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M Barone

Publications and source records attributed to M Barone.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Search for a W' boson via the decay mode W'-->munumu in 1.8 TeV pp collisions.

We report the results of a search for a W' boson produced in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.8 TeV using a 107 pb-1 data sample recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. We consider the decay channel W'-->&munumu and search for anomalous production of high transverse mass munumu lepton pairs. We observe no excess of events above background and set limits on the rate of W' boson production and decay relative to standard model W boson production and decay using a fit of the transverse mass distribution observed. If we assume standard model strength couplings of the W' boson to quark and lepton pairs, we exclude a W' boson with invariant mass less than 660 GeV/c2 at 95% confidence level.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2000

Increased frequency of HCV and HBV infection in type 2 diabetic patients.

The aim of our study was to verify if the diabetic population can be considered at risk for HBV (B hepatitis virus) and/or HCV (C hepatitis virus) correlated viral hepatitis. We examined 1514 diabetic patients, 668 males and 846 females. In patients who had, on at least two occasions, pathological transaminase values (AST and/or ALT), the markers for HBV and HCV infection were determined. Of the 1514 patients studied, 295 (19.48%) had pathological values of ALT and /or AST. Among the hypertransaminase patients (295), 69 were not tested for the markers because they refused to give informed consent; of the remaining 226 patients, 54 were negative and 172 (76.6%) were positive for at least one of the hepatitis markers (HBV, HCV or both). Those who were anti-HCV positive were 115 (38.98%), of which 50 were also positive to hepatitis B (16.9%), while those positive only to the B markers were 57 (19.3%). If we compare the patients with positive markers (172) to the total number of diabetic patients studied (1514), we find that there is a hepatitis B and/or C prevalence of 11.36%, with no statistically significant difference between females (95/846, 11.23%) and males (77/668, 11.53%). The prevalence of only hepatitis C was 7.6%, while only hepatitis B was 7.1%. In conclusion, our study shows an increasing prevalence of hepatitis C and B, often associated, in type 2 diabetic patients that allows us to define them as a group at risk for viral hepatitis.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed2000

Chronic infiltrative lung diseases: value of gadolinium-enhanced MRI in the evaluation of disease activity--early report.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the value of gadolinium-enhanced MRI in the assessment of disease activity in chronic infiltrative lung diseases (CILDs). DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five consecutive patients with CILD were studied. The following diseases were diagnosed: sarcoidosis (n = 10), bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (n = 3), usual interstitial pneumonia (n = 4), radiation pneumonia (n = 2), desquamative interstitial pneumonia (n = 1), rheumatoid lung (n = 1), vasculitis (n = 1), alveolar proteinosis (n = 1), bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (n = 1), and chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (n = 1). In each patient, the disease activity was assessed by one or more of the following studies: BAL (n = 18), gallium-radioisotope lung scanning (n = 6), serum angiotensin-converting enzyme assay (n = 10), and open lung biopsy (n = 4). T1-weighted breath-hold MRI studies were obtained before and after IV injection of gadolinium. The MRI examinations were analyzed to assess the presence or absence of lesional enhancement. RESULTS: The presence of enhanced pulmonary lesions was seen in 14 patients. All of these patients had active disease. Of the 17 patients with active disease, 14 had enhanced lesions, and 3 had unenhanced lesions. Pulmonary lesions were not enhanced in any patients with inactive disease. The difference was statistically significant (Fisher Exact Test, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-enhanced MRI may prove to be a useful tool in assessing disease activity in CILDs.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Reconstruction of the thoracic wall].

The resection of the thoracic wall for cancer, traumas or results of radiotherapy could require a reconstruction of the same wall with prosthetic material of different nature to the purpose of protect the important intrathoracic structures, avoid the flail chest and maintain a ventilation adjusted with aesthetically acceptable results. Numerous and varied they have been and they are the materials used to such aim, but the more numerous experiences concern the reconstructions of the wall with the employment of nets of Marlex or the patch of Gore-Tex. In the complete two years eight patients have arrived at our observation in which a prosthetic reconstruction has been performed with heterologous material. In three of them has been used the net of Marlex, in five the patch of Gore-Tex of two millimeters of thickness. The prostheses have stayed well you bear and in all the patients the authors have gotten a good stabilization of the thoracic wall.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Elective and emergency minimally invasive surgery in pleural diseases].

In the last years the video-assisted thoracic surgery (V.A.T.S.) assumed an important order for the diagnosis and treatment of the pleural disease. In this particular field, the procedure allows obtaining almost the same outcomes of traditional surgery and is very safety. V.A.T.S. reduces hospital time and trauma with a fast return to the working life. The Authors describe their experience and outline the diagnostic and therapeutic indications for the treatment of choice and emergency.

Elective Surgical Procedures↗
PubMed1999

Long-term management of deep vein thrombosis.

