The effects of non-andrological medications on erectile dysfunction: a large single-center retrospective study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association among andrological diseases at the first outpatient visit and the medications taken by patients for other comorbidities, as well as the differential impact between specific medication and relative comorbidities. METHODS: This is a single-center retrospective study based on subjects who referred to the Andrology Unit with a well-defined andrological diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 3752 subjects were studied (mean age ± DS 46.2 ± 16.5 years). A total of 19 categories of andrological diseases and 110 type of medications for other comorbidities were identified. ED was the most frequent andrological pathology at the first andrological examination (28.7%), followed by infertility (12.4%). The couple of variables that were statistically significant in the univariate association analysis (p < 0.001) were: ED and (a) antihypertensives; (b) antihyperglycemics; (c) lipids-lowering; (d) psychotropics. The univariate and multivariate regression analyses confirmed the association. All the related comorbidities were also significantly associated with the univariate analysis, and all remained significantly associated with multivariate analysis. A multivariate analysis was also conducted to analyze the association between ED and the following pairs of variables "DM-antihyperglycemics", "dyslipidemia-lipids-lowering", and "hypertension-antihypertensives". In all cases, the pathology, but not the specific treatment, was significantly associated with ED. CONCLUSION: ED is significantly associated with antihypertensive, antihyperglycemic, lipid-lowering, psychotropic drugs' intake. Anyway, ED appears to be more related to the diseases than to the specific therapies. The definitive cause/effect relationship should be established based on future prospective studies.

Continuous spatial self-cleaning in GRIN multimode fiber for self-referenced multiplex CARS imaging.

We demonstrate how spatial beam self-cleaning and supercontinuum generation in graded-index multimode optical fibers can be directly applied in multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (M-CARS) spectroscopy. Although supercontinuum generation causes pump depletion mainly in the center of the beam, the partial recovery of the pump brightness due to self-cleaning may enable self-referenced M-CARS, with no additional delay lines to synchronize pump and Stokes waves. As a proof-of-principle, we report examples of imaging of single chemical compounds and polystyrene beads. The new scheme paves the way towards simpler M-CARS systems based on multimode fiber sources.

Thermalization of Orbital Angular Momentum Beams in Multimode Optical Fibers.

We report on the thermalization of light carrying orbital angular momentum in multimode optical fibers, induced by nonlinear intermodal interactions. A generalized Rayleigh-Jeans distribution of asymptotic mode composition is obtained, based on the conservation of the angular momentum. We confirm our predictions by numerical simulations and experiments based on holographic mode decomposition of multimode beams. Our work establishes new constraints for the achievement of spatial beam self-cleaning, giving previously unforeseen insights into the underlying physical mechanisms.

Statistical mechanics of beam self-cleaning in GRIN multimode optical fibers.

Since its first demonstration in graded-index multimode fibers, spatial beam self-cleaning has attracted a growing research interest. It allows for the propagation of beams with a bell-shaped spatial profile, thus enabling the use of multimode fibers for several applications, from biomedical imaging to high-power beam delivery. So far, beam self-cleaning has been experimentally studied under several different experimental conditions. Whereas it has been theoretically described as the irreversible energy transfer from high-order modes towards the fundamental mode, in analogy with a beam condensation mechanism. Here, we provide a comprehensive theoretical description of beam self-cleaning, by means of a semi-classical statistical mechanics model of wave thermalization. This approach is confirmed by an extensive experimental characterization, based on a holographic mode decomposition technique, employing laser pulses with temporal durations ranging from femtoseconds up to nanoseconds. An excellent agreement between theory and experiments is found, which demonstrates that beam self-cleaning can be fully described in terms of the basic conservation laws of statistical mechanics.

Helical plasma filaments from the self-channeling of intense femtosecond laser pulses in optical fibers: publisher's note.

This publisher's note contains a correction to Opt. Lett.47, 1 (2022)10.1364/OL.445321.

Helical plasma filaments from the self-channeling of intense femtosecond laser pulses in optical fibers.

