Edifici per gli dei. Evergeti pubblici e privati nei santuari del Peloponneso del II secolo d.C.

Quali edifici sono dedicati agli dei nel II secolo d.C.? Chi li pagava? Esiste una predilezione per un particolare genere di edifici (funzionali, di recezione, sacri in senso stretto) a seconda che si tratti di interventi finanziati dall’ imperatore o da una committenza pubblica (i demi e i consigli locali), o che siano invece interventi privati? Questo articolo offre una rassegna delle principali tipologie di interventi edilizi e architettonici individuabili nel II secolo d.C. nei santuari del Peloponneso, esaminandoli in diacronia a seconda della loro funzione specifica (ter- me, teatri, edifici di assemblea) e mettendo in luce in che modo essi cambiarono la percezione e la vita quotidiana all’interno delle aree sacre

Home oral hygiene is associated with blood pressure profiles: Results of a nationwide survey in Italian pharmacies

Aim Periodontal diseases are associated with cardiovascular risk factors/diseases, and whether home oral hygiene practices are inversely related to the same conditions could carry relevant practical implications. We investigated the association of home oral hygiene habits with hypertension. Materials and Methods During World Hypertension Day 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted on volunteers >= 18 years at 733 Italian pharmacies. Participants underwent standardized blood pressure (BP) measurement and answered a questionnaire on cardiovascular risk factors, oral health status, and home oral hygiene habits (toothbrushing daily frequency and manual/electric toothbrush). The association between home oral care habits and BP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Interactions between exposures and outcome were formally tested. Results Among the 4506 participants (44.8% males, 66.1 +/- 37.8 years), 47.6% reported brushing >= 3 times/day and 23.4% declared using the electric toothbrush. Brushing >= 3 versus <3 times/day and use of electric versus manual toothbrush were associated with 19% (odds ratio [OR]: 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.94) and 28% (OR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.61-0.85) lower odds of hypertension, respectively. No significant additive interaction was observed in the association of exposures with the outcome. Conclusions Regular daily brushing and electric toothbrushing are associated with a better BP profile in a real-world context. Future interdisciplinary research is warranted to test these findings

Dental enamel, fluorosis and amoxicillin

Introduction: Amoxicillin is one of the most used antibiotics among pediatric patients for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections and specially for acute otitis media (AOM), a common diseases of infants and childhood. It has been speculated that the use of amoxicillin during early childhood could be associated with dental enamel fluorosis, also described in literature with the term Molar Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH), because they are generally situated in one or more 1st permanent molars and less frequently in the incisors. The effect of Amoxicillin seems to be independent of other risk factors such as fluoride intake, prematurity, hypoxia, hypocalcaemia, exposure to dioxins, chikenpox, otitis media, high fever and could have a significant impact on oral health for the wide use of this drug in that period of life. Objective: The aim of this work was to review the current literature about the association between amoxicillin and fluorosis. Methods and Results: A literature survey was done by applying the Medline database (Entrez PubMed); the Cochrane Library database of the Cochrane Collaboration (CENTRAL). The databases were searched using the following strategy and keywords: amoxicillin* AND (dental fluorosis* OR dental enamel*) AND MIH*. After selecting the studies, only three relevant articles published between 1966 and 2011 were included in the review. Conclusion: The presence of several methodological issues does not allow to draw any evidence-based conclusions. No evidence of association was detected, therefore, there is a need of further well-designed studies to assess the scientific evidence of the relationship between amoxicillin and fluorosis and to restrict the prescription of this drug for recurrent upper respiratory tract infections especially acute otitis media (AOM) during the first two years of life. When it is possible can be opportune to use an alternative antibiotic treatment

No evidence of colonization with community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men.

SUMMARYTo assess the prevalence of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) colonization in HIV-1-infected men who have sex with men (MSM), a cross-sectional study was conducted on 104 persons attending a large STI/HIV unit in Rome, Italy in the period June 2007–June 2008. Swabs obtained from both anterior nares and S. aureus isolates were characterized by phenotypic and genotypic methods. A total of 24 individuals (23·1%) were colonized with S. aureus but none carried MRSA. No statistically significant association between colonization with S. aureus and behavioural, clinical, virological or immunological characteristics was identified. This study indicates a lack of circulation of CA-MRSA in HIV-1-infected MSM in Italy and underscores large epidemiological differences between the USA and a European country, so that only locally conducted epidemiological studies can provide insight into the local circulation of CA-MRSA in general and selected populations

Erratum to: Respiratory diphtheria due to Corynebacterium ulcerans transmitted by a companion dog, Italy 2014

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Gestational Diabetes and Thyroid Autoimmunity

Background. About 10% of pregnancies are complicated by previously unknown impairment of glucose metabolism, which is defined as gestational diabetes. There are little data available on prevalence of thyroid disorders in patients affected by gestational diabetes, and about their postgestational thyroid function and autoimmunity. We therefore investigated pancreatic and thyroid autoimmunity in gestational diabetic patients and in women who had had a previous gestational diabetic pregnancy. Methods. We investigated 126 pregnant women at the time of a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test: 91 were classified as gestational diabetics, and 35 were negative (controls). We also studied 69 women who had delivered a baby 18–120 months prior to this investigation and who were classified at that time gestational diabetics (38 women) or normally pregnant (31 women; controls). Results. Our data show no differences for both thyroid function and prevalence of autoimmune disorders during pregnancy; however, a significant increase in thyroid autoimmunity was seen in women previously affected by gestational diabetes. This increased prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity was not associated with the development of impaired glucose metabolism after pregnancy. Conclusions. Our data suggest that maternal hyperglycemia is a risk factor for the development of thyroid autoimmunity, a conclusion that should now be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients