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The discoloration of paper, due to the development of oxidized groups acting as chromophores in its chief component, cellulose, is responsible for severe visual degradation of works of art on paper. By adopting a diagnostic method based on in situ non-invasive optical reflectance spectroscopy and time-dependent density functional theory ab initio calculations, it is possible to describe and quantify the chromophores in cellulose fibers in a non-destructive way. In order to recover the absorption coefficient of cellulose fibers from reflectance measurements a specific approach based on the Kubelka-Munk theory was applied. The concentrations of carbonyl groups acting as chromophores were obtained by fitting the experimental optical absorption spectra to those simulated by using ab initio calculations. This method was applied for monitoring the restoration interventions of two great format engravings Le Nozze di Psiche and Gesu Cristo e l’adultera by Diana Scultori (1547-1612), as well as a contemporary artwork by Renato Guttuso, Bozzetto per Crocifissione (dated 1940). All artefacts were affected by chromatic deterioration due to a strong oxidation of the paper. Results quantified the decreasing of chromophores concentration after washing and reducing treatments evidencing the different behavior of the carbonyl groups as a function of the specific protocol performed.

This paper presents the design framework, in which a Decision Support System (DSS) tool has been developed to assist the bridge operator during a challenging navigation condition. The present project would be another step for using state of the art, IT devices and hardware, to increase safety at sea mainly focusing on both collision and grounding avoidance. In this paper, the modules to detect an obstacle and to calculate the evasive route are based on a customized simulation model: such a model is able to represent the dynamic behaviour of a ship, including hydrodynamics, propulsion, and control effects. The suggested route selected by the decision support system and some environmental parameters coupled with some of the ship parameters are visualized on a smart “virtual bridge” exploiting virtual reality techniques. A suitable graphical interface has been developed and installed, in order to enhance the situation awareness. The project also focuses on the communication architecture, which relies on a publish-subscribe paradigm and is responsible to forward ship control parameters both to the virtual bridge and towards an ashore control centre, either for supervising or for remote control. Overall, both the potentiality and the limits of the proposed system have been critically discussed.

Roll stabilization systems are used today not only on most passengers ships, to ensure comfort to embarked passengers and crew; these systems are becoming essential also on naval ship to ensure the effectiveness of systems and to extend the operability range of the ship. This paper presents the studies which led to the development of rudder roll system for new Italian Navy ships. The studies here described have covered all aspects of the system: the rudder configuration optimization, the control law development, the evaluation of hydrodynamic performances and also all mechanical aspects, in terms of fatigue life and shock resistance, have been taken in due account. The development and evaluation of the system has been realized not only by means of calculations but also with dedicated campaign of numerical simulations, tunnel test and seakeeping basin tests: the main results are here after described.

We study inflation for a quantum scalar electrodynamics model in curved space-time and for higher-derivative quantum gravity (QG) coupled with scalar electrodynamics. The corresponding renormalization-group (RG) improved potential is evaluated for both theories in Jordan frame where non-minimal scalar-gravitational coupling sector is explicitly kept. The role of one-loop quantum corrections is investigated by showing how these corrections enter in the expressions for the slow-roll parameters, the spectral index and the tensor-to-scalar ratio and how they influence the bound of the Hubble parameter at the beginning of the primordial acceleration. We demonstrate that the viable inflation maybe successfully realized, so that it turns out to be consistent with last Planck and BICEP2/Keck Array data., Comment: 14 pages, two figures

Background: In subjects genetically susceptible to type 1 diabetes, exposure to environmental factors during the gestational period, the neonatal period, and the first years of life is thought to play an important role in triggering the immune process leading to β cell destruction. Aims: To investigate risk factors for inhabitants of continental Italy. Methods: A case-control study of 150 type 1 diabetes cases and 750 control subjects (age range 6–18 years) was carried out in Rome and its province, measuring the exposure to environmental risk factors. Results: Three environmental factors were found to occur significantly more in the diabetic group than in the controls. During the mothers’ pregnancies, the one risk factor which proved to be higher in diabetics than in controls was maternal infectious disease. During the neonatal period, no risk factors associated with the disease were detected. During early life, eczema and a short duration of breast feeding (less than three months), occurred significantly more in diabetic cases than controls. Conclusion: Eczema and breast feeding for less than three months are risk factors for type 1 diabetes in a southern European population. The type, duration, and mode of treatment for infectious diseases during pregnancy need additional investigation as risk factors for type 1 diabetes.

