bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Studying the Intentionality of Human Being
Authors: Feilberg Casper , Norlyk Annelise , Keller Kurt Dauer
Published: October 2018

Based upon a brief outline of existential-phenomenological ontology we present a theoretical and practical understanding of humanbeing, which is suited for a methodologically reflected approach to qualitative research. We present the phenomenological distinction between threedimensions of corporeal intentionality(structural, generative and dialectic intentionality) that form elementary events and structures of meaning. Various aspects of human being are better scrutinized with these concepts of intentionality, such as the association of individual being or collective being (e.g. groups) with the less differentiated anonymity of human being. The aim of our framework is to support the qualitative researcher in grasping the experience of the human life in closer accord with how this being actually unfolds and is lived. Application of the presented framework is illuminated with empirical examples from educational, health and psychological contexts. Finally, we discuss the methodological implications that our approach has for qualitative investigations of human being.
Post-War Reflections on the Ambon War
Authors: van Liere Lucien , van Dis Elizabeth
Published: October 2018

Between 1999 and 2004, with reverberations until 2011, several Moluccan islands (Indonesia) faced violent clashes between Christians and Muslims. Based on 79 interviews, this article seeks to understand how people from both religious groups look back at the conflict, 12 years after the Malino II peace treaty was signed in 2002. We identified three major conflict-related themes that continued to come to the fore during the interviews: explanations about causes of the conflict, religion-related justifications of violence and miracle stories. Most interviewees indicated that the causes of the conflict were non-religious, but rather political. Religion-related language however was frequently used to justify violence as self-defense while miracles-stories were often part of war-narratives. Looking back, Christians and Muslims still understood their communities as injured and victimized. The ‘right to protect’ one’s community as a threatened Christian or Muslim community prevailed in most stories although the source of this threat was not always clear.
A Medieval Muslim Scholar’s Legacy
Authors: Liebrenz Boris
Published: October 2018

This article presents an endowment note as the only surviving material trace from the famous library of the Shiʿite scholar ʿAlī b. Mūsā Ibn Ṭāwūs (589/1193–664/1266). This note offers new insights into the books he possessed and adds clarity about the legal framework under which it was passed on to Ibn Ṭāwūs’ descendants. The article also traces the further history of this manuscript through Damascus to Istanbul and discusses strategies for tracking these notes, which were often willfully destroyed.
A Manuscript of the Last Sultan of al-Andalus and the Fate of the Royal Library of the Nasrid Sultans at the Alhambra
Authors: Ženka Josef
Published: October 2018

This article addresses the fate of the Royal Library of the Nasrid Sultans at the Alhambra. Several royal manuscripts once belonging to the Nasrid sultans of Granada survive to this day, despite having been thought burned by the cardinal Cisneros (d. 1517). One of the volumes is a personal manuscript of the last sultan of al-Andalus, Muḥammad XI (Boabdil; reigned 887–888/1482–1483, 892–897/1487–1492) and is currently held in the Royal Library of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. This codex abounds with manuscript notes telling the story of its creation and its first owner, the Sultan, until it was incorporated into the current collection. The author examines its journey in the context of the Sultan’s life and the Nasrid manuscript and book culture, arguing that it was this ruler who moved the royal books out of the Alhambra to his place of exile in North Africa. The article is accompanied by an edition and translation of an ijāza given to Muḥammad XI by the mufti and khaṭīb of Granada al-Mawwāq (d. 897/1492). It is the sole surviving royal teaching certificate from the Nasrid period of Andalusi history.
Scripting Black African Muslim Presence in South African Islam: A Quest for Self-understanding beyond the Moment of Conversion
Authors: Sitoto Tahir Fuzile
Published: October 2018

What does it mean to be forever framed as a Muslim cultural “Other”? And what kind of epistemic closure does such framing imply? The little that is written (academic and popular) about the Black African Muslim experience and encounter with Islam in South Africa often entraps this sector within the theme of “conversion to Islam”. This essay examines, therefore, the following question: to what extent does the theme and “narrative of conversion” perform a sort of racial coding that unintentionally writes off Black African Muslim identity as less authentic and therefore not fully Muslim? Taking as its data the available literature on the Black African Muslim sector, limited as it is, as well as selected pieces by a Black African Muslim writer and poet, the essay posits a reading that is attentive to Black African Muslim self-understanding, subjectivities and sense of self beyond the moment of conversion.
Burying Friend and Foe: The Employment of German Prisoners of War in the Construction of Military Cemeteries in Normandy after 6 June 1944
Authors: Schneider Valentin
Published: October 2018

The history of the German prisoners of war of World War II held by British and American authorities in Europe remains a field of study that is largely ignored by historiography. Although the Allies made an extended use of this prisoner manpower for labour purposes, employing hundreds of thousands of captive German soldiers for all kinds of tasks, all but a few material traces of the prisoners’ life and activities in liberated Europe have vanished. An exception to this are several British, American, and German military cemeteries, especially in Normandy, many of which had been built during or immediately after the battle using the workforce of thousands of German soldiers that had been captured in the region during the summer of 1944. This article examines the general organization of the Allied labour service for German prisoners in Normandy and focuses especially on their work on the military cemeteries, before addressing the question of the memory – or rather the absence of memory – of this process, not only in Normandy itself (and in the United States and Great Britain), but also in German society.
Fatkullina imitata n. sp., second species of a unique cheilostome bryozoan genus with reversed-polarity zooidal budding, and new family Fatkullinidae
Authors: GRISCHENKO ANDREI V. , GORDON DENNIS P. , MOROZOV TARAS B.
Published: October 2018

