Erratum to: Hospitalizations for pertussis in Italy, 1999–2009: analysis of the hospital discharge database

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Characterization of novel clonal murine endothelial cell lines with an extended life span

Summary: A murine endothelial cell line was recently established from microvessels that had invaded a subcutaneous sponge implant (Dong, Q. G.; Bernasconi, S.; Lostaglio, S., et al. Arterioscl. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 17:1599-1604; 1997). From these sponge-induced endothelial (SIE) cells, we have isolated two subpopulations endowed with different phenotypic properties. Clone SIE-F consists of large, highly spread cells that have a relatively slow growth rate, form contact-inhibited monolayers, do not grow under anchorage-independent conditions, express elevated levels of thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and are not tumorigenic in vivo. In contrast, clone SIE-S2 consists of small, spindle-shaped cells that have a high proliferation rate, do not show contact-inhibition, grow under anchorage-independent conditions, express very low levels of TSP-1 and are tumorigenic in vivo. Both clones express the endothelial markers vascular endothelial-cadherin and vascular intercellular adhesion molecule-1, but do not express CD31 and E-selectin. In addition, SIE-S2 cells, but not SIE-F cells, express the α-smooth muscle actin isoform. SIE-S2 cells, but not SIE-F cells, are able to form branching tubes in fibrin gels. The SIE-F and SIE-S2 clones, which have properties of nontransformed and transformed cells, respectively, should provide useful tools to investigate physiological and pathological processes involving vascular endotheliu

Time to act on childhood obesity: the use of technology

Childhood obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide and there is an urgent need to implement treatment and prevention programs. Over the last decade, in addition to increasing rates of childhood obesity, we have also observed rapid technological and digital development. The Covid-19 pandemic has largely contributed to both expansions but has also allowed an opening towards a broader vision of medicine, through new therapeutic opportunities such as mobile healthcare. The digital and technological delivery of obesity prevention and treatment programs can represent an innovative tool to support children and families to overcome some limitations and barriers such as the accessibility of programs that prevent them from adopting healthy lifestyle changes. This review aimed to summarize the impact of different digital interventions for children and adolescent affected by obesity

Herpes Zoster Associated Hospital Admissions in Italy: Review of the Hospital Discharge Forms

In Italy a specific surveillance system for zoster does not exist, and thus updated and complete epidemiological data are lacking. The objective of this study was to retrospectively review the national hospital discharge forms database for the period 1999–2005 using the code ICD9-CM053. In the period 1999–2005, 35,328 hospital admissions have been registered with annual means of 4,503 hospitalizations and 543 day-hospital admissions. The great part of hospitalizations (61.9%) involved subjects older than 65 years; the mean duration of stay was 8 days. These data, even if restricted to hospitalizations registered at national level, confirm the epidemiological impact of shingles and of its complications

Ultrasonography Tight Control and Monitoring in Crohn's Disease During Different Biological Therapies: A Multicenter Study

Background & Aims Bowel ultrasonography (BUS) is a noninvasive tool for evaluating bowel activity in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. Aim of our multicenter study was to assess whether BUS helps to monitor intestinal activity improvement/resolution following different biological therapies. Methods Adult CD patients were prospectively enrolled at 16 sites in Italy. Changes in BUS parameters [i.e. bowel wall thickening (BWT), lesion length, echo pattern, blood flow changes and transmural healing (TH: normalization of all BUS parameters)] were analyzed at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months of different biological therapies. Results One hundred eighty-eight out of 201 CD patients were enrolled and analyzed (116 males [62%]; median age 36 years). Fifty-five percent of patients were treated with adalimumab, 16% with infliximab, 13% with vedolizumab and 16% with ustekinumab. TH rates at 12 months were 27.5% with an NNT of 3.6. TH at 12 months after adalimumab was 26.8%, 37% after infliximab, 27.2% after vedolizumab and 20% after ustekinumab. Mean BWT improvement from baseline was statistically significant at 3 and 12 months (P Conclusions Data indicate that BUS is useful to monitor biologics-induced bowel activity improvement/resolution in CD