A venous thromboembolic event may cause substantial long-term morbidity despite the best available treatment. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurs in approximately 30% of patients within eight years of the acute event, and a similar proportion develop post-thrombotic syndrome, imposing a notable clinical and financial burden. Conventional treatment of VTE comprises an initial 5-10 day course of intravenous unfractionated heparin (UFH), followed by oral anticoagulants for 3-6 months. Thrombolytic therapy, vena caval filters and surgical thrombectomy are reserved for patients with complications. Alternative approaches, including more intensive initial anticoagulation or extended secondary prevention, may improve long-term outcomes. Low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs) are at least as effective as UFH in acute therapy and are suitable for home treatment, offering the potential for cost reductions and improved patient convenience. Consequently, LMWHs are replacing UFH in initial treatment of VTE. The optimal duration of secondary VTE prophylaxis remains uncertain. Extended therapy with LMWH reduces the frequency of VTE recurrence, but routine use of prolonged therapy is not economically viable. Targeting extended therapy to patients at greatest risk of recurrence, for example, patients with identified congenital thrombophilia, would maximize cost-effectiveness. Comprehensive risk assessment models are now needed to stratify patients for primary VTE risk level, allowing appropriate targeting of prophylaxis, more intensive initial treatment or extended therapy for acute VTE.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed1999

[Open-window surgery of pleural empyema].

Thoracoscopic is performed for treatment of pleuric empiema with 65% of recovery. In the old patients the Authors achieved high grade of recovery with open window (OW) procedure. In the last two years, 7 patients with pleuric empiema underwent this treatment. In two patients the origin was tuberculosis, in 4 empiema was post-pneumonitic; in one case the cause was broncho-pleuric fistula after pneumonectomy. All the operations were performed under general anesthesia. The Authors began with thoracoscopy, drainage of cavity and then they performed the resection of one or more ribs and a pleuro-cutaneous flap: 5 patients recovered without complications. OW seems to be very useful in the case in which more radical approach is impossible. Continuous irrigations of the cavity, with rapid pulmonary expansion, permits recovery without the use of myocutaneous flaps.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Cerebral vascular response to hypertonic fluid resuscitation in thermal injury.

The purpose of this project was to study the effects of various resuscitation fluid protocols in a systemically thermally injured rat sustaining 70% body surface area third degree burn using the pial window model in rats. The results show that there was a significant albumin leak in the cerebral vessels in both the experimental group which underwent no resuscitation fluid, as well as the experimental group that was resuscitated with Lactated Ringer's solution using the Parkland formula. When this was compared to the control group, as well as to the experimental group which received hypertonic hyperosmotic saline (HMS) boluses every hour, there was little if any leakage seen.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Morphologic analysis of the cerebral microcirculation after thermal injury and the response to fluid resuscitation.

Using the pial window model, we have previously demonstrated that there is a disruption of the blood brain barrier with distal thermal injury [1-3]. Our laboratory has shown that treatment with Lactated Ringer's Solution did not improve labeled albumin leakage. However, treatment with hypertonic hyperosmotic saline (HHS) solution post thermal injury seemed to essentially eliminate the albumin leakage in cerebral vessels. Using adult Sprague-Dawley rats and epifluorescent microscopy, the cerebral vessel size and diameter were measured, as well as the number of leukocytes rolling or adherent to the endothelium. The results show that there was significant progressive arterial dilatation over six hours in the thermally injured animals treated with HHS. There was also a significant increase in leukocyte number if the animals were thermally injured and had no resuscitation fluid or if the animals were thermally injured and underwent resuscitation fluid with Lactated Ringer's compared to either the control group or the group that was treated with HHS after thermal injury.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Ursodeoxycholate promotes protein phosphorylation in the cytosol of rat hepatocytes.

A study is presented of the effect of the bile salt ursodeoxycholate (UDC) on protein phosphorylation by [gamma-32P]ATP in the cytosol from rat hepatocytes. Gel electrophoresis and corresponding autoradiograms of cytosolic proteins show that UDC promotes phosphorylation of at least eight different protein bands. Four of them (the 36, 60, 64 and 76 kDa) are phosphorylated by Ca2+ and phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (PKC); three (the 31, 51 and 71 kDa) are phosphorylated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) and one protein band, with molecular weight of 34 kDa, apparently contains substrates of both PKC and PKA. Data are reported indicating that UDC can directly affect the intrinsic activity of protein kinases.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Clinical course and incidence of post-thrombophlebitic syndrome after profound asymptomatic deep vein thrombosis. Results of a transverse epidemiologic study].

UNLABELLED: Currently, there are not reliable data on the incidence and prevalence of post-phlebitic syndrome (PTS) after an episode of asymptomatic postoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT). In order to evaluate the epidemiology and the clinical course of PTS in patients who were submitted to hip and knee replacement, we performed a cross sectional study in orthopedic patients with previous asymptomatic postoperative DVT. For reducing potential biases, we used currently accepted and objectively documented criteria to define the clinical manifestations and severity of PTS. RESULTS: 98 of 217 (45.1%) patients, who underwent orthopedic surgery in the previous 2-4 years, have been included in the study. 46 of them (46.9%) had postoperative asymptomatic DVT, confirmed by venograph 23.9% satisfied criteria to be classified as having PTS. When compared with the control group (PTS 3.8%), the difference in the incidence of PTS was statistically significant (p = 0.03). The comparison of the distribution of proximal and distal thrombi in patients with PTS showed that proximal venous involvement constitutes and independent risk factor for developing PST (RR 4). We conclude that: a) about 24% of patients with previous asymptomatic postoperative DVT developed the SPT in the following 2-4 years, b) in asymptomatic DVTs, the localization of thrombi in the proximal venous segment is the most important independent risk factor for the PTS. Therefore, these results can influence the use and the choice of an adequate antithrombotic prophylaxis for reducing the incidence of postoperative proximal DVT.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

[Contrast-enhanced study of solitary pulmonary nodules with thin-section computed tomography].

