2,557 research outputs found
Heart rate variability and target organ damage in hypertensive patients
No full textBackground:
We evaluated the association between linear standard Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measures and vascular, renal and cardiac target organ damage (TOD).
Methods:
A retrospective analysis was performed including 200 patients registered in the Regione Campania network (aged 62.4 ± 12, male 64%). HRV analysis was performed by 24-h holter ECG. Renal damage was assessed by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), vascular damage by carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), and cardiac damage by left ventricular mass index.
Results:
Significantly lower values of the ratio of low to high frequency power (LF/HF) were found in the patients with moderate or severe eGFR (p-value < 0.001). Similarly, depressed values of indexes of the overall autonomic modulation on heart were found in patients with plaque compared to those with a normal IMT (p-value <0.05). These associations remained significant after adjustment for other factors known to contribute to the development of target organ damage, such as age. Moreover, depressed LF/HF was found also in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy but this association was not significant after adjustment for other factors.
Conclusions:
Depressed HRV appeared to be associated with vascular and renal TOD, suggesting the involvement of autonomic imbalance in the TOD. However, as the mechanisms by which abnormal autonomic balance may lead to TOD, and, particularly, to renal organ damage are not clearly known, further prospective studies with longitudinal design are needed to determine the association between HRV and the development of TOD
Mycotoxins: An Under-evaluated Risk for Human Health
No full textMycotoxins are secondary toxic metabolites produced mainly by fungi belonging to the Aspergillus,
Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria, and Claviceps genera. These moulds can colonize agricultural crops
and produce mycotoxins during pre- and post-harvest practices, processing, and storage. Animals fed
with feed contaminated with mycotoxins may be a natural and unwanted bioenhancer way to transfer
mycotoxins, eventually metabolized, to animal-derived food addressed to humans. The natural
occurrence of mycotoxins, also a low concentration, in food may cause adverse health effects in
humans, rarely showing acute symptoms but the chronic exposure causes problems ranging from
gastrointestinal and kidney disorders to immune deficiency and to develop some types of cancers.
Human exposure to mycotoxins can happen by eating directly contaminated foods or through
contaminated animal products. This alternative entry of mycotoxin into the human food chain is a
signal of animals fed with contaminated feed. The exposure danger to mycotoxins can be monitored
by following the biotransformation product occurrence in tissues and biological fluids, and these data
are needed to evaluate their potential risk for humans, in particular for weak subpopulations like
babies, children, old, or pressed by food security troubles.
In this regard, the main aim of this volume is to evaluate the occurrence of mycotoxins and other
contaminants in food, nutraceuticals, and biological fluids in order to ensure human safety. To
guarantee effective consumer safety, reliable methods have been validated for the analysis of
contaminants in various matrices. In addition, the risk associated with the assumption of contaminated
food was assessed. Risk characterization is an indispensable aspect to safeguard public health,
which helps to identify risks threatening consumers
PKC-dependent phosphorylation of the p97 repressor regulates the transcription of aldolase A L-type promoter
No full textExpression of mouse aldolase A L-type mRNA is negatively modulated by a cis element (AldA-NRE), located within the aldolase A distal promoter (pL). AldA-NRE interacts with a 97-kDa repressor protein (p97), which binds DNA in a cell cycle-dependent manner. We demonstrate that the binding between AldA-NRE and p97 decreases during differentiation of human Caco-2 cells and is inversely correlated with L-type mRNA expression. Phosphorylation of the p97 repressor weakened its DNA binding activity in differentiated Caco-2 cells, while dephosphorylation enhanced the binding in proliferating cells. Stimulation of protein kinase C (PKC) in vivo decreased the binding of p97 to AldA-NRE and stimulated transcription, while inhibition of PKC stimulated p97 binding and downregulated transcription. These findings suggest that PKC is a mediator of the binding and silencing function of the p97/AldA-NRE repressor complex. Copyright (C) 1999 Federation of European Biochemical Societies
Case report. A rare case of giant basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma
No full textThe presence of two several skin lesions in the same patient is a rare occurrence in dermatological findings. The associations of malignant melanoma (MM) and giant basal cell carcinoma (BCC) within the same patient have only been described in few cases in the literature.1,6 Is there a common genetic origin? However, until now the pathogenesis of collision tumors existing of MM and BCC remains unclear. We, therefore, report a case of association of MM and BCC in the same patient
Aortic arch pseudoaneurysm on penetrating ulcer: delayed closure after endovascular treatment
No full textStandard open repair of true or false aneurysms of the aortic arch usually require cardiopulmonary bypass, hypothermia and circulatory arrest, associated with increased mortality and morbidity rates. Thus, an alternative strategy that avoids cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and hypothermic circulatory arrest would benefit the patient. Endovascular stent-grafting has developed as a safe and effective treatment for descending aortic pathologies.5,6
We share our experience with the endovascular approach to pseudoaneurysm of the aortic arch in a patient with high risk for aortic arch replacement under extracorporal circulatio
Incidence of Surgical Site Infections: Our Experience
No full textISE.334
Incidence of Surgical Site Infections: Our Experience
L. Izzo. M. Caputo, P. Meloni, A. Bolognese, P. Di Cello, P. Izzo, R. Buffone, I. D'Angeli, F. Bisogno, D. Pietrasanta. Policlinic Umberto I - University Hospital, Rome, Italy
Background: The aim of this study is to determine surgical wound infection (SWI) rates in surgical patients using the National nosocomial Infections Surveillance system (NNIS), to monitor current surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis, and to identify possible modifiable risk factors for SWI.
