Francesco Domenico d’Ovidio

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Serum Levels Are Elevated in Patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia

Background: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a genetic angiodysplasia affecting multiple organs. Two genes involved in the transduction of TGF-β signalling are responsible for HHT. An additional role for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been proposed. Serum VEGF, which has been evaluated in several diseases characterized by aberrant angiogenesis, has never been measured in patients with HHT. Aims: To evaluate VEGF serum levels in HHT patients as compared to normal subjects. Materials and Methods: 32 HHT patients (age 47.7 ± 16.7 years) and a control group of 37 healthy subjects (age 48.2 ± 15.5 years) were entered in the study. Each patient underwent serum VEGF dosage using a commercial ELISA specific for the human molecule. Results: The serum level of VEGF in HHT patients was 196.3 ± 103.2 pg/ml, while it was 152.0 ± 84.1 pg/ml in the control group. Statistical analysis showed that serum VEGF was significantly higher in HHT patients than in the controls (p < 0.031). Conclusions: According to a study performed in a murine model, persistence of the activation phase of angiogenesis might be responsible for an increased production of several angiogenic factors, in particular VEGF, in HHT. Our work is the first to suggest an increased expression of VEGF in the serum of subjects with HHT in agreement with the stimulation of VEGF synthesis proposed in the murine model.

Reduced level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in chronic/relapsing Alopecia Areata.

Current observations link vitamin D deficiency to many autoimmune diseases. There are limited data on vitamin D in Alopecia Areata, an autoimmune disease which in our experience shows seasonality in most of its remitting-relapsing forms. Our results demonstrate the presence of insufficiency of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OH-D) in many patients with various clinical forms, correlated with the expected increase of the values of Parathyroid Hormone (PTH). This could suggest the possible clinical use of vitamin D in the management of this frustrating disease.

A Multivariate Analysis of the Quality of Public Transport Services

Abstract The purpose of this study is to investigate what kind of observable and non-observable factors can influence passenger satisfaction on the quality of public transport services in a local context. Of course, these results can be used by the transport company in order to modify its business strategies and to improve its business performance. Relationships among latent dimensions (such as quality, satisfaction and loyalty) are first defined on the basis of a sample survey through suitable statistical measuring techniques (Factor Analysis with Categorical Principal Component Analysis). Then, multivariate methods of classification (Segmentation Analysis and Cluster Analysis), are used in order to explore the characteristics of the customers and their quality perception.

University of Bari’s Website Evaluation

Educational websites were studied from many different perspectives. In 2001, Zhang and von Dran developed a theoretical framework for evaluating website quality from a user satisfaction perspective, while Yoo and Jin in 2004 evaluated the design of university websites. In this paper, we assess the quality perceived by the users of the website of the University of Bari using factorial analysis and multiple correspondences analysis (MCA) visual maps. Latent variables resulting from this preliminary analysis were then used to evaluate the most important latent dimensions related to loyalty of the users. A segmentation analysis was performed to study how loyalty is influenced by variables and factors.

Longitudinal Analysis of Post-diploma Orientation among Young People of Bari

Abstract This paper aims to analyze the current status of orientation in the final year of secondary school degree, in order to guide pupils toward well weighted decisions. It is known that students are confused at the end of the secondary education, viewing the opportunities that exist in the academic world or in the work market. This research could give a tool to students to better explore their professional or formative futures, through a gap analysis between what students projected (ex-ante survey) and their effective choice after the end of their secondary education (ex-post choice). An easy indicator was introduced in order to measure the coherence between ex-ante and final choices after first diploma. This indicator was placed at the base of the subsequent multivariate analyses (segmentation analysis and neural network analysis) in order to identify a forecasting model.

Evaluation of Italian Judicial System

Abstract Italy is frequently reprimanded by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) over the amount of time it takes Italian courts to reach verdicts. As stated by President Giorgio Napolitano, European Court decisions have lead to calls for an urgent intervention in order to save time and costs in Italian judicial system. Efficiency and effectiveness are key targets for managing justice in Italy. Nevertheless they are not easy to achieve. In this paper, using a Stochastic Frontier Model (SFM) we compare the Italian courts efficiency to identify strong and weak points.

A Structural Model of the Employment Pathways of the University of Foggia Graduates

The purpose of this study is to investigate the strategies used by graduates of the University of Foggia to enter the labour market. Using both quantitative and qualitative variables, quantified by means of optimal scaling, a structural equation model has been created to analyse the relations between latent variables tied to university education, and graduates’ expectations and methods of job searching. Furthermore, we study if the correlation structure between these latent variables is constant observing separately female and male graduates.