INTRODUCTION: Since many benign and malignant pathologic conditions can appear as solitary pulmonary nodules, to establish nodule nature is always necessary for correct patient management. Recently, some authors have demonstrated the effectiveness of incremental dynamic CT in distinguishing cancerous from noncancerous lesions. The purpose of this work is to report our personal experience in this field. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed the incremental dynamic CT scans of 21 patients with a solitary pulmonary nodule < 3.5 cm phi without any calcifications, cavities and fat--namely, 15 carcinomas, 3 granulomas, 2 hamartomas, 1 abscess. Lesion density was evaluated before and 30 s, 1, 2, 3 and 5 min after contrast agent administration; we used a circular region of interest consisting of the central portion of the nodule in all cases and of 60-70% of its area in most cases. We subdivided the nodules into two groups, according to their enhancement: the nodules with > 20 HU and those with < 20 HU. All the lesions were submitted to surgery and histologic studies. RESULTS: Fourteen of 15 carcinomas and one hamartoma had contrast enhancement > 20 HU; an abscess exhibited marked ring-shaped contrast enhancement (positive predictive value: 87%). One carcinoma, three granulomas and one hamartoma had no contrast enhancement, or else it was < 20 HU (negative predictive value: 80%). DISCUSSION: Recently, some authors have demonstrated that malignant nodules, studied with incremental dynamic CT, have higher contrast enhancement than benign nodules. A value > 20 HU is a good predictor of malignancy (positive predictive value: 90%) and, conversely, a value < 20 HU is an unquestionable sign of benignity (negative predictive value: 100%). Our findings confirm the positive predictive value of enhancement > 20 HU, but not its negative predictive value because we found a malignant nodule without contrast enhancement. CONCLUSIONS: Incremental dynamic CT is an effective indicator of solitary pulmonary nodule nature, but its predictive value is not absolute and therefore this technique should be integrated with biopsy in the cases which are clinically or radiologically suspicious.

Contrast Media↗
PubMed1996

Modulation of rat hepatocyte proliferation by bile salts: in vitro and in vivo studies.

In this study, the stimulatory effect of bile salts (BS) was evaluated both in vitro, using hepatocyte primary cultures, and in vivo, in normal and 40% partially hepatectomized rats previously fed on BS-enriched diets for 4 weeks. In vitro results show that conjugated cholate (CA) and chenodeoxycholate (CDCA) augmented proliferative activity in rat hepatocytes cultured in absence of mitogens, whereas conjugated deoxycholate (DCA), and ursodeoxycholate (UDCA) did not have any significant effect. None of these BSs increased significantly the replicative response induced by submaximal concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF). In vivo, at the end of dietary treatment all animals fed on CA or DCA but not those fed on either CDCA, or UDCA, or tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDCA) developed cholestatic hepatitis and a burst of damage-induced hepatocyte proliferation. After 40% partial hepatectomy (PH), CA- and DCA-treated groups underwent a deterioration of cholestatic hepatitis. On the other hand, in CDCA-, and UDCA-, and TUDCA-treated groups liver histology, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT) and cholestasis indices did not change significantly compared with controls. As far as the proliferative activity, a significant increase was observed not only in CA and DCA but also in UDCA- and TUDCA-fed groups compared with controls, whereas a slight decrease was observed in CDCA-treated animals. In conclusion, our data indicate that conjugated BSs had only a modest stimulatory effect on hepatocyte proliferation in vitro. However, in vivo, in PH rats, UDCA or TUDCA treatment determined a further increase of hepatocellular proliferation not attributable to hepatotoxic effects. Our result suggest that modifications of bile acid pool could modulate hepatocellular proliferation.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Absence of mutations in the human OB gene in obese/diabetic subjects.

The product of the obese (ob) gene, leptin, is a secreted protein that is important in the regulation of body weight. Mice with mutations in the ob gene are obese and diabetic and manifest reduced physical as well as metabolic activity. In this study, we tested the possibility that mutations in the OB gene may contribute to human obesity. We report the isolation and partial sequence of the human OB gene and the screening of 105 obese patients for mutations in the protein coding sequence using the technique of single-strand conformational polymorphism. No coding sequence polymorphism was found, suggesting that mutations in the coding sequence of the OB gene do not constitute a common cause of increased body weight in humans. We also identified a highly polymorphic simple dinucleotide repeat DNA polymorphism in this gene that will be useful for genetic studies.

Amino Acid Sequence↗