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• The ELSMOR facility has been built to test a passive heat removal system. • ELSMOR test 00099_C has been selected to perform a code benchmark. • AC2, APROS, CATHARE, RELAP and TRACE codes have been adopted. The EU-funded ELSMOR (Towards European Licencing of Small Modular Reactors) project seeks to design methods and tools for stakeholders to assess and verify Light Water SMRs' safety when installed across Europe. Within the project, an experimental facility has been built at SIET (Piacenza, Italy) to test a passive heat removal system. The passive system is based on natural circulation, with a plate-type Compact Steam Generator (CSG) as heat source and an in-pool condenser as heat sink. An experimental campaign has been conducted to investigate the effect of different parameters on the passive system behavior (e.g. secondary side filling ratio, primary system temperature, pool level, presence of non-condensable gases, etc.). Among the various tests, ELSMOR test 00099_C has been selected to perform a code benchmark and ten parameters were selected for the code comparison. The chosen test explores the effect of the secondary side filling ratio from 60.16% to 24.96%. In the benchmark, the codes from the European reference chains have been applied, Apros by VTT, AC2 by GRS and CATHARE by CEA, and they have been compared with the results obtained with RELAP5 by ENEA and TRACE by PSI. In general, all the codes were able to predict the experimental data both from a qualitative and quantitative point of view. The main discrepancies have been observed in some results for the prediction of the secondary side pressure, secondary side CSG inlet temperature and secondary side flow rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon PhotoMultipliers, SiPMs, constitute the enabling technology for a diverse and rapidly growing range of applications: medical imaging, experimental physics, and commercial applications are only a few examples. In this work, a characterization protocol for SiPM qualification has been applied to Hamamatsu S13161-3050AE-08 SiPM (8 × 8) array in the (−40 ÷ ＋30) °C temperature range. The protocol foresees to measure several parameters: breakdown voltage, quenching resistance, gain, dark count rate and probability of cross-talk. Methods to extract them and their dependence on temperature at fixed overvoltage are shown and the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The JUNO-TAO is a liquid scintillator detector that will be placed near one core of the Taishan nuclear power plant of China. It is a satellite detector of the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) and will provide a precise measurement of the reactor antineutrino spectra with unprecedented accuracy in energy resolution, improving the sensitivity of JUNO on mass hierarchy study. Furthermore, JUNO-TAO will provide benchmark tests on nuclear database. In this proceeding, JUNO-TAO's design, the status of its R&D program, and its physics potential, will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To report on the nutritional status of newly diagnosed patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in comparison to contacts who are tuberculosis free. Design: This was a community-based case-control study. Setting and subjects: The study was conducted in Delft, a periurban community in the Western Cape. Forty-three newly diagnosed patients with tuberculosis were recruited as cases and matched according to age, gender and race to 43 tuberculosis-free contacts. Outcome measures: Each participant was interviewed and completed a structured questionnaire to provide demographic information. Weight was measured to the nearest 0.1 kg and height to the nearest 1 mm. Mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) was measured to the nearest 1 mm and skinfold thickness measurements to the nearest 0.2 mm. The 24-hour dietary recall method was used to obtain dietary information and analysed in the nutrition database of the Medical Research Council in order to translate foods into nutrients. Biochemical analyses were carried out to measure concentrations of transferrin, albumin, C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, zinc, copper and vitamins A and E. Means (± standard deviation) and confidence intervals were used to describe serum micronutrient and biochemical levels. Medians (minimum and maximum) were used to describe the nutrient intake and anthropometric status of patients. Results: The median body mass index for tuberculosis cases was 18.80 kg/m² [interquartile range (IQR) 14.35, 32.11] and for tuberculosisfree contacts 21.17 kg/m² (IQR 16.75, 34.98), with a significant difference between the groups with a p-value = 0.001. There was a statistically significant difference in weight (p-value = 0.002) and MUAC (p-value = 0.000) between groups; and in ferritin (p-value = 0.000) and CRP (p-value = 0.000) in patients with tuberculosis; while albumin (p-value = 0.000), serum zinc (p-value = 0.000) and serum vitamin A (p-value = 0.000) were significantly lower in cases. Conclusion: Newly diagnosed patients with tuberculosis have a poorer nutritional status than their tuberculosis-free counterparts. This may be a result of the acute phase response, increased