A second species of the unique cheilostome bryozoan genus Fatkullina, with reversed-polarity zooidal budding, has been discovered. Fatkullina imitata n. sp. is described from the western Kamchatka shelf and upper slope of the Sea of Okhotsk. It differs from the type species, F. paradoxa, by the combination of orificial characters, the convex distal third of the frontal shield, and predominantly crimson coloration of dry colonies. A new family, Fatkullinidae, is erected to accommodate Fatkullina (as the type genus) and also Stomacrustula, Pachyegis and Lepralioides. The origin of reversed polarity zooidal budding is considered to arise as a consequence of the unique T-shaped geometry of the ancestrula and transverse daughter zooid followed by spiral budding of periancestrular and succeeding generations of zooids within the zone of astogenetic change.
Description of two new species of Paratus Simon, 1898 from southern China (Araneae: Liocranidae)
Authors: MU YANNAN , ZHANG FENG
Published: October 2018

In this paper, two new Paratus species are described from southern China from both sexes: Paratus hamatus sp. n. from Yunnan Province and P. kentingensis sp. n. from Taiwan Province.
100 Years Later: Reflecting on Alfred Wegener’s Contributions to Tornado Research in Europe
Authors: Antonescu Bogdan , Ricketts Hugo M. A. M. , Schultz David M.
Published: October 2018

Alfred Wegener (1880–1930) was a leading geophysicist, atmospheric scientist, and an Arctic explorer who is mainly remembered today for his contributions to the theory of continental drift. Less well known are his contributions to research on tornadoes in Europe. Published 100 years ago, Wegener’s 1917 book Wind- und Wasserhosen in Europa (Tornadoes and Waterspouts in Europe) is an impressive synthesis of knowledge on tornadoes and is considered the first modern pan-European tornado climatology, with 258 reports from 1456 to 1913. Unfortunately, Wegener’s book was overlooked after the 1950s amid declining interest in tornadoes by European researchers and meteorologists. The recent revival of tornado studies in Europe invites a reflection on Wegener’s book. Using a relatively small dataset, Wegener was able to describe characteristics of tornadoes (e.g., direction of movement, speed, rotation, formation mechanism), as well as their frequency of occurrence and climatology, comparable with the results from modern tornado climatologies. Wegener’s lasting scientific contributions to tornado research are presented in the context of European research on this topic. Specifically, his book showed the utility of reports from citizen scientists and inspired other researchers, namely, Johannes Letzmann, who continued to study European tornadoes after Wegener’s death.
Space–Time Spectral Analysis of the Moist Static Energy Budget Equation
Authors: Yasunaga Kazuaki , Yokoi Satoru , Inoue Kuniaki , Mapes Brian E.
Published: October 2018

The budget of column-integrated moist static energy (MSE) is examined in wavenumber–frequency transforms of longitude–time sections over the tropical belt. Cross-spectra with satellite-derived precipitation (TRMM-3B42) are used to emphasize precipitation-coherent signals in reanalysis [ERA-Interim (ERAI)] estimates of each term in the budget equation. Results reveal different budget balances in convectively coupled equatorial waves (CCEWs) as well as in the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and tropical depression (TD)-type disturbances. The real component (expressing amplification or damping of amplitude) for horizontal advection is modest for most wave types but substantially damps the MJO. Its imaginary component is hugely positive (it acts to advance phase) in TD-type disturbances and is positive for MJO and equatorial Rossby (ERn1) wave disturbances (almost negligible for the other CCEWs). The real component of vertical advection is negatively correlated (damping effect) with precipitation with a magnitude of approximately 10% of total latent heat release for all disturbances except for TD-type disturbance. This effect is overestimated by a factor of 2 or more if advection is computed using the time–zonal mean MSE, suggesting that nonlinear correlations between ascent and humidity would be positive (amplification effect). ERAI-estimated radiative heating has a positive real part, reinforcing precipitation-correlated MSE excursions. The magnitude is up to 14% of latent heating for the MJO and much less for other waves. ERAI-estimated surface flux has a small effect but acts to amplify MJO and ERn1 waves. The imaginary component of budget residuals is large and systematically positive, suggesting that the reanalysis model’s physical MSE sources would not act to propagate the precipitation-associated MSE anomalies properly.
Idealized Study on the Effect of Bottom Topography on the Seasonality of the Stability of the Iceland–Faeroe Front
Authors: Jiménez-Urias Miguel A. , Thompson LuAnne
Published: October 2018

