bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MOTETTI, MADRIGALI ET CANZONE FRANCESE DE GIOVANNI BASSANO
Authors: Figueiredo Daniel
Published: October 2018

Este artigo tem como objetivo contextualizar e comentar o livro Motetti, madrigali et canzone francese de Giovanni Bassano, publicado em Veneza em 1591. A edição original do livro foi perdida durante a Segunda Guerra Mundial e conhece-se apenas uma cópia manuscrita de 1890, feita pelo musicólogo alemão Friedrich Chrysander. A obra é o segundo livro publicado por G. Bassano e um dos maiores livros de diminuições da época, na qual, ele apresenta cerca de cinquenta diminuições sobre uma ou duas vozes de peças a quatro, cinco e seis vozes, a maioria motetos de Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina e madrigais de Cipriano de Rore. Giovanni Bassano era cantor, compositor e cornetista, membro de uma famosa família de construtores de instrumentos, compositores e instrumentistas estabelecida em Londres e em Veneza, teve como seu tutor Girolamo Dalla Casa, a quem sucedeu no posto de diretor de música instrumental na Basílica de São Marcos.
Epicardial Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation Guided by a Novel High‐Resolution Contact Mapping System: A Multicenter Study
Authors: Shi Rui , Chen Zhong , Kontogeorgis Andrianos , Sacher Frederic , Della Bella Paolo , Bisceglia Caterina , Martin Ruairidh , Meyer Christian , Willems Stephan , Markides Vias , Maury Philippe , Wong Tom
Published: October 2018

Background

Mapping using a multipolar catheter with small and closely spaced electrodes has been shown to improve the validity of electrograms to identify endocardial critical sites of reentry isthmus and foci of earliest activation. However, the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcome of using such technology to guide epicardial ventricular tachycardia (VT) ablation has not been reported.

Methods and Results

Thirty‐three consecutive patients from 5 high‐volume centers were studied. These patients had 43 epicardial maps using a novel 64‐pole mini‐basket catheter to guide VT ablation. Activation maps with 17 832 points per map (interquartile range: 7621–32 497 points per map) were acquired in 11 patients with tolerated VT (7 focal, 4 reentry). Substrate maps with 40149 points per map (interquartile range: 20926–49391 points per map) were acquired in 30 patients. Local abnormal ventricular activities were consistently demonstrated at the substrate regions of interest. Epicardial ablation was performed in 31 of 33 patients, with acute VT termination in 10 of 11 patients (91%). Complete elimination of local abnormal ventricular activities was achieved in 25 of 31 patients. At a median follow‐up of 10 months (interquartile range: 4–14 months), 64% (7/11) of patients who had acute termination of VT and 55% (11/20) of those who had substrate modification alone were free of VT. There was no immediate complication following epicardial procedure.

Conclusions

Epicardial VT ablation guided by a mini‐basket catheter is feasible and safe. Complete reentry VT circuits and foci of earliest activation were identified in all inducible stable VT. The longer term clinical outcome of ablation guided by this novel mapping technology utilizing small and closely spaced electrodes will have to be determined with a larger study.
Long‐Term Survival Following Off‐Pump Coronary Surgery: Does Surgeon Experience Make a Difference?
Authors: Lazar Harold L.
Published: October 2018

See Article by
Gaudino et al
.
Hebrew Incunabula in Spanish Libraries: Recent Findings and Updated Census
Authors: Alfonso Esperanza , del Barco Javier
Published: October 2018

The authors report on the existence of three hitherto unknown copies of Hebrew incunabula printed in Soncino, provide a full description and discussion of a copy of an incunabulum from Leiria, and fragments of an incunabulum from Híjar, which they had previously identified, and offer an updated list of all the Hebrew incunabula extant in Spanish libraries and archives.
The Apollo–Soyuz Test Project: Construction of an Ideal Type of Science Diplomacy
Authors: Krasnyak Olga
Published: October 2018

The article explores the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) of 1975, the first joint US–USSR space flight, which was embedded in the wider political, ideological and cultural contexts of the Cold War. The ASTP can be viewed through the lens of science diplomacy (SD). The data, drawn from available sources and memoirs, highlights the phenomenological approach in people-to-people interaction to analyse paths, processes and timeline dependence in such cooperation. The Weberian model of generalization and the path dependency theory of constructing an ideal type were used as the study’s theoretical frameworks. An ideal type of SD is viewed not as universal, but as a heuristic device that can be contrasted and compared with other recognized cases of SD. The significance of utilizing an ideal type of SD is to maintain mechanisms and networks effectively between countries through science and technology-related joint projects when political relations are strained or limited.
Muwālāt and Apostasy in the Early Sokoto Caliphate
Authors: Kariya Kota
Published: October 2018

