MinnieLuongo | MY SPECIAL DOCTOR

Melanoma: a serious danger to the health of our skin

26 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Sea or mountains, who doesn’t like the sun in summer? Beware, however, of the negative effects it can have on our skin, especially if it is fair and full of freckles and moles. In fact, the most feared risk is melanoma, which is the third most frequent cancer in Italy under the age of 50.

Its onset is linked to genetic and environmental factors, starting with exposure to ultraviolet rays, of which burns are the effect. Burns are even more deleterious when they involve toddlers and, especially, children of parents with or survivors of melanoma. In fact, these children have a higher risk of developing cancer than the general population.

Prevention

The best prevention is early diagnosis. How? Every adult should observe their entire body surface every 2 to 3 months, and see a dermatologist when a mole changes color, shape, or size, or when a new mole appears. In addition, people with familiarity or many moles should have a checkup once a year. At that time, the dermatologist will evaluate the characteristics of all skin lesions, either with the naked eye or with the help of a noninvasive technique, dermoscopy. This is because melanoma is sometimes not recognizable to the naked eye and can be mistaken for a typical mole.

Everyone should know the “A-B-C-D-Erule,” which is useful for early diagnosis. A mole is suspected when:

A – It is asymmetrical

B – Presents irregular edges

C – Has a varied color: from light brown to dark brown to black

D – Has a diameter greater than 5 mm

E – It presents an evolution: changes in color, shape and/or size of the mole, elevation and the appearance of symptoms such as itching and/or bleeding are all suggestive of malignancy.

We always and frequently apply protective creams, do not stay too long in the sun, remembering that a parasol is not enough to protect us while a T-shirt and hat are useful. We can then enjoy the many benefits of the sun’s rays without risk. And when summer is over, let’s get checked by the dermatologist!

The 10 tips to avoid headaches on vacation

26 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Summer headaches are a companion one would gladly do without, as is well known by the many Italians who, as soon as they arrive on vacation, are assailed by sudden episodes of headache, with more or less severe pain. Several reasons can trigger this discomfort right at the beginning of our well-deserved summer relaxation. These include the stress the body undergoes due to the lifestyle change that marks the beginning of the vacations, the change in eating habits, the disruption of the sleep-wake rhythm, and, also, changes in climate and altitude. Fortunately, it is possible to counteract this type of headache, due to an overall alteration of our biological clock, by resorting to simple expedients, which we can summarize in a sort of decalogue:

1 – Preparations: in the days leading up to departure, prepare for the change of pace by trying to rest and taking a few short breaks.

2 – In your suitcase: pack anti-inflammatory remedies and analgesics useful for blocking pain if needed.

3 – When traveling: prefer a healthy and nutritious diet, starting with a good breakfast of readily available sugars (such as honey, jam and fruit).

4 – Sleep: During the first few days of the vacation season, try to avoid abrupt changes in your lifestyle, such as your sleep-wake rhythm, remembering that sleeping too much for the body also causes headaches, especially for those who are predisposed.

5 – Physical activity: to help the body adapt to the new rhythm, taking long walks in the fresh air is sufficient.

6 – Environment and climate: as far as possible, avoid marked changes in time zone or altitude, especially in the first few days of vacation, when the body is not yet accustomed to the new environment.

7 –Nutrition: do not upset your habits when you sit at the table. On vacation a few deviations from the rule are allowed, but without overdoing it.

8 – Relaxation: rest should also be gradual: in fact, engaging in recreational activities is helpful to gradually shift from the working pace of the city to the holiday pace.

9 – First symptoms of headache: do not wait for them to intensify but intervene as soon as possible with appropriate medication. In the event, however, that headache attacks do not subside, seek medical advice and, if necessary, refer to a specialist.

10 – Live the vacation with serenity: do not turn the vacation into a stressful time filled with commitments, albeit pleasant ones.

Only in this way will we reap genuine benefits from the vacation before diving back into the daily grind of our work activities.

Why in summer the couple breaks out

26 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Stating that couples break up more easily during the summer season is not a cliché, but a fact now supported by authoritative scientific studies. There may be many reasons for this, but underlying it is a substantial one: even a few days of close living can bring latent problems and conflicts out into the open.

In fact, if during the year work and the commitments of daily life keep the various misunderstandings in abeyance, everything changes drastically when you are alone for so many hours, under a beach umbrella or on a mountaintop. Sometimes quarrels begin as early as the decision of the destination of the trip to be taken together. And the reasons for disagreement then continue for a whole series of seemingly very trivial pretexts: clothing, the friends with whom one wants to share some or all of one’s days off, the preferences and habits chosen daily for one’s summer leisure.

For example, 65 percent of women like to be in the sun at least 5 hours a day, while men endure much less (43 percent less than 3 hours). And if he is bored sunbathing (53 percent), only 4 percent of women consider the beach a waste of time. For her, sunbathing is above all, complicit with sunbathing, a real beauty cure (58 percent), as well as a way to relax (38 percent). But there‘s more: it turns out that only 12 percent of women like to go to the beach with their partner, while 20 percent of men say they are inclined to bask in the sun next to their woman. It follows that this all affects what the couple considers to be the overall perception of the vacation, during which the main need for both of them is to disconnect from the hectic pace of everyday life, but which is impossible if one cannot understand the other’s point of view.

For some years now, then, misunderstandings have also come from excessive technology, and the constant browsing of chat rooms and social media. In the summer, the couple should force themselves to disconnect as much as possible, and instead connect with the person with whom they have chosen to share their lives. And vacations can be the optimal means of finding, or rediscovering, communication unmediated by new technologies. In summary, these are the experts’ suggestions:

Listen to yourself

Take advantage of the vacations to ask ourselves and our partner, “What can we do to improve the couple’s understanding? What desires can be realized together?” Therefore, doing without smartphones can also be helpful in figuring out where one stands in the project of life for two.

Rekindling desire

According to a U.S. study, it appears that 16 percent of men suffer from a total lack of sexual stimulation toward their partners due to too much time spent posting and tweeting. Nothing beats reclaiming your intimacy starting with the holidays–avoiding bringing technological tools to bed.

Rediscovering the pleasure of convivial moments

It may benefit the couple to rediscover dining out in a cozy, romantic setting. The cell phone must strictly remain off, focusing only on the partner.
And if all that is not enough, let us prepare to consult a good divorce lawyer. It is no coincidence that the largest number of separations are initiated by Italian spouses, but not only, just after returning from the vacations.

Friendship is a real medicine

26 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Friendship helps our health. You are wrong to think this is a simplistic statement, an excessive consequence of the well-known saying “he who finds a friend finds a treasure.” Actually, we are talking about scientific data that emerged from a study, published in the influential Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, which found that being able to rely on a network of friends positively influences our well-being much more than family ties do.

