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Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, is a zoonotic parasitic disease of economic and public health importance worldwide, especially in the Mediterranean area. Canids are the main definitive hosts of the adult cestode contaminating the environment with parasite eggs released with feces. In rural and peri-urban areas, the risk of transmission to livestock as well as humans is high because of the free-roaming behavior of owned/not owned dogs. Collecting data on animal movements and behavior using GPS dataloggers could be a milestone to contain the spread of this parasitosis. Thus, this study aims to develop a comprehensive control strategy, focused on deworming a dog population in a pilot area of southern Italy (Campania region) highly endemic for CE. Methods: Accordingly, five sheep farms, tested to be positive for CE, were selected. In each sheep farm, all shepherd dogs present were treated every 2 months with praziquantel. Furthermore, 15 GPS dataloggers were applied to sheep and dogs, and their movements were tracked for 1 month; the distances that they traveled and their respective home ranges were determined using minimum convex polygon (MCP) analysis with a convex hull geometry as output. Results: The results showed that the mean daily walking distances traveled by sheep and dogs did not significantly differ. Over 90% of the point locations collected by GPS fell within 1500 mt of the farm, and the longest distances were traveled between 10:00 and 17:00. In all the sheep farms monitored, the area traversed by the animals during their daily activities showed an extension of < 250 hectares. Based on the home range of the animals, the area with the highest risk of access from canids (minimum safe convex polygon) was estimated around the centroid of each farm, and a potential scheme for the delivery of praziquantel-laced baits for the treatment of not owned dogs gravitating around the grazing area was designed. Conclusions: This study documents the usefulness of geospatial technology in supporting parasite control strategies to reduce disease transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of differently colored low-density polyethylene mulching films (black, silver/brown, and yellow/brown) in comparison with bare soil (BS) on soil temperatures, yield and yield components (number of fruit and average fruit weight), and fruit quality traits (color, firmness, total soluble solids content, polyphenols, flavonoids, ascorbic acid, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity) of a 'San Marzano' tomato crop grown in Southern Italy over two years (2014 and 2015). The warmer season (2015) shortened the cropping cycle (124 vs. 178 days, 2015 vs. 2014), thereby accelerating fruit ripening and improving firmness and redness (on average, the color parameter a/b was greater than in 2014). It determined the best yield response (53 vs. 44 Mg ha−1) by increasing the number of commercial fruits per unit land area despite the lower average fresh weight (AFW) than the first year. Regardless of the different plastic films, in both years, soil heat storage produced by mulching improved yield as compared to BS and showed a positive and significant effect on the contents of total soluble solids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids without affecting the antioxidant activity. The highest values of quality traits were reached in the second year with silver and yellow mulches. Therefore, since the colored mulching films (yellow and silver) had a contradictory effect on yield and quality in the two years, further investigation is desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The primary goal of the Campania Oncology Network (ROC) was to reduce cancer delay and care fragmentation through the establishment of cancer‐specific multidisciplinary oncologic groups (GOMs) and diagnostic and therapeutic assistance paths (PDTAs). Methods: Five cancer centres of the ROC, with their own cancer specific GOM, were selected. In our analysis, we have focused on four neoplasms: lung, colon, ovarian and prostate cancers. The median time for pre‐GOM and GOM Times was calculated for each tumour site. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to individuate risk factors for pre‐GOM and GOM Time. Results: Significant differences were observed for prostate cancer compared to other patients either for pre‐GOM or GOM Times. Significant risks were found for ovarian and prostate cancers in pre‐GOM time and for prostate cancer in GOM‐Time. Conclusions: This experience will produce knowledge and data to guide decision‐making and to manage more effectively the challenges of fighting cancer in Campania region. The Valutazione Percorso Rete Oncologica Campana (ValPeROC) study evaluates, for the first time, the ROC activity, through the analysis of key performance indices. Pre‐GOM and GOM Time represent the quality of the entire regional health system and are useful to define models, which can evaluate the performance of the ROC over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute events in children with sickle cell disease in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic: useful lessons learned Acute chest, children, COVID-19, Italy, sickle cell disease, Vaso-occlusive crisis Keywords: acute chest; children; COVID-19; Italy; sickle cell disease; Vaso-occlusive crisis EN acute chest children COVID-19 Italy sickle cell disease Vaso-occlusive crisis 851 854 4 09/02/21 20210901 NES 210901 On March 12th 2021 the Italian Government decided to implement a national lockdown in almost all the regions of the country. [Extracted from the article]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic has created unique challenges to healthcare systems throughout the world. Ensuring subjects' safety is mandatory especially in oncology, in consideration of cancer patients' particular frailty. We examined the proportion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) IgM and/or IgG positive subjects in three different groups from Istituto Nazionale Tumori - IRCCS "Fondazione G. Pascale" in Naples (Campania region, Italy): cancer patients treated with Innovative Immunotherapy (Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, ICIs), cancer patients undergoing standard Chemotherapies (CHTs) and healthcare providers. 