103 research outputs found
Knowledge and attitudes towards smoking cessation counselling: an Italian cross-sectional survey on tertiary care nursing staff
Background: One of the most effective smoking cessation strategies involves care
and advice from nurses due to their role in the front line of treatment. Lack of
education on smoking cessation counselling may be detrimental, and adequate
smoking cessation training during healthcare studies is needed.
Objectives: The study aimed to examine nurses’ attitudes, belief, and knowledge of
smoking cessation counselling; knowledge of the health risks associated with
smoking was also assessed.
Design: A cross-sectional survey on 77 nurses from the nursing staff of Cardiology,
Cardiac Intensive Care and Surgical Oncology Units of two tertiary hospitals.
Methods: Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to assess the questionnaire’s internal
consistency, and three composite indicators were computed to assess the three
dimensions of the questionnaire (knowledge, attitude, belief). Furthermore, a
stepwise linear regression model was used to predict the attitude to be engaged in
smoking cessation counselling, related to demographic and behavioural variables,
as well as knowledge and belief indicators. The analysis was stratified by Unit.
Results: Nurses from three Units had a significantly different attitude score (2.55 ±
0.93 for Cardiology, 2.49 ± 0.72 for Cardiac Intensive Care and 2.09 ± 0.59 for
Surgical Oncology Unit) (P-value = 0.0493). Analogously, knowledge of smoking
cessation counselling was reported to be higher for Cardiac Intensive Care
Unit nurses (3.19 ± 0.70) compared to Surgical Oncology nurses (2.73 ± 0.74)
(P-value = 0.021). At the multivariable analysis, attitude towards smoking cessation
counselling was significantly related to the nurse’s belief about counselling, for
Cardiology staff (coeff = 0.74, 95% CI [0.32–1.16], P-value = 0.002) and for Surgical
Oncology staff (coeff = 0.37, 95% CI [0.01–0.72], P-value = 0.042).
Conclusions: Incorporation of smoking cessation interventions in nurses’ and
nursing managers’ education could improve the nursing staff’s attitude, belief, and
knowledge regarding smoking cessation counselling, which would lead to the
inclusion of tobacco prevention and cessation as an integral part of patient care
A simple trapped-ion architecture for high-fidelity Toffoli gates
We discuss a simple architecture for a quantum Toffoli gate implemented using
three trapped ions. The gate, which in principle can be implemented with a
single laser-induced operation, is effective under rather general conditions
and is strikingly robust (within any experimentally realistic range of values)
against dephasing, heating and random fluctuations of the Hamiltonian
parameters. We provide a full characterization of the unitary and
noise-affected gate using three-qubit quantum process tomography
Caries Severity, Decayed First Permanent Molars and Associated Factors in 6-7 Years Old Schoolchildren Living in Palermo (Southern Italy).
To date, there are very few epidemiologic studies on caries disease in 6-7 year old children living in Sicily (Southern Italy). The first permanent molar (FPM) is the most commonly affected tooth in this target population, and a one-unit increase in the number of decayed FPMs is predictive of caries in other teeth and in adulthood. The primary aim of this research is to estimate the prevalence of caries in 6-7 year old schoolchildren living in Palermo and, as a secondary aim, to estimate the prevalence of affected FPMs. It was designed as a cluster cross-sectional survey on 995 children from 16 schools, selected based on their geographical location, in one of the eight city districts. Caries data were recorded using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System for each tooth surface. The relation between socio-economic status, behavioural determinants, and clinical information and the number of teeth with initial caries (IC), moderate caries (MC), or extensive caries (SC) was analysed through the ordinal logistic regression. Among the 995 schoolchildren, 662 (66.5%) had at least one lesion and 742 (74.6%) had FPMs. Of the latter, 238 (32.0%) were affected by IC, 86 (11.6%) were affected by MC, and only 3 (0.4%) were affected by SC. During multivariable analysis, there was evidence of an increased risk of MC and SC related to the deprivation of the district in which the children lived and went to school, as well as to the protective role of parental education and employment. The same significant determinants were found for IC and MC FPMs. The study showed the important role of socio-economic determinants, unhealthy behaviours, and social deprivation related to the increased risk of moderate and extensive caries in 6-7 year old schoolchildren. Investigating this target population is very important, as early development of caries in FPMs may have serious consequences in the prognostics of oral health in an adult
Oral Health Status in Subjects with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: Data from the Zabút Aging Project
Background: The relationship between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and periodontitis has been recently investigated with heterogenous results.
