1,874 research outputs found
Femicide Circumstances and Harmfulness: Case Report and Focusing Review
Background: Femicide is an increasing phenomenon consisting of the murder of a
woman for gender-related reasons. Despite the enactment of new laws aimed at controlling the phenomenon by toughening the penalties and introducing aggravating circumstances, there is an increasing trend that testifies to the persistence of a flaw in the actual measures. (2) Case Presentation.
We report the case of the murder of a 32-year-old woman—perpetrated by an ex-husband who refused to accept the end of the marriage—the analysis of which allowed us to frame the case as femicide. (3) Discussion. Despite global awareness of this phenomenon, the identification of risk factors
to predict and prevent femicide is of utmost importance. This can be achieved by a multidisciplinary
approach involving police officers, legal professionals, hospitals, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and medico-legal departments aimed at promoting standardized methodologies.
(4) Conclusions. We evaluate the contribution of forensic investigations to the identification of key
elements that can help frame the murder of a woman as a femicide. Considering the devastating
consequences for children who witness this kind of violence within the domestic setting, the planning of more impactful preventive actions is, thus, mandatory to minimize effects on public health
Your Friends Mention It. What About Visiting It? A Mobile Social-Based Sightseeing Application
In this short poster paper, we present an application for suggesting attractions to be visited by users, based on social signal processing technique
RELAZIONE TRA HANDGRIP E FAMILIARITÀ AL DIABETE DI TIPO 2: UNO STUDIO PILOTA/ RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TYPE 2 DIABETES AND HANDGRIP: RESULTS OF A PILOT STUDY
Obiettivo: È stata analizzata la possibile relazione, su un campione della
popolazione siciliana, tra il grado di familiarità al diabete di tipo 2, i
parametri antropometrici ed alcuni test di forza specifica.
Materiali e metodi: In modalità random sono stati selezionati 88 uomini e
27 donne, distinti in FH- (assenza di familiarità per il diabete di tipo 2), FH+
(con un componente in linea indiretta con la malattia) ed FH++ (con un
genitore affetto dalla malattia). Sono stati rilevati i parametri antropometrici,
i parametri cardiovascolari ed è stato rilevato l’handgrip ad entrambe le
mani. Le differenze tra i gruppi sono state analizzate con il test ANOVA ed
attraverso correlazioni parametriche abbiamo verificato eventuali
associazioni (Pearson).
Risultati: È emerso che uomini e donne FH++ tendono ad avere un
significativo incremento dell’indice di massa corporea (p<0,05) associato ad
un incremento statisticamente significativo dei valori basali di pressione
arteriosa diastolica (p<0,05). Non sono emerse differenze statisticamente
significative tra i gruppi (FH- vs FH+ vs FH++) relativamente ai valori di
handgrip espressi dalla mano destra e sinistra, in valore assoluto e relativo.
Dallo studio delle correlazioni emerge una importante influenza del peso
corporeo sul rendimento dei soggetti al test dell’handgrip (>.40).
Conclusioni: La familiarità diretta al diabete di tipo 2 si correla con degli
incrementi statisticamente significativi del peso corporeo e dei valori
pressori cardiovascolari, indicando che questa popolazione risulta essere
maggiormente a rischio per l’evoluzione della stessa malattia. Progetti di
prevenzione sono auspicabili in tal senso. L’handgrip risulta essere
fortemente correlato ai parametri antropometrici, pertanto indirettamente anche con la familiarità alla malattia. Un’estensione dello studio è
auspicabile, al fine di poter meglio comprendere i fenomeni.Objectives: the purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship
between family history to type 2 diabetes, anthropometrics characteristics
and some fitness tests.
Materials and methods: we randomly selected 88 men and 27 women,
distinguishing on FH- (absence of family history to type 2 diabetes), on FH+
(with a familiar component with disease) and FH++ (with parent affected to
diabetes). We recorded anthropometric parameters, basal blood pressure
values and handgrip of both hands. The differences between the groups were
analyzed with ANOVA test and Pearson’s correlation.
Results: participants FH++ of both sexes showed a statistically significant
increase of body mass index (p<0,05) and a significant increase of basal
diastolic blood pressure (p<0,05). No family history-related differences were
found on handgrip results in absolute and relative values, but the lower
numbers of subgroups might have affected the statistical analysis.
Correlation analysis showed that parameters like body weight, body mass
index and body surface area are able to influence the handgrip test of both
hands.
Conclusion: family history to type 2 diabetes is strongly related to body
weight and basal blood pressure values, confirming that FH++ participants
have a major risk to develop disease compared to FH- participants. Handgrip
test is strongly related to anthropometric parameters. The sample size
represents the major limit of the study. More data are needed to confirm the
association between variables
Esophageal motility changes after thyroidectomy; possible associations with postoperative voice and swallowing disorders: preliminary results.
