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Objective Obesity is a recognized risk factor for the progression to severe forms of COVID-19, yet the mechanisms of the association are unclear. Methods Subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue specimens of subjects deceased from COVID-19 (n = 23) were compared to those of controls dying abruptly from causes other than infectious (accidental trauma, sudden cardiac death). Alterations of lung parenchyma consistent with moderate to severe disease were detected in all COVID-19 cases, not in controls. Investigations included: histopathologic features, detection of virus antigens and genome, characterization of infiltrating leukocytes, transcription levels of immune-related genes. Results By RT-PCR, the SARS-CoV-2 genome was detected in the adipose tissue of 13/23 (56%) cases of the COVID-19 cohort. The virus nucleocapsid antigen was detected in the cytoplasm of 1–5% adipocytes in 12/12 COVID-19 cases that were virus-positive by PCR in the adipose tissue (one case could not be assessed due insufficient tissue). The adipose tissue of COVID-19 cases showed leukocyte infiltrates and upregulation of the interferon-alpha pathway. After adjusting for age and sex, the activation score of IFN-alpha was directly related with transcription levels of the ACE2 gene, a key entry factor of SARS-CoV-2. Conclusions In lethal COVID-19 cases, the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen has been detected in a sizeable proportion of adipocytes, showing that the virus may directly infect the parenchymal cells of subcutaneous fat. Infection appears to activate the IFN alpha pathway and to attract infiltrating leukocytes. Due to the huge numbers of adipocytes in adults, the adipose tissue represents a significant reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 and an important source of inflammatory mediators.

Purpose Laboratory, imaging, and pathological features of Graves’ disease (GD), although well characterized, have been barely correlated each other. Aim of the study was to link laboratory and ultrasound characteristics of GD with its pathological features. Methods We correlated laboratory and ultrasound data at the time of diagnosis in 28 consecutive GD patients who underwent thyroidectomy with their pathological features, i.e., lymphocytic infiltration and follicular hyperplasia (both classified as mild or severe). Results Thyroid volume correlated positively with the levels of FT4 (P = 0.002, r2 = 0.42), FT3 (P = 0.011, r2 = 0.22), autoantibodies to thyroglobulin (TgAbs) (P = 0.016, r2 = 0.32), autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase (TPOAbs) (P = 0.011, r2 = 0.34) and the extent of lymphocytic infiltration (P = 0.006 comparing mild to severe lymphocytic infiltration) but not with the levels of autoantibodies to the thyrotropin receptor (TRAbs) and to follicular hyperplasia. Compared to subjects with mild lymphocytic infiltration, those with severe lymphocytic infiltration showed higher levels of TgAbs (316 vs 0.0 IU/mL, P P P = 0.68). Compared to patients with mild, those with severe follicular hyperplasia had similar levels of TgAbs (76 vs 30 IU/mL, P = 0.31) and TPOAbs (251 IU/mL vs 45 IU/mL, P = 0.26) but higher levels of TRAbs (39 vs 7.2 IU/mL, P Conclusion In GD, TgAbs and TPOAbs levels correlate with the extent of lymphocytic infiltration, TRAbs levels with the degree of follicular hyperplasia. Thyroid volume, the main factor influencing the severity of hyperthyroidism, is related to lymphocytic infiltration and not to follicular hyperplasia.

Purpose RAS mutations represent common driver alterations in thyroid cancer. They can be found in benign, low-risk and malignant thyroid tumors with follicular architecture, which are often diagnosed as indeterminate nodules on preoperative cytology. Therefore, the detection of RAS mutations in preoperative setting has a suboptimal predictive value for malignancy. In this study, we investigated differentially expressed microRNA (miRNA) in benign and malignant thyroid tumors with follicular architecture carrying mutations in RAS genes. Methods Total RNA was purified from 60 RAS-mutant follicular-patterned thyroid tumors, including follicular adenoma (FA), noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP), papillary and follicular thyroid carcinoma cases (PTC, FTC); 22 RAS-negative FAs were used as controls. The expression analysis of 798 miRNAs was performed by digital counting (nCounter nanoString platform). Results Comparing RAS-mutant and RAS-negative FAs, 12 miRNAs showed significant deregulation, which was likely related to the oncogenic effects of RAS mutations. Twenty-two miRNAs were differentially expressed in RAS-mutant benign versus malignant tumors. Considering the tumor type, 24 miRNAs were deregulated in PTC, 19 in NIFTP, and seven in FTC and compared to FA group; among these, miR-146b-5p, miR-144-3p, and miR-451a showed consistent deregulation in all the comparisons with the highest fold change. Conclusions The miRNA expression analysis of follicular-patterned thyroid tumors demonstrated that RAS mutations influences miRNA profile in benign tumors. In addition, several miRNAs showed a histotype-specific deregulation and could discriminate between RAS-mutant benign and RAS-mutant malignant thyroid lesions, thus deserving further investigation as potential diagnostic markers.

