Plasma total antioxidant capacity and peroxidation biomarkers in psoriasis

Systemic biomarkers of oxidative stress can be relevant for assessment of psoriasis severity, for prediction of the outcome of therapy and of the development of comorbidities. In this review we aimed to evaluate the relationship between plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and peroxidation biomarkers, as well as their association with dyslipidemia and systemic inflammation in psoriasis. The review of 59 case–control comparisons (from 41 studies) and 17 interventions (from 13 studies) suggests that peroxidation markers are more sensitive than TAC in the evaluation of oxidative stress in psoriasis. Although few studies investigated the effect of treatment on oxidative stress, it seems that biological drugs could be the better choice in the treatment of psoriasis. However, considering the limitations of TAC and plasma peroxidation markers, this review suggests that new methods should be developed in order to evaluate systemic oxidative stress in psoriasis

Indicazioni e limiti della tumorectomia testicolare, follow-up a lungo termine

La organ-sparing surgery è stata di recente proposta nella terapia delle neoformazioni del testicolo, tuttavia ancora non esiste un consenso sulle sue indicazioni. Scopo del lavoro è di definire le indicazioni e i limiti della tumorectomia testicolare attraverso una revisione della casistica e un follow-up a lungo termine nelle neoformazioni testicolari. Dal 2002 al 2012 sono stati osservati 92 casi di neoformazione testicolare (di cui 22 casi negli ultimi 6 mesi). 48 di questi sono stati sottoposti a orchifunicolectomia, mentre i rimanenti 44 (età: 9-60 anni) a tumorectomia testicolare. Di questi ultimi, oggetto del nostro stuidio, 28 pz. sono giunti alla nostra osservazione per infertilità e 16 per reperto palpatorio/sintomatologia dolorosa. 8 pz erano monorchidi. All’ecografia presenza di nodulo/i ipoecogeno/i (34 casi) ed iperecogeno/i (10 casi), palpabile/i in 24 casi, delle dimensioni di 5-15 mm. In tutti i pazienti i markers tumorali erano negativi. 36 interventi sono stati eseguiti con tecnica microchirurgica (microscopio operatore o loops frontali) derivata dall’intervento di microtese per infertilità e 8 con tecnica tradizionale, asportando in blocco il nodulo testicolare. In 38 casi è stato eseguito l’esame istologico estemporaneo della lesione asportata. La diagnosi istologica definitiva è stata: in 15 casi leidygioma, in 4 casi iperplasia focale delle cellule del leydig, in 8 casi cisti dermoidi, in 4 casi sclerosi/fibrosi ialina, in 2 casi sertolioma, in 2 casi carcinoma embrionario, in 7 casi seminoma e in 2 casi tumore a cellule germinali misto. 8 pz con esame istologico estemporaneo deponente per neoplasia germinale sono stati sottoposti a contestuale orchifunicolectomia, tutti gli altri hanno conservato il testicolo. I 2 pz con carcinoma embrionario (monorchide) sono stati sottoposti ad orchifunicolectomia e terapia sostitutiva a breve distanza di tempo dalla tumorectomia per rialzo dei markers tumorali. Un pz con sclerosi ialina, dopo 6 anni ha sviluppato un seminoma puro per il quale è stata effettuata orchifunicolectomia. Tutti gli altri pazienti con malattie benigne sono ad oggi (follow-up 2-120 mesi) liberi da recidiva. I noduli non palpabili di piccole dimensioni (inferiori a 1 cm) e diagnosticati nel work-up per infertilità/azoospermia sono per lo più risultati essere benigni. In caso di lesioni testicolari inferiori ai 15 mm non palpabili, o palpabili in pazienti monorchidi o con lesioni bilaterali, è consigliabile un approccio graduale conservativo con iniziale tumorectomia testicolare, esame istologico estemporaneo ed eventuale immediata orchifunicolectomia in caso di lesione maligna (se altro testicolo sano). La nostra esperienza fino ad ora sembra dimostrare che nei pazienti infertili con lesioni non palpabili di piccole dimensioni, riscontrati incidentalmente con ecografia, queste sono più frequentemente di natura benigna

