A serpiginous lesion of scrotum

Background Median raphe cyst is usually benign and asymptomatic male genitalia lesions. Although uncommon, infection may be a complication. Case presentation We report the case of a 4-year-old child presented to the emergency department for a serpiginous and redness lesion extended from the basis of the penis until the perineum. An infected median raphe cyst was suspected, and the patient underwent surgical treatment and antibiotic therapy with complete resolution of symptoms. Liquid culture resulted positive for Serratia Marcescens. Conclusion Infection is a rare complication, especially in childhood. To prevent relapses and clinical symptoms, the majority of authors recommend surgical excision followed by primary closure. In case of infections caused by Serratia Marcescens, chronic granulomatous disease should always be rule out

Is Serum Cystatin C a Sensitive Marker of Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)? A Preliminary Study on Renal Transplant Patients

Human cystatin C is a basic low molecular mass protein (13,359 Dalton) freely filtered through the glomerulus and almost completely re-absorbed and catabolized by proximal tubular cells. We measured serum cystatin C in 38 kidney transplant patients (23 males, 15 females) aged between 6 and 32 years. To assess renal function, serum and urinary creatinine were also determined in all patients, and creatinine clearance was finally calculated. Cystatin C was determined by a particle-enhanced turbidimetric assay, and creatinine was measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. To compare the diagnostic efficiency of cystatin C with that of creatinine, inulin clearance was performed on 12 renal transplant patients, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was applied. The results of this study demonstrate that serum cystatin C significantly increases in renal transplant patients with reduced creatinine clearance (70 mL/min per 1.73 m2) and that the diagnostic accuracy of serum cystatin C is better than of serum creatinine. Cystatin C may be utilized as a very marker of reduced GFR

Girls with cognitive impairment had a higher risk of ovariectomy for delayed recognition of adnexal torsion

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Young Boy With Scrotal Swelling

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A REGIONAL-SCALE ROCK GLACIER INVENTORY IN TRENTINO(ITALIAN ALPS)

none6A number of rock glacier inventories were implemented in the framework of PermaNET (Permafrost long-term monitoring network), a project part of the European Territorial Cooperation and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the scope of the Alpine Space Programme (www.alpine-space.eu). Rock glaciers are regarded as one of the most prominent permafrost-related landforms in the alpine territories. A new statistical model and a permafrost distribution map for the entire Alps are partly based on the rock glacier inventories carried out within the project and, in this framework, a new inventory was completed also in the province of Trento. This region is located in the southern part of the Alps and 20% of its territory lies above an altitude of 2000 m a.s.l. The rock glacier inventory is based on analyses carried out in a GIS using a recent (2006) orthophoto (resolution of 0.5m) and a DEM (grid resolution of 2m). First, the rock glaciers were identified using i) the orthophotos and ii) an hillshade derived from the DEM. Then, the outline of the landforms were digitized in the GIS as polygon shapes. The characteristics of the rock glaciers were included in an attribute table linked to the shapes. Our database consist of several descriptive parameters, including that of the Permafrost Evidences Database (PED) of the PermaNET project. However, in agreement with other project partner (e.g. ARPA Valle d'Aosta), we used a number of supplementary parameters, in order to achieve a more complete description of the landforms. The database was partially filled in during the landform digitalization, but most of the information (particularly the morphometric parameters) were obtained from analyses performed in the GIS. In summary, a first group of descriptive parameters of each rock glacier include: location (mountain group and coordinates), altitude (mean and range), slope, length, width, perimeter and area. Other parameters describe additional characteristics, such as: geometry (lobate or tongue shape); general morphology (simple, complex); surface morphology (presence of longitudinal and transverse ridges and furrows and/or hollows and pits); lithology of the feeding area; debris source (talus, till); degree of vegetation coverage, relationships with the local vegetation boundaries and with the glaciers/perennial snowfields located above the rock glacier. Particular attention was paid to the definition of the activity status of the rock glaciers, that were classified as intact (active and inactive landforms containing frozen material) or relict (landforms without frozen material). The assessment was based on i) several evidences visible in the orthophotos and in the DEM, ii) direct field observations carried out in our previous works and iii) field data (i.e. topographic surveys). We used particularly restrictive criteria for classifying the activity status of the rock glaciers from the orthophotos, and this may have resulted in a slightly lower percentage of intact landforms compared to other inventories. Our inventory includes a total of 705 rock glaciers, 134 (19%) classified as intact, the others as relict. They are located at an average altitude 2280 m a.s.l., with a considerable distinction between relict (average altitude of 2190 m a.s.l.) and intact (average altitude of 2660 m a.s.l.) landforms. 50.3% of the rock glaciers face towards N, NE and NW, while 35.2% face towards S, SE and SW. The landforms density (n of rock glacier/km2) is notably different in the various mountain groups of the province, and this seems to be related to the different lithologies that characterize the region. The average surface of the rock glaciers is about 4.7 hectares (0.047 km2). The total area covered by the rock glaciers (33.3 km2) is 1.2% of the entire area of the province located above 1500 m a.s.l., indicating as these landforms are prominent in the periglacial environment of this region.noneSEPPI R.; CARTON A.; ZUMIANI M.; DALL'AMICO M.; ZAMPEDRI G.; RIGON R.Seppi, R.; Carton, Alberto; Zumiani, M.; Dall'Amico, M.; Zampedri, G.; Rigon, R

