Increased expression of TREM2 in peripheral cells from mild cognitive impairment patients who progress into Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Neuroinflammation plays a role in the aetiopathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2), a cell surface receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily, seems to have protective anti-inflammatory activity in AD. METHODS: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 expression was analysed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy subjects (CT) and from patients with either AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI patients were re-evaluated at a 2-year follow-up to investigate their progression to AD (MCI-AD) or lack thereof (MCI-MCI). RESULTS: Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 gene expression was higher in AD than CT patients, but was highest in MCI. At recruitment TREM2 levels were higher in MCI-AD than in MCI-MCI, and in MCI-AD were higher initially than at follow-up. TREM2 displayed a moderate degree of sensitivity and specificity for identifying MCI-AD in all MCI patients. Our data showed higher TREM2 levels in allele ε4 of apolipoprotein E (ApoE ε4) carriers than non-carriers in MCI and particularly in MCI-AD. CONCLUSIONS: These data seem to confirm the protective role of TREM2 in the pre-clinical stage of AD. Upregulation of TREM2 in MCI-AD could be a mechanism to counteract the activation of neuroinflammatory processes. It is possible that TREM2 and ApoE ε4 interact synergistically in the pre-clinical stage of AD. Therefore, TREM2 may be useful as an early peripheral biomarker for the development of AD.

Behaviour disorder caused by Cushing's syndrome in an older person.

An 81-year-old woman was hospitalised for behavioural disorders that had been progressively emerging over a period of few weeks. The symptoms appeared to worsen over time. A diagnosis of vascular dementia, complicated by psychosis, was initially hypothesised. The inefficacy of the antipsychotic/benzodiazepine medications used, along with the presence of hypertension, hypokalaemia and metabolic alkalosis (resistant to pharmacological attempts of correction), as well as the hirsutism and the development of several infections, led us to consider Cushing's syndrome. Endocrinological analysis suggested ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion. Although endogenous Cushing's syndrome is rare in older people, it should always be considered among the differential diagnosis of behavioural disorders.

[Genetic markers of individual susceptibility and oxidative stress in subjects exposed to low dose of benzene. Preliminary data]. / Indicatori genetici di suscettibilità individuale e stress ossidativo in soggetti esposti a basse dosi di benzene. Dati preliminari.

In the present study we used AOPPs and AGE as early markers of oxidative stress in refinery oil workers. In addition we evaluated whether a genetically determined reduction in the ability to detoxify electrophilic compounds, such as that expected among individuals with glutathione S-transferase (GST) null genotypes might influence the levels of AOPPs thus increasing toxicity. The study was performed on 25 oil refinery workers and in 18 age-matched control subjects. We found a statistically significant increase of AOPPs in exposed workers with respect to controls while AGE levels were not different. Finally serum level of AOPPs and AGE were not correlated with the different GTS genotypes.

Don't Demean "Invasives": Conservation and Wrongful Species Discrimination.

It is common for conservationists to refer to non-native species that have undesirable impacts on humans as "invasive". We argue that the classification of any species as "invasive" constitutes wrongful discrimination. Moreover, we argue that its being wrong to categorize a species as invasive is perfectly compatible with it being morally permissible to kill animals-assuming that conservationists "kill equally". It simply is not compatible with the double standard that conservationists tend to employ in their decisions about who lives and who dies.

[The list of the occupational disease and medical surveillance: the function of preventive medicine doctor]. / L'elenco delle nuove malattie professionali e sorveglianza sanitaria: il ruolo del medico competente.

The recent revision of tables of occupational diseases according to the article 3 and 211 of TU 1124/65 is helpful to working physician. This revision established the necessity of explain the link between the causative agent and disease and inserted the disease caused by biomechanics overload of upper limbs. The previous absence of these disease was in contrast to the duty of declaration according to the article 139 of TU 1124/65. The new decree allowed to define better the link between the causative agent and the target organ of neoplastic occupational disease. Even if the decree set in order the duties of working physician a simplification is needed. In short about health supervision, it's necessary to clarify the link between the duty of health supervision and working activities that can cause occupational disease inserted in the tables. For this reason the intervention of the new Consultative Commission, according to article 6 of decree 81/2008, is desirable.

