65 results on '"G. De Paola"'
Search Results
2. Traumatology in Judo Discipline
- Author
-
M. Scaglione, C. Citarelli, G. De Paola, G. Palmieri, M. Ceccoli, and F. Casella
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Geologically Plausible History Matching With Structural Uncertainty
- Author
-
G. De Paola, P. Koryuzlov, M. Seignole, M. Bartnik, A. Fernandez, Ruben Rodriguez Torrado, and E. Reding
- Subjects
Regional geology ,Mathematical optimization ,Matching (statistics) ,Optimization problem ,Workflow ,Reservoir modeling ,Particle swarm optimization ,Uncertainty quantification ,Multi-objective optimization - Abstract
A geologically plausible history matching workflow has been applied to a complex reservoir to improve reservoir characterization. Different structural interpretations have also been included in the formulation which allow with a single workflow to match petrophysical properties, structural interpretations, fluid properties and fault transmissibilities avoiding any regional multipliers or inconsistent discontinuities. A multiobjective optimization was formulated to assimilate production and pressure timeseries as well as well test data. An inhouse implementation of a Particle Swarm Optimization allows to efficiently solve the optimization problem and provide multiple matching solutions for an improved uncertainty quantification. The multiobjective formulation allows the decision maker to screen the matching realizations based on the degree of confidence on the difference data type as well have better control selected the most representative realizations. The workflow proposed shows good match with the observed quantities and allows a review of the initial model of the field based on the improved understanding of the dynamic response of the reservoir. It is the first step before a field development plan optimization with structural uncertainty.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Field Development Plan Optimization With Structural Uncertainty
- Author
-
P. Koryuzlov, A. Fernandez, E. Reding, Ruben Rodriguez Torrado, M. Seignole, M. Bartnik, and G. De Paola
- Subjects
Regional geology ,Mathematical optimization ,Reservoir simulation ,Propagation of uncertainty ,Workflow ,Trajectory ,InformationSystems_MISCELLANEOUS ,Directional well ,Grid ,Realization (probability) - Abstract
Field development plan optimization under uncertainty requires a consistent analysis of well placement across the geological realizations to evaluate the selected cost function. Special care has to be taken in the well trajectory description in the target zone, to allow in the same formulation vertical, deviated and directional well assessment for a more effective decision making. In case of structural uncertainty well trajectories will cross different grid elements in each realization. The workflow proposes a methodology to screen well trajectories based on the expected productivity overall the realizations and the fulfillment of user defined constrains. Well constrains can include, inter-well distance, well length, distance from the closest fault. For a consistent uncertainty propagation and an efficient optimization a nested optimization loop has also been proposed to allow the well screening before the actual reservoir simulation evaluation and allow only the most promising strategies to be evaluated and, therefore, reducing the overall computational burden. The workflow has been tested on a real reservoir case showing the strength of the methodology in assessing the location for an infill and a sidetrack well and improving the understanding of the reservoir dynamic behavior.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Apparent biochemical thyrotoxicosis due to assay interference by high-dose biotin given for multiple sclerosis
- Author
-
G. De Paola, L. Sassi, Eliana Piantanida, and C Cusini
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Goiter ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,business.industry ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Multiple sclerosis ,030209 endocrinology & metabolism ,medicine.disease ,Thyroid function tests ,Assay interference ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,0302 clinical medicine ,Endocrinology ,Biotin ,chemistry ,Internal medicine ,Immunoassay ,Multinodular goiter ,medicine ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Multi-dimensional Conditional Moment Closure Modelling Applied to a Heavy-duty Common-rail Diesel Engine
- Author
-
Epaminondas Mastorakos, Yuri M. Wright, Konstantinos Boulouchos, and G. De Paola
- Subjects
Engineering ,Common rail ,business.industry ,General Medicine ,Solver ,Diesel engine ,Combustion ,Automotive engineering ,Moment closure ,Range (aeronautics) ,Calibration ,Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations ,business ,Simulation - Abstract
A multi-dimensional combustion code implementing the Conditional Moment Closure turbulent combustion model interfaced with a well-established RANS two- phase flow field solver has been employed to study a broad range of operating conditions for a heavy duty direct-injection common-rail Diesel engine. These conditions include different loads (25%, 50%, 75% and full load) and engine speeds (1250 and 1830 RPM) and, with respect to the fuel path, different injection timings and rail pressures. A total of nine cases have been simulated. Excellent agreement with experimental data has been found for the pressure traces and the heat release rates, without adjusting any model constants. The chemical mechanism used contains a detailed NOx sub-mechanism. The predicted emissions agree reasonably well with the experimental data considering the range of operating points and given no adjustments of any rate constants have been employed. In an effort to identify CPU cost reduction potential, various dimensionality reduction strategies have been assessed. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the predictions with respect to resolution in particular relating to the CMC grid has been investigated. Overall, the results suggest that the presented modelling strategy has considerable predictive capability concerning Diesel engine combustion without requiring model constant calibration based on experimental data. This is true particularly for the heat release rates predictions and, to a lesser extent, for NOx emissions where further progress is still necessary. © 2009 SAE International.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Second-Order Conditional Moment Closure Simulations of Autoignition of an n-heptane Plume in a Turbulent Coflow of Heated Air
- Author
-
Epaminondas Mastorakos, G. De Paola, and I. S. Kim
- Subjects
Materials science ,Turbulence ,Covariance matrix ,business.industry ,General Chemical Engineering ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Conditional probability ,Thermodynamics ,Autoignition temperature ,Computational fluid dynamics ,Plume ,Moment closure ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,business ,Conditional variance - Abstract
Autoignition of an n-heptane plume in a turbulent coflow of heated air has been studied using the conditional moment closure (CMC) method with a second-order closure for the conditional chemical source term. Two different methodologies have been considered: (i) the Taylor expansion method, in which the second order correction was based on the solution of the full covariance matrix for the 31 reactive species in the chemical mechanism and hence was not limited to a few selected reactions, and (ii) the conditional PDF method, in which only the temperature conditional variance equation has been solved and its PDF assumed to be a β-function. The results compare favorably with experiment in terms of autoignition location. The structure of the reaction zone in mixture fraction space has been explored. The relative performance of the two methodologies is discussed.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. Diesel Engine Simulations with Multi-Dimensional Conditional Moment Closure
- Author
-
G. De Paola, Yuri M. Wright, Epaminondas Mastorakos, and Konstantinos Boulouchos
- Subjects
Finite volume method ,business.industry ,Computer science ,General Chemical Engineering ,Finite difference ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Energy Engineering and Power Technology ,Thermodynamics ,General Chemistry ,Mechanics ,Computational fluid dynamics ,Solver ,Diesel engine ,Fuel Technology ,Moment closure ,Heat transfer ,Mathematics::Differential Geometry ,Boundary value problem ,business - Abstract
First-order elliptic Conditional Moment Closure (CMC), coupled with a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver, has been employed to simulate combustion in a direct-injection heavy-duty diesel engine. The three-dimensional structured finite difference CMC grid has been interfaced to an unstructured finite volume CFD mesh typical of engine modelling. The implementation of a moving CMC grid to reflect the changes in the domain due to the compression and expansion phases has been achieved using an algorithm for the cell addition/removal and modelling the additional convection term due to the CMC cell movement. Special care has been taken for the boundary conditions and the wall heat transfer. An operator splitting formulation has been used to integrate the CMC equations efficiently. A CMC domain reduction of the three-dimensional problem to two- and zero-dimensions through appropriate volume integration of the CMC equation has been explored in terms of accuracy and computational time. Additional considerati...
