User incentives for blockchain-based data sharing platforms.

Data sharing is very important for accelerating scientific research, business innovations, and for informing individuals. Yet, concerns over data privacy, cost, and lack of secure data-sharing solutions have prevented data owners from sharing data. To overcome these issues, several research works have proposed blockchain-based data-sharing solutions for their ability to add transparency and control to the data-sharing process.

Acute pancreatitis in children and rotavirus infection. Description of a case and minireview.

This report describes a case of acute pancreatitis in a 2-year-old boy following rotavirus gastroenteritis. Its characteristics are analyzed and discussed in the light of another 4 cases of pancreatitis associated with rotavirus infection found through a systematic review of the international literature. None of the five children underwent surgery or was referred to an intensive care unit and all 5 children recovered with normalization of pancreatic enzymes within 5-10 days.

Anaphylaxis caused by helminths: review of the literature.

Background: Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening, generalized or systemic hypersensitivity reaction. In many individuals with anaphylaxis a pivotal role is played by IgE and the high-affinity IgE receptor on mast cells or basophils. Less commonly, it is triggered through other immunologic mechanisms, or through nonimmunologic mechanisms.

Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in zoonoses. A systematic review.

Background: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare syndrome that is often fatal despite treatment. It is caused by a dysregulation in natural killer T-cell function, resulting in activation and proliferation of histiocytes with uncontrolled hemophagocytosis and cytokines overproduction. The syndrome is characterized by fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, liver dysfunction, and hyperferritinemia.

Hydrocarbons and kidney damage: potential use of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and sister chromatide exchange.

Background: Millions of workers are exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and it is known that the kidney is a target for toxic chemicals. We have evaluated neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) as a potential marker of tubular damage and have used it, with sister chromatid exchange (SCE) analysis, to evaluate carcinogenic risk in a group of workers from an oil refinery.

Methods: NGAL and SCE analysis were evaluated in 160 subjects.

Laparoscopic treatment of stone recurrence in a gallbladder remnant: report of an additional case and literature review.

Cholecystectomy is an effective treatment of gallstones. Nevertheless, recurrence of biliary symptoms following cholecystectomy, either laparotomic or laparoscopic, is quite common. Causes are either biliary or extrabiliary.

Transverse colon herniation through the foramen of Winslow presenting with unusual CT findings.

Bowel herniation through the foramen of Winslow is among the rarest of internal hernias, accounting for less than 0.8%. In its origin, a pivotal role is played by some anatomic variations, or anomalies such as the increased mobility of the right transverse colon, and maybe the exceedingly large bore of the foramen itself.

Management of true splenic artery aneurysms. Two case reports and review of the literature.

Few series of splenic artery aneurysms (SAA) have been reported, but today asymptomatic SAA are detected with increasing frequency. Their importance lies from their potentially fatal consequences as life-threatening hemorrhage. SAA management still remains controversial as reported in this review.

Peripheral paraneoplastic neuropathy, an uncommon clinical onset of sigmoid cancer. Case report and review of the literature.

A case of a 76-year-old man presenting with weakness of the lower legs and bilateral steppage gait is described. Neurological examination revealed a sensorimotor neuropathy with axonopathy and myelinic aspects. At the time of the diagnostic workup an episode of rectal bleeding occurred.

Raltitrexed plus oxaliplatin as first-line chemotherapy in metastatic colorectal carcinoma: a multicentric phase II trial.

For advanced colorectal carcinoma, two new drugs, raltitrexed (TOM) and oxaliplatin (L-OHP), have recently shown interesting results. Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that this combination, because of its favorable toxicity profile, high response rate and convenient schedule of administration, can be administered successfully in this disease. In our phase II study, 37 non pre-treated patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma were treated with TOM (3 mg/m(2)) and L-OHP (130 mg/m(2)) every 3 weeks.

Expression of nm23 gene in gastric cancer is associated with a poor 5-year survival.

