A case report of a rare intramuscular granular cell tumor

Background: Granular cell tumors (GCTs) were firstly described by Weber in 1854 and 70 years later by Abrikossoff and classified as benign tumors. Originally considered muscle tumors, they have been identified as neural lesions, due to their close association with nerve and to their immunohystochemical characteristics. GCTs are uncommon tumors and they may arise in any part of the body; they have been mainly observed in tongue, chest wall and upper extremities; less frequent sites are larynx, gastrointestinal tract, breast, pituitary stalk and the female anogenital region. Here we report a case of GCT showing an uncommon localization such as the upper third of the right rectus muscle of the abdominal wall. Case presentation: A 45 year-old woman of Caucasian origin presented to the surgeon with a 6-month history of light pain in the upper third of the abdominal wall. Radiological exams (Ultrasonography, Computed Tomography and Contrast magnetic resonance imaging) showed a localized in the right rectus abdominis muscle. After excision, histological and immunohystochemical analysis, with the support of electron microscopy, allowed making diagnosis of granular cell tumor. Discussion: After fist description by Abrikosoff in 1926 of GCT like mesenchymal tumor of unknown origin, in recent years immunohystochemical techniques definitely demonstrated the histogenetic derivation of GCT from Schwann cells. Granular cell tumors are rare, small, slow-growing, solitary and painless subcutaneous nodules which behave in a benign fashion, but can have a tendency to recur; in rare cases they can metastasize, when they became malignant; there are some clinical and histological criteria to suspect the malignance of this tumor. Conclusion: It is important that clinicians, radiologists and pathologists are aware of the clinical presentation and histopathology of GCT for appropriate management, counselling and follow-up. In our case we had a complete radiological, morphological and immunohystochemical characterization of the lesion and a definitive diagnosis of benignity confirmed by electron microscopy

New Challenges for Sustainable Organizations in Light of Agenda 2030 for Sustainability

Sustainability is one of humanity’s most daunting issues at present. Increasing popula- tion, escalation of anthropogenic activities, industrialization, modern agricultural practices that pollute water, air, and soil around the world, and ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions mean that sustainability is now in doubt [1]. In response to these critical concerns, the world has come up with several initiatives including Agenda 2030. Agenda 2030 is a commitment to eradicate poverty and achieve sustainable development worldwide, ensuring that no one is left behind by 2030. Its adoption was a landmark achievement, providing a shared vision towards sustainable development for all. Its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets aim to end the plethora of development problems and deliver a better univers

Off-Label Use of Dalbavancin for Sequential Treatment of Spondylodiscitis by Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus: A Retrospective Single-Centre Experience

Background: Our aim was to describe the clinical outcome and safety of the sequential treatment with off-label dalbavancin in patients with spondylodiscitis that is caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Methods: We retrospectively included all patients >18 years of age with spondylodiscitis that is caused by MRSA that was treated with dalbavancin from January 2018-January 2021, recording the instances of clinical cure/failure, adverse events, and the need to be re-hospitalized after the initiation of dalbavancin. In 2/15 patients, we performed therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for dalbavancin. Results: We included 15 patients, 53.3% of them were females, with a median age of 67.9 years (57.4-78.5); 100% patients reported back pain, while a fever was present only in 2/15 cases. The spondylodiscitis was localized in 86.6% cases at the lumbar level. A median of a 2-week in-hospital intravenous vancomycin was followed by dalbavancin with a median duration of 12 weeks (12-16). All patients reported a clinical cure, except for a woman who is still on a suppressive treatment. No patient needed to be re-hospitalized, access to emergency department, or experienced adverse events. The TDM for dalbavancin showed that more than 90% of the determinations were above the pharmacodynamic target against staphylococci. Conclusions: The results from our unique, even if it was small, cohort demonstrated that dalbavancin can be a safe/effective option as a sequential treatment in patients with serious infections requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy, such as spondylodiscitis

