Antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients with immune thrombocytopenia treated with rituximab: a retrospective multicenter analysis.

The primary aim of this study was to describe the use of primary anti-infective prophylaxis (AP) in common clinical practice in patients affected by immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and treated with RTX. Population studied consisted of patients affected by ITP (age ≥ 18 years) who had received at least one dose of RTX from January 2008 to June 2018. Five Italian haematology centres participated in the current study.

The muscle to bone axis (and viceversa): An encrypted language affecting tissues and organs and yet to be codified?

Skeletal muscles and bone tissue form the musculoskeletal apparatus, a complex system essential for the voluntary movement. The loss of muscle mass and muscle strength is often associated with a loss of bone mass, in a "hazardous duet" which implies the co-existence of sarcopenia-osteoporosis and exposes patients to a deterioration in quality of life and increased mortality. From the mechanostat theory to the recent definition of the osteosarcopenia syndrome, many aspects of muscle-bone interaction have been investigated in recent decades.

Environmental impacts of household appliances in Europe and scenarios for their impact reduction.

Assessing the environmental impact due to consumption of goods and services is a pivotal step towards achieving the sustainable development goal related to responsible production and consumption (i.e. SDG 12).

Strong Anisotropic Spin-Orbit Interaction Induced in Graphene by Monolayer WS_{2}.

We demonstrate strong anisotropic spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in graphene induced by monolayer WS_{2}. Direct comparison between graphene-monolayer WS_{2} and graphene-bulk WS_{2} systems in magnetotransport measurements reveals that monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide can induce much stronger SOI than bulk. Detailed theoretical analysis of the weak antilocalization curves gives an estimated spin-orbit energy (E_{so}) higher than 10 meV.

High-Mobility and High-Optical Quality Atomically Thin WS .

The rise of atomically thin materials has the potential to enable a paradigm shift in modern technologies by introducing multi-functional materials in the semiconductor industry. To date the growth of high quality atomically thin semiconductors (e.g.

Role of Charge Traps in the Performance of Atomically Thin Transistors.

Transient currents in atomically thin MoTe field-effect transistors (FETs) are measured during cycles of pulses through the gate electrode. The curves of the transient currents are analyzed in light of a newly proposed model for charge-trapping dynamics that renders a time-dependent change in the threshold voltage as the dominant effect on the channel hysteretic behavior over emission currents from the charge traps. The proposed model is expected to be instrumental in understanding the fundamental physics that governs the performance of atomically thin FETs and is applicable to the entire class of atomically thin-based devices.

Using the transit of Venus to probe the upper planetary atmosphere.

During a planetary transit, atoms with high atomic number absorb short-wavelength radiation in the upper atmosphere, and the planet should appear larger during a primary transit observed in high-energy bands than in the optical band. Here we measure the radius of Venus with subpixel accuracy during the transit in 2012 observed in the optical, ultraviolet and soft X-rays with Hinode and Solar Dynamics Observatory missions. We find that, while Venus's optical radius is about 80 km larger than the solid body radius (the top of clouds and haze), the radius increases further by >70 km in the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-rays.

An X-band radar system for bathymetry and wave field analysis in a harbour area.

Marine X-band radar based systems are well tested to provide information about sea state and bathymetry. It is also well known that complex geometries and non-uniform bathymetries provide a much bigger challenge than offshore scenarios. In order to tackle this issue a retrieval method is proposed, based on spatial partitioning of the data and the application of the Normalized Scalar Product (NSP), which is an innovative procedure for the joint estimation of bathymetry and surface currents.

Evidence of nonthermal particles in coronal loops heated impulsively by nanoflares.

The physical processes causing energy exchange between the Sun's hot corona and its cool lower atmosphere remain poorly understood. The chromosphere and transition region (TR) form an interface region between the surface and the corona that is highly sensitive to the coronal heating mechanism. High-resolution observations with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) reveal rapid variability (~20 to 60 seconds) of intensity and velocity on small spatial scales (≲500 kilometers) at the footpoints of hot and dynamic coronal loops.

Coronal Loops: Observations and Modeling of Confined Plasma.

Coronal loops are the building blocks of the X-ray bright solar corona. They owe their brightness to the dense confined plasma, and this review focuses on loops mostly as structures confining plasma. After a brief historical overview, the review is divided into two separate but not independent parts: the first illustrates the observational framework, the second reviews the theoretical knowledge.

Bright hot impacts by erupted fragments falling back on the Sun: a template for stellar accretion.

Impacts of falling fragments observed after the eruption of a filament in a solar flare on 7 June 2011 are similar to those inferred for accretion flows on young stellar objects. As imaged in the ultraviolet (UV)-extreme UV range by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, many impacts of dark, dense matter display uncommonly intense, compact brightenings. High-resolution hydrodynamic simulations show that such bright spots, with plasma temperatures increasing from ~10(4) to ~10(6) kelvin, occur when high-density plasma (>>10(10) particles per cubic centimeter) hits the solar surface at several hundred kilometers per second, producing high-energy emission as in stellar accretion.