In this work, we analyse static spherically symmetric solutions in the framework of mimetic gravity, an extension of general relativity where the conformal degree of freedom of gravity is isolated in a covariant fashion. Here we extend previous works by considering in addition a potential for the mimetic field. An appropriate choice of such potential allows for the reconstruction of a number of interesting cosmological and astrophysical scenarios. We explicitly show how to reconstruct such a potential for a general static spherically symmetric space-time. A number of applications and scenarios are then explored, among which traversable wormholes. Finally, we analytically reconstruct potentials which leads to solutions to the equations of motion featuring polynomial corrections to the Schwarzschild spacetime. Accurate choices for such corrections could provide an explanation for the inferred flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies within the mimetic gravity framework, without the need for particle dark matter., Comment: Version accepted for publication in Class. Quant. Grav

We explore conformal-anomaly driven inflation in $F(R)$ gravity without invoking the scalar-tensor representation. We derive the stress-energy tensor of the quantum anomaly in the flat homogeneous and isotropic universe. We investigate a suitable toy model of exponential gravity plus the quantum contribution due to the conformal anomaly, which leads to the de Sitter solution. It is shown that in $F(R)$ gravity model, the curvature perturbations with its enough amplitude consistent with the observations are generated during inflation. We also evaluate the number of $e$-folds at the inflationary stage and the spectral index $n_\mathrm{s}$ of scalar modes of the curvature perturbations by analogy with scalar tensor theories, and compare them with the observational data. As a result, it is found that the Ricci scalar decreases during inflation and the standard evolution history of the universe is recovered at the small curvature regime. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that in our model, the tensor-to-scalar ratio of the curvature perturbations can be a finite value within the $68\%\,\mathrm{CL}$ error of the very recent result found by the BICEP2 experiment., Comment: 16 pages, no figure, version accepted for publication in Physical Review D

The aim of the study was to evaluate peripheral blood progenitor cell mobilization by disease-specific chemotherapy in heavily pretreated patients with germ cell tumor (GCT), scheduled for high-dose chemotherapy. Thirty-four consecutive patients, 29 males and five females, with advanced GCT referred to our department for high-dose chemotherapy were evaluated retrospectively. Sixteen patients were mobilized by vinblastine 0.11 mg/kg on days 1 and 2, ifosfamide 1200 mg/m2 days 1-5 and cisplatin 20 mg/m2 days 1-5 (VeIP). In 10 patients, etoposide 75 mg/m2 days 1-5 was used instead of vinblastine (VIP), while in eight patients the mobilization was attempted by administering 7 g/m2 of cyclophosphamide. The choice of either etoposide or vinblastine was predicated upon which of these two drugs was associated with best results during premobilization chemotherapy. Cyclophosphamide was selected in patients refractory to previous cisplatin-based salvage chemotherapy. Twenty-five out of 34 patients underwent a successful PBPC collection. In 17 of them one leukapheresis procedure was sufficient to collect the target number of CD34+ cells, while in eight patients a double procedure was necessary. Altogether 33 aphereses were performed in 25 patients. In nine patients leukapheresis was not attempted. This was due to the fact that the chemotherapy failed to mobilize the target number of CD34+ cells in eight of them, treated with the VeIP mobilizing regimen, while one patient treated with high-dose cyclophosphamide rapidly progressed during therapy and for this reason leukapheresis was not undertaken. In conclusion, in heavily pretreated patients with GCT, PBPC mobilization is feasible by a further course of salvage chemotherapy. The choice of either etoposide (VIP) or vinblastine (VeIP) can be predicated upon which of these two drugs was associated with best results during premobilization chemotherapy. In our hands, VeIP seems to be less satisfactory as mobilizing treatment than VIP, possibly due to a superior number of premobilization courses of chemo therapy in some patients. Moreover, high-dose cyclophosphamide remains a good alternative for mobilizing patients refractory to salvage chemotherapy.

