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Primary cutaneous lymphomas (PCL) are rare diseases, but the indolent course makes their prevalence high. Although there are many treatment options, no hierarchy is recommended.To identify the burden of PCL and describe clinical-pathologic features; associated comorbidities; analyse treatment approaches in real-life and the parameters associated with the achievement of complete response (CR).In this study, all the PCL patients (384 patients) consecutively seen at the Dermatologic Clinic of the University of Turin from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, with follow-up updated to December 2020, were included.Subtype of PCL, demographic data, time elapsed between first lesions and diagnosis, associated symptoms, comorbidities, staging at diagnosis, high-grade transformation, blood involvement, stage progression, therapies used and response were assessed.247 were cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCL, 64.3%), 137 cutaneous B-cell lymphomas (CBCL, 35.7%) and the most frequent subtype was MF (48.4%). 62.3% of CTCL patients showed at least one comorbidity, mainly cardiovascular (28.7%), 20.2% show other not cutaneous neoplasms. The main approaches were skin-directed therapies (topical steroids 65.6%; phototherapy 50.2%). 39.3% patients achieved a CR during the disease course. Pruritus, the presence of comorbidities and high-grade transformation were factors associated with failure to achieve CR, whereas stage IA of MF was associated with greater achievement of CR.The Th2 cytokine related development of pruritus could justify increased resistance to treatment, while the presence of associated comorbidities could reduce treatment options as well as treatment compliance.

The Practical guideline is based on the current scientific ESPEN guideline on Clinical Nutrition in Liver Disease (Plauth M., Bernal W., Dasarathy S., Merli M., Plank L. D., Schütz T., Bischoff S. C. ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition in liver disease // Clin Nutr. — 2019. — 38. — Р. 485—521). It has been shortened and transformed into flow charts for easier use in clinical practice. The guideline is dedicated to all professionals including physicians, dieticians, nutritionists and nurses working with patients with chronic liver disease. A total of 103 statements and recommendations are presented with short commentaries for the nutritional and metabolic management of patients with (i) acute liver failure, (ii) alcoholic steatohepatitis, (iii) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, (iv) liver cirrhosis, and (v) liver surgery/transplantation. The disease-related recommendations are preceded by general recommendations on the diagnostics of nutritional status in liver patients and on liver complications associated with medical nutrition. This practical guideline gives guidance to health care providers involved in the management of liver disease to offer optimal nutritional care.

The Practical guideline is based on the current scientific ESPEN guideline on Clinical Nutrition in Liver Disease (Plauth M., Bernal W., Dasarathy S., Merli M., Plank L. D., Schütz T., Bischoff S. C. ESPEN guideline on clinical nutrition in liver disease // Clin Nutr. — 2019. — 38. — Р. 485—521). It has been shortened and transformed into flow charts for easier use in clinical practice. The guideline is dedicated to all professionals including physicians, dieticians, nutritionists and nurses working with patients with chronic liver disease. A total of 103 statements and recommendations are presented with short commentaries for the nutritional and metabolic management of patients with (i) acute liver failure, (ii) alcoholic steatohepatitis, (iii) non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, (iv) liver cirrhosis, and (v) liver surgery/transplantation. The disease-related recommendations are preceded by general recommendations on the diagnostics of nutritional status in liver patients and on liver complications associated with medical nutrition. This practical guideline gives guidance to health care providers involved in the management of liver disease to offer optimal nutritional care.

COVID-19 is associated with high mortality in patients with haematological malignancies (HM) and rate of seroconversion is unknown. The ITA-HEMA-COV project (NCT04352556) investigated patterns of seroconversion for SARS-CoV-2 IgG in patients with HMs. A total of 237 patients, SARS-CoV-2 PCR-positive with at least one SARS-CoV-2 IgG test performed during their care, entered the analysis. Among these, 62 (26·2%) had myeloid, 121 (51·1%) lymphoid and 54 (22·8%) plasma cell neoplasms. Overall, 69% of patients (164 of 237) had detectable IgG SARS-CoV-2 serum antibodies. Serologically negative patients (31%, 73 of 237) were evenly distributed across patients with myeloid, lymphoid and plasma cell neoplasms. In the multivariable logistic regression, chemoimmunotherapy [odds ratio (OR), 3·42; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1·04–11·21; P=0·04] was associated with a lower rate of seroconversion. This effect did not decline after 180days from treatment withdrawal (OR, 0·35; 95% CI: 0·11–1·13; P=0·08). This study demonstrates a low rate of seroconversion in HM patients and indicates that treatment-mediated immune dysfunction is the main driver. As a consequence, we expect a low rate of seroconversion after vaccination and thus we suggest testing the efficacy of seroconversion in HM patients.

