175 results on '"Volpe, Andrea"'
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152. La circoncisione tra storia, religione e giurisdizione.
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Totaro, Angelo, Volpe, Andrea, Racioppi, Marco, Pinto, Francesco, Sacco, Emilio, and Bassi, Pier Francesco
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CIRCUMCISION -- Religious aspects , *JURISDICTION , *PUBLIC hospitals , *HIV infections , *FEMALE genital mutilation , *ISLAMIC law - Published
- 2011
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153. ARCHIVAL MEANING: MATERIALITY, DIGITIZATION, AND THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY PHOTOGRAPH.
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Volpe, Andrea L.
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EXHIBITIONS ,PHOTOGRAPHY exhibitions ,DIGITIZATION of archival materials ,HISTORIOGRAPHY & photography - Abstract
The article reviews two exhibitions presented at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, "A Good Type: Tourism and Science in Early Japanese Photography" from October 2007-April 2008 and "Fragile Memories: Images of Archaeology and Community at Copán, 1891-1900" from June 2008-March 2009.
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- 2009
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154. Calretinin, -Tubulin Immunohistochemistry, and Submucosal Nerve Trunks Morphology in Hirschsprung Disease
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Volpe, Andrea, Alaggio, Rita, Midrio, Paola, Iaria, Loredana, and Gamba, Piergiorgio
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The aim of this study was to investigate calretinin and -tubulin immunohistochemical expression together with submucosal nerve trunks morphology in differently innervated segments of Hirschsprung disease (HD) and total colonic aganglionosis (TCA).
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- 2013
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155. Calretinin, ß-Tubulin Immunohistochemistry, and Submucosal Nerve Trunks Morphology in Hirschsprung Disease
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Volpe, Andrea, Alaggio, Rita, Midrio, Paola, Iaria, Loredana, and Gamba, Piergiorgio
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The aim of this study was to investigate calretinin and ß-tubulin immunohistochemical expression together with submucosal nerve trunks morphology in differently innervated segments of Hirschsprung disease (HD) and total colonic aganglionosis (TCA). A total of 25 cases (22 HD, 3 TCA) and 18 controls were processed for calretinin and ß-tubulin immunohistochemistry. Sections representative of distal aganglionic, transition, and proximal ganglionic segments were evaluated by a visual grading score; ß-tubulin was evaluated also by image analysis. Submucosal nerve trunks hypertrophy and hyperplasia were measured by citomorphology. The length of proximal segment was correlated to postoperative bowel function. Controls showed intense calretinin and ß-tubulin staining. In HD and TCA, calretinin staining was related to the presence of ganglion cells: negative in distal, faint in transition, intense in proximal segment. ß-Tubulin staining was weak in all of the segments of HD and negative in TCA. Hypertrophic and hyperplastic nerve trunks characterized aganglionic segment, and progressively decreasing nerve size was observed in transition and ganglionic segments. Transient postoperative constipation, soiling, or enterocolitis was present in 59% of patients with HD without clear relation to proximal segment length or presence of hypertrophic nerve trunks. Calretinin is a reliable marker of the presence of ganglion cells, and, together with nerve hypertrophy, it helps to identify the transition zone. Length and nerve size of proximal segment in resected specimen did not affect the postsurgical intestinal function. Reduced ß-tubulin expression along the entire colonic tract, included proximal ganglionic segments, may represent a potential impairing factor for the enteric neural transmission.
