A Numerical Technique for Determining the Internal Field in Biological Bodies Exposed to Electromagnetic Fields

In this paper, the field prediction inside biological bodies exposed to electromagnetic incident waves is addressed by considering inverse scattering techniques. In particular, the aim is to evaluate the possibility of limiting the test area in order to strongly reduce the computational time, ensuring, at the same time, a quite accurate solution. The approach is based on separating the scattering contributions of the region under test and the other part of the biological body. The starting point is represented by the inverse-scattering equations, which are recast as a functional to be minimized. A Green's function approach is then developed in order to include an approximate knowledge (a model) of the biological body. The possible application of the approach for diagnostic purposes is also discussed

Prevenzione della diffusione dei contagi COVID-19 nei luoghi di lavoro. L\u2019esperienza di un cantiere di grandi opere nel periodo gennaio-novembre 2021

Prevention of COVID-19 spread in the workplace. The experience of a major construction site in the period January-November 2021 Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic determined a remarkable impact also in workplaces. The present study reported data relating to COVID-19 cases that occurred between January and November 2021 in a major construction site. Objectives: The study aims to evaluate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the study population, to describe its demographic characteristics and to evaluate any significant associations between the variables investigated. Material and methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted using demographic, clinical and laboratory data. The study was conducted from 1st January to 3th November 2021 and involved the working population belonging to a large infrastructure site. The study population is represented by workers tested by antigen rapid test during the observation study period, either for asymptomatic screening or clinical suspicion reasons. Different jobs have been divided in three sectors: Construction Site, Services, Office. Regarding age, workers were divided into three groups: Group 1 (18-30 years), Group 2 (31-50 years), Group 3 (51-70 years). Results and conclusions: The prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the sample was 4.59% (95% CI 4.33 - 4.84). Among COVID-19 cases, the most represented job was the Construction Site (79.71%), followed by the Office (18.84%) and finally by the Services (1.45%). Regarding age, Group 3 (57.97%) is the most common, followed by Group 2 (31.88%) and Group 1 (10.15%). A correct management of COVID-19 in workplaces is essential to prevent the spread of the infection among workers. In this case adoption of preventive measures guaranteed the maintenance of the operations in safety and avoiding secondary cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The results of this study could be useful in order to plan further prevention and testing/ screening interventions aimed to ensuring the mitigation of the infection in the workplaces during the next phases of the epidemic characterized by a progressive endemization of the virus

Chlorhexidine-induced anaphylaxis occurring in the workplace in a health-care worker: case report and review of the literature

Chlorhexidine has been widely used in the occupational field as an effective antiseptic and disinfectant, especially in the health-care services. Several cases of allergic reactions to chlorhexidine have been reported, both in the general population and in workers

Kupffer cells promote lead nitrate-induced hepatocyte apoptosis via oxidative stress

BACKGROUND: Apoptosis and its modulation are crucial factors for the maintenance of liver health, allowing hepatocytes to die without provoking a potential harmful inflammatory response through a tightly controlled and regulated process. Since Kupffer cells play a key role in the maintenance of liver function, the aim of this study was to verify whether Kupffer cells are involved in the induction of liver apoptosis after i.v. injection of Pb(NO(3))(2 )likely by secretion mechanisms. RESULTS: The in vivo hepatic apoptosis, induced by Pb(NO(3))(2 )was prevented by a pre-treatment with gadolinium chloride (GdCl(3)), a Kupffer cells toxicant, that suppresses Kupffer cell activity and reduces to a half the apoptotic rate. In addition, in vivo Pb(NO(3))(2 )administration deprives hepatocytes of reduced glutathione, whereas the loss of this important oxidation-preventing agent is considerably mitigated or abolished by pre-treatment with GdCl(3). However, incubation of isolated hepatocytes and Kupffer cells and HepG2 cells with Pb(NO(3))(2 )for 24 hours induced necrotic but not apoptotic cells. Apoptosis of hepatocytes and HepG2 cells was observed only after the addition of conditioned medium obtained from Kupffer cells cultured for 24 hours with Pb(NO(3))(2), thus indicating the secretion of soluble mediators of apoptosis by Kupffer cells. Apoptosis in the HepG2 cells was observed upon 24-hours incubation of HepG2 cells with 1 mM buthionine sulfoximine, a glutathione depleting agent, thus showing that there is an oxidative apoptogenic pathway in HepG2 cells. CONCLUSION: Pb(NO(3))(2 )has, at most, a direct necrotic (but not apoptogenic) effect on hepatocytes and HepG2 cells, giving a clue about the regulatory role of Kupffer cells in the induction of liver apoptosis after a single Pb(NO(3))(2 )injection without pre-treatment with GdCl(3), probably via secreting soluble factors that trigger oxidative stress in target cells

Mediterranean Crossbills <em>Loxia curvirostra</em> sensu lato (Aves, Passeriformes): new data and directions for future research

Mediterranean Crossbills are as much differentiated as L. scotica and L. pytyopsittacus. They are sedentary, linked to pine trees and have evolved a thicker bill to extract the seeds from Pine cones. Their decolorization could be due to dietary causes. The authors studied biometrics, breeding phenology, and primary food of Italian populations living in Calabria and Etna (Sicily) and compared them with the other Mediterranean populations. A coevolutive radiation between the different populations of Mediterranean Crossbills presently living in the three main peninsulas, adiacent islands and North Africa occurred separately and this may be demonstrated by their morphometrics, their sedentariness, as well as by songs and some genetic results recently published. They conclude that the same criteria followed to raise L. curvirostra scotica to the species rank as scotica occur also for the different Mediterranean populations