Ultrasonographic and functional changes of the ulnar nerve at Guyon's canal after carpal tunnel release.

Objective: To describe morphologic and functional modifications of the ulnar nerve at the wrist in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) after carpal tunnel release (CTR).

Methods: Ultrasonography was used to study the cross sectional area (CSA) of the ulnar nerve at Guyon's canal, before and 1 and 6 months after CTR, in 18 CTS patients. A parallel electrophysiological and clinical analysis was also conducted.

Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: epileptic and paretic outcome at one year of age.

Background: The issue concerning neurologic outcome in patients with perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (H.I.E) has inspired many studies which tried to identify adequate prognostic factors.

Short-term electrophysiological conduction change in median nerve fibres after carpal tunnel release.

Standard electrophysiological techniques and analysis of the stimulus-response relationship (i.e., the input-output (I-O) curves) of the median nerve were performed in 16 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) both prior to and 1 and 6 months after surgical decompression at the wrist.

Ultrasonography before and after surgery in carpal tunnel syndrome and relationship with clinical and electrophysiological findings. A new outcome predictor?

Objective: To measure the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve by ultrasonography (US) before and after surgery in subjects with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and to verify whether the normalization of presurgical parameters can be predicted by presurgical CSA values.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive cases, mean age 60.5 years, underwent surgical decompression.

Fine thermal structure of a coronal active region.

The determination of the fine thermal structure of the solar corona is fundamental to constraining the coronal heating mechanisms. The Hinode X-ray Telescope collected images of the solar corona in different passbands, thus providing temperature diagnostics through energy ratios. By combining different filters to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio, we observed a coronal active region in five filters, revealing a highly thermally structured corona: very fine structures in the core of the region and on a larger scale further away.

Reasoned approach to multiple osteosclerotic lesions. Combined diagnostic imaging in a case of osteopoikilosis.

The case of a female patient who had undergone mastectomy for infiltrating ductal carcinoma and come to the Orthopedics Division for lumbosacral pain unresponsive to conventional treatment is discussed. Pelvic X-ray, CT and scintigraphy were performed. The presence of multiple areas of selerosis of the pelvis and proximal femurs were documented.

Combined diagnostic imaging in a patient with suspected biliary atresia.

The case of a newborn infant of 40 days of age with persistent jaundice and blood chemistry values suggestive of cholestasis is discussed. Liver and bile duct US documented missed visualization of the gallbladder. In the suspicion of biliary atresia, hepatobiliary scintigraphy was performed; it showed preserved hepatocyte function, missed visualization of the gallbladder and absence of intestinal bile flow which confirmed the diagnostic hypothesis.

Combined diagnostic imaging in a patient with Forestier disease and dysphagia.

The case of a patient with dysphonia and ingravescent dysphagia, associated with crises of lipothymia "ab ingestis" is discussed. ENT examination with videolaryngoscopy evidenced a swelling of the posterior hypopharyngeal wall. X-ray study of the upper digestive tract was discontinued for inhalation.

Sex differences in carpal tunnel syndrome: comparison of surgical and non-surgical populations.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients are known to show gender-related differences in severity. The main aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine whether these differences between women and men may be related to age, education or body mass index (BMI) in two populations, one with idiopathic CTS not treated surgically and the other with idiopathic CTS treated by surgical decompression. A secondary aim was to check differences in surgical results between the genders in the surgical population.

Intralobar pulmonary sequestration in an elderly adult.

The case of a patient admitted to the hospital for symptoms characterized by chest pain, productive cough, fever, dyspnea resistant to antibiotic therapy is discussed. Previous plain chest X-ray performed elsewhere was suggestive of inflammotory lung consolidation. An admission chest X-ray revealed a left lower lobe density.

Combined diagnostic imaging of upper gastrointestinal tract in a patient with dysphagia and suspected gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The case of a patient with intermittent dysphagia and suspected GERD is discussed. Pharyngoesophageal scintigraphy was performed. Reflux test was negative.

Diagnostic imaging of hyaline membrane disease.

The case of a premature infant with hyaline membrane disease (respiratory distress syndrome) is discussed. On chest X-ray reduced volume and transparency of both lungs with ground-glass appearance and presence of bilateral air bronchogram was visualized. These findings are analyzed with respect to possible diagnostic alternatives.

Carpal tunnel syndrome in elderly patients: results of surgical decompression.

This study prospectively compared preoperative and postoperative (6 months after surgical release) clinical and electrophysiological evaluation and self-administered Boston questionnaire (BQ) findings of a series of elderly carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) patients with those of young and adult patients. Three hundred twenty three consecutive hands (282 patients) underwent surgery between 1997 and 2000. Patients were divided into four age groups: group 1 (20-40 years), 49 hands; group 2 (41-54 years), 96 hands; group 3 (55-69 years), 106 hands; and group 4 (70-90 years), 72 hands.

Outcome of surgical release among diabetics with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Objective: To compare the results of surgical decompression of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in patients with diabetes with those of patients with idiopathic CTS.

Design: Prospective case series.

Setting: Ambulatory care in Italy.