Materials and Methods: Main criteria for hospital wards inclusion were: more than 20 surgical procedures per week, and use amoxycillin/clavulanate (Augmentin) among prophylactic options. Each patient operated from December 1st 2005 to July 31th 2006 was surveyed for 30 days after surgery. SWI cumulative incidence rates and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated.
Results: During the study period, 2068 surgical procedures were performed in 2050 patients. A total of 147 SWI were diagnosed in 142 patients: 82 (57.7"/o) were at superficial incision, 31 (21 .8%) were 81 deep incision and 42 (29.6%) were at organ-space site. Incidence cl SWI every 100 operations was 6.4%. About 86.5% of the operated patients received antimicrobial prophylaxis, mainly with amoxicillin clavulanate (Augmentin) (28.3%) or with imipenem/cilastatin (Tienam) (11.4%). Pre-operative hospital stay> or== 48 h, diabetes, obesity, and HIV/AIDS infection were statistically significantly associated with increased risk of SWI.
Conclusions: The SWI rates found are comparable with European studies and can be a benchmark for national incidence data and for inter- and intra-hospital SWI rate comparisons
Low-serum testosterone and high-chromogranin. A are associated with high-grade prostate cancer and higher pathological stages of the disease
No full textINTRODUCTION
CgA and testosterone are two serum markers that may be involved in prostate cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of testosterone and CgA to grades and stages of prostate cancer, particularly whether low-serum testosterone and high-serum CgA are associated with more aggressive grades, and higher pathological stages of the disease.
METHODS:
This perspective study included 121 men (Caucasian only) presenting with -newly-diagnosed, untreated prostate cancer. All the patients underwent radical prostatectomy.
RESULTS:
We subdivided the sample into two homogeneous groups, Group A with Gleason score ≤7 (3+4), and Group B with Gleason score ≥7 (4+3). Low testosterone (< 3 ng/ml) was most common among the members of Group B 80 % versus 12.6 % of Group A (p = 0.001). At the same time, elevated CgA (> 80 ng/ml) was present for a rate of 72 % in Group B, 28.1% in the Group A ( p = 0.001). The multivariate analysis we used revealed that low-serum testosterone and high-serum CgA are associated with higher pathological stages of the disease (p = 0.001).
CONCLUSION:
The principal findings of this investigation were that low testosterone is correlated with elevated CgA levels, and these two parameters are associated with more aggressive grades and higher pathological stages of prostatic adenocarcinoma
Cisti ovariche d'interesse chirurgico
No full textViene proposto una terapia modificata delle cisti ovariche. Cisti di diametro non maggiore di 8 cm sono state trattate in modo conservativo, mentre cisti di diametro maggiore agli 8 cm sono state trattate in modo conservativo
Copolymerization of ethylene and styrene to a nearly-alternating crystalline copolymer
No full textAn almost alternating stereoregular copolymer can be obtained by copolymerizing ethylene and styrene with the catalyst ethylenebis(1-indenyl)zirconium dichloride acti- vated by methylaluminoxane at -25 “C. The regular microstructure pointed out by the NMR spectrum allows the copolymer to crystallize as shown by calorimetric and X-ray diffraction measurements
Archeologia Interattiva: indagine storico-archeologica ed informatizzazione della regione centrale della Palestina
No full textLo scopo di questo progetto di dottorato è l'analisi archeologica e la protezione del patrimonio culturale della Palestina centrale (Governatorato di Salfit e Oasi di Gerico) con la collaborazione del MOTA-DACH (Dipartimento palestinese di antichità e beni culturali). Il progetto mira a sviluppare un GIS per l'analisi e l'uso dei dati di ricerca attraverso il software open source ARCHES nell'ambito del progetto EAMENA (Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa http: // eamena. Arch.ox.ac.uk/ ), un progetto internazionale per la conservazione e la protezione del patrimonio archeologico in Medio Oriente e Nord Africa da parte dell'Università di Oxford, Università di Leicester e APAAME (Areal Photographer Archaeological Archive in Middle East) con il finanziamento della società Arcadia Found. Sviluppato nel 2015, EAMENA Arches Database è una piattaforma online per registrare in modo sistematico (eamenadatabase.arch.ox.ac.uk.), Visualizzare e cercare informazioni su posizione, natura e caratteristiche degli elementi archeologici con le possibili perturbazioni e minacce che li riguardano in tutto il Medio Oriente e Nord Africa. Per monitorare lo stato dell'elemento archeologico all'interno di questa regione, vengono utilizzate immagini satellitari, foto aeree, dati pubblicati e non pubblicati. Il progetto di