RESUMO
BACKGROUND: In recent years we have witnessed a rapidly-growing tendency to seek neurorehabilitation abroad. AIM: This study aimed at better understanding this practice through a analysis of the authorizations for pediatric neurorehabilitation services issued by Italian Regions. DESIGN: Descriptive retrospective survey study. SETTING: Outpatient. POPULATION: Italian children travelling abroad for neurorehabilitation. METHODS: We analyzed the number of authorizations granted in the 2008-2011 period by local health agencies of Italian regions to children aged 0-18 years applying for neurorehabilitation services abroad. Information was obtained from the Ministry of Health database management systems. RESULTS: Our analysis showed an extreme variability across Italian regions. This is probably suggestive of an unbalanced offer of pediatric neurorehabilitation services across regions, different mechanisms used to control the phenomenon. CONCLUSION: Our study looked specifically at the practice of neurorehabilitation abroad in order to encourage further and larger studies, even at international level. A greater integration of health systems with common policies is to be achieved in order to control this phenomenon in a field as sensitive as pediatric neurorehabilitation. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Our study, which is the only study so far focusing on pediatric neurorehabilitation, looked specifically at the practice of health tourism in order to encourage further and larger studies, even at international level. Health tourism is a critical issue for all Western welfare systems which are under a pressure to cut health-related expenses.
Assuntos
Turismo Médico/estatística & dados numéricos , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso/reabilitação , Traumatismos do Sistema Nervoso/reabilitação , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-Nascido , Itália/epidemiologia , Itália/etnologia , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
UNLABELLED: pathSCOUT provides access, display and exploration of data relevant to biochemical pathways, and enables analysis of pathway model structure and behavior. AVAILABILITY: pathSCOUT is available as a customized solution from contact@lionbioscience.com; limited evaluation access and additional information is available from http://simpath.lionbioscience.com:8080/documents/pathscout11/.
Assuntos
Sistemas de Gerenciamento de Base de Dados , Armazenamento e Recuperação da Informação , Modelos Biológicos , Proteínas/metabolismo , Software , Fenômenos Bioquímicos , Enzimas/química , Enzimas/genética , Enzimas/metabolismo , Internet , Modelos Químicos , Proteínas/química , Proteínas/genética , Interface Usuário-ComputadorRESUMO
We report a procedure for the description and comparison of protein surfaces, which is based on a three-dimensional (3D) transposition of the profile method for sensitive protein homology sequence searches. Although the principle of the method can be applied to detect similarities to a single protein surface, the possibility of extending this approach to protein families displaying common structural and/or functional properties, makes it a more powerful tool. In analogy to profiles derived from the multiple alignment of protein sequences, we derive a 3D surface profile from a protein structure or from a multiple structure alignment of several proteins. The 3D profile is used to screen the protein structure database, searching for similar protein surfaces. The application of the procedure to SH2 and SH3 binding pockets and to the nucleotide binding pocket associated with the p-loop structural motif is described. The SH2 and SH3 3D profiles can identify all the SH2 and SH3 binding regions present in the test dataset; the p-loop 3D profile is able to recognize all the p-loop-containing proteins present in the test dataset. Analysis of the p-loop 3D profile allowed the identification of a positive charge whose position is conserved in space but not in sequence. The best ranking non-p-loop-containing protein is an ADP-forming succinyl coenzyme A synthetase, whose nucleotide-binding region has not yet been identified.
Assuntos
Proteínas/química , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Sítios de Ligação , Bases de Dados Factuais , Humanos , Modelos Moleculares , Conformação Proteica , Proteínas/genética , Alinhamento de Sequência , Propriedades de Superfície , Domínios de Homologia de srcRESUMO
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated, like allergic diseases, with altered T cell regulation. Total serum IgE levels were measured in 65 infected patients. The mean IgE level of subjects with a T lymphocytes number < or = 200/mmc was greater than mean IgE level of subjects with a T cell number > 200/mmc. No prevalence of atopic diseases was noted in the two groups. The elevation of IgE may be related to a difference in IgE regulatory lymphokines produced by T lymphocytes.