This systematic review is aimed to evaluate the effects of balneotherapy with thermal mineral water for managing the symptoms and signs of osteoarthritis located at any anatomical site. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement. The following databases were consulted: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, DOAJ and PEDro. We included clinical trials evaluating the effects of balneotherapy as a treatment for patients with osteoarthritis, published in English and Italian language, led on human subjects. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Overall, 17 studies have been included in the review. All of these studies were performed on adults or elderly patients suffering from osteoarthritis localized to knees, hips, hands or lumbar spine. The treatment assessed was always the balneotherapy with thermal mineral water. The outcomes evaluated were pain, palpation/pressure sensibility, articular tenderness, functional ability, quality of life, mobility, deambulation, ability to climb stairs, medical objective and patients’ subjective evaluation, superoxide dismutase enzyme activity, serum levels of interleukin-2 receptors. The results of all the included studies agree and demonstrated an improvement of all the symptoms and signs investigated. In particular, pain and quality of life were the main symptoms evaluated and both improved after the treatment with thermal water in all the studies included in the review. These effects can be attributed to physical and chemical-physical properties of thermal mineral water used. However, the quality of many studies resulted not so high due and, consequently, it is necessary to perform new clinical trial in this field using more correct methods for conducting the study and for processing statistical data.

Balneotherapy includes practices and methods using medically and legally recognized mineral-medicinal waters, muds and natural gases from natural springs for therapeutic purposes. One of the most widely used method in balneotherapy is bathing with thermal mineral water. In the course of the years, scientific community has produced an increasing number of evidences that this practice is an effective method for treating signs and symptoms of several pathologies such as rheumatic, cardiovascular and dermatological diseases. This systematic review is aimed at evaluating the effect of balneotherapy with thermal water baths as a treatment to manage signs and symptoms of patients affected by all types of dermatological diseases. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement, and its protocol was registered on PROSPERO platform (CRD42022295913). The research was performed on the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane. We included clinical trials evaluating the effects of balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths for managing dermatological diseases in humans, published in English and Italian language. Eight studies were included, seven of them enrolled adults affected by psoriasis and one studied atopic dermatitis patients. The common result of all the articles included was a clear improvement of signs and symptoms of psoriasis and eczematous diseases after use of thermal mineral water baths. These effects seem to be strictly related to physical and chemical properties of thermal water used for balneotherapy. However, studies in this field are still limited to support robust evidence of the effectiveness of balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths and often their quality is low. Thus, new clinical studies need to be carried out, using more correct methods for conducting the studies and for processing statistical data.

In the last decades, there has been a huge increase in the consumption of both Energy Drinks (EDs) and alcohol and, concurrently, these two trends generated the additional practice of mixing ED with alcohol, known as Alcohol mixed with Energy Drink (AmED). One of the most important group of AmED consumers is represented by young. Indeed, the study population of the researches in this field are mainly represented by college students and the results evidence a great range of negative consequences for health. The purpose of the systematic review was to explore the prevalence of AmED consumption among undergraduate students, together with motivations to their use, adverse effects and health-related behaviors associated to AmEDs use. The review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement and PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were interrogated. 42 articles, published from 2008 to 2021, were included in the review. An overall prevalence rate of 37% was estimated for AmEDs use in undergraduates, with geographical differences. Although a decrease in consumption was observed throughout the studied period, a continuous monitoring on this phenomenon is needed for identifying those risk groups that could develop risky behaviors related to AmEDs consumption and provide them targeted educational interventions.

Infections caused by Acinetobacter baumannii represent a major concern for intensive care unit (ICU) patients. However, the epidemiology of these infections among COVID-19 patients has not been fully explored. The aims of this study were (i) to characterize the clonal spread of A. baumannii among COVID-19 patients admitted to the ICU of the Umberto I hospital of Rome during the first year of the pandemic and (ii) to identify risk factors for its acquisition. Isolates were analysed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, and a multivariable regression model was constructed. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Overall, 193 patients were included, and 102 strains were analysed. All isolates had highly antibiotic-resistant profiles and derived from two genotypes. The cumulative incidence of A. baumannii acquisition (colonization or infection) was 36.8%. Patients with A. baumannii had higher mortality and length of stay. Multivariable analysis showed that previous carbapenem use was the only risk factor associated with A. baumannii acquisition (aOR: 4.15, 95% CI: 1.78–9.64). We documented substantial A. baumannii infections and colonization and high levels of clonal transmission. Given the limited treatment options, effective prevention and containment strategies to limit the spread of A. baumannii should be implemented.

Digital technologies have greatly developed and impacted several aspects of life, including health and lifestyle. Activity tracking, mobile applications, and devices may also provide messages and goals to motivate adopting healthy behaviors, namely physical activity and dietary changes. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of digital resources in supporting behavior changes, and thus influencing weight loss, in people with overweight or obesity. A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023403364). Randomized Controlled Trials published from the database’s inception to 8 November 2023 and focused on digital-based technologies aimed at increasing physical activity for the purpose of weight loss, with or without changes in diet, were considered eligible. In total, 1762 studies were retrieved and 31 met the inclusion criteria. Although they differed in the type of technology used and in their design, two-thirds of the studies reported significantly greater weight loss among electronic device users than controls. Many of these studies reported tailored or specialist-guided interventions. The use of digital technologies may be useful to support weight-loss interventions for people with overweight or obesity. Personalized feedback can increase the effectiveness of new technologies in motivating behavior changes.