Perceptions of and Satisfaction with Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions in Pre-Adolescent and Adolescent Students in UE/EEA Countries: A Systematic Review

: The objective of this review is to investigate perceptions of and satisfaction with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) interventions among pre-adolescents and adolescents of all genders and ethnicities in EU/EEA countries. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA recommendations. A systematic literature search was conducted on MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Central), CINAHL (EBSCO), and PsycINFO (EBSCO) up to March 2022 to identify all published articles that included information on perceptions and levels of satisfaction with SRH interventions. The selected studies were independently and blindly evaluated for risk of bias. Finally, only five papers were included in our review, divided according to the implemented intervention design: conducted by research groups (health or non-health professionals) or structured entirely in a peer-to-peer approach. Both types of program designs analyzed in the included studies were well accepted by students, even though satisfaction assessment methods were not standardized. Peer-to-peer conducted SRH programs or interventions with practical components (e.g., exercises, discussion) were more appreciated. We also found higher levels of satisfaction among younger participants. Future SRH educational programs should consider an assessment of participants' perceptions and satisfaction, possibly adopting standardized tools. Following a peer-to-peer structure and delivering programs early could lead to greater participant satisfaction

¿La gramática escolar en cuestión? : La materia Construcción de Ciudadanía en las escuelas secundarias de la provincia de Buenos Aires

Este trabajo es resultado del procesamiento y análisis de una encuesta autoadministrada aplicada en el año 2009 a los docentes a cargo de la asignatura Construcción de la Ciudadanía. Incluyó un relevamiento con preguntas cerradas y abiertas que intentaba conocer el perfil de los docentes, las condiciones de implementación de la materia, la asistencia, la gradualidad, la evaluación y los aportes realizados por la asignatura a la dinámica institucional y a la educación secundaria obligatoria. Tiene por objetivo presentar algunas reflexiones que aporten al debate sobre las posibilidades de innovación curricular en las instituciones educativas. Al mismo tiempo que insinúa una tendencia, por parte de los docentes, a preservar la gramática escolar frente a los cambios que pretende orientar el Diseño Curricular de esta materia.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Analysis of High-Contrast All-Optical Dual Wavelength Switching in Asymmetric Dual-Core Fibers

We systematically present experimental and theoretical results for the dual-wavelength switching of 1560 nm, 75 fs signal pulses (SPs) driven by 1030 nm, 270 fs control pulses (CPs) in a dual-core fiber (DCF). We demonstrate a switching contrast of 31.9 dB, corresponding to a propagation distance of 14 mm, achieved by launching temporally synchronized SP-CP pairs into the fast core of the DCF with moderate inter-core asymmetry. Our analysis employs a system of three coupled propagation equations to identify the compensation of the asymmetry by nonlinearity as the physical mechanism behind the efficient switching performance.Comment: 4 figures, 5 pages, to be published in Optics Letter

Comprehensive Model for Physical and Cognitive Frailty: Current Organization and Unmet Needs

Aging is characterized by the decline and deterioration of functional cells and results in a wide variety of molecular damages and reduced physical and mental capacity. The knowledge on aging process is important because life expectancy is expected to rise until 2050. Aging cannot be considered a homogeneous process and includes different trajectories characterized by states of fitness, frailty, and disability. Frailty is a dynamic condition put between a normal functional state and disability, with reduced capacity to cope with stressors. This geriatric syndrome affects physical, neuropsychological, and social domains and is driven by emotional and spiritual components. Sarcopenia is considered one of the determinants and the biological substrates of physical frailty. Physical and cognitive frailty are separately approached during daily clinical practice. The concept of motoric cognitive syndrome has partially changed this scenario, opening interesting windows toward future approaches. Thus, the purpose of this manuscript is to provide an excursus on current clinical practice, enforced by aneddoctical cases. The analysis of the current state of the art seems to support the urgent need of comprehensive organizational model incorporating physical and cognitive spheres in the same umbrella

Determinants of cardiac structure in frail and sarcopenic elderly adults

Background: Cardiac structure and function change with age. The higher prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) with concentric remodeling is indicative of a typical geometric pattern of aging associated with a higher cardiovascular (CV) risk and diseases. The recent associations found between low left ventricular and skeletal mass in older patients with frailty and sarcopenia have raised great interest in investigating cardiac characteristics and determinants of left ventricular mass (LVM) in this population. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: We evaluated 100 sarcopenic and physically frail outpatients, 33 men (M), 67 women (F), aged ≥70 years (mean age 79 ± 5) and enrolled in the Parma site of European multicenter SPRINTT population. Results: All male and female participants showed LVH, assessed as indexed LVM to body surface area (LVM/BSA) (M = 128 ± 39 g/m2; F = 104 ± 26 g/m2), and were more prone to have concentric geometry, as demonstrated by relative wall thickness value (0.41 in both sexes). After backward regression analysis, including covariates such as age, sex, office or ABPM systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate, BSA, use of β blockers, ACE-inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, physical activity, hemoglobin level, and Mini Mental State examination - the most powerful determinants of LVM were clinical SBP (β = 1.51 ± 0.31, p = 0.0005), BSA (β = 165.9 ± 41.4, p = 0.0001), while less powerful determinants were 24 h, daily and nightly SBP (p = 0.02, p = 0.002, p = 0.004 respectively). Conclusions: Older sarcopenic and physically frail patients showed LVH with a tendency towards concentric geometry. The main determinant of LVM was SBP, highlighting the key role that hemodynamic condition plays in determining LVH in this population

Association of kidney disease measures with risk of renal function worsening in patients with type 1 diabetes

Background: Albuminuria has been classically considered a marker of kidney damage progression in diabetic patients and it is routinely assessed to monitor kidney function. However, the role of a mild GFR reduction on the development of stage 653 CKD has been less explored in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic role of kidney disease measures, namely albuminuria and reduced GFR, on the development of stage 653 CKD in a large cohort of patients affected by T1DM. Methods: A total of 4284 patients affected by T1DM followed-up at 76 diabetes centers participating to the Italian Association of Clinical Diabetologists (Associazione Medici Diabetologi, AMD) initiative constitutes the study population. Urinary albumin excretion (ACR) and estimated GFR (eGFR) were retrieved and analyzed. The incidence of stage 653 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) or eGFR reduction > 30% from baseline was evaluated. Results: The mean estimated GFR was 98 \ub1 17 mL/min/1.73m2 and the proportion of patients with albuminuria was 15.3% (n = 654) at baseline. About 8% (n = 337) of patients developed one of the two renal endpoints during the 4-year follow-up period. Age, albuminuria (micro or macro) and baseline eGFR < 90 ml/min/m2 were independent risk factors for stage 653 CKD and renal function worsening. When compared to patients with eGFR > 90 ml/min/1.73m2 and normoalbuminuria, those with albuminuria at baseline had a 1.69 greater risk of reaching stage 3 CKD, while patients with mild eGFR reduction (i.e. eGFR between 90 and 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) show a 3.81 greater risk that rose to 8.24 for those patients with albuminuria and mild eGFR reduction at baseline. Conclusions: Albuminuria and eGFR reduction represent independent risk factors for incident stage 653 CKD in T1DM patients. The simultaneous occurrence of reduced eGFR and albuminuria have a synergistic effect on renal function worsening