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Background A drawback in the treatment of chronic Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) is the long time required to achieve complete loss of serological reactivity, the standard for determining treatment efficacy. Methods Antibody-secreting cells and memory B cells specific for Trypanosoma cruzi and their degree of differentiation were evaluated in adult and pediatric study participants with chronic Chagas disease before and after etiological treatment. Results T. cruzi –specific antibody-secreting cells disappeared from the circulation in benznidazole or nifurtimox-treated participants with declining parasite-specific antibody levels after treatment, whereas B cells in most participants with unaltered antibody levels were low before treatment and did not change after treatment. The timing of the decay in parasite-specific antibody-secreting B cells was similar to that in parasite-specific antibodies, as measured by a Luminex-based assay, but preceded the decay in antibody levels detected by conventional serology. The phenotype of total B cells returned to a noninfection profile after successful treatment. Conclusions T. cruzi –specific antibodies in the circulation of chronically T. cruzi –infected study participants likely derive from both antigen-driven plasmablasts, which disappear after successful treatment, and long-lived plasma cells, which persist and account for the low frequency and long course to complete seronegative conversion in successfully treated participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A microspheres-sensitized emulsion explosive, to be used in rock blasting tests, is characterized by means of the cylinder test. This test measures the expansion of a copper tube upon detonation of an explosive charge inside. Eight cylinder tests have been made with two different diameters (50 mm and 100 mm) and two different densities (1180 kg/m3 and 1030 kg/m3) in a 2 × 2 × 2 test matrix. The expansion energy is affected by the density but not by the test diameter, which suggests that this explosive, at the densities studied, behaves close to ideal already at 50 mm. The explosive velocity of detonation had been also measured within the trials. In addition, velocities of detonation were measured in six production blasts and reported here. The Jones–Wilkins–Lee (JWL) equation of state parameters have been obtained for this emulsion at the densities and diameters tested. The calculation method includes a radial expansion function, with a non-zero initial velocity at the onset of the expansion. The equations reflecting the CJ state conditions and the measured expansion energy were solved for the JWL parameters by a non-linear least squares scheme. These parameters have been validated with three different LS-DYNA models (Lagrangian-Lagrangian, Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic-Lagrangian, Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian-Lagrangian). All models show a good correlation with the test results when comparing them against the detonation pressure, the cylinder wall expansion, the Gurney limit velocities and the radial wall velocities. The Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic is the best numerical model for replicating the detonation pressure, the Lagrangian for the cylinder wall expansion radius and velocity history, and Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian on the overall performance. Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian and Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic techniques are widely used to describe the materials subjected to large deformations, such as explosives, on full-scale simulations for civil and mining applications. The good agreement between numerical and experimental results justifies the use of these methods to model the expansion of detonation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water network partitioning (WNP) into District Meter Areas allows improving pressure management, water budget, leaks detection, compared to classical redundantly looped networks. Anyway, WNP can significantly worsen the hydraulic performance, because often many gate valves are required, and the reduced set of possible paths for water flow makes the network vulnerable, especially to concentrated peaks of water request. Hence, reliably modeling the spatial and temporal distribution of water demand would allow better understanding the effects of WNP, improving both network design and management. Aiming at taking into account the behavior of a partitioned network under spatial and temporal variability of water demand, a design procedure is proposed, coupling a stochastic model of water demand with novel partitioning techniques, based on spectral clustering. The application of the procedure to a real medium-sized network shows that demand variability may significantly affect the hydraulic performance of the partitioned network, evaluated by means of topological and hydraulic indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water network partitioning (WNP) concerns the implementation of the paradigm of ‘divide and conquer’ in the water supply systems consisting in dividing a water network intoksmaller subsystems by gate valves and flow meters. WNP allows improving the management of water distribution systems by transforming into Smart WAter Networks (SWANs) that represent key subsystems of Smart Cities. WNP is possible if water utilities start to use isolating valves (also with control devices) and flow meters. These instruments open new perspectives for the management of water supply systems both in terms of water saving and water protection. Recently, starting from the advantages offered by computing power and network analysis tools, some techniques based on graph partitioning algorithms have been developed by the authors to improve water management and protection, implementing the paradigm of ‘divide and conquer’. This paper presents the second release of SWANP 2.0 (Smart WAter Network Partitioning and Protection) software that integrates two different algorithms, based on multilevel and multi-agent techniques, for WNP and a novel algorithm, based on a multi-objective function, for water network protection from intentional contamination. The SWANP 2.0 software, developed in Python v2.7.6 language, provides the decision-maker different solutions comparing network layouts with some hydraulic and protection performance indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes a perfusion methodology for treatment of saccular aneurysms of the aortic arch under normothermic beating heart surgery. This methodology uses an aortic endoclamp inflated in the descending aorta. This technique was used to treat a 79-year-old patient who underwent complete aortic arch replacement with supra-aortic vessel debranching.

