433 research outputs found
Assessment of Identity Disturbance: Factor Structure and Validation of the Personality Structure Questionnaire in an Italian Sample
here are few brief measures of identity disturbance for use in clinical
practice
that have
been subject to any cross
-
culturally validation
. This study investigated the construct
validity of the Personality Structure Questionnaire (PSQ)
in Italian
clinical (N=237) and
community (
N=296) samples
. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to
investigate the internal structure of the PSQ. A three
–
factor structure (i.e., differing self
-
states, mood variability and behavioral loss of control) including
a second
-
order factor
provided the best fit to the data
. This structure was
demonstrated to be invariant across
sex
and
clinical
diagnosis
, with clinical diagnosis significantly predicting increased
PSQ
scores
.
A g
lobal
PSQ score
of
between 26
-
28 was found to be an appropriate cut-off for
assisting in diagnostic processes. Implications for the assessment and treatment of
psychological disorders with a marked identity disturbance component are discussed
Ambulatory surgery for perianal Crohn’s disease. Study of feasibility
Background. One-third of Crohn’s disease (CD) patients present perianal fistula. The gold standard in the diagnosis and treatment of symptomatic perianal disease (PAD) in CD is the exploration of the anal canal and distal rectum under anesthesia (EUA). This procedure is mainly conducted as a day case surgery. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to proceed within the ideal timing and any delay may well represent a relevant clinical issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of outpatient treatment of symptomatic perianal fistulas in CD patients. Methods. All CD patients under regular follow-up at our inflammatory bowel disease referral center, presenting with symptomatic perianal fistulas, were offered surgical consultation. The data of patients were prospectively collected for three years (February 2014 to February 2017) for the purpose of the study. All clinical information, including previous EUA and/or records from MRI and endoscopic ultrasound, was included. Outpatient anal canal and distal rectum exploration and treatment (OE) were undertaken during the specialist surgical consultation. Fistulas were classified according to Parks’s classification; the type of outpatient treatment and compliance of patients were recorded. Pain was assessed by VAS at the time of the procedure and during the first control. Patients were followed up in the surgical clinic in relation to the study. Results. Ninety-two CD patients with symptomatic perianal fistulas had surgical consultation during the study period. OE was offered to all but 18 patients who fulfilled the exclusion criteria or had an extremely severe disease; six patients refused the OE (8.11%). Of the 68 patients undergoing OE, eleven (16.18%) had previous surgery for perianal disease. The OE was accomplished in sixty-one patients (89.71%), while in 7 patients, it was abandoned for scarce compliance. Nine patients (14.75%) underwent drainage of perianal abscess; in 3 of them, it was possible to probe the fistula tract, find the internal orifice, and pass a loose seton. Overall, setonage was performed in 50 patients (81.97%). Rectovaginal setons were placed in 3 patients and more than one seton (up to 3) in 6 cases. Fistulotomy was performed in 4 simple subcutaneous fistulous tracts. Concordance with the preoperative findings was found in 54 out of 61 patients. EUA was scheduled at the time of OE for the 7 patients who did not complete the procedure. All sixty-one patients who had the OE were followed up for a minimum of 12 months. Conclusions. This preliminary study indicates that OE in CD patients with symptomatic perianal fistulas is safe and feasible in a high-volume referral center. It might provide several benefits, including patients’ logistics, reduce or remove patients’ symptoms and discomfort, allow for a timely start of medical therapy, and avoid further complications
. New ground-based lidar enables volcanic CO2 flux measurements
There have been substantial advances in the ability to monitor the activity of hazardous volcanoes
in recent decades. However, obtaining early warning of eruptions remains challenging, because the
patterns and consequences of volcanic unrests are both complex and nonlinear. Measuring volcanic
gases has long been a key aspect of volcano monitoring since these mobile fluids should reach the
surface long before the magma. There has been considerable progress in methods for remote and
in-situ gas sensing, but measuring the flux of volcanic CO2—the most reliable gas precursor to an
eruption—has remained a challenge. Here we report on the first direct quantitative measurements
of the volcanic CO2 flux using a newly designed differential absorption lidar (DIAL), which were
performed at the restless Campi Flegrei volcano. We show that DIAL makes it possible to remotely
obtain volcanic CO2 flux time series with a high temporal resolution (tens of minutes) and accuracy
(<30%). The ability of this lidar to remotely sense volcanic CO2 represents a major step forward
in volcano monitoring, and will contribute improved volcanic CO2 flux inventories. Our results also
demonstrate the unusually strong degassing behavior of Campi Flegrei fumaroles in the current
ongoing state of unrest
Survey on the effectiveness of telephone-based communication with relatives of hospitalized cancer patients in COVID-19 era in Italy
Objective: No-visitor policies adopted to prevent coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) spread in hospital wards have deeply impacted communication with patients and their relatives. Whereas in pre-COVID-19 era family-clinician meetings were held in person, during the pandemic interactions often took place over the phone, frequently causing feelings of uncertainty and distress to the close ones at home. The goal of this study was to assess and improve the effectiveness of structured telephone-based communication with hospitalized onco-hematological patients’ relatives in COVID-19 era. Methods: After no-visitor policy was adopted in the Onco-Hematological Unit of Modena, inpatients’ relatives were contacted daily for clinical updates. After discharge, a telephone satisfaction survey was administered to all contact people of patients consecutive admitted between December 2020 and January 2021 (n = 97). Mean score of response and potential statistically significative differences depending on respondents’ characteristics were assessed. Results: Most relatives were satisfied with the communication received with a mean total score of 4.69 on a 5-point Likert scale (standard deviation: 0.60). Results showed high satisfaction rate with both the informative (mean ± SD: 4.66 ± 0.64) and emotional (mean ± SD: 4.66 ± 0.58) content, with no significant difference depending on respondents’ demographic characteristics (p > 0.05). Conclusion: A structured telephone-based communication may be a reasonable substitute for face-to-face meetings; especially if regular in time, conducted by the same doctor and integrated with video calls. Our findings might assist health workers in implementing measures to minimize the psychological effects of no-visitor policies during hospitalization. Clinical updates delivery through structured phone calls and video calls could become an opportunity also in post-COVID era
Magnetic properties of the frustrated AFM spinel ZnCr_2O_4 and the spin-glass Zn_{1-x}Cd_xCr_2O_4 (x=0.05,0.10)
The -dependence (2- 400 K) of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR),
magnetic susceptibility, , and specific heat, , of the
antiferromagnetic (AFM) spinel ZnCrO and the spin-glass
(SG) ZnCdCrO () is reported. These
systems behave as a strongly frustrated AFM and SG with K and -400 K K. At high-
the EPR intensity follows the and the -value is -independent.
