The right to be informed and fear of disclosure: sustainability of a full error disclosure policy at an italian cancer centre/clinic

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the behaviour of physicians in cases of medical error as well as the nature of the information that should be given to the patient and to ascertain whether it is possible to institute a full error disclosure policy. Data was collected through the completion of anonymous questionnaires by medical directors of the IRCCS CROB (the Oncology Centre of Basilicata, Italy). Methods: An anonymous questionnaire consisting of 15 questions was prepared and administered to all the physicians working at the IRCCS CROB – the Oncology Centre of Basilicata. The main aim of the research was to evaluate the feasibility of adopting a full disclosure policy and the extent to which such a policy could help reduce administration and legal costs. Results: The physicians interviewed unanimously recognize the importance of error disclosure, given that they themselves would want to be informed if they were the patients. However, 50% have never disclosed a medical error to their patients. Fear of losing the patient’s trust (33%) and fear of lawsuits (31%) are the main obstacles to error disclosure. Conclusions: The authors found that physicians were in favour of a full policy disclosure at the IRCCS CROB – the Oncology Centre of Basilicata. Many more studies need to be carried out in order to comprehend the economic impact of a full error disclosure policy

Contribuição ao estudo das vias bilíferas intra e extrahepátícas em Capra hircus. Sistematização do ramus principalis dexter

Estudou-se a constituição do ductus choledocus e a sistematização do ramus principalis dexter em fígados de 30 cabras (Capra hircus). 17 machos e 13 fêmeas. Em 26 órgãos o ductus choledocus é formado pela confluência do ramus principalis dexter e ramus principalis sinister e, em outros 4 fígados resultada tríplice convergência (ramus principalis dexter, ramus principalis sinister e ductus cysticus).O sistema do ramus principalis dexter engloba o ramus dorsalis lobi dextri, ramus medialis lobi dexter, ramus lateralis lobi dexter e ramus processi caudati; o ductus cysticus também faz parte deste sistema; identificou-se como raízes afluentes denominados rami intermedii lobi dextri, e contribuições do lobus quadratus e lobus caudatus (pars sinistra, pons e processus caudatus).The  A. has studied, the constitution of the ductus choledocus and the systematization of the ramus principalis dexter of the liver, in 30 goats (Capra hircus), 17 males and 13 females. In 26 organs the ductus choledocus is formed by the confluences of the ramus principalis dexter and ramus principalis sinister and, in other 4 livers it resulted from a triple convergence (ramus principalis dexter, ramus principalis sinister and ductus cysticus). The system of the ramus principalis dexter holds the ramus dorsalis lobi dextri, ramus medialis lobi dexter, ramus lateralis lobi dexter and ramus processi caudati; the ductus cysticus is also part of this system: the A. identifies by roots the affluents called rami intermedii lobi dextri and contribution from the lobus quadratus and lobus caudatus (pars sinistra, pons and processus caudatus)

Contribution to the study of the intra and extra hepatic biliduct in ovine (ovisaries — Linnaeus, 1758). I. Behaviour of ductus choledocus. II. Systematization of ramus principalis dexter

Studying the behaviour of the ductus choledocus of the ductus cysticus and the systematization of the ramus principalis dexter, in 50 livers of adult male ovines of the Merino race, the A. arrived to the following conclusions: 1 — the ductus choledocus always free from tributaries, is shown in 48 parts, being 96% of them constituted by the union of the ramus principalis dexter, and ramus principalis sinister (4.0% ), in two cases by the triplice convergence of dorso medialis and ventrolteralis roots of ramus principalis dexter plus the ramus principalis sinister. 2 —the ductus cysticus, free in of its preparations (84.0%) is seen when receives tributaries which come from the lobus quadratus. The eight (16.0%) which are left integrate themselves in the system of ramus principalis dexter. 3 — the system of ramus principalis dexter is formed by ramus medialis lobi dexter, ramus dorsalis lobi dextri, ramus processi caudati, ramus lateralis lobi dextri, ductus cysticus, rami intermedii lobi dextri and innominate ducts from the lobus dexter (medial, dorsal and lateral territories ), the lobus caudatus (pars supraportalis, processus papillaris, pons and processus caudatus) and lobus quadratus.Estudando o comportamento do ductus choledocus, do ductus cysticus e a sistematização do ramus principalis dexter, em 50 fígados de ovinos, machos, adultos, da raça Merino, o A. obteve, entre outras, as seguintes conclusões: 1 — O ductus choledocus, sempre livre de tributários, mostra-se, em 48 peças (96,0%), constituído pela união do ramus principalis dexter e ramus principalis sinister e, em 2 casos (4 ,0% ), pela tríplice convergência das raízes dorsomedial e ventrolateral do ramus principalis dexter, mais o ramus principalis sinister; 2 —O ductus cysticus, livre em 42 preparações (84,0%) e visto a receber tributários vindos do lobus quadratus nas 8 restantes (16,0%), integra-se sempre ao sistema do ramus principalis dexter; 3 — O sistema do ramus principalis dexter é formado pelo ramus medialis lobi dextri, ramus dorsalis lobi dextri, ramus processi caudati,ramus lateralis lobi dextri, ductus cysticus, rami intermedii lobi dextrie coletores inominados do lobus dexter (territórios medial dorsal e lateral), do lobus caudatus (pars supraportalis, processus papillaris, pons e processos caudatus) e do lobus quadratus