The research authors concluded that friendship is a key determinant of health, on par with healthy eating, physical activity and regular medical checkups. Being able to rely on a friend, in fact, is good for your mood, boosts self-esteem, and helps you cope better with stress. In short, it generates a state of emotional and mental well-being that cannot help but be reflected in the body. But the beneficial effects of a good friendship-intimacy, security and affection-are not only transmitted to the emotional sphere; they also come to positively affect health and well-being. Therefore, building and nurturing good friendship relationships from adolescence onward allows people to live better and longer and, in addition, would protect against disease and overweight.

What happens to our body

Going into specifics: those who have an established core of true friends, by contacting them, activate the pressure receptors that are in the skin, the so-called “Pacini corpuscles,” which immediately send signals to the vagus nerve. This is enough to begin to make us feel better as the nerve is connected to nerve fibers that reach several cranial nerves, which are critical in regulating the majority of the body’s key functions including, precisely, blood pressure.

Another important change occurs directly in the brain. In fact, an authentic friendship relationship stimulates the production of dopamine, the neurotransmitter known as the “pleasure hormone.” But all it takes is a friend’s hug to increase the production of oxytocin-commonly called the “love hormone”-which enables us to connect emotionally with others. Always a simple hug between friends, as the researchers found, leads to a significant reduction in the level of cortisol in the blood, that is, the stress hormone.

To sum up, it may well be said that true friendship has a portentous effect on the brain, helping us on the one hand to achieve a kind of relaxation and well-being, and on the other hand to cope better with stress and fears of various kinds. Especially since-again according to the study-those without friends are more prone to stress and, over time, are likely to complain of various ailments.

And what better time than summer to cultivate friendship? Only condition: dating people to whom we are truly attached and who reciprocate our feelings in equal measure. Therefore, those who find a friend not only find a treasure, but are also able, at least in some cases, to avoid taking medication for anxiety or depression.

Health: shock waves against erectile dysfunction

25 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Treating impotence even without drugs. News that will make many men happy: truly promising results are coming from the first study of the Italian Society of Andrology (SIA) regarding the treatment of the much-feared erectile dysfunction, which for many males is still-though wrongly I– a taboo. Although we need to tread lightly for the time being, preliminary results speak for themselves: 70 percent of patients “recovered” from impotence through the use of low-intensity shock waves. Therefore, we are facing a new treatment option for those who complain of mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, estimated to be one-third of the more than three million patients in our country. The treatment causes no side effects, is noninvasive, and is quick and painless. The Italian multicenter study, coordinated by the SIA, was conducted on about 100 patients and is still ongoing, with positive results for that 70 percent of patients, who stopped using drugs (so-called love pills) to return to spontaneous sexuality, while in the most severe patients the response to oral therapy improved in 40% of cases.

The survey

The survey, launched a year ago, involved patients aged 18 to 65 years with organically based erectile dysfunction being treated at hospital or university centers in Florence, Naples, Trento, Bari, and Trieste. This is the first study coordinated by a Scientific Society conducted on shock wave therapy for erectile dysfunction, with the aim of independently evaluating possible outcomes and the most appropriate indications. Patients underwent an average of six shock wave sessions with 3,000 low-voltage shots; then the effect was evaluated with a penile echocolordoppler and sexual activity questionnaires. “The six-month follow-up data are very promising,” explains Alessandro Palmieri, SIA president and study coordinator. In men with mild to moderate erectile dysfunction, therapy is successful and provides marked improvement in 70% of cases. Success in this case means possible cure: erectile dysfunction drugs have revolutionized sexual habits but remain “on-demand” cures, unable except in rare cases to restore erectile function. Shock waves, on the other hand, are able to reestablish the erection mechanism, allowing a return to natural sexuality without the need for relationship programming. However, this is still an emerging technique, and research is tasked with investigating the mechanisms of action of the method. This requires data from multicenter studies to define the long-term effects of treatment.”

A technology born in Israel

The method was developed in Israel a few years ago and is a physical therapy already used in other body districts, for example, for the treatment of kidney stones or as analgesic therapy. “Shock waves are high-energy acoustic waves,” explains Nicola Mondaini, SIA advisor. “They are applied to the penis through specific devices in sessions that last about 10 minutes, to be repeated for a total of six treatments in total. Physical therapy is thus brought exactly where it is needed and works by stimulating penile circulation, through the gradual growth of new blood vessels ( neo-angiogenesis), restoring spontaneous erection to the patient because circulation in the penis returns to normal and can provide an efficient erection.

Sex education : let’s address the issue

25 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Talking about sex? Sure, but with whom? For years, we have witnessed the unfortunate back-and-forth between family and school, with neither taking responsibility for addressing the sensitive topic in depth with the youngest. In a new study supported by Bayer, GKF Health-a social and market research institute- surveyed 3,000 adolescents about their attitudes about sexuality and contraception. The results are both encouraging and alarming. And many of the responses turn out to be contradictory: on the one hand, respondents agreed, regardless of nationality, that the topic of sexuality should not be considered taboo, but on the other hand, many also said that they could not talk about it freely with their partners. According to the study, in many countries it is still teachers who provide the first information about sexuality through sex education in schools. However, adolescents say they are not totally satisfied with this kind of information and prefer to find it on the Internet. Difficult, therefore, is the dialogue between generations because of different habits and lifestyles, and to address the issue satisfactorily, a one-way exchange of information is not enough.

We at EducareYou have gone a step further and chosen to talk about sex thanks to two insightful specialists who, through videos and interviews, will take our readers by the hand and, with simplicity but rigor at the same time, regularly address not only evergreen issues that affect children and adolescents, but also new issues that arise in an age when life expectancy continues to lengthen and-unfortunately-the sexuality of third and fourth age is no longer (or almost) taboo.

Who are our experts? Two well-known names whose qualifications alone explain their experience and professionalism.

Marco Rossi, who in 2001 participated in the birth of a successful TV show on the sexuality, “Loveline“, is a specialist in psychiatry, clinical sexologist, and president of the Italian Society of Sexology and Sex Education. In addition, he is scientific director and lecturer of the master’s degree program in sexology PL (Psychologists of Lombardy), as well as president of Sises, Society for Sexology and Sex Education. (www.marcorossi.it. Facebook: Marco Rossi, sexologist and psychiatrist). He will have the arduous task of framing and explaining the most diverse topics especially from a psychological point of view.
And, among other things, he will explain what intramarital seduction consists of, whether indeed the so-called “macho” can be called uninhibited, when it is purported to be singletude
as a way of life.
Alexander G. Littara instead is a medical surgeon, a specialist in general surgery, genital plastic-aesthetic surgery, and an andrologist/sexologist. A firm believer in computerization, Dr. Littara is the author of the first Italian website dedicated to andrology, www.androweb.it, as well as www.falloplastica.net. Among Dr. Littara’s apps, that will provide us with explanations species organic, there is also SexOS (free, interactive and multimedia) which aims to popularize andrology to help men, who are often embarrassed when faced with certain situations, learn more about their bodies and sexuality.