We experimentally and numerically study the ignition of helical-shaped plasma filaments in standard optical fibers. Femtosecond pulses with megawatt peak power with proper off-axis and tilted coupling in the fiber core produce plasma skew rays. These last for distances as long as 1000 wavelengths thanks to a combination of linear waveguiding and the self-channeling effect. Peculiar is the case of graded-index multimode fibers; here the spatial self-imaging places constraints on the helix pitch. These results may find applications for fabricating fibers with helical-shaped core micro-structuration as well as for designing laser components and three-dimensional optical memories.

Rainbow Archimedean spiral emission from optical fibres.

We demonstrate a new practical approach for generating multicolour spiral-shaped beams. It makes use of a standard silica optical fibre, combined with a tilted input laser beam. The resulting breaking of the fibre axial symmetry leads to the propagation of a helical beam. The associated output far-field has a spiral shape, independently of the input laser power value. Whereas, with a high-power near-infrared femtosecond laser, a visible supercontinuum spiral emission is generated. With appropriate control of the input laser coupling conditions, the colours of the spiral spatially self-organize in a rainbow distribution. Our method is independent of the laser source wavelength and polarization. Therefore, standard optical fibres may be used for generating spiral beams in many applications, ranging from communications to optical tweezers and quantum optics.

Experimental observation of self-imaging in SMF-28 optical fibers.

Spatial self-imaging, consisting of the periodic replication of the optical transverse beam profile along the propagation direction, can be achieved in guided wave systems when all excited modes interfere in phase. We exploited material defects photoluminescence for directly visualizing self-imaging in a few-mode, nominal singlemode SMF-28 optical fiber. Visible luminescence was excited by intense femtosecond infrared pulses via multiphoton absorption processes. Our method permits us to determine the mode propagation constants and the cutoff wavelength of transverse fiber modes.

3D time-domain beam mapping for studying nonlinear dynamics in multimode optical fibers.

Characterization of the complex spatiotemporal dynamics of optical beam propagation in nonlinear multimode fibers requires the development of advanced measurement methods, capable of capturing the real-time evolution of beam images. We present a new space-time mapping technique, permitting the direct detection, with picosecond temporal resolution, of the intensity from repetitive laser pulses over a grid of spatial samples from a magnified image of the output beam. By using this time-resolved mapping, we provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first unambiguous experimental observation of instantaneous intrapulse nonlinear coupling processes among the modes of a graded index fiber.

Parallelism between risk and perception of risk among caregivers during anesthesia delivery.

The paper examines the different perceptions of risk associated with anesthesia systems from the viewpoint of the product manufacturer and the caregiver. Only a little research has been done with regard to the impact of perception of risk on patient safety in anesthesia. The role of the manufacturer in mitigating the perception of risk will be central for the work. The risk will be examined as the probability of negative occurrences based on the Medical Device Reportable (MDR) events for 2016 and 2017 and it will be examined how the caregiver perceives and manages these risks when delivering anesthesia. Analysis of the manufacturer's public Medical Device Reportable events data will be performed in the US market and will represent the actual risk achieved; this review will provide a perspective on how the risk is perceived and managed by the caregiver when delivering anesthesia. The goals of the paper are to highlight how the role of the manufacturers can have an impact on the reduction of perception of risk, increasing patient safety, and showing how the perception of risk is usually magnified by the hospital personnel.

Benefits and hazards of electromagnetic waves, telecommunication, physical and biomedical: a review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to review the current literature on electromagnetic radiation (EMR): physical, biophysical, and telecommunication. The widespread application of EMR in modern technologies requires telecommunication and healthcare professionals to possess some knowledge of its physical and biological properties. In this review article, we will discuss biophysical principles of EMR, its interactions with living organisms and its application in clinical practices. We will discuss here beneficial as well as hazardous effects of EMR. We will also discuss the safety guidelines.

Electromagnetic scattering by a buried sphere in a lossy medium of an inhomogeneous plane wave at arbitrary incidence: spectral-domain method.

