The association between overweight and illegal drug consumption in adolescents is there an underlying influence of the sociocultural environment?

Background: The aims of the study were to: a) Examine the distribution of gender-stratified body mass index (BMI), eating attitudes and use of addictive substances, under the hypothesis of a confluent prevalence of weight abnormalities, eating disorders and substance abuse. b) Demonstrate the extent to which family, peer-related and psychosocial factors are common elements in categories of compulsive behaviour. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the present cross-sectional study, data were collected through self reported questionnaires administered to a large sample of 33,185 15-19 years old adolescents (ESPADHItalia), divided into weight categories based on the BMI percentile distribution. Multinomial analyses were adopted to address the influence of social, family, leisure time factors, Eating Attitude Test (EAT26) on the association between weight categories and drug use. Recent drugs use was more frequent in overweight and underweight adolescents (p,0.05), especially in females. An EAT26 score $20 was more common in overweight adolescents. Multinomial analysis abolished the relationship between overweight and the use of most drugs, implicating self-esteem, parents\u27 educational level, and friendships as mediators of the association. Within the overweight category, adolescents reporting recent drug use, showed greater frequency of having drug-abusing friends (,80%), and severe problems with parents and school (,30%) compared to overweight adolescents without recent drug use. Conclusion: The frequent association of overweight and substance use and the presence of common underlying social factors, highlights the need for an interdisciplinary approach involving individual-focused treatment models as well as public health, social and environmental changes to reduce food- and substances-related problems.

A Short History of a Controversial Diagnosis

This work retraces the history of gender identity, a construct which came to light at the end of the sixties, and whose path we will follow up until the present day. In detail, the work focuses on the situations in which a person – belonging to what is commonly known as the trans* world – lives with a lack of correspondence between assigned birth gender and actual gender experience. We will revisit the different diagnoses connected to gender variance – in childhood, adolescence and adulthood – that have been put forward, and examine the different diagnostic classifications that have been used up to now, in order to reach the discussion of this theme in a psychoanalytic field. We will highlight how, alongside pathologizing theories, the psychiatric and psychoanalytic fields have become enriched via theoretical and clinical knowledge that enhance and recognize the depth of the subjective experience of trans* people, without stopping therefore, at a simply reductive diagnosis

Italian Report: EMCDDA Project (CC.09.EPI.002)

Although there are definitions and diagnostic criteria to identify cannabis abuse and dependence, there is no a shared concept of cannabis use related problems. In recent times a number of indicators have been discussed and implemented (use severity and consumption patterns, treatment demands etc) and there are different screening instruments used to measure negative consequences of cannabis use. Short screening scales to assess dependence and other problems related to the use of cannabis seem to be usefull instruments, easy to be administered, to estimate prevalence of cannabis related negative consequences and to identify at risk-persons. The need to standardize also in Italy a set of instruments which allow to monitor problematic cannabis use patterns or addiction development, has been highlighted. The three scales Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST), Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) and Munich Composite International Diagnostic Interview (M-CIDI) are included in the questionnaire used in ESPAD-Italia? 2009 survey. The present work considers the validation process of these instruments in high school population.not availabl

Association of social factors and health conditions with capacity and performance

OBJECTIVE Determine and measure the association of social factors and health conditions with worse capacity and performance levels. METHODS Dependent variables consisted of performance and capacity; independent variables comprised age, gender, level of education, personal income, and health conditions. Means (95%CI) of performance and capacity were presented according to the independent variables. Generalized linear models, using a mutual adjustment for all variables considered statistically significant (p < 0.05), measured the associations between each exposure and outcomes. Study population included 12,265 individuals. RESULTS Older women with lower education and income levels and with some health condition showed the worst performance and capacity. CONCLUSION Results showed that the capacity and performance levels of the Chilean population changed according to social demographic characteristics and health conditions

Osservatorio Territoriale Droga e Tossicodipendenze. Il fenomeno delle dipendenze nel territorio della ASL MI 2. Anno 2010 - XI Rapporto

