197 research outputs found
Il mentalizzare nelle organizzazioni
Basandosi sui costrutti della âmentalizzazioneâ e della âfunzione riflessivaâ di Fonagy e colleghi come quadro teorico di riferimento, il presente articolo si propone di sviluppare il concetto di âmentalizzazione nelle organizzazioniâ, inteso come processo di costruzione condivisa di significati allâinterno dei contesti lavorativi, processo la cui assenza o compromissione puĂČ produrre significative esperienze di malessere.
Si ipotizza che lâassenza o la compromissione di una competenza riflessiva, insieme ad una mancata simbolizzazione dellâesperienza di lavoro, determinino specifiche conseguenze sia sulla percezione della propria professione, sia sulle relazioni tra colleghi, sia sui processi di management, determinando insostenibilitĂ nella vita professionale e organizzativa
Oxidative Stress in the Pathogenesis of Aorta Diseases as a Source of Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets, with a Particular Focus on Ascending Aorta Aneurysms
: Aorta diseases, such as ascending aorta aneurysm (AsAA), are complex pathologies, currently defined as inflammatory diseases with a strong genetic susceptibility. They are difficult to manage, being insidious and silent pathologies whose diagnosis is based only on imaging data. No diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or markers of outcome have been known until now. Thus, their identification is imperative. Certainly, a deep understanding of the mechanisms and pathways involved in their pathogenesis might help in such research. Recently, the key role of oxidative stress (OS) on the pathophysiology of aorta disease has emerged. Here, we describe and discuss these aspects by revealing some OS pathways as potential biomarkers, their underlying limitations, and potential solutions and approaches, as well as some potential treatments
A rare localization of papillary fibroelastoma
Papillary fibroelastoma is a benign cardiac tumor, generally
small and with papillary fronds, third in frequency after
cardiac myxoma and lipoma, with a prevalence of about
10% of all cardiac tumors [1, 2]. Its localization, similarly to
other benign cardiac tumors, prefers the endothelium of
the valve leaflets, most commonly the aortic valve (44% to
59%), less frequently the mitral (13% to 35%) and tricuspid
(4% to 15%) valves [3â5]. It is discovered occasionally or
following symptoms due to systemic or coronary embolization.
Symptoms due to obstruction of the ventricular flow
tract are rare. Surgical excision is curative and its recurrence
rare if the resection of margins are disease-free
How Refined Surgical Technical Solutions Can Make Bentall Operation a Low-Risk Procedure: 20-Year Personal Experience at the âRootâ of the Aortic DiseasesâIt Is Time to Change Surgical Guidelines
(1) objective: twenty years' experience of bentall-de bono operations by one surgeon. (2) methods: from January 2003 to september 2023, four-hundred-and-two patients aged 65.9 +/- 15 years underwent a bentall operation. the euroScore-2 was 5.0% +/- 3.8%. associated procedures were performed on 113 patients (28.1%). results: operative mortality was 1.2% (n = 5), in particular 0.69% (n = 2/289) for isolated bentall operation, 2.65% (n = 3/113) for combined procedures (p < 0.05). postoperative acute heart failure occurred in 38 patients (9.45%). preoperative pulmonary hypertension (44 +/- 14 vs. 33 +/- 7 mmHg), cardiopulmonary bypass time (169 +/- 61 min. vs. 124 +/- 42 min.) and aortic cross-clamp time (133 +/- 45 min. vs. 107 +/- 34 min.) have been recognized as independent predictors of mortality and cardiac complications (p < 0.05). conclusions: In our experience, the bentall operation was associated with low operative mortality and low rate of complications. for this reason, in agreement with the patients, we have modified surgical indication for ascending aortic aneurysms and now we think that it is time to change surgical guidelines
Lower apoptosis rate in human cumulus cells after administration of recombinant luteinizing hormone to women undergoing ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization procedures.
Objective
To investigate the effects of recombinant (r-) LH supplementation in âlow responderâ patients undergoing ovarian stimulation with r-FSH for an IVF program. The apoptosis rate in cumulus cells was used as an indicator of oocyte quality.
Design
Comparison of the rate of DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity in cumulus cells in women stimulated with r-LH and r-FSH, versus patients treated with r-FSH alone (control).
Setting
In vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory.
Patient(s)
Forty patients undergoing assisted fertilization programs treated with a GnRH agonist, or r-FSH treatment begun on day 3 of the cycle (control). In the r-LH group, from day 8 of gonadotropin stimulation, 150 IU per day of r-LH were administered.
Intervention(s)
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated digoxigenin-deoxyuridine-triphosphate (dUTP) nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and anti-caspase-3 cleaved immunoassay, to detect apoptosis in human cumulus cells.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Difference in DNA fragmentation rate between cumulus cells derived from r-LH treatment and cumulus cells derived from control patients.
