Neonatal EEG graded for severity of background abnormalities in hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy

This report describes a set of neonatal electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings graded according to the severity of abnormalities in the background pattern. The dataset consists of 169 hours of multichannel EEG from 53 neonates recorded in a neonatal intensive care unit. All neonates received a diagnosis of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE), the most common cause of brain injury in full term infants. For each neonate, multiple 1-hour epochs of good quality EEG were selected and then graded for background abnormalities. The grading system assesses EEG attributes such as amplitude and frequency, continuity, sleep--wake cycling, symmetry and synchrony, and abnormal waveforms. Background severity was then categorised into 4 grades: normal or mildly abnormal EEG, moderately abnormal EEG, severely abnormal EEG, and inactive EEG. The data can be used as a reference set of multi-channel EEG for neonates with HIE, for EEG training purposes, or for developing and evaluating automated grading algorithms

An integrated control plan in primary schools: Results of a field investigation on nutritional and hygienic features in the apulia region (southern italy)

Data concerning overweight and obesity in children and adolescent populations are alarming and represent one of the most serious public health problems of our time. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the school environment may play an important role in health promotion with regard to nutritional aspects. This article reports the results of a study conducted in the Apulia region (Southern Italy), aimed at providing an integrated surveillance of the behaviors related to nutrition habits in students and the hygienic and nutritional conditions of the school’s canteens at-tended by enrolled students. To this purpose, a sample of 501 students attending primary school (third class—children approximately eight years old) replied to a validated questionnaire, and official controls (OC), of both food and nutritional safety, were performed in 22 primary schools. A team of healthcare professionals carried out the study, and the implementation of all the prescribed improvement actions were subsequently verified through follow-up OC. The results of our study show a critical situation in the student sample, with 41.3% of children having a weight excess (over-weight or obesity). With regard to the children’s behaviors, only 59.8% of children ate at least one fruit or had a fruit juice for breakfast, and 10.8% did not have breakfast at all. Overall, 40.1% of the total children played outdoors the afternoon before the survey and 45% reported going to school on foot or by bicycle. During the afternoon, 83.5% of the sample watched television or used video games/tablets/mobile phones, while 42.3% played sports. The schools had an internal canteen with on-site preparation of meals in 36.4%, the remaining 63.6% received meals from external food es-tablishments. With regard to OC, for the hygienic–sanitary section, eleven prescriptions were is-sued, in the great part related to the structure and organization of the canteen. For the nutritional section, nine corrective actions were prescribed, mainly related to official documents and manage-ment. The follow-up OC showed that all prescriptions were subsequently addressed. Eating at school was less frequent among obese and overweight students compared with those with normal weight. Although this evidence needs to be further confirmed, it highlights the potential role that the school canteens may play in health promotion and prevention of nutritional disorders. On the other hand, in order to fulfill its health promotion task, the school canteens have to comply with official regulations and guidelines; therefore, OC during the management of the food service at school are needed

Sars‐cov‐2 and public transport in Italy

Although direct contact is considered the main mode of transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2, environmental factors play an important role. In this study, we evaluated the presence of SARS‐ CoV‐2 on bus and train surfaces. From the buses, we took samples from the following areas: handrails used to enter or exit the bus, stop request buttons and handles next to the seats. From the trains, the sampled surfaces were handrails used to enter or exit the train, door open/close buttons, handles next to the seats, tables and toilet handles. SARS‐CoV‐2 was detected on 10.7% of the tested surfaces overall, 19.3% of bus surfaces and 2% of train surfaces (p < 0.0001). On the buses, the most contaminated surfaces were the handles near the seats (12.8%), followed by door open/close buttons (12.5%) and handrails (10.5%). Of the five analyzed transport companies, bus companies were the most contaminated, in particular, companies C (40%) and B (23.3%). A greater number of positive samples were found among those taken at 10:00 a.m. and 10:55 a.m. (45% and 40%, respectively). The presence of the virus on many bus surfaces highlights how the sanitation systems on public transport currently in use are not sufficient to limit the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2

First detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 on the surfaces of tourist-recreational facilities in Italy

A Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by a new virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), spreads via direct contact through droplets produced by infected individuals. The transmission of this virus can also occur via indirect contact if objects and surfaces are contaminated by secretions from individuals with COVID-19 or asymptomatic carriers. Environmental contamination with SARS-CoV-2 is high in hospital settings; on the contrary, surface contamination in non-healthcare settings is still poorly studied. In this study, the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on the surfaces of 20 tourist-recreational facilities was investigated by performing a total of 100 swabs on surfaces, including refrigerator handles, handrails, counters, tables, and bathroom access doors. Six (6%) swabs from four (20%) tourist-recreational facilities tested positive for SARS-CoV-2; the surfaces that were involved were toilet door handles, refrigerator handles, handrails, and bar counters. This study highlights that SARS-CoV-2 is also present in non-healthcare environments; therefore, in order to limit this worrying pandemic, compliance with behavioral rules and the adoption of preventive and protective measures are of fundamental importance not only in healthcare or work environments but also in life environments

Unveiling the remarkable antioxidant activity of plant-based fish and seafood analogs through electrochemical sensor analysis.

Na publicação: Luciano Paulino Silva