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Questo elaborato analizza le origini e lo sviluppo dell’attività di reference e come essa sia divenuta la pratica più importante all’interno delle biblioteche. Attraverso un’indagine storica che inizia nella seconda metà dell’Ottocento e prosegue oltre la metà del XX secolo, si delinea la diffusione di quest’attività nelle sue diverse componenti e ramificazioni, soffermandosi sulle differenze applicative presenti nelle varie tipologie di istituzioni bibliotecarie. Si analizzano le cause che hanno portato alla nascita di quest’attività, che ha rivoluzionato interamente il modo di percepire le biblioteche e il loro operato. Utilizzando le fonti dei principali autori che hanno trattato di tale argomento, è possibile comprendere la crescita del concetto di “assistenza” nei confronti dei lettori, delle sue diverse estensioni e soprattutto delle conseguenze che tali idee ebbero sull’evoluzione dell’immagine delle biblioteche all’interno della società., Bibliothecae.it, Vol. 12 No. 1 (2023): Ranganathan’s multiple facets = Le molte faccette di Ranganathan. International conference Proceedings (University of Pavia, Department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage, Cremona, May 23rd, 2022)

Children presenting with complex febrile seizures (FS) have an increased risk of developing epilepsy. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of complex seizures in children presenting with FS and those with both convulsions associated with mild gastroenteritis (CwG) and fever.Children admitted to our Pediatric Emergency Department between January 2017 and April 2019 with seizures were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Patients were grouped according to the etiology as FS and febrile CwG. FS classification criteria of simple FS and complex FS was applied to both groups to allow a comparison between them. Prevalence ratios (PRs) of complex seizures, estimated through a log binomial model, were used to compare the occurrence of complex seizures between the two groups, using the FS group as reference category.A total of 294 patients were enrolled: 231 with FS and 63 with febrile CwG. Complex seizures occurred in 31 patients with FS (13.4%) and 21 patients (33.3%) with febrile CwG. The PR of complex seizures was 2.48 (95% confidence interval, 1.54 to 4.01).Children with febrile CwG showed a higher rate of complex seizures when compared with those with FS.

Meta-analytic comparison of EUS-guided gallbladder drainage (EUS-GBD) versus percutaneous gallbladder drainage (PT-GBD) for acute cholecystitis (AC) brings the risk of spurious results if too few studies are included. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) can overcome this, providing information about its credibility.Comparative studies between EUS-GBD, using lumen-apposing metal stents, and PT-GBD for AC until July 2021 were used for conventional meta-analysis and TSA, which allowed the use of monitoring boundaries and the estimation of the required information size (RIS) needed to prove credibility.Four studies accrued 535 patients. Technical success was in favor of PT-GBD (relative risk [RR], .967; P = .036), but TSA estimated that 1663 participants would be needed to avoid a Type I error (false positive). Clinical success was similar (RR, .965; P = .146), and TSA supported the absence of any demonstrable superiority of one therapy rather than a Type II error (false negative). EUS-GBD reduced overall adverse events (RR, .424; P .001) and unplanned readmissions (RR, .215; P .001), and TSA confirmed the avoidance of a Type I error, with early RIS achievement, providing necessary credibility. EUS-GBD had fewer reinterventions (RR, .244; P .001), but a Type I error was not avoided, needing additional 97 patients to the accrued 535 to prove credibility.PT-GBD can provide superior technical success than EUS-GBD if a very large sample size is accrued, thus limiting the single-patient benefit. Clinical success is probably equivalent. EUS-GBD convincingly decreased overall adverse events and unplanned readmissions, whereas the need for reinterventions requires additional studies.

Background & Aims The Pre-TACE-Predict model was devised to assess prognosis of patients treated with trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, before entering clinical practice, a model should demonstrate that it performs a useful role. Methods We performed an independent external validation of the Pre-TACE model in a cohort that differs in setting and time period from the one that generated the original model. Data from 826 patients treated with TACE for naïve HCC (2008-2018) were used to assess calibration and discrimination of the Pre-TACE-Predict model. Results The four risk-categories identified by the Pre-TACE-Predict model had gradient monotonicity, with median survivals of 52.0, 36.2, 29.9, and 14.1 months respectively. However, predicted survivals systematically underestimated observed survivals (R2: 0.667). A recalibration was adopted maintaining fixed the prognostic index and modifying the baseline survival function. This resulted in an almost perfect calibration (R2: 0.995) in all the four risk categories. Cox regressions showed that aetiology and macrovascular invasion, included in the Pre-TACE-Predict model, had no prognostic impact in the present study population, and that coefficients for tumour size and multiplicity were overestimated. The c-index was similar to that of the m-HAP-III, but higher than those of HAP, m-HAP-II and the six-and-twelve models. Conclusions The recalibration of Pre-TACE-Predict model improved the estimation of survival probabilities of HCC patients treated with TACE. The highest discriminatory ability of the Pre-TACE-model in comparison to other available models, together with risk stratification and recalibration, makes it the best prognostic tool currently available for these patients.

