Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Recently, social networks have become a popular source of information on health topics. Particularly, in Italy, there is a lively discussion on the web regarding vaccines also because there is low vaccination coverage, vaccines hesitancy, and anti-vaccine movements. For these reasons, in 2017, Institutions have introduced a law to force children to make ten compulsory vaccines for school attendance and proposed a vaccination campaign. On social networks, this law has fostered a fierce discussion between pro-vaccinations and anti-vaccinations people. This paper aims to understand if and how the population’s opinion has changed before the law and after the vaccination campaign using the titles of the videos uploaded on Youtube in these periods. Method Using co-occurrence network (CON) and sentiment analysis, we analysed the topics of YouTube Italian videos on vaccines in 2017 and 2018. Results The CON confirms that vaccinations were very disapproved before the law. Instead, after the communication campaign, people start to be less critical. The sentiment analysis shows that the intense vaccination campaign also promoted by medical doctors pushed the sentiment to change polarity from a prevailing negative opinion in 2017 (52% negative) to a positive one in 2018 (54% positive). Conclusion At the population level, the potential misinformation of social networks could be significant and is a real risk for health. Our study highlights that vaccination campaigns on social networks could be an essential instrument of health policies and a sharp weapon to fight ignorance and misrepresentations of non-qualified people influencing individuals’ decision-making.

To compare the anatomical/functional changes after navigated subthreshold pulse laser (SML) and oral eplerenone therapy for chronic central serous chorioretinopathy (cCSC). A total of 36 eyes of 36 patients suffering from cCSC treated with navigated SML (Navilas® 577s; OD-OS GmbH, near Berlin, Germany) (18 eyes, SML group) and oral eplerenone (18 eyes, eplerenone group) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Main outcome measures during a 3-month follow up period included changes of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), foveal subretinal fluid thickness (FSRFT), and subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT). At baseline average duration of symptoms was 6.8 ± 0.6 months in SML group and 6.4 ± 0.9 months in eplerenone group ( p  = 0.127). Mean BCVA, CMT and FSRFT changed significantly over time ( p  < 0.001). From baseline to 90 days the BCVA improved from 0.3 ± 0.1 to 0.1 ± 0.1 logMAR in SML group and from 0.3 ± 0. to 0.2 ± 0.1 logMAR in eplerenone group, CMT reduced from 357.1 ± 104.3 to 210.6 ± 46.7 μm and from 428.7 ± 107.7 to 332.5 ± 27.5 μm in SML group and eplerenone group respectively, FSRFT reduced from 144.4 ± 108.2 to 22.6 ± 37.2 μm and from 217.1 ± 105.9 to 54.4 ± 86.2 μm in SML group and eplerenone group. 55.6% of patients in SML group and 66.7% in eplerenone group showed a complete resolution of FSRFT during follow up. The interaction between group and time was statistically significant with greater absolute variation for CMT and FSRFT in SML group compared to eplerenone group ( p  < 0.001 and p  = 0.043). SFCT did not change significantly during follow up ( p  = 0.083) for both groups. Both navigated SML and oral eplerenone were effective treatments showing recovery of retinal morphology and related visual acuity improvement in cCSC.

Background: Oxidative stress is a key driver of heart failure (HF) pathophysiology, promoting myocardial injury, inflammation, and remodeling. Although numerous biomarkers of oxidative stress and DNA damage have been investigated in HF, their clinical relevance remains uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate alterations in these biomarkers in HF patients compared to healthy controls. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting oxidative stress or DNA damage biomarkers in HF patients versus controls were included. Random-effects models were used to calculate ratios of means (ROM) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed using the I2 statistic and Begg’s test. Results: Data from 3015 HF patients and 2704 controls were analyzed. HF patients had significantly higher levels of 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) (ROM = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.75–2.88), malondialdehyde (MDA) (ROM = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.49–2.36) and isoprostanes (ROM = 2.83, 95% CI: 1.97–4.05). Telomere length was significantly shorter (ROM = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.53–0.81), indicating accelerated cellular aging. Considerable heterogeneity was observed across studies. Conclusion: This meta-analysis supports a robust association between oxidative stress, DNA damage, and HF, highlighting the potential role of these biomarkers in disease monitoring and prognosis.

