Search results for "OEA"
showing 10 items of 111 documents
Corticoperipheral neuromuscular disconnection in obstructive sleep apnoea.
2020
Abstract The roles of central nervous mechanisms and cortical output in obstructive sleep apnoea remain unclear. We addressed corticomuscular coupling between cortical sensorimotor areas and lower facial motor units as a mechanistic pathway and as a possible surrogate marker of corticoperipheral motor control in obstructive sleep apnoea. In this exploratory cross-sectional retrospective study, we analysed EEG (C3 and C4 leads) and chin EMG from polysomnography recordings in 86 participants (22 females; age range: 26–81 years): 27 with mild (respiratory disturbance index = 5–15 events/h), 21 with moderate (15–30 events/h) and 23 with severe obstructive sleep apnoea (>30 events/h) and 15 cont…
An Interactive Framework for Offline Data-Driven Multiobjective Optimization
2020
We propose a framework for solving offline data-driven multiobjective optimization problems in an interactive manner. No new data becomes available when solving offline problems. We fit surrogate models to the data to enable optimization, which introduces uncertainty. The framework incorporates preference information from a decision maker in two aspects to direct the solution process. Firstly, the decision maker can guide the optimization by providing preferences for objectives. Secondly, the framework features a novel technique for the decision maker to also express preferences related to maximum acceptable uncertainty in the solutions as preferred ranges of uncertainty. In this way, the d…
The Complex Interaction Between the Major Sleep Symptoms, the Severity of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, and Sleep Quality
2021
Introduction: Little information exists in the general population whether clinical presentation phenotypes of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) differ in terms of sleep quality and comorbidities.Aim: The purpose of our study was to assess possible differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic OSA patients concerning syndrome's severity, patients' sleep quality, and comorbidities.Subjects and methods: First, in a nationwide, stratified, epidemiological survey, 4,118 Cypriot adult participants were interviewed about sleep habits and complaints. In the second stage of the survey, 264 randomly selected adults underwent a type III sleep study for possible OSA. Additionally, they completed the Gre…
The cypsela (achene) of Echinacea purpurea as a diffusion unit of a community of microorganisms
2021
AbstractEchinacea purpurea is a plant cultivated worldwide for its pharmaceutical properties, mainly related to the stimulation of the immune system in the treatment of respiratory infections. The cypselas (fruits) of E. purpurea were examined in order to investigate the presence, localization and potential function(s) of endophytic microorganisms. Electron and confocal microscopy observations showed that three different components of microorganisms were associated to cypselas of E. purpurea: (i) one endocellular bacterial component in the cotyledons, enclosed within the host membrane; (ii) another more generic bacterial component adhering to the external side of the perianth; and (iii) a f…
Early management of COPD: Where are we now and where do we go from here? a delphi consensus project
2019
Fabiano Di Marco,1 Piero Balbo,2 Francesco de Blasio,3 Vittorio Cardaci,4 Nunzio Crimi,5 Giuseppe Girbino,6 Girolamo Pelaia,7 Pietro Pirina,8 Pietro Roversi,9 Pierachille Santus,10,11 Nicola Scichilone,12 Alessandro Vatrella,13 Patrizio Pasqualetti,14 Mauro Carone15 1Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Respiratory Unit, Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy; 2SC Malattie dell’Apparato Respiratorio, AOU Maggiore della Carità, Novara, Italy; 3Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Section, Clinic Center S.p.A. Private Hospital, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences “V Tiberio”, University of Molise, Campobasso, It…
An emergent infectious disease: Clostridioides difficile infection hospitalizations, 10-year trend in Sicily
2021
Abstract Background Clostridioides difficile is the most common cause of healthcare-associated diarrhoea worldwide and C. difficile infection is an emerging infectious disease. In the US, its rates are monitored trough an active surveillance system, but many European Union member states still lack this, and in Italy no epidemiological data on C. difficile infection are available except for a few single-centre data. Aim To provide data on the C. difficile infection incidence in Sicily (the biggest and 5th most populous region of Italy) during a 10-year period. Methods We revised all the regional standardized discharge forms between 2009 and June 2019 using the code ICD-9 00845 of the Interna…
Gastrointestinal symptoms in infancy: A population-based prospective study
2005
Abstract Background. During the first months of life, infants can suffer from many ‘minor’ gastroenterological disturbances. However, little is known about the frequency of these problems and the factors which predispose or facilitate their onset. Aims. (a) To ascertain the frequency of the most common gastrointestinal symptoms in infants during the first 6 months after birth; (b) to evaluate the influence of some variables on the onset of the symptoms. Study design and patients. Each of the 150 paediatricians distributed throughout Italy followed 20 consecutive infants from birth to 6 months. 2879 infants (1422 f, 1457 m) concluded the study. The presence of the following symptoms was eval…
Eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis does not exhibit neurotrophic properties
2012
The role of neurotrophins in eutopic endometrium from endometriosis-patients was investigated in a prospective study using immunofluorescence-staining, Western blot and a neuronal growth assay. The nerve growth factor is expressed in primary endometrial cell culture from women with and without endometriosis. Western blot analysis of endometrial biopsies or uterine fluid from patients with and without endometriosis shows no difference in the neurotrophin expression. We could not find a difference between patients with and without endometriosis with regards to the neurite outgrowth of sensory ganglia when treated with conditioned cultured medium or uterine fluid. This result refutes the assum…
Obstructive sleep apnoea in adult patients post-tonsillectomy
2021
Background: The impact of removing the upper airway lymphoid tissue and in particular, tonsillectomy, in adults with OSA has not been demonstrated in large populations. Aims: To compare the severity of OSA and the prevalence of cardiovascular, metabolic and respiratory co-morbidities between patients with OSA who had undergone previous tonsillectomy and those who had not. Methods: The 19,711 participants in this study came from the European sleep apnea database (ESADA) which comprises data from unselected adult patients aged 18–80 years with a history of symptoms suggestive of OSA referred to sleep centers throughout Europe. Results: There were no differences between the two groups in terms…
Management of pharyngeal collapse in patients affected by moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome
2022
This study reports our experience in a selected cohort of patients affected by mild-moderate OSAS, without tonsillar obstruction, and treated with pharyngoplasty.In a case-control retrospective study, we compared modified expansion sphincter pharyngoplasty (MESP) to modified barbed reposition pharyngoplasty (MBRP) in adult patients with oropharyngeal transversal collapse with a BMI ≤ 30 kg/mWe enrolled 20 patients: 10 treated with MESP and 10 treated with MBRP. Mean apnoea-hypoapnoea index (AHI) was 22.8 (± 5.63). We observed in both groups a significant reduction of AHI and oropharyngeal obstruction (p = 0.01), with a success rate, according with Sher's criteria, of 90% for MESP and 80% fo…