Our ability of screening broad communities for clinically asymptomatic diseases critically drives population health. Sensory chewing gums are presented targeting the tongue as 24/7 detector allowing diagnosis by “anyone, anywhere, anytime”. The chewing gum contains peptide sensors consisting of a protease cleavable linker in between a bitter substance and a microparticle. Matrix metalloproteinases in the oral cavity, as upregulated in peri-implant disease, specifically target the protease cleavable linker while chewing the gum, thereby generating bitterness for detection by the tongue. The peptide sensors prove significant success in discriminating saliva collected from patients with peri-implant disease versus clinically asymptomatic volunteers. Superior outcome is demonstrated over commercially available protease-based tests in saliva. “Anyone, anywhere, anytime” diagnostics are within reach for oral inflammation. Expanding this platform technology to other diseases in the future features this diagnostic as a massive screening tool potentially maximizing impact on population health., Early detection of gum inflammation caused by dental implants helps prevent tissue damage. Here, the authors present a peptide sensor that generates a bitter taste when cleaved by proteases present in peri-implant disease, embed it in a chewing gum, and compare the probe to existing sensors using patient saliva.

Fox baits containing 50 mg praziquantel were distributed by aircraft in a 3000 km2 area of southwestern Germany from 1995 to 1999. 20 baits / km2 were initially distributed at intervals of six to twelve weeks. Starting from a prebaiting prevalence of 64 % (95 % C.I. 59–69), a level of 15 % (C.I. 10–21) was reached after 18 months. Further decreasing the frequency and discontinuing the bait distribution caused a surge to 55 % (C.I. 49–61) within 36 months. Other cestode species (Taenia spp., Mesocestoides spp.) showed similar responses, while the prevalence of ascarid nematodes did not decline during baiting. New infections of fox cubs with E. multilocularis, but not with other cestodes, drastically decreased after one year. Prevalences of fox helminths in an external control area remained stable. Our data suggest that repeated praziquantel treatment of free ranging foxes is suitable to reduce the prevalence of E. multilocularis in a large area.

Our aim was to review and compare findings from controlled trials and previous reviews concerning current drug treatment of patients suffering from Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Thus we selected published articles quoted over the last ten years in the databases of Medline and Cochrane Library. The combination of pharmacological and psychological treatments is superior to the single psychotherapeutic approach, which in turns is superior to the single drug treatment (just superior to placebo). Among drug treatments, SSRIs are the first line choice treatments, especially in primary care. They are more acceptable and tolerated by the patients, moreover effective even if investigations on long terms outcomes are lacking. A number of patients, however, do not respond to these drugs. For them it is necessary to find new therapeutic strategies. Mood stabilizers are promising in this regard. In particular, topiramate seems to allow reduction of binge eating and weight in SSRI non-responder patients.

Chemical routes such as sol–gel techniques and thermal decomposition of heteronuclear complexes have been used to prepare nanosized powders of n-type (SnO2, TiO2 and In2O3) and p-type (LaFeO3) semiconducting oxides. Thick film gas sensors have been fabricated using these powders, printed on laser pre-cut 96% alumina substrates, each 2×2 mm element being provided with a heater, Au interdigitated contacts and a Pt-100 resistor for controlling the operating temperature. The films have been fired at different temperatures suitable to keep the grain size at the nanometer level. Electrical responses to some major polluting gases (CO, NO, NO2 and O3) obtained in the field have been compared with international standard analytical techniques.