This study aimed to analyze Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) parameters and Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD) changes in patients affected by Retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Eighteen eyes of 18 patients suffering from early-stage RP were enrolled in our observational study. 18 eyes of 18 patients age and gender matched were enrolled as controls. Patients were analyzed at baseline by undergoing complete baseline ophthalmologic examination, Spectral-domain Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), Electroretinogram (ERG) and Heterochromatic Flicker Photometry (HFP). Main outcome measures were Macular Pigment Optical Density (MPOD), Central macular thickness (CMT), Central Choroidal Thickness (CCT) and Choroidal Vascularity Index (CVI). Lower CCT ( p  = 0.006), CVI ( p  < 0.001) and MPOD levels ( p  = 0.038) were found in affected patients, whereas higher CMT was detected in cases compared to healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed the presence of a negative correlation between BCVA and Age and CMT and BCVA and a positive correlation between CCT and MPOD and CVI and CCT. Retinal and choroidal variations occur in patients affected by early-stage RP regarding functional and anatomical changes.

To assess the different impact of two enface OCTA image simultaneously acquired by means of a new prototype of Spectral-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (SD-OCTA) on quantitative retinal vascular metrics. In this prospective observational cross-sectional study 28 healthy subjects were enrolled. Macular (3x3 mm) OCTA images were acquired for all participants using Solix Fullrange OCT (Optovue Inc, Freemont CA, USA). The main outcome measurements were: Perfusion density (PD), vessel length density (VLD), and vessel diameter index (VDI) of both superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP), and choriocapillaris (CC) total flow-deficits area. Quantitative retinal vascular metrics were measured on binarized and skeletonized OCTA images by comparing not averaged and fast automated multiple averaged en face OCTA images. In both SCP and DCP, PD significantly increased (p = 0,005 and p = 0,030, respectively), and VLD significantly decreased (p<0,001 and p = 0,004, respectively), and VDI increased (p<0,001 and p = 0,068, respectively), and total CC flow deficits area significantly decreased (p<0,001) by averaging multiple OCTA images. In this study, we found a significant difference of quantitative retinal metrics by comparing two different image acquisition modes using a novel and fully automated averaging OCTA system in young healthy subjects.

Animal models have demonstrated that structural changes affect the macula during peripheral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. This study aimed to assess photoreceptors, retinal and choriocapillaris perfusion in non-macula involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment by analyzing en-face images from structural OCTA segmented at the ellipsoid zone (EZ) level, calculating (1) “normalized” reflectivity as a surrogate biomarker of photoreceptor damage (2) perfusion density (PD), vessel length density (VLD) and vessel diameter index (VDI) of superficial capillary plexus (SCP) and deep capillary plexus (DCP) (3) perfusion density of choriocapillaris (PDCC). Twenty-one eyes affected by macula-on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) were enrolled at the University “G. d’Annunzio”, Chieti-Pescara. The fellow unaffected eye was used as control. The mean age at the onset of RRD was 60.09 ± 10.22 (range 34–83). Compared with fellow eyes, we found lower EZ “normalized” reflectivity in macula-on (0.42 ± 0.15 in fellow eyes and 0.31 ± 0.09 in macula on p = 0.004). The affected eye was also characterized by impaired perfusion in SCP (17.26 ± 3.34% in macula on and 20.56 ± 3.62% in the fellow eye p = 0.004) and CC (50.21 ± 6.20% in macula on the eye and 57.43 ± 6.20% in the fellow eye p = 0.004). Macula-on rhegmatogenous retinal detachment has subclinical changes in photoreceptors, SCP, and CC. Future longitudinal studies should evaluate if early changes could impact post-operative macular function.

