650 research outputs found
In the shadow of the church: the building of mosques in early medieval Syria
No full textIn his book In the Shadow of the Church: The Building of Mosques in Early Medieval Syria Mattia Guidetti examines the establishment of Muslim religious architecture within the Christian context in which it first appeared in the Syrian region, contributing to the debate on the transformation of late antique society to a Muslim one. He scrutinizes the slow process of conversion to Islam of the most important town centers by looking at religious places of both communities between the seventh and the eleventh century. The author assesses the relevancy of churches by analyzing the location of mosques and by researching phenomena of transfer of marble material from churches to mosques
Emerging challenges and possible strategies in maxillo-facial and oral surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic suddenly took the world by storm and Italy was one of the hardest hit countries. Maxillo-facial surgery and dentistry procedures had to be significantly reorganized, since they are considered high-risk procedures. Protocols had to be changed and interdepartmental cooperation was put in place to plan surgical interventions and maintain high standards. Various improvements have been made to prevent and reduce the risks of spreading the infection. Even if the situation seems to have improved, being unprepared is not an option. In this paper the experience gained during these months has been shared and possible future challenges has been highlighted, suggesting practical adjustments based also on new guidelines and recommendations
Cosmic dichotomy in the hosts of rapidly star-forming systems at low and high redshifts
No full textThis paper presents a compilation of clustering results taken from the literature for galaxies with highly enhanced (SFR ~= [30-103] M&sun; yr-1) star formation activity observed in the redshift range z = [0-3]. We show that, irrespective of the selection technique and only very mildly depending on the star-forming rate, the clustering lengths of these objects present a sharp increase of about a factor 3 between z ˜ 1 and z ˜ 2, going from values of ˜5 Mpc to about 15 Mpc and higher. This behaviour is reflected in the trend of the masses of the dark matter hosts of star-forming galaxies which increase from ˜1011.5 to ˜1013.5 M&sun; between z ˜ 1 and z ˜ 2. Our analysis shows that galaxies which actively form stars at high redshifts are not the same population of sources we observe in the more local universe. In fact, vigorous star formation in the early universe is hosted by very massive structures, while for z ≲ 1 a comparable activity is encountered in much smaller systems, consistent with the downsizing scenario. The available clustering data can hardly be reconciled with merging as the main trigger for intense star formation activity at high redshifts. We further argue that, after a characteristic time-scale of ˜1 Gyr, massive star-forming galaxies at z ≳ 2 evolve into z ≲ 1.5 passive galaxies with large (M* ~= [1011-1012] M&sun;) stellar masses
Letter to the Editor: Intraosseous Cavernous Hemangioma of the Middle Turbinate: A Case Report
No full textThe word ‘‘cavernous hemangioma’’ is in our opinion improper not just from an ethimological standpoint.2,3 It was demonstrated histologically that what was known as ‘‘caver- nous hemangioma’’ is not a proliferative lesion but rather a bony vascular malformation (in particular, a venous malformation
Elaboration and development of a realistic 3D printed model for training in ultrasound-guided placement of peripheral central venous catheter in children
No full textBackground: Simulation for training is becoming a trend topic worldwide, even if its applications are commonly limited to adulthood. Ultrasound-guided procedures require practice and experience-especially in the pediatric field, where the small size of the involved anatomical structures poses major problems. In this context, a realistic 3D printed pediatric phantom for training of the ultrasound-guided placement of peripheral central venous catheters in children was developed. Materials and methods: Starting from Computed Tomography scans of an 8 years-old girl, her left arm was virtually reconstructed-including bones, arteries, and veins-through a semi-automatic segmentation process. According to preliminary results, the most suitable 3D printing technologies to reproduce the different anatomical structures of interest were selected, considering both direct and indirect 3D printing techniques. Experienced operators were asked to evaluate the efficacy of the final model through a dedicated questionnaire. Results: Vessels produced through indirect 3D printing latex dipping technique exhibited the best echogenicity, thickness, and mechanical properties to mimic real children's venous vessels, while arteries-not treated and/or punctured during the procedure-were directly 3D printed through Material Jetting technology. An external mold-mimicking the arm skin-was 3D printed and a silicone-based mixture was poured to reproduce real patient's soft tissues. Twenty expert specialists were asked to perform the final model's validation. The phantom was rated as highly realistic in terms of morphology and functionality for the overall simulation, especially for what concerns vessels and soft tissues' response to puncturing. On the other hand, the involved structures' US appearance showed the lower score. Conclusions: The present work shows the feasibility of a patient-specific 3D printed phantom for simulation and training in pediatric ultrasound-guided procedures
Primary Intraosseous Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Anterior Mandible Arising in an Odontogenic Cyst in 34-Year-Old Male