‘Uthmān b. Fūdī (d. 1817) launched a jihad in Hausaland in 1804 and was successful in establishing a strong polity known as the Sokoto Caliphate. During this jihad, the Sokoto leadership clashed not only with non-Muslims but also with those who had historically been recognized as Muslims, such as the inhabitants of Bornu, a state neighboring Hausaland. Islamic law does not, in principle, permit attacks on Muslims. Therefore, to justify the jihad, the hostile Muslims had to be branded unbelievers. For that, ‘Uthmān and his successor, Muḥammad Bello (d. 1837), developed and instituted a provision on apostasy based on the idea of muwālāt (friendship) with unbelievers. This stipulation emerged as a substantial regulation legalizing the violence committed by the Sokoto leaders on Muslims who were opposed to them both within and outside the early Caliphate.
Ideology and Architecture in the Portuguese ‘Estado Novo’: Cultural Innovation within a Para-Fascist State (1932–1945)
Authors: de Carvalho Rita Almeida
Published: October 2018

This article challenges the common assumption of the fascist nature of the Portuguese Estado Novo from the thirties to mid-forties, while recognizing the innovative, modernizing dynamic of much of its state architecture. It takes into account the prolix discourse of Oliveira Salazar, the head of government, as well as Duarte Pacheco’s extensive activity as minister of Public Works, and the positions and projects of the architects themselves. It also considers the allegedly peripheral status of architectural elites, and the role played by decision makers, whether politicians or bureaucrats, in the intricate process of architectural renewal. The article shows that a non-radical form of nationalism has always prevailed as a discourse in which to express the unique Portuguese spirit, that of a people that saw itself as transporting Christian morality and faith across the world, a civilizing role that the country continued to fulfil in its overseas colonies. Taking the architectural legacy of the Estado Novo in its complexity leads to the conclusion that, while the dictatorship did not dismiss modernization outright, and though it adopted what could be superficially considered fascist traits, the language of national resurgence disseminated by the Portuguese regime did not express a future-oriented fascist ideology of radical rebirth. The country’s futural orientation would be accomplished by adopting a restrained policy of moderate modernization that lacked the dynamism and utopian ambition of fascism, a conservatism reflected in its architecture.
The National Revolution Architecture: Rooted Modernism in the Spanish New State (1939–1959)
Authors: Domenech Daniel
Published: October 2018

Francoism was the product of the sum of all the heterogeneous forces of anti-liberal right, from the most radical fascists to Christian traditionalists even further to the conservative right than the Monarchists and the Carlists, and as a result their architectural response to the problem of rebuilding Spanish society following the Civil war could not be unitary either. Each school of thought, each situation to be solved, and each architect generated a different solution, and as a result we find a wide variety of architectural works in Francoist Spain. Rather than revisit the topics studied in multiple works since the seventies, this article will focus the research on typologies that have hardly received any attention, namely constructions of marked ideological and propagandistic character, such as the monolithic monuments dedicated to the Fallen, the reconstructions of ‘mythological’ places for the discourse of the first Francoism, and the production of monumental civic buildings, such as the Universities of Labor. The core issue to be resolved is whether some cultural discourses under Francoism constructed the new regime as pioneering a modernizing national revolution, rather than installing a reactionary counterrevolution, and whether the architectural works that resulted in fact present outstanding elements of modernity that had nothing to envy, in their physical scale, radicalism of design, and futural temporality, those of National Socialist Germany or Mussolini’s Italy. Such a kinship suggests that many buildings of right wing regimes, at least in Spain, in the first half of the twentieth century should be considered as belonging organically to the fascist era, even if the regimes that promoted or hosted them were not technically fascist in a strict political and ideological sense, a kinship expressed in their ‘rooted modernism’.
Beyond the Pale: Whiteness, Masculinity and Empire in the British Union of Fascists, 1932–1940
Authors: Liburd Liam J.
Published: October 2018

This article seeks to intervene in the debate over the legacy of the British Empire, using the British Union of Fascists (BUF) as a case-study. It will argue that, during the interwar period, the BUF drew heavily on earlier constructions of racialized imperial masculinity in building their ‘new fascist man’. The BUF stand out in the period following the First World War, where hegemonic constructions of British masculinity were altogether more domesticated. At the same time, colonial policymakers were increasingly relying on concessions, rather than force, to outmanoeuvre nationalists out in the Empire. For the BUF, this all smacked of effeminacy and they responded with a ‘new man’ based on the masculine values of the idealized imperial frontier. By transplanting these values from colony to metropole, they hoped to achieve their fascist rebirth of Britain and its Empire. This article charts the BUF’s construction of this imperial ‘new fascist man’ out the legacy of earlier imperialists, the canon of stories of imperial heroism, and the gendered hierarchies of colonial racism.
Richard Simon and the Remaking of Seventeenth-Century Biblical Criticism
Authors: Twining T.
Published: October 2018

This article presents a new interpretation of Richard Simon’s Histoire critique du Vieux Testament (1678). It argues that the initial prohibition of Simon’s work in 1678 has separated it from the debates and arguments that chiefly shaped its contents. It gives an account of the developments in seventeenth-century biblical criticism that preceded Simon’s work before offering a new account of the genesis and composition of the Histoire critique du Vieux Testament. Following this, it presents an examination--based in part on previously unexamined material drawn from Simon’s library--of three of the central and most innovative parts of Simon’s project: his definition of his approach as a ‘critical history’, his new history of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, and his novel use of manuscript material. The study concludes with a reconsideration of Simon’s work immediately following the Histoire critique du Vieux Testament’s prohibition, arguing that in a series of Latin works Simon attempted to use the methods and shared assumptions of seventeenth-century biblical criticism to justify his work to his contemporary scholars.
A Grave Reconciliation: The Establishment of German War Cemeteries in Normandy, 1944–1964
Authors: Buonaiuto Zoë Rose
Published: October 2018

