100 research outputs found
Erythrocytes as a Model for Heavy Metal-Related Vascular Dysfunction: The Protective Effect of Dietary Components.
Heavy metals are toxic environmental pollutants associated with severe ecological and human health risks. Among them is mercury (Hg), widespread in air, soil, and water, due to its peculiar geo-biochemical cycle. The clinical consequences of Hg exposure include neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, increased risk for cardiovascular diseases is also reported due to a direct effect on cardiovascular tissues, including endothelial cells, recently identified as important targets for the harmful action of heavy metals. In this review, we will discuss the rationale for the potential use of erythrocytes as a surrogate model to study Hg-related toxicity on the cardiovascular system. The toxic effects of Hg on erythrocytes have been amply investigated in the last few years. Among the observed alterations, phosphatidylserine exposure has been proposed as an underlying mechanism responsible for Hg-induced increased proatherogenic and prothrombotic activity of these cells. Furthermore, following Hg-exposure, a decrease in NOS activity has also been reported, with consequent lowering of NO bioavailability, thus impairing endothelial function. An additional mechanism that may induce a decrease in NO availability is the generation of an oxidative microenvironment. Finally, considering that chronic Hg exposure mainly occurs through contaminated foods, the protective effect of dietary components is also discussed
Meat intake and non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a meta-analysis of observational studies
Purpose: High intake of meat has been inconsistently associated with increased risk of NonHodgkin
Lymphoma (NHL). We carried out a meta-analysis to summarise the evidence of
published observational studies reporting association between red meat and processed meat intake
and NHL risk.
Methods: Analytical studies reporting relative risks with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the
association between intake of red and/or processed meat and NHL or major histological subtypes
were eligible. We conducted random-effects meta-analysis comparing lowest and highest intake
categories and dose-response meta-analysis when risk estimates and intake levels were available for
more than three exposure classes.
Results: Fourteen studies (4 cohort and 10 case-control) were included in the meta-analysis,
involving a total of 10121 NHL cases. The overall relative risks of NHL for the highest versus the
lowest category of consumption were 1.14 (95%CI: 1.03, 1.26) for red meat and 1.06 (95%CI: 0.98,
1.15) for processed meat. Significant associations were present when the analysis was restricted to
case-control studies but not when restricted to cohort studies. No significant associations were
found for major NHL etiological subtypes. Dose response meta-analysis could be based only on 8
studies that provided sufficient data and, compared to no meat consumption, the overall NHL
relative risk increased not linearly with increased daily intake of red meat.
Conclusion: The observed positive association between red meat consumption and NHL is mainly
supported by the effect estimates coming from case-control studies and is affected by multiple
sources of heterogeneity. This meta-analysis provided mixed and inconclusive evidences on the
supposed relationship between red and processed meat consumption and NHL
A selective cellulose/hemicellulose green solvents extraction from buckwheat chaff
A two-phase extraction process was adopted to obtain cellulose and hemicellulose from buckwheat chaff by using green solvents. We are proposing a combination of propylene carbonate (PC) and ionic liquids (ILs) in a 1:5 ratio. We compared the first-generation ILs 1-butyl-2,3-dimethylimidazolium chloride (BdmimCl), and 1-butyl-3-methyl imidazolium acetate (BmimAc) with respect to the tetrabutyl ammonium acetate (TBAAc). The cellulose and hemicellulose were, firstly, extracted into the PC/IL mixture and subsequently precipitated by water addition. All precipitate materials were analysed by FTIR-ATR and TGA, while the organic phase and the supernatant after water addition were analysed by using self-diffusion NMR. The PC green co-solvent was proven to be an exceptional candidate to replace dimethyl sulfoxide. The highest amount of precipitate material after water addition was obtained with PC-BmimAc, while PC-TBAAc was showing the highest cellulose/hemicellulose selectivity. Furthermore, a preferential interaction of the supernatant cellulose residue with PC or acetate was observed by self-diffusion NMR
Malpractice and patient safety descriptors: an innovative grid to evaluate the quality of clinical records
Introduction: The medical record contains all the health information related to the patient’s clinical condition and its evolution during
hospitalization. It was defined by the Italian Ministry of Health in 1992 as "The information tool designed to record all relevant
demographic and clinical information about a patient during a single episode of hospitalization". The documents and information in a
Medical Record must meet the following criteria: traceability, clarity, accuracy, authenticity, pertinence and completeness. The objectives of
our study was to develop a tool capable of assessing the quality of the clinical record and pointed the critical point at the Organizational,
Technical - Professional, Managerial level.
Methods: To evaluate the quality of the medical documentation, we created an assessment grid composed of 4 sections with a total of 92
criteria. This grid was tested on 200 medical records that were randomly selected from 25 (18 medical and 7 surgical) wards of a teaching
hospital in Rome.
Results: The grid contains 4 sections. The first part regards administrative and clinical data; the second assesses the quality of hospital stay
and surgical/invasive procedures; the third part is concerned with the discharge of the patient and the fourth aims to identify the presence of
advisory reports given to the patient.
This grid has been validated to verify internal consistency with Cronbach's Alpha = 0,743.
Conclusions: Medical records were analyzed using a validated tool with grids to identify critical issues in care activities. Weaknesses in the
system were identified in order to improve planning. The sample testing also in terms of ‘self-assessment' represents a tool to introduce
activities to improve safety and quality of care, greatly reducing the costs of litigation
Quality assessment of medical record as a tool for clinical risk management: a three year experience of a teaching hospital Policlinico Umberto I, Rome
Introduction: The medical record was defined by the Italian Ministry of Health in 1992 as "the information tool designed to record all relevant demographic and clinical information on a patient during a single hospitalization episode". Retrospective analysis of medical records is a tool for selecting direct and indirect indicators of critical issues (organizational, management and technical). The project’s aim being the promotion of an evaluation and self-evaluation process of medical records as a Clinical Risk Management tool to improve the quality of care within hospitals.
