Utilization of big data to improve management of the emergency departments. Results of a systematic review

Background. The emphasis on using big data is growing exponentially in several sectors including biomedicine, life sciences and scientific research, mainly due to advances in information technologies and data analysis techniques. Actually, medical sciences can rely on a large amount of biomedical information and Big Data can aggregate information around multiple scales, from the DNA to the ecosystems. Given these premises, we wondered if big data could be useful to analyze complex systems such as the Emergency Departments (EDs) to improve their management and eventually patient outcomes. Methods. We performed a systematic review of the literature to identify the studies that implemented the application of big data in EDs and to describe what have already been done and what are the expectations, issues and challenges in this field. Results. Globally, eight studies met our inclusion criteria concerning three main activities: the management of ED visits, the ED process and activities and, finally, the prediction of the outcome of ED patients. Although the results of the studies show good perspectives regarding the use of big data in the management of emergency departments, there are still some issues that make their use still difficult. Most of the predictive models and algorithms have been applied only in retrospective studies, not considering the challenge and the costs of a real-time use of big data. Only few studies highlight the possible usefulness of the large volume of clinical data stored into electronic health records to generate evidence in real time. Conclusion. The proper use of big data in this field still requires a better management information flow to allow real-time application

Retrieval and intercomparison of volcanic SO2 injection height and eruption time from satellite maps and ground-based observations

Syneruptive gas flux time series can, in principle, be retrieved from satellite maps of SO2 collected during and immediately after volcanic eruptions, and used to gain insights into the volcanic processes which drive the volcanic activity. Determination of the age and height of volcanic plumes are key prerequisites for such calculations. However, these parameters are challenging to constrain using satellite-based techniques. Here, we use imagery from OMI and GOME-2 satellite sensors and a novel numerical procedure based on back-trajectory analysis to calculate plume height as a function of position at the satellite measurement time together with plume injection height and time at a volcanic vent location. We applied this new procedure to three Etna eruptions (12 August 2011, 18 March 2012 and 12 April 2013) and compared our results with independent satellite and ground-based estimations. We also compare our injection height time-series with measurements of volcanic tremor, which reflects the eruption intensity, showing a good match between these two datasets. Our results are a milestone in progressing towards reliable determination of gas flux data from satellite-derived SO2 maps during volcanic eruptions, which would be of great value for operational management of explosive eruptions.1) European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2.007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement no. 279802, project 283 CO2Volc. 2) MEDiterranean SUpersite Volcanoes 280 (MED-SUV) WP 3.3.3Published79-915V. Dinamica dei processi eruttivi e post-eruttiviJCR Journa

Dynamics of the Sphere Model of Consciousness: Silence, Space, and Self

The Sphere Model of Consciousness (SMC) delineates a sphere-shaped matrix that aims to describe subjective experiences using geometric coordinates, in accordance with a neurophenomenological perspective. According to the SMC, an experience of overcoming the habitual self and the conditioning of memories could be placed at the center of the matrix, which can then be called the Place of Pre-Existence (PPE). The PPE is causally associated with self-determination. In this context, we suggest that silence could be considered an intentional inner environment enabling self-perception to focus on the “here and now,” which in turn improves perception of one’s own body in space. To investigate the hypotheses grounded in the model, the current preliminary study examined the Place of Pre-Existence Technique (PPEt), in which practitioners are guided to focus on a self-defined aim, reach a state of detachment from the habitual self, and envision the future. Four-hundred eighty-one volunteer PPEt practitioners completed self-report questionnaires before and after an intensive 3-day meditative training. We analyzed potential relationships between subjective experiences related to physical, emotional, mental, temporal, and spatial components, as well as self-determination and silence, before and after training. The results indicated a transition from a prevailing influence of mental dimension on the other aspects of experience, to a prevailing influence of the spatial dimension. Silence was reported more often following the training and was predominantly related to mental and emotional experiences. The results are discussed in the framework of the SMC, as compared to other models, and in relation to the shift from Narrative to Minimal Self and to increased balance among the considered dimensions

ER access by foreign citizens between 1999 and 2014 in five large hospital of Rome, Italy

