Overview of Curcumin and Piperine Effects on Glucose Metabolism: The Case of an Insulinoma Patient's Loss of Consciousness.

The hypoglycemic properties of curcumin supplements in therapeutic doses are well-known and may represent a useful tool for the treatment of chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The poor bioavailability of curcumin can be improved with the concomitant administration of piperine, with no severe adverse effects on glycemia reported so far in the literature. In this article, we further discuss a previously reported case of a helicopter pilot, affected by grade I obesity who, under curcumin and piperine treatment, experienced a transient loss of consciousness (TLOC), during a low-altitude flight.

Factors associated with a change in smoking habit during the first COVID-19 lockdown: an Italian cross-sectional study among ever-smokers.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown period lasted from March to May 2020, resulted in a highly stressful situation yielding different negative health consequences, including the worsening of smoking habit.

Methods: A web-based cross-sectional study on a convenient sample of 1013 Italian ever smokers aged 18 years or more was conducted. Data were derived from surveys compiled by three different groups of people: subjects belonging to Smoking Cessation Services, Healthcare Providers and Nursing Sciences' students.

Loss of consciousness in a helicopter pilot as plausible first sign of insulinoma: a case report.

A 50-year-old man who worked as a helicopter rescue pilot transiently lost consciousness while piloting a helicopter rescue. In the diagnostic process, all tests for the main possible differential diagnoses of loss of consciousness (cardiological and neurological) were performed and yielded normal results. Blood chemistry tests revealed recurrent fasting hypoglycemia and Chromogranin A was at the upper limit of normal.

Diabetes and work: The need of a close collaboration between diabetologist and occupational physician.

Aim: The Italian Society of Occupational Medicine (SIML), the Italian Diabetes Society (SID) and the Association of Diabetologists (AMD) joined a working group that produced a consensus paper aimed to assess the available evidence regarding the interplay between specific working conditions, including shift- and night-time work, working activities at high risk of accidents and work at heights, working tasks requiring high-energy expenditure, working activities at extreme temperatures and diabetes.

Data Synthesis: Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders caused by defects in insulin secretion and/or action affecting millions of people worldwide, many of whom are or wish to be active members of the workforce. Although diabetes, generally, does not prevent a person from properly performing his/her working tasks, disease complications can significantly compromise a person's ability to work.

Defining the appropriate setting for treating obese patients: do we have the right tools?

Purpose: To allocate obese patients to the correct therapeutic setting, the Italian Obesity Society (SIO) has suggested a new algorithm based on the Edmonton obesity staging system (EOSS). The aim of our study was to apply in two retrospective cohorts of obese patients both the EOSS and the activities of daily life (ADL) scale to identify also their rehabilitation needs.

Methods: 288 out-patients and 298 in-patients were recruited.

[Oncological disease: dimensions of the phenomenon and role ionizing radiation].

Objectives: The continuous scientific advances against neoplastic diseases affecting all areas of oncology biomedical research. Age is an extremely important factor in cancer development, since the incidence of cancer increases significantly with age. Because of aging of the Italian population, although the incidence is kept constant, the number of cancer diagnosis is inevitably going to increase over time only to increasing age.

[Stochastic effects of ionizing radiations].

Objectives: Stochastic effects induced by exposure to ionizing radiation rapresent a relevance radioprotection aspect.

Methods: Actually most of the information about radiation-induced oncogenic risk arise from the follow-up of the atomic bombs survivors (Life Span Study, LSS); at this information sources have been added over the last decades also data derived from medical, occupational and environmental studies conducted in various parts of the world and their contribution about number of cases and duration of follow-up period is of great relevance. These sources of information, in fact, provide important data related to very different exposure models compared to the historical of the LSS and closer to those who characterize the employment context in the last decades.

Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) and Work Ability in the Evaluation of Workers Affected by Obesity: A Preliminary Report.

Objective: Obesity and work-ability may be influenced by reduced performance, associated diseases, and obesogenic environment.

Methods: Two hundred seventy-six male (46.7 ± 10.

The Burden of Structured Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose on Diabetes-Specific Quality of Life and Locus of Control in Patients with Noninsulin-Treated Type 2 Diabetes: The PRISMA Study.

Background: To evaluate whether structured self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is associated with changes in diabetes-specific quality of life (DSQoL) and locus of control (LOC) in patients with noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

Study Design And Methods: In this analysis of the PRISMA (Prospective Randomized Trial on Intensive SMBG Management Added Value in Noninsulin-Treated T2DM Patients) Study psychosocial data, we evaluated the impact of 12 months of structured SMBG on the individual domains of DSQoL and LOC questionnaires, including the role of selected confounders.

Results: The score for Satisfaction, Impact, and Worry domains (DSQoL) improved when compared with baseline, without significant differences between structured SMBG regimen (intervention group, n = 501) and active control group (n = 523).

[Workplace campaigns for metabolic syndrome prevention and healthy lifestyles promotion in mechanical engineering industries].

The paper describes 2 years outcome on BMI, smoking habits and physical activity of 2 WHP carried in engineering plants. Three important results were achieved: stationarity of body weight despite ageing of examined population; increase of workers that perform regular physical activity and a slight increase of smoking cessation. NSAS questionnaire showed a marked improvement in life styles compared to the data obtained 2 years before.

[Respiratory diseases in agriculture and breeding].

Agriculture is a particularly critical field for the health and safety of workers, especially because of the exposure to a variety of risk factors for respiratory system. Organic and mineral dusts, micro-organisms (fungi and bacteria), animal proteins, chemicals (pesticides, disinfectants and toxic gases (NH3, CO, H2S, SO2, NO2 CO2) often cause respiratory diseases in workers in this sector. In Italy, occupational diseases in agriculture have had a record growth--in terms of percentage increase--in the last few years, much higher than other industries (+ 341.

[Psychotropic substances and driving].

Consumption of psychotropic substances (alcohol, drugs, medication) has a major impact on complex activity performance such as driving. This issue is of relevant social interest for the high number of potentially involved subjects and the often fatale outcomes, and affects also occupational physicians because of the high number of people whose job is driving. There are still few studies trying to assess the presence of a possible association between increased risk of accident/injury at work and consumption of psychotropic substances and results are not always in agreement.

[Leather dust and systematic research on occupational tumors: the national and regional registry TUNS].

The sinonasal cancer (SNC) are a rare tumors characterized by high occupational etiologic fraction. For this reason their incidence and etiology can be actively monitored by a dedicated cancer registry. The National Registry of these tumours is situated at the Italian Institute for Occupational Safety and Prevention (ISPESL) and is based on Regional Operating Centres (ROCs).

Cell polarity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and cell-fate decision gene expression in ductal carcinoma in situ.

Loss of epithelial cell identity and acquisition of mesenchymal features are early events in the neoplastic transformation of mammary cells. We investigated the pattern of expression of a selected panel of genes associated with cell polarity and apical junction complex or involved in TGF-β-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition and cell-fate decision in a series of DCIS and corresponding patient-matched normal tissue. Additionally, we compared DCIS gene profile with that of atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) from the same patient.

Chronic pain and weather conditions in patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders: a pilot study.

Objectives: Patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) often report increased pain in response to changes in weather conditions. Nevertheless, scientific evidence supporting this relationship is scarce. The aim of this study was to assess a potential relationship between pain intensity and meteorological factors, through a newly developed, portable device, in patients affected by chronic masticatory muscle pain.