Sunglasses: an important act of prevention

26 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

It is not only about looks but also about health and prevention for our eyes. In fact, they too need protection in summer. Just like the skin. Yet only 15 percent of Italians always use sunglasses, while 30 percent rarely use them. And the most at-risk groups, represented by the extreme age groups, are the most exposed: 60 percent of children between two and six years old forget to wear them, and among the elderly this percentage is even higher.

Beware of the sun

But why is the sun one of the greatest dangers to our eyesight? Eighty percent of the information that reaches our brains goes right through our eyes, which are therefore always operational, in any situation. In addition to the long duration of exposure to light, however, it should be pointed out that ultraviolet rays, as is true for the skin, can damage the retina, the sensitive tissue of the eye, triggering degenerative processes over time that are responsible for declining visual acuity in old age.

That’s why sunglasses, hat and T-shirt are essential to defend yourself from UV rays, especially where there are reflective surfaces, such as sand and water at the seaside, rocks and glaciers in high mountains. Even children with corrective means, must be provided with graduated sunglasses. And remember that light-eyed individuals are the most vulnerable. Therefore, the use of certified lenses preserves the health of our eyes.

The rules to follow

1) Seeking advice from the optician, choose sunglasses according to the use to be made of them and the places to which you are to go. For example, whether it is to be worn every day, for sports or driving, whether it will be used in the city or on vacation.

2) Minimize exposure to the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

3) For nearsighted people, brown sunglass lenses are preferable, while for farsighted people, gray-green is better, with lenses that can be either graded or progressive.

4) Remember to wear glasses even in the shade and even if the sky is cloudy, to protect your eyes from reflected radiation.

HEALTH: Beware of obesity when expecting a baby

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Obesity is always dangerous, but it becomes even more so for mothers expecting a baby. This is emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO), specifying that maternal obesity is not only a global health problem but is also associated with adverse outcomes, both for pregnant women and newborns.

The alarming data on obesity

Obesity is now officially identified as a global epidemic, that is, as one of the biggest health problems of the 21st century. Recent data from the WHO are alarming: since 1975, obesity worldwide has almost tripled to 13 percent, with an absolute 650 million obese individuals over the age of 18; 41 million children under the age of 5 who are overweight or obese; and more than 340 million children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 living with obesity.

Maternal obesity

Obesity can impact the individual from the moment of conception: in fact, very frequent cases of pregnant women who are obese due to previous obesity or excessive weight gain during gestation. “Maternal obesity,” says Dr. Daniela Galliano, director of the IVI Center in Rome – constitutes a serious problem that is associated with both maternal and perinatal adverse outcomes: in fact, it increases abortion rates and obstetric and neonatal complications, resulting in lower birth rates of healthy babies.

In addition to the negative consequences of moods for the mother,”Obesity is a major risk factor for the onset of chronic diseases during their children’s lifetimes, especially in adolescence and adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and neurodevelopmental delay. Finally, obesity-induced fetal programming of metabolic function may have an intergenerational effect and could, therefore, pass on obesity into the next generation.”

Conclusions on obesity

Therefore, it is essential to seek medical advice and, at the same time, change one’s eating behavior and lifestyle. How? With diets suggested by specialists (no to “do-it-yourself” diets, but early pregnancy diets followed by the doctor) and increased exercise, with the aim of reducing weight in women before conception of a child, and thus to break the vicious cycle of intergenerational obesity.

Technology: why some clouds reflect more

25 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

There are some seemingly simple questions that only science can answer. One such question concerns why some clouds “reflect more” than others. A team of researchers from the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Sciences of the National Research Council (Isac-Cnr) in Bologna recently confirmed experimentally a hypothesis formulated two decades ago that is of important climatological significance. And The results were published in the influential journal Nature.

The explanation

“That clouds form from small particles of atmospheric particulate matter has already been known for several years, but for the first time we have discovered that organic surfactant compounds of marine origin form cloud droplets much more effectively thus increasing the cooling effect of sea clouds”-says Maria Cristina Facchini, research executive at Isac-Cnr and coordinator of the Italian team that collaborated on the study together with other European, U.S. and Canadian universities and research centers. These are nanometer particles rich in organic compounds, resulting in clouds that contain a much higher number of droplets, even up to ten times, and are therefore more reflective and less likely to form precipitation. “The combination of these two factors exerts a cooling effect on the climate that, in light of these new results, can be better quantified.”

The discovery then invests the reflectivity (“albedo”) and precipitation-producing ability of clouds. Theoretical and laboratory studies had suggested the potentially important role in the cloud forma tion process of organic surfactants contained in atmospheric particulate matter. “Such an effect had in particular been hypothesized more than a decade ago in work I conducted (Facchini et al., Nature 1999), but it had never been observed in a real environment, much less simulated by models”-Maria Cristina Facchini points out-“That’s why we are talking about a study that constitutes a real breakthrough in the understanding of cloud formation processes from both experimental and theoretical perspectives. Now the challenge lies in determining the significance of the observed process at the large scale through further refinement of global climate models.

To put it in simpler words

Clouds are fundamental elements of our planet’s radiative balance-that is, the ratio of solar radiation that reaches Earth and that which is reflected back to space; the limited ability of the models currently developed and used by scholars to reproduce the processes of cloud formation and evolution, therefore, was a key uncertainty factor in the analysis and prediction of climate change, but now this study found how organic surfactants increase the ability of marine clouds to reflect solar radiation, affecting precipitation and climate. And we all know how, especially in recent years, temperature, rain and drought are increasingly on the agenda, debated by the media but also by the so-called man in the street.

But how good is olive oil made in Italy!

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Do we really know everything about the value of made-in-Italy olive oil, not only in terms of its positive health benefits but also about the various realities that revolve around this undoubted pride of our country? Well, there is an opportunity not to be missed: the seventh edition of the “Olio Officina Festival- Condiments for the palate & for the mind” takes place from Feb. 1-3 in Milan at the Palazzo delle Stelline.