We investigate the effects of bottom topography on the instability, eddy-driven heat flux, and overturning of a front that sits atop a ridge by varying the initial location of an idealized frontal outcrop with respect to a topographic ridge. The front is periodic in the along-ridge direction and unstable to both mixed layer and mesoscale baroclinic instabilities with both instabilities focused on the northern flank of the ridge where the front outcrops. We find agreement with the theoretical predictions for the development of mesoscale instability of the jet in the presence of sloping bottom topography, and we find the initial growth of surface mixed layer eddies is insensitive to topographic variations. However, during the finite amplitude phase of mixed layer instability, we find faster development of mesoscale eddies and thus a stronger cross-front eddy heat flux and residual circulation for the position of the jet where we found the faster growth of mesoscale baroclinic instability. Over an advective time scale that represents the transit time of a water parcel along the Iceland–Faeroe Ridge (IFR), the resulting eddy heat flux is greatest in the cases where the frontal jet experiences the most destabilizing bottom topography of the three cases tested, with values comparable to the heat flux associated with the mean flow. Therefore, eddy dynamics over the IFR frontal region are important contributors to the heat exchanges between the North Atlantic and Nordic Seas, with the bottom topography playing a key role in determining the largest heat fluxes, whether the initial growth is dominated by mixed layer eddies or mesoscale eddies.
Quantifying the Local and Spatial Effects of Alcohol Outlets on Crime
Authors: Wheeler Andrew P.
Published: October 2018

This article estimates the relationship between alcohol outlets and crime at micro place street units in Washington, D.C. The analysis tests several spatial hypotheses on the local and spatial diffusion effects of on-premise and off-premise alcohol outlets on crime motivated by routine activities theory as well as theories that emphasize individual alcohol consumption. Findings show that the spatial diffusion effects of alcohol outlets are larger than the local effects, the effects of on-premise and off-premise outlets are similar in magnitude, and alcohol outlets have larger effects on interpersonal crimes than burglary. These findings are interpreted as favoring routine activities theories for why alcohol outlets increase crime, as opposed to prior research which emphasizes individual alcohol consumption.
Sharing leadership for diffusion of innovation in professionalized settings
Authors: Currie Graeme , Spyridonidis Dimitrios
Published: October 2018

Innovation often flourishes in organizational pockets, but then fails to diffuse more widely. This represents a particular global challenge in healthcare where demands of an ageing population with increasing long-term conditions need to be addressed in the face of financial constraints. Shared leadership to support diffusion of innovation may offer a panacea for the challenge. Our study shows how changing configurations of shared leadership support diffusion and adaptation of innovation. Managers remain important actors for the mandate and resourcing of innovation but, over time, powerful professionals, specifically doctors, come to the fore, to engage their peers and influence resource allocation. Nurses complement doctors’ leadership efforts around engagement of frontline professionals and in adapting innovation to local context. Significant contingencies in shaping shared leadership for diffusion and adaptation of innovation are: organizational financial performance; whether nurses enact hybrid leadership roles; and whether organization is hierarchical or collaborative. Theoretically, by focusing upon leadership configuration in the process of diffusion of innovation, our study renders visible practices of shared leadership, interdependency of hierarchical managerial or professional influence, its effect upon innovation diffusion, and contingencies that underpin this.
Gender Differences in Political Participation: Comparing Street Demonstrators in Sweden and the United Kingdom
Authors: Roth Silke , Saunders Clare
Published: October 2018

Research on gender and politics has primarily focused on women’s participation in women’s movements and institutional politics separately. Our article is innovative in multiple respects: first, employing a comparative perspective we analyse what impact gender regimes have on participation in street protests. Second, we study the relationship between participation in electoral and protest politics and how this relationship is gendered. Third, we compare the participation of men and women in social movements. We are able to do this by drawing on nuanced survey data of five street demonstrations in the UK and Sweden. Our comparative research demonstrates that involvement in protest and institutional politics varies by gender, country and context. Our findings have important implications for gender equality in terms of social inclusion and political representation and contribute to political sociology, sociology of gender and social movement research.
Emotional intelligence as a moderator between perfectionism and happiness
Authors: Abdollahi Abbas , Hosseinian Simin , Panahipour Hannaneh , Najafi Mahmoud , Soheili Fariba
Published: October 2018

Happiness plays a key role in influencing adolescent performance in a variety of contexts. The present study was designed to investigate the relationships between perfectionism, emotional intelligence, and happiness and to test the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between perfectionism and happiness among Malaysian adolescents. The participants were 412 Malaysian high-school students from Selangor, all of whom completed self-report questionnaires. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine whether students with high levels of personal standards perfectionism, low levels of evaluative concerns perfectionism, and high levels of emotional intelligence reported higher levels of happiness. Multigroup analyses showed that emotional intelligence emerged as a significant moderator in the link between evaluative concerns perfectionism and happiness. These findings highlight the importance of emotional intelligence in mitigating the devastating effects of evaluative concerns perfectionism on happiness.
Bevacizumab for Hearing Preservation in Neurofibromatosis Type 2: Emphasis on Patient‐Reported Outcomes and Toxicities
Authors: Sverak Pavlina , Adams Meredith E. , Haines Stephen J. , Levine Samuel C. , Nascene David , Sommer Katherine , Dusenbery Kathryn , Huang Tina C. , Moertel Christopher
Published: October 2018

Objective

Bevacizumab for hearing preservation in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is an emerging practice. We set out to characterize the effectiveness and toxicity of bevacizumab in our patient group.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Subjects and Methods

Seventeen consecutive patients with NF2 received bevacizumab treatment for vestibular schwannomas, including 2 patients treated to maintain cochlear implant performance. Volumetric analysis of serial magnetic resonance imaging scans was used to evaluate radiographic response, and hearing response was evaluated with serial audiograms. Patient‐reported outcomes were also assessed, including subjective hearing improvement, changes in tinnitus, vertigo, headaches, ear pain, and improvement in ability to communicate via telephone.