Post-transplant diabetes mellitus represents an important complication of prolonged immunosuppressive treatment after solid organ transplantation. The immunosuppressive toxicity, responsible for a persistent impairment of glucose metabolism in pancreatic islet-transplanted patients, is mainly attributed to calcineurin inhibitors and steroids, while other immunosuppressive molecules (azathioprine and mycophenolic acid, MPA) are considered not to have a toxic effect. In the present study, in vitro effects of MPA have been investigated in mouse beta-cell lines (βTC-1 and βTC-6) and in purified human pancreatic islets. βTC-1, βTC-6, and human pancreatic islets were exposed to various concentrations of MPA for different times. Consequently, we evaluated the viability, the induction of apoptosis, the glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and the expression of β-cell function genes (Isl1, Pax6, Glut-2, glucokinase) and apoptosis-related genes (Bax and Bcl2). βTC-1, βTC-6, and human islets treated, respectively, for 48 and 72 h with 15-30 nM MPA showed altered islet architecture, as compared with control cells. We observed for βTC-1 and βTC-6 almost 70% reduction in cell viability; three to sixfold induction of TUNEL/apoptotic-positive cells quantified by FACS analysis. A twofold increase in apoptotic cells was observed in human islets after MPA exposure associated with strong inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Furthermore, we showed significant down-regulation of gene expression of molecules involved in β-cell function and increase rate between Bax/Bcl2. Our data demonstrate that MPA has an in vitro diabetogenic effect interfering at multiple levels with survival and function of murine and human pancreatic β-cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: Intrathecal baclofen therapy (ITB) is a well-known treatment for spasticity. Despite this fact, several topics have to be still discussed: new indications and screening tools, appropriate surgical timing and complicance avoidance. Methods: A total of 112 consecutive patients all with a severe, progressive and refractory to medical therapy spasticity from different causes were treated using ITB, after a bolus test. Every patient was assessed by means of Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Penn spasm frequency scale (SFS) and Visual Analog Scale for pain. Since available, a Gait analysis was also performed. Results: There were 63 males (56%) and 49 females (44%). Seventy-four (66%) had a quadriparesis, 34 (30.4%) had a paraparesis and 4 (3.6%) were hemiplegic. Among these patients 77 (68.7%) were non ambulatory, while 35 (31.3%) were ambulatory. These patients suffered from spasticity due to many different diseases. Mean follow-up was 55 months. The mean Modified Ashworth score decreased from 4.5±0.5 preoperatively to 1.2±0.4 on chronic intrathecal baclofen. Daily baclofen dose varied between 23 and 500mcg. Drug-induced complications and catheter related problems occurred, respectively in 7 (6.3%) and 10 patients (8.9%). Conclusions: Although ITB is a well known and good treatment option in the management of severe spasticity, because of the different goals and subgroups of patients treated, a variety of techniques are needed to evaluate the benefits of this therapy. New indications, effects of ITB on central nervous system and cognitive functions needs yet to be fully clarified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This work studies the reliability of an activated carbon permeable reactive barrier in removing cadmium from a contaminated shallow aquifer. Laboratory tests have been performed to characterize the equilibrium and kinetic adsorption properties of the activated carbon in cadmium-containing aqueous solutions. A 2D numerical model has been used to describe pollutant transport within a groundwater and the pollutant adsorption on the permeable adsorbing barrier (PRB). In particular, it has been considered the case of a permeable adsorbing barrier (PAB) used to protect a river from a Cd(II) contaminated groundwater. Numerical results show that the PAB can achieve a long-term efficiency by preventing river pollution for several months. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Some Mt. Vesuvius events recorded in 1989–1999 period at Osservatorio Vesuviano (OSVE)-INGV stations have been processed by means of frequency time analysis (FTAN) method. The group velocities of the fundamental mode of Rayleigh-wave have been extracted in the period range 0.3–2s. Group velocity data, in the period range 10–35s, and phase velocity data in the period range 25–100s, obtained in previous studies, have been considered as well, at the inversion stage. Average V s models for the uppermost 30km of the crust have been obtained by means of the hedgehog non-linear inversion method. The limestone horizon, calibrated in the Trecase well, close to the FTC station, is characterized by V s varying in the range 2.40–3.05km/s, and is about 2–3km deep. A main feature of Somma-Vesuvius crustal structure is represented by low V s (2.45–3.05km/s) around 10km of depth. This low-velocity layer is absent at a distance of about 15km from the crater, i.e. outside of the volcano, and can be explained by the local presence of partially melted material. A deeper low V s layer is found below all stations, constituted by mantle or a mélange of crustal and mantle material with about 10% of partially melted material. It is a regional feature and can be interpreted as magmatic reservoir of Campania active volcanoes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cutaneous involvement in severe carpal tunnel syndrome is secondary to damage to sensory and autonomic fibers of the median nerve. We report the case of a 63 year old man who presented skin and bone lesions, confined to the sensory zones of both median