The Efficacy of Umbelliferone, Arbutin, and N-Acetylcysteine to Prevent Microbial Colonization and Biofilm Development on Urinary Catheter Surface: Results from a Preliminary Study

We evaluated, in a preliminary study, the efficacy of umbelliferone, arbutin, and N-acetylcysteine to inhibit biofilm formation on urinary catheter. We used 20 urinary catheters: 5 catheters were incubated with Enterococcus faecalis (control group); 5 catheters were incubated with E. faecalis in presence of umbelliferone (150 mg), arbutin (60 mg), and N-acetylcysteine (150 mg) (group 1); 5 catheters were incubated with E. faecalis in presence of umbelliferone (150 mg), arbutin (60 mg), and N-acetylcysteine (400 mg) (group 2); and 5 catheters were incubated with E. faecalis in presence of umbelliferone (300 mg), arbutin (60 mg), and N-acetylcysteine (150 mg) (group 3). After 72 hours, planktonic microbial growth and microorganisms on catheter surface were assessed. In the control group, we found a planktonic load of ≥105 CFU/mL in the inoculation medium and retrieved 3.69 × 106 CFU/cm from the sessile cells adherent to the catheter surface. A significantly lower amount in planktonic (p < 0.001) and sessile (p = 0.004) bacterial load was found in group 3, showing <100 CFU/mL and 0.12 × 106 CFU/cm in the incubation medium and on the catheter surface, respectively. In groups 1 and 2, 1.67 × 106 CFU/cm and 1.77 × 106 CFU/cm were found on catheter surface. Our results document that umbelliferone, arbutin, and N-acetylcysteine are able to reduce E. faecalis biofilm development on the surface of urinary catheters

Clinical assessment instruments validated for nursing practice in the Italian context: a systematic review of the literature

Aims. With the aim to identify the instruments validated for Italian nursing practice, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken.Results. A total of 101 instruments emerged. The majority (89; 88.1%) were developed in other countries; the remaining (14; 13.9%) were developed and validated in the Ital-ian context. The instruments were developed to measure patient’s problems (63/101; 62.4%), outcomes (27/101; 26.7%), risks (4/101; 4%) and others issues (7/101; 6.9%). The majority of participants involved in the validation processes were younger adults (49; 48.5%), older adults (40; 39.5%), children (4; 4%), adolescents (3; 3%), and children/adolescents (1; 1%). The instruments were structured primarily in the form of questionnaires (61; 60.4%), as a grid for direct observation (27; 26.7%) or in other forms (12; 11.9%). Among the 101 instruments emerged, there were 1 to 7 validation measures documented with on average 3.2 (95% CI 2.86-3.54) for each instrument.Conclusions. Developing validation studies giving priority to those instruments widely adopted in the clinical nursing practice is recommended.  

I liposarcomi retroperitoneali

Il liposarcoma è l’istotipo più frequente tra i rari tumori maligni del retroperitoneo. Tale neoplasia ha la spiccata tendenza a recidivare dopo asportazione chirurgica, raramente a metastatizzare. La recidi - va mostra generalmente un comportamento più aggressivo della malattia primitiva con maggiore tendenza ad infiltrare gli organi vicini. La sintomatologia compare spesso tardivamente ed il segno di esordio è molto frequentemente la massa addominale palpabile. Lo studio preoperatorio implica l’uso della TC e della RMN. La terapia vede nelle chirurgia resettiva o citoriduttiva l’unico strumento in grado di modificare la storia naturale in termini di sopravvivenza e di recidiva locale. La prognosi è severa, con una sopravvivenza a 5 anni variabile tra il 12 ed il 50% nelle varie casi - stiche. Fattori prognostici importanti sono il grado della neoplasia ed il trattamento chirurgico radicale. Dal 1990 al 2001 sono stati eseguiti presso l’U.O. degli Autori 32 interventi per neoplasie maligne del retroperitoneo su 19 pazien - ti, in 7 di questi la neoplasia era un liposarcoma (4 uomini e 3 donne). Il numero complessivo di interventi per liposarcoma retrope - ritoneale è stato di 15. Quattro pazienti sono stati sottoposti ad un secondo intervento per recidiva, di questi 3 ad un terzo intervento ed 1 ad un quarto. In 11 casi su 15 è stata eseguita una exeresi della neoplasia. La sopravvivenza media è stata di 4 anni e 2 mesi. La radioterapia intraoperatoria, eseguita in 3 pazienti, sembra poter offrire dei vantaggi sul controllo locale della malattia e quindi sulla sopravvivenza. Un follow-up precoce con TC e RMN è giustificato dalla possibile resecabilità delle eventuali recidive

