Jessica Mongillo | University of Ferrara (original) (raw)
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Papers by Jessica Mongillo
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
The measurement of handgrip strength (HGS) is an indicator of an individual’s overall strength an... more The measurement of handgrip strength (HGS) is an indicator of an individual’s overall strength and can serve as a predictor of morbidity and mortality. This study aims to investigate whether HGS is associated with handedness in young adults and if it is influenced by anthropometric characteristics, body composition, and sport-related parameters. We conducted a cross-sectional study on a sample of 544 young Italian adults aged 18–30 years. We measured HGS using a dynamometer and collected data on handedness and physical activity, along with anthropometric measurements. In both sexes, the HGS of the dominant side was significantly greater than that of the non-dominant side. Furthermore, in ambidextrous individuals, the right hand was stronger than the left. A comparison between the lowest and the highest tercile of HGS highlighted its significant association with anthropometric and body composition parameters in both sexes. Moreover, sex, dominant upper arm muscle area, arm fat index,...
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 2020
Surgical procedures undergone in life, autopsies and anatomical preparations can all leave clearl... more Surgical procedures undergone in life, autopsies and anatomical preparations can all leave clearly identifiable traces on human skeletal remains. Several studies on skeletons from archeological contexts have identified traces of these practices. However, the distinction between medical/forensic autopsy and anatomical dissections for scientific research can be challenging. We report the case of a middle-aged female skeleton from the cemetery of the church of San Biagio (Ravenna, Italy), dating back to the 17th–19th centuries, that shows signs of a complete craniotomy. In an attempt to clarify the reason for this practice, we analyzed all pathological and non-pathological markers on the skeleton. We carried out anthropological analyses and osteometric measurements to determine the biological profile and the cranial capacity of the individual. Paleopathological investigation and analyses of traumatic injury patterns were carried out using both a morphological and a microscopic approach...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
Journal of Translational Medicine, 2020
Background A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropom... more Background A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropometric analyses, is crucial to ensure the best possible nutritional status of each individual. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) represents a leading technique to assess body composition parameters and, in particular, the fat mass. This study examined the self-perception of body image at various levels of adiposity proposing a new index. Methods We investigated 487 young Italian adults (mean age of males: 21.9 ± 2.4 years; mean age of females: 21.0 ± 2.2 years). Each subject could choose, on the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, the silhouette that he/she considered most resembling his/her perceived body image as well as his/her ideal body image. On each subject, we performed anthropometric measurements and determined the values of Fat mass and %Fat with BIA. A new index, FAIFAT (Feel fat status minus Actual fat status Inconsistency), was developed to evaluate possible fat status perception incons...
PLoS ONE, 2021
Over the centuries, iconographic representations of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most revered ... more Over the centuries, iconographic representations of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most revered saints in the Catholic world, have been inspired by literary sources, which described the Saint as either naturally corpulent or with a swollen abdomen due to dropsy (i.e. fluid accumulation in the body cavities). Even recent attempts to reconstruct the face of the Saint have yielded discordant results regarding his outward appearance. To address questions about the real appearance of St Anthony, we applied body mass estimation equations to the osteometric measurements taken in 1981, during the public recognition of the Saint’s skeletal remains. Both the biomechanical and the morphometric approach were employed to solve some intrinsic limitations in the equations for body mass estimation from skeletal remains. The estimated body mass was used to assess the physique of the Saint with the body mass index. The outcomes of this investigation reveal interesting information about the body type...
Body image perception and body composition: assessment of perception inconsistency by a new index
Journal of Translational Medicine 18(1), 2020
Background: A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropo... more Background: A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropometric analyses, is crucial to ensure the best possible nutritional status of each individual. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) represents a leading technique to assess body composition parameters and, in particular, the fat mass. This study examined the self-perception of body image at various levels of adiposity proposing a new index. Methods: We investigated 487 young Italian adults (mean age of males: 21.9 ± 2.4 years; mean age of females: 21.0 ± 2.2 years). Each subject could choose, on the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, the silhouette that he/she considered most resembling his/her perceived body image as well as his/her ideal body image. On each subject, we performed anthropometric measurements and determined the values of Fat mass and %Fat with BIA. A new index, FAIFAT (Feel fat status minus Actual fat status Inconsistency), was developed to evaluate possible fat status perception inconsistencies by BIA. Results: Based on ideal and feel body image comparison, women showed higher dissatisfaction than men and preferred slimmer silhouettes. FAIFAT values indicated that the fat status perception was correct in the majority of the examined individuals and only three subjects showed a serious misperception. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that FAIFAT is an appropriate index for assessing the perceived fat status from the body image when compared with data obtained by BIA. In a population, the use of this index will allow the correct identification of groups at risk for eating disorders.
