PURPOSE: To measure the mammographic radiation dose of different mammographic units and views as compared to the American College of Radiology Recommendations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We measured the kVp, entrance dose and average glandular dose for three mammo-graphic units(two Giotto Hi-Tech Mammography, IMS, Bologna, Italy, one Senographe 500T, GE Medical Systems, Milwaukee, Wis., U.S.A.) in the 26 -33 kV range. Dose measurement for magnification compression view was obtained for two machines and dose measurement for stereotactic views was obtained for one machine. RESULTS: For each machine, the entrance dose was within the range of 3.400 -6.077, 4.383 -11.403, 3.790 -6 . 497 mSv, respectively, and the average glandular dose was within the range of 0.74 -1.96 mGy. The entrance and average glandular dose were 17.14, 18.00 mSv, and 3.73, 3.92 mGy for the magnification compression view and 2.41 -2.92 mSv, 0.50 -0.61 mGy for stereotactic views. The error range of kVp was ~1 1 . 3 ~+1.9 %. CONCLUSION: The entrance dose and average glandular dose were above the limit of the American College of Radiology Recommendations. It is necessary to develop a Korean standard on the basis of the above data.
Italy ; Mammography

BACKGROUND: The present study aims at investigating whether and how (1) job demands and job resources are associated with work-to-private-life interference (WLI) and (2) job resources moderate the relationship between job demands and WLI. METHODS: Data were collected by a self-report questionnaire from three hospitals in Italy. The sample consisted of 889 health-care workers. RESULTS: All job demands (i.e., quantitative demands, disproportionate patient expectations, and verbal aggression) and job resources (i.e., job autonomy, support from superiors and colleagues, fairness, and organizational support), with the exception of skill discretion, were related to WLI. The effects of quantitative demands on WLI were moderated by support from superiors; fairness and organizational support moderate the effects of all job demands considered. Support from colleagues moderated only verbal aggression. Job autonomy did not buffer any job demands. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that the work context has a central importance in relation to the experience of WLI among health-care workers. The results indicated that intervention in the work context may help to contain WLI. Such interventions would especially be aimed at improving the social climate within the unit and quality of the organizational process.
Aggression ; Climate ; Humans ; Italy

Since the 3rd WIN meeting in 1982 more than 500 participants join the meeting in Val D'Isere every year [1]. One of our authors has attended the meeting more than 10 times. He experienced many physical illnesses while travelling from South Korea to Val D'Isere in France, which is located in the Alps mountain near the border between France and Italy. In order to get there, it is necessary to take airplane, train, and/or bus with a heavy suitcase. During the trip which usually takes more than 15 hours, he experienced headache, gastrointestinal trouble, sleep disturbance and other additional physical illnesses. Therefore, we reviewed the itinerary to Val D'Isere and presented physical illnesses which occurred during a long trip for an academic activity by specialized professionals such as university hospital professors. In addition, we discussed the mechanism of such illnesses and offered possible solutions including medical treatment.
Aircraft ; France ; Headache ; Italy ; Korea* ; Travel Medicine

Diet ; Energy Intake ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Italy

OBJECTIVE: Advances in dimensional assessment of children in healthy and clinical populations has renewed interest in the study of temperament. Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) has shown high reliability and internal consistency. Adult and adolescent versions have been translated into a number of languages and validated in cross-cultural studies worldwide. To date only one preschool-TCI-based study has been conducted in early infancy with teachers as observers. The present study is aimed to test an Italian Preschool version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (PsTCI). This is the first replication and the first validation study of TCI on preschoolers with parents as observers. METHODS: 395 preschool children, recruited from pediatric communities and day-care centres throughout Italy, participated in the study. Parents of each child enrolled in the study and completed a PsTCI about the child. Standard psychometric tests of reliability and validation were performed. RESULTS: Exploratory factor analyses demonstrated the presence of distinct domains for temperament and character. TCI dimensions had good internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha ranging values (|0.60|-|0.81|). Gender differences were found for Harm Avoidance (beta=-0.186; p< or =0.001) and Self-Directedness (beta=-0.216; p< or =0.01), and accounted for 5-35arm-38-702- of the observed variance. CONCLUSION: The present work suggests the psychological complexity of Cloninger's model and confirms its application in pre-school children from diverse environmental and cultural backgrounds. The results confirm that Cloninger's instrument for temperament and character evaluations can also be used with different observers and highlight the importance of considering cultural and demographic differences in the assessment of temperament and character in preschoolers.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Humans ; Italy ; Parents ; Psychometrics ; Temperament