We study inflation induced by (power-low) scalar curvature corrections to General Relativity. The class of inflationary scalar potentials $V(\sigma)\sim\exp[n\,\sigma]$, $n$ general parameter, is investigated in the Einsein frame and the corresponding actions in the Jordan frame are derived. We found the conditions for which these potentials are able to reproduce viable inflation according with the last cosmological data and lead to large scalar curvature corrections which emerge only at a mass scale larger than the Planck mass. Cosmological constant may appear or be set equal to zero in the Jordan frame action without changing the behaviour of the model during inflation. Moreover, polynomial corrections to General Relativity are analyzed in detail. When de Sitter space-time emerges as an exact solution of the models, it is necessary to use perturbative equations in the Jordan framework to study their dynamics during the inflation. In this case, we demonstrate that the Ricci scalar decreases after a correct amount of inflation, making the models consistent with the observable evolution of the universe., Comment: 23 pages, minor revision done

We consider higher-derivative quantum gravity where renormalization group improved effective action beyond one-loop approximation is derived. Using this effective action, the quantum-corrected FRW equations are analyzed. De Sitter universe solution is found. It is demonstrated that such de Sitter inflationary universe is instable. The slow-roll inflationary parameters are calculated. The contribution of renormalization group improved Gauss-Bonnet term to quantum-corrected FRW equations as well as to instability of de Sitter universe is estimated. It is demonstrated that in this case the spectral index and tensor-to-scalar ratio are consistent with Planck data., Comment: final version, 17 pages, accepted in Phys. Rev. D

We give a brief review of some aspects of inhomogeneous viscous fluids in a flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker Universe. In general, it is pointed out that several fluid models may bring the future Universe evolution to become singular, with the appearance of the so-called Big Rip scenario. We investigate the effects of fluids coupled with dark matter in a de Sitter Universe, by considering several cases. Due to this coupling, the coincidence problem may be solved, and if the de Sitter solution is stable, the model is also protected against the Big Rip singularity.

Of 103 preterm neonates admitted consecutively to the neonatal intensive care unit soon after birth for respiratory distress, 8 were found to be Chlamydia trachomatis-positive as early as within the first 24 h of life. All these patients required mechanical ventilation and supplemental oxygen. Six infants had evidence on chest radiographs of hyaline membrane disease, one of pneumonia, and one of slight bilateral parenchymal changes. Our results suggest that the presence of C. trachomatis in preterm infants with neonatal respiratory distress is probably not an infrequent event.

A toy model of Einstein gravity with a Gauss-Bonnet classically "entropic" term mimicking a quantum correction is considered. The static black hole solution due to Tomozawa is found and generalized with the inclusion of non trivial horizon topology, and its entropy evaluated deriving the first law by equations of motion. As a result the Bekenstein-Hawking area law turns to be corrected by a logarithmic area term. A Misner-Sharp expression for the mass of black hole is found. Within a Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) cosmological setting, the model is used in order to derive modified Friedmann equations. Such new equations are shown to reproduce the first law with the same formal entropy and quasi local energy of the static case, but here within a FLRW space-time interpreted as a dynamical cosmological black hole. A detailed analysis of cosmological solutions is presented, and it is shown that the presence of the correction term provides regular solutions and interesting phases of acceleration and decelerations, as well as, with negligible matter, exact de Sitter solutions., Comment: 11 pages, published version

Experimental activities are a powerful tool in science teaching and stimulate students learning and reasoning. In this paper we describe the framework of activities of the ACARISS (Increasing the knowledge on environment and pollution risks involving schools in experimental activities) project that adopted the IBSE (Inquiry Based Science Education) method. ACARISS started in May 2011 from the collaboration among three partners: Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Pisa), Institute of Biometeorology-CNR (Florence) and University of Florence. More than 30 secondary schools in Tuscany (Italy), distributed in several provinces engage the project activities. The main results have been a strong exchange of experiences between students, several practical guides for teachers reproducing numerous classroom scientific experiences; a website (www.acariss. it) acting as a coordination network, source of materials, blog and connection between schools.

