On the determinants of central bank independence in open economies

Empirical studies (Romer, 1993, Campillo and Miron, 1997) have suggested that Central Bank Independence does not affect inflation performance in the long run, casting doubts on the idea that commitment is empirically relevant in many sub samples of countries. We test some positive implications of the commitment hypothesis for the design of monetary institutions in open economies, by studying the determinants of central bank independence on a sample of 55 countries, for the period 1980-89. We document fairly consistent empirical evidence in support of the hypothesis that strategic commitment is indeed important to understand cross country variation in the level of central bank degree of dependence. We also address the related question (Romer, 1993) why only highly industrialized countries have relied on such a solution to the inflationary bias of monetary policy whereas others have not. Data suggest that the answer is related to the presence and the size of world-wide common features in the business cycle in each country

A pilot study to assess the effects of combining fluticasone propionate/ salmeterol and tiotropium on the airflow obstruction of patients with severe-to-very severe COPD

The aim of this pilot study was to explore the relative efficacy in terms of improvement in symptoms and lung function of combining fluticasone propionate/salmeterol combination (FSC) and tiotropium in patients with severe-to-very severe stable COPD. Ninety patients were randomized to receive 3 months of treatment in one of three treatment groups: (1) FSC 500/50 mg Diskus, 1 inhalation twice daily+placebo Handihaler 1 inhalation once-daily daily; (2) tiotropium 18 mg Handihaler, 1 inhalation once daily+placebo Diskus, 1 inhalation twice daily; (3) FSC 500/50 mg Diskus, 1 inhalation twice daily+tiotropium 18 mg Handihaler, 1 inhalation once-daily daily. Patients attended the clinic before and after 1 month, 2 months, and 3 months of treatment for evaluations of pulmonary function, and dyspnea, which was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Also the supplemental salbutamol use was measured. Eighty-one patients completed the 3-month treatment period: 26 patients receiving FSC, 26 patients receiving tiotropium, and 29 patients receiving FSC+tiotropium. Patients were withdrawn for COPD exacerbation. Improvements in trough FEV1 with all treatments medications were observed by the first month when trough FEV1 had improved significantly above baseline by 74mL \uf0po0:05 e in the tiotropium group, by 117mL \uf0po0:05 e in the FSC group and by 115mL \uf0po0:05 e in FSC+tiotropium group. At the end of the study, trough FEV1 had improved significantly above baseline by141mL \uf0po0:05 e in the tiotropium group, by 140mL \uf0po0:05 e in the FSC group and by 186mL \uf0po0:05 e in FSC+tiotropium group. The difference between FSC and tiotropium appeared to decrease, that between FSC and FSC+tiotropium appeared to increase and that between tiotropium and FSC+tiotropium remained almost similar with study duration. Our results suggest that adding FSC and tiotropium may provide benefits in symptomatic patients with severe-to-very severe stable COPD

Attivit\ue0 antimicrobica e profilo fitochimica di oli essenziali di lavanda e lavandino

