Alexithymia and Treatment Outcome in Anorexia Nervosa: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Alexithymia is of great interest as an outcome predictor of recovery from anorexia nervosa, since it may interfere with both treatment compliance and patients' ability to benefit from the adopted interventions. Using the PRISMA methodology, we performed a scoping review of the literature about treatment outcome in anorexia nervosa, in terms of changes in alexithymia as assessed by its most commonly used self-report measure, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). The Medline and Scopus databases were searched, and articles were included if matching the following criteria: dealing with patients affected by anorexia nervosa, without limits of age; involving the application of any kind of targeted therapy or treatment; assessing alexithymia and the effect of a treatment intervention on alexithymia, using the TAS. Ten studies were eventually included; overall, according to the selected studies, alexithymia levels often remain high even after specific treatment. Further research aimed at a deeper understanding of the actual impact of alexithymia on the outcome of anorexia, as well as exploring alternative treatment strategies for alexithymia in eating disorders (EDs), are warranted

Unexpected Metastasis of High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer to Breast: Case Report and Literature Review

Introduction: Metastasis of ovarian serous carcinoma to breast and/or axillary lymph nodes represents an unusual event. Nevertheless, their detection and distinction from mammary carcinoma are of huge clinical importance because the treatment and prognosis diverge significantly. Case presentation: We report a case of a 47 year-old Caucasian female patient with unforeseen metastasis to the breast and to axillary lymph nodes due to ovarian serous carcinoma. Conclusion: In patients with history of OSC who present with axillary or breast mass, an accurate histological diagnosis should be obtained since this has a great impact on treatment outcomes

From the Roman Empire to the New Millennium. Data access and sharing from healthy ageing cohorts

Cohort studies are the best way to analyze the incidence and natural history of a disorder, permitting to assess associations between multiple exposures and multiple outcomes. A well-designed cohort may be particularly relevant regarding the study of the ageing processes of adult populations, allowing the study of processes and dynamics of the individual life course and the study of the effects of earlier exposures and characteristics on later outcomes. Moreover, cohort studies seem the best instrument to analyze the factors favoring active and healthy ageing, and to increase knowledge about the most appropriate interventions to enhance older population's wellness. Nonetheless, the number of cohorts on ageing is limited, because they are very expensive to develop, establish, and maintain, requiring long-term investment to be efficiently performed to obtain all the data needed to address the longitudinal research questions. Open data and data sharing should be encouraged to ensure verifiable, reproducible and transparent results, and to allow the generation of new knowledge in the context of earlier discoveries. Making cohort studies \u201copen\u201d can foster the efforts of the scientific community committed in the study of ageing and give a real contribution to the well-being of the ageing population. KEY-MESSAGE: \u2022 Cohort studies are the best way to analyze the incidence and natural history of a disorder, the factors favoring active and healthy ageing, and to increase knowledge about the most appropriate interventions to enhance older population's wellness. \u2022 Making cohort studies \u201copen\u201d can foster the efforts of the scientific community committed in the study of ageing and give a real contribution to the well-being of the ageing population

Determination of propofol by GC/MS and fast GC/MS-TOF in two cases of poisoning

Two cases of suspected acute and lethal intoxication caused by propofol were delivered by the judicial authority to the Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother-Child Care in Palermo, Sicily. In the first case a female nurse was found in a hotel room, where she lived with her mother; four 10 mg/mL vials and two 20 mg/mL vials of propofol were found near the decedent along with syringes and needles. In the second case a male nurse was found in the operating room of a hospital, along with a used syringe. In both cases a preliminary systematic and toxicological analysis indicated the presence of propofol in the blood and urine. As a result, a method for the quantitative determination of propofol in biological fluids was optimized and validated using a liquid-liquid extraction protocol followed by GC/MS and fast GC/MS-TOF. In the first case, the concentration of propofol in blood was determined to be 8.1 \u3bcg/mL while the concentration of propofol in the second case was calculated at 1.2 \u3bcg/mL. Additionally, the tissue distribution of propofol was determined for both cases. Brain and liver concentrations of propofol were, respectively, 31.1 and 52.2 \u3bcg/g in Case 1 and 4.7 and 49.1 \u3bcg/g in Case 2. Data emerging from the autopsy findings, histopathological exams as well as the toxicological results aided in establishing that the deaths were due to poisoning, however, the manner of death in each were different: homicide in Case 1 and suicide in Case 2