After the Battle of Normandy, one of the primary concerns in the region was what to do with the bodies of the former occupiers: the German war dead. As the Allied graves registration units left Normandy, local French leaders were responsible for the care of German war graves until the German War Graves Commission (Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, VDK) took over maintenance responsibilities in the mid-1950s and officially inaugurated them as VDK sites in the early 1960s. This essay traces that transition and argues that in the period between 1944 and 1964 it was necessary for Normandy and greater France to assume the role of host to German war dead in perpetuity. The act of hosting German war dead on French soil smoothed the conditions necessary for Franco-German reconciliation in the second half of the 20th century.
Integrative taxonomy of the Amazonian red-sided opossum Monodelphis glirina (J.A. Wagner, 1842) (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae)
Authors: BEZERRA ALEXANDRA M. R. , CARAMASCHI FABIANA P. , BONVICINO CIBELE R. , CASTIGLIA RICCARDO
Published: October 2018

New records for Monodelphis glirina, a short-tailed opossum distributed throughout the Amazon region, from Humaitá, Amazonas state, and Confresa, Mato Grosso state, prompted new insights into the geographic distribution and genetic diversity of this species. One of the records extends the species range circa 350 km beyond the previous southeastern limit. Voucher specimens had their identification confirmed by morphological comparison with the holotype and corroborated by molecular data (mitochondrial gene Cytochrome b). Our analyses revealed an east-west geographic structure into two clades that could represent distinct species, M. glirina and M. maraxina. Furthermore, examination of the holotype brought to light that it was never formally linked with the voucher specimen collected by Johann Natterer.
Phylogeny and revision of Schraderiellus Rider, 1998 with the description of five new species (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae, Discocephalinae, Ochlerini)
Authors: ROELL TALITA , CAMPOS LUIZ ALEXANDRE
Published: October 2018

A cladistic analysis of Schraderiellus Rider, 1998 is provided in this study. Were used 60 morphological characters for 34 taxa, including the two known species of Schraderiellus and five new species in the ingroup, two species of Discocephalini and 24 species of Ochlerini in the outgroup, and Euschistus hansi Grazia, 1987 as root. The analysis was made using TNT through heuristic searches under implied weighting of characters. The analysis indicates the monophyly of Schraderiellus with seven valid species. Schraderiellus is redescribed, and five new species are described: S. brevicolis sp. nv., S. falcatus sp. nv., S. luridomaculatus sp. nv., S. luteipedis sp. nv. and S. rufilineatus sp. nv., and a key for the species is presented.
Insight into the Thermodynamic Structure of Blowing-Snow Layers in Antarctica from Dropsonde and CALIPSO Measurements
Authors: Palm Stephen P. , Yang Yuekui , Kayetha Vinay , Nicolas Julien P.
Published: October 2018

Blowing snow is a frequent and widespread phenomenon over most of Antarctica. The transport and sublimation of blowing snow are important for the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet, and the latter is a major contributor to the hydrological cycle in high-latitude regions. Although much is known about blowing snow from surface observations, knowledge of the thermodynamic structure of deep (>50 m) blowing-snow layers is lacking. Here, dropsonde measurements are used to investigate the temperature, moisture, and wind structure of deep blowing-snow layers over Antarctica. The temperature lapse rate within the blowing-snow layer is at times close to dry adiabatic and is on average between dry and moist adiabatic. Initiation of blowing snow causes the surface temperature to increase to a degree proportional to the depth of the blowing-snow layer. The relative humidity with respect to ice is generally largest near the surface (but less than 100%) and decreases with height, reaching a minimum near the top of the layer. These findings are at odds with the generally accepted theory that blowing-snow sublimation will cool and eventually saturate the layer. The observations support the conclusion that high levels of wind-shear-induced turbulence cause mixing and entrainment of warmer air from above the blowing-snow layer, which suppresses humidity and produces the observed well-mixed temperature structure within the layer. The results may have important consequences for understanding the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet and the moisture budget of the atmosphere in high latitudes.
Using Radar Reflectivity to Evaluate the Vertical Structure of Forecast Convection
Authors: Starzec Mariusz , Mullendore Gretchen L. , Kucera Paul A.
Published: October 2018

