The Role of Average Fundamental Frequency Difference on the Intelligibility of Real-Life Competing Sentences.

Purpose: The average fundamental frequency separation (∆) between two competing voices has been shown to provide an important cue for target-speech intelligibility. However, some of the previous investigations used speech materials with linguistic properties and characteristics that may not be typical of realistic acoustic scenarios. This study investigated to what extent the effect of ∆ generalizes to more real-life speech.

Rituximab as a front-line therapy for adult-onset minimal change disease with nephrotic syndrome.

Minimal change disease (MCD) accounts for 15% of adult nephrotic syndrome (NS) cases. Adult-MCD patients may have more severe clinical features than pediatric patients. In children, Rituximab (RTX) has been used since 2006 to treat frequently relapsing NS.

[Renal Infarction: multicentric cases in Piedmont].

Unlabelled: We describe factors associated to renal infarction, clinical, instrumental and laboratoristic features, and therapeutic strategies too. This is an observational, review and polycentric study of cases in Nephrologic Units in Piedmont during 2013-2015, with diagnosis of renal infarction by Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA). We collected 48 cases (25 M, age 57±16i; 23 F age 70±18, p = 0.

IgG4-related kidney disease: the effects of a Rituximab-based immunosuppressive therapy.

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a recently recognized disorder, characterized by elevated serum IgG4 concentrations, dense tissue infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells and storiform fibrosis. Treatment is usually based on steroids, however, relapses and long-term adverse effects are frequent. We prospectively studied 5 consecutive patients with histologically-proven IgG4-RD and renal involvement, treated with an extended Rituximab protocol combined with steroids.

Rituximab therapy for IgA-vasculitis with nephritis: a case series and review of the literature.

Henoch-Schonlein purpura, also called IgA-vasculitis, is a systemic small vessels vasculitis with immunoglobulin A1-dominant immune deposits. The optimal treatment remains controversial. Because IgA-vasculitis is characterized by leukocyte infiltration of the blood vessel walls along with immunoglobulin A deposition, and because glucocorticosteroids inhibit inflammatory processes, early administration of glucocorticosteroids has been postulated to be effective, but this indication remains controversial.