...Lack of information about the health services and the status of illegal immigrant can make difficult for foreign population to access primary care, leading to misuse of emergency rooms (ER). This study investigated the accesses between January 1999 and December 2014 to the ERs of five large hospital of Rome, Italy

Interleukin-34 Enhances the Tumor Promoting Function of Colorectal Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts

In colorectal cancer (CRC), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote tumor growth and progression through the synthesis of various molecules targeting the neoplastic cells. Here, we demonstrate that IL-34, a cytokine highly expressed in CRC tissue, regulates the function of CAFs in a paracrine and autocrine manner. Specifically, IL-34 induces normal fibroblasts (NFs) to acquire a cellular phenotype resembling that of CAFs, while IL-34 knockdown in CAFs reduces their tumorigenic properties and proliferation. Moreover, IL-34 stimulates NFs to produce netrin-1 and b-FGF—two factors that enhance CRC cell growth and migration. Altogether, our data support the involvement of IL-34 in CRC. Abstract The stromal compartment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is marked by the presence of large numbers of fibroblasts, termed cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), which promote CRC growth and progression through the synthesis of various molecules targeting the neoplastic cells. Interleukin (IL)-34, a cytokine over-produced by CRC cells, stimulates CRC cell growth. Since IL-34 also regulates the function of inflammatory fibroblasts, we hypothesized that it could regulate the tumor promoting function of colorectal CAFs. By immunostaining and real-time PCR, we initially showed that IL-34 was highly produced by CAFs and to lesser extent by normal fibroblasts isolated from non-tumoral colonic mucosa of CRC patients. CAFs and normal fibroblasts expressed the functional receptors of IL-34. IL-34 induced normal fibroblasts to express α-SMA, vimentin and fibroblast activation protein and enhanced fibroblast growth, thus generating a cellular phenotype resembling that of CAFs. Consistently, knockdown of IL-34 in CAFs with an antisense oligonucleotide (AS) decreased expression of such markers and inhibited cell proliferation. Co-culture of CRC cells with IL-34 AS-treated CAFs supernatants resulted in less cancer cell proliferation and migration. Among CAF-derived molecules known to promote CRC cell growth/migration, only netrin-1 and basic-fibroblast growth factor were induced by IL-34. Data suggest a role for IL-34 in the control of colorectal CAF function

Macrophages produce and functionally respond to interleukin-34 in colon cancer

In colorectal cancer (CRC), macrophages represent a major component of the tumor mass and exert mostly functions promoting tumor cell survival, proliferation, and dissemination. Interleukin-34 (IL-34) is a cytokine overproduced by colon cancer (CRC) cells and supposed to make a valid contribution to the growth and diffusion of CRC cells. The biological functions of IL-34 are mediated by the macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor (M-CSFR-1), which controls monocyte/macrophage differentiation, growth, and survival. We here investigated whether, in CRC, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) express M-CSFR-1 and functionally respond to IL-34. By flow-cytometry analysis of tumor-infiltrating cells (TICs) and lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs) isolated from normal, adjacent mucosa of CRC patients, we showed that CD68/HLA-DRII-expressing TICs and LPMCs expressed M-CSFR-1. Both these cell types produced IL-34 even though the expression of the cytokine was more pronounced in TICs as compared to normal LPMCs. Moreover, in CRC samples, there was a positive correlation between IL-34-producing cells and CD68-positive cells. Stimulation of LPMCs and TICs with IL-34 resulted in enhanced expression of CD163 and CD206, two markers of type II-polarized macrophages, and this was evident at both RNA and protein level. In the same cell cultures, IL-34 stimulated expression and production of IL-6, a cytokine known to promote CRC cell growth and diffusion. Finally, knockdown of IL-34 in TICs with specific antisense oligonucleotides with: a specific antisesne oligonucleotide decreased IL-6 production and the number of TAMs producing this cytokine. This is the first to show a positive role of IL-34 in the control of TAMs in CRC, further supporting the notion that IL-34 sustains colon tumorigenesis

Early loss of blood-brain barrier integrity precedes NOX2 elevation in the prefrontal cortex of an animal model of psychosis

