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ObjectivesTo describe ultrasound features of fetal ovarian cysts as reported by the original ultrasound examiner, to apply International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology after retrospective analysis of the images and to describe patient management and evolution of fetal cysts during pregnancy and after delivery. MethodsThis retrospective observational study included pregnant women diagnosed on ultrasound examination with a fetal ovarian cyst at the Prenatal Diagnosis Division of the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital, in Rome, between March 2011 and May 2020. Cysts were classified by the original ultrasound examiner as 'simple' (unilocular anechoic cyst) or 'complex' (cyst with other morphology). In addition, three ultrasound examiners, experienced in gynecologic ultrasound, classified retrospectively the fetal ovarian cysts according to IOTA terminology, by reviewing stored ultrasound images. The evolution of these fetal ovarian cysts during pregnancy and after birth was recorded. ResultsIncluded were 51 ovarian cysts in 48 fetuses. Of the 51 cysts, 29 (56.9%) had been classified by the original ultrasound examiner as 'simple', and 22 (43.1%) as 'complex'. Of the simple cysts, the majority (20/29 (69.0%)) resolved spontaneously after delivery, 2/29 (6.9%) resolved following intrauterine aspiration, 2/29 (6.9%) resolved after postnatal aspiration and 5/29 (17.2%) underwent surgery due to persistence after delivery; in all five, normal ovarian parenchyma without signs of necrosis was observed at histology. Of the complex cysts, 7/22 (31.8%) resolved spontaneously. The other 15/22 (68.2%) were removed surgically and, at histology, necrosis was observed in most (12/15 (80.0%)), while a benign epithelial cyst with normal ovarian parenchyma was observed in 3/15 (20%). After reviewing the ultrasound images and applying IOTA terminology, all 51 (100%) fetal cysts were described as unilocular; 29/51 (56.9%) cysts showed anechoic content (described as simple cysts by

Objectives: To compare ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of mediastinal shift angles (MSAs) in fetuses affected by isolated left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). The use of MRI-MSA and US-MSA as prognostic factor for postnatal survival in fetal left CDH was also explored. Methods: This was an observational study of 29 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed isolated left CDH, assessed with both US and MRI examinations between January 2015 and December 2018. The US-MSA measurements performed within 2 weeks from the MRI assessment were considered for the analysis. The primary outcome was the postnatal survival rate. Results: No significant difference between US and MRI MSAs was detected (p =.419). Among the 29 cases, there were 21 alive infants, for an overall postnatal survival rate of 72.41%. After stratifying for postnatal survival, the best cutoffs with the highest discriminatory power in terms of sensibility and specificity were 42.1° for the US-MSA and 39.1° for the MRI-MSA. The performance of MRI-MSA in predicting postnatal survival was close to that of US-MSA in terms of sensitivity (62.5 versus 50.0%), specificity (80.9 versus 90.5%), positive predictive value (55.6 versus 66.7%), negative predictive value (85.0 versus 82.6%) and accuracy (75.9 versus 79.3%). There was no statistically significant difference between the two modalities (p >.05 for all). Conclusions: MRI and US can be interchangeably used for the assessment of MSA in prenatally diagnosed isolated left CDH. Moreover, MSA measured by both US and MRI was confirmed to be correlated with perinatal outcome in terms of survival.

The aim of our study is to identify – in a cohort of obese women – cardiovascular and clinical risk factors in women with previous complicated pregnancies and protective factors in women with previous physiological pregnancies. A total of 135 nonpregnant obese women referring to Policlinico Gemelli in Rome were prospectively collected in 2009–2010. Thirty-two women matched inclusion criteria: 16 reported a previous physiological pregnancy and 16 reported previous obstetric complications. A clinical, instrumental and laboratory evaluation has been performed for each patient. Statistical analysis was performed using StatView Software. Values are expressed as mean ± standard error (SEM). All tests were two-tailed with a confidence level of 95% (p<.05). Statistically significant reduced flow-mediated dilatation (p=.0338), increased serum values of vascular cell adhesion molecule (p=.0154) and higher systolic blood pressure values (p=.0427) have been detected in obese women with previous complicated pregnancies due to gestational diabetes and/or hypertension. In conclusion, obese patients with previous complicated pregnancies develop signs of endothelial dysfunction in the postpartum period. Future research should focus on the early identification of possible molecular mechanisms implicated in the development of glyco-metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in obese patients, since they are at higher risk of metabolic syndrome.

