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This paper details a field application of Shaped Memory Polymer (SMP) material for sand management delivering an innovative approach for sand control completions. The use of the technology has enabled profitable exploitation of residual reserves in a mature gas field offshore Adriatic Sea. The paper reviews details of the field deployment, with both economic and well performance results described. The offshore field was discovered in 1971 and 102 wells have been drilled to date. The trap is a very gentle, slightly asymmetrical anticline made by Pleistocene sandy turbidites, sedimented on the underlying carbonate substrate. Methane gas bearing layers have been sealed by several argillaceous intercalations that worked also as the source rocks of this multilayer reservoir. The sandy layers in this Pleistocene sequence, have thickness ranging from few centimeters up to some meters, and porosity from 22 up to 33%. Isolation of multiple gas-water contacts and fines production have been two crucial issues while producing the field. Since 2000, all seven platforms in this field have required workovers by means of performing sidetracks. Due to the reservoir characteristics, the well interventions have been completed with multi-layer, stacked cased-hole sand control completions. Despite a continuous improvement of procedures and technique, the traditional sand control methods have been efficient but were no longer profitable, due to challenging market conditions. An open-hole completion using SMP combined with zonal isolation and selective production has proved to be an effective alternative to cased-hole sand control. This novel completion approach resulted in a significant reduction in both cost and rig time. It is estimated that nearly two weeks of rig time was saved and an overall workover cost reduction of approximately 35%, with further efficiencies to be realized on upcoming deployments. To date, the completion has proved to be an effective sand control method, with no produced solids, no plugging effect, and gas production that has met expectations.

The Italian Consensus Position Statement on Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Obesity in Children and Adolescents integrates and updates the previous guidelines to deliver an evidence based approach to the disease. The following areas were reviewed: (1) obesity definition and causes of secondary obesity; (2) physical and psychosocial comorbidities; (3) treatment and care settings; (4) prevention. The main novelties deriving from the Italian experience lie in the definition, screening of the cardiometabolic and hepatic risk factors and the endorsement of a staged approach to treatment. The evidence based efficacy of behavioral intervention versus pharmacological or surgical treatments is reported. Lastly, the prevention by promoting healthful diet, physical activity, sleep pattern, and environment is strongly recommended since the intrauterine phase. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13052-018-0525-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

AIMS:To identify metabolic phenotypes at increased risk of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in Italian overweight/obese children (n = 148, age 5-10 years) and adolescents (n = 531, age 10-17.9 year). METHODS:Phenotypes were defined as follows: obesity by the 95th cut-points of the Center for Disease Control body mass index reference standards, impaired fasting glucose (fasting plasma glucose ≥100 mg/dl), high circulating triglycerides (TG), TG/HDL cholesterol ≥2.2, waist-to-height ratio (WTHR) >0.6, and combination of the latter with high TG or TG/HDL cholesterol ≥2.2. RESULTS:In the 148 obese children, TG/HDL-C ≥ 2.2 (OR 20.19; 95 % CI 2.50-163.28, p = 0.005) and the combination of TG/HDL-C ≥ 2.2 and WTHR > 0.60 (OR 14.97; 95 % CI 2.18-102.76, p = 0.006) were significantly associated with IGT. In the 531 adolescents, TG/HDL-C ≥ 2.2 (OR 1.991; 95 % CI 1.243-3.191, p = 0.004) and the combination with WTHR > 0.60 (OR 2.24; 95 % CI 1.29-3.87, p = 0.004) were associated with significantly increased risk of IGT. In the whole sample, having high TG levels according to the NIH National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Expert Panel was not associated with an increased risk of presenting IGT. CONCLUSIONS:TG/HDL-C ratio can be useful, particularly in children, to identify obese young patients at risk of IGT. Its accuracy as screening tool in a general population needs to be verified. The combination of TG/HDL-C ratio and WTHR > 0.6 did not improve prediction. Having high TG according to the NIH definition was not associated with increased risk of developing IGT.

The analysis of daily physical activity characteristics is an important starting point to favor the promotion of proper physical activity against obesity. The aim of our study was to characterize physical activity organization, among the different intensities and across age and ponderal status, to verify whether the normal-weight condition has the same physical activity characteristics across ages. We recruited 381 female participants; 100 were between 6 and 10 years old; 134 were between 35 and 54 years, and 147 were between 55 and 69 years. The body mass index of participants ranged from normal weight to obese. Daily physical activity was objectively recorded in the period between 15 June and 15 July, from 2011 to 2014. The effects of age, ponderal status, and their interaction on daily physical activity were studied. Normal-weight children (NW-C) have higher daily METs and more vigorous physical activity than other sub-samples, while overweight and obese children (OW-C, O-C) have the same daily physical activity characteristics as normal-weight adults and older adults (NW-A, NW-OA). In female population, the intensity of daily physical activity is a distinctive characteristic of NW-C, while time engaged in moderate physical activity is a distinctive characteristic for NW-A and NW-OA. As OW-C and O-C have the same physical activity characteristics as NW-A and NW-OA, it is suggested that an age-related approach in the field of physical activity promotion should be developed.

to investigate the presence of eating disorders (ED) and psychopathological traits in obese preadolescents and adolescents compared to normal-weight peers.Overweight/obese patients aged 11 to 14 y and normal-weight peers' data collected by means of self-report questionnaires administered to parents and children.Clinical Nutrition Units in the Municipalities of Rome, Naples, Gallipoli and Atri, Italy.376 preadolescents and adolescents. Patients were 187 (93 boys, BMI=27.9±;4.1; 94 girls, BMI=28.1±4.5); normal-weight controls were 189 subjects (94 boys, BMI=19.4±1.4; 95 girls, BMI=19.5±1.5).eating disorder behaviors, psychopathological traits and symptoms estimated by means of the eating disorders scales (EDI-2) and psychopathological scales (CBCL 4-18).Patients reached higher scores than controls in most of the eating disorders scales and psychopathological scales. Twenty-one (11.2%) patients were considered at risk of developing an eating disorder and 75 (40%) presented social problems. With regard to weight status, age-group and gender, main significant interaction effects were seen in social problems (F= 6.50; p0.05) and ineffectiveness (F= 4.15; p0.05).Findings from our study demonstrate that in preadolescence and adolescence, obesity is significantly associated to some traits typical of ED and to psychological problems in general. Although no inference can be made with regard to direction of causality, it is possible to conclude that overweight preadolescents and adolescents can be prone to display problematic traits more commonly associated to eating disorders and to present a high degree of mental distress.