The nm23 gene is thought to play a role as an inhibitor of metastatic progression in several human cancers and its down-regulation has been associated with increased metastasis and reduced survival in some studies, though not in others. To better investigate the role of nm23 in gastric cancer (GC), the expression and prognostic impact of this gene was examined in 107 radically operated GC patients in a high risk area. The expression of nm23 was determined immunohistochemically by using the rabbit antibody anti-human nm23 protein.

Bizarre leiomyoma of the epididymis. A case report.

A case of epididymal leiomyoma with bizarre nuclei is described. A 48-year-old man presented with a painless scrotal mass raising the suspicion of a testicular neoplasm. A seven-year follow-up revealed no evidence of local recurrence or distant metastasis.

Early and late (ten years) experience with circular stapler hemorrhoidectomy.

Purpose: We present a retrospective clinical study concerning the preliminary experience with the circular stapler in the treatment of hemorrhoids. Early results, complications, and long-term follow-up are revisited.

Methods: Fifty-six consecutive patients with second-, third-, and fourth-degree hemorrhoids were included in the study.

[Bilateral Morgagni-Larrey hernia. Report of a clinical case].

A rare case of bilateral diaphragmatic hernia, containing a long segment of transverse colon in the left breach and most of the omentum and a short segment of colon in the right one, is described. Diaphragmatic hernia can occur at any age in both males and females and it is often asymptomatic and diagnosed by chance. The epidemiological, etiopathogenic, clinic, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of the disease are discussed.

[Surgical treatment of thyroid microcarcinoma].

Thyroid microcarcinoma is nowaday defined as a tumor of one centimeter or less in the maximum diameter. It occurs in less than five per cent of all thyroid carcinomas. In personal experience four thyroid microcarcinomas have been found in specimens from 121 thyroidectomies and have been retrospectively reviewed clinical data and the long term follow-up of the patients.

[The solitary rectal ulcer today. A review of the literature].

The solitary rectal ulcer (SRU) is a benign lesion of adults of either sex, which presents with chronic constipation, peculiar defecatory disorders, rectal prolapse and smaller psychological abnormalities. The characteristic appearance of this disease is a "neither being always ulcerate, nor always solitary" lesion, but often with polypoid or granular feature, typically localized in anterior rectal wall, a few inches from anal channel. Distinctive histopathological specimens are localized mucosal distortion, hypertrophic proliferation of muscularis mucosae and obliteration of lamina propria by fibroblasts and muscle fibres from the muscularis mucosae.

[Treatment of fractures of the mandibular condyle. Experiences at the Department of Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Surgery at Toulon-La-Seyne/Mer].

The fractures of the gnathic condyle are constantly increasing due to the violent impact on the chine. The functional treatment is essential for good results whereas the restitution of a functional joint, i.e.

Adjuvant chemotherapy after gastric resection in node-positive cancer patients: a multicentre randomised study.

After curative resection for gastric adenocarcinoma, 103 patients, all with positive nodes, were randomised so that 48 received adjuvant chemotherapy of epidoxorubicin (EPI) 75 mg m-2 on day 1, leucovorin (LV) 200 mg m-2 on days 1-3 and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 450 mg m-2 on days 1-3, every 21 days for 7 months, whereas the remaining 55 did not. During the first year of observation, 21 control patients (38%) and five treated patients had recurrences. After a follow-up period of 36 months, 12 of the treated patients (25%) and only seven controls (13%) were still alive.

[Correction of the retrognathic mandible using vertical sectioning of the horizontal branches and the insertion of grafts].

Lengthening of the anterior mandibular arc using iliac bone grafts inserted between the canines and first pre-molars is the treatment of choice for certain cases of mandibular retrognathism

[Alveolar injuries in the upper incisor region in the child].

The authors studied a series of 50 children. They found that the sequelae can only be assessed at a late stage. The repair technique is always delicate and the damages awarded by the Courts are currently insufficient.

[Persistent fever of dental origin].

Based on 5 cases of unexplained prolonged fever, the authors stress the need to systematically look for a dental focus of infection. They discuss the difficulties in determining the site of the probable causal focus and stress the uncertain pathogenic relationship between the dental focus of infection and the fever. The extraction of infected teeth leads to a cure, however, the functional disadvantages of multiple extractions need to be carefully taken into account.