Catholic University of the Sacred Heart

About: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart is a education organization based out in Milan, Lombardia, Italy. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 13592 authors who have published 31048 publications receiving 853961 citations.

Pain Management in Frail, Community-Living Elderly Patients

Abstract: Methods: We analyzed data from a large collaborative observational study group, the Italian Silver Network Home Care project, that collected data on patients admitted to home health care programs. Twelve home health care agencies participated in the project evaluating the implementation of the Minimum Data Set for Home Care instrument. We enrolled 3046 patients, 65 years and older, in the present study. The main outcome measures were the prevalence of daily pain and analgesic treatment. Results: A total of 1341 individuals (39%, 49%, and 41% of those aged 65-74, 75-84, and 85 years, respectively) reported daily pain. Of patients with daily pain, 25% received a WHO level 1 drug; 6%, a WHO level 2 drug; and 3%, a WHO level 3 drug (eg, morphine sulfate). Patients 85 years or older were less likely to receive analgesics compared with the younger patients (univariate odds ratio, 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60-0.89). Another independent predictor of failing to receive any analgesic was low cognitive performance (adjusted odds ratio, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69-0.93).

Amphotericin B treatment dissociates in vivo replication of the scrapie agent from PrP accumulation.

Abstract: SCRAPIE and related animal and human disorders are neurodegenerative diseases1 characterized by the formation of a modified, partly proteinase-resistant protein (PrP) of the host2,3,which tends to aggregate as amyloid fibrils4 and accumulate in the brain of infected individuals5. There is a general consensus that the pathological form of PrP (PrPSc) is essential for the clinical appearance of the disease6, but whether it is part of the scrapie agent7 or a by-product of viral infection8,9is still controversial. Here we report that treatment of scrapie-infected hamsters with amphotericin B delays the accumulation in the brain of the proteinase-resistant portion of PrPSc by about 30 days without affecting scrapie replication. The consequence is that hamsters treated with amphotericin B developed clinical signs of disease later than infected controls. We argue that the proteinase-resistant portion of PrPSc is necessary for the development of the disease but that it is unlikely to be essential for scrapie replication.

Disentangling the Electronic and Phononic Glue in a High-Tc Superconductor

Abstract: Unveiling the nature of the bosonic excitations that mediate the formation of Cooper pairs is a key issue for understanding unconventional superconductivity. A fundamental step toward this goal would be to identify the relative weight of the electronic and phononic contributions to the overall frequency (Ω)-dependent bosonic function, Π(Ω). We performed optical spectroscopy on Bi(2)Sr(2)Ca(0.92)Y(0.08)Cu(2)O(8+δ) crystals with simultaneous time and frequency resolution; this technique allowed us to disentangle the electronic and phononic contributions by their different temporal evolution. The spectral distribution of the electronic excitations and the strength of their interaction with fermionic quasiparticles fully account for the high critical temperature of the superconducting phase transition.

Local excision after preoperative chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer: results of a multicenter phase II clinical trial.

Abstract: BACKGROUND:Transanal local excision has been suggested as an attractive approach for patients with rectal cancer who show a major clinical response after preoperative chemoradiotherapy.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the impact of transanal local excision on the local recurrence of rectal cancer in patients w

Neurophysiological predictors of long term response to AChE inhibitors in AD patients

Abstract: Background: In vivo evaluation of cholinergic circuits of the human brain has recently been introduced using a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol based on coupling peripheral nerve stimulation with motor cortex TMS (short latency afferent inhibition, SAI). SAI is reduced in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and drugs enhancing cholinergic transmission increase SAI. Methods: We evaluated whether SAI testing, together with SAI test-retest, after a single dose of the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor rivastigmine, might be useful in predicting the response after 1 year treatment with rivastigmine in 16 AD patients. Results: Fourteen AD patients had pathologically reduced SAI. SAI was increased after administration of a single oral dose of rivastigmine in AD patients with abnormal baseline SAI, but individual responses to rivastigmine varied widely, with SAI change ranging from an increase in inhibition of ∼50% of test size to no change. Baseline SAI and the increase in SAI after a single dose of rivastigmine were correlated with response to long term treatment. A normal SAI in baseline conditions, or an abnormal SAI in baseline conditions that was not greatly increased by a single oral dose of rivastigmine, were invariably associated with poor response to long term treatment, while an abnormal SAI in baseline conditions in conjunction with a large increase in SAI after a single dose of rivastigmine was associated with good response to long term treatment in most of the patients. Conclusions: Evaluation of SAI may be useful for identifying AD patients likely to respond to treatment with AChE inhibitors.