RESUMO
Cytotoxic agents with antijuvenile hormone activity in insects have been discovered. Their mechanism of action may involve an oxidative bioactivation into a reactive quinone methide.
RESUMO
Two simple chromenes with anti-JH activity have been isolated and identified from the bedding plant Ageratum houstoianum. By contact and fumigation these compounds induce precocious metamorphosis and sterilization in several hemipteran species of insects. Certain holometabolous species are sterilized, forced into diapause, or both. Each of these biological actions is equivalent to removal of the corpora allata, which produce the JH's, and is reversible by treatment with exogenous JH. Thus, the action of these compounds is to stop the production or depress the titer of the JH's. To our knowledge, this is the first discovery of anti-JH, and we hope it will guide the way to the emergence of a fourth generation of safe and insect-specific pesticides.
Assuntos
Inseticidas , Hormônios Juvenis/antagonistas & inibidores , Plantas , Feminino , Hibernação/efeitos dos fármacos , Controle de Insetos/métodos , Insetos , Inseticidas/isolamento & purificação , Inseticidas/farmacologia , Hormônios Juvenis/fisiologia , Metamorfose Biológica/efeitos dos fármacos , Sistemas Neurossecretores/efeitos dos fármacos , Ovário/efeitos dos fármacos , Óvulo/efeitos dos fármacosRESUMO
How is music perceived by cochlear implant (CI) users? This question arises as "the next step" given the impressive performance obtained by these patients in language perception. Furthermore, how can music perception be evaluated beyond self-report rating, in order to obtain measurable data? To address this question, estimation of the frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha activity imbalance, acquired through a 19-channel EEG cap, appears to be a suitable instrument to measure the approach/withdrawal (AW index) reaction to external stimuli. Specifically, a greater value of AW indicates an increased propensity to stimulus approach, and vice versa a lower one a tendency to withdraw from the stimulus. Additionally, due to prelingually and postlingually deafened pathology acquisition, children and adults, respectively, would probably differ in music perception. The aim of the present study was to investigate children and adult CI users, in unilateral (UCI) and bilateral (BCI) implantation conditions, during three experimental situations of music exposure (normal, distorted and mute). Additionally, a study of functional connectivity patterns within cerebral networks was performed to investigate functioning patterns in different experimental populations. As a general result, congruency among patterns between BCI patients and control (CTRL) subjects was seen, characterised by lowest values for the distorted condition (vs. normal and mute conditions) in the AW index and in the connectivity analysis. Additionally, the normal and distorted conditions were significantly different in CI and CTRL adults, and in CTRL children, but not in CI children. These results suggest a higher capacity of discrimination and approach motivation towards normal music in CTRL and BCI subjects, but not for UCI patients. Therefore, for perception of music CTRL and BCI participants appear more similar than UCI subjects, as estimated by measurable and not self-reported parameters.
Assuntos
Percepção Auditiva , Implantes Cocleares , Eletroencefalografia , Lobo Frontal/fisiologia , Música , Percepção Visual , Adulto , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estimulação FísicaRESUMO
SUMMARY: Emerging and re-emerging infectious disease in otorhinolaryngology (ENT) are an area of growing epidemiological and clinical interest. The aim of this section is to comprehensively report on the epidemiology of key infectious disease in otorhinolaryngology, reporting on their burden at the national and international level, expanding of the need of promoting and implementing preventive interventions, and the rationale of applying evidence-based, effective and cost- effective diagnostic, curative and preventive approaches. In particular, we focus on i) ENT viral infections (HIV, Epstein-Barr virus, Human Papilloma virus), retrieving the available evidence on their oncogenic potential; ii) typical and atypical mycobacteria infections; iii) non-specific granulomatous lymphadenopathy; iv) emerging paediatric ENT infectious diseases and the prevention of their complications; v) the growing burden of antimicrobial resistance in ENT and the strategies for its control in different clinical settings. We conclude by outlining knowledge gaps and action needed in ENT infectious diseases research and clinical practice and we make references to economic analysis in the field of ENT infectious diseases prevention and care.