Objective Swallowing and voice impairment are common after thyroidectomy. We evaluated short-term functional changes in esophageal motility in a series of patients who had undergone total thyroidectomy. Several studies have investigated these symptoms by means of interviews or questionnaires. Study Design Prospective study. Setting Academic research. Materials and Methods Thirty-six consenting patients were prospectively recruited. Eligibility criteria were thyroid volume ≤60 mL, benign disease, and age between 18 and 65 years. Exclusion criteria were previous neck surgery, severe thyroiditis, hyperthyroidism, and pre- or postoperative vocal cord palsy. Voice impairment score, swallowing impairment score, lower esophageal sphincter pressure, esophageal motility, upper esophageal pressure, and coordination were evaluated preoperatively and 30 to 45 days after surgery. Results Postoperative swallowing impairment (appearance or worsening of dysphagia) was found in 20% of patients and voice impairment in more than 30%. Both preoperative and postoperative esophageal motility were similar. All patients showed an average decrease of 25% in upper esophageal pressure, although the pressure was within normal range. Swallowing alterations were associated with upper esophageal incoordination (P < .03), and proximal acid reflux was significantly associated with voice impairment (P < .02). Conclusion After uncomplicated thyroidectomy, decreased upper esophageal pressure may explain both pharyngeal (dysphagia) and laryngeal (vocal impairment) exposure to acid. In the future, proton pump inhibitor therapy protocols should be evaluated
Analysis of Germline Gene Copy Number Variants of Patients with Sporadic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Reveals Specific Variations
Objectives: The rapid fatality of pancreatic cancer is, in large
part, the result of diagnosis at an advanced stage in the majority
of patients. Identification of individuals at risk of developing
pancreatic adenocarcinoma would be useful to improve
the prognosis of this disease. There is presently no
biological or genetic indicator allowing the detection of patients
at risk. Our main goal was to identify copy number
variants (CNVs) common to all patients with sporadic pancreatic
cancer. Methods: We analyzed gene CNVs in leukocyte
DNA from 31 patients with sporadic pancreatic adenocarcinoma
and from 93 matched controls. Genotyping was
performed with the use of the GeneChip Human Mapping
500K Array Set (Affymetrix). Results: We identified 431 single
nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) probes with abnormal hy-bridization signal present in the DNA of all 31 patients. Of
these SNP probes, 284 corresponded to 3 or more copies and
147 corresponded to 1 or 0 copies. Several cancer-associated
genes were amplified in all patients. Conversely, several
genes supposed to oppose cancer development were present
as single copy. Conclusions: These data suggest that a
set of 431 CNVs could be associated with the disease. This set
could be useful for early diagnosis
Disease-Modifying Therapies and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis
Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).
Methods: We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. All the patients had complete follow-up to death or recovery. Severe COVID-19 was defined by a 3-level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID-19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)-weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results.
Results: Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID-19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty-eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized. After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti-CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-4.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Recent use (<1 month) of methylprednisolone was also associated with a worse outcome (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.20-12.53, p = 0.001). Results were confirmed by the PS-weighted analysis and by all the sensitivity analyses.
Interpretation: This study showed an acceptable level of safety of therapies with a broad array of mechanisms of action. However, some specific elements of risk emerged. These will need to be considered while the COVID-19 pandemic persists
COVID-19 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis: Putting Data Into Context
Background and objectives: It is unclear how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to compare COVID-19-related outcomes collected in an Italian cohort of patients with MS with the outcomes expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian population. Methods: Hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death after COVID-19 diagnosis of 1,362 patients with MS were compared with the age- and sex-matched Italian population in a retrospective observational case-cohort study with population-based control. The observed vs the expected events were compared in the whole MS cohort and in different subgroups (higher risk: Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score > 3 or at least 1 comorbidity, lower risk: EDSS score ≤ 3 and no comorbidities) by the χ2 test, and the risk excess was quantified by risk ratios (RRs). Results: The risk of severe events was about twice the risk in the age- and sex-matched Italian population: RR = 2.12 for hospitalization (p < 0.001), RR = 2.19 for ICU admission (p < 0.001), and RR = 2.43 for death (p < 0.001). The excess of risk was confined to the higher-risk group (n = 553). In lower-risk patients (n = 809), the rate of events was close to that of the Italian age- and sex-matched population (RR = 1.12 for hospitalization, RR = 1.52 for ICU admission, and RR = 1.19 for death). In the lower-risk group, an increased hospitalization risk was detected in patients on anti-CD20 (RR = 3.03, p = 0.005), whereas a decrease was detected in patients on interferon (0 observed vs 4 expected events, p = 0.04). Discussion: Overall, the MS cohort had a risk of severe events that is twice the risk than the age- and sex-matched Italian population. This excess of risk is mainly explained by the EDSS score and comorbidities, whereas a residual increase of hospitalization risk was observed in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and a decrease in people on interferon
Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both
Background and objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF. Methods: We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death. Results: We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009). Conclusion: In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population
IN "POLPO ... SITION" E ALTRI BREVI RACCONTI
Assalito dalla felicità corsi al mare, guardai l’acqua e fui preso da una forza, non mia, non umana che mi trascinò in acqua.
Lì venni rapito da fantastiche sensazioni, l’adrenalina salì a mille, vidi un enorme creatura che suscitò in me delle emozioni mai provate prima, si era avvicinata talmente tanto che stava per toccarmi e, appena lo fece, il mio corpo si illuminò magicamente, le mie mani iniziarono pian piano ad assottigliarsi, il mio petto diventava sempre più piccolo e tondo e da lì a poco, ero
diventato un polpo
- …