Risk Perceptions and Psychological Effects During the Italian COVID-19 Emergency

The current study provides data about the immediate risk perceptions and psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among Italian participants. A sample of 980 volunteers answered a web-based survey which aimed to investigate the many facets of risk perceptions connected to COVID-19 (health, work, institutionaleconomy, interpersonal and psychological), and risk-related variables such as perceived knowledge, news seeking, perceived control, perceived efficacy of containment measures, and affective states. Socio-demographic characteristics were also collected. Results showed that although levels of general concern are relatively high among Italians, risk perceptions are highest with regards to the institutional-economy and work, and lowest concerning health. COVID-19 has been also estimated to be the least likely cause of death. Cognitive and affective risk-related variables contributed to explain the several risk perception domains differently. COVID-19 perceived knowledge did not affect any risk perception while the perceived control decreased health risk likelihood. The other risk-related variables amplified risk perceptions: News seeking increased work and institutional-economy risk; perceived efficacy of containment measures increased almost all perceived risks; negative affective states of fear, anger and sadness increased health risk; anxiety increased health, interpersonal and psychological risks, and uncertainty increased work, institutional-economy, interpersonal and psychological risk perceptions. Finally, positive affective states increased health risk perception. Socio-psychological implications are discussed

Sviluppo Motorio in Età Evolutiva: Capacità Motorie, BMI e Fattori Correlati. Quali effetti di mediazione?

Sedentary habits and low levels of physical activity limit the motor skills learning, leading to the progressive reduction of the individual motor repertoire and conditioning the development of related factors. Researchin motor and sports sciences is still proceeding in a shattered way, not only because of the interdisciplinary connotations, limiting the transformation of scientific evidence into good practices. This study aims to investigatethe relationship between body mass index (BMI), motor performance and factors related to the practice of physical activity in a sample of adolescents through the study of mediation factors. The sample is composed of 60 middle school students aged 11-12 (M = 24, F = 36), selected as part of the project "Regional Observatory on Levels of Physical Activity and Motor Development", coordinated by the University of Foggia. The study included the proposal of 4 motor tests (standing long jump, medicine ball throw 2Kg, shuttle run10x5 and Mile) and three questionnaires to evaluate the following factors: levels of physical activity, enjoyment, self-perception. The results showed that the 10x5 shuttle run test is a factor of partial mediation between the BMI and the standing long jump, while the self-perception totally mediates therelationship between enjoyment and the Mile test. The small sample size does not allow for generalization and extension of the results, but it has been possible to deduce some methodological implications for the training of physical education teachers.Abitudini sedentarie e bassi livelli di attività fisica limitano l’acquisizione di competenze motorie, determinando la progressiva riduzione del repertorio motorio individuale e condizionando lo sviluppo dei fattori correlati. La ricerca nelle scienze motorie e dello sport procede ancora in modo frantumato, non solo a causa delle connotazioni interdisciplinari, limitando la trasformazione di evidenze scientifiche in buone pratiche. Il presente studio si propone di indagare la relazione tra body mass index (BMI), prestazioni motoriee fattori correlati alla pratica di attività fisica in un campione di adolescenti attraverso lo studio dei fattori di mediazione. Il campione è composto da 60 allievi della scuola media di età compresa tra 11-12 anni (M =24, F = 36), selezionato nell’ambito del progetto “Osservatorio Regionale sui Livelli di Attività Fisica e lo Sviluppo Motorio”, coordinato dall'Università degli Studi di Foggia. Lo studio ha previsto la proposta di 4 test motori (salto in lungo da fermo, lancio frontale 2Kg, navetta 10x5 e Miglio) e tre questionari per valutare i seguenti fattori: livelli di attività fisica, divertimento, self-perception. I risultati hanno evidenziato che il test navetta 10x5 è un fattore di mediazione parziale tra il BMI ed il test salto in lungo da fermo, mentre il fattore self-perception media totalmente la relazione tra divertimento ed il test del Miglio. La scarsa numerosità del campione non consente di generalizzare ed estendere i risultati, tuttavia è stato possibile desumere alcune implicazioni metodologiche utili alla formazione degli insegnanti di educazione fisica.&nbsp