The role of subsidence in a weakly unstable marine boundary layer: a case study

The diurnal evolution of a cloud free, marine boundary layer is studied by means of experimental measurements and numerical simulations. Experimental data belong to an investigation of the mixing height over inner Danish waters. The mixed-layer height measured over the sea is generally nearly constant, and does not exhibit the diurnal cycle characteristic of boundary layers over land. A case study, during summer, showing an anomalous development of the mixed layer under unstable and nearly neutral atmospheric conditions, is selected in the campaign. Subsidence is identified as the main physical mechanism causing the sudden decrease in the mixing layer height. This is quantified by comparing radiosounding profiles with data from numerical simulations of a mesoscale model, and a large-eddy simulation model. Subsidence not only affects the mixing layer height, but also the turbulent fluctuations within it. By analyzing wind and scalar spectra, the role of subsidence is further investigated and a more complete interpretation of the experimental results emerges

Knowledge of HIV infection and ways of its transmission: a knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices (KABP) survey among a sample of students at the “Magna Graecia”, University of Catanzaro

Background. Continuous spreading of HIV infection may be due to a lack of knowledge, especially among young people. Methods. We decided to assess  knowledge of HIV infection and risk factors in a sample of students at the “Magna Graecia” University of Catanzaro, using an anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire. Results. An anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire was administered in December 2015. Two hundred and sixty-six students responded (216 attending the medical school and 50 attending School of Law). Knowledge of HIV infection was scarce in a significant percentage of students who practice behaviours at risk for acquisition of HIV infection and STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) in general. Conclusion. This study shows that preventative and informative campaigns are urgently needed in earlier stage of adolescence to avoid acquisition of HIV infection and other STD

Neurogénesis adulta: la capacidad de generar nuevas neuronas

Los seres vivos debemos adaptarnos continuamente a los constantes cambios con los que nuestro entorno nos desafía. Para esto usamos nuestro cerebro, un potente procesador de datos compuesto por más de 80 mil millones de neuronas. Estas células especializadas se conectan unas con otras para procesar y transmitir información. Se estima que el cerebro humano posee de 100 a 1.000 billones de contactos neuronaleso sinapsis. De esta manera las neuronas de nuestro sistema nervioso central son responsables de recibir la información del medio-ambiente que nos rodea, procesarla, almacenarla y evocarla, con el fin de que logremos aprender de los éxitos o fracasos que vivimos, y desencadenar señales que nos llevan a actuar en función de la información recibida. La disciplina abocada a estudiar cómo funcionan los cerebros es la neurociencia. Durante décadas, uno de los principales dogmas de la neurociencia establecía que las neuronas, los principales componentes celulares del sistema nervioso, perdían la capacidad de regenerarse luego del desarrollo temprano. Es decir, mientras que el resto de las células del cuerpo pueden dividirse y regenerarse ante un daño, se pensaba que el único destino posible de las neuronas era la muerte. Ya hace unas pocas décadas que este dogma comenzó a verse desafiado, y hoy en día sabemos que en el cerebro de los vertebrados adultos existen progenitores neuronales capaces de dar lugar a nuevas neuronas mediante un proceso conocido como neurogénesis adulta.Fil: Mongiat, Lucas Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Ausas, Maria Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Mazzitelli Fuentes, Laura Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; Argentin

Social isolation impairs active avoidance performance and decreases neurogenesis in the dorsomedial telencephalon of rainbow trout

Alterations in the social environment, such as isolating an individual that would normally live in a social group, can generate physiological responses that compromise an individual's capacity to learn. To investigate this, we tested whether social isolation impairs learning skills in the rainbow trout. We show that rainbow trout can achieve an active avoidance (AA) learning program with inter-individual variability. Moreover, c-Fos expression in dorsomedial telencephalon (Dm) correlates with the AA performance, indicating that this structure is involved in this cognitive task. Given that Dm participates in AA learning and this region is under plastic remodelling by addition of new-born neurons, we tested whether social isolation impinges on adult neurogenesis and, consequently, on the Dm cognitive outcome. Trout were reared for four weeks in control or isolated conditions. We found that social isolation diminished the percentage of adult-born neurons that are being incorporated into Dm network. Interestingly, the same isolation treatment also induced a severe deficit in the AA performance. Our results demonstrate a structure-to-function relationship between the Dm and the learning ability in an AA task, indicate that social isolation reduces the incorporation of adult-born neurons into Dm, and show that social isolation impairs the Dm-related cognitive function.Fil: Ausas, Maria Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Mazzitelli Fuentes, Laura Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Román, Fernanda Ruth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Crichigno, Sonia Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales; ArgentinaFil: de Vincenti, Ana Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia "Prof. Eduardo de Robertis". Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia; ArgentinaFil: Mongiat, Lucas Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica. Centro Atómico Bariloche; Argentin

