Search

Despite an extensive research on the adverse effects of air pollution on human health, little was known about the mechanism by which air pollutants may affect sleep. Particularly for adults, it was proposed that particles influence sleep because they cause damages to the upper airways and because they have dangerous effects on the central nervous system. It was also suggested that environmental tobacco smoke exposure (active or passive) may be a cause of poor sleep and of sleep health disparities. In this study we present the application of the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to analyze qualitative data regarding lifestyles of patients and the analysis of results obtained combining qualitative e quantitative data. In particular, Cluster Analysis (CA), and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used in order to investigate the potential relationships between PM10 concentrations and the occurrence of the Obstructive Sleep Apnoea Syndrome (OSAS), a particular respiratory disease consisting in a form of sleep disordered breathing. We used a database composed of polisomnography test performed on 295 patients living in Rome urban area, data about the lifestyles related to OSAS risk factors of the patients and PM10 daily concentrations measured by Air Quality Monitoring Network of Rome urban area in 11 sampling sites from 2008 to 2011.

Objective: To evaluate if somatic symptoms of Eating Disorders and Migraine reflect similar aspects of personality and temperament. Methods: The clinical notes of 27 migraineurs and of 26 ED outpatients were reviewed; 40 medical students of the University of Perugia were recruited as healthy controls. TCI, DMI, SCID-II and TAS-20 were used. Statistical analysis: performed by logistic regression, a cluster analysis that gave the weight for the three groups, and a logistic regression of the cluster analysis. Results: Patients showed medium scores in almost all the scales of the different tests. High scores in HA and low scores in NS characterized both migraine and ED patients. Logistic regression of the cluster analysis underscored that ED patients, migraineurs, and controls differed for HA (435.424, p≤0.0001), TAS-20 F2 (difficulty in describing feelings to others; 7.087, p=0.029), and the defense mechanism turning against object (6.702, p=0.035). Discussion: The temperamental aspects of low NS and high HA represent the core symptoms of a spectrum composed of somatizing patients who use affective and behavioral strategies that are not functional enough in affective regulation.

Additional file 1. Data analysis of clinical investigation.

The Basilicata region summarizes many basic features of the biogeographic complexity characterizing Mediterranean countries. The intricate geomorphology and the long history of human management generated the current landscapes, which include both high-value ecosystems and areas prone to desertification. Preserving goods and services provided by such composite land cover mosaics poses many problems due to the interference/overlap of diverse natural and anthropic factors which make the correct selection of relevant parameters and the interpretation of observational data rather difficult. Here, we study interconnections between local climate and vegetation activity by correlating parameters characterizing the interannual statistics of the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), derived from satellite data, with a recently devised multivariate statistical index of meteoclimatic variability. We used a 15-year sequence of remote images concerning a set of plots located around meteorological ground stations of the central-eastern part of the region to pick up spatial structures in the vegetation–climate relationships. Our analyses were able to correlate spatial heterogeneity to variations in water exchanges between vegetation and atmosphere. This study represents a first step to improve the description of relevant processes to protect natural habitats and quality agriculture, therefore combating land degradation and climate change detrimental effects.