Book review: The gentrification plot: New York and the postindustrial crime novel by Thomas Heise

In The Gentrification Plot: New York and the Postindustrial Crime Novel, Thomas Heise investigates gentrification in New York City through the lens of crime fiction. Offering a street-level perspective of the impact of urban renewal projects, this book provides precious insight into contemporary socio-spatial transformations, writes Francesca Cocchiara. The Gentrification Plot: New York and the Postindustrial Crime Novel. Thomas Heise. Columbia University Press. 2022

Passive smoking indicators in Italy: does the gross domestic product matter?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to analyse the correlation between regional values of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and passive smoking in Italy. METHODS: The outcome measures were smoking ban respect in public places, workplaces and at home, derived from the PASSI surveillance for the period 2011⁻2017. The explanatory variable was GDP per capita. The statistical analysis was carried out using bivariate and linear regression analyses, taking into consideration two different periods, Years 2011⁻2014 and 2014⁻2017. RESULTS: GDP is showed to be positively correlated with smoking ban respect in public places (r = 0.779 p < 0.001; r = 0.723 p < 0.001 in the two periods, respectively), as well as smoking ban respect in the workplace (r = 0.662 p = 0.001; r = 0.603 p = 0.004) and no smoking at home adherence (r = 0.424 p = 0.056; r = 0.362 p = 0.107). In multiple linear regression GDP is significantly associated to smoking ban respect in public places (adjusted β = 0.730 p < 0.001; β = 0.698 p < 0.001 in the two periods, respectively), smoking ban in workplaces (adjusted β = 0.525 p = 0.020; β = 0.570 p = 0.009) and no smoking at home (adjusted β = 0.332 p = 0.070; β = 0.362 p = 0.052). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking ban is more respected in Regions with higher GDP. For a better health promotion, systematic vigilance and sanctions should be maintained and strengthened, particularly in regions with low compliance with smoking bans

The reform of the Italian legislation on childhood immunization

Upon the proposal of the Italian government, Law n. 191/2017 has been enacted, meant to considerably raise the number of mandatory vaccinations, while leaving several others merely "recommended" (non-mandatory). Such a reform has proven necessary in light of the latest epidemiologic data reflecting a steady decrease in the rates of immunization coverage in most Italian regions over the past few years, including mandatory vaccinations. Court rulings that held vaccinations may have caused autism, or even a child's death, have probably contributed to decrease in coverage. Early interventions to mandate immunization had been put in place at the regional level, yet the Italian Government and Parliament have opted for a national piece of legislation devised to make mandatory vaccinations a requirement to gain access to the preschool system or day care services. The authors elaborate on the reform's contents and shed a light on the medical, ethical and legal elements underpinning the mandate to immunize children. As a matter of fact, possible risks arising from vaccinations are rare, and largely offset by the benefits to both the children and society at large. On the heels of the reform in question, the doctor-patient relationship is still at the forefront. In fact, citizens need to understand the value and usefulness of non-mandatory, recommended vaccines as well. Therefore, it appears necessary to improve the quality of vaccination counseling practices in childcare, but such activities need to take place within the framework of a broader strategy, centered on the fostering of a culture of prevention, backed by scientific research to the fullest extent possible

Gestione dell’acromegalia in un centro di riferimento: valutazione dei costi diretti di malattia e gestione del paziente durante la pandemia da SARS-CoV-2

