1,720,995 research outputs found
Restructuring maternal services during the Covid-19 pandemic: early results of a scoping review for non-infected women
No full textntroduction and objective: The novel coronavirus outbreak has caused substantial changes in societal norms as well as adjustments in health systems worldwide. To date the impact of these pandemic-related variations has yet to be fully understood also in the field of maternal health for which continuity of care is a proven life-saving preventive measure. Design: Following the PRISMA guidelines for reviews, a literature search was carried out to assess different approaches that combine quality of maternal care with the imposed social-distancing rules. Nine studies were included in the scoping review. Findings: Reduction of in-person visits is the preferred overall solution. Yet, fewer consultations can still guarantee essential services and appropriate care through integration with telemedicine. Referral to epidemic-free community centres is an alternative option and new paths need to include the interdisciplinary contribution of medical consultants and IT experts, among others. In this context, delaying access for symptomatic expectant mothers is still debated since it carries the potential risk of untimely detection of pregnancy complications. Key conclusions: Preliminary experiences provide an overview of the different attempts put in place to reshape health services to contain the pandemic hazards. Implications for practice: These early prototypes may inspire future innovative health solutions compatible with local resources and specific population preferences and needs
Maternal mental health and reproductive outcomes: a scoping review of the current literature
No full textPurpose: Current data show that maternal mental conditions affect about 10% of pregnant women worldwide. Assessing timing and patterns of mental health illness, therefore, is critical to ensure the wellbeing of the mother, the new-born and the whole family. The aim of this review is to summarize the latest evidence linking maternal mental disorders and adverse reproductive outcomes. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, a literature search was conducted to ascertain the possible impact of mental health conditions on reproductive outcomes before and during pregnancy. The comprehensive strategy included cohort studies, randomised controlled trials and literature reviews on women with Primary Maternal Mental Illness (PMMI) and Secondary Maternal Mental Illness (SMMI) considering periconceptional, obstetric and foetal-neonatal outcomes. PubMed, WoS, CINAHL and Google scholar were used for the search. Cross-referencing in bibliographies of the selected papers ensured wider study capture. Results: Evidence linking depressive disorders and infertility among PMMI is weak. Given this, women with prior mental conditions experience additional distress when undergoing fertility treatments. Primary mental disorders may also increase the risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications (e.g., gestational diabetes). For SMMI, there is more robust evidence correlating Preterm Birth (PTB) and Low Birth Weight (LBW) with common mental disorders which develop during pregnancy. Conclusion: Prevention and management of maternal mental health diseases and minor mental conditions within the first 1000 days' timeframe, should have a place in the holistic approach to women going through reproductive decisions, infertility treatment and pregnancy
ChatGPT and the rise of large language models: the new AI-driven infodemic threat in public health
Get PDF: Large Language Models (LLMs) have recently gathered attention with the release of ChatGPT, a user-centered chatbot released by OpenAI. In this perspective article, we retrace the evolution of LLMs to understand the revolution brought by ChatGPT in the artificial intelligence (AI) field. The opportunities offered by LLMs in supporting scientific research are multiple and various models have already been tested in Natural Language Processing (NLP) tasks in this domain. The impact of ChatGPT has been huge for the general public and the research community, with many authors using the chatbot to write part of their articles and some papers even listing ChatGPT as an author. Alarming ethical and practical challenges emerge from the use of LLMs, particularly in the medical field for the potential impact on public health. Infodemic is a trending topic in public health and the ability of LLMs to rapidly produce vast amounts of text could leverage misinformation spread at an unprecedented scale, this could create an "AI-driven infodemic," a novel public health threat. Policies to contrast this phenomenon need to be rapidly elaborated, the inability to accurately detect artificial-intelligence-produced text is an unresolved issue
The awareness and acceptance of anti-COVID 19 vaccination in adolescence