Dalle specie botaniche del genere Lavandula si estraggono oli essenziali noti per le propriet\ue0 antispasmodiche, carminative, sedative, antidepressive e antinfiammatorie, come documentato in Letteratura. Limitate sono invece le informazioni riguardanti l\u2019attivit\ue0 antimicrobica di tali oli. Nel presente lavoro, \ue8 stata valutata l\u2019attivit\ue0 antimicrobica in vitro di oli essenziali di lavanda (Lavandula officinalis; campione commerciale) e di quattro ibridi di lavandino cultivars \u201cAbrialis\u201d, \u201cAlba\u201d, \u201cRinaldi Ceroni\u201d e \u201cSumiens\u201d, distillati nel mese di luglio del 2013. In particolare, l\u2019attivit\ue0 antimicrobica \ue8 stata valutata nei confronti di alcuni microrganismi patogeni di interesse alimentare, come Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. e Staphylococcus aureus. La Concentrazione Minima Inibente (MIC) \ue8 stata quantificata mediante \u201cmicrodilution test\u201d. Inoltre, \ue8 stata determinata la composizione chimica degli oli essenziali, cos\uec da ottenerne il profilo fitochimico. La valutazione dell\u2019attivit\ue0 antimicrobica ha fornito risultati interessanti. In particolare, una buona efficacia \ue8 stata dimostrata nei confronti di L. monocytogenes. Nel dettaglio, l\u2019olio essenziale di lavanda \ue8 risultato efficace a concentrazione massima di 0,50%, mentre gli oli di lavandino cvs. \u201cAbrialis\u201d e \u201cRinaldi Ceroni\u201d hanno generalmente mostrato attivit\ue0 elevata a concentrazioni ancora pi\uf9 ridotte e pari a 0,03%. Per ottenere una pari inibizione invece, si sono resi necessari quantitativi pi\uf9 elevati di olio di lavandino \u201cAlba\u201d, fino a concentrazioni massime del 2,0%. Pi\uf9 variabili sono stati i risultati relativi all\u2019efficacia degli oli nei confronti dei ceppi di S. aureus, comunque sensibili. Al contrario, per inibire i ceppi di Salmonella spp. pi\uf9 resistenti all\u2019azione degli oli essenziali per la diversa e pi\uf9 complessa struttura della parete cellulare, sono state necessarie concentrazioni di olio superiori al 2%. In conclusione, gli oli essenziali di lavanda e lavandino saggiati hanno mostrato attivit\ue0 antimicrobica in vitro nei confronti di alcuni patogeni di interesse alimentare, a concentrazioni cos\uec ridotte da suggerire un loro potenziale impiego come agenti antimicrobici. Ulteriori studi in situ si rendono tuttavia necessari per poter ottimizzare le condizioni di applicazione

PATIENT\u2019S COMPLIANCE TO INTRAVESCICAL BCG IN ROUTINE CLINICAL PRACTICE, RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF 411 CONSECUTIVE PATIENTS.

Aim of the study BCG maintenance for at least one year is advocated by urological guidelines as the best intravesical regimen in high-risk non muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), conservatively treated. Noteworthy, a relevant percentage of patients does not complete the planned treatment even if toxicity accounted for less that 10% of drop outs in recent multi-institutional trials. The aim of this study was to analyze the reasons for treatment interruption in everyday clinical practice. Materials and methods Consecutive patients affected by T1HG NMIBC undergoing conservative management with adjuvant BCG entered the study. The Connaught BCG strain was administered intravesically, at the dose of 81mg diluted in 50 ml of saline solution, according to the South West Oncology Group schedule for one year, starting 21-30 days after TUR. Toxicity and causes of treatment interruption were recorded. Results Between 2000 and 2012, intravesical BCG with 1-year maintenance regimen was proposed to 411 patients. Out of them, 380 (92,5%) completed the induction cycle and 308 (81%) started the maintenance. A total of 215 (52.3%) completed one year of treatment. Patients\u2019 compliance decreased from 81% at 3 months to 56.6% at 12 months. Toxicity requiring treatment interruption was recorded in 25 (6.1%) patients only. In 60 patients (14.6%) a delay of one or more instillations was necessary. Noteworthy, grade-I toxicity, not requiring therapy interruption or delay on urologists\u2019 judgment, was recorded in 193 (46.9%) cases. The retrospective nature of the study represents its major limit. Discussion Although one year BCG maintenance is recommended by both European Association of Urology (EAU) and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and indicated as the elective intravesical adjuvant regimen in intermediate- and high- risk NMIBC, conservatively treated, patients who complete the planned schedule doesn\u2019t exceed 50%. According to recent literature BCG-related toxicity shouldn\u2019t represent the major limiting fact. In the present experience, the high drop-out rate from treatment could be meanly attributable to grade-I toxicity underestimated by the urologists and to inadequate counselling. Conclusions Severe toxicity caused BCG interruption in a limited amount of cases. Almost 60% of treatment interruptions could be attributable to lack of patient\u2019s counseling and low grade toxicity

Tibial component alignment and risk of loosening in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a radiographic and radiostereometric study

