Agriculture and biodiversity damage: A prospective evaluation of the impact of Brazilian agriculture on its ecoregions through life cycle assessment methodology.

The natural ecosystems' replacement by farmland and the consequent biodiversity damage (BD) for agriculture are one of the principal concerns worldwide. The development of the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology involves enormous efforts to include BD parameters and develop a prospective LCA approach for future evaluations of production and technologies use. Thus, this work aims to determine the current impacts and estimate the future impacts in terms of damage to biodiversity caused by land occupation by agricultural commodities produced in Brazil, such as coffee, corn, oranges, and sugar cane, for the six ecoregions present in the country-Amazon, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampas, and Pantanal-in the 20-year period from 2015 to 2035.

Stanford parameters stratify the risk of recurrence in gynecologic smooth muscle tumors of uncertain malignant potential.

Smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP) is an ill-defined category of neoplasms, which represent a diagnostic challenge. We aimed to assess whether the Stanford parameters, that is, high mitotic index (≥10/10HPF), significant atypia (moderate-to-severe), and coagulative tumor cell necrosis (CTCN), even when focal or ambiguous, may be used to stratify the risk of recurrence in gynecological smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP). Electronic databases were searched from their inception to October 2019.

Merkel cell carcinoma of the forehead area: a literature review and case report.

Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon, aggressive malignancy of the skin, mostly affecting head and neck area in elderly white patients. Between head/neck sites, face accounts for 61% and forehead accounts for 17% of all face MCCs.

Purpose: We here present a literature review MCC cases arising in the forehead area, published in the English literature in the period 1987-2018, and report a personal observation with a late diagnosis and a treatment out of the current recommendations.

The dynamics of coffee production in Brazil.

Coffee is a crop of significant importance for Brazilian agrobusiness. There is evidence that both the geographic distribution of coffee production, and the varieties of coffee produced, have changed throughout Brazil over the course of time. Furthermore, it appears that these developments are associated with structural changes resulting from reductions in government intervention and its effects on prices in the coffee market, which has established a new dynamic of coffee production in the country.

Superior Orbital Fissure Syndrome in Lateral Orbital Wall Fracture: Management and Classification Update.

The superior orbital fissure syndrome (SOFS) is an uncommon complication rarely occurring in association with craniofacial trauma. Work-up of a patient injured by a traumatic right orbitozygomatic complex fracture and SOFS is presented. Accurate computed tomography scan and three-dimensional reconstruction showed a medial displacement of the lateral orbital wall, compressing the right superior orbital fissure (SOF), without intraorbital bone fragment displacement or hemorrhage.

The ultrasonographic detection of follicular rupture at the time of intrauterine insemination: is it really decisive?

Our aim is to assess the impact of the ultrasonographic detection of follicular rupture on the intrauterine insemination success. A total of 313 women undergoing ovarian stimulation for intrauterine insemination were enrolled. Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed to check whether the dominant follicle had ruptured and according to that the patients were divided into two groups.

Doppler velocimetry of the ovarian artery as a tool to detect LH surge in stimulated cycles.

Our aim was to assess the velocimetric pattern of the ovarian artery as a possible marker of LH surge in stimulated cycles. A total of 130 women undergoing ovarian stimulation for intrauterine insemination were randomized in two groups. Each woman was stimulated with 75 IU of recombinant FSH starting from the third day of the cycle.

Primary parapharyngeal tumours: a review of 21 cases.

Background: The diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in a series of patients with primary parapharyngeal space (PPS) tumours treated at the ENT Departments of San Giovanni Bosco Hospital, Turin, and of the Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital, Catanzaro, Italy, in the period 2001-2010 are evaluated.

Materials And Methods: The retrospective review included 20 patients, 11 male and 9 female, average age of 41 years operated on for 21 primary PPS tumours. The most common tumours found were neurogenic neoplasms, while those of salivary origin were the next most common.

Sentinel node radioguided biopsy in surgical management of the medullary thyroid carcinoma A case report.

Introduction: Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare carcinoma. Surgery is the only curative treatment and since cervical lymphnodes metastases are frequent and can occur at an early stage, a standardized central lymphnode dissection is associated to total thyroidectomy. However, the extent of lymphadenectomy to the lateral neck lynphnodes remains debated.

Cervical sympathetic chain schwannoma: a case report.

Nerve sheath tumours arising from the sympathetic chain are extremely rare and are a diagnostic challenge. We report the case of a 31- year-old man who presented with an asymptomatic right cervical swelling. He was evaluated with sonography, CT, MR and angiography.

The platysma myocutaneous flap (PMF) for head and neck reconstruction: a retrospective and multicentric analysis of 91 T1-T2 patients.

