Diffusion of the Italian social media campaign against smoking on a social network and YouTube.

INTRODUCTION: Recently, the Italian Ministry of Health developed a health prevention campaign against tobacco smoking entitled "Ma che sei scemo? Il fumo fammale" (Are you stupid? Smoking is bad). The aim of this study was to evaluate the diffusion of the ministerial campaign by analyzing data from two web platforms, Facebook and YouTube. METHOD: The study evaluated the dissemination of the campaign using the number of users reached, interactions and the interaction index (interactions/users reached) on the web platform Facebook and YouTube. A qualitative analysis of the text comments left by the users was also carried out. RESULT: The average number of interactions on Facebook was 6,087 and 400 for YouTube while the total views were 356,967 for Facebook and 174,763 for YouTube. The interaction index was very low for both platforms, between 0 and 1%. A total number of 156 comments were obtained on Facebook and 37 on YouTube, most of which were negative, or comments not related to the campaign. CONCLUSIONS: The Italian campaign had low diffusion on the web platforms investigated. Evidence-based public health interventions can play a central role in the prevention field but must be based on elements of scientific effectiveness. Further research should analyze the effects of social media campaigns on direct health related outcomes.

Subgingival biodiversity in subjects with uncontrolled type-2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: There is a bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Inflammatory mediators may negatively affect glycemic control, and increased glucose levels and resultant glycation end-products may alter the host response against bacterial infection. However, no agreement has been reached regarding the effect of DM on periodontal subgingival microbiota. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the subgingival biodiversity in deep periodontal pockets of subjects with chronic periodontitis and either uncontrolled type-2 diabetes or no diabetes using 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve subjects with uncontrolled type-2 diabetes (glycated hemoglobin > 8%) and eleven nondiabetic subjects presenting severe and generalized chronic periodontitis were selected. Subgingival biofilm from periodontal pockets > 5 mm were assessed using the 16S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing technique. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in subgingival microbiota between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Diabetic subjects presented higher percentages of total clones of TM7, Aggregatibacter, Neisseria, Gemella, Eikenella, Selenomonas, Actinomyces, Capnocytophaga, Fusobacterium, Veillonella and Streptococcus genera, and lower percentages of Porphyromonas, Filifactor, Eubacterium, Synergistetes, Tannerella and Treponema genera than nondiabetic individuals (p < 0.05). Moreover, some phylotypes, such as Fusobacterium nucleatum, Veillonella parvula, V. dispar and Eikenella corrodens were detected significantly more often in diabetic subjects than in nondiabetic subjects (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Subjects with uncontrolled type-2 diabetes and chronic periodontitis presented significant dissimilarities in subgingival biodiversity compared with nondiabetic subjects.

Hypertension and related risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS: The correlation between hypertension and related risk factors has been studied in 733 type 2 diabetic patients. Hypertension was more frequent in women (65.35%) than in men (50.35%) (p < 0.0001). RESULTS: Hypertensive patients showed older age (p < 0.0001) and greater Body Mass Index (BMI) (p < 0.03) than normotensive. In the diabetic group on diet only basal insulinaemia was higher (p < 0.05) in hypertensive than in normotensive diabetic men, but not in women. Such a difference, was not seen in patients of both sexes treated with oral hypoglycaemic agents; besides there was no difference in fasting C-peptide levels between hypertensive and normotensive insulin treated patients. In both sexes hypertension was independently correlated with age, BMI, increased urinary albumin excretion, triglycerides. The strongest correlation was with the family history of hypertension. On the contrary there was no correlation between hypertension and waisthip ratio. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the association between hypertension and type 2 diabetes depends on various risk factors, but a relationship with insulin levels is not surely demonstrable.

Hypertension and related risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS: The correlation between hypertension and related risk factors has been studied in 733 type 2 diabetic patients. Hypertension was more frequent in women (65.35%) than in men (50.35%) (p < 0.0001). RESULTS: Hypertensive patients showed older age (p < 0.0001) and greater Body Mass Index (BMI) (p < 0.03) than normotensive. In the diabetic group on diet only basal insulinaemia was higher (p < 0.05) in hypertensive than in normotensive diabetic men, but not in women. Such a difference, was not seen in patients of both sexes treated with oral hypoglycaemic agents; besides there was no difference in fasting C-peptide levels between hypertensive and normotensive insulin treated patients. In both sexes hypertension was independently correlated with age, BMI, increased urinary albumin excretion, triglycerides. The strongest correlation was with the family history of hypertension. On the contrary there was no correlation between hypertension and waist-hip ratio. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the association between hypertension and type 2 diabetes depends on various risk factors, but a relationship with insulin levels is not surely demonstrable.

Frequency of coronary heart disease and related risk factors in a diabetic and nondiabetic population: a comparative study.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and some related risk factors since as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, obesity and visceral distribution of adipose tissue on 733 type 2 diabetic patients in ambulatory care compared to 3500 nondiabetic subjects, matched for age and sex. The frequency of CHD, hyperlipidemias, hypertension, obesity and visceral distribution of adipose tissue was significantly higher in diabetic than in nondiabetic subjects. The risk for CHD was greater in diabetic vs nondiabetic women (4.22) as compared to diabetic vs nondiabetic men (2.6). CHD was mostly associated (over 50% of cases) with hypertension, hyperlipidemia and visceral distribution of adipose tissue. Both cholesterol and triglyceride values, such as CHD frequency, were higher in diabetic patients with poor glycemic control with respect to those with acceptable glycemic, especially in women.

Incontinentia pigmenti: clinical and neuroradiologic features.

Developmental brain malformations and destructive processes of unknown etiology were described in incontinentia pigmenti (IP). Two patients, a male and a female, with characteristic skin lesions and central nervous system (CNS) involvement are reported. Neuroradiological examinations revealed hypoplasia of corpus callosum, neuronal heterotopias, and periventricular white matter damage. No specific infectious, inflammatory, or metabolic abnormalities were identified. These neuroradiographic findings may suggest that an ischemic pathogenetic mechanism occurred prenatally. We speculate that the brain damage in IP may occur during CNS development and in successive stages. Magnetic resonance imaging appears more useful to detect white matter lesions and brain malformations in patients with IP.

[Cold agglutinins in a cardiosurgical patient: a successfully operated case]. / Agglutinine da freddo nel paziente cardiochirurgico: su un caso clinico operato con successo.

A technique is described for providing myocardial protection with cold cardioplegia in a patient with cold autoagglutinins. The operation was done in normothermia and the coronary system was perfused with a normothermic (+37 degrees C) NaCl 0,9% solution to remove the blood before in it introducing the cold (+4 degrees C) cardioplegic solution. With this technique, the patient underwent an uneventful operation to relieve right ventricular-outflow stenosis operation.

[Glomerular filtration in open heart surgery]. / Studio della filtrazione glomerular nella chirurgia a cuore aperto.

Extracorporeal circulation depresses renal function. The physiopathological reasons for artificial perfusion affecting glomerular filtration are reported. The extent of the depression is expressed by changes in creatininaemia and creatinin clearance. Two hours after the end of E.C.G., depression reaches its peak but renal function returns to normal within 24 hours of the end of artificial perfusion. The main aid to the rapid return to normal of glomerular filtration is defence of the microcirculation.