Facilities In Italy Research Articles

Multicentric Retrospective Study on Safety and Efficacy of a Novel Injectable Poly-l-Lactic Acid for Buttocks Recontouring.

Poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) injectables have gained increasing attention in aesthetic medicine due to their biocompatibility and long-lasting effects. Although their primary application centers around facial rejuvenation, their potential for off-label use in other body areas has been investigated, demonstrating promising outcomes in terms of both efficacy and safety. This study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of a novel 630 mg PLLA-based filler (GANA X), in buttocks treatment. Six physicians treated 51 patients for buttock aesthetic treatment across six different medical facilities in Italy. A survey was filled by both physicians and patients regarding treatment safety, efficacy, and change in quality of life. We reported minor or mild adverse events, self-resolving within the next few days. Both physicians and patients confirmed notable aesthetic improvements following treatment, varying from moderate to significant enhancement. These effects endured throughout follow-up visits spanning up to 24 months. Patient-reported outcomes indicated elevated self-esteem and improved quality of life posttreatment. The high level of satisfaction reported by both physicians and patients highlights the efficacy and tolerability of GANA X filler for buttocks treatment, encouraging their use and research for off-label body areas.

High prevalence and genetic heterogeneity of adenoviruses at a psittacine breeding facility.

A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey was performed at an amateur parrot breeding facility in Italy to investigate the presence and molecular characteristics of adenoviruses. Eighty psittacine birds, belonging to seven parrot species, were sampled by cloacal swabs; in addition, 15 livers were collected from specimens that were found dead. Seventy-two out of 95 samples collected were positive for adenoviruses, with a prevalence rate of 75.8%. All seven psittacine species tested positive for at least one genus of the family Adenoviridae; notably, adenoviral infection was found for the first time in the hooded parrot (Psephotellus dissimilis). Based on the sequences and phylogenetic analysis, 57 sequences were psittacine adenovirus 2, seven sequences were duck adenovirus 1 and two sequences were identified as psittacine adenovirus 5. The six remaining sequences showed low nucleotide and amino acid identity with the reference strains of accepted species or types, revealing the presence of novel adenoviruses belonging to the genera Aviadenovirus, Barthadenovirus and Siadenovirus. There were identical adenovirus sequences in both apparently healthy and dead birds suggesting that further investigation into the role and impact of these viruses on the health of psittacine birds is warranted.

IAEA fostering of the development and applications of nuclear analytical techniques for Heritage Science

The IAEA Physics Section is strongly involved in the development and utilization of accelerator-based analytical techniques, which are powerful tools for the characterization of cultural and natural heritage objects and materials. Various activities are carried out with the purpose to build capacity, strengthen capabilities, transfer knowledge and foster networking in the field of heritage science. In addition, access to different X-ray fluorescence spectrometers and other analytical techniques is provided at the Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory (part of the IAEA Physics Section), and access to ion beam accelerators and synchrotron light is facilitated thanks to collaborations with Ruđer Bošković Institute (RBI) in Croatia and the Elettra Sincrotrone facility in Italy, respectively. Member States are also supported on their Research and Development programmes, as well as through the technical cooperation projects. This paper aims to provide a broad overview about how the IAEA Physics Section is engaged in the field of heritage science, promoting the safe, reliable, and effective use of ion beam, X-ray and neutron-based techniques for the characterization and preservation of cultural and natural heritage through its global networks and partners.

Factors Promoting a Sense of Home Among Older Adults in Residential Care Facilities in Italy.

Understanding the housing needs of older adults is crucial for policy makers, service providers, and professional carers. Evidence about the factors that contribute to older adults' "sense of home" and their practical and policies implications are lacking. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 78 community-dwelling older adults to investigate which structural and organizational requirements and relational-affective environments could contribute to their experiencing a sense of home. Through inductive content analysis 119 subcategories were derived and grouped into eight main categories: being considered as a person; a safe, quiet, welcoming, and personalizable environment; meaningful relationships; optional and stimulating activities; active involvement in the organization within the facility; competent care personnel; preserving life memories; facility open and integrated with the community. Findings suggest that multiple factors might influence "feeling at home," and many strategies can be adopted to facilitate older adults' successful adaptation. It is important that healthcare organizations consider these factors from a person-centered care perspective, and that care staff are trained in this type of care to enhance staff decision-making and older adults' wellbeing.

