Summary
Background Recent studies suggest a role of n‐3 long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n‐3 PUFA) as peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α ligands in improving non‐alcoholic fatty ...liver disease (NAFLD) in rodents. However, data in humans are still lacking.
Aim To evaluate the efficacy of prolonged PUFA supplementation in patients with NAFLD.
Methods Fifty‐six patients with NAFLD were enrolled. Among the overall eligible patients, 42 assumed n‐3 PUFA 1‐g capsule daily for 12 months, whereas 14 refused the treatment and were analysed as controls. All patients underwent haematochemical and ultrasound follow‐up.
Results Polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation significantly decreased serum aspartate transaminase (P = 0.003), alanine transaminase (P = 0.002), γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (P = 0.03), triglycerides (P = 0.02) and fasting glucose (P = 0.02) in comparison with controls. Circulating arachidonate and n‐6/n‐3 fatty acid ratio was reduced (P = 0.0002, and P = 0.0001 respectively) in treated patients. Moreover, ultrasonography demonstrated improvement of liver echotexture after PUFA (P = 0.0001), and increase of Doppler perfusion index (P = 0.001), whereas no significant changes occurred in controls.
Conclusions Supplementation with n‐3 PUFA improves biochemical, ultrasonographic and haemodynamic features of liver steatosis. Our study supports the efficacy of n‐3 PUFA as a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of NAFLD.
Introduction
Numerous evidences point out how migrants use health services differently than the natives. Migrants turn more frequently to the ED for psychiatric problems and less to territorial ...psychiatric services than the native population. Other differences can be found in terms of diagnosis, type of discharge, type of hospitalization.
Objectives
Our study has the objective of evaluating the incidence of psychiatric hospitalizations of migrant patients compared to natives in a well-defined area of the metropolitan city of Bologna and evaluate the effect of the Covid 19 pandemic on the incidence of psychiatric hospitalizations among migrants and on their clinical characteristics.
Methods
The study conducted is of an observational and retrospective type on migrant and native patients admitted to the psychiatric unit “SPDC-Malpighi” of the DSM-DP of Bologna AUSL between 01/01/2018 and 31/12/2020.
Results
Migrants were more likely to be admitted via ED and less likely to be referred from a CMHC or from non-psychiatric hospital unit compared with natives. Most migrants were discharged at home while natives more frequently chose to self-discharge. With regard to diagnosis, migrants were more likely to be admitted due to a SSD, while natives were more likely to be diagnosed with a MD or SUD.
Conclusions
We confirm the presence of differences in access to care, type of discharge and type of diagnosis between migrants and natives. Further studies to investigate changes in pre and post Covid admissions in migrants would be needed.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting is an emerging technology, which turned out to be an optimal tool for tissue engineering approaches. To date, different printing systems have been developed. Among ...them, the extrusion-based approach demonstrated to be the most suitable for skeletal muscle tissue engineering, due to its ability to produce and deposit printing fibers in a parallel pattern that well mimic the native skeletal muscle tissue architecture. In tissue bioengineering, a key role is played by biomaterials, which must possess the key requisite of 'printability'. Nevertheless, this feature is not often well correlated with cell requirements, such as motives for cellular adhesion and/or absorbability. To overcome this hurdle, several efforts have been made to obtain an effective bioink by combining two different biomaterials in order to reach a good printability besides a suitable biological activity. However, despite being efficient, this strategy reveals several outcomes limitations. We report here the development and characterization of a novel extrusion-based 3D bioprinting system, and its application for correction of volumetric muscle loss (VML) injury in a mouse model. The developed bioprinting system is based on the use of PEG-Fibrinogen, a unique biomaterial with excellent biocompatibility, well-suited for skeletal muscle tissue engineering. With this approach, we obtained highly organized 3D constructs, in which murine muscle progenitors were able to differentiate into muscle fibers arranged in aligned bundles and capable of spontaneously contracting when cultured
. Furthermore, to evaluate the potential of the developed system in future regenerative medicine applications, bioprinted constructs laden with either murine or human muscle progenitors were transplanted to regenerate the
muscle of a VML murine model, one month after grafting.
Previous evidence showed significant discrepancies in psychiatric services utilization between migrants and reference populations. Our study aims were to evaluate incidence and characteristics of ...psychiatric hospitalizations of migrant patients compared with reference populations and to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic affected admissions. All patients admitted to the psychiatric ward "SPDC-Malpighi" of the Bologna Mental Health Department from 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2020 were included. Differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were tested by migrant status. Incidence rate ratios of hospital admissions by migrant status were estimated via Poisson regression considering population-at-risk, gender, and age-group. Migrants had higher hospitalization rates due to any psychiatric disorder (IRR = 1.16). The risk was especially pronounced among women (IRR = 1.25) and within the youngest age-group (IRR = 3.24). Young migrants had also a greater risk of compulsory admission (IRR = 3.77). Regarding admissions due to a specific diagnosis, we found relevant differences in hospitalization rates for psychosis, mood disorders, and personality disorders. Finally, migrants were more likely to be admitted via Emergency Department and less likely to be referred from a specialist. During the year of pandemic (2020) we observed an increase in the proportion of migrants admitted voluntarily or compulsorily. Migrants, especially those from the youngest age-group, had higher hospitalization rates for any disorder. Younger migrants were also at higher risk of compulsory treatment. The distribution of psychiatric admissions during the pandemic period seemed to have further increased discrepancies in mental healthcare needs and provision between migrants and the reference population. Tailored interventions and policies are urgently needed to address this issue.
Core biopsy is today recognized as the gold standard for the diagnosis of bone lesions; unfortunately, when the bone is too solid it can be very difficult to penetrate it; in case of failure, open ...biopsy is indicated but it is associated with greater contamination and complications. A possible solution is to connect a common orthopedic drill to the core biopsy needle.
The aim of the presenting study was to present a technique useful for performing biopsies in case of very strong bone lesions and to evaluate the adequacy and quality of the obtained specimen.
A standard bone biopsy set was connected to a commercial drill to perform bone biopsies. Data was collected over a 2-year period (2015–2016). Information regarding technical success, diagnostic data and complication rates was all collated to assess the technical feasibility of this technique.
Out of 357 bone biopsies, 34 patients underwent the procedure using a common orthopedic drill connected to a core biopsy needle. Diagnostic material was obtained in each patient and the artifacts were considered irrelevant. No major complications occurred in any patient.
The use of a core biopsy needle connected to a common orthopedic drill facilitates the penetration of thick cortical bone by simply applying continuous speed and pressure; nevertheless, the biopsy needle we use is not designed for a drilling procedure and for this reason it can be damaged, but if the biopsy is performed with particular attention, the mechanical failure can be avoided
Bone biopsy using a commercial hand drill has a technically high success rate with minimal complications. Further studies with more cases are necessary to verify our results.
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