University of Brescia

About: University of Brescia is a education organization based out in Brescia, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Heart failure. The organization has 8090 authors who have published 24576 publications receiving 780862 citations. The organization is also known as: Università degli Studi di Brescia & Universita degli Studi di Brescia.

Worsening renal function in patients hospitalised for acute heart failure: clinical implications and prognostic significance.

Abstract: Background: Renal function is a powerful prognostic variable in patients with heart failure (HF). Hospitalisations for acute HF (AHF) may be associated with further worsening of renal function (WRF). Methods and results: We analysed the clinical significance of WRF in 318 consecutive patients admitted at our institute for AHF. WRF was defined as the occurrence, at any time during the hospitalisation, of both a ≥25% and a ≥0.3 mg/dL increase in serum creatinine (s-Cr) from admission (WRF-Abs-%). Results: Patients were followed for 480±363 days. Fifty-three patients (17%) died and 132 (41%) were rehospitalised for HF. WRF-Abs-% occurred in 107 (34%) patients. At multivariable survival analysis, WRF-Abs-% was an independent predictor of death or HF rehospitalisation (adjusted HR, 1.47; 95%CI, 1.13–1.81; p=0.024). The independent predictors of WRF-Abs-%, evaluated using multivariable logistic regression, were history of chronic kidney disease (p=0.002), LV ejection fraction (p=0.012), furosemide daily dose (p=0.03) and NYHA class (p=0.05) on admission. Conclusion: WRF is a frequent finding in patients hospitalised for AHF and is associated with a poor prognosis. Severity of HF and daily furosemide dose are the most important predictors of the occurrence of WRF.

A survey on digital twin : definitions, characteristics, applications, and design Implications

Abstract: When, in 1956, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was officially declared a research field, no one would have ever predicted the huge influence and impact its description, prediction, and prescription capabilities were going to have on our daily lives. In parallel to continuous advances in AI, the past decade has seen the spread of broadband and ubiquitous connectivity, (embedded) sensors collecting descriptive high dimensional data, and improvements in big data processing techniques and cloud computing. The joint usage of such technologies has led to the creation of digital twins, artificial intelligent virtual replicas of physical systems. Digital Twin (DT) technology is nowadays being developed and commercialized to optimize several manufacturing and aviation processes, while in the healthcare and medicine fields this technology is still at its early development stage. This paper presents the results of a study focused on the analysis of the state-of-the-art definitions of DT, the investigation of the main characteristics that a DT should possess, and the exploration of the domains in which DT applications are currently being developed. The design implications derived from the study are then presented: they focus on socio-technical design aspects and DT lifecycle. Open issues and challenges that require to be addressed in the future are finally discussed.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices in Travel-related Infectious Diseases: The European Airport Survey

Abstract: Background. The European Travel Health Advisory Board conducted a cross-sectional pilot survey to evaluate current travel health knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) and to determine where travelers going to developing countries obtain travel health information, what information they receive, and what preventive travel health measures they employ. Subsequently, the questionnaire used was improved and a cross-sectional, multicenter study was undertaken in airports in Europe, Asia, South Africa and the United States. This paper describes the methods used everywhere, and results from the European airports. Method. Between September 2002 and September 2003, 5,465 passengers residing in Europe and boarding an intercontinental flight to a developing country were surveyed at the departure gates of nine major airports in Europe. Questionnaires were self-administered, and checked for completeness and validated by trained interviewers. Results: Although the majority of travelers (73.3%) had sought general information about their destination prior to departure, only just over half of the responders (52.1%) had sought travel health advice. Tourists and people traveling for religious reasons had sought travel health advice more often, whereas travelers visiting friends and relatives were less likely to do so. Hepatitis A was perceived as the most probable among the infectious diseases investigated, followed by HIV and hepatitis B. In spite of a generally positive attitude towards vaccines, 58.4% and 68.7% of travelers could not report any protection against hepatitis A or hepatitis B, respectively. Only one in three travelers to a destination country with at least some malaria endemicity were carrying antimalarial drugs. Almost one in four travelers visiting a high-risk area had an inaccurate risk perception and even one in two going to a no-risk destination were unnecessarily concerned about malaria. Conclusions: The large variation in destinations, age of the travelers and reasons for traveling illustrates that traveling to a developing country has become common practice. The results of this large-scale airport survey clearly demonstrate an important educational need among those traveling to risk destinations. Initiatives to improve such education should target all groups of travelers, including business travelers, those visiting friends and relatives, and the elderly. Additionally, travel health advice providers should continue their efforts to make travelers comply with the recommended travel health advice. Our common objective is to help travelers stay healthy while abroad, and consequently to also reduce the potential importation of infectious diseases and the consequent public health and other implications.

Cardiac myosin activation with omecamtiv mecarbil in systolic heart failure

Abstract: Background The selective cardiac myosin activator omecamtiv mecarbil has been shown to improve cardiac function in patients with heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction. Its effect ...