Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita最新文献

{"title":"The European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies and the opinion on the just ecological transition. Commentary.","authors":"Laura Palazzani","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_03_02","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_03_02","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article analyses the opinion of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) Towards a just green transition: addressing structural inequities. The article first presents the origins, role and advisory function of the EGE within the European Union, then examines the ethical framework proposed for the green transition. The opinion develops a multidimensional understanding of justice, including distributional, corrective, transitional, procedural, recognitional, global, intergenerational and planetary dimensions. Particular attention is devoted to the capability approach, which allows justice to be assessed in relation to human flourishing, health, social inclusion and ecological sustainability. The article argues that the green transition must be governed through transparent, participatory and accountable institutions, capable of protecting vulnerable groups, reducing structural \"inequities\" and aligning technological progress with human rights. From a public health perspective, the just green transition is not only an environmental necessity, but also a democratic and ethical imperative. The article concludes that the ecological transition can be sustainable only if it is guided by justice, solidarity and respect for human dignity.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 3","pages":"210-213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148972970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spontaneous orienting of untrained companion dogs naïve to human epilepsy toward odor samples from an unfamiliar human in a controlled non-social paradigm: a proof-of-concept.","authors":"Federica Pirrone, Gianfranco Cancelli, Mariangela Albertini","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_02_10","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Evidence for spontaneous seizure detection by dogs remains limited. This study examined whether ictal odor cues elicit behavioral responses in untrained companion dogs.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To test whether dogs naïve to human epilepsy show spontaneous discrimination of ictal versus interictal odor.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty dogs, without prior seizure exposure, freely investigated three odor stations (ictal, interictal, blank) using sweat samples from a single unfamiliar donor in controlled, non-social conditions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Dogs were more likely to investigate the ictal odor first than expected by chance (Monte Carlo p=0.029), indicating an early orienting bias. No differences emerged in sustained engagement. Structured exploratory patterns occurred only in odor conditions (ictal p=0.001; interictal p=0.002), not in the control (p=0.715).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Ictal odor may carry salience sufficient to influence initial attention in naïve dogs. However, findings are based on a single donor and require replication with multiple individuals to assess generalizability.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"179-189"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267681","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Addressing food and nutrition insecurity in European countries: a scoping review of strategies and policies.","authors":"Maria Lucia Specchia, Drieda Zaçe, Maria Gabriella Cacciuttolo, Emanuele La Gatta, Luigi Petrella, Rosaria Messina, Flavia Beccia, Alberto Capriolo, Gilberto Turati, Maria Luisa Di Pietro","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_09","DOIUrl":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_09","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Food and nutrition insecurity (FNI) is a major public health concern, due to its association with a variety of adverse health outcomes.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this article is to provide a description of the strategies and policies to mitigate FNI in European countries, with a particular focus on economic, agriculture and social macro-areas.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A scoping review, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA) guidelines, was performed to map any study design, reporting policies and strategies that tackle FNI through food and nutrition security (FNS), access, utilization, or stability.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The review identified 13 documents from institutional websites and 6 scientific articles, published from 2005 to 2022. The included papers highlight a multifaceted approach to addressing food insecurity, with policies covering several dimensions. The policies identified can be categorized into several key themes: agriculture and fisheries, nutrition, environment, sustainability, economy, stakeholder's views, COVID-19 pandemic and other crisis, vulnerable populations (women, children, migrants) and information campaigns. The review describes in detail several policies, examining their effectiveness and the challenges faced in ensuring that these initiatives result in tangible improvements in food access, affordability, and nutritional quality, particularly for vulnerable populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results show a current lack of a specific and coherent policy framework on FNI at a European level. Policy fragmentation is mainly due to the multidimensional nature of FNI, which has interconnections with many different areas of the food system. The findings suggest a comprehensive approach, incorporating several policy measures and involving multiple stakeholders to ensure sustainable and equitable access to nutritious food.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"163-178"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing sample preparation for homogeneous mycotoxin distribution in official control analyses.","authors":"Francesca Debegnach, Emanuela Gregori, Marianna Rizzo, Elena Pannunzi, Martina Enza Grieco, Barbara De Santis","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_02_06","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The distribution of mycotoxins within cereal batches is highly heterogeneous. Therefore, to obtain representative samples and accurate analytical results, sample homogenization is a critical preparatory step.