Burned human remains: diachronic analysis of cremation rituals in necropolises of northern Italy
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
The funeral ritual of cremation has been practiced since ancient times and is an important source... more The funeral ritual of cremation has been practiced since ancient times and is an important source of information for the reconstruction of past mortuary behavior. In this study, 387 cremation tombs from five sites in the Po Valley (northern Italy) belonging to different periods (from the Bronze Age to the Roman Age) were examined to identify possible diachronic differences in cremation rituals. Anthropological analyses consisted of sex and age-at-death determination and estimation of the minimum number of individuals. Factors such as color variations of bones, fragmentation, skeletal completeness, and presence of animal bones were investigated as indicators of the funeral ritual. Different representation of the two sexes and different age-at-death were compared, as were single burials versus multiple ones. The results demonstrated significant differences among periods for almost all variables considered. The Bronze Age sample presented a higher frequency of single graves. The Iron and Roman Age samples showed a higher frequency of subadults than the Bronze Age. The cremations from all periods showed high frequencies of arm and leg bones, but the Roman Age sample showed a higher frequency of vertebrae and pelvic girdle elements. Larger fragments (≥ 20 mm) prevailed in the Roman Age, as did the presence of animal bones and blackened bones. We discuss these results by comparing them with sociocultural data of the human communities settled in the Po Valley during the Bronze, Iron, and Roman Ages. In conclusion, our study revealed different funerary rituals in northern Italy among the three periods.
CFP by Jessica Mongillo
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
The measurement of handgrip strength (HGS) is an indicator of an individual’s overall strength an... more The measurement of handgrip strength (HGS) is an indicator of an individual’s overall strength and can serve as a predictor of morbidity and mortality. This study aims to investigate whether HGS is associated with handedness in young adults and if it is influenced by anthropometric characteristics, body composition, and sport-related parameters. We conducted a cross-sectional study on a sample of 544 young Italian adults aged 18–30 years. We measured HGS using a dynamometer and collected data on handedness and physical activity, along with anthropometric measurements. In both sexes, the HGS of the dominant side was significantly greater than that of the non-dominant side. Furthermore, in ambidextrous individuals, the right hand was stronger than the left. A comparison between the lowest and the highest tercile of HGS highlighted its significant association with anthropometric and body composition parameters in both sexes. Moreover, sex, dominant upper arm muscle area, arm fat index,...
Forensic Science, Medicine and Pathology, 2020
Surgical procedures undergone in life, autopsies and anatomical preparations can all leave clearl... more Surgical procedures undergone in life, autopsies and anatomical preparations can all leave clearly identifiable traces on human skeletal remains. Several studies on skeletons from archeological contexts have identified traces of these practices. However, the distinction between medical/forensic autopsy and anatomical dissections for scientific research can be challenging. We report the case of a middle-aged female skeleton from the cemetery of the church of San Biagio (Ravenna, Italy), dating back to the 17th–19th centuries, that shows signs of a complete craniotomy. In an attempt to clarify the reason for this practice, we analyzed all pathological and non-pathological markers on the skeleton. We carried out anthropological analyses and osteometric measurements to determine the biological profile and the cranial capacity of the individual. Paleopathological investigation and analyses of traumatic injury patterns were carried out using both a morphological and a microscopic approach...