A rigorous theoretical treatment to analyze the electromagnetic scattering of an inhomogeneous elliptically polarized plane wave by a sphere buried in a lossy half-space is presented. To consider the losses in the media an inhomogeneous plane wave is considered. The incident and the scattered electric field components are expanded in series of vectorial spherical harmonics using the Legendre functions generalized via hypergeometrical and gamma functions, with unknown expansion coefficients. The spectral-domain method to represent the scattered electric field is used in order to compute the scattered-reflected and scattered-transmitted fields, considering the reflection and transmission of each elementary plane wave by the interface. Finally, the unknown coefficients of the scattered field are computed by imposing the boundary condition on the spherical surface. In order to validate the model, a homemade code has been implemented. Comparisons with the simulations performed with a commercial software and the results in the literature are presented.

Electromagnetic scattering by two concentric spheres buried in a stratified material.

In this paper, a rigorous method to analyze the electromagnetic scattering of an elliptically polarized plane wave by two concentric spheres buried in a dielectric stratified medium is presented. The interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the stratified material is taken into account by means of the transfer matrix approach, in this way we can consider the stratified medium as an effective single interface. All the electromagnetic fields are expanded in series of spherical vector harmonics. The transmitted field through the stratified medium is obtained by means of the effective transmission coefficient. This field is scattered by the two concentric spheres, and the scattered field interacts again with the stratified material. The scattered-reflected and scattered-transmitted fields by the layered medium are computed by exploiting the plane-wave spectrum of the scattered field, considering the reflection and transmission of each elementary plane wave by the effective interface. The boundary conditions imposition on the spheres' surfaces leads to a linear system that returns the unknown coefficients of the problem. A numerical code has been implemented to compute the field over all the space. In order to compute the scattered fields, a truncation criterion has been proposed for the numerical evaluation of the series. Finally, to validate the presented method, comparisons between the results of the proposed code and the results of simulations with a software based on the finite element method have been implemented, showing very good agreement.

Vectorial spherical-harmonics representation of an inhomogeneous elliptically polarized plane wave.

In this paper, a generalization of the vectorial spherical-harmonics expansion of an inhomogeneous elliptically polarized plane wave is presented. The solution has been achieved using the Legendre functions generalized via hypergeometric and gamma functions, shifting the difficulty to the determination of only expansion coefficients. In order to validate the presented method, a Matlab code has been implemented. To compare the results a Mie scattering by a sphere is considered, then a truncation criterion for the numerical evaluation of the series is proposed, and the Mie scattering coefficients by perfectly conducting and dielectric spheres excited by an inhomogeneous elliptically polarized plane wave are shown.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococci carriage in the oral cavity: a study conducted in Bari (Italy).

OBJECTIVES: The oral cavity may represent a site of colonization by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS). To define the prevalence of staphylococci and MRS in the oral cavity, an observational study was carried out in the city of Bari (Italy). METHODS: Sixty subjects were asked to provide oral samples and a questionnaire about risk factors of colonization by MRS. An enrichment medium specific for staphylococci was used for the isolation. RESULTS: Swabs and corresponding questionnaires were available from 36 out of 60 patients. Staphylococci were isolated from seven out of 36 samples (prevalence 19.4%). Among the seven staphylococcal isolates, three were Staphylococcus aureus, and one strain, belonging to S. epidermidis species, was found to be MR (1.7%). No methicillin-resistant S. aureus were isolated. Five out of seven staphylococcal isolates exhibited resistance to more than two classes of non-beta-lactams antimicrobials. None of the risk factors analysed correlated with the status of MRS carriers, except the presence of oral disease. CONCLUSIONS: The results underline the potential role of the oral cavity as a reservoir of staphylococci.

Multicentimeter long high density magnetic plasmas for optical guiding.