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- 2013
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156. Tradurre per le neuroscienze. Proposta di traduzione e commento di Left Brain, Right Brain - Facts and Fantasies
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Volpe, Andrea Sabato, thesis supervisor: Ferraresi, Adriano, Volpe, Andrea Sabato, and thesis supervisor: Ferraresi, Adriano
- Abstract
The aim of this dissertation was to provide a translation from English to Italian of an extract from a review article about cerebral asymmetries titled “Left Brain, Right Brain: Facts and Fantasies”, published by Michael C. Corballis in 2014. A corpus was built to ensure that the translation had the appropriate terminology. A program called AntConc was employed for corpus analysis. After a brief introduction to the aim and structure of the work, the dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter one provides an overview of two theoretical concepts in order to gradually introduce the subject: the language used in specialized contexts and the genre analysis. Chapter two focuses on the textual analysis of the source text: this stage is crucial for a good comprehension of the text and for the detection of the main difficulties it raises. Chapter three consists of the translated text, while Chapter four provides a commentary of the translation, in which I describe the main problems encountered during the translation process and the strategies adopted to solve them.
157. Tradurre per le neuroscienze. Proposta di traduzione e commento di Left Brain, Right Brain - Facts and Fantasies
- Author
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Volpe, Andrea Sabato, thesis supervisor: Ferraresi, Adriano, Volpe, Andrea Sabato, and thesis supervisor: Ferraresi, Adriano
- Abstract
The aim of this dissertation was to provide a translation from English to Italian of an extract from a review article about cerebral asymmetries titled “Left Brain, Right Brain: Facts and Fantasies”, published by Michael C. Corballis in 2014. A corpus was built to ensure that the translation had the appropriate terminology. A program called AntConc was employed for corpus analysis. After a brief introduction to the aim and structure of the work, the dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter one provides an overview of two theoretical concepts in order to gradually introduce the subject: the language used in specialized contexts and the genre analysis. Chapter two focuses on the textual analysis of the source text: this stage is crucial for a good comprehension of the text and for the detection of the main difficulties it raises. Chapter three consists of the translated text, while Chapter four provides a commentary of the translation, in which I describe the main problems encountered during the translation process and the strategies adopted to solve them.
158. Brexit. Tra diritto e politica.
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Volpe, Andrea
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BREXIT Referendum, 2016 ,BRITISH withdrawal from the European Union, 2016-2020 ,BRITISH prime ministers ,EUROPE-Great Britain relations - Abstract
Fabbrini stresses how the long period of belonging of the UK to the EU has led to a very high level of political, economic, and legal integration that it is utopian to obliterate overnight. Despite the obvious and well-documented awkwardness that the UK has experienced in recent years, Brexit has finally been carried out and the UK has indeed started its new path outside the EU. Fabbrini underlines how the Italian Constitution, as it protects the country from rash political choices like Brexit, strongly constrains Italy to belonging to international organizations like the EU. [Extracted from the article]
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- 2022
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159. Prostituzione nell'antica Pompei Ex corpore lucrum facere.
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Volpe, Andrea
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- 2019
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160. Pier Luigi Pizzi Inventore di teatro.
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Volpe, Andrea
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- 2017
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161. Playing with Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage.
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Volpe, Andrea
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PHOTOCOLLAGE ,NONFICTION ,ART exhibitions - Abstract
The article reviews the book "Playing With Pictures: The Art of Victorian Photocollage," by Elizabeth Siegel.
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- 2010
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162. Letters.
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VOLPE, ANDREA, SILCOX, DAVID P., RUDOLPH, ERIC, SQUIRES, AMY, WHITE, JANE, GASTIL, RAYMOND D., RICHARDSON, BRENDA LANE, FINER, LAWRENCE B., and GRANT, HEDY
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LETTERS to the editor - Abstract
This article presents several letters to the editor. There are several in response to Arthur Lubow's piece on Jeff Wall from the February 25, 2007 issue, as well as one regarding an article by Michael Crowley from the same issue. There is also a letter in response to Emily Bazelon's January 21, 2007, article on post-abortion syndrome.
- Published
- 2007
163. Light-Driven Water Oxidation with the Ir-blue Catalyst and the Ru(bpy) 3 2+ /S 2 O 8 2- Cycle: Photogeneration of Active Dimers, Electron-Transfer Kinetics, and Light Synchronization for Oxygen Evolution with High Quantum Efficiency.
