Memory performances and personality traits in mothers of children with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

Background: Chronic diseases in pediatric age have been identified as stressful risk factors for parents. Studies on caregivers have documented the impact of chronic parenting stress on emotion and cognition. Aim: To investigate the differences between a group of mothers of children affected by obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) for at least 4 years and a group of mothers of typically developing children (TDC) in relation to parental stress, self-esteem, locus of control, and memory performances. Methods: A group of 86 mothers (mean age 35.6±4.9, ranged between 32 and 41 years) of children with OSAS diagnosis, and a group of 52 mothers of TDC (mean age 35.9±4.2, ranged between 32 and 41 years) participated in the study. All participants were administered stress level, global self-esteem, internal/external locus of control scales, and memory assessment. Results: Mothers of OSAS children, compared to mothers of TDC, had a significantly higher level of stress, lower self-esteem, more external locus of control and poorer memory performance. Conclusions: The child respiratory disease, with its sudden and unpredictable features, appeared as a significant source of stress for the mother. Such stress condition may have an impact on mothers’ personality traits (self-esteem, locus of control) and on their memory performances. The data have suggested a need for psychological support programs for mothers to better manage stress associated with children’s respiratory disease

Concise review on clinical applications of conditioned medium derived from human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCS)

In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells have provoked much attentiveness in the field of regenerative medicine because of their differentiation potential and the capability to facilitate tissue repair via the emancipation of biologically active molecules. They have gained interest because of their distinctive curative properties. Mesenchymal stem cells are isolated from the Wharton\u2019s jelly part of umbilical cord possessing higher proliferation capacity, immunomodulatory activity, plasticity, as well as self-renewal capacity than the mesenchymal stem cells from various origins, and it is considered to be the best resource for allogeneic transplantation. The isolated umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells are cultured in the Dulbecco\u2019s Modified Eagle\u2019s Medium, and thereby it begins to release soluble factors into the medium during the period of culture which is termed as conditioned medium. This conditioned media has both differentiation capacity and therapeutic functions. Thus, it can be able to differentiate the cells into different lineages and the paracrine effect of these cells helps in replacement of the damaged cells. This medium may accord to optimization of diagnostic and prognostic systems as well as the generation of novel and targeted therapeutic perspectives

DOWN AND DIRTY LOMBROSO’S BORN TO CRIME, THE MORPHOANTHROPOLOGY AND THE IGNORED HUMAN NEUROPHYSIOLOGY: A CRITICAL REVIEW ON A HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Lombroso\u27s theories, in 1800s, gave a strong shock in the international scientific community , regarding the correlation between the human morphology and its tendency to crime. They were followed, especially out of the Europe, and still are being discussed. But, in that century, they were enriched researches on human neurophysiology, which then would be further down to our time and that they denied sharply the Lombroso concepts. In short, the ignored neurophysiology, to the detriment of hypothesis which theorized the tendency to crime as an expression of the physical features of the individual, the whole body, from the face, limbs, ears, the shape of the skull. In this review, are made some critical remarks about Lombroso concepts, on \u27atavism, the people considered inferior on the basis of their physical appearance, in other words what was called morphoanthropology. At the same time, this work emphasizes instead the \u27importance of neurophysiological aspects of\u27 individual tending to crime, that are the basis of abnormal acts against the society \u27and that are related to the dysfunction of certain brain areas, such as the frontal cortex and limbic cortex, under the influence of genotype and environmental factors

Hyaluronic Acid Inhibits Polycation Induced Cellular Responses

Positively charged macromolecules cause a variety of pathological events through their electrostatic interaction with anionic sites present on the membrane of target cells. In the present study we have investigated the effect of hyaluronic acid, a negatively charged molecule, on rat paw oedema induced by poly-L-lysine as well as on histamine release from rat mast cells and nitric oxide formation from rabbit aorta, both induced by this polycation. The results indicate that hyaluronic acid is able to suppress these poly-L-lysine induced effects with a mechanism which possibly depends on its negative charges which may balance the effects of positively charged polycations

Median occipital fossa: is it really a sign of crime or simply an anatomical variant?