This study aimed at predicting the filtration surgery (FS) outcome using a machine learning (ML) approach. 102 glaucomatous patients undergoing FS were enrolled and underwent ocular surface clinical tests (OSCTs), determination of surgical site-related biometric parameters (SSPs) and conjunctival vascularization. Break-up-time, Schirmer test I, corneal fluorescein staining, Meibomian gland expressibility; conjunctival hyperemia, upper bulbar conjunctiva area of exposure, limbus to superior eyelid distance; and conjunctival epithelial and stromal (CET, CST) thickness and reflectivity (ECR, SCR) at AS-OCT were considered. Successful FS required a 30% baseline intraocular pressure reduction, with values ≤ 18 mmHg with or without medications. The classification tree (CT) was the ML algorithm used to analyze data. At the twelfth month, FS was successful in 60.8% of cases, whereas failed in 39.2%. At the variable importance ranking, CST and SCR were the predictors with the greater relative importance to the CART tree construction, followed by age. CET and ECR showed less relative importance, whereas OSCTs and SSPs were not important features. Within the CT, CST turned out the most important variable for discriminating success from failure, followed by SCR and age, with cut-off values of 75 µm, 169 on gray scale, and 62 years, respectively. The ROC curve for the classifier showed an AUC of 0.784 (0.692–0.860). In this ML approach, CT analysis found that conjunctival stroma thickness and reflectivity, along with age, can predict the FS outcome with good accuracy. A pre-operative thick and hyper-reflective stroma, and a younger age increase the risk of FS failure.

This paper deals with the relationship between addiction/self-control and discount rates. In effect, it can be shown that the evaluation of temporal discounting is a candidate behavioral marker for addiction. More specifically, high discount rates are associated with several unhealthy behaviors (drinking, smoking and taking drugs, among them). There are also empirical studies that used a measure of delay discounting in order to predict abstinence or relapse. The main objective of this paper is to present a discounting model that describes the phases of addiction, vicious circles and recovery, present in the so-called Jellinek curve. To do this, we will start from the exponential discount function, which will be deformed, one or more times, by using the well-known Weber-Fechner and Stevens’ laws, in order to model the three aforementioned phases, specifically the relapse periods which characterize the vicious circles of the Jellinek curve. In this paper, we propose novel discount functions able to describe the behavior of addictions in all their phases and to fit intertemporal choice data in order to obtain the individuals’ discount rates.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate sleep quality and psychological effects on pediatric healthcare workers during the first wave of COVID-19 epidemic in Italy and to evaluate differences between primary and secondary care operators. Pediatric healthcare workers were involved in an online survey to assess sleep quality, stress and anxiety level, self-efficacy and social support in Italian pediatric healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic. Results We found that 67.4% of our sample suffered from sleep disturbance and 19.4% of subjects suffered from anxiety. Lower values of anxiety and social support were found in primary care staff compared to secondary care one. The associations between healthcare professional figures (being primary or secondary care operators) and mental health outcomes were not statistically significant. However, sex, age and having a SARS-CoV-2 infected relative/friend had an independent effect on mental health outcomes. It is crucial to provide social and psychological support to pediatric healthcare workers. A tailored psychological screening would be desirable for female healthcare workers and for those who have a SARS-CoV-2 infected relative/friend.

Background/Objectives: Akin osteotomy, in the context of corrective surgery for hallux valgus, is an effective tool available to surgeons. However, few studies have thoroughly investigated the anatomical and technical characteristics to be considered in order to perform an optimal osteotomy. This cross-sectional observational study aims to identify the ideal site for performing Akin osteotomy and to identify the factors that influence its corrective power. Methods: To this end, an analysis was conducted on a random sample of 100 patients (186 feet) who underwent X-rays without surgical treatment. Variations in the width between the metaphysis and diaphysis were measured at five different points. For each cut level, corresponding to wedge bases of 2, 3 and 4 mm, three corrective angles were calculated. In addition, the distance between the cut line and the joint was recorded. Results: The base width ranged from 12.6 to 23.2 mm, showing greater variability in the metaphyseal region. The corrective power of the osteotomy showed wide variability, ranging from 5.9 to 18.4 degrees. Four determining factors emerged: the width of the base, the inclination of the medial cortex, the height at which the cut is made and the thickness of the wedge of bone removed. The data obtained suggest that osteotomy should not be performed less than 10 mm from the joint line to avoid the risk of joint invasion. Conclusions: In conclusion, there is no universally ideal site for performing an Akin osteotomy: the choice depends on the degree of correction desired, which in turn is influenced by the factors identified in the study.