Ultrasonic study of water adsorbed in nanoporous glasses.

Thermodynamic properties of fluids confined in nanopores differ from those observed in the bulk. To investigate the effect of nanoconfinement on water compressibility, we perform water sorption experiments on two nanoporous glass samples while concomitantly measuring the speed of longitudinal and shear ultrasonic waves in these samples. These measurements yield the longitudinal and shear moduli of the water-laden nanoporous glass as a function of relative humidity that we utilize in the Gassmann theory to infer the bulk modulus of the confined water.

Bacterial dynamics of sugarcane silage in the tropics.

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the bacterial community in sugarcane silage, in distinct soil types along the storage period. We depicted the bacterial community associated with sugarcane, before and after ensiling, through a massive sequencing of the gene 16S rRNA using MiSeq platform. The ensilage process shifted the composition of the bacterial community from the heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria Leuconostoc to bacteria belonging to the genera Acinetobacter, Ralstonia and Novosphingobium.

A Strong Test of Atomically Detailed Models of Molecular Adsorption in Zeolites Using Multilaboratory Experimental Data for CO Adsorption in Ammonium ZSM-5.

A recent international interlaboratory study led by the U.S. National Institute of Standards (NIST) reported CO adsorption isotherms measured independently by 11 groups on reference material RM 8852, an ammonium ZSM-5 zeolite.

Arthroscopic arthodesis of subtalar joint.

Isolated subtalar arthrodesis is well accepted for treatment of pathologic conditions of the subtalar joint associated with pain, instability, and deformity that do not respond to conservative treatment. The most frequent indications are primary talocalcaneal or posttraumatic arthrosis; congenital malformations (coalition); or inflammatory diseases. In the last years, arthroscopic subtalar arthrodesis has become an established technique in treatment of the subtalar arthrosis in the absence of deformities, misalignment and bone loss.

Endoscopic therapy of superficial bladder cancer in high-risk patients: Holmium laser versus transurethral resection.

Many lasers are widely used in urological surgery for several applications. Their use to treat the superficial bladder cancer (SBC) is safe and minimally invasive. The Holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG) laser represents the pinnacle of laser technology in Urology.

Apolipoprotein E expression in localized prostate cancers.

Although prostate cancer has become the most common solid tumor diagnosed in men and the second leading cause of death due to malignancy, the progression of the disease is still somewhat unpredictable, until it becomes locally advanced or metastatic. The clinical problem to distinguish between dormant and progressive cancers is essential to patient care, as surgical and medical therapies have significant risk of morbidity and disability. Multiple gene expression in prostate cancer was surveyed by differential display cloning between the undifferentiated hormone refractory human prostate cancer cell line PC-3 (highly tumorigenic in nude mice) the hormone responsive LNCaP cell line (weakly tumorigenic in nude mice), and the poorly differentiated DU-145 cell line (moderately tumorigenic).

[Role of 3D-ultrasonography in the assessment of transitional zone PSA].

Objective: Valute 3 TRUS to study the transitional zone of the prostate to calculate the PSA density Tz in patient with first negative biopsy, PSA Tot > 4 ng/ml and clinical suspicion of cancer.

Methods: During a 12 months period we performed 429 biopsies. All patients had PSA = 4-10 ng/ml and/or suspected DRE.

[Detection of the human papillomavirus in hyperplastic and cancerous prostatic tissue with PCR].

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are frequently associated with benign, pre-malignant and malignant lesions of the female genital region and male anogenital tract. Recently several studies have been performed to evaluate the presence of HPV in the adenomatous and carcinomatous prostatic tissue for the epidemiological implications due to the sexual transmission, and for the possible etiologic role in the development of prostatic carcinoma, first cause of death from neoplasia in men over 60 years in the developed countries. The role of HPV is still controversial since some authors evidenced the virus in prostatic tissue others did not detect its presence.

Paraffinoma of the penis: one-stage repair.

Objective: We report a rare case of paraffinoma of penis. A one-stage surgical treatment achieved optimal aesthetic and functional results.

Methods: We evaluated a 32-year-old man who self injected paraffin into his penis to facilitate erection and increase potency.

Myelolipoma of the adrenal gland presenting with dyspepsia and epigastric pain.

Myelolipomas are rare benign neoplasms of the adrenal glands, characterized by the presence of adipose tissue and elements of bone marrow in various degrees of differentiation. Usually asymptomatic, they are discovered incidentally or at autopsy; sometimes larger masses may cause local symptoms. We report clinical, radiologic and therapeutic aspects of a large myelolipoma of the right adrenal gland, presenting with unusual epigastric symptoms.

[Simultaneous enucleo-resection of synchronous bilateral renal carcinoma, incidentally discovered during prostate disease screening].

Bilateral synchronous renal cell carcinoma is rare, incidental discovery is exceptional. We report a case of asymptomatic bilateral simultaneous renal tumor discovered during screening for prostatic disease. Two year previously the patient underwent sonography and IVP for right ureteral stone, spontaneously ejected, with no evidence of renal masses.

