Models of collaboration between psychologist and family doctor: a systematic review of primary care psychology

open2noThe prevalence of psychological suffering is greater than the actual request for clinical consultation in Europe (Alonso et al., 2004). In Italy, no more than 5.5% of the population requested psychological assistance during lifetime (Miglioretti et al., 2008). There are different obstacles that prevent the access to mental health services, such as economic restrictions (Mulder et al., 2011), cultural prejudice (Kim et al., 2010), and lack of knowledge about the service providers that can answer to the patient’s psychological needs (Molinari et al., 2012). Therefore, the psychologist is often consulted as a last resort, only after everything else has failed, when problems have become severe, and thus requiring longer, more intensive, and expensive treatments. The introduction of the Primary Care Psychologist, a professional who works together with the family doctor, allows to overcome the above-mentioned problems and intercept unexpressed needs for psychological assistance. This professional role is operating in many countries since several years. In this study, current literature concerning different models of collaboration between physician and psychologist, in Europe and in Italy, was reviewed. A systematic search of Web of Science (ISI), Pubmed, Scopus, and PsychINFO was conducted using the initial search terms Primary Care Psychologist, Family Doctor, Primary Care, Collaborative Practice, and several relevant papers were identified. The review has shown the improved quality of care when mental health care is integrated into primary. Analyzing how different programs are implemented, results indicated that the more efficacious models of Primary Care Psychology are those tailored on the environment’s needs.The results of our systematic review stress the importance of the Primary Care Psychologist implementation also in Italy, to intercept unexpressed psychological needs and enhance clients’ quality of life.openFrancesca, Bianco; Enrico, BenelliBianco, Francesca; Benelli, Enric

The chemopreventive retinoid 4HPR impairs prostate cancer cell migration and invasion by interfering with FAK/AKT/GSK3β pathway and β-catenin stability

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prostate cancer shows an extremely slow progression, appearing in its metastatic, hormone refractory phenotype mostly in elderly men. The chemopreventive targeting of this tumor could accordingly delay its malignancy over life expectancy. The cancer chemopreventive retinoid <it>N</it>-(4 hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4HPR) has already been shown to restrain prostate cancer growth in vitro and in vivo, though its mechanisms of action are only partially explained.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that 4HPR impairs DU145 and PC3 prostate cancer cells migration and invasion by down-regulating FAK and AKT activation and by enhancing β-catenin degradation, causing the downregulation of target genes like cyclin D1, survivin and VEGF. This non-migratory phenotype was similarly produced in both cell lines by stable silencing of β-catenin. 4HPR was able to decrease AKT phosphorylation also when powerfully upregulated by IGF-1 and, consequently, to impair IGF-1-stimulated cell motility. Conversely, the expression of constitutively active AKT (myr-AKT) overcame the effects of 4HPR and β-catenin-silencing on cell migration. In addition, we found that BMP-2, a 4HPR target with antiangiogenic activity, decreased prostate cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion by down-regulating the pathway described involving AKT phosphorylation, β-catenin stability and cyclin D1 expression.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data point to 4HPR as a negative regulator of AKT phosphorylation, effectively targeting the β-catenin pathway and inducing a relatively benign phenotype in prostate cancer cells, limiting neoangiogenesis and cell invasion.</p

Prevalence of the microsporidian Nosema ceranae in honeybee (Apis mellifera) apiaries in Central Italy

Nosema ceranae and Nosema apis are microsporidia which play an important role in the epidemiology of honeybee microsporidiosis worldwide. Nosemiasis reduces honeybee population size and causes significant losses in honey production. To the best of our knowledge, limited information is available about the prevalence of nosemiasis in Italy. In this research, we determined the occurrence of Nosema infection in Central Italy. Thirty-eight seemingly healthy apiaries (2 to 4 hives each) were randomly selected and screened from April to September 2014 (n= 11) or from May to September 2015 (n= 27). The apiaries were located in six areas of Central Italy, including Lucca (n= 11), Massa Carrara (n= 9), Pisa (n= 9), Leghorn (n= 7), Florence (n= 1), and Prato (n= 1) provinces. Light microscopy was carried out according to current OIE recommendations to screen the presence of microsporidiosis in adult worker honeybees. Since the morphological characteristics of N. ceranae and N. apis spores are similar and can hardly be distinguished by optical microscopy, all samples were also screened by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (M-PCR) assay based on 16S rRNA-gene-targeted species-specific primers to differentiate N. ceranae from N. apis. Furthermore, PCR-positive samples were also sequenced to confirm the species of amplified Nosema DNA. Notably, Nosema spores were detected in samples from 24 out of 38 (63.2%, 95% CI: 47.8–78.5%) apiaries. Positivity rates in single provinces were 10/11, 8/9, 3/9, 1/7, or 1/1 (n= 2). A full agreement (Cohen’s Kappa = 1) was assessed between microscopy and M-PCR. Based on M-PCR and DNA sequencing results, only N. ceranae was found. Overall, our results highlighted that N. ceranae infection occurs frequently in the cohort of honeybee populations that was examined despite the lack of clinical signs. These findings suggest that colony disease outbreaks might result from environmental factors that lead to higher susceptibility of honeybees to this microsporidian