The role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in men with erectile dysfunction-preliminary findings of a real-life cross-sectional study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of systemic inflammation by means of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Complete demographic, clinical, and laboratory data from 279 consecutive men with newly diagnosed ED were analyzed. Health-significant comorbidities were scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). A complete blood count was requested for every man, and the NLR was calculated for every individual. Patients were invited to complete the IIEF questionnaire. Logistic regression models tested the odds (OR, 95% CI) of severe ED (defined as IIEF-EF <11, according to Cappelleri's criteria) after adjusting for age, BMI, comorbidities (CCI >0), metabolic syndrome, NLR, cigarette smoking, and color duplex Doppler ultrasound parameters. Likewise, LNR values were also dichotomized according to the most informative cutoff predicting severe ED using the minimum p value approach. Median [IQR] age of included men was 51 [40-64] years. Of all, 87 (31%) men had severe ED. Men with severe ED were older (median [IQR] age: 61 [47-67] vs. 49 [39-58] years) and had a higher rate of CCI>0 [46/87 (53%) vs. 44/192 (23%) patients]. Thereof, NLR was dichotomized according to the most informative cutoff (NLR>3); patients with severe ED more frequently had NLR>3 as compared to all other ED patients [namely, 18/87 (21%) vs. 13/192 (7%)]. At multivariable logistic regression analysis, NLR>3.0 emerged as an independent predictor (OR [CI] 2.43 [1.06; 5.63]) of severe ED, after accounting for other clinical variables. A NLR>3 increased the risk of having severe ED in our cohort, boosting the already existing evidence linking systemic inflammation to ED. Moreover, this easily obtainable index can be clinically useful in better risk-stratifying patients with ED.

[Cognitive performances in workers with chronic virus hepatitis (HBV-HCV)]. / Performance cognitive in lavoratori affetti da epatite virale cronica (HBV-HCV).

Chronic condition in subjects with chronic viral hepatitis determines issues neuropsychic. The sample of 21 workers suffering from chronic viral hepatitis in drug treatment has been studied with a battery of standardized tests to assess the cognitive performance, the neurobehavioral effects and psychological disorders that interfere with quality of life, comparing the results of subjects with HBV with those of subjects suffering from HCV. The results showed that both subjects with chronic HBV and HCV have relational-work restrictions that determine long periods of absence from the workplace, with the depression, anxiety, irritability and dysphoria. It is that in patients with chronic HCV physical functioning is significantly impaired with clinical manifestations of the disease that lead to major depression and deficit cognitive function.

[Technopathic hearing loss and open fitting]. / Ipoacusie tecnopatiche ed open fitting.

The purpose of this study is to value the advantage of open fitting ear-moulds in tecnopathic ipoacusies. The study was conducted on a sample of 70 tecnopathic ipoacusics with a hearing loss in the high wave frequencies (4000-8000 Hz) ammounting to at least 50 dB; 20 of which already using ear-moulds. To all of them was applied, for three weeks, an open fitting ear-mould. At the beginning and at the end of the study, the sample was given a questionary to fill out. The analysis of the questionnaries has proven that among the 20 tecnopathics already using ear-moulds: A) 16 subjects have a marked preference for the open fitting ear-moulds, B) 3 did not encounter differences between the two types of ear-moulds, C) 1 declared a better adaptability to the previous ear-moulds. Over all, in the 70 subjects examined, this research's results allow us to conclude that: the use of open fitting ear-moulds improves the quality of the natural sound of one's own voice, the natural quality of sounds, and the hearing of speech in the presence of other noises, while reducing irritation of the auditory cortex.

[Carpal tunnel syndrome among cashiers in commercial businesses]. / La sindrome del tunnel carpale in cassiere di aziende commerciali.

The Check-out assistants represent a working sector at risk of Work Related Musculo Skeletal Disorders (WMSDs). The aim of our study is to evaluate carpal tunnel syndrome's incidence in check out assistants. Our search was carried out on a sample of 695 female check-out assistants,after a specific risk's valutazion witch "chec-list application", during health surveillance. Subjects with an pand's painful symptoms or paraesthesias along territory of median were submitted to tests thath revial compression of median at wrist: Phalen and Tinel tests. Who were positive to painful symptoms or paraesthesias in both tests, were subjected to electromyographia (E.M.G.), gold standard for carpal tunnel Syndrome diagnosis. This sample was compared with a control group no-exposed to specific risk (all teachers) of equal number, age, sex and working age of our sample. Our results point out that: our study sample show more symptoms and carpal tunnel Syndrome than the control group; tere aren't statistically meaningful differences between test's positive subjects amd EMG positive subjects. We demonstrated that a careful anamnesis and objective exam can replace EMG.