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
9. Measurements and simulations of mixing and autoignition of an n-heptane plume in a turbulent flow of heated air
- Author
-
Epaminondas Mastorakos, G. De Paola, and Christos N. Markides
- Subjects
Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes ,Materials science ,Turbulence ,business.industry ,Mechanical Engineering ,General Chemical Engineering ,Aerospace Engineering ,Thermodynamics ,Autoignition temperature ,Computational fluid dynamics ,Critical value ,Combustion ,Plume ,law.invention ,Volumetric flow rate ,Ignition system ,Nuclear Energy and Engineering ,law ,Physics::Chemical Physics ,business - Abstract
The autoignition of a gaseous n-heptane plume in heated turbulent air has been investigated experimentally and numerically with the conditional moment closure and a CFD code. It has been demonstrated that, consistent with previous experimental results for hydrogen and acetylene, the increased scalar dissipation rate created by faster co-flowing air delays autoignition, as revealed by a disproportionate increase of ignition length with air velocity. The predicted mean and variance of the mixture fraction, the mixture fraction PDF and the conditional scalar dissipation rate are in good agreement with experimental results obtained with acetone-tracer PLIF. The first-order, spatially averaged CMC model reproduces the experimental trends quite well, despite the neglect of conditional fluctuations and spatial dependence of the conditional averages. This is attributed to the fact that for a significant period of time before autoignition the conditional scalar dissipation rate at the most reactive mixture fraction is much smaller than the critical value above which autoignition is precluded.
- Published
- 2007
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
10. Optimize a WAG Field Development Plan, Use Case of Carbonate Ultra-Deep Water Reservoir
- Author
-
M. Silva De Azevedo, A. Fernandez Perez, Ruben Rodriguez Torrado, G. De Paola, A. A. Rincon Fuenmayor, and Sonia Embid
- Subjects
chemistry.chemical_compound ,chemistry ,Petroleum engineering ,Computer science ,Carbonate ,Field development ,Plan (drawing) ,Deep water - Abstract
The low recovery factor associated with carbonate reservoir and the availability of affordable gas has drawn new attention to a Water Alternative Gas (WAG) strategy to enhance hydrocarbon recovery for reservoir at early stage of production. The use of WAG allows to improve sweep efficiency limiting fingering and hydrocarbon trapping at macroscopic (Water injection - WI) and microscopic (pore) (Gas Injection - GI) level.The purpose of this work is twofold: present a new field development plan optimization formulation generalized for continuous and/or WAG injection and its suggested application to a real reservoir test case. Optimum field development plans for different strategies are presented and the advantages of a WAG strategy as opposite to a continuous water injection are further discussed. The proposed optimization problem covers well placement, control, schedule and gas lift under uncertainty. This problem is formulated as Mixed Integer Nonlinear Programing (MINLP) with non-linear constrains in order to take into account operational restrictions.A carbonate deep water reservoir at the early stages of its exploitation has been used to evaluate this new workflow. An in-house Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm has been used to solve this nonlinear optimization problem. The use of a real field as test bench poses additional strength on the robustness of the formulation in presence of a large number of decision variables and constrains. Special care has been taken in the field development plan selection, taking into account the optimal solution as well as additional objectives and sentiments added by the decision makers which increase the realism of the final solution.The optima selected were compared to a WAG base case adjusted using standard commercial tools according to best practice. The results obtained for the current reservoir highlight key performances of the optimization algorithm applied to the WAG strategy. WAG increases the recovery factor and enhance an early production (paramount to improve the NPV according to the economic model) with respect to a continuous WI. The optimization of WAG cycles allows to find the best hydrocarbon production under the constrain imposed by the facilities and the gas availability. The optimum inter-well-distance and schedule results from the compromise between a strong sweep yet avoiding an early water breakthrough and reducing interference among producers. The well layout is therefore an output of the NPV optimization, the carbonate geological characterization and the operation risk. The optimal field development plan has shown a 35% of increment in NPV compared to the base case.This workflow presented and discussed presents an innovative and general formulation for the optimization of a WAG and/or continuous injection for real reservoir under uncertainty. The optimization algorithm allows fast convergence and accurate results. The extension to multiple objective functions and the inclusion of the human decision in the optimization process is also considered.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. Simulations of spray autoignition and flame establishment with two-dimensional CMC
- Author
-
Konstantinos Boulouchos, Yuri M. Wright, Epaminondas Mastorakos, and G. De Paola
- Subjects
Premixed flame ,Turbulent diffusion ,Chemistry ,General Chemical Engineering ,Diffusion flame ,Flame structure ,Method of lines ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Energy Engineering and Power Technology ,Autoignition temperature ,General Chemistry ,Mechanics ,Combustion ,law.invention ,Physics::Fluid Dynamics ,Ignition system ,Fuel Technology ,law ,Physics::Chemical Physics - Abstract
The unsteady two-dimensional conditional moment closure (CMC) model with first-order closure of the chemistry and supplied with standard models for the conditional convection and turbulent diffusion terms has been interfaced with a commercial engine CFD code and analyzed with two numerical methods, an “exact” calculation with the method of lines and a faster fractional-step method. The aim was to examine the sensitivity of the predictions to the operator splitting errors and to identify the extent to which spatial transport terms are important for spray autoignition problems. Despite the underlying simplifications, solution of the full CMC equations allows a single model to be used for the autoignition, flame propagation (“premixed mode”), and diffusion flame mode of diesel combustion, which makes CMC a good candidate model for practical engine calculations. It was found that (i) the conditional averages have significant spatial gradients before ignition and during the premixed mode and (ii) that the inclusion of physical-space transport affects the calculation of the autoignition delay time, both of which suggest that volume-averaged CMC approaches may be inappropriate for diesel-like problems. A balance of terms in the CMC equation before and after autoignition shows the relative magnitude of spatial transport and allows conjectures on the structure of the premixed phase of diesel combustion. Very good agreement with available experimental data is found concerning ignition delays and the effect of background air turbulence on them.
- Published
- 2005
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
12. Pseudoarthrosis in atypical femoral fracture: case report
- Author
-
M. Ghilardi, Guido G, Stefano Giannotti, Vanna Bottai, G. De Paola, and G. Dell’Osso
- Subjects
Reoperation ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Nonunion ,Osteoporosis ,Bone healing ,law.invention ,Bone remodeling ,Intramedullary rod ,law ,Internal medicine ,Fracture fixation ,medicine ,Humans ,Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ,Aged ,Fracture Healing ,Alendronate ,Bone Density Conservation Agents ,business.industry ,medicine.disease ,Rheumatology ,Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ,Surgery ,Radiography ,Pseudarthrosis ,Orthopedic surgery ,Female ,business ,Femoral Fractures - Abstract
Atypical femoral fractures can be subsequent to a long-term biphosphonates treatment; they have a high frequency of delayed healing. The authors describe a femoral pseudoarthrosis of an atypical fracture treated with intramedullary nailing in a female after prolonged alendronate therapy. Atypical femoral fractures can be subsequent to a long-term biphosphonates treatment even if, in the literature, there is no clarity on the exact pathogenetic mechanism. The Task Force of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research described the major and minor features to define atypical fractures and recommends that all the five major features must be present while minor features are not necessary. Another controversial aspect regarding the atypical femoral fractures is the higher frequency of the delayed healing that can be probably related to a suppressed bone turnover caused by a prolonged period of bisphosphonates treatment. This concept could be corroborated by the Spet Tc exam. In the case of a pseudoarthrosis, there is not a standardization of the treatment. In this report, the authors describe a femoral pseudoarthrosis of an atypical fracture treated with intramedullary nailing in a female after prolonged alendronate therapy; the patient was studied with clinical, bioumoral end SPECT-Tc exam of both femurs. Many studies show the relationship between bisphosphonates and the presence of atypical fractures. These fractures should be monitored more closely due to the risk of nonunion and they require considering an initial treatment with pharmacological augmentation to reduce the complications for the patient and the health care costs.