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Volpe A, Tubaro C, Natali M, Sartorel A, Brudvig GW, and Bonchio M
- Abstract
Light-driven water oxidation is achieved with the Ru(bpy)
3 2+ /S2 O8 2- cycle employing the highly active Ir-blue water oxidation catalyst, namely, an IrIV,IV 2 (pyalc)2 μ-oxo-dimer [pyalc = 2-(2'-pyridyl)-2-propanoate]. Ir-blue is readily formed by stepwise oxidation of the monomeric Ir(III) precursor 1 by the photogenerated Ru(bpy)3 3+ , with a quantum yield ϕ of up to 0.10. Transient absorption spectroscopy and kinetic evidence point to a stepwise mechanism, where the primary event occurs via a fast photoinduced electron transfer from 1 to Ru(bpy)3 3+ , leading to the Ir(IV) monomer I1 ( k1 ∼ 108 M-1 s-1 ). The competent Ir-blue catalyst is then obtained from I1 upon photooxidative loss of the Cp* ligand and dimerization. The Ir-blue catalyst is active in the Ru(bpy)3 2+ /S2 O8 2- light-driven water oxidation cycle, where it undergoes two fast photoinduced electron transfers to Ru(bpy)3 3+ [with kIr-blue = (3.00 ± 0.02) × 108 M-1 s-1 for the primary event, outperforming iridium oxide nanoparticles by ca. 2 orders of magnitude], leading to a IrV,V 2 steady-state intermediate involved in O-O bond formation. The quantum yield for oxygen evolution depends on the photon flux, showing a saturation regime and reaching an impressive value of ϕ(O2 ) = 0.32 ± 0.01 (corresponding to a quantum efficiency of 64 ± 2%) at low irradiation intensity. This result highlights the key requirement of orchestrating the rate of the photochemical events with dark catalytic turnover.- Published
- 2019
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164. Advanced bladder cancer: new agents and new approaches. A review.
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Volpe A, Racioppi M, D'Agostino D, D'Addessi A, Marangi F, Totaro A, Pinto F, Sacco E, Battaglia S, Chiloiro G, and Bassi PF
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- Humans, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms metabolism, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms secondary, Antineoplastic Agents therapeutic use, Molecular Targeted Therapy, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms drug therapy
- Abstract
Objective: The aim of the present paper is to review findings from the most relevant studies and evaluate the potential of new drugs in treatment of metastatic urothelial cancer., Methods: Studies were identified by searching MEDLINE and Pubmed databases up to 2009 using both medical subject heading (Mesh) and a free text strategy with the name of known individual chemotherapeutic drug and the following key words: 'muscle-invasive bladder cancer', 'urothelial/transitional carcinoma', 'chemotherapeutics drugs and agents'. At the end of our research in literature we selected 63 articles and we have considered only studies in which almost 30 patients were enrolled., Results: Radical cystectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection is the gold standard of treatment for clinically localized muscle-invasive bladder cancer. While more extensive lymph node dissection may have both prognostic and therapeutic significance, effective systemic therapies that eliminate micrometastases may improve outcome. Perioperative chemotherapy can be administered before (neoadjuvant) or after (adjuvant) cystectomy to eradicate subclinical disease and to improve survival., Conclusion: The challenge remains as to how to integrate all of the relevant knowledge and data in a systematic manner so that researchers can gain the knowledge needed to devise the best therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. Future improvements in the treatment of advanced bladder cancer will rely not only on the optimization of currently available cytotoxic agents but also on the biologic profile of individual patient tumors and the appropriate therapies that target molecular aberrations unique to this malignancy., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
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- 2013
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165. HP-NAP inhibits the growth of bladder cancer in mice by activating a cytotoxic Th1 response.