The social isolation rearing of young adult rats is a model of psychosocial stress and provides a nonpharmacological tool to study alterations reminiscent of symptoms seen in psychosis. We have previously demonstrated that social isolation in rats leads to increased oxidative stress and to cerebral NOX2 elevations. Here, we investigated early alterations in mRNA expression leading to increased NOX2 in the brain. Rats were exposed to a short period of social isolation (1 week) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for mRNA expression of genes involved in blood-brain barrier (BBB) formation and integrity (ORLs, Vof 21 and Vof 16, Leng8, Vnr1, and Trank 1 genes) was performed. Real-time PCR experiments, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting analysis showed an increased expression of these genes and related proteins in isolated rats with respect to control animals. The expression of specific markers of BBB integrity, such as matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9), occludin 1, and plasmalemmal vesicle associated protein-1 (PV-1), was also significantly altered after 1 week of social isolation. BBB permeability, evaluated by quantification of Evans blue dye extravasation, as well as interstitial fluid, was significantly increased in rats isolated for 1 week with respect to controls. Isolation-induced BBB disruption was also accompanied by a significant increase of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) expression. Conversely, no differences in NOX2 levels were detected at this time point. Our study demonstrates that BBB disruption precedes NOX2 elevations in the brain. These results provide new insights in the interplay of mechanisms linking psychosocial stress to early oxidative stress in the brain, disruption of the BBB, and the development of mental disorders

Inhibitory Effect of Aqueous Extracts from Marine Sponges on the Activity and Expression of Gelatinases A (MMP-2) and B (MMP-9) in Rat Astrocyte Cultures

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether water soluble compounds present in aqueous extracts from seven Mediterranean demosponges exert biological activity towards matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which represent important pathogenic factors of human dis- eases. Aqueous extracts were tested on LPS-activated cultured rat astrocytes, and levels and expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were assessed by zymography and RT-PCR, re- spectively. Our results demonstrated that the studied extracts contain water soluble com- pounds able to inhibit MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity and expression. We also compared the anti-MMP activities present in aqueous extracts from wild and reared specimens of Tethya aurantium and T. citrina. The results obtained revealed that the reared sponges maintain the production of bioactive compounds with inhibitory effect on MMP-2 and MMP-9 for all the duration of the rearing period. Taken together, our results indicate that the aqueous ex- tracts from the selected Mediterranean demosponges possess a variety of water-soluble bioactive compounds, which are able to inhibit MMPs at different levels. The presence of bi- ological activity in aqueous extracts from reared specimens of T. aurantium and T. citrina strongly encourage sponge aquaculture as a valid option to supply sponge biomass for drug development on a large scale

One Year of COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: Effect of Sedentary Behavior on Physical Activity Levels and Musculoskeletal Pain among University Students

: The COVID-19 outbreak forced Italian students to reduce their daily activities, inducing a seden-tary attitude that was worsened by distanced learning. This study aimed to survey the physical activity levels that were maintained before and during the social restrictions following the pan-demic, their correlation to musculoskeletal pain, as well as analyzing the impact of these COVID-19 restrictions on pain and fatigue that affects daily life activities. A total of 2044 students completed the online questionnaire, of which the results of 1654 participants were eligible. Before the pandemic, the levels of physical activity were distributed as: 19.9% no activity, 30.1% light ac-tivity, 21.5% moderate activity, and 28.5% high activity. After one year of the pandemic, 30.6% of the participants were inactive, 48.1%, 10.9%, and 10.5% stated as maintaining, respectively, light, moderate and high levels of physical activity. Furthermore, 43.5% reported neck pain and 33.5% stated to experience low back pain. Physical activity levels lower than 150 min/week may have predisposed students to suffer from neck pain (1.95 OR at 95% CI, 1.44-2.64) and low back pain (1.79 OR at 95% CI, 1.29-2.49). A positive correlation between physical activity levels, Verbal Descriptive Scale (VDS), and pain frequency have been observed for neck and low back pain (p-value < 0.05). Finally, low physical activity levels were associated with musculoskeletal pain onset and pain worsening