The platysma myocutaneous flap (PMF) was first applied to intraoral reconstructions in 1978. PMF is not only an alternative to microvascular flaps but it also represents an excellent reconstructive choice especially in cases where free tissue transfer cannot be carried out. Failure and complications rate have been described as varying from 18 to 45% and this is why this flap should not be used in specific cases such as in the presence of cervical metastases and in cases of mandibulectomy and simultaneous reconstruction with alloplastic materials.

Development of a regional database for studying epidemiology of maxillofacial trauma.

This article discusses the development of the first regional computerized database for the epidemiological evaluation of maxillofacial trauma and tests its usefulness by evaluating the appropriateness and completeness of the resulting information.The database was developed using Microsoft Access, implemented using Visual Basic. Data were entered in the database by 4 different maxillofacial specialists, one from each of the 4 main regional hospitals where maxillofacial trauma is treated.

Massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding from a pancreatic pseudocyst rupture: a case report.

Introduction: Bleeding from pancreatic pseudocyst's rupture into adjacent organs is a rare, but potentially fatal, complication of chronic pancreatitis requiring quick management. Timing of the rupture is unpredictable; early diagnosis and correct management is essential in preventing the bleeding.

Case Presentation: We describe the case of a 53 years old male patient successfully treated with emergency surgery for massive hematemesis due to a rupture of a bleeding pseudocyst into the stomach.

A case of carotid artery resection and replacement in advanced laryngeal carcinoma.

Carotid involvement in head and neck tumours carries a poor prognosis and poses an additional challenge to patient management. Tumor fixity and high-definition imaging modalities can suggest, but not determine, carotid wall invasion, which can be proven only by perioperative observation. Conservative management offers no hope of cure or palliation.

Vagal paragangliomas: two case reports.

Two uncommon cases of paragangliomas arising from the vagus nerve are described. The first patient underwent surgery for suspected carotid body tumour. In the second patient, computed tomography scan and digital angiography allowed a correct pre-operative diagnosis to be made.

Retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy for nonreconstructable arterial occlusive disease.

Aim: The aim of this study was to present our experience with video-assisted lumbar sympathectomy for non-reconstructive arterial occlusive disease in a series of 23 consecutive patients whose predominant symptoms were unilateral rest pain, limited skin ulcerations or gangrene of the toes.

Methods: All the procedures were performed with retroperitoneal approach, dorsal position of the patient and simple digital dissection of the retroperitoneal space.

Results: The operations were successfully performed in all patients except for 2, who immediately underwent open conversion.

Solitary floating vena caval thrombus as a late recurrence of renal cell carcinoma.

We report an unusual case of solitary thrombus floating in the inferior vena cava (IVC) in a patient who underwent radical nephrectomy for a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) of the right kidney extended into the renal vein with no capsular and perinephric tissue invasion (pT3b). Twenty months after surgery, a routine computed tomography scan identified an intraluminal mass floating in the IVC. Cavotomy and thrombectomy with no caval resection were successfully performed.

Prosthetic replacement of the inferior vena cava and the iliofemoral vein for urologically related malignancies.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and results of prosthetic venous replacement, as inferior vena cava (IVC) and iliofemoral vein resection and replacement are sometimes necessary when they are extensively involved by a large and fixed tumour thrombus from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) or other urological malignancies.

Patients And Methods: Five men and two women (age range 41-75 years) were treated over a 10-year period (1991-2001) by aggressive venous surgery to achieve complete tumour resection, with prosthetic graft replacement to re-establish venous flow. The tumours included RCC of the right kidney (two), retroperitoneal liposarcoma (two), bladder cancer (one), retroperitoneal fibrosarcoma (one) and inguino-pelvic lymphoma (one).

Analysis of 158 frontal sinus fractures: current surgical management and complications.

A retrospective analysis is presented of 158 patients who sustained frontal sinus fractures and were subsequently treated in the Division of Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Turin, from 1987 to 1998. The fractures were subdivided according to involvement of anterior and posterior walls, and of the nasofrontal duct. While treatment involving only the anterior wall is well standardized and without complications, management of anterior plus posterior wall fractures or involving the nasofrontal duct is still controversial.

[Stenosis complications in digestive surgery: a histomorphological contribution. Comparison of mechanical and manual sutures].

Background: Surgeons variously estimate usage of mechanical staplers in digestive surgery especially about the increase of the incidence of late complications like stricture (as some authors refer). We report a histomorphological aid to the comparison of staplers and hand-sewn sutures. Our aim was to observe at long term the healing process in the sutured tissue in the canine gastro-enteric tract.