Detecting common copy number variants in high-throughput sequencing data by using JointSLM algorithm

The discovery of genomic structural variants (SVs), such as copy number variants (CNVs), is essential to understand genetic variation of human populations and complex diseases. Over recent years, the advent of new high-throughput sequencing (HTS) platforms has opened many opportunities for SVs discovery, and a very promising approach consists in measuring the depth of coverage (DOC) of reads aligned to the human reference genome. At present, few computational methods have been developed for the analysis of DOC data and all of these methods allow to analyse only one sample at time. For these reasons, we developed a novel algorithm (JointSLM) that allows to detect common CNVs among individuals by analysing DOC data from multiple samples simultaneously. We test JointSLM performance on synthetic and real data and we show its unprecedented resolution that enables the detection of recurrent CNV regions as small as 500 bp in size. When we apply JointSLM to analyse chromosome one of eight genomes with different ancestry, we identify 3000 regions with recurrent CNVs of different frequency and size: hierarchical clustering on these regions segregates the eight individuals in two groups that reflect their ancestry, demonstrating the potential utility of JointSLM for population genetics studies

Taking care of minor migrants' health. The professionals' perception and training needs

Introduction: In Italy, minor migrants represent 21.8% of the non-EU citizens. The care of minor migrants might be challenging as this population is characterized by higher vulnerability and special needs. The study aim was to describe the perceptions on the provision of care, the bio-psycho-social needs of migrant children and the professional training needs. Methods: The study is qualitative descriptive. In May 2019 three focus group, involving health and social professionals, cultural mediators and NGOs operators, were organized. Results: The study explored different areas of the provision of care to minor migrants including bio-psycho-social needs, care provision, barriers to care and professionals' training needs. Discussion and conclusions: The provision of care should consider the specific migration journey and narrative. In some cases healthcare is fragmented, generating obstacles to access especially in minors with lower levels of health literacy. Training plays a key role in the development of cultural competence

Discovering chimeric transcripts in paired-end RNA-seq data by using EricScript

Abstract Motivation: The discovery of novel gene fusions can lead to a better comprehension of cancer progression and development. The emergence of deep sequencing of trancriptome, known as RNA-seq, has opened many opportunities for the identification of this class of genomic alterations, leading to the discovery of novel chimeric transcripts in melanomas, breast cancers and lymphomas. Nowadays, few computational approaches have been developed for the detection of chimeric transcripts. Although all of these computational methods show good sensitivity, much work remains to reduce the huge number of false-positive calls that arises from this analysis. Results: We proposed a novel computational framework, named chimEric tranScript detection algorithm (EricScript), for the identification of gene fusion products in paired-end RNA-seq data. Our simulation study on synthetic data demonstrates that EricScript enables to achieve higher sensitivity and specificity than existing methods with noticeably lower running times. We also applied our method to publicly available RNA-seq tumour datasets, and we showed its capability in rediscovering known gene fusions. Availability: The EricScript package is freely available under GPL v3 license at http://ericscript.sourceforge.net. Contact: [email protected] Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Larvicidal and ovideterrent properties of neem oil and fractions against the filariasis vector Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae): a bioactivity survey across production sites