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. New Approach for the Generation of the Geological Conceptual Model with Limited Information, Understanding Green Fields
- Author
-
Sonia Embid, Ruben Rodriguez Torrado, and G. De Paola
- Subjects
Regional geology ,Engineering geology ,Earth science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,computer.software_genre ,Workflow ,Physical information ,Benchmark (surveying) ,Conceptual model ,Data mining ,Palaeogeography ,computer ,Geology ,Environmental geology ,media_common - Abstract
Generate a plausible geological model for a green-field as well as rank reservoirs with different level of associated uncertainty can be quite challenging. In this paper, we propose a new approach to generate predictive static models in the first stages of reservoir appraisal. At this stage, structural, sedimentary and petro physical information is very limited. The workflow proposed aim to use any available information whether coming from analogues reservoirs and/or field-data to reduce uncertainty. Initially the structural uncertainty is characterized and propagated generating an ensemble of plausible scenarios based on the perturbation of structural types. Subsequently, a novel formulation is presented to define a conceptual sedimentary (optimum number and percentage of the facies) and petro-physical model for the generation of the 3-D geological plausible scenarios. The methodology has been tested on the Brugge field benchmark modified as green-field. The proposed workflow yields a good approximation of the reservoir static and dynamic behavior (e.g. OOIP and NPV) compared with the original model. In addition, the sedimentary definition of the facies is well characterized with respect to the core interpretation from laboratory. The new workflow presented allows to generate plausible geological scenarios with limited amount of information, quantifying and propagating the uncertainty.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Generation of an Accurate Conceptual Model for Green Fields
- Author
-
Sonia Embid, Debarun Bhattacharjya, Ruben Rodriguez Torrado, Ulisses T. Mello, and G. De Paola
- Subjects
Geography ,Reservoir modeling ,Conceptual model (computer science) ,Geotechnical engineering ,Geostatistics ,Civil engineering - Abstract
A proper quantification and propagation of geological and geophysical uncertainty during phase of technical and economic appraisal of a reservoir is of primary importance to evaluate the potential and the risks associated with a new prospect. In this paper we propose an innovative methodology to define a conceptual model for different levels of available information particularly appealing for cases with limited data – such as that of a green field. The proposed methodology aims to construct multiple reservoir realizations which are geologically consistent with the the available data and constrain, and capable to propagate the uncertainty inherent to a given target reservoir specifications. The uncertainty is characterized using analogous reservoirs which are, in the present case, evaluated from an in-house database. The methodology can be resumed in a sequence of well defined steps. First, based on the quality and availability of the information, an optimization problem is formulated and solved to ensure that the generated realizations obey the petro-physical property statistics of the target reservoir. Outputs of the optimization process are the facies proportions yielding to the conditional probability distributions of properties. The physical distribution of the petrophysical properties are then generated based on these inputs using multipoint geostatistical techniques. To correctly propagate the uncertainty in the reservoir model the sensitive controlling variables input to the geostatistical algorithm are defined within a variability range. The selection of the relevant input parameters can be selected based on sensitivity analysis techniques. The stochasticity proper of the geostatistical algorithms used for the property distribution requires special care for the correct application and interpretation of the problem reduction techniques. Static and dynamic objective functions have been used to evaluate the statistical distribution of the generated realizations. From a static point of view the reservoir volumetric has been ranked using the field original-oil-in-place. The dynamic response of the generated realizations upon a simple pattern has been implemented as measure of connectivity. As proof of concept the field-oil-production-rate for an inverted-five-spot pattern under voidage replacement was chosen as dynamic ranking. The methodology has been applied to the Brugge field benchmark which presents 104 geological realizations (Peters et al (2010), Peters et al (2009)). The benchmark was modified in order to simulate a green field, therefore only mean values for the petro-physical properties were extracted and used as input to the methodology whils the complete geological realizations results of the full-field-model (FFM) have been used for validation. A list of equiprobable analogous reservoirs has been identified from the database. Thereof, a number of conceptual models have been created respecting the key static parameters statistics defined. To validate the workflow first the predicted original-oil-in-place from the analogues and from the generated realizations respectively has been positively compared with the benchmark realizations. Due to the absence of structural uncertainty in the benchmark realizations the brute volume and the mean original-oil-in-place compute from the analogues have been set and a large number of geological realizations have been simulated. Results indicate that the trends obtained by the conceptual model for a given production strategy is in agreement with the FFM and the FFM results are located within the produced realizations. The computational time associated with the conceptual model, due to its simplicity, was also very attractive compared to the full model. Noteworthy, the methodology provides important insight on the sensitivity of the geological model to several uncertain static and dynamic parameter and configurations which can be the base for a risk analysis or to quantify the value of additional information.
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Atypical femoral fractures: retrospective radiological study of 319 femoral fractures and presentation of clinical cases
- Author
-
Stefano Giannotti, F. Falossi, Giulio Guido, Gloria Raffaeta, Vanna Bottai, G. Dell’Osso, G. De Paola, and Agnese Menconi
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Osteoporosis ,Fracture fixation ,medicine ,Humans ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,Aged, 80 and over ,Bone Density Conservation Agents ,Diphosphonates ,business.industry ,Retrospective cohort study ,Femoral fracture ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Surgery ,Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ,Radiography ,Radiological weapon ,Orthopedic surgery ,Etiology ,Female ,Radiology ,Presentation (obstetrics) ,business ,Femoral Fractures - Abstract
There is still no clarity on the etiology and epidemiology of atypical femoral fractures. The purpose is to show, after a radiological review, that the incidence of atypical fractures is higher than that reported in the literature when compared to "typical" fractures that occurred in the same anatomical site.At present, it is difficult to define the true incidence of atypical fractures associated with bisphosphonate. Our purpose is to show that the incidence of atypical fractures is higher than that reported in the literature when compared to "typical" fractures that occurred in the same anatomical site.The authors analyzed 319 femoral fracture Rxs of patients over 60 who have had access to the PS of Clinical Orthopaedics and Traumatology II of the University of Pisa from January 2011 to February 2013. The atypical fractures have been investigated from clinical point of view, biohumoral exams, densitometry and contralateral femur X-rays, and in one case using SPECT-Tc.The total number of femoral fractures was 319. The medial femur fractures were 60 (46 females and 14 males), and the lateral ones were 316 (237 females and 79 males). Subtrochanteric and diaphyseal fractures were 40 (29 females and 11 males). Among these cases, two atypical fracture cases were related to female patients, one was 79 years old and the other was 77.The most recent literature reports that the incidence of atypical fractures is 0.6 %. However, taking into consideration only the fracture locations suitable for the identification of atypical fractures, the percentage rises to 5 %. To date, there is still no clarity on the exact etiology of fractures even if it seems to be related to a bone mineral component alteration.
- Published
- 2013
16. Atrophic femoral nonunion successfully treated with teriparatide
- Author
-
G. Dell’Osso, Stefano Giannotti, Vanna Bottai, G. De Paola, Pini E, and Guido G
- Subjects
Bone induction ,Delay in consolidation ,Nonunion ,Teriparatide ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Osteoporosis ,Dentistry ,Bone healing ,Bone remodeling ,Fracture Fixation, Internal ,Fracture fixation ,Humans ,Medicine ,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Femur ,Aged, 80 and over ,Bone Density Conservation Agents ,business.industry ,Femoral fracture ,medicine.disease ,Surgery ,Radiography ,Fractures, Ununited ,Female ,Atrophy ,Periprosthetic Fractures ,business ,Femoral Fractures ,medicine.drug - Abstract
Teriparatide is a synthetic polypeptide hormone that contains the 1-34 aminoacid fragment of the recombinant human parathyroid hormone. It has been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for sustaining a fragility fracture. It has been shown that teriparatide also accelerates fracture healing by improving the biomechanical properties of the fracture callus, increasing endochondral ossification and bone remodeling in animal models. This effect has been observed in several case reports. Fracture healing disorders negatively affect the patient's quality of life and result in high healthcare costs, as a second surgery is required to stabilize the fracture and stimulate bone biology. Future biotechnologies that accelerate fracture healing may be useful tools. We present a case report of delayed union of a femoral fracture treated with teriparatide. She was diagnosed with right distal metaphyseal femoral fracture on total knee arthroplasty. She underwent surgery at our center consisting of ORIF with lateral femoral locking plate in October 2011. Radiologic controls at 5 and 7 months did not show any signs of healing. After 2 months of treatment with teriparatide, the X-ray showed the presence of bone bridges and a decreased gap between fragments and a different aspect of neoformed bone. After 3 months of treatment, healing was complete. Our case report seems to confirm the possible effect of TPTD as bone induction through a more rapid healing of fractures. The TPTD could have a potentially important role in treating some forms of nonunion and delay in consolidation. Thus, one could hypothesize the possibility of a medical treatment with TPTD both as a preventive way and also as a support to the synthesis in high risk of nonunion fractures and complexed fractures in osteoporotic bone.