Several lines of evidence are implicating an increased persistence of apoptotic cells in patients with asthma. This is largely due to a combination of inhibition, or defects in the apoptotic process and/or impaired apoptotic cell removal mechanisms. Among apoptosis-inducing genes, an important role is played by p53. In the present study, we have investigated the possible relationship between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and asthma and the interaction with ACP1, a genetic polymorphism involved in the susceptibility to allergic asthma. We studied 125 asthmatic children and 123 healthy subjects from the Caucasian population of Central Italy. p53 codon 72 and ACP1 polymorphisms were evaluated using a restriction fragment length polymorphism-polymerase chain reaction (RFLP-PCR) method. There is a statistically significant association between p53 codon 72 polymorphism and allergic asthma: Arg/Arg genotype is more represented in asthmatic patients than in controls (P=0.018). This association, however, is present in subjects with low ACP1 activity A/A and A/B only (P=0.023). The proportion of children with A/A and A/B genotype carrying Arg/Arg genotype is significantly high in asthmatic children than in controls (OR=1.941, 95% C.I. 1.042-3.628). Our finding could have important clinical implications since the subjects with A/A and A/B genotypes of ACP1 carrying Arg/Arg genotype are more susceptible to allergic asthma than Pro/Pro genotype.
Acid Phosphatase* ; Apoptosis ; Asthma ; Child* ; Codon* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Italy ; Polymorphism, Genetic*

BACKGROUND: Work-related stress is one of the major causes of occupational ill health. In line with the regulatory framework on occupational health and safety (OSH), adequate models for assessing and managing risk need to be identified so as to minimize the impact of this stress not only on workers' health, but also on productivity. METHODS: After close analysis of the Italian and European reference regulatory framework and work-related stress assessment and management models used in some European countries, we adopted the UK Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Management Standards (MS) approach, adapting it to the Italian context in order to provide a suitable methodological proposal for Italy. RESULTS: We have developed a work-related stress risk assessment strategy, meeting regulatory requirements, now available on a specific web platform that includes software, tutorials, and other tools to assist companies in their assessments. CONCLUSION: This methodological proposal is new on the Italian work-related stress risk assessment scene. Besides providing an evaluation approach using scientifically validated instruments, it ensures the active participation of occupational health professionals in each company. The assessment tools provided enable companies not only to comply with the law, but also to contribute to a database for monitoring and assessment and give access to a reserved area for data analysis and comparisons.
Efficiency ; Health Policy ; Italy* ; Jurisprudence ; Methods ; Occupational Health ; Risk Assessment* ; Statistics as Topic ; Telemedicine

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a significant complication of congenital heart disease, which carries a recognized risk of morbidity and mortality. There have been remarkable advances in the field of pulmonary arterial hypertension over the past several decades. At the third world symposium on pulmonary arterial hypertension held in Venice, Italy, 2003, congenital cardiac shunts were classified in the same group as idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. This article discusses the recent advances in understanding the pathology, pathobiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated pediatric congenital heart disease.
Diagnosis ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Italy ; Mortality ; Pathology ; Pediatrics

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a significant complication of congenital heart disease, which carries a recognized risk of morbidity and mortality. There have been remarkable advances in the field of pulmonary arterial hypertension over the past several decades. At the third world symposium on pulmonary arterial hypertension held in Venice, Italy, 2003, congenital cardiac shunts were classified in the same group as idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. This article discusses the recent advances in understanding the pathology, pathobiology, diagnosis, and treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated pediatric congenital heart disease.
Diagnosis ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Hypertension* ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Italy ; Mortality ; Pathology ; Pediatrics

The standard therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection in Korea consists of a triple-drug regimen containing a proton pump inhibitor with two antibiotics such as clarithromycin, amoxicillin, and metronidazole. However, the eradication rate of this regimen is declining and a new regimen should be prompted. Among them, sequential therapy seems to be more effective than the conventional triple therapy. Sequential therapy, however, has only been tried in the limited countries such as Italy. To recommend this therapy in clinical practice, well-designed clinical trials should be performed in Korea since many host factors and bacterial factors influence the treatment outcomes. In this article, we are going to review the basic concepts and the results of previous clinical trials on sequential therapy.
Amoxicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Clarithromycin ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter pylori ; Italy ; Korea ; Metronidazole ; Proton Pumps