Real interest rates and productivity in small open economies

We construct factor utilization-adjusted measures of aggregate TFP for a sample of advanced (AEs) and emerging market small open economies (EMEs). We estimate the effects of real interest rate shocks on TFP and GDP using structural VARs. Results are starkly different in the two groups of countries. While TFP is pro-cyclical in both sets of countries, lower real interest rates - a proxy for capital inflows - lead to productivity booms in EMEs, whereas they lead to a contraction in productivity in AEs

Positive temporal comparison facilitates a hope-induced system justification amongst women

We examined whether women’s support for gender-based pay inequality (i.e., system justification) might be explained by hope. In particular, we considered whether such hope is likely prompted by positive temporal comparisons: It is entirely possible (even if previously untested) that the more women believe that their outcomes are getting better relative to what it had been at some point in the past, the greater their optimism about a better gender-based outcome could be, prompting women to support the systems that permitted such advancements. These central propositions were derived from the social identity model of systems attitude (SIMSA) and were corroborated in a correlational study involving 611 female healthcare professionals (Study 1). Study 2 (213 Italian- and 79 Spanish-women) offered a conceptual replication and extension of the evidence from Study 1: It showed that inducing positive temporal contrasts caused women’s hope for a better gender-based outcome in the future to increase, consequently allowing them to support the prevailing gender-syste

Safety and tolerability of intravenous ferric carboxymaltose in the oldest old patients: a prospective cohort study in a University Italian Geriatrics Department

Background & aims. Anemia is common in older adults and it is associated with relevant complications. Although anemia is often multifactorial in origin and iron deficiency is considered a key relevant causative factor. The first therapeutic option is oral iron supplementation, but it is frequently characterized by adverse effects and overall poor efficacy. So far, intravenous (i.v.) iron formulations may serve as alternative treatment options and, in particular, Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM), showed to be safe and effective in older patients. We aimed to assess the safety and tolerability of FCM in real world hospitalized frail oldest old patients. Methods.This is an observational prospective study on 25 old age patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA), admitted between July 2019 and November 2019 to the Geriatric Clinical ward of the IRCCS Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy and treated with i.v. FCM. The incidence, probability and severity of adverse drug reactions (ADR) were reported along with the clinical response in term of mean Haemoglobin (Hb) increase after one week from the drug administration. Results. 72% of patients were oldest old with IDA and the clinical phenotype was characterized by multimorbidity and disability. The mean dose of i.v. FCM was 1160.0 ± 313.6 mg. FCM resulted safe therapeutic option with overall good tolerability. Additionally, a significant clinical improvement in the mean Hb level was observed. Conclusions. These findings moved a step in the recommendation of i.v. iron supplementation as a preferable route in oldest old, serving as a potential platform for future randomized clinical studies

Comparison Between Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy and Intra-articular Hyaluronic Acid Injections in the Treatment of First Carpometacarpal Joint Osteoarthritis

ObjectiveTo compare extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) with hyaluronic acid (HA) intra-articular injections in terms of pain relief, improvement in hand function, and strength in subjects with first carpometacarpal (CMC) joint osteoarthritis.MethodsFifty-eight patients received either focused ESWT or HA injection once a week for 3 consecutive weeks. In the ESWT group, 2,400 consecutive pulses were performed during each treatment session using a frequency of 4 Hz and an energy flux density of 0.09 mJ/mm2. The HA group underwent one cycle of three injections of 0.5 cm3 HA. The main outcome measures were pain and hand function as measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Duruoz Hand Index (DHI), respectively. The secondary outcomes were grip and pinch strength. Each assessment was performed at baseline, at the end of treatment, and at 3- and 6-month follow-up visits.ResultsAccording to VAS and DHI scores, a significant change in test performance was observed over time in both groups (p<0.001), with a greater average improvement in painful symptomatology at the 6-month follow-up in the ESWT group. A significant improvement in strength was observed in both groups, but the ESWT group showed better results on the pinch test starting immediately at the end of treatment.ConclusionThe use of ESWT in patients with first CMC joint osteoarthritis leads to a reduction in pain, an improvement in pinch test performance that persists for at least 6 months, and a decrease in hand disability up to the 6-month follow-up visit

The new small tyrosine-kinase inhibitor ARQ531 targets acute myeloid leukemia cells by disrupting multiple tumor-addicted programs