Assuntos
Doenças Transmissíveis Emergentes , Otorrinolaringopatias , Algoritmos , Doenças Transmissíveis Emergentes/diagnóstico , Doenças Transmissíveis Emergentes/epidemiologia , Doenças Transmissíveis Emergentes/terapia , Farmacorresistência Bacteriana , Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr/diagnóstico , Infecções por Vírus Epstein-Barr/terapia , Infecções por HIV/diagnóstico , Infecções por HIV/terapia , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/virologia , Humanos , Linfadenite/diagnóstico , Linfadenite/terapia , Infecções por Mycobacterium/diagnóstico , Infecções por Mycobacterium/terapia , Otorrinolaringopatias/diagnóstico , Otorrinolaringopatias/epidemiologia , Otorrinolaringopatias/terapia , Infecções por Papillomavirus/diagnóstico , Infecções por Papillomavirus/terapiaRESUMO
This report focuses on tuberculous otomastoiditis treated at a third level Italian paediatric hospital. We reviewed the clinical charts of 4077 children who underwent middle ear surgery at the Audiology and Otology Unit of the Institution's ENT Department from January 1995 to December 2011. A tubercular aetiology was identified in 2 cases: a 4-year old boy who presented with primary ear involvement, i.e. with no other infected sites but the middle ear, and a 5-year old girl with secondary tuberculous otomastoidits, who was treated for pulmonary and mediastinal tuberculosis at the age of 7 months.
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Mastoidite/microbiologia , Otite Média/microbiologia , Tuberculose , Pré-Escolar , Doença Crônica , Feminino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
Since 2011, transcutaneous bone-anchored auditory implants have been an alternative to the classic percutaneous implant (Baha) for bilateral conductive/mixed hearing loss that cannot be corrected by surgery. Recently, a new transcutaneous device has been approved for clinical use. Its internal component is made of the classic titanium Baha fixture, coupled to a 27 mm diameter subcutaneous circular magnet. The external component includes a second circular magnet 29 mm in diameter and a digital sound processor. To date, there are no reports describing the results of the application of this device. The aim of the present study is to report on the anatomical and functional results of transcutaneous Baha implantation in three patients: two adults, one with syndromic aural atresia and one with bilateral conductive hearing loss due to bilateral tympanomastoidectomy, and an 8-year-old child with non-syndromic aural atresia. No major intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. The three patients tolerated the external magnet, with no signs of skin irritation. Functional results were good: median unaided free-field PTA (0.5-3 kHz) was 50 dB HL (range = 41-66 dB HL); with the transcutaneous Baha median PTA (0.5-3 kHz) was 27 dB HL (range = 25-30 dB HL) and median gain was 25 dB HL (range = 11-39 dB HL). Preliminary results encourage use of the device as a valuable alternative to other implantable devices in these patients. To ensure the success of treatment, several precautions are suggested including gradually increasing use during the first post-operative months to favour skin adaptation to magnet pressure. In addition to skin reactions, in a paediatric age most concerns are related to the curvature of the skull, which may induce tenting of the skin over the internal magnet.
Assuntos
Implantes Cocleares , Perda Auditiva Condutiva/cirurgia , Adulto , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Itália , Masculino , Desenho de Prótese , Adulto JovemRESUMO
This is a prospective randomised study that evaluated the differences arising from a bimodal stimulation compared to a monaural electrical stimulation in deaf children, particularly in terms of auditory-perceptual skills development. We enrolled 39 children aged 12 to 36 months, suffering from severe-to-profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss with residual hearing on at least one side. All were unilaterally implanted: 21 wore only the cochlear implant (CI) (unilateral CI group), while the other 18 used the CI and a contralateral hearing aid at the same time (bimodal group). They were assessed with a test battery designed to appraise preverbal and verbal auditory-perceptual skills immediately before and 6 and 12 months after implantation. No statistically significant differences were observed between groups at time 0, while at 6 and 12 months children in the bimodal group had better scores in each test than peers in the unilateral CI group. Therefore, although unilateral deafness/hearing does not undermine hearing acuity in normal listening, the simultaneous use of a CI and a contralateral hearing aid (binaural hearing through a bimodal stimulation) provides an advantage in terms of acquisition of auditory-perceptual skills, allowing children to achieve the basic milestones of auditory perception faster and in greater number than children with only one CI. Thus, "keeping awake" the contralateral auditory pathway, albeit not crucial in determining auditory acuity, guarantees benefits compared with the use of the implant alone. These findings provide initial evidence to establish shared guidelines for better rehabilitation of patients undergoing unilateral cochlear implantation, and add more evidence regarding the correct indications for bilateral cochlear implantation.