Get PDFBACKGROUND: COVID-19 had devastating effects on children’s and adolescents’ life, including neuropsychological impairment, discontinuation of social life and education. Since June 2021, antiCOVID19 vaccination has become available to adolescents in Italy up to 12 years and since December 2021 to children aged more than 5 years. The pediatric population represents a challenging target for vaccination. Aim of the study is to perform a survey among adolescents to explore factors associated with COVID 19 immunization and their perceptions about COVID-19 vaccines. METHODS: Italian students aged 10–17 years were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey regarding their immunization against COVID-19 and their opinion on the immunization practice through a web link to the questionnaire. The study period was March-June 2022. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS v 21. RESULTS: In the study period, 895 students entered the survey. A total of 87.3% of respondents were immunized against SARS-CoV2. The most important predictors of being immunized against SARS-CoV2 were having both parents immunized (p < 0, 001) and being aged over 12 years. In the unvaccinated group, the decision was mostly influenced by the family (65.8%). Regardless the immunization status, respondents were willing to receive information about COVID 19 vaccination mostly by their family doctor (51.8%) and at school (28.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Parents’ decisions and attitudes strongly affected the immunization status of adolescents. Students’ willing to receive COVID 19 vaccine information by family doctors and at school, underline the potential role of paediatricians and school educators in contributing to an increased vaccine coverage among the paediatric age. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13052-022-01390-8
Varicella Skin Complications in Childhood: A Case Series and a Systematic Review of the Literature
No full textEven if varicella is generally considered a harmless disease in childhood, severe complications may occur. We examined varicella skin complications (VSCs) in hospitalized immunologically healthy children, over a nine-year period. We also systematically analyzed previous reports to calculate the rate of VSCs in the literature. VSCs occurred in 16.4% of children hospitalized for varicella. This figure is in accordance with the literature, as the range of VSCs was 2.6%-41.2%. Skin complications may represent determinants of hospitalization and of other indirect costs in young children
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Neuropsychological performance ten years after immunization in infancy with thiomersal containing vaccines
No full textOBJECTIVE. Thimerosal, a mercury compound used as a preservative in vaccines administered
during infancy, has been suspected to affect neuropsychological development.
We compared the neuropsychological performance, 10 years after vaccination, of 2
groups of children exposed randomly to different amounts of thimerosal through
immunization.
METHODS. Children who were enrolled in an efficacy trial of pertussis vaccines in
1992–1993 were contacted in 2003. Two groups of children were identified, according
to thimerosal content in vaccines assigned randomly in the first year of life
(cumulative ethylmercury intake of 62.5 or 137.5 g), and were compared with
respect to neuropsychological outcomes. Eleven standardized neuropsychological
tests, for a total of 24 outcomes, were administered to children during school hours.
Mean scores of neuropsychological tests in the domains of memory and learning,
attention, executive functions, visuospatial functions, language, and motor skills
were compared according to thimerosal exposure and gender. Standard regression
coefficients obtained through multivariate linear regression analyses were used as a
measure of effect.
RESULTS. Nearly 70% of the invited subjects participated in the neuropsychological
assessment (N 1403). Among the 24 neuropsychological outcomes that were
evaluated, only 2 were significantly associated with thimerosal exposure. Girls with
higher thimerosal intake had lower mean scores in the finger-tapping test with the
dominant hand and in the Boston Naming Test.
CONCLUSIONS. Given the large number of statistical comparisons performed, the few associations found between
thimerosal exposure and neuropsychological development might be attributable to chance. The associations found,
although statistically significant, were based on small differences in mean test scores, and their clinical relevance
remains to be determine
Using social robot NAO for emotional support to children at a paediatric emergency department: a randomised clinical trial
Get PDFBackground: Social robots have been used for improving anxiety in children in stressful clinical situations, as during painful procedures. No studies have been performed yet to assess their effect in children while waiting for emergency room consultations. Objective: To assess the impact of social robots in managing stress in children waiting for an emergency room procedure through the assessment of salivary cortisol levels. Methods: This was an open randomised clinical trial in children attending a paediatric emergency department. Children accessing the emergency room were randomised to one of three groups: 1) playing with a NAO social robot; 2) playing with a study nurse; 3) waiting with parents. All children were measured salivary cortisol levels through a swab. Salivary cortisol levels before and after the intervention were compared in the three groups. We calculated the effect size of our interventions through the Cohen's d-based effect size correlation (r). Results: A total of 109 children aged 3 to 10 years were enrolled in the study and 94 had complete data for the analyses. Salivary cortisol levels decreased significantly more in the group exposed to robot interaction than in the other two groups (r=0.75). Cortisol levels decreased more in girls (r=0.92) than boys (r=0.57). Conclusions: Social robots are efficacious in decreasing stress in children accessing the emergency room and may be considered as a tool for improving emotional perceptions of children and their families in such a critical setting. Clinicaltrial: Robot Therapy in Pediatric Emergency, NCT04627909, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04627909
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