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Codolo G, Fassan M, Munari F, Volpe A, Bassi P, Rugge M, Pagano F, D'Elios MM, and de Bernard M
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- Administration, Intravesical, Animals, Cell Line, Tumor, Cytotoxicity, Immunologic, Female, Humans, Immunotherapy, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Th1 Cells metabolism, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms pathology, BCG Vaccine pharmacology, Bacterial Proteins pharmacology, Helicobacter pylori immunology, Th1 Cells immunology, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms drug therapy, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms immunology
- Abstract
Intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the gold standard treatment for intermediate and high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. BCG therapy is the most successful example of immunotherapy in cancer. Unfortunately, the treatment-related side effects are still relevant. Furthermore, non-responder patients are candidate to radical cystectomy in the absence of valuable alternative options. These aspects have prompted the search for newer biological response modifiers (BRM) with a better benefit/side effects ratio. The toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 ligand, Helicobacter pylori protein HP-NAP, has been shown to deserve a potential role as BRM. HP-NAP is capable of driving the differentiation of T helper (Th) 1 cells, both in vitro and in vivo, because of its ability to create an IL-12-enriched milieu. Herein, we report that local administration of HP-NAP decreases tumour growth by triggering tumour necrosis in a mouse model of bladder cancer implant. The effect is accompanied by a significant accumulation of both CD4+ and CD8+ IFN-γ-secreting cells, within tumour and regional lymph nodes. Noteworthy, HP-NAP-treated tumours show also a reduced vascularization due to the anti-angiogenic activity of IFN-γ induced by HP-NAP. Our findings strongly indicate that HP-NAP might become a novel therapeutic "bullet" for the cure of bladder tumours.
- Published
- 2012
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166. Postoperative nomogram for invasive bladder cancer: does it really work? A multicenter cohort study.
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Bassi PF, Bongiovanni L, Racioppi M, Volpe A, D'Agostino D, and Gardi M
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- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Area Under Curve, Carcinoma, Transitional Cell pathology, Cohort Studies, Cystectomy, Disease-Free Survival, Female, Humans, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Grading, Neoplasm Staging, Postoperative Period, Prognosis, ROC Curve, Retrospective Studies, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms pathology, Carcinoma, Transitional Cell mortality, Carcinoma, Transitional Cell surgery, Nomograms, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms mortality, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms surgery
- Abstract
Objectives: Nomograms are statistical models designed to maximize predictive accuracy. We have tested the statistical correlation between the predictions of International Bladder Cancer Nomogram Consortium and the clinical outcomes in a multicenter Italian cohort of patients treated with radical cystectomy (RC) and pelvic lymph-nodes dissection., Methods and Materials: Two hundred four patients who underwent RC were selected for multiple variable and then enrolled in the study. Patients were tested by the "online tool" based on the nomogram, then stratified and risk grouped for 5-year predicted disease-free survival (pDFS): low risk (67%-100%), intermediate risk (34%-66%), and high risk group (0%-33%). Receiving operating characteristic curve (ROC) quantified the area under curve (AUC) as predictive accuracy. Actual overall survival (aOS) and actual disease-free survival (aDFS) were calculated with Kaplan-Meyer analysis. Median of pDFS was compared with 5-year aDFS., Results: AUC was 0.69 (P < 0.001). The aOS is 50% (95% confidence interval (95% CI, -7.68/+8.23) at 5-years after RC, the aDFS is 65.5% (95% CI, -7.56/+8.98). The 5-year aDFS is 75.3% (-8.82/+12.53) in low risk group; 67.3% (-12/+16.4) in intermediate risk group; 28.3% (-20/+17.2) in high risk group. The 5-year aDFS was well calculated by the nomogram but in all groups the nomogram slightly underestimated the prediction. In intermediate risk group, 5-year aDFS overscored both the nomogram pDFS and the pDFS range of this group (34%-66%). In all patients investigated, the pDFS was 65%, a value close to the 5-year aDFS found (65.6%)., Conclusion: Statistical correlation between postoperative nomogram prediction and the clinical reality was observed., (Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc.)
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- 2011
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167. Imaging of renal cell carcinoma: state of the art and recent advances.