9 out of 287 (3.1%) ICIs patients resulted positive, with a significant lower percentage in respect to CHTs patients (39 positive subjects out of 598, 6.5%) (p = 0.04). There was no statistically significant difference between ICIs cohort and healthcare providers, 48 out of 1050 resulting positive (4.6%). Performing a Propensity Score Matching based on gender and tumor stage, the effect of treatment on seropositivity was analyzed through a regression logistic model and the ICIs treatment resulted to be the only protective factor significantly (p = 0.03) associated with positivity (odds ratio-OR: 0.41; 95% confidence interval-CI 0.18-0.91). According to these preliminary data, ICIs would appear to be a protective factor against the onset of COVID-19 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) has rapidly become a pandemic emergency, distressing health systems in each affected country. Preparation strategies for managing this pandemic have been keys to face the COVID-19 surge all over the world and all levels of care. Materials and Methods: During the epidemic, the Italian society of pediatric emergency-urgency (SIMEUP) promoted a national survey aiming to evaluate preparedness and response of pediatric emergency departments (PED) critical in ensuring optimal management of COVID-19 cases. Results: Our results suggest that Italian PED have promptly set a proactive approach to the present emergency. 98.9% of the hospitals have defined special pathways and assistive protocols concerning the management of pediatric COVID-19 cases. The highest percentage of application of the measures for preventive and protective for COVID-19 concerned the use of personal protective equipments. Conclusions: Results show that the following measures for pediatric patients, admitted in PED, have been promptly implemented throughout the whole country: eg. use of protective devices, pre-triage of patients accessing the hospital. Despite COVID-19 being a new threat, we have shown that by developing an easy-to-follow decision algorithm and clear plans for the interventional platform teams, we can ensure optimal health care workers and patients' safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Professional identity includes the best practice, the creation of ideals and professional values. It can be defined like attitudes, values, knowledge, beliefs and skills that are common among a special professional category. Professional identity is also connected to social roles of a particular profession. Therefore, professional identity includes individual experience and self-image of a particular category about its profession and its social image. Professional identity is the foundation for operation and conception of professional role. Studies show that nurses who have obtained professional identity are more flexible when facing with role changes and this is reflected on best practice and the patient's welfare. Objective. To validate the Italian version of Nurse Professional Values Scale -- Revised (NPVS-R), conducted by Weis and Schank. Outcomes. 115 selected students of the first year by University La Sapienza in Rome took part in the validation of the questionnaire among. The internal consistency analysis of the five psychometric properties for nurse professional values suggests that Cronbach's Alpha is 0.915, which means that reliability shows sufficient levels. Conclusion The Italian translation carried out in this NPVS-R questionnaire study shows good internal reliability and consistency and could be considered a useful tool to evaluate the concept of professional identity in nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater caves represent the most challenging scenario for exploration, mapping and 3D modelling. In such complex environment, unsuitable to humans, highly specialized skills and expensive equipment are normally required. Technological progress and scientific innovation attempt, nowadays, to develop safer and more automatic approaches for the virtualization of these complex and not easily accessible environments, which constitute a unique natural, biological and cultural heritage. This paper presents a pilot study realised for the virtualization of 'Grotta Giusti' (Fig. 1), an underground semi-submerged cave system in central Italy. After an introduction on the virtualization process in the cultural heritage domain and a review of techniques and experiences for the virtualization of underground and submerged environments, the paper will focus on the employed virtualization techniques. In particular, the developed approach to simultaneously survey the semi-submersed areas of the cave relying on a stereo camera system and the virtualization of the virtual cave will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aim to formulate evidence-based recommendations to assist physicians decision-making in the assessment and management of children younger than 16 years presenting to the emergency department (ED) following a blunt head trauma with no suspicion of non-accidental injury. Methods: These guidelines were commissioned by the Italian Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and include a systematic review and analysis of the literature published since 2005. Physicians with expertise and experience in the fields of pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine, pediatric intensive care, neurosurgery and neuroradiology, as well as an experienced pediatric nurse and a parent representative were the components of the guidelines working group. Areas of direct interest included 1) initial assessment and stabilization in the ED, 2) diagnosis of clinically important traumatic brain injury in the ED, 3) management and disposition in the ED. The guidelines do not provide specific guidance on the identification and management of possible associated cervical spine injuries. Other exclusions are noted in the full text. Conclusions: Recommendations to guide physicians practice when assessing children presenting to the ED following blunt head trauma are reported in both summary and extensive format in the guideline document. