18 research outputs found

    The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Women's Perinatal Mental Health: Preliminary Data on the Risk of Perinatal Depression/Anxiety from a National Survey in Italy

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    Increasing evidence suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic, anxiety and depression during the perinatal period increased. The aim of the study is to estimate the prevalence of risk for both maternal depression and anxiety among women attending 18 healthcare centres in Italy during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic and to investigate the psychosocial risks and protective factors associated. It was divided into a retrospective phase (2019, 2020, and the first nine months of 2021) and a prospective phase (which began in November 2021 and it is still ongoing), which screened 12,479 and 2349 women, respectively, for a total of 14,828 women in the perinatal period. To evaluate the risk of anxiety and depression, the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and an ad hoc form were used to collect sociodemographic variables. In the prospective study, the average age of the women is 31 (range 18-52) years. Results showed that the percentage of women who had EPDS score ≄9 increased from 11.6% in 2019 to 25.5% in the period ranging from November 2021 to April 2022. In logistic regression models, the variables associated with the risk of depression at a level ≀0.01 include having economic problems (OR 2.16) and not being able to rely on support from relatives or friends (OR 2.36). Having the professional status of the housewife is a lower risk (OR 0.52). Those associated with the risk of anxiety include being Italian (OR 2.97), having an education below secondary school level (OR 0.47), having some or many economic problems (OR 2.87), being unable to rely on support from relatives or friends (OR 2.48), and not having attended an antenatal course (OR 1.41). The data from this survey could be useful to determine the impact of the SARS-COV-2 pandemic on women and to establish a screening program with common and uniformly applied criteria which are consistent with national and international women's mental health programs

    Italy's Communist Party and People's China (50s-early 60s)

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    In the ’50s and early ’60s the Italian Communist Party (ICP) was one of the main actors involved in informal and unconventional diplomacy between Italy and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the presence in Italy of the largest Communist party in Western Europe undoubtedly acted as an important channel for unofficial Sino-Italian exchanges. This paper tries to trace the development of ICP-CCP relations focusing in particular on the Italian Communists’ views and analysis of the CCP’s historical experience. It also would like to show that ICP leaders generally viewed the CCP’s revolutionary in a positive way, an evaluation which largely stemmed from the ICP’s own national experience and its search for a more autonomous international role

    Parma consensus statement on metabolic disruptors

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    A multidisciplinary group of experts gathered in Parma Italy for a workshop hosted by the University of Parma, May 16–18, 2014 to address concerns about the potential relationship between environmental metabolic disrupting chemicals, obesity and related metabolic disorders. The objectives of the workshop were to: 1. Review findings related to the role of environmental chemicals, referred to as “metabolic disruptors”, in obesity and metabolic syndrome with special attention to recent discoveries from animal model and epidemiology studies; 2. Identify conclusions that could be drawn with confidence from existing animal and human data; 3. Develop predictions based on current data; and 4. Identify critical knowledge gaps and areas of uncertainty. The consensus statements are intended to aid in expanding understanding of the role of metabolic disruptors in the obesity and metabolic disease epidemics, to move the field forward by assessing the current state of the science and to identify research needs on the role of environmental chemical exposures in these diseases. We propose broadening the definition of obesogens to that of metabolic disruptors, to encompass chemicals that play a role in altered susceptibility to obesity, diabetes and related metabolic disorders including metabolic syndrome

    Lavorare per la rivoluzione. Un'impresa commerciale tra Italia e Cina

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    The volume collects the biographical testimony of Fabio Matteini who, starting from the ’60s, undertook an import activity of Chinese handcra products with the aim of supporting the political and cultural initiative of the Edizioni Oriente of Milan, the main center for the spread of Maoism in Italy. The testimony is accompanied by a prefatory essay by Gilda Zazzara on Matteini work culture and by a selection of photographs taken by the author during the years of the Cultural Revolution, chosen and introduced by Silvia Calamandrei