Tyrosine kinases have been implicated in promoting tumorigenesis of several human cancers. Exploiting these vulnerabilities has been shown to be an effective anti-tumor strategy as demonstrated for example by the Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, ibrutinib, for treatment of various blood cancers. Here, we characterize a new multiple kinase inhibitor, ARQ531, and evaluate its mechanism of action in preclinical models of acute myeloid leukemia. Treatment with ARQ531, by producing global signaling pathway deregulation, resulted in impaired cell cycle progression and survival in a large panel of leukemia cell lines and patient-derived tumor cells, regardless of the specific genetic background and/or the presence of bone marrow stromal cells. RNA-seq analysis revealed that ARQ531 constrained tumor cell proliferation and survival through Bruton's tyrosine kinase and transcriptional program dysregulation, with proteasome-mediated MYB degradation and depletion of short-lived proteins that are crucial for tumor growth and survival, including ERK, MYC and MCL1. Finally, ARQ531 treatment was effective in a patient-derived leukemia mouse model with significant impairment of tumor progression and survival, at tolerated doses. These data justify the clinical development of ARQ531 as a promising targeted agent for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Fasting-mimicking diet cycles reduce neuroinflammation to attenuate cognitive decline in Alzheimer's models

The effects of fasting-mimicking diet (FMD) cycles in reducing many aging and disease risk factors indicate it could affect Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here, we show that FMD cycles reduce cognitive decline and AD pathology in E4FAD and 3xTg AD mouse models, with effects superior to those caused by protein restriction cycles. In 3xTg mice, long-term FMD cycles reduce hippocampal Aβ load and hyperphosphorylated tau, enhance genesis of neural stem cells, decrease microglia number, and reduce expression of neuroinflammatory genes, including superoxide-generating NADPH oxidase (Nox2). 3xTg mice lacking Nox2 or mice treated with the NADPH oxidase inhibitor apocynin also display improved cognition and reduced microglia activation compared with controls. Clinical data indicate that FMD cycles are feasible and generally safe in a small group of AD patients. These results indicate that FMD cycles delay cognitive decline in AD models in part by reducing neuroinflammation and/or superoxide production in the brain

Magnetic Flux Density Sensor Analysis

Undergraduate Basi

&quot;Delirium Day&quot;: A nationwide point prevalence study of delirium in older hospitalized patients using an easy standardized diagnostic tool

Background: To date, delirium prevalence in adult acute hospital populations has been estimated generally from pooled findings of single-center studies and/or among specific patient populations. Furthermore, the number of participants in these studies has not exceeded a few hundred. To overcome these limitations, we have determined, in a multicenter study, the prevalence of delirium over a single day among a large population of patients admitted to acute and rehabilitation hospital wards in Italy. Methods: This is a point prevalence study (called "Delirium Day") including 1867 older patients (aged 65 years or more) across 108 acute and 12 rehabilitation wards in Italian hospitals. Delirium was assessed on the same day in all patients using the 4AT, a validated and briefly administered tool which does not require training. We also collected data regarding motoric subtypes of delirium, functional and nutritional status, dementia, comorbidity, medications, feeding tubes, peripheral venous and urinary catheters, and physical restraints. Results: The mean sample age was 82.0 ± 7.5 years (58 % female). Overall, 429 patients (22.9 %) had delirium. Hypoactive was the commonest subtype (132/344 patients, 38.5 %), followed by mixed, hyperactive, and nonmotoric delirium. The prevalence was highest in Neurology (28.5 %) and Geriatrics (24.7 %), lowest in Rehabilitation (14.0 %), and intermediate in Orthopedic (20.6 %) and Internal Medicine wards (21.4 %). In a multivariable logistic regression, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.03, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.05), Activities of Daily Living dependence (OR 1.19, 95 % CI 1.12-1.27), dementia (OR 3.25, 95 % CI 2.41-4.38), malnutrition (OR 2.01, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), and use of antipsychotics (OR 2.03, 95 % CI 1.45-2.82), feeding tubes (OR 2.51, 95 % CI 1.11-5.66), peripheral venous catheters (OR 1.41, 95 % CI 1.06-1.87), urinary catheters (OR 1.73, 95 % CI 1.30-2.29), and physical restraints (OR 1.84, 95 % CI 1.40-2.40) were associated with delirium. Admission to Neurology wards was also associated with delirium (OR 2.00, 95 % CI 1.29-3.14), while admission to other settings was not. Conclusions: Delirium occurred in more than one out of five patients in acute and rehabilitation hospital wards. Prevalence was highest in Neurology and lowest in Rehabilitation divisions. The "Delirium Day" project might become a useful method to assess delirium across hospital settings and a benchmarking platform for future surveys