SARS-CoV-2 infection and H1N1 vaccination: does a relationship between the two factors really exist? A retrospective analysis of a territorial cohort in Ferrara, Italy.

OBJECTIVE: SARS-CoV-2 has been compared with other strains of coronaviruses, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, and with the flu viruses: all of them manifest themselves with respiratory symptoms and, although their genetic patterns are similar, the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection has quickly reached global dimensions, demonstrating that SARS-CoV-2 is a virus with greater spreading capacity, albeit less lethal. Compared with influenza viruses, coronaviruses have a longer incubation period and the patients with coronaviruses' syndromes develop more severe diseases requiring frequent hospitalizations and intensive care admissions. The aim was to explore the relationships between seasonal influenza vaccination and coronavirus infection and to understand whether this hypothetic role by the flu vaccines modifies SARS-CoV-2 infection's outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective, multicenter study, we enrolled 952 patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection; 448 were admitted to our two main hospitals in Ferrara territory, while the remaining 504 were isolated at home. We compared the group of patients who had been vaccinated for influenza in the previous 12 months to that of unvaccinated patients. RESULTS: Significant differences were found for both the need for hospitalization and 30-day mortality between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. We found age to be the only independent risk factor for a worse 30-day prognosis, while gender, influenza vaccinations and age itself were independent risk factors for undergoing hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: In our groups of patients, we found a relationship between seasonal influenza vaccinations and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Age seems to be the main risk factor for short-term mortality in COVID-19 inpatients, while the influenza vaccination is, together with gender and age itself, a determining factor in predicting the need for hospitalization.

Handling of quasi-Gaussian beams by phase plates: far-field simulation.

Effects of phase plates on focused laser beams are studied numerically. Gaussian beams are simulated when they pass through several kinds of phase device (random phase plates, phase gratings, etc.). Partially coherent and aberrated beams are also considered. Their control by phase devices is analyzed. In particular this work is devoted either to reducing the intensity transverse modulations on the spot region, which are able to excite filamentation instability in plasmas, or to producing such modulations in a controllable way in order to investigate filamentation accurately.

Fournier's disease. Report of a case and review of the literature.

We report a case of Fournier's gangrene affecting a 77-year-old man. The patient was found to have decompensated diabetes mellitus that had been ignored before the onset of the disease. Several authors have described earlier a dramatic, explosive disease, leading to severe prostration within a few hours. Most of the recent cases, like this patient, have had a more insidious course, with symptoms beginning several days before hospitalization. Forty-five days after surgical debridement under spinal anesthesia and daily local treatment the scrotum was completely healed. The etiology and pathogenesis of this infrequent disease are discussed.

[Y-V plasty for the treatment of stenosis of cutaneous stomas]. / Plastica Y-V per il trattamento delle stenosi delle stomie cutanee.

Stenosis of colostomy can cause an uncomfortable quality of life. A peristomal Y-cutaneous excision followed by V-cutaneous closure can be useful in reducing operative trauma and avoiding hospitalization.

[Therapeutic strategy in Basedow's disease. Role of surgery]. / La strategia terapeutica nel morbo di Basedow. Ruolo della chirurgia.

A personal experience about 80 patients with Graves' disease treated by subtotal or total thyroidectomy is reported. The surgical procedures are discussed. Subtotal thyroidectomy has proved to be the therapy of choice. All followed patients (60) are euthyroid excepting 3 cases of relapsing hyperthyroidism and 6 cases of post-surgical hypothyroidism.

Elevated plasma levels of beta-thromboglobulin in breast cancer.

Beta-thromboglobulin, a platelet-specific protein secreted into the plasma during the release reaction, was measured in 73 women with breast cancer, 10 women with dysplastic disease and 30 healthy female control subjects. 73% of patients with primary operable breast cancer and 65% with metastatic disease had levels above 40 ng/ml (control range 11-38 ng/ml). Among 2-6 months' postoperative patients without evidence of disease at the time of sampling, beta-thromboglobulin was raised in 75% of patients with nodal involvement and in 28% of patients without nodal involvement. Only 1 of 10 patients with benign disease showed abnormal beta-thromboglobulin concentration. Our results show that in a high percentage of breast cancer patients a state of ongoing in vivo platelet activation may be present. Furthermore, beta-thromboglobulin can be regarded as a potential tumor marker in breast cancer.

Sleep induced by low doses of apomorphine in rats.

The effect of apomorphine on the EEG of freely moving rats was studied. Apomorphine at the dose of 1 mg/kg caused stereotypy and a marked reduction of total sleep. On the contrary, acute subcutaneous administration of apomorphine at the dose of 100 microgram/kg, or less, markedly increased the amount of total sleep (corresponding mostly to synchronized sleep). Moreover, the infusion of apomorphine (80 microgram/kg/h) for 4 h doubled the duration of slow and REM sleep. The hypnotic effect of apomorphine was prevented by neuroleptics, such as pimozide, benzperidol and L-sulpiride, at doses which, per se, did not modify the EEG of the animals. These results suggest the existence in the CNS of DA receptors mediating sleep.

Voraciousness induced in cats by benzodiazepines.

Different benzodiazepines, when administered to fasting cats, increased both the total amount of food eaten and also the rate at which food was ingested. Moreover, when injected to foodsatiated cats, these compounds made them resume eating voraciously. Pentobarbital also stimulated food intake, but was much less potent than the benzodiazepines tested.