Background. Acromegaly is a severe chronic endocrine disease. Achieving biochemical control often needs a multimodal treatment approach, including prolonged medical treatment. The global pandemic due to Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) represents the toughest challenge faced by the healthcare systems in the modern history and affected the management of many chronic diseases, such as acromegaly. Aim of the study is to evaluate the burden of treatment direct costs with respect to the different therapeutic strategies, disease control, and follow-up length. Besides, it is to report the impact of the pandemic in our Unit of Endocrinology during the 2020. Methods. Single center retrospective study on 73 patients referred to our center between 1st January 2002 and 31st December 2018. Costs of acromegaly treatments were computed based on a detailed revision of patients’ clinical charts. Finally, we evaluated the number of outpatient visits and the disease control rate in 2019 and 2020 of as many patients actively followed. Results. Median total treatment cost/patient was €47393 during the entire follow-up (8.7 years), while median treatment cost/patient/year was €6811. The majority of patients received medical therapy (71/73, 97.3%). Median cost for first-line medical treatment (first-generation somatostatin receptor ligands) was lower compared to second-line treatments (pegvisomant monotherapy or combination therapies), considering both total (€22825 vs €76140; p &lt; 0.001), and yearly cost/patient (€4927 vs €9161; p &lt; 0.001). Sixty patients (82.2%) reached biochemical control at last follow-up (IGF-1 ≤ 1 x upper limit of normality range (ULN)). The yearly cost/patient was comparable between controlled and uncontrolled patients (€6936 vs €6688; p = 0.829). Follow-up duration was significantly longer in controlled patients compared to the uncontrolled ones (8.7 vs 3.5 years; p = 0.019). Finally, we compared data between 31th December 2019 and 31th December 2020. A total of 177 on-site visits were performed in 2019 (median: 2 visits/patient/year), while this number felt down to 118 evaluations in 2020 (median: 1 visit/patient/ year). This 33% reduction of on-site evaluations was partially mitigated performing 21 phone visits. Looking to the patients’ biochemical control, we found that median IGF-1 levels in 2019 were superimposable compared to those observed at the end of 2020 (IGF-1 xULN, median (IQR): 0.735 vs 0.740, p = 0.339). Therefore, we observed that the percentage of biochemically controlled patients did not change significantly between 2019 and 2020, ranging from 75% to 79%. Conclusions. Direct costs for the management of acromegaly have a significant burden on the healthcare systems. However, more than 80% of our patients reached biochemical control using multimodal approaches. Treatment modalities and yearly costs did not significantly differ between controlled and uncontrolled patients, while follow-up length represented a major determinant of biochemical outcome. Cure rate in tertiary centers is high, and patients’ follow-up is usually long enough to build up a strong relationship with the patients, thus improving adherence and persistence to treatment, as well as of self-management. Dealing with a chronic disease has given us the opportunity to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in the short-term

Il potere imperiale nella cultura pagana e cristiana sotto Severo Alessandro

Attraverso Cassio Dione, Erodiano, l’Historia Augusta (in particolare Alexander Severus Aeli Lampridi), e varie altre fonti (non solo letterarie), la ricerca tratta la paideia di Severo Alessandro e il disegno politico del suo avvento (con il ruolo importante della soggettività femminile, cioè di Mesa e Mamea); il suo rapporto con gli intellettuali (mecenatismo), con le opere di Filostrato (Apollonio di Tiana, Eroico, Ginnastica), con le religioni e segnatamente con il cristianesimo (Origene, Giulio Africano); il Consilium principis, gli atti di governo, i rescripta e le constitutiones utili a illuminare i problemi trattati. L’idea centrale è una caratterizzazione culturale della politica di Severo Alessandro, tra continuità e prefigurazione di futuri sviluppi.By Dio Cassius, Herodianus, Historia Augusta (particularly Alexander Severus Aeli Lampridi), and other various sources (not only literary), the work discusses Severus Alexander’s paiediaa and the political design of his accession (with the leading role of the feminine subjectivity, i. e. of Maesa and Mamea); his relationship with intellectuals (patronage), with Philostratus’ outputs (Apollonius of Tyana, Heroicus, Gymnasticus), with religions and segnally with Christianity (Origenes, Iulius Africanus); the Consilium principis, the government acts, the rescripta and the constitutiones illuminating the treated problems. The research focuses on a cultural foundation of Severus Alexander’s politics, between continuity and prefiguration of future developments

The use of yoga to manage stress and burnout in healthcare workers: a systematic review