The oceanic South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) has played a major role during South America’s 2021/2022 summer extreme rainy season, being responsible for more than 90% of the precipitation in some regions of Southeast Brazil and in some regions of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA). The summer of 2021/2022 was unique and rare and considered an abnormally humid season as verified by official Brazilian Institutes. First, the unusual number of cases of SACZ episodes (seven), was the highest recorded in the last decade. Second, all the cases that occurred were oceanic SACZ that assumed characteristics of an Atmospheric River and produced an excessively anomalous amount of precipitation during this period. Excess precipitation along with the regions located in mountainous and very uneven relief, which by orographic effects favors high precipitation volumes, were responsible for amplifying the observed impacts, such as landslides and floods that caused several losses to society. We also showed the main effects of coupling and interaction between the waters of the surface layer of the SWA and the atmosphere. Our learning from this study ends with the unprecedented results of how the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) is locally modulated by the sea surface temperature (SST) that lies just below it. Until the present moment, we emphasize that this important mechanism has not been widely highlighted in the literature, showing that even though the ocean is colder than before oceanic SACZ is established, it is still warmer than the overlying air, thus, the ocean continues to be an active source of heat and moisture for the atmosphere and enhances the MABL instability process.

Blue carbon ecosystems are recognized as carbon sinks and therefore for their potential for climate mitigation. While carbon stocks and burial rates have been quantified and estimated regionally and globally, there are still many knowledge gaps on carbon fluxes exchanged particularly at the interface vegetation-atmosphere. In this study we measured the atmospheric CO2 concentrations in a salt marsh located in the Patos Lagoon Estuary, southern Brazil. Eddy correlation techniques were applied to account for the CO2 exchange fluxes between the vegetation and the atmosphere. Our dataset refers to two sampling periods spanning from July up to November 2016 and from January to April 2017. By using time series analysis techniques including wavelet and cross-wavelet analysis, our results show the natural cycles of the CO2 exchanges variability and the relationship of these cycles with other environmental variables. We also present the amplitudes of the salt marsh-atmosphere CO2 fluxes’ diurnal cycle for both study periods and demonstrate that the CO2 fluxes are modulated by the passage of transient atmospheric systems and by the level variation of surrounding waters. During daytime, our site was as a CO2 sink. Fluxes were measured as -6.71 ± 5.55 μmol m-2 s-1 and -7.95 ± 6.44 μmol m-2 s-1 for the winter-spring and summer-fall periods, respectively. During nighttime, the CO2 fluxes were reversed and our site behaved as a CO2 source. Beside the seasonal changes in sunlight and air temperature, differences between the two periods were marked by the level of marsh inundation, winds and plant biomass (higher in summer). The net CO2 balance showed the predominance of the photosynthetic activity over community respiration, indicating the role of the salt marsh as a CO2 sink. When considering the yearly-averaged net fluxes integrated to the whole area of the Patos Lagoon Estuary marshes, the total CO2 sink was estimated as -87.6 Mg C yr-1. This paper is the first to measure and study the vegetation-atmosphere CO2 fluxes of a salt marsh environment of Brazil. The results will contribute to the knowledge on the global carbon budget and for marsh conservation and management plans, including climate change policies.