Neuromotor development and visual acuity in premature infants submitted to early visuo-motor stimulation

To investigate the effects of early visual stimulation on the development of tonus and posture control and of grating visual acuity of preterm infants, eight infants received visual stimulation that induced head motion during the first 6 months of life in weekly sessions. Their performance was compared with that of unstimulated preterm infants of same age (n = 6). Both groups were evaluated in the developmental scale of Gesell and had their grating visual acuity measured by swept visually evoked potentials (sweep-VEP). Visuomotor performance and adoption and maintenance of postures were significantly better for the stimulated group (p < .05) compared to the unstimulated group. There was no statistical difference between the two groups for the development of visual acuity. Visuo-motor and postural development improved with the early visuo-motor stimulation program. The lack of influence of this program in the development of visual acuity may be attributed to differences in the pathways involved in the processing of visual acuity of patterns and in the responses elicited by visuo-motor stimulation.Universidade de São PauloUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)UNIFESPSciEL

Cost analysis of dalbavancin versus standard of care for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) in two Italian hospitals

The study was presented at the 21st Conference of the National Society of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine ‘Congresso Nazionale Società Italiana Malattie Infettive e Tropicali’, 20–23 November 2022, Rome, Italy (Poster PP259).OBJECTIVES: Thanks to its long half-life, dalbavancin qualifies as an optimal drug for saving costs. We aimed to assess the cost and effectiveness of dalbavancin versus the standard of care (SoC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thanks to its long half-life, dalbavancin qualifies as an optimal drug for saving costs. We aimed to assess the cost and effectiveness of dalbavancin versus the standard of care (SoC). RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-six of 228 (55.3%) patients received SoC, while 102/228 (44.7%) received dalbavancin. Twenty-seven of the 102 (26.5%) patients received dalbavancin as first-line treatment, 46 (45.1%) as second-line, and 29 (28.4%) as third- or higher-line treatment. Most patients received dalbavancin as monotherapy (62/102; 60.8%). Compared with SoC, dalbavancin was associated with a significant reduction of LOS (5 ± 7.47 days for dalbavancin, 9.2 ± 5.59 days for SoC; P < 0.00001) and with lower mean direct medical costs (3470 ± 2768€ for dalbavancin; 3493 ± 1901€ for SoC; P = 0.9401). LOS was also reduced for first-line dalbavancin, in comparison with second-, third- or higher-line groups, and for dalbavancin monotherapy versus combination therapy. Mean direct medical costs were significantly lower in first-line dalbavancin compared with higher lines, but no cost difference was observed between monotherapy and combination therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Monotherapy with first-line dalbavancin was confirmed as a promising strategy for ABSSSIs in real-life settings, thanks to its property in reducing LOS and saving direct medical costs.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/4039School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH

Knowledge of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection and Prevention in Pregnant Women: A Baseline, Operational Survey

Currently, the only efficient way to prevent human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection in pregnancy is primary prophylaxis through hygienic measures. So, we evaluated knowledge of HCMV and its prevention in a group of pregnant women. An anonymous questionnaire with multiple-choice answers was administered to all pregnant women who were followed up at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit of “Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital,” a third-level hospital in Catanzaro (Southern Italy), from November 2015 to March 2016. Previously prescribed serology results for HCMV were also evaluated. Three hundred and fifty women participated in the study and the results clearly demonstrated that knowledge of pregnant women about HCMV is poor. Moreover, prescribed screening procedures need to be optimized, since one out of three pregnant women has not been tested for HCMV or the screening was not performed adequately. For this reason, it is important to implement informative campaign in both pregnant women and providing physicians