Marche Polytechnic University

About: Marche Polytechnic University is a education organization based out in Ancona, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 5905 authors who have published 15769 publications receiving 382286 citations. The organization is also known as: Universitá Politecnica delle Marche & Universita Politecnica delle Marche.

Preliminary classification criteria for the cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis

Abstract: Background To develop preliminary classifi cation criteria for the cryoglobulinaemic syndrome or cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis (CV). Methods Study part I developed a questionnaire for CV to be included in the formal, second part (study part II). Positivity of serum cryoglobulins was defi ned by experts as an essential condition for CV classifi cation. In study part II, a core set of classifi cation items (questionnaire, clinical and laboratory items, as agreed) was tested in three groups of patients and controls—that is, group A (new patients with the CV), group B (controls with serum cryoglobulins but lacking CV) and group C (controls without serum cryoglobulins but with features which can be observed in CV). Results In study part I (188 cases, 284 controls), a positive response to at least two of three selected questions showed a sensitivity of 81.9% and a specifi city of 83.5% for CV. This questionnaire was employed and validated in study part II, which included 272 patients in group A and 228 controls in group B. The fi nal classifi cation criteria for CV, by pooling data from group A and group B, required the positivity of questionnaire plus clinical, questionnaire plus laboratory, or clinical plus laboratory items, or all the three, providing a sensitivity of 88.5% and a specifi city of 93.6% for CV. By comparing data in group A versus group C (425 controls), the same classifi cation criteria showed a sensitivity 88.5% and a specifi city 97.0% for CV. Conclusion Classifi cation criteria for CV were developed, and now need validation.

Health-related quality of life in multiple musculoskeletal conditions: a cross-sectional population based epidemiological study. II. The MAPPING study.

Abstract: Objective Musculoskeletal conditions are a major burden on individuals, health systems, and social care systems. The objective of the MAPPING study was to assess the impact of musculoskeletal conditions on health-related quality of life (HRQL) in an Italian population sample. Methods Trained rheumatologists carried out structured visits in which subjects were asked about musculoskeletal symptoms and socio-demographic characteristics, completed validated instruments for measuring HRQL, such as the Short Form 36 items status survey questionnaire (SF-36), the EUROQoL five item questionnaire (EQ-5D), and chronic pain severity (Chronic Pain Grade - CPG questionnaire), and underwent a standardized physical examination. We considered a sample size of 576 patients diagnosed as having had musculoskeletal conditions. For the purposes of this study, musculoskeletal diseases were classified into 4 diagnostic groups: inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD), symptomatic peripheral osteoarthritis (SPOA), low back pain (LBP), and soft tissue disorders (STD). Cases were defined by previously validated criteria. Results The 4 major musculoskeletal disease groups, compared to non-sufferers, significantly impaired all eight health concepts of the SF-36 in the following order of magnitude: IRD, SPOA, STD, and LBP. Similar results were found for EQ-5D. The most striking impact was seen for SF-36 physical measures. On multiple regression modelling the physical component (PCS) of the SF-36 was influenced by female sex, age, high BMI, and low educational level (all at a p level < 0.001), and by manual occupation (p = 0.028) and chronic co-morbidity (p = 0.035) in LBP. In SPOA, factors influencing physical function were age (p = 0.0001), low educational level (p = 0.006), female sex (p = 0.028), and chronic co-morbidity (p = 0.037). Moreover, an association on chronic co-morbidity and low educational level (both at a p level < 0.001), age (p = 0.004), and manual occupation (p = 0.035) was found with IRD, as well as of chronic co-morbidity and low educational level (both at a p level < 0.001), female sex (p = 0.006) and high BMI (p = 0.036) with STD were also found. Similar results were found for EQ-5D. Conclusions The MAPPING study indicates that musculoskeletal conditions have a clearly detrimental effect on the HRQL and one third of the adult population in Italy visited at least one physician for musculoskeletal problem in the past year. These results enable a comparison to be made of the burden of musculoskeletal conditions with that of other common chronic conditions.

The burden of prevalent fractures on health-related quality of life in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: the IMOF study.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Vertebral fractures are a common complication of osteoporosis and may have a negative effect on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). We investigated the effect of prevalent vertebral fractures on HRQOL in patients with osteoporosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional multicenter study was carried out among postmenopausal women with primary osteoporosis attending primary care centers and hospital outpatient clinics: 234 women with vertebral fractures and 244 asymptomatic women. Women with secondary osteoporosis or taking medications that affect bone metabolism were excluded. All patients were questioned using the mini-Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (mini-OQLQ), Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36), and the EuroQuol-5D, after assessment of all clinical variables and anthropometric data. To assess comorbidity we used the Self-Administered Comorbidity Questionnaire (SCQ). Diagnosis of osteoporosis was confirmed in all patients by bone mineral density using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Radiographic evaluation was performed by a musculoskeletal radiologist. A total of 483 postmenopausal women, randomly matched for age out of 1579 healthy controls, were chosen to compare the SF-36 scores with respect to patients with and without vertebral fractures due to osteoporosis. A multivariable regression analysis was conducted to identify the strongest determinant for low HRQOL, adjusted for potential confounding variables such as comorbid conditions, education level, and psychosocial status. RESULTS: The vertebral fracture group had significantly lower scores than patients without fractures and controls in all domains of the generic and specific questionnaires. Women with only 1 prevalent fracture had statistically significantly lower HRQOL scores than those without fractures on SF-36 measures of bodily pain, physical functioning, and role function physical (all p

Agent Based-Stock Flow Consistent Macroeconomics: Towards a Benchmark Model

Abstract: The global financial crisis has forced standard macroeconomics to re-examine the plausibility of its assumptions and the adequacy of the policy prescriptions flowing from those assumptions. We believe a renewal of macroeconomic thinking and macroeconomic modeling is possible by recognizing that our economies should be analyzed as complex adaptive systems. A coherent and exhaustive representation of the inter-linkages between the real and financial sides of the economy is vital as well. We propose a macroeconomic framework based on a novel combination of the Agent Based and Stock Flow Consistent approaches. This paper presents a benchmark model for this innovative approach. Our model depicts an economy with capital and credit in which different types of agents locally interact on different markets. We provide a detailed representation of individual agents’ balance sheets, ensuring the model accounting consistency at the micro, meso, and macro levels. We analyze the properties of our simulated economy under different configurations of agent heuristics, focusing in particular on the role of credit and investment. We explain in detail the logic followed to calibrate and validate the model. Results show that our benchmark model is able to reproduce many stylized facts observed in real world, thus representing a good starting point to test -- in the next works -- different economic policies and institutional setups. Finally, the relatively simple and flexible structure of the model opens up many possibilities for development of the framework along different lines, thus providing a fertile soil for new applications.