Introduction SARS CoV-2 infection involves many organs and systems, including the thyroid, in which it manifests itself as subacute thyroiditis (SAT). After our first description of SAT due to SARS-CoV2 infection, other reports have confirmed the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 and SAT. We review the cases of SAT associated with COVID-19 to highlight its peculiar clinical and biochemical features, including its outcome and what it has added to our understanding of SAT. Results We have reviewed 24 articles, for a total of 69 cases of SAT related to SARS-CoV2 infection. All had neck pain, whereas thyrotoxicosis was documented in 68/68 who had their thyroid function checked. Ultrasound, performed in 67 patients, was typical of SAT in 65 and low uptake at scintigraphy was demonstrated in all 12 evaluated patients. Patients had a prompt response to the anti-inflammatory and/or glucocorticoid therapy, as expected in SAT. The rate of hypothyroidism was higher (36.5%) in COVID-19-related SAT compared to that observed in the pre-COVID era (10%). Conclusions Clinical, biochemical, and instrumental features of SAT related to SARS-CoV2 are like those observed in SAT cases reported prior to COVID-19 pandemic, but it appears more severe.

Quality control measures for ocean waves observations are necessary to give confidence of their accuracy. It is common practice to detect anomalies or outliers in surface displacement observations by applying a standard deviation threshold. Besides being a purely statistical method, this quality control procedure is likely to flag extreme wave events erroneously, thereby impacting higher-order descriptions of the wave field. In this paper we extend the use of the statistical phase-space threshold, an established outlier detection method in the field of turbulence, to detect anomalies in a wave record. We show that a wave record in phase space (here defined as a diagram of displacement against acceleration) can be enclosed by a predictable ellipse where the major and minor axes are defined by the spectral properties of the wave field. By using the parameterized ellipse in phase space as a threshold to identify wave anomalies, this is a semiphysical filtering method. Wave buoy data obtained from a mooring deployed near King George Island, Antarctica [as part of the Antarctic Modeling Observation System (ATMOS)], and laser altimeter data obtained at the Northwest Shelf of Australia were used to demonstrate the functioning of the filtering methodology in identifying wave anomalies. Synthetic data obtained using a high-order spectral model are used to identify how extreme waves are positioned in phase space.

Purpose An increase in serum TSH concentrations in the absence of thyroid disease, named isolated hyperthyrotropinemia, is frequently observed in subjects with obesity. It is directly associated with body mass index, and it is reversible following weight loss. Autoimmune hypothyroidism is frequently associated with obesity, it is usually progressive and needs replacement treatment with L-thyroxine. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) to define the thyroidal status in subjects with overweight or obesity. Methods This is a retrospective study including 749 consecutive adult patients with overweight or obesity. Of those, 76 were excluded from the analysis due to hyperthyroidism, previous thyroidectomy or radioiodine therapy for hyperthyroidism, hemiagenesis or drug-induced hypothyroidism. Serum thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free 3,5,3’-triiodothyronine (FT3), TgAb and thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) were measured in all patients. Results Out of 673 patients, 408 did not have thyroid disease. Among patients with thyroid disease (n = 265), 130 had nodular disease with no humoral signs of thyroid autoimmunity and 135 (20%) had autoimmune thyroiditis, defined by the presence of TPOAb and/or TgAb. The prevalence of hyperthyrotropinemia, either directly measured or presumed based on L-thyroxine treatment at the time of data collection, was 63.9% in patients with both TgAb and TPOAb, 47.1% in those with isolated positivity of TPOAb, 42.8% in patients with isolated positivity of TgAb, and 14.5% in those with no detectable TgAb or TPOAb. Conclusions Our results confirm a high prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis (20%) in patients with obesity. TgAb may be associated with hypothyroidism in the absence of TPOAb. TgAb measurement may turn helpful to unravel a proportion of subjects that may have or may develop primary hypothyroidism requiring specific substitutive treatment.

SARS-CoV-2 infection may cause varying degrees of cardiac injury and the presence of underlying cardiovascular morbidities contributes to the frequency and severity of occurrence of this complication. Lipodystrophy syndromes are frequently characterized by severe metabolic derangements that represent relevant cardiovascular risk factors. Besides causing lipodystrophy, mutations in the lamin A/C (LMNA) gene can lead to a wide spectrum of tissue-specific disorders including cardiac involvement.We herein examine the case of two patients affected by atypical progeroid syndrome and partial lipodystrophy due to a heterozygous missense LMNA mutation c.1045 C T (p.R349W) who presented initially with mild COVID-19 and developed severe cardiovascular complications within few weeks of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Before being infected with SARS-CoV-2, our patients had cardiovascular morbidities (mild mitral regurgitation in one patient, ischemic heart disease with bifascicular block in the other patient) in adjunct to cardiovascular risk factors, but the SARS-CoV-2 infection contributed to quickly and significantly decompensate their balance.These findings warn that patients affected by LMNA p.R349W mutation and likely other LMNA mutations associated with cardiovascular morbidity should be considered at extremely elevated risk of post-acute cardiological manifestations and should therefore undergo a vigilant follow-up after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Both patients developed COVID-19 before the specific vaccination was available to them and this unfortunate situation should remark the importance of vaccination coverage against SARS-CoV-2 infection for all patients affected by lipodystrophy, especially those with underlying comorbidities.

Summary The antiplatelet agent ticagrelor has recently been found to have bactericidal activity, demonstrated in vitro and in an in vivo mouse model, which warrants further clinical investigations. The aim of this study was to evaluate infectious complications after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients pre-operatively treated with ticagrelor or clopidogrel. In a multi-centre trial, all adult patients who were pre-operatively treated with ticagrelor or clopidogrel prior to isolated primary coronary artery bypass grafting were eligible. Propensity score matching was used. Outcome measures were any sternal wound infection, deep sternal wound infection, and any in-hospital use of postoperative antibiotics. Of 2311 patients who were included, 1293 (55.9%) received clopidogrel and 1018 (44.1%) ticagrelor pre-operatively. In both overall and propensity score matched analyses, ticagrelor was associated with a similar incidence of infectious complications compared to clopidogrel. Our findings do not support a clinically relevant bactericidal effect of ticagrelor in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting.

We describe the world's first fully leadless cardiac resynchronization therapy pacing implant with transseptal approach, in a patient with pacemaker dependency, atrial fibrillation, ischemic hypokinetic cardiomyopathy, and a history of pocket infections. After lead extraction, we implanted a MicraTranscathether Pacing System® (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) as the sole right ventricular pacemaker, and the WISECRT system (EBR Systems, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) to provide biventricular pacing. We performed the WISECRT implant procedure using the transseptal approach given the presence of a prosthetic aortic mechanical valve, achieving satisfactory periprocedural results.

Introduction Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, which only rarely remits in adulthood[1]. A positive association between ADHD and obesity has been repeatedly observed, especially in adult samples[2]. However, only a few studies investigated the prevalence and correlates of ADHD in obese patients seeking bariatric treatment[3,4]. Objectives Our study was aimed to examine the prevalence of probable ADHD comorbidity in a sample of obese patients referred for bariatric surgery. Secondly, we sought to characterize differences in eating behaviour between obese subjects with and without probable ADHD. Methods The study sample was composed of 110 adult obese patients (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) consecutively referred for bariatric surgery to the Obesity Center of the Endocrinology Unit in Pisa University Hospital between November 2010 and May 2012. Probable ADHD was identified using a recently developed screening scale based on items selected from Symptom Check‐List‐90‐R (SCL-90-R)[5]. The extent of binge-eating/purging and night-eating behaviours were respectively estimated using the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE)[6] and the Night-eating Questionnaire (NEQ)[7]. Wilcoxon test was used for statistical comparisons, with a significance level of p Results Probable ADHD was found in 14 subjects (12.7%, 95%CI=7.1-20.4%). Patients with probable ADHD showed significantly higher BITE symptom score (20.4±9.3 vs. 12.1±7.5, r=0.31, p=0.001) and NEQ total score (16.1±9.2 vs. 9.5±3.9, r=0.27, p=0.005). Conclusions ADHD is a relatively common comorbidity in obese patients seeking bariatric treatment, which is positively associated with disordered eating habits, such as binge-eating/purging and night-eating behaviours. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies caused by a warm core eddy (WCE) in the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean (SWA) rendered a crucial influence on modifying the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL). During the first cruise to support the Antarctic Modeling and Observation System (ATMOS) project, a WCE that was shed from the Brazil Current was sampled. Apart from traditional meteorological measurements, we used the Eddy Covariance method to directly measure the ocean–atmosphere sensible heat, latent heat, momentum, and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes. The mechanisms of pressure adjustment and vertical mixing that can make the MABL unstable were both identified. The WCE also acted to increase the surface winds and heat fluxes from the ocean to the atmosphere. Oceanic regions at middle and high latitudes are expected to absorb atmospheric CO2, and are thereby considered as sinks, due to their cold waters. Instead, the presence of this WCE in midlatitudes, surrounded by predominantly cold waters, caused the ocean to locally act as a CO2 source. The contribution to the atmosphere was estimated as 0.3 ± 0.04 mmol m−2 day−1, averaged over the sampling period. The CO2 transfer velocity coefficient (K) was determined using a quadratic fit and showed an adequate representation of ocean–atmosphere fluxes. The ocean–atmosphere CO2, momentum, and heat fluxes were each closely correlated with the SST. The increase of SST inside the WCE clearly resulted in larger magnitudes of all of the ocean–atmosphere fluxes studied here. This study adds to our understanding of how oceanic mesoscale structures, such as this WCE, affect the overlying atmosphere.

