AB0901 PREVALENCE OF OSTEOPOROSIS IN ITALIAN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN ACCORDING TO DEFRA ALGORITHM

Background:Osteoporosis is a recognized health problem and the burden of the disease is mostly associated with the occurrence of hip and vertebral fracture.Objectives:This study was aimed at evaluating the prevalence of osteoporosis in Italian postmenopausal women, defined by DeFRA calculation as a 10 years fracture risk equal or higher than 20%.Methods:This is a monocenter cohort study evaluating 1850 post-menopausal women aged 50 years and older. All the participants were evaluated as far as anthropometrics. Defra questionnaire was administered and calculated with bone mineral density (DXA) measured at lumbar spine and femoral neck.Results:The prevalence of osteoporosis as assessed by DeFRA was 29.8% in the whole population, according to literature. The frequency of a risk fracture equal or higher than 20% varied from 7.9% in the group aged 50-59 years to 35% in subjects aged >80. Among clinical risk factors for fracture, the presence of a previous fracture (spine primarily) was the most commonly observed.Conclusion:Our data showed that about one third of post-menopausal women aged 50 and older in Italy has osteoporosis on the basis of DeFRA algorithm, with a high 10 years fracture risk. A previous fracture is the most common risk factor. The data should be considered in relation to the need to increase prevention strategies and therapeutic intervention.Disclosure of Interests:None declare

Sudden olfactory loss as an early marker of COVID-19: a nationwide Italian survey

Purpose: The presence of many asymptomatic COVID-19 cases may increase the risks of disease dissemination, mainly for physicians. There are numerous reports on the frequent findings of sudden anosmia or hyposmia, before or at the same time of the typical COVID-19 symptoms onset. The aim of this study was to verify the association of olfactory impairment and COVID-19, providing a basis for subsequent research in the field of COVID-19 clinical heterogeneity. Methods: We developed a 15-item online questionnaire on “Sudden Olfactory Loss (SOL) and COVID-19” that was administered during March 2020 to Italian general practitioners registered to a social media group. Results: One hundred and eighty responses were received. SOL was identified as a significant sign of infection in COVID-19 patients, mainly aged between 30 and 40 years, even in the absence of other symptoms. SOL was present as an initial symptom in 46.7% of subjects, and in 16.7%, it was the only symptom. Among the COVID-19 confirmed cases, SOL occurred as the only symptom in 19.2% of patients. Conclusion: SOL could represent a possible early symptom in otherwise asymptomatic COVID-19 subjects. Subjects affected by SOL should be considered as potential COVID-19 cases. Level of evidence: 4

Tinnitus and equilibrium disorders in COVID-19 patients: preliminary results

Purpose: Tinnitus and equilibrium disorders such as dizziness and vertigo have been reported by patients with COVID-19; however, they have been rarely investigated. The aim of this study was to study the prevalence of subjective tinnitus and dizziness in a sample of COVID-19 patients using an online 10-item close-ended questionnaire. Methods: A multicentric study that included 15 Italian hospitals in different regions was conducted using an online 10-item close-ended questionnaire developed to identify the presence of tinnitus and balance disorders in patients with COVID-19 between May 5 and June 10, 2020. The questionnaire was administered to 185 patients in a period of > 30 – < 60 days after diagnosis of COVID-19; responses were recorded in an online Excel spreadsheet. The questionnaire was composed of three sections: (1) demographic information; (2) presence and characteristics of tinnitus and dizziness after COVID-19 diagnosis; (3) possible association with migraine. Results: Thirty-four patients (18.4%) reported equilibrium disorders after COVID-19 diagnosis. Of these, 32 patients reported dizziness (94.1%) and 2 (5.9%) reported acute vertigo attacks. Forty-three patients (23.2%) reported tinnitus; 14 (7.6%) reported both tinnitus and equilibrium disorders. Conclusion: This study suggests that the presence of subjective otoneurological symptoms such as tinnitus and balance disorders can affect COVID-19 patients; further studies are necessary to investigate the prevalence and pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these subjective symptoms in COVID-19 patients