- Published
- 2012
17. Clinical study of myocardial infarction in young patients
- Author
-
C. Borgia, M. Savona, G. De Paola, Borgia Mc, and F. Simeoni
- Subjects
Pharmacology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,Incidence (epidemiology) ,Mortality rate ,medicine.disease ,Obesity ,Surgery ,Internal medicine ,Diabetes mellitus ,Medicine ,Pharmacology (medical) ,Myocardial infarction ,Family history ,Risk factor ,business ,Dyslipidemia - Abstract
Two groups of patients, aged 40 or younger or between 41 and 60, with acute myocardial infarction (MI), were studied to compare the incidence of MI in persons of working age. In both groups, the following risk factors were considered: family history, arterial hypertension, obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking, the modalities of acute MI occurrence, the infarct site, the presence or absence of the Q square on electrocardiogram, the presence of pain before or after acute MI, arrhythmias in the acute stage or during hospitalization, and the mortality rate during the first 10 days of hospitalization. No significant differences related to age, individual risk factors, and clinical development of acute MI were noted. The younger patients were found to be heavy smokers, leading to the conclusion that smoking promotes the early development of MI. When smoking was present as the only risk factor, the group of younger patients were the heavier smokers. When three or more risk factors were present, all of the younger patients were smokers, and a significant number were heavy smokers. Thus even in patients with multiple risk factors, smoking promotes the early development of MI. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day has been found to cause changes in lipid metabolism and the mechanism of hemostasis. These changes accelerate the atherogenic process caused by risk factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
- Published
- 1993
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. A practical method for the estimation of therapeutic activity in the treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism
- Author
-
S, Panareo, R, Rossi, S, Fabbri, G, De Paola, G C, Candini, L, Feggi, and E, Degli Uberti
- Subjects
Adult ,Aged, 80 and over ,Iodine Radioisotopes ,Male ,Young Adult ,Humans ,Female ,Radiotherapy Dosage ,Middle Aged ,Graves Disease ,Aged - Abstract
To test the efficacy of a practical method which allows the calculation of personalized activity in Graves' disease.The method is based on International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) 53 data. The model allows the prediction of the activity administered in order to release 300 Gy to the thyroid, once its iodine uptake and mass are known. We applied it to 289 patients investigated by clinical examination, biochemical assessment and neck ultrasonography. The method was applied considering the thyroid 131I uptake and the ultrasound mass. The patients were followed by check of TSH, FT3, FT4 and clinical examination. Finally, we evaluated the difference between our dosimetric method and the hypothetic administration of a fix amount of 131I (185, 370 and 600 Mbq respectively) in term of adsorbed dose.The average activity administered was 403.3+92.5 MBq with an average dose released to thyroid of 304.9+24.8 Gy. From a statistical point of view the administration of standard activities (185 and 600 MBq) would represent respectively a wrong estimate of the optimal dose (meanly 140.8+44.7 Gy and 473.6+142.6 Gy respectively). The administration of a standard activity (370 MBq) would release a dose close to that prescribed (291.2 Gy) with a standard deviation (86.9 Gy), which is considerably higher than the one obtained with the dosimetric model (24.8 Gy). Twenty four months after radioiodine treatment, 57.8% of patients presented hypothyroidism, 23.2% euthyroidism and 19% of hyperthyroidism. The overall therapeutic efficiency was of 81%.The dosimetric method based on IRCP 53 data, is effective in controlling Graves' hyperthyroidism. Advantages in adopting this method are: dose optimization to patient, easy implementation in the clinical practice, low budget impact.
- Published
- 2010
19. [The antibiotic prophylaxis of endocarditis in the dental patient at risk]
- Author
-
G, De Paola, A, Calpicchio, C, Mandolini, M, Lucidi, and M C, Borgia
- Subjects
Adult ,Mouth ,Risk Factors ,Heart Valve Diseases ,Humans ,Bacteremia ,Endocarditis, Bacterial ,Antibiotic Prophylaxis ,Child ,Dental Care - Published
- 1999
20. [The ocular fundus in ischemic cardiopathy]
- Author
-
M C, Borgia, E, Leucci, E, Ciarla, G, De Paola, A, Serpietri, G, Cipriani, M, Lionetti, M, Puletti, and A, Nigri
- Subjects
Adult ,Aged, 80 and over ,Male ,Fundus Oculi ,Myocardial Ischemia ,Humans ,Retinal Vessels ,Female ,Middle Aged ,Aged - Abstract
This work aims to correlate retina vessel alteration with the possible presence of coronary alteration in the same patient.For this purpose 103 patients have been studied. Of these, 63 had symptoms of coronary heart disease while the remaining 40 were used as a control. 29 patients, out of the 63, were also afflicted with angine while 34 had previously had myocardial infarction. Eye fundus tests and coronarography have been carried out, and risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking have been investigated.This work shows that there is a close correlation between a positive eye fundus and coronarography alteration whereas a negative one is not incompatible with organic lesions. A positive eye fundus due to alteration of retina microcirculation can be indicative of atherosclerosis in symptomatic patients.
- Published
- 1997
21. [Cigarette smoking and acute myocardial infarct]
- Author
-
C, Borgia, G, De Paola, E, Ciarla, V, Margutti, G, Cipriani, and M C, Borgia
- Subjects
Adult ,Electrocardiography ,Chi-Square Distribution ,Urban Population ,Risk Factors ,Rome ,Smoking ,Myocardial Infarction ,Myocardial Ischemia ,Humans ,Middle Aged - Abstract
The study examined a group of 150 patients with acute myocardial infarction aged under 60 years old. The subjects examined were divided into smokers and non-smokers; smokers were further subdivided into three groups: those smoking less than 20, between 20 and 40 and more than 40 cigarettes a day. Furthermore, they were divided into two groups aged under or over 40. The following parameters were evaluated and compared: the method of onset of acute myocardial infarction, the site of infarction, the presence or absence of the Q wave on the ECG, the presence of angina before and after acute myocardial infarction, arrhythmia during the acute phase and during hospitalisation, mortality during the first 10 days of hospitalisation. The results showed that cigarette smoking is a major risk factor able to influence the age of onset of acute myocardial infarction, especially if over 20 cigarettes a day, whereas it has no influence on clinical history and early death.
- Published
- 1993
22. [Verapamil-induced gingivitis hypertrophica: a clinical case]
- Author
-
M C, Borgia, G, De Paola, and A, Calpicchio
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Verapamil ,Biopsy ,Hypertension ,Gingiva ,Humans ,Fibromatosis, Gingival ,Gingival Hypertrophy - Published
- 1992
23. P-02 Growth hormone induces chemoresistance in breast cancer cells
- Author
-
Maria Rosaria Ambrosio, E. C. Degli Uberti, Stefania Leoni, M.C. Zatelli, Mattia Buratto, Federico Tagliati, Erica Gentilin, G. De Paola, and Mariella Minoia
- Subjects
Oncology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Endocrinology ,business.industry ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Breast cancer cells ,Growth hormone ,business - Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. OR1,3 GH deficiency may impair cognitive and functional recovery after stroke
- Author
-
Nino Basaglia, Anna Carli, F. Cimenti, M. Cosma, M.C. Zatelli, G. De Paola, Marta Bondanelli, Maria Rosaria Ambrosio, and E. C. Degli Uberti
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Endocrinology ,Physical medicine and rehabilitation ,business.industry ,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism ,medicine ,Cognition ,business ,medicine.disease ,Functional recovery ,Stroke ,GH Deficiency - Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. P-042 Long chain N-3 fatty acids do not improve heart rate variability in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- Author
-
G. Iannucci, L. Maresca, A. De Vincenzi, G. De Paola, G. De Santis, C. Siclari, F. Di Maio, and G Baciarello
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation ,business.industry ,Physiology (medical) ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Cardiology ,Heart rate variability ,N-3 fatty acids ,In patient ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,business ,Long chain - Published
- 2003
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Second-Order Conditional Moment Closure Simulations of Autoignition of an n-heptane Plume in a Turbulent Coflow of Heated Air.