File contains Figure S1; Tables S2, S3, S5–S7; and Captions for Tables S1 and S4

As an alternative method to collect oceanographic data in the polar oceans, especially during winter when traditional methods are very difficult to be used, sea mammals can be tagged with Satellite Relay Data Loggers with CTD capabilities (SRDL–CTD). Using data from nine southern elephant seals (SES; Mirounga leonina) tagged during a field campaign of the MEOP–BR project (the Brazilian Counterpart to the Marine Mammal Exploration of the Oceans Pole to Pole), this work presents a temporal analysis of the water masses and the sea ice formation rate at the western part of the Antarctic Peninsula (AP) during 2008. We found that the seasonal and local processes controlling the surface and intermediate layers of the ocean produced differences in the water mass composition and the sea ice formation rates in our study region. Sea ice formation rates ranged from less than 1 cm/day in deep sea waters off the northern part of the AP to 14 cm/day at the vicinity of ice shelves such as the Abbot and Wilkins ice shelves, further south in the AP. Maximum sea ice formation rates, as expected, occurred during autumn to winter. After the successive collapse events of the Wilkins Ice Shelf (WIS) in 2008, the sea ice formation rate endured significant reductions even when sea ice concentrations were high in the region. These reductions, observed by SES in the vicinity of WIS can be associated with freshwater input derived from shelf collapses. The presence of the Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) over the continental shelf west of the AP affected the sea ice formation rate by both contributing to the observed low sea ice coverage and to the acceleration of the ice shelf melting. Another process that demonstrated influence on the formation of sea ice was the advection of more saline waters in the oceanic layer considered here for the application of salt balance equation. This advection resulted in unrealistic sea ice formation rates in regions where there was no sea ice cover. The data and results presented here can be used to feed and to validate climate ocean–atmosphere coupled models. The data can be combined with other (more traditional) meteorological and oceanographic data in order to provide a better understanding of both oceanic and ocean–atmosphere coupled processes yet not very well known in our study region.

Previous contributions in younger cohorts have revealed that reallocation of cerebral resources a crucial mechanism for working memory (WM) may be disrupted by parallel demands of background acoustic noise suppression. To date no study has explored the impact of such disruption on brain activation in elderly individuals with or without subtle cognitive deficits. We performed a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study in 23 cases (mean age=75.7y.o. 16 men) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 16 elderly healthy controls (HC mean age=70.1y.o. three men) using a 2 back WM task under two distinct MRI background acoustic noise conditions (louder vs. lower noise echo planar imaging). General linear models were used to assess brain activation as a function of group and noise. In both groups lower background noise is associated with increased activation of the working memory network (WMN). A decrease of the normally observed deactivation of the default mode network (DMN) is found under louder noise in both groups. Unlike HC MCI cases also show decreased deactivation of the DMN under both louder and lower background noise. Under louder noise this decrease is observed in anterior parts of the DMN in HC and in the posterior cingulate cortex in MCI cases. Our results suggest that background acoustic noise has a differential impact on WMN activation in normal aging as a function of the cognitive status. Only louder noise has a disruptive effect on the usually observed DMN deactivation during WM task performance in HC. In contrast MCI cases show altered DMN reactivity even in the presence of lower noise.

