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Delle Monache S, Paolocci G, Scalici F, Conti A, Lacquaniti F, Indovina I, Bosco G. Interception of vertically approaching objects: temporal recruitment of the internal model of gravity and contribution of optical information. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1266332. [PMID: 38046950 PMCID: PMC10690631 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1266332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Recent views posit that precise control of the interceptive timing can be achieved by combining on-line processing of visual information with predictions based on prior experience. Indeed, for interception of free-falling objects under gravity's effects, experimental evidence shows that time-to-contact predictions can be derived from an internal gravity representation in the vestibular cortex. However, whether the internal gravity model is fully engaged at the target motion outset or reinforced by visual motion processing at later stages of motion is not yet clear. Moreover, there is no conclusive evidence about the relative contribution of internalized gravity and optical information in determining the time-to-contact estimates. Methods: We sought to gain insight on this issue by asking 32 participants to intercept free falling objects approaching directly from above in virtual reality. Object motion had durations comprised between 800 and 1100 ms and it could be either congruent with gravity (1 g accelerated motion) or not (constant velocity or -1 g decelerated motion). We analyzed accuracy and precision of the interceptive responses, and fitted them to Bayesian regression models, which included predictors related to the recruitment of a priori gravity information at different times during the target motion, as well as based on available optical information. Results: Consistent with the use of internalized gravity information, interception accuracy and precision were significantly higher with 1 g motion. Moreover, Bayesian regression indicated that interceptive responses were predicted very closely by assuming engagement of the gravity prior 450 ms after the motion onset, and that adding a predictor related to on-line processing of optical information improved only slightly the model predictive power. Discussion: Thus, engagement of a priori gravity information depended critically on the processing of the first 450 ms of visual motion information, exerting a predominant influence on the interceptive timing, compared to continuously available optical information. Finally, these results may support a parallel processing scheme for the control of interceptive timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Delle Monache
- Laboratory of Visuomotor Control and Gravitational Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre for Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Paolocci
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre for Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Scalici
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre for Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Allegra Conti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lacquaniti
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre for Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Iole Indovina
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Brain Mapping Lab, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Bosco
- Department of Systems Medicine and Centre for Space BioMedicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Neuromotor Physiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Abstract
Walking is an essential activity for a healthy life, which becomes less tiring and more enjoyable if done together. Common difficulties we have in performing sufficient physical exercise, for instance the lack of motivation, can be overcome by exploiting its social aspect. However, our lifestyle sometimes makes it very difficult to find time together with others who live far away from us to go for a walk. In this article, we propose a novel system enabling people to have a 'remote social walk' by streaming the gait cadence between two persons walking in different places, increasing the sense of mutual presence. Vibrations provided at the users' ankles display the partner's sensation perceived during the heel-strike. In order to achieve the aforementioned goal in a two users experiment, we envisaged a four-step incremental validation process: i) a single walker has to adapt the cadence with a virtual reference generated by a software; ii) a single user is tasked to follow a predefined time-varying gait cadence; iii) a leader-follower scenario in which the haptic actuation is mono-directional; iv) a peer-to-peer case with bi-directional haptic communication. Careful experimental validation was conducted involving a total of 50 participants, which confirmed the efficacy of our system in perceiving the partners' gait cadence in each of the proposed scenarios.
