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Background Psychometric instruments assessing behavioural and functional outcomes (BFIs) in neurological, geriatric and psychiatric populations are relevant towards diagnostics, prognosis and intervention. However, BFIs often happen not to meet methodological-statistical standards, thus lowering their level of recommendation in clinical practice and research. This work thus aimed at (1) providing an up-to-date compendium on psychometrics, diagnostics and usability of available Italian BFIs and (2) delivering evidence-based information on their level of recommendation. Methods This review was pre-registered (PROSPERO ID: CRD42021295430) and performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Several psychometric, diagnostic and usability measures were addressed as outcomes. Quality assessment was performed via an ad hoc checklist, the Behavioural and Functional Instrument Quality Assessment. Results Out of an initial N = 830 reports, 108 studies were included (N = 102 BFIs). Target constructs included behavioural/psychiatric symptoms, quality of life and physical functioning. BFIs were either self- or caregiver-/clinician-report. Studies in clinical conditions (including neurological, psychiatric and geriatric ones) were the most represented. Validity was investigated for 85 and reliability for 80 BFIs, respectively. Criterion and factorial validity testing were infrequent, whereas content and ecological validity and parallel forms were almost never addressed. Item response theory analyses were seldom carried out. Diagnostics and norms lacked for about one-third of BFIs. Information on administration time, ease of use and ceiling/floor effects were often unreported. Discussion Several available BFIs for the Italian population do not meet adequate statistical-methodological standards, this prompting a greater care from researchers involved in their development.

This study examines whether the perception of an object automatically activates the representation of the direction of use of that object. To this aim, we carried out two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants were asked to explicitly categorise objects as used either away from the body (AB, for example, a hammer) or towards the body (TB, for example, a toothbrush). In Experiment 2, participants were asked to judge whether the same objects were natural or manmade. In both experiments, they were asked to respond by moving a joystick backwards (i.e., TB) or frontwards (i.e., AB). Therefore, their response could either be congruent (i.e., backward response with TB objects, frontward response with AB objects) or incongruent (i.e., backward response with AB objects, frontward response with TB objects) with the direction of object use. Results from Experiment 1 showed that in the congruent condition, participants were faster in judging the direction of object use than those in the incongruent condition (congruency effect). Crucially, results from Experiment 2 showed the presence of a congruency effect even when the direction of object use was task-irrelevant. However, this effect was found only for TB objects. These results suggest that the perception of TB objects automatically activates the direction of object use with respect to the body, thus showing evidence of direct connection between perception and action. A specific role of the body might account for different action representation processes involved in TB and AB object-related actions.

According to Italian laws (legge 125/01, art. 15, comma 1) about safety on workplaces, it's forbidden alcohol drinking and taking for health workers (art. 8, comma 6, legge 5/06/2003 number 131) (e.g. anaesthesiology, surgery, radiology, nursing etc.). National alcoholism risk prevention program to assess number for year of accidents in health workplaces, is actually in progress leaded by Health Minister and Regional administration (e.g. Tuscany). Particularly, prevention program acts consist in comprehensive informations for health workers and their co- workers, about prevention and identification of alcoholism- related risks. To assess the size of alcohol problems in health workplaces, Occupational Health Medicine Institute of Second University of Naples is going to enrol 500 subjects (200 nursing students, 200 Specialist Registrars of different areas, 100 Consultants). Actually our population consists in 160 Specialist Registrars of different medical subjects (surgery, clinical and laboratory). To verify the importance of alcoholism risk perception, a not validated questionnaire was administrated. This original assessing instrument consists in 23 items with closed answers about demographic information, university, career, lifestyle, knowledge about rules taking alcoholic drinks. Results show a dangerous lack of information about alcohol health effects, even in Medical Specialist Registrars.

Topsoil and sediment samples from the Italian general environment were assayed for PCBs, PCDDs, and PCDFs. PCB levels appear to range between 6.2 × 102 and 1.6 × 104 ng/kg in open areas and between 1.2 × 102 and 6.8 × 102 ng/kg in cave samples. PCDD plus PCDF levels, as TCDD equivalents (TE units), are between 1.0 × 10−1 and 4.3 ngTE/kg in open areas, and between 5.7 × 10−2 and 1.2 × 10−1 ngTE/kg in cave samples. The less chlorinated PCB homologs seem to reach higher relative levels in cave sediments than in the topsoil of open areas, this probably due to a lower dissipation rate. PCDD plus PCDF levels (TE units) versus cumulative PCB levels provide highly significant linear regression in logarithmic coordinates.

