Factors Associated to the Onset of Mental Illness Among Hospitalized Migrants to Italy: A Chart Review

Migration is a complex phenomenon and mental illness among immigrants remains a major matter of concern in Italy and worldwide. 243 medical and pharmacy records of patients admitted to University of Foggia hospital between 2004 and 2018 were retrospectively screened and included in the study. Socio-demographic data and clinical characteristics of inpatients were compared in those with and without first-episode of mental illness (FEMI). Subjects (140 men, 103 women; aged 34.4 ± 10.2 years) represented 6.66 ± 3.73% of all hospitalizations in 15 years. Nearly half of them (48.5%) had emigrated from other European countries. 30.8% were diagnosed with a DSM-IV TR unspecified psychosis. 103 patients (42.3%) were in first-lifetime episodes of mental illness. Factors significantly associated with FEMI were: younger age, sex (men), immigrating from Africa, poor language proficiency, lower amount of prescribed psychotropics. Mental health among immigrants is of major concern in Italy. Our findings report on factors possibly associated to the onset of mental illness among immigrant psychiatric inpatients

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and propensity towards HPV vaccine of young adult students in Italy

Background: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI), representing the main cause of genital warts and cervical cancer. This cross-sectional study evaluated knowledge and attitudes about HPV infection, related diseases, and prevention and propensity towards HPV vaccine among undergraduate students. Methods: An online and written survey about HPV and its prevention, targeted to young adults of both genders, was addressed to students attending health sciences and other schools at Universities of Genoa and Bari. Results: The overall median knowledge and attitude scores were 56.3% (25\u201375 p = 40\u201368.8%) and four out of five (25\u201375 p = 4\u20135), respectively. In the multivariate analysis, attending a health sciences university, using social networks 642 h a day, a history of STI, having heard about HPV and HPV vaccine previously resulted as predictors of higher knowledge scores. Having heard about HPV previously also predicted a high attitude score, together with a perceived economic status as good. Having Italian and healthcare worker parents, being employed, and following a specific diet, instead, predicted lower attitude score. Conclusions: Poor knowledge and good attitudes were found among undergraduates about HPV. In order to increase HPV vaccine compliance and the counselling skills of future healthcare workers, the improvement of training on HPV is needed

AGRI-FOOD, PLASTIC AND SUSTAINABILITY

The new trajectories established by Agenda 2030 for the achievement of the sustainability of individual and collective well-being impose to look at the socio-economic and environmental repercussions deriving from the use of plastics in the agri-food sector. Starting from an examination of this use and considering the strategies put in place by the European Union, this paper aims to assess whether, from a sustainability point of view, it must now be considered a threat to be avoided or an opportunity to be seized for an agri-food sustainability oriented. More specifically, the paper looks at the New Plastics Economy, a project that should make the economic system more compatible with the needs of the ecosystem and that applies the principles of the circular economy, to solicit local policy makers to reflect on the development strategies able to make companies and consumers more responsible in relation to the use of plastic

Il Lago Fusaro: monitoraggio e studio comparativo di indici trofici

Obiettivo dello studio è ricostruire, a partire dalle informazioni preliminari e dai risultati ottenuti in seguito alla campagna di monitoraggio, un quadro generale che ci permetta di valutare il grado di impatto ambientale sul Lago Fusaro. Il programma di monitoraggio si è svolto a partire da marzo 2002 fino a marzo 2003 attraverso le analisi chimico-fisiche di campioni d’acqua e di mitili. I campioni d’acqua sono stati prelevati in 6 stazioni di prelievo, con una frequenza mensile. Allo scopo di rilevare nelle acque la presenza di alcuni microinquinanti persistenti che si bioconcentrano nei tessuti degli organismi, portando al grave fenomeno della biomagnificazione, è stato utilizzata una popolazione di Mytilus Galloprovincialis (Lamk) come indicatore biologico di inquinamento

Optimized coating procedure for the protection of TiAl intermetallic alloy against high temperature oxidation

"The interest for TiAl intermetallic alloys is growing in the last years because of their excellent. ratio between mechanical properties and density. However, the application at temperatures up to 873-. 973 K is restricted by the resistance to oxidation. For this reason it is of great importance to study. protective coatings able to raise its temperature of performance above 1073 K.. A TiAl3 layer was obtained on the surface of Ti-Al intermetallic samples, depositing an Al coating by. arc Physical Vapour Deposition, followed by a thermal treatment. The microstructure and the. composition of the coating were characterised before and after the thermal treatment by Scanning. Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Diffraction, Focused Ion Beam and Glow Discharge Optical Emission. Spectroscopy. The mechanical behaviour of the thermal treated layer was investigated by means of. scratch tests and nano-indentation.. Static oxidations at 1123 K were carried out on coated and uncoated samples, in order to study the. effect of the coating on the oxidation resistance of the samples. The aluminide coating provides a. protection against oxidation in air at the considered temperatures due to its ability to form a. continuous Al2O3 scale on the surface by the transformation of TiAl3 in TiAl2.

Economic burden of pneumococcal disease in children in Liguria, Italy

Vaccinations against Streptococcus pneumoniae are included in infant immunization programs globally. However, a substantial burden due to pneumococcal disease (PD) remains. This study aimed to estimate the cost of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations associated with invasive pneumococcal disease, all-cause pneumonia, and acute otitis media in children <15 years of age in the Liguria region of Italy between 2012 and 2018. The retrospective cohort study used data from the Liguria Region Administrative Health Databases and the Ligurian Chronic Condition Data Warehouse, which contain information on hospital stays, outpatient visits, laboratory/imaging techniques, surgical procedures, and pharmaceutical prescriptions. Patients with one or more ED or inpatient claim for PD (based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes) were included. Cost of ED visits and hospitalizations were estimated from the diagnosis-related group system and procedures performed in the ED. In Ligurian children <15 years of age during 2012–2018, the median annual number of hospitalizations plus ED visits due to PD was 4,009, and the median estimated annual cost was €3.6 million. All-cause pneumonia accounted for the majority of hospitalization costs during the study period. Number and costs of ED visits and hospitalizations increased from 2012 to 2018. Despite widespread infant immunization in Liguria, economic costs due to PD-associated ED visits and hospitalizations remained high in children 0–14 years of age