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2014 is the hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War (WWI) - or Great War - in Europe and a number of initiatives have been planned to commemorate the tragic event. Until 1918, the Italian Trentino -- Alto Adige region was under the Austro -- Hungarian Empire and represented one of the most crucial and bloody war front between the Austrian and Italian territories. The region borders were constellated of military fortresses, theatre of battles between the two opposite troops. Unfortunately, most of these military buildings are now ruined and their architectures can be hardly appreciated. The paper presents the initial results of the VAST project (VAlorizzazione Storia e Territorio -- Valorization of History and Landscape), that aims to digitally reconstruct the forts located on the plateaus of Luserna, Lavarone and Folgaria. An integrated methodology has been adopted to collect and employ all possible source of information in order to derive precise and photo-realistic 3D digital representations of WWI forts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumen flukes (Calicophoron daubneyi) represent a growing threat to the animal health, productivity and welfare of ruminants. The present study aimed to assess the spatial distribution of C. daubneyi infections in ruminants and to develop a predictive model of the environmental suitability for rumen flukes in a Mediterranean area. A cross-sectional coprological survey was conducted in 682 sheep, 73 goat and 307 cattle farms located in the Basilicata region (southern Italy). Faecal samples collected were analysed using the FLOTAC technique. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and statistical models were developed to determine environmental risk factors and to delimitate the areas at highest risk of infections in small ruminants. The results showed 7.9% (95% CI 6.05–10.27) of sheep farms, 2.7% (95% CI 0.48–10.44) of goat farms and 55.0% (95% CI 49.62–60.99) of cattle farms were infected by C. daubneyi. The areas with high predicted risk were situated in the western part of the region. The soil texture, land use and the presence of streams and brooks were the variables statistically significant (p < 0.05) in explaining the C. daubneyi distribution in the study area. The study confirms the importance of geospatial technology in supporting parasite control strategies in livestock and demonstrates that a combined use of different geostatistical techniques can improve the prediction of the C. daubneyi infection risk in ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Proper breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) management is of pivotal importance. Although rapid-acting, oral and nasal transmucosal, fentanyl formulations (rapid-onset opioids, ROOs) are licensed for BTcP treatment, not all guidelines recommend their use. Presumably, some research gaps need to be bridged to produce solid evidence. We present a bibliometric network analysis on ROOs for BTcP treatment.Methods: Documents were retrieved from the Web of Science (WOS) online database. The string was "rapid onset opioids" or "transmucosal fentanyl" and "breakthrough cancer pain". Year of publication, journal metrics (impact factor and quartile), title, document type, topic, and clinical setting (in-patients, outpatients, and palliative care) were extracted. The software tool VOSviewer (version 1.6.17) was used to analyze the semantic network analyzes, bibliographic coupling, journals analysis, and research networks.Results: 502 articles were found in WOS. A declining trend in published articles from 2014 to 2021 was observed. Approximately 50% of documents regard top quartile (Q1) journals. Most articles focused on ROOs efficacy, but abuse and misuse issues are poorly addressed. With respect to article type, we calculated 132 clinical investigations. The semantic network analysis found interconnections between the terms "breakthrough cancer pain," "opioids," and "cancers." The top co-cited article was published in 2000 and addressed pain assessment. The largest number of partnerships regarded the United States, Italy, and England.Conclusion: In this research area, most articles are published in top-ranked journals. Nevertheless, paramount topics should be better addressed, and the implementation of research networks is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) surveying and modelling of the underwater environment is challenging; however, it becomes even more arduous when the scene or asset to measure extends from above to underwater through the water surface. While this is topic of high interest for a number of different application fields (engineering, geology, archeology), few solutions are available, usually expensive and with no guarantee of obtaining homogenous accuracy and resolution in the two media. This paper focuses on a procedure to survey and link