Several months of regional convection-permitting forecasts using two microphysical schemes (WSM6 and Thompson) are evaluated to determine the accuracy of the simulated convective structure and convective depth and the impact of microphysical scheme on simulated convective properties and biases. Forecasts are evaluated by using concepts from object-based approaches to compare the three-dimensional simulated reflectivity field with the reflectivity field as observed by radar. Results from analysis of both schemes reveals that forecasts generally perform well near the surface but differ considerably aloft both from observations and from each other. Forecasts are found to contain too many convective cores that are individually larger than in the observations, with at least double the number of observed convective cores reaching the midtroposphere (i.e., 4–8 km). Although the number of cores is overpredicted, WSM6 cores typically contain lower simulated reflectivity values than the observations, and the regions of highest reflectivity values do not extend far enough vertically. Conversely, Thompson cores are found to have significantly higher reflectivity values within cores, with the strongest intensities extending higher than in the observations and having magnitudes higher than any observed cores. Forecast reflectivity distributions within convective cells are found to contain more spread than in the observations. The study also assessed the uncertainty in simulated reflectivity calculations by using a second commonly utilized method to calculate simulated reflectivity. The sensitivity analysis reveals that the primary conclusions with each method are similar but the variability generated by using different simulated reflectivity calculations can be as pronounced as when using different microphysical schemes.
A rapid and sensitive fluorescence method for detecting urine formaldehyde in patients with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ai Li , Wang Jun , Li Tingting , Zhao Chang , Tang Yonghe , Wang Weishan , Zhao Shengjie , Jiang Wenjing , Di Yalan , Fei Xuechao , Luo Hongjun , Li Hui , Luo Wenhong , Yu Yan , Lin Weiying , He Rongqiao , Tong Zhiqian
Published: October 2018

Background

Morning urine formaldehyde concentrations could predict the severe degree of dementia in patients with post-stroke dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the routinely available technique of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for detecting urine formaldehyde requires expensive and sophisticated equipment.

Methods

We established a fluorescence spectrophotometric method by using a formaldehyde-specific fluorescent probe-NaFA (λex/em = 430/543 nm). As a standard reference method, the same batch of urine samples was analysed by HPLC with a fluorescence detector (λex/em = 346/422 nm). Then we compared the limits of detection and the limits of quantization detected by these two methods and addressed the relationship between urine formaldehyde and human cognitive ability. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating and Activities of Daily Living scale were used to evaluate cognition function in 30 Alzheimer’s disease patients and 52 healthy age-matched controls.

Results

Limits of detection and limits of quantization (1.27 and 2.48 μM) of the NaFA probe method were more accurate than Fluo-HPLC (1.52 and 2.91 μM). There was no difference in the detected formaldehyde values within day and day-to-day. Notably, only 3/82 urine formaldehyde concentrations detected by NaFA probe were below zero, while 12/82 of the values analysed by Fluo-HPLC were abnormal. More importantly, there were negatively correlated between urine formaldehyde concentrations detected by NaFA probe and MMSE scores, but positively correlated with Clinical Dementia Rating scores in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Conclusions

This detecting urine formaldehyde method by NaFA probe was more rapid, sensitive and accurate than Fluo-HPLC.
Life experience of pregnancy among Iranian homeless women
Authors: Sadeghi Sabereh , Addelyan Rasi Hamideh , Parvin Sattar , Salomoni Fatima
Published: October 2018

This study aimed to analyse homeless women’s life experiences during pregnancy in shelters, drop-in centres and outreach services in Iran. In this qualitative study, thematic analysis was used to explore the experiences of 13 homeless women. The results showed that all participants were substance abusers, most commonly with methamphetamine. Consistent themes emerged from the data: (a) women’s understanding, feelings and actions regarding unplanned pregnancy, (b) violence in public places, (c) social rejection, (d) maintaining femininity through maternal roles within hegemonic masculinity, (e) social exclusion, and (f) addiction as an aggravation of homelessness. In conclusion, we encourage social welfare policy and policy makers to focus on street outreach.
Network Interdependencies and the Evolution of the International Arms Trade
Authors: Thurner Paul W. , Schmid Christian S. , Cranmer Skyler J. , Kauermann Göran
Published: October 2018

Since few states are able to produce all of their own military hardware, a majority of countries’ military systems rely on weapon imports. The structure of the international defense technology exchange network remains an important puzzle to understand, along with the factors that drive its evolution. Drawing on a political economy model of arms supply, we propose a new network-oriented explanation for the worldwide transactions of major conventional weapons in the period after World War II. Using temporal exponential random graph models, our dynamic approach illustrates how network dependencies and the relative weighting of economic versus security considerations vary over time. One of our major results is to demonstrate how security considerations started regaining importance over economic ones after 2001. Additionally, our model exhibits strong out-of-sample predictive performance, with network dependencies contributing to model improvement especially after the Cold War.
How to Deal With Death: An Empirical Path Analysis of a Simplified Model of Death Anxiety
Authors: Surall Vera , Steppacher Inga
Published: October 2018

How anxious are you about dying? According to Tomer and Eliason, this depends on various personal circumstances, which they identified in their model on death anxiety. This study aims to verify various aspects of Tomer and Eliason’s theoretical model. We therefore collected data from 652 German participants about demographic variables, religiosity, life satisfaction, death acceptance, and death anxiety. We then conducted a path analysis in order to verify whether the empirical data supported the theoretical model. Our results demonstrate a very good model fit, indicating that the analyzed model is valid and can be maintained. Further mediation analysis demonstrates the specific relations of variables within the model and their influence on death anxiety.
Ambalavaner Sivanandan and Black Politics in Britain
Authors: Dasgupta Rohit K
Published: October 2018