metabolism and anorexia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: This paper is a report of a study to develop and test the psychometric properties of the Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy for Nurses Scale. BACKGROUND: Coping self-efficacy beliefs are defined as self-appraisals of capabilities to cope with environmental demands. People with higher levels of coping self-efficacy beliefs tend to approach challenging situations in an active and persistent way, whereas those with lower levels of coping self-efficacy beliefs tend to direct greater energy to managing increasing emotional distress. METHOD: In 2006, 1383 nurses completed the following measures: Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Nurses, Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations Short Form and Maslach Burnout Inventory. Based on a randomized split of the data, we conducted exploratory factor analysis on group 1 data (n = 691) and confirmatory factor analysis within the framework of structural equation modelling on group 2 data (n = 692). FINDINGS: The exploratory results revealed two factors: Coping Self-Efficacy to cope with the occupational burden (Cronbach alpha = 0.77) and Coping Self-Efficacy to cope with the relational burden (alpha = 0.79). In the confirmatory group, the two-factor structure was tested against an alternative one-factor structure and confirmed as the best solution. Correlation patterns between the Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy for Nurses Scales, and both coping and burnout variables, supported the criterion-related validity of the Occupational Coping Self-Efficacy for Nurses dimensions. CONCLUSION: Nurses can have two basic and distinct coping self-efficacy beliefs: beliefs about occupational burden and beliefs about relational difficulties in the workplace. Research is needed into how efficacy evaluations shift as a result of specific stress management interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral eye movers are subjects who consistently shift their gaze either leftward or rightward while reflecting on visuospatial or verbal questions. When reliably assessed, prevalent direction of gaze can be assumed as a valid index of hemispheric asymmetry. The present study evaluated discrimination of heartbeat (HB) and of spontaneous changes of finger temperature in 24 right-handed females reliably selected as lateral movers. Results replicate and extend previous findings by showing that left movers' superiority in HB discrimination is present also in females and concerns the perception of a different vascular function, that is, peripheral finger temperature. Differences between right movers and left movers were not due to activation level during the test or to body composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participant dropouts can reduce the power of allergen immunotherapy clinical trials. Evaluation of the dropout rate and reasons for dropout are important not only in the planning of clinical studies but are also relevant for adherence to immunotherapy in daily clinical practice. A systematic review was carried out in order to establish the overall dropout rate among published double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials of sublingual immunotherapy for respiratory allergic diseases. Dropouts were analysed in regards to allergen, formulation, treatment schedule, participant age, study size, number of centres and type of allergic disease. Relative dropout rates in placebo and active groups as well as reasons for dropout were also assessed. A total of 81 studies, comprising 9998 patients, were included. Dropout rates in sublingual immunotherapy controlled studies do not appear to be a major problem with a composite dropout percentage of 14% (95% CI:11.9-16). Furthermore, they are not different for active compared to placebo-treated participants. This lends support to the positive clinical outcomes seen in meta-analyses of these trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lateral-geometry organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) devices resemble field-effect transistors without a gate and are useful for probing electrical characteristics of BHJ blends. The lateral structure allows physical access to the BHJ during device operation and lends itself well to device modelling. Photocurrent-voltage data from P3HT:PCBM-based lateral devices were found to possess features of space-charge limited (SCL) extraction. Numerical simulations indeed suggest a physical picture of SCL operation, effectively dividing the device into a photogenerative zone and a photoconducting zone. Based on these simulations, an analytical model was created to describe SCL photocurrents that account for channel lengths and bimolecular recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Administration of imipenem-cilastatin to patients with IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to β-lactams has always been considered potentially harmful. Recent studies have demonstrated the tolerability of carbapenems (imipenem-cilastatin and meropenem) in patients with IgE-mediated hypersensitivity to β-lactams; there are no studies on this topic regarding patients with cell-mediated allergy to β-lactams. The aim of this study is to