[A new adjuvant therapy modality in the treatment of superficial bladder carcinoma. Study of feasibility of postoperative radiotherapy "flash"].

The Authors present the preliminary results of a feasibility study on the use of adjuvant radiotherapy (6 Gy single fraction, postoperatively, "flash") as a new treatment modality for superficial bladder cancer (Ta-T1, N0, M0, previously relapsed or not, G I-III). The rationale for this study derives mainly from the favourable results obtained with external beam radiotherapy, when applied before interstitial radiotherapy as a method to avoid scar relapses. Data regarding 55 cases treated with the "flash" are compared retrospectively with those regarding more than 100 cases treated with different types of "conventional" adjuvant therapy at the INRCA Center of Urology, during the last 3-4 years.

[Rupture of the testicle: comparison of the echographic picture and operative findings].

9 patients suffering from testicular rupture, owing to blunt scrotal trauma, were examined with ultrasound and then underwent surgical exploration. Sonography correctly diagnosed testicular rupture in 8 patients, 1 false-negative occurred. Clinical examination often is difficult in evaluating testicular trauma, sonography provides a useful tool for improved diagnosis in testicular rupture.

[Various echographic features in testicular torsion].

The Authors discuss the informations that can be obtained from sonography in testicular torsion on the basis of 21 patients. The different sonographic features of the twisted testis, which are time-related, are reported and stressed. Ultrasonography is a very sensitive diagnostic tool and can be a useful complement of clinical examination.

Tissue distribution of drug-metabolizing enzymes in humans.

1. The activities of the ethoxycoumarin O-deethylase (ECOD), epoxide hydrolase (EH), UDP-glucuronyl transferase (GT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetyl transferase (AT) and sulphotransferase (ST) were measured in 6 liver, 8 lung, 8 kidney, 8 intestinal mucosa and 22 urinary bladder mucosa specimens from human subjects. EH and GT were studied with styrene oxide and 1-naphthol, respectively, as substrates, GST, AT and ST were studied with benzo(a)pyrene-4,5-oxide, p-aminobenzoic acid and 2-naphthol, respectively.

Pancreatic late recurrence of bilateral renal cell carcinoma after conservative surgery.

The appearance of solitary late metastases of renal cell carcinoma has seldom been documented. A female patient, who 13 years previously underwent left radical nephrectomy and right lower polar resection for bilateral simultaneous renal cell carcinoma, presented with a solitary pancreatic metastasis which was successfully treated with pancreaticoduodenectomy. The major points of interest of this report are the occurrence of a primary bilateral tumor, the initial treatment with conservative surgery and the site of late recurrence.

Blind-ending branch of bifid ureter: report of seven cases.

Seven cases of bifid ureter with a blind-ending branch are presented: diagnosis was primarily made by excretory urogram. In 1 case the diagnosis was confirmed by retrograde pyelogram. The pelvicalyceal system showed ureteroureteral reflux into the blind-ending branch on photofluoroscopy and cineroentgenography.

Prevention and management of urinary tract infections following endoscopic and urological surgery using one dose daily of tobramycin.

The therapeutic activity of a single dose of 150 mg of tobramycin, parenteral administration, was studied in the prophylaxis of urinary tract infection (UTI) postoperative or postendoscopic. This study incorporated 85 patients of both sexes ranging in age from 18-91 years; 20 had had previous UTI. Duration of therapy ranged from 5 to 15 days and was determined by clinical response; 70 of 85 patients clinically observed achieved excellent results, 10 good and 5 moderate.

Vascular impressions on the renal-collecting system: diuretic cine-roentgenographic and angiographic study of 50 cases.

The vascular impressions on the renal pelvis and caliceal system may assume an important role in the study of some patients with hematuria and renal pain of unclear origin. 50 patients presenting vascular impressions on the calices and renal pelvis have been studied. In 12 patients (24%) the impressions were bilateral and in 38 (76%) unilateral: in 35 patients (70%) the right kidney was involved.

Conservative surgery for renal cell carcinoma.

The authors present their clinical experience in conservative surgery for renal cell carcinoma, which was performed in two cases of simultaneous bilateral tumours, in a case of neoplasm in solitary kidney, in two cases of cancers with damaged contralateral kidney and in two cases of association between cyst and small tumour. All patients are alive and without evidence of residual or recurrent malignancy with a followup ranging between 6 months and 7 years. The pros and cons of the various surgical solutions are discussed.

[Radiological evolution of renal pelvis tumours (author's transl)].

The tumours of renal pelvis show a polymorphic radiological pattern, often rather difficult to interpret, sometimes even not evident owing to the presence of some other pathology. The most characteristic cases, and to be considered specimen, found in researches executed at different times, are represented by carcinomas, among which the ones showing the most elevated histological malignancy present a more rapid and infiltrative growth, as testified by repeated radiological tests.