The event

Aimed at producers, consumers, and connoisseurs, the event is a happening dedicated to olive oil and condiments. It represents a Unicum at the international level, both for how it succeeds in informing the general public about the value of oil across various disciplines (art, culture, tastings, in-depth seminars ), and for how it succeeds in creating synergies between professionals and agronomic experts, industry enthusiasts, institutions, artists, companies of production excellence and citizens. The theme of the 2018 edition-“I am a tree”-aims to highlight the role of olive trees not only in agribusiness but also on an environmental and cultural level. “Because olive trees are like that, they accompany families for generations and generations, they are part of the Italian identity. I am not a farmer, but I believe that each of us, next to an olive tree, feels part of the history of his or her area. The national production of oil- says Luigi Caricato, director and Creator of Olio Officina Festival- is currently severely in deficit to cover domestic domestic needs and those needed for export activities, amounting in total to 1 million tons. As for certified territorial oils, those recognized in the European Union, almost 40 percent are from Italian territories, amounting to 46 products with designations of origin (including 4 Igp). Greece and Spain follow with 29 awards each. Finally, there is the fact that organic oil covers 21 percent of the entire Italian olive-growing area to be highlighted. Our Festival aims to emphasize production quality and intends to make all the realities that revolve around this quality production, which once saw Italy in the forefront internationally, dialogue with each other.”

Three multifaceted days: economics, passion, culture, correct information

Over the years, olive oil has been elevated to the status of a functional food, as well as a nutraceutical food of utmost importance for personal health and well-being.

The Festival’s program is so dynamic and varied that each year it intrigues and excites the audience more and more, and it is difficult to summarize it: it is a path that educates to respect and sensory and taste analysis, as well as artistic. A few examples from the 2018 edition: at the ‘Olio Officina Festival Bookstore’‘ and the Literary Cafe themed books and authors are presented during the three days; conferences and seminars are numerous and delve into topics such as the sale of Oil in the GdO, in Luxury, in the Horeca channel, and the new consumption trends in Italy and the world. While the competition The shapes of oil highlights evolutions in design; along with meetings on ‘Why oil is good for your health- Hoaxes vs. scientific truths‘; the ‘Oleoteca of the Festival’, tastings, and chefs are available to visitors for dialogues, tastings, purchases and insights into the articulated panorama of national and niche oil production. Also innovative are the shows , screenings and theatrical performances; the “Artist’s Oil” exhibitions” are also notable for the innovative works on display, such as a 100-cm photocatalytic biodynamic sphere, treated with titanium and silicon nanotechnology, indoors, which can boast the same beneficial and healthy effect that three tall trees would produce in the same environment, and is an example of Clean art.

Not to mention the exhibition “Chiome d’Artista- Painting in Oil,” curated by the Artedamangiare Association in tribute and memory of Marina Ripa di Meana; the exhibitions of Food Design and artistic gardening installations and the antique olive press specimen, in real size, (thanks to the concession of Fratelli Turri), placed in the center of the Festival’s tour route, which evoke the links between the present, the past and project toward the future dimension of an attention to oil that must be cultivated, kept alive and promoted with continuity out of respect for those who, as producers, with toil and passion, believe in it from ancient times and transfer this know-how to the young with both cultural and agricultural roots that are all Italian.

HEALTH: a free legal desk for rare diseases

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

On the occasion of “Rare DiseaseDay 2018,” the Rare Disease Observatory unveiled a new service dedicated to patients: the Legal Desk, free of charge, christened “On the Rare’s Side.” The initiative was created to help people navigate the tangles of the legal, tax and bureaucratic world, within which it is often easy to get lost. The service, which is completely free of charge, has been active since Feb. 28: to access it simply go to the link https://www.osservatoriomalattierare.it/sportello-legale-omar-dalla-parte-dei-rari. The legal advice column is edited by Roberta Venturi, a lawyer and researcher at OSSFOR (Orphan Drug Observatory), and Ilaria Vacca, editor-in-chief of Omar.

What is Omar

The Rare Disease Observatory is a news outlet dedicated to rare diseases and rare cancers, receiving dozens of requests for help each week on issues of exemptions, civil disability recognition, and access to medications and treatments. “Although we deal purely with communication,” explains Ilaria Vacca, editor-in-chief of the paper, “we are honored to have become a real point of reference for people with rare diseases and their families. In fact, it is not always easy to provide timely and decisive answers, which is why we decided to activate a column dedicated to legal advice. We firmly believe in ‘service journalism’ and even more so in the synergy between journalism and the Law.”

“Coming up against complex regulations, legislative loopholes or excessive bureaucracy,” explains Roberta Venturi, a lawyer specializing in Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Administration and in Personal Data Protection in Healthcare and for Scientific Purposes and a researcher with the Orphan Drug Observatory, “can put patients and families in serious difficulty. Our goal, therefore, is to properly inform and orient our users to the correct legal approach to take.”

The new service

“O.Ma.R. has always stood by patients,” concludes Ilaria Ciancaleoni, director of the Observatory; “with this service, we can offer additional practical help to the many people who find themselves in difficulty. We also want to strengthen our communication channel with the Ministry of Health, with Aifa, with INPS, and with the regions and ASLs, key players in the protection of people with rare diseases.”

The Legal Desk service, which is completely free of charge, will collect all requests that come to the service, using a special contact form, and will also offer initial legal guidance response to all users. Some cases will be followed closely and told within the column. Answers to numerous FAQs on the topics of exemptions, civil disability recognition, Law 104 and tax benefits are already active on the home page of the service. All thanks to Omar!

Art also positively influences health

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

At St. Joseph’s Hospital Di Milano, life and art come to light thanks to “Curarsi ad Arte,” an exhibition itinerary of care and culture now in its second edition. At the Maternal-Infantile Department of the facility for the past few days it has been possible to admire a series of paintings made by students of the Brera Academy on the theme of light. According to the “cultural welfare” paradigm, art and culture improve patients’ quality of life by reducing hospitalization, inpatient and medicalization costs: It is no coincidence that one of the objectives of the 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage is to highlight the contribution of culture to the well-being of EU citizens.

The initiative

In the presence of Lombardy Region Welfare Councillor Giulio Gallera, the exhibition “Curarsi ad arte – La luce” was inauguratedprecisely on Dec. 13, the day that celebrates St. Lucy, considered the patron saint of eyesight. Launched in 2016 thanks to the collaboration between the well-known Milanese hospital and the prestigious Art Institute, the project was born as an original experiment of “diffuse museum” within places deputed to care and, after the success of the first edition, is back again this year with a specific focus on light. Exactly in the corridors of the Maternal-Infantile Department, where new lives are being “brought to light,” works created by Brera students are in fact on display.
The virtuous partnership between Art and Medicine thus continues., which, on the one hand, allows young artists to exhibit and make themselves known; on the other hand, it creates an unprecedented possibility of cultural fruition, taking art outside its classical “temples” and bringing it closer to a particular audience: that of the users and health workers who populate the corridors of a large Italian hospital every day. In addition, there is a growing body of evidence confirming that art and beauty can exert a beneficial effect on patients, aiding the healing process and, at the same time, reducing anxiety and depression.

