Mortality in an Italian cohort of former asbestos cement workers
A pooled study on Italian asbestos cement plant cohorts observed mortality risk for asbestos-related diseases. This study analysed the mortality of workers cohort of an asbestos cement plant in Syracuse, Italy.
Driving under the influence of alcohol and alcohol use disorder: the relevance of early identification from an Italian retrospective outpatient study
Worldwide, almost 1.2 million people drive under the influence of alcohol. However, early identification of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in subjects driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol is seldom achieved.
Dangerous exposures to chemicals managed by Poison Centers all around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and proportional meta-analysis
During COVID-19 pandemic, cleaning/disinfection activities were highly recommended. This study summarizes the state of art and estimates the prevalence of dangerous exposures to specific chemicals managed by Poison Centers (PCs) from all over the world during 2020 vs 2019, trying to overcome the critical aspects of the product categorization systems used by PCs.
The Italian National Institute of Health helpline to quit tobacco and nicotine dependence: 20 years of activity
Tobacco use is one of the world's leading preventable causes of death and is a major preventable risk factor of non-communicable diseases. Although smokers are aware of the health risks, their attempts to quit often fail, primarily due to the strong nicotine and/or tobacco dependence. Antismoking helplines have become an integral part of tobacco control efforts in many countries. In Italy, the ISS Antismoking Helpine is active since 2000.
Stability/Flexibility: the tightly coupled homeostasis generator is at the same time the driver of change
There is "no Flexibility without Stability and no Stability without Flexibility": this is a crucial feature common to any system interacting with its environment. This tight link between two apparently opposite features is at the basis of the time-honoured concept of homeostasis (the tendency of any adaptive system to go back to its "comfort zone" contrasting the incoming perturbations) and is widely recognized since long time. On the contrary, the fact that the escape from a stable attractor state is a consequence of the same homeostasis mechanisms is often overlooked. In this brief note, we will try to give a proof-of-concept of the relation existing between stability/flexibility based homeostasis and the state changes at all the levels of biological organization. The ubiquity of the same principles across very different systems is a signature of a new attitude to look at scientific enterprise from a network-based viewpoint.
Analysis of suspected adverse reactions to food supplements containing beehive products: an update from the Italian Phytovigilance System
Beehive products are widely used in food supplements; however, their composition variability and allergenic components have raised some concerns. This work aims to provide information about the beehive products safety profile by evaluating the suspected adverse reactions (ARs).
Children's diet assessed with the Mediterranean Diet Index: the finding of new eating habits and their impact on a cohort of Italian children
Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been inversely associated with many diseases: it reduces total mortality and lowers cardiovascular risk. Despite the known benefits of MD, variations of dietary habits have occurred in recent years especially in young people. The aim of our study is to evaluate MD adherence in a cohort of Italian children and adolescents living in Southern Italy.
Diet and lifestyles of young women of childbearing age: an Italian survey
Daily lifestyles play a pivotal role in influencing the preconception health of women in their childbearing years. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to delineate, within the Italian context, the lifestyles of young women of childbearing age, that may have repercussions on their preconception health.
Regulation of gene transcription in Escherichia coli O157:H7 in response to a natural derivate peptide of esculentin-1a used in combination with essential oils from plants of the Cymbopogon genus
We analyzed the expression of several genes implicated in the pathogenicity of Escherichia coli O157:H7, treating bacteria with Esc(1-21), a derivative of peptide esculentin-1 in combination with three essential oils obtained from plants from the Cympopogon genus.
Changes in the use of nicotine-containing products during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in a representative sample of the Italian adult population
To assess nicotine-containing products (NCPs; heated tobacco products and/or electronic cigarettes) use in relation to conventional smoking.
Clinical medical practice and stigma towards patients with substance use disorder in an Italian sample of healthcare workers
People with substance use disorder (SUD) face challenges like stigma and discrimination, impacting their healthcare experiences.