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Sacco E, Pinto F, Totaro A, D'Addessi A, Racioppi M, Gulino G, Volpe A, Marangi F, D'Agostino D, and Bassi P
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- Aged, Antineoplastic Agents pharmacology, Carcinoma, Renal Cell pathology, Female, Humans, Liver Neoplasms pathology, Male, Middle Aged, Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures, Carcinoma, Renal Cell diagnosis, Diagnostic Imaging methods, Liver Neoplasms diagnosis, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Positron-Emission Tomography methods, Tomography, X-Ray Computed methods, Ultrasonography methods
- Abstract
Background and Aim: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the 13th most common cancer worldwide and accounts for 4% of all adult malignancies. Herein the state of the art and recent advances in cross-sectional radiological imaging applied to RCC are reviewed, including ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography., Methods: Literature search of peer-reviewed papers published by October 2010., Results: In front of more conventional and widespread imaging tools, such as ultrasonography and computed tomography, an array of newer and attractive radiological modalities are under investigation and show promise to improve our ability to noninvasively detect renal tumors and its recurrences, accurately assess the extent of the disease, and reliably evaluate treatment response, particularly in the era of antiangiogenetic therapy., Conclusions: Recent major advances in radiological imaging techniques have considerably improved our ability to diagnose, stage and follow-up RCC. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential of most recent and still investigational imaging tools., (Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.)
- Published
- 2011
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168. Metastasis to the renal hilum from malignant melanoma of the anterior trunk: an unusual finding.
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Pinto F, Cappa E, Brescia A, Sacco E, Volpe A, Totaro A, Gardi M, Pierconti F, and Bassi PF
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- Adult, Humans, Male, Thorax, Kidney Neoplasms secondary, Melanoma secondary, Skin Neoplasms pathology
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A retroperitoneal metastasis from malignant melanoma is an uncommon event and mostly secondary to a primary lesion of the posterior trunk. We report on a 38-year-old patient with malignant melanoma of the anterior trunk who presented a symptomatic metastatic mass of the left renal hilum not originating from the retroperitoneal lymph nodes of the renal hilum, surrounding and infiltrating the renal pelvis, treated with left nephrectomy, complete mass excision and regional lymph node dissection. The patient later developed also brain metastases and is now undergoing immunotherapy.
- Published
- 2010
169. Disseminated intravascular coagulation secondary to metastatic prostate cancer: case report and review of the literature.
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Pinto F, Brescia A, Sacco E, Volpe A, Gardi M, Gulino G, and Bassi P
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- Adenocarcinoma diagnosis, Adenocarcinoma drug therapy, Adenocarcinoma radiotherapy, Anilides administration & dosage, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols therapeutic use, Diagnosis, Differential, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation diagnosis, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation drug therapy, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation radiotherapy, Ecchymosis etiology, Hematuria etiology, Humans, Leuprolide administration & dosage, Male, Middle Aged, Nitriles administration & dosage, Prostatic Neoplasms diagnosis, Prostatic Neoplasms drug therapy, Prostatic Neoplasms pathology, Prostatic Neoplasms radiotherapy, Tosyl Compounds administration & dosage, Treatment Outcome, Adenocarcinoma complications, Adenocarcinoma secondary, Bone Neoplasms pathology, Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation etiology, Femur pathology, Prostatic Neoplasms complications
- Abstract
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is the most frequent coagulation disorder associated with metastatic prostate cancer. We report a case of a 60-year-old white man who was admitted in our department with ecchymoses and haematuria secondary to a DIC associated with metastatic prostate cancer. A review of this clinical scenario is also reported.
- Published
- 2009
170. Progression, risk factors and subsequent medical management of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.