Evaluation of the Climate Impact and Nutritional Quality of Menus in an Italian Long-Term Care Facility.

Global warming poses a significant threat to our planet, with the food sector contributing up to 37% of total greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to assess the climate change impact and healthiness of menus in a long-term care facility in Italy. We analyzed two 28-day cyclical menus using the carbon footprint (CF) and the Modified EAT-Lancet Diet Score (MELDS) to evaluate adherence to the Planetary Health Diet (PHD). Monte Carlo simulations were employed to explore 20,000 daily menu permutations. Results showed that the mean GHGEs of spring/summer and autumn/winter daily menus were 2.64 and 2.82 kg of CO2eq, respectively, with 99% of menus exceeding the 2.03 kg of CO2eq benchmark. Only 22% of menus were adherent to the PHD, with MELDSs ranging from 12 to 29. A strong inverse association between the CF and adherence to the PHD was observed. These findings suggest significant potential for reducing the CFs of meals served in nursing homes while promoting adherence to a planetary diet, presenting an opportunity to set new standards in caregiving and environmental sustainability.

On the model flexibility of the geographical distributed real-time co-simulation: The example of ENET-RT lab

The decarbonization of the energy sector represents a challenge that requires new tools and approaches of analysis. This paper aims to demonstrate the fundamental role that geographical distributed real-time co-simulations (GD-RTDS) can play in this regard. To this end, three different case studies have been analyzed with GD-RTDS, covering a wide range of applications for the energy sector decarbonization: (a) implementation of Renewable Energy Communities for supporting the share increase of Renewable Energy Sources, (b) the integration and management of Onshore Power Supply, and (c) the integration of a forecasting tool for the management of the Electric Vehicle charging. The performed experiments included fully simulated components, together with (power) hardware-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop elements. These components have been simulated in different laboratory facilities in Italy and Germany, all operating in a synchronized manner under the presented geographically-distributed setup. The results show that the proposed architecture is flexible enough to be used for modeling all the different case studies; moreover, they highlight the significant contribution that the GD-RTDS methodology can give in informing and driving energy transition policies and the fundamental role of power systems to spearhead the complete decarbonization of the energy sector.

The Claim for An Institutional Identity in Healthcare Activities: the Italian Case

Abstract The aim of this article is to analyse the status of religiously affiliated health facilities in Italy. Many faith-based healthcare institutions are currently entrapped between the expectation to participate in the healthcare public delivery, and the need for a preservation of their religious identity. Indeed, they are facing an increasing risk of a weakening of their religious identity, due to the evolution of civil law regulating ethically controversial issues, which is increasingly distancing from the religious approach, undermining the traditional religious accommodation granted to faith-based healthcare institutions. However, the preservation of their religious ethos requires dealing with a ‘web of relationships’ which includes the founding religious order, patients, practitioners, the State and a ‘highly competitive market’. This article explores the feasibility of an intermediate path between complete immunity and strict non-tolerance of their religious ethos, in the pursuit of the constitutional principles of pluralism, positive neutrality, and subsidiarity.

Managing, surveying and assisting transgender people in prison: A comparative analysis of staff-members’ positioning toward transgender inmates among different correctional facilities in Italy

Background The present study intends to shed light on the (inter)subjective and professional modalities through which prison workers manage to cope with the presence of incarcerated transgender people in Italy. Method Fourteen semi structured interviews were undertaken with prison-workers in three Italian jails. The transcribed interviews were processed through text-mining-analysis, and an in-depth investigation of these discursive sources was performed to access the sociocultural representation of prison-workers concerning transgender related issues. Results Findings showed different discursive positionings, which vary significantly according to the professional role and gender identity of the interviewees. Although specialized training aimed at improving knowledge on transgender issues and interpersonal skills had been previously provided to all prison-workers, non-transgender affirming behaviors and attitudes continue to be observed. However, they may be the product of the persistence of cultural biases belonging to the more general societal context. Conclusions Specific training programs addressed to prison-workers are certainly necessary, but their real effectiveness should be constantly monitored and verified. At the same time, it seems that an effective improvement of the condition of transgender people within correctional facilities may only be obtained through paradigmatic changes concerning representations about gender nonconformity within the more general Italian culture and society.

