A Clinical Application of the Bone Structure Index

It has been recently estimated that about 30% of women and 20% of men over 50 will develop osteoporosis, a disease characterized by decreasing bone strength. Although low bone mineral density is generally associated with higher fracture risk, the spatial arrangement of the trabecular structure is a second key factor of bone resistance [1] and about 40-60% of the fractures affect people that can be considered at moderate risk on the basis of densitometry (DXA) assessment alone [2, 3]. Hence the need to develop innovative and low-cost diagnostic methods that can be used together with the consolidated systems. The recently introduced Bone Structure Index (BSI) gives an indication of the quality of the bone structure: it measures the weight-bearing capacity of the bone structure, evaluated from simulated application of loads on a virtual biopsy of the patient. The bone structure images are acquired by planar radiograms in the proximal epiphysis of the three central proximal phalanges of the non-dominant hand, a peripheral site of the human body [4-7]. In this work, we describe a recent application of the BSI in a clinical setting

Factor structure and psychometric properties of the Italian version of the Homosexuality scale of the Trueblood Sexual Attitudes Questionnaire

The aim of the present study was to translate the Homosexuality scale of the Trueblood Sexual Attitudes Questionnaire into the Italian language and to assess its factor structure and psychometric properties in Italian psychology students. The questionnaire was originally developed and validated in U.S. college students, and later in Turkish social work students, showing high internal consistency. It measures attitudes toward several sexual practices and behaviors, regarding self and others. Particularly, the Homosexuality scale measures attitudes toward different sexual and romantic practices with people of the same sex. A total of 199 Italian psychology students participated to the study, and they were administered the Italian translation of the scale. We applied exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Results showed that the scale has high internal consistency, and that the original two-factor model accounting for attitudes toward self and others fits the data well. Implications for education and assessment in student populations are discussed

Pressure Modulator Radiometer (PMR) tests

The pressure modulator technique was evaluated for monitoring pollutant gases in the Earth's atmosphere of altitude levels corresponding to the mid and lower troposphere. Using an experimental set up and a 110 cm sample cell, pressure modulator output signals resulting from a range of gas concentrations in the sample cell were examined. Then a 20 cm sample cell was modified so that trace gas properties in the atmosphere could be simulated in the laboratory. These gas properties were measured using an infrared sensor

Hormones in breast milk and effect on infants’ growth : A systematic review

Breast milk is characterized by a dynamic and complex composition which includes hormones and other bioactive components that could influence infant growth, development, and optimize health. Among the several beneficial effects associated with prolonged breastfeeding, a 13% decrease in the risk of overweight and obesity has been reported. Recent research has focused on breast milk hormones contributing to the appetite and energy balance regulation and adiposity. Accordingly, we conducted a literature systematic review with the aim to provide an update on the effect of leptin, ghrelin, Insulin Growth Factor 1, adiponectin, and insulin on infants\u2019 and children\u2019s growth and body composition. The revised literature reveals contrasting findings concerning the potential role of all these hormones on modeling growth and fat mass apposition and health outcomes later in life. Further studies are needed to gain further insight into the specific role of these bioactive components in metabolic pathways related to body composition. This could help gain a further insight on infants\u2019 growth, both in physiological and pathological settings

Using internet predicts attitudes towards sexual behaviour in Italian psychology students

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the use of different sources of information about sexuality predicts attitudes towards own and towards others’ sexual behaviours, as measured through the Trueblood Sexual Attitude Questionnaire (TSAQ) Self and Other scales, in 193 Italian psychology students. The self-reported sources of information considered in the study were books, newspapers, magazines, television, internet, friends, family, and sex education courses, and age, gender, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs were tested as possible confounders. Results from hierarchical regression analyses showed that students' self-reported use of the internet predict liberal attitudes towards their own sexual behaviour, including autoeroticism, commercial sex, heterosexuality, homosexuality, and variation in sex, after controlling for age, gender, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. On the other hand, we did not find any significant relations between self-reported information sources about sexuality and students' attitudes towards others' sexual behaviour. These results highlight the need for higher education institutions, educators and practitioners in the field of human sexuality to review sexual education programmes targeting university students, taking into account the role of the internet

Androgens and Female Sexuality: Molecular Insights, Neuroendocrine Crosstalk and Future Therapeutic Directions

Objective: The scientific community has recently directed its attention towards investigating the role of androgens in female sexuality. This narrative review aims to elucidate the central and peripheral androgen-mediated mechanisms involved in female sexual health and function. Additionally, the current state of androgen therapeutic options is discussed. Mechanism: We searched several scientific literature databases, including EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and Scopus, utilizing keywords, index terms, and MeSH terms, such as “androgen*”, “female sexuality”, “female sexual function”, “women’s sexual dysfunctions”, “androgen therapy in women”, and various combinations thereof. Findings in Brief: Progesterone or estrogens are commonly prescribed as first-line treatments for female sexual dysfunctions. However, these medications may frequently lead to therapeutic failure and cause harm by increasing sex-hormone-binding-globulin plasma levels and decreasing testosterone plasma concentrations. Currently, there are limited androgen therapies available for women, and the evidence for their effectiveness and safety is still limited. Conclusions: The knowledge of neuroendocrine interactions that underlie sexual arousal and pleasure is rapidly expanding, and ongoing research is striving to develop more appropriate clinical practices for managing sexual dysfunctions in women

Prediction of Resting Energy Expenditure in Children: May Artificial Neural Networks Improve Our Accuracy?

The inaccuracy of resting energy expenditure (REE) prediction formulae to calculate energy metabolism in children may lead to either under- or overestimated real caloric needs with clinical consequences. The aim of this paper was to apply artificial neural networks algorithms (ANNs) to REE prediction. We enrolled 561 healthy children (2-17 years). Nutritional status was classified according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and 113 were obese. REE was measured using indirect calorimetry and estimated with WHO, Harris-Benedict, Schofield, and Oxford formulae. The ANNs considered specific anthropometric data to model REE. The mean absolute error (mean \ub1 SD) of the prediction was 95.8 \ub1 80.8 and was strongly correlated with REE values (R2 = 0.88). The performance of ANNs was higher in the subgroup of obese children (101 \ub1 91.8) with a lower grade of imprecision (5.4%). ANNs as a novel approach may give valuable information regarding energy requirements and weight management in children