This article looks at the contribution made by Ambalavaner Sivanandan to black politics and organising in Britain. It reviews some of his most important writings and analyses their significance and influence on black activism and race studies. Specifically, the article looks at the ways in which class and race intersected in his work and his critical stance towards political elites and advocacy for radical politics.
Georg Simmel’s Traces: An Interview with Olli Pyyhtinen
Authors: Pyyhtinen Olli , Beer David
Published: October 2018

This interview with Olli Pyyhtinen explores his recent work on the writings of Georg Simmel. It focuses in particular upon his new book, The Simmelian Legacy. Taking that book as its focal point, the interview examines the influence of Simmel’s work, the key concepts and ideas it provides and how we might use it today.
Non-invasive optical neuromonitoring of the temperature-dependence of cerebral oxygen metabolism during deep hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass in neonatal swine
Authors: Ko Tiffany S , Mavroudis Constantine D , Baker Wesley B , Morano Vincent C , Mensah-Brown Kobina , Boorady Timothy W , Schmidt Alexander L , Lynch Jennifer M , Busch David R , Gentile Javier , Bratinov George , Lin Yuxi , Jeong Sejin , Melchior Richard W , Rosenthal Tami M , Shade Brandon C , Schiavo Kellie L , Xiao Rui , Gaynor J William , Yodh Arjun G , Kilbaugh Todd J , Licht Daniel J
Published: October 2018

Management of deep hypothermic (DH) cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a critical neuroprotective strategy, currently relies on non-invasive temperature to guide cerebral metabolic suppression during complex cardiac surgery in neonates. Considerable inter-subject variability in temperature response and residual metabolism may contribute to the persisting risk for postoperative neurological injury. To characterize and mitigate this variability, we assess the sufficiency of conventional nasopharyngeal temperature (NPT) guidance, and in the process, validate combined non-invasive frequency-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy (FD-DOS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) for direct measurement of cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen ( CMRO2). During CPB, n = 8 neonatal swine underwent cooling from normothermia to 18℃, sustained DH perfusion for 40 min, and then rewarming to simulate cardiac surgery. Continuous non-invasive and invasive measurements of intracranial temperature (ICT) and CMRO2 were acquired. Significant hysteresis ( p < 0.001) between cooling and rewarming periods in the NPT versus ICT and NPT versus CMRO2 relationships were found. Resolution of this hysteresis in the ICT versus CMRO2 relationship identified a crucial insufficiency of conventional NPT guidance. Non-invasive CMRO2 temperature coefficients with respect to NPT ( Q10 = 2.0) and ICT ( Q10 = 2.5) are consistent with previous reports and provide further validation of FD-DOS/DCS CMRO2 monitoring during DH CPB to optimize management.
Haptic Distance Ratio Estimation: The Geometry of Space Within the Hands
Authors: Norman J. Farley , Wheeler Sydney P. , Pedersen Lauren E. , Dowell Catherine J.
Published: October 2018

In the current study of haptic distance perception, 20 younger (median age: 22 years) and 20 older adults (median age: 72 years) used active touch to estimate distance ratios(one length relative to another). Nine tactile stimuli were created from wooden dowels; each consisted of two perpendicular dowels. The stimulus distance ratios ranged from 1.0 to 5.0. Each participant used both hands (without vision) to actively explore (30 s) a single stimulus object on every trial. The task was to numerically estimate the distance ratio. Overall, the participants’ judgments were precise; the overall magnitude of the Pearson r correlation coefficient was 0.943 and did not differ for younger and older adults. While the participants’ judgments were precise, they were not completely accurate: The average slope (of the relationship between actual and judged distance ratios) for all participants was significantly greater than 1.0 (1.15). Surprisingly, differences in manual dexterity had no apparent effect on distance ratio estimates. Older adults apparently retain an excellent ability to perceive distances using their sense of touch. Our results also demonstrate that the geometry of haptic space (at the scale of the hand) is approximately Euclidean in nature (and certainly not merely topological, projective, or affine).
Recent Views about Bph Etiopathogenesis
Authors: Fandella A. , De Angeli S. , Anselmo G.
Published: October 2018

After a revision of literature regarding the most up-to-date points of view about the etiopathogenesis of prostatic hyperplasia, i.e. hormonal growth factors, Mac Neal's theory of reawakening, and the theories based on the involvement of staminal cells, the authors report their practical experience on this subject. Since 1989 they have prepared in-vitro cultures, standardized the method and have cultivated cells with different concentrations of testosterone and growth factors. Analyses were by direct observation, with cytologic and immunochemical preparations for morphologic characterization and using the autoradiographic method to determine the Labeling Index. From a preliminary survey of the results it seems that DHT does not affect the multiplication of cells, but influences the differentiation process, becoming an agent of “well-being” and not a real growth factor. EGF would be efficacious only at high dosages with a result of non differentiation and growth of non-mature cells. The estrogens do not increase the succesful percentage of secondary cultures and are therefore, not factors of cellular “well-being”. Finally, data confirm that BPH is not a proliferative disease, as the DNA in replication is limited to about 3% with scarce mitosis.
Diagnostic Parameters
Authors: Artibani W.
Published: October 2018