Real-Life Analysis with Erenumab: First Target Therapy in the Episodic and Chronic Migraine’s Prophylaxis

open7noBackground: to research retrospectively the efficacy of Erenumab’s treatment, thus allowing to describe a summary more in line with the reality observed every day in clinical practice, relative to a sample of patients widely heterogeneous. The study aims to confirm the efficacy of Erenumab, in terms of reduction of migraine days per month, from baseline to month 12 of treatment. Additional objectives included a reduction in the number of days of symptomatic drug use and change from baseline in the Migraine Disability Assessment Score Questionnaire (MIDAS); Methods: the analysis included all patients treated for 12 months with Erenumab during the year 2019–2020. The population analyzed consists of twenty-six patients from the Neurology outpatient clinic in Fossombrone. Several quantitative and qualitative variables were recorded by reading the medical records of the patients. The MIDAS was administered to patients to assess the disability related to migraine; Results: at the end of treatment, a statistically significant reduction in the mean number of monthly migraine days, acute medication use per month, and MIDAS questionnaire score was observed; Conclusions: as a preventive treatment of episodic and chronic migraine, our analysis data confirm the efficacy of Erenumab for the prevention of the migraine. The success is achieved in 96% of casesopenMaraia, Zaira; Ricci, Diletta; Rocchi, Marco Bruno Luigi; Moretti, Alessandro; Bufarini, Celestino; Cavaliere, Arturo; Peverini, ManolaMaraia, Zaira; Ricci, Diletta; Rocchi, Marco Bruno Luigi; Moretti, Alessandro; Bufarini, Celestino; Cavaliere, Arturo; Peverini, Manol

ADC Benchmark Range for Correct Diagnosis of Primary and Recurrent Middle Ear Cholesteatoma

Objectives. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in particular diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) have been broadly proven to be the reference imaging method to discriminate between cholesteatoma and noncholesteatomatous middle ear lesions, especially when high tissue specificity is required. The aim of this study is to define a range of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values within which the diagnosis of cholesteatoma is almost certain. Methods. The study was retrospectively conducted on a cohort of 124 patients. All patients underwent first- or second-look surgery because primary or secondary acquired cholesteatoma was clinically suspected; they all had preoperative MRI examination 15 days before surgery, including DWI from which the ADC maps were calculated. Results. Average ADC value for cholesteatomas was 859,4 × 10−6 mm2/s (range 1545 × 10−6 mm2/s; IQR = 362 × 10−6 mm2/s; σ = 276,3 × 10−6 mm2/s), while for noncholesteatomatous inflammatory lesions, it was 2216,3 × 10−6 mm2/s (range 1015 × 10−6 mm2/s; IQR = 372,75 × 10−6 mm2/s; σ = 225,6 × 10−6 mm2/s). Interobserver agreement with Fleiss’ Kappa statistics was 0,96. No overlap between two groups’ range of values was found and the difference was statistically significant for p<0.0001. Conclusions. We propose an interval of ADC values that should represent an appropriate benchmark range for a correct differentiation between cholesteatoma and granulation tissue or fibrosis of noncholesteatomatous inflammatory lesions

Xhaul: toward an integrated fronthaul/backhaul architecture in 5G networks

The Xhaul architecture presented in this article is aimed at developing a 5G integrated backhaul and fronthaul transport network enabling flexible and software-defined reconfiguration of all networking elements in a multi-tenant and service-oriented unified management environment. The Xhaul transport network vision consists of high-capacity switches and heterogeneous transmission links (e.g., fiber or wireless optics, high-capacity copper, mmWave) interconnecting remote radio heads, 5G points of attachment (5GPoAs, e.g., macro-and small cells), centralized-processing units (mini data centers), and points of presence of the core networks of one or multiple service provider(s). This transport network shall flexibly interconnect distributed 5G radio access and core network functions, hosted on network centralized nodes, through the implementation of a control infrastructure using a unified, abstract network model for control plane integration (Xhaul Control Infrastructure, XCI); and a unified data plane encompassing innovative high-capacity transmission technologies and novel deterministic-latency switch architectures (Xhaul packet Forwarding Element, XFE). Standardization is expected to play a major role in a future 5G integrated front haul/backhaul architecture for multi-vendor interoperability reasons. To this end, we review the major relevant activities in the current standardization landscape and the potential impact on the Xhaul architecture.This work has been partly supported by the Madrid Regional Government through the TIGRE5-CM program (S2013/ICE-2919) and the EU H2020 Xhaul Project (grant no. 671598)

La territorializzazione del farmaco in epoca di PNRR: prospettive, opportunità e spunti di riflessione da un panel di esperti

This document illustrates the results of the work of two interdisciplinary and multistakeholder panels (resear-chers, public institutions, and industry representatives) on drug territorialization and digitalization, organized as part of a residential seminar held on 30 September and 1st October 2021. Arising from some considerations about the demand for health and the provisions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the discussion touched various aspects of managing the transition from current to future management models. The importance of identifying criteria for prioritizing interventions in the area emerged: different methods of drug delivery, scientific information and measurement, re-evaluation of pathologies that can be managed in this area. Finally, the role of digitization within this change was explored. The opinions provided by the experts move towards making the most of the opportunities arising from PNRR, in terms of investments in healthcare and data application, with a view to improve health system efficiency, patient care and related outcomes

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements