Compliance in weight control reduces atrial fibrillation worsening: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Obesity plays a dominant role in the etiology of atrial fibrillation (AF), and the maintenance of a normal body mass index (BMI) seems to prevent and even reduce the incidence of the arrhythmia's recurrence. We selected 270 patients (pts) to assess whether this therapeutic effect was statistically significant even in Mediterranean patients. METHOD AND RESULTS: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed every symptomatic AF relapse during a total follow-up of 657 patient-years. Clinical data, BMI variations, and pts' history were available in our clinical database. We divided the pts in four groups (Gs), according to their BMI variation during the follow-up: G1, normal weight pts, maintaining their weight; G2, overweight pts, losing weight; G3, overweight pts, maintaining their weight; G4, pts gaining weight. Their follow-up (in months) was normalized according to their AF relapses, thus obtaining a mean AF-free period for each patient. Among the overweight groups, G2 showed the best AF-free period (9.7 months). However, G3 and G4 showed a reduced AF-free interval (4.6 and 1.7 months, respectively). G1, predictably, had the longest AF-free period (10 months). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study confirm that simple non-invasive intervention aimed to normalize BMI and to control risk factors through appropriate lifestyle can be highly effective in reducing the AF burden, by acting on comorbidities and proarrhythmic mechanisms. Therefore, serious attempt should be made to correct risk factors before an ablation therapy is proposed.

[Exposure to artificial mineral fibers in public buildings]. / Esposizione a fibre minerali artificiali in edifici pubblici.

Man-made mineral fibers are widely used as asbestos substitutes in many application fields. Therefore toxicology studies and indoor pollution surveys, related to man-made mineral fibers, are becoming very important. Several surveys were made in office buildings where the main source of indoor pollution was the dispersion of man-made mineral fibers contained in the insulation materials (under-ceiling panels, partitions and material used in air-conditioning installations). Samples of the insulation materials were taken and analyzed by phase contrast optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. For some samples the fiber diameter measurements were made and the related statistical parameters were calculated. The measured airborne fiber concentrations showed non relevant man-made mineral fiber dispersion in the environment. The relative exposure limits and regulations in force are discussed.

The DPACS project at the University of Trieste.

The DPACS project (Data and Picture Archiving and Communication System) was undertaken at the University of Trieste by the Institute of Radiology and the DEEI (Dipartimento di Elettrotecnica, Elettronica ed Informatica), in collaboration with the CRSTBS (Centro Ricerche e Studi Tecnologie Biomediche Sanitarie) of the Area Science Park and the Azienda Ospedaliera of Trieste. The main objective of this project is to create an open system for the management of clinical data and images and for the integration of health care services. The first phase is oriented toward finding an implementation strategy for the creation of a prototype DPACS system, to serve as a starting point for the realization of a distributed structure for the extension of the service, firstly to the entire structure of the Cattinara Hospital and subsequently to all the Public Health units in Trieste. After local testing, the service will finally be expanded to a wider geographical level. The intensive computerization of the Institute of Radiology furnished the most favourable environment for the verification of the prototype, as the service provided by the existing RIS (Radiology Information System) and PACS (Picture and Archiving Communication System) has long been consolidated. One of the main goals of the project, in particular, is to replace the old, by now obsolete, PACS with the DPACS services.

Saccadic eye movement conjugation in children.

In recent years the conjugacy of the saccadic eye movements has been studied extensively in adult humans, while little investigation has been carried out in children. We studied the characteristics of binocular saccades in school-age children, finding significant differences with adults, particularly in their dynamics and binocular coordination. The largest deviations were found in the youngest children. An incomplete optimization of the saccadic waveform and a poor disconjugate compensation of the mechanical asymmetries of the plants are hypothesized to explain the results.

[Substances with antibacterial and antifungal activity. VI. Synthesis and microbiologic activity of new derivatives of 1,5-diarylpyrrole and 1,4-pyrrolphenylene]. / Richerche su sostanze ad attività antibatterica ed antifungina. Nota VI--Sintesi ed attività microbiologica di nuovi derivati dell'1,5-diarilpirrolo ed 1,4-pirrolfenilene.

New 1,5-diarylpyrrole and 1,4-pyrrolphenylene derivatives were prepared to study influence on the microbiological activity of an unsubstituted pyrrole nucleus or of a double identical molecular structure. Antimicrobial data in comparision with antifungal antibiotic pyrrolnitrin showed that all tested compounds exhibited very poor antifungal and antibacterial activity. Only some derivatives showed a selective activity against strains of Candida sp. and against strains of gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria.