The role of the emergency medical dispatch centre (EMDC) and prehospital emergency care safety: results from an incident report (IR) system

Introduction The role of the emergency medical dispatch centre (EMDC) is essential to ensure coordinated and safe prehospital care. The aim of this study was to implement an incident report (IR) system in prehospital emergency care management with a view to detecting errors occurring in this setting and guiding the implementation of safety improvement initiatives

Prevention of congenital malformations and other adverse pregnancy outcomes with 4.0 mg of folic acid : community-based randomized clinical trial in Italy and the Netherlands

Background: In 2010 a Cochrane review confirmed that folic acid (FA) supplementation prevents the first- and second-time occurrence of neural tube defects (NTDs). At present some evidence from observational studies supports the hypothesis that FA supplementation can reduce the risk of all congenital malformations (CMs) or the risk of a specific and selected group of them, namely cardiac defects and oral clefts. Furthermore, the effects on the prevention of prematurity, foetal growth retardation and pre-eclampsia are unclear.Although the most common recommendation is to take 0.4 mg/day, the problem of the most appropriate dose of FA is still open.The aim of this project is to assess the effect a higher dose of peri-conceptional FA supplementation on reducing the occurrence of all CMs. Other aims include the promotion of pre-conceptional counselling, comparing rates of selected CMs, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, small for gestational age, abruptio placentae.Methods/Design: This project is a joint effort by research groups in Italy and the Netherlands. Women of childbearing age, who intend to become pregnant within 12 months are eligible for the studies. Women are randomly assigned to receive 4 mg of FA (treatment in study) or 0.4 mg of FA (referent treatment) daily. Information on pregnancy outcomes are derived from women-and-physician information.We foresee to analyze the data considering all the adverse outcomes of pregnancy taken together in a global end point (e.g.: CMs, miscarriage, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, small for gestational age). A total of about 1,000 pregnancies need to be evaluated to detect an absolute reduction of the frequency of 8%. Since the sample size needed for studying outcomes separately is large, this project also promotes an international prospective meta-analysis.Discussion: The rationale of these randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is the hypothesis that a higher intake of FA is related to a higher risk reduction of NTDs, other CMs and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. Our hope is that these trials will act as catalysers, and lead to other large RCTs studying the effects of this supplementation on CMs and other infant and maternal outcomes.Trial registration: Italian trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01244347.Dutch trial: Dutch Trial Register ID: NTR3161

How the Calcination Procedure Affects the Morphology and the Catalytic Activity of Polymer-Supported Nickel Nanoparticles

A nickel containing monomer, Ni(AAEMA)2 (AAEMA− = deprotonated form of 2-(acetoacetoxy) ethyl methacrylate) is co-polymerized with ethyl methacrylate (co-monomer) and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (cross-linker). The obtained polymer is a green methacrylic resin containing Ni(II) centers homogeneously dispersed in the catalyst, which results insoluble in all common organic solvents and in water. The specific features of this material classify it as an amphiphilic resin, air and moisture stable, with the peculiarity to swell in halogenated solvents, acetone and water and to shrink in diethyl ether and petroleum ether. The polymer is calcined under reductive conditions (dihydrogen with initial pressure of 5 bar) following two procedures, differing from each other for the cooling conditions. In the first procedure, the calcined material is cooled under dihydrogen gas, while in the second one the cooling step occurs under air. After calcination, the green Ni(II)-based co-polymer turns into black resins, Ni-res1 (obtained by cooling under hydrogen) and Ni-res2 ((obtained by cooling under air). FESEM analyses show that both Ni-res1 and Ni-res2 support Ni nanoparticles with different morphologies, being the metal nanoparticles onto Ni-res1 smaller than the ones dispersed in Ni-res2, that have an urchin-like shape. Both Ni-based co-polymers are tested as catalysts in the reduction of nitrobenzene with NaBH4. Ni-res1 results more active and selective towards aniline with respect to Ni-res2

Stima dell\u2019impatto economico dell\u2019introduzione della check-list di sala operatoria presso un\u2019Azienda ULSS della Regione Veneto

L\u2019Azienda ULSS 20 di Verona ha stabilito di introdurre nell\u2019Ospedale \u201cFracastoro\u201d di San Bonifacio una checklist chirurgica (elenco di procedure di sala operatoria da attuare prima e dopo l\u2019intervento), basata sulle indicazioni dell\u2019OMS, al fine di ridurre il rischio di complicanze post-operatorie. Il presente studio ha avuto l\u2019obiettivo di valutare se il costo della check-list (C.L.) possa essere compensato dal risparmio conseguente alla riduzione dell\u2019incidenza di tali complicanze

Le varietà di grano duro per le semine 2021. Sicilia

Anche nel 2020-21, pur nelle difficili circostanze determinate per il secondo anno consecutivo dalla pandemia da Covid-19, sono state condotte in Sicilia le prove della Rete nazionale di confronto varietale di frumento duro. I campi sperimentali sono stati allestiti in 5 ambienti siciliani. La sperimentazione ha riguardato 30 varieta’, di cui ben 9 al primo anno di valutazione. I risultati produttivi riscontrati nelle diverse localita’ appaiono molto differenti e fortemente influenzati dall’andamento meteorologico verificatosi nelle diverse zone dell’Isola.At 2020-21, despite the difficult circumstances determined for the second consecutive year by the Covid-19 pandemic, the tests of the national durum wheat variety comparison network were conducted in Sicily. The experimental fields were set up in 5 Sicilian environments. The experimentation involved 30 varieties, of which 9 in the first year of evaluation. The production results found in the different locations appear very different and strongly influenced by the meteorological trends that occurred in the different areas of the island

Varietà di grano duro per il biologico.

Anche in biologico alcune varietà di recente costituzione possono garantire interessanti performance produttive e buona qualità. Per stabilità di resa registrate negli ultimi 7 anni di prove in bio vanno segnalate nei diversi areali le varietà Claudio e Iride