Results

A positive radiographic response occurred in 8 of 17 (47%) patients and the median tumor volume change was a tumor decrease of 19%. A positive hearing response was recorded in 5 of 9 (56%) patients. Two patients had a word recognition score improvement over 40%. There was an approximately 40% improvement in patient‐reported outcomes. Primary toxicities included hypertension, proteinuria, dysgeusia, and amenorrhea.

Conclusion

Bevacizumab treatment was followed by hearing improvement in 56% of patients, while decreased tumor volume was noted in 47%. These outcomes agree favorably with prior reported series. There were significant improvements in patient‐reported outcomes that have not been described previously.
The Role of Edify in Promoting Christ-centred Education Through Low-fee Independent Schools
Authors: Getu Makonen
Published: October 2018

Free universal primary education has been promoted globally since the declaration of Education for All in 1990. As a result, the number of school-going children in the developing world has increased at an unprecedented scale and governments have run short of educational facilities and qualified teachers. Millions of children have been left without access to school and those who enrolled received poor quality education. Low-fee independent (private) schools (LFISs), which charge small fees, have mushroomed everywhere in response to parental demand for access and quality education. Low-income families began to send their children to LFISs rather than government schools. Despite the critical role they play in providing access and quality education, LFISs were faced with challenges that hindered them from unleashing their full potential. Edify was founded in 2009 with the vision of flourishing Godly nations to stand alongside Christian LFISs through the provision of loan capital, training and education technology services to enable them to improve and expand sustainable Christ-centred education globally. During its eight years of operation, Edify has cumulatively partnered with around 3500 schools, having an impact on 1 million children. Over 20,000 school leaders and teachers have been trained in conjunction with local training partners. With the recycling of repayment through local lending partners, Edify has dispersed US$21.9 million in total loans to schools. With a brief historical background of LFISs, this article presents the rationale, content and modus operandi of Edify’s programme.
Using the ACTFL OPIc to assess proficiency and monitor progress in a tertiary foreign languages program
Authors: Isbell Daniel R. , Winke Paula , Gass Susan M.
Published: October 2018

Language tests are useful for many purposes, including monitoring language learning progress and evaluating language programs. This study investigated the interpretations and usefulness of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview – Computer (OPIc) scores across four languages at a large US public university, focusing on (1) the influence of learner backgrounds on oral proficiency variation and growth and (2) patterns in growth across languages. Two years of OPIc score data from 814 students studying Chinese ( n = 143), French ( n = 251), Spanish ( n = 374), and Russian ( n = 46) were collected, together with survey data on language learning experiences and motivation. Each participant had two to four OPIc scores. A growth curve analysis using mixed-effect modeling revealed that language learning experience and motivation explained approximately 43% of variation in initial proficiency and 23% of variation in rates of change over time. The target language had no unique effects on initial proficiency or change over time. On average, learners gained roughly one-third of an ACTFL sublevel per semester of study (while controlling for differences in their backgrounds). Findings are informative for appropriate interpretations and uses of OPIc scores in tertiary educational settings, but also question individual growth-tracking suitability on a semester-by-semester basis.
Divergent metabolic substrate utilization in brain during epileptogenesis precedes chronic hypometabolism
Authors: Bascuñana Pablo , Brackhan Mirjam , Leiter Ina , Keller Heike , Jahreis Ina , Ross Tobias L , Bengel Frank M , Bankstahl Marion , Bankstahl Jens P
Published: October 2018

Alterations in metabolism during epileptogenesis may be a therapy target. Recently, an increase in amino acid transport into the brain was proposed to play a role in epileptogenesis. We aimed to characterize alterations of substrate utilization during epileptogenesis and in chronic epilepsy. The lithium-pilocarpine post status epilepticus (SE) rat model was used. We performed longitudinal O-(2-[(18)F]fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine (18F-FET) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) and calculated 18F-FET volume of distribution (Vt) and 18F-FDG uptake. Correlation analyses were performed with translocator protein-PET defined neuroinflammation from previously acquired data. We found reduced 18F-FET Vt at 48 h after SE (amygdala: −30.2%, p = 0.014), whereas 18F-FDG showed increased glucose uptake 4 and 24 h after SE (hippocampus: + 43.6% and +42.5%, respectively; p < 0.001) returning to baseline levels thereafter. In chronic epileptic animals, we found a reduction in 18F-FET and 18F-FDG in the hippocampus. No correlation was found for 18F-FET or 18F-FDG to microglial activation at seven days post SE. Whereas metabolic alterations do not reflect higher metabolism associated to activated microglia, they might be partially driven by chronic neuronal loss. However, both metabolisms diverge during early epileptogenesis, pointing to amino acid turnover as a possible biomarker and/or therapeutic target for epileptogenesis.
Transrectal Ultrasound in Bph
Authors: Zambolin T. , Tralce L. , Cozzoli A. , Frego E. , Simeone C. , Aulenti V. , Villanacci V. , Cunico S. Cosciani
Published: October 2018