Morteros cementicios con residuos plásticos de PET y RAEE

En la industria de la construcción se utilizan sistemas o componentes constructivos elaborados con materiales no renovables (por ejemplo: arena, piedra, metales, cemento) o de difícil renovación (por ejemplo: suelo y madera). Esta industria continua en crecimiento y a pesar de los esfuerzos por frenar el consumo desmedido de material virgen, sigue consumiendo los recursos naturales del planeta. Con la premisa de reducir el consumo de recursos naturales no renovables y disminuir la contaminación ambiental que generan los residuos, en el Centro Experimental de la Vivienda Económica -CEVE- se han desarrollado diferentes investigaciones que proponen el reciclado de residuos urbanos e industriales para la elaboración de componentes constructivos ecológicos destinados a la construcción de viviendas sociales y construcciones civiles en general. Dentro de las temáticas abordadas, se encuentran dos proyectos que incorporan residuos plásticos a matrices cementicias para fabricar materiales de construcción y componentes constructivos. Una de estas líneas plantea el uso de residuos de Polietilen-tereftalato (PET) proveniente de envases de bebidas mezclados con arena y cemento para fabricar ladrillos y bloques; en otro proyecto se estudia el uso de la fracción plástica de los Residuos de Aparatos Eléctricos y Electrónicos (RAEE) recubiertos de una mezcla de cemento y aditivos estabilizantes mediante la técnica del core-shell para fabricar un árido sintético. La importancia de la implementación de estas tecnologías radica en las ventajas económicas, ambientales y sociales que tienen estos desarrollos, ya que permiten revalorizar desechos y disminuir el uso de materiales vírgenes, fabricando productos técnicamente aptos y generando puestos de trabajo.In the construction industry there are used systems or building components made with not renewable raw materials (for example: sand, stones, metals, cement) or with difficult renewal like wood and soil. This industry is growing and despite the efforts to diminish the wasteful consumption of virgin material, continues to consume the natural resources of the planet. With the premise of reducing the consumption of non-renewable natural resources and reduce the environmental pollution that the wastes generate, in the Experimental Center of Economical Housing -CEVE- we have developed different researches which propose the recycling of urban and industrial wastes, for the production of ecological components intended for the construction of social housing and civil constructions in general. Within the topics developed, are two projects that incorporate waste plastics to cement matrix to make construction materials and building components. One of these projects raises the use of residues of Polietilenterephthalate (PET) from drink bottles discarded mixed with sand and cement to make bricks and blocks. Other research work studied the use of the plastic fraction of Wastes from Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) covered whit a mixture of cement and stabilizing additives through the core-shell technique to manufacture and synthetic aggregate (AS). The importance of these technologies is based on the economic, environmental and social advantages, because they allow to revalue wastes and reduce the use of virgin materials, manufacturing products technically suitable and generating jobs

Early and Late Response and Glucocorticoid-Sparing Effect of Belimumab in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Joint and Skin Manifestations: Results from the Belimumab in Real Life Setting Study—Joint and Skin (BeRLiSS-JS)

Aim. To assess the efficacy of belimumab in joint and skin manifestations in a nationwide cohort of patients with SLE. Methods. All patients with skin and joint involvement enrolled in the BeRLiSS cohort were considered. Belimumab (intravenous, 10 mg/kg) effectiveness in joint and skin manifestations was assessed by DAS28 and CLASI, respectively. Attainment and predictors of DAS28 remission (&lt;2.6) and LDA (≥2.6, ≤3.2), CLASI = 0, 1, and improvement in DAS28 and CLASI indices ≥20%, ≥50%, and ≥70% were evaluated at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Results. DAS28 &lt; 2.6 was achieved by 46%, 57%, and 71% of patients at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. CLASI = 0 was achieved by 36%, 48%, and 62% of patients at 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Belimumab showed a glucocorticoid-sparing effect, being glucocorticoid-free at 8.5%, 15.4%, 25.6%, and 31.6% of patients at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months, respectively. Patients achieving DAS-LDA and CLASI-50 at 6 months had a higher probability of remission at 12 months compared with those who did not (p = 0.034 and p = 0.028, respectively). Conclusions. Belimumab led to clinical improvement in a significant proportion of patients with joint or skin involvement in a real-life setting and was associated with a glucocorticoid-sparing effect. A significant proportion of patients with a partial response at 6 months achieved remission later on during follow-up

Mundos em miniatura: aproximação a alguns aspectos da cartografia portuguesa do Brasil (séculos XVI a XVIII)

This paper discusses the challenges of "miniaturizing" the world in Portuguese cartography at the dawn of the Modern Age. It draws attention to the process of amassing experience and geographic knowledge, and their deployment in the cartographic representations of Brazil throughout the first three centuries of its colonization