Report on the state of legal and illegal substances use in the territory of the Local Healthcare Service-MI 2, Province of Milan.Il Report analizza il fenomeno delle dipendenze nella ASL Milano 2. La descrizione del fenomeno si sviluppa intorno all\u27analisi degli indicatori individuati dall\u27Osservatorio Europeo delle Dipendenze di Lisbona (OEDT): 1-uso di sostanze nella popolazione generale (questo indicatore va a rilevare i comportamenti nei confronti di alcol e sostanze psicoattive da parte della popolazione generale); 2-prevalenza d\u27uso problematico delle sostanze psicoattive; 3-domanda di trattamento degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 4-mortalit? degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 5-malattie infettive. Altri due importanti indicatori che si stanno sviluppando, e che vengono qui illustrati, sono l\u27analisi delle Schede di Dimissione Ospedaliera (SDO) e gli indicatori relativi alle conseguenza sociali dell\u27uso di droghe (criminalit? droga correlata). Inoltre sono state applicate diverse metodologie standard di stima sia per quantificare la quota parte sconosciuta di utilizzatori di sostanze che non afferiscono ai servizi, sia per identificarne alcune caratteristiche

Italian translation and cultural adaptation of the communication assessment tool in an outpatient surgical clinic

The aim of the study is to translate and cross-culturally adapt, for use in the Italian context, the Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) developed by Makoul and colleagues

Physical seed dormancy in native legume species of Argentina

Leguminosae is a family with high value of use for food, medicine, forage, ornamental and restoration ecology purposes. One obstacle for the use and management of many legume species is the presence of seeds with physical dormancy. Here, we evaluated the presence of physical dormancy in nine native species of Argentina and identified possible methods for breaking dormancy. Caesalpinia gilliesii, Geoffroea decorticans, and Prosopis alpataco have seeds with no physical dormancy, whereas Crotalaria incana, C. pumila, C. stipularia, Desmanthus virgatus, Galactia texana, and Senna aphylla have seeds with physical dormancy. The most effective methods for breaking physical dormancy were mechanical and wet heat (100°C) scarification for Crotalaria spp.; mechanical, acid (20 and 30 min) and wet heat scarification (80 and 100°C) for D. virgatus; mechanical scarification for G. texana and mechanical and all acid scarification treatments for S. aphylla. These results contribute to the knowledge of the germination biology for these species, and are of particular interest for their propagation in glasshouse and for restoration and conservation programs.Leguminosae es una familia con un alto valor de uso como alimento, forraje, medicina y para fines ornamentales y de restauración ecológica. Uno de los principales problemas para el uso y manejo de muchas de estas especies es la presencia de semillas con dormición física. En el presente trabajo se evaluó la presencia de dormición física en nueve especies nativas de Argentina y los posibles métodos que permitan la salida de este estado. Las semillas de Caesalpinia gilliesii, Geoffroea decorticans y Prosopis alpataco presentaron semillas sin dormición, mientras que las semillas de Crotalaria incana, C. pumila, C. stipularia, Desmanthus virgatus, Galactia texana y Senna aphylla presentaron dormición física. Los métodos más eficientes para romper la dormición física de las semillas de las especies del género Crotalaria fueron la escarificación mecánica y el calor húmedo (100°C); la escarificación mecánica, la química (ácido sulfúrico: 20 y 30 minutos) y la escarificación con calor húmedo (80 y 100°C) para D. virgatus; la escarificación mecánica para G. texana; y la escarificación mecánica y la química (ácido sulfúrico: 10, 20 y 30 minutos) para S. aphylla. Estos resultados contribuyen al conocimiento de la biología de las semillas de estas especies y a su utilización en programas de propagación de plantas en invernaderos, restauración ecológica y conservación.EEA SaltaFil: Galindez, Guadalupe. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Salta. Banco Activo de Germoplasma; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Botánicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Ceccato, Diana Valeria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos. Banco Base de Germoplasma; ArgentinaFil: Malagrina, Gisela Marina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos. Banco Base de Germoplasma; ArgentinaFil: Pidal, Bárbara. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos. Banco Base de Germoplasma; ArgentinaFil: Chilo, Gladys Natividad. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Salta. Banco Activo de Germoplasma; ArgentinaFil: Bach, Hernán Gerónimo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos. Banco Base de Germoplasma; Argentina; Argentina.Fil: Fortunato, Renee Hersilia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos. Banco Base de Germoplasma; Argentina; ArgentinaFil: Ortega Baes, Francisco Pablo. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Botánicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Identification of a Sorbicillinoid-Producing Aspergillus Strain with Antimicrobial Activity Against Staphylococcus aureus: a New Polyextremophilic Marine Fungus from Barents Sea