In the last years transrectal ultrasound has become a very important diagnostic tool of either benign or neoplastic prostatic disease. We can easily evaluate gland morphology and prostatic size by transrectal ultrasound. Intraoperatively, we can verify the complete removal of the adenoma in real time. Ultrasound definition of histopathological characteristics of benign prostatic hypertrophy gives us new prognostic and therapeutic information. In the near future, if alternative non-surgical therapies prove their effectiveness in some histological aspects ultrasound will enable us to choose the most correct treatment modality.
The Role of Transurethral Surgery
Authors: Lembo A. , Graziotti P.P. , Anselmo G. , Cosciani-Cunico S. , Maccatrozzo L , Frego E. , Zattoni F. , Pagano F.
Published: October 2018

313 TURP were performed at the four institutions (University Departments of Padua and Brescia and Hospital Departments of Treviso and Bergamo) between 1987 and 1990. 85% of patients with obstructive prostatic hypertrophy underwent TURP. A metallic sheath (24–25ch.) was routinely used, while Iglesias or Reuter Trocar were chosen in a few selected cases. 200 patients (50 from each institution) operated in 1989 were evaluated: detrusor contractility, deficiency and irritative symptoms (urgency-frequency) were also Present in 22% of patients. Follow up shows that procedures to remove the obstruction do not always cure irritative symptoms. No major complications or deaths are reported. 55 Patients (80%) were treated endoscopically for bladder stones and 5 patients (28%) underwent TURP followed by surgical diverticulectomy. BPH and superficial bladder tumors, when present together, are preferably treated separately to avoid neoplastic contamination of the prostatic fossa.
Electron Microscopy of Superficial Vesical Neoplasms: Preliminary Reports
Authors: Fandella A. , Maccatrozzo L. , Merlo F. , Tuccitto G. , Mangano M. , Anselmo G. , Furlan C. , Nieri A. , Durante E. , Valenti F. , De Angeli S.
Published: October 2018

The aim of this work was to study with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the morphologic patterns of the lesions caused by superficial bladder cell carcinoma and to evaluate the possibility of using this method as prognostic index. Our observations showed three different kinds of morphologic patterns (wrinkled cell, dismorphic cells and cells with microvilli) of the neoplastic urothelium correlated with the evolution of the neoplastic disease. Results show that recurrence and invasiveness are more marked in the dismorphic cell kind, whereas the wrinkled cell kind represent a lower risk. SEM could be used as a parameter for biologically characterising superficial bladder cancer, as it is completely independent of neoplastic grading.
Parenchymal Kidney Cancer Today: Environmental and Occupational Risk Factors
Authors: Marcolina D.
Published: October 2018

In the last few years, mortality rates for kidney cancer have increased. Occupational kidney cancer is a recently-identified disease. The purpose of this work is to point out the environmental and occupational factors correlated with this pathology. IARC carcinogenic-substance lists and principal national and international epidemiologic studies are analyzed. Some professions prove to be correlated with kidney cancer: carbon coke production (clearly carcinogenic); cadmium and by-products (probably carcinogenic); lead and by-products (possibly carcinogenic). Most epidemiologic studies have shown a correlation between kidney cancer and exposure to petroleum and distillates, even if results are not significant. Therefore further epidemiologic studies of workers are necessary in order to define carcinogenic substances and the occupational risks.
Parenchymal Renal Carcinoma: The Role of the Pathologist
Authors: Doglioni C.
Published: October 2018

Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) comprises 85% of all primary renal neoplasms. They are frequently diagnosed in an advanced stage and approximately 25% of patients present with metastases at the time of first diagnosis. In RCC pathologists are faced not only with morphologic problems, but also with evaluating parameters that could be utilised in monitoring the clinical course and in prognosis. At present staging, nuclear grading and study of DNA content provide information of prognostic value. However other biological markers are under study: AgNOR, growth fraction, oncogene and tumor-suppressor gene expression and adhesion molecules could provide new valuable information with therapeutic and prognostic implications. There is also a need for the development of sensitive molecular markers for the early detection of RCC: recently nephrocalcin and a guanidinbenzoatase have been proposed as such. The advances in molecular biology and in cytogenetics have shed some light on the pathogenesis of RCC. Alterations in tumor-suppressor genes on chromosome 3 and on chromosome 17 have been frequently observed in most RCC.
Parenchymal Neoplasm of the Kidney Today: Radiologic Characterization and Staging
Authors: D'Andrea P. , Taddia R. , Cultrera C. , Monari G.
Published: October 2018

The development of non-invasive imaging devices has modified the diagnostic approach to parenchymal renal lesions. This report explains the radiologic characteristics of parenchymal lesions for good characterization and shows the usefulness of various devices in the staging of neoplastic lesions.
Radical and Conservative Surgery of Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Faccioli F. , Drei G.N. , De Marchi G. , Guazzieri S.
Published: October 2018