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Pinto F, Racioppi M, Sacco E, Totaro A, Brescia A, Volpe A, Gardi M, and Bassi PF
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- 5-alpha Reductase Inhibitors, Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists, Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists administration & dosage, Age Factors, Azasteroids administration & dosage, Biomarkers, Tumor blood, Disease Progression, Dutasteride, Enzyme Inhibitors administration & dosage, Evidence-Based Medicine, Humans, Male, Practice Guidelines as Topic, Prostate-Specific Antigen blood, Prostatic Hyperplasia blood, Prostatic Hyperplasia diagnosis, Quality of Life, Risk Factors, Sulfonamides administration & dosage, Tamsulosin, Treatment Outcome, Urinary Retention etiology, Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal therapeutic use, Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols therapeutic use, Prostatic Hyperplasia drug therapy, Prostatic Hyperplasia pathology
- Abstract
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a chronic common disease in many men and is often associated with bothersome lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). In many men the disease presents with a progressive course that can result in complications such as acute urinary retention (AUR) and BPH-related surgery. Several factors have been associated with progression such as age and prostate volume (PV). Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, closely correlated with PV is another useful parameter for determining the risk of BPH progression. Medical therapy is the first and the most frequently used treatment for BPH; surgical treatments represent a second-line option when medical therapy is non effective or when complications are associated. Alpha-blockers achieve rapid symptom relief but do not reduce the overall risk of AUR or BPH-related surgery, presumably because they have no effect on PV. 5alpha-reductase inhibitors (5ARIs) display their effectiveness at long distance decreasing PV; this results in improved symptoms, urinary flow and quality of life, and a reduced risk of AUR and BPH-related surgery. Combination therapy provides greater and more durable benefits than either monotherapy and is a recommended option in treatment guidelines. The Combination of dutasteride and Tamsulosin (CombAT), at a pre-planned 2-year analysis, has shown sustained symptom improvement with combination therapy, significantly greater than with either monotherapy. CombAT is also the first study to show benefit in improving BPH symptoms for combination therapy over the alpha-blocker, tamsulosin, from 9 months of treatment. PubMed database has been used to identify publications on the epidemiology of BPH, risk factors for BPH progression and drug treatment options for the management of BPH.
- Published
- 2009
171. Human factors in surgery: from Three Mile Island to the operating room.
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D'Addessi A, Bongiovanni L, Volpe A, Pinto F, and Bassi P
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- Humans, Operating Rooms, Pennsylvania, Radioactive Hazard Release, Medical Errors, Risk Management, Surgical Procedures, Operative standards
- Abstract
Human factors is a definition that includes the science of understanding the properties of human capability, the application of this understanding to the design and development of systems and services, the art of ensuring their successful applications to a program. The field of human factors traces its origins to the Second World War, but Three Mile Island has been the best example of how groups of people react and make decisions under stress: this nuclear accident was exacerbated by wrong decisions made because the operators were overwhelmed with irrelevant, misleading or incorrect information. Errors and their nature are the same in all human activities. The predisposition for error is so intrinsic to human nature that scientifically it is best considered as inherently biologic. The causes of error in medical care may not be easily generalized. Surgery differs in important ways: most errors occur in the operating room and are technical in nature. Commonly, surgical error has been thought of as the consequence of lack of skill or ability, and is the result of thoughtless actions. Moreover the 'operating theatre' has a unique set of team dynamics: professionals from multiple disciplines are required to work in a closely coordinated fashion. This complex environment provides multiple opportunities for unclear communication, clashing motivations, errors arising not from technical incompetence but from poor interpersonal skills. Surgeons have to work closely with human factors specialists in future studies. By improving processes already in place in many operating rooms, safety will be enhanced and quality increased.
- Published
- 2009
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172. New therapeutical approaches for non muscle invasive bladder cancer.
