Outcomes of the addition of oral administration of curcumin-phospholipid to hyaluronic acid-based tear substitute for the treatment of dry eye disease

The aim of this study is to report the clinical outcomes of oral supplementation with curcumin-phospholipid in addition to hyaluronic acid-based tear substitute for the management of dry eye disease (DED). Patients with a diagnosis of DED confirmed by pathological values of both NIKBUT <10 s. and OSDI Questionnaire score > 12 were included. Patients were randomized to receive 2 different treatments: 0.25% hyaluronic acid-based tear substitute 3 time daily (Group 1) or as above plus curcumin-phosphatidylcholine complex tablets once a day (Group 2). Patients were evaluated at baseline (T0) and after 90 days of treatment (T1) by means of Keratograph for the measurement of NIKBUT, TMH, meibomian gland dropout and bulbar redness. Overall, data from 90 eyes of 45 patients were included. Group 1 consisted of 48 eyes of 24 patients, while group 2 included 42 eyes of 21 patients. When comparing median values of both groups at T0, no statistically significant differences were found for all parameters; instead for T1, statistically significant differences were found for redness and OSDI compared to Group 1. In group 1, a statistically significant reduction after the treatment was detected for Nikbut average and OSDI questionnaire; while in group 2, a statistically significant reduction after treatment was recorded for Nikbut average, bulbar redness and OSDI questionnaire. The addition of an oral supplement containing curcumin-phospholipid may help in a greater improvement of bulbar redness and subjective ocular symptoms compared to the treatment with tear substitutes alone for the management of DED

Impact of nonoptimal intakes of saturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fat on global burdens of coronary heart disease

Background: Saturated fat (SFA), ω‐6 (n‐6) polyunsaturated fat (PUFA), and trans fat (TFA) influence risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but attributable CHD mortalities by country, age, sex, and time are unclear. Methods and Results: National intakes of SFA, n‐6 PUFA, and TFA were estimated using a Bayesian hierarchical model based on country‐specific dietary surveys; food availability data; and, for TFA, industry reports on fats/oils and packaged foods. Etiologic effects of dietary fats on CHD mortality were derived from meta‐analyses of prospective cohorts and CHD mortality rates from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases study. Absolute and proportional attributable CHD mortality were computed using a comparative risk assessment framework. In 2010, nonoptimal intakes of n‐6 PUFA, SFA, and TFA were estimated to result in 711 800 (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 680 700–745 000), 250 900 (95% UI 236 900–265 800), and 537 200 (95% UI 517 600–557 000) CHD deaths per year worldwide, accounting for 10.3% (95% UI 9.9%–10.6%), 3.6%, (95% UI 3.5%–3.6%) and 7.7% (95% UI 7.6%–7.9%) of global CHD mortality. Tropical oil–consuming countries were estimated to have the highest proportional n‐6 PUFA– and SFA‐attributable CHD mortality, whereas Egypt, Pakistan, and Canada were estimated to have the highest proportional TFA‐attributable CHD mortality. From 1990 to 2010 globally, the estimated proportional CHD mortality decreased by 9% for insufficient n‐6 PUFA and by 21% for higher SFA, whereas it increased by 4% for higher TFA, with the latter driven by increases in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Conclusions: Nonoptimal intakes of n‐6 PUFA, TFA, and SFA each contribute to significant estimated CHD mortality, with important heterogeneity across countries that informs nation‐specific clinical, public health, and policy priorities.peer-reviewe

A dyadic approach to stress and prenatal depression in first-time parents : the mediating role of marital satisfaction

In the field of perinatal clinical psychology, most studies focus on mothers' psychological states during pregnancy, neglecting the role of their partners. This study used an Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model to evaluate the mediating role of dyadic satisfaction on the relationship between perceived stress and prenatal depressive symptomatology in both members of male-female-mixed-gender couples who were expecting their first child. One hundred thirty-eight couples in their third trimester of pregnancy were asked to complete questionnaires about perceived stress, dyadic adjustment, and depression. The model revealed that there was an intrapersonal indirect effect of fathers' perceived stress on prenatal paternal depression through their marital satisfaction. Moreover, an interpersonal indirect effect was found with mothers' perceived stress being associated with prenatal paternal depression through fathers' dyadic satisfaction. Maternal indirect effects were all non-significant, suggesting that their dyadic satisfaction and that of their partner did not mediate the relation between their perceived stress and that of their partner and their prenatal depression. Findings support the importance of assessing the dyadic satisfaction of couples during pregnancy, especially in expectant fathers, and targeting it in the psychological support offered to couples as a way of improving their prenatal distress, and consequently, their mental health