The psychopathology of body image in orthorexia nervosa

The human body has a complex meaning and role in everybody\u2019s life and experience. Body image has two main components: body percept (the internal visual image of body shape and size) and body concept (the level of satisfaction with one\u2019s body), whose specific alterations may lead to different conditions, such as overestimation of one\u2019s own body dimensions, negative feelings and thoughts towards the body, body avoidance and body checking behavior. Moreover, body dissatisfaction can be associated with a variety of other mental health and psychosocial conditions, but only a few studies have explored the body image construct in orthorexia nervosa (ON). ON is a condition characterized by concern and fixation about healthy eating, with mixed results available in the literature about the presence of body image disorders. The aim of this manuscript is to present the main findings from the literature about the psychopathology of body image in ON. Summarizing, while theoretically the presence of body image disturbances should help clinicians to differentiate ON from eating disorders, further research is needed to confirm this finding. It is not clear whether the body image disorder in ON depends on an altered body percept or body concept, and the relationship between the disordered eating behavior and body image disorder still needs to be disentangled. Further studies regarding the relationship between ON and body image could be helpful to better understand the relevance of body image as a transdiagnostic factor and its potential value as target for treatment intervention

The Great Acceleration of fragrances and PAHs archived in an ice core from Elbrus, Caucasus

The Great Acceleration of the anthropogenic impact on the Earth system is marked by the ubiquitous distribution of anthropogenic materials throughout the global environment, including technofossils, radionuclides and the exponential increases of methane and carbon dioxide concentrations. However, personal care products as direct tracers of human domestic habits are often overlooked. Here, we present the first research combining fragrances, as novel personal care products, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as combustion and industrial markers, across the onset of the Great Acceleration in the Elbrus, Caucasus, ice core. This archive extends from the 1930s to 2005, spanning the profound changes in the relationship between humans and the environment during the twentieth century. Concentrations of both fragrances and PAHs rose throughout the considered period, reflecting the development of the Anthropocene. However, within this rising trend, remarkable decreases of the tracers track the major socioeconomic crises that occurred in Eastern Europe during the second half of the twentieth century

Estudio de la adsorción de HPOMs sobre alúmino-silicatos naturales modificados para su aplicación en reacciones limpias de oxidesulfurización

Se investiga el grado de interacción y adsorción de Mo a partir de iso y heteropolimolibdatos soportados en alúminoslicatos naturales (caolines y zeolitas) puros y modificados. Se presenta la caracterización y evaluación preliminar de estos sistemas en la reacción de oxidación selectiva de difenilsulfuro con peróxido de hidrógeno. Los minerales fueron sometidos a diferentes pretratamientos fisicoquímicos, para ser utilizados como soportes catalíticos. Con el objetivo de mejorar la adsorción de POMs y HPOMs sobre la superficie del mineral, se funcionalizó la misma con diferentes aminosilanos. Todos los materiales fueron caracterizados por diversas técnicas fisicoquímicas convencionales como DRX, y FTIR y térmicas. Los ensayos de TPR permitieron analizar el tipo de interacción de los HPOMs en cada superficie. La reacción de oxidesulfurización se realizó en “batch” a 75°C, empleando H2O2 como oxidante “limpio” y acetonitrilo como solvente. La mayor adsorción de Mo alcanzó un 11% en la superficie de caolín modificado y funcionalizado y 4% en las zeolitas. Las conversiones de difenilsulfuro obtenidas fueron superiores al 95% en los sistemas conteniendo POMs, con elevada selectividad a difenilsulfona.The degree of interaction and adsorption of Mo is investigated from iso- and heteropolymolybdates supported in pure and modified natural alúminoslicatos (zeolites and kaolins). Also, evaluation of these systems in the reaction of selective oxidation of diphenyl sulfide with hydrogen peroxide is presented. Minerals were subjected to various physico-chemical pretreatments, for use as catalyst supports. With the aim of improving adsorption of POMs and HPOMs on the mineral surface, it was functionalized with different aminosilanes. All materials were characterized by various physicochemical techniques such as conventional XRD and FTIR and thermal analysis. TPR tests helped analyze the type of interaction with HPOMs on every surface. The catalytic tests were performed in batch at 75 °C, using H2O2 as clean oxidant and acetonitrile as solvent. In functionalized systems the amount of Mo adsorbed reached close to 11% for acid metakaolins and 4% for zeolites. Diphenyl sulfide conversions obtained were above 95%, with high selectivity to diphenyl sulfone