Recent experiments on lower hybrid (LH) penetration at reactor-relevant densities, together with the recent demonstration of the technological viability of the passive-active multijunction launcher...

Se realizo un ensayo in vivo para estudiar el efecto del polietilenglicol 4000 (PEG-4000) o la urea sobre la digestibilidad aparente y las carac- teristicas de la fermentacion ruminal de bovinos alimentados con grano humedo de sorgo con alto contenido de taninos. Los tratamientos quedaron generados de la siguiente manera: sorgo no tra- tado o testigo (T), sorgo tratado con 1 g PEG/g PB del grano (P) y sorgo tratado con 2% urea en base a la materia seca (U). Se utilizaron tres novillos (312 ± 38 kg PV) fistulados de rumen en un diseno cuadrado latino con 3 animales y 3 periodos experimentales donde consumieron una dieta con 70% de grano de sorgo de acuerdo a los tratamien- tos. Se estimo la digestibilidad aparente in vivo de la dieta y se caracterizo el ambiente ruminal y metabolico de los animales. Los tratamientos P y U generaron respuestas positivas, aumentando (p

Background and aim:Endocarditis after Bentall procedure is a rare but severe complication. Infection usually involves the prosthesis, the annulus, and can lead to pseudoaneurysm or mediastinitis. Surgery in these patients is a challenge but conservative therapy, sometime preferred because of prohibi

The problem of producing fusion power with low neutron emission has been debated in the past in the framework of the magnetic confinement fusion research. Proposals are still being renewed to use advanced fuels in various plasma systems. Since today's toroidal devices cannot support plasma conditions suitable for a large fusion production with such fuels, new concepts and configurations have been studied, where the plasma components are not in a thermal equilibrium. Here, a system of a neutral beam injected into a confined plasma is considered where fusion is produced only between the beam and plasma ions. The collisional slowing down of the beam into the plasma is described by a fluid model. General considerations in this model allow conditions to be found for the fusion-produced power to breakeven against the power needed to sustain the system itself. These conditions are only necessary since the nuclear power is maximized in the present analysis by using favourable assumptions. Nevertheless, the results for different advanced fuels indicate again the very high difficulty of getting a net power produced by the fusion of such fuels, unless the plasma target temperature reaches very high and unrealistic values.

A group of 56 employees exposed to postural risk due to sedentary activity in offices and aged 40 to 60 years underwent a training of ergomotricity. The schedule was based on six simple exercises to be self-managed during the work time. The efficacy was verified by questionnaire before and after 3 months and musculo-skeletal complaints resulted to be improved for 21 out of 56 workers, depending from diligence. The training was realized by an occupational doctor and a physiotherapist; the compliance of this method was good by the trainees, but a recalling intervention was planned to reach better results in the whole group.

High-frequency wave systems with high-power density launching capability have been the preferred choice to heat the Frascati Tokamak Upgrade (FTU) because of physics arguments (electron heating at ...

We read with interest the comments by Dr. Spadaccio and colleagues regarding the results of the OBSERVANT (Italian Observational Multicenter Registry) study, and we thank them for giving us the opportunity to clarify some of the issues raised in their letter. First, we would like to emphasize that

High density plasmas (n0 ≈ 8 × 1020m-3) featuring steady improved core confinement have been obtained in FTU up to the maximum nominal toroidal field (8 T) by deep multiple pellet injection. These plasmas also feature high purity efficient electron-ion coupling and peaked density profiles sustained for several confinement times. Neutron yields in excess of 1 × 1013 n/s are measured, consistent with the reduction of the ion transport to neoclassical levels.

Electron temperatures in excess of 8 keV have been obtained by electron-cyclotron-resonance heating on FTU plasmas at peak densities up to $8\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{19}\mathrm{m}{}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. The magnetic shear in the plasma core is low or negative, and the electron heat diffusivity remains at, or below, the Ohmic level $(0.2\mathrm{m}{}^{2}/\mathrm{s})$, in spite of the very large heating power density $(10--20\mathrm{MW}/\mathrm{m}{}^{3})$ which produces extremely high temperature gradients (up to 120 keV/m). The ion heat transport remains at the neoclassical level.

