Music-listening habits with MP3 player in a group of adolescents: a descriptive survey.

BACKGROUND: Listening to music through portable MP3 players has become a very popular mode among young people and adolescents. The aim of this study is to investigate the behaviors of adolescents engaged in listening to music with MP3 player and the attendance at clubs (pubs, discotheques) where music is played at high volume. METHODS: Among the 1470 students attending a secondary school in Scandicci (FI) during the school year 2009/2010, 1278 (86.9%) were at school the day of the examination and 1276 completely filled in the questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and univariate and multivariate logistic regression were performed to calculate the degree of association (OR) among the sociodemographic characteristics, listening habits and some factors identified as risky or protective as regards the possibility of developing health disorders. RESULTS: MP3 player users are 88.2% of the sample. Among these, a high proportion engaged behaviours that increase the risk of presenting disorders, including the exposure to high-volume (27.4%). Furthermore, 44.6% use the MP3 while driving. From the regression analysis it emerges that MP3 users showed a sort of addiction: by increasing the time and the occasions of exposure to music, they increased the volume, used maximum or medium-high volume, did not take breaks and did not decrease the volume. CONCLUSIONS: The study points out the spread of risky behavior in music listening, so it is necessary to better inform especially the youngsters and achieve specific preventive interventions.

Practice of opportunistic PSA screening in the Florence District.

The widespread use of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test had a great impact on the rise of incidence of prostate cancer. The magnitude of opportunistic screening by PSA varies across countries, being highest in the US, and considerably lower in Europe. To estimate the opportunistic use of PSA over the period of one year (2000) in the District of Florence, we analysed the Regional Database of diagnostic exams. According to the Regional Database, subjects having at least one PSA test during the year 2000 ranged from 5.8 to 6.7%, 8.8-10.8%, 11.7-15.0%, 16.5-22.3%, 18.0-24.3%, 17.0-23.8% and 14.1-18.3% in the 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and >79 years age groups, respectively. Minimum and maximum values are reported according to exclusion or inclusion of PSA determinations with incomplete subject identification data. Such a high use of PSA should deserve special attention from both the medical and health care provider community. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the frequency of opportunistic screening by PSA in the District of Florence in the general population.

[Experience with anti-viral hepatitis B vaccine at an institution for handicapped children]. / Esperienza di vaccinazione anti-epatite virale di tipo B in un istituto per bambini handicappati.

This study, conducted in an institute for handicapped children, is part of an overall effort to extend the anti-HBV vaccine to all high risk categories. Out of 50 patients, 24 (48%) registered negative results for all HBV markers. Twenty-three of these 24 (95.8%) were vaccinated with the Hevac-B Pasteur vaccine s.c. Of 66 employees tested, 51 resulted negative for all HBV markers (77.3%). Of these, 45 (88.2%) were vaccinated: 20 with Hevac-B vaccine s.c., 25 with HBVAX vaccine i.m. via intragluteal injection. Of the 42 who completed the study with Hevac-B, 41 showed an antibody response greater than or equal to 10 mUI (serum conversion of 97.6%). Of the 25 subjects vaccinated with HBVAX, 17 showed an immunological antibody response greater than or equal to 10 mUI (serum conversion of 68%) (p less than 0.001). This differing effectiveness is probably due to the method of injection used in administering HBVAX. It should also be noted that an intense health-education program, stressing high sanitary standards, was instrumental to the project.

Clearance of hepatitis B virus DNA and pre-S surface antigens in patients with markers of acute viral replication.

To clarify the relationship between the pre-S antigens and other serological markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication, we followed up 27 patients: 21 presented with symptoms of acute hepatitis (two progressed to chronicity) and six suffered from chronic hepatitis. Pre-S1, pre-S2, HBV DNA, IgM antihepatitis core antigen (HBc), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), and anti-HBe were detected in about 200 sera serially collected at different times for at least 6-12 months from the onset of clinical observation. In the early symptomatic phase of acute hepatitis, the pre-S1 and pre-S2 antigens were present in 95% of the cases and correlated well with high levels of alanine-transferase (ALT) and IgM anti-HBc, while HBV DNA was present in the sera of only six (28.6%) patients (P less than 0.0001). This was the first marker to disappear (1 month after the initial stage). All of the HBV DNA-positive patients were also HBeAg positive, whereas no HBeAg-negative subjects were found with serum HBV DNA. In the six chronic patients, pre-S antigens were always present independently of the HBeAg/anti-HBe status; HBV DNA was detected in three of them, even if transiently, and in two of these it reappeared together with pre-S2 epitope. The follow-up data suggest that, in acute hepatitis, the clearance of pre-S antigens can be considered as a prognostic index of clinical resolution and that, in chronic hepatitis, the persistence of pre-S antigens seems to indicate progression of the disease. In particular, pre-S2, in patients in whom it is intermittent, can be considered as an index of reactivation.

[New Campylobacters in human pathology. Current findings and research contributions]. / Nuovi campylobacter in patologia umana. Attuali acquisizioni e contributi di ricerca.

The Authors focused on the new isolates' important role in human infections (particularly pylori, laridis, hyointestinalis and Campylobacters like- organisms) by clinical, microbiological and research data. Recent knowledge about pathogenetic mechanisms of classical Campylobacters is also reported.