Social network data analysis to highlight privacy threats in sharing data

AbstractSocial networks are a vast source of information, and they have been increasing impact on people's daily lives. They permit us to share emotions, passions, and interactions with other people around the world. While enabling people to exhibit their lives, social networks guarantee their privacy. The definitions of privacy requirements and default policies for safeguarding people's data are the most difficult challenges that social networks have to deal with. In this work, we have collected data concerning people who have different social network profiles, aiming to analyse privacy requirements offered by social networks. In particular, we have built a tool exploiting image-recognition techniques to recognise a user from his/her picture, aiming to collect his/her personal data accessible through social networks where s/he has a profile. We have composed a dataset of 5000 users by combining data available from several social networks; we compared social network data mandatory in the registration phases, publicly accessible and those retrieved by our analysis. We aim to analyse the amount of extrapolated data for evaluating privacy threats when users share information on different social networks to help them be aware of these aspects. This work shows how users data on social networks can be retrieved easily by representing a clear privacy violation. Our research aims to improve the user's awareness concerning the spreading and managing of social networks data. To this end, we highlighted all the statistical evaluations made over the gathered data for putting in evidence the privacy issues

Strontium doped calcium phosphate coatings on poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) by pulsed electron deposition

Herein the preparation of Sr2 +-doped calcium phosphate (CaP) coatings on poly(etheretherketone) (PEEK) substrates by pulsed electron deposition (PED) was investigated. Hydroxyapatites (HA) substituted with tailored amounts of Sr2 + up to 9 wt% were synthesized to generate the deposition targets. Dense and uniform amorphous CaP films having Sr/Ca molar ratios close to that of targets were achieved. The roughness and the wettability of the bare PEEK were significantly enhanced after coating deposition. The presence of Sr2 + led to a slight increase of the particles size while it did not mainly affect the RMS of the coatings that consisted of nanostructured aggregates of globular shape. After a mild annealing treatment at 130 °C for 6 h, the amorphous coatings transformed into nanocrystalline HA films incorporating Sr2 + having Sr/Ca molar ratios close to those of the as-deposited films. The annealing did not affect the topography and the roughness of the coatings, while improved the hardness of the films un-doped and doped at low-extent. This study shows that PED is feasible technique to coat PEEK implants with CaP films with control over the Sr/Ca ratio, which could improve bone fixation and in vivo stability especially under osteoporotic conditions thanks to the anabolic effect of Sr2 +

Long-term proactive management of psoriasis with calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate foam: an Italian consensus through a combined nominal group technique and Delphi approach

