Suchergebnisse

AbstractThe research explores the effects of the environment on neonatal mortality in the early nineteenth century, controlling for social and economic factors. Individual data, relative to the resident population of Udine, a city in northeastern Italy, under French domination (1806–1815) have been used. The information collected regards births and deaths within the first month of life and is taken from the Napoleonic civil registers. The spatial distribution of some data within the urban area, heating in the houses where children were born or died, and a time series of temperature levels and corn prices are taken into account. The methodological approach adopted is based on logistic regression models and discrete-time event history analysis. The results point to excess winter neonatal mortality. Neonatal mortality was higher in peripheral areas of the city and in heated houses. A positive relationship between mortality and lower temperatures and corn prices has been found. As to socioeconomic status, peasant families and those of the upper class showed, respectively, the lowest and the highest mortality levels. This was arguably the result of the adoption of different breastfeeding practices.

Student mobility has been much commented upon and much studied. Student mobility has social, economic, and political consequences. This form of mobility is relevant, in Italy, in terms of south-north flows, while the mobility of northern students toward the South and Centre of Italy is negligible. To the best of our knowledge, a proper focus on the dynamics among northern regions has not yet been carried out. This study focuses on the interregional mobility of northern first-year students. To this end, we use a longitudinal dataset with students' individual histories from 2008 to 2017, obtained from the cohort-based datasets collected using the Italian Ministry of University's administrative databases. Descriptive and model-based analyses are employed for assessing the association between the propensity to move and individual characteristics, as well as some territorial variables. A longitudinal study is also considered. Here, we see an increase in the population entering the university system and mobility flows across northern regions. The results show that students' educational experiences influence the propensity to move. However, the most relevant driver of the phenomenon is the attractiveness of areas with a higher supply of university courses and a better economic context.

IntroductionWe designed a randomized, controlled prospective study aimed at comparing efficacy and tolerability of ezetimibe+fenofibrate treatment versus pravastatin monotherapy in dyslipidemic HIV‐positive (HIV+) patients treated with protease inhibitors (PIs).MethodsWe consecutively enrolled 42 HIV+ dyslipidemic patients on stable PIs therapy (LDL cholesterol >130 mg/dl or triglycerides 200–500 mg/dl with non‐HDL cholesterol >160 mg/dl). After basal evaluation, patients were randomized to a six‐month treatment with ezetimibe 10 mg/day+fenofibrate 200 mg/day or with pravastatin 40 mg/day. Both at the basal evaluation and after the six‐month treatment, the patients underwent blood tests for lipid parameters, and muscle and liver enzymes.ResultsAt baseline, the two groups (21 patients each) were similar with regards to gender, age, BMI, blood pressure and virologic and metabolic parameters. After the six‐month therapy, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and non‐HDL cholesterol decreased significantly (p<0.01) in both groups. high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased (44±10 to 53±12 mg/dl, p<0.005) and triglycerides decreased (from 265±118 mg/dl to 149±37 mg/dl, p<0.001) in the ezetimibe+fenofibrate group, whereas both parameters remained unchanged in the pravastatin group. Mean values of creatine kinase (CK), alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were unchanged in both groups; only one patient in the pravastatin group stopped the treatment after two months, due to increased CK.ConclusionsIn dyslipidemic HIV+ patients on PI therapy, the association of ezetimibe+fenofibrate is more effective than pravastatin monotherapy in improving lipid profile and is also well tolerated.