Purpose: We evaluated the incidence of hypospadias and its effects on psychosexual development in a sample of 11,649 young Italian males. Over the last 30 years only about 30 major publications have addressed these issues and the results of many studies have been contrasting. Some defects in methodology, such as low response rates, heterogeneity of age ranges and the choice of controls, have been the main limitations. Our study was designed to take these problems into account. Materials and Methods: Forty-two hypospadic subjects and a random sample of 500 nonaffected males selected from the large sample of 11,649 young men (>90% of the 18-year-old males living in the Italian region of Tuscany) were screened by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) test, psychological interview and clinical evaluation. Results: The incidence of hypospadias in this representative group of Italian men is 3.6/1,000. No difference was noted in the percentage with altered MMPI compared with the control group. The age at surgical corrections and the number of operations are not related to an abnormal global psychological adjustment. Severity of disease influences a more negative genital appraisal and the number of operations is correlated only with more difficulty in initiating contact with the opposite sex. Conclusions: Surgery for hypospadias has to be strongly pursued in as many cases as possible. In addition, we strongly recommend following up all hypospadics, independently of the severity of their genital malformations, through adolescence to early adulthood, to ensure early detection of subjects with impaired psychological profiles.

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OBJECTIVE To evaluate the activity and tolerability of weekly high‐dose calcitriol and docetaxel in patients with metastatic hormone‐refractory prostate cancer (HRPC) previously exposed to docetaxel, as patients who progress after docetaxel treatment might be considered for second‐line chemotherapy, but with no standard salvage therapy available we hypothesised that high‐dose calcitriol might restore sensitivity to chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study comprised 26 patients who had progressed after first‐line treatment with docetaxel‐based chemotherapy had failed. Treatment cycles consisted of calcitriol (32 µg orally as 0.5 µg tablets) on day 1 and docetaxel (30 mg/m2 intravenous) on day 2, administered for six consecutive weeks followed by a 2‐week rest interval for a maximum of 24 cycles. RESULTS There was a response in prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level in eight patients (31%); seven (27%) had a stable PSA level for ≥ 12 weeks. The median time to PSA progression was 4.2 months and the median survival was 9.3 months. The regimen was generally well tolerated; there was grade 2 hypercalcaemia, probably related to calcitriol, in one patient after six treatment cycles. CONCLUSION Weekly high‐dose calcitriol and docetaxel seems to be an effective and well‐tolerated treatment option for patients with metastatic HRPC previously exposed to docetaxel‐based chemotherapy.

Il contributo presenta la struttura testuale e l’organizzazione compositiva degli statuti comunali composti fra XIII e XIV secolo in alcune delle più importanti città italiane del periodo (Bologna, Firenze, Perugia, Siena, Venezia). Scopo del lavoro è mostrare come tali compendi normativi, redatti in latino e talora tradotti successivamente in volgare, fossero il frutto ampiamente formalizzato di complete revisioni e, come tali, intenzionalmente “stabili”, al di là di una fattuale mutevolezza dovuta a frequenti riforme che non ne intaccavano, comunque, l’intrinseca valità quali fondamenti costituzionali per la vita pubblica e il consorzio civile.

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