Emergence of unusual human rotavirus strains in Salento, Italy, during 2006–2007

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In recent years, rotavirus genotyping by RT-PCR has provided valuable information about the diversity of rotaviruses (RV) circulating throughout the world.</p> <p>The purpose of the present study was to monitor the prevalence of the different G and P genotypes of rotaviruses circulating in Salento and detect any uncommon or novel types.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>During the period from January 2006 to December 2007, a total of 243 rotavirus positive stool samples were collected from children with diarrhoea admitted to four Hospitals in the province of Lecce (Copertino, Galatina, Gallipoli and Tricase).</p> <p>All the specimens were tested for RV by real time PCR and genotyped for VP7 (G-type) and VP4 (P-type) gene by reverse transcription (RT) and multiplex PCR using different type specific primers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In course of this study we identified 4 common G&P combinations viz. G2P[8], G1P[8], G2P[4] and G9P[8] amongst 59.8% of the typeable rotavirus positives.</p> <p>Rotavirus G2P[8] was recognized as the most widespread genotype during the sentinel-based survey in Salento.</p> <p>The detection of other novel and unusual strains, such as G2P[10], G4P[10], G8P[4], G9P[11] and G10P[8] is noteworthy.</p> <p>Furthermore, a significant number of mixed infections were observed during the survey period but G3P[8] rotaviruses were not detected.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study highlights the genetic diversity among rotaviruses isolated from children in Salento and the emergence of some novel strains. Therefore, it is highly essential to continuously monitor for these strains so as to assess the impact of vaccines on RV strains circulating in Salento and understand the effect of strain variation on efficacy of presently available vaccines.</p

Detecting Starting Point Bias in Dichotomous-Choice Contingent Valuation Surveys

We examine starting point bias in CV surveys with dichotomous choice payment questions and follow-ups, and double-bounded models of the WTP responses. We wish to investigate (1) the seriousness of the biases for the location and scale parameters of WTP in the presence of starting point bias; (2) whether or not these biases depend on the distribution of WTP and on the bids used; and (3) how well a commonly used diagnostic for starting point bias - a test of the null that bid set dummies entered in the right-hand side of the WTP model are jointly equal to zero - performs under various circumstances. Because starting point bias cannot be separately identified in any reliable manner from biases caused by model specification, we use simulation approaches to address this issue. Our Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the effect of ignoring starting point bias is complex and depends on the true distribution of WTP. Bid set dummies tend to soak up misspecifications in the distribution assumed by the researcher for the latent WTP, rather than capturing the presence of starting point bias. Their power in detecting starting point bias is low

Impure Public Goods and Technological Interdependencies

Impure public goods represent an important group of goods. Almost every public good exerts not only effects which are public to all but also effects which are private to the producer of this good. What is often omitted in the analysis of impure public goods is the fact that – regularly – these private effects can also be generated independently of the public good. In our analysis we focus on the effects alternative technologies – independently generating the private effects of the public good – may have on the provision of impure public goods. After the investigation in an analytical impure public good model, we numerically simulate the effects of alternative technologies in a parameterized model for climate policy in Germany

Prescription appropriateness of anti-diabetes drugs in elderly patients hospitalized in a clinical setting: evidence from the REPOSI Register

Diabetes is an increasing global health burden with the highest prevalence (24.0%) observed in elderly people. Older diabetic adults have a greater risk of hospitalization and several geriatric syndromes than older nondiabetic adults. For these conditions, special care is required in prescribing therapies including anti- diabetes drugs. Aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness and the adherence to safety recommendations in the prescriptions of glucose-lowering drugs in hospitalized elderly patients with diabetes. Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the REgistro POliterapie-Società Italiana Medicina Interna (REPOSI) that collected clinical information on patients aged ≥ 65 years acutely admitted to Italian internal medicine and geriatric non-intensive care units (ICU) from 2010 up to 2019. Prescription appropriateness was assessed according to the 2019 AGS Beers Criteria and anti-diabetes drug data sheets.Among 5349 patients, 1624 (30.3%) had diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. At admission, 37.7% of diabetic patients received treatment with metformin, 37.3% insulin therapy, 16.4% sulfonylureas, and 11.4% glinides. Surprisingly, only 3.1% of diabetic patients were treated with new classes of anti- diabetes drugs. According to prescription criteria, at admission 15.4% of patients treated with metformin and 2.6% with sulfonylureas received inappropriately these treatments. At discharge, the inappropriateness of metformin therapy decreased (10.2%, P &lt; 0.0001). According to Beers criteria, the inappropriate prescriptions of sulfonylureas raised to 29% both at admission and at discharge. This study shows a poor adherence to current guidelines on diabetes management in hospitalized elderly people with a high prevalence of inappropriate use of sulfonylureas according to the Beers criteria