We identify DU as a possible novel risk factor for BNC formation after radical prostatectomy that may contribute to its development.

In order to evaluate the influence of temperature on biochemical and hematological parameters in two different farmed fish, the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758) and the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus, 1758), blood samples were collected from a total of 60 specimens of each species, reared in Sicily, in the cold (February, mean temperature 13.40 °C) and warm seasons (October, mean temperature 23.20 °C). Biochemical (glucose, lactate, cholesterol, triglycerides and total protein) and hematological (red blood cell RBC, hemoglobin concentration Hgb, hematoctit Hct, mean corpuscular volume MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin MCH and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration MCHC) parameters were evaluated. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed for glucose, lactate, triglycerides, cholesterol, total protein and RBC, Hgb, Hct, MCV, and MCH. This information could be useful for optimization of the husbandry practices in land-based aquaculture, and provide useful information for monitoring changes in the health status of fish.

RF-assisted liver resection is a safe and feasible procedure associated with lower morbidity and hospital mortality rates even in case of liver cirrhosis.

BackgroundCerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are vascular anomalies of the nervous system mostly located in the brain presenting sporadically or familial.Causes of familial forms are mutations in CCM1 (Krit1), CCM2 (MGC4607) and CCM3 (PDCD10) genes. Sporadic forms with no affected relative most often have only one lesion and no germ line mutations. However, a number of sporadic cases with multiple lesions have been reported and are indeed genetic cases with a de novo mutation or a mutation inherited from an asymptomatic parent.MethodsHere, we performed an analysis of regulatory region of CCM genes in 60 sporadic patients, negative for mutations in coding region and intron-exon boundaries and large deletion/duplications in CCM genes by direct sequencing and MLPA. Among 5 variants identified in 851-bp region shared by CCM3 and SERPINI1 genes and acting as asymmetric bidirectional promoter, two polymorphisms c.-639 T > C/rs9853967 and c.-591 T > C/rs11714980 were selected. A case-control study was performed to analyze their possible relationships with sporadic CCMs. Promoter haplotypes activities on CCM3/SERPINI1 genes expression were tested by dual-luciferase assay.ResultsNo variants were identified in CCM1 and CCM2 regulatory regions. In CCM3/SERPINI1 asymmetric bidirectional promoter 5 variants, 2 of them unknown and 3 corresponding to polymorphisms c.-639 T > C/rs9853967, c.-591 T > C/rs11714980 and c.-359G > A/rs9834676 were detected. While rs9853967 and rs11714980 polymorphisms fall in a critical regulatory fragment outside the minimal promoter in intergenic region, other variants had no effects on transcription factor binding according to RegRNA tool. Case-control study performed on 60 patients and 350 healthy controls showed frequencies of the mutated alleles significantly higher in the control group than in patients. Furthermore, the functional assay showed a significant reduction of CCM3 expression for C-C haplotype even more than for T-C and C-T haplotypes. In SERPINI1 direction, the reduction was not statistically significant.ConclusionsOur data indicated that rs9853967 and rs11714980 polymorphisms could be associated with a protective role in CCM disease.

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BackgroundThe analysis of risk for the population residing and/or working in contaminated areas raises the topic of commuting. In fact, especially in contaminated areas, commuting groups are likely to be subject to lower exposure than residents. Only very recently environmental epidemiology has started considering the role of commuting as a differential source of exposure in contaminated areas. In order to improve the categorization of groups, this paper applies a gravitational model to the analysis of residential risk for workers in the Gela petrochemical complex, which began life in the early 60s in the municipality of Gela (Sicily, Italy) and is the main source of industrial pollution in the local area.ResultsA logistic regression model is implemented to measure the capacity of Gela "central location" to attract commuting flows from other sites. Drawing from gravity models, the proposed methodology: a) defines the probability of finding commuters from municipalities outside Gela as a function of the origin's "economic mass" and of its distance from each destination; b) establishes "commuting thresholds" relative to the origin's mass. The analysis includes 367 out of the 390 Sicilian municipalities. Results are applied to define "commuters" and "residents" within the cohort of petrochemical workers. The study population is composed of 5,627 workers. Different categories of residence in Gela are compared calculating Mortality Rate Ratios for lung cancer through a Poisson regression model, controlling for age and calendar period. The mobility model correctly classifies almost 90% of observations. Its application to the mortality analysis confirms a major risk for lung cancer associated with residence in Gela.ConclusionsCommuting is a critical aspect of the health-environment relationship in contaminated areas. The proposed methodology can be replicated to different contexts when residential information is lacking or unreliable; however, a careful consideration of the territorial characteristics ("insularity" and its impact on transportation time and costs, in our case) is suggested when specifying the area of application for the mobility analysis.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of a time limited psychodynamic therapy for a group of young adult patients in terms of outcome and process. The results register a favourable outcome that does not concern only the gravity of patients' initial symptoms<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>but the structural personality changes and attachment style too. In an exploratory perspective this study investigated the connection between the outcome of the treatment and therapeutic alliance measured by CALPAS-G into three different time intervals of therapy. A correlational analysis highlighted a relevant connection between the </span><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">Patient Commitment </span></em><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">scale</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-GB"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">assessed at the beginning and the final outcome of the therapy. </span><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">Working Strategy Consensus </span></em><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US">and <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Group Understanding and Involvement</em> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;" lang="EN-GB">assessed in the middle of the therapy course, show significant correlations with the final outcome of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>therapy.</span></span></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-US"></span></p>

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