After having outlined the approaches for radical nephrectomy and after some critical considerations, the authors dwell upon the current indications for conservative surgery of renal cell carcinoma. They discuss the problems related to such therapy, emphasizing the advantages and possible risks. In particular, the problems connected with multifocal lesions and peritumoral spread are examined, the real clinical meaning of which is at present unknown, as shown by the discrepancy between experimental and clinical data. Then the authors present their own experience concerning 11 cases of renal carcinoma who underwent conservative surgical treatment between January 89 and September 92. None had relapses nor further progression. The conclusion is that, although the results of such surgery are very encouraging, nonetheless prospective studies and a wider selection of cases are required in order to define its role in the treatment of renal carcinoma.
Adrenalectomy
Authors: De Marchi G. , Drei G.N. , Faccioli F. , Meneguolo M. , Guazzieri S.
Published: October 2018

Between 1980 and 1990, 135 patients underwent nephrectomy in our Department for renal cell carcinoma. Two groups were identified: Group 1 (72 patients) had the adrenal gland removed; group 2 (63 patients) did not undergo removal of the gland. In group 1 only one patient had ipsilateral adrenal gland neoplastic involvement. This patient also had hepatic metastasis and died 4 months after surgery. Differences in the time of survival after surgery were not statistically significant between groups. In the light of present findings and on the basis of data reported in literature, the problem of systematic adrenalectomy as part of radical nephrectomy is discussed.
Surgical Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma with Vena Cava Or Cavo-Atrial Involvement. Our Experience
Authors: Graziotti P. , Ferrazzi P. , Piccinelli A. , Ghidoni I. , Sacchi C. , Giardina C. , Lembo A.
Published: October 2018

From January 1987 to September 1992, 290 patients were operated for renal cell carcinoma at the Department of Urology of Bergamo General Hospital. Among these, 22 had venous invasion, 13 of them with vena cava or cavo-atrial involvement. The Authors stress several technical details that they judge very helpful in the case of intrahepatic or supradiaphragmatic thrombi. Among them the routine use of transesophageal sonography, which gives precise details on the size, volume, and upper limit of the thrombus especially if floating. 4 patients were operated with the help of cardiopulmonary by-pass, circulatory arrest and profound hypothermia. The Authors stress the major advantages offered by this technique compared to simpler approaches like the control either of the supradiaphragmatic vena cava, or hepatic veins. Cardiopulmonary by-pass and circulatory arrest offers unsurpassed exposure of the IVC interior and allows easy and controlled extraction of the thrombus, previously the most difficult part of the procedure. Having no time limit imposed by liver ischemia (± 20 minutes), it also offers the possibility of resecting segments of caval wall and repairing it with patch grafts. Among 13 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy and intracaval thrombus removal, limited complications and no peri-operative mortalities are reported.
Histological Demonstration of Gold in Genital Tract of Male Rat
Authors: Skandhan K.P. , Skandhan S. , Mehta Y.B. , Roy P.B. Late
Published: October 2018

The Authors elaborated and applied a method to detect the presence of gold in the reproductive male system in the rat. They studied the role of gold in the genital system. Gold was thought to play a role in sperm motility, perhaps as a oligoelement for enzymes. Detection of gold could be useful for investigating disturbances of fertility in man.
Non-Invasive Measurement of Intra-Abdominal Pressure through Abdominal Wall during Urodynamic Study
Authors: Takahashi H. , Obara K. , Hatano A. , Tamaki M. , Takeda M. , Sato S.
Published: October 2018

We found that the intra-abdominal pressure could be measured non-invasively, simply and directly through the abdominal wall using a pressure transducer that we used for routine urodynamic studies. We designed a simple device, “transducer attacher”, for attaching the transducer to the abdominal wall. To evaluate the utility of pressure this measured, we compared it with the empty intravesical pressure which is equal to the intraabdominal pressure. Pressure through the abdominal wall did not differ significantly from that of the empty urinary bladder measured on 33 strainings performed by 15 patients complaining of urinary disturbance. The relationship between the rise in empty intravesical pressure (X) and the abdominal wall pressure (Y) was shown by the equation Y = 1.13X-2.89 (r = 0.971, p<0.01). These findings indicate that the pressure measured through the abdominal wall represents the intra-abdominal pressure. This new technique presents an alternative to monitoring the rectal pressure in urodynamic studies.
Neurophysiology in Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction
Authors: Bongiovanni L.G. , Bertolasi L. , Benedetti M. , Bonato C. , Idone D. , Giusti G. , Tallarigo C. , Teatini F.
Published: October 2018

Although there is a great mass of data about specific aspects of normal vesico-urethral function, the physiology of the lower urinary tract remains poorly understood. Any attempt to write a coherent account of the subject will necessarily reflect the Author's bias. The reader should therefore remember that speculation will often creep in when substance is lacking.
Surgical Procedure for Treatment of Urinary Stress Incontinence
Authors: Tallarigo C. , Comunale L. , Bianchi G. , Malossini G. , Rovasio A.
Published: October 2018

Genuine Stress Incontinence (GSI) is one of the most important chapters of female urology. Surgical treatment of GSI still remains an area of controversy in urology. The authors give an up-dated review of the subject; valuable support for people involved in this field.
Flow Cytometric Evaluation on Deparaffinized Material in Prostatic Carcinoma
Authors: Zattoni F. , Costantin G. , Panozzo M. , Blandamura S. , Salmaso R. , Vianello F. , Bertoldin R. , D'Arrigo L. , Galetti T. Prayer
Published: October 2018