Result(s)
No differences were observed between the two groups in the total amount of r-FSH administered and in the number of retrieved oocytes per patient. A statistically significant increase in the number of immature oocytes and in the E2 serum peak was observed in the control group. The number of transferred embryos was significantly higher in the r-LH group. Pregnancy and implantation rates were higher in the r-LH group, but without statistical significance. The apoptosis rate in cumulus cells was higher in the control group than in the r-LH group.
Conclusion(s)
This study suggests that supplementation with r-LH improves the chromatin quality of cumulus cells involved in the control of oocyte maturation
Apoptosis in human unfertilized oocytes after Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection
Objective
To investigate the presence of programmed cell death in unfertilized oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), assuming that previous apoptotic events could be correlated with the fertilization failure.
Design
Comparison of the rate of DNA fragmentation in human oocytes at different stages of maturation soon after pick-up (control) and in unfertilized oocytes after ICSI treatment.
Setting
In vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory with extensive ICSI experience.
Patient(s)
Sixty-three patients undergoing assisted fertilization by ICSI.
Intervention(s)
Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated digoxigenin-dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay and anticaspase-3 cleaved immunoassay to detect apoptosis in control and ICSI-treated oocytes.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
Differences in the percentage of oocytes demonstrating DNA fragmentation between control oocytes and unfertilized ICSI treated oocytes at different stages of maturation.
Result(s)
The DNA fragmentation, by TUNEL assay, appeared in all the immature control oocytes, but only 37% of mature oocytes showed DNA fragmentation. This DNA fragmentation was observed in 88.8% of the oocytes unfertilized after ICSI; furthermore, DNA fragmentation appeared as well in the sperm injected into the cytoplasm.
Conclusion(s)
The study has shown DNA fragmentation in human oocytes unfertilized after ICSI. The evidence is confirmed as well in control oocytes, free from in vitro culture or manipulation stress. Caspase-3 immunoassay suggests the presence of apoptosis. The high percentage of oocytes demonstrating DNA fragmentation in the unfertilized oocytes could be correlated with fertilization failure
FSH administration reduces significantly sperm apoptosis only in the case of high DFI value: a study in idiopathic dispermic patients
Introduction: In the last decades sperm DNA quality has been recognized as one of the most
important markers of male reproductive potential (Lewis and Aitken, 2005; Ozmen, 2007; Tarozzi,
2007), in contrast to standard semen parameters as sperm density, motility and morphology, which
do not act as powerful discriminators between fertile and infertile men. DNA damage in the male
germ line is a major contributor to infertility, miscarriage and birth defects in the offspring. In
animal models, it has been unequivocally demonstrated that the genetic integrity of the male germ
line plays a major role in determining the normality of embryonic development. In humans, many
studies showed that sperm DNA damage is associated with impaired embryo cleavage (8), higher
miscarriage rates (9) and also with a significantly increased risk of pregnancy loss after in vitro
fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) (10). Specifically, above a threshold
of 30% of sperms with fragmented DNA, chances for pregnancy are close to zero, either by means
of natural conception or intrauterine insemination (Spano M, 2000; Bungum M, 2007). Since there
is a clear relationship between sperm DNA damage and poor assisted reproduction technology
(ART) outcomes, efforts should be directed in developing treatments to improve sperm DNA
quality to be introduced into clinical use. The aim of this observational study was to investigate the
effects of r-FSH administration on sperm DNA fragmentation of iOAT patients undergoing ICSI,
comparing the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) before and after 90 days of FSH therapy.
Matherial and Methods: Fifty-three iOAT men, with a median age of 33,6 ± 7,6 years, referred to
our clinics because of fertility problems after at least two years of natural attempts, were selected
for the study. In all patients DNA fragmentation was evaluated sperm prior to treatment with 150
IU of recombinant human FSH (GONAL-fÂź, Merck Serono) three times at week for at least three
months. Patients were re-evaluated after a 3-month period with semen analysis and DNA
fragmentation. Sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was investigated by terminal
deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) in situ DNA nick end
labelling (TUNEL) assay. Data were analysed using the paired t-test and chi-square as appropriate.
A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: After 3 months of r-FSH treatment, no significant differences was observed between
baseline and post therapy semen sample parameters including sperm count, motility, and the
percentage of normal sperm forms. IThe percentage of sperm DNA fragmentation in the total of
patients dropped from 20.8 ± 9.1 to 15.1 ± 8.9 (P < 0.05) (see Tab I). Interestingly, no statistical
difference was found in sperm DFI when patients showed a baseline DFI â€15% (10.5 ± 4.2 vs
11.4 ± 4.5). We found an evident and statistically significant DFI reduction in patients with sperm
baseline DFI value â„15% (24.37 ± 9.6 vs 15.4 ± 4.6).
Conclusion: Our data seems to demonstrate that FSH acts as a strong anti-apoptotic agent in
reducing DNA fragmentation in iOAT patients. The therapy may be a specific pretreatment for
infertile male partners of couples undergoing ICSI, specifically in the case that basal DFI is higher
than 15%, reducing the percentage of spermatozoa with DNA integrity anomalies suggesting a
positive effect on the reproductive outcome
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