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Biomedical subjects

M Vanni

Publications and source records attributed to M Vanni.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Short-term ursodeoxycholic acid treatment improves gallbladder bile turnover in gallstone patients: a randomized trial.

UNLABELLED: Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) prevents in vitro gallbladder (GB) muscle damage caused by acute cholecystitis and reduces risk of biliary pain and complications in gallstone (GS) patients. These effects could be partially explained by the improved GB bile turnover. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of short-term UDCA treatment on GB motility and bile turnover. METHODS: Ultrasonographic (US) assessment of GB volumes was performed in 16 GS patients, in the postprandial phase, for 90 min with a time sampling of 1 min, before and after 30 days of UDCA (10 mg kg(-1) die(-1)) or placebo, randomly assigned. US data were analysed with statistical tools and with computer fluido-dynamic (CFD) software Fluent(TM) to simulate GB bile flow. RESULTS: After therapy, fasting volume (FV) increased from 21.6 +/- 9 to 28.2 +/- 12 mL (p < 0.001) while the ejection fraction (EF) remained unchanged (44.5 +/- 17% vs 45.1 +/- 20%; p: ns). Volumes before and after treatment were poorly correlated (0.02 < r < 0.35), unlike those in placebo patients (r > 0.6). The average GB volume was increased in 7 out of 10 patients following UDCA (range 7-67%). CFD analysis supports the finding of improved bile flow after treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike results of conventional US parameters of GB motility, CFD analysis shows that UDCA improves GB bile turnover in GS patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Fluid dynamics modeling of particulate deposition in the lungs.

Detailed knowledge of the transport of air and particles in the human lungs is needed for two reasons: the selection of the right dosage of aerosol drugs used in respiratory therapy and the analysis of the maximum allowable concentration for particulate in air. This work is the first step of a more complex study, purpose of which is to provide some predictive relationships in order to evaluate the depth reached by the particles in the lungs as a function of their size using numerical modeling. In this phase we validated our numerical method, comparing the obtained results with those found in the literature. The Computational Fluid Dynamics code FLUENT 6 with the Eulerian-Lagrangian approach was used to simulate particle trajectories. A model of double bifurcation,based on the morphometric studies by Weibel and Hammersley and Olson, was adopted in order to represent the whole central part of the respiratory system with the same geometry,appropriately scaled down. A method to create a realistic velocity profile at the inlet of the domain was developed, in order to obtain data about particle deposition also reliable about the first bifurcation, unlike previous works.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed2002

Familial Axenfeld-Rieger anomaly, cardiac malformations, and sensorineural hearing loss: a provisionally unique genetic syndrome?

Axenfeld-Rieger anomaly (ARA) is an autosomal dominant disorder of the anterior chamber of the eye that includes a prominent and anteriorly displaced Schwalbe line and an iridocorneal synechiae, and is associated with iris hypoplasia, corectopia, and hole formation. Extraocular developmental abnormalities, especially of the teeth, facial bones, and periumbilical skin, have also been reported with ARA, in the context of the so-called Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome (ARS). Genetic heterogeneity exists, as ARA maps to chromosome 6p25, whereas ARS can be linked to both chromosome 4q25 and chromosome 13q14. Here we describe a new family in which ARA is associated with cardiac malformations and sensorineural hearing loss. No abnormalities of the teeth, facial bone, or periumbilical skin, which are considered of paramount importance in the diagnosis of ARS, were observed in our patients. Genetic studies will clarify if these patients represent a unique phenotypic expression of ARS or constitute the clinical presentation of a new genetic syndrome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Approximate Population Balance Equations for Aggregation-Breakage Processes.