Health benefits of culture

“Today there are studies that show the effect of culture on quality of life and psychological well-being, but also its effectiveness in a wide variety of clinical areas”-confirms Pier Luigi Sacco, professor of Economics of Culture at IULM University in Milan. The idea of a possible“cultural welfare” paradigm is spreading” which, with appropriately declined interventions, is able to produce an improvement in the conditions of the people being cared for, at the same time reducing the costs of hospitalization, hospitalization and medicalization, and freeing up resources that can be used, among other purposes, to cover these same interventions, which would then in fact be self-financing. In order to achieve such a result, new pilot experiences are needed, no longer as has happened so far on a small scale, but with significantly larger numbers.”
Unlike 2016, for this year’s edition, students were given a theme to develop: light. “On our part, it therefore seemed logical and natural to offer the St. Joseph’s Maternal and Child Wards as an exhibition space”- concludes Daniele Schwarz, chief executive officer and general manager of the MultiMedica Group -.This department, in recent years, has been able to regain a leading role in Milan’s birth rate, reaching a quota close to 1,500 annual deliveries. Not only that, it has contributed to St. Joseph’s Hospital obtaining the recognition of the two Pink Stamps of the National Observatory on Women’s Health (ONDA). Results also made possible thanks to numerous upgrades and modernizations: from the new delivery block with a tub for water births, to the activation of a second-level neonatal intensive care unit, to name but a few examples.”

The exhibited works were created by: Flavia Albu, Marta Galbusera, Raffaele Greco, Maddalena Lusso, Anna Mangone, Michele Oppizzi. The selection was made by the Scientific Committee composed of: Franco Marrocco, Director, Brera Academy of Fine Arts; Daniele Schwarz, CEO, MultiMedica Group; Giuseppe Bonini, Dean, Department of Visual Arts, Brera Academy of Fine Arts; Roberto Casiraghi, Lecturer, Department of Visual Arts, Brera Academy of Fine Arts; Alessandra Chiarello, Director of Marketing and Communications, MultiMedica Group; Sergio Harari, President of Peripato Association; Alberto Mugnaini, Curator and art critic; Pierluigi Sacco, Professor of Economics of Culture, IULM/Special Advisor to the European Commissioner for Culture/Visiting Scholar, Harvard University; Carmen Sommese, Corporate Health Director, MultiMedica Group

SOCIETY: Italy’s tourism is a 100 billion euro industry

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Finally some good news: Italy, which partly thanks to its 53 UNESCO sites is the first country in the world in terms of availability of artistic-cultural heritage, is among the top three countries where we recommend traveling in 2018, confirming the strategic role that tourism plays in our economy.

NRC data

Released Tuesday, Feb. 13, in Milan, data from the 21st Report on Italian Tourism edited by the Research Institute on Innovations and Services for Development of the National Research Council (Iriss-Cnr): they indicate a record 117 million arrivals in 2016 (3.5 million more than in 2015), confirming the positive trend Of previous years. About 40 percent of visitors are foreigners: led by Germany with 56 million visitors, followed by France and the United Kingdom. The most visited regions are Veneto (22 percent), Tuscany (12 percent) and Lombardy (11.2 percent).

In detail: in 2016, tourism consumption in Italy amounted to 93.9 billion euros, of which 36.4 billion was attributable to foreign demand (38.7 percent of the total) and 57.6 billion to domestic demand (61.3 percent). The added value generated stood at 103.6 billion euros, more than three times that produced in the agribusiness sector and more than four times the wealth generated by textiles and apparel.

An outstanding result

The positive trend is also reinforced by provisional data for the first half of 2017, which reveal increases in arrivals and presences of 5.5 percent and 7 percent, respectively, compared to the same period last year. On a similar trend is the forecast for 2018, which indicates a further progress in arrivals of 4 percent.

Foreign admissions show a steady positive trend with an average annual rate over the five-year period from 2011 to 2016 of +2.5 percent (between 2015 and 2016 +3.5 percent). In particular, Germans, with about 56 million admissions, hold the largest share (28.4 percent), followed by the French and tourists from the United Kingdom, who, with about 13 million admissions, stand at 6.7 percent and 6.5 percent. It should be noted that about 70 percent of the foreign presence is concentrated in six regions: Veneto (22 percent), Tuscany (12 percent), Lombardy (11.2 percent), Bolzano Province (10.8 percent), Lazio (9.8 percent) and Emilia-Romagna (5 percent). Thus, the growth in domestic tourism, from the peak in attendance recorded in 2014-2015 (+4.5 percent), shifted between 2015 and 2016 to a much smaller increase of 1.6 percent.

“These dynamics represent the result of the combined effect of exogenous factors, related to economic crises, natural disasters or terrorist attacks, and structural changes in the sector,” says Iriss-Cnr Director Alfonso Morvillo, editor of the report along with Emilio Becheri and Roberto Micera-.These include: the emergence of new forms of receptivity in the tourism market as a reflection of the spread of the sharing economy; the affirmation of reintermediation through Online Travel Agencies; the implementation of strategies to support villages for the enhancement of inland areas and for the recovery of areas affected by the earthquake; and the emergence of new segments, both as an evolution of traditional markets (landscape tourism and fandom tourism) and as niche phenomena, which are developing (tourism of new family groups, shopping tourism, luxury tourism).”

SOCIETY: When grandparents are exploited.

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

How many times have we heard such phrases? ” I love my grandchildren, but since they are here I can no longer have a moment to myself: I have a strict schedule to keep, which involves picking them up from school, taking them to dance, swimming, little parties with their little friends….” In short, abetted by the economic crisis, many parents who have jobs are holding onto them tightly and cannot (nor do they want to)pay their meager salaries to expensive babysitters. There are grandparents anyway, retired and available-actually, happy-to devote themselves to them full time. But is it really like that?

A national convention of CNA Pensioners ( the union promoted by the National Confederation of Craftsmen and Small and Medium Enterprises to protect and safeguard the interests of the elderly) wanted to explore the topic. The event dates back to last summer, but it is worth reporting its findings, which have probably escaped several “exploited grandparents.”

Adult children and the strange perception of exploitation

From the close meeting with participants, the deep need for consideration, and the search for balance, both in the relationship with children and in the relationship with one’s partner emerged. Beyond the objectivity or otherwise of so many claims-as one can read on the Association’s website-one is confronted with a painful, resentful and sad inner experience that needs to be welcomed, understood and processed. Today’s elderly person is aware of the difficulties of today’s society: the stressful job, the lack of time, the thousands of commitments that grandchildren cannot and do not want to escape from (sports, music, friends), but where do his needs go if he is considered only as a grandparent-sitter, then a grandparent-parker, and then again a mere ATM?

Exploitation as a concealed feeling.

