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In the human brain, the neuronal pathways are networks which support our learning, memory and thought, and which work with permanent feedback. However, only 19% of illustrations of these neuronal pathways, in the 55 analysed school textbooks coming from 15 countries, were showing feedbacks. The neuronal pathways related to movements were generally introduced by linear spinal cord reflexes, and sometimes mostly reduced to reflexes. In consequence, in most countries, the scientific knowledge taught with these images of neuronal pathways was linked with an implicit ideology: A clear behaviourism associated with reductionism, and even sometimes with innatism or spiritualism. Two thirds of the few images with feedback were related to vegetative functions: the neuro-hormonal control of female and male reproduction, and of heart and breathing rhythms. Nevertheless, even for these vegetative controls, there was not any feedback in several of the 55 analysed textbooks. Only in three countries, the double innervation (gamma and alpha) of striated muscles, with the regulatory function of the neuro-muscular spindle, was illustrated with only one image in each of the three corresponding textbooks. Few images illustrated neuronal pathways in the brain, and only exceptionally as the neuronal networks (with feedback) which are the supports of our memory and of our thought. The persistence of the same kind of images in school textbooks of these contrasted countries suggest that the conceptions of human brain are less linked to national socio-cultural contexts rather than to international dominant ideologies. (Contains 1 footnote, 2 tables, and 12 figures.)

Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED) is becoming a common drinking pattern among young adults in South Europe. Additionally, alcohol consumption has increased among young women, narrowing the gender gap in alcohol use. In the scope of the European action-research project 'ALLCOOL', this study explores sex-related differences on HED among young adults [18-29] living in Southern European cities of Porto, Tarragona and Bologna. A total of 1141 participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that measured drinking patterns, protective behavioural strategies and alcohol-related negative consequences. Data analysis revealed significative sex-related differences: men present higher levels of HED and suffer more negative consequences; while women use more protective behavioural strategies. These differences can be explained in terms of gender roles that invite men to excess and women to self-control. These results might inform gender-sensitive community interventions and policies addressing HED.

Classically, health education has provided mainly factual knowledge about diseases and their prevention. This educational approach is within the so called Biomedical Model (BM). It is based on pathologic (Pa), curative (Cu) and preventive (Pr) conceptions of health. In contrast, the Health Promotion (HP) approach of health education intends to improve health by promoting healthy habits (He) and by developing empowerment (Ep) for a healthy decision-making with regard to environmental (Ev) challenges. The aim of the present study focused on a comparison of the emphasis on either model (BM or HP) as it is presented by textbooks from 16 countries. Each country team analysed the textbooks that are more frequently used at each educational level. Text and image analysis identified that some countries, such as France and Italy, as more associated with the Biomedical Model, whereas Germany, Mozambique and Finland were more linked to the Health Promotion approach. Data organised for four pupils' age groups (6-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-18 years old) showed that text and images of the same textbooks gave similar results in terms of following either the BM or HP model, and showed different indicators of consistency (Pa, Cu, Pr for BM; and He, Ep, Ev for HP). Furthermore, although the analyses might be, to a certain extent, subjective (depending on the researcher), it was shown to be very reliable, since all countries, whose textbooks were analysed for the 4 age groups or only the 3 age groups, showed a similar tendency of evolving from a HP (early ages) to a BM approach (elder ages). The interesting finding that the younger pupils' textbooks were more associated with the Health Promotion pole, whereas the older pupils' textbooks were consistent with the Biomedical Model pole seems to be a matter of further and deep investigation. (Contains 1 table and 7 figures.)

Textbook analysis is seen as a major element for studying environmental education addressing pupils, image analysis being rather relevant when studying textbooks written in 11 languages. We analysed 25 textbooks from 14 countries addressed to 14-16-year-old pupils, focusing on: (1) local and foreign/global images; (2) urban/rural and nature images; (3) negative impact, human management, and the beauty of nature; and (4) men and women in images with negative and positive impact. We distinguished some trends between Western (WEc) and Eastern (EEc) European countries and non-European countries (NEc). In contrast to textbooks from EEc and NEc, which tend to show the beauty of nature with little human influence, WEc textbooks tend to exhibit more images of urban/rural landscape, of human negative impact and of human management, expressing an anthropocentric view of the environment. Men are usually more present in textbook images than women. However, some images exhibiting more women than men could be found in textbooks from WEc and EEc, but never in NEc. In negative impact pictures, men are more often present than women but NEc women are never present in such images. Women are more frequent than men in positive impact images. Results suggest that textbooks from EEc and NEc should give more emphasis to human management and urban/rural images, whereas those from WEc should give more attention to the beauty of nature. A balance in the presence of men and women in images should be a matter of greater concern by all textbooks' authors and publishers. (Contains 5 figures and 3 tables.)