The Relationship between Patients' Demands and Workplace Violence among Healthcare Workers: A Multilevel Look Focusing on the Moderating Role of Psychosocial Working Conditions.

Workplace violence against healthcare workers is a widespread phenomenon with very severe consequences for the individuals affected and their organizations. The role played by psychosocial working conditions in healthcare workers' experiences of violence from patients and their family members has received relatively scant attention. In the present study, we investigated the idea that psychosocial working conditions (workload, job control, supervisor support, and team integration), by affecting the well-being and job performance of healthcare workers, play a critical role in the relationship between patients' demands and the escalation of workplace violence. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that psychosocial working conditions moderate the relationship between patients' demands and workplace violence. Participants were 681 healthcare workers distributed in 55 work groups of three public healthcare facilities in Italy. Multilevel analysis showed significant interactions between patients' demands and each of the investigated psychosocial factors on workplace violence, which in all the cases were in the expected direction. The results suggest that improving the quality of the psychosocial work environment in which healthcare workers operate may be a critical aspect in the prevention of workplace violence.

Perceived Environmental Quality Indicators as Health-Enabling Elements Within Prisons

This study evaluates the transition from an older to a new prison facility in Italy to help researchers understand the health-enabling features within prisons from incarcerated persons’ point of view. A total of 216 inmates completed a questionnaire that measured the prison's environmental quality and quality-of-life related constructs. Bivariate correlations show that as inmates’ environmental perceptions improve, so does their place evaluation. When the older and newer prisons were compared, the results revealed the newer prison was more positively evaluated in terms of care of significant spaces, presence of light, beauty, safety, sociability, concentration, and satisfaction.

Financial Outcomes of Managed Entry Agreements for Pharmaceuticals in Italy

Most countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development apply managed entry agreements (MEAs), reimbursement arrangements between manufacturers and payers, to pharmaceuticals. Few data exist regarding their ability to lower expenditures. To analyze the financial outcomes of MEAs for pharmaceuticals from 2019 to 2021 in Italy. In this observational study of MEAs and pharmaceutical spending in Italy, medications that were monitored through individually collected data and generated paybacks from manufacturers during the 2019 to 2021 study period were included in the analysis. Payback data were collected through pharmaceutical spending monitoring activities conducted by the Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (Italian Medicines Agency). Expenditure data were collected through the Italian Drug Traceability System. Products were categorized by type of MEA: financial-based, outcome-based, or mixed. The main outcome was median payback as a proportion of expenditure by category of MEA. Results were also provided by subtype: cost sharing or capping models for financial-based MEAs and risk-sharing or payment-by-result models for outcome-based MEAs. Mixed MEAs were considered when medications had multiple indications with different MEA types. A total of 73 medications with MEAs generated a payback by manufacturers during the study period. Six were either not reimbursable or delivered within the Italian National Health Service, and 5 had incomplete data. Of the 62 medications analyzed, 24 (38.7%) had financial-based MEAs, 30 (48.4%) had outcome-based MEAs, and 8 (12.9%) had mixed MEAs. A total payback amount of €327.5 million was calculated during the 3 years, corresponding to 0.9% of the €41.1 billion of total expenditures for medications purchased by public health facilities in Italy. Financial-based MEAs returned the highest payback revenues, €158.1 million; the outcome-based MEAs and mixed MEAs generated smaller paybacks of €74.5 million and €94.9 million, respectively. Overall, the median proportion of payback to expenditure on the medications analyzed was 3.8%. For mixed MEAs, the payback-to-expenditure proportion was 6.7%; for outcome-based MEAs, 3.3%; and for financial-based MEAs, 3.7%. This observational study found limited evidence that MEAs lower pharmaceutical expenditures. Determining criteria for prioritizing MEA use, identifying potential design changes, and improving implementation may be needed in the future.

A research method for locating community healthcare facilities in Italy: how to guarantee healthcare for all

PurposeThe new Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) has prioritised a new healthcare model that will establish the additional community healthcare facilities (CHFs). The paper proposes a methodology for supporting decision-making on location of the future facilities according to new parameters that consider how proximity to healthcare benefits communities. Rethinking the spatial parameters for locating future CHFs, focusing on fragile areas, creates a novel decision support system.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is based on multifactor analysis and on geographic information system (GIS) mapping to simulate the potential and risks associated with the proposed location of CHFs, focusing on territorial contexts of metropolitan cities, medium-sized cities, and Inner Areas, characterized by different fragilities. This method aims to innovate urban planning practices by updating the practice of per-capita urban planning standards and promoting implementation of the 15-minute city model.FindingsThe method defines new spatial parameters useful to inform the appropriate location of CHFs in Italy's Inner Areas. This offers a new integrated approach to spatial design mixing urban planning and healthcare dimensions.Originality/valueThe methodology will bring about an integrated urban planning approach, which guides both transformative urban choices and health services' implementation according to the needs of communities.