    In vivo co-exposure monitoring to Pb and Mn from conception until adulthood

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    One of the most important concerns for public health related to toxic elements is exposure to Lead (Pb). By now there is no evidence that Pb has any benefit or an essential role for humans. On the contrary, several studies have demonstrated that there is no safe threshold of exposure, especially for children. On the other hand, Manganese (Mn) is an essential element for humans. It works as a cofactor for a variety of enzymes, therefore, is a crucial nutrient. Our experiment was organized to increase the understanding, by exposure of mice in vivo, of the behavior for co-exposure to Pb and Mn. Shortly, four groups of mother were divided into: control, Pb exposure, Mn exposure, and Pb + Mn exposure groups respectively. The exposure via was done through drinking water and Pb solution had a 100 ppm concentration and Mn solution had 2 g/L concentration. Exposure begins 5 weeks before the delivery. Then the offspring were grouped according to the mother exposure group, and the sub-grouped until they reach the ages of 0 –3 (0-3 PND), 14 –18 (18 PND), and 60 (60 PND) post-natal days respectively. During this period the groups 18 PND and 60 PND continue the exposure via lactation. The exposure continues, until the sacrifice, for the through lactation until the 21 days after born. When every group reach the need its age, they were sacrificed and the blood samples, among others, were taken for analyse the element concentrations. The metal concentration analysis for the blood samples was performed using ICP-MS. Briefly, the samples were digested using ultrapure HNO3 at 80 °C, from it the analytical solution was prepared. As quality control were used CCLÂź and SERONORMÂź Level 1 and 2. The full procedure is reported elsewhere. The principal statistic for the concentrations are presented in the Tables 1 and 2. Table 1. Pb concentrations in ppb (”g/L) OffspringÂŽs age Exposure group 1 Control 2 Pb exposure 3 Mn exposure 4 Pb + Mn coex n x̄ sd n x̄ sd n x̄ sd n x̄ sd 0-3 PND 11 2.68 2.11 7 280.81 149.15 17 2.86 4.14 30 178.98 69.55 18 PND 18 2.80 1.41 17 341.16 107.99 17 3.49 1.04 54 249.88 71.00 60 PND 18 1.56 2.35 18 9.33 3.09 20 1.12 0.58 42 3.70 2.05 Table 2. Mn concentrations in ppb (”g/L) OffspringÂŽs age Exposure group 1 Control 2 Pb exposure 3 Mn exposure 4 Pb + Mn coex n x̄ sd n x̄ sd n x̄ sd n x̄ sd 0-3 PND 11 37.10 55.36 7 80.26 136.19 17 134.61 119.28 30 262.66 429.80 18 PND 18 11.77 2.05 17 15.57 5.24 17 63.52 33.52 54 87.07 43.31 60 PND 18 11.42 3.65 18 9.33 3.09 20 10.85 3.92 42 10.1 3.24 Here the control groups were expected to show the lower concentration, base line, for each mice age group. The lower values for Pb and Mn correspond to the age PND (60) with an average of 1.56 ± 2.35 ppb and 11.42 ± 3.65 ppb for Pb and Mn respectably. On the other hand, the higher values for Pb correspond to “Pb exposure” group at the age of 18 PND. This due probably to the constant exposure of the subjects from the maternal womb until the end of their life. The value found for Pb corresponds to 341.16 ± 107.16 ppb. Nevertheless, for the Mn concentrations, the higher values were presented for the “Pb + Mn coex” at the age of 0-3 PND, with an average value of 262.66 ± 429.80 ppb. A comparison between the values got to Pb “Pb exposure” and “Pb + Mn coex” show that the presence of Mn have inhibitory effect in the absorption of Pb for the subject. Meanwhile the behavior for the Mn seems to work at contrary. When the groups “Mn + exposure” and “Pb + M coex” are compared the amount of Mn seems to increase when Pb is present. This can reveal a tide relationship between the metabolism involving these metals. Due to the exposure (single and co-exposure) is finished 20 days after the delivery, the age group of 60 PDN, seems to return to base values equal as the control group. In this way is possible to hypothesize that for exposure time of 20 days, a period of 40 days is enough to eliminated from the blood the excess of Pb and Mn. For a better understanding of the metabolism pathways of the storage organs, a set of samples from liver, bones, and brain were collected from the subjects and will be analysed to continue the study

    Developmental exposure to Pb and Mn in mice: Longitudinal studies

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    Developmental exposure to metals may have serious consequences for mental health1,2. Longitudinal in vivo studies can improve our ability to identify mechanisms of metal neurotoxicity and consistency of long term effects. In our first study, we developmentally exposed CD1 outbred mice to Pb, in the second one to a mixture of Pb and Mn. We mimicked the real-life exposure scenario with low, human-related levels of the two metals administered in drinking water to female mice throughout pre-conception, gestation and lactation periods. Behavioural tests were subsequently conducted in the offspring (to evaluate metal effects on neonatal, juvenile and adult behavioural profiles). Metal levels were monitored in blood, brain and bone at different ages. The first study revealed the effect of Pb on selected neonatal responses (reduced locomotor activity in the nest area during homing test on PND 11 and spatial learning and memory performances at adulthood. These behavioural alterations were observed in animals with blood lead levels (BBLs) below 5 ”g/dL, the identified blood Pb reference value for children by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)3, thus confirming that that there is no safe level for Pb. Moreover, Pb monitoring in different tissue showed that brain Pb levels remain significantly higher than controls at later ages, when BLLs did not longer differ. Interestingly, adult Pb-exposed males appeared more vulnerable than females to detrimental Pb effects on spatial learning and memory, as previously reported4; brain Pb levels in males did not differ from females, suggesting a different Pb neurodevelopmental effect rather than higher accumulation in male brains. In the second experiment, whereas most Pb effects of the previous study were confirmed, co-exposure of Pb and Mn did not show synergistic effect of the two metals; Mn-exposed males appeared selectively impaired in reactivity to social/olfactory cues, a result that certainly needs further investigation. As a whole, we found behavioural effects of developmental metal exposures, suggesting that Pb and Mn interfered with maturation of cognitive and social competencies