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the oral health status and its relationship with cognitive impairment of participants, enrolled in the Zabút Aging Project, a community-based cohort study performed in rural community in Sicily, Italy.
Methods: A case-control study (20 subjects with AD, 20 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 20 controls) was conducted. The protocol included a comprehensive medical and cognitive-behavioral examination. Full-mouth evaluation, microbial analysis of subgingival plaque samples (by RT-PCR analysis), and oral health-related quality of life (OHR-QoL) were evaluated.
Results: The decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) total score of AD subjects was significantly higher than for aMCI (p = 0.009) and controls (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the "M" component of DMFT (i.e., the number of missing teeth) was significantly higher in AD than in aMCI (p < 0.001) and controls (p < 0.001). A Poisson regression model revealed that age (p < 0.001), male gender (p = 0.001), and AD (p = 0.001) were positively correlated with DMFT. Concerning oral microbial load, the presence of Fusobacterium nucleatum was significantly higher in AD than in controls (p = 0.02), and a higher load of Treponema denticola was found in aMCI than with AD (p = 0.004). OHR-QoL scores did not differ among the groups.
Conclusion: The current research suggests that AD is associated with chronic periodontitis, which is capable of determining tooth loss due to the pathogenicity of Fusobacterium nucleatum. These data remain to be confirmed in larger population-based cohorts
Conservative Surgical Treatment of Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw with Er,Cr:YSGG Laser and Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Longitudinal Study
Abstract
Introduction: The management of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (BRONJ), with no evidence-based guidelines, remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a conservative surgical treatment combining Er,Cr:YSGG laser and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of BRONJ in cancer patients.Methods:We performed a longitudinal cohort study. Inclusion criteria were (1) age 65 18 years; (2) cancer diagnosis; (3) treatment with NBP because of the underlying cancer.
Results:We consecutively recruited ten patients diagnosed with BRONJ in stage I or II. These patients underwent a surgical laser-assisted therapy together with autologous PRP. At the latest follow-up at 12 months, clinical improvement was observed in eight patients. Registration Number is IRCT20180329039159N1.
Conclusion:We could successfully manage the BRONJ utilizing this combined protocol to heal the 30% of surgically treated sites and to improve the 50% of patients' lesions clinically. Our findings suggest that a surgical approach combined with Er,Cr:YSGG laser and PRP benefit cancer patients with general health issues
Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire for Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome Screening: Is Sleep Quality Worthy of Note?
Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is the most severe condition on the spectrum
of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs). The Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) is one of
the most used and validated screening tools, but it lacks the comprehensive assessment of some
determinants of OSAS, specifically anamnestic assessment and sleep quality. This study aims to
assess the accuracy of some specific items added to the original PSQ, particularly related to the
patient’s anamnestic history and to the quality of sleep, for the screening of OSAS in a paediatric
population living in Sicily (Italy). Fifteen specific items, divided into “anamnestic” and “related to
sleep quality” were added to the original PSQ. The whole questionnaire was administered via a
digital form to the parents of children at 4 schools (age range: 3–13 years). For each item, sensitivity
and specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratios
were calculated. The highest sensitivity (80.0, 95% CI: 28.4; 99.5), in combination with the highest
specificity (61.1, 95% CI: 35.7; 82.7), was found for the Item 32 (“assumption of bizarre or abnormal
positions during sleep”). This item was found statistically significant for predicting the occurrence of
OSAS in children (p-value ≤0.003). The study demonstrates the accuracy of specific items related to
sleep quality disturbance for the preliminary assessment of the disease. Although these results should
be validated on a larger sample of subjects, they suggest that including the factors discriminating
sleep quality could further increase the efficiency and accuracy of PSQ
Low Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Reinfection for Fully or Boosted mRNA Vaccinated Subjects in Sicily: A Population-Based Study Using Real-World Data
