Several diagnostic techniques have been proposed during the time for the diagnostic evaluation of Induratio Penis Plastica (IPP), due to poor sensitivity and specificity of standard B-Mode Ultrasonography. Shear-Wave ...Several diagnostic techniques have been proposed during the time for the diagnostic evaluation of Induratio Penis Plastica (IPP), due to poor sensitivity and specificity of standard B-Mode Ultrasonography. Shear-Wave elastosonography (SWE) is a relative new ultrasound technique, already used for several organs, which allows evaluating the rigidity of the tissues. Furthermore, we used a compound consisting of Ecklonia bicyclis, Tribulus terrestris, and Biovis (water-soluble Chitosan) with antifibrotic and antioxidant properties and analyzed the elastosonographic variations following the assumption of the compound. From March 2016 to April 2017, 40 patients were recruited with a mean age of 62. All patients underwent elastosonographic measurements at the start of treatment. Subsequently each patient took 1 tablet of the compound of Ecklonia bicyclis, Tribulus terrestris, and Biovis (water-soluble Chitosan) for 6 months. All patients underwent elastosonographic investigation at the end of treatment. The elastosonographic measurement prior treatment, showed that the average of the three measurements (proximal, medial and distal), was 37.05 KPa ± 7.76 SD and 38.8 KPa ± 10.11 SD for the left and right cavernous body, respectively. The examination at the end of the six months of treatment, with the compound showed that the average values of fibrosity were 31.07 KPa ± 7.5 SD and 30.86 KPa ± 11.4 SD for the left and right cavernous body respectively, demonstrating a decrease in fibrosity that was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Our data demonstrate that taking the compound for six months reduces the stiffness of the corpora cavernosa.展开更多
Larval growth and survival of organisms are strongly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, as demonstrated by ex- perimental studies performed under controlled laboratory or semi-natural conditions. Even if they h...Larval growth and survival of organisms are strongly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, as demonstrated by ex- perimental studies performed under controlled laboratory or semi-natural conditions. Even if they have many advantages, ex- periments cannot cover the full complexity of natural conditions and field studies are needed for a better understanding of how environmental variation determines growth and development rate. Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra females give birth to larvae in a variety of habitats, both epigean and subterranean. In caves, salamander larvae successfully grow and metamorphose, but their growth is more than three times longer than in epigean streams and factors determining these differences require inves- tigation. We performed a field study to understand the factors related to the growth of fire salamander larvae in different envi- ronmental conditions, evaluating the relationship between environmental features and larval growth and differences between caves and epigean spring habitats. Both caves and epigean larvae successfully grew. Capture-mark-recapture allowed to individu- ally track individuals along their whole development, and measure their performance. Growth rate was significantly affected by environmental variables： larvae grew faster in environments with abundant invertebrates and few conspeciflcs. Taking into ac- count the effect of environmental variables, larval growth was significantly lower in caves. Food availability plays a different ef- fect in the two environments. Larval growth was positively related to the availability of invertebrates in epigean sites only. The development rate of hypogeous populations of salamanders is slower because of multiple parameters, but biotic factors play a much stronger role than the abiotic ones展开更多
文摘Several diagnostic techniques have been proposed during the time for the diagnostic evaluation of Induratio Penis Plastica (IPP), due to poor sensitivity and specificity of standard B-Mode Ultrasonography. Shear-Wave elastosonography (SWE) is a relative new ultrasound technique, already used for several organs, which allows evaluating the rigidity of the tissues. Furthermore, we used a compound consisting of Ecklonia bicyclis, Tribulus terrestris, and Biovis (water-soluble Chitosan) with antifibrotic and antioxidant properties and analyzed the elastosonographic variations following the assumption of the compound. From March 2016 to April 2017, 40 patients were recruited with a mean age of 62. All patients underwent elastosonographic measurements at the start of treatment. Subsequently each patient took 1 tablet of the compound of Ecklonia bicyclis, Tribulus terrestris, and Biovis (water-soluble Chitosan) for 6 months. All patients underwent elastosonographic investigation at the end of treatment. The elastosonographic measurement prior treatment, showed that the average of the three measurements (proximal, medial and distal), was 37.05 KPa ± 7.76 SD and 38.8 KPa ± 10.11 SD for the left and right cavernous body, respectively. The examination at the end of the six months of treatment, with the compound showed that the average values of fibrosity were 31.07 KPa ± 7.5 SD and 30.86 KPa ± 11.4 SD for the left and right cavernous body respectively, demonstrating a decrease in fibrosity that was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Our data demonstrate that taking the compound for six months reduces the stiffness of the corpora cavernosa.
文摘Larval growth and survival of organisms are strongly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors, as demonstrated by ex- perimental studies performed under controlled laboratory or semi-natural conditions. Even if they have many advantages, ex- periments cannot cover the full complexity of natural conditions and field studies are needed for a better understanding of how environmental variation determines growth and development rate. Fire salamander Salamandra salamandra females give birth to larvae in a variety of habitats, both epigean and subterranean. In caves, salamander larvae successfully grow and metamorphose, but their growth is more than three times longer than in epigean streams and factors determining these differences require inves- tigation. We performed a field study to understand the factors related to the growth of fire salamander larvae in different envi- ronmental conditions, evaluating the relationship between environmental features and larval growth and differences between caves and epigean spring habitats. Both caves and epigean larvae successfully grew. Capture-mark-recapture allowed to individu- ally track individuals along their whole development, and measure their performance. Growth rate was significantly affected by environmental variables： larvae grew faster in environments with abundant invertebrates and few conspeciflcs. Taking into ac- count the effect of environmental variables, larval growth was significantly lower in caves. Food availability plays a different ef- fect in the two environments. Larval growth was positively related to the availability of invertebrates in epigean sites only. The development rate of hypogeous populations of salamanders is slower because of multiple parameters, but biotic factors play a much stronger role than the abiotic ones