dottorato intende creare un database aggiornato in grado di mitigare il deterioramento del patrimonio storico e archeologico della regione palestinese, in collaborazione con MOTA-DACH (Dipartimento palestinese di antichità e beni culturali). Lo studio si concentrerà sul materiale bibliografico della ricerca condotta in passato nell'area di indagine, sui materiali e sui risultati dei sondaggi condotti in loco con la creazione di un database informatico online e cartaceo. Inoltre, attraverso il GIS (Geographic Information System) e l'analisi di telerilevamento possono essere identificati nuovi siti e strutture con stato di integrità relativa. La protezione e la salvaguardia del patrimonio archeologico dell'area sono l'obiettivo primario e l'oggetto della ricerca. Il progetto mira all'elaborazione di un catalogo dei siti archeologici del territorio del Governatorato di Salfit e dell'oasi di Gerico e alla stesura delle mappe archeologiche GIS. Continuando il lavoro svolto dal progetto EAMENA, verrà sviluppato anche un database interattivo per quest'area della Cisgiordania che può essere utilizzato sia per la conservazione di siti archeologici e storici sia come strumento scientifico e pratico per la protezione, lo studio e valorizzazione culturale. Il database sarà composto da immagini satellitari, foto aeree storiche e riferimenti bibliografici aggiornati, espandibili con la collaborazione di studiosi e istituzioni palestinesi, con l'attuale stato di "rischio". Vale la pena sottolineare la difficoltà nell'identificare i siti poiché nel Governatorato di Salfit non sono mai stati effettuati scavi sistematici, fatta eccezione per le emergenze e la costruzione di nuovi insediamenti israeliani nel territorio della Cisgiordania.The aims of this PhD project is the archaeological analysis and protection of the cultural heritage of central Palestine (Governorate of Salfit and the Jericho Oasis) with the cooperation of the MOTA-DACH (The Palestinian Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage). The project aims to develop a GIS for the analysis and use of research data through the open-source ARCHES software within the EAMENA project (Endangered Archeology in the Middle East and North Africa http: // eamena. arch.ox.ac.uk/), an international project for the preservation and protection of archaeological heritage in the Middle East and North Africa by the University of Oxford, University of Leicester and APAAME (Areal Photographic Archaeological Archive in the Middle East) with the financing of the Arcadia Found company. Developed in 2015, the EAMENA Arches Database is an online platform to record in a systematic way (eamenadatabase.arch.ox.ac.uk.), view and search for information on location, nature and characteristics of the archaeological elements with the possible perturbations and threats that concern them throughout the Middle East and North Africa. To monitor the status of the archaeological element within this region, satellite images, aerial photos, published and unpublished data are used. The PhD project intends to create an updated database that can mitigate the deterioration of the historical and archaeological heritage of the Palestinian region, in collaboration with the MOTA-DACH (The Palestinian Department of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage). The study will focus on the bibliographic material of the research carried out in the past in the area of investigation, on the materials and results of surveys carried out on-site with the creation of a computerized online and paper database. Furthermore, through the GIS (Geographic Information System) and Remote Sensing analysis can be identified new sites and structures with relative integrity status. The protection and safeguarding of the archaeological heritage of the area are the primary objective and subject of the research. The project aims at the elaboration of a catalogue of the archaeological sites of the territory of the Salfit Governorate and the Jericho oasis, and the drafting of GIS archaeological maps. Continuing the work carried out by the EAMENA project, an interactive database will also be developed for this area of the West Bank that can be used both for the preservation of archaeological and historical sites and as a scientific and practical tool for the protection, study and enhancement cultural. The database will be composed of satellite images, historical aerial photos and updated bibliographic references, expandable with the collaboration of Palestinian scholars and institutions, with the current state of "risk". It is worth underlining the difficulty in identifying the sites since in the Salfit Governorate systematic excavations have never been carried out, except for emergencies and the construction of new Israeli settlements in the West Bank territory
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