Many parameters are available for evaluating patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) in order to assess the necessity for treatment and to evaluate results. At present there is no real agreement on their order of importance. This paper tries to define from a theoretical and practical point of view the role of the following parameters: symptoms; symptom scores; visual scores; time/voided volume chart; prostate size; uroflowmetry, nomograms for flow; residual urine; pressure/flow study; mathematical and computer processing of pressure/flow study. The Author underlines the critical role of invasive urodynamics (pressure/flow study) in categorizing patients as obstructed or non-obstructed, in grading the severity of outflow obstruction and in evaluating the pattern of detrusor contractility. Present studies to evaluate the results of old and recent treatments should include invasive urodynamics in order to obtain homogeneous groups of patients and to overcome the prevailing empiricism.
Urology and the Work Environment (I): Traumatic Lesions in Work Accidents
Authors: Invernizzi S. , Locatelli G. , Cappoli S. , Longo G. , Butti A. , Baradel G. , Pozza D.
Published: October 2018

In the introduction the authors define violent and accidental work accidents and injuries and review urologic traumatic case histories, including lesions observed both immediately and some time after the traumatic event. These cases were all reported as work accidents: patients’ age, cause and seat of injury, concomitant lesions, immediate therapy, consequences and any further treatment are given in this study. In conclusion, the authors underline the frequency of organic traumatic pathology and indicate relative complications.
Occupational Factors, Working Environment and Andrological Diseases
Authors: Marino G. , Cocimano V. , Griffa D. , Perolino R. Marten
Published: October 2018

Male pathologies are responsible for 40% of cases of infertility in a couple, and with other causes create a reduction in libido. The job, working environment and life style have been considered etiologic factors above all in consideration of ecotoxicologic changes in town and suburban areas. The effects of exposure to various toxic, physical, chemical, infectious, psychic and traumatic agents as well as the effects of stress, are analysed. It is concluded that a precise job history must be obtained from patients with potency and/or fertility problems.
The Role of Flow Cytometric Dna Analysis in Renal Tumours
Authors: Mobilio G. , Bianchi G. , Franzolin N. , Beltrami P. , Lazzarotto M.
Published: October 2018

The results obtained with flow cytometric (FCM) DNA analysis in renal tumours are variable, since not all investigators have demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between presence of aneuploid cell populations and patient survival. The most important reason is probably the different number of samples analysed for each tumour. Therefore most investigators agree that it is essential to perform flow cytometry analysis on a large number of tumour tissue samples. In our study we decided to do the FCM DNA analysis on multiple tissue samples and on needle aspiration samples drawn from the surgically removed tumour mass. Our data showed 44% aneuploid tumours in tissue samples and 58% aneuploidies in needle aspirates. We think that FCM DNA analysis on fine needle aspirates can detect an aneuploid population at least as frequently as on tissue samples. Therefore this technique could substitute multiple tumour tissue sampling. At present FCM in renal tumours seems to be a parameter for the identification of patients at high risk for progression, who should receive adjuvant therapy or treatment for recurrency. What is more, pre-operative FCM on needle aspirates could provide an important additional parameter in the choice of conservative-type surgical treatment, since the only criterion currently available is the size of the tumour.
Medical Treatment of Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Giusto M. , Tuccia F. , Da Corte D. , Puccetti C.
Published: October 2018

Therapy for disseminated renal cell carcinoma is a major problem, as it's almost completely resistant to standard therapeutic approaches such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The search for innovative strategies has led to new concepts based on the assumption that cellular or soluble mediators of the immune system can be rendered cytotoxic or cytostatic for renal cell cancer. With partial response rates of ca. 100% and very promising global response rates, biotherapies are in progress. A number of clinical trials have been perfomed employing systemic administration of interferon (rIFN-) alone or in combination with cytostatic agents, human recombinant interleukin-2 (rlL-2), and, more recently, immunomodulatory agents such as lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells: these substances have been demonstrated to be a treatment of choice for advanced renal cell carcinoma, even if they seem unable to modify the natural history of the disease.
Renal Tubular Damage Evaluation through Enzyme Change Monitoring after Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy
Authors: Macola G. Grasso , Tonazzi G.L. , Gatti G. , Carpanp S. , Giudice V.
Published: October 2018

To evaluate a possible onset of “biological effects” following ESWL lithotripsy, the Authors measured urinary excretion levels of two enzymes, NAG and GGT. In fact, a rise in the levels of these enzymes is regarded as an early and sensitive sign of renal injury. Fourteen patients with no complicated renal lithiasis were selected; the enzymatic levels before and after a single treatment with Lithostar Plus, a lithotriptor supplied with an electromagnetic impact wave generator, were measured. The results show that a single treatment doesn't produce any significant variation in their excretion. These results were discussed and their significance analysed. Probably, they could be explained by the lower pressure produced in the focal area by the impact wave, due to an electromagnetic generator.
Geriatric Urology: The Role of the Urologist and Urological Rehabilitation Area in Geriatric Evaluation Units
Authors: Cisternino A. , Artibani W. , Calabrò A. , Alberti V. , Pagano F.
Published: October 2018