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To provide reliable and standardized instructions for preparing an aggregate grain sample within official control framework, four different homogenization procedures were evaluated. The comparison considered variability in mycotoxin distribution, workload, and time constraints.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted on four aggregate samples, each weighing 10 kg, obtained from a maize grain batch according to regulatory provisions of Regulation (EU) 2023/2782. Analytical variability of aflatoxin (B1 and B2) and fumonisin (B1 and B2) was measured.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The contamination levels in each pooled sample and the degree of homogeneity among the procedures were assessed and compared using the relative standard deviation of repeatability (RSDr) as acceptability criterion.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The procedures involving fine grinding (particle size <0.5 mm) and aqueous slurry preparation yielded the best results in terms of homogeneity.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"141-148"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"External quality assessment programs in cytogenomics in the Lombardy Region, Italy (2018-2024): performance and trends.","authors":"Fabio Pasotti, Valentina Achille, Simona Da Molin, Giovanna Azzarà, Giuseppa Liga, Giuseppe Moriello, Barbara Zaccaria, Lorenza Romitti, Silvia Russo, Maria Iascone, Sabine Stioui, Sabrina Buoro","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_02_11","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study summarizes seven years (2018-2024) of external quality assessment (EQA) activities in cytogenomics conducted in the Lombardy Region, Italy, across four diagnostic sectors: chromosomal microarray (CGH/SNP-array), prenatal cytogenetics, postnatal cytogenetics, and oncohematology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A descriptive analysis was performed of the regional EQA cycles, focusing on analytical concordance and on the type and evolution of non-conformities over time.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analytical concordance remained consistently high across all EQA cycles, with correct identification of the primary findings in CGH-array and constitutional cytogenetics. Early rounds were mainly characterized by incomplete reporting, International system for human cytogenomic nomenclature (ISCN) inaccuracies, limited interpretive content, and insufficient communication of methodological limitations, whereas more recent cycles showed progressive convergence toward national (SIGU) and international (ACMG/ClinGen, European) standards. In microarray (CGH/SNP-array) exercises, inter-laboratory variability shifted from basic interpretive and reporting deficiencies to more advanced issues of standardization in 2023-2024. Prenatal and postnatal cytogenetics showed progressive improvement in report structure, ISCN compliance, and methodological completeness. Oncohematology remained the most challenging area, with persistent variability in complex karyotype reconstruction despite improved metaphase adequacy and more complete ISCN reporting.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings support the role of regionally coordinated EQA schemes in promoting harmonization of cytogenomic practice, continuous quality improvement, and public health governance.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"190-196"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pain prevalence and severity in an Italian university hospital: a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Martino Bussa, Federico Ambrogi, Paola Rebora, Aurelia D'Acquisto, Maria Teresa Cuppone","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_02_05","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pain is highly prevalent among hospitalised adults, and in Italy Law 38/2010 mandates its assessment and relief. We aimed to estimate pain prevalence and severity among adult inpatients and identify factors associated with moderate-to-severe pain and satisfaction with pain management in a university hospital.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional survey in May 2023 at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato using a structured questionnaire in adult inpatients hospitalised for at least 24 hours. Multivariable logistic regression explored factors associated with pain severity and satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the 229 patients interviewed, 84% reported pain at the time of the interview, with 52.4% experiencing moderate pain and 9.6% severe pain. Pain in the previous 24 hours was associated with moderate-to-severe pain at the time of the interview and lower satisfaction with care. Thirty-two percent were aware of Law 38/2010, and awareness was associated with lower pain severity and higher satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pain remains highly prevalent among adult inpatients. Experiencing pain in the previous 24 hours was associated with greater severity and lower satisfaction, suggesting the importance of timely and consistent pain assessment and relief throughout hospitalisation.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"130-140"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Legal responses to new psychoactive substances in Europe: countries inside the REITOX network, Norway, and Türkiye.","authors":"Valeria Aquilina, Francesco Paolo Busardò, Simona Pichini, Giulia Bambagiotti, Silvia Graziano","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_02","DOIUrl":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_02","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The rapid proliferation of new psychoactive substances (NPS) presents a major challenge to drug control systems. Unlike traditional controlled substances, NPS are synthetic compounds engineered to bypass existing regulations, raising serious public health concerns due to their high potency and unpredictable toxicity. To support a coordinated European response, the REITOX (Réseau européen d'information sur les drogues et les toxicomanies) network brings together national focal points from EU Member States, Norway, Türkiye and the European Commission.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To provide a comparative overview of legislative frameworks and regulatory responses to NPS across REITOX Member Countries within the European Union.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-national analysis of legal texts, procedures for scheduling new substances, and alignment with international and EU legislation. The role of the Early Warning System (EWS), coordinated by the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and supported by the REITOX network, was also examined.