Effects of alpha1-blockers on urodynamic parameters of bladder outlet obstruction in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic enlargement: a review.

α1-adrenergic receptors blockers (ABs) are recommended as first-line medical therapy in men with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms suggestive of Benign Prostatic Enlargement (LUTS/BPE). Available ABs include: terazosin, doxazosin, tamsulosin, naftopidil, alfuzosin and silodosin. These agents have different profiles of selectivity for α1-adrenergic receptors subtypes.

Spatially, Temporally, and Quantitatively Controlled Delivery of Broad Range of Molecules into Selected Cells through Plasmonic Nanotubes.

A Universal plasmonic/microfluidic platform for spatial and temporal controlled intracellular delivery is described. The system can inject/transfect the desired amount of molecules with an efficacy close to 100%. Moreover, it is highly scalable from single cells to large ensembles without administering the molecules to an extracellular bath.

Out-of-Plane Plasmonic Antennas for Raman Analysis in Living Cells.

Out-of-plane plasmonic nanoantennas protruding from the substrate are exploited to perform very sensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering analysis of living cells. Cells cultured on three-dimensional surfaces exhibit tight adhesion with nanoantenna tips where the plasmonic hot-spot resides. This fact provides observable cell adhesion sites combined with high plasmonic enhancement, resulting in an ideal system for Raman investigation of cell membranes.

The Combination of Dapoxetine and Behavioral Treatment Provides Better Results than Dapoxetine Alone in the Management of Patients with Lifelong Premature Ejaculation.

Introduction: It is not known whether the efficacy of dapoxetine, the only drug approved for the on-demand treatment of premature ejaculation (PE), can be increased by the addition of sexual behavioral treatment (SBTx).

Aim: To test the hypothesis that combined dapoxetine and SBTx provide better result than dapoxetine alone in the management of patient with lifelong PE.

Methods: After a 4-week run-in period, 50 patients with lifelong PE entered a 24-week, open-label, prospective study with a 1:1 assignment.

Palaeoloxodon and human interaction: depositional setting, chronology and archaeology at the Middle Pleistocene Ficoncella site (Tarquinia, Italy).

The Ficoncella site in northern Latium (Italy) represents a unique opportunity to investigate the modalities of a short occupation in an alluvial setting during the Lower Palaeolithic. The small excavation area yielded a lithic assemblage, a carcass of Palaeoloxodon antiquus, and some other faunal remains. The main objectives of the study are to better characterize the depositional context where the Palaeoloxodon and the lithic assemblage occur, and to evaluate with greater precision the occupation dynamics.

[Adherence to recommendations to reduce the risk of Sudden infant Death Syndrome].

Introduction: Recommendations for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) are available, although it is uncertain the degree of adherence to these measures. The aim of the study is to assess the adherence to recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS, seeking factors associated to the noncompliance with these recommendations.

Patients And Method: 468 infants were enrolled in two maternity hospitals, one public and one private.

3D plasmonic nanoantennas integrated with MEA biosensors.

Neuronal signaling in brain circuits occurs at multiple scales ranging from molecules and cells to large neuronal assemblies. However, current sensing neurotechnologies are not designed for parallel access of signals at multiple scales. With the aim of combining nanoscale molecular sensing with electrical neural activity recordings within large neuronal assemblies, in this work three-dimensional (3D) plasmonic nanoantennas are integrated with multielectrode arrays (MEA).

Structure-based virtual screening of novel natural alkaloid derivatives as potential binders of h-telo and c-myc DNA G-quadruplex conformations.

Several ligands can bind to the non-canonical G-quadruplex DNA structures thereby stabilizing them. These molecules can act as effective anticancer agents by stabilizing the telomeric regions of DNA or by regulating oncogene expression. In order to better interact with the quartets of G-quadruplex structures, G-binders are generally characterized by a large aromatic core involved in π-π stacking.

Mechanical stress downregulates MHC class I expression on human cancer cell membrane.

In our body, cells are continuously exposed to physical forces that can regulate different cell functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation and death. In this work, we employed two different strategies to mechanically stress cancer cells. The cancer and healthy cell populations were treated either with mechanical stress delivered by a micropump (fabricated by deep X-ray nanolithography) or by ultrasound wave stimuli.

Networks of neuroblastoma cells on porous silicon substrates reveal a small world topology.

The human brain is a tightly interweaving network of neural cells where the complexity of the network is given by the large number of its constituents and its architecture. The topological structure of neurons in the brain translates into its increased computational capabilities, low energy consumption, and nondeterministic functions, which differentiate human behavior from artificial computational schemes. In this manuscript, we fabricated porous silicon chips with a small pore size ranging from 8 to 75 nm and large fractal dimensions up to Df ∼ 2.