The Importance of Cooperation and Relative's Involvement in Combined Treatment for Eating Disorders: a Case Report

Introduction: The importance of combined treatment of EDs is widely acknowledged. We describe the good outcome of a combined treatment in a 43 year old woman, affected by severe Anorexia Nervosa \u2013 Binge Purging (BMI 9.1), since early adolescence. She sought treatment only after giving birth to her second-born when she became aware of her illness. Despite intensive treatment (as an inpatient in hospitals and specialized rehabilitation centres, and in Day Hospital facilities), her condition gradually worsened, and her personal, social, working and family functioning was severely compromised (Global Assessment of Functioning Scale 35), Methods: A multidisciplinary team including psychiatrist, psychotherapist, family psychotherapist, nutritionist, dietician, nurses was involved in treatment, working together to a common treatment strategy. The Psychiatrists role (psicopharmacology, therapeutic process, helping acknowledging and avoiding manipulation) and the nurses role (establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient, assisting her during meals and supporting the overall therapeutic process), are discussed. Results: A gradual psychopathologic and somatic improvement occurred across a 12-months period: she spent two months in a Psychiatry ward, four more months in a rehab centre and six months in an ED therapeutic community. She gained weight (BMI 21.4) and regained an excellent personal, social and family functioning. She returned to her husband (they previously separated), and the relationship with her daughters, who previously rejected her, improved (GAF 90). Conclusions: The cooperation of the multidisciplinary equipe and the involvement of the patient\u2019s relatives succeeded in reducing anxiety, depression, dysmorphophobia and interrupting the manipulating attitudes typical of the illness

Impact of sound attenuation on ultrasound-driven yield improvements during olive oil extraction

High frequency ultrasound can enhance olive oil extractability industrially. However, the ultrasound attenuation phenomena and their implications on extractability, are not well understood. This work aims at evaluating the ultrasound attenuation effects on the oil extraction efficiency, while providing deeper insights into the physics behind the ultrasound extraction in a heterogeneous medium. Olives were collected and processed both in Italy and Uruguay during their respective harvest seasons. Sound pressure distribution was characterized in a high frequency ultrasound reactor, carrying 3 kg of water or paste, by using an indirect contact hydrophone device at 0.4 MHz or 2 MHz. A through-transmission ultrasonic technique was applied to determine attenuation profiles and coefficients in paste at the central frequency of each transducer, with various paste to water ratios and reactor sizes. Other ultrasound improvements on extractability were evaluated including reduction of malaxation time (10, 30 min), sonication time (2.5, 5 min) and power level (174, 280 W) without water addition and in a reactor with a 14.5 cm transducer to wall distance. However, no sound pressure levels in paste were detectable beyond 9 cm from the transducer at both frequencies. Among the various effects evaluated, an emission frequency of 0.4 MHz better improved extractability compared to 2 MHz. The attenuation profiles corroborated these findings with attenuation coefficients of 3.9 and 5.3 dB/cm measured near the respective frequencies. Improvements in oil extractability due to increasing sonication time and power level were significant (p < 0.05) also when sonicating beyond 14.5 cm and without water addition. Oil extractability improvements were observed even when sound pressure was undetectable beyond 9 cm from the transducer, suggesting that the standing wave oil trapping effect is not the governing mechanism for separation in high attenuation media for large scale systems

Can MR Imaging Diagnose Adult-Onset Alexander Disease?

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