No abstract

No abstract

Ophiolitic rocks cropping on Calabria territory, southern Italy, can hold asbestiform minerals potentially harmful for human health. The aim of this work was to detect the fibrous phases of ophiolites along the Coastal Chain of northern Calabria and southern part of the Sila massif. Above 220 massive samples were collected in the study areas and analyzed using optical and electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Fourier transform infra-red spectrometry. The main fibrous constituent belonged to tremolite-actinolite series followed by fibrous antigorite that becomes more abundant in the samples collected in Reventino Mount surroundings. Results highlighted that serpentinites samples mainly consisted of antigorite and minor chrysotile. Samples collected along the coastal chain of northern Calabria did not hold fibrous materials. The results will be useful for Italian natural occurrences of asbestos (NOA) mapping in order to avoid an unintentional exposition by human activity or weathering processes.

Lung ultrasonography (LUS) has become in the last 10 years a technique that has reduced the need of second level diagnostic methods such as chest X-ray (CXR) and computerize tomography (CT) for the diagnostic imaging of lung and pleural space, throughout its diagnostic accuracy, radiation free, low cost, real time and bedside approach. The common use of LUS has been recently extend to cardiac and pulmonary disease even in context of Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit and it could be an additional tool for physiotherapist for the management of patients during Rehabilitation course. The authors performed a literature review in PubMed and suggested a new standardize protocol for LUS, based on guidelines and expert consensus document, for patients admitted to Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit. In this protocol, LUS should be performed in six scan each hemithorax, covering twelve imagine regions. For each scan will be noted a specific physiologic or pathological patterns. Furthermore, we suggest for each patient, the use of the Lung Ultrasound Score (LUS score) to obtain a global view of lung aeration and to monitor any changes during the hospitalization. An increase in score range indicates a more severe condition. This Lung Ultrasonography Protocol should be performed in all patients at the time of admission to Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit to monitoring the aeration of the lungs and the possible lung and/or pleura complications after a cardiac disease avoiding the use of second level surveys.

The Mediterranean Diet plays a critical role in the prevention of primary cardiovascular disease (CVD). Actually, there is a scarcity of evidence for secondary prevention. The current study aims to assess adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) in patients recently admitted to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit following acute cardiovascular disease. Adherence to MD was assessed in 111 patients admitted to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit of the Federico II Hospital in Naples. The Medi-Lite score was used to assess adherence to MD. The main determinant of reduced MD compliance was assessed using Pearson’s correlation analysis and a multivariable regression model. The population had a median MD adherence score of 11 and a mean score of 10.9. The lowest possible score was 5 (indicating poor adherence), and the highest possible score was 15 (excellent adherence index). There were 3 participants with a poor score (<7), 82 with a good score (7-12), and 26 with an excellent score (³13). Lower Medi-Lite score was associated with younger age and being an active worker in a multivariate regression model (both p<0.05). Our findings show that among patients admitted to the Cardiac Rehabilitation Unit after a major CV event, young active workers have the lowest adherence to MD, requiring an individualized and multidisciplinary approach to improve their adherence to MD for secondary CV prevention.