The Challenging Integration Paths of Migrant Health Professionals: The Case of Filipino and Indian Nurses in the UK

This article examines the role of institutional factors in shaping the integration paths of migrant health professionals. For this purpose, it draws on two studies focusing on Filipino and Indian nurses working in the UK, which rely on quantitative and qualitative methods, including a web survey and semi-structured interviews. The analysis shows that inequalities have arisen from differentiation processes induced by changes in the institutional settings. Furthermore, inequalities are often reflected in poor working conditions. The authors have identified restrictive rules on immigration and access to the profession as a source of uncertainty and reveal the differentiation of entry paths, with those arriving through an international recruitment agency more frequently disappointed with their working conditions

Kinematic complexity around NGC 419: resolving the proper motion of the cluster, the Small Magellanic Cloud, and the Magellanic bridge

We present $\it{Hubble}$ $\it{Space}$ $\it{Telescope}$ proper motions in the direction of the star cluster NGC$\,$419 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Because of the high precision of our measurements, for the first time it is possible to resolve the complex kinematics of the stellar populations located in the field, even along the tangential direction. In fact, the proper motions we measured allow us to separate cluster stars, which move on average with ($\mu_{\alpha}\cos\delta^{\rm NGC\,419}, \mu_{\delta}^{\rm NGC\,419}$) = ($+0.878\pm0.055$, $-1.246\pm0.048$) mas yr$^{-1}$, from those of the Small Magellanic Cloud and those belonging to a third kinematic feature that we recognise as part of the Magellanic Bridge. Resolving such a kinematic complexity enables the construction of decontaminated colour-magnitude diagrams, as well as the measurement of the absolute proper motion of the three separate components. Our study therefore sets the first steps towards the possibility of dynamically investigating the Magellanic system by exploiting the resolved kinematics of its stellar clusters.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Practice parameters for the treatment of colonic diverticular disease: Italian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery (SICCR) guidelines

The mission of the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR) is to optimize patient care. Providing evidence-based practice guidelines is therefore of key importance. About the present report it concernes the SICCR practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of diverticular disease of the colon. The guidelines are not intended to define the sole standard of care but to provide evidence-based recommendations regarding the available therapeutic options

HST absolute Proper Motions of NGC 6681 (M70) and the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

We have measured absolute proper motions for the three populations intercepted in the direction of the Galactic globular cluster NGC 6681: the cluster itself, the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal galaxy and the field. For this we used Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC and WFC3/UVIS optical imaging data separated by a temporal baseline of 5.464 years. Five background galaxies were used to determine the zero point of the absolute-motion reference frame. The resulting absolute proper motion of NGC 6681 is ($\mu_{\alpha}\cos\delta, \mu_{\delta}$)=($1.58\pm0.18, -4.57\pm0.16$) \masyr. This is the first estimate ever made for this cluster. For the Sgr dSph we obtain ($\mu_{\alpha}\cos\delta, \mu_{\delta})=(-2.54\pm0.18, -1.19\pm0.16$) \masyr, consistent with previous measurements and with the values predicted by theoretical models. The absolute proper motion of the Galaxy population in our field of view is ($\mu_{\alpha}\cos\delta, \mu_{\delta})=(-1.21\pm0.27, -4.39\pm0.26$) \masyr. In this study we also use background Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal stars to determine the rotation of the globular cluster in the plane of the sky and find that NGC 6681 is not rotating significantly:\ $v_{\rm rot}=0.82\pm1.02$ km$\,$s$^{-1}$ at a distance of 1 arcmin from the cluster center.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication by Ap

Proper motions in Terzan 5: membership of the multi-iron sub-populations and first constrain to the orbit

By exploiting two sets of high-resolution images obtained with HST ACS/WFC over a baseline of ~10 years we have measured relative proper motions of ~70,000 stars in the stellar system Terzan 5. The results confirm the membership of the three sub-populations with different iron abudances discovered in the system. The orbit of the system has been derived from a first estimate of its absolute proper motion, obtained by using bulge stars as reference. The results of the integration of this orbit within an axisymmetric Galactic model exclude any external accretion origin for this cluster. Terzan 5 is known to have chemistry similar to the Galactic bulge; our findings support a kinematic link between the cluster and the bulge, further strengthening the possibility that Terzan 5 is the fossil remnant of one of the pristine clumps that originated the bulge.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication by Ap

Psychological reactions to COVID-19 and epidemiological aspects of dental practitioners during lockdown in Italy