Purpose: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has shown a higher rate of revision compared with total knee arthroplasty. The success of UKA depends on prosthesis component alignment, fixation and soft tissue integrity. The tibial cut is the crucial surgical step. The hypothesis of the present study is that tibial component malalignment is correlated with its risk of loosening in UKA.Methods: This study was performed in twenty-three patients undergoing primary cemented unicompartmental knee arthroplasties. Translations and rotations of the tibial component and the maximum total point motion (MTPM) were measured using radiostereometric analysis at 3, 6, 12 and 24\ua0months. Standard radiological evaluations were also performed immediately before and after surgery. Varus/valgus and posterior slope of the tibial component and tibial\u2013femoral axes were correlated with radiostereometric micro-motion. A survival analysis was also performed at an average of 5.9\ua0years by contacting patients by phone.Results: Varus alignment of the tibial component was significantly correlated with MTPM, anterior tibial sinking, varus rotation and anterior and medial translations from radiostereometry. The posterior slope of the tibial component was correlated with external rotation. The survival rate at an average of 5.9\ua0years was 89\ua0%. The two patients who underwent revision presented a tibial component varus angle of 10\ub0 for both.Conclusions: There is correlation between varus orientation of the tibial component and MTPM from radiostereometry in unicompartmental knee arthroplasties. Particularly, a misalignment in varus larger than 5\ub0 could lead to risk of loosening the tibial component.Level of evidence: Prognostic studies\u2014retrospective study, Level II

THE ROLE OF PERI-OPERATIVE BLOOD TRANSFUSION ON CANCER SPECIFIC AND OVERALL MORTALITY AFTER RADICAL CYSTECTOMY FOR BLADDER CANCER

Only few studies investigated the impact of the peri-operative blood transfusion (PBT) rate on both cancerspecific (CSM) and overall mortality (OM) after radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer (Bca). To date, no study has taken into account the possible prognostic role of the pre-operative hemoglobin level (Hb). The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of both pre-operative Hb level and PBT rate on CSS and OS of patients who underwent RC. Materiali e metodi The study cohort included 1575 patients treated with RC for BCa between 1990 and 2012 at a single tertiary referral center. Complete clinical, pathological and follow up-data was available for all the patients. Kaplan- Meier curves were adopted to assess the CSM and OM rates in the comprehensive population. At univariable (UVA) and multivariable (MVA) Cox regression analyses the impact on CSS and OS of both PBT and Hb were initially analyzed separately. In a following step, PBT and Hb were simultaneously included in the same statistical model. Age at surgery, Hb, PBT, pathological T stage, pathological N stage were used as covariates. Risultati Mean age at RC was 67 years. A total of 580 (36.8%) patients received a PBT (mean number of blood units received: 3). Mean and median Hb values were 12.4 and 12.6 mg/dL (range 8.0-17.5 mg /dL), respectively. With a mean follow-up time of 41 months, CSS and OS were 83.1 vs. 75.2 and 68.3 vs. 59.8%, at 2 and 5 years, respectively. At UVA, patients who received PBT experienced a CSM (HR: 2.11; p Discussione The influence of immune system on bladder cancer is well known even if not completely understood. This influence can have several consequences. Firstly hematologic disorders, like alteration in hemoglobin levels, and systemic inflammation. Secondly, the immunomodulation could are caused also by PBT and sub sequentially has an immunosuppressive effect. Our study, based on a population of patients with BCa (n = 1575) treated with RC demonstrated the impact of PBT on CSS and OS. Despite this, no association was found at multivariable analysis consider. Conclusioni At multivariate statistical analysis, including both the PBT rate and the pre-operative Hb level, only the latter parameter was shown to be significantly correlated with CS and OM. Further studies are needed in order to investigate the suggested immunosuppressive effect of the PBT and the suspected influence of the pre-operative Hb level as a factor favoring the systemic dissemination of BC cells

The detection of neutrino interactions in the emulsion/lead target of the OPERA experiment

The OPERA neutrino detector in the underground Gran Sasso Laboratory (LNGS) was designed to perform the first detection of neutrino oscillations in appearance mode through the study of \u3bd\u3bc\u2192 \u3bd\u3c4 oscillations. The apparatus consists of an emulsion/lead target complemented by electronic detectors and it is placed in the high energy long-baseline CERN to LNGS beam (CNGS) 730 km away from the neutrino source. Runs with CNGS neutrinos were successfully carried out in 2007 and 2008 with the detector fully operational with its related facilities for the emulsion handling and analysis. After a brief description of the beam and of the experimental setup we report on the collection, reconstruction and analysis procedures of first samples of neutrino interaction event