Standard and water rehabilitation: An analysis of over 14 years' experience in patients with haemophilia or other clotting factor disorders after orthopaedic surgery.

Introduction: In people with haemophilia (PWH) with severe arthropathy, total joint replacement (TJR) can be undertaken if conservative management fails. Post-operative rehabilitation treatment is an important part of the comprehensive management of patients undergoing TJR.

Aim: To compare post-operative standard rehabilitation (SR) and SR plus water rehabilitation (WR) in PWH undergoing TJR.

Analysis of 17 genes detects mutations in 81% of 811 patients with lissencephaly.

Purpose: To estimate diagnostic yield and genotype-phenotype correlations in a cohort of 811 patients with lissencephaly or subcortical band heterotopia.

Methods: We collected DNA from 756 children with lissencephaly over 30 years. Many were tested for deletion 17p13.

Lissencephaly: Expanded imaging and clinical classification.

Lissencephaly ("smooth brain," LIS) is a malformation of cortical development associated with deficient neuronal migration and abnormal formation of cerebral convolutions or gyri. The LIS spectrum includes agyria, pachygyria, and subcortical band heterotopia. Our first classification of LIS and subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) was developed to distinguish between the first two genetic causes of LIS-LIS1 (PAFAH1B1) and DCX.

Clinical and genetic factors predicting Dravet syndrome in infants with mutations.

Objective: To explore the prognostic value of initial clinical and mutational findings in infants with mutations.

Methods: Combining sex, age/fever at first seizure, family history of epilepsy, EEG, and mutation type, we analyzed the accuracy of significant associations in predicting Dravet syndrome vs milder outcomes in 182 mutation carriers ascertained after seizure onset. To assess the diagnostic accuracy of all parameters, we calculated sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, diagnostic odds ratios, and positive and negative predictive values and the accuracy of combined information.

Long-term results of fertility-sparing treatment compared with standard radical surgery for early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety of fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) for early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed to identify patients treated for early-stage EOC and to compare the clinical outcomes of patients treated with FSS and radical surgery (RS).

Results: A total of 1031 patients were treated at two Institutions, 242 with FSS (group A) and 789 with RS (group B).

Antennal fine morphology of the threatened beetle Osmoderma eremita (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), revealed by scanning electron microscopy.

The aim of this study was to characterize the antennal morphology of Osmoderma eremita, a threatened scarab beetle inhabiting tree hollows. O. eremita males produce a sex pheromone, (R)-(+)-γ-decalactone, responsible mainly for the attraction of females but also other males.

Photobiomodulation and Lasers.

Photobiomodulation is discussed to be a noninvasive method to accelerate orthodontic tooth movement. The stimulatory effect of low-level laser therapy is well known and includes enhancement in tissue growth and tissue regeneration, resolvement of inflammation and pain. In recent research projects, the effect of laser therapy was tested regarding the stimulatory effect on bone remodeling with the potential to influence the tooth movement rate.

Long-Term Clinical Benefits of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Women With Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer: Validity of Pathological Response as Surrogate Endpoint of Survival.

Objective: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is a valid treatment option for women with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). This study aims to evaluate the impact of sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, and NACT regimens on survival endpoints. The role of pathological response to NACT as a surrogate endpoint of survival was also assessed.

Exaggerated allometric structures in relation to demographic and ecological parameters in Lucanus cervus (Coleoptera: Lucanidae).

Enlarged weapons and ornamental traits under sexual selection often show a positive allometric relationship with the overall body size. The present study explores the allometry of mandibles and their supporting structure, the head, in males of the European stag beetle, Lucanus cervus. This species shows a remarkable dimorphism in mandible shape and size that are used by males in intraspecific combats.

Fauna Europaea: Coleoptera 2 (excl. series Elateriformia, Scarabaeiformia, Staphyliniformia and superfamily Curculionoidea).

Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including synonyms) of all living European land and freshwater animals, their geographical distribution at country level (up to the Urals, excluding the Caucasus region), and some additional information. The Fauna Europaea project covers about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. This represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many users in science, government, industry, nature conservation and education.

Tidal expiratory flow limitation at rest as a functional marker of pulmonary emphysema in moderate-to-severe COPD.

Background: Tidal expiratory flow limitation (EFL) is a step of paramount importance in the functional decline in COPD. Among mechanisms contributing to EFL, loss of airway-parenchymal interdependence could mostly be involved.

Aim: To assess if EFL is a functional marker more frequently linked to prevalent pulmonary emphysema rather than to prevalent chronic bronchiolitis in COPD patients with moderate-to-severe airflow obstruction.

Dynamic pulmonary hyperinflation occurs without expiratory flow limitation in chronic heart failure during exercise.

To assess the occurrence of tidal expiratory flow limitation (EFL) and/or dynamic pulmonary hyperinflation (DH) in chronic heart failure (CHF) during exercise 15 patients with stable systolic CHF, aged 69 ± 6yr, underwent pulmonary function testing and incremental cardio-pulmonary exercise testing. They subsequently performed constant load exercise testing at 30, 60 and 90% of respective maximum workload. At each step the presence of EFL, by negative expiratory pressure technique, and changes in inspiratory capacity (IC) were assessed.

[An unusual case of post-traumatic adult complex foot deformity].

A peculiar clinical presentation of post-traumatic complex left foot fracture deformity is presented in this report as the result of a motorbike accident. Notwithstanding the significant deformity following forefoot fractures, the patient complained only of the recent onset of metatarsalgia. Of particular interest, is that this severe foot injury as well following deformity was overlooked, probably because patient had sustained head injury that was the main problem to treat due to life risk.