: Background: Reinfections occur as a response to natural infections wanes and novel strains of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. The present research explored the correlation between sex, age, COVID-19 vaccination, prior infection hospitalization, and SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in Sicily, Italy. Materials and Methods: A population-based retrospective cohort study was articulated using the vaccination flux from a regional registry and the Sicilian COVID-19 monitoring system of the Italian Institute of Health. Only adult Sicilians were included in the study, and hazard ratios were calculated using Cox regression. Results: Partial vaccination provided some protection (adj-HR: 0.92), when compared to unvaccinated individuals; furthermore, reinfection risk was reduced by full vaccination (adj-HR: 0.43), and the booster dose (adj-HR: 0.41). Males had a lower risk than females of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 (adj-HR: 0.75). Reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 was diminished by hospitalization during the first infection (adj-HR: 0.78). Reinfection risk was higher among those aged 30-39 and 40-49 compared to those aged 18-29, whereas those aged 60-69, 70-79, and 80+ were statistically protected. Reinfection was significantly more frequent during the wild-type-Alpha, Delta, Delta-Omicron, and Omicron dominance/codominance waves compared to the wild type. Conclusions: This study establishes a solid base for comprehending the reinfection phenomenon in Sicily by pinpointing the most urgent policy hurdles and identifying some of the major factors. COVID-19 vaccination, one of the most effective public health tools, protects against reinfection, mostly caused by the Omicron strain. Elderly and hospitalized people's lower risk suggests stricter PPE use
Lifestyle medicine and psychological well-being toward health promotion: a cross-sectional study on Palermo (Southern Italy) undergraduates
(1) Aim: To assess the attitude toward Lifestyle Medicine and healthy behaviours among
students in the healthcare area and to demonstrate its association to psychological well-being;
(2) Methods: A cross-sectional study is conducted among 508 undergraduates of the University
of Palermo (140 (27.6%) in the healthcare area and 368 (72.4%) in the non-healthcare area), during
the academic year 2018–2019. Psychological well-being is measured through two dimensions of
eudaimonia and hedonia, using the 10-item Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities-Revised
(HEMA-R) scale, with answers coded on a 7-point scale. The association between demographic and
modifiable behavioural risk factors for chronic diseases is assessed through crude and adjusted Odds
ratios with 95% confidence intervals; (3) Results: Orientation to both hedonia and eudaimonia is
significantly associated to the Mediterranean diet (ORAdj = 2.28; 95% CI = (1.42–3.70)) and drinking
spirits less than once a week (ORAdj = 1.89; 95% CI = (1.10–3.27)) and once a week or more (ORAdj
= 6.02; 95% CI = (1.05–34.52)), while these conditions occur together less frequently for current
smokers (ORAdj = 0.38; 95% CI = (0.18–0.81)). Students inclined to well-being consider healthcare
professionals as models for their patients and all people in general (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = (1.28–3.00));
(4) Conclusions: The positive relation found between a virtuous lifestyle and psychological well-being
suggests the construction, development and cultivation of individual skills are a means to succeed in
counteracting at risk behaviours for health
Immunohistochemical investigation of cell cycle and apoptosis regulators (Survivin, beta-Catenin, P53, Caspase 3) in canine appendicular osteosarcoma
Background: Osteosarcoma (OSA) represents the most common canine primary bone tumour. Despite several pathways have been investigated so far, few molecules have been identified as prognostic tools or potential therapeutic targets, and there is still the need to find out molecular pathways with specific influence over OSA progression to facilitate earlier prognosis and treatment.Aims of the present study were to evaluate the immunohistochemical pattern and levels of expression of a panel of molecules (survivin, β-catenin, caspase 3 -inactive and active forms- and p53) involved in cell cycle and apoptosis regulation in canine OSA samples, known to be of interest in the study also of human OSA, and to detect specific relations among them and with histological tumour grade, disease free interval (DFI) and overall survival (OS).Results: Nuclear β-catenin immunostaining was detected in normal osteoblasts adjacent to the tumour, and in 47% of the cases. Cytoplasmic and/or membranous immunostaining were also observed. Nuclear survivin and p53 positive cells were found in all cases. Moderate/high cytoplasmic β-catenin expression (≥10% positive cells) was significantly associated with the development of metastasis (P = 0.014); moderate/high nuclear p53 expression (≥10% positive cells) was significantly associated with moderate/high histological grade (P = 0.017) and shorter OS (P = 0.049). Moderate/high nuclear survivin expression (≥15% positive cells) showed a tendency toward a longer OS (P = 0,088).Conclusions: The present results confirmed p53 as negative prognostic marker, while suggested survivin as a potential positive prognostic indicator, rather than indicative of a poor prognosis. The detection of nuclear β-catenin immunostaining in normal osteoblasts and the absent/low expression in most of the OSAs, suggested that this pathway could not play a major role in oncogenic transformation of canine osteoblasts. Further studies are needed to confirm these hypotheses
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