Benefits of parent training in the rehabilitation of deaf or hard of hearing children of hearing parents: a systematic review

The present study is a systematic review on the effectiveness of Parent Training (PT) and coaching in deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) rehabilitation programs which reviews and synthesizes the existing body of evidence to assess the benefits of these programs in enhancing parents’ sensitivity, responsivity and promoting language development in DHH children during the first years after HA fitting or CI activation. Five published studies met the Population, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICO) inclusion criteria and were eligible to be included, but heterogeneity in terms of the study design, interventions and outcomes did not allow for performing a meta-analysis. All included studies shared the view that a parent’s learning is a circular (rather than frontal) process, and the results appear promising in terms of enhancing parents’ responsiveness and promoting DHH child language development. Nevertheless, the available evidence was judged to not be robust enough due to limitations in the studies’ designs. Further high-quality evidence is needed to evaluate the true degree of clinical value and the cost effectiveness of PT programs aimed at increasing parents’ responsiveness to their DHH childre

Attitudes of university students towards mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policies. A cross-sectional survey in Rome, Italy

Mandatory vaccination (MV) against COVID-19 is a contentious topic. In this study, we used logistic regression models to identify attitudes among Sapienza University students towards MV for COVID-19. We considered three different scenarios: mandatory COVID-19 vaccination (MCV) for healthcare workers (HCWs) (Model 1), for all people aged ≥ 12 years (Model 2), and for admission to schools and universities (Model 3). We collected 5287 questionnaires over a six-month period and divided these into three groups (September-October 2021, November-December 2021, and January-February 2022). MCV for HCWs was the most strongly supported policy (69.8% in favour), followed by MCV for admission to schools and universities (58.3%), and MCV for the general population (54.6%). In a multivariable analysis, the models showed both similarities and differences. There was no association of socio-demographic characteristics with the outcomes, apart from being enrolled in non-healthcare courses, which negatively affected Models 2 and 3. A greater COVID-19 risk perception was generally associated with a more positive attitude towards MCV, although heterogeneously across models. Vaccination status was a predictor of being in favour of MCV for HCWs, whereas being surveyed in November-February 2022 favoured MCV for admission to schools and universities. Attitudes towards MCV were variable across policies; thus, to avoid unintended consequences, these aspects should be carefully considered by policymakers

A922 Sequential measurement of 1 hour creatinine clearance (1-CRCL) in critically ill patients at risk of acute kidney injury (AKI)

Meeting abstrac

Gaps and challenges in the health technology assessment (HTA) process of genetic and genomic technologies

Collect information, categorize, and critically evaluate current challenges in the health technology assessment process of genetic and genomic technologies

The Efficacy of Multivitamin, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, and Vitamin D Supplements in the Prevention and Management of COVID-19 and Long-COVID: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

this review aims to evaluate the efficacy of any vitamin administration(s) in preventing and managing COVID-19 and/or long-COVID. databases were searched up to may 2023 to identify randomized clinical trials comparing data on the effects of vitamin supplementation(s) versus placebo or standard of care on the two conditions of interest. Inverse-variance random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to estimate pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality between supplemented and non-supplemented individuals. overall, 37 articles were included: two regarded COVID-19 and long-COVID prevention and 35 records the COVID-19 management. the effects of vitamin D in preventing COVID-19 and long-COVID were contrasting. similarly, no conclusion could be drawn on the efficacy of multivitamins, vitamin A, and vitamin B in COVID-19 management. a few positive findings were reported in some vitamin C trials but results were inconsistent in most outcomes, excluding all-cause mortality (RR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.72-0.97). Vitamin D results were mixed in most aspects, including mortality, in which benefits were observed in regular administrations only (RR = 0.67; 95% CI: 0.49-0.91). despite some benefits, results were mostly contradictory. Variety in recruitment and treatment protocols might explain this heterogeneity. netter-designed studies are needed to clarify these vitamins' potential effects against SARS-CoV-2

ElGo – Electronic Goalkeeper: Making Football More Inclusive to People with Motor Impairments

Game is an essential aspect of a child's life and is a necessary activity for the creation of a gratifying and pleasant relationship towards life and the surrounding world. In general, playing with friends is an important activity at any age. Among games, an important role is played by sports practiced for recreational purpose, e.g. football, basketball, rugby, but for people with disabilities, a direct participation is often too difficult or impossible. Assistive technology has allowed or made more accessible participation to some games to users with disabilities, for example, videogames, but the gap is still very important for real sports. The idea at the base of ElGo is that a person with disabilities, in particular a child or a teenager, can live the game of football thanks to the possibility of controlling an electromechanic device having the role of a goalkeeper in a football match. Main Content. ElGo is composed by a dummy moving on an horizontal linear guide, placed near the goal line, and remotely controlled by the user standing in proximity of the field. The dummy is moved by an electrical motor operated by a motor control device and powered by rechargeable batteries, so that ElGo can be used also where no mains power system is available. The system is controlled by an electronic device, which also manages the user interface. ElGo can be operated in three modes: with only two switches (one for dummy right movement and one for left movement), with four switches (two speed grades for both directions) and with an analogue interface such as a linear potentiometer or a proportional joystick. Results. The presented device is currently developed as a prototype at the University of Pisa by a team composed of Professors, Graduates and Students of Electronic and Mechanical Engineering. The electronic subsystem has been almost completely realized, mechanical elements have been almost completely designed and the relevant procurement phase has started. Conclusion. ElGo expands the boundary of game for disabled people towards new experiences together with able-bodied persons; in this way people with disabilities will be able to participate to a very popular game such as football, not only using a videogame console but in a more physical and active way