Nowadays aging is seen as a phase in life when the general balance of single, interrelated parameters may be such as to ensure the individual an active role in society. The annual world growth in the elderly population is estimated at around 2.4%, so Italy can expect to have a demographic situation in the year 2015 of 13 million sixty-year-olds and over, which will equate to 29% of the whole population. The Italian parliament has approved a project aiming to achieve “Health protection for the elderly”, which calls for the creation of geriatric evaluation units. The two major disabilities in the elderly are motor deficiencies and incontinence. Improvement in social and health care response are the “uro-rehabilitation areas”.
Our Experience in the Kinesitherapeutic Treatment of Female Urinary Stress Incontinence. Modality and Techniques
Authors: Polentarutti S. , Bargellesi S. , Zorzi G.A.
Published: October 2018

The Authors report their experience in the kinesitherapeutic treatment of a selected group of 32 women with urinary stress incontinence; in particular they report the modality and techniques used for their patients.
Rare Renal Ectopia: Description of 2 Cases
Authors: Luciano M. , Dall'Oglio B. , Bondavalli C. , Pegoraro C. , Schiavon L. , Parma A.
Published: October 2018

Two cases of kidney ectopia are reported; a rare thoracic kidney and a very unusual supernumerary ectopic pelvic kidney. The patient with toracic kidney was casually referred to us, the second instead had a low urinary tract syndrome: burning and mild urgency. The diagnostic management and clinical characteristics of these rare pathologies are reported.
Uroteliomi Della via Escretrice Superiore: Approccio Combinato Chirurgico E Transuretrale
Authors: Daniele C. , Carluccio G. , Romano A. , Simone M. , Ughi G.
Published: October 2018

The Authors report their experience in the treatment of transitional cell carcinomas of the upper urinary tract using a conjoint surgical and transurethral, approach. Via a lumbotomic incision, a standard nephroureterectomy down to the iliac vessels is first performed; then, a stent is inserted in the ureteral stump, pushed into the bladder and fixed to the ureter with a single silk suture. Once the lumbotomy has been closed, a cystoscopy is performed; the stent, previously advanced out of the ureteral meatus is identified and withdrawn, thus obtaining intussusception into the bladder. After this manoeuvre using the Collins blade, the perimeatal mucosa is incised in order to disconnect the ureter and complete the ureterectomy. Finally, a Foley catheter is inserted and left in place for seven days.
Can the PSAD (Prostate Specific Antigen Density) be Useful in the Diagnosis of Prostate Carcinoma?
Authors: Gastaldi E. , Benvenuti S. , Mennini B. , Iacoviello M. , Caviglione M. , Traverso G.B.
Published: October 2018

PSA (prostate specific antigen) has not demonstrated sufficient sensitivity and specificity to be useful in the evaluation of prostate carcinoma. To enhance the accuracy of serum PSA the Authors have used a quotient of serum PSA (ng/ml) and prostate volume (calculated by transrectal ultrasound) which is named PSAD (prostate specific antigen density).
Endovesical Prophylactic Mitomycin C Chemotherapy in Superficial Bladder Cancer: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Boccafoschi C. , Tiranti D. , Montefiore F. , Annoscia S. , Di Mauro A. , Treffiletti S.
Published: October 2018

The Authors report the results of a retrospective study concerning the use of mitomycin C in the prophylactic treatment of superficial bladder cancer after trans-urethral resection. The series includes 113 patients; minimum follow-up: 6 months, maximum 54, mean 17.7 months. Recurrence and progression rate was evaluated at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. The cumulative recurrence and progression rate was 16.8% and 6.1% respectively. Patients with pTa neoplasms didn't develop progressions. G2 and G3 carcinoma recurrence and progression rate was higher than with G1 tumours. Multifocal neoplasms showed a higher trend recurrence compared to solitary tumours. The number of recurrences in the patient group with primitive neoplasms was not significantly different from that of patients with recurrent carcinoma.
Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Hydronephrosis using Low Magnetic Field Apparatus. Comparison with Radionuclide Study
Authors: Takeda M. , Katayama Y. , Tsutsui T. , Komeyama T. , Mizusawa T.
Published: October 2018

We evaluated the value of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) under low magnetic field in estimating functional recovery from hydronephrosis by comparing dynamic MRI using a low-magnetic field machine with radioisotope (Rl) renal scintigraphy. 1) Both in normal kidney and hydronephrosis, patterns of dynamic MRI were different from those of 99mTc-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid renography in most cases. 2) The ratio of signal intensity of renal medulla (or inner parenchyma) and that of renal cortex (or outer parenchyma) at the 3rd image tended to be correlated with the grade of hydronephrosis on intravenous pyelography. 3) When signal intensity of renal cortex (or outer parenchyma) increased from the 1st to the 2nd image more rapidly than that of renal medulla (or inner parenchyma), improvement of function of the hydronephrotic kidney after release of obstruction could be expected according to the change in 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal uptake rate. In conclusion, dynamic MRI using a low magnetic field machine may predict functional recovery from hydronephrosis.
Primary Fibrosarcoma of the Kidney: Clinico-pathological Features of a Case
Authors: Ambrosi S. , Gherardi G. , Manca G.P. , Martina G. , Andreassi F.
Published: October 2018

A case of primary renal sarcoma in a 72-year-old woman is described. Upon imaging techniques, including digitalized angiography, the tumour mass proved to be located in the upper left kidney. Despite gross infiltration of adjacent anatomic structures, radical excision of the tumour was possible. Histologically, the neoplasm was diffusely necrotic and composed of spindle and pleomorphic cells. This picture was considered consistent with the diagnosis of “high grade” fibrosarcoma. The immunohistochemical profile of the tumour cells confirmed this contention. The role of immunohistochemistry in the differential diagnosis of these malignancies is discussed.
Medical Therapy of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Critical Comments on a Randomised Study
Authors: Zucconelli R. , Belmonte P. , Pappagallo G.L.
Published: October 2018

In an attempt to form a hypothesis (not yet verified) regarding the most active medical treatment in benign prostatic hyperplasia, a randomised study was carried out on three groups, evaluating a minimun of 4 months therapy. 52 patients received Finasteride (Group A), 43 received Alfuzosina (Group B) and 42 were treated with an association of Finasteride and Alfuzosina (Group C). There was a statistically significant variation in all the assessed urodynamic parameters, except for micturitional resistance, where group B showed more benefit than group C and group C more than group A. However, clinical evaluation was only able to positively judge the influence of the three therapy groups on the I-PSS improvement, among other things not correlated to the variation in obstruction parameters, which although showing definite improvement, mostly remained in the pathological range.
Priapism: Our Experience and a Literature Review
Authors: Passavanti G. , Costantini F.M. , Pizzuti V. , Onorato F. , Spinosa E. , Viggiani F. , Mengoni F. , Bragaglia A. , Paolini R.
Published: October 2018

The series of cases which was taken into consideration, although statistically irrelevant, is in line with the most recently acquired bibliographic knowledge on the subject. It shows that, because of its growing incidence, priapism is a remarkably interesting syndrome; in addition, it shows the need to define diagnostic and therapeutic procedures which, taking the physiology of erection into consideration, allow both the morbid syndrome to be cured and its development foreseen.
Tumour Markers in Prostatic Cancer: Prostatic Acid Phosphatase (PAP), Prostatic Specific Antigen (PSA) and Lipid Associated Sialic Acid (LASA)
Authors: Garibaldi B. , Rizzello N. , Rossetti S. Rocca , Tasso M. , Tizzani A. , Casetta G. , Cavallini A. , Ferraris C.
Published: October 2018

Among tumour markers in clinical practice, interest has been aroused by the products of the cellular membrane, such as LASA (Lipid Associated Sialic Acid). The aim of our work was to assess the clinical value of LASA in patients affected by prostatic cancer at different stages and grades, and to compare the usefulness of LASA as a tumour marker over Prostate Acid Phosphatase (PAP) and Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), which are well known markers of tumour extension in prostatic cancer. In this study we perfomed serum dosage of LASA, PAP and PSA in fifty-five patients with prostatic adenocarcinoma, 10 cases of stage A1/A2, 13 B1/B2, 6 C1/C2 and 26 D1/D2. This study shows that LASA may complement diagnostic and prognostic values of other existing tumour markers for prostate cancer.
Clinical and Medico-legal Aspects of Renal Transplantation: Review of 74 Patients
Authors: Invernizzi S. , Marai P. , Cappoli S. , Locatelli G. , Butti A. , Librizzi A. , Pozza D.
Published: October 2018

The authors report on 74 patients who have undergone renal transplantation and are in out-patient follow-up, considering many clinico-statistical parameters (age, pathology, dialysis period, transplantation time, immunosuppressant therapy, current renal functionality) related to their social and work reinstatement. Welfare and pension provisions have also been considered, related to dialysis and transplantation age, in order to grade the remaining working capacity.
The Use of Trus in the Detection and Evaluation of Local Pelvic Recurrences after a Radical Urological Pelvic Operation
Authors: Bordinazzo R. , Benecchi L. , Privitera O.
Published: October 2018

Transrectal ultrasound was performed in 19 patients with suspected local pelvic recurrence after a radical pelvic operation: 8 had undergone radical prostatectomy and 11 radical cystoprostatectomy. Transrectal sonography verified the presence of recurrence in 18 of 19 patients (94.7%) and this was confirmed by biopsy of the visualised lesions. Analysis of the sonographic echo patterns encountered revealed that in 14 of 18 recurrent neoplasms (77.7%) the echogenic pattern was hypoechoic. In the remaining 5 patients (26.3%) the echo pattern was isoechoic. No hyperechoic lesions were noted. Based upon our findings and because of the low costs compared to other diagnostic modalities, transrectal ultrasound is an ideal technique to complete digital rectal examination in evaluating patients suspected of local pelvic recurrence after radical pelvic operation.