Application of latent class analysis in assessing the awareness, attitude, practice and satisfaction of paediatricians on sleep disorder management in children in Italy.

AIM: To identify subgroups regarding paediatricians' awareness, attitude, practice and satisfaction about management of Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB) in Italy using Latent Class Analysis (LCA). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a large sample of Italian paediatricians. Using a self-administered questionnaire, the study collected information on 420 Paediatric Hospital Paediatricians (PHPs) and 594 Family Care Paediatricians (FCPs). LCA was used to discover underlying response patterns, thus allowing identification of respondent groups with similar awareness, attitude, practice and satisfaction. A logistic regression model was used to investigate which independent variables influenced latent class membership. Analyses were performed using R 3.5.2 software. A p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Two classes were identified: Class 1 (n = 368, 36.29%) "Untrained and poorly satisfied" and Class 2 (n = 646, 63.71%) "Trained and satisfied." Involving paediatric pneumologists or otorhinolaryngologists in clinical practice was associated with an increased probability of Class 2 membership (OR = 5.88, 95%CI [2.94-13.19]; OR = 15.95, 95% CI [10.92-23.81] respectively). Examining more than 20 children with SDB during the last month decreased the probability of Class 2 membership (OR = 0.29, 95% CI [0.14-0.61]). FCPs showed a higher probability of Class 2 membership than PHPs (OR = 4.64, 95% CI [3.31-6.55]). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the LCA approach can provide important information on how education and training could be tailored for different subgroups of paediatricians. In Italy standardized educational interventions improving paediatricians' screening of SDB are needed in order to guarantee efficient management of children with SDB and reduce the burden of disease

disk laser welding of ti 6al 4v titanium alloy plates in t joint configuration

Abstract Titanium alloys are employed in a wide range of applications, ranging from aerospace to medicine. In particular, Ti-6Al-4V is the most common, thanks to an excellent combination of low density, high specific strength and corrosion resistance. Laser welding has been increasingly considered as an alternative to traditional techniques to join titanium alloys. An increase in penetration depth and a reduction of possible welding defects is indeed achieved; moreover a smaller grain size in the fused zone is benefited in comparison to either TIG and plasma arc welding, thus providing an increase in the tensile strength of the welded structures. The aim of this work is to study disk-laser welding of 3.2mm thick Ti-6Al-4V plates in T-joint configuration without using a filler wire, defining the influence of different process parameters. The issue concerning the clamping of the plates is discussed and a proper device is developed to carry out welds. A structured plan has to be carried out in order to characterize the process thus discussing the response variables. Power and welding speed are considered as crucial input variables since they determine the thermal input to the work-piece; furthermore, given the particular configuration analyzed, tilt angle is considered as a further variable, whereas focus position is fixed below the upper surface to obtain a full penetration. Welding beads have been first examined with a coordinate measuring machine to study distortions, and then from a morphological point of view. Eventually, Vickers microhardness testing has been conducted to discuss structural changes in fusion and heat affected zone due to welding thermal cycles

Blood flow changes using a 3D xenogeneic collagen matrix or a subepithelial connective tissue graft for root coverage procedures: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The study investigated the early healing process following the treatment of single Miller class I and II recessions with a 3D xenogeneic collagen matrix (CMX) or connective tissue graft (CTG). METHODS: This pilot investigation was designed as a single-center randomized controlled parallel trial. A total of eight subjects (four per group) were treated with either CMX or CTG in the anterior maxilla. Vascular flow changes were assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) before and after surgery and at days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, and 30 while clinical evaluations took place at baseline and at days 60 and 180. Pain intensity perception was evaluated by the short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ), at days 1 and 14. RESULTS: The vascular flow fluctuated similarly in both groups pre- and post-operatively, but the CTG exhibited a more homogeneous pattern as opposed to CMX that showed a second phase of increased blood flow at 14 days. Clinically, the CTG led to greater change in mean root coverage and keratinized tissue gain but CMX was associated with lower early pain intensity scores. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limits of the study, the vascular flow alterations during the early healing of both graft types followed a similar pattern. The CMX was associated with a second peak of increased blood flow. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The vascular flow changes after the application of CMX for single tooth recession root coverage did not show major differences from those observed after the use of a CTG. A trend for better clinical performance in terms of root coverage and keratinized tissue gain was noted for the CTG, but the initial patient morbidity was less for CMX

Pro-inflammatory profile of preeclamptic placental mesenchymal stromal cells: new insights into the etiopathogenesis of preeclampsia.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether placental mesenchymal stromal cells (PDMSCs) derived from normal and preeclamptic (PE) chorionic villous tissue presented differences in their cytokines expression profiles. Moreover, we investigated the effects of conditioned media from normal and PE-PDMSCs on the expression of pro-inflammatory Macrophage migration Inhibitory Factor (MIF), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and free β-human Chorionic Gonadotropin (βhCG) by normal term villous explants. This information will help to understand whether anomalies in PE-PDMSCs could cause or contribute to the anomalies typical of preeclampsia. METHODS: Chorionic villous PDMSCs were isolated from severe preeclamptic (n = 12) and physiological control term (n = 12) placentae. Control and PE-PDMSCs’s cytokines expression profiles were determined by Cytokine Array. Control and PE-PDMSCs were plated for 72 h and conditioned media (CM) was collected. Physiological villous explants (n = 48) were treated with control or PE-PDMSCs CM for 72 h and processed for mRNA and protein isolation. MIF, VEGF and sFlt-1 mRNA and protein expression were analyzed by Real Time PCR and Western Blot respectively. Free βhCG was assessed by immunofluorescent. RESULTS: Cytokine array showed increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines by PE relative to control PDMSCs. Physiological explants treated with PE-PDMSCs CM showed significantly increased MIF and sFlt-1 expression relative to untreated and control PDMSCs CM explants. Interestingly, both control and PE-PDMSCs media induced VEGF mRNA increase while only normal PDMSCs media promoted VEGF protein accumulation. PE-PDMSCs CM explants released significantly increased amounts of free βhCG relative to normal PDMSCs CM ones. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we reported elevated production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by PE-PDMSCs. Importantly, PE PDMSCs induced a PE-like phenotype in physiological villous explants. Our data clearly depict chorionic mesenchymal stromal cells as central players in placental physiopathology, thus opening to new intriguing perspectives for the treatment of human placental-related disorders as preeclampsia