Blunted brain responses to neutral faces in healthy first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia: an image-based fMRI meta-analysis.

Schizophrenia is characterized by the misattribution of emotional significance to neutral faces, accompanied by overactivations of the limbic system. To understand the disorder's genetic and environmental contributors, investigating healthy first-degree relatives is crucial. However, inconsistent findings exist regarding their ability to recognize neutral faces, with limited research exploring the cerebral correlates of neutral face processing in this population.

Molecular mapping of a core transcriptional signature of microglia-specific genes in schizophrenia.

Besides playing a central role in neuroinflammation, microglia regulate synaptic development and is involved in plasticity. Converging lines of evidence suggest that these different processes play a critical role in schizophrenia. Furthermore, previous studies reported altered transcription of microglia genes in schizophrenia, while microglia itself seems to be involved in the etiopathology of the disease.

Transgenerational effects of alcohol on behavioral sensitivity to alcohol in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Alcohol abuse and dependence have a substantial heritable component. Although the genome has been considered the sole vehicle of heritable phenotypes, recent studies suggest that drug or alcohol exposure may induce alterations in gene expression that are transmitted across generations. Still, the transgenerational impact of alcohol use (and abuse) remains largely unexplored in part because multigenerational studies using rodent models present challenges for time, sample size, and genetic heterogeneity.

Are Brain Responses to Emotion a Reliable Endophenotype of Schizophrenia? An Image-Based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Meta-analysis.

Background: Impaired emotion processing constitutes a key dimension of schizophrenia and a possible endophenotype of this illness. Empirical studies consistently report poorer emotion recognition performance in patients with schizophrenia as well as in individuals at enhanced risk of schizophrenia. Functional magnetic resonance imaging studies also report consistent patterns of abnormal brain activation in response to emotional stimuli in patients, in particular, decreased amygdala activation.

Drinking frequency matters: links between consumption pattern and implicit/explicit attitudes towards alcohol.

Rationale: Attitudes towards alcohol constitute a central factor to predict future consumption. Previous studies showed that young adults with risky alcohol consumption present positive implicit and explicit attitudes towards alcohol.

Objectives: It appears crucial to disentangle the relationship between specific consumption patterns (e.

Effect of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy on children diagnosed with autism.

Introduction: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) therapy is emerging internationally as the primary treatment modality for inflammatory pathways related to neurological disorders. Currently, literature concerning its effectiveness in autistic children is limited. Using neurocognitive tests and clinical-diagnostic evaluations, this study evaluates the clinical, cognitive and behavioral effects of HBO2 on children diagnosed with autism.

Internist, anesthesiologist and surgeon use of ketogenic diet.

Ketogenic diet is being increasingly utilized in recent decades because of its success as an effective tool for short and intermediate-term weight loss. Promoting physiological ketosis from a drastically low carbohydrate diet is the fundamental basis for this diet regime. Though debated, these diets have been demonstrated to be effective, at least in the short- to medium terms, to manage excess weight, hyperlipidemia, and other cardiovascular risk factors.

A snapshot of cognitive functioning: deriving a tool for the efficient assessment of cognition in schizophrenia and other chronic psychiatric disorders in a real-world inpatient setting.

Previous research has led to the development of short batteries of tests that efficiently measure the cognitive functioning of individuals with schizophrenia. To attempt to replicate previous findings, we applied an empirical test selection strategy to archival cognitive test data of two non-overlapping inpatient samples of individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (total N=110). We then extended previous findings by applying the empirical test selection strategy to the archival data of two non-overlapping inpatient samples of individuals with various psychiatric disorders (total N=149).

Senile anorexia in different geriatric settings in Italy.

Objectives: Anorexia is the most frequent modification of eating habits in old age, which may lead to malnutrition and consequent morbidity and mortality in older adults. We aimed to estimate the prevalence and factors associated to anorexia in a sample of Italian older persons living in different settings. Our secondary aim was to evaluate the impact of senile anorexia on nutritional status and on eating habits, as well as on functional status.

Senile anorexia in acute-ward and rehabilitations settings.

Unlabelled: The most common pathological change in eating behaviour among older persons is anorexia, which accounts for a large percent of undernutrition in older adults. The main research aims are to determine, in a sample of acute and rehabilitation elderly subjects, the prevalence of anorexia of aging and the causes most impacting on senile anorexia.

Methods: four different Units cooperated to this research study.

[Occupational contact dermatitis in metal workers and gender effect].

Contact dermatitis is more frequent among women for anatomical reasons and for extraprofessional exposure to irritants and detergents during homeworks. In addition sensitisation to contact haptens is different in sexes. The aim of our work was to evaluate the association between patch test skin sensitizations and professional exposure to metals analyzing data for gender.

[Laparoscopic hysterectomy after GnRh analogue therapy].

Aim: The aim of this clinical prospective study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the GnRh analogues treatment carried out before the implementation of a laparoscopic hysterectomy on patients affected by fibromatosis and metrorrhagia.

Methods: We examined a cohort of 40 women sharing an average uterine volume of 510+/-95 cm3 observed in a time span of 22 months. Precociously, in the follicular phase we treated our sample of patients with only one ampoule of triptorelin 11.

A case of malignant mesothelioma in a rice-starch factory.

Introduction: Recent reports of cases of malignant mesothelioma (MM) in "non-traditional" areas of employment are an indication of the numerous occasions in which exposure to asbestos has occurred in the workplace. We describe an unusual case of occupational exposure to asbestos to stress the importance of careful history taking when assessing a patient's work history, especially in generic occupations in which there is apparently no exposure to asbestos.