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D’Aurizio N, Baldi TL, Paolocci G, Prattichizzo D. Preventing Undesired Face-Touches With Wearable Devices and Haptic Feedback. IEEE Access 2020; 8:139033-139043. [PMID: 34812343 PMCID: PMC8545332 DOI: 10.1109/access.2020.3012309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The alarming morbidity of COVID-19 has drawn the attention to the social role of hygiene rules, with a particular focus on the importance of limiting face-touch occurrences. To deal with this aspect, we present No Face-Touch, a system able to estimate hand proximity to face and notify the user whenever a face-touch movement is detected. In its complete setup, the system consists of an application running on the smartwatch and a wearable accessory. Its ease of implementation allows this solution to be ready-to-use and large-scale deployable. We developed two gesture detection approaches compatible with sensors embedded in recent smartwatches, i.e. inertial and magnetic sensors. After preliminary tests to tune target gesture parameters, we tested the two approaches and compared their accuracy. The final phase of this project consisted in exploiting the most robust approach in a daily living scenario during a 6-days campaign. Experimental results revealed the effectiveness of the proposed system, demonstrating its impact in reducing the number of face-touches and their duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D’Aurizio
- Department of Information Engineering and MathematicsUniversity of Siena53100SienaItaly
- Department of Advanced RoboticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (ADVR)16163GenovaItaly
| | - Tommaso Lisini Baldi
- Department of Information Engineering and MathematicsUniversity of Siena53100SienaItaly
| | - Gianluca Paolocci
- Department of Information Engineering and MathematicsUniversity of Siena53100SienaItaly
- Department of Advanced RoboticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (ADVR)16163GenovaItaly
| | - Domenico Prattichizzo
- Department of Information Engineering and MathematicsUniversity of Siena53100SienaItaly
- Department of Advanced RoboticsIstituto Italiano di Tecnologia (ADVR)16163GenovaItaly
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Liccardi G, Calzetta L, Baldi G, Berra A, Billeri L, Caminati M, Capano P, Carpentieri E, Ciccarelli A, Crivellaro MA, Cutajar M, D'Amato M, Folletti I, Gani F, Gargano D, Giannattasio D, Giovannini M, Lombardi C, Schiavo ML, Madonna F, Maniscalco M, Meriggi A, Micucci C, Milanese M, Montera C, Paolocci G, Parente R, Pedicini A, Pio R, Puggioni F, Russo M, Salzillo A, Scavalli P, Scichilone N, Sposato B, Stanziola A, Steinhilber G, Vatrella A, Rogliani P, Passalacqua G. Allergic sensitization to common pets (cats/dogs) according to different possible modalities of exposure: an Italian Multicenter Study. Clin Mol Allergy 2018. [PMID: 29434523 DOI: 10.1186/s12948-018-0081-z.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The query "are there animals at home?" is usually administered for collecting information on anamnesis. This modality to consider exposure to pet allergens constitutes a potential bias in epidemiological studies and in clinical practice. The aim of our study was to evaluate/quantify different modalities of exposure to cat/dog in inducing allergic sensitization. Methods Thirty Italian Allergy units participated in this study. Each centre was required to collect the data of at least 20 consecutive outpatients sensitized to cat/dog allergens. A standardized form reported all demographic data and a particular attention was paid in relieving possible modalities of exposure to cat/dog. Results A total 723 patients sensitized to cat/dog were recorded, 359 (49.65%) reported direct pet contact, 213 patients (29.46%) were pet owners, and 146 subjects (20.19%) were exposed to pets in other settings. Other patients were sensitized by previous pet ownership (150-20.75%) or indirect contact (103-14.25%), in 111 subjects (15.35%) any contact was reported. Conclusions Only 213 patients (29.46%) would be classified as "exposed to animals" and 510 (70.54%) as "not exposed" according to usual query. Our classification has shown that many "not-exposed" subjects (399-55.19%) were "really exposed". The magnitude of exposure to pet allergens at home is not related exclusively to pet ownership. These considerations should be taken into account during the planning of epidemiological studies and in clinical practice for the management of pet allergic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Liccardi
- 1Department of Pulmonology, Haematology and Oncology. Division of Pneumology and Allergology, High Speciality "A. Cardarelli" Hospital, Naples, Italy.,2Postgraduate School of Respiratory Medicine. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - L Calzetta
- 2Postgraduate School of Respiratory Medicine. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.,3Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - G Baldi
- Respiratory Medicine Unit, ASL (District 66), Salerno, Italy