assess cross-reactivity and tolerability of imipenem in patients with cell-mediated allergy to β-lactams. Methods: From our database we selected 73 patients with cell-mediated allergy to β-lactams, diagnosed by means of immediate-type skin tests, delayed reading intradermal tests, patch tests and detection of specific IgE. Patients with negative patch tests with imipenem-cilastatin underwent an intramuscular test dosing. Results: Our patients had a total of 94 nonimmediate reactions to penicillins. All patients had positive patch tests and/or delayed reading intradermal tests for at least one of the penicillin reagent tested and negative immediate-type skin tests and specific IgE. Four patients out of 73 had a positive patch tests to at least one penicillin reagent and imipenem-cilastatin showing cross-reactivity. Sixty-four patients underwent the imipenem-cilastatin intramuscular test dosing and none of them had a clinical reaction. Conclusions: Our rate of cross-reactivity between imipenem-cilastatin and other β-lactams was 5.5%. This result is different from previous findings and this may be explained by the fact that we investigated patients with cell-mediated allergy to β-lactams. Patients with cell-mediated allergy to β-lactams should undergo patch tests and a tolerance challenge test before treatment with imipenem-cilastatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Early diagnosis of persistent hyperparathyroidism (HP) following kidney transplantation may prevent worsening of osteodystrophy and potential damage to the graft. We evaluated the utility of collagen pyridinoline (PYD) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD) urinary cross-links beyond the common HP markers to evaluate 70 selected stable recipients between 1997 and 2006 who were divided into 2 group depending on the immunosuppressive protocol. All patients showed elevated levels of urinary cross-links even though calcemia and phosphoremia values were normal. Their mean creatinine level was slightly increased. Data were assessed as mean values ± SD. All variables underwent a correlation matrix analysis and a stepwise regression, with posttransplant intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) as the dependent variable and other variables as regressors. A statistically significant correlation was observed between PYD and alkaline phosphatase (ALP; P = .0026, r = .41); PYD and DPD (P = .015, r = .34); pre- and posttransplant iPTH (P = .024, r = .31); and creatinine and ALP (P = .024, r = .31). Taking the groups separately, there were significant correlations between PYD and ALP (P = .0076, r = .42); PYD and DPD (P = .017, r = .38); ALP and posttransplant iPTH (P = .038, r = .33); osteocalcin (OC) and posttransplant iPTH (P = .048, r = .32); and pre- and posttransplant iPTH (P = .019, r = .37) among subjects in the first group, whereas subjects in the second group showed a correlation between posttransplant iPTH and age at transplantation (P = .032, r = .61). In conclusion, we showed that urinary cross-links may be helpful to reveal bone resorption in kidney recipients when usual bone metabolism parameters do not demonstrate hyperparathyroidism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper is dealing with a research carried out at the Institute of Thermal-Fluid Dynamics of ENEA (Casaccia Center) to investigate the rewetting of a hot surface cooled with droplet impingement. After the droplet impingement, the liquid film falls along the surface. The reference situation is the external surface of a tank which, after a fire, is subjected to flames or high temperature anyway, and is cooled with water or an extinguishing liquid. The experiment is characterized by a one-dimensional liquid spray, i.e., droplets having a uniform, constant diameter, impinging on the heated surface. The cooling rate of the hot surface has been detected as a function of wall temperature, droplet diameter and velocity, and point of impact of the spray on the heated surface. The working principle of such a spray is based on the varicose rupture of a liquid jet (Rayleigh–Weber instability): imposing a periodic perturbation of appropriate amplitude and frequency on the jet surface, the flow is “constrained” to break soon after leaving the nozzle, eventually obtaining constant diameter drops, depending, for a given liquid, on the nozzle diameter and liquid velocity. Dimensions of droplets used in the present work range from about 0.3 to 1.5 mm. A digital image system allows to know, for each nozzle, droplet diameter and aspect ratio. Each nozzle disk is manufactured in order to have the same cross flow area independent of the number of nozzles in the disk. The rewetting velocity has been calculated from the response of the thermocouples placed on the heated wall and from a digital image system based on the video image registered during the runs. A comparison of the two methods is provided. Two different locations of the jet impingement on the heated surface are tested. The spray is impinging outside the heated length, just upstream the copper clamp in one series of tests, while in a second series of tests the spray impinges directly on the first wall thermocouple, 25 mm below the beginning of the heated length. Prediction of the rewetting velocity obtained