The difficulties of adult children are well understood by an aging parent, who, however, often refrains from communicating his or her thoughts or displeasures with respect to perceived inner exploitation, so as not to burden children already “burdened” by society. The perceived, in fact, perception of many parents over 70 is that they are being used by their children for financial interests or, in general, for needs related to the management of grandchildren and care of the children’s family. These feelings initially manifest as acceptance, later turning into annoyance, anger, then resentment and finally resignation. “Most of the time these inner emotional experiences are not communicated to one’s children or, if one does, this is done with little conviction, making one perceive oneself as complaining or uncaring of others’ needs. Failure to exchange results on the one hand in the child’s omertà, which continues in exploitation by pretending nothing happened, and on the other hand instigates in the aging parent the origin of hostile feelings. The ending? A frustrated extended family, which cannot express itself, and which, as always happens when one is compressed, sooner or later may explode, at the wrong time, with misplaced words that provoke offenses, judgments, prejudices and grudges.”

The courage of intergenerational confrontation.

The conclusion? Talk and share your thoughts with your children: making the feeling of “exploitation” known leads to confrontation anyway. And comparison, you know, is always good. In this case, it could serve to allocate rights and duties within the family. And , therefore, determine who should do what, and within what limits.

Italians, that thin red thread between bon ton and well-being at the table

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Bon Ton: not only form but also substance. Nestlé research shows how Italians creatively interpret etiquette at the dinner table, thus moving away from the intrinsic meaning of some of its rules related to proper nutrition.

The results of the research on etiquette

Does good table man ners still exist? Research commissioned by Nestlé on table etiquette has revealed Italians with bad habits, creative interpreters of the unwritten laws of bon ton, forgetting that many of them have a definite meaning beyond good manners. Rather than having drifted away from good table manners, therefore, it is more accurate to say that we have drifted away from our memory the fundamentals of healthy and balanced eating that are often hidden behind precise educational norms.

Take for example the old rule that it is not good manners to advance food on the plate. The 30% of Italians do not think this is a display of discourtesy at all: it follows that not only are we not as polite as we think, but we have a real problem with portions, which are often disproportionate to the real need.

On the other hand, about 1 in 3 Italians say they do not mind taking too large portions when dining with guests. Thus, not only is the basic principle of healthy and balanced eating that calls for portions in relation to lifestyle being ignored, but a more contemporary etiquette that deprecates excess in favor of a greater respect for the environment that dislikes waste is also forgotten.

Dr. Giuseppe Fatati, president of the ADI Foundation, comments.: “The scientific community agrees that the mere sight of the abundance of food on one’s plate influences one’s desire to consume it; consequently, it would be better-both as a matter of courtesy and to avoid unnecessary binge eating-to allow oneself moderate portions and, also out of a respect for the hospitality of others, to accept an encore only after one has finished what one has on one’s plate, rather than risk leaving leftover food or getting up from the table with an overfull belly.”

What about the “slipper?”

Probed and filed instead the “slipper.” That one absolutely can’t be touched! Almost as if it were an institution in the unwritten manual of nutrition. Rude or not, 30 percent of Italians even though they have leftover food on their plates, they do not give up the scrap. After a good pasta dish, for example, scooping up the dressing with bread only adds more calories to an already amply full meal.

Also among the behaviors probed by Nestlé is the controversial use of salt at the table. According to etiquette, in fact, it can be considered a demonstration that the offered food is not appreciated. But again, 45 percent of the sample surveyed believe that adding salt to the table is not a problem. In this case, therefore, we prove to be not only rude but also uninformed about the new recommendations.

For Italians, there are unavoidable rules

Here are three actions we love to take before we sit down to eat:

washing our hands for 89%;
wishing good appetite for 65% (but wasn’t it stipulated that it was rude?);
drinking a glass of water for 34%.

Moreover, the research would reveal that the epitome of good manners and good manners, for as many as 75 percent of respondents, is eating with their mouths closed, which would be followed by the habit of leaving cell phones away from the table (64 percent) and turning off the television during lunch and dinner (46 percent). Dr. Fatati expresses doubts here: “Unfortunately, it is not known whether these are good intentions or whether concretely resolutions are being kept. One would be forgiven for thinking that the last two points are not very much in line with the observed bad habit of ‘non-conviviality’ that sees increasingly quick, frugal and isolated meals rather than relaxed meals in company that besides being good for your health are certainly good for your mood!”

Conclusions

All in all, we are not doing so bad. While Nestlé’s research highlighted some flaws in our education at the table and consequently the lack of information on very important nutritional issues, it had the merit of pointing out the cracks in some hitherto unassailable rules.

What if in 2018 it was time to rewrite etiquette? At least in part, to make it adhere to a more ‘holistic’ vision in which courtesy and well-being, healthy eating and care for the environment make up different sides of one universal coin.

HEALTH: “REGIONAL ANTENNAS” are born to stay closer to women

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Onda, “National Observatory on Women’s Health and Gender,” will be even closer to the territory and the female population. How? With the establishment of the Regional Antennae, it will be able to better capture the various problems and calls for action to address the stark unevenness still evident among different regional health care systems. The goal of the Antennae, in fact, is to disseminate, support and promote the Observatory’s initiatives on the ground and, at the same time, to collect regional instances by forwarding them to headquarters.

The antennas present in 10 regions

Antennae are currently being established in: Basilicata, Calabria, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Lazio, Lombardy, Piedmont, Sardinia, Tuscany, Trentino Alto-Adige and Veneto. “We have worked hard for this expansion”-comments Francesca Merzagora, president of Onda. Our Observatory is constantly evolving, it is dynamic, increasingly oriented toward gender-specific medicine, and we are continuing our efforts so that the Antennas go from being present in ten regions to the whole of Italy. In our opinion, the Regional Antennae are a very important support in pursuing institutional goals and promoting women’s health at all stages of their lives.”

“The Wave Antennas are in order of time the latest initiative of the Observatory for the gender health– adds Alberto Costa, vice president of Onda-and they wish to establish a structured and articulate form of ‘word of mouth,’ communicating valuable information directly to headquarters from the geographic areas in which they operate and, in turn, spreading national initiatives locally.” An important contribution, too, against the fake news that is spreading like wildfire in the highly sensitive and complex field of health.

SOCIETY: What if reading could curb excessive jealousy?

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

We live in a world where jealousy seems to be the trigger for so-called feminicide: in Italy, a woman is killed every two days. As the media reports after the crime has occurred, jealousy and a sick sense of possession over the victim are almost always the cause. Re-education of the male, starting with the family and continuing in classrooms-this is just one of the most obvious solutions that many experts propose. Forgetting that such sentiment, while manifesting mainly in the relationship between couples, is also found in relationships between siblings, between friends, between co-workers. What if literature could be a cure?