Chitin is a linear polysaccharide consisting of [−4) 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose (1− and −4) 2-amino-2-deoxy β-D-glucopyranose (1-]n which occurs widely in nature and which after further de-N-acetylation yields chitosan. Chitin, chitosan and many of their derivatives have found applications in industry, medicine, pharmacology and food technology.1 Many recent studies have reported modifications of chitosan in attempts to bestow upon it a variety of properties.2−6

Because of the long half-life (35 to 50 hours) of amlodipine, a calcium antagonist belonging to the dihydropyridine group, once-daily administration has been proposed. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of amlodipine and placebo on symptoms and exercise tolerance in patients with residual exertional angina after myocardial revascularisation. 16 patients (13 males, 3 females; mean age 61.9 ± 7.3 years) with chronic stable angina despite a previous myocardial revascularisation (more than 3 attacks per week after at least 3 months of pharmacological treatment) were enrolled. All patients had reproducible angina and >1mm horizontal or down-sloping ST-segment depression during two consecutive maximal exercise tests at the end of 2 weeks of a single-blind placebo period. A double-blind crossover study followed, in which 2 weeks on placebo were alternated with 2 weeks on amlodipine 10mg/day. An exercise cycloergometric test was performed 24 hours after the end of each treatment period. Concomitant antianginal treatment, with the exception of nitroglycerin, was not allowed. After administration of amlodipine, patients showed a significant increase in pressurerate product at ischaemic threshold (238 ± 27 vs 212 ± 29mm Hg • beats/min • 10−2; p

The role of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in the release of arachidonic acid was examined in a mutated mast cell (RBL-2H3(m1)) line that expressed both native Fc epsilon R1 and the G protein-coupled muscarinic m1 receptor. Stimulation of these cells with Ag, carbachol, Ca(2+)-ionophore, or thapsigargin resulted in the phosphorylation of Raf1, MEK1, p42mapk MAP kinase, and the recently cloned cytosolic phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and increased activities of both MAP kinase and PLA2, as well as release of arachidonic acid. Because this cascade of reactions was inhibited by guanosine 5'-(2-thiodiphosphate), it appeared to be dependent on a GTP-binding protein(s). These reactions, however, were not dependent on protein kinase C; the cascade was totally resistant to the actions of a selective protein kinase C inhibitor, Ro31-7549, whereas release of the secretory granule marker, hexosaminidase, was blocked by this agent. Differences between the stimulatory pathways for release of arachidonic acid and hexosaminidase were evident also from the effects of the kinase inhibitor, quercetin. The above cascade of reactions, including release of arachidonic acid, was inhibited by 50% with approximately 5 microM quercetin, whereas secretion was inhibited only at higher concentrations of inhibitor. Moreover, inhibition of the activation of MAP kinase and release of arachidonic acid were closely correlated. This and previous findings suggested that release of arachidonic acid was attributable to the regulation of cytosolic PLA2 by MAP kinase (for activation of PLA2) and Ca2+ (for association of PLA2 with the membrane), whereas release of hexosaminidase was regulated primarily by Ca2+ and protein kinase C.

Numerical studies on the use of a quasi-optical grill to couple lower hybrid waves to a plasma, for current drive in tokamaks, are currently under way. Study of the coupling has been carried out in a rigorous way, through the solution of scattering from cylinders with parallel axes in the presence of a plane of discontinuity for electromagnetic constants. Here we restrict our attention to the case of a plasma with a step density profile and report some results on launched spectra, coupled power and directivity.

Theoretical investigations on the use of an advanced launcher to couple lower hybrid waves to a plasma, for current drive in tokamaks, have been developed. A study of the coupling has been carried out in a rigorous way, through the solkution of the scattering by an array of cylinders with parallel axes in the presence of a plane of discontinuity for the electromagnetic constants. The general features of the proposed method are presented together with results on the launched spectra and coupled power. The numerical results of this work are relevant to the optimization of the single layer qusi-optical grill launching RF power towards a constant density plasma: it is shown that the power coupled in the plasma can reach values of about 25-30% in the - 1 diffracted order and about 40% in all other orders. As a consequence it is expected that the coupling values for a suitable double layer configuration should approach those for total transmission.

