Outside- in single-lasso loop technique for meniscal repair: Fast, economic, and reproducible

The current understanding of the biomechanical role of the meniscus, in conjunction with the increasing efforts to achieve its preservation within the orthopaedic community during treatment of meniscal lesions, has prompted the development of different meniscal repair techniques. The outside-in technique is recommended for anterior horn and middle-segment meniscal tears and has been recognized as a low-cost procedure with a low incidence of complications. Diverse modifications of this technique have been published over the past decade. On the basis of these previous outside-in technique modifications and aiming to simplify and reduce the number of surgical steps, as well as simplify suture and/or instrument manipulation, during this technique, we describe the single–lasso loop outside-in technique for meniscal repair. We believe this modified technique represents a simplified, economic, and highly reproducible procedure option whenever an outside-in technique for meniscal repair is considered

Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in cancer patients. An italian multicenter survey

INTRODUCTION: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) include a wide range of products (herbs, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics) and medical practices, developed outside of the mainstream Western medicine. Patients with cancer are more likely to resort to CAM first or then in their disease history; the potential side effects as well as the costs of such practices are largely underestimated. PATIENTS AND METHOD: We conducted a descriptive survey in five Italian hospitals involving 468 patients with different malignancies. The survey consisted of a forty-two question questionnaire, patients were eligible if they were Italian-speaking and receiving an anticancer treatment at the time of the survey or had received an anticancer treatment no more than three years before participating in the survey. RESULTS: Of our patients, 48.9% said they use or have recently used CAM. The univariate analysis showed that female gender, high education, receiving treatment in a highly specialized institute and receiving chemotherapy are associated with CAM use; at the multivariate analysis high education (Odds Ratio, (OR): 1.96 95% Confidence Interval, CI, 1.27-3.05) and receiving treatment in a specialized cancer center (OR: 2.75 95% CI, 1.53-4.94) were confirmed as risk factors for CAM use. CONCLUSION: Roughly half of our patients receiving treatment for cancer use CAM. It is necessary that health professional explore the use of CAM with their cancer patients, educate them about potentially beneficial therapies in light of the limited available evidence of effectiveness, and work towards an integrated model of health-care provision

Physician Attitudes and Perceptions of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM): A Multicentre Italian Study

Purpose: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) interventions are widely used by patients with chronic disorders, including cancer, and may interact with cancer treatment. Physicians are often unaware of this, probably due to poor patient-physician communication on CAM. The purpose of this study was to evaluate physicians' knowledge, attitudes and practice patterns regarding CAM in a survey conducted in Italy. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 438 physicians (11 Italian hospitals) who predominantly treat patients with chronic disease, to collect personal and professional data and information on attitudes toward CAM and its possible role in Conventional Medicine (CM). Results: Of the 438 participants, most were specialists in oncology (18%), internal medicine (17%), surgery (15%), and radiotherapy (11%). Most worked at university (44%) or research hospitals (31%). Forty-two percent of participants believed that CAM could have an integrative role within CM. Oncologists were the physicians who were best informed on CAM (58%). Physicians working at research institutes or university hospitals had a greater knowledge of CAM than those employed at general hospitals (p < 0.0001), and those who were also involved in research activity had a greater knowledge of CAM than those who were not (p < 0.003). Length of work experience was significantly related to CAM knowledge. Moreover, 55% of participants suggest CAM interventions to their patients and 44% discuss CAM with them. The best-known interventions were acupuncture, Aloe vera and high-dose vitamin C. Conclusion: CAM use by patients with chronic disease and/or cancer has become a topical issue for the scientific community and for physicians. Knowing the reasons that prompt these patients to use CAM and guiding them in their decisions would improve treatment and outcomes and also benefit healthcare systems. Our findings contribute to a greater understanding of CAM knowledge, attitudes, and practice among Italian physicians. Further research is needed to identify the more effective CAM treatments and to work toward an integrated healthcare model

Magnetisation Studies of Geometrically Frustrated Antiferromagnets SrLn2O4, with Ln = Er, Dy and Ho