High total cholesterol in peripheral blood correlates with poorer hearing recovery in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) is a common otologic emergency whose cause is still unclear. The importance of blood lipids in the pathogenesis of ISSHL is widely reported in literature. In fact elevated levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), total cholesterol (TC) and apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) have been proposed as risk factors for this pathology. No correlation has been described between serum lipid parameters and the prognosis of ISSHL. Aim of the present study was to identify prognostic factors associated with hearing recovery in a group of patients affected by ISSHL. Ninety-four patients with the diagnosis of ISSHL hospitalized between March 2013 and October 2014 were included in this study. Patients' blood sampling and hearing assessments were carried out. Patients were divided into two groups as "recovered" and "unrecovered", according to their response to the treatment. We found a statistically significant higher level of total cholesterol in the unrecovered group compared to the recovered one (p = 0.03). None of the other routine laboratory parameters have shown a statistically significant difference between the patients successfully treated and patients with poor outcomes. Total cholesterol concentrations may be a prognostic factor for recovery in ISSHL and should be assessed together with routine tests in patients with this condition. The other routine laboratory parameters seem to have no effect on the development and prognosis of this pathology

Hepatic microRNA Expression by PGC-1α and PGC-1β in the Mouse.

The fine-tuning of liver metabolism is essential to maintain the whole-body homeostasis and to prevent the onset of diseases. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivators (PGC-1s) are transcriptional key players of liver metabolism, able to regulate mitochondrial function, gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism. Their activity is accurately modulated by post-translational modifications. Here, we showed that specific PGC-1s expression can lead to the upregulation of different microRNAs widely implicated in liver physiology and diseases development and progression, thus offering a new layer of complexity in the control of hepatic metabolism

Identification of peculiar gene expression profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of celiac patients on gluten free diet.

Celiac disease (CD) is a systemic disorder characterized by an immune-mediated reaction to gluten and a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations. Currently, the main treatment of CD is represented by adherence to a gluten-free diet (GFD) which determines the resolution of symptoms, and the normalization of the serology and of the duodenal villous atrophy. In the present study, we aimed to identify changes in gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of celiac patients on GFD for at least 2 years, in order to identify novel disease biomarkers and candidate targets for putative therapeutic approaches. Microarray analysis was performed on PBMCs from 17 celiac patients on long-term GFD and 20 healthy controls. We identified 517 annotated genes that were significantly modulated between celiac patients and controls. Significant biological pathways were functionally clustered using the Core Function of Ingenuity System Pathway Analysis (IPA). Intriguingly, despite being on a GFD, celiac patients exhibited a peculiar PBMC profile characterized by an aberrant expression of genes involved in the regulation of immunity, inflammatory response, metabolism, and cell proliferation. Random forest algorithm was then used to validate the prediction ability of core genes as classifiers of the "celiac status". In conclusion, our study identified a characteristic PBMCs signature profile in clinically asymptomatic celiac patient

ENT surgical emergencies during the COVID-19 outbreak

Introduction: The restrictive measures adopted by the Italian Government during the COVID-19 outbreak caused dramatic changes in routine public health care. Surprisingly, emergency activity also registered a reduction in frequency. Methods: This multicentre retrospective study aims to investigate eventual changes in ENT surgical emergencies in a highly populated area of southern Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data concerning the period between the February 1 and the May 31, 2020 were collected from the main three hospitals in the district and compared with the same period of 2019. Results: A substantial reduction was found in the number of ENT emergency interventions in 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, particularly in the main lockdown phase and in the tertiary referral centre. Conclusions: The reduction in the absolute number of emergency ENT interventions can be only partially explained by social distancing and home confinement. We have reason to believe that some of these patients may have not sought medical support due to fear of nosocomial SARS-CoV2 infection. This study could represent a trigger for further implementation of health system responses to emergencies in a period of transition that is likely to last for a prolonged period of time

Aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular events in people with diabetes: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Objective To evaluate the benefits and harms of low dose aspirin in people with diabetes and no cardiovascular disease