none85Background: Although long-term management of psoriasis is paramount, this approach is challenging in clinical practice. In the recent PSO-LONG trial, a fixed-dose combination of betamethasone dipropionate (BD) and calcipotriol (Cal) foam applied twice a week on non-consecutive days for 52 weeks (proactive treatment) reduced the risk of relapse. However, the role of Cal/BD foam in the long-term management of psoriasis needs further clarifications. The ProActive Management (PAM) program, a nationwide Italian project, aims at reaching a consensus on the role of proactive management of psoriasis. Methods: A steering committee generated some statements through the nominal group technique (NGT). The statements were voted by an expert panel in an adapted Delphi voting process. Results: Eighteen statements were proposed, and the majority of them (14/18) reached a consensus during the Delphi voting. The need to provide long-term proactive topical treatment to reduce the risk of relapse for the treatment of challenging diseases sites or in patients where phototherapy or systemic therapies are contraindicated/ineffective was widely recognized. A consensus was reached about the possibility to associate the proactive treatment with systemic and biological therapies, without the need for dose intensification, thus favoring a prolonged remission. Moreover, the proactive treatment was recognized as more effective than weekend therapy in increasing time free from relapses. Approaches to improve adherence, on the other hand, need further investigation. Conclusions: The inclusion in guidelines of a proactive strategy among the effective treatment options will be a fundamental step in the evolution of a mild-moderate psoriasis therapeutic approach.noneDe Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Martella, Alessandro; Campanati, Anna; Campione, Elena; Errichetti, Enzo; Franchi, Chiara; Gambardella, Alessio; Megna, Matteo; Osti, Federica; Ribero, Simone; Zagni, Giovanni; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Amoruso, Giuseppe Fabrizio; Baglieri, Francesco; Biamonte, Anna Silvia; Bianchelli, Tommaso; Bigi, Laura; Bortoli, Jarno; Brunetti, Bruno; Buligan, Cinzia; Cagni, Elisabetta; Calderoni, Ombretta; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Campanati, Anna; Caputo, Alighiero; Carrera, Carlo Giovanni; Carugno, Andrea; Chersi, Karin; Cicchelli, Stefano; De Natale, Flora; De Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Di Maria, Domenico; Errichetti, Enzo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Ferrari, Angelo Salvatore; Fogli, Emanuela; Forconi, Riccardo; Franchi, Chiara; Galeazzi, Augusto; Gambardella, Alessio; Giovannini, Andrea; Giura, Maria Teresa; Iuculano, Massimo; Lazzaretti, Giuseppe; Leporati, Claudia; Magnanini, Massimiliano; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Marconi, Barbara; Martella, Alessandro; Maruccia, Adriana; Megna, Matteo; Miglietta, Roberta; Minuti, Anna; Mocci, Luigi; Modica, Sonia; Narcisi, Alessandra; Odorici, Giulia; Osti, Federica; Pazzaglia, Massimiliano; Peila, Rossana; Pertusi, Ginevra; Pezza, Michele; Pezzullo, Elio; Puccia, Nunzio; Raulo, Umberto; Ribero, Simone; Rossi, Mariateresa; Rusignuolo, Sergio; Sapienza, Giada; Savarese, Catello; Scalisi, Mariaelena; Strippoli, Davide; Stroppiana, Elena; Tiberio, Rossana; Trischitta, Antonino; Tucci, Maria Giovanna; Vaira, Fabrizio; Verrone, Anna; Villa, Lucia; Zagni, Fabio; Zoccali, AndreaDe Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Martella, Alessandro; Campanati, Anna; Campione, Elena; Errichetti, Enzo; Franchi, Chiara; Gambardella, Alessio; Megna, Matteo; Osti, Federica; Ribero, Simone; Zagni, Giovanni; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Amoruso, Giuseppe Fabrizio; Baglieri, Francesco; Biamonte, Anna Silvia; Bianchelli, Tommaso; Bigi, Laura; Bortoli, Jarno; Brunetti, Bruno; Buligan, Cinzia; Cagni, Elisabetta; Calderoni, Ombretta; Calzavara-Pinton, Piergiacomo; Campanati, Anna; Caputo, Alighiero; Carrera, Carlo Giovanni; Carugno, Andrea; Chersi, Karin; Cicchelli, Stefano; De Natale, Flora; De Simone, Clara; Dapavo, Paolo; Di Maria, Domenico; Errichetti, Enzo; Fabbrocini, Gabriella; Ferrari, Angelo Salvatore; Fogli, Emanuela; Forconi, Riccardo; Franchi, Chiara; Galeazzi, Augusto; Gambardella, Alessio; Giovannini, Andrea; Giura, Maria Teresa; Iuculano, Massimo; Lazzaretti, Giuseppe; Leporati, Claudia; Magnanini, Massimiliano; Malagoli, Piergiorgio; Marconi, Barbara; Martella, Alessandro; Maruccia, Adriana; Megna, Matteo; Miglietta, Roberta; Minuti, Anna; Mocci, Luigi; Modica, Sonia; Narcisi, Alessandra; Odorici, Giulia; Osti, Federica; Pazzaglia, Massimiliano; Peila, Rossana; Pertusi, Ginevra; Pezza, Michele; Pezzullo, Elio; Puccia, Nunzio; Raulo, Umberto; Ribero, Simone; Rossi, Mariateresa; Rusignuolo, Sergio; Sapienza, Giada; Savarese, Catello; Scalisi, Mariaelena; Strippoli, Davide; Stroppiana, Elena; Tiberio, Rossana; Trischitta, Antonino; Tucci, Maria Giovanna; Vaira, Fabrizio; Verrone, Anna; Villa, Lucia; Zagni, Fabio; Zoccali, Andre