The kinetics of electrical deactivation of As-doped silicon was studied at temperatures from 450 to 700°C by using samples doped in the range from 1 × 10 20 to 1.7 × 10 21 cm -3 . Twelve types of specimens were obtained by As implantation at 100 keV of both silicon on insulator (SOI) and bulk Si wafers, followed by damage removal by furnace annealing, ruby, or alternatively excimer, laser pulses. Accurate determinations showed that the kinetics of As clustering complies with the zero order rate equation: -dn/dt = A exp[-(E-αn)/kT], which describes the deactivation process until the reaction is close to the equilibrium. The activation energy, E, is found to be 1.9 eV, for all compositions and preparation techniques. Both A and α are independent of temperature and depend on total As concentration, C As . With increasing C As , α decreases according to the empirical formula: α = 1.6 × 10 -21 [1 + 5.5 exp(-C As /1.8 × 10 20 )] eV cm 3 , valid for C As up to about 1 × 10 21 cm -3 . The effective activation energy, E - αn increases with decreasing the carrier density and, vice versa, it becomes vanishingly small at high As + concentrations. Carrier concentrations higher than 4 × 10 21 cm -3 are unstable even at room temperature. The pre-exponential factor, A, increases markedly with C As according to the empirical relation: log A = 26.6-6.5 × 10 10 /(C As ) 0.5 cm -3 s. -1 The hypothesis is advanced that the increase of A is due to the increase of suitable atomic arrangements for clustering, with As in second neighbor (N As ) NNN lattice positions.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Controlled prospective studies and randomized clinical studies have shown that inflammation plays a major role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, and that a chronic inflammatory systemic reaction increases the risk of cardiovascular, and cerebrovascular attacks. In recent years, many researchers have focused on defining a correlation between cardiovascular and periodontal diseases. The aim of the present study was to observe the effects of periodontal causal therapy on the level of specific inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, before and after non-surgical periodontal therapy. A total of 64 patients were enrolled in the present study. Among these, 26 patients were affected by cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease, (MCV-Perio test group), whereas 38 patients were only affected by cardiovascular disease, without periodontal disease, (MCV control group). The MCV-Perio group was then sub-divided into two additional groups: Treated MCV-Perio test group, treated with non-surgical phase I periodontal therapy; Not-Treated MCV-Perio test group, not treated with any periodontal therapy. A comprehensive periodontal treatment was carried out at baseline. The non-surgical therapy treatment was conceived according to Full Mouth Therapy (FMT) treatment protocol, consisting of various phases delivered in a very short time. Blood samples were collected at baseline and re-evaluated in order to assess periodontal and inflammation marker changes. All values were registered as an average ± standard deviation (x ± SD) and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test was used. It is interesting to observe that the serum concentrations of IL-6 and hs-CRP were higher in the group with cardiovascular and periodontal disease compared to the group with cardiovascular disease alone. Non-surgical periodontal treatment determined a dramatic improvement in the levels of the systemic inflammatory markers. The results of the present study show that non-surgical periodontal therapy performed according to the Full Mouth Therapy protocol may prove beneficial in reducing the levels of inflammatory markers typically associated with heart disease. Because the two pathologies share a certain number of common risk factors, this may be a hindrance in the correct interpretation of the results. Therefore, further evidence, represented preferably with a randomized controlled clinical design is necessary to interpret the results correctly.