Several studies have shown that the expectation of a potential monetary reward can enhance memory processes. Although neuroimaging studies have begun to uncover the neural underpinning of reward and memory, the temporal dynamics of these processes are still far from settled. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the mechanism whereby face recognition can be influenced by reward. In order to tap the electrophysiological correlates of face recognition memory, we investigated the event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited in an old/new test in response to faces that, at encoding, were associated with a monetary reward. The use of an old/new paradigm enabled us to investigate the ERP correlates of the memory-related processes associated with the repeated items. The behavioral results are largely consistent with the finding that memory processes interact with reward evaluation, in that faces associated with reward were better recognized than faces associated with a monetary loss. The pattern of ERP responses during encoding showed a robust effect of reward on face processing beginning from very early latencies, with greater amplitudes on frontal and temporal sites for rewarded faces. During retrieval, we found a positive-going component for rewarded faces on frontal sites, probably monitoring the neural correlates of reward-face association. In addition, faces associated with reward elicited larger ERPs components related to memory recognition processes than faces with negative or no reward. These results demonstrate that monetary reward can modulate perceptual processing and increase memory efficiency for human faces.

We discuss the propagation and the flavour mixing of neutrinos in the context of the Quantum Field Theory. We propose an exact parametrization of the neutrino mixing matrix and its transformation in a simpler form which accounts for a small $\nu_e - \nu_\mu$ and a large $\nu_\mu - \nu_\tau$ mixing. Finally, we comment the differences between the charged quark and neutral lepton sector and consider the physical situations that require this approach., Comment: 16 pages LaTeX file, no figures

We discuss the propagation and the flavour mixing of neutrinos in the context of the Quantum Field Theory. We propose an exact parametrization of the neutrino mixing matrix and its transformation in a simpler form which accounts for a small $\nu_e - \nu_\mu$ and a large $\nu_\mu - \nu_\tau$ mixing. Finally, we comment the differences between the charged quark and neutral lepton sector and consider the physical situations that require this approach., Comment: 16 pages LaTeX file, no figures

The phenomenological description of the neutral B meson system is proposed in terms of the fundamental CP-violating observables and within a rephasing invariant formalism. This generic formalism can select the time-dependent and time-integrated asymmetries which provide the basic tools to discriminate the different kinds of possible CP-violating effects in dedicated experimental B-meson facilities., Comment: 19 pages, Plain TeX

The phenomenological description of the neutral B meson system is proposed in terms of the fundamental CP-violating observables and within a rephasing invariant formalism. This generic formalism can select the time-dependent and time-integrated asymmetries which provide the basic tools to discriminate the different kinds of possible CP-violating effects in dedicated experimental B-meson facilities., Comment: 19 pages, Plain TeX

The peculiar features of the mixing in the neutral pseudoscalar mesons K0--antiK0 can be introduced by the analogy to the optical polarization. The time-reversed not-invariant processes and the related phenomenon of CP-nonconservation can be then joined to the dissipative effects which yield a not vanishing imaginary part in the relevant propagation of electromagnetic radiation in a medium. Thus, the propagation of the two transverse polarization states can reproduce the peculiar asymmetries which are so common in the realm of high energy particle physics., Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX file

We consider the covariant formulation of the kaon mixing in the context of the propagator method. It results important to check the possibility of a sizable effect in the vacuum regeneration of kaons. We discuss all those terms which may give relevant contributions to modify the exponential decay law of the Wigner-Weisskopf narrow width approximation. Moreover, we examine the characteristic structure of the complex singularities of the matrix propagator and we provide a generalized form of the Bell-Steinberger unitarity sum rule., Comment: 19 pages, Plain TeX + eps latex file with 2 figures

We consider the covariant formulation of the kaon mixing in the context of the propagator method. It results important to check the possibility of a sizable effect in the vacuum regeneration of kaons. We discuss all those terms which may give relevant contributions to modify the exponential decay law of the Wigner-Weisskopf narrow width approximation. Moreover, we examine the characteristic structure of the complex singularities of the matrix propagator and we provide a generalized form of the Bell-Steinberger unitarity sum rule., Comment: 19 pages, Plain TeX + eps latex file with 2 figures

The peculiar features of the mixing in the neutral pseudoscalar mesons K0--antiK0 can be introduced by the analogy to the optical polarization. The time-reversed not-invariant processes and the related phenomenon of CP-nonconservation can be then joined to the dissipative effects which yield a not vanishing imaginary part in the relevant propagation of electromagnetic radiation in a medium. Thus, the propagation of the two transverse polarization states can reproduce the peculiar asymmetries which are so common in the realm of high energy particle physics., Comment: 18 pages, LaTeX file