Muscle Dysmorphia in Adolescence: The Role of Parental Psychological Control on a Potential Behavioral Addiction

Objective The study investigated the relationship between psychological parental control and muscle dysmorphia in adolescence, as form of exercise dependence, focusing also on the role of pathological worry. Methods Participants were 312 adolescents (140 boys and 172 girls) aged 16 to 18 years (M= 17.05; SD = 0.85) and completed the Muscle Dysmorphia Disorder Inventory, the Dependency-oriented and Achievement-oriented Parental Psychological Control, and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire. Results The results highlighted that boys showed higher level than girls in dependency-oriented and achievement-oriented parental psychological control and muscle dysmorphia. Furthermore, girls showed higher levels of pathological worry than boys. Pathological worry partially mediated the relationship between dependency-oriented parental psychological control and muscle dysmorphia as well as between achievement-oriented parental psychological and muscle dysmorphia. Psychological parental control predicted muscle dysmorphia, and pathological worry seemed to act as a partial mediator in this relationship. Conclusions Psychology parental control and pathological worry are linked to muscle dysmorphia, but psychological parental control seems to frustrate the need for autonomy of adolescents and, therefore, muscle dysmorphia may become the maladaptive answer to react to the excessive control of their parents. It seems that body of adolescents may become the scenario towards which they play a sort of power of control to counteract anxiety deriving from the excessive psychological control played by parents

Dyadic adjustment and prenatal parental depression : a study with expectant mothers and fathers

Introduction: This paper evaluated the relationships between the dyadic adjustment of expectant parents and prenatal maternal and paternal depression. Method: Participants were 98 couples who were expectant parents in the third trimester of pregnancy. Most couples (97%) were primiparous. Participants' prenatal depression, psychiatric symptomatology, perinatal affectivity, and dyadic adjustment were evaluated. Results: Hierarchical regression and relative weight analyses showed the importance of various marital adjustment dimensions in predicting prenatal maternal and paternal depression. In particular, the marital relationship variables of dyadic consensus and affective expression of both partners was related to prenatal depression in expectant mothers, with the relationship even stronger in expectant fathers. The results suggested that for both partners, perception of marital relationship quality contributes to the development of depressive symptoms in new mothers and fathers to a greater degree than the single perception of one partner. Discussion: Clinically, the results suggest that clinicians should focus on partner relationships in the perinatal period. The provision of psychological interventions to improve a couple's functioning may help to protect new parents against depressive symptomatology

Axillary ultrasound scanning in the follow-up of breast cancer patients undergoing sentinel node biopsy.

In breast cancer patients with negative sentinel node biopsy (SNB), surveillance of the unremoved nodes is recommended. Clinical examination has poor sensitivity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of axillary ultrasound scan (AUS) in the follow-up of these patients. AUS was performed every 12 months in a series of 165 patients with negative SNB. During the follow-up (median 45.6 months), in 154 patients, the AUS was carried out as a routine examination and in three cases (1.9%) it showed suspicious nodes, which underwent core biopsy. No evidence of axillary recurrence was found. Conversely, in 11 patients, AUS was performed to clarify a palpable lymphadenopathy; none of them was suspicious at US. We conclude that routine AUS to follow-up patients who have had a negative SNB is unnecessary. However, AUS may be useful in the presence of palpable nodes, to select those patients who do not require biopsy

Towards the definition of a sustainable Smart Model for the suburbs redevelopment

Starting from the analysis of the problems that characterize the Italian suburbs, the application of a Smart Methodology to a real peripheral area is presented. In literature, several studies underline the urgent request of the city's periphery, enhancing local and national projects to increase the quality of life in the suburbs. In this framework, authors propose a multifunctional centre development, characterized by modern technologies (both structural and plant) to implement energy efficiency and social aggregation, in line with the citizen's needs. Once the simulation model of alternative solutions, such as construction type, energy system and social services, was elaborated in Matlab/Simulink, the application of a smart methodology was necessary to draft the priority ranking of the various strategies. Results highlight which solution obtained a positive impact on the overall smart axes, providing a useful approach for designers to plan a sustainable and smart project