There is evidence of an association between thyroid hormones (TH) alterations and mental dysfunctions related to procedural and working memory functions, but the physiological link between these domains is still under debate, also for the presence of age as a confounding factor. Thus, we investigated the TH tuning of cerebral functions in young females affected by the borderline condition of subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and in euthyroid females of the same age. The experiment consisted in the characterization of the affective state and cognitive abilities of the subjects by means of specific neuropsychological questionnaires, and of brain activity (EEG) in resting state and during the passive viewing of emotional video-clips. We found that SH had i) increased anxiety for Physical Danger; ii) better scores for both Mental Control and no-working-memory-related functions; iii) association between anxiety for Physical Danger and fT4 levels. Thus, in young adults, SH increases inward attention and paradoxically improves some cognitive functions. In addition, self-assessed questionnaires showed that SH had a greater susceptibility to unpleasant emotional stimulation. As for EEG data, SH compared to controls showed: i) reduction of alpha activity and of gamma left lateralization in resting state; ii) increased, and lateralized to the right, beta2 activity during stimulations. Both results indicated that SH have higher levels of arousal and greater susceptibility to negative emotion than controls. In conclusion, our study indicates that minimal changes in TH levels produce subtle but well-defined mental changes, thus encouraging further studies for the prediction of pathology evolution.

We investigate the future evolution of Nariai black hole which is extremal limit of Schwarzschild-de Sitter one in modified gravity. The perturbations equations around Nariai black hole are derived in static and cosmological patches for general $F(R)$-gravity. The analytical and numerical study of several realistic $F(R)$-models shows the occurence of rich variety of scenarios: instabilities, celebrated Hawking evaporation and anti-evaporation of black hole. The realization of specific scenario depends on the model under consideration. It is remarkable that the presence of such primordial black holes at current universe may indicate towards the modified gravity which supports the anti-evaporation as preferrable model. As some generalization we extend the study of Nariai black hole evolution to modified Gauss-Bonnet gravity. The corresponding perturbations equations turn out to be much more complicated than in the case of $F(R)$ gravity. For specific example of modified Gauss-Bonnet gravity we demonstrate that Nariai solution maybe stable., Comment: 23 pages, 10 figures, last version, accepted for publication in PRD

In secondary schools there is a progressive decline in motivation and interest in learning and attending science lessons. Teaching methodologies based only on frontal lessons are not effective anymore and the use of new tools and materials seems more and more attractive for the students. Nevertheless, an exacerbating home work is required from teachers which always need to searching for new inputs and new tools. A further issue is represented by the school curriculum which is more flexible only in lower grades of school. In this context, the team of Acariss project, has proposed the use of the 5E Instructional Model for teaching in science education, with special focus on current environmental issues. Eleven didactic modules were elaborated and piloted in the first year of the project. Then, the final agreed versions were spread in the second year of the project, during which teachers were asked to evaluate their own behavior during the five phases of the model, through a very short questionnaire. This took into consideration the indicators developed by Needham et al. (1994). The simple questionnaire allowed to get interesting results on what the teachers do and if they feel confident during the module application: teachers have the important role of facilitators in each phase. They introduce the phenomenon or environmental issue to be explained, they guide students into the discussion through questioning and causing doubts or disequilibrium among students. They do not teach but rather guide students in the exploration phase asking questions and posing doubts. Teachers help students to design, carry on the experiment and elaborating data to find conclusions. They also help students to clarify their findings and explanations, suggesting alternative methods of exploration and stimulating the extension of concepts through suggestions, providing resources, making further questions. Finally, since the students have to show their findings, teachers are fully involved showing examples and giving suggestions for the preparation of the final presentations. The 5E Instructional model was appreciated by the teachers especially for its effectiveness in students' understanding of the proposed environmental issue and in stimulating the students' interest and curiosity.

Recent data provided by the EURODIAB ACE study group have confirmed wide variation in the incidence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) across Europe. The aim of this report is to compare age-specific incidence and seasonality at clinical onset of IDDM between study regions. Using a uniform methodology, the EURODIAB ACE framework ascertained 3,168 newly-diagnosed cases of IDDM in children under the age of 15 years during 1989–1990. Eighteen percent of the cases were age 0–4 years at diagnosis, 34 % were age 5–9 years and 48 % were age 10–14 years. Poisson regression analysis suggested that there were highly significant statistical differences in incidence between the three age groups and between the 24 regions. Although incidence rates in the 0–4 year and 5–9 year age groups varied from region to region in a similar fashion, the pattern of variation in the older age group was different. Seasonality of diagnosis conformed to a sinusoidal model with a peak occurring in winter, a feature which was consistently observed in both sexes and in all age groups. However, a statistically significant heterogeneity in the seasonal distribution was present among regions, those in Scandinavia showing the smallest relative amplitude. The first insulin injection was given the same day or the day after diagnosis in 93 % of the cases for whom data were available.