Body composition in subjects with anorexia nervosa: bioelectrical impedance analysis and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Objective: To evaluate the applicability and validity of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) compared with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in a population of girls with restrictive anorexia nervosa (AN).

Methods: A total of 30 girls (11-19 years old) with AN were enrolled. DXA and BIA (BIA software and the Deurenberg equations) were used to estimate the body composition.

Delivery delay with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for cervical cancer patients during pregnancy: a series of nine cases and literature review.

Objective: Treatment of locally invasive cervical cancer diagnosed during pregnancy in women who desire to retain their pregnancy is a major challenge to physicians. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy has been reported to be an attractive option to delay delivery until fetal viability has been reached.

Methods: Between 1994 and 2009 9 patients were treated at San Gerardo Hospital (Monza, Italy) for cervical cancer during pregnancy.

Practical management of pleural empyema.

Empyema is defined as pus in the thoracic cavity due to pleural space infection and has a multifactorial underlying cause, although the majority of cases are post-bacterial pneumonia. Despite treatment with antibiotics, patients with empyema have a considerable morbidity and mortality due at least in part to inappropriate management of the effusion. Timely diagnosis of pleural space infection and rapid initiation of effective pleural drainage represent fundamental principles for managing patients with empyema.

Effect of preceding inspiratory speed and end-inspiratory pause on forced expiratory manoeuvre in healthy subjects and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients.

Background: Lower peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) have been consistently found after slow inspiration with end-inspiratory pause (EIP).

Objectives: It was the aim of this study to establish the respective influence of the speed of preceding inspiration (SPI) and EIP on the parameters obtained from the following expiratory forced vital capacity (FVC) manoeuvre.

Methods: In 8 healthy subjects and 12 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a number of inspirations with different SPI and EIP were performed.

A phase II, randomized trial of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy comparing a three-drug combination of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and cisplatin (TIP) versus paclitaxel and cisplatin (TP) followed by radical surgery in patients with locally advanced squamous cell cervical carcinoma: the Snap-02 Italian Collaborative Study.

Background: The efficacy and tolerability of the regimen containing paclitaxel and cisplatin (TP) in the neo-adjuvant treatment of locally advanced squamous cell cervical cancer are unknown. The TIP regimen (TP plus ifosfamide) showed high efficacy but high toxicity and it is used as an internal control.

Patients And Methods: In all, 154 patients were randomized to TP (paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) + cisplatin 75 mg/m(2); n = 80) or TIP (TP + ifosfamide 5 g/m(2); n = 74), three cycles, followed by radical surgery.

Prevalence and viral load of oncogenic human papillomavirus types associated with cervical carcinoma in a population of North Italy.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in a population of North Italy to determine the prevalence of eight oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) types most commonly found in cervical carcinoma and to study the relationship between HPV DNA loads and severity of disease. A total of 597 cervical samples obtained from patients with pathological findings (n = 472) and from women with normal cytology (n = 125) were analyzed by means of normalized Real-time PCR assays to quantify HPV-16, -18, -31, -45, and -33 group (including -33, -52, -58, -67); the normalization of oncogenic HPV viral load was carried out by quantitation of a single copy gene. The two most common oncogenic HPV types found were 16 and 31 (24.

Effects of rapid maxillary expansion on the airways and ears--a pilot study.

The aim of this prospective study was to describe the morphological and functional changes of the upper airways and the middle ears after rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Thirteen patients comprised the original study sample, of these three patients dropped out. Of the remaining 10 subjects, seven (two females, five males; average age, 8.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy and conservative surgery for stage IB1 cervical cancer.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of chemo-surgical conservative therapy for stage IB1 cervical tumors in patients desiring to preserve fertility.

Methods: From 1995 to April 2007 51 nulliparous patients with tumor View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Frequency and clinical significance of human beta-herpesviruses in cervical samples from Italian women.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are necessary, but not sufficient, for the development of cervical cancer (CC). Human beta-herpesviruses (beta-HHVs) have been suggested as possible cofactors in the oncogenesis of CC. In this cross-sectional study, the prevalence and possible association of cytomegalovirus (CMV), HHV-6 and -7 with HPV presence was investigated by quantitative real-time PCR assays in cervical samples obtained from 208 italian women.

Randomised study of systematic lymphadenectomy in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer macroscopically confined to the pelvis.

No randomised trials have addressed the value of systematic aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy (SL) in ovarian cancer macroscopically confined to the pelvis. This study was conducted to investigate the role of SL compared with lymph nodes sampling (CONTROL) in the management of early stage ovarian cancer. A total of 268 eligible patients with macroscopically intrapelvic ovarian carcinoma were randomised to SL (N=138) or CONTROL (N=130).

Are borderline tumors of the ovary safely treated by laparoscopy?

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of the laparoscopic approach to patients with borderline ovarian tumors compared to the laparotomic management.

Methods: We treated or followed in our institution 479 women with borderline ovarian tumor. Sixty-two patients had fertility-sparing surgery followed by restaging or follow-up intervention: 30 operated by laparoscopy, 32 by laparotomy.

International Collaborative Ovarian Neoplasm trial 1: a randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy in women with early-stage ovarian cancer.

Background: The question of whether platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy can improve outcomes in patients with early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer is an important one. We carried out a multicenter, open randomized trial to determine whether adjuvant chemotherapy would improve overall survival and prolong recurrence-free survival in women with early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods: Between August 1991 and January 2000, 477 patients in 84 centers in five countries were randomly assigned to receive either adjuvant chemotherapy immediately following surgery (n = 241) or no adjuvant chemotherapy until clinically indicated (n = 236).