Evaluation of bowel management efficacy and subjects' satisfaction in people with spinal cord injury (SCI): An Italian multicenter survey via the MENTOR tool.

Study Design: Observational prospective multicenter study.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of bowel management and subjects' satisfaction by the Monitoring the Efficacy of Neurogenic Bowel Treatment On Response (MENTOR) tool and the impact of demographic and clinical factors on bowel management.

Methods: Consecutive patients with SCI were recruited by nine Italian Spinal Units.

Stone free rate and clinical complications in patients submitted to retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS): Our experience in 571 consecutive cases.

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to report the stone free rate (SFR) and clinical complications in patients submitted to retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS).

Materials And Methods: A total of 571 procedures of upper urinary stones treated using flexible ureteroscopy and holmium laser lithotripsy from January 2014 to February 2020 have been analyzed. Overall SFR was evaluated after 3 months following the procedure by means of a non-contrast computed tomography.

Rapid detection of fast innovation under the pressure of COVID-19.

Covid-19 has rapidly redefined the agenda of technological research and development both for academics and practitioners. If the medical scientific publication system has promptly reacted to this new situation, other domains, particularly in new technologies, struggle to map what is happening in their contexts. The pandemic has created the need for a rapid detection of technological convergence phenomena, but at the same time it has made clear that this task is impossible on the basis of traditional patent and publication indicators.

A complicated case of recurrent Cowper's gland abscess.

A Caucasian man 64 years old was admitted to our department for fever, strangury, frequency and pain in the perineum secondary to the relapse of Cowper's gland abscess previously treated by antibiotic therapy and trans-perineal ultrasound-guided aspiration. At admission, the clinical parameters were suggestive of sepsis; moreover, the trans-perineal ultrasound detected an hypoechoic mass suspicious for the recurrence of Cowper's gland abscess. A suprapubic catheter was positioned and a targeted antibiotic therapy (Colistin 9000.

Acute Scrotum Following Traumatic Spermatic Cord Hematoma: A Case Report and Review.

Acute scrotum constitutes the most common urological emergency secondary to spermatic cord torsion, testicular trauma, orchiepididymitis and hernias. We report a very rare case of unique traumatic spermatic cord hematoma following scrotum injury occurred during a football match. Clinical exam showed an increased volume of the left spermatic cord; the color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) demonstrated left testicular ischemia secondary to a large spermatic cord hematoma that needs surgical exploration.

Journal ratings as predictors of articles quality in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences: an analysis based on the Italian Research Evaluation Exercise.

The aim of this paper is to understand whether the probability of receiving positive peer reviews is influenced by having published in an independently assessed, high-ranking journal: we eventually interpret a positive relationship among peer evaluation and journal ranking as evidence that journal ratings are good predictors of article quality. The analysis is based on a large dataset of over 11,500 research articles published in Italy in the period 2004-2010 in the areas of architecture, arts and humanities, history and philosophy, law, sociology and political sciences. These articles received a score by a large number of externally appointed referees in the context of the Italian research assessment exercise (VQR); similarly, journal scores were assigned in a panel-based independent assessment, which involved all academic journals in which Italian scholars have published, carried out under a different procedure.

Primary carcinoid tumour of the testis: A case-report.

Testicular carcinoid tumours (TCT) account for less than 1% of all testicular neoplasms. A 17-year-old male underwent radical orchiectomy for a painful indurated and increased in size right testicle; a mixed echogenic mass, with a central homogeneous area surrounded by a hypoechoic edge with calcifications was found at ultreasound with increased vascularity at color Doppler examination. Biochemical markers were within normal limits.

Increased excitability in tat-transgenic mice: role of tat in HIV-related neurological disorders.

HIV-1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are a major complication of HIV-1 infection. The mechanism(s) underlying HAND are not completely understood but, based on in vitro studies, the HIV-1 Tat protein may play an important role. In this study, the effect of prolonged exposure to endogenously produced Tat in the brain was investigated using a tat-transgenic (TT) mouse model constitutively expressing the HIV-1 tat gene.

Purity and stability of online-prepared hemodiafiltration fluid after storage.

Background/aims: Previous studies have suggested that online hemodiafiltration (OL-HDF) fluid can be used as dialysate for continuous renal replacement therapies, and thus HDF costs can be reduced. The aims of this study were to determine the purity of OL-HDF fluid and to verify the stability of the electrolyte composition and acid-base balance during its storage.

Methods: OL-HDF fluid was collected in 70 individual bags and stored for up to 7 days.

Changes in airway hyperresponsiveness following smoking cessation: comparisons between Mch and AMP.

Background: Given the observed association between smoking, inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) one may predict that smoking cessation may improve AHR. However, only a few studies have investigated the effect of smoking on AHR and their results appear to be conflicting depending on the stimulus used in their bronchoprovocation protocol. The aim of the current study was to compare changes in AHR between direct (methacholine (Mch)) and indirect (adenosine 5'monophosphate (AMP)) stimuli before and at different time points after smoking cessation in smokers with allergic rhinitis (+/-asthma).

Stone composition: where do we stand?

Kidney stones are a common disorder of the urinary tract. Nephrolithiasis is a morbid and expensive disease. The prevalence and incidence are estimated at 5-10% and 100-300/100,000/year, respectively.

Transurethral resection of prostate: technical progress by bipolar Gyrus plasma-kinetic tissue management system.