nerves. The lesions consisted of dystrophic modifications of the fingernails, progressive sclerosis, skin thickening and ulcerations on the fingers, acro-osteolysis, and purulent inflammation with subsequent auto-amputation of the distal phalanx of the right index finger. Clinical, neurophysiological and surgical findings are reported. The recovery of the ulcerative lesions suggests the reversibility of autonomic disturbances after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors report a case of a 33-year-old man who presented, during recovery from coma due to severe head injury, dysphagia and respiratory failure. Magnetic resonance, retrograde radionuclide myelography and computerized tomographic myelography identified a pseudomeningocele in the retropharyngeal space due to a tear of the left C2 radicular sleeve. After failed medical management, the patient underwent lumbo peritoneal shunt. Magnetic resonance controls showed progressive collapse of the collection. After 3 months the patient was able to breathe spontaneously and to swallow. The authors describe pathogenesis, diagnostic strategy and principles of treatment of traumatic retropharyngeal pseudomeningoceles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part IV. Focuses on various aspects of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUVL). Origin; Companies involved in the development of the technology; Concepts in EUVL; Technical baseline values; Scanner performance requirements; Applications; Cost.

We report a case of ecchordosis physaliphora, an uncommon benign lesion originating from embryonic notochordal remnants, intradurally located in the prepontine cistern, that unusually presented associated with symptoms. MRI detected and precisely located the small mass. At surgery, a cystic gelatinous nodule was found ventral to the pons, contiguous with the dorsal wall of the clivus via a small pedicle. Histological examination diagnosed the lesion as an ecchordosis physaliphora. Here we focus on the analysis of the neuroradiological aspects that play a crucial role from both a diagnostic and a therapeutic standpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part II. Discusses various aspects of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. Reticle technologies; Source technologies; Resist technologies; Photograph of a coating tool for fabricating EUV reticle blanks; Phases of the development of the plasma source.

The traditional approach to the design of water distribution systems (WDS) is based on the concept of topological and energy redundancy, resulting in systems with many loops and with nodal pressure higher than design requirements. In the early days of water supply networks, this oversizing was not seen as a problem. Currently, however, with aging water networks and pressure on utility finances, the cost of infrastructure maintenance and renewal constitutes a significant proportion of utility budgets. This paper proposes a novel approach that enables a water utility to better invest limited budgets by dividing the water system into a primary and a secondary group of pipes, with the former being the focus of the field investigation, maintenance, and renewal activities. The primary network is identified such that it guarantees the minimum hydraulic performance while achieving maximum topological redundancy in the overall system. The methodology is based on the use of local and global topological and energy metrics in conjunction with a heuristic optimization technique. A case study confirms that minimum nodal pressure can be substantially preserved by focusing activities on less than 70% of the pipes in the network, which means a reduction of over 30% of the total length of infrastructure and, consequently, of related field investigation and maintenance costs. The analysis of the local and global performance indexes also provides various insights and useful information for utility management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benznidazole and nifurtimox are effective drugs used to treat Chagas' disease; however, their administration in patients in the chronic phase of the disease is still limited, mainly due to their limited efficacy in the later chronic stage of the disease and to the adverse effects related to these drugs.Objectives: To evaluate the effect of low doses of nanoformulated benznidazole using a chronic model of Trypanosoma cruzi Nicaragua infection in C57BL/6J mice.Methods: Nanoformulations were administered in two different schemes: one daily dose for 30 days or one dose every 7 days, 13 times.Results: Both treatment schemes showed promising outcomes, such as the elimination of parasitaemia, a reduction in the levels of T. cruzi-specific antibodies and a reduction in T. cruzi-specific IFN-γ-producing cells, as well as an improvement in electrocardiographic alterations and a reduction in inflammation and fibrosis in the heart compared with untreated T. cruzi-infected animals. These results were also compared with those from our previous work on benznidazole administration, which was shown to be effective in the same chronic model.Conclusions: In this experimental model, intermittently administered benznidazole nanoformulations were as effective as those administered continuously; however, the total dose administered in the intermittent scheme was lower, indicating a promising therapeutic approach to Chagas' disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the case of 17-month-old boy visited due to the presence of nodular lesions of the face which began 3 months before. Physical examination indicated 2 nodules of about 1.5cm in diameter covered by purplish erythematous skin of hard-elastic consistency but not painful. A diagnosis of idiopathic facial aseptic granuloma of childhood was made and it was decided to monitor it clinically without prescribing any treatment.