How well does vaccine literacy predict intention to vaccinate and vaccination status? A systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACTThis review quantified the association of vaccine literacy (VL) and vaccination intention and status. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched. Any study, published until December 2022, that investigated the associations of interest were eligible. For each outcome, articles were grouped according to the vaccine administrated and results were narratively synthesized. Inverse-variance random-effect models were used to compare standardized mean values in VL domain(s) between the two groups: individuals willing vs. unwilling to get vaccinated, and individuals vaccinated vs. unvaccinated. This review of 18 studies shows that VL strongly predicts the vaccination intention while its association with vaccination status is attenuated and barely significant, suggesting that other factors influence the actual vaccination uptake. However, given the scarce evidence available, the heterogeneity in the methods applied and some limitations of the studies included, further research should be conducted to confirm the role of VL in the vaccination decision-making process

Executive functions in preschool and school-age cochlear implant users. Do they differ from their hearing peers? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: Executive functions (EF) play a fundamental role in planning and executing goal-driven behaviours. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate EF skills mastered by preschool/school-age cochlear implanted children (CIC) without morpho-functional abnormalities and to compare their outcomes with typically hearing children (THC). Methods: Bibliographic search for observational studies of any language/date up to 16 December 2022 was performed with the following electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. After removal of duplicates, 2442 records were subjected to a three-stage screening process and 83 potentially eligible articles were identified. A total of 15 studies was included in the final analysis: 9 articles directly meeting the eligibility criteria plus 6 more studies thanks to the Authors sharing their dataset, specifically for participants who met present inclusion criteria. Results: Meta-analysis showed a statistically significant difference only for verbal short-term memory whereas group differences for visuospatial short-term memory and verbal/visuospatial working memory were not significant. For fluency skills, meta-analysis revealed statistical significance for the semantic fluency task but not for the rapid naming test. Qualitative analysis reflected group similarities in flexibility but CIC’s difficulties in auditory attention/planning skills. Controversial findings for inhibitory control skills were observed. Conclusion: EF performance comparisons between CIC and THC show inter-skill and inter-test variances. Due to the paucity of existing studies, present findings should be interpreted with caution. Future research in this domain is strongly recommended

Incidence of Healthcare-Associated Infections in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Four-Year Retrospective Cohort Study

The COVID-19 pandemic may have had an impact on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates. In this study, we analyzed the occurrence of HAIs in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Umberto I teaching hospital in Rome before and during the pandemic. All infants admitted from 1 March 2018 to 28 February 2022 were included and were divided into four groups according to their admission date: two groups before the pandemic (periods I and II) and two during the pandemic (periods III and IV). The association between risk factors and time-to-first event was analyzed using a multivariable Cox regression model. Over the four-year period, a total of 503 infants were included, and 36 infections were recorded. After adjusting for mechanical ventilation, birth weight, sex, type of delivery, respiratory distress syndrome, and previous use of netilmicin and fluconazole, the multivariable analysis confirmed that being hospitalized during the pandemic periods (III and IV) was the main risk factor for HAI acquisition. Furthermore, a change in the etiology of these infections was observed across the study periods. Together, these findings suggest that patient management during the pandemic was suboptimal and that HAI surveillance protocols should be implemented in the NICU setting promptly

3D-microfabrication by two-photon polymerization of an integrated sacrificial stencil mask

This work aims at developing a new and unconventional Sacrificial Stencil Mask (SSM) technology by exploiting Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) in an IP-L/SU-8 double layer resist system. The process consists of the sequential deposition of two different resists, such as SU-8 and IPL, onto the same glass substrate, followed by 2PP lithography and distinct development processes. The 2PP writing process was used to polymerize structures inside the top and bottom resist layers to form, in one single exposure process, both SSM and a permanent polymeric structure, in our case a plain pedestal. The top IPL resist was developed using Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), which does not affect either exposed or un-exposed SU-8 regions. In this way, structures written into the bottom layer remained latent, while exposed areas of the top IPL resist, including the stencil mask, were developed. The realization of 3D stencil masks, designed to be anchored inside the un-exposed bottom layer, was combined with metal evaporation to demonstrate the deposition of a plain metal line through the stencil mask. The final development of the bottom layer led to the lift off of the sacrificial stencil mask, uncovering the underlying, permanent polymer-metal structure. The combination of sacrificial polymer structures with permanent ones opens new possibilities in 3D MEMS design, enabling the integration of distributed electronic transducers in flexible polymeric structures.Micro and Nano Engineerin