Ricerc@Sapienza

Background: We explored the possibility to improve male/female separation (sexing) in Aedes albopictus by selection of two strains, one toward increasing sex dimorphism and another toward increasing protandry. In the laboratory we selected and crossed small males with large females to exploit dimorphism, and early pupating males with late pupating females to exploit protandry. Results: While selection for enhanced dimorphism was not a profitable character, the selection for enhanced protandry up to F10 produced significant improvement in the time interval between male and female pupation.

Campylobacter spp. is one of the main cause of bacterial gastroenteritis in the world. The increase of antibiotic resistance in this species is a threat to public health. A Campylobacter spp. surveillance study was performed in Italy in the 2013-2016 period by the Enter-Net Italia network. The most prevalent Campylobacter species identified causing gastroenteritis was Campylobacter jejuni (73.4%) and 45% of all the annual cases of campylobacteriosis were reported in the summer period. High rates of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline resistance in Campylobacter spp. have been observed.

Methiopropamine (MPA) is a structural analogue of methamphetamine and belongs to the category of the novel psychoactive substances. To the best of our knowledge, no experimental study has been performed to evaluate the organ damage evoked by MPA administration in an animal model. Therefore, the main purpose of the present study was to investigate the histological changes in CD-1 male mice following the chronic administration of MPA.

Background: Obesity was recently identified as a major risk factor for worse COVID-19 severity, especially among the young. The reason why its impact seems to be less pronounced in the elderly may be due to the concomitant presence of other comorbidities. However, all reports only focus on BMI, an indirect marker of body fat. Aim: To explore the impact on COVID-19 severity of abdominal fat as a marker of body composition easily collected in patients undergoing a chest CT scan.

Background: Low-grade incomplete post-dexamethasone cortisol suppression in patients with adrenal incidentalomas – recently defined as possible autonomous cortisol secretion (pACS) – has been associated with increased cardiovascular events and mortality. However, prospective studies documenting cardiac abnormalities in these patients are lacking. Subjects and methods: Between July 2016 and September 2017, 71 consecutive patients with adrenal lesions were prospectively screened for hypercortisolism by dexamethasone suppression test (NCT 02611258).

Context: The 250-mg short Synacthen (corticotropin) test (SST) is the most commonly used tool to assess hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. There are many potentially reversible causes of adrenal insufficiency (AI), but no data to guide clinicians as to the frequency of repeat testing or likelihood of HPA axis recovery. Objective: To use the SST results to predict adrenal recovery. Design: A retrospective analysis of 1912 SSTs data. Patients: Seven hundred seventy-six patients with reversible causes of AI were identified who had at least two SSTs performed.

Background: Although oncological results for resection of colon cancer with inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) ligation at its origin (high tie) or immediately below the left colic artery (low tie) are similar, injury of the superior hypogastric plexus may be caused when the IMA is tied at its origin, thus impairing defecatory functions. Aim: The importance of IMA tie location on defecatory dysfunction in patients undergoing laparoscopic sigmoidal resection without preoperative radiation therapy was studied.

Lipomas of the oral cavity are infrequent, representing about 0.5% to 5.0% of all benign oral tumors. Some lipomas are reported in paranasal sinuses diseases. We report an extremely rare case of infiltrating lipoma arising from pterygopalatine fossa studied with 3D cone beam, HRCT and MR imaging.