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Background/objectives: The aim of the present study was to validate a short questionnaire on habitual dietary salt intake, to quickly and easily identify individuals whose salt consumption exceeds recommended levels. Subjects/methods: A total of 1131 hypertensive subjects participating in the MINISAL-SIIA study were included in the analysis. Anthropometric indexes, blood pressure, and 24-h urinary sodium excretion (NaU) were measured. A fixed-sequence questionnaire on dietary salt intake was administered. Results: NaU was significantly associated with scores, with a linear association across categories (p for trend 85 mmol/day) and “very high NaU” (NaU > 170 mmol/day) was 86 and 35%, respectively. The score of the questionnaire had a significant ability to detect both “high NaU”—with a specificity of 95% at the score of 10 points—and “very high NaU”—with a specificity of 99.6% at score of 13 points. Conclusions: The main results of the study indicates that a higher score of this short questionnaire is distinctive of habitual high salt consumption in hypertensive patients.

The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of resistant hypertension (RH), allowing for adherence to appropriate lifestyle measures according to European Society of Hypertension-European Society of Cardiology (ESH-ESC) 2013 guidelines, in a sample of 1284 hypertensive subjects participating at the MINISAL-SIIA study. Hypertensive patients were recruited in 47 Italian centres, recognised by the Italian Society of Hypertension. Anthropometric indexes, blood pressure and 24-h urinary sodium (Na24h) and potassium (K24h) excretion were measured. Data on antihypertensive therapy were available for 1177 (92%) subjects. The population was divided into three groups (North, Central and South), according to their geographical location. Accounting only at the treatment criteria, the prevalence of RH was 8.2% (96/1177). RH prevalence in the southern, central and northern regions was respectively: 1, 3.8 and 3.3% (P

INTRODUCTION:The aim of the study was to assess the age-specific, sex-specific, and region-specific average sodium and potassium intake and its association with anthropometric characteristics in a sample of the Italian adult hypertensive population. METHODS:A total of 1232 hypertensive patients were recruited consecutively by 47 centers recognized by the Italian Society of Hypertension. The enrolled participants were on stable antihypertensive treatment. Anthropometric indices, blood pressure, 24-h urinary sodium, and potassium excretion were measured and used as proxy for the average daily sodium and potassium intake. RESULTS:The average sodium intake was 172 mmol (or 10.1 g of salt/day) among men and 138 (or 8.1) among women, with no difference among geographical areas. Over 90% of men and 81% of women had a consumption higher than the recommended standard dietary intake of 5 g/day. The average potassium intake was 63 and 56 mmol, respectively in men and women, again without geographical differences, nearly 92% of men and 95% of women having an intake lower than the recommended intake (100 mmol/day or 3.9 g/day). There was a significant trend to a gradual decrease in sodium intake with age in both sexes (P

Mediterranean diet (MD) is acknowledged to exert a number of beneficial health effects. We assessed the efficacy and the durability of a 3-month intensive dietary intervention aimed at implementing the MD on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in subjects at high risk. One hundred and sixteen subjects participated in the study (71 assigned to the intensive intervention and 45 to the conventional intervention). The intensive intervention consisted of 12 weekly group educational meetings and a free-of-charge supply of meals prepared according to the MD model. The conventional intervention consisted of an individual education session along with monthly reinforcements of nutritional messages by the general practitioner. All participants were followed up for 9 months. The two groups had similar pre-intervention characteristics. After the intervention, mean body weight decreased significantly in both groups (p

Objective: We hypothesized that a 50% increase in respiratory system elastance (Ers) would indicate similar degree of lung damage (equi-damage, ED), independently of ventilation strategy. Design and setting: A prospective, randomized animal laboratory investigation at a university hospital laboratory. Subjects: 35 anesthetized, paralyzed, mechanically ventilated male Sprague-Dawley rats. Interventions: Each rat was ventilated with a different combination of tidal volume, positive end-expiratory pressure, and inspired fraction of oxygen. Ers was determined throughout the experiment; the studies were interrupted when Ers reached 150% (ED) of its baseline value, or after 5 h. Measurements and results. Lung wet to dry weight ratio (W/D) was assessed. Morphological damage of the lung was scored on a grading of perivascular edema, hemorrhage, and breaks in the alveolar septa to obtain a total injury score. Twenty-four rats achieved an Ers of 150%: nine within 1 h (class 1), nine in 1-2 h (class 2), and six in 2-5 h (class 3). Eleven rats did not reach the target 50% increase in Ers (class 4). W/D was higher in rats that reached the target than in those that did not. W/D did not differ among rats that reached ED. Similarly, the total injury score did not differ among classes 1-3 but was higher than class 4. Conclusions: In the setting of VILI a 50% increase in Ers corresponds to an equal level of lung damage, irrespective of ventilatory setting and time of ventilation.

