22 research outputs found
Staphylococcus capitis Central-Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Single-Center, Four-Year Experience in Central-Line Management during Sepsis Treatment
No full textCoagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are reportedly responsible for 50–60% of blood-
stream infections in very preterm (<1500 g) infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Staphy-
lococcus capitis is an increasingly prevalent pathogen in the neonatal setting, frequently causing
central-line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) that can be difficult to eradicate. Central
venous catheter (CVC) removal versus in situ treatment with CoNS CLABSIs is a controversial treat-
ment strategy with no clear consensus. We reviewed all S. capitis CLABSIs in our NICU between 2019
and 2022, focusing on the role of catheter removal in eradication. Among the 25 patients, 17 CVCs
were removed after diagnosis, leading to a 76.5% eradication rate in this group. Three infants had a
persistently positive blood culture after CVC substitution. A new catheter was then inserted after a
48 h washout period, resulting in resolution of the infection. Only two of the eight patients (25%)
who retained their catheter after diagnosis achieved infection eradication with antibiotic therapy
alone. When feasible, catheter removal seems to be the most effective strategy for eradicating S. capitis
CLABSIs, sometimes even requiring a 48 h washout period before reinsertion. Further studies on this
topic are needed to better standardize the management of this type of infection
Making an Opportunity Out of a Crisis: The Inclusive Approach of the Italian Robotics Community
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic is forcing a rethink in robotics. In the form it is known today, robotics has been the prerogative of a broad community of insiders. But now, in the wreckage left behind by COVID-19, a new era is beginning. What does it hold? During the pandemic, increasing numbers of people had manifested the hope that robotics might bring novel solutions. And this interest has emerged beyond the usual boundaries of the experts or technology enthusiasts. This provides an opportunity to reinforce the community of people involved in the process of innovation. By involving citizens, the community becomes more comprehensive (that is, plural and diverse). This broadening will involve more practical knowledge and therefore produce better robots of many shapes and functions. If progress is possible in the industry, why not in the hospitals, shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, and schools? What is more, the approach endorsed by the Italian robotics community during the lockdown has established a new cooperation among those who labor with robots, and the professionals who work in hospitals, which is bound to last a long time. As a major impact, this experience will enable an improvement on science’s relationship with and for society. This may entail a further shift: to value more scientific knowledge and scientific literacy
Longitudinal changes of bone ultrasound measurements in healthy infants during the first year of life : influence of gender and type of feeding
No full textThere is evidence suggesting that early events in life may predispose the adult to osteoporosis. We assessed bone status by quantitative ultrasonography in healthy neonates, and we report the changes occurring during the first year of life, according to the type of early feeding. We measured the speed of sound (SOS) of the left tibia in 116 full-term infants (0-9 days of age) and in their mothers (21-42 years of age). SOS values did not correlate with gestational age of the study subjects (r = 0.08) or anthropometric measurements. The SOS measurements of the mothers did not correlate with those of their children (r = 0.01). Fifty-seven infants had SOS measurements performed at 4 and 12 months. Twenty-five infants were exclusively breast-fed, 12 received formula milk from birth, and 20 received human and formula milk. SOS measurements at 4 months were comparable with those at baseline, whereas at 12 months they were significantly higher. No effect of type of feeding was observed, indicating that SOS changes may be independent of the type of early diet
Hereditary breast and ovarian cancer in families from southern Italy (Sicily)—Prevalence and geographic distribution of pathogenic variants in BRCA1/2 genes
No full textRecent advances in the detection of germline pathogenic variants (PVs) in BRCA1/2 genes have allowed a deeper understanding of the BRCA-related cancer risk. Several studies showed a significant heterogeneity in the prevalence of PVs across different populations. Because little is known about this in the Sicilian population, our study was aimed at investigating the prevalence and geographic distribution of inherited BRCA1/2 PVs in families from this specific geographical area of Southern Italy. We retrospectively collected and analyzed all clinical information of 1346 hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer patients genetically tested for germline BRCA1/2 PVs at University Hospital Policlinico “P. Giaccone” of Palermo from January 1999 to October 2019. Thirty PVs were more frequently observed in the Sicilian population but only some of these showed a specific territorial prevalence, unlike other Italian and European regions. This difference could be attributed to the genetic heterogeneity of the Sicilian people and its historical background. Therefore hereditary breast and ovarian cancers could be predominantly due to BRCA1/2 PVs different from those usually detected in other geographical areas of Italy and Europe. Our investigation led us to hypothesize that a higher prevalence of some germline BRCA PVs in Sicily could be a population-specific genetic feature of BRCA-positive carriers
Endogenous uveitis: An analysis of 1,417 cases
No full textA retrospective study on 1,417 uveitic patients referred to the Ocular Immunovirology Service of the University of Rome 'La Sapienza' was carried out to determine the occurrence of the various forms of uveitis. To detect also the possible changing patterns of uveitis during the last 25 years the obtained data were compared with those reported in two previous studies performed by the same author. at the same institution in 1975 and in 1985. Anterior uveitis was the most frequent anatomical type of intraocular inflammation (49.12%); intermediate uveitis was diagnosed in 12.42% of all the cases and showed an increased incidence over the ears (p<0.0001). Posterior and diffuse uveitis accounted for 22.1 and 16.37% of the cases. An improvement in diagnostic definition has been confirmed by the significant decrease in the percentage of 'idiopathic uveitis' from 56.8 to 38.1% (p<0.0001). Associated infectious conditions were detected in 17.43% of the cases. Toxoplasma gondii was the most common etiologic agent of uveitis (6.63%). An associated systemic disease was diagnosed in 15.03% of uveitic patients, and 6% of them were affected with Behcet's disease. Specific ocular diseases and clinical entities increased from 7.8 and 14.68% to 29.42% in the last 25 years (p<0.0001), the most frequent being pars planitis (11.99%) and Fuchs' heterochromic iridocyclitis (8.32%)
Germany and the European and Global Crises
No full textMoving from the current global and European imbalances and crises, and from the consideration of the German reaction to them, the paper explores the political economy origins of the conservative German policy stance. It emerges that an export-oriented economy was a deliberate decision of the German elite after WW II and that the external constraint may be regarded as appropriately designed for internal discipline and efficiency (and vice-versa) in a self-reinforcing process. The conclusions illustrate some possible future scenarios for Europe.European Monetary Union, financial crisis, Germany, neo-mercantilism
Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and bone mineral density : a 60-month longitudinal study in a cohort of HIV-infected youths
No full textBackground: Decreased bone mineral density (BMD) has been associated with the use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in HIV-infected adults. The data in HIV-infected children are conflicting. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of a TDF-containing antiretroviral (ARV) regimen on BMD in paediatric patients. We report the results of a longitudinal 60-month follow-up study.
