Bilateral osteoma of the internal auditory canal: Case report and literature review

Osteomas of the external auditory canal tend to be rather common; those of the internal auditory canal (IAC) are much rarer, though, with less than twenty cases reported in literature up to this very day. Bilateral IAC osteomas, as in this case, are extremely unusual.These benign bone tumors grow very slowly and this implies that the patient is very often asymptomatic. The diagnosis is generally made relatively late and it is, in many cases, absolutely incidental, with Computed Thomography (CT) scans of the temporal bones performed for other reasons. The manuscript describe the case of a patient complaining with progressive bilateral hearing impairment, worsening in the course of many years; we would like to point out the benefits brought by CT in the diagnosis and therapeutic choice, which is, still today, not yet subject to unanimous consensus. (C) 2014 The College of Radiographers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A novel ultrafast-low-dose computed tomography protocol allows concomitant coronary artery evaluation and lung cancer screening

BACKGROUND:Cardiac computed tomography (CT) is often performed in patients who are at high risk for lung cancer in whom screening is currently recommended. We tested diagnostic ability and radiation exposure of a novel ultra-low-dose CT protocol that allows concomitant coronary artery evaluation and lung screening. METHODS: We studied 30 current or former heavy smoker subjects with suspected or known coronary artery disease who underwent CT assessment of both coronary arteries and thoracic area (Revolution CT, General Electric). A new ultrafast-low-dose single protocol was used for ECG-gated helical acquisition of the heart and the whole chest. A single IV iodine bolus (70-90 ml) was used. All patients with CT evidence of coronary stenosis underwent also invasive coronary angiography. RESULTS: All the coronary segments were assessable in 28/30 (93%) patients. Only 8 coronary segments were not assessable in 2 patients due to motion artefacts (assessability: 98%; 477/485 segments). In the assessable segments, 20/21 significant stenoses (> 70% reduction of vessel diameter) were correctly diagnosed. Pulmonary nodules were detected in 5 patients, thus requiring to schedule follow-up surveillance CT thorax. Effective dose was 1.3 ± 0.9 mSv (range: 0.8-3.2 mSv). Noteworthy, no contrast or radiation dose increment was required with the new protocol as compared to conventional coronary CT protocol. CONCLUSIONS:The novel ultrafast-low-dose CT protocol allows lung cancer screening at time of coronary artery evaluation. The new approach might enhance the cost-effectiveness of coronary CT in heavy smokers with suspected or known coronary artery disease

Strong coupling analysis of diquark condensation

The phenomenon of diquark condensation at non-zero baryon density and zero temperature is analyzed in the strong coupling limit of lattice QCD. The results indicate that there is attraction in the quark-quark channel also at strong coupling, and that the attraction is more effective at high baryon density, but for infinite coupling it is not enough to produce diquark condensation. It is argued that the absence of diquark condensation is not a peculiarity of the strong coupling limit, but persists at sufficiently large finite couplings.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, Lattice2004(non-zero

Normative and validation data of an articulation test for Italian-speaking children

Objectives: As a standardized instrument to assess speech sound development in Italian-speaking children is currently lacking, norms used to diagnose speech sound disorders (SSD) are mainly based on studies including English-speaking participants. This application may result in misidentification of SSD due to linguistic differences. The aims of the study were to establish normative data on speech sound development of Italian-speaking children and to evaluate psychometric properties of Rossi's articulation test, the picture-naming test selected to assess speech sound development. Methods: A cross-sectional study including 694 normally-developing Italian-speaking children aged from 3 to 7 years was conducted. Children were administered Rossi's articulation test, and percentages of speech sound correct production were calculated. To evaluate inter-rater reliability of the test, audio-recordings of 50 children were scored by an additional examiner. The same rater scored the audio-recordings of 50 children twice with an interval of at least 1 week. To evaluate test-retest reliability, 144 participants were re-tested after 1-3 weeks by the same assessor. Scores were compared through Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). To assess construct validity, the developmental progression of total scores across age groups was verified by the estimation of the reference range for the test, using a regression procedure. Results: Almost all Italian children in the sample produced vowels and approximants correctly. Singleton consonants were acquired before consonant clusters. Ages of acquisition of each consonant were presented: plosives and nasals were early mastered by Italian children, while dental affricates, alveolar fricatives and the palatal lateral were the latest acquired segments. All ICCs were superior to 0.9 (reliability). A statistically significant improvement in test score with age was found (construct validity). Conclusions: The paper provides normative data for speech sound development of Italian-speaking children; preliminary psychometric analysis of Rossi's articulation test revealed satisfactory reliability and construct validity. Clinicians are recommended to use Rossi's articulation test to assess speech sound development in Italian children

Infection by high-risk human papillomaviruses, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and squamous pre-malignant or malignant lesions of the uterine cervix: a series of chained events?

