Ethanol stimulates corticotropic releasing hormone (CRH) release from rat hypothalamic explants; role of acetaldehyde

Ethanol is able to activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and to modify its response to other stressors, releasing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and glucocorticoid release, (Lee et al 1999, 2000). In the brain ethanol is diverted by catalase activity into acetaldehyde, which is reported to mediate some of its behavioural and neurochemical effects. (Peana et al 2008, Melis et al 2007) Thus, to clarifìy the mechanisms underlying ethanol activity on the HPA axis we investigated :1) ethanol effect on CRH release from incubated hypothalamic explants; 2) the role of acetaldehyde (ACD), in mediating ethanol activity. To this aim, rat hypothalamic explants were incubated with…

Knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of Italian female undergraduate students towards HIV infection and risky sexual behaviour. Do female medical students make good peer educators?

<p><strong>Background</strong>: The main purpose of this study was to identify and describe knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards HIV infection and risky sexual behaviour in female medical freshmen in order to evaluate the possibility of female medical student-based peer education.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: Researchers surveyed 560 freshmen: 280 medical students and 280 non medical students at two Italian Universities, collecting the data through anonymous, self administered questionnaires. Data were codified and statistical analysis was computed using Statistica and Openstat 4 software.</p><p><strong>Results</strong&gt…

C-reactive protein in boutonneuse fever

Q fever in Europe: current aspects of aetiology, epidemiology, human infection, diagnosis and therapy.

Il s'agit d'une zoonose. Elle est en general asymptomatique bien que des decouvertes nouvelles aussi bien chez l'homme que chez l'animal mettent en evidence des syndromes cliniques associes en particulier des maladies chroniques graves

Persistence of Antibodies to Rickettsia conorii After an Acute Attack of Boutonneuse Fever

Circulating immune complexes in Fièvre boutonneuse.

Circulating immune complexes (CIC) occurred in 36% of a group of 25 patients with Fièvre boutonneuse. CIC were present only in the first week of the disease and there was no evidence of other humoral immunological abnormalities or alterations of the coagulation factors studied. The presence of CIC was not associated with a more severe clinical manifestation or with symptoms or tissue injuries. It is considered that CIC do not play a major role in Fièvre boutonneuse.

Analysis of type of work and user in a neuromotorial rehabilitation unit

The activity in an operative neuromotorial rehabilitation unit was analyzed. An increasing attendance to the service was observed in the years 2001-2003. A new sensibility of the users and attention to a different approach in rehabilitation was indicated for obtaining this result. Recent legislation in administrative procedures to enter the services seems to have produced an increased request of rehabilitation activities.

Childhood depression: A descriptive study on a group of children/students in Palermo

An investigation was carried out on a group of students, 7-10 years old, aimed to evidence the presence of same of common symptoms of depression in childhood. Results reported demonstrated that more than 50% of the sample was often sad, nervous, anxious and suffers of sleeping disorders. The need was stressed of on early and correct diagnosis of infantile depression to sustain the child’s development and to give adequate treatment.

STRESS AND CHILDHOOD

In this work the complexity of educational and rehabilitation interventions in different conditions of stress in childhood were underlined. The role played by educative agencies and different professionals, especially Educators, was indicated. The need for an integrated and coordinate intervention was stressed.

Professional educators and burnout

In recent years the risk of developing a burnout syndrome among workers in the helping professions has been clearly stated. Although burnout syndrome, in fact, is threatening different professional activities, incidence was reported higher in sanitary and social professions. In this work the risk of developing a Burnout syndrome was evidenced to occur in Educators working in the socio-sanitary area. Causal relationships where indicated not only in the working context and in the peculiar characteristic of the patients, but also in the precarious, from the juridical point of view, working conditions.

Epidemiology of Q fever in Italy and in other Mediterranean countries

Abstract The history of Q fever in Italy may be divided into three periods: epidemic in character after the Second World War, endemic occurrence from 1960 to 1980, and sporadic occurrence at present. Clinical symptoms are unspecific, and diagnosis must be confirmed by serology and isolation of the causative agent. The reported incidence is consequently underestimated. Results are reported of a seroepidemiologic survey in animals and humans in the Italian region and western Sicily. In the Mediterranean area several epidemic foci are still present. The need of further studies to evaluate the incidence of Q fever and to shed more light upon the epidemiology of Coxiella burnetii infections is s…

Perception of new drugs addiction in two groups of university student from Palermo and Freiburg

Results were reported of an investigation which was carried out in two groups of university students of Palermo, Italy and Freiburg, Germany aimed to understand the knowledge and perception of new drug addiction. The need was stressed for preventive action and educational intervention.