Background Inadequate blood pressure control and poor adherence to treatment remain among the major limitations in the management of hypertensive patients, particularly of those at high risk of cardiovascular events. Preliminary evidence suggests that home blood pressure telemonitoring (HBPT) might help increasing the chance of achieving blood pressure targets and improve patient’s therapeutic adherence. However, all these potential advantages of HBPT have not yet been fully investigated. Methods/design The purpose of this open label, parallel group, randomized, controlled study is to assess whether, in patients with high cardiovascular risk (treated or untreated essential arterial hypertension - both in the office and in ambulatory conditions over 24 h - and metabolic syndrome), long-term (48 weeks) blood pressure control is more effective when based on HBPT and on the feedback to patients by their doctor between visits, or when based exclusively on blood pressure determination during quarterly office visits (conventional management (CM)). A total of 252 patients will be enrolled and randomized to usual care (n=84) or HBPT (n=168). The primary study endpoint will be the rate of subjects achieving normal daytime ambulatory blood pressure targets ( Discussion The TELEBPMET Study will show whether HBPT is effective in improving blood pressure control and related medical and economic outcomes in hypertensive patients with metabolic syndrome. It will also provide a comprehensive understanding of the psychological determinants of medication adherence and blood pressure control of these patients. Trial registration Clinical Trials.gov: NCT01541566

The authors report preliminary data of an Italian multicentric, retrospective study of primary testicular tumors (PTT) in childhood involving 20 Italian departments of pediatric surgery. Forty cases of PTT were observed during a 10-year period (1977–1987), with yolk-sac tumors being the most frequent (45%). Most testicular tumors were first perceived as a unilateral testicular mass. Scrotal ultrasonography represents the main diagnostic investigation, together with serum marker levels.

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials doped with zwitterionic push-pull chromophores with high hyperpolarizability have been synthesized via sol-gel, based on glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and glycidoxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane (GDMMS). Homogeneous films doped with chromophores, have been obtained using N-hydroxyethylcarbazole as a physical spacer avoiding dye aggregation. Spin-coated doped films have been electrically poled in N2 atmosphere and second harmonic generation measurements have been performed in situ to confirm the nonlinear (NL) properties achieved after poling. The waveguiding properties of the films have been preliminarly measured by m-line spectroscopy before and after poling and the feasibility of channel waveguiding structures explored.

Background and Objectives Fibrosarcoma is a rare soft tissue sarcoma (STS) that has two peaks of incidence in pediatric patients: one in infants and young childern (infantile fibrosarcoma), another in older children (“adult type” fibrosarcoma). The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical features and the treatment results in patients affected by fibrosarcoma enrolled in two consecutive studies run by the STS-Italian Cooperative Group (ICG) between 1979 and 1995. Patients and Methods Twenty-five evaluable patients were grouped according the intergroup rhabdomyosarcoma staging (IRS) system: 12 Gr I, 5 Gr II, 8 Gr III. The cut-off point between the two forms was considered the age of 2 years: 14 patients were affected by infantile and 11 by adult type of fibrosarcoma. The therapeutic guidelines were not strict and not different for the two forms: patients with initial macroscopic excision (Gr I–II) were given IVA or VAC; Gr III had VAC or VAIA and subsequent excision, if feasible. Radiation therapy (RT) was delivered in patients > 3 years with microscopic (42 Gy) and macroscopic (54 Gy) residuals. Results Thirteen patients are alive without evidence of disease: 10 in first complete remission (CR), 7 Gr I, 1 Gr II, 2 Gr III, 3 in second CR after local relapse (LR) (2 Gr I, 1 Gr II). Two Gr I patients are alive with metastatic relapse. Nine patients died: six of progressive disease (PD) (three Gr II, three Gr III), two because of a second tumor (one Gr I, one Gr III) and one because of other causes (Gr III). One Gr III patient was lost at follow up, 2 years from diagnosis. The 10 years overall survival (OS) is 67.4% and the progression-free survival (PFS) is 52.2%. The OS for patients 2 years (5 of 11). Conclusions The complete excision at diagnosis was the treatment of choice and was related to the best outcome. Microscopical residuals were difficult to treat with chemo-radiotherapy in both forms of fibrosarcoma. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CT) obtained a partial remission (PR) only in three of eight cases, while no conclusions concerning the efficacy of CT for infantile forms are possible. Patients