Case report: lenvatinib in neoadjuvant setting in a patient affected by invasive poorly differentiated thyroid carcinoma

We report a case of an elderly woman presenting with a huge cervical mass invading the tracheal lumen. Diagnosed as invasive poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, after an endotracheal biopsy, stenting and radiotherapy, it was judged eligible for total thyroidectomy, but surgery was delayed due to pulmonary thromboembolism. The patient was therefore treated with lenvatinib with a neoadjuvant intent until hemodynamic stability was obtained. Thyroidectomy and radioiodine therapy were then performed and the postdose scan revealed an area of modest uptake in the anterior part of the neck. The patient is now in a good clinical status and she continues her follow-up program without any adjuvant therapy

Can Urine Metabolomics Be Helpful in Differentiating Neuropathic and Nociceptive Pain? A Proof-of-Concept Study

The diagnosis of pain nature is a troublesome task and a wrong attribution often leads to an increase of costs and to avoidable pharmaceutical adverse reactions. An objective and specific approach to achieve this diagnosis is highly desirable. The aim of this work was to investigate urine samples collected from patients suffering from pain of different nature by a metabolomics approach based on 1 H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis. We performed a prospective study on 74 subjects: 37 suffering from pain (12 with nociceptive and 25 with neuropathic pain), and 37 controls not suffering from any kind of chronic pain. The application of discriminant analysis on the urine spectral profiles allowed us to classify these two types of pain with high sensibility and specificity. Although the classification relies on the global urine metabolic profile, the individual contribution in discriminating neuropathic pain patients of metabolites such as choline and phosphocholine, taurine and alanine, suggests potential lesions to the nervous system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a urine metabolomics profile is used to classify these two kinds of pain. This methodology, although based on a limited sample, may constitute the basis for a new helpful tool in the clinical diagnosis

The association between Major Depressive Disorder and premature death risk in hematologic and solid cancer: a longitudinal cohort study

Background: the aim was to verify the association between Major Depressive Disorders (MDD) and the risk of premature death in people with oncological diseases, and to collect evidence about the causality of a possible association from a longitudinal perspective.Design and Methods: it is a cohort study lasting 9 months, involving people with solid or hematologic cancers. The assessment was conducted by an ad hoc form to collect socio-demographic and clinical-oncological data, the PHQ-9 to screen MDD (cut-off ≥10) and the SF-12 to evaluate HRQoL. Relative Risk (RR) of early death between MDD exposed and not-exposed and Kaplan-Meier survival were carried out.Results: people exposed to MDD during the follow-up were 107/263 (40.7%). Among them, 36 deceased during the observation period. Overtime, having MDD and death’ occurrence showed a strong association (RR=2.15; 95% CI (1.10-4.20); χ²=5.224, p=0.0022), confirmed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis (χ²=4.357, p=0.037). Among people who died, there was not any association between MDD, age, gender, HRQoL, cancer stage and site.Conclusions: the study confirms the association between MDD and early death in people with cancer. The absence of any association between the onset of MDD and advanced stage of cancer may suggest that it could be due to the consequences of MDD in worsening the clinical conditions related to cancer. The findings point out the relevance of MDD’ early detention among people with cancer

Case Report: Post-COVID-19 Vaccine Recurrence of Guillain–Barré Syndrome Following an Antecedent Parainfectious COVID-19–Related GBS

Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune neurological disorder often preceded by viral illnesses or, more rarely, vaccinations. We report on a unique combination of postcoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine GBS that occurred months after a parainfectious COVID-19–related GBS. Shortly after manifesting COVID-19 symptoms, a 57-year-old man developed diplopia, right-side facial weakness, and gait instability that, together with electrophysiology and cerebrospinal fluid examinations, led to a diagnosis of post-COVID-19 GBS. The involvement of cranial nerves and IgM seropositivity for ganglioside GD1b were noteworthy. COVID-19 pneumonia, flaccid tetraparesis, and autonomic dysfunction prompted his admission to ICU. He recovered after therapy with intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg). Six months later, GBS recurred shortly after the first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. Again, the GBS diagnosis was confirmed by cerebrospinal fluid and electrophysiology studies. IgM seropositivity extended to multiple gangliosides, namely for GM3/4, GD1a/b, and GT1b IgM. An IVIg course prompted complete recovery. This case adds to other previously reported observations suggesting a possible causal link between SARS-CoV-2 and GBS. Molecular mimicry and anti-idiotype antibodies might be the underlying mechanisms. Future COVID-19 vaccinations/revaccinations in patients with previous para-/post-COVID-19 GBS deserve a reappraisal, especially if they are seropositive for ganglioside antibodies

Predicting needlestick and sharps injuries in nursing students: Development of the SNNIP scale

© 2020 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aim: To develop an instrument to investigate knowledge and predictive factors of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) in nursing students during clinical placements. Design: Instrument development and cross-sectional study for psychometric testing. Methods: A self-administered instrument including demographic data, injury epidemiology and predictive factors of NSIs was developed between October 2018–January 2019. Content validity was assessed by a panel of experts. The instrument's factor structure and discriminant validity were explored using principal components analysis. The STROBE guidelines were followed. Results: Evidence of content validity was found (S-CVI 0.75; I-CVI 0.50–1.00). A three-factor structure was shown by exploratory factor analysis. Of the 238 participants, 39% had been injured at least once, of which 67.3% in the second year. Higher perceptions of “personal exposure” (4.06, SD 3.78) were reported by third-year students. Higher scores for “perceived benefits” of preventive behaviours (13.6, SD 1.46) were reported by second-year students