Evaluation of obesity in healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is an international social problem. OBJECTIVES: This study was aimed at evaluating the relationship of overweight and obesity with social dynamics and correlated biological indicators. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on a group of healthcare workers employed in a large hospital in the province of Messina (Sicily, Italy). A total of 1010 subjects (377 men and 633 women) aged between 16 and 64 years, living in the province of Messina since birth. The educational level, BMI (Body mass index), arterial blood pressure and ECG of each subject was examined. RESULTS: The results showed that 52% of the men and 66.5% of the women were of normal weight, while the men showed greater susceptibility to overweight (M 33.2% > F 16%). Obesity was found in both sexes (M 13.3%, F 13.6%). Moreover, it was observed that arterial blood pressure tends to increase with age and body weight, and that the incidence of overweight falls as educational level rises. CONCLUSIONS: The study supports the hypothesis that there is a growing incidence of overweight and obesity in subjects of working age employed in the healthcare sector.

[Evaluation of direct occupational ocular trauma using electrophysiological techniques]. / Valutazione del trauma oculare diretto occupazionale con tecniche elettrofisiologiche.

The most recent data from National Institute Insurance Work Accident (INAIL) confirm the high incidence of ocular injury as accident work. In this work the authors analyse the most common clinical form of occupational ocular trauma with the purpose to evaluate the use of electrophysiological tests in the diagnosis and in the follow up of these accidents. Authors admit the importance of more recent techniques as TC and MR in the diagnosis of these injuries; however, they conclude that electrophysiological tests can be considered as a first choice for the evaluation of the evolution and sequelae of ocular traumatism, for their low cost and easy application.

Neuropsychology of selective attention and magnetic cortical stimulation.

Informed volunteers were asked to perform different neuropsychological tests involving selective attention under control conditions and during transcranial magnetic cortical stimulation. The tests chosen involved the recognition of a specific letter among different letters (verbal test) and the search for three different spatial orientations of an appendage to a square (visuo-spatial test). For each test the total time taken and the error rate were calculated. Results showed that cortical stimulation did not cause a worsening in performance. Moreover, magnetic stimulation of the temporal lobe neither modified completion time in both verbal and visuo-spatial tests nor changed error rate. In contrast, magnetic stimulation of the pre-frontal area induced a significant reduction in the performance time of both the verbal and visuo-spatial tests always without an increase in the number of errors. The experimental findings underline the importance of the pre-frontal area in performing tasks requiring a high level of controlled attention and suggest the need to adopt an interdisciplinary approach towards the study of neurone/mind interface mechanisms.

[Erythrocyte protective synergism of ascorbic acid and alpha-mercaptopropionylglycine]. / Sinergismo eritrocitoprotettivo dell'acido ascorbico e dell'alpha-mercaptopropionilglicina.

The antitoxic action of 1-ascorbic acid and alpha-mercaptopropionyl glycine was examined via the formation of Ehrlich-Heinz bodies in human venous red cells following in vitro intoxication with 100 mg/ml acetylphenylhydrazine. Marked synergism was noted, especially when small amounts of glucose were added. Both substances displayed a marked affinity for red cells and penetrated them on contact without an incubation period. Optimum amounts for maximum synergy were alpha-mercaptopropionyl glycine 0.01-0.02, 1-ascorbic acid 0.01-0.02 ml and glucose 40 mg per ml of blood. At this dose, appearance of Ehrlich bodies was appreciably retarded. In addition, changes in the size and quality of such bodies pointed to enhanced cell resistance to the poison used.

Attentional memory and visualization strategies in mental additions.

To evaluate the role of attention, memory span, and visualization in the performance of additions carried out mentally, two blocks of mental additions, differing in difficulty were presented to 18 women and 18 men who recorded after the first block the strategy used for solution. The 24 subjects who did not spontaneously use a visual strategy (mentally putting digits into columns) were induced to adopt it for the second block of additions. Previously, the subjects' processing of visual images, memory for digit span, and resistance to distraction were assessed using imagery tasks, a Digit-span test, and the Stroop Color-Word test. Analysis showed that in the execution of mental addition use of different strategies did not influence significantly the performance on the easier items, whereas for more difficult calculations a nonvisual strategy appeared more effective. Subjects who had lower scores on visualization did worse if they spontaneously used a 'putting-into-columns' strategy or if induced to change a strategy and adopt a visual one.

[Trawl-fishing: assessment of accidents at the largest Italian marine]. / La pesca a strascico: valutazione del fenomeno infortunistico nella più grande marineria italiana.

UNLABELLED: Fishing is a work with high accidents risk. The results of European Community Safety Commission show that in the fishermans the fatal injures are highest than in the manufacturing factory. The authors report the data of working accidents in the fishermans of Mazara del Vallo during the years 1989-98. The study shows 1. an increase the number of accidents in the last years with high incidence of accidents in the extracommunity population of fisherman, 2. the most incidence of injures is concentrated on arms. CONCLUSION: the authors shows that the working organization and the mediocre vocational training are the most reason of the accidents.