Assuntos
Percepção Auditiva , Implantes Cocleares , Implante Coclear , Feminino , Auxiliares de Audição , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Estudos Prospectivos , Percepção da FalaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study is to investigate the variations of the electroencephalographic (EEG) alpha rhythm in order to measure the appreciation of bilateral and unilateral young cochlear implant users during the observation of a musical cartoon. The cartoon has been modified for the generation of three experimental conditions: one with the original audio, another one with a distorted sound and, finally, a mute version. METHODS: The EEG data have been recorded during the observation of the cartoons in the three experimental conditions. The frontal alpha EEG imbalance has been calculated as a measure of motivation and pleasantness to be compared across experimental populations and conditions. RESULTS: The EEG frontal imbalance of the alpha rhythm showed significant variations during the perception of the different cartoons. In particular, the pattern of activation of normal-hearing children is very similar to the one elicited by the bilateral implanted patients. On the other hand, results related to the unilateral subjects do not present significant variations of the imbalance index across the three cartoons. CONCLUSION: The presented results suggest that the unilateral patients could not appreciate the difference in the audio format as well as bilaterally implanted and normal hearing subjects. The frontal alpha EEG imbalance is a useful tool to detect the differences in the appreciation of audiovisual stimuli in cochlear implant patients.
Assuntos
Ritmo alfa , Implantes Cocleares , Surdez/psicologia , Surdez/reabilitação , Eletroencefalografia , Emoções , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Algoritmos , Eletroencefalografia/métodos , Feminino , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Multimídia , Música , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e Especificidade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
The authors present a report of 38 cases of sudden deafness (SD), observed in the Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome. Twenty-six cases were due to infective causes, such as mumps, meningitis, measles, varicella or to physical trauma. The other 12 cases were defined as idiopathic (ISD) on the basis of their anamnestic and clinical findings. The etiological, prognostic and therapeutic aspects are discussed.
Assuntos
Perda Auditiva Súbita/etiologia , Viroses/complicações , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Perda Auditiva Súbita/diagnóstico , Perda Auditiva Súbita/terapia , Humanos , Lactente , Masculino , Meningite/complicações , Caxumba/complicações , PrognósticoRESUMO
Two rare cases of benign dysontogenetic neoplasms of the thyroid gland in pediatric age are presented, which were observed at the E.N.T. department of the Bambino Gesù Hospital of Rome, and successfully operated. The first case turned out to be a dysembryoma, classified as monodermic because of its origin from derivatives of only one germinal layer, the entoderm. The second case, a teratoma, presented a high seric concentration of AFP as the consequence of the synthetic activity of the share of embryonal epatic tissue present in the neoformation. Criteria to distinguish thyroid from cervical teratomata and to classify the different types of dysontogenetic neoplasms are discussed. The usual clinical and pathological manifestations of teratomas of the neck in infancy are mentioned. The necessity of a prompt surgical removal and of pre- and postoperative thyroid function studies is mentioned.
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Cisto Dermoide/congênito , Teratoma/congênito , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/congênito , Criança , Cisto Dermoide/embriologia , Cisto Dermoide/patologia , Feminino , Humanos , Recém-Nascido , Teratoma/embriologia , Teratoma/patologia , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/embriologia , Neoplasias da Glândula Tireoide/patologiaRESUMO
Parapharyngeal neoplasias are rarely noticed in childhood, since they have their peak incidence between the 2nd and 4th decade of life. The authors report a case of a 4-year-old patient presenting with a retrostyloid mass, accompanied by nasal obstruction and some difficulty in swallowing at 12 months of age. CT scanning well ascertained the delimitation of the tumor, but it was of no help in the differential diagnosis. In fact, after surgical excision, the histological examination of the specimen revealed a chordoma. This result was unexpected because of the region concerned and the lack of a CT demonstration of the cervical boney involvement. A cervical vertebral localization of a chordoma is rare in all age groups and it is of particular clinical and statistical interest in infancy.