- Author
-
G. De Paola, I. Kim, and E. Mastorakos
- Abstract
Abstract Autoignition of an n-heptane plume in a turbulent coflow of heated air has been studied using the conditional moment closure (CMC) method with a second-order closure for the conditional chemical source term. Two different methodologies have been considered: (i) the Taylor expansion method, in which the second order correction was based on the solution of the full covariance matrix for the 31 reactive species in the chemical mechanism and hence was not limited to a few selected reactions, and (ii) the conditional PDF method, in which only the temperature conditional variance equation has been solved and its PDF assumed to be a β-function. The results compare favorably with experiment in terms of autoignition location. The structure of the reaction zone in mixture fraction space has been explored. The relative performance of the two methodologies is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. Prosthetic Management
- Author
-
John Beumer, Louis G. De Paola, and Robert J. Leupold
- Published
- 1986
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. [Rectosigmoidoscopic aspects of various helminth infections]
- Author
-
G, DE PAOLA and G, MASTRANDREA
- Subjects
Colon ,Helminths ,Helminthiasis ,Rectum ,Humans ,Sigmoidoscopy - Published
- 1955
29. Light scattering methods to test inorganic PCMs for application in buildings.
- Author
-
M G De Paola, V Calabrò, and M De Simone
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on cocaine addiction: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
- Author
-
Amerio A, Baccino C, Breda GS, Cortesi D, Spiezio V, Magnani L, De Berardis D, Conio B, Costanza A, De Paola G, Rocca G, Arduino G, Aguglia A, Amore M, and Serafini G
- Subjects
- Humans, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Prefrontal Cortex physiology, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Craving physiology, Treatment Outcome, Cocaine-Related Disorders therapy, Cocaine, Substance-Related Disorders etiology
- Abstract
Objective: While pharmacological strategies appear to be ineffective in treating long-term addiction, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is emerging as a promising new tool for the attenuation of craving among multiple substance dependent populations., Method: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted on the efficacy and tolerability of rTMS in treating cocaine use disorder (CUD). Relevant papers published in English through November 30
th 2022 were identified, searching the electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library., Results: Eight studies matched inclusion criteria. The best findings were reported by the RCTs conducted at high-frequency (≥5 Hz) multiple sessions of rTMS delivered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC): a significant decrease in self-reported cue-induced cocaine craving and lower cocaine craving scores and a considerable amelioration in the tendency to act rashly under extreme negative emotions (impulsivity) were found in the active group compared to controls., Conclusion: Although still scant and heterogeneous, the strongest evidence so far on the use of rTMS on individuals with CUD support the high frequency stimulation over the left DLPFC as a well tolerated treatment of cocaine craving and impulsivity., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Each author declares that he or she has no commercial associations (e.g. consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangement etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Anatomo-functional outcomes of the laparoscopic Frykman-Goldberg procedure for rectal prolapse in a tertiary referral centre.
- Author
-
Gallo G, Trompetto M, Realis Luc A, Novelli E, De Paola G, Clerico G, and Sammarco G
- Subjects
- Humans, Middle Aged, Rectum, Recurrence, Tertiary Care Centers, Treatment Outcome, Fecal Incontinence, Laparoscopy, Rectal Prolapse surgery
- Abstract
Rectal prolapse is a common disorder that represents a burden for patients due to the associated symptoms that may include both incontinence and constipation. Currently, a huge variation in techniques exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomo-functional results of the laparoscopic Frykman-Goldberg procedure (LFGP) for the treatment of both internal (IRP) and complete rectal prolapse (CRP). Between July 2004 and October 2019, 45 patients with IRP and CRP underwent a LFGP. The Cleveland Clinic Constipation Score (CCCS), Obstructed Defecation Syndrome Score (ODSS) and Vaizey Score (VS) were assessed preoperatively, 3 months before the procedure, 12 months after the procedures and at the final follow-up visit. The patients' mean age was 51.4 ± 17.9 (15-93) years, and the mean follow-up was 9.24 ± 4.57 (1.6-16.3) years. The VS, CCCS and ODSS significantly improved (p = 0.008; p < 0.001; p < 0.001) from median preoperative values of 3, 20 and 18 to 2, 6 and 5, respectively. Furthermore, the improvements in scores during follow-up remained constant and significant over time when considering the two groups separately (time effect for ODSS p < 0.001, for VS p = 0.026, for CCCS p < 0.001) and when the patients were divided by age (< 40, 41-60 and > 60; p < 0.001). The overall complication rate was 8.9% (4/45), and no intraoperative complications or anastomotic leakage occurred. Conversion to the open approach was not necessary in any case. The overall success rate was 97.7%, and only one recurrence in the IRP group occurred after 14 months. LRGP can be considered a safe, effective and long-lasting procedure in young patients with IRP or CRP, a history of ODS and a redundant sigmoid colon., (© 2021. Italian Society of Surgery (SIC).)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Endoscopic Pilonidal Sinus Treatment: A Tertiary Care Academic Center Experience.
- Author
-
Gallo G, Carpino A, De Paola G, Fulginiti S, Novelli E, Ferrari F, and Sammarco G
- Abstract
Background: Pilonidal disease (PD) represents one of the most common proctological diseases in young adults. Although several approaches to treating PD have been described, there is still a lack of agreement on which is the best. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term efficacy of endoscopic pilonidal sinus treatment (EPSiT) at a tertiary care academic center. Methods: Between June 2017 and January 2021, a total of 32 patients [12 women (37.5%) and 20 men (62.5%)] with a mean age of 29.22 ± 12.98 years were treated with EPSiT. Pre- and post-operative symptoms were assessed with a score of 0-5. Success was defined as the absence of any subjective symptoms, as well as by complete post-operative wound healing. Results: Most of the patients had a midline external opening (17/32; 53.1%), with a mean number of external openings of 2.41 (1-4) ± 1.04. The median post-operative pain score was 0, and the mean follow-up period was 22 (4-42) ± 11.49 months. The time to wound healing was reduced in patients with one opening (28.14 ± 4.06 days) compared to patients with two or more openings (33.64 ± 7.3 days) ( p = 0.067). The mean operative time was longer in patients who subsequently had a recurrence (41.75 ± 6.24 vs. 34.18 ± 6.24 min; p = 0.031). The overall success rate was 87.5% (28/32), and the mean time to recurrence was 3.25 (2-5) ± 1.26 months. Conclusions: EPSiT represents a viable option for the treatment of PD. More evidence and a longer follow-up period are needed to validate the results., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Gallo, Carpino, De Paola, Fulginiti, Novelli, Ferrari and Sammarco.)
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Therapeutic Targets and Tumor Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer.
- Author
-
Gallo G, Vescio G, De Paola G, and Sammarco G
- Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a genetically, anatomically, and transcriptionally heterogeneous disease. The prognosis for a CRC patient depends on the stage of the tumor at diagnosis and widely differs accordingly. The tumor microenvironment (TME) in CRC is an important factor affecting targeted cancer therapy. The TME has a dynamic composition including various cell types, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor-associated macrophages, regulatory T cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, as well as extracellular factors that surround cancer cells and have functional and structural roles under physiological and pathological conditions. Moreover, the TME can limit the efficacy of therapeutic agents through high interstitial pressure, fibrosis, and the degradation of the therapeutic agents by enzymatic activity. For this reason, the TME is a fertile ground for the discovery of new drugs. The aim of this narrative review is to present current knowledge and future perspectives regarding the TME composition based on strategies for patients with CRC.
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Short-Term Outcomes of Polycarbophil and Propionibacterium acnes Lysate Gel after Open Hemorrhoidectomy: A Prospective Cohort Study.
- Author
-
Gallo G, Grossi U, Di Tanna GL, Santoro GA, De Paola G, Clerico G, Realis Luc A, Trompetto M, and Sammarco G
- Abstract
Background: Pain is the most common complication after open excisional hemorrhoidectomy (OEH). We assessed the effectiveness of polycarbophil and Propionibacterium acnes lysate gel (Emorsan
® Gel) on pain control after OEH., Research Design and Methods: Fifty consecutive patients undergoing OEH were included. All patients received stool softeners and oral analgesia in the post-operative period. Emorsan® Gel was also used topically by the last 25 patients (Emorsan® Gel group (EG)) until Post-Operative Day 20 (POD 20). The primary outcome was the effectiveness of Emorsan® Gel on pain relief using an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS). Morbidity, wound healing (WH), and time to work were documented at POD 1, POD 10, POD 20, and POD 40., Results: Of the 50 patients enrolled, twenty-eight (56%) were males; median age, 49 (range, 28-73) years. The VAS score decreased over time in all patients, with significantly lower scores at POD 20 in the EG (1.44 (SD, 1.16) vs. 2.12 (0.93) in the control group (CG); p = 0.045). All patients in the EG achieved complete WH at last follow-up, compared to only 17 (68%) in the CG ( p = 0.004). The likelihood of WH was 66% higher in the EG (OR, 1.66 [95%CI, 0.80-3.44; p = 0.172)., Conclusions: Emorsan® Gel is safe and effective at reducing pain after EOH, promoting earlier WH compared to standard care treatment.- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy in the Management of Perianal Fistulas in Crohn's Disease: An Up-To-Date Review.