Case Report: Malignant mesothelioma was diagnosed in a woman worker employed in a factory making rice starch.

Effects of a new soy/beta-sitosterol supplement on plasma lipids in moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects.

Our aim was to test the hypocholesterolemic effect of a low-dose formulation of soy proteins supplemented with isolated b-sitosterol in a ratio of 4:1 in 20 moderately hypercholesterolemic subjects. The study has been divided in three different periods of forty days each: a stabilization diet period, then a treatment period during which all subjects assumed 10 g one time a day of the tested product and, finally, a wash out period. From the end of the stabilization diet period to the end of the soy protein added in b-sitosterol supplementation we observed a 0.

[Prevalence of occupational allergy to laboratory animals in two towns of northern and central Italy].

Background: Laboratory animal allergy (LAA) is a well known occupational hazard for workers employed in biological and medical research institutes, but few Italian data on this disease exist.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of LAA in 45 workers in Trieste (NE-Italy) and in 80 workers in Perugia (Central Italy) and to assess factors predisposing to sensitisation among subjects occupationally exposed to animals.

Methods: All subjects underwent a physical examination and responded to a standardized questionnaire for the evaluation of allergic respiratory symptoms and exposure data.

Influence of sport and low animal saturated fats intake diet on lipid dismetabolisms in postmenopausal women.

Background: An important aetiopathogenetic factor leading to menopausal age pathologies (such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and so on) is certainly represented by the worsening of lipid dismetabolism. This condition is generally characterized by an increase in total mean cholesterol levels, LDL-cholesterol (low density lipoprotein-cholesterol), VLDL-cholesterol (very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol), triglycerides, with reduction of HDL-cholesterol (high density lipoprotein-cholesterol) mean levels. All these metabolic modifications are triggered or increased by the hypoestrogenemia typical of postmenopausal age.

Latex symptoms and sensitisation in health care workers.

Background: Natural rubber latex has become an important occupational health concern, particularly among health care workers, who for protection are required to wear latex gloves when at work. This study evaluated the prevalence of latex-related symptoms and sensitisation among a large group of health care workers in Trieste hospitals.

Methods: We evaluated the prevalence of latex-related symptoms in 1,165 health care workers, by means of a questionnaire, a medical examination, skin prick tests and IgE-specific evaluation.

Skin absorption in vitro of glycol ethers.

Objectives: The increased use of glycol ethers (GEs) for water-based paints and cleaning products, combined with a lack of information about many of these products, particularly with regard to the effects of percutaneous exposure, led us to evaluate the skin absorption rates of a group of glycol ethers in vitro.

Methods: Skin permeation was calculated using the Franz cell method with human skin. A physiological solution was used as the receiving phase.

Monounsaturated diet lowers LDL oxidisability in type IIb and type IV dyslipidemia without affecting coenzyme Q10 and vitamin E contents.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of MUFA vs PUFA enriched diets on the plasma and LDL lipid profile and antioxidant contents in mild hypercholesterolemic and triglyceridemic subjects. The study was divided in two consecutive diet periods. Two groups of 11 dyslipidemic patients each (type IIb and type IV) were recruited and during the first period (lasting four weeks) received a linoleic rich diet while during the following four weeks took an oleate rich diet.

Sensitization to green coffee beans and work-related allergic symptoms in coffee workers.

Background: Occupational respiratory allergy to green coffee beans (GCB) and to castor beans (CB) was studied in 112 workers in a modern coffee manufacturing plant of Trieste (Italy), where the process is completely automatic, the environmental conditions are good and where exposure to CB can be considered absent because since 1970, only new sacks have been used for coffee transportation.

Methods: All subjects were interviewed by a trained doctor using a questionnaire to investigate allergic symptoms and predisposing factors. Sensitization to GCB and to common allergens (pollens, molds, house dust mites) were evaluated by the skin-prick test.

Formative research for interventions among adolescents at high risk for gonorrhea and other STDs.

The gonorrhea infection rate among 15-19 year olds during 1993-1994 in an urban Upstate New York community was nearly twice the national norm. More than 50% of all the gonorrhea cases were concentrated in eight census tracts. This study was conducted to provide data regarding sexually transmitted diseases among high risk adolescents to increase successful public health interventions.

Repeatability of electrically evoked EMG signals in the human vastus medialis muscle.

The repeatability of spectral and amplitude parameters and conduction velocity estimates of M-waves was tested on the vastus medialis muscle of 9 normal subjects. Isometric contractions sustained for 30 s were elicited by stimulation of the main muscle motor point and repeated on 5 different days. The initial value and two indicators of myoelectric manifestations of muscle fatigue were computed for each variable.

Liver function alterations in synthetic leather workers exposed to dimethylformamide.

A cross-sectional study of the prevalence of chronic liver function alterations was performed in 75 workers employed in a synthetic leather factory, exposed to dimethylformamide (DMF) air concentrations below threshold limit values (30 mg/m3). Biological monitoring among workers revealed acceptable urine levels of monomethylformamide (NMF) on average, but the very wide range indicated that occasional overexposure was possible. The worker survey showed a high percentage of disulfiram-like symptoms (50%) and liver function abnormalities (22.

[Allergic sensitization and latex-associated symptoms in a group of health workers].

The presence of symptoms connected with the use of latex rubber gloves and sensitization to this allergen was studied in a group of 660 hospital workers who regularly used gloves as a means of protection. Symptoms connected with the use of gloves were reported by 153 subjects (23.2%) and were significantly associated with female subjects length of use and type of medical care.