    Una Giornata per la scienza aperta: ‘Viaggiatori in Toscana: personaggi e testimonianze’

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    La relazione ricostruisce gli interventi tenutisi il 9 aprile 2021 in occasione della giornata per la scienza aperta dedicata a Viaggiatori in Toscana: personaggi e testimonianze, organizzata nell’ambito del Festival di Pasqua del Comune di Montepulciano. Tema centrale ù stato quello del ‘viaggio’ inteso come esperienza di formazione, educazione culturale e socialità e in particolare del viaggio in Toscana, luogo d’elezione per numerosi grandtouristi italiani e stranieri. Il testo ù frutto della collaborazione delle relatrici dell’evento: Elisabetta Angrisano, Biancamaria Brumana, Silvia Calamandrei, Cinzia Cardinali, Laura Giambastiani, Annantonia Martorano e Fiammetta Sabba (alla quale si deve la curatela complessiva del testo)

    Una Giornata per la scienza aperta: ‘Viaggiatori in Toscana: personaggi e testimonianze’

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    The report reconstructs the lectures held on April 9 2021 during the open science day dedicated to Viaggiatori in Toscana: personaggi e testimonianze, organized by the ‘Festival di Pasqua’ of the Municipality of Montepulciano. The main theme was the ‘journey’ as social, formative and cultural education experience, and in particular the journey in Tuscany, place of choice for many Italian and foreign grandtourists. The speeches show the results of research that has seen the examination of library, archival, artistic and musicological sources and experiences that are so different from each other but which, in a harmonious and interconnected way, give back the image of a social and cultural phenomenon based on the exchange and contamination of ideas. All of this is done through a new form of divulgation, intended for a non-academic public and in line with the principles of the Third Mission of the universities.La relazione ricostruisce gli interventi tenutisi il 9 aprile 2021 in occasione della giornata per la scienza aperta dedicata a Viaggiatori in Toscana: personaggi e testimonianze, organizzata nell’ambito del Festival di Pasqua del Comune di Montepulciano. Tema centrale ù stato quello del ‘viaggio’ inteso come esperienza di formazione, educazione culturale e socialità e in particolare del viaggio in Toscana, luogo d’elezione per numerosi grandtouristi italiani e stranieri. Gli interventi mostrano i risultati di ricerche che hanno visto il vaglio di fonti ed esperienze bibliotecarie, archivistiche, artistiche e musicologiche così diverse tra loro ma che, in modo armonico e interconnesso, restituiscono l’immagine di un fenomeno sociale e culturale fondato sullo scambio e sulla contaminazione delle idee. Il tutto attraverso una forma divulgativa nuova, destinata ad un pubblico non accademico e rispondente ai principi della Terza missione delle università

    Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Environmental Risk Factors: Neurobehavioural Analysis In A Mouse Model Of Developmental Exposure To Lead

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    Lead (Pb) is one of the most neuro-toxic metals and its detrimental effects on early development of children have been repeatedly shown even at low doses (< 5 ”g/dL, children threshold for blood lead level [BLL]). In this study, we mimicked the real-life scenario of human lead exposure by exposing mice to Pb (0, 25, 100 ppm) in drinking water for 8 weeks (from periconceptional stage to end of lactation). Effects of Pb exposure were observed in both dams and offspring. Maternal behaviour assessment in the first week after parturition revealed increased active nursing in 100-ppm treated dams. Behavioural effects of Pb in the offspring were assessed in several tasks including spontaneous movement test on postnatal day (PND) 8, homing test on PND 11, 3-chamber social interaction test at young adulthood. On PND 8, 100-ppm pups showed increased nose probing (a spontaneous response associated with nipple searching). On PND 11, during homing test (an olfactory-based spatial task) 100-ppm pups showed a reduced sniffing response to the nest odor, although time to reach the nest area was not different in the three treatment groups. At young adulthood, 100-ppm male mice (BLL: 2,546 ”g/dL) showed a decreased preference for the social stimulus; alterations of social responsiveness in 25-ppm group (BLL: 1,021 ”g/dL) were not evident. Consequently, we found both early and late behavioural effects of Pb which suggest Pb interference with maturation of social competencies by low doses of Pb exposure
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