Effect of weather on temporal pain patterns in patients with temporomandibular disorders and migraine

Patients with masticatory muscle pain and migraine typically report that the intensity of pain fluctuates over time and is affected by weather changes. Weather variables, such as ambient temperature and humidity, may vary significantly depending on whether the individual is outdoor or indoor. It is, therefore, important to assess these variables at the individual level using portable monitors, during everyday life. This study aimed to determine and compare the temporal patterns of pain in individuals affected with facial and head pain and to investigate its relation with weather changes. Eleven patients (27·3 ± 7·4 years) with chronic masticatory muscle pain (MP) and twenty (33·1 ± 8·7 years) with migraine headache (MH) were asked to report their current pain level on a visual analogue scale (VAS) every hour over fourteen consecutive days. The VAS scores were collected using portable data-loggers, which were also used to record temperature, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity. VAS scores varied markedly over time in both groups. Pain VAS scores fluctuate less in the MP group than in the MH group, but their mean, minimum and maximum values were higher than those of migraine patients (all P < 0·05). Pain scores <2 cm were more common in the MH than in the MP group (P < 0·001). Perceived intensity of pain was negatively associated with atmospheric pressure in the MP group and positively associated with temperature and atmospheric in the MH group. Our results reveal that patients with masticatory muscle pain and patients with migraine present typical temporal pain patterns that are influenced in a different way by weather changes

Disease-Modifying Therapies and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods: We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. All the patients had complete follow-up to death or recovery. Severe COVID-19 was defined by a 3-level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID-19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)-weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results. Results: Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID-19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty-eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized. After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti-CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18\u20134.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Recent use (&lt;1 month) of methylprednisolone was also associated with a worse outcome (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.20\u201312.53, p = 0.001). Results were confirmed by the PS-weighted analysis and by all the sensitivity analyses. Interpretation: This study showed an acceptable level of safety of therapies with a broad array of mechanisms of action. However, some specific elements of risk emerged. These will need to be considered while the COVID-19 pandemic persists. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:780\u2013789

Disease-Modifying Therapies and Coronavirus Disease 2019 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the impact of immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies on the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Methods: We retrospectively collected data of PwMS with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. All the patients had complete follow-up to death or recovery. Severe COVID-19 was defined by a 3-level variable: mild disease not requiring hospitalization versus pneumonia or hospitalization versus intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. We evaluated baseline characteristics and MS therapies associated with severe COVID-19 by multivariate and propensity score (PS)-weighted ordinal logistic models. Sensitivity analyses were run to confirm the results. Results: Of 844 PwMS with suspected (n = 565) or confirmed (n = 279) COVID-19, 13 (1.54%) died; 11 of them were in a progressive MS phase, and 8 were without any therapy. Thirty-eight (4.5%) were admitted to an ICU; 99 (11.7%) had radiologically documented pneumonia; 96 (11.4%) were hospitalized. After adjusting for region, age, sex, progressive MS course, Expanded Disability Status Scale, disease duration, body mass index, comorbidities, and recent methylprednisolone use, therapy with an anti-CD20 agent (ocrelizumab or rituximab) was significantly associated (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-4.74, p = 0.015) with increased risk of severe COVID-19. Recent use (&lt;1 month) of methylprednisolone was also associated with a worse outcome (OR = 5.24, 95% CI = 2.20-12.53, p = 0.001). Results were confirmed by the PS-weighted analysis and by all the sensitivity analyses. Interpretation: This study showed an acceptable level of safety of therapies with a broad array of mechanisms of action. However, some specific elements of risk emerged. These will need to be considered while the COVID-19 pandemic persists

Effects of urban heat island mitigation strategies in an urban square: A numerical modelling and experimental investigation

It is generally recognized that both urbanization and climate change contribute to the emergence of urban heat islands (UHI). Urban areas frequently encounter summertime local overheating, which is stressful and negatively affects a building's systems capacity to maintain the indoor air temperature setpoint. UHI has sharply increased during the last 10 years as a result of shifting land use patterns, escalating urbanization, and declining plant and water supplies. The scientific community has recently paid a lot of attention to studies on UHI mitigation techniques, including those utilizing green roofs, cool materials, vegetation, and water supplies. In this work, a square in Rome was experimentally and numerically investigated to assess a potential remedy for reducing outdoor air temperatures. A calibrated numerical model was made using the ENVI met tool, and several types of mitigation scenarios were looked at in order to lessen the area's warming and analyze the impacts of the recommended remedies on decreasing air temperature. The study's findings show that changing the pavement's albedo and adding more vegetation inside the square enhance the thermal conditions of the air. The use of grass pavers, in particular, would provide the biggest advantages

Retrofit Analysis of a Historical Building in an Architectural Constrained Area: A Case Study in Rome, Italy

A significant portion of Europe’s historical buildings have significant potential for energy efficiency. Social policy is typically opposed to energy retrofits because it is concerned about damaging historical or cultural sites. Contrarily, there are several approaches to energy efficiency that may be used with historic structures while also retaining the region’s architectural constraints. The findings of this study demonstrate that historical structures, which are typically not targets of energy efficiency technology because of architectural constraints on the building or in the neighbourhood, may also achieve a meaningful decrease in energy usage and GHG emissions. The significant energy-saving capability of this type of building is emphasized in the historical structure taken into consideration. The historical building object of the present study was built in the beginning of the 1900s and it was selected by the Ministry of Culture for energy efficiency improvements

A NEW GUARDED HOT-PLATE APPARATUS FOR THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY MEASUREMENTS: VALIDATION RESULTS

This paper presents the work that has been performed for setting up a new apparatus for thermal conductivity measurements. The instrument is based on the guarded hot-plate method and has been designed and realised at the Fisica Tecnica Department of Rome University La Sapienza, with the aim of using it for calibration of commercial heat flow meters. This new apparatus has been realised in accordance with the standard ISO8302:1991 “Thermal insulation – Determination of steady-state thermal resistance and related properties - Guarded hot plate apparatus” and is an asymmetric single-specimen apparatus. The performed tests allowed the verification that the employed technical choices have led to repeatable and reliable measurement results. This new apparatus is characterised by a much lower realisation cost than comparable commercial or research instruments and this has been permitted by the implementation of technical solutions whose effectiveness has been verified in this work. The measurements realised with known-conductivity specimens are quite encouraging: a satisfactory isothermal condition, both for cold and hot plates, has been found and measured conductivity values are in accordance with tested materials certifications

Acoustical design and assessment of a multipurpose Hall

Rome - Ital