- Author
-
Gallo G, Tiesi V, Fulginiti S, De Paola G, Vescio G, and Sammarco G
- Subjects
- Humans, Quality of Life, Treatment Outcome, Crohn Disease complications, Crohn Disease therapy, Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation, Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Rectal Fistula etiology, Rectal Fistula surgery
- Abstract
Crohn's Disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder that potentially involves the entire gastrointestinal tract. Perianal fistulizing CD (pCD) is a serious and frequent complication associated with significant morbidities and a heavy negative impact on quality of life. The aim of CD treatment is to induce and maintain disease remission and to promote mucosal repair. Unfortunately, even the best therapeutic regimens in pCD do not have long-term efficacy and cause a significant number of side effects. Therefore, it is mandatory to study new therapeutical options such as the use of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). These cells promote tissue repair via the induction of immunomodulation. The present review aims to analyze the existing updated scientific literature on MSCs adoption in the treatment of pCD to evaluate its efficacy and safety and to compare the use of bone marrow and adipose tissue derived MSCs, type of administration, and dose required for recovery.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Mast Cells, microRNAs and Others: The Role of Translational Research on Colorectal Cancer in the Forthcoming Era of Precision Medicine.
- Author
-
Sammarco G, Gallo G, Vescio G, Picciariello A, De Paola G, Trompetto M, Currò G, and Ammendola M
- Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease, molecularly and anatomically, that develops in a multi-step process requiring the accumulation of several genetic or epigenetic mutations that lead to the gradual transformation of normal mucosa into cancer. In fact, tumorigenesis is extremely complex, with many immunologic and non-immunologic factors present in the tumor microenvironment that can influence tumorigenesis. In the last few years, a role for mast cells (MCs), microRNAs (miRNAs), Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) and v-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homologue B (BRAF) in cancer development and progression has been suggested, and numerous efforts have been made to thoroughly assess their correlation with CRC to improve patient survival and quality of life. The identification of easily measurable, non-invasive and cost-effective biomarkers, the so-called "ideal biomarkers", for CRC screening and treatment remains a high priority. The aim of this review is to discuss the emerging role of mast cells (MCs), microRNAs (miRNAs), KRAS and BRAF as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for CRC, evaluating their influence as potential therapy targets in the forthcoming era of precision medicine.
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Histological study of atraumatic periprosthetic fractures: does atypical periprosthetic fracture exist?
- Author
-
Bottai V, De Paola G, Celli F, Lazzerini I, Ortenzi V, Naccarato AG, Guido G, Capanna R, and Giannotti S
- Abstract
Purpose: Is it possible a correlation between some periprosthetic femoral fractures and atypical fractures?, Case: We present a case of a 77-year-old woman with atypical periprosthetic femoral fracture. The patient had a history of long-term bisphosphonate use. We performed an open reduction, a synthesis of the fracture and a histological exam. The patient stopped the bisphosphonate (BF) therapy. Three months later, before starting the teriparatide treatment, the patient had a re-fracture so we did a second osteosynthesis and began a teriparatide therapy. After six months, the radiography showed a bone healing at the fracture site., Result: The histological examination confirmed the diagnosis of atypical femoral fracture., Conclusion: At first, the fracture showed a delayed union which led to a new surgery, as often happens in BF-related atypical fractures. Appropriate treatment (BF suspension and teriparatide beginning) permitted fracture healing. The atypical characteristic of the fracture was confirmed by histological exam.Some periprosthetic femoral fractures in patients treated with BF, especially in long time therapies, should be suspected as atypical fractures and a specific medical treatment should be performed, as well as a correct surgical treatment., Competing Interests: Disclosure The Authors declare no conflict of interest. No financial support was received for this study. Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report and accompanying images.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Underdiagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in patients with fragility fractures: retrospective analysis of over 300 patients.
- Author
-
Bottai V, Giannotti S, Raffaetà G, Mazzantini M, Casella F, De Paola G, Menconi A, Falossi F, and Guido G
- Abstract
Osteoporosis (OP) is a silent disease unless a fracture occurs; it is a major health problem, mainly due to fragility fractures, that occur at vertebral and peripheral sites. Vertebral fractures (VF) are probably the most common fragility fractures, but they go often unrecognized. The main clinical symptoms of VF are acute and chronic back pain, spinal deformity, reduced mobility and impaired quality of life. They are frequently associated with other fragility fractures. We examined 478 patients at our outpatient clinic, who were referred for fragility fracture occurrence. The most common fragility fractures was hip fractures. However, after execution of spine X-rays in patients who had sustained hip fracture, we found that a large proportion of them had VF, which had not been reported in their medical history.
- Published
- 2016
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Three-dimensional parametric mapping in quantitative micro-CT imaging of post-surgery femoral head-neck samples: preliminary results.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Panetta D, De Paola G, Tripodi M, Citarelli C, Dell'Osso G, Lazzerini I, Salvadori PA, and Guido G
- Abstract
Osteoporosis and pathological increased occurrence of fractures are an important public health problem. They may affect patients' quality of life and even increase mortality of osteoporotic patients, and consequently represent a heavy economic burden for national healthcare systems. The adoption of simple and inexpensive methods for mass screening of population at risk may be the key for an effective prevention. The current clinical standards of diagnosing osteoporosis and assessing the risk of an osteoporotic bone fracture include dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative computed tomography (QCT) for the measurement of bone mineral density (BMD). Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) is a tomographic imaging technique with very high resolution allowing direct quantification of cancellous bone microarchitecture. The Authors performed micro-CT analysis of the femoral heads harvested from 8 patients who have undergone surgery for hip replacement for primary and secondary degenerative disease to identify possible new morphometric parameters based on the analysis of the distribution of intra-subject microarchitectural parameters through the creation of parametric images. Our results show that the micro-architectural metrics commonly used may not be sufficient for the realistic assessment of bone microarchitecture of the femoral head in patients with hip osteoarthritis. The innovative micro-CT approach considers the entire femoral head in its physiological shape with all its components like cartilage, cortical layer and trabecular region. The future use of these methods for a more detailed study of the reaction of trabecular bone for the internal fixation or prostheses would be desirable.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. Mirroring the self: testing neurophysiological correlates of disturbed self-experience in schizophrenia spectrum.