Potential predictive role of chemotherapy-induced changes of soluble CD40 ligand in untreated advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma lacks predictive biomarkers. CD40 is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. CD40-sCD40L interaction is considered to contribute to the promotion of tumor cell growth and angiogenesis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of serum sCD40L as a predictor in metastatic pancreatic cancer. We evaluated 27 consecutive pancreatic cancer patients treated with FOLFIRINOX (21 patients) or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel combination (six patients). The sCD40L level was measured in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at baseline, at first evaluation (all patients), and at time to progression (18 patients). The radiological response was evaluated according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, Version 1.1. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare pre-post treatment sCD40L levels with respect to clinical response, while Pearson's correlation coefficient was used for the correlation between sCD40L and CA19.9 pre- and post-treatment. The Kruskal-Wallis test was also conducted for further comparisons. We observed a statistically significant reduction in the sCD40L level after 3 months of treatment in patients with partial response (11,718.05\ub17,097.13 pg/mL vs 4,689.42\ub15,409.96 pg/mL; P<0.01). Conversely, in patients with progressive disease, the biomarker statistically increased in the same time (9,351.51\ub17,356.91 pg/mL vs 22,282.92\ub111,629.35 pg/mL; P<0.01). This trend of sCD40L was confirmed in 18 patients at time to progression after the first evaluation. No differences were recorded within the stable disease group. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between the sCD40L and CA19.9 pre-post treatment variation percentage (Pearson's correlation coefficient =0.52; P<0.05). Our data suggest a possible predictive role of sCD40L in pancreatic cancer patients, similar to CA19.9

Identification of miR-9-5p as direct regulator of ABCA1 and HDL-driven reverse cholesterol transport in circulating CD14+ cells of patients with metabolic syndrome.

AIMS: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of cardio-metabolic risk factors associated with atherosclerosis and low-grade inflammation. Using unbiased expression screenings in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we depict here a novel expression chart of 678 genes and 84 microRNAs (miRNAs) controlling inflammatory, immune and metabolic responses. In order to further elucidate the link between inflammation and the HDL cholesterol pathway in MS, we focussed on the regulation of the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a key player in cholesterol efflux (CE). METHODS AND RESULTS: ABCA1 mRNA levels are suppressed in CD14+ cells of MS patients and are negatively correlated to body mass index (BMI), insulin-resistance (HOMA-IR) and cardiovascular risk, and positively to HDL cholesterol and CE. miRNA target in silico prediction identified a putative modulatory role of ABCA1 for the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NF-κB) target miR-9-5p, whose expression pattern was up-regulated in CD14+ cells of MS patients, positively correlated to BMI, HOMA-IR, and triglycerides, and negatively to ABCA1 mRNA levels, HDL cholesterol and CE. Ectopic gain and loss of miR-9-5p function in macrophages modulated ABCA1 mRNA and protein levels, ABCA1 miRNA 3'-untranslated region target sequence reporter assay, and CE into HDL, thus confirming ABCA1 as a target of miR-9-5p. CONCLUSIONS: We identified the NF-κB target miR-9-5p as a negative regulator of ABCA1 adding a novel target pathway in the relationship between inflammation and HDL-driven reverse cholesterol transport for prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis in MS.N/

Identification of miR-9-5p as direct regulator of ABCA1 and HDL-driven reverse cholesterol transport in circulating CD14+ cells of patients with metabolic syndrome.

Aims: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of cardio-metabolic risk factors associated with atherosclerosis and low-grade inflammation. Using unbiased expression screenings in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, we depict here a novel expression chart of 678 genes and 84 microRNAs (miRNAs) controlling inflammatory, immune and metabolic responses. In order to further elucidate the link between inflammation and the HDL cholesterol pathway in MS, we focussed on the regulation of the ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a key player in cholesterol efflux (CE). Methods and results: ABCA1 mRNA levels are suppressed in CD14+ cells of MS patients and are negatively correlated to body mass index (BMI), insulin-resistance (HOMA-IR) and cardiovascular risk, and positively to HDL cholesterol and CE. miRNA target in silico prediction identified a putative modulatory role of ABCA1 for the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NF-κB) target miR-9-5p, whose expression pattern was up-regulated in CD14+ cells of MS patients, positively correlated to BMI, HOMA-IR, and triglycerides, and negatively to ABCA1 mRNA levels, HDL cholesterol and CE. Ectopic gain and loss of miR-9-5p function in macrophages modulated ABCA1 mRNA and protein levels, ABCA1 miRNA 3'-untranslated region target sequence reporter assay, and CE into HDL, thus confirming ABCA1 as a target of miR-9-5p. Conclusions: We identified the NF-κB target miR-9-5p as a negative regulator of ABCA1 adding a novel target pathway in the relationship between inflammation and HDL-driven reverse cholesterol transport for prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis in MS.N/