Background/Purpose: Quality measures in surgery are important to establish appropriate levels of care and to develop improvement strategies. The purpose of this study was to provide risk-adjusted outcome measures after laparoscopic liver resection (LLR). Methods: Data from a prospective, multicenter database involving 4318 patients submitted to LLRs in 41 hospitals from an intention-to-treat approach (2014–2020) were used to analyze heterogeneity (I2) among centers and to develop a risk-adjustment model on outcome measures through multivariable mixed-effect models to account for confounding due to case-mix. Results: Involved hospitals operated on very different patients: the largest heterogeneity was observed for operating in the presence of previous abdominal surgery (I2:79.1%), in cirrhotic patients (I2:89.3%) suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (I2:88.6%) or requiring associated intestinal resections (I2:82.8%) and in regard to technical complexity (I2 for the most complex LLRs: 84.1%). These aspects determined substantial or large heterogeneity in overall morbidity (I2:84.9%), in prolonged in-hospital stay (I2:86.9%) and in conversion rate (I2:73.4%). Major complication had medium heterogeneity (I2:46.5%). The heterogeneity of mortality was null. Risk-adjustment accounted for all of this variability and the final risk-standardized conversion rate was 8.9%, overall morbidity was 22.1%, major morbidity was 5.1% and prolonged in-hospital stay was 26.0%. There were no outliers among the 41 participating centers. An online tool was provided. Conclusions: A benchmark for LLRs including all eligible patients was provided, suggesting that surgeons can act accordingly in the interest of the patient, modifying their approach in relation to different indications and different experience, but finally providing the same quality of care.

Biliary tract cancer’s (BTC) treatment main stone for advanced stages is constituted by chemotherapy. Surgical centralization and physicians’ confidence in the use of new technologies and molecular analysis turned out to be of interest and potentially influencing survival. After applying a random-effect model, the relationship between each clinical variable on the main outcome was investigated through multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression. The risk-standardized outcomes were calculated for each centre involved. In the unadjusted cohort the median survival was 8.6 months (95%C.I.: 7.8–9.3) with a 9-month survival rate of 48.3% (95%C.I.: 45.0–51.5). A substantial heterogeneity across hospitals was found (I2: 70.3%). In multilevel mixed effect logistic regression, male, being treated for gallbladder cancer, higher ECOG, increased NLR, CEA and Ca 19.9 and low value of haemoglobin showed to increase the odds for 9-month mortality. The model estimated that the residual variance observed in 9-month mortality was attributable for the 2.6% to the treating hospital. Through a multilevel mixed effect model, average risk-standardized mortality within 9 months was 50.1%. As noticeable, all hospital’s risk-standardized mortality falls within 95%C.I., thus all participating centres provided similar outcomes when adjusted for patient case-mix. Heterogenicity between hospital did not affect the outcome in term of overall survival.

Dans la deuxième moitié du XXe siècle, la guerre révolutionnaire en Argentine s’enracine dans plusieurs sources politiques et culturelles. Le nationalisme et l’engagement radical de militants catholiques en représentent quelques exemples. Pourtant, l’essor de la Révolution cubaine (1959) et la radicalisation des milieux contestataires péronistes incarnent deux phénomènes où les aspirations révolutionnaires se concrétisent. Cet article aborde, à partir de trajectoires politico-intellectuelles, les limites et les tensions qui se produisent au sein de la lutte insurrectionnelle entre deux sources centrales d’inspiration : en effet, parfois solidaires, la « voie cubaine » et le modèle d’un péronisme résistant peuvent coexister dans des nébuleuses militantes mais également se bifurquer, voire s’opposer, comme étant deux modèles politiques irréductibles. In the second half of the twentieth century, the revolutionary war in Argentina was rooted in several cultural and political sources. The nationalism and radical engagement of Catholic activists offer several examples of this. Yet the advent of the Cuban Revolution (1959) and the radicalization of militant Peronist circles embodied two phenomena in which revolutionary aspirations took concrete form. By focusing upon politico-intellectual trajectories, this article considers limits and tensions internal to the insurrectional struggle between two central sources of inspiration: for, though sometimes in solidarity with one another, the “Cuban path” and the model of a resistant Peronism did not just coexist in militant circles but also sometimes parted ways and even entered into conflict as being two irreducible political models.

To evaluate the impact of antiplatelet therapy (APT)on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and mortality following its treatment.A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Databases. Two HCC clinical settings were explored: (i) incidence, and (ii) death after any HCC treatment. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated to compare the pooled data between patients who received or did not receive APT.A total of 20 studies were identified, of whom 15 focused on HCC incidence, including 2,685,009 patients, and five on post-treatment death, including 3281 patients. APT was associated with an overall reduced risk of HCC incidence (OR: 0.63; 95%CI = 0.51-0.79; p 0.001) as well as of post-treatment mortality (OR: 0.54; 95%CI = 0.35-0.83; p = 0.006).Current data suggest that APT correlated with higher HCC incidence and poor overall survival following tumour treatment.