- Author
-
Sestito M, Raballo A, Umiltà MA, Leuci E, Tonna M, Fortunati R, De Paola G, Amore M, Maggini C, and Gallese V
- Subjects
- Adult, Electromyography, Emotions, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Phenotype, Schizophrenia diagnosis, Affective Symptoms physiopathology, Affective Symptoms psychology, Ego, Mirror Neurons, Schizophrenia physiopathology, Schizophrenic Psychology
- Abstract
Background: Self-disorders (SDs) have been described as a core schizophrenia spectrum vulnerability phenotype, both in classic and contemporary psychopathological literature. However, such a core phenotype has not yet been investigated adopting a trans-domain approach that combines the phenomenological and the neurophysiological levels of analysis. The aim of this study is to investigate the relation between SDs and subtle, schizophrenia-specific impairments of emotional resonance that are supposed to reflect abnormalities in the mirror neurons mechanism. Specifically, we tested whether electromyographic response to emotional stimuli (i.e. a proxy for subtle changes in facial mimicry and related motor resonance mechanisms) would predict the occurrence of anomalous subjective experiences (i.e. SDs)., Sampling and Methods: Eighteen schizophrenia spectrum (SzSp) patients underwent a comprehensive psychopathological examination and were contextually tested with a multimodal paradigm, recording facial electromyographic activity of muscles in response to positive and negative emotional stimuli. Experiential anomalies were explored with the Bonn Scale for the Assessment of Basic Symptoms (BSABS) and then condensed into rational subscales mapping SzSp anomalous self-experiences., Results: SzSp patients showed an imbalance in emotional motor resonance with a selective bias toward negative stimuli, as well as a multisensory integration impairment. Multiple regression analysis showed that electromyographic facial reactions in response to negative stimuli presented in auditory modality specifically and strongly correlated with SD subscore., Conclusions: The study confirms the potential of SDs as target phenotype for neurobiological research and encourages research into disturbed motor/emotional resonance as possible body-level correlate of disturbed subjective experiences in SzSp.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. The hip prosthesis in lateral femur fracture: current concepts and surgical technique.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Dell'Osso G, De Paola G, Bugelli G, and Guido G
- Abstract
The third proximal femur fractures are divided into medial and lateral ones. For medial fractures already exists unanimity of thought for the choice of treatment that involves the prosthetic replacement of the hip joint in patients over 60 without indications to the synthesis. Regarding the lateral femur fractures this unanimity does not exist yet even if the majority of surgeons practice treatment with osteosynthesis. We want to highlight if there are any types of lateral fractures associated with patient's clinical condition in which it might be more useful to a prosthetic replacement with the aim of being able to allow a total load and earlier deambulation, reducing complications related to a possible patient immobilization.
- Published
- 2014
42. Atypical femoral fractures: retrospective radiological study of 319 femoral fractures and presentation of clinical cases.
- Author
-
Bottai V, Giannotti S, Dell'osso G, De Paola G, Menconi A, Falossi F, Raffaetà G, and Guido G
- Subjects
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Bone Density Conservation Agents adverse effects, Bone Density Conservation Agents therapeutic use, Diphosphonates adverse effects, Diphosphonates therapeutic use, Female, Femoral Fractures chemically induced, Femoral Fractures surgery, Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary methods, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Osteoporosis drug therapy, Radiography, Retrospective Studies, Femoral Fractures diagnostic imaging
- Abstract
Summary: There is still no clarity on the etiology and epidemiology of atypical femoral fractures. The purpose is to show, after a radiological review, that the incidence of atypical fractures is higher than that reported in the literature when compared to "typical" fractures that occurred in the same anatomical site., Introduction: At present, it is difficult to define the true incidence of atypical fractures associated with bisphosphonate. Our purpose is to show that the incidence of atypical fractures is higher than that reported in the literature when compared to "typical" fractures that occurred in the same anatomical site., Methods: The authors analyzed 319 femoral fracture Rxs of patients over 60 who have had access to the PS of Clinical Orthopaedics and Traumatology II of the University of Pisa from January 2011 to February 2013. The atypical fractures have been investigated from clinical point of view, biohumoral exams, densitometry and contralateral femur X-rays, and in one case using SPECT-Tc., Results: The total number of femoral fractures was 319. The medial femur fractures were 60 (46 females and 14 males), and the lateral ones were 316 (237 females and 79 males). Subtrochanteric and diaphyseal fractures were 40 (29 females and 11 males). Among these cases, two atypical fracture cases were related to female patients, one was 79 years old and the other was 77., Conclusions: The most recent literature reports that the incidence of atypical fractures is 0.6 %. However, taking into consideration only the fracture locations suitable for the identification of atypical fractures, the percentage rises to 5 %. To date, there is still no clarity on the exact etiology of fractures even if it seems to be related to a bone mineral component alteration.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Atrophic femoral nonunion successfully treated with teriparatide.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Dell'Osso G, de Paola G, Pini E, and Guido G
- Subjects
- Aged, 80 and over, Atrophy diagnostic imaging, Atrophy drug therapy, Female, Femoral Fractures diagnostic imaging, Fracture Fixation, Internal, Fractures, Ununited diagnostic imaging, Humans, Periprosthetic Fractures diagnostic imaging, Periprosthetic Fractures drug therapy, Radiography, Bone Density Conservation Agents therapeutic use, Femoral Fractures drug therapy, Femur pathology, Fractures, Ununited drug therapy, Teriparatide therapeutic use
- Abstract
Teriparatide is a synthetic polypeptide hormone that contains the 1-34 aminoacid fragment of the recombinant human parathyroid hormone. It has been approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at high risk for sustaining a fragility fracture. It has been shown that teriparatide also accelerates fracture healing by improving the biomechanical properties of the fracture callus, increasing endochondral ossification and bone remodeling in animal models. This effect has been observed in several case reports. Fracture healing disorders negatively affect the patient's quality of life and result in high healthcare costs, as a second surgery is required to stabilize the fracture and stimulate bone biology. Future biotechnologies that accelerate fracture healing may be useful tools. We present a case report of delayed union of a femoral fracture treated with teriparatide. She was diagnosed with right distal metaphyseal femoral fracture on total knee arthroplasty. She underwent surgery at our center consisting of ORIF with lateral femoral locking plate in October 2011. Radiologic controls at 5 and 7 months did not show any signs of healing. After 2 months of treatment with teriparatide, the X-ray showed the presence of bone bridges and a decreased gap between fragments and a different aspect of neoformed bone. After 3 months of treatment, healing was complete. Our case report seems to confirm the possible effect of TPTD as bone induction through a more rapid healing of fractures. The TPTD could have a potentially important role in treating some forms of nonunion and delay in consolidation. Thus, one could hypothesize the possibility of a medical treatment with TPTD both as a preventive way and also as a support to the synthesis in high risk of nonunion fractures and complexed fractures in osteoporotic bone.
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Facial reactions in response to dynamic emotional stimuli in different modalities in patients suffering from schizophrenia: a behavioral and EMG study.
- Author
-
Sestito M, Umiltà MA, De Paola G, Fortunati R, Raballo A, Leuci E, Maffei S, Tonna M, Amore M, Maggini C, and Gallese V
- Abstract
Emotional facial expression is an important low-level mechanism contributing to the experience of empathy, thereby lying at the core of social interaction. Schizophrenia is associated with pervasive social cognitive impairments, including emotional processing of facial expressions. In this study we test a novel paradigm in order to investigate the evaluation of the emotional content of perceived emotions presented through dynamic expressive stimuli, facial mimicry evoked by the same stimuli, and their functional relation. Fifteen healthy controls and 15 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were presented with stimuli portraying positive (laugh), negative (cry) and neutral (control) emotional stimuli in visual, auditory modalities in isolation, and congruently or incongruently associated. Participants where requested to recognize and quantitatively rate the emotional value of the perceived stimuli, while electromyographic activity of Corrugator and Zygomaticus muscles was recorded. All participants correctly judged the perceived emotional stimuli and prioritized the visual over the auditory modality in identifying the emotion when they were incongruently associated (Audio-Visual Incongruent condition). The neutral emotional stimuli did not evoke any muscle responses and were judged by all participants as emotionally neutral. Control group responded with rapid and congruent mimicry to emotional stimuli, and in Incongruent condition muscle responses were driven by what participants saw rather than by what they heard. Patient group showed a similar pattern only with respect to negative stimuli, whereas showed a lack of or a non-specific Zygomaticus response when positive stimuli were presented. Finally, we found that only patients with reduced facial mimicry (Internalizers) judged both positive and negative emotions as significantly more neutral than controls. The relevance of these findings for studying emotional deficits in schizophrenia is discussed.
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Current medical treatment strategies concerning fracture healing.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Dell'osso G, Pini E, De Paola G, Bugelli G, and Guido G
- Abstract
The morbidity and socioeconomic costs associated with bone healing are considerable. A number of fractures are complicated by impaired healing. This is prevalent in certain risk groups such as elderly, osteoporotics, post-menopausal women, and in people with malnutrition. The biologic process of fracture healing is complex and impacted by multiple factors. Some of them, such as the nutritional and health conditions, are patient-dependent, while others depend on the trauma experienced and stability of the fracture. Fracture healing disorders negatively affect the patient's quality of life and result in high health-care costs, as a second surgery is required to stabilize the fracture and stimulate bone biology. Future biotechnologies that accelerate fracture healing may be useful tools, which might also prevent the onset of these disorders. We list the characteristics of the drugs used for osteoporosis, but we point out in particular the use of strontium ranelate and teriparatide in our clinical practice in elderly patients, especially females, who reported fractures with risk of nonunion. This medical treatment could impaired fracture healing however, most of the evidence is obtained in animal studies and very few studies have been done in humans. Thus one could hypothesize the possibility of a medical treatment both as a preventive and as support to the synthesis. However, no clinical studies are available so far, and such studies are warranted before any conclusions can be drawn. A positive effect of osteoporosis treatments on bone healing is an interesting possibility and merits further clinical research.