We have previously demonstrated that immune responses in subjects with chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection display features common to other persistent infections with signs of T cell exhaustion. Alterations in cytokine receptor signal transduction have emerged as one of the cell-intrinsic mechanisms of T cell exhaustion. In this study, we performed an analysis of the expression of IL-7R components (CD127 and CD132) on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and evaluated IL-7-dependent signaling events in patients at different clinical stages of chronic chagasic heart disease. Subjects with no signs of cardiac disease showed a decrease in CD127+CD132+ cells and a reciprocal gain of CD127-CD132+ in CD8+ and CD4+ T cells compared with either patients exhibiting heart enlargement or uninfected controls. T. cruzi infection, in vitro, was able to stimulate the downregulation of CD127 and the upregulation of CD132 on T cells. IL-7-induced phosphorylation of STAT5 as well as Bcl-2 and CD25 expression were lower in T. cruzi-infected subjects compared with uninfected controls. The serum levels of IL-7 were also increased in chronic chagasic patients. The present study highlights perturbed IL-7/IL-7R T cell signaling through STAT5 as a potential mechanism of T cell exhaustion in chronic T. cruzi infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with a procedure to optimize the design of permeable reactive barrier (PRB) built with activated carbon for the in situ remediation of a polluted aquifer. A simulation-based heuristic procedure is developed to define, with an iterative procedure, the optimal position and geometrical dimensions of the barrier itself, which simultaneously assure the respect of pollutant concentration limits and minimum barrier size. A computer code is used to describe the field motion of the aquifer, the contaminant transport and the adsorption phenomena occurring inside the barrier. A real aquifer polluted by tetrachloroethylene (PCE) situated in the area north of Naples (Italy) is presented as a case study. Simulation results show that a PRB formed by sections of different width, tuned to the different values of PCE concentration in the plume, can assure an effective remediation of the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The paper proposes a Permeable Adsorbing Barrier (PAB) for groundwater remediation. [•] A discontinuous PAB (PAB-D) made by a well array is adopted. [•] A procedure for an optimized design of the barrier is described. [•] The barrier design tool is applied to the remediation of an aquifer as a case-study. [•] A comparison between continuous (trench) and discontinuous (wells) PAB is performed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Angiolipomas are rare benign mesenchymal tumours, most commonly found in the subcutaneous tissue of the extremities. These neoplasms are rarely located in the central nervous system (CNS), with spinal localization being the most common in this group. Intracranial location is extremely infrequent, and only ten cases have been described in the sellar region. We report on two more patients with skull-base (intracranial) angiolipomas, the former presented with a long history of headache and the latter complained diplopia. Both patients were postoperatively verified as angiolipoma. Neuroimaging studies and peroperative features are presented and the role of microsurgery is discussed. On the basis of these tumours' characteristics, the management strategy of choice usually does not consist on surgical total removal, often a partial excision could be satisfying to improve the patient symptomatology. Nowadays, Gamma Knife surgery is standing out as an effective, additional and/or alternative, treatment modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The electrochemical potential and current noise generated by multiple electrodes are analyzed by considering the current flowing across each electrode and the electrochemical potential of the electrode array. By introducing the concept of a “virtual electrode”, the analysis of the electrochemical noise generated by an array of electrodes is reduced to the case of two dissimilar electrodes. For each electrode, an apparent impedance, Z ρ *, can be determined as the square root of the power spectral density of potential divided by the power spectral density of the individual electrode current. When two dissimilar pairs of nominally identical electrodes are used and it is possible to assume that the pair of electrodes corroding more produces higher noise levels and displays lower impedance, the actual electrode impedance can be obtained with acceptable precision from the value of the nominal impedance. Further, the asymmetry between the two dissimilar pairs can also be quantitatively evaluated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new approach for interpreting the electrochemical noise generated by freely corroding electrodes is presented. For a single electrode, with well-defined anodic and cathodic regions, it is proposed that the instantaneous values of the corrosion current and open circuit potential are