Survey on food hygiene knowledge on board ships

Background and aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes on food hygiene in seafarers.Materials and methods: The study was conducted using an anonymous questionnaire presented to the workers of 7 tankers of an Italian shipping company (Finaval S.p.A.). As a reference, the analysis was extended to office employees of the same firm. Data were divided according to the rank of seafarers to assess possible differences in perceiving the risk.Results: Overall knowledge on food safety concept was not high among seafarers. In general, galley and catering workers group provided a lower percentage of correct answers than other crew members. Foodservices staff revealed little awareness of the risks linked with handling food and their perception of risk of disease transmission through food was low. Answers about risk related to specific food (eggs and fish) showed that knowledge about these problems was less than satisfactory. Moreover, the percentage of ‘I don’t know’ answers was high. These findings suggest that this personnel is aware of the right stepsof health protection in terms of food hygiene, but does not understand why it is necessary.Conclusions: Galley and catering group workers were not the most informed about food hygiene problems.This highlights the need to hire qualified personnel of the food industry on board ships. All those working inthe food service area should be properly trained on food hygiene. Seafarers should be the target of specificinformative campaigns about health risks linked with aliments, possible consequences of it and also oneson how to minimise the exposure to potentially dangerous agents/behaviours during travel/life at sea

Determining the Quantum Expectation Value by Measuring a Single Photon

Quantum mechanics, one of the keystones of modern physics, exhibits several peculiar properties, differentiating it from classical mechanics. One of the most intriguing is that variables might not have definite values. A complete quantum description provides only probabilities for obtaining various eigenvalues of a quantum variable. These and corresponding probabilities specify the expectation value of a physical observable, which is known to be a statistical property of an ensemble of quantum systems. In contrast to this paradigm, we demonstrate a unique method allowing to measure the expectation value of a physical variable on a single particle, namely, the polarisation of a single protected photon. This is the first realisation of quantum protective measurements.Comment: Nature Physics, in press (this version corresponds to the one initially submitted to Nature Physics

Data-driven clustering of combined Functional Motor Disorders based on the Italian registry

Functional Motor Disorders (FMDs) represent nosological entities with no clear phenotypic characterization, especially in patients with multiple (combined FMDs) motor manifestations. A data-driven approach using cluster analysis of clinical data has been proposed as an analytic method to obtain non-hierarchical unbiased classifications. The study aimed to identify clinical subtypes of combined FMDs using a data-driven approach to overcome possible limits related to "a priori" classifications and clinical overlapping

Return to Martial Arts after Surgical Treatment of the Cervical Spine: Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature for an Evidence-Based Approach

Background: Cervical spine injuries are considered common in athlete populations, especially in those involved in high-contact sports. In some cases, surgical treatment can be necessary, and, therefore, return-to-play (RTP) after surgery represent a notable issue. Methods: We performed a systematic review of literature according to the PRISMA statement guidelines using the following search algorithm: ((“ACDF”) OR (“cervical spine surgery”) OR (“neck surgery”) OR (“cervical discectomy”) OR (“foraminotomy”) OR (“cervical disc replacement”)) AND ((“return to play”) OR (“athlete”) OR (“contact sports”) OR (“martial arts”)). The search was performed on 21 October 2022. We included only articles in which operative treatment for the cervical spine was performed and return to martial art activity was declared in the text. Results: Eight articles were selected, including 23 athletes who practice wrestling (n = 16), kickboxing (n = 1), sumo (n = 1) or other unspecified martial arts (n = 5). We also included the case of a young judoka who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) at our hospital. About 88% (21 of 24 cases) of martial arts practitioners returned to play after cervical spine surgery, and no major complications were reported after RTP. Four patients (16.7%) returned in 0–3 months; 41.7% (10 of 24) returned in 3–6 months; 29.2% (7 of 24) returned after a period longer than 6 months. ACDF is the most used procedure. The level of evidence in the included articles is low: only case reports are available, including some single-case studies. Moreover, a small number of cases have been reported, and the examined data are very heterogeneous. Conclusions: Return to martial arts within one year after cervical spine surgery is generally safe, even if case-by-case evaluation is, however, necessary. Further studies are necessary to corroborate the present findings in a larger population

Safety and Efficacy of Zero-Profile Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) Cages Filled with Biphasic Calcium Phosphate (BCP) in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion (ACDF): A Case Series