The linewidth broadens as the temperature is lowered, suggesting the existence
of short range AFM correlations in the paramagnetic phase. For
ZnCrO the EPR intensity and decreases below 90 K and 50
K, respectively. These results are discussed in terms of nearest-neighbor
Cr (S %) spin-coupled pairs with an exchange coupling of 50 K. The appearance of small resonance modes for K,
the observation of a sharp drop in and a strong peak in
at K confirms, as previously reported, the existence of long range
AFM correlations in the low- phase. A comparison with recent neutron
diffraction experiments that found a near dispersionless excitation at 4.5 meV
for and a continuous gapless spectrum for ,
is also given.Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, 1 Table. Submitted to Physical Review
In vitro and in silico characterization of an antimalarial compound with antitumor activity targeting human DNA topoisomerase IB
Human DNA topoisomerase IB controls the topological state of supercoiled DNA through a complex catalytic cycle that consists of cleavage and religation reactions, allowing the progression of fundamental DNA metabolism. The catalytic steps of human DNA topoisomerase IB were analyzed in the presence of a drug, obtained by the open-access drug bank Medicines for Malaria Venture. The experiments indicate that the compound strongly and irreversibly inhibits the cleavage step of the enzyme reaction and reduces the cell viability of three different cancer cell lines. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the drug binds to the human DNA topoisomerase IB-DNA complex sitting inside the catalytic site of the enzyme, providing a molecular explanation for the cleavage-inhibition effect. For all these reasons, the aforementioned drug could be a possible lead compound for the development of an efficient anti-tumor molecule targeting human DNA topoisomerase IB
Ceramide releases exosomes with a specific miRNA signature for cell differentiation
Exosomes are well established effectors of cell–cell communication. Their role on maturation of embryonic cells located in hippocampus, seat of memory, is unknown. Here we show that ceramide facilitates release of exosomes from HN9.10e cells extending information for cell differentiation to neighboring cells. We found only 38 miRNAs differentially expressed in exosomes derived from ceramide-treated cells in comparison with control cells (including 10 up-regulated and 28 down-regulated). Some overexpressed miRNAs (mmu-let-7f-1-3p, mmu-let-7a-1-3p, mmu-let-7b-3p, mmu-let-7b-5p, mmu-miR-330-3p) regulate genes encoding for protein involved in biological, homeostatic, biosynthetic and small molecule metabolic processes, embryo development and cell differentiation, all phenomena relevant for HN9.10e cell differentiation. Notably, the overexpressed mmu-let-7b-5p miRNA appears to be important for our study based on its ability to regulate thirty-five gene targets involved in many processes including sphingolipid metabolism, sphingolipid-related stimulation of cellular functions and neuronal development. Furthermore, we showed that by incubating embryonic cells with exosomes released under ceramide treatment, some cells acquired an astrocytic phenotype and others a neuronal phenotype. We anticipate our study to be a start point for innovative therapeutic strategies to regulate the release of exosomes useful to stimulate delayed brain development in the newborn and to improve the cognitive decline in neurodegenerative disorders
Novel Regioselective Synthesis of 1,3,4,5-Tetrasubstituted Pyrazoles and Biochemical Valuation on F1FO-ATPase and Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Formation
An efficient, eco-compatible, and very cheap method for the construction of fully substituted pyrazoles (Pzs) via eliminative nitrilimine-alkene 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (ENAC) reaction was developed in excellent yield and high regioselectivity. Enaminones and nitrilimines generated in situ were selected as dipolarophiles and dipoles, respectively. A deep screening of the employed base, solvent, and temperature was carried out to optimize reaction conditions. Recycling tests of ionic liquid were performed, furnishing efficient performance until six cycles. Finally, a plausible mechanism of cycloaddition was proposed. Then, the effect of three different structures of Pzs was evaluated on the F1FO-ATPase activity and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening. The Pz derivatives’ titration curves of 6a, 6h, and 6o on the F1FO-ATPase showed a reduced activity of 86%, 35%, and 31%, respectively. Enzyme inhibition analysis depicted an uncompetitive mechanism with the typical formation of the tertiary complex enzyme-substrate-inhibitor (ESI). The dissociation constant of the ESI complex (Ki’) in the presence of the 6a had a lower order of magnitude than other Pzs. The pyrazole core might set the specific mechanism of inhibition with the F1FO-ATPase, whereas specific functional groups of Pzs might modulate the binding affinity. The mPTP opening decreased in Pz-treated mitochondria and the Pzs’ inhibitory effect on the mPTP was concentration-dependent with 6a and 6o. Indeed, the mPTP was more efficiently blocked with 0.1 mM 6a than with 1 mM 6a. On the contrary, 1 mM 6o had stronger desensitization of mPTP formation than 0.1 mM 6o. The F1FO-ATPase is a target of Pzs blocking mPTP formation
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