functions of the time-invariant potential difference between the anodic and cathodic reactions and the time-dependent impedances associated with the anodic and cathodic reactions. The fluctuations in the values of anodic and cathodic impedances are determined by the interaction between the aggressive environment and the oxide, hydroxide or adsorbed surface layer covering the anodic and cathodic regions; the instantaneous values of impedances modulate the corrosion current. The mathematical implications of these assumptions are discussed and the results are compared with the traditional approach, based on time-dependent current sources acting on constant impedances. Subsequently, the findings for a single electrode are transferred to two dissimilar electrodes and an experimental technique that enables the estimation of the time evolution of anodic and cathodic resistances for each of the dissimilar electrodes is presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Black pigments are rarely described in the liver. We report four patients with chronic cholestasis and black pigments described on liver histological examination. Energy-dispersive X-ray analysis identified these black pigments as gold particles in the first three patients and titanium particles in the fourth. The origin of the gold deposits was unknown in this first patient and related to gold salts therapy in the two others. Titanium deposits was associated with hepatic granulomas and related to total knee replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• COVID-19 pneumonia could be associated with an increased risk of venous thrombosis. • Antiphospholipid antibodies might be involved in thrombosis in COVID-19 patients. • Prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in COVID-19 and venous thrombosis was low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When electrochemical techniques are used to probe the surface of corroding magnesium with the aim of obtaining quantitative information on the corrosion process, two peculiarities are generally observed: i) with anodic polarization, the rate of hydrogen evolution increases instead of decreasing and ii) during electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements, an inductive contribution is often observed at the low-frequency end of the spectra. The presence of these two phenomena clearly has an impact on the methodology that should be applied to correctly estimate corrosion rates from electrochemical data. The aim of this work is to provide a general mathematical description of the corroding magnesium surface that, under minimal a priori assumptions regarding the reaction kinetics, can account simultaneously for both superfluous hydrogen evolution and inductive response. The mathematical results are consistent with the suggestion that the superfluous hydrogen evolution is mainly related to the increase of the surface of the active corrosion front during anodic polarization. Further, the obtained results show that the inductive response is expected when, at the corrosion front, oxidation of magnesium proceeds faster than hydrogen evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) made with activated carbon, namely a Permeable Adsorptive Barrier (PAB), is put forward as an effective technique for the remediation of aquifers simultaneously contaminated by some chlorinated organic compounds. A design procedure, based on a computer code and including different routines, is presented as a tool to accurately describe mass transport within the aquifer and adsorption/desorption phenomena occurring inside the barrier. The remediation of a contaminated aquifer near a solid waste landfill in the district of Napoli (Italy), where Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and Trichloroethylene (TCE) are simultaneously present, is considered as a case study. A complete hydrological and geotechnical site characterization, as well as a number of dedicated adsorption laboratory tests for the determination of activated carbon PCE/TCE adsorption capacity in binary systems, are carried out to support the barrier design. By means of a series of numerical simulations it is possible to determine the optimal barrier location, orientation and dimensions. PABs appear to be an effective remediation tool for the in-situ treatment of an aquifer contaminated by PCE and TCE simultaneously, as the concentration of both compounds flowing out of the barrier is everywhere lower than the regulatory limits on groundwater quality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Traditional approaches to the management of an artificial reservoir involve the use of linear, dynamic, nonlinear or stochastic programming. Hence a purely model-based approach would be extremely difficult and thus, recently, a large number of papers devoted to the solution of reservoir management problems based on fuzzy logic approaches have appeared. In this work, two management problems of a reservoir are addressed with fuzzy logic: the definition of the water flow to supply to the user, a typical decision problem; and the regulation of the dam gate, which is a typical control problem. Both