Background: In the evolving landscape of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), the integration of biomechanical advancements and proper fusion-enhancing materials is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes. This case series evaluates the efficacy and clinical implications of employing zero-profile polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages filled with biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) in ACDF procedures, focusing on fusion and subsidence rates alongside patient disability, residual pain, and quality of life. Methods: This case series comprises 76 consecutive patients, with a median follow-up of 581 days. The Bridwell classification system was used for assessing fusion rates while subsidence occurrence was recorded, correlating these radiographic outcomes with clinical implications. Results: The results demonstrated a satisfactory fusion rate (76.4% for grades I and II). The subsidence rate was low (6.74% of segments). Significant clinical improvements were observed in pain, disability, and quality-of-life metrics, aligning with the minimum clinically important difference thresholds; however, subgroup analyses demonstrated that subsidence or pseudoarthrosis group improvement of PROMs was not statistically significant with respect to baseline. ANOVA analyses documented that subsidence has a significant weight over final follow-up pain and disability outcomes. No dysphagia cases were reported. Conclusions: These findings underscore the efficacy of zero-profile PEEK cages filled with BCP in ACDF, highlighting their potential to improve patient outcomes while minimizing complications. Pseudoarthrosis and subsidence have major implications over long-term PROMs. The study reinforces the importance of selecting appropriate surgical materials to enhance the success of ACDF procedures

5-ALA False-Positive in Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted

Pr5-ALA has been well-established for use in intraoperative fluorescence-guided resection of malignant glioma. It is not as strongly supported for use with low-grade gliomas (LGG) because only a few of these, less than 20%, have visible porphyrin accumulation, which is useful for 5-ALA-guided surgery. We report here our experience with 5-ALA uptake in a case of suspected relapse of anaplastic oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted

Single-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Interbody Fusion: A Comparison between Porous Tantalum and Polyetheretherketone Cages

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and interbody fusion (ACDF) may be performed with different kinds of stand-alone cages. Tantalum and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) are two of the most commonly used materials in this procedure. Few comparisons between different stand-alone implants for ACDF have been reported in the literature. Methods: We performed a comparison between patients who underwent ACDF with either a porous tantalum or a PEEK stand-alone cage, in two spine surgery units for single-level disc herniation. Clinical outcome [Neck Disability Index (NDI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, Short Form-36 (SF-36)] and radiological outcome (lordosis, fusion and subsidence) were measured before surgery and at least one year after surgery in both groups. Results: Thirty-eight patients underwent ACDF with a porous tantalum cage, and thirty-one with a PEEK cage. The improvement of NDI and SF-36 was significantly superior in the PEEK group (p = 0.002 and p = 0.049 respectively). Moreover, the variation of the Cobb angle for the cervical spine was significantly higher in the PEEK group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In a retrospective analysis of two groups of patients with at least one year of follow-up, a stand-alone PEEK cage showed superior clinical results, with improved cervical lordosis, compared to a stand-alone porous tantalum cage. Further studies are needed to confirm these data

Intraoperative CT-guided navigation versus fluoroscopy for percutaneous pedicle screw placement in 192 patients: a comparative analysis

Background Percutaneous pedicle screw (PPS) placement is a key step in several minimally invasive spinal surgery (MISS) procedures. Traditional technique for PPS makes use of C-arm fluoroscopy assistance (FA). More recently, newer intraoperative imaging techniques have been developed for PPS, including CT-guided navigation (CTNav). The aim of this study was to compare FA and CTNav techniques for PPS with regard to accuracy, complications, and radiation dosage. Materials and methods A total of 192 patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis and canal stenosis who underwent MISS posterior fusion +/- interbody fusion through transforaminal approach (TLIF) were retrospectively reviewed. Pedicle screws were placed percutaneously using either standard C-arm fluoroscopy guidance (FA group) or CT navigation (CTNav group). Intraoperative effective dose (ED, mSv) was measured. Screw placement accuracy was assessed postoperatively on a CT scan using Gertzbein and Robbins classification (grades A-E). Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores were compared in both groups before and after surgery. Results A total of 101 and 91 procedures were performed with FA (FA group) and CTNav approach (CTNav group), respectively. Median age was 61 years in both groups, and the most commonly treated level was L4-L5. Median ED received from patients was 1.504 mSv (0.494-4.406) in FA technique and 21.130 mSv (10.840-30.390) in CTNav approach (p &lt; 0.001). Percentage of grade A and B screws was significantly higher for the CTNav group (96.4% versus 92%, p &lt; 0.001), whereas there were 16 grade E screws in the FA group and 0 grade E screws in the CTNav group (p &lt; 0.001). A total of seven and five complications were reported in the FA and CTNav group, respectively (p = 0.771). Conclusions CTNav technique increases accuracy of pedicle screw placement compared with FA technique without affecting operative time. Nevertheless, no significant difference was noted in terms of reoperation rate due to screw malpositioning between CTNav and FA techniques. Radiation exposure of patients was significantly higher with CTNav technique