Methods: The Authors have retrospectively analysed, using a validated grid, 1,184 medical records of patients admitted to the Teaching Hospital “Umberto I” in Rome during a three-year period (2013-2015). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS for Windows © 19:00. All duly filled out criteria (92) were examined. “Strengths” and "Weaknesses" were identified through data analysis and Best and Bad Practice were identified based on established criteria.
Conclusion: The data analysis showed marked improvements (statistically significant) in the quality of evaluated clinical documentation and indirectly upon behaviour. However, when examining some sub-criteria, critical issues emerge; these could be subject to future further corrective action
Tricia Middleton: Joy is just melancholy with a really strong sense of purpose
"Middleton’s practice is motivated by the entropy and decline of all material goods, and her immersive installations are as fantastical, glistening, and seductive as they are horrific. An uneasy marriage of materials and process, Middleton’s practice incorporates castoffs and debris from consumer culture, organic elements, byproducts from studio production, and utilitarian building and craft supplies like paint, fabric, wax, and plastic sheeting, all grafted together in precarious, playful ways that mimic natural processes of growth, accumulation and decay." -- Publisher's website
Microbiological quality of surface waters of Rome and it’s County from 1890 to 2010: a systematic review of Roman Hygiene School
Research on the quality of surface waters has been erformed in Italy during the development of large urban areas, and in Rome this has been the duty of the Istituto di Igiene of the Sapienza University since 1890. Using MedLine - along with traditional consultation of papers printed before 1968 - we identified 100 articles published in the period from 1890-2010. Thirty of them met the inclusion criteria (to have been written by researchers of Roman universities and to contain microbiological information about the surface waters of Rome). The majority of papers identified (46.6%) were published during the Sixties and Seventies, and 30% in the twenty years that followed (1980-1999). The most frequent microbiological descriptors were “Total coliforms” and “Streptococci”. The body of waters most frequently investigated were the river Tiber and the coastal waters around Fiumicino, where the Tiber flows into the Tyrrhenian sea. The quality of surface waters has always been of central interest to the researchers of the Roman School of Hygiene. The excellent quality of past research, and the renovated interest of International Organizations and of the European Union, should encourage public health researchers to persist in this strategic field of investigation which has strong interconnections with the protection of individual well-being and community health, as well as with environmental preservation
Expression of functional TRPV1 receptor in primary culture of canine keratinocytes
The interest for the endovanilloid system and for transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is continuously increasing, due to their involvement in inflammation, nociception and pruritus. Even if TRPV1 enrolment was highlighted in both physiological and pathological conditions, some aspects remain unclear, mostly in veterinary medicine. This study aimed to verify the expression and functionality of TRPV1 in canine keratinocytes to investigate in vitro the role of TRPV1 in these cells that are involved in different cutaneous pathologies. Keratinocytes primary cultures were isolated from bioptical samples and cultivated. Binding assay (using 3 [H]-resiniferatoxin), displacement assay (in the presence of 1.2 nM 3 [H]-resiniferatoxin) and functional assays (in the presence of 1 μCi/45 Ca2+ ) with vanilloid agonists and antagonists, specifically addressed to TRPV1 receptor, were performed. Binding assay demonstrated the presence of measurable concentrations of TRPV1 (Bmax = 1,240 ± 120 fmol/mg protein; Kd = 0.01 ± 0.004 nM). Displacement assay highlighted the highest affinity for resiniferatoxin (RTX) and 5-iodo-resiniferatoxin (5-I-RTX), among agonists and antagonists, respectively. The same compounds results as the most potent in the functional assays. This study demonstrated the identification and the characterization of TRPV1 receptor in primary canine keratinocytes cultures. The results are promising for a clinical use, but further in vivo investigations are required
TRPV1 in Brain Is Involved in Acetaminophen-Induced Antinociception
Background: Acetaminophen, the major active metabolite of acetanilide in man, has become one of the most popular overthe- counter analgesic and antipyretic agents, consumed by millions of people daily. However, its mechanism of action is still a matter of debate. We have previously shown that acetaminophen is further metabolized to N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5Z,8Z,11Z,14Z-eicosatetraenamide (AM404) by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) in the rat and mouse brain and that this metabolite is a potent activator of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in vitro. Pharmacological activation of TRPV1 in the midbrain periaqueductal gray elicits antinociception in rats. It is therefore possible that activation of TRPV1 in the brain contributes to the analgesic effect of acetaminophen. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we show that the antinociceptive effect of acetaminophen at an oral dose lacking hypolocomotor activity is absent in FAAH and TRPV1 knockout mice in the formalin, tail immersion and von Frey tests. This dose of acetaminophen did not affect the global brain contents of prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) and endocannabinoids. Intracerebroventricular injection of AM404 produced a TRPV1-mediated antinociceptive effect in the mouse formalin test. Pharmacological inhibition of TRPV1 in the brain by intracerebroventricular capsazepine injection abolished the antinociceptive effect of oral acetaminophen in the same test. Conclusions: This study shows that TRPV1 in brain is involved in the antinociceptive action of acetaminophen and provides a strategy for developing central nervous system active oral analgesics based on the coexpression of FAAH and TRPV1 in the brain
A multicenter study on the appropriateness of hospitalization in obstetric wards: Application of Obstetric Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol (Obstetric AEP)
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