CO2 concentration in day care centres is related to wheezing in attending children

Poor ventilation at day care centres (DCCs) was already reported, although its effects on attending children are not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between wheezing in children and indoor CO₂ (a ventilation surrogate marker) in DCC and to identify behaviours and building characteristics potentially related to CO₂. In phase I, 45 DCCs from Lisbon and Oporto (Portugal) were selected through a proportional stratified random sampling. In phase II, 3 months later, 19 DCCs were further reassessed after cluster analysis for the greatest difference comparison. In both phases, children’s respiratory health was assessed by ISAAC-derived questionnaires. Indoor CO₂ concentrations and building characteristics of the DCC were evaluated in both phases, using complementary methods. Mixed effect models were used to analyze the data. In phase I, which included 3,186 children (mean age 3.1?±?1.5 years), indoor CO₂ concentration in the DCC rooms was associated with reported wheezing in the past 12 months (27.5 %) (adjusted odds ratio (OR) for each increase of 200 ppm 1.04, 95 % CI 1:01 to 1:07). In phase II, the association in the subsample of 1,196 children seen in 19 out of the initial 45 DCCs was not significant (adjusted OR 1.02, 95 % CI 0.96 to 1.08). Indoor CO₂ concentration was inversely associated with the practices of opening windows and internal doors and with higher wind velocity. A positive trend was observed between CO₂ and prevalence of reported asthma (4.7 %). Conclusion: Improved ventilation is needed to achieve a healthier indoor environment in DCC.     

Somatostatin-induced modulation of inflammation in experimental arthritis

Objective. To study the antiinflammatory effect of different doses of intraarticular somatostatin in experimental arthritis in rabbits. Methods. Chronic arthritis was induced by a single injection of fibrin into the knee joint of rabbits previously sensitized to this antigen. The effects of sequential intraarticular injections of somatostatin into the rabbit knee, at doses of 500, 750, and 1,000 μg, were monitored by measuringknee joint circumferences and hematologic parameters. The measurements were compared with those obtained following use of triamcinolone acetonide and placebo. At the end of the experiments, the knee joints were examined histologically. Results. Somatostatin treatment induced a statistically significant and dose-related reduction of knee joint swelling. This effect was shorter than that produced by triamcinolone acetonide; however, the antiinflammatory activity elicited by successive doses of triamcinolone acetonide declined both in extent and duration, while the effects of somatostatin remained unchanged at each successive treatment. Histopatho-logic observations showed that both somatostatin and triamcinolone acetonide reduced the inflammatory signs in the joint structures, although triamcinolone acetonide appeared to be more effective. Conclusion. These findings suggest that somatostatin exerts an antiinflammatory effect in this model of experimental arthritis and may represent a valid and safer alternative to corticosteroids for intraarticular therapy of arthritis.     

Clinical Impact of Mediterranean Diet Adherence before and after Bariatric Surgery: A Narrative Review

The population suffering from obesity is rapidly increasing all over the world. Bariatric surgery has shown to be the treatment of choice in patients with severe obesity. A Mediterranean diet has long been acknowledged to be one of the healthiest dietary patterns associated with a lower incidence of many chronic diseases. The aim of the present narrative review is to summarize the existing research on the clinical impact of a Mediterranean diet before and after bariatric surgery, focusing on its effects on weight loss and improvement in comorbidities. Although the current knowledge is limited, this information could add value and emphasize the importance of adopting a Mediterranean diet before and after bariatric surgery.     

Body Dysmorphic Disorder in Dermatology: a Systematic Review

Psychiatric Quarterly - Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a psychiatric diagnosis of an impairing condition in which the patient is preoccupied with a slight or perceived defect in their...     

The Italian multicenter experience with edaravone in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Journal of Neurology - The aim of the study is to analyze the ALS disease progression and respiratory function of Italian patients treated with edaravone (EVN), as well as the adherence to, and the...     

Natural compulsive‐like behaviour in the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) is associated with altered gut microbiota composition

Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric illness that significantly impacts affected patients and available treatments yield suboptimal therapeutic response. Recently, the role of the gut–brain axis (GBA) in psychiatric illness has emerged as a potential target for therapeutic exploration. However, studies concerning the role of the GBA in OCD are limited. To investigate whether a naturally occurring obsessive–compulsive‐like phenotype in a rodent model, that is large nest building in deer mice, is associated with perturbations in the gut microbiome, we investigated and characterised the gut microbiota in specific‐pathogen‐free bred and housed large (LNB) and normal (NNB) nest‐building deer mice of both sexes (n = 11 per group, including three males and eight females). Following baseline characterisation of nest‐building behaviour, a single faecal sample was collected from each animal and the gut microbiota analysed. Our results reveal the overall microbial composition of LNB animals to be distinctly different compared to controls (PERMANOVA p < .05). While no genera were found to be significantly differentially abundant after correcting for multiple comparisons, the normal phenotype showed a higher loading of Prevotella and Anaeroplasma, while the OC phenotype demonstrated a higher loading of Desulfovermiculus, Aestuariispira, Peptococcus and Holdemanella (cut‐off threshold for loading at 0.2 in either the first or second component of the PCA). These findings not only provide proof‐of‐concept for continued investigation of the GBA in OCD, but also highlight a potential underlying aetiological association between alterations in the gut microbiota and the natural development of obsessive–compulsive‐like behaviours.