Cyclic vomiting syndrome in children: a nationwide survey of current practice on behalf of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and Italian Society of Pediatric Neurology (SINP)

Background: Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS) is a rare functional gastrointestinal disorder, which has a considerable burden on quality of life of both children and their family. Aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic modalities and therapeutic approach to CVS among Italian tertiary care centers and the differences according to subspecialties, as well as to explore whether potential predictive factors associated with either a poor outcome or a response to a specific treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional multicenter web-based survey involving members of the Italian Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (SIGENP) and Italian Society of Pediatric Neurology (SINP). Results: A total of 67 responses were received and analyzed. Most of the respondent units cared for less than 20 patients. More than half of the patients were referred after 3 to 5 episodes, and a quarter after 5 attacks. We report different diagnostic approaches among Italian clinicians, which was particularly evident when comparing gastroenterologists and neurologists. Moreover, our survey demonstrated a predilection of certain drugs during emetic phase according to specific clinic, which reflects the cultural background of physicians. Conclusion: In conclusion, our survey highlights poor consensus amongst clinicians in our country in the diagnosis and the management of children with CVS, raising the need for a national consensus guideline in order to standardize the practice

Comprehensive investigation of fission yields by using spallation- and (p,2p)-induced fission reactions in inverse kinematics

In the last decades, measurements of spallation, fragmentation and Coulex induced fission reactions in inverse kinematics have provided valuable data to accurately investigate the fission dynamics and nuclear structure at large deformations of a large variety of stable and non-stable heavy nuclei. To go a step further, we propose now to induce fission by the use of quasi-free (p,2p) scattering reactions in inverse kinematics, which allows us to reconstruct the excitation energy of the compound fissioning system by using the four-momenta of the two outgoing protons. Therefore, this new approach might permit to correlate the excitation energy with the charge and mass distributions of the fission fragments and with the fission probabilities, given for the first time direct access to the simultaneous measurement of the fission yield dependence on temperature and fission barrier heights of exotic heavy nuclei, respectively. The first experiment based on this methodology was realized recently at the GSI/FAIR facility and a detailed description of the experimental setup is given here.Comment: 4 pages, 15th International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology (ND2022

Effects of the silica dust on the nasal mucosa of ceramic workers

Abstract: Background. Adverse health effects due to occupational exposures are a global public health concern and have been studied for many years. Ceramic workers are occupationally exposed to a wide range of toxic substances as they manage clay (silico-aluminous feldspar mixed with sodium, potassium salts and iron oxide). The objective of this study was to assess the presence of any inflammation or alteration of the nasal mucosa of ceramic workers by nasal cytology. Materials and methods. Twenty-eight ceramic workers from Caltagirone (Italy) were enrolled. Nasal symptoms, atopy, health habits and workplace features were assessed by a special questionnaire, and nasal mucosa health was evaluated by nasal cytology. Results. The cytological study of the nasal mucosa revealed the constant presence of abundant, thick and filamentous mucus, as well as a reorganization of the nasal cellularity with a prevalence of muciparous hyperplasia and metaplasia in the study group, and only in a lesser extent for the subjects with some protective environmental measures. Conclusions. The ceramic workers showed chronic inflammatory rhinitis on nasal cytology, with a remodelling of the nasal mucosa and thick mucus. Nasal cytology may be a helpful tool either for the health surveillance of the ceramic workers, or for the screening of any pathology of the upper airways

Respiratory failure and pharyngeal hematoma as presenting signs of Moschcowitz's syndrome: a case report and literature review

Moschcowitz's syndrome or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a quite rare pathology in childhood, being, as a matter of fact, more frequent among adult people. Often it is hard to distinguish from other pathologies in children both for its rare incidence and for the presence of clinical forms that are very heterogeneous and difficult to be classified. We report on a 13 year-old girl suffering from Moschcowitz's syndrome, in whom respiratory failure and pharyngeal hematoma were the first sign of the disease follone by jaundice, hematoma of the arm and limbs. The girl was treated with plasmapheresis with an improvement of her general condition. Since then we have followed up the girl for two years without any reappearance of the symptomatology. To our knowledge this is the first report of this peculiar presentation in children

High mTOR expression is associated with a worseoncological outcome in laryngeal carcinoma treated withpostoperative radiotherapy: a pilot study

BACKGROUND: There are currently no clinical or pathological parameters able to predict response to adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Few studies have investigated the molecular pathways potentially capable of predicting said response. The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) acts as a master switch\u2019 protein in cancer cells, modulating metabolism, the cell cycle, and apoptosis. Cancer treatment with mTOR inhibitors (rapamycin analogs, or rapalogs) has produced promising results in various malignancies (renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, and melanoma). The novel aim of the present study was to ascertain the prognostic role of mTOR expression in a series of patients with LSCC treated with primary surgery followed by RT. METHODS: The retrospective study involved 25 consecutive patients with LSCC given postoperative RT. Immunohistochemical mTOR expression was evaluated in primary LSCC by image analysis. RESULTS: The locoregional recurrence rate was significantly higher in patients with LSCC whose mTOR expression was >2.5% (P = 0.013). After postoperative RT, the locoregional recurrence risk ratio was 3.25 in LSCCs with mTOR >2.5%. The different disease-free survival was significantly shorter in cases of LSCC with mTOR >2.5% (P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: mTOR should be studied as a potential predictor for identifying LSCCs at higher risk of early recurrence after postoperative RT. New therapeutic strategies should be investigated in LSCC, including the use of rapalogs associated with conventional chemotherapeutic regimens in combination with RT

Aging, Cognitive Decline and Hearing Loss: Effects of Auditory Rehabilitation and Training with Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants on Cognitive Function and Depression among Older Adults

A growing interest in cognitive effects associated with speech and hearing processes is spreading throughout the scientific community essentially guided by evidence that central and peripheral hearing loss is associated with cognitive decline. For the present research, 125 participants older than 65 years of age (105 with hearing impairment and 20 with normal hearing) were enrolled, divided into 6 groups according to their degree of hearing loss and assessed to determine the effects of the treatment applied. Patients in our research program routinely undergo an extensive audiological and cognitive evaluation protocol providing results from the Digit Span test, Stroop color-word test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Geriatric Depression Scale, before and after rehabilitation. Data analysis was performed for a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of the outcomes for the different treatment groups. Each group demonstrated improvement after auditory rehabilitation or training on short- and long-term memory tasks, level of depression and cognitive status scores. Auditory rehabilitation by cochlear implants or hearing aids is effective also among older adults (median age of 74 years) with different degrees of hearing loss, and enables positive improvements in terms of social isolation, depression and cognitive performance