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Volpe A, Racioppi M, Sacco E, Bongiovanni L, D'Agostino D, Cappa E, Pinto F, Gardi M, Totaro A, and Bassi P
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- Antineoplastic Agents therapeutic use, Humans, Hyaluronic Acid therapeutic use, Immunotherapy, Mitoxantrone therapeutic use, Neoplasm Invasiveness, Paclitaxel therapeutic use, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms pathology, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms therapy
- Abstract
Non muscle invasive bladder cancer, given its high tendency to recur, coupled with an ever-present possibility to progress to potentially life-threatening muscle-invasive disease, remains a challenging clinical problem. Optimal management begins with early detection and accurate risk assessment through careful attention to clinical and histology features. Prevention of recurrence requires the sequential application of tools to completely remove all visible disease, avert reimplantation during surgical resection, ablate microscopic foci and prevent the emergence of new primary tumors amidst a field of carcinogen-exposed urothelium. Previously standard adjunctive intravesical chemo-immunotherapies are obtaining new vitality as optimization strategies, while new drugs and rational drug combinations provide the potential for improved efficacy with reduced toxicity. Novel therapeutic modalities under investigation include activation of the host immune system and enhancement of the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapeutic agents. New technological advances such as microwave chemothermotherapy offer further hope for better outcomes even for disease previously refractory to conservative measures. While much of this research is in the preclinical phase, the encouraging results of many of the studies discussed here suggest that testing in human trials should follow in the coming years. Yet despite these advances, aggressive surgical management involving bladder removal continues to be an indispensable life-saving maneuver that must be considered in all high-risk cases that fail to promptly respond to other measures. Although great strides continue to be made each year in the diagnosis and management of bladder cancer considerably more work needs to be done in order to improve the lives of our patients with this disease.
- Published
- 2008
173. Inhibition of prostate efferent neurotransmission by amikacin.
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Gardi M, Nigro F, Ragazzi E, Sacco E, Volpe A, Totaro A, Pinto F, and Bassi P
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- Adenosine Triphosphate pharmacology, Aged, Animals, Autonomic Nervous System drug effects, Autonomic Nervous System physiology, Carbachol pharmacology, Cholinergic Agonists pharmacology, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Electric Stimulation, Humans, Male, Muscle Contraction physiology, Muscle, Smooth innervation, Muscle, Smooth physiology, Neurons, Efferent drug effects, Norepinephrine pharmacology, Prostatic Hyperplasia physiopathology, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Serotonin pharmacology, Amikacin pharmacology, Anti-Bacterial Agents pharmacology, Muscle Contraction drug effects, Muscle, Smooth drug effects, Neurons, Efferent physiology, Prostate drug effects, Prostate innervation
- Abstract
Background: It has been suggested that manipulation of the autonomic nerve supply to the prostate leads to loss of functional and structural integrity of the gland, and that these changes may be useful in treating prostatic diseases. This study investigates the effect of amikacin on prostate efferent neurotransmission in vitro, in both rat and human prostate samples., Methods: Prostate samples, obtained from male Wistar rats and 8 patients undergoing endoscopic surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia, were studied by measurement of isometric contraction induced by electrical field stimulation (EFS), noradrenalin, carbachol, serotonin and ATP, in the presence or absence of amikacin 10(-3) M in a low-Ca medium., Results: Amikacin significantly reduced EFS-induced contraction of isolated rat and human prostate samples by 45 +/- 6.5% (P < 0.01) and 47 +/- 6% (P < 0.01), respectively. Contraction was restored after addition of calcium chloride 2 x 10(-3) M. Amikacin-induced relaxation in rat prostate samples was greater than the effect of magnesium and weaker than those of prazosin and verapamil, but comparable in extent with the latter. No significant effect was observed on rat prostate contractile response to noradrenaline as to ATP in the presence of amikacin. Rat prostate contraction to carbachol and serotonin was inhibited by 35 +/- 11% (P < 0.05) and 59 +/- 11.7% (P < 0.01), respectively, after addition of amikacin 10(-3) M., Conclusions: Amikacin reduces in vitro both rat and human prostate contraction elicited by pre-junctional stimulation, but does not affect prostate contraction evoked by post-junctional stimulation. Our results indicate that amikacin affects prostatic efferent neurotransmission., ((c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)
- Published
- 2008
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174. The cost of treatment and follow-up of bladder cancer in Italy.