Osservazioni e studi sul permafrost in Trentino: il progetto PermaNET

Nell’articolo sono presentate le attività di ricerca svolte sul permafrost in Trentino e i principali risultati del progetto PermaNET (Permafrost Long-term Monitoring Network). Sono stati realizzati un catasto dei rock glacier e una carta dell’indice di diffusione del permafrost derivata da un nuovo modello statistico della sua localizzazione. Inoltre, sono state avviate numerose attività di monitoraggio: tra queste, sono in corso misure di temperatura della superficie del suolo e sono proseguite misure topografiche per quantificare lo spostamento di due rock glacier attivi. Sono stati inoltre attrezzati due siti per la misura della temperatura del sottosuolo e dei parametri climatici esterni, allo scopo di valutare la condizione termica del permafrost in funzione dei cambiamenti climatici. La collaborazione al progetto ha consentito di migliorare considerevolmente la conoscenza di questo importante aspetto dell’ambiente alpino del Trentino

Case studies in the European Alps – Amola rock glacier, Val d'Amola, Italian Alps

Topographic measurements are in progress since 2001 on a glacier-derived, active rock glacier (named Amola rock glacier, acronym AmRG, coordinates: 46° 12’ 09” N, 10° 42’ 46” E) located in the Adamello-Presanella group, Central Italian Alps. In addition, data on the ground temperature measured few centimetres below the surface are available since 2004. The displacement data show that some areas of the rock glacier currently (2001-2009) move with velocities ranging from 10 to 20 cm/year, while other sectors can be defined as “dynamically inactive”. The average velocity is significantly variable from year to year, ranging from a minimum of 0.06 m/year (2007-2008) to a maximum of 0.13 m/year (2006-2007), and a slowing trend has been recorded in the last two years. In 2006-2007 a higher rate of displacement seems to be related to a rise in the mean air temperature that probably caused a corresponding rise in the ground temperature. However, in the last year of measurements (2008-2009), an increase in the ground temperature caused by the large amount of snow of the preceding winter, did not result in a corresponding increase of the displacement rate. The dynamic behaviour of this rock glacier reacts very fast to the external forcing, and its response seems to be modulated by the amount and evolution of the snow during winter, due to its effect on the ground temperature. Thus, not only the temperature but also the projected changes in the amount and distribution of precipitation, especially as snow, should be taken into account in assessing the response of this landform to future climate change

Case studies in the European Alps – Maroccaro rock glacier, Val di Genova, Italian Alps

In 2001 we started a topographic study on an active rock glacier (named Maroccaro rock glacier, acronym MaRG, coordinates: 46° 13’ 06” N, 10° 34’ 34” E) located in the Adamello-Presanella massif (Central Italian Alps). Since 2004, also the near-surface ground temperature was measured using a miniature data logger. Our data show that in eight years (2001-2009) MaRG has moved downslope with average velocities ranging from 0.02 to 0.21 m/year. The velocity reaches a maximum in the middle and the lower part of the rock glacier, and decreases towards the upper sector, where the surveyed boulders are almost stationary. A considerable different velocity from year to year has been observed, but no clear trends seem to emerge from the mean annual displacement rate. On the rock glacier the evolution of the ground temperature since 2004 is directly associated with the air temperature and the snow conditions, in terms of thickness and duration of the snowpack. The ground has warmed significantly both in 2007, after a very mild and little snowy winter, and in 2009, after a cold but exceptionally snowy winter. The displacement rate of MaRG seems to rapidly react to the ground temperature variations, apparently without any time delay. The exceptionally snowy winter 2008/09 seems to have played a significant role on the displacement rate, causing a ground temperature increase and, probably, an increase in velocity, which reached its maximum in that year