Background: Nutritional status affects the course, ensuing complications and prognosis of virtually all diseases. Aims: The present study was designed to define the role of nutrition in gastroenterology departments by means of two investigations analyzing: a) the availability of devices for assessing nutritional status; b) nutritional treatment in clinical practice: the incidence and frequency of indications for its use, together with the type of treatment adopted. Patients and Methods: Two questionnaires were sent to Italian Academic and Hospital gastroenterology Departments, all with clinical wards. Results: The results obtained refer to 27 Departments, 22 of which took part in both parts of the analysis, enrolling 547 patients during the two weeks of the study. The first analysis shows that clinical nutrition and outpatients nutritional treatment are carried out in 73% of University hospitals and 46% of State hospitals. There are areas devoted specifically to nutritional treatment in 35% of the total departments, while 42% have an operative multidisciplinary nutritional team". The use of artificial nutrition is confirmed in 81% of the departments, preparation of the parenteral nutrition bags being carried out autonomously in 50% of them, by the hospital pharmacy in 39%, by other wards in by other wards in 12% and by private pharmaceutical companies in 12%. Finally, our data show that scales and the statiometer are available everywhere, while more specific tools, such as skinfold calipers are available in 54% of the departments, and calorie intake can be assessed in 22-41%. The second analysis revealed that nutritional treatment was necessary in 50% of patients in the case series examined and that this was taken into account and given in almost all cases (91%). In detail, 69% of the patients treated received dietetic supplementation and 31% artificial nutrition, (12% enteral; 88% parenteral), although supportive parenteral nutrition is often contraindicated in conditions where good bowel function provides the conditions for enteral nutrition. Conclusion: It could be stated that: i) artificial nutrition is commonly used in gastroenterology departments in Italy; ii) the indications for enteral and parenteral nutrition are not always properly respected: There is excessive use of parenteral nutrition and an unjustified resistance to the use of enteral nutrition; iii) nutritional treatment is often given without adequate nutritional assessment confirmed by the relative technological tools. A better awareness of correct practices for nutritional support should be promoted, encouraging both greater use of diagnostic and monitoring techniques and a more discerning choice of the most suitable type of artificial nutrition to be administered in gastroenterology.

Using conversion electron Mossbauer spectroscopy, we have studied the hyperfine field distributions of ultra-thin iron films interfaced on both sides with nickel. The configuration of the studied system was (Ni/57Fe/Ni)n=(20 nm/X nm/20 nm)n, withn=3–7 andX=0.5–1.5 nm. The films were grown at room temperature in high vacuum on (111) buffer layers of nickel previously deposited on mica substrates at 300 °C. It has been found that the average hyperfine field is practically independent of the iron layer thickness, while this parameter strongly affects the distribution profiles and the orientation of iron atom spins.

In this paper we present reflectance measurements on silicon wafers and the dependence of the reflectance on the thickness, on the texturization and on the back metallization. Silver and aluminum have been deposited using screen printing and also vacuum evaporation as a reference. The work was intended as a contribution to the problem of light trapping that becomes important for thin wafers for commercial, low cost, silicon cells. For the case of wafers with polished surfaces, the results are analysed to yield the reflectivity of the back surface and the total energy absorbed in the sample. Texturization, on the contrary, introduces diffraction phenomena making the evaluation of the absorbed energy more complex.

Arsenic implantation through either Mo films or Mo disilicide layers, followed by rapid thermal annealing has been investigated as a self-aligned process to fabricate n + - p shallow junctions for ultra-large-scale integration technology. Both procedures give junctions shallower than 0.2 μm with good electrical characteristics. Reverse current densities down to 2 nA cm −2 at −1 V, ideality factors as low as 1.05 and contact resistivities in the range 10 −7 Ωcm 2 are measured. An excellent planarity of the Si-silicide interface is exhibited by the diodes fabricated by As implantation through Mo. A structural investigation on the silicidation process induced by As implantation through Mo is reported.

In order to increase the efficiency of large-area solar cells made from thin (less than or equal to 200 μm) crystal wafers, without eliminating the thick film process sequence, an innovative back junction cell with a front contact grid on the lit side was developed. The major advantages of the reverse cell over the conventional cell are as follows: 1. (1) the reverse cell is suitable for the collection of long-wavelength light reflected on the back surface and at the same time of the short wavelengths owing to the opportunity of forming a shallow front surface p + layer without the risk of leakages from the contact metallization. 2. (2) the series resistance of the back and front contacts can be greatly reduced. In this work we carried out a process sequence for reverse cell production: up to now our best fill factor was 78% which is probably the highest value obtained using thick film technology. In addition, using numerical modelling, we analysed the spectral responsivity, the short-circuit current and the dependence of the efficiency on the front surface field depth. The behaviour of the short-circuit current with increasing lifetime was also investigated.