Anatomical variants are alterations of the form, thickness, length, width, position of organs and anatomic structures that can cause problems of a functional nature. They can be vascular, bony, muscular and more. They represent anomalies that may cause disturbances or do not cause changes in functions. The criminologist Cesare Lombroso had correlated the anatomical variations to the criminal tendency. The most emblematic case was that related to the alleged brigand Villella, on which Lombroso, performing the autopsy, found in the skull the so-called medial occipital fossa or a third dimple. He stated that the median occipital dimple was considered a sign of atavism, the expression of the criminal. In fact all the anatomical variants described by Lombroso are variations of normality. No one ever said that anatomical variants were a sign of crime. In conclusion, anatomical variants cannot be related to crime tendency, therefore the debated median occipital fossa is only and simply an anatomical variant

Measurement of corneal thickness using Pentacam HR versus Nidek CEM-530 specular microscopy.

Objective To compare corneal thickness (CT) measurements using the CEM-530 (Nidal, Gamagori, Japan) and Pentacam HR (Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany). Methods The CT of 209 healthy subjects (209 right eyes) aged 24 to 89 years (71.35 ± 10.72 years) was measured at the corneal apex (CA), pupil center (PC), and thinnest point (TP) with the Pentacam HR and at the corneal center with the CEM-530 in random order at the same time of day. Results A good correlation but statistically significant difference was found between the CEM-530 and Pentacam HR measurements at the CA (6.10 ± 8.12 µm, R2 = 0.8947), PC (7.46 ± 8.57 µm, R2 = 0.8826), and TP (12.44 ± 10.04 µm, R2 = 0.8392). Comparison of the two devices produced the following regression formulas: y = 0.8859x + 57.644 for the CA, y = 0.8852x +56.657 for the PC, and y = 0.8557x + 68.148 for the TP, where x is the CT obtained with the CEM-530 and y is that obtained with the Pentacam HR. Conclusions These findings indicate that the CEM-530 produces a thicker corneal measurement than the Pentacam HR. The herein-proposed correcting factors are needed to reliably compare these devices

Diagnostic accuracy of a new antigen test for sars-cov-2 detection

Background and aims: Quick and reliable diagnostic tools play an important role in con-trolling the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a new cyto-salivary antigen test aimed at detecting the presence of antigens for SARS-CoV-2, as compared by the gold standard RT-PCR and a lateral flow test. Methods: A total of 433 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study and the sensitivity and specificity of the new cyto-salivary antigen test were calculated, as compared to the RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab and to the lateral flow test. Results: A total of 433 samples were collected and tested at the Mediterranean Fair in Palermo from February 2021 until April 2021. The new cyto-salivary antigen had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 94.2%. The sensitivity and the specificity of the lateral flow test were 55% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: The new cyto-salivary antigen test detected more positive cases than the RT-PCR in a sample of asymptomatic subjects, demonstrating to be a promising tool for a more sensitive diagnosis of COVID-19. Further studies are warranted to better characterize its diagnostic accuracy

Diagnostic Accuracy of a New Antigen Test for SARS-CoV-2 Detection

Background and aims: Quick and reliable diagnostic tools play an important role in controlling the spread of the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a new cyto-salivary antigen test aimed at detecting the presence of antigens for SARS-CoV-2, as compared by the gold standard RT-PCR and a lateral flow test. Methods: A total of 433 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study and the sensitivity and specificity of the new cyto-salivary antigen test were calculated, as compared to the RT-PCR nasopharyngeal swab and to the lateral flow test. Results: A total of 433 samples were collected and tested at the Mediterranean Fair in Palermo from February 2021 until April 2021. The new cyto-salivary antigen had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 94.2%. The sensitivity and the specificity of the lateral flow test were 55% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: The new cyto-salivary antigen test detected more positive cases than the RT-PCR in a sample of asymptomatic subjects, demonstrating to be a promising tool for a more sensitive diagnosis of COVID-19. Further studies are warranted to better characterize its diagnostic accuracy