The intervention of the emergency psychologist: The sipem sos emilia romagna during the first lockdown from covid-19. A retrospective study

Background and purpose of this work: WHO 11 March 2020 declares that Sars-Cov-2 infection is not only a health emergency but must be considered a pandemic. Covid-19 required the urgency of a new psychological intervention model to better address the crisis and ensure a direct support response to the people involved in the pandemic. The present study aimed to detect the symptoms and reactions of the population with respect to the event. The survey was carried out by describing the clinical symptoms that emerged from the triage card used by SIPEM SoS Emilia Romagna (Italy), connoting the criteria of emergency psychology. Methods: A retrospective quantitative study was conducted on 288 psychological triage cards. Results: only 11% of users who ask for support say they are positive while 85% report not having contracted the virus. Of the total, 40.9% call for psychological support in the management of anxiety symptoms, a need also reported by 55% of the subsample who declared previous psychological problems. In reaction to the pandemic event, 51.1% of the total refers to coping resources and availability for help. Discussions: the need for support of the population to manage symptoms highlights the need for early interventions, also to facilitate that slice of the population that does not have effective individual coping strategies and resources available to help. Conclusions: it can be deduced that interventions during these types of emergencies must be timely and aimed not only at those affected but also at the general population. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Insights From Liver-Humanized Mice on Cholesterol Lipoprotein Metabolism and LXR-Agonist Pharmacodynamics in Humans

Background and Aims Genetically modified mice have been used extensively to study human disease. However, the data gained are not always translatable to humans because of major species differences. Liver-humanized mice (LHM) are considered a promising model to study human hepatic and systemic metabolism. Therefore, we aimed to further explore their lipoprotein metabolism and to characterize key hepatic species-related, physiological differences. Approach and Results Fah(-/-), Rag2(-/-), and Il2rg(-/-) knockout mice on the nonobese diabetic (FRGN) background were repopulated with primary human hepatocytes from different donors. Cholesterol lipoprotein profiles of LHM showed a human-like pattern, characterized by a high ratio of low-density lipoprotein to high-density lipoprotein, and dependency on the human donor. This pattern was determined by a higher level of apolipoprotein B100 in circulation, as a result of lower hepatic mRNA editing and low-density lipoprotein receptor expression, and higher levels of circulating proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9. As a consequence, LHM lipoproteins bind to human aortic proteoglycans in a pattern similar to human lipoproteins. Unexpectedly, cholesteryl ester transfer protein was not required to determine the human-like cholesterol lipoprotein profile. Moreover, LHM treated with GW3965 mimicked the negative lipid outcomes of the first human trial of liver X receptor stimulation (i.e., a dramatic increase of cholesterol and triglycerides in circulation). Innovatively, LHM allowed the characterization of these effects at a molecular level. Conclusions LHM represent an interesting translatable model of human hepatic and lipoprotein metabolism. Because several metabolic parameters displayed donor dependency, LHM may also be used in studies for personalized medicine.Peer reviewe

The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS): translation and validation of the Taiwanese version

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Over the last few decades, research concerning the insight of patients with schizophrenia and its relationships with other clinical variables has been given much attention in the clinical setting. Since that time, a series of instruments assessing insight have been developed. The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Taiwanese version of the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS). The BCIS is a self-administered instrument designed to evaluate cognitive processes that involves reevaluating patients' anomalous experiences and specific misinterpretations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The English language version of the BCIS was translated into Taiwanese for use in this study. A total of 180 subjects with and without psychosis completed the Taiwanese version of the BCIS and additional evaluations to assess researcher-rated insight scales and psychopathology. Psychometric properties (factor structures and various types of reliability and validity) were assessed for this translated questionnaire.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, the Taiwanese version of the BCIS showed good reliability and stability over time. This translated scale comprised a two-factor solution corresponding to reflective attitude and certain attitude subscales. Following the validation of the internal structure of the scale, we obtained an R-C (reflective attitude minus certain attitude) index of the translated BCIS, representing the measurement of cognitive insight by subtracting the score of the certain attitude subscale from that of the reflective attitude subscale. As predicted, the differences in mean reflective attitude, certain attitude and R-C index between subjects with and without psychosis were significant. Our data also demonstrated that psychotic patients were significantly less reflective, more confident in their beliefs, and had less cognitive insight compared with nonpsychotic control groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In light of these findings, we believe that the Taiwanese version of BCIS is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of cognitive insight in psychotic patients.</p

Can cognitive insight predict symptom remission in a first episode psychosis cohort?