5-ALA False-Positive in Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted

Pr5-ALA has been well-established for use in intraoperative fluorescence-guided resection of malignant glioma. It is not as strongly supported for use with low-grade gliomas (LGG) because only a few of these, less than 20%, have visible porphyrin accumulation, which is useful for 5-ALA-guided surgery. We report here our experience with 5-ALA uptake in a case of suspected relapse of anaplastic oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p/19q-codeleted

Il ciclo della performance nei comuni. Manuale

Questo Manuale, dedicato al ciclo della performance nei comuni, raccoglie, sotto forma di e-book, i risultati di un importante percorso di selezione, analisi e valorizzazione di esperienze compiute da alcune amministrazioni comunali coinvolte nel Progetto Valutazione delle performance. Il Progetto \ue8 un\u2019iniziativa del Dipartimento della funzione pubblica, realizzata con la collaborazione del FormezPA, e si pone l\u2019obiettivo di rafforzare gli strumenti e le competenze necessari alla gestione delle performance nelle amministrazioni locali dei territori delle regioni Calabria, Campania, Puglia e Sicilia. Lo sviluppo dei sistemi di performance management nelle amministrazioni pubbliche costituisce una delle leve attraverso le quali \ue8 possibile rafforzare la capacit\ue0 istituzionale ed amministrativa necessaria a porre in essere politiche pubbliche pi\uf9 efficaci, in quanto supporta le amministrazioninell\u2019assumere decisioni migliori e consente di valutare i risultati delle decisioni assunte. Sulla base di questo presupposto, il Progetto \ue8 stato finanziato nell\u2019ambito del PON "Governance e Azioni di Sistema", Obiettivo 1 \u2013 Convergenza, Asse E\u2013Capacit\ue0 istituzionale, ed \ue8 stato definito assumendo a riferimento i contenuti del decreto legislativo 150 del 2009 volti a rafforzare e innovare i sistemi di performance management nelle amministrazioni pubbliche, quale precondizione per porre in essere politiche pi\uf9 efficaci e servizi pubblici migliori. Il Progetto \ue8 stato avviato nel 2011 ed ha concluso una sua prima fase di attivit\ue0 nel 2012. Una nuova fase di attivit\ue0 avviata nell\u2019autunno del 2012 si propone di sviluppare l\u2019intervento sulla base dei risultati gi\ue0 conseguiti e di estenderlo ad ulteriori ambiti e ad ulteriori amministrazioni. I risultati raggiunti dal Progetto tra maggio 2011 e giugno 2012 possono essere sintetizzati in alcune cifre significative. I comuni tra i 20.000 e 250.000 abitanti delle regioni citate che hanno aderito all\u2019iniziativa sono stati 93; di questi, 79 hanno portato a termine il percorso di affiancamento previsto e 50 hanno adottato il Sistema di misurazione e valutazione delle performance e il Piano della performance 2012-2014. I comuni sono stati affiancati da 20 esperti, professionisti provenienti in gran parte dalle universit\ue0 dei medesimi territori, che hanno condotto complessivamente quasi 600 incontri di lavoro. L\u2019intervento realizzato ha determinato un miglioramento qualitativo nei sistemi di programmazione, misurazione e valutazione della performance delle amministrazioni coinvolte, documentato dalla differenza tra le condizioni di partenza e quelle osservate al termine del percorso di affiancamento. A questi risultati si aggiungono quelli relativi al know-how che \ue8 stato possibile sia sviluppare sia valorizzare attraverso le diverse attivit\ue0 del Progetto, grazie al contributo degli esperti e delle amministrazioni coinvolte anche al di fuori dei territori delle Regioni dell\u2019obiettivo convergenza, e che questo Manuale fornisce a tutti i comuni interessati a disporre di una strumentazione utile allo sviluppo del ciclo della performance