultas (P˂0,01). Hubo diferencias entre costillar y cuarto en casi todas las características analizadas (P

Il lavoro si pone l'obiettivo di individuare quali sono le competenze offerte dai programmi di studio che hanno come fine la preparazione alle professioni proprie del terzo settore, attraverso uno studio statistico del linguaggio utilizzato per descrivere gli obiettivi dei corsi di laurea, sul sito del Ministero dell'Università. Il problema viene affrontato in un'ottica di text mining, vista la mole della base documentaria da analizzare e in particolare a tecniche di riduzione dimensionale che consentano l'introduzione di informazione esterna, al fine di introdurre le informazioni relative alle differente classi di laurea coinvolte e a tradizionali classificazioni delle competenze. I risultati sollevano notevoli dubbi circa la capacità delle università a porsi all'interno di un meccanismo concorrenziale

In market research, we often need statistical methods able to jointly deal with numerical and textual variables. In market segmentation, several tools have been proposed for profiling customers’ behaviours and choices, surveying a sample of potential buyers. The so called full profile method characteristic of Conjoint Analysis sometimes seems too rigid in its experimental structure. Here we propose a procedure aimed at integrating Conjoint Analysis, with textual information achieved by answers to open-ended questions. This procedure improves the understanding of the preference structure and the ideal product definition. An empirical analysis on watch market shows the evidence of this proposal.

Hepatocellular carcinoma rarely metastasizes to the orbit. We report a 45-year-old male, HBV+, HIV+, with a past history of a liver transplant for ELSD (end-stage liver disease) with hepatocellular carcinoma and recurrent HCC, who presented with proptosis and diplopia of the left eye. CT scans of the head revealed a large, irregular mass in the left orbit causing superior and lateral destruction of the orbital bone. Biopsy specimens of the orbital tumor showed features of metastatic foci of hepatocellular carcinoma. Only 16 other cases of HCC metastasis to the orbit have been described in literature, and this is the first case in a previously transplanted HIV+, HBV+ patient.