| | - A Berra
- Respiratory Allergy Unit, G. Da Procida Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - L Billeri
- 6Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - M Caminati
- 7Asthma Center and Allergy Unit, Verona University and General Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - P Capano
- Unit of Pulmonary Immunology and Respiratory Diseases Ospedale "Santa Maria Della Speranza", Battipaglia, Salerno Italy
| | - E Carpentieri
- Division of Pneumology, "Santa Maria Novella" Hospital, Galatina, Lecce Italy
| | - A Ciccarelli
- Allergy Unit, Loreto Crispi Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - M A Crivellaro
- 11Unit of Allergy and Occupational Medicine, University Hospital Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - M Cutajar
- Allergy Center, Division of Internal Medicine, Ospedali Riuniti Penisola Sorrentina, Sorrento, Naples, Italy
| | - M D'Amato
- 13Department of Respiratory Disease, "Federico II" University - AO "Dei Colli", Naples, Italy
| | - I Folletti
- 14Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, Terni Hospital, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - F Gani
- Allergy Unit, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano, Turin, Italy
| | - D Gargano
- 16Allergy Unit, High Speciality "San Giuseppe Moscati" Hospital, Avellino, Italy
| | - D Giannattasio
- Respiratory Physiopathology and Allergy, High Speciality Center, "Mauro Scarlato" Hospital, Scafati, Salerno, Italy
| | - M Giovannini
- Pulmonary Diseases Department, Mirandola Hospital, Modena, Italy
| | - C Lombardi
- 19Departmental Unit of Allergy, Clinical Immunology and Respiratory Diseases, Fondazione Poliambulanza, Brescia, Italy
| | - M Lo Schiavo
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, "G. Fucito" Hospital, S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - F Madonna
- Allergy Unit, ASL (Sanitary District n°12), Caserta, Italy
| | - M Maniscalco
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit, ICS Maugeri, Telese Terme, Benevento Italy
| | - A Meriggi
- 23Allergy and Immunology Unit, Fondazione "Salvatore Maugeri", Institut of Research and Care, Scientific Institute of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - C Micucci
- Division of Pneumology and Allergology Hospital "Carlo Urbani", Jesi, Ancona Italy
| | - M Milanese
- 25Division of Pneumology, S. Corona Hospital, Pietra Ligure, Savona Italy
| | - C Montera
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, "G. Fucito" Hospital, S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - G Paolocci
- 14Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, Terni Hospital, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - R Parente
- 26Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - A Pedicini
- 27Division of Internal Medicine and Allergy, Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Benevento, Italy
| | - R Pio
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, "G. Fucito" Hospital, S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - F Puggioni
- Respiratory Diseases Department-IRCCS Humanitas Research and Clinical Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - M Russo
- 1Department of Pulmonology, Haematology and Oncology. Division of Pneumology and Allergology, High Speciality "A. Cardarelli" Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - A Salzillo
- 1Department of Pulmonology, Haematology and Oncology. Division of Pneumology and Allergology, High Speciality "A. Cardarelli" Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - P Scavalli
- Unit of Respiratory Physiopathology, Allergy and Occupational Medicine, ASL Viterbo, Viterbo, Italy
| | - N Scichilone
- 30Biomedical Department of Specialistic and Internal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - B Sposato
- Pneumology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera "Misericordia", Grosseto, Italy
| | - A Stanziola
- 13Department of Respiratory Disease, "Federico II" University - AO "Dei Colli", Naples, Italy
| | - G Steinhilber
- 32Division of Pneumology, Spedali Civili Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - A Vatrella
- 33Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - P Rogliani
- 2Postgraduate School of Respiratory Medicine. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.,3Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - G Passalacqua
- 34Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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5