Tooth agenesis is characterised by the congenital absence of one or more teeth. The Pax9 gene has been associated with nonsyndromic forms.To investigate the molecular mechanisms, we evaluated specific haplotypes frequency in exon 3 of the Pax9 gene in 26 patients and 21 controls, using an Italian population.Presence of His239His and the Ala240Pro were confirmed in exon 3 of the Pax9 gene. A frequency of 20.2€ of the T allele at position 717 and a C frequency of 33€ of Ala240Pro polymorphism, that reached 40.5€ in the control group, were observed. The 39 C/C-240 C/C or G/Chaplotype which we defined Pax9hapl a had a proportion of 61.9€ in control individuals. The frequency of Pax9hapl a tested in the patients was different from controls, being 81.3€ in normalcy and 18.8€ in oligodontia (p0.05).Our observations suggest that Pax9hapl a may have a protective effect against sporadic oligodontia.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effect of different diameters and surface characteristics of a glass fiber post on the fracture resistance of teeth restored with fiber posts.Eighty single-rooted bovine teeth were prepared, embedded in a PVC cylinder using acrylic resin, and allocated into 8 groups (N.=10) according to post diameter and shape: (smooth double-tapered fiber post) G1, G2, G3, and G4 with cervical diameters of 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, and 2 mm, respectively; (double-tapered fiber posts with coronal grooves) G5, G6, G7, and G8 with cervical diameters of 1.4 mm, 1.6 mm, 1.8 mm, and 2 mm, respectively. A self-adhesive cement was used for post cementation, and the core build-up was standardized and made with composite resin. Specimens were stored for 7 days and then submitted to the mechanical fatigue testing (load=50 N., angle= 45°, frequency=1 Hz, temperature=37 ± 1 °C, number of cycles=1000000); the specimens that survived were submitted to static resistance testing (1 mm/min, 45°). The fracture loads and fracture modes was recorded. Data were submitted to 2-way ANOVA, post-hoc Tukey test and Pearson Correlation analysis.The cervical diameter of the post (P0.0001) and surface characteristics (P=0.01013) significantly affected the fracture resistance (2-way ANOVA). Grooves reduced the fracture resistance when post diameter was 1.4 mm (G1 and G5). A moderate positive correlation was found between the fracture resistance and the fiber post diameter (r2=0.4445; P0.0001) (Pearson correlation test).It appears that there is a direct relation between the diameter of the fiber post and the fracture strength of roots restored with fiber posts. But other factors may have influenced the fracture strength such as the reduction of intracanal dentin by the preparation for placement of wider fiber posts, since no difference was found for smooth fiber posts with different diameter. Otherwise, grooves at coronal part of the fiber post can damage the fracture resistance.

From 1987 to 1991, a seroepidemiologic survey for antibodies to hantaviruses, leptospira, rickettsiae, and Borrelia was conducted in selected Italian population groups. In the mountainous areas of northeastern Italy, the prevalence of antibody to hantaviruses, as detected by indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) assay, was 7.1%, 4.8%, 4.3%, and 4% in 265 forestry workers, 82 rangers, 395 farmers, and 75 hunters, respectively. Among 299 Alpine soldiers, the prevalence was lower (0.7%). Of those with Hantaan antibody, the reactivity pattern using Hantaan, Puumala, and Fojnica viruses suggested a prevalence of antibody to Hantaan virus, with titers reaching levels of 128. The presence of leptospiral antibodies (by microagglutination test), which included the prevalence of antibodies to Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, L. bratislava, and L. saxkoening serotypes, was observed in 10-12% of the farmers and forestry workers in these Alpine mountain regions. Only a few sporadic clinical cases of leptospirosis have been reported from these regions. Antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi (by IFA) were observed in 19% of the rangers and forestry workers, with lower values in farmers (10%) and hunters (8%). These data suggest the presence of a large number of asymptomatic infections with B. burgdorferi and the leptospires in the densely wooded areas of the Alpine Italian regions. Furthermore, the recent identification of a case of Hantaan acute nephropathy in a man living in the mountainous northeastern area of Italy confirms the presence of hantavirus in the Italian Alpine zones, especially those near the Slovenian border.