Purpose: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has a poor prognosis, when unresectable; therefore, intra-arterial therapies (IAT) such as trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) have been employed. With the present systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to analyse published studies to understand if one IAT can be superior to the alternative. Materials and methods: A systematic search of PubMed and Web of Science databases was performed for articles published until 1 March 2020 relevant to IAT for ICC. Overall survival was the primary end point. Occurrence of clinical adverse events and tumour overall response were secondary outcome measures. Results: A total of 31 articles (of 793, n.1695 patients) were selected for data extraction, 13 were on TACE (906 patients) and 18 were on TARE (789 patients). Clinical and tumour characteristics showed moderate heterogeneity between the two groups. The median survival after TACE was 14.2months while after TARE was 13.5months (95%C.I.: 11.4–16.1). The survival difference was small (d = 0.112) at 1year and negligible at 2years (d = 0.028) and at 3years (d = 0.049). The radiological objective response after TACE was 20.6% and after TARE was 19.3% (d = 0.032). Clinical adverse events occurred in 58.5% after TACE, more frequently than after TARE (43.0%, d = 0.314). Conclusion: In conclusion, IATs are promising treatments for improving outcomes for patients with unresectable ICC. To date, TACE and TARE provide similar good outcomes, except for adverse events. Therefore, the decision about techniques is determined by ability to utilize these resources and patient specific factors (liver function or lesion dimension).

Although gallstone disease increases with aging, elderly patients are less likely to undergo cholecystectomy. This is because age itself is a negative predictor after cholecystectomy. The ACS-NSQIP risk calculator can therefore help surgeons decide whether to operate or not. However, little is known about the accuracy of this model outside the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the ability of the ACS-NSQIP model to predict the clinical outcomes of patients aged 80 years or older undergoing elective or emergency cholecystectomy. The study focused on 263 patients over 80 years of age operated on between 2010 and 2019: 174 were treated as emergencies because of acute cholecystitis (66.2%). Outcomes evaluated are those predicted by the ACS-NSQIP calculator within 30 days of surgery. The ACS-NSQIP model was tested for both discrimination and calibration. Differences among observed and expected outcomes were evaluated. When considering all patients, the discrimination of mortality was very high, as it was that of severe complications. Considering only the elective cholecystectomies, the discrimination capacity of ACS-NSQIP risk calculator has consistently worsened in each outcome while it remains high considering the emergency cholecystectomies. In the evaluation of the emergency cholecystectomy, the model showed a very high discriminatory ability and, more importantly, it showed an excellent calibration. Comparisons between main outcomes showed small or even negligible differences between observed and expected values. The results of the present study suggest that clinical decisions on cholecystectomy in a patient aged 80 years or older should be assisted through the ACS-NSQIP model.

This cross-sectional survey aimed to determine whether fluorescence cholangiography using indocyanine green (ICG-FC) can improve the detection of the cystic duct and the main bile duct during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC).The survey was distributed to 214 surgeons (residents/faculties) in 2021. The confidence in the identification of the cystic duct and of the main bile duct was elicited on a 10-point Likert scale before/after the use of ICG-FC. This was repeated for three LCs ranging from a procedure deemed easy to a LC for acute cholecystitis.There were 149 responses. ICG-FC increased the responders' confidence in identifying the cystic duct, raising the median value from 6 (IQR, 5-8) with white light up to 9 (IQR, 9-10) with ICG-FC (paired p 0.001). This increase was even more evident when identifying the main bile duct, where the median confidence value increased from 5 (IQR, 4-7) with white light to 9 (IQR, 8-10) with the use of ICG-FC (p 0.001). ICG-FC significantly increased the detection of residents of the main bile duct in case of intermediate difficulty LCs and in LCs for acute cholecystitis.The results support that the use of near-infrared imaging can ameliorate detection of biliary structures, especially of the main bile duct and this was particularly true for young surgeons and in more complex situations.

We present the implementation of the official simulator of the Athena X-IFU instrument within the SIXTE end-to-end simulation package. For the X-IFU, SIXTE implements all relevant physical effects that are necessary for a faithful representation of the imaging spectroscopy capabilities of the instrument. SIXTE can therefore be used to simulate X-IFU observations of point sources and extended sources, including sources with spatially variable spectral shapes and very bright sources. Examples of the microcalorimeter effects that are implemented are event grading and crosstalk. These effects cause the energy reconstruction of an X-ray event to be affected by photons impacting either on the same pixel or on different pixels coupled via the focal plane or the readout chain, respectively. The different types of crosstalk are parametrized using both laboratory data and physics simulations with the X-IFU instrument simulator xifusim. As a result of these effects, the X-IFU performance degrades for very bright sources. To mitigate this degradation, the simulator can be operated in different observation modes, such as the use of Be filters to block lower energy photons and a defocused mode, which spreads events from a point source over the whole detector.