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Liccardi G, Calzetta L, Baldi G, Berra A, Billeri L, Caminati M, Capano P, Carpentieri E, Ciccarelli A, Crivellaro MA, Cutajar M, D'Amato M, Folletti I, Gani F, Gargano D, Giannattasio D, Giovannini M, Lombardi C, Schiavo ML, Madonna F, Maniscalco M, Meriggi A, Micucci C, Milanese M, Montera C, Paolocci G, Parente R, Pedicini A, Pio R, Puggioni F, Russo M, Salzillo A, Scavalli P, Scichilone N, Sposato B, Stanziola A, Steinhilber G, Vatrella A, Rogliani P, Passalacqua G. Allergic sensitization to common pets (cats/dogs) according to different possible modalities of exposure: an Italian Multicenter Study. Clin Mol Allergy 2018; 16:3. [PMID: 29434523 PMCID: PMC5796344 DOI: 10.1186/s12948-018-0081-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The query “are there animals at home?” is usually administered for collecting information on anamnesis. This modality to consider exposure to pet allergens constitutes a potential bias in epidemiological studies and in clinical practice. The aim of our study was to evaluate/quantify different modalities of exposure to cat/dog in inducing allergic sensitization. Methods Thirty Italian Allergy units participated in this study. Each centre was required to collect the data of at least 20 consecutive outpatients sensitized to cat/dog allergens. A standardized form reported all demographic data and a particular attention was paid in relieving possible modalities of exposure to cat/dog. Results A total 723 patients sensitized to cat/dog were recorded, 359 (49.65%) reported direct pet contact, 213 patients (29.46%) were pet owners, and 146 subjects (20.19%) were exposed to pets in other settings. Other patients were sensitized by previous pet ownership (150–20.75%) or indirect contact (103–14.25%), in 111 subjects (15.35%) any contact was reported. Conclusions Only 213 patients (29.46%) would be classified as “exposed to animals” and 510 (70.54%) as “not exposed” according to usual query. Our classification has shown that many “not-exposed” subjects (399–55.19%) were “really exposed”. The magnitude of exposure to pet allergens at home is not related exclusively to pet ownership. These considerations should be taken into account during the planning of epidemiological studies and in clinical practice for the management of pet allergic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Liccardi
- 1Department of Pulmonology, Haematology and Oncology. Division of Pneumology and Allergology, High Speciality "A. Cardarelli" Hospital, Naples, Italy.,2Postgraduate School of Respiratory Medicine. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy
| | - L Calzetta
- 2Postgraduate School of Respiratory Medicine. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.,3Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - G Baldi
- Respiratory Medicine Unit, ASL (District 66), Salerno, Italy
| | - A Berra
- Respiratory Allergy Unit, G. Da Procida Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - L Billeri
- 6Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - M Caminati
- 7Asthma Center and Allergy Unit, Verona University and General Hospital, Verona, Italy
| | - P Capano
- Unit of Pulmonary Immunology and Respiratory Diseases Ospedale "Santa Maria Della Speranza", Battipaglia, Salerno Italy
| | - E Carpentieri
- Division of Pneumology, "Santa Maria Novella" Hospital, Galatina, Lecce Italy
| | - A Ciccarelli
- Allergy Unit, Loreto Crispi Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - M A Crivellaro
- 11Unit of Allergy and Occupational Medicine, University Hospital Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - M Cutajar
- Allergy Center, Division of Internal Medicine, Ospedali Riuniti Penisola Sorrentina, Sorrento, Naples, Italy
| | - M D'Amato
- 13Department of Respiratory Disease, "Federico II" University - AO "Dei Colli", Naples, Italy
| | - I Folletti
- 14Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, Terni Hospital, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - F Gani
- Allergy Unit, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, Orbassano, Turin, Italy
| | - D Gargano
- 16Allergy Unit, High Speciality "San Giuseppe Moscati" Hospital, Avellino, Italy
| | - D Giannattasio
- Respiratory Physiopathology and Allergy, High Speciality Center, "Mauro Scarlato" Hospital, Scafati, Salerno, Italy
| | - M Giovannini
- Pulmonary Diseases Department, Mirandola Hospital, Modena, Italy
| | - C Lombardi
- 19Departmental Unit of Allergy, Clinical Immunology and Respiratory Diseases, Fondazione Poliambulanza, Brescia, Italy
| | - M Lo Schiavo
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, "G. Fucito" Hospital, S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - F Madonna
- Allergy Unit, ASL (Sanitary District n°12), Caserta, Italy
| | - M Maniscalco
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit, ICS Maugeri, Telese Terme, Benevento Italy
| | - A Meriggi
- 23Allergy and Immunology Unit, Fondazione "Salvatore Maugeri", Institut of Research and Care, Scientific Institute of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - C Micucci
- Division of Pneumology and Allergology Hospital "Carlo Urbani", Jesi, Ancona Italy
| | - M Milanese
- 25Division of Pneumology, S. Corona Hospital, Pietra Ligure, Savona Italy
| | - C Montera
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, "G. Fucito" Hospital, S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - G Paolocci
- 14Department of Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, Respiratory Diseases and Toxicology, Terni Hospital, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy
| | - R Parente
- 26Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
| | - A Pedicini
- 27Division of Internal Medicine and Allergy, Fatebenefratelli Hospital, Benevento, Italy
| | - R Pio
- Allergy and Clinical Immunology, "G. Fucito" Hospital, S. Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi D'Aragona University Hospital, Salerno, Italy
| | - F Puggioni
- Respiratory Diseases Department-IRCCS Humanitas Research and Clinical Center, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - M Russo
- 1Department of Pulmonology, Haematology and Oncology. Division of Pneumology and Allergology, High Speciality "A. Cardarelli" Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - A Salzillo
- 1Department of Pulmonology, Haematology and Oncology. Division of Pneumology and Allergology, High Speciality "A. Cardarelli" Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - P Scavalli
- Unit of Respiratory Physiopathology, Allergy and Occupational Medicine, ASL Viterbo, Viterbo, Italy
| | - N Scichilone
- 30Biomedical Department of Specialistic and Internal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - B Sposato
- Pneumology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera "Misericordia", Grosseto, Italy
| | - A Stanziola
- 13Department of Respiratory Disease, "Federico II" University - AO "Dei Colli", Naples, Italy
| | - G Steinhilber
- 32Division of Pneumology, Spedali Civili Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - A Vatrella
- 33Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - P Rogliani
- 2Postgraduate School of Respiratory Medicine. Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Rome, Italy.,3Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - G Passalacqua
- 34Allergy and Respiratory Diseases, Policlinico San Martino, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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Folletti I, Bussetti A, Armadori M, Giovannelli G, Paolocci G, Siracusa A. [Have the prevalence and incidence of occupational asthma and rhinitis due to laboratory animals declined in the last 25 years?]. G Ital Med Lav Ergon 2007; 29:619-620. [PMID: 18409867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Data for time trends in the prevalence of occupational asthma (OA) and rhinitis (OR) are not known. To investigate trends in the prevalence and incidence of OA and OR over time, we reviewed the available literature. We analysed 15 cross-sectional and 4 longitudinal studies published from 1980 to 2006. In workers exposed to laboratory animals (LA) the prevalence of OA ranged from 2.2% to 11.7%; the prevalence of OR ranged from 6.7% to 41.7%. When we analysed prevalence by study date using a logistic model, the estimated prevalence of OA declined from 8.7% in 1976 to 4.2% in 2001 (p < 0.003), which is -1.8% every ten years. The prevalence of OR rose slightly from 18.5% in 1976 to 19.7% in 2001 (NS). In four longitudinal studies the incidence of OA ranged from 0.4 to 3.5/100 person years, while the incidence of OR ranged from 2.0 to 10.1/100 person years. No clear trend emerged over time. This review shows a trend toward a progressive decline in the prevalence of occupational asthma due to laboratory animals, which may be due to the reduction of exposure since the early 1980s. A further reduction of exposure is needed to prevent the onset of occupational rhinitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Folletti
- Allergologia Professionale e Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Dip. Di Med. Clin e Sperim
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Bussetti A, Folletti I, Armadori M, Giovannelli G, Paolocci G, Siracusa A. [Latex allergy in hospital workers--follow-up of symptomatic subjects]. G Ital Med Lav Ergon 2007; 29:418-420. [PMID: 18409755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Latex allergy may be manifested in a variety of clinical disturbances such as contact urticaria, angioedema, rhinoconjunctivitis, asthma, and anaphylactic reactions. The aim of this follow-up study was to determine whether a change in glove use from powdered to powder-free latex gloves at previously surveyed hospital workers reduced the work-related symptoms. 53 hospital workers with work-related symptoms where followed up 4,6 years after first investigation. On re-examination, 54.7% use both powdered and powder-free gloves, 37.7% used only latex free gloves and 7.6% stopped the glove use. At follow-up, in 68% of subjects there was the remission or the improvement of work-related symptoms. The improvement of symptoms was greater in workers using powder-free gloves than in others (p < 0.005). In conclusion our study shows that preventive measures, such as the use a powder-free latex gloves, are sufficient to induce a reduction of work-related symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Bussetti
- Medicina del Lavoro, Malattie Respiratorie e Tossicologia Professionale e Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Perugia
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