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis revealed substantial variation among REITOX member states in legal approaches, timelines, and integration with EU-level mechanisms. REITOX focal points play a central role in information exchange and in supporting the EWS for early detection and coordinated responses to NPS-related threats.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"100-114"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence of formaldehyde exposures in work activities and its diffusion in the Italian industrial context following the notification requirements.","authors":"Alberto Scarselli, Monica Gherardi, Davide Di Marzio, Alessandro Marinaccio","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_04","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_02_04","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The aim of this study is to describe data on occupational exposure to formaldehyde in the context of Italian economic activities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Measurement data of airborne concentrations (n=26,216) of formaldehyde in the period 1996-2024 were selected from the national register of occupational exposure to carcinogens (Sistema Informativo Registri di Esposizione Professionale, SIREP). Descriptive statistics were calculated for main exposure-related variables. The number of potentially exposed workers was estimated for the best-characterized sectors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall geometric mean was 0.028 mg/m3. Most of the exposure was found in the wood (n=4,912), chemical (n=4,090), and plastic industries (n=3,925). A different distribution of exposure was found according to gender, as women exposures were more common in the healthcare sector. The estimated number of potentially exposed workers in the selected sectors was approximately 100,000.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The implementation of the new European Union (EU) regulation has enhanced the surveillance system, resulting in noteworthy improvements in the monitoring of occupational exposure to formaldehyde.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"121-129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267556","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of the information reported on labels of medicinal products containing new active substances between Europe and the USA.","authors":"Giuseppe Marano, Arianna Annunziata, Maria Cutillo, Roberto Da Cas, Francesca Menniti-Ippolito, Ilaria Ippoliti","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_03","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_02_03","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Although notable efforts have been made to harmonise regulatory processes for the approval of new therapeutic drugs by the competent authorities, some discrepancies concerning risk-benefit assessments and regulatory actions remain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This analysis compared the approaches of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the approval of new active substances and identified potential clinical implications associated with these differences in \"Indication\", \"Contraindications\" and \"Posology and administration of drugs\" sections of drug summary of products characteristics (SmPC).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall analysis showed major differences in 63.9% for the indications, in 75% for contraindications and in 13.9% for posology. Considering the more represented therapeutic areas (cancer and haematology/haemostaseology drugs), the percentage of major differences for the indications was 70% in cancer area and 50% in haematology/haemostaseology area. For contraindications major differences were observed in 90% of cancer drugs, and 60% in haematology/haemostaseology drugs.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings highlight the need of further efforts on harmonizing decision making driven by scientific data between regulatory authorities in the interest of patients in a public health perspective.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"115-120"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the usefulness of the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) in assessing eating habits and nutritional status among preschool children.","authors":"Lutvo Sporišević, Anes Jogunčić, Damir Šečić, Edna Supur, Senka Dinarević-Mesihović","doi":"10.4415/ANN_26_02_07","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4415/ANN_26_02_07","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Establishing healthy eating habits during early childhood is essential for long-term health and prevention of non-communicable diseases. The Mediterranean Diet (MD) is recognized as one of the healthiest dietary patterns worldwide. This study aimed to evaluate dietary habits and adherence to the MD among preschool children using the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) and to explore the influence of parental sociodemographic and anthropometric factors on children's dietary adherence.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study included 114 preschool children (24-60 months) from Sarajevo and Orašje, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data were collected using a modified KIDMED questionnaire, assessing dietary habits and general sociodemographic information. Children's anthropometric parameters were obtained from medical records, and Body Mass Index (BMI) z-scores were calculated using WHO AnthroPlus. Descriptive statistics, group comparisons, and multiple linear regression were performed in RStudio (version 2024.12.0+467), with statistical significance set at p<0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean KIDMED score was 5.17±2.98 (median 6, interquartile range IQR 3-8), indicating moderate adherence to the MD. Thirty-four percent of children had a poor-quality diet, 36.8% required improvement, and 28.9% showed optimal adherence. Fruit and vegetable consumption was high, but intake of fish, whole grains, nuts, and olive oil was low. Parental education, employment, economic status, and BMI were not significantly associated with children's KIDMED scores (Regression correlation coefficient=0.249, p=0.433).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Preschool children demonstrated moderate adherence to the MD, with clear signs of dietary westernization. Early, family-centered nutritional education is essential to promote and maintain healthy eating habits from early childhood.</p>","PeriodicalId":502090,"journal":{"name":"Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita","volume":"62 2","pages":"149-155"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148267407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}