169,759 research outputs found
Value of three-dimensional volume rendering images in the assessment of the centrality index for preoperative planning in patients with renal masses
No full textAIM: To evaluate the precision of the centrality index (CI) measurement on threedimensional (3D) volume rendering technique (VRT) images in patients with renal masses, compared to its standard measurement on axial images.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty- five patients with renal lesions underwent contrastenhanced multidetector (MD) computed tomography (CT) for preoperative imaging. Two readers calculated the CI on two- dimensional axial images and on VRT images, measuring it in the plane that the tumour and centre of the kidney were lying in. Correlation and agreement of interobserver measurements and inter- method results were calculated using intraclass correlation (ICC) coefficients and the BlandeAltman method. Time saving was also calculated.RESULTS: The correlation coefficients were r - 0.99 (p< 0.05) and r - 0.99 (p< 0.05) for both the CI on axial and VRT images, with an ICC of 0.99, and 0.99, respectively. Correlation between the two methods of measuring the CI on VRT and axial CT images was r - 0.99 (p< 0.05). The two methods showed a mean difference of -0.03 (SD 0.13). Mean time saving per each examination with VRT was 45.5%.CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed that VRT and axial images produce almost identical values of CI, with the advantages of greater ease of execution and a time saving of almost 50% for 3D VRT images. In addition, VRT provides an integrated perspective that can better assist surgeons in clinical decision making and in operative planning, suggesting this technique as a possible standard method for CI measurement. (C) 2016 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Reaction-diffusion models of crimo–taxis in a street
No full textIn this paper, two reaction-diffusion models describing the interaction among susceptible people (ordinary citizens), infective people (drug users/dealers), and law enforcement personnel are analyzed. The models here considered are a generalization of the crimo-taxis model originally proposed by Epstein in 1997. The modifications allow us to describe various scenarios. We analyze the equilibrium points, together with their stability, of the homogeneous system. Moreover, according to the Turing approach to reaction–diffusion models, we investigate the instability driven processes and the emergence of patterns in the complete models
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Valore del prelievo della zona di transizione nella diagnosi del carcinoma della prostata :nostra esperienza.
No full textOptical coherence tomography predictors of favorable functional response in naïve diabetic macular edema eyes treated with dexamethasone implants as a first-line agent
No full textPurpose: To evaluate efficacy and safety of intravitreal dexamethasone 0.7 mg implant in treatment-naïve DME patients and to assess the utility of OCT structural biomarkers as predictors of functional response after treatment.
Methods: Thirty-nine eyes of 39 diabetic patients with center involving DME were enrolled. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and SS-OCT (DRI SS-OCT Triton, Topcon, Japan) to evaluate central retinal thickness (CRT), serous retinal detachment (SRD), intraretinal cysts (IRC), number of hyper-reflective spots (HRS), integrity of the ellipsoid zone (EZ), disorganization of the inner retinal layers (DRIL), vitreomacular adhesion (VMA), vitreomacular traction (VMT), and posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) were evaluated at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment. Multiple logistic analysis was performed to evaluate the possible OCT biomarker as predictive factors for final visual acuity improvement at the end of treatment.
Results: At 12 months after treatment, the mean BCVA improved from 51.6 ± 17.5 to 56.9 ± 17.3 ETDRS letters (p=0.03). Furthermore, there were statistically significant changes in CRT, IRC, HRS, and SRD. Nineteen patients presented a >10-letters improvement in BCVA; the presence of SRD at baseline was a predictor of good functional treatment response at 12 months (OR 2.1; 95% C.I. 1.2-4.9; p=0.001) as well as the presence of EZ integrity preoperatively (OR 1.3; 95% C.I. 0.5-2.4; p=0.001) and the absence of vitreoretinal interface alteration (OR 1.1; 95% C.I. 0.3-2.3; p=0.02). No significant changes in the IOP and lens status were observed throughout the follow-up period.
Conclusion: This study empathized the importance of structural biomarkers as predictors of favorable response and confirmed the efficacy and safety of intravitreal dexamethasone implant in treatment-naïve DME patients showing a better functional response in the presence of SRD integrity of EZ and absence of vitreoretinal alterations
Prognostic value of intratumoral neutrophils in advanced gastric carcinoma in a high-risk area in northern Italy
No full textSeveral lines of evidence indicate that neutrophils act nonspecifically against tumor cells. The correlation
between tumor-infiltrating neutrophils (TINs) and clinicopathological features remains unclear
and deserves to be investigated. To analyze the prognostic influence of TINs in gastric carcinoma,
the authors selected 273 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy at
Cremona Hospital (Lombardia, Italy) between 1990 and 1995 and followed them for a period of 5 years.
The number of TINs was assessed in a semiquantitative manner using the mean value of 20 nonoverlapping
high-power fields (magnification, 400_;0.08 mm2). The patients were divided into two groups: patients with a moderate or extensive amount of TINs (n _ 76; >10 TINs per 20 high power fields) and patients with a minor amount of TINs (n _ 197; <10 TINs per 20 high-power fields). The Kaplan-Meier method and Greenwood formula
were used to estimate the crude survival rates in the two groups. Multivariate analyses based on the Cox
proportional hazard regression model were performed to assess the effect of the prognostic factors
on survival. Among the potential prognostic factors analyzed by univariate analysis, sex, age, location of
neoplasia, pTNM stage, TINs, and surgical curability were significantly associated with higher survival
rate. The study of the possible interaction effects of the clinical-pathological factors with TINs reveals
that female patients with a moderate or extensive amount of TINs have about a 39% reduction in their
risk of mortality, whereas male patients do not seem to be affected by the level of TINs. These results
suggest that women appear to have a better prognosis than men in advanced gastric carcinoma.
Gender differences in some host defense mechanisms and particularly in neutrophil function may
be responsible for this event. Confirmation of these findings would give valuable insights about host
reaction to gastric cancer growth and, ultimately, possibly would have implications regarding the
identification of low-risk patients who could be spared adjuvant therapy
Mitomycin C in highly myopic eyes - Author reply
No full textOphthalmology. 2005 Feb;112(2):208-18; discussion 219.
Mitomycin C modulation of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in highly myopic eyes.
Gambato C, Ghirlando A, Moretto E, Busato F, Midena E.
SourceRefractive Surgery Service and Antimetabolite Therapy Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of topical mitomycin C in corneal wound healing (CWH) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in highly myopic eyes.
DESIGN: Prospective, double-masked, randomized clinical trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients affected by high (>7 diopters) myopia.
METHODS: In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative topical 0.02% mitomycin C application, and the fellow eye was treated with a placebo. Postoperatively, mitomycin C-treated eyes received artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months), whereas the fellow eye was treated with fluorometholone sodium 2% and artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, manifest refraction, and biomicroscopy. Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart. Corneal confocal microscopy documented CWH.
RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-36). No side effects or toxic effects were documented. At 12-month follow-up examination, UCVAs (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.4+/-0.48 and 0.5+/-0.53 (P = .03) in mitomycin C-treated eyes and corticosteroid-treated eyes, respectively. At 1 year, corneal haze developed in 20% of corticosteroid-treated eyes, versus 0% of mitomycin C-treated eyes. At 12, 24, and 36 months, corneal confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes and extracellular matrix significantly more evident in untreated eyes (Ps = 0.004, 0.024, and 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Topical intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C can reduce haze formation in highly myopic eyes undergoing PRK.
Comment in
Ophthalmology. 2006 Feb;113(2):357; author reply 357-8
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