DNA nuclear ploidy determined by flow cytometry was evaluated from prostatic tissue in 64 patients with prostatic cancer who had undergone radical prostatectomy. DNA ploidy was compared to tumour stage, tumour grading (Gleason score), PSA. DNA ploidy pattern was diploid in 46% and aneuploid in 54% of the tumours. Tumours pathologically staged B acc. to AUS were aneuploid in 25%, those staged C in 59% and those staged D in 66.6%. Aneuploidy was found in 36% of the tumours with Gleason score between 2 and 4, in 63% between 5 and 7 and in 45% between 8 and 10. Mean preoperative seric PSA was 34.3 ng/ml in diploid tumours and 39.8 ng/ml in aneuploid neoplasms. Our results suggest no relationship between tumour stage, grade and preoperative PSA.
Our Experience after Urogynecological Rehabilitation in Female Stress Incontinence
Authors: Tuccitto G. , Checchin P. , Polentarutti S. , Anselmo G. , Bargellesi S.
Published: October 2018

The Authors present the case histories and results of perineal rehabilitation in a selected group of 32 women with genuine stress incontinence. Patient selection criteria, the method of treatment and results are discussed. Benefits resulting from this therapy are underlined, while characteristics of the failures are analysed. The latter seem tied to lack of psychological motivation and persistence in time of incontinence.
Immunophenotype of Inflammatory Cells in the Bladder Mucosa of Patients Treated with Intravesical BGG for Superficial Bladder Carcinoma
Authors: Montefiore F. , Betta P.G. , Leva G. , Tiranti D. , Treffiletti S. , Boccafoschi C.
Published: October 2018

The evolution of the local inflammatory response after conclusion of BCG endovesical prophylactic treatment of superficial bladder cancer recurrences was evaluated in 12 patients. Microscopic specimens obtained during follow-up cystoscopy were examined using an immunohistochemical technique. After suspension of BCG treatment (as well as during treatment) the phlogistic pattern is mainly represented by T-lymphocytes and particularly by the helper/inducer phenotype. No difference in the lymphocyte phenotype was observed between patients who responded and did not respond to BCG. In more than 50% of responders (but never in non-responders) aggregations of immunocompetent cells were observed, the role of which, although needing a larger series of observations, may be of some importance in preventing cancer recurrences.
Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Infiltrating Bladder Cancer with Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Epirubicin and Cisplatin (M-VEC)
Authors: Annoscia S. , Montefiore F. , Lozzi C. , Tiranti D. , Treffiletti S. , Boccafoschi C. , Bottero G. , Fusco V. , Pozzi G. , Rossi M.
Published: October 2018

Twenty-two patients with operable bladder carcinoma (stage T3, T2, and T1m “high risk”), all G3–G4 except 2, have been recommended for 3 courses of methotrexate, vinblastine, epirubicin, and cisplatin (M-VEC). Eight pathological Complete Responses (38%) and 4 Partial Responses (19%) have been observed. Preliminary survival data are encouraging (3 year disease-free period: 67% of all the patients, 83% and 75% in complete and partial response) and warrant further studies of neoadjuvant therapy.
Adjuvant Intravesical Chemotherapy in Patients with Primary T1 G3 Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Bladder
Authors: Serretta V. , Piazza S. , Pavone C. , Corselli G. , Piazza B. , Pavone-Macaluso M.
Published: October 2018

The Authors present their experience with TUR plus adjuvant intravesical chemotherapy in 50 patients affected by primary T1 G3 bladder tumours without previous or concomitant carcinoma in situ. At a mean follow-up of 36 months, 84% of the patients are alive and tumour-free. Cystectomy was performed in three patients due to locally invasive disease. Five patients (10%) died of bladder cancer.
Flow Cytometry Role of DNA Analysis
Authors: Curti P. , Beltrami P. , Tallarigo C. , Malossini G. , D'Amico A. , Schiavone D.
Published: October 2018

We analyzed the results obtained by flow cytometry DNA analysis in prostatic cancer. We considered the diagnostic role of this investigation and the prognostic value observed from correlating the DNA analysis with usual diagnostic and prognostic factors such as staging, grading, PSA, size, etc. Results in literature suggest that further studies are necessary to explain both the biological and cytometrical heterogeneous aspects of this neoplasm.
Varicocele in Paediatric Age: Comparison between Testicular Size Measured by Ultrasound, Prader Orchimeter and Sliding Calibre
Authors: Abbate B. , Pancani S. , Danti D.A. , Calabrò C. , Parenti R. , Taddei A.
Published: October 2018

Varicocele in paediatric age requires a different clinical management from that in adults. Because of the lack of seminal data, the accurate evaluation of the testicular size is of great value in the clinical approach and in the follow-up of varicocele in the child. The Authors present their experience, refering to 57 children with left idiopathic varicocele, in which the testicular size was measured by three different means: Prader's orchimeter, sliding calibre and scrotal ultrasound. The measurements were carried out by the same surgeons and radiologists. No significant differences were observed between the measurements obtained by the use of the different means. The data were compared by Fisher's statistical test. In conclusion the sliding calibre and the orchimeter are accurate enough methods, and very cheap. The ultrasound is more accurate in the evaluation of testicular size and is the method employed in the presence of other testicular and scrotal diseases.
Double Purpose Penile Skin Advancement Urethroplasty for the Repair of Selected Cases of Distal Hypospadias without Chordee
Authors: Marzouk E.
Published: October 2018