problems have been integrated in an Automated Fuzzy Decision and Control System (AFDCS) that is able to identify the ordinary and drought operating conditions. Fuzzy rules are developed from a database derived from the traditional experience of operators and they have been optimized with a genetic algorithm. Two cost functional are used, able to weight user's desiderata (water demand) with water waste (water spills and evaporation). Three strategies are developed for a case study and are validated In different scenarios, using Monte Carlo simulations and worst case situations. Results show a good performance of AFDCS to alleviate the consequences of drought and to control of the dam gate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A procedure to optimize the design of a Permeable Adsorptive Barrier (PAB) for the remediation of a contaminated aquifer is presented in this paper. A computer code, including different routines that describe the groundwater contaminant transport and the pollutant capture by adsorption in unsteady conditions over the barrier solid surface, has been developed. The complete characterization of the chemical–physical interactions between adsorbing solids and the contaminated water, required by the computer code, has been obtained by experimental measurements. A case study in which the procedure developed has been applied to a tetrachloroethylene (PCE)-contaminated aquifer near a solid waste landfill, in the district of Napoli (Italy), is also presented and the main dimensions of the barrier (length and width) have been evaluated. Model results show that PAB is effective for the remediation of a PCE-contaminated aquifer, since the concentration of PCE flowing out of the barrier is everywhere always lower than the concentration limit provided for in the Italian regulations on groundwater quality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper the technical feasibility of various adsorbents for mercury removal from contaminated waters has been studied. Adsorption isotherms of mercury ions in aqueous solution have been experimentally measured on a granular activated carbon (Aquacarb 207EA™), a char, a pozzolana and a yellow tuff. The experimental evidences show that the mercury capture capacity of yellow tuff and char is of few tenths of milligrams per gram of sorbent while for the pozzolana and the activated carbon this value is of the order of 1mg/g of sorbent. Moreover, for a mercury concentration as high as 3000μg/l the pozzolana shows the highest adsorption capacity. This result seems to be quite interesting, especially in consideration of the extremely low cost of this natural sorbent. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a complex dementing syndrome whose genetic/non genetic risk factors are mostly unknown. Aim of the present work was to investigate whether APOE and/or tau gene variability does affect the risk of FTD. A sample of FTD cases (sporadic: n =54; familial: n =46, one subject per family) was collected in a genetically homogeneous population (Calabria, southern Italy) and analyzed in comparison with an age- and sex-matched control group (n =180) extracted from the same population. Logistic regression analysis showed that APOE gene variability affects the probability of disease, with allele ɛ4 increasing (exp(β1) =2.68 with [1.51–4.76] 95% confidence interval; p =0.001) and allele ɛ2 decreasing (exp(β1) =0.28 with [0.12–0.66] 95% confidence interval; p =0.003) the risk of FTD. On the contrary, tau gene variability was ineffectual (exp(β1) non significantly different from 1 for either H1 or H2 haplotypes), although a small effect was observed by the H1 haplotype in increasing the protective effect of the ɛ2 allele (p =0.007). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study was aimed at defining the antitumour activity of the cisplatin-paclitaxel-topotecan (CPT) weekly administration with G-CSF support in chemo-naive SCLC patients with extensive disease (ED-SCLC). Chemonaive ED-SCLC patients received cisplatin 40 mg/m[SUP2], paclitaxel 85 mg/m[SUP2], and topotecan 2.25 mg/m[SUP2]weekly, with G-CSF (5μg/kg days 3-5) support, for a maximum of 12 weeks. 37 patients were treated, for a total of 348 cycles delivered. 8 complete responses (22%) and 22 partial responses (59%) were recorded, giving an 81% [95% Cl = 65-92%] ORR. At a 13-month (range, 4-26) median follow-up, median progression-free and overall survival were 8 months and 12.5 months, with 1-year and 2-year projected survivals of 55% and 21%, respectively. No toxic deaths occurred. Grade 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 6 and 3 patients, respectively. Only one case of neutropenic sepsis was recorded, while haemorrhagic thrombocytopenia was never observed. Diarrhoea, paraesthesias and fatigue were the main nonhaematologic toxicities being severe in 6, 2 and 10 patients, respectively. The weekly CPT combination with G-CSF support represents a well tolerated therapeutic approach in chemo-naive ED-SCLC patients. The activity rate seems at least similar to that achievable with the standard front-line approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]