BACKGROUND: The outcome of first episode psychosis (FEP) is highly variable and difficult to predict. Cognitive insight measured at illness onset has previously been found to predict psychopathology 12-months later. The aims of this study were to examine whether the prospective relationship between cognitive insight and symptom severity is evident at four-years following FEP and to examine some psychological correlates of cognitive insight. METHODS: FEP participants (n = 90) completed the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) at illness onset, and associations between BCIS scores with symptom severity outcomes (4-years after FEP) were assessed. The BCIS scales (self-reflectiveness and self-certainty) were examined as a composite score, and individually compared to other cognitive measures (IQ and jumping to conclusions (JTC) bias). RESULTS: Regression analyses revealed that the cognitive insight composite did not predict 4-year symptom remission in this study while the self-reflection subscale of the BCIS predicted severity of symptoms at 4-years. Self-certainty items of the BCIS were not associated with symptom severity. Significant correlations between the JTC bias, self-certainty and IQ were found, but self-reflection did not correlate with these other cognitive measures. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reflective capacity is a more relevant and independent cognitive construct than self-certainty for predicting prospective symptom severity in psychosis. Improving self-reflection may be a useful target for early intervention research

Assessing cognitive insight in nonpsychiatric individuals and outpatients with schizophrenia in Taiwan: an investigation using the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Beck Cognitive Insight Scale (BCIS) was designed for the assessment of the cognitive processes involved in self-reflection and the ability to modify erroneous beliefs and misinterpretations. Studies investigating the factor structure of the BCIS have indicated a two-factor model in the psychotic population. The factor structure of the BCIS, however, has not received much consideration in the nonpsychiatric population. The present study examined the factor structure and validity of the BCIS and compared its scores between nonpsychiatric individuals and outpatients with psychosis.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The Taiwanese version of the BCIS was administered to 507 nonpsychiatric individuals and 118 outpatients with schizophrenia. The psychometric properties of the BCIS were examined through the following analyses: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability, correlation analyses, and discriminative validity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The BCIS showed adequate internal consistency and stability over time. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the 15-item measure indicated a two-factor solution that supported the two dimensions of the Taiwanese BCIS, which was also observed with the original BCIS. Following the construct validation, we obtained a composite index (self-reflectiveness minus self-certainty) of the Taiwanese BCIS that reflected cognitive insight. Consistent with previous studies, our results indicated that psychosis is associated with low self-reflectiveness and high self-certainty, which possibly reflect lower cognitive insight. Our results also showed that better cognitive insight is related to worse depression in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but not in nonpsychiatric individuals. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.731. A composite index of 3 was a good limit, with a sensitivity of 87% and a specificity of 51%.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The BCIS proved to be useful for measuring cognitive insight in Taiwanese nonpsychiatric and psychotic populations.</p

Characteristics of horse meat production in Northern Italy

Horse meat consumption is widespread in Italy since ancient times, Among European countries, Italy is the major consumer of horse meat and related meat products. However, national production has never been able to satisfy market demand; the refore more than half of the consumed meat is imported. A survey on productive assets has been carried out in a horse and bovine slaughterhouse located on Emilia-Romagna region to investigate the characteristics of horse meat production in Northern Italy. The two-years period 2004-2005 was chosen for this investigation. The abattoir under examination provided to slaughter 4,375 horses in 2004 and 4,770 in 2005. Around 16% of the slaughtered horses were foals, being less than two years old. The results of the present survey confirmed that half of the slaughtered horses came from Hungary and, to a much lesser extent, from Poland. The horses of Italian origin were mainly from Lombardia, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, and Toscana regions

Indagine sulla produzione di carne equina presso un macello dell'Emilia Romagna

A partire dal secondo dopoguerra, il consumo di carne equina in Italia ha rivestito una certa importanza. Rispetto ad altri Paesi europei, l’Italia è da annoverare tra i Paesi ippofagi, seguita dalla Francia. La produzione nazionale di carne equina non è sufficiente a far fronte ai fabbisogni e per questo l’Italia ricorre all’importazione di animali vivi destinati alla macellazione o di carne, sia refrigerata, sia congelata. Lo scopo del lavoro è stato quello di valutare l’attività produttiva di carne equina nel Nord Italia mediante un’indagine condotta presso un macello ad indirizzo misto bovino-equino situato in Emilia-Romagna. L’indagine è stata svolta nel biennio 2004- 2005. Il macello in esame ha provveduto alla macellazione di 4.375 cavalli nel 2004 e 4.770 nel 2005. Il 16% circa degli animali macellati appartenevano alla categoria dei puledri, avendo un’età inferiore ai due anni. Circa il 50% degli animali era di provenienza straniera, principalmente ungherese e, in misura minima, polacca. Gli animali di origine italiana provenivano principalmente dall’Emilia-Romagna e dalle regioni limitrofe (Lombardia, Veneto e Toscana)

A New Technological Tool to Manage Edible Flowers for Health Purposes: The INTERREG ALCOTRA ANTEA project

Edible flowers may have a relevant importance in improving human health by virtue of possessing interesting nutritional characteristics. The European Union together with the trans-border framework INTERREG-ALCOTRA, funded the project 'Innovative activities for the development of a cross-border supply chain of edible flowers' (ANTEA). This abstract presents the first results achieved by the collaboration between the Bioengineering Group at DIBRIS and the Pharmaceutics Group at DIFAR. These results cover aspects from the chemical world, some biotechnological issues and some interesting computer science applications