IDEALIST control and service management solutions for dynamic and adaptive flexi-grid DWDM networks

Wavelength Switched Optical Networks (WSON) were designed with the premise that all channels in a network have the same spectrum needs, based on the ITU-T DWDM grid. However, this rigid grid-based approach is not adapted to the spectrum requirements of the signals that are best candidates for long-reach transmission and high-speed data rates of 400Gbps and beyond. An innovative approach is to evolve the fixed DWDM grid to a flexible grid, in which the optical spectrum is partitioned into fixed-sized spectrum slices. This allows facilitating the required amount of optical bandwidth and spectrum for an elastic optical connection to be dynamically and adaptively allocated by assigning the necessary number of slices of spectrum. The ICT IDEALIST project will provide the architectural design, protocol specification, implementation, evaluation and standardization of a control plane and a network and service management system. This architecture and tools are necessary to introduce dynamicity, elasticity and adaptation in flexi-grid DWDM networks. This paper provides an overview of the objectives, framework, functional requirements and use cases of the elastic control plane and the adaptive network and service management system targeted in the ICT IDEALIST project

Remote light source for silicon photonic transceivers in mobile fronthaul applications

The design and experimental characterisation of a depolarised light source for feeding a remote transceiver based on silicon photonics are presented. Since the transceiver only works in TE mode, the source is designed to deliver, over up to 10 km standard single-mode fibre links, a continuous-wave light with almost constant power along this polarisation direction, whatever be the random polarisation rotation because of the fibre link. The depolarised light source is realised by combining the output of two independent distributed feedback lasers, having orthogonal polarisation and controlled frequency difference. The transmission performance and stability of the remote light source are successfully tested

Interactions between nematodes and fungi: a concise review

A short review of the complex interactions is reported between nematodes and fungi, which are not always clear because of the rhizosphere complexity and inadequate techniques of investigation

Correlates of calcaneal quantitative ultrasound parameters in patients with diabetes: the study on the assessment of determinants of muscle and bone strength abnormalities in diabetes

OBJECTIVE: Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) provides an estimate of bone mineral density (BMD) and also evaluates bone quality, which has been related to increased fracture risk in people with diabetes. This study aimed at assessing the correlates of calcaneal QUS parameters in diabetic subjects encompassing various degrees of micro and macrovascular complications and a wide-range of peripheral nerve function. METHODS: Four hundred consecutive diabetic patients were examined by QUS to obtain values of broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), the speed of sound (SOS), quantitative ultrasound index (QUI), and BMD. RESULTS: Among surrogate measures of complications, sensory and motor nerve amplitude and heart rate response to cough test and standing correlated with QUS parameters at univariate analysis, together with age, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, lipid profile, and renal function. Multivariate analysis revealed that BUA, SOS, QUI, and BMD were independently associated with age, male gender, hemoglobin A1c, BMI (or fat, but not fat-free mass), and somatic and autonomic nerve function parameters. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that peripheral nerve dysfunction is associated with worse QUS parameters, possibly contributing to increased fracture risk in diabetes. The positive relation of QUS measures with adiposity needs further investigation. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01600924)

Millimeter-wave backscattering measurements with transmitarrays for personal radar applications

The concept of personal radar has recently emerged as an interesting solution for next 5G applications. In fact the high portability of massive antenna arrays at millimeter-waves enables the integration of a radar system in pocket-size devices (i.e. tablets or smartphones) and enhances the possibility to map the surrounding environment by guaranteeing accurate localization together with high-speed communication capabilities. In this paper we investigate for the first time the capability of such personal radar solution using real measured data collected at millimeter-waves as input for the mapping algorithm