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Racioppi M, Volpe A, Falabella R, Pinto F, Sacco E, Gulino G, D'Agostino D, and Bassi PF
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- Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Italy, Health Care Costs, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms economics, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms therapy
- Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the costs of bladder bladder cancer treatment and follow-up., Materials and Methods: A purely economic analysis was carried out evaluating in our Institution a) the cost of an hospital stay of patients submitted to transurethral resection of superficial bladder cancer and to radical cystectomy for invasive bladder cancer, b) the cost of endovesical immuno-chemotherapy performed as day hospital regimen, c) the cost of the first year of follow-up according to European Association of Urology's Guidelines as outpatient regimen., Results: The total cost related to a superficial tumour of the bladder treated with an endoscopic resection amounts to Euro 2,242.20, while in case of invasive bladder cancer treated with a radical cystectomy it comes to Euro 6,860. For chemo-immunotherapy the costs in a day hospital regimen related to a 8-weekly session of mitomicin, 6-weekly session of epirubicin and BCG are Euro 1,420, Euro 1,037 and Euro 975, respectively. The first year of follow-up for a patient with low risk of superficial bladder cancer without recurrence costs Euro 265.15. In case of high risk superficial bladder cancer the cost reaches Euro 321.75. In case of a patient with invasive bladder cancer in the first year, when follow-up is more strict, expenses amount to Euro 548.90., Conclusions: Cancer bladder is a high-cost illness due, in particular, to its heterogeneity in presentation and high rate of recurrences which makes any evaluation underestimated. The possibility of containing costs is essentially related to optimization of the follow-up and to the development of optimal therapeutic procedures which could lead to a reduction in the number of recurrences.
- Published
- 2007
175. Prognostic accuracy of an artificial neural network in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer: a comparison with logistic regression analysis.
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Bassi P, Sacco E, De Marco V, Aragona M, and Volpe A
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- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Lymphatic Metastasis, Male, Middle Aged, Predictive Value of Tests, Prognosis, Regression Analysis, Sensitivity and Specificity, Survival Analysis, Carcinoma, Transitional Cell mortality, Carcinoma, Transitional Cell pathology, Carcinoma, Transitional Cell surgery, Cystectomy methods, Neural Networks, Computer, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms mortality, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms pathology, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms surgery
- Abstract
Objective: To compare the prognostic performance of an artificial neural network (ANN) with that of standard logistic regression (LR), in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer., Patients and Methods: From February 1982 to February 1994, 369 evaluable patients with non-metastatic bladder cancer had pelvic lymph node dissection and radical cystectomy for either stage Ta-T1 (any grade) tumour not responding to intravesical therapy, with or with no carcinoma in situ, or stage T2-T4 tumour. LR analysis based on 12 variables was used to identify predictors of overall 5-year survival, and the ANN model was developed to predict the same outcome. The LR analysis, based on statistically significant predictors, and the ANN model were the compared for their accuracy in predicting survival., Results: The median age of the patients was 63 years, and overall 201 of them died. The tumour stage and nodal involvement (both P<0.001) were the only statistically independent predictors of overall 5-year survival on LR analysis. Based on these variables, LR had a sensitivity and specificity for predicting survival of 68.4% and 82.8%, respectively; corresponding values for the ANN were 62.7% and 86.1%. For LR and ANN, the positive predictive values were 78.6% and 76.2%, and the negative predictive values were 73.9% and 76.5%, respectively. The index of diagnostic accuracy was 75.9% for LR and 76.4% for ANN., Conclusions: The ANN accurately predicted the survival of patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer and had a prognostic performance comparable with that of LR. As ANNs are based on easy-to-use software that can identify nonlinear interactions between variables, they might become the preferred tool for predicting outcome.
- Published
- 2007
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