Search results for "Italy"
showing 10 items of 2893 documents
Malnutrition in elderly: Social and economic determinants
2013
Abstract: Malnutrition occurs frequently in the frailest groups of the population, especially in people who are on a low income and elderly subjects, overall if they are institutionalized. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition in a sample of elderly people living in different settings and to identify the determinants of malnutrition. Methods: A total of 718 subjects, 472 females (F) and 246 males (M), were recruited from nursing homes or were free living in three different regions in Italy. Nutritional status, depression, social, functional and cognitive status, were evaluated. Results: According to the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), a high prevalence of mal…
The lamellicorn beetles of southern Sardinia (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea)
2011
A faunistic inventory of lamellicorn beetles has been conducted in southern Sardinia (former province of Cagliari) based on literature and collection records, as well as on new fi ndings from recent fi eld expeditions (2003–2008). The taxonomic analysis of the study area revealed the occurrence of 105 species (2 Lucanidae, 2 Trogidae, 7 Geotrupidae, 1 Hybosoridae and 93 Scarabaeidae). The majority of families are represented by 100% of the known Sardinian fauna; o nly the Scarabaeidae, the most diverse family, is represented by 80.8% of its Sardinian members. Some considerations are made on the conservation status, trophic categories, chorotypes, habitat distribution and seasonal activity o…
The Deadly Quartet (Covid-19, Old Age, Lung Disease, and Heart Failure) Explains Why Coronavirus-Related Mortality in Northern Italy Was So High
2020
Since its outbreak in China at the end of 2019, the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was characterized by both easy spreading and high mortality. The latter proved to be way more elevated in the North of Italy -with a peak of 18.4% in region Lombardia and even 31% in the city of Bergamo and surrounding county- than in the rest of the world. In an attempt to conceptualize the reasons for such a dramatic situation, four key elements have been identified: COVID-19 itself, old age, lung disease, and heart failure. Their harmful combination has been named “The deadly quartet”. The underlying risk factors, among which a lot of them are distinctive features of the population in northern Italy, …
Prognostic value of FEV1/FEV6 in elderly people
2010
BACKGROUND: The ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s and forced expiratory volume in 6 s (FEV1/FEV6) has been proposed as an alternative for FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) to diagnose obstructive diseases with less effort during spirometry; however, its prognostic value is unknown. We evaluated whether FEV1/FEV6 is a significant predictor of mortality in elderly subjects and compared its prognostic value with that of FEV1/FVC and FEV1. METHODS: One thousand nine hundred and seventy-one subjects, aged >65 years, participated in the population-based SA.R.A. study. During the baseline exam, a multidimensional assessment included spirometry. Vital status was determined during 6 years of f…
The European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) as reservoir hosts of Troglostrongylus brevior (Strongylida: Crenosomatidae) lungworms.
2014
The increasing reports of Troglostrongylus brevior lungworm in domestic cats from Italy and Spain raised questions on its factual distribution and on the role wildcats play as reservoirs of these parasites. Carcasses of 21 wildcats were collected in natural parks of southern Italy (i.e., Catania, Sicily n = 5 and Matera, Basilicata n = 16) and biometrically and genetically identified as Felis silvestris silvestris, but two as hybrids. Troglostrongylus brevior and Eucoleus aerophilus lungworms were found in 15 (71.4%) and 7 (33.3%) individuals, respectively, being five (23.8%) co-infected by the two species. Both lungworms showed an aggregated distribution in the host population, assessed by…
Long-term effect of arsenic exposure: Results from an occupational cohort study
2018
Background In 1976 in Manfredonia (Italy), arsenic was released into the atmosphere due to an accident in a petrochemical plant. We aimed to analyze the mortality of workers involved in the factory for the site cleaning activities. Methods The cohort consisted of 1467 workers grouped into contract, fertilizer, and plastic workers. The outcome of interest was mortality for specific causes. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were computed. Results For all workers and all causes of death combined, the SMR was less than 1.0. Mortality ratios were increased for malignant neoplasms of the pleura, bone and melanoma of the skin. Contract workers, the group most…
A critical conspectus of Italian Lycopodiaceae
2015
As a result of our work on the Lycopodiaceae account for the Critical Flora of Italy, a new, synonymic inventory of Italian taxa is presented, based on herbarium studies and critical re-examination of extant literature. Three genera with eight species are accepted: Huperzia (1 species), Lycopodiella (1), and Lycopodium (6). An additional, ninth species (Lycopodiella cernua) is listed as a casual alien. The genus Diphasiastrum, accepted in several recent works, is treated at sectional level within Lycopodium (three species and their three hybrids). Lycopodium lagopus ( = L. clavatum subsp. monostachyon) is a recent addition to the Italian flora. Images of five types and Internet URI of other…
Antioxidant activity and phenolic composition in Pomegranate (Punica granatum, L.) genotypes from south Italy by UHPLC/Orbitrap-MS approach
2018
Background: Pomegranate fruits are a rich source of polyphenols with numerous health-promoting effects. Pomegranate juices of five genotypes (‘Mollar’, ‘Kingdom’, ‘Dente di Cavallo’, and two old populations ‘Francofonte’ and ‘Santa Tecla’) were evaluated regarding anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin phenolic contents using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)–Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (MS). Moreover, total antioxidant activity (TAA) was evaluated using a 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) assay. Results: Twenty-three phenolic compounds were identified. Cyanidin-3,5-O-diglucoside and pelargonidin-3,5-O-diglucoside were the most representa…
Down and out in Italian towns: Measuring the impact of economic downturns on crime
2016
The paper investigates the effect of local economic conditions on crime. The study focuses on Italy’s local labor markets and analyzes the response of crime to the severe slump of 2007-2011. It shows that the downturn led to a significant increase in economic-related offenses that do not require particular criminal skills or tools (namely, thefts).
Triterpene Saponins from Tupidanthus calyptratus
2001
Five new bisdesmosidic saponins (1--5) were isolated from the aerial parts of Tupidanthus calyptratus. Their structures were determined by (1)H--(1)H correlation spectroscopy (COSY, TOCSY, ROESY) and (1)H--(13)C correlation (HSQC, HMBC) NMR experiments, FABMS, and chemical data.