Use of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs in subjects with hemophilia of the Umbria Region in the period 2011-2022
Chronic diseases, such as hemophilia, can evoke psychological sequelae and be associated with a higher risk of mental health disorders. The utilization of antidepressant and antipsychotic drugs in subjects with hemophilia is not completely understood and few data are available.
Responding to healthcare needs of different religious communities: implications for the Italian National Health Service
One of the challenges that our Italian National Health Service is facing is the structural change of society, regarding the migratory flows recorded in the last thirty years with the consequent increase in faithful who follow religions other than the Catholic one.
Compassionate drug uses in Italy. Analysis at single-center level
Using a database from two pharmaceutical companies that managed several compassionate use programs in the last few years in Italy, we have previously analyzed the data by the number of patients and centers in each region and province, showing that the use of compassionate drugs is largely diffused in the country, in a manner directly related to the size of population of each region. In the present study we used the same database to expand the analysis to single-center level, aiming to test the hypothesis whether, despite a good diffusion of compassionate drug uses in each region, the majority of them concentrates within a relatively low number of centers.
COVID-19 in meat plants: a survey framed within a Target Prevention Plan, in Italy
During the COVID-19 pandemic, several outbreaks have been recorded worldwide in industrial slaughterhouses and meat-processing plants. Competent Italian health authorities at regional and provincial levels agreed on a risk-oriented control plan.
Characteristics of out-of-hospital births and perinatal outcomes: data from the Lazio Region, Italy, cross-sectional study from 2019 to 2021
In Italy, the primary place of birth is typically a hospital, with only a small number of women opting for an out-of-hospital setting. This study details the characteristics of midwifery care and perinatal and maternal outcomes of women who gave birth in an out-of-hospital setting in the Lazio Region, Italy, from 2019 to 2021.
ViolHelp: results of a pilot study to identify potential warning signs and risk factors for self- and hetero-directed violence in the calls received by the Helplines of the Italian National Institute of Health
Self- and hetero-directed violence (SHDV) is a serious public health problem and a complex phenomenon, influenced by individual and environmental factors. SHDV may occur particularly in moments of personal, economic and/or social crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ISS-Helplines operators have perceived an increase in psychological distress and self-isolation among callers. The ViolHelp project aimed at identifying potential warning signs and risk factors of SHDV emerging in the activity of the ISS-Helplines (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, ISS, Italian National Institute of Health).
The "Investigating and translating genomic evidence for public health response to SARS-CoV-2 (INSIDE SARS-CoV-2)" project - Network of excellence. Commentary
The "Investigating and translating genomic evidence for public health response to SARS-CoV-2 (INSIDE SARS-CoV-2)" project is part of the initiative "Joint science and technology cooperation call for joint project proposals for the years 2021-2023" promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Republic of India. To start the project activities, the pandemic response and the epidemiological situation in Italy and in India, together with the genomic surveillance strategies for SARS-CoV-2 virus in the two countries, are here described.
Organizational Health Literacy as a supportive tool for the effective implementation of the 2013/59/EURATOM Directive in Italy
Since 2013, European countries have transposed the 2013/59/EURATOM Directive that lays down basic safety standards for protection against dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation. In the years between the issuance of the European Directive and its formal transposition, Italian researchers investigated solutions to renew the technological, educational, and organizational culture in radiology departments.
From COVID-19 to a "new normal": could we support a "healthy renaissance" for our cities?
At the beginning of 2020, worldwide public debate focused on the fight against the climate crisis. Many challenges are ahead of us, from health emergencies, with the pandemics underway, to the exhaustion of natural resources, to major climate change.
Precision prevention network: new pathway for supporting women victims of violence
Violence against women (VAW) is a persistent global public health problem that runs across all social classes and ethnicities with a considerable negative influence on women's health and behaviour. Early detection, appropriate interventions and multidisciplinary cooperation are crucial factors in tackling gender violence.