Aim: We report our experience about bipolar plasma-kinetic resection of the prostate for the treatment of bladder outlet obstruction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), considering intraoperative variables and short-term

Methods: Three hundred and eighty-nine patients affected by symptomatic BPH, underwent transurethral resection of prostate using the bipolar plasma-kinetic technique from Decem-ber 2001 to July 2004 in a prospective fashion. Bipolar resections of the prostate were performed using Plasma-Kinetic Tissue Management System (Gyrus Medical Ltd., UK).

First Report of Leaf Spot and Blight of Strelitzia reginae Caused by Burkholderia gladioli in Italy.

During the summer of 2005, a new disease of bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae Aiton) was observed on young seedlings (2 to 3 months old) in a nursery located in Giarre (Catania) in eastern Sicily. Symptoms included brown, water-soaked leaf spots that first appeared after seedling emergence and then gradually enlarged and became necrotic. Occasionally, during wet conditions, seedlings were completely blighted, resulting in total loss.

Active surveillance of nosocomial infections in urologic patients.

Objectives: We report the results of a 4-month survey implemented at the urologic clinic of an Italian university hospital, with the following aims: (1) to describe the incidence of nosocomial infections (NI) in our setting for comparison within and between urologic wards and (2) to provide relevant information to monitor and target infection control policies.

Methods: A 4-month prospective survey was performed from April to July 2004, preceded by the 1-month surveillance pilot study; both performed in accordance with the methods, protocols and definitions of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System. The following indicators were included site-specific incidence rates and device-adjusted infection rates.

Economic evaluation of HIV treatments: the I.CO.N.A. cohort study.

Objective: To describe the changes in costs of care for HIV-positive patients in Italy after the spread of antiretroviral combination therapies (HAART).

Methods: Five thousand four hundred and twenty-two patients from the I.CO.

HIV-1 tat protein modulates the generation of cytotoxic T cell epitopes by modifying proteasome composition and enzymatic activity.

Tat, the trans activation protein of HIV, is produced early upon infection to promote and expand HIV replication and transmission. However, Tat appears to also have effects on target cells, which may affect Ag recognition both during infection and after vaccination. In particular, Tat targets dendritic cells and induces their maturation and Ag-presenting functions, increasing Th1 T cell responses.

ESWL: Comparing two analgesic techniques. Our experience.

Objective: We compared the effects of intramuscular analgesia versus intramuscular analgesia associated with topical application of Luan (gel containing lidocaine 1%) on the efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL).

Material And Methods: From January 2001 to November 2002, 300 patients (mean age 46) were treated for kidney or upper ureteral radiopaque stones with ESWL, using a Dornier Compact Delta magneto lithotripter. The patients were divided into two groups: group A, 180 patients, received intramuscular analgesia with Ketorolac 30 mg, Tramadolo 100 mg and, during treatment, intravenous betametasone 4 mg.

Our experience with nifedipine and prednisolone as expulsive therapy for ureteral stones.

Objectives: We evaluated the effect of nifedipine associated with prednisolone in ureteral stone passage.

Material And Methods: In our department we enrolled 50 patients with radiopaque ureteral stones. Stone size was 15 mm or less.

A novel intraarterial chemotherapy using paclitaxel in albumin nanoparticles to treat advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue: preliminary findings.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intraarterial infusion of paclitaxel incorporated into human albumin nanoparticles for use as induction chemotherapy before definitive treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty-three previously untreated patients (age range, 27-75 years) who had carcinoma of the tongue (stage T3-T4, any N) received intraarterial therapy with paclitaxel incorporated into albumin nanoparticles delivered by transfemoral catheterization into the external carotid artery (10 patients), selectively into the lingual artery (12 patients), or into a faciolingual trunk (1 patient). Each patient received two to four infusions, with a 3-week interval between infusions.

Acute interstitial pneumonia: report of a series.

Four cases of acute interstitial pneumonia (AIP) are described with special emphasis on clinical background, lung imaging and bronchoalveolar lavage findings. A retrospective chart review of four patients with histologically-proven AIP, diagnosed between 1998 and 2000, was carried out. Clinical data, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) findings, high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and histological features were analysed.

Micellar-type complexes of tailor-made synthetic block copolymers containing the HIV-1 tat DNA for vaccine application.

A novel class of cationic block copolymers constituted by a neutral hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block and a positively charged poly(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate block was prepared for delivery of DNA. These block copolymers spontaneously assemble with DNA to give in aqueous medium micellar-like structures. Five of these novel block copolymers (K1-5), differing in the length of both the PEG chain and the linear charge density of the poly(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate block, were prepared and analyzed for gene delivery, gene expression and safety.

Transcription pattern of human herpesvirus 8 open reading frame K3 in primary effusion lymphoma and Kaposi's sarcoma.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is found in immunoblastic B cells of patients with multicentric Castleman's disease (MCD) and, predominantly in a latent form, in primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) cells and Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) spindle cells. Recent studies have shown that upon reactivation, HHV-8 expresses factors that downregulate major histocompatibility class I proteins and coactivation molecules and that may enable productively infected cells to escape cytotoxic T lymphocytes and natural killer cell responses. One of these viral factors is encoded by open reading frame (ORF) K3.

DNA ploidy and TLI in association with other prognostic parameters in breast cancer.

DNA ploidy and thymidine-labeling index (TLI) have been introduced as prognostic indicators to characterize the biological behavior of breast cancer for the selection of patients eligible for adjuvant therapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance and correlation between ploidy status, TLI and other common histopathologic parameters such as histotype, stage, grading, lymph node metastasis, hormone receptors and recurrence. DNA ploidy and TLI were assessed for 68 breast cancer patients, 27 to 85 years of age.