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
Journal of Translational Medicine, 2020
Background A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropom... more Background A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropometric analyses, is crucial to ensure the best possible nutritional status of each individual. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) represents a leading technique to assess body composition parameters and, in particular, the fat mass. This study examined the self-perception of body image at various levels of adiposity proposing a new index. Methods We investigated 487 young Italian adults (mean age of males: 21.9 ± 2.4 years; mean age of females: 21.0 ± 2.2 years). Each subject could choose, on the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, the silhouette that he/she considered most resembling his/her perceived body image as well as his/her ideal body image. On each subject, we performed anthropometric measurements and determined the values of Fat mass and %Fat with BIA. A new index, FAIFAT (Feel fat status minus Actual fat status Inconsistency), was developed to evaluate possible fat status perception incons...
PLoS ONE, 2021
Over the centuries, iconographic representations of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most revered ... more Over the centuries, iconographic representations of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most revered saints in the Catholic world, have been inspired by literary sources, which described the Saint as either naturally corpulent or with a swollen abdomen due to dropsy (i.e. fluid accumulation in the body cavities). Even recent attempts to reconstruct the face of the Saint have yielded discordant results regarding his outward appearance. To address questions about the real appearance of St Anthony, we applied body mass estimation equations to the osteometric measurements taken in 1981, during the public recognition of the Saint’s skeletal remains. Both the biomechanical and the morphometric approach were employed to solve some intrinsic limitations in the equations for body mass estimation from skeletal remains. The estimated body mass was used to assess the physique of the Saint with the body mass index. The outcomes of this investigation reveal interesting information about the body type...
Body image perception and body composition: assessment of perception inconsistency by a new index
Journal of Translational Medicine 18(1), 2020
Background: A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropo... more Background: A correct perception of the body image, as defined by comparison with actual anthropometric analyses, is crucial to ensure the best possible nutritional status of each individual. Bioimpedance analysis (BIA) represents a leading technique to assess body composition parameters and, in particular, the fat mass. This study examined the self-perception of body image at various levels of adiposity proposing a new index. Methods: We investigated 487 young Italian adults (mean age of males: 21.9 ± 2.4 years; mean age of females: 21.0 ± 2.2 years). Each subject could choose, on the Contour Drawing Rating Scale, the silhouette that he/she considered most resembling his/her perceived body image as well as his/her ideal body image. On each subject, we performed anthropometric measurements and determined the values of Fat mass and %Fat with BIA. A new index, FAIFAT (Feel fat status minus Actual fat status Inconsistency), was developed to evaluate possible fat status perception inconsistencies by BIA. Results: Based on ideal and feel body image comparison, women showed higher dissatisfaction than men and preferred slimmer silhouettes. FAIFAT values indicated that the fat status perception was correct in the majority of the examined individuals and only three subjects showed a serious misperception. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that FAIFAT is an appropriate index for assessing the perceived fat status from the body image when compared with data obtained by BIA. In a population, the use of this index will allow the correct identification of groups at risk for eating disorders.
Burned human remains: diachronic analysis of cremation rituals in necropolises of northern Italy
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2020
The funeral ritual of cremation has been practiced since ancient times and is an important source... more The funeral ritual of cremation has been practiced since ancient times and is an important source of information for the reconstruction of past mortuary behavior. In this study, 387 cremation tombs from five sites in the Po Valley (northern Italy) belonging to different periods (from the Bronze Age to the Roman Age) were examined to identify possible diachronic differences in cremation rituals. Anthropological analyses consisted of sex and age-at-death determination and estimation of the minimum number of individuals. Factors such as color variations of bones, fragmentation, skeletal completeness, and presence of animal bones were investigated as indicators of the funeral ritual. Different representation of the two sexes and different age-at-death were compared, as were single burials versus multiple ones. The results demonstrated significant differences among periods for almost all variables considered. The Bronze Age sample presented a higher frequency of single graves. The Iron and Roman Age samples showed a higher frequency of subadults than the Bronze Age. The cremations from all periods showed high frequencies of arm and leg bones, but the Roman Age sample showed a higher frequency of vertebrae and pelvic girdle elements. Larger fragments (≥ 20 mm) prevailed in the Roman Age, as did the presence of animal bones and blackened bones. We discuss these results by comparing them with sociocultural data of the human communities settled in the Po Valley during the Bronze, Iron, and Roman Ages. In conclusion, our study revealed different funerary rituals in northern Italy among the three periods.