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Cordoma , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço , Neoplasias Faríngeas , Pré-Escolar , Cordoma/patologia , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Neoplasias de Cabeça e Pescoço/patologia , Humanos , Masculino , Neoplasias Faríngeas/patologiaRESUMO
Non tuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) Infections mainly affect immunocompromised patients, appearing as disseminated or pulmonary disease. In immunocompetent children the most common form of infection with NTM is cervical adenitis. Ear infection seems to be a rare disease. We present a case of otomastoiditis caused by Mycobacterium avium in a 15 months old child, immunologically normal. Patient was referred for persistent right otitis unresponsive to routine medical therapy. TC scan of the ear and temporal bones revealed: soft tissue in external auditory canal, Eustachian canal, and middle ear overlying ossicles with erosion of tegmen tympani. Tuberculin skin test was positive with 5 units PPD and culture yielded M. avium. The patient undergo timpanomastoidectomy and medical therapy with antituberculous drugs and Steroids, subsequently he was given Clarithromycin and Rifabutin. M. avium is an ubiquitous low grade pathogen found in soil, water, dust and food. There is no evidence of direct transmission. Only a few cases of otomastoiditis due to M. avium have previously been reported. The case presented underlines the importance of microbiological investigations. When a NTM infection is suspected surgeons and infectious diseases specialists should cooperate to find an optimal treatment regimen of this unusual disease.
RESUMO
Only a few cases of fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone (monostotic form) have been described in the literature. The recent observation of a 15-year-old child presenting this pathology led the authors to review the literature available and to analyze the most common aspects of this disease. The clinical and radiological aspects, the differential diagnosis, histopathological features and therapeutical approaches are discussed.
Assuntos
Displasia Fibrosa Monostótica , Osso Temporal , Adolescente , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Displasia Fibrosa Monostótica/diagnóstico , Displasia Fibrosa Monostótica/patologia , Humanos , Masculino , Osso Temporal/patologiaRESUMO
The authors report their personal case records of broncho-alveolar lavage in immuno-compromised children. 22 children were observed from 1991 to 1992 at the E.N.T. Department of the Bambino Gesù Hospital, National Research Institute, in Rome. Flexible bronchoscopy is used under both local and general anesthesia without muscle relaxants. The epithelial lining fluid collection is greater than that obtained when muscle relaxation is used. For each patient 3 specimens are collected: for virological, bacteriological, mycological and immunological analysis. In 90% of the cases a correct etiological diagnosis of the pulmonary disease was possible. In 14 cases the diagnosis was possible even after a week from the beginning of the antibiotic therapy.