Neem seed oil (NSO) of Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) contains more than 100 determined biologically active compounds, and many formulations deriving from them showed toxicity, antifeedancy and repellence against a number of arthropod pests. However, it is widely known that botanical products can differ in their chemical composition and bioactivity, as function of the production site and production process. We used high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) to investigate differences in chemical constituents of NSOs from three production sites. HPTLC analyses showed several differences in chemical abundance and diversity among NSOs, with special reference to limonoids. Furthermore, the three NSOs and their fractions of increasing polarities [i.e. ethyl acetate (EA) fraction and butanol (BU) fraction] were evaluated for larvicidal toxicity and field oviposition deterrence against the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, currently the most invasive mosquito worldwide. Results from bioactivity experiments showed good toxicity of NSOs and EA fractions against A. albopictus fourth instarlarvae (with LC50 values ranging from 142.28 to 209.73 ppm), while little toxicity was exerted by BU fractions. A significant effect of the production site and dosage was also found and is probably linked to differences in abundance of constituents among samples, as highlighted by HPTLC analyses. NSOs and EAs were also able to deter A. albopictus oviposition in the field (effective repellence values ranging from 98.55 to 70.10 %), while little effectiveness of BU fractions was found. Concerning ovideterrent activity, no difference due to the production site was found. This is the first report concerning larvicidal toxicity of NSO against A. albopictus and ovideterrence against Culicidae in the field. The chance to use chemicals fromthe NSO EA fraction seems promising, since they are effective at lower doses, if compared to synthetic products currently marketed, and could be an advantageous alternative to build newer and safer mosquito control tools

Cannabis sativa and Humulus lupulus essential oils as novel control tools against the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus and fresh water snail Physella acuta

Over the past several decades, there has been a resurgence of interest in industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L., Cannabaceae) cultivation. Besides fibre, seeds and oil, hemp contains high quantity of essential oil (EO). Hop (Humulus lupulus L., Cannabaceae) is a high-climbing, perennial vine, largely utilized in the brewing industry to add flavour and bitterness to beer. While it is known that hop also contains α- and ß-acids, and terpenes that have been found to be toxic, anti-feedant, and repellent for insects and mites, little is known about the bioactivity against problematic species of the hemp EO. In this study, the chemical composition of the EOs from C. sativa and H. lupulus was evaluated by GC-MS, and their acute toxicity was assessed against the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera Culicidae) and, the freshwater bladder snail Physella acuta (Draparnaud) (Mollusca Physidae), two problematic invasive species. Furthermore, we evaluated the toxicity of both EOs against a non-target insect, the mayfly Cloeon dipterum L. (Ephemeroptera Baetidae). Both EOs were toxic against the three tested species. The most effective EO was the C. sativa, able to kill 100% of P. acuta snails starting from 100 μL L-1. C. sativa LC50 were 301.560, 282.174 and, 35.370 μL L-1, while H. lupulus LC50 were 330.855, 219.787 and, 118.653 μL L-1 against A. albopictus, C. dipterum and P. acuta, respectively. Relative median potency analysis showed that the C. sativa EO was more toxic than H. lupulus against A. albopictus and P. acuta, while H. lupulus was more toxic than C. sativa EO against C. dipterum. The most susceptible species to the two EOs was P. acuta, while A. albopictus resulted the least susceptible one

Designing for the next generation. Children urban design as a strategic method to improve the future in the cities

Nowadays, society recognizes the childhood as an important step able to generate a social value: children are the main actors of the future but it is necessary to consider the children as children and not as the next adult. Traditionally, the design for kids consider them little adults in a transition phase. The research intention is to spread a new design culture conceived expressly for children, which shall be able to communicate to them using their languages. The project is dedicated to the children - the next generation - from 3 to 11 years old. The aim of this research is to propose a methodological system to design public spaces in the cities able to orient, inform, communicate, entertain, interact, educate, and integrate all kind of children (and their parents) belonging to different cultures with one universal language.6n

Who is polluting Italian honey? A filth test survey

Honey is largely considered a natural and healthy product. Investigation on foreign matter in honey provides useful information to evaluate honey quality standards in apiary, honey extraction and packaging phases. Indeed, toxic substances (antibiotics, pesticides and heavy metals) as well as foreign matter (e.g. arthropods, hairs) can contaminate honey, acting as allergens or vectors of human pathogens. We used the filth test to evaluate the presence of foreign matter in samples of Italian honeys, mainly from Tuscany. We revealed a high number of carbon particles and other inorganic fragments, followed by fragments of animal origin. This latter included whole small insects, their cuticular fragments, mites and mammal hairs. The kind of contamination allowed us to evidence uncorrected apicultural practices and to suggest the appropriate corrective measures. The filth test method is an excellent and cheap tool to check honey quality, requiring minimal instrumental equipment and giving results that can be interpreted quickly