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Biomedical subjects

Giuseppe Liotta

Publications and source records attributed to Giuseppe Liotta.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Triple antiretroviral prophylaxis administered during pregnancy and after delivery significantly reduces breast milk viral load: a study within the Drug Resource Enhancement Against AIDS and Malnutrition Program.

BACKGROUND: The administration of antiretroviral therapy to lactating women could represent a possible strategy to reduce postnatal HIV transmission. In this study, we assessed the effect of antiretroviral treatment on breast milk viral load and determined plasma and breast milk drug concentrations in pregnant women receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). METHODS: We studied 40 women receiving zidovudine, lamivudine, and nevirapine from 28 weeks of gestation to 1 month postpartum (group A) and 40 untreated pregnant women (group B). Blood and breast milk samples were collected at delivery and 7 days postpartum. RESULTS: Women in group A had received a median of 85 days of therapy before delivery. Median breast milk concentrations of nevirapine, lamivudine, and zidovudine were 0.6, 1.8, and 1.1 times, respectively, those in maternal plasma. HIV RNA levels in breast milk were significantly lower in group A than in group B (median of 2.3 vs. 3.4 log at delivery and 1.9 vs. 3.6 log at day 7; P < 0.001 for both comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: Antiretroviral drugs administered during the last trimester of pregnancy and after delivery reach levels similar to or higher than plasma concentrations in breast milk and can significantly reduce HIV RNA levels. Our data support the potential role of maternal HAART prophylaxis in reducing the risk of breast-feeding-associated transmission.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Graph visualization techniques for web clustering engines.

One of the most challenging issues in mining information from the World Wide Web is the design of systems that present the data to the end user by clustering them into meaningful semantic categories. We show that the analysis of the results of a clustering engine can significantly take advantage of enhanced graph drawing and visualization techniques. We propose a graph-based user interface for Web clustering engines that makes it possible for the user to explore and visualize the different semantic categories and their relationships at the desired level of detail.

Algorithms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[DREAM project early results (drug resources enhancement against AIDS in Mozambique)].

This study is aimed at assessing the outcomes of home care treatment for people living with AIDS in Mozambique. The authors have analysed data from 62 adult patients undergoing a Home Care Program carried out by the Sant'Egidio Community, Italy and the Sue Ryder Care in Matola, Mozambique. The above-mentioned program complies with the WHO guidelines and provides for free antiretroviral therapies and laboratory exams. After hardly two-year treatment, the mortality rate of the sub-sample examined dropped by nearly 80%. Both compliance and adverse reactions have shown to be similar to the reported levels in developed countries. This program is unprecedented in Mozambique and has proved extremely effective for the affected population.

English Abstract↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Evolution and current tools of multidimensional assessment in Italy].

Evaluation of the health status of elderly patients clearly should take into consideration the older individual's medical (physical and mental health), psychosocial and economical status, and functional capabilities and problems (multidimensional evaluation). This methodology has been used in anglo-saxon countries since over 20 years and is now quite diffuse in Italy as well. This paper reports the results of a study performed by the Epidemiology Unit of Tor Vergata University in Rome (Italy) to verify whether a national project regarding the elderly population (Progetto Obiettivo Anziani), has been put into effect across Italy and, in particular, whether, in the context of this project, Geriatric Evaluation Units have been activated. The study evaluated the structural features of the existing Geriatric Units, as well as the type of employed staff and tools used. The results confirm that multidimensional assessment of the elderly is well established in Italy even though Geriatric Evaluation Units across the country are very diverse with respect to the type of employed staff and their work experience. The number of elderly persons evaluated in the Geriatric Units appears to be low but this is also due to the fact that multidimensional evaluation is only one of the many activities performed by the Units. This fact should be reflected upon however, and may call for a greater investment in this important sector of geriatric care.

Aged↗