We present the results of susceptibility \chi(T) and magnetisation M(H) measurements performed on single crystal samples of the rare-earth oxides SrLn2O4 (Ln = Er, Dy and Ho). The measurements reveal the presence of magnetic ordering transition in SrHo2O4 at 0.62 K and confirm that SrEr2O4 orders magnetically at 0.73 K, while in SrDy2O4 such a transition is absent down to at least 0.5 K. The observed ordering temperatures are significantly lower than the Curie-Weiss temperatures, \theta_{CW}, obtained from the high-temperature linear fits to the 1/\chi(T) curves, which implies that these materials are subject to geometric frustration. Strong anisotropy found in the \chi(T) curves for a field applied along the different crystallographic directions is also evident in the M(H) curves measured both above and below the ordering temperatures. For all three compounds the magnetisation plateaux at approximately one third of the magnetisation saturation values can be seen for certain directions of applied field, which is indicative of field-induced stabilisation of a collinear {\it two-up one-down} structure.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figure

Figure della trasformazione

La città, nel senso letterale e storico del termine, è punto di riferimento per la costruzione e la modificazione del territorio: centro ordinatore, motore economico, luogo sicuro. Dopo ogni conquista i romani costruivano città di fondazione per procedere alla colonizzazione: il vocabolo d'altronde deriva dal latino civitas, che ha dato origine anche alla parola civiltà. La città, nella sua accezione politico-amministrativa di municipio, è l’organo del governo locale per eccellenza. Non a caso è potuto esistere (non solo in Italia) un sistema politico completamente basato sul potere dei comuni. Anzi: quando si è trattato di uscire dall’impasse generata dalla caduta dell’impero romano, è dal governatorato locale che si è ricostituita poco a poco una stabilità. La famiglia è comunemente intesa come cellula della società, poiché vi si sperimentano, a livello elementare, la maggior parte delle forme di interazione sociale. Allo stesso modo nella realtà urbana trovano applicazione le formule basiche della relazione sociale allargata e del governo del territorio. Dunque non è stupido sostenere che l’Europa, che tuttora molti considerano un’istituzione imposta dall’alto, governata in modo farraginoso e troppo subordinato ai governi nazionali, resa attuale oggi solo in virtù di un mercato e una moneta unica, immaginabile in futuro solo come federazione di unità nazionali, questa Europa sarà costruita concretamente dalle città e nelle città: il confronto su questioni transnazionali non può che trovare terreno fertile là dove le comunità locali collaborano, stringono relazioni alla ricerca di soluzioni per problemi concreti, fino a scoprirsi parte di una comunità allargata. Questo testo è un tentativo di esplorare, in modo non sistematico (ma le sistematizzazioni sono spesso nemiche dell’intuito), una realtà di microcosmi e di relazioni in cerca di unità. Uno sforzo per estrarre, dalle esperienze di viaggio e dai laboratori progettuali dei corsi di Composizione Architettonica ed Urbana, alcune considerazioni trasversali utili a fare sintesi dei processi in corso nella città europea

Lodz, Pl. Proposals for a urban renaissance of boulevard Narutowicz

La pubblicazione riporta i risultati del lavoro progettuale e di ricerca svolti nell'ambito della Convenzione Quadro Internazionale tra Dipartimento di Architettura e Pianificazione Territoriale e municipalità di Lodz (Polonia), per lo sviluppo di progetti di rinnovamento urbano. Area di lavoro: boulevard Gabriel Narutowicz

Wroclaw, Pl. Projects for a urban regeneration: Straznicza, Drobnera, Herbarium, Plac Solidarnosci

La pubblicazione riporta i risultati del lavoro progettuale e di ricerca svolti nell'ambito della Convenzione Quadro Internazionale tra Dipartimento di Architettura e Pianificazione Territoriale e municipalità di Wroclaw (Polonia), per lo sviluppo di progetti di rinnovamento urbano. Aree di lavoro: Straznicza, Drobnera, Herbarium, Plac Solidarnosc

Rare presentation of a testicular angiofibroma treated with testis sparing surgery.

Introduction: Testicular benign tumors are very rare (< 5%). Testicular Angiofibroma (AF) is one of those, however the gold standard of treatment and follow-up is still unclear. Case report: A 47 years-old man with only one functioning testis was referred to our clinic for a palpable right testicular mass and atrophic contralateral testis. Patient underwent testis-sparing surgery with inguinal approach and intraoperative frozen sections examination with diagnosis of AF. Final histology confirmed AF. Post-operative follow-up was uneventful. Clinical and ultrasonographic follow-up was negative after 8 months. Conclusion: We report a conservative surgery in a patient with AF of the solitary testis. AF is a benign para-testicular fibrous neoplasm that could be misinterpreted as malignant tumor and treated with orchiectomy. Testis-sparing surgery is recommended in this case with intraoperative pathological examination. The excision of the mass is enough but in front of a possible recurrence a long follow-up is advisable