The exploration of poorly studied areas of Earth can highly increase the possibility to discover novel bioactive compounds. In this study, the cultivable fraction of fungi and bacteria from Barents Sea sediments has been studied to mine new bioactive molecules with antibacterial activity against a panel of human pathogens. We isolated diverse strains of psychrophilic and halophilic bacteria and fungi from a collection of nine samples from sea sediment. Following a full bioassay-guided approach, we isolated a new promising polyextremophilic marine fungus strain 8Na, identified as Aspergillusprotuberus MUT 3638, possessing the potential to produce antimicrobial agents. This fungus, isolated from cold seawater, was able to grow in a wide range of salinity, pH and temperatures. The growth conditions were optimised and scaled to fermentation, and its produced extract was subjected to chemical analysis. The active component was identified as bisvertinolone, a member of sorbicillonoid family that was found to display significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 30 μg/mL. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Does Student Orientation Improve Nursing Image and Positively Influence the Enrolment of Nursing Students in the University? An Observational Study

Background and aim of the study: Nursing has not yet received full social recognition and in general the public opinion does not have a completely positive perception of it, which regards it as an auxiliary profession to the medical profession. This study aims to investigate the image of the nurse among year 4 and 5 high school students. Methods: Two groups of students were interviewed, one at their institution without any previous orientation (n = 102) and one at the University of Bologna during orientation day (n = 388). A validated questionnaire (Nursing Attitude Questionnaire) of 30 items was delivered. Two additional questions were added to explore the possibility of advising relatives and acquaintances to become a nurse and therefore to choose the nursing degree course. Results: All areas of the NAQ scored significantly higher in the group where students attended the orientation day, especially the ones related to the professional role, stereotypes and professional value items. Female students ≥ 21 had a more positive image of the nurse. Both groups recognized that nurses are important figures for patients and that they are intelligent people, who must have a degree in order to carry out their work duties. Differences between the groups were recorded. Students in group 1 did not accept nursing autonomy while students in group 2 understood differences between nursing and medical careers, attributing to them the same value. A positive correlation between the positive image of the nursing profession and the interest in becoming nurses or advising others to undertake the nursing course was found. In conclusion, orientation is effective in helping high school students in the choice of their university courses. Regarding nursing, strategies to improve the image of the nurse and enrollment should be combined during orientation day with current up to date communication and learning tools, such as social media and simulation laboratories. Furthermore, it appears increasingly important to extend orientation and tutoring activities to junior high school students, families and teachers

Il fenomeno delle dipendenze nella ASL della Provincia di Lecco. Dati anno 2009

---Il Report analizza il fenomeno delle dipendenze nella ASL della provincia di Lecco. La descrizione del fenomeno si sviluppa intorno all\u27analisi degli indicatori individuati dall\u27Osservatorio Europeo delle Dipendenze di Lisbona (OEDT): 1-uso di sostanze nella popolazione generale (questo indicatore va a rilevare i comportamenti nei confronti di alcol e sostanze psicoattive da parte della popolazione generale); 2-prevalenza d\u27uso problematico delle sostanze psicoattive; 3-domanda di trattamento degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 4-mortalit? degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 5-malattie infettive. Altri due importanti indicatori che si stanno sviluppando, e che vengono qui illustrati, sono l\u27analisi delle Schede di Dimissione Ospedaliera (SDO) e gli indicatori relativi alle conseguenza sociali dell\u27uso di droghe (criminalit? droga correlata). Inoltre sono state applicate diverse metodologie standard di stima sia per quantificare la quota parte sconosciuta di utilizzatori di sostanze che non afferiscono ai servizi, sia per identificarne alcune caratteristiche