Adherence to European Association of Urology Guidelines on Prophylactic Antibiotics: An Important Step in Antimicrobial Stewardship

The evolution of resistant pathogens is a worldwide health crisis and adherence to European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis may be an important way to improve antibiotic stewardship and reduce patient harm and costs

Revolutionizing Cancer Research: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence in Digital Biobanking

Background. Biobanks are vital research infrastructures aiming to collect, process, store, and distribute biological specimens along with associated data in an organized and governed manner. Exploiting diverse datasets produced by the biobanks and the downstream research from various sources and integrating bioinformatics and “omics” data has proven instrumental in advancing research such as cancer research. Biobanks offer different types of biological samples matched with rich datasets comprising clinicopathologic information. As digital pathology and artificial intelligence (AI) have entered the precision medicine arena, biobanks are progressively transitioning from mere biorepositories to integrated computational databanks. Consequently, the application of AI and machine learning on these biobank datasets holds huge potential to profoundly impact cancer research. Methods. In this paper, we explore how AI and machine learning can respond to the digital evolution of biobanks with flexibility, solutions, and effective services. We look at the different data that ranges from specimen-related data, including digital images, patient health records and downstream genetic/genomic data and resulting “Big Data” and the analytic approaches used for analysis. Results. These cutting-edge technologies can address the challenges faced by translational and clinical research, enhancing their capabilities in data management, analysis, and interpretation. By leveraging AI, biobanks can unlock valuable insights from their vast repositories, enabling the identification of novel biomarkers, prediction of treatment responses, and ultimately facilitating the development of personalized cancer therapies. Conclusions. The integration of biobanking with AI has the potential not only to expand the current understanding of cancer biology but also to pave the way for more precise, patient-centric healthcare strategies

Regulation of IL-8 gene expression in gliomas by microRNAs

Interleukin-8 (IL-8, or CXCL8) is a major promoter of angiogenesis and invasiveness in human gliomas, where it is expressed and secreted at high levels. Among the different control levels of IL-8 gene expression in gliomagenesis, several have been studied and well characterized, such as hypoxia/anoxia stimulation, response to Fas ligation, death receptor activation, cytosolic Ca2+ transients, TNF-alpha, IL-1, and other cytokines and various cellular stresses. In addition, the expression of the IL-8 gene might be under the control of epigenetic mechanisms(s), such as those regulated by microRNAs. We found that bacterial challenge, which is known to strongly activate IL-8 gene transcription in epithelial cells, is downregulated by miR-93 (Fabbri, 2014). This is of peculiar interest for cancerogenesis since miR-93 has been found involved in the downregulation of expression of VEGF which cooperates, together with IL-8, in glioma angiogenesis. Expression levels of IL-8 and VEGF genes and of miR-93, have been investigated in High Grade and Low Grade Gliomas (HGG and LGG) samples and in U251 human glioma cells. Pre-miR- and anti-miR-93 were transfected in U251 cells to check modulation of candidate target genes (IL-8 and other cytokines relevant to the glioma microenvironment). Both VEGF and IL-8 mRNAs were higly expressed in LGGs (20-200 folds) and HGGs (20-300 folds) in respect to reference RNA from healthy brains. VEGF and IL-8 mRNAs expression correlated directly, whereas MiR-93 correlated inversely with both target genes transcripts in glioma specimens. In silico analyses evidenced consensus sequences for the interaction of miR-93 in the 3'-UTR regions of IL-8 and VEGF genes. Transfection of U251 glioma cells with pre-miR-93 down-modulated both VEGF and IL-8 genes expression, whereas anti-miR-93 resulted in a consistent up-modulation. Our results suggest that microRNAs, including miR-93, might be proposed as relevant post-transcriptional regulators of angiogenesis in human gliomas

Clinical assessment instruments validated for nursing practice in the Italian context: a systematic review of the literature