The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease is often unsupported in clinical practice.

Background: The diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease can be challenging and requires the efforts of a multidisciplinary team. We performed a retrospective analysis with the aim of evaluating the adequacy of the prerequisites for arriving at an accurate histological diagnosis.

Methods: The following parameters were considered as prerequisites for a diagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease: clinical and endoscopic data; proper sampling and handling of biopsies; and elementary microscopic lesions.

Long-term outcomes and patterns of failure in orbital lymphoma treated with primary radiotherapy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcome and patterns of failure in patients treated with primary radiotherapy (RT) for orbital lymphoma (OL). Seventy-nine patients diagnosed with stage IE OL between 1995 and 2012 were included. Fifty-nine patients (75%) had mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma and 20 patients (25%) had follicular lymphoma subtype.

Lipid droplets: a new player in colorectal cancer stem cells unveiled by spectroscopic imaging.

The cancer stem cell (CSC) model is describing tumors as a hierarchical organized system and CSCs are suggested to be responsible for cancer recurrence after therapy. The identification of specific markers of CSCs is therefore of paramount importance. Here, we show that high levels of lipid droplets (LDs) are a distinctive mark of CSCs in colorectal (CR) cancer.

Targeting unimolecular G-quadruplex nucleic acids: a new paradigm for the drug discovery?

Introduction: G-quadruplexes (G4s) are targets of great interest because of their roles in crucial biological processes, such as aging and cancer. G4s are based on the formation of G-quartets, stabilised by Hoogsteen-type hydrogen bonds and by interaction with cations between the tetrads. These biologically relevant conformations were first discovered in eukaryotic chromosomal telomeric DNA, but have also been found in the proximal location of promoters in a number of human genes.

Italian consensus guidelines for the diagnostic work-up and follow-up of cystic pancreatic neoplasms.

This report contains clinically oriented guidelines for the diagnostic work-up and follow-up of cystic pancreatic neoplasms in patients fit for treatment. The statements were elaborated by working groups of experts by searching and analysing the literature, and then underwent a consensus process using a modified Delphi procedure. The statements report recommendations regarding the most appropriate use and timing of various imaging techniques and of endoscopic ultrasound, the role of circulating and intracystic markers and the pathologic evaluation for the diagnosis and follow-up of cystic pancreatic neoplasms.

Multifunctional substrates of thin porous alumina for cell biosensors.

We have fabricated anodic porous alumina from thin films (100/500 nm) of aluminium deposited on technological substrates of silicon/glass, and investigated the feasibility of this material as a surface for the development of analytical biosensors aiming to assess the status of living cells. To this goal, porous alumina surfaces with fixed pitch and variable pore size were analyzed for various functionalities. Gold coated (about 25 nm) alumina revealed surface enhanced Raman scattering increasing with the decrease in wall thickness, with factor up to values of approximately 10(4) with respect to the flat gold surface.

Microfluidic biofunctionalisation protocols to form multi-valent interactions for cell rolling and phenotype modification investigations.

In this study, we propose a fast, simple method to biofunctionalise microfluidic systems for cellomic investigations based on micro-fluidic protocols. Many available processes either require expensive and time-consuming protocols or are incompatible with the fabrication of microfluidic systems. Our method differs from the existing since it is applicable to an assembled system, uses few microlitres of reagents and it is based on the use of microbeads.

Integrated microfluidic device for single-cell trapping and spectroscopy.

Optofluidic microsystems are key components towards lab-on-a-chip devices for manipulation and analysis of biological specimens. In particular, the integration of optical tweezers (OT) in these devices allows stable sample trapping, while making available mechanical, chemical and spectroscopic analyses.

Ocular adnexal lymphoma staging and treatment: American Joint Committee on Cancer versus Ann Arbor.

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic utility of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for ocular adnexal lymphoma (OAL).


Methods: A multicenter, consecutive case series of patients with biopsy-proven conjunctival, orbit, eyelid, or lacrimal gland/sac lymphoma was performed. The electronic pathology and clinical records were reviewed for new or recurrent cases of ocular adnexal lymphoma.

Human NK cells selective targeting of colon cancer-initiating cells: a role for natural cytotoxicity receptors and MHC class I molecules.

Tumor cell populations have been recently proposed to be composed of two compartments: tumor-initiating cells characterized by a slow and asymmetrical growth, and the "differentiated" cancer cells with a fast and symmetrical growth. Cancer stem cells or cancer-initiating cells (CICs) play a crucial role in tumor recurrence. The resistance of CICs to drugs and irradiation often allows them to survive traditional therapy.