University of Milano-Bicocca

About: University of Milano-Bicocca is a education organization based out in Milan, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Blood pressure. The organization has 8972 authors who have published 22322 publications receiving 620484 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca & Universita degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca.

The relation between broad lines and γ-ray luminosities in Fermi blazars

Abstract: We study the relation between the mass accretion rate, the jet power and the black hole mass of blazars. With this aim, we make use of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the 11-month catalogue of blazars detected at energies larger than 100 MeV by the Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi satellite. This allows us to construct a relatively large sample of blazars with information about both the luminosity (or upper limits) of their emission lines (used as a proxy for the strength of the disc luminosity) and the luminosity of the high-energy emission (used as a proxy for the jet power). We find a good correlation between the luminosity of the broad lines and the γ-ray luminosities as detected by Fermi, both using the absolute values of the luminosities and normalizing them to the Eddington value. The data we have analysed confirm that the division of blazars into BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) and flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) is controlled by the line luminosity in Eddington units. For small values of this ratio, the object is a BL Lac, while it is a FSRQ for large values. The transition appears to be smooth, but a much larger number of objects is needed to confirm this point.

ESC e-Cardiology Working Group Position Paper: Overcoming challenges in digital health implementation in cardiovascular medicine

Abstract: Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite the availability of highly effective treatments, the contemporary burden of disease remains huge. Digital health interventions hold promise to improve further the quality and experience of cardiovascular care. This position paper provides a brief overview of currently existing digital health applications in different cardiovascular disease settings. It provides the reader with the most relevant challenges for their large-scale deployment in Europe. The potential role of different stakeholders and related challenges are identified, and the key points suggestions on how to proceed are given. This position paper was developed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) e-Cardiology working group, in close collaboration with the ESC Digital Health Committee, the European Association of Preventive Cardiology, the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Heart Failure Association, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging, the Acute Cardiovascular Care Association, the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions and the Council on Hypertension. It relates to the ESC's action plan and mission to play a pro-active role in all aspects of the e-health agenda in support of cardiovascular health in Europe and aims to be used as guiding document for cardiologists and other relevant stakeholders in the field of digital health.

The 'neuroadrenergic hypothesis' in hypertension: current evidence.

Abstract: Data collected in experimental animals and in humans support the hypothesis that sympathetic neural mechanisms are involved in the development and progression of hypertension Direct approaches to assess human adrenergic cardiovascular drive have shown that sympathetic activation occurs in hypertensive patients, the magnitude of which is proportional to the degree of elevation of the blood pressure Evidence has also been obtained that sympathetic activation participates in the development of hypertension-related target organ damage, such as left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular hypertrophy and arterial remodelling and hypertrophy Despite the large amount of information collected on the main features of the hypertension-related neurogenic abnormality, the causes of the sympathetic activation remain undefined, although alterations in the reflex modulation of adrenergic drive and/or participation of metabolic factors are likely candidates This paper will provide background information on the behaviour of the sympathetic nervous system in experimental hypertension, followed by a review of the main features, mechanisms and effects of the sympathetic overdrive in human hypertension Finally, the new frontiers of research in the area of therapeutic intervention aimed at reducing the adrenergic overdrive will be highlighted

Determinants of the Lifestyle Changes during COVID-19 Pandemic in the Residents of Northern Italy.

Abstract: Background: The confinement recommended during COVID-19 pandemic could affect behavior and health. Methods: We conducted a self-reported survey in northern Italy to observe the lockdown effects on lifestyle changes and to assess their determinants. Prevalence Odds Ratio and Prevalence Risk Ratio were determined. Results: 490 adults (84% female) completed the survey: 13% and 43% reported improved and unchanged sleep quality, respectively, while 43% had insomnia symptoms. Among the 272 active subjects in pre-lockdown, 14% continued habitual exercising, 18% increased it and 68% reduced it; 27% of sedentary subjects started physical exercise; 34% reported an improvement in diet quality; 42% increased food intake and 13% decreased it; and 38% of the smokers increased cigarette consumption. Age and the pre-lockdown habit of regular physical exercising were the mainly determinants of lifestyle changes whereas BMI, gender, and the presence of chronic diseases did not. Living with other people increased the likelihood of increasing the food intake (p = 0.002). Conclusions: More than a third of people were able to positively reorganize their lives during the forced home confinement. It is worth to disseminate information to preserve a healthy lifestyle even when confined at home.

Implementation of proteomic biomarkers: making it work

Abstract: While large numbers of proteomic biomarkers have been described, they are generally not implemented in medical practice. We have investigated the reasons for this shortcoming, focusing on hurdles downstream of biomarker verification, and describe major obstacles and possible solutions to ease valid biomarker implementation. Some of the problems lie in suboptimal biomarker discovery and validation, especially lack of validated platforms with well-described performance characteristics to support biomarker qualification. These issues have been acknowledged and are being addressed, raising the hope that valid biomarkers may start accumulating in the foreseeable future. However, successful biomarker discovery and qualification alone does not suffice for successful implementation. Additional challenges include, among others, limited access to appropriate specimens and insufficient funding, the need to validate new biomarker utility in interventional trials, and large communication gaps between the parties involved in implementation. To address this problem, we propose an implementation roadmap. The implementation effort needs to involve a wide variety of stakeholders (clinicians, statisticians, health economists, and representatives of patient groups, health insurance, pharmaceutical companies, biobanks, and regulatory agencies). Knowledgeable panels with adequate representation of all these stakeholders may facilitate biomarker evaluation and guide implementation for the specific context of use. This approach may avoid unwarranted delays or failure to implement potentially useful biomarkers, and may expedite meaningful contributions of the biomarker community to healthcare.