The purpose of this systematic review is to analyze and summarize the current knowledge regarding the use of yoga to manage and prevent stress and burnout in healthcare workers. In February 2017, a literature search was conducted using the databases Medline (PubMed) and Scopus. Studies that addressed this topic were included. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria. Seven studies were clinical trials that analyzed yoga interventions and evaluated effectiveness by gauging stress levels, sleep quality and quality of life. A study on Chinese nurses showed statistical improvement in stress levels following a six-month yoga program (χ2 = 16.449; p &lt; 0.001). A population of medical students showed improvement in self-regulation values after an 11-week yoga program (from 3.49 to 3.58; p = 0.04) and in self-compassion values (from 2.88 to 3.25; p = 0.04). Four of the included articles were observational studies: They described the factors that cause stress in the work environment and highlighted that healthcare workers believe it is possible to benefit from improved physical, emotional and mental health related to yoga activity. According to the literature, yoga appears to be effective in the management of stress in healthcare workers, but it is necessary to implement methodologically relevant studies to attribute significance to such evidence

Functional assessment of cancer therapy questionnaire for breast cancer (FACT-B+4): Italian version validation

BACKGROUND: Improvements in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment led to an increased incidence of survivors' rate. The healthcare system has to face new problems related not only to the treatment of the disease, but also to the management of the quality of life after the diagnosis. The aim of this study was to validate the Italian version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - Breast (FACT-B+4) questionnaire and to evaluate its reliability. METHODS: The questionnaire was administered twice, with an interval of three days between each administration, to a cohort of women of the Breast Surgical Unit, PoliclincoUmberto I. Cronbach's alpha was used as a measure of the internal consistency of the Italian version. RESULTS: The Italian version of the tool was administered to 55 subjects. The Cronbach's alpha for most scores registered values >0.7, both at baseline and at the follow-up analysis, therefore the subscale showed good internal consistency. CONCLUSIONS: The Italian version of FACT-B+4 demonstrated acceptable reliability properties in the Breast Unit patients. The use of this questionnaire seemed to be effective and in line with the results derived from the English and Spanishversions. Internal consistency and validity had similar performance results

Stress management interventions among healthcare workers using mindfulness. A systematic review.

Background: stress among healthcare professionals has gained more and more attention due to the negative consequences on their and patients’ health. As a result of intense working hours, night shifts, responsibilities of care, and emotional contact with patients, healthcare workers experience stressful conditions. Interventions to prevent and manage their wellbeing are needed, in order to reduce the risks of onset of burnout syndrome. Aim: the aim of this systematic review is to analyze how mindfulness courses can improve mental and physical well-being of healthcare workers. Methods: a literature search was conducted in May 2018 using the databases Medline (PubMed), Scopus and Isi Web of Knowledge. Studies were included if they examined mindfulness interventions as possible solutions to manage stress among healthcare workers. Results: fifty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria: 13 of them were clinical trials; 11 were randomized clinical trials; 12 were systematic reviews; 7 were narrative reviews and 15 were observational studies. The studies included showed effectiveness of mindfulness programs in reducing stress, self-compassion, burnout, anxiety and depression. Significant negative association has been observed between MBSR and stress levels (β: −0.60, 95% CI:−5.95 to −4.04, P&lt; 0.001) and mental exhaustion (β:−0.43, 95% CI:−3.30 −1.86, P&lt; 0.001). Clinical trials focused on psychoeducational interventions highlighted decreased burnout scores in intervention group (SDM: -0.38). Conclusion: courses based on mindfulness showed to be effective in improving healthcare workers’ well-being, increasing their quality of life and the productivity outcomes. The evidence derived from this systematic review suggests that these interventions should be included within the work organization in order to be viable tools for promoting self-care and quality of care

From Localized Scleroderma to Systemic Sclerosis: Coexistence or Possible Evolution

Background. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) and localized scleroderma (LoS) are two different diseases that may share some features. We evaluated the relationship between SSc and LoS in our case series of SSc patients. Methods. We analysed the clinical records of 330 SSc patients, in order to find the eventual occurrence of both the two diseases. Results. Eight (2.4%) female patients presented both the two diagnoses in their clinical histories. Six developed LoS prior to SSc; in 4/6 cases, the presence of autoantibodies was observed before SSc diagnosis. Overall, the median time interval between LoS and SSc diagnosis was 18 (range 0–156) months. Conclusions. LoS and SSc are two distinct clinical entities that may coexist. Moreover, as anecdotally reported in pediatric populations, we suggested the possible development of SSc in adult patients with LoS, particularly in presence of Raynaud’s phenomenon or antinuclear antibodies before the SSc onset