— A new simple one-stage urethroplasty called “double purpose penile skin advancement” is described, as well as a preoperative test to select suitable candidates. The procedure is applicable only to patients with distal hypospadias, without chordee, having an adequately mobile ventral proximal penile skin. It is specially indicated for those patients with deficient or previously circumcised dorsal hood skin. This operation has been performed 12 times without complications of stricture or fistula formation.
Leiomyosarcoma of the Epididymis Testis
Authors: Wegner H.E.H. , Foss H.D. , Krain J. , Dieckmann K.P.
Published: October 2018

— Leiomyosarcoma is the most common mesenchymal malignant tumour in the genito-urinary system. We report an additional case of a leiomyosarcoma arising in the epididymis testis in a 70-year-old man presenting for evaluation of non-tender testicular enlargement. We discuss diagnosis, etiology, and management of this rare neoplasm.
Prostatic Biopsy
Authors: Perachino M. , Introini C. , Ardoino S. , Vitali A. , Puppo P.
Published: October 2018

The aim of this paper is to review the different possibilities of performing biopsies on the prostate and to discuss indications, complications and the instruments to be used. Comments are then made on the results of an interactive discussion, mainly focussing on when a prostate biopsy should be performed and by whom, a urologist or radiologist. The Authors suggest 2 algorithms which can be useful in clinical practice to decide whether or not to perform a biopsy.
Andrologic Pathology and Chronic Prostatitis
Authors: Piediferro G. , Russo A. , Crimi A. , Luciano G. , Sollo T. , Veneri M.R. , Gargiulo L.
Published: October 2018

The following andrologic diseases were found in 54 patients with genital tract infection, diagnosed by a modified Meares-Stamey test and sperm analysis: haemospermia (9.2%), dyspermia (51.8%), premature ejaculation (57.4%), erectile dysfunction (45.4%), partly due to anxiety for premature ejaculation, but in some cases due to inexplicable venous occlusive disease.
Effect of Lyophilized Urine of Acute Rejected Kidney Transplant Recipients on Mp48 Production by Mesangial Cells in Culture
Authors: Mukhtar A.
Published: October 2018

MP48 is a protein expressed only in stimulated mesangials cells. This protein is expressed in diseased but not in normal kidney sections. It is also expressed in the liver and pancreas but not in the erythrocytes of healthy persons, whereas it is expressed in the erythrocytes of renal transplant recipients. This is the first study of the effect of lyophilized urine on MP48. The study showed that urine samples of acute rejected renal transplant recipients stimulated the cultured mesangial cells to produce MP48 protein, while the urine specimens of twelve normal persons did not. The immunological changes correlated with the acute renal rejection could lead to autocrine and apocrine secretion of IL-1 and other growth factors and their secretion in urine. Therefore, this experiment could be used to detect the effect of lyophilized urine specimens of acute rejected renal transplant recipients on cultured mesangial cells for production of MP48.
Epidermoid Cysts of the Testis: A Clinical Case
Authors: Gastaldi E. , Benvenuti S. , Mennini B. , Iacoviello M. , Caviglione M. , Rucci E. , Traverso G.B.
Published: October 2018

The Authors report their experience on a case of testicular epidermoid cyst. Pre-surgical sonographic assessment (a round-shaped mass of low-echogenous structure with concentrical layers of echogenous material without acoustic shadows) indicated the possibility of an epidermoid cyst and consequently a surgical approach aimed at both enucleation and saving of the testicle.
Echo-Guided Biopsy and Mapping in the Diagnosis and Local Staging of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Ferrari G. , Castagnetti G. , Dotti A. , Cesinaro A.M. , De Gaetani C. , Pangrazi S. , Ferrari P.
Published: October 2018

The incidence of prostate cancer is rising and great attention has to be paid when staging this malignant disease in order to avoid unnecessary surgery. Techniques for diagnosis by biopsy are by now standardised, but clinical staging has a high percentage of understaging (over 43%). Multiple sextant prostate biopsies involving the seminal vesicles and prostate capsule seem to be basic for current staging. These data associated with PSA, volume of the cancer and the Gleason score are the most objective and reliable parameters for correct clinical evaluation of prostate cancer.
Therapy Suggested in the Treatment of 94 Cases of Vesico-Ureteral Reflux in Neurologic Bladder after a Traumatic Spinal Cord Lesion
Authors: Menchinelli P. , De Giovanni L. , Meneschincheri F. , Manasia P. , Ronzoni G.
Published: October 2018

The Authors present their experience in the treatment of vesico-ureteral reflux in 623 patients, admitted to the “A. Gemelli” Hospital from 1976 to 1995, with neurologic bladder due to traumatic spinal cord lesion. Ninety-four patients with medium-high level reflux were treated; in 71 cases, the reflux was bilateral. The various therapies practised and the medium-long term results achieved are given.
Molecular Biology in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Còssaro E.
Published: October 2018

A brief overview is made of the main oncogenes and oncosuppressors currently being studied in bladder tumours. Although many data are available, only the altered p53 dosage seems to have any short-term clinical application.