Literature as therapy

Based on the idea that reading is able to make us better understand the world around us, a series has just been launched that, by proposing the great classics by means of certain key words (along with jealousy, also corruption, gossip, passion, which not infrequently turn into authentic pathologies), the authors of the “Bibliotherapy Series” of the Maria Margherita Bulgarini publishing house reread the ancients, asking questions that have always existed and trying to give them answers. It kicks off, precisely ”Jealousy” edited by Caterina Barsanti, who well explains in her Preface, “If in the classical age women were also guilty of heinous crimes, in later centuries it was mainly men who psychologically and physically assaulted their women. The woman becomes the quintessential victim of the monster’s fury, and this as mentioned still happens all too often in our days. Literature can in this sense serve an additional function and act as therapy, as a cure, to make the reader, all readers, aware of what can happen in a mind when immersed in destructive logic. Becoming conscious can serve to prevent or curb the violence of progressively uncontrollable moods.”.

Ten authors to understand more about jealousy

The 12 pieces chosen belong to ten immortal authors, from Euripides to Ludovico Ariosto, Shakespeare to Molière, and Tolstoy and Carlo Goldoni. As we immerse ourselves in reading these pages, which range from the comic to the dramatic, we will find abundant food for thought on jealousy, in all its facets. And at the same time, by way of true therapy, we will have the useful tools to better understand the mechanisms that trigger this state of mind, which leads to Othello’s revenge, Medea’s infanticide, and Orlando’s explosive jealousy. In short, a compass for how to deal with “the green-eyed monster that mocks the flesh on which it feeds,” to quote Shakespeare’s Othello.

Either way, bibliotherapy sounds like a great idea to us. And starting with this anthology could also be the first step for all those Italians (6 out of 10) who do not read even one book in a year… After all, dreaming costs nothing!

Viruses? They are not always harmful

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Virus is not always synonymous with “harmful cause,” carrying negative effects. At least in the deep sea, where plankton viral infections are the engine of the food chain. The news is more than reliable, coming from Spanish-Italian research involving Ismar-Cnr, and published in “Science Advances,” which shows that in the deep oceans, plankton viral infections release 140 gigatonnes of fresh organic carbon each year for the ecosystem food chain. The results? They will help improve estimates of the earth’s global carbon cycle, useful for understanding climate change.

The study

If the depths of the oceans continue to be populated by fish and other sea creatures, the study says, credit is also due to viruses that, by infecting plankton, put essential nutrients back into the ecosystem’s food chain. “The research is based on the analysis of more than a thousand water samples collected, from the surface to depths of 4,000 meters, along the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans during a scientific expedition conducted in 2010 and funded by the Csic called Malaspina Expedition and tracing the eponymous globe circumnavigation expedition led by Alessandro Malaspina in the late 1700s,” explains Gian Marco Luna, an Ismar-Cnr researcher from Ancona and co-author of the study. “We have shown that viruses from deep environments, about which little has been known until now, are able to prey on microbial plankton much more actively than previously thought.”

Specifically, it is estimated that in the global ocean these viruses infect hundreds of trillions of plankton microorganisms every second (one trillion equals trillion). The viruses destroy the infected cells, which thus put their valuable contents, composed of biomolecules of high nutritional quality, back into the surrounding water. Thus, an important fraction of such organic matter becomes nutrients for other microorganisms, according to the effect known as“viral priming,” feeding the entire food web down to the fish.

Effects

Researchers have also shown that viral infection, particularly in the deep ocean, is responsible for the regeneration of a huge amount of dissolved organic carbon. “Using flow cytometry, a laser technique used in biology that allows the detection and counting of cells and viruses in ocean water samples, we showed that viral infection is responsible for the annual release of 140 gigatonnes of carbon (one gigatonnes corresponds to one billion tons), thus contributing to the global ocean carbon cycle,” continues first author of the paper Elena Lara, a Spanish researcher currently with Ismar-Cnr in Venice and associated with Icm-Csic in Barcelona. Viruses, by breaking down the cells of living microbes, then produce fresh organic carbon, made of biomolecules that are more digestible and potentially more usable along the trophic network than the large slice of dissolved organic carbon.

MEDICINE: characteristics and symptoms of diabetes

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Diabetes-which, for accuracy, should be referred to as “diabetes mellitus”-is a complex disease in which there is an increase in blood glucose levels due to a deficit in the amount and, often, in the biological effectiveness ofinsulin, the hormone that controls blood glucose and is produced by the pancreas. It is a very common condition: about 3 million people in Italy have been diagnosed with diabetes, and, in addition, it is estimated that another 1.5 million have the disease without knowing it. Internationally recognized, the new classification of diabetes drawn up in 1997 divides diabetes into three main types:

Type 1 diabetes mellitus = Includes almost all immune-mediated forms of diabetes; here the underlying cause is a malfunction of the immune system, which, recognizing “pancreatic beta cells “of the so-called islets of Langerhans as foreign, attacks and destroys them.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus = This includes all forms of diabetes, due to a deficit in insulin secretion, by the pancreatic beta cells of the islets of Langerhans, and a resistance of the body tissues to the action of insulin (insulin resistance).
Gestational diabetes = As it was in the old classification, this includes forms of diabetes secondary to the state of pregnancy. Generally, it is a transient phenomenon.

Disorders and symptoms of diabetes

In the vast majority of cases, the disease gives no discomfort. If these are present they are intense thirst (polydipsia), need to urinate often with copious urine (polyuria), and fatigue (asthenia). In type 1 diabetes there is often weight loss, and the onset of the disease can be abrupt with noticeable malaise, drowsiness, and acetone odor on the breath. In contrast, in type 2 diabetes the diagnosis is often made in a person who is basically well at laboratory tests (check up) or during investigations or hospitalization for another disease (casual diagnosis).

Risk factors

In type 1 diabetes:

First-degree relatives (parents, siblings) with type 1 diabetes;
Autoimmune diseases (such as thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, vitiligo);
Autoimmune diseases among first-degree relatives

In type 2 diabetes these are the main ones:

First-degree relatives with type 2 diabetes;
Suboptimal blood glucose or HbA1c;
Previous gestational diabetes;
Excess body weight;ssedentariness;
Overfeeding;
Smoking;
Hypertension;
Low HDL cholesterol;
Elevated triglycerides;
Advanced age.

Care

The treatment program should include periodic medical visits from one’s general practitioner and diabetes specialist, according to an individually agreed protocol that takes into account the patient’s clinical characteristics. The treatment program should include periodic screening and staging for any chronic complications of the disease, with certain tests repeated at preestablished intervals.