We present the analytic Lifshitz solutions for a scalar field model minimally coupled with the abelian gauge field in $N$ dimensions. We also consider the presence of cosmological constant $\Lambda$. The Lifshitz parameter $z$ appearing in the solution plays the role of the Lorentz breaking parameter of the model. We investigate the thermodynamical properties of the solutions and discuss the energy issue. Furthermore, we study the hairy black hole solutions in which the abelian gauge field breaks the symmetry near the horizon. In the holographic picture, it is equivalent to a second order phase transition. Explicitly we show that there exists a critical temperature which is a function of the Lifshitz parameter $z$. The system below the critical temperature becomes superconductor, but the critical exponent of the model remains the same of the usual holographic superconductors without the higher order gravitational corrections, in agreement with Ginzburg-Landau theories., Comment: 27 pages, final version accepted in IJGMMP

This article presents a database developed to store macro, microscopic and radiology of pathologies to be used in an educational institution in the health field. The bank strives for reusability, interoperability, modularity and easy access by teachers and students of the institution. A system was developed as a tool for the creation of case studies using the images stored in the database images.

To prevent the risks of HIV infection, some meetings have been carried with the students of secondary school; actually the school is the best and the most appropriate place to conduct these health promotion and education meetings. Two questionnaires have been given to the students, a pre-test before the interview, to evaluate their knowledge about drugs, and a re-test after the interview to evaluate whether the knowledge objectives suggested had been reached. After the meeting the students appear to be more informed; differences were statistically significant between the percentages of the correct answers of the pre-test and the re-test.

Summary Background The relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in causing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is unknown. We studied this question by assessing the incidence of the disease in children, born in a region with a low incidence of IDDM (Lazio), but whose parents came from a region with high incidence (Sardinia). Methods We identified all IDDM cases that occurred between 1989 and 1994. We used as the denominator the number of children aged 0–14 born in Lazio of Sardinian parents to calculate incidence. We compared this rate with the incidences of IDDM in the populations of Lazio and Sardinia. Findings The age-adjusted incidence of IDDM in Sardinian-heritage children born and living in Lazio was 33·8 per 100 000 per year (95% CI 7·0–99·0) for those with two Sardinian parents, and 15·9 (8·7–26·6) for those with only one parent from Sardinia. The former incidence was not different from that recorded in Sardinia (34·4, 31·3–37·9), but was fourfold that of Lazio-heritage children (7·9, 7·1–8·8). Interpretation Our results show that two different ethnic groups living in the same region have a fourfold difference in incidence of IDDM. Children of Sardinian-heritage born in Lazio have the same incidence as the population of origin, which is genetically prone to the disease. Moreover, children with one Sardinian parent had a rate half that of Sardinians and double that of the indigenous population. We conclude that in a given population genetic susceptibility determines the frequency of IDDM in response to the environmental challenge.

Animal food-stuffs are known to be potential vehicles of Listeria monocytogenes. The contamination can be caused from processing or enviromental sources and from infected animals. This hypothesis has been checked in the present work. The authors found that 13.2% of 189 swines were carriers of Listeria monocytogenes, the microrganism was isolated from salivary glands, mesenterial gangles and tonsils. The authors suggest some preventive intervention to reduce both the environmental circulation of Listeria monocytogenes and the human risk of infection.

To prevent behaviours at risk for the use of substances that induce dependence, some meetings have been planned with children primary school, age in which it's still possible to prevent the contact with drugs and children are more receptive. Two questionnaires have been given to the students, a pre-test before the interview, to value their knowledge about drugs, and a re-test after the interview, to value if the knowledge objectives suggested had been reached. After meeting the students seemed to be more informed because there were statistically significative differences between the percentages of the correct answers of the pre-test and the re-test.