BACKGROUND: Due to droplet production and exposure to saliva and blood, dental practitioners are at high risk of COVID-19 contagion during their routine procedures. The aim of this study was to investigate the behavior of Italian dentists and to analyze their reactions in relation to Sars-CoV-2 pandemic professional restrictive measures.METHODS: An online structured survey composed of 40 questions has been sent to dental practitioners all over Italy to investigate their behavior and to analyze their reactions in relation to Sars-CoV-2 pandemic restrictive measures introduced by the Italian national administrative order of 10 March 2020 (DM-10M20).RESULTS: 1109 dentists replied. To assess concerns and psychological responses the sample was divided into two groups based on the number of cases registered in their work area. In the first group were included all the responders working in the Italian regions that had more than 15.000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of April 29, 2020. The second group included responders working in the Italian regions that had less than 15,000 confirmed cases. The 45.2% of the respondents showed minimal anxiety, 34.5% showed mild anxiety, 13.9% showed moderate anxiety, while 6.4% showed a score indicative of a severe level of anxiety.CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19-related emergency condition had a highly negative impact on dental practices in Italy. Those who completed the survey reported practice closure or reduction during the lockdown, and a high level of concern about the professional future for all dental practitioners. Concerns related to professional activity were accompanied by severe anxiety levels

Epidemiological Aspects and Psychological Reactions to COVID-19 of Dental Practitioners in the Northern Italy Districts of Modena and Reggio Emilia

The outbreak and diffusion of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (Sars-CoV-2) and COronaVIrus Disease 19 (COVID-19) have caused an emergency status in the health system, including in the dentistry environment. Italy registered the third highest number of COVID-19 cases in the world and the second highest in Europe. An anonymous online survey composed of 40 questions has been sent to dentists practicing in the area of Modena and Reggio Emilia, one of the areas in Italy most affected by COVID-19. The survey was aimed at highlighting the practical and emotional consequences of COVID-19 emergence on daily clinical practice. Specifically, it assessed dentists' behavioral responses, emotions and concerns following the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic restrictive measures introduced by the Italian national administrative order of 10 March 2020 (DM-10M20), as well as the dentists' perception of infection likelihood for themselves and patients. Furthermore, the psychological impact of COVID-19 was assessed by means of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 test (GAD-7), that measures the presence and severity of anxiety symptoms. Using local dental associations (ANDI-Associazione Nazionale Dentisti Italiani, CAO-Commissione Albo Odontoiatri) lists, the survey was sent by email to all dentists in the district of Modena and Reggio Emilia (874 practitioners) and was completed by 356 of them (40%). All dental practitioners closed or reduced their activity to urgent procedures, 38.2% prior to and 61.8% after the DM-10M20. All reported a routinely use of the most common protective personal equipment (PPE), but also admitted that the use of PPE had to be modified during COVID-19 pandemic. A high percentage of patients canceled their previous appointments after the DM-10M20. Almost 85% of the dentists reported being worried of contracting the infection during clinical activity. The results of the GAD-7 (General Anxiety Disorder-7) evaluation showed that 9% of respondents reported a severe anxiety. To conclude, the COVID-19 emergency is having a highly negative impact on the activity of dentists practicing in the area of Modena and Reggio Emilia. All respondents reported practice closure or strong activity reduction. The perception of this negative impact was accompanied by feelings of concern (70.2%), anxiety (46.4%) and fear (42.4%). The majority of them (89.6%) reported concerns about their professional future and the hope for economic measures to help dental practitioners

Lean body weight-tailored Iodinated contrast Injection in obese patient. boer versus James Formula

Purpose. To prospectively compare the performance of James and Boer formula in contrast media (CM) administration, in terms of image quality and parenchymal enhancement in obese patients undergoing CT of the abdomen. Materials and Methods. Fifty-five patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 35 kg/m2were prospectively included in the study. All patients underwent 64-row CT examination and were randomly divided in two groups: 26 patients in Group A and 29 patients in Group B. The amount of injected CM was computed according to the patient's lean body weight (LBW), estimated using either Boer formula (Group A) or James formula (Group B). Patient's characteristics, CM volume, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of liver, aorta and portal vein, and liver contrast enhancement index (CEI) were compared between the two groups. For subjective image analysis readers were asked to rate the enhancement of liver, kidneys, and pancreas based on a 5-point Likert scale. Results. Liver CNR, aortic CNR, and portal vein CNR showed no significant difference between Group A and Group B (all P ≥ 0.177). Group A provided significantly higher CEI compared to Group B (P = 0.007). Group A and Group B returned comparable overall subjective enhancement values (3.54 and vs 3.20, all P ≥ 0.199). Conclusions. Boer formula should be the method of choice for LBW estimation in obese patients, leading to an accurate CM amount calculation and an optimal liver contrast enhancement in CT

Integration of capillary and EWOD technologies for autonomous and low-power consumption micro-analytical systems

This work presents a miniaturized system combining, on the same microfluidic chip, capillarity and electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) techniques for movement and control of fluids. The change in hydrophobicity occurring at the edge between a capillary channel and a hydrophobic layer is successfully exploited as a stop-and-go valve, whose operation is electronically controlled through the EWOD electrodes. Taking into account the variety of microfluidic operation resulting from the combination of the two handling techniques and their characteristic features, this work prompts the development of autonomous, compact and low-power consumption lab-on-chip systems