the above and the underwater worlds based on photogrammetry. The two parts of the asset, above and underwater, are separately surveyed and then linked through two possible analytical procedures: (1) independent model adjustment or (2) relative orientation constraints. In the first case, rigid pre-calibrated rods are installed across the waterline on the object to be surveyed; in the second approach, a synchronized stereo-camera rig, with a camera in water and the other above the water, is employed. The theoretical foundation for the two approaches is provided and their effectiveness is proved through two challenging case studies: (1) the 3D survey of the leak of the Costa Concordia shipwreck and (2) 3D modelling of Grotta Giusti, a complex semi-submerged cave environment in Italy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to describe trends in hospital admissions for food-induced anaphylaxis among children, 0-14 years, living in Italy, by using nationally representative survey data available from 2001-2005 from the Italian Ministry of Health. It analyses the number of hospital admissions over the 5-year period and the type of food responsible for the episode. Details on how the study was conducted as well as the results are shown.

Background: In many regions of southern Italy, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents a major health problem (with a prevalence rate between 6% and 13%). HCV is associated with different kinds of neoplasms such as non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL), and with auto-immune diseases (cryoglobulinemia), which develop after the virus has caused immune system alterations. Objectives: To provide updated information on trends in mortality in a major metropolitan area of southern Italy from NHL, multiple myeloma and Hodgkin disease we analyzed cancer mortality data from 1988 to 2009. Materials and Methods: Mortality data were extracted from National death certificates by age groups, gender, residence and cause of death by the Italian national institute of statistics (ISTAT). Age-standardized mortality rates (SMR) were computed applying the direct method and using the world standard population. To quantify the recent direction of temporal trends in older populations over time, truncated age-adjusted mortality rates were calculated for people aged 65 years and older. Cancer mortality trends were described using their estimated annual percent change (EAPC) and related 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Results: Statistically significant increasing EAPC was found among women for NHL (+2.0% / year), while statistically significant decrease was found among men and women for HD (-3.5% / year, -3.4% / year, respectively). No statistically significant EAPC was found for multiple myeloma. Conclusions: The association between viral hepatitis and NHL in the area of interest might provide some degree of explanation to this finding. Our data confirm that due to epidemic infection of HCV in the area of Naples, a high mortality for NHL persists, moreover the adoption of standard therapeutic protocols administered in full accordance with an evidence-based approach and current guidelines explain reduced mortality from Hodgkin lymphomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: During the recent H1N1 pandemic, children with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) experienced more hospitalizations and more complications than the general pediatric population. We performed a retrospective multicenter survey at 9 Pediatric Haematology-Oncology Units across Italy. H1N1 admission rate was 5.2%, with all admissions occurring before vaccine availability. Length Of Stay (LOS) was 6.06 days (7.85 for Acute Chest Syndrome), longer than in other countries. Vaccination coverage was not homogeneous, ranging from 0 to 99%; several family-related and health-system related barriers in accessing vaccinations were identified that should be ameliorated to improve coverage in this high risk group of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2019, a multidisciplinary panel of experts from eight Italian scientific paediatric societies developed a consensus document for the use of inhaled corticosteroids in the management and prevention of the most common paediatric airways disorders. The aim is to provide healthcare providers with a multidisciplinary document including indications useful in the clinical practice. The consensus document was intended to be addressed to paediatricians who work in the Paediatric Divisions, the Primary Care Services and the Emergency Departments, as well as to Residents or PhD students, paediatric nurses and specialists or consultants in paediatric pulmonology, allergy, infectious diseases, and ear, nose, and throat medicine., Methods: Clinical questions identifying Population, Intervention(s), Comparison and Outcome(s) were addressed by methodologists and a general agreement on the topics and the strength of the recommendations (according to the GRADE system) was obtained following the Delphi method. The literature selection included secondary sources such as evidence-based guidelines and systematic reviews and was integrated with primary studies subsequently published., Results: The expert panel provided a number of recommendations on the use of inhaled corticosteroids in preschool wheezing, bronchial asthma, allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, acute and chronic rhinosinusitis, adenoid hypertrophy, laryngitis and laryngospasm., Conclusions: We provided a multidisciplinary update on the current recommendations for the management and prevention of the most common paediatric airways disorders requiring inhaled corticosteroids, in order to share useful indications, identify gaps in knowledge and drive future research.