Methods: A total of 21 vertically HIV-infected Caucasian youths (10 male and 11 female) on ARV treatment containing lamivudine, efavirenz and TDF were enrolled (age range 4.9-17.9 years at baseline). BMD was measured at the lumbar spine and in the whole skeleton by DXA. Bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) was measured as a bone formation marker and urinary N-telopeptide of type-I collagen (NTx) was measured as a bone resorption index.
Results: Baseline mean (+/-SD) BMD measurements of HIV-infected patients expressed as z-scores were -0.7 (+/-0.9) for lumbar spine and -0.13 (+/-1.0) for the whole skeleton. BMD measurements did not change significantly during the 60-month observation period. Both BAP and NTx concentrations were higher than a reference group of controls at baseline and remained unchanged throughout the study.
Conclusions: Our data indicate that a TDF-containing regimen does not decrease the BMD of HIV-infected youths
"Comment" on: Massimo Pivetti's "On the Monetary Explanation of Distribution"
No full textThe Author expresses his dissent with the common view held by various authors, including M. Pivetti, that Sraffa’s PRODUCTION OF COMMODITIES BY MEANS OF COMMODITIES contains a specific theory of income distribution. The Author believes that Sraffa was concerned with the foundations of a theory of income distribution, not with any specific theory that may be laid on those foundations. Furthermore, Sraffa was basically concerned with rejecting the marginalist approach to income distribution and with going back to the ‘standpoint of the old Classical economists’
Exposure to antiretroviral agents during pregnancy does not alter bone status in infants
No full textThe use of combined antiretroviral agents during pregnancy is important to prevent mother-to-child transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Antiretroviral treatment (ARV) is associated with reduced bone mass and altered bone metabolism in HIV-infected patients. There are no data regarding the effect of ARV exposure during pregnancy on newborns and infants. We therefore studied 38 subjects born from HIV-infected mothers, and we measured the speed-of-sound (SOS) at the tibia by quantitative ultrasonography (QUS) just after birth. QUS measurements at mid-tibia is easily performed in infants with the appropriate probe. Nevertheless, at this skeletal site only cortical bone is present, and therefore QUS measurements reflect the status of only one kind of bone tissue. We also measured bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP) and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) in the cord blood as bone formation and resorption markers, respectively. SOS measurements were repeated at 4 and 12 months of age. As a control group we studied 94 subjects born from HIV-negative mothers. At birth the median (range) SOS of ARV-exposed neonates was 3006 (2870-3168) m/s, while that of control subjects was 3007 (2757-3311) m/s. The difference was not significant. BAP concentration of ARV-exposed was 103.6 (31.6-182.8) U/L, not different from that of control subjects (104.4 [43.2-227.2] U/L). CTX concentrations were 1.07 (0.26-2.8) ng/mL, and 1.38 (0.34-4.2) ng/mL in ARV-exposed and control subjects, respectively. SOS measurements at 4 months and 12 months of age were available for 17 ARV-exposed subjects and for 57 control subjects. SOS values changed significantly over time in both groups (F=6.1; P<0.0001). No differences were present between ARV-exposed and control subjects at 4 and 12 months. Our study suggests that ARV exposure during intrauterine life does not affect negatively bone metabolism and bone development, and that the changes occurring in bone QUS measurements during the first year of life in ARV-exposed subjects are similar to those occurring in healthy control infants
Reconsidering the Investment-Profit Nexus in Finance-Led Economies: an ARDL-Based Approach
No full textA simple Post Keynesian growth model is developed, in which financial variables are explicitly taken into account. Different possible accumulation regimes are derived with respect to changes of these variables. Several variants of an investment function are estimated econometrically. The ARDL-based approach proposed by Pesaran et al. (2001) is argued to be superior for this purpose to the traditional cointegration approach. The econometric results are discussed with respect to a remarkable phenomenon that can be observed for some important OECD countries since the early 1980s: accumulation has generally been declining while profit rates have shown a tendency to rise. The author concentrates on one potential explanation of this phenomenon which is particularly relevant for the USA and relies on the hypothesis of a high propensity to consume out of capital income. The paper also gives an alternative explanation of the so-called "New Economy boom" in the USA at the end of the 1990s.Investment, Profitability, Financialisation, Time Series Econometrics.