We present a platform for producing long plasma channels suitable for guiding lasers over several centimeters by applying magnetic fields to limit the radial heat flux from a preforming laser beam. The resulting density gradient will be used as an optical plasma waveguide. The plasma conditions have been chosen to be consistent with the requirements for laser wakefield acceleration where multi-GeV electrons are predicted. A detailed description of the system used to produce the high (5 T) magnetic fields and initial results that show a 5 cm long plasma column are discussed.

[Intolerance to food additives: an update]. / L'intolleranza ad additivi alimentari: un update.

Contrary to common believing, the prevalence of the intolerance to food additives in the general population is rather low. Nowadays many doubts persist with regard both to the pathogenetic mechanisms and to the clinical and diagnostic aspects in this field. Symptoms due to, or exacerbated from, food additives usually involve non-IgE-mediate mechanisms (pseudo-allergic reactions, PAR) and are usually less severe of those induced by food allergy. The most frequent clinical feature of the intolerance to food additives still remains the urticaria-angioedema syndrome, although these substances are really involved only in a minority of patients. Other possible clinical features include anaphylaxis, atopic eczema, behaviour disturbances, asthma and non-allergic rhinitis. The diagnostic approach consists in diary cards, reporting symptoms and food habits, elimination diet and double blinded placebo-controlled oral challenge with suspected additives. However, such procedure still remains poorly standardized and numerous uncertainties persist with regard to optimal conditions for performing and interpret the challenge results. The therapeutic approach consists in the exclusion of foods and products containing the additive involved, and, in patients not compliant to the diet, in treatment with symptomatic drugs.

[The incidence of dental caries during childhood. A clinical and epidemiologic study in Matera (Southern Italy)]. / Studio clinico epidemiologico della incidenza di carie dentale in bambini della città di Matera.

AIM: The aim of the present study is to obtain comprehensive epidemiological data of the incidence of oral and dental health conditions in an Italian homogeneous population of schoolchildren. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study has been performed on schoolchildren born, living and attending the primary school in Matera, Basilicata, Southern Italy. Such data have been compared with the alimentary habits of the participants to the study, as well as with the social-economic family situations and with the social-environmental data. RESULTS: The data show a marked difference in the habits of oral hygiene, and in the health status of the oral structures also, based on both the sex and the environment of life. CONCLUSIONS: Such differences in the prevalence of caries among various urban areas and the behavioural habits related to sex and age ratios may be very useful findings for future regional prevention programs.

Dental hygiene procedure in a patient with Giardia lamblia infection.

INTRODUCTION: Giardiasis, or Giardia lamblia infection, is the most common parasitosis of the human digestive tract. It is highly contagious and mostly occurs in warm climates. Children are especially susceptible to infection. MICROBIOLOGICAL FEATURES: The infection can sporadically occur anywhere and waterborne outbreaks have been reported in some countries. Hence, the prevention of giardiasis depends on proper sanitation. Once ingested through contaminated water, Giardia cysts adhere to the intestinal surface. The parasite feeds on the mucous secretions of the intestine and may produce severe infections which can interfere with nutrient absorption. Symptoms in affected individuals usually include diarrhoea, dehydration, stomach cramps, gas, and weight loss. DIAGNOSIS: Diagnosis is based on the detection of cysts in fecal samples. Treatment includes the use of metronidazole and other drugs that are effective in clearing the infection within a few days. CASE REPORT: We report the recent case of a patient with Giardiasis who received dental hygiene procedures and discuss the interventions required in consideration of the patient's concomitant heart condition.

[Periodontitis and systemic diseases]. / Parodontopatie e patologie sistemiche.

Periodontitis is a condition of suffering of gingival and periodontal tissues. To the light of the available knowledges till now on the pathogenetic mechanisms of such affection is possible to affirm that the different risk factors can influence onset of it, evolution and therapeutic possibility. In the examination of the risk factors in the development of the periodontal pathology the effects of the systemic conditions on the health of the oral cavity has been considered, as well as the influence of the periodontal pathology on the onset and on the evolution of several systemic pathologies and related to some physiological conditions (e.g. the pregnancy).