Assuntos
Líquido da Lavagem Broncoalveolar/microbiologia , Hospedeiro Imunocomprometido , Pneumopatias/diagnóstico , Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS/complicações , Líquido da Lavagem Broncoalveolar/citologia , Líquido da Lavagem Broncoalveolar/imunologia , Broncoscópios , Broncoscopia/métodos , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Antígenos HLA-D , Humanos , Síndromes de Imunodeficiência/complicações , Lactente , Pneumopatias/imunologia , Pneumopatias/microbiologia , Doenças Pulmonares Intersticiais/complicaçõesRESUMO
Hemangiomas affectioning the external ear canal or the tympanic membrane have rarely been described. Only a very few cases are reported in world literature conarn these vascular tumors involving the middle ear space. The Authors report a rare case of a right endotympanic hemangioma associated with ossicular dysmorphism, resulting in conductive unilateral hearing loss, in a 9 year-old girl with cutaneous hemangiomas of the face. The Authors review Literature and discuss the possible pathogenetic implications of the intraoperatory findings.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Orelha/patologia , Orelha Média/patologia , Hemangioma/patologia , Membrana Timpânica/patologia , Criança , Neoplasias da Orelha/complicações , Neoplasias da Orelha/cirurgia , Ossículos da Orelha/anormalidades , Orelha Média/cirurgia , Feminino , Perda Auditiva Condutiva/etiologia , Hemangioma/diagnóstico , Hemangioma/cirurgia , Humanos , Neoplasias Cutâneas/complicações , Neoplasias Cutâneas/patologia , Neoplasias Cutâneas/cirurgia , Membrana Timpânica/cirurgiaRESUMO
The perception of the music in cochlear implanted (CI) patients is an important aspect of their quality of life. In fact, the pleasantness of the music perception by such CI patients can be analyzed through a particular analysis of EEG rhythms. Studies on healthy subjects show that exists a particular frontal asymmetry of the EEG alpha rhythm which can be correlated with pleasantness of the perceived stimuli (approach-withdrawal theory). In particular, here we describe differences between EEG activities estimated in the alpha frequency band for a monolateral CI group of children and a normal hearing one during the fruition of a musical cartoon. The results of the present analysis showed that the alpha EEG asymmetry patterns related to the normal hearing group refers to a higher pleasantness perception when compared to the cerebral activity of the monolateral CI patients. In fact, the present results support the statement that a monolateral CI group could perceive the music in a less pleasant way when compared to normal hearing children.
Assuntos
Percepção Auditiva/fisiologia , Implantes Cocleares , Eletroencefalografia/métodos , Lobo Frontal/fisiologia , Perda Auditiva/fisiopatologia , Ritmo alfa , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Emoções , Feminino , Perda Auditiva/terapia , Humanos , Música , Projetos Piloto , Córtex Pré-Frontal/fisiologia , Valores de ReferênciaRESUMO
Interestingly, the international debate about the quality of music fruition for cochlear implanted users does not take into account the hypothesis that bilateral users could perceive music in a more pleasant way with respect to monolateral users. In this scenario, the aim of the present study was to investigate if cerebral signs of pleasantness during music perception in healthy child are similar to those observed in monolateral and in bilateral cochlear implanted users. In fact, previous observations in literature on healthy subjects have indicated that variations of the frontal EEG alpha activity are correlated with the perceived pleasantness of the sensory stimulation received (approach-withdrawal theory). In particular, here we described differences between cortical activities estimated in the alpha frequency band for a healthy child and in patients having a monolateral or a bilateral cochlear implant during the fruition of a musical cartoon. The results of the present analysis showed that the alpha EEG asymmetry patterns observed in a healthy child and that of a bilateral cochlear implanted patient are congruent with the approach-withdrawal theory. Conversely, the scalp topographic distribution of EEG power spectra in the alpha band resulting from the monolateral cochlear user presents a different EEG pattern from the normal and bilateral implanted patients. Such differences could be explained at the light of the approach-withdrawal theory. In fact, the present findings support the hypothesis that a monolateral cochlear implanted user could perceive the music in a less pleasant way when compared to a healthy subject or to a bilateral cochlear user.
Assuntos
Percepção Auditiva , Implantes Cocleares , Correção de Deficiência Auditiva , Eletroencefalografia/métodos , Lobo Frontal/fisiopatologia , Transtornos da Audição/fisiopatologia , Música , Mapeamento Encefálico/métodos , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
There is a debate in the specialized literature about the quality of fruition of music for patients that received a cochlear implant. Interestingly, very few studies have investigated the hypothesis that patients that use a bilateral cochlear implant could perceive the music in a more pleasant way as compared to unilaterally implanted patients. Previous observations in healthy subjects have indicated that variations of particular EEG rhythms correlated with the pleasantness of the perceived music. The aim of the present pilot study is then to apply the state of the art neuroelectrical imaging and the analysis of cortical representation of EEG rhythms to monitor the perceived pleasantness during the observation of a simple videoclip in one patient with a unilateral cochlear implant and in one receiving a bilateral cochlear implant. Results of this pilot study showed that on the base of such previously validated EEG rhythms, the fruition of music and video, in terms of pleasantness, is statistically higher in the bilaterally implanted patient when compared to the monolateral implanted patient.