Implementation of a centralized, web-based surveillance for healthcare associated infections among residents of long-term care facilities in Italy

ObjectiveThe Italian National Action Plan to contrast AMR identified among its objectives the development and implementation of a national Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) surveillance system based on European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indications, through point prevalence surveys (PPS) of HAIs and antibiotic use in acute-care hospitals and long-term care facilities (LTCFs). We aimed to assess feasibility and appropriateness of proposed tools for a national surveillance system of HAIs and antibiotic use in LTCFs. Study designPoint prevalence survey. MethodsA pilot PPS was conducted between May–June 2022, among 15 LTCFs of 7 Italian regions. Data were collected in a single day in each LTCF, at the LTCF, ward, and resident levels, using a web-based data collection tool developed ad hoc. Data collector teams of each facility were invited to complete a questionnaire investigating opinions on the proposed tools. ResultsAmong 1025 included residents, the prevalence of residents with at least one HAI was 2.5% (95% CI 1.7%-3.7%) considering all HAIs and 2.2% (95% CI 1.3%–3%) without considering SARS-CoV-2 infections. The prevalence of antimicrobial use was 3% (95% CI 0.2%–4.3%). Overall, most respondents were satisfied with the web-based software, training and protocol, even though some difficulties were reported. ConclusionsA national surveillance network was established, which will facilitate future surveillance efforts. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on HAI transmission and antibiotic use in LTCFs.

Big battery recycling site planned for Europe

Li-Cycle and Glencore are considering a joint venture that would turn Glencore’s smelting facility in Sardinia, Italy, into Europe’s largest battery recycling plant. The companies hope to collect used lithium-ion batteries at sites Li-Cycle is building in Europe. Those facilities will shred the batteries into black mass, a mixture of cathode and anode materials. The facility in Italy would extract lithium, nickel, and cobalt chemicals from the black mass. The extracted lithium would be upgraded into lithium carbonate for producing new batteries. The companies hope the plant will process 50,000 to 70,000 metric tons (t) of black mass per year. They aim to open it in 2026, pending the results of a feasibility study. In March, the US Department of Energy conditionally committed to loan Li-Cycle $375 million to finance a similar facility in Rochester, New York, expected to process 35,000 t per year of black mass. Glencore plans to

Satisfaction outcomes for patients and physicians following use of a new hyaluronic acid fillers.

The aesthetic appearance of the skin, with the emergence of wrinkles, blemishes, and infraorbital hollowing, can be a cause of social distress and is a process exacerbated by aging. The presence of skin imperfections and aging is partly due to a loss of hyaluronic acid (HA), which normally contributes to a maintain a healthy and voluminous skin. Attempts to restore volume and revert the signs of aging have therefore focused on the use of dermatologic fillers based on HA. Here, we tested the safety and efficacy of MelHA®-Monophasic Elastic Hyaluronic Acid (Concilium FEEL® filler products) containing HA at different concentrations and injected at different sites according to recommendations. Five different physicians assessed 42 patients across five different medical facilities in Italy, where they performed the treatment and assessed the patients after a follow-up visit. Safety and efficacy of the treatment and change in quality of life after treatment were evaluated with two surveys, one directed to medical personnel, and one directed to patients. Our results show that, across all products and personalized treatments, patients', physicians' and "independent photography reviewer" satisfaction was very high and that the treatment show a favorable safety profile. These results are promising and suggest the use of Concilium Feel® filler products can contribute to an increased self-esteem and quality of life in aging patients.