Familial cases of boutonneuse fever

Pairs of cases of Boutonneuse Fever (BF) occurred in three families. The illness appeared almost simultaneously in both members of each family, but was generally more serious in one as judged by clinical and laboratory parameters. The possibility of a "bed rickettsiosis", that is reactivation of rickettsiae by the blood meal obtained from the first individual by the same tick which fed upon the second individual, could be excluded in two of the three pairs of cases. In only one of the case pairs were the individuals sharing the same bed. The differences in severity of symptoms may be related to the different immunological pattern observed in these patients. Previous rickettsial infection ma…

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF BOUTONNEUSE FEVER IN WESTERN SICILY

The distribution and prevalence of spotted fever group rickettsial infection in the ixodid dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus were found to occur at a rate of 19.7% with variation related to geographic and sociooccupational factors. A higher rate of infection was demonstrated in ticks removed from dogs associated with documented cases of boutonneuse fever. The results fit into available clinical and seroepidemiologic data on Rickettsia conorii infection in western Sicily.

Therapeutic patient education in oncology: pedagogical notions for women's health and prevention.

Therapeutic patient education has been defined by the World Health Organization as a comprehensive approach to support patients and their families to better understanding of their diseases. In oncology, the contribution of therapeutic education may enable the patients to have adequate information of the illness, to actively participate in the management of the disease, to understand how to live with the illness, to learn how to face the critical moments of the clinical course, and to live in harmony with all health professionals. In addition, there may be several advantages for health professionals: a reduction in emotional labour, increased professional satisfaction, and a reduction in the…

Survey on lifestyle and attitudes on fruit and vegetable comsumption and participation in physical activity in a sample of secondary school and university students from Palermo Western Sicily.

Pet therapy: therapeutic benefits of human-animal relation

In this work Authors analized the progressive increase and evoluated the benefits in the practical application of the Pet Therapy. Pet Therapy is a therapeutic aid, to add to not to substitute the traditional cares. Pet Therapy is intended not as an exclusive therapy but a support to medical cares and a possibility to enhance relational and emotional status of individuals as well as to give a contribution of wellbeing to the suffrance.

Skin surveillance attitudes and behaviors in relation to skin checks for early signs of skin cancer in a sample of secondary school students and teachers in Palermo, Western Sicily

<p><strong>Background</strong>: Malignant melanoma (MM) can be readily treated in its earliest stages: survival rate, when detected early, is up to 95,0%. This justifies investigations on contributive factors and measures for precocious detection of skin tumors to improve early detection and to increase survival rates. The purpose of this survey was to collect information about knowledge, attitudes and behaviors on prevention in relation to skin checks for early signs of skin cancer on a sample of secondary school students and teachers.</p><p><strong>Methods</strong>: A sample of secondary school students and teachers from Palermo, was recruited usi…

Radon Anomalies at Volcano Etna: Identification methods and correlation with geodynamic events

Effect of Acetaldehyde on CRF release form incubated hypothalamic explants

In the past, Acetaldehyde (ACD), the main metabolite of ethanol (ETOH), was mainly studied for its toxic and adverse effects (1). However, recently, ACD was reported to determine behavioural and neurochemical effects, following ETOH assumption in rodents (2, 3). Indeed, ACD enhances dopamine levels in nucleus accumbens, stimulates beta-endorphin release from hypothalamic cells, mediating alcohol reinforcing effects (4). Since little is known about the effects of ACD on other central neuropeptides, in this research we aimed to investigate ACD influence on hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) release. In order to ascertain this hypothesis, different doses of ACD (1, 10, 3x10 micr…

Isolation on "VERO" cells of a spotted fever group rickettsia "Mortilli strain" from Rhipicephalus sanguineus.

The isolation of a Spotted Fever Group (SFG) Rickettsia « Mortilli strain » from brown dog ticks Rhipicephalu.s sanguineus removed from dogs associated with a confirmed case of Boutonneuse Fever (BF) in a site of a Western Sicily is reported. The need is stressed for isolation and adaption on cell cultures of SFG rickettsial strains for analysis of antigenic structure employing modern methodology.

Demonstration of spotted fever group rickettsiae in the tache noire of a healthy person in Sicily.

A human case of rickettsial infection occurred in Sicily following tick bite. The patient did not have fever, the typical nodular rash, or other symptoms of illness other than development of a tache noire containing spotted fever group rickettsiae, which were demonstrated by immunofluorescence. A high titer of antibodies of the IgG class suggests that the patient may have had previous exposure to Rickettsia conorii or a related spotted fever group rickettsia. An anamnestic response may be hypothesized to have conferred partial immunity, with resulting containment of rickettsiae at the site of inoculation.

A survey on knowledge and perceptions regarding head lice on a sample of teachers and students in primary schools of north and south of Italy.

High rates of pediculosis are found in every part of the world. The age-range most affected is between 3 and 12 years. No-nit policies are ineffective in preventing infestations. On the other hand, misdiagnosis and overuse of pediculicides, increase resistance to treatment. Lack of information leads people to consider this kind of infestation to be associated to low social classes and immigrants. This research has been implemented to find out about the information level on pediculosis on a sample of students (722) and teachers (408) of some primary schools in northern and southern Italy, and to highlight the role of personal aspects such as age, gender, cultural level, geographical position…