Health Technological Supports to Detect Medication Errors: The Saniarp Case-Study

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Fermentation of Vaccinium floribundum Berries with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Reduces Oxidative Stress in Endothelial Cells and Modulates Macrophages Function

Accumulating evidence suggests that high consumption of natural antioxidants promotes health by reducing oxidative stress and, thus, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, fermentation of natural compounds with lactic acid bacteria (LAB), such as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, enhances their beneficial properties as regulators of the immune, digestive, and cardiovascular system. We investigated the effects of fermentation with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum on the antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects of Pushgay berries (Vaccinium floribundum, Ericaceae family) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and macrophage cell line RAW264.7. Polyphenol content was assayed by Folin-Ciocalteu and HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The effects of berries solutions on cell viability or proliferation were assessed by WST8 (2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, Trypan blue exclusion test, and Alamar blue assay. Antioxidant activity was evaluated by a cell-based chemiluminescent probe for the detection of intracellular H2O2 production in HUVECs. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression levels were investigated by RT-qPCR. Glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) activities, as markers of intracellular antioxidant defense, were evaluated by spectrophotometric analysis. The immunomodulatory activity was examined in RAW 264.7 by quantification of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF alpha) by RT-qPCR. Data showed that fermentation of Pushgay berries (i) enhances the content of quercetin aglycone, and (ii) increases their intracellular antioxidant activity, as indicated by the reduction in H2O2-induced cell death and the decrease in H2O2-induced HO-1 gene expression in HUVECs treated for 24 h with fermented berries solution (10 mu g/mL). Moreover, treatment with Pushgay berries for 72 h (10 mu g/mL) promotes cells growth in RAW 264.7, and only fermented Pushgay berries increase the expression of iNOS in the same cell line. Taken together, our results show that LAB fermentation of Pushgay berries enhances their antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties

Epidemiological characteristics of COVID-19 cases and estimates of the reproductive numbers 1 month into the epidemic, Italy, 28 January to 31 March 2020

BackgroundOn 20 February 2020, a locally acquired coronavirus disease (COVID-19) case was detected in Lombardy, Italy. This was the first signal of ongoing transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in the country. The number of cases in Italy increased rapidly and the country became the first in Europe to experience a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.AimOur aim was to describe the epidemiology and transmission dynamics of the first COVID-19 cases in Italy amid ongoing control measures.MethodsWe analysed all RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases reported to the national integrated surveillance system until 31 March 2020. We provide a descriptive epidemiological summary and estimate the basic and net reproductive numbers by region.ResultsOf the 98,716 cases of COVID-19 analysed, 9,512 were healthcare workers. Of the 10,943 reported COVID-19-associated deaths (crude case fatality ratio: 11.1%) 49.5% occurred in cases older than 80 years. Male sex and age were independent risk factors for COVID-19 death. Estimates of R0 varied between 2.50 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.18-2.83) in Tuscany and 3.00 (95% CI: 2.68-3.33) in Lazio. The net reproduction number Rt in northern regions started decreasing immediately after the first detection.ConclusionThe COVID-19 outbreak in Italy showed a clustering onset similar to the one in Wuhan, China. R0 at 2.96 in Lombardy combined with delayed detection explains the high case load and rapid geographical spread. Overall, Rt in Italian regions showed early signs of decrease, with large diversity in incidence, supporting the importance of combined non-pharmacological control measures

Il fenomeno migratorio: dall'emergenza all'integrazione; con una ricerca sui centri di accoglienza a Palermo

Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Biblioteca Centrale - P.le Aldo Moro, 7 , Rome / CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle RichercheSIGLEITItal

Social Networks and Deviant Leisure Choices. An Agent-based Simulation Model

Deviant leisure has been largely ignored in leisure research [Rojeck 1999]. Stebbins [1997] observed that most of deviant leisure often takes the form of casual leisure since it involves activities undertaken in the pursuit of immediately, intrinsically rewarding, relatively short-lived pleasures. Accordingly, from the tolerable deviance perspective [Stebbins 1996] some deviant activities, such as heavy drinking and gambling are currently considered as forms of deviant casual leisure as they produce a significant level of pleasure for those who participate in them. Recently deviant activities, such as auto-theft, have been contextualized as thrill and risk within a hedonic leisure lifestyle [Drodza 2006]. Following this approach it’s possible to identify models of deviant lifestyles associated with specific sub-cultures that influence the emergence of the motivation for deviance. This perspective reveals the importance of differential associations and the process of social influence (such as social learning and communication) within different type of social networks. Building on these approaches, the present study provides an agent-based simulation model in which different types of agents (with different risk propensity), are faced on different leisure opportunities, some of which are deviant pleasurable leisure activities (with high potential benefit). Moreover individuals interact within social networks influencing each other by direct communication and learning. The aim of the study is to analyze the role of different type of social networks (characterized by different patterns of interconnections between members) on individual deviant leisure choices. The simulation model explores the impact of network topologies on the spread of some forms of deviant casual leisure