Developing of an Offline Monitoring Method for the Energy Demand of a Healthcare Facility in Italy

Developing of an Offline Monitoring Method for the Energy Demand of a Healthcare Facility in Italy

Facing the unknown COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study with nurses and nursing assistants in three European countries.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is now a worldwide public health emergency. As essential and central parts of the COVID-19 patient care team, nurses and nurse assistants are facing all kinds of challenges caused by the disease and the pandemic. Understanding these challenges and the way nurses and nurse assistants handle and cope with them provides important knowledge on how to improve management of future pandemics and endemic situations. Thus, the present study explored the challenges faced by nurses and nurse asssitants who cared for COVID-19 patients in hospitals and long term care facilities in Italy, Austria and Germany. The study employed a qualitative design. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants consisting on nurses (n = 30), nurse coordinators (n = 6) and nurse assistants (n = 5) from hospitals (n = 32) and long-term care facilities (n = 9) in Austria, Germany, and Italy. Data were collected between August and December 2020 through semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The analysis of the data revealed three main themes with twelve sub-categories: (i) Knowledge, skills, and training (lack of knowledge; skills; organizational issues; training); (ii) resources and risk (lack of protective equipment; difficulties with protective equipment; risk and infection; feelings and isolation); (iii) coping strategies (humor; adaption; team effort; self-care; family and friends). Nurses and nurse assistants who participated in this study faced many personal and professional challenges, and used different coping strategies to manage the situation. Some of these strategies can be applied to reduce these challenges and create better working conditions for nurses and nurse assistants in similar events. Further research, training of staff, and adaptation of institutional policies may help develop new strategies to face future pandemics successfully.

Quality of residential facilities in Italy: satisfaction and quality of life of residents with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

BackgroundRecovery and human rights promotion for people with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSDs) is fundamental to provide good care in Residential Facilities (RFs). However, there is a concern about rehabilitation ethos in RFs. This study aimed to investigate the care quality of Italian RFs, the quality of life (QoL) and care experience of residents with SSD.MethodsFourty-eight RFs were assessed using a quality assessment tool (QuIRC-SA) and 161 residents with SSD were enrolled. Seventeen RFs provided high intensity rehabilitation (SRP1), 15 medium intensity (SRP2), and 16 medium-low level support (SRP3). Staff-rated tools measured psychiatric symptoms and psychosocial functioning; user-rated tools assessed QoL and satisfaction with services. RFs comparisons were made using ANOVA and Chi-squared.ResultsOver two-thirds patients (41.5 y.o., SD 9.7) were male. Seventy-six were recruited from SRP1 services, 48 from SRP2, and 27 from SRP3. The lowest QuIRC-SA scoring was Recovery Based Practice (45.8%), and the highest was promotion of Human Rights (58.4%). SRP2 had the lowest QuIRC-SA ratings and SRP3 the highest. Residents had similar psychopathology (p = 0.140) and functioning (p = 0.537). SRP3 residents were more employed (18.9%) than SRP1 (7.9%) or SRP2 (2.2%) ones, and had less severe negative symptoms (p = 0.016) and better QoL (p = 0.020) than SRP2 residents. There were no differences in the RF therapeutic milieu and their satisfaction with care.ConclusionsResidents of the lowest supported RFs in Italy had less severe negative symptoms, better QoL and more employment than others. The lowest ratings for Recovery Based Practice across all RFs suggest more work is needed to improve recovery.

ST Unveils Silicon Carbide Factory

ST to build integrated Silicon Carbide substrate manufacturing facility in Italy

Machine learning-based monitoring method for the electricity consumption of a healthcare facility in Italy

The development of building energy management strategies leads to important energy savings, especially for energy-intensive buildings. It implies carrying out detailed analyses of the building energy needs of the specific test case under analysis. This work analyses the electricity consumption of a healthcare facility located near Florence, Italy, studying the correlation of the electricity demand with climates, time and healthcare activities parameters to find the main building energy drivers. The study exploits machine learning methods to predict the electricity demand of the healthcare facility, comparing the performance of Multiple Linear Regression and Artificial Neural Networks. Feature selection and Feature Engineering procedures have been carried out to obtain the representation of input data that maximises prediction performance. Then, the model has been exploited to develop an offline monitoring method for the electricity consumption of the facility, providing a suitable tool to highlight changes in the building electricity demand behaviour. The work highlights the importance of energy forecasting model optimization, aiming to realize accurate monitoring methods for the building electricity consumption and therefore increase the effectiveness and responsiveness in recognizing any anomalies. The proposed method represents a reference methodology for machine learning-aided building energy monitoring applicable to several different contexts and applications.