Molybdenum silicide is investigated because of its possible application in a self‐aligned process for ultra large scale integration technology. p+/n shallow junctions are fabricated by boron implantation through Mo films or MoSi2 layers and rapid thermal annealing. Both procedures enable us to obtain junctions as shallow as 130 nm with very good electrical characteristics (reverse current density 1 nA/cm2 at −1 V, ideality factor 1.05 and contact resistivity 1×10−6 Ω cm2). The influence of a surface preamorphization with different thicknesses on junction depth and electrical characteristics is reported.

Post-implantation annealing conditions suitable to obtain very shallow p + -n and n + -p junctions with good electrical characteristics are critically examined by considering transient enhanced diffusion phenomena, dopant electrical activation, regrowth of the amorphous layer and radiation damage removal. Since activation energy of the diffusion processes is lower than that of damage recovery, high temperature rapid thermal annealings results, in principle, the best technique to fabricate shallow junction. The characteristics of diodes with junction depth of about 0.1 μm obtained by low energy implantation and annealing at 1000°C for 10 s are reported and discussed. Finally, ion implantation of B and As through a film of molybdenum or molybdenum silicide has been considered as a promising approach to shallow junction formations. Preliminary results related to devices fabricated by means of this self-aligned procedure are presented.

Report sui primi 95 pazienti obesi di 3° grado, consecutivi, sottoposti a consulenza psichiatrica prima dell'intervento di chirurgia bariatrica.

A total of 1,053 cirrhotic patients were included in a prospective study to determine whether malnutrition is a risk factor for mortality in cirrhotic patients. Child-Pugh classification as well as clinical and biochemical variables were used to assess the severity of cirrhosis. Nutritional status was evaluated both by anthropometric and clinical measurements. Patients were defined as malnourished when midarm muscle area (MAMA) and/or midarm fat area (MAFA) were below the 5th percentile of an age- and sex-matched population. During follow-up, 419 patients died. The estimated survival rate was 82.7% at 1 year, 65.1% at 3 years, and 50.7% at 5 years. The presence of muscle depletion and/or of a steep reduction in fat deposits was associated with a higher risk of mortality (midarm muscle area, < 5th percentile, relative risk = 1.79; midarm fat area, < 5th percentile, relative risk = 1.35). When patients were stratified according to the Child-Pugh classification, cumulative survival was lower in patients with a reduction in muscle mass in Child-Pugh classes A and B (log rank: P = .027; P = .022, respectively) but not in class C. Conversely, a significant reduction in adipose tissue deposits appeared to have no independent impact on survival in any Child-Pugh class. When examined using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, age, sex, bilirubin, cholinesterase, ascites, and esophageal varices were selected, whereas the parameters of nutritional status were not. This suggests that malnutrition, while strongly associated with the deterioration of liver function, cannot be considered an independent risk factor for mortality in a general population of cirrhotic patients.

Dopo revisione delle linee-guida internazionali sull'argomento, si illustrano una serie di casi con anoressia nervosa grave, trattati con approccio psicoterapico ispirato al modello kleiniano, con supervisione di 120 ore per anno da parte di docenti dell'Istituto Tavistock di Londra.

Vengono esaminati i dati clinici e psicometrici, nonchè motivazioni della terapia chirurgica, in 85 obesi di 3° grado, prima del trattamento chirurgico mini-invasivo con banding gastrico.

Parasuicide represents a significant cost to the individual, the health services, and to society at large. Starting from 1981 overall psychiatric consultations (M 42.3%) on year 2000, our sample consisted of 149 consecutive parasuicidal cases living in the Health District of Bologna (M 36.9%). Among them, 83.2% were monitored for variables relating to emergency room, general hospital inpatient care, general hospital outpatient care, psychiatric inpatient care, over the period 2000-2005. All of cases were monitored for possible death and its motivation matching up data from clinical versus demographic database. Results. Among several findings, in particular a repetition rate of 18.8% was found involving one or more subsequent gestures by 5 yrs., while14.1% of cases died for any reason (including a number of complete suicides).