A number of approximate methods for modeling aggregation of particulate suspensions have been extended to simulate breakup as well and have been tested by comparison with rigorous solutions for conditions representative of most aggregation-fragmentation processes. The simplest methods, based on a geometric discretization with size ratio equal to two, can calculate satisfactorily the average values of the population for particularly well-conditioned situations only and, even in those cases, are not capable of predicting the shape of the particle size distribution. Therefore more complex methods are usually required, capable of using denser size discretization. The characteristics of these models and the guidelines for their choice are discussed in the paper, by considering their accuracy, ability to produce error estimates, ease of implementation and speed. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1993

Relationship between café-au-lait spots as the only symptom and peripheral neurofibromatosis (NF1): a follow-up study.

We re-examined 21 children with the possible diagnosis of peripheral neurofibromatosis (NF1) based on the presence of café-au-lait (CAL) spots as the single clinical finding. We evaluated whether "typical" or "atypical" appearance of the spots was important for the final diagnosis and whether the co-existence of other non-specific signs (e.g. pectus excavatum) were of any significance for the final diagnosis. In 8/14 (57.1%) cases with "typical" CAL spots, the diagnosis of NF1 was finally established on the basis of other criteria. For the other 6 patients the diagnosis is not yet definitive but highly probable on the basis of the presence of macrocephaly, pectus excavatum and/or MRI findings. Only one patient among five with "atypical" CAL spots possibly has NF1.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1989

Congenital and developmental cataracts and multimalformation syndromes.

Cataracts are often found in association with many systemic disorders. Some are congenital in origin but in other cases they develop in early infancy or later in life. They are found in association with disorders, connective tissue disorders, neurological conditions, chromosomal abnormalities and dermatological disorders. Some of these syndromes have a genetic basis but often it is uncertain whether they are hereditary and often their cause is unknown.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1986

[In vitro sensitivity of 39 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from urine culture of hospitalized patients].

Research was conducted in 39 cases of urinary infections caused by Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in patients in various hospital wards. The aim was to assess the onset of such opportunistic infections in the hospital environment as reported earlier by other authors. A comparison was then made between the most commonly used antibacterial drugs used to combat such infections assessing their percentage efficacy on the basis of the germs' resistance to the drug.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1985

[Variations in prolactinemia in 26 uremic subjects treated by periodic hemodialysis].

Prolactin level, creatinine, urea nitrogen and plasmatic natrium were evaluated in 26 uremic patients undergoing regular haemodialytic treatment. Prolactin level was found to be over normal range in 60% of the female patients and in 12.5% of the male patients. There was no correlation between prolactin, creatinine, urea nitrogen and natrium levels. No significant variations of the prolactin level were evident after a single haemodialytic treatment.

Blood Urea Nitrogen↗
PubMed1985

[Serologic methods in the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis].

The data revealed on the same subject by the indirect agglutination test and the immunoenzyme test for IgG and IgM anti-toxoplasma antibodies were compared. The analysis shows that neither the indirect agglutination test nor the antibody count is sufficient for the diagnosis of the disease and that both are more appropriately employed in statistical epidemiological surveys.

Antibodies↗
PubMed1985

Ocular manifestations in Kniest syndrome, Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome, Hallermann-Streiff-François syndrome, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome and median cleft face syndrome.

In the pathology of malformations it is only in very few cases possible to identify a complete syndromal picture; the authors present some multimalformative syndromes, observed in the past few years at the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology of the University of Siena. The ocular findings are reported and discussed in relation with the general features in order to make a correct diagnosis.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMed1981

The correction of knee alignment in 225 consecutive total condylar knee replacements.

Two hundred twenty-five consecutive total knee replacements were reviewed radiographically to determine final alignment of the leg and accuracy of component placement. Of the 126 knees that were in varus preoperatively, only one knee was found to be in varus after knee replacement. Eighty-nine percent of the knees were found to be in 7 degrees +/- 5 degrees of valgus postoperation, while 7 degrees were in greater than 12 degrees valgus, 4 percent were in neutral position. Severe instability in the mediolateral plane was noted preoperatively in 62 knees in this series. Correction of more than 15 percent of deformity was necessary in 34 varus knee and 15 valgus knees. However, there has been no failure in the series attributable to instability in the mediolateral plane. Anteroposterior stability is controlled by the prosthesis design.

Aged↗