No full textAbstract: Primary intraosseous squamous cell carcinoma (PIOSCC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy arising exclusively within the jaws, without any initial connection with the oral mucosa. The etiology and the epidemiology are unclear due to the rarity of the disease, and there is no current universally accepted staging or treatment protocol. Clinically, the posterior mandible is the most a ected site, and common symptoms are swelling and pain. The diagnosis is often di cult either because it requires stringent criteria to be satisfied or because of the absence of a pathognomonic histological pattern. Aggressive surgery is the first-choice treatment, often followed by radiotherapy. The lymph nodal status seems to be the most important factor influencing the prognosis, which is usually poor, with a 5-year survival rate ranging from 30% to 40%. In the present article, we report an unusual case of cystogenic PIOSCC interesting the anterior mandible of a young 34-year-old male, which came to our attention after complaint about recurrent infective episodes a ecting a dentigerous cyst (impacted lower canine) discovered ten years before. The age, site, and extension are uncommon. Extensive surgical treatment with fibula free flap reconstruction, adjuvant therapy, and salvage surgery was carried out. The patient was disease-free at a 31-month follow-up
RESVERATROL-INDUCED AUTOPHAGY CONTRIBUTES TO THE INHIBITION OF EPSTEIN BARR VIRUS REPLICATION IN BURKITT’S LYMPHOMA CELLS
No full textRESVERATROL-INDUCED AUTOPHAGY CONTRIBUTES TO THE INHIBITION OF EPSTEIN BARR VIRUS REPLICATION IN BURKITT’S LYMPHOMA CELLS
De Leo Alessandra (a), Colavita Francesca (a), Arena Giuseppe (b), Mattia Elena (a)
(a) Dip. di Scienze di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive “Sanarelli”, Univ. di Roma “Sapienza”
(b) Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza Hospital, CSS-Mendel Institute, Roma
Presenting author: De Leo Alessandra, [email protected]
We have previously examined the antiviral activity of resveratrol on the replication of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV), the etiologic agent of infectious mononucleosis and associated with several types of malignancies of epithelial and lymphoid origin.
In a cellular context that allows in vitro EBV activation and lytic cycle progression through mechanisms closely resembling those that in vivo initiate and enable productive infection, we found that RV inhibited EBV lytic genes expression and the production of viral particles in a dose-dependent manner
Piezosurgery versus Reciprocating Saw: Qualitative Comparison of the Morphology of Cutting Surfaces in Ex Vivo Human Bone
No full textThe aim of this study was to morphologically evaluate the differences in the cutting surfaces of bone segments obtained by reciprocating saw (RS) and two piezosurgical devices (Piezosurgery Medical—PM—and Piezosurgery Plus—PP) in ex vivo human fibulae. The ultimate goal was to identify the presence of debris, scratches, and microcracks on the cutting surface that might affect bone healing, a key aspect in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Ten patients who underwent a microsurgical reconstruction of the mandible with a free fibula flap were enrolled. The fibula segments usually discarded after surgery were cut using RS, PM, and PP, obtaining transverse sections to analyze under an environmental scanning electron microscope to perform a histomorphological qualitative evaluation. Bone surfaces cut with the RS presented several scratches, and haversian canals were frequently filled with bone debris/chips. On the contrary, PM and PP devices produced smoother and sharper cutting surfaces, with lower production of bone debris/chips, preventing vascular spaces’ closure. Microcracks were found in both PM and PP cut specimens, and they could be associated with the triggering of bone remodeling, thus improving the formation of new bone, while their presence was rarely observable in RS cut samples. The use of piezosurgical devices showed superior performance, providing cleaner and smoother cutting surfaces that favor vascularization and bone remodeling; altogether, these processes could lead to accelerated bone healing, a fundamental goal in all surgical procedures that involve bone cutting
A Case Report of a Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Maxillary Sinus
No full textA solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a benign neoplasm, firstly described as a mesenchymal tumor of the pleura. Its incidence range in the head and neck region is about 5–27%, but only rarely does it affect paranasal sinuses. The differential diagnosis is challenging, owing to its erosive growth pattern and immuno-histochemical features. SFTs have an aggressive behavior and an important recurrence potential. Therefore, a radical surgical excision is the gold standard therapeutic procedure. A rare SFT originating from the right maxillary sinus is reported here. The 37-year-old patient presented to the outpatient clinic with a painful expansive lesion in the whole right maxillary region. The overlying skin was inflamed and the patient had no epistaxis episodes. The 1.5 dentary element tested negative for vitality; however, a puncture of the lesion led to a hematic spill and no purulent discharge. An endoscopic-guided biopsy was suggestive either of SFT or hemangioperictoma, excluding a malignant neoplasm. A multi-equipe surgical team was activated. The lesion was embolized in order to achieve a good hemostatic control and, after 48 h, the neoplasm was radically excised with a combined open and endoscopic approach. The patient was disease-free at 12-month radiological and clinical follow-up. Given the rarity of this lesion and the delicacy required in addressing head and neck neoplasms, we believe that the present case report might be of help in further understanding how to approach cranio-facial SFTs
- …