Since the late 1800s, the ACNA chemical plant at Cengio (Savona, northern Italy) has used a large portion of the 55 ha of land that it owns to dispose of its chemical wastes and refuse materials by dumping and burying them in the earth. As a result of this practice, an extent of ground of well over 106 m3 and up to 20 m thick has become highly contaminated. In addition, due to the local hydrogeological conditions, for years the site has been a contamination source for the nearby Bormida River and the territory downstream. Since satisfactory primary knowledge of the quality and quantity of the soil contamination of the site was not available, a pilot study was financed to provide the information required. In this paper, the analytical approach to and procedure for the multianalyte multilaboratory assessment in complex soil and sediment matrices are described. The analyte group includes nine families of chemicals which exhibit highly variable toxic potentials, water solubilities, and kow's (lg[kow] approximately between 2 and 12). A preliminary appraisal of the procedure is presented with specific reference to the detection of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls of the first 43 subsoil and sediment samples from the site. Also, a comparison is made to the Seveso/ICMESA accident of July 1976.

With reference to a case of pregnancy of a patient formerly subjected to tubal sterilization using Pomeroy's technique, the authors define the possibility for tubal stumps to recanalise. Despite the low percentage of failure in tubal sterilization using Pomeroy's technique, the authors conclude that it is advisable to make the earliest possible diagnosis of both intrauterine and extrauterine pregnancy on the basis of suspected symptoms in order to, especially for tubal pregnancies, avoid any tubal sterilization.The Pomeroy technique of tubal sterilization is widely used and considered highly effective. Reported in this paper is a case of a pregnancy in a woman from Naples, Italy, who underwent this procedure. The patient requested sterilization during her third cesarean section delivery in 1992 and tubal occlusion was confirmed by a hysterosalpingograph conducted 3 months later. When the patient presented 19 months later with a missed period, an intrauterine pregnancy was found. During the subsequent cesarean section delivery, bilateral tubal exploration revealed that some tubal residual products from the sterilization were still bound by the thread and the stumps graphing. It was assumed that recanalization of the two stumps below the tubal binding was responsible for the conception. A new sterilization was performed after removal of the stumps by the Pomeroy technique 0.5 cm below the canalization.

Fetal alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is a well recognized pattern of malformations, produced by a heavy and chronic intake of ethanol during pregnancy. The Authors report a clinical case of FAS, observed during an epidemiological study on alcohol abuse of pregnancy women. They describe the anomalies and malformations of a newborn by a heavy drinking mother, and of his seven year old brother. Finally, the Authors consider the toxicological and preventive aspects of problem: counselling women of child-bearing age to the dangers of alcoholic intake during the gestation period is a professional responsibility.

In albino rats the combined use of two methods based on a continuous perfusion of aconitine nitrate (0.15 mg/ml) or calcium chloride (0.4 M) demonstrated the selectivity of the calcium chloride-induced dysrhythmias model. This rapid screening was carried out with antidysrhythmic agents according to the Vaughan-Williams's classification (1): quinidine (class I) 5 mg/kg; atenolol (class II) 2 mg/kg; amiodarone (class III) 10 mg/kg and verapamil (class IV) 2 mg/kg. A compound synthesized in our laboratory was used to verify model selectivity.

The hemoglobins of the chicken embryo at several stages of development have been isolated in pure form by column chromatography and their relative amounts and globin compositions determined. The analyses on separated primitive and definitive erythrocytes show that the first contain four hemoglobins different from the adult ones. The two major ones at four days, decrease gradually and are no longer detectable from 15 days on. The two minor ones increase up to 6–7 days, the decrease but are still present at hatching. The definitive embryonic erythrocytes contain two hemoglobins identical to the adult ones but their ratios change gradually during development and approach that of the adult hemoglobins at hatching.

