The Padel phenomenon after the COVID-19: an Italian cross-sectional survey of post-lockdown injuries

The impact of COVID-19 on sport and physical activity has been a subject of considerable interest and concern. Padel satisfies the desire for social interaction and a return to sport after a period of inactivity. The aim of this study is to show a correlation between return to sport and related injuries in a population of Padel players. The study was carried out in a survey mode, consisting of a questionnaire with four sections and fifty questions on the biographical data of the individual, lifestyle before and after the pandemic, knowledge and playing level of Padel and injuries. The self-administered online questionnaire was developed and validated by a panel of physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons, and physiatrists with experience in clinical practice and/or musculoskeletal research. The study was conducted in a survey mode from a smartphone or computer via a link to a multiple-choice document. The link to the questionnaire was distributed via mailing lists, social media, and chat applications.

Pressure Ulcers-A Longstanding Problem: A 7-Year Neurorehabilitation Unit Experience of Management, Care, and Clinical Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Neurological disease patients present an increased risk of developing pressure ulcers. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence and prevalence of pressure ulcers and their impact on length of stay and functional recovery.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted in a neurorehabilitation unit over a seven-year period. Data collected include demographic data, length of stay, functional evaluation, risk of pressure ulcers development, nutritional status, and skin. Pressure ulcers were classified according to the European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel System.

RESULTS

Data from 816 patients were analyzed. On admission, the authors found 236 pressure ulcers in 131 patients (about 16%), divided into stage I (25%), stage II (50%), and stage III-IV (25%). The most common sites were the heel (36%) and sacrum (29%). Among the risk factors for the development of pressure ulcers, malnutrition played a significant role, with approximately 76% of patients with pressure ulcers having mild to moderate malnutrition.

CONCLUSION

The presence of pressure ulcers seems to have a negative impact on the functional recovery of patients, as shown by the outcome scales and the average length of stay: 51 days versus 36 days (p < 0.01).

How the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Patients' Hospital Admission and Care in the Vascular Surgery Divisions of the Southern Regions of the Italian Peninsula

Background: To investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns on the vasculopathic population. Methods: The Divisions of Vascular Surgery of the southern Italian peninsula joined this multicenter retrospective study. Each received a 13-point questionnaire investigating the hospitalization rate of vascular patients in the first 11 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and in the preceding 11 months. Results: 27 out of 29 Centers were enrolled. April-December 2020 (7092 patients) vs. 2019 (9161 patients): post-EVAR surveillance, hospitalization for Rutherford category 3 peripheral arterial disease, and asymptomatic carotid stenosis revascularization significantly decreased (1484 (16.2%) vs. 1014 (14.3%), p = 0.0009; 1401 (15.29%) vs. 959 (13.52%), p = 0.0006; and 1558 (17.01%) vs. 934 (13.17%), p < 0.0001, respectively), while admissions for revascularization or major amputations for chronic limb-threatening ischemia and urgent revascularization for symptomatic carotid stenosis significantly increased (1204 (16.98%) vs. 1245 (13.59%), p < 0.0001; 355 (5.01%) vs. 358 (3.91%), p = 0.0007; and 153 (2.16%) vs. 140 (1.53%), p = 0.0009, respectively). Conclusions: The suspension of elective procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant reduction in post-EVAR surveillance, and in the hospitalization of asymptomatic carotid stenosis revascularization and Rutherford 3 peripheral arterial disease. Consequentially, we observed a significant increase in admissions for urgent revascularization for symptomatic carotid stenosis, as well as for revascularization or major amputations for chronic limb-threatening ischemia.

Innovative second-generation wavelets construction with recurrent neural networks for solar radiation forecasting

Solar radiation prediction is an important challenge for the electrical engineer because it is used to estimate the power developed by commercial photovoltaic modules. This paper deals with the problem of solar radiation prediction based on observed meteorological data. A 2-day forecast is obtained by using novel wavelet recurrent neural networks (WRNNs). In fact, these WRNNS are used to exploit the correlation between solar radiation and timescale-related variations of wind speed, humidity, and temperature. The input to the selected WRNN is provided by timescale-related bands of wavelet coefficients obtained from meteorological time series. The experimental setup available at the University of Catania, Italy, provided this information. The novelty of this approach is that the proposed WRNN performs the prediction in the wavelet domain and, in addition, also performs the inverse wavelet transform, giving the predicted signal as output. The obtained simulation results show a very low root-mean-square error compared to the results of the solar radiation prediction approaches obtained by hybrid neural networks reported in the recent literature.

[Traumatic rupture of the cardiac auricle after forceful blunt abdominal trauma]

Rupture of the heart after blunt trauma has been attributed to multiple mechanisms. We present a patient in whom massive abdominal blunt trauma leading to massive venous return resulted in rupture of the auricle without pericardial rupture.

[Treatment of penetrating injuries of neck, chest and extremities]

Penetrating injuries such as gunshot wounds have traditionally been rare in Europe, with the result that European surgeons have only limited experience in their management. Socio-economic changes in the last decade have led to an increase in the frequency of injuries of this type, partly due to the expansion of organized crime and partly because of involvement of the European military in peace-keeping missions in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The purpose of this article is to offer some guidelines in the management of extremely serious or rarely encountered injuries to the neck, chest and peripheral arteries and discuss controversies and possible future changes in their management as a result of the extensive experience of treating penetrating trauma in our hospital.

[Echographic study of the embryonal and fetal hand]

The morphological aspects of the limbs as well as several details in the forearm and in the hand were observed from the seventh week of gestation on by routine sonographic examination of the embryo and the fetus. This examination was performed once a week beginning in the first months of life. The authors emphasize the value of sonography in the detection of fetal and embryonic malformations of the upper limb. The method has its limits however and remains to be perfected but it has already proved to be efficient for future studies, essentially because of its innocuousness. The images obtained between the 9th and 33d weeks of gestation are presented.

Surgical treatment of Kirner's deformity

In 1927 Kirner described a congenital deformity of the fifth finger. Since then only 68 cases have been reported and to date many different views in the pathogenesis and treatment exist. The authors report a case of a 13 years-old girl. By a dorso-lateral approach, the distal phalanx was exposed and bone resection performed; alignment was maintained by Kirschner longitudinal wires, parosteal for the left digit and intramedullary for the right. The cosmetic and functional results were good.