The Human Dignity as a Connection between Human Rights and Tax Law

This article endorses the deductive method to relate Human Rights and Tax Law two Law disciplines that appears to be distant but have a common objective the protection of the dignity of the human person The first has the human as its central object of study currently discussing how to protect it In turn Tax Law has the purpose to convert the tax revenues into public policies to protect the fundamental rights of taxpayers Tax Law seeks to effectively protect Human Rights alongside with Human Rights towar the same objective the guarantee of a dignified life for citizens protected by the Stat

Obesity and ischemic heart disease. Is there a link between wellness’ diseases?

Obesity, the most common nutritional disorder in Western countries, is usually associated to cardiovascular diseases. However, the precise molecular pathways underlying this close association remain poorly understood. Nowadays, the adipose tissue is considered as an endocrine organ able to produce substances called adipo(cyto)kines that have different effects on lipid metabolism, closely involved in metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk. The increased cardiovascular risk can be related also to peculiar dysfunction in the endocrine activity of adipose tissue observed in obesity responsible of vascular impairment (including endothelial dysfunction), prothrombotic tendency, and low-grade chronic inflammation. The present review aims at providing an up-dated overview on the adipocytederived molecules potentially involved in cardiovascular pathophysiology

Effects of Irritant Chemicals on Aedes aegypti Resting Behavior: Is There a Simple Shift to Untreated “Safe Sites”?

Aedes aegypti, the primary vector mosquito of dengue virus, typically lives near or inside human dwellings, and feeds preferentially on humans. The control of this mosquito vector remains the most important dengue prevention method. The use of chemicals at levels toxic to mosquitoes is currently the only confirmed effective adult vector control strategy with interventions usually applied following epidemic onset. However, research indicates that sub-lethal chemical approaches to prevent human-vector contact at the house level exist: contact irritancy and spatial repellency. The optimum efficacy of an intervention based on contact irritant actions of chemicals will, however, require full knowledge of variables that will influence vector resting behavior and thereby chemical uptake from treated sources. Here we characterize the resting patterns of female Ae. aegypti on two material types at various dark:light surface area coverage ratios and contrast configurations under chemical-free and treated conditions using a laboratory behavioral assay. Change in resting behavior between baseline and treatment conditions was quantified to determine potential negative effects of untreated surfaces (“safe sites”) when irritant responses are elicited. We show that treatment of preferred resting sites with known irritant compounds do not stimulate mosquitoes to move to safe sites after making contact with treated surfaces

Dyspnea and respiratory muscles ultrasound to predict extubation failure

International audienceThis study investigated dyspnea intensity and respiratory muscles ultrasound early after extubation to predict extubation failure.It was conducted prospectively in two intensive care units in France and Canada. Patients intubated for at least 48 h were studied within 2 h after an extubation following a successful spontaneous breathing trial. Dyspnea was evaluated by the Dyspnea-Visual Analog Scale from 0 to 10 cm (VAS) and the Intensive Care - Respiratory Distress Observational Scale (range 0-10). The ultrasound thickening fraction of the parasternal intercostal and the diaphragm were measured; limb muscle strength was evaluated using the Medical Research Council score (MRC) (range 0-60).Extubation failure occurred in 21 of the 122 enrolled patients (17%). Dyspnea-VAS and Intensive Care - Respiratory Distress Observational scale were higher in patients with extubation failure versus success: 7 (5-9) cm versus 3 (1-5) cm respectively (p<0.001) and 4.4 (2.5-6.5) versus 2.4 (2.1-2.8) respectively (p<0.001). The ratio of intercostal muscle to diaphragm thickening fraction was significantly higher and MRC was lower in patients with failure (0.9 [0.4-3.0] versus 0.3 [0.2-0.5], p<0.001, and 45 [36-50] versus 52 [44-60], p=0.012). The thickening fraction of the intercostal and its ratio to diaphragm thickening showed the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for an early prediction of extubation failure (0.81). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of Dyspnea-VAS and Intensive Care - Respiratory Distress Observational scale reached 0.78 and 0.74 respectively.Respiratory muscle ultrasound and dyspnea measured within 2 h after extubation predict subsequent extubation failure

Parental presence in Italian pediatric intensive care units: a reappraisal of current visiting policies

Parental presence in Italian pediatric intensive care units: a reappraisal of current visiting policie

Adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines and outcomes in the hospitalized elderly with different types of pneumonia

Background: Few studies evaluated the clinical outcomes of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) and Health Care-Associated Pneumonia (HCAP) in relation to the adherence of antibiotic treatment to the guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) in hospitalized elderly people (65 years or older). Methods: Data were obtained from REPOSI, a prospective registry held in 87 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. Patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia (ICD-9 480-487) or prescribed with an antibiotic for pneumonia as indication were selected. The empirical antibiotic regimen was defined to be adherent to guidelines if concordant with the treatment regimens recommended by IDSA/ATS for CAP, HAP, and HCAP. Outcomes were assessed by logistic regression models. Results: A diagnosis of pneumonia was made in 317 patients. Only 38.8% of them received an empirical antibiotic regimen that was adherent to guidelines. However, no significant association was found between adherence to guidelines and outcomes. Having HAP, older age, and higher CIRS severity index were the main factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: The adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines was poor, particularly for HAP and HCAP, suggesting the need for more adherence to the optimal management of antibiotics in the elderly with pneumonia

Multimorbidity and polypharmacy in the elderly: Lessons from REPOSI

The dramatic demographic changes that are occurring in the third millennium are modifying the mission of generalist professionals such as primary care physicians and internists. Multiple chronic diseases and the related prescription of multiple medications are becoming typical problems and present many challenges. Unfortunately, the available evidence regarding the efficacy of medications has been generated by clinical trials involving patients completely different from those currently admitted to internal medicine: much younger, affected by a single disease and managed in a highly controlled research environment. Because only registries can provide information on drug effectiveness in real-life conditions, REPOSI started in 2008 with the goal of acquiring data on elderly people acutely admitted to medical or geriatric hospital wards in Italy. The main goals of the registry were to evaluate drug prescription appropriateness, the relationship between multimorbidity/polypharmacy and such cogent outcomes as hospital mortality and re-hospitalization, and the identification of disease clusters that most often concomitantly occur in the elderly. The findings of 3-yearly REPOSI runs (2008, 2010, 2012) suggest the following pertinent tasks for the internist in order to optimally handle their elderly patients: the management of multiple medications, the need to become acquainted with geriatric multidimensional tools, the promotion and implementation of a multidisciplinary team approach to patient health and care and the corresponding involvement of patients and their relatives and caregivers. There is also a need for more research, tailored to the peculiar features of the multimorbid elderly patient