- Published
- 2013
46. Disuse osteoporosis of the upper limb: assessment of thirty patients.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Dell'osso G, De Paola G, Bugelli G, Pini E, and Guido G
- Abstract
Osteoporosis is a multifactorial skeletal disorder characterized by the decrease of bone mass and the alteration of bone microarchitecture that leads to the increase of fracture risks. Traditionally, osteoporosis has been classified into primary and secondary osteoporosis. Primary osteoporosis refers to osteoporotic conditions which are not related to other chronic illnesses and is usually associated with aging and decreased gonadal function, such as decreased level of estrogen, whereas secondary osteoporosis is the type of osteoporosis caused by other health problems. Disuse is one of the many reasons inducing bone loss and resulting in secondary osteoporosis. The disuse osteoporosis appeared for the first time in the literature in 1974 when Minaire reported some histomorphometric analysis of iliac crest bone biopsies performed after a spinal cord injury. The most common skeleton sites in which disuse osteoporosis can be observed are knees and ankles. THERE ARE THREE CLINICAL SITUATION IN WHICH THIS DISEASE CAN BE OBSERVED: neurological or muscular disease that causes a pathological and prolonged immobilization. The most frequent is caused by a spinal cord injury, long term bed rest or space flight that causes the immobilization linked to changes in mechanical environment and experimental immobilizations in healthy subjects. Physical exercise is essential for increasing or maintaining bone mass and strength. In our study we wondered if the disuse of the upper limbs of a certain entity, lasting for a long time, can cause a decrease in BMD quantifiable with a densitometric evaluation of the distal radius and with an evaluation of the humeral cortical index such as to define a real osteoporosis from disuse. We analyzed 30 female patients without secondary osteoporosis older than 60 years: everyone underwent to vit D evaluation, densitometric exams of spine, hip and distal radius, Constant score and femoral and humeral cortical index evaluation. We observed that the distal radius BMD and humeral cortical index were worse in patients with low upper limb functionality than in patients with normal shoulder function. The results of this study suggest that humeral cortical index and radial BMD can be useful methods of upper limb bone density evaluation and that they can be useful to select a correct surgical treatment in orthopaedic and traumatologic diseases.
- Published
- 2013
47. Clinical and surgical approach of severe bone fragility fracture: clinical case of 4 fragility fracture in patient with heavy osteoporosis.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Pini E, Dell'osso G, De Paola G, and Guido G
- Abstract
An accurate diagnosis of osteoporosis and a proper treatment are today recognized to be the most important facts for prevention and for a correct arrangement and treatment of fragility fractures. In the text the Authors describe a case of severe osteoporosis aggravated by 2 femur fractures and 2 periprosthetic fractures occurred in 2 months. In such cases the orthopaedic surgeon needs to formulate first a clinical osteoporotic pattern, than its treatment together with a surgery suitable choice, that has to take into consideration of the bone structural characteristics. In the case described one can note that fractures healing occurred thanks to both an improvement in surgical techniques and antiosteoporotic pharmacological support; in the specific case the Authors used strontium ranelate for its osteoinductive capacity. In our opinion is crucial that the treatment used by orthopaedic surgeons is not related only to the "by-hand" treatment but take into consideration both the underlying disease and the possibility of positively affect bone healing with specific drug therapy.
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Humeral bone fragility in patients with shoulder prosthesis: a case of humeral periprosthetic refracture.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Dell'osso G, Donati D, Bugelli G, De Paola G, and Guido G
- Abstract
In recent decades there has been an increase in upper limb prosthetic surgery, primarily for the shoulder, for osteoarthritis disease and for traumatic pathology. It is occurring in parallel an increase in periprosthetic fractures of the humerus, although with less impact than other anatomical districts such as the hip.We report a case of humeral periprosthetic refracture in a 66-years-old female patient.The humerus bone quality is worse than in other districts in patient of the same age.The fragility humerus fracture are increasing, affecting relatively younger individuals than those with femoral neck fractures and represent an independent risk factor for the occurrence of subsequent fractures.Actually humeral BMD is underestimated by traditional densitometric evaluation techniques.
- Published
- 2012
49. Indices of risk assessment of fracture of the proximal humerus.
- Author
-
Giannotti S, Bottai V, Dell'osso G, Donati D, Bugelli G, De Paola G, and Guido G
- Abstract
Osteoporotic fractures are now a social problem for incidence and costs. Fractures of the proximal humerus events are frequent and constantly increasing. It is estimated that they are 20% of all osteoporotic fractures. Bone densitometry in most cases underestimates the real humeral bone density.There is little information about osteoporotic changes in the proximal humerus and their association with the cortical thickness of the humeral shaft. The ratio between the thickness of the cortical and the total diameter of the humeral diaphysis is the cortical index. Fracture risk limit value is 0.231. Convinced of the need to quantify in a reproducible way the real local humerus bone density, we performed a comparative evaluation of bone density of the humerus and femur in patients admitted to our clinic for fractures of the humerus and femur.We evaluated 28 women treated surgically for a fragility fracture of the proximal humerus or femur neck in 2010. All cortical index obtained were lower than the limit for fracture risk set at 0.231, so the IC was more predictive of neck medial fractures of the femur than had DEXA and the U.S. The information about the cortical index may provide a simple way of determining the bone quality of the proximal humerus and of facilitating decision-making in the surgical treatment of patients with fractures of the humerus. So we want to emphasize the importance of therapy for osteoporosis even in patients with fractures of the proximal humerus, which often have not critical densitometric values of femur or column, but they are at risk of new fractures.
- Published
- 2012
50. A practical method for the estimation of therapeutic activity in the treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism.
- Author
-
Panareo S, Rossi R, Fabbri S, De Paola G, Candini GC, Feggi L, and Degli Uberti E
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Radiotherapy Dosage, Young Adult, Graves Disease radiotherapy, Iodine Radioisotopes therapeutic use
- Abstract
Aim: To test the efficacy of a practical method which allows the calculation of personalized activity in Graves' disease., Methods: The method is based on International Commission of Radiological Protection (ICRP) 53 data. The model allows the prediction of the activity administered in order to release 300 Gy to the thyroid, once its iodine uptake and mass are known. We applied it to 289 patients investigated by clinical examination, biochemical assessment and neck ultrasonography. The method was applied considering the thyroid 131I uptake and the ultrasound mass. The patients were followed by check of TSH, FT3, FT4 and clinical examination. Finally, we evaluated the difference between our dosimetric method and the hypothetic administration of a fix amount of 131I (185, 370 and 600 Mbq respectively) in term of adsorbed dose., Results: The average activity administered was 403.3+92.5 MBq with an average dose released to thyroid of 304.9+24.8 Gy. From a statistical point of view the administration of standard activities (185 and 600 MBq) would represent respectively a wrong estimate of the optimal dose (meanly 140.8+44.7 Gy and 473.6+142.6 Gy respectively). The administration of a standard activity (370 MBq) would release a dose close to that prescribed (291.2 Gy) with a standard deviation (86.9 Gy), which is considerably higher than the one obtained with the dosimetric model (24.8 Gy). Twenty four months after radioiodine treatment, 57.8% of patients presented hypothyroidism, 23.2% euthyroidism and 19% of hyperthyroidism. The overall therapeutic efficiency was of 81%., Conclusion: The dosimetric method based on IRCP 53 data, is effective in controlling Graves' hyperthyroidism. Advantages in adopting this method are: dose optimization to patient, easy implementation in the clinical practice, low budget impact.
- Published
- 2011
Catalog
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.