: Wound healing requires static epithelial cells to gradually assume a mobile phenotype through a multi-step process termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although it is inherently transient and reversible, EMT perdures and is abnormally activated when the epithelium is chronically exposed to pathogens: this event deeply alters the tissue and eventually contributes to the development of diseases. Among the many of them is uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most frequent malignancy of the female genital system. SCC, whose onset is associated with the persistent infection of the uterine cervix by high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), often relapses and/or metastasizes, being resistant to conventional chemo- or radiotherapy. Given that these fearsome clinical features may stem, at least in part, from the exacerbated and long-lasting EMT occurring in the HPV-infected cervix; here we have reviewed published studies concerning the impact that HPV oncoproteins, cellular tumor suppressors, regulators of gene expression, inflammatory cytokines or growth factors, and the interactions among these effectors have on EMT induction and cervical carcinogenesis. It is predictable and desirable that a broader comprehension of the role that EMT inducers play in SCC pathogenesis will provide indications to flourish new strategies directed against this aggressive tumor

El rol del psicólogo laboral en las empresas de la ciudad de Mar del Plata en la actualidad

El presente trabajo tiene por finalidad investigar el Rol del Psicólogo Laboral en empresas marplatenses en la actualidad. Dado que el psicólogo laboral puede realizar una multiplicidad de tareas, nos interesa conocer cuales son las que realiza efectivamente en las organizaciones de nuestra ciudad. Para realizar esta investigación serán seleccionadas distintas empresas a partir de n listado obtenido en la Municipalidad de General Pueyrredón. El número de casos sobre los que trabajaremos será de 80 a 100. Será requisito que las mismas cuente con un mínimo de 20 empleados. Se elaborara un instrumento que nos permita el relevamiento de datos para luego arribar a futuras conclusiones. El mismo tendrá forma de cuestionario con preguntas cerradas y abiertas. Será administrada vía telefónica a personal jerárquico de las empresas. Partimos de la concepción de que los Psicólogos laborales se ocupan de la relación de los individuos con el trabajo, con particular énfasis en su inserción en organizaciones y empresas. Su interés incluye las estructuras organizacionales, sus procesos de cambio, mejoramiento de la productividad y calidad, cómo en ellas se definen los roles, se estructura el poder y cómo se establece la dinámica de las interrelaciones personales. Colaboran en el desarrollo de las habilidades para el trabajo ejecutivo, entre ellas: la capacidad de liderazgo y de motivación, cómo negociar y resolver conflictos. Se ocupan de la carrera laboral en las empresas, desde cómo atraer, seleccionar, contratar, capacitar, integrar, desarrollar y evaluar a recursos humanos hasta el establecimiento de políticas de retiro y en su caso, la desvinculación. También se ocupan de las condiciones laborales desde el punto de vista de la interacción de los individuos con su entrono y las máquinas, las condiciones de seguridad, los problemas de salud mental asociados y del entrenamiento del personal. Siendo los recursos humanos la clave del éxito de las empresas en el mundo moderno, la labor del Psicólogo Laboral se ha vuelto escencial para el éxito empresarial.Fil: Barillari, Flavia A. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Nadra, Yohaina. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentin

Logistic regression to predict malignancy of breast tumors using IVIM parameters

The goal of this work is to predict the malignancy of a lesion from the analysis of DW-MRI in a retrospective study. The DW-MRI sequence is used to compute the intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) parameters that allow to divide the water movement into diffusion (due to the water present in the tissues) and perfusion (due to the water present in blood flowing in the capillaries). This second movement is not random, but oriented in the direction of the capillaries, but if we recall that capillaries are very short, randomly oriented and with a high density per volume, we can consider the perfusion as a \u2018\u2018pseudo-diffusion\u2019\u2019. Knowing that benign and malign breast tumour have different perfusion characteristics, if we could identify and quantify this feature, we might be able to determine the type of the tumour. In this work, we use state of the art algorithms to compute the IVIM parameters which are then plugged into a learning algorithm, based on retrospective data, that infer the malignancy of the lesion

Incidence and Risk Factors for Venous Thromboembolism in Female Patients Undergoing Breast Surgery

Albeit it does not have the highest venous thromboembolism (VTE) incidence compared to other neoplasms, breast cancer contributes to many VTE events because it is the most diagnosed tumor in women. We aim to analyze the occurrence and timing of VTE during the follow-up of patients who underwent breast surgery, the possible correlated factors, and the overall survival. This retrospective study included all female patients diagnosed with mammary pathology and surgically treated in our clinic between January 2002 and January 2012. Of 5039 women who underwent breast surgery, 1056 were found to have no evidence of malignancy, whereas 3983 were diagnosed with breast cancer. VTE rate resulted significantly higher in patients with invasive breast cancer than in women with benign breast disease or carcinoma in situ. Invasive cancers other than lobular or ductal were associated with a higher VTE rate. In addition, chronic hypertension, high BMI, cancer type, and evidence of metastasis turned out to be the most significant risk factors for VTE in women who underwent breast surgery. Moreover, VTE occurrence significantly impacted survival in invasive breast cancer patients. Compared to women with benign mammary pathology, VTE prevalence in women with breast cancer is significantly higher. The knowledge about the risk factors of VTE could be helpful as prognostic information, but also to eventually target preventive treatment strategies for VTE, as far as the co-existence of invasive breast cancer and VTE has a significantly negative impact on survival

The Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Narrative Abilities in a Group of Italian Normally Developing Children

OBJECTIVE: Only limited and conflicting information is available regarding the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and narrative abilities. Besides, the role fathers' SES plays in the development of their children's narrative abilities has never been investigated. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between fathers' and mothers' SES and narrative abilities of their children assessed with the Italian version of the Bus Story Test (I-BST). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 505 normally developing Italian children were enrolled in the study. Information regarding parents' educational level and employment was collected for each child. Narrative abilities were evaluated using the I-BST. The relationships between parents' employment, educational level, and I-BST scores were analyzed by univariate and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS: In univariate analysis, both fathers' and mothers' education and employment were associated with most I-BST subscale scores, especially when higher educational and employment levels were contrasted with the lowest educational and employment levels. In multiple regression analysis, significant associations were found only between the fathers' working status and educational level and I-BST subscale scores. CONCLUSIONS: Parental education and employment might impact narrative abilities of children. When both fathers' and mothers' SES variables are considered together, only fathers' education and working status seemed to be associated with I-BST scores