0000000000347820
AUTHOR
Mazzucco W
Prevalence and factors associated with bullying phenomenon among pre-adolescents attending first-grade secondary schools of Palermo, Italy, and a comparative systematic literature review
Abstract Background Bullying is recognized as one of the most significant social and health problems in the school environment for children and adolescents. In Italy, bullying involved 2 in 10 kids between 11–17 years that referred to have been bullied two or more times in a month. In Sicily, the estimated prevalence of children aged 11 to 15 that suffered at least one act of bullying in the last two months was 14% in 2011. Methods A questionnaire consisting of 30 items investigating physical, verbal and indirect bullying, observers of bullying, resiliency, and prosociality was administered to preadolescents of ten first-grade secondary schools within the Palermo Province in order to analyz…
The policy of public health genomics in Italy.
Abstract Italy has a monitoring system for genetic testing, consisting in a periodic census of clinical and laboratory activities performed in the country. The experience is limited, however, concerning the translation of genomic testing for complex diseases into clinical practice. For the first time the Italian Ministry of Health has introduced a policy strategic plan on genomics and predictive medicine within the 2010–2012 National Prevention Plan. This achievement was supported by the Italian Network for Public Health Genomics (GENISAP) and will likely contribute to the integration of public health genomics into health care in the country. Our experience might be of interest not only in …
SENSIBILIZZAZIONE AD ANISAKIS IN CATEGORIE PROFESSIONALI ESPOSTE IN AMBITO OCCUPAZIONALE IN SICILIA
INTRODUZIONE: La diffusione su larga scala del consumo di pesce crudo ha contribuito all’incremento di manifestazioni allergiche conseguenti al contatto col parassita del pesce Anisakis. Obiettivo dello studio è stato quello di stimare il rischio di contrarre allergie Anisakis-correlate in lavoratori del comparto ittico e della ristorazione. MATERIALI E METODI: È stato realizzato uno studio cross-sectional per stimare la prevalenza della sensibilizzazione ad Anisakis simplex (As) su un campione di 46 cuochi e/o addetti alla preparazione degli alimenti reclutati nella provincia di Palermo. A tutti i soggetti è stato somministrato un questionario clinico-anamnestico ed è stato effettuato un p…
Genomic analysis and lineage identification of SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated from migrants travelling through the Libyan route
Many African countries, representing the origin of the majority of refugees, asylum-seekers, and other migrants, toward regions bordering on the Mediterranean area, are experiencing sustained local transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Sicily is one of the main entry gates of migrants crossing into Europe. We conducted a pilot study, based on the full-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated from migrants coming to Sicily by crossing the Mediterranean Sea, with the aim to investigate the viral genome polymorphism and to describe their genetic variations and the phylogenetic relationships. On June 21, a nongovernmental organization vessel rescu…
A cross-sectional study on smartphone uses among pregnant women attending childbirth classes in the Metropolitan Area of Palermo, Italy: The Stop-Phone study
Background: Prevalence of mobile device addiction has increased over the years; both women and men have assimilated the mobile phone as a central component of their personal existence: integrating it into their lifestyle or becoming so dependent on it that life without it has become unimaginable. Smartphones generate radio-frequency electromagnetic fields. While short-term exposure in adults was considered quite safe, effects of long-term exposure or exposure during pregnancy on fetuses or during breastfeeding on newborns are not well studied yet. The objective of the present study was to investigate the prevalence and usage characteristics of smartphones among a sample of pregnant women, a…
COVID-19 emergency in Sicily and intersection with the 2019-2020 influenza epidemic.
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Phylogenetic analysis in the clinical risk management of an outbreak of hepatitis C virus infection among transfused thalassaemia patients in Italy
Background: Occurrence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is reduced by effective risk management procedures, but patient-to-patient transmission continues to be reported in healthcare settings. Aim: To report the use of phylogenetic analysis in the clinical risk management of an HCV outbreak among 128 thalassaemia outpatients followed at a thalassaemia centre of an Italian hospital. Methods: Epidemiological investigation and root-cause analysis were performed. All patients with acute hepatitis and known chronic infection were tested for HCV RNA, HCV genotyping, and NS3, NS5A, and NS5B HCV genomic region sequencing. To identify transmission clusters, phylogenetic trees were built for each…
I TUMORI INFANTILI E DEGLI ADOLESCENTI: TREND DI INCIDENZA E STUDIO DI EVENTUALI CLUSTER. CONFRONTO TRA LE PROVINCE DI PALERMO E DI CALTANISSETTA NEL PERIODO 2007-2012
INTRODUZIONE: Nonostante i progressi nelle strategie terapeutiche e il conseguente miglioramento della sopravvivenza, i tumori infantili rappresentano un importante problema di salute pubblica. È stato effettuato un confronto tra l’incidenza dei tumori infantili (0-14 anni) e degli adolescenti (15-19 anni) nelle province di Palermo e di Caltanissetta, nel periodo 2007-2012. MATERIALI E METODI: Sono stati analizzati 453 nuovi casi di tumore maligno e i non maligni del SNC in soggetti <20 anni, registrati dal Registro Tumori di Palermo Provincia (RTPP) e dal Registro Tumori di Ragusa e Caltanissetta (RTRC) tra il 2007 e il 2012. Variazioni delle medie annue percentuali sono state calcolate…
An Ecological Study to Investigate Links Between Atmospheric Pollutants From Farming and SARS-CoV-2 Mortality
AbstractExposure to atmospheric particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide has been linked to SARS-CoV-2 infection and death. We hypothesized that an interaction between SARS-CoV-2 infection and exposure to farming-related atmospheric pollutants worsens the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality. Our objective was investigate this hypothesis by performing an ecological study in five Italian Regions (Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Sicily) linking all-cause mortality, by province (administrative entities within regions), to atmospheric particulate matter (PM2.5and PM10) nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3) and methane (CH4) mainly produced by agricultural activities. Study outcome was c…
Efficacy and safety of human papillomavirus vaccination in HIV-infected patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis
AbstractThe prophylactic vaccines available to protect against infections by HPV are well tolerated and highly immunogenic. People with HIV have a higher risk of developing HPV infection and HPV-associated cancers due to a lower immune response, and due to viral interactions. We performed a systematic review of RCTs to assess HPV vaccines efficacy and safety on HIV-infected people compared to placebo or no intervention in terms of seroconversion, infections, neoplasms, adverse events, CD4+ T-cell count and HIV viral load. The vaccine-group showed a seroconversion rate close to 100% for each vaccine and a significantly higher level of antibodies against HPV vaccine types, as compared to the …