In this study the authors report a new method to determine estazolam in blood and urine by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). This compound is a triazolobenzodiazepine and shows an interesting psychopharmacological activity. The extraction from biological fluids was carried out using a mixture of ethylenechloride, methylenechloride, and ethylacetate (1:1:8). The HPLC analysis was carried out with a C18 column, using methanol:phosphate buffer (pH 7.5, 0.011M):acetonitrile (65:33:2) as mobile phase. The detector was set at lambda = 240 nm. The method shows good repeatability and a linear response in the range of 0.6 to 10 micrograms estazolam/mL both in serum and urine. A case of non-lethal acute intoxication in which the method was applied is also reported. Language: en

Imipramine, doxepin, mianserin, pipotiazine and sulpiride, all active upon behavioural despair test of Porsolt and coll. in unique administration, are devoid of activity, with the exception of mianserin and sulpiride, in repetitive administration. It would be possible that a diminution of cerebral levels of neurotransmitters NA and DA after repetitive administration of imipramine, doxepin and pipotiazine (or an over-sensitivity to serotonin in the case of imipramine and doxepin) and an increase of these levels after repetitive administration of mianserin and sulpiride (with an antiserotonin activity for mianserin) would be responsible for these discrepancies.

A single administration (IP) of lithium chloride in the rat induces a decrease in erythrocyte calcium, proportional to the lithium level (p less than 0.01) and a diminution in cerebral calcium (p less than 0.001) which is accompanied by decrease in cerebral sodium and potassium levels (p less than 0.001). Repeated administration (IP + VO) has the same cerebral effects. The authors report that the reversible decrease in calcium, sodium and potassium, resulting from an increase in cerebral lithium levels, can be demonstrated on sampling at 1.30 and 3 hours (IP), or at 12 hours (VO). These results are relevant to the treatment of manic illnesses using calcium antagonists.

Intra peritoneal administration of LiCl to rat with a single dose or every day during a week shows that the correlation of brain Li with erythrocytes Li is better than the same correlation with plasmatic Li. With a single dose of Li the variation of the Li level doesn't give significant variations of Mg. With repetitive administrations of Li (near that which occurs in actual therapeutic treatment) we show (44 pairs of results with p less than 0.001) that the increase of Li in erythrocytes is correlated with a decrease of Mg in erythrocytes and an increase of this ion in plasma. The authors demonstrate that the nervous cells don't release Mg when Li get in the brain.

Using Langers' method (10) under their laboratory conditions, the authors determined the characteristics of the high-affinity imipramine-binding site on human platelets in thirty-five normal subjects, equally divided between the sexes and distributed by decade from twenty to sixty years of age and above. Bmax was 440 +/- 121 fmol./mg. protein, Kd 0.96 +/- 0.62, 10(-9) M. Protein concentration was held within a range of 0.2 to 0.55 mg./ml. in order to avoid nonlinear bias with Bmax, expressed in fmol./ml. of incubate. The characteristics of the site did not co-vary with sex or age in this experimental series. However, subject to additional investigation, the curve of the Scatchard graph would seem to indicate the possible existence of a distinct, low-affinity imipramine-binding site.

Among 3 orthoanisamides having different substitution of the nitrogen of a pyrrolidine ring, derivates ethyl (sulpiride) and propyl GRI 1665) show desinhibitory properties by the test of behavioural despair of Porsolt and coll, while the methyl derivative (TER 1546) is inactive.

After unique injection LiCl enhances, in albino rat, catalepsy induced by arecoline and oxotremorine perhaps by adenylcyclase inhibition and/or decrease of acetylcholine synthesis. After repetitive injection of LiCl during 5 days, this phenomenon is not observable, probably owing to increase of acetylcholine synthesis. After unique injection of LiCl enhances catalepsy induced by dextromoramide, probably on account of cholinergic properties of this drug. In contrast catalepsy induced by morphine or pethidine is suppressed. This constatation would depend on opposite influence upon cerebral neuromediators : lithium diminishing cerebral serotonin and striatal acetylcholine levels and morphine increasing them. After repetitive injections these phenomenons are not observable.

In mice isoprenaline increases duration of pentobarbital narcosis without modification of cerebral levels. A correlation between duration of sleep and FFA seric levels increased by isoprenaline is demonstrated. This dual effect is suppressed by pindolol. These facts suggest that hepatic metabolism of pentobarbital is slowed by lipo-mobilisation.

The authors describe a new method to screen antiarrhythmics drugs by continuous infusion of calcium chloride in albino rat. Results are compared with those of a single injection method. Three reference compounds were tested: verapamil, nifedipine and trimetazidine. Verapamil and trimetazidine were shown to be equally active by the two methods. A fourth compound, synthetized in the laboratory, was active in the various arrhythmia models and, in particular, in the novel model described.

The most frequently encountered drugs in emergency toxicology in our country are benzodiazepines, alone or associated to other psychoactive drugs and/or alcohol1.