Summary Background In an attempt to mobilise peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) from patients with breast cancer, Epirubicin supported with G-CSF was tested. Another aim of the study was also to optimize the procedure so that the number of leukapheresis procedures could be reduced. These cells were subsequently reinfused as hematologic rescue after high-dose chemotherapy programs. Patients and methods Twenty-nine patients received Epirubicin 150 mg/sqm + G-CSF at the dose of 5 μg/kg/bw s.c. daily, starting 24 hours after chemotherapy. Twelve had metastatic, eight inflammatory or locally advanced disease, and nine were treated in an adjuvant setting. Results The median numbers of CD34+ cells and CFU-GM collected were 12.9 × 10Vkg/bw and 111.7 × 104/kg/bw, respectively. The mean number of leukapheresis procedures per patient was 1.8 ±0.3 (range 1–3), and the mean day of the first procedure was the tenth ± 1 (range 8–13) after Epirubicin. The minimum required target for one high-dose procedure was collected in a single leukapheresis in 13 patients. Moreover, in 9 cases one procedure was adequate for two high-dose courses (i.e. >10 × 10Vkg/bw CD34+ cells). Response to Epirubicin was evaluable in 14/20 cases, with a response rate of 50%. Conclusions Epirubicin delivered at 150 mg/sqm is a very effective mobilising agent for breast cancer patients; to ameliorate the response rate other active drug(s) should be added.

Publisher Summary This chapter studies two different Green function formulations for the radiation and diffraction problems related to the evaluation of the wave induced motions. Both the involved methodologies are into the frequency domain. The first formulation is based on Green function, which analytically satisfies the Kelvin free surface condition taking into account the effects of the forward speed. The second formulation is based on the simpler Green function involved by a distribution of Rankine sources on the ship and on a portion of the free surface. The chapter shows that among the selected potential methods, i.e., forward speed and zero speed Green's functions and Rankine source methods, some not negligible differences in results are obtained. For both the examined hulls, the forward speed Green's function produces the highest pitch resonance, while the Rankine source gives the highest heave resonance on the amplitude response operators. Higher instabilities and oscillations in the results are obtained for the hard chine hull. The emphasis is directed toward the practical application of the foregoing methodologies to high speed vessels, so suitable hull forms for such vehicles are chosen, among which are a round bilge hull of a frigate and a hard chine hull of a fast ferry.

The present study was aimed at investigating cardiac troponin I values in the first week of acute myocardial infarction and in non-infarct acute coronary ischemic syndromes.Eighty-two patients, 42 with acute myocardial infarction, 10 with stable angina and 30 with primary unstable angina, were enrolled in the study. Blood was collected within 6 hours of symptom onset and, in the group with acute myocardial infarction, after 24 and 48 hours, and on day 7.Serum troponin I increased within the first 6 hours of myocardial infarction, reached the peak after 24 hours, at 48 hours it decreased, and remained above the normal range until day 7. However, troponin I values 1) were constantly higher in patients who died, in those60 years old and in those with antero-lateral necrosis than in survivors, in those60 years old and in those with infero-posterior necrosis, respectively; 2) returned to normal range on day 7 in survivors and in patients with infero-posterior acute myocardial infarction; 3) were significantly higher in fibrinolysed patients than in those who did not undergo thrombolysis; 4) were higher in patients classified as Killip class2. Serum troponin I values were in the normal range in non-infarct acute coronary ischemic syndromes, but were higher in unstable than in stable angina.The lesser increase and the early return to the normal range of cardiac troponin I levels in the subgroups of patients with myocardial infarction having a better clinical course could be regarded as a favorable prognostic sign. Since the persistent higher values of cardiac troponin I in fibrinolysed subjects are associated with the angiographic finding of patent coronary arteries, it can be suggested that the large and persistent post-thrombolysis release of cardiac troponin I from the myocardium represents a biochemical marker of a successful reperfusion. The persistent high cardiac troponin I values in patients with advanced Killip class suggest that the neuropeptide is an index of ongoing myocyte injury and hemodynamic impairment as well. The higher values of cardiac troponin I in unstable angina are probably due to focal areas of myocardial necrosis undetectable by conventional enzymatic serum markers.

The involvement of the cerebellar vermis in the control of affective behaviors and in the coordination of fear-related somatic and autonomic conditioned responses is reviewed in this paper. In particular, the review focuses on the role of the midline cerebellum (vermis) on the acquisition and/or expression of classically conditioned bradycardia in the rabbit. The results of both lesioning and electrophysiological experiments indicate that the cortex of lobule III through VII is important, although not essential, in the acquisition and retention of this response, but it is not the site of its memory trace. The time course of the development of the conditioned bradycardia in neonatal rabbits is also described. The results obtained are consistent with the possibility that the expression of conditioned bradycardia may depend on the complete maturation of cerebellum. Moreover, preliminary data on the effects of the ablation of cerebellar vermis, performed at early stages of development, on the characteristics of conditioned bradycardia showed by adult rabbits are presented. These results indicate that cerebellar vermis is essential for the correct maturation of the response and that the timing of the lesion is critical for determining the characteristics of conditioned bradycardia in the adult.