Effects of noise on functional cardiovascular parameters: a follow-up study.

The aim of this follow-up design study is to give a contribution to the knowledge of the controversial relations between noise and functional cardiovascular parameters. The study population consisted of 757 male employees working for 5 different firms in the oil chemical area (refining and distribution of fuel) with different qualifications--345 workers, 212 drivers, 200 clerks--and thus exposed to 3 different levels of noise (85-90 dBA, 80-85 dBA and < 80 dBA respectively). Heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were monitored 3 days a week at the beginning of the working shift, for a period of 12 years. The analysis of the data obtained indicates that all the 3 parameters under observation tend to increase progressively with the age and working age of the subjects. In the comparison between the 3 levels of exposure, heart rate results not affected by the exposure to noise; systolic blood pressure results sensitive only for the discrimination of the effects due to exposure, showing a statistically significant difference only between clerks on one side and workers and drivers on the other; diastolic blood pressure is highly influenced by the level of exposure to noise, showing significantly different slopes for the 3 groups. In conclusion, blood pressure is a parameter definitely more reliable for the correlation to the level of exposure, while heart rate cannot be considered a marker of exposure to noise.

A comparative study: TTS Vs wave V after exposure to noise.

The pattern of recovery from noise exposure was monitored, with regards to the behaviour and electrophysiology in 25 normal-hearing subjects, at 4 KHz frequency for 30 min. Fatiguing stimulus was an octave band noise with centre frequency of 3 KHz. Subject's behaviour following to the auditory fatigue was studied by temporary threshold shift (TTS) paradigm. In the electrophysiological study, the auditory fatigue was measured as a shift of the wave V latency in the auditory brainstem responses (ABR) after noise exposure. This shift was measured at 40 dB nHL stimulus intensity ("Logon" with centre frequency at 4 KHz). The ABR recordings started immediately after cessation of noise exposure and threshold measurements 2 min later. The recovery of latency shift began immediately after the exposure and ended faster than the auditory threshold. From a practical point of view it means that in order to measure maximal values of latency shift, the ABR recordings should be performed immediately after cessation of noise exposure.

[Cognitive disorders among welders exposed to aluminum]. / Disturbi cognitivi in saldatori esposti ad alluminio.

In order to evaluate the relationship between exposure to aluminum and cognitive functions, a group of 50 aluminum welders underwent to the following neuropsychological tests: Wechsler Memory Scale, Color-Word Test and Raven Progressives Matrices test. The results of the tests showed a reduction of memory, of concentration and a slight reduction of attention. The authors conclude that aluminum exposure leads cognitive changes.

[Changes induced by auditive monoaural and binaural fatigue in TTS and the auditory brainstem response latency]. / Modificazioni indotte da fatica uditiva monoaurale e binaurale sul TTS e sulla latenza in ABR.

The purpose of the research was to study the TTS values and latency of fifth wave Auditory Brainstem Response in human monaural and binaural fatigue, using auditory evoked potentials. From the results obtained in 12 volunteers, it is concluded that during exposure to auditory fatigue, if only one ear is protected, the unprotected ear is subject to a greater hearing loss than would be expected with both ears unprotected. The practical implication of these conclusions is that subjects with unilateral hearing loss occupationally exposed to noise run a greater risk for the healthy ear than subjects with normal hearing.

Inter-laboratory evaluation of the ISO standard 11063 "Soil quality - Method to directly extract DNA from soil samples".

Extracting DNA directly from micro-organisms living in soil is a crucial step for the molecular analysis of soil microbial communities. However, the use of a plethora of different soil DNA extraction protocols, each with its own bias, makes accurate data comparison difficult. To overcome this problem, a method for soil DNA extraction was proposed to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 2006. This method was evaluated by 13 independent European laboratories actively participating in national and international ring tests. The reproducibility of the standardized method for molecular analyses was evaluated by comparing the amount of DNA extracted, as well as the abundance and genetic structure of the total bacterial community in the DNA extracted from 12 different soils by the 13 laboratories. High quality DNA was successfully extracted from all 12 soils, despite different physical and chemical characteristics and a range of origins from arable soils, through forests to industrial sites. Quantification of the 16S rRNA gene abundances by real time PCR and analysis of the total bacterial community structure by automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (A-RISA) showed acceptable to good levels of reproducibility. Based on the results of both ring-tests, the method was unanimously approved by the ISO as an international standard method and the normative protocol will now be disseminated within the scientific community. Standardization of a soil DNA extraction method will improve data comparison, facilitating our understanding of soil microbial diversity and soil quality monitoring.