Aims. With the aim to identify the instruments validated for Italian nursing practice, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Results. A total of 101 instruments emerged. The majority (89; 88.1%) were developed in other countries; the remaining (14; 13.9%) were developed and validated in the Italian context. The instruments were developed to measure patient’s problems (63/101; 62.4%), outcomes (27/101; 26.7%), risks (4/101; 4%) and others issues (7/101; 6.9%). The majority of participants involved in the validation processes were younger adults (49; 48.5%), older adults (40; 39.5%), children (4; 4%), adolescents (3; 3%), and children/adolescents (1; 1%). The instruments were structured primarily in the form of questionnaires (61; 60.4%), as a grid for direct observation (27; 26.7%) or in other forms (12; 11.9%). Among the 101 instruments emerged, there were 1 to 7 validation measures documented with on average 3.2 (95% CI 2.86-3.54) for each instrument. Conclusions. Developing validation studies giving priority to those instruments widely adopted in the clinical nursing practice is recommended

Clinical assessment instruments validated for nursing practice in the Italian context: a systematic review of the literature

Aims. With the aim to identify the instruments validated for Italian nursing practice, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Results. A total of 101 instruments emerged. The majority (89; 88.1%) were developed in other countries; the remaining (14; 13.9%) were developed and validated in the Italian context. The instruments were developed to measure patient\u2019s problems (63/101; 62.4%), outcomes (27/101; 26.7%), risks (4/101; 4%) and others issues (7/101; 6.9%). The majority of participants involved in the validation processes were younger adults (49; 48.5%), older adults (40; 39.5%), children (4; 4%), adolescents (3; 3%), and children/adolescents (1; 1%). The instruments were structured primarily in the form of questionnaires (61; 60.4%), as a grid for direct observation (27; 26.7%) or in other forms (12; 11.9%). Among the 101 instruments emerged, there were 1 to 7 validation measures documented with on average 3.2 (95% CI 2.86-3.54) for each instrument. Conclusions. Developing validation studies giving priority to those instruments widely adopted in the clinical nursing practice is recommended

Clinical assessment instruments validated for nursing practice in the Italian context: a systematic review of the literature

AIMS: With the aim to identify the instruments validated for Italian nursing practice, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken.RESULTS: A total of 101 instruments emerged. The majority (89; 88.1%) were developed in other countries; the remaining (14; 13.9%) were developed and validated in the Italian context. The instruments were developed to measure patient's problems (63/101; 62.4%), outcomes (27/101; 26.7%), risks (4/101; 4%) and others issues (7/101; 6.9%). The majority of participants involved in the validation processes were younger adults (49; 48.5%), older adults (40; 39.5%), children (4; 4%), adolescents (3; 3%), and children/adolescents (1; 1%). The instruments were structured primarily in the form of questionnaires (61; 60.4%), as a grid for direct observation (27; 26.7%) or in other forms (12; 11.9%). Among the 101 instruments emerged, there were 1 to 7 validation measures documented with on average 3.2 (95% CI 2.86-3.54) for each instrument.CONCLUSIONS: Developing validation studies giving priority to those instruments widely adopted in the clinical nursing practice is recommended

Clinical assessment instruments validated for nursing practice in the Italian context: a systematic review of the literature

Aims. With the aim to identify the instruments validated for Italian nursing practice, a systematic review of the literature was undertaken. Results. A total of 101 instruments emerged. The majority (89; 88.1%) were developed in other countries; the remaining (14; 13.9%) were developed and validated in the Italian context. The instruments were developed to measure patient’s problems (63/101; 62.4%), outcomes (27/101; 26.7%), risks (4/101; 4%) and others issues (7/101; 6.9%). The majority of participants involved in the validation processes were younger adults (49; 48.5%), older adults (40; 39.5%), children (4; 4%), adolescents (3; 3%), and children/adolescents (1; 1%). The instruments were structured primarily in the form of questionnaires (61; 60.4%), as a grid for direct observation (27; 26.7%) or in other forms (12; 11.9%). Among the 101 instruments emerged, there were 1 to 7 validation measures documented with on average 3.2 (95% CI 2.86-3.54) for each instrument. Conclusions. Developing validation studies giving priority to those instruments widely adopted in the clinical nursing practice is recommended