This study consists of a prevalence congenital heart disease (CHD) registered in the Pediatric Cardiology Department of Umberto I General Hospital in Rome between January 1st 1992 and December 31-th 1993. Cases recorded in this period have been taken part of a larger study called Italian Multicentric Study for recording and follow-up of congenital heart disease (IMS-CHD); the purpose is to determine the prevalence of CHD in Italy and discover the outcome of affected children. In this duration, 187 new cases have been recorded, in which 63.6% had a single defect while 36.4% had multiple defects. These isolated defects were most frequently occurred (51.9%) following the stenosis of the pulmonary artery (15.5% and the defects of the interatrial septum (15%).

The present study, aimed at the prevention of infantile obesity was carried out in two schools of Roma and regarded also the alimentary education. 295 students 101 males and 194 females was considered; the result pointed out that 114 (38.6%) were found obese, 57 (19.3%) overweight and 124 (42.0%) normal weight. The alimentary behaviour was the same of other students: usually three meals and often snacks use during the day, a lot of the student use to eat watching the television and the physical activity is done not so much. The results of these paper are related to the literature data.

These research regarded a seroepidemiological study of brucellosis in the Campobasso province. The results related to 204 subjects (96 males and 108 females) pointed out the 17.15% of subjects were positive for antibodies anti-Brucella, 28.6% of these were positive for Br. melitensis. The results agree with the data of the literature.

OBJECTIVE To provide data on the incidence of IDDM in Rome and the Lazio region evaluated prospectively from 1989 to 1993 for a total of > 5 million subjects younger than 15 years. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS All patients with newly discovered IDDM diagnosed between 1 January 1989 and 31 December 1993 among residents in Rome and its region were recorded. Primary ascertainment was based in diabetes clinics and specialized hospitals in the region, whereas the secondary independent source was taken from the archives of the region where patients are registered to obtain exemption from paying for medications. RESULTS We identified 330 new patients with a degree of ascertainment of 85%. Overall the incidence rate of the disease was 7.9 per 100,000 per year (95% CI 7.1–8.8). The incidence was higher in the 5- to 9-year-old age-group (10.4 per 100,000) and in winter (36.2%). The cumulative risk for the disease is on the order of 1.18 per 1,000 subjects < 15 years of age. No significant differences in incidence were observed between boys and girls. There were 14 instances of coma at diagnosis (4.3%), but hyperglycemia without ketonuria was diagnosed in 35% of patients, suggesting an early diagnosis. DISCUSSION Compared with the other continental Italian regions for which data are available for a single year, the IDDM incidence rate in Rome is similar. We conclude that the IDDM incidence rate in Rome and its region is comparable to that in other Southern European countries and remained stable over the 5-year observation period.

This work shows the results of a seroepidemiological study of a group of 691 apparently healthy individuals: 246 males and 445 females from a Rome out-patient consulting center. 72 individuals (10.42%) were found positive with an antibody titer from 1:20 to 1:40. The percentages regarding the sexes and also those regarding the age groups did not show significant differences. The results of the research demonstrate a limited diffusion of Yersinia enterocolitica infection in the area under scrutiny. The results are correlated with those of similar researches.

Amino acid sequence comparisons were made between the soybean alpha subunit of beta-conglycinin and 34 members of different plant protein families targeted to seed protein bodies or vacuoles. A number of short conserved amino acid sequences were identified in seed storage proteins, plant protease inhibitors and lectins, and the probable functions of these sequences are discussed. For proteins of known tertiary structure, these sequences map to the surface of the respective molecules. It is postulated that these regions produce a common secondary structure which could interact with other molecules involved in the sorting process. One of these regions, region A, is similar to the yeast carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) vacuolar targeting signal, and is present in both storage proteins and lectins. Computer modeling based upon the tertiary structure of concanavalin A (ConA) was used to generate models representing the structure of two highly related lectins from Dolichos biflorus, one of which is targeted to protein bodies and the other secreted. A different glycosylation pattern together with amino acid sequences upstream of the identified conserved amino acid sequences are predicted to modulate the presentation of the sorting domains in the lectins and be the determinant in the sorting of these lectins.