Objective of this critical literature review was to analyze and systematize the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of dental specialists. This bibliographic search was carried out in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases, using the following search keywords "Psychiatry OR anxiety OR fear OR depression OR psychological distress OR mental health" AND "COVID-19 OR SARS-CoV-2" AND "Dentists OR dental practice. Original research publications that included data on dentists' mental health status during the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Data were grouped, tabulated and rearranged in Microsoft Excel 2016 for Windows and descriptively presented. Eleven publications were eligible for this review. All studies characterized with a cross-sectional design. Most of them used questionnaires created by study researchers (81.8%) and were carried out in Italy (45.5%). The number of participants ranged from 14 to 1,500. Effects on dentists' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic were observed regarding fear of contamination, anxiety, concerns, stress, depression, job insecurity, subjective overload, perceived risk and feelings, and emotions. The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on dentists' mental health, with a high prevalence of fear, anxiety, and concern, among other psychological symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Development of an innovative topical treatment for infected wounds that provides antimicrobial action at the wound and speeds wound healing. The strategy behind this unprecedented approach is based on the conjugation of an ionic liquid with intrinsic antimicrobial action to a collagen-boosting peptide, used in the cosmetics industry as an antiaging agent able to promote a strong extracellular matrix for improved cell migration and therefore faster healing. Method: The building blocks, an ionic liquid and a collagen-inducing peptide, were covalently linked through a selective "click" reaction. The resulting peptide-ionic liquid constructs (PILCs) were evaluated for their antimicrobial and collagen-boosting action in vitro and wound closure kinetics in a wound healing diabetic mice model. Results / Discussion: The new constructs present: i) bactericidal activity in susceptible and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of relevant pathogens as S. aureus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa with minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) against susceptible strains in a range of 5-19 µM and an MBC against MDR strains of 19-38 µM; ii) retained activity in simulated wound fluid against S. aureus; iii) antifungal activity against three Candida spp. with a minimal fungicidal concentration of 2-5 µM; iv) collagen-inducing effects in human dermal fibroblast, and v) faster wound closure on diabetic mice. These findings as well as those arising from ongoing studies will be communicated. Conclusion: PILCs have an unprecedented chemotype and show in vitro and in vivo effects that make them promising leads towards the development of a topical formulation for the treatment of infected wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brugada Syndrome is a genetic arrhythmogenic disease with a variable clinical spectrum. The role of clinical and ECG parameters in the risk stratification is still uncertain., Aims: In a large cohort of Brugada patients we analysed clinical and ECG features to determine the variables with prognostic value for the occurrence of a first documented arrhythmic event and for recurrences., Methods: We enrolled 614 patients, subdivided into 3 groups according to their clinical presentation: 531 (88%) asymptomatic, 69 (10%) with previous unexplained syncope and 14 (2%) with aborted sudden death. We also compared the ECG characteristics of patients with a single documented arrhythmic event (either at presentation or at follow-up, 17 patients), with those of patients with arrhythmic recurrences (13 patients)., Results: The event rate was 1.3% in the asymptomatic patients and 15% among patients with unexplained syncope (median follow-up 6 years), p < 0.0001. In both groups a QRS duration ≥110 ms in lead II and/or V6 and/or S wave duration ≥40 ms in lead I and/or II were significant risk factors for the occurrence and timing of events at follow-up. The same ECG risk factors were also significantly associated with arrhythmic recurrences., Conclusions: The arrhythmic risk of Brugada patients is related not only to the symptoms at presentation, but also to the presence of a ventricular conduction delay (QRS duration ≥ 110 ms and/or S wave duration ≥ 40 ms). The ECG conduction parameters also affect the timing of events and recurrences., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors report no relationships that could be construed as a conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: Risk stratification of patients with Brugada electrocardiogram (ECG) is being strongly debated. Conflicting results have been suggested from international registries, which enrolled non-consecutive cases, studied with different programmed electrical stimulation (PES) protocols. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the incidence of arrhythmic events and the prognostic role of clinical presentation, ECG, and of a standardized PES protocol in consecutive cases from a community-based population., Methods and Results: A total of 166 consecutive patients (45 +/- 14 years) with Brugada ECG were enrolled. Type 1 ECG was observed spontaneously in 72 (43%) and after pharmacological testing in 94 (57%). One hundred and three (62%) were asymptomatic, 58 (35%) had syncope, and five (3%) had a prior cardiac arrest. One hundred and thirty-five (81%) underwent PES with two extra stimuli up to ventricular refractoriness and 34% had ventricular fibrillation (VF) induced. Arrhythmic events occurred in nine patients at a mean follow-up of 30 +/- 21 months (2.2 events per 100 person-year): in three (60%) patients with aborted sudden death (aSD), five (8.6%) of those with syncope, and one (1%) of the asymptomatic. The only predictors of events were a history of syncope or aSD (P = 0.02) and induction at PES (P = 0.004)., Conclusion: Clinical presentation is the most important parameter in the risk stratification of patients with Brugada ECG. Programmed electrical stimulation seems valuable, particularly in patients with previous syncope.

In our department we have reviewed the use of ergonovine maleate as a provocative agent for inducing coronary spasm during coronary arteriography. From January 1978 to December 1991 the test has been performed in 116 patients. According to their symptoms, the patients were divided into 4 groups: (A) patients with exertional angina: 16 patients (13.8%), (B) patients with angina at rest: 64 patients (55.2%), (C) patients with atypical chest pain: 29 patients (25%), and (D) patients with previous myocardial infarct: 7 patients (6%). We have subdivided the patients with angina at rest, according to the electrocardiogram recorded during pain, into: (1) 16 patients with ST-segment elevation; (2) 14 patients with ST-segment depression or T wave inversion; (3) 5 patients with electrocardiogram unchanged during angina; (4) 29 patients with no electrocardiogram recorded during angina. In 67 patients (57.7%) the coronaries were normal, 17 patients (14.6%) had mild irregularities, 26 patients (22.4%) had non critical fixed obstructions (< or = 70%), and in 6 patients (3.5%) there were fixed coronary narrowings > or = 70%. The left ventricle was normal in 85 subjects (73.2%), hypo or akinetic in 31 (26.8%). After routine coronary angiography and ventriculography, ergonovine maleate, 0.05 up to 0.4 mg, was given intravenously. The ergonovine test was considered positive when a focal spasm narrowed a normal coronary artery, or one with a mild fixed obstruction (< or = 50%) to more than 70%, or when a 70% stenosis became occluded. The development of angina and/or electrocardiographic changes were not taken as a criteria of positivity. Thirteen tests (11.2%) were considered positive.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)