Changes in surgicaL behaviOrs dUring the CoviD-19 pandemic. The SICE CLOUD19 Study

BACKGROUND: The spread of the SARS-CoV2 virus, which causes COVID-19 disease, profoundly impacted the surgical community. Recommendations have been published to manage patients needing surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This survey, under the aegis of the Italian Society of Endoscopic Surgery, aims to analyze how Italian surgeons have changed their practice during the pandemic.METHODS: The authors designed an online survey that was circulated for completion to the Italian departments of general surgery registered in the Italian Ministry of Health database in December 2020. Questions were divided into three sections: hospital organization, screening policies, and safety profile of the surgical operation. The investigation periods were divided into the Italian pandemic phases I (March-May 2020), II (June-September 2020), and III (October-December 2020).RESULTS: Of 447 invited departments, 226 answered the survey. Most hospitals were treating both COVID-19-positive and -negative patients. The reduction in effective beds dedicated to surgical activity was significant, affecting 59% of the responding units. 12.4% of the respondents in phase I, 2.6% in phase II, and 7.7% in phase III reported that their surgical unit had been closed. 51.4%, 23.5%, and 47.8% of the respondents had at least one colleague reassigned to non-surgical COVID-19 activities during the three phases. There has been a reduction in elective (>200 procedures: 2.1%, 20.6% and 9.9% in the three phases, respectively) and emergency (<20 procedures: 43.3%, 27.1%, 36.5% in the three phases, respectively) surgical activity. The use of laparoscopy also had a setback in phase I (25.8% performed less than 20% of elective procedures through laparoscopy). 60.6% of the respondents used a smoke evacuation device during laparoscopy in phase I, 61.6% in phase II, and 64.2% in phase III. Almost all responders (82.8% vs. 93.2% vs. 92.7%) in each analyzed period did not modify or reduce the use of high-energy devices.CONCLUSION: This survey offers three faithful snapshots of how the surgical community has reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic during its three phases. The significant reduction in surgical activity indicates that better health policies and more evidence-based guidelines are needed to make up for lost time and surgery not performed during the pandemic

Effects of pre‐operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery: an international prospective cohort study

We aimed to determine the impact of pre-operative isolation on postoperative pulmonary complications after elective surgery during the global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We performed an international prospective cohort study including patients undergoing elective surgery in October 2020. Isolation was defined as the period before surgery during which patients did not leave their house or receive visitors from outside their household. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications, adjusted in multivariable models for measured confounders. Pre-defined sub-group analyses were performed for the primary outcome. A total of 96,454 patients from 114 countries were included and overall, 26,948 (27.9%) patients isolated before surgery. Postoperative pulmonary complications were recorded in 1947 (2.0%) patients of which 227 (11.7%) were associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients who isolated pre-operatively were older, had more respiratory comorbidities and were more commonly from areas of high SARS-CoV-2 incidence and high-income countries. Although the overall rates of postoperative pulmonary complications were similar in those that isolated and those that did not (2.1% vs 2.0%, respectively), isolation was associated with higher rates of postoperative pulmonary complications after adjustment (adjusted OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.05-1.36, p = 0.005). Sensitivity analyses revealed no further differences when patients were categorised by: pre-operative testing; use of COVID-19-free pathways; or community SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. The rate of postoperative pulmonary complications increased with periods of isolation longer than 3 days, with an OR (95%CI) at 4-7 days or &gt;= 8 days of 1.25 (1.04-1.48), p = 0.015 and 1.31 (1.11-1.55), p = 0.001, respectively. Isolation before elective surgery might be associated with a small but clinically important increased risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. Longer periods of isolation showed no reduction in the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. These findings have significant implications for global provision of elective surgical care