HEALTH: MORE INFORMATION FOR THE PREGNANT WOMAN WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

24 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

As many as 114,000 people in Italy are affected by multiple sclerosis, a chronic progressive neurological disease. Women of childbearing age are the most affected and many of them want to have children, but there is still too much misinformation. A European survey reveals thisconducted by Wakefield Research with support from Teva Pharmaceuticals Europe and touchNeurology® in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom among a sample of 1,000 women (200 in each of the 5 countries) aged 25 to 35 years diagnosed with relapsing Multiple Sclerosis in the past 5 years. Respondents were invited, via e-mail, to participate in the online survey that took place between August 10 and September 1, 2017.

Multiple sclerosis and pregnancy

Insufficient access to information and persistent misconceptions are potentially fueled by the lack of dialogue with the physician on pregnancy-related issues. In fact, it was found that more than one in three women, or 35 percent of the total number of women, do not talk about these issues with their neurologist/MS specialist, and 49 percent do not even talk about them with their primary care physician, despite the fact that these are issues close to their hearts. Instead, “a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis,” says Maria Pia Amato, Ordinaria of the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Florence, “can raise many questions in women about the issues of contraception and pregnancy. We know that for most women with this disease, the risk of pregnancy-related complications does not generally increase. Women with MS need access to quality information and support from trained health care providers. In the PRIMUS project, Professor Amato continued, we adopted a multidisciplinary approach with the participation of neurologists from MS Clinical Centers, gynecologists and psychologists. The multidisciplinary team, based on the evidence available in the literature and clinical experience, developed a consensus with respect to counseling the woman with MS facing a maternity project and the treatment choices to be evaluated before, during pregnancy and in the postpartum period.”

Conclusions

The “Toolkit on Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy,” can be downloaded in the English language version on the TouchNeurology website. The most developed themes concern the misconceptions that have emerged; at the same time, it is intended to stimulate a more in-depth dialogue between women and their physicians. In particular, here are the most clicked points:

– Information on Multiple Sclerosis and pregnancy issues for women with this condition

– Advice on pregnancy-related issues

– Guidance for physicians on survey results and dialogue with their patients.

No more alibis for excluding books and culture from daily life

23 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Traveling by train, instead of compulsively devoting ourselves only to our cell phones, we can also do other things, just as we did in the pre-telephone era. Even writing a novel (the first one!) and having it published by a major publishing house like Mondadori. Ludovico Paganelli teaches us., 40 years old to be turned in a few days, a job as a bank executive and many hobbies, as well as commuting for love between Milan and Santa Margherita Ligure for several years: an opportunity he made the most of to bring to life an intriguing detective story set in the Lombard capital of the present day, a volume just released in bookstores throughout Italy.

The plot of “The Seed of Violence”

For nearly thirteen years, Margot Blanchard, a young and charming police commissioner in Milan’s Piazza San Sepolcro, has successfully steered clear of the shadows that threaten to obscure a hard-won happiness, crowned by a dream of rising to the top of the Police Force and a happy marriage that gave her a beautiful baby girl, Isabelle. But even for her, the time to settle accounts with the past seems to have come inexorably. It’s Christmas Eve in the year of Expo and a man is stabbed to death in Piazza degli Affari. That night the streets around the historic center are deserted and there are no witnesses. She is called upon to investigate the case herself.

Assisted in the investigation by Inspector Colasanti and Officer Mantovani, Margot discovers that the victim is one Mario Pittaluga, a financial consultant at the agency of a well-known credit institution. The investigation begins and it soon becomes apparent that Pittaluga was supplementing his salary through unscrupulous speculative activity on the stock market.

Margot steers the investigation on the track of a financial motive, but it only takes her a few days to realize that the victim’s parallel activity is but the tip of an iceberg that hides far more dramatic truths. And it is precisely such truths that overwhelm Margot with devastating fury, forcing her to struggle against the demons of a now distant past from which, however, she can no longer escape. For the terrible facts that gravitate around the murder threaten to tear down in an instant the psychological and familial stability for which Margot has fought so hard, and to bring to light unmentionable secrets that have scarred her life.

Let’s start reading again!

What this young author’s experience should teach all of us, bar none, is that a train, bus or coach trip is not just about sending chats, checking the weather forecast, updating various social…. Instead, one can gaze at the view from the window, listen to good music on headphones, and most importantly engage in reading all those books that we say we never even have time to browse through. Why not start with this compelling debut thriller by Paganelli? It will certainly be a pleasant and intelligent way to reconnect with reading.

Helping independent and nonprofit research alongside Fadoi

23 February 20246 January 2024 by MinnieLuongo

Starting today, you can help independent, nonprofit research alongside Fadoi, the National Federation of Associations of Hospital Leaders Internists. “We believe that long-term investments and quality interventions that enhance research are essential,” says Andrea Fontanella, president of Fadoi. In particular, the role of nonprofit research is fundamental, but well-calibrated organizational models are needed to optimize it and remain competitive at the European and international level.”

A conference to present the initiative

The project was presented at the Fifth Fadoi conference, which has now become a traditional event for the Federation to analyze critical issues and perspectives of clinical research in Italy. In addition to exhibiting some virtuous models active in our country, this meeting proposed a wide-ranging discussion with top representatives of pharmaceutical companies, with a view to dialogue, collaboration and synergy between independent and industrial research.

And it is precisely because of great strides in research that life expectancy worldwide has increased. However, the Aifa (Italian Medicines Agency) 2017 Report shows that over the past seven years. nonprofit research in Italy has seen a 47 percent reduction in the number of drug clinical trials. This is a symptom of a lackluster situation; more generally, as research investment in the broadest sense, we are far from the set by the European Council, which is to raise investment in research and development to 3 percent of GDP.

Our country invests about 1.5 percent in the sector, compared with the EU average of more than 2 percent. These percentage fractions actually correspond to tens of billions of euros. The coming years will be marked by major challenges, and Italy must reassert its rightful role in the international clinical research landscape.

The activities of the federation

As part of the theme on nonprofit research in Italy, in the 5th Fadoi Conference-which this year was held at the Ministry of Health-there was ample emphasis on the patient associations present and the centrality of the individual in research, highlighting in particular the fundamental role of independent research. This year, the Federation awarded the award Fadoi national award to Prof. Silvio Garattini for his commitment to research.

The congress is part of the activities of the Federation, which also periodically organizes seminars open to experts and other popular meetings for patients. It also has a study and documentation center; has a widespread presence in the territory; promotes and implements research projects in the field of health; and also organizes refresher and training courses. Fadoi’s goals also include dialogue with institutions to emphasize the figure of the physician and researcher, as well as to develop projects for the benefit of patients and their families.

For all the info on Fadoi, you can consult the website
www.fadoi.org
.

Pictured: Andrea Fontanella on the right presents the 2017 Fadoi National Award to Silvio Garattini on the left.