using available correlations has shown a good agreement with experimental data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper outlines the quality control issues that arise in the implementation of a Web site which delivers biomedical information. At the heart of this study is the need for a methodology to guarantee that the information contained in the site is viable and accurate from both an informatic and a content point of view. This methodology is currently adopted in the Web development of the BreakIT project sponsored by the EU INFO2000 Programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Thermal-hydraulic system code RELAP5 for HLM applications. • Numerical benchmark activities on Heavy Liquid Metal with SYS-TH codes. • Development of numerical tools for Generation-IV fast reactors. • Qualification of RELAP5 in simulating protected loss of flow accident scenarios. Thermal-hydraulic code RELAP5, originally developed by INEEL under NRC contract for LWRs LOCA analysis, has been extensively validated and it is actually used worldwide as a best estimate code for LWRs transient analysis. This code was chosen in the early 2000s as the reference code for the thermal-hydraulics and accident analysis of Heavy Liquid Metal Fast Reactors within the frame of Italian research programs. Several original RELAP5 routines have been updated in order to implement suitable correlations generating the reference physical and thermodynamic properties for Lead and Lead-Bismuth Eutectic fluids. Similarly, some specific heat transfer correlations for liquid metals have been added. In almost twenty years, ENEA has conducted an extensive validation program to demonstrate the capability of the code to simulate the thermal–hydraulic behaviour of heavy liquid metal systems. This program was mainly conducted on the facilities of the Brasimone center (CHEOPE, CIRCE, NACIE), but also used data from international programs (MEGAPIE International Experiment and LACANES Benchmark OECD/NEA). Furthermore, the participation of ENEA in the projects financed by the European Commission in several Euratom programs for the study and design of HLM-cooled reactors (ELSY, SEARCH, MAXSIMA, LEADER, SESAME. MYRTE) has allowed to increase the confidence on the transient and accidental analyses conducted with RELAP5 also through the comparison with the results of other codes. RELAP5 is currently a reliable tool both as a support to reactor design (safety by design) and for accidental analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this work was to demonstrate a greater number of viable cells using a micro-surgical in-situ perfusion to collect rat pancreata compared with the pancreas after exsanguination. We used 3 groups of 20 rats. Perfusion was performed by selective cannulation of the left common iliac artery with administration of UW solution at 4°C. Collected pancreata were digested and cells separated by Ficoll gradient were placed in culture to permit adhesion to dishes. Cells were characterized and tested for viability. We observed a gain of about 14% in the number of viable cells compared with those obtained after exsanguination (P < .001 by chi-square). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Evidence shows that adequate calcium intake during pregnancy reduces the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. In most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) the daily calcium intake is well below recommendations. Mapping calcium intake during pregnancy worldwide and identifying populations with low calcium intake will provide the evidence base for more targeted actions to improve calcium intake.Objective: To assess dietary calcium intake during pregnancy worldwide.Search Strategy: MEDLINE and EMBASE (from July 2004 to November 2017).Selection Criteria: Cross-sectional, cohort, and intervention studies reporting calcium intake during pregnancy.Data Collection and Analysis: Five reviewers working in pairs independently performed screening, extraction, and quality assessment. We reported summary measures of calcium intake and calculated the weighted arithmetic mean for high-income countries (HICs) and LMICs independently, and for geographic regions, among studies reporting country of recruitment, mean intake, and total number of participants. When available, inadequate intakes were reported.Main Results: From 1880 citations 105 works met the inclusion criteria, providing data for 73 958 women in 37 countries. The mean calcium intake was 948.3 mg/day (95% CI 872.1-1024.4 mg/day) for HICs and 647.6 mg/day (95% CI 568.7-726.5 mg/day) for LMICs. Calcium intakes below 800 mg/day were reported in five (29%) countries from HICs and in 14 (82%) countries from LMICs.Conclusion: These results are consistent with a lack of improvement in calcium dietary intake during pregnancy and confirm the gap between HICs and LMICs, with alarmingly low intakes recorded for pregnant women in LMICs. From the public health perspective, in the absence of specific local data, calcium supplementation of pregnant women in these countries should be universal.Tweetable Abstract: Despite dietary recommendations, women in LMICs face pregnancy with diets low in calcium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hypersensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid ( ASA) constitutes a serious problem for subjects with coronary artery disease. In such subjects, physicians have to choose the more appropriate procedure between challenge and desensitization. As the literature on this issue is sparse, this study aimed to establish in these subjects clinical criteria for eligibility for an ASA challenge and/or desensitization. Methods Collection and analysis of data on ASA challenges and desensitizations from 10 allergy centers, as well as consensus among the related physicians and an expert panel. Results Altogether, 310 subjects were assessed; 217 had histories of urticaria/angioedema, 50 of anaphylaxis, 26 of nonimmediate cutaneous eruptions, and 17 of bronchospasm related to ASA/nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ( NSAID) intake. Specifically, 119 subjects had index reactions to ASA doses lower than 300 mg. Of the 310 subjects, 138 had an acute coronary syndrome ( ACS), 101 of whom underwent desensitizations, whereas 172 suffered from a chronic ischemic heart disease ( CIHD), 126 of whom underwent challenges. Overall, 163 subjects underwent challenges and 147 subjects underwent desensitizations; 86 of the latter had index reactions to ASA doses of 300 mg or less. Ten subjects reacted to challenges, seven at doses up to 500 mg, three at a cumulative dose of 110 mg. The desensitization failure rate was 1.4%. Conclusions In patients with stable CIHD and histories of nonsevere hypersensitivity reactions to ASA/ NSAIDs, an ASA challenge is advisable. Patients with an ACS and histories of hypersensitivity reactions to ASA, especially following doses lower than 100 mg, should directly undergo desensitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the case study of two people, a 13 year-old boy and 42 year-old man with oral allergy syndrome (OAS) who had undergone apple desensitization. The former developed lip angioedema after eating cherry and apples and the latter had oral ulcers and oropharyngeal itching after eating them. Skin prick tests (SPT) were performed to pollens and both the patients had positive SPT to apple and sensitization to PR-10 proteins.

Skin tests are of paramount importance for the evaluation of drug hypersensitivity reactions. Drug skin tests are often not carried out because of lack of concise information on specific test concentrations. The diagnosis of drug allergy is often based on history alone, which is an unreliable indicator of true hypersensitivity.To promote and standardize reproducible skin testing with safe and nonirritant drug concentrations in the clinical practice, the European Network and European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology ( EAACI) Interest Group on Drug Allergy has performed a literature search on skin test drug concentration in MEDLINE and EMBASE, reviewed and evaluated the literature in five languages using the GRADE system for quality of evidence and strength of recommendation. Where the literature is poor, we have taken into consideration the collective experience of the group.We recommend drug concentration for skin testing aiming to achieve a specificity of at least 95%. It has been possible to recommend specific drug concentration for betalactam antibiotics, perioperative drugs, heparins, platinum salts and radiocontrast media. For many other drugs, there is insufficient evidence to recommend appropriate drug concentration. There is urgent need for multicentre studies designed to establish and validate drug skin test concentration using standard protocols. For most drugs, sensitivity of skin testing is higher in immediate hypersensitivity compared to nonimmediate hypersensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cross-reactivity between aztreonam and β-lactams is poor, but tolerability of aztreonam has been assessed in a few groups of patients suffering from IgE-mediated allergy to β-lactams. The aim of this study was to assess the cross-reactivity of aztreonam with other β-lactams and its tolerability in patients with cell-mediated allergy to these drugs. Methods: We studied 78 patients with cell-mediated allergy to β-lactams who underwent skin prick, immediate and delayed-reading intradermal tests as well as patch tests with penicilloyl-polylysine, minor determinant mixture, semi-synthetic penicillins, cephalosporins, aztreonam and imipenem. Patients with negative allergy testing with aztreonam underwent an intramuscular test dosing and were observed for 3 h. Results: Our patients experienced 94 non-immediate reactions; delayed-onset urticaria (34 cases), maculopapular exanthema (13 cases), urticaria/angioedema (15 cases) and itching erythema (13 cases) were the most reported symptoms. Amoxicillin (35 cases), ampicillin (28 cases) and bacampicillin (18 cases) were the most involved drugs. All patients had a positive patch test and/or a positive delayed-reading intradermal test to at least 1 β-lactam antibiotic and none had a positive patch or delayed-reading intradermal test to aztreonam. Then, 65 patients underwent intramuscular test dosing with aztroenam, and none of them had a clinical reaction. Conclusions: Our data confirm the lack of cross-reactivity between β-lactams and aztreonam in patients with cell-mediated allergy to these drugs. Delayed-reading intradermal tests and patch tests with aztreonam represent a simple and rapid diagnostic tool to establish tolerability in β-lactam-allergic patients. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Internet has become a widely used resource for information on cancer and for support. As part of the EuroCancerComs project (www.eurocancercoms.eu), an intervention study has been designed. The study aims to help patients with cancer providing an Internet "space" where to find information about nutritional care. Methods The study consists of a randomized 6-month intervention. The website (www.supportonutrizionale.it) hosts a contents area, prepared according to guidelines and recommendations, a forum and a blog. Subjects have been randomly allocated in intervention (IG) and control group (CG). IG has a free access to the website and it is involved in live activities, discussions and examinations. CG receives the same information by e-mail, without having access to the website. Three questionnaires are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the approach, concerning quality of life (QoL), psychological status and nutrition facts. Results Since the study startup, 191 subjects have been screened, and 58 (30%) have been randomized. Participants in both groups are mainly females, married and have at least a high school education level. Participants experienced a high psychological distress for 27% of IG and 33% of CG considering the four classes of scores at the baseline. Regarding QoL, a low "role functioning" score for IG and "emotional functioning" and "social functioning" scores for both groups are reported, while "fatigue" and "nausea and vomiting" respectively for IG and CG are the worsened symptoms compared with reference values. Considering the nutrition facts questionnaire, subjects showed a medium-high score profile and the worst scale regards "Nutrition and cancer knowledge". From the beginning of the study, a total of 48 actions have been registered, including votes to contents, comments and forum messages. Conclusion The Internet has made possible the new forms of interaction and knowledge, and it is likely to become essential to gain access to health information. The results of this randomized intervention may help in the evaluation of the efficacy of these interventions in cancer setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral Diseases (2010) 16, 795-800 Objective: To investigate the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 expression in associated and non-nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS) Odontogenic Keratocysts (OCKs) in order to contribute to a better understanding of the differences in the growth pattern between them. Materials and methods: Thirty-nine paraffin-embedded blocks of OCKs, 26 sporadic OCKs and 11 NBCCS-associated KCOTs were studied by immunohistochemistry to evaluate MMP-13 expression both in epithelial and stromal layers. A semi-quantitative scale was used to evaluate immunostaining. Obtained data were compared between the two groups, using Fischer's exact test and the chi-square test. Results: Only 13 of 26 sporadic OCKs showed a positive immunostaining, whilst 11 KCOTs resulted in positive labelling for MMP-13 expression. Moreover, syndromic cysts displayed a more intense and diffuse MMP-13 labelling of the stromal tissue. Instead, in non-syndromic forms, the staining pattern of MMP-13 in stromal tissue was completely absent. Fisher's exact test showed a statistically significant greater prevalence of KCOTs-immunolabelled cysts with respect to sporadic OCKs. Conclusions: Results from this study point out that the biological behaviour of these cysts could be related not only to the epithelial layer but also to stromal tissue in that... MMP-13 overexpression in stromal tissue of NBCCS-associated KCOTs could clarify the higher aggressiveness of these cysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The risk of mortality is high in burn patients and correlates with age, burn area extent, and sepsis. Immunosuppression has been reported to occur after severe burn. Cytotoxic cells possess specialized granules containing perforin and a group of serine proteases (granzymes). Granzyme A is a serine protease constitutively expressed by γδ and NK cells, in agreement with their functional cytolytic potential. In vitro studies have shown that GrA may be released extracellularly during cytotoxic cell degranulation, indicating the activation of cytotoxic cells. The aim of our study was to determine plasma GrA activity in burned patients and to verify if decreased GrA levels were associated with poor prognosis. Specific GrA activity was tested in the plasma of burned and healthy subjects by esterase assay. Plasma GrA was significantly decreased in septic rather than in nonseptic burn patients and in healthy subjects (p <0.05 and p <0.001, respectively). At day 3 plasma GrA was significantly lower in nonsurvivor than in survivor septic patients (p <0.05). The value of 91mOD showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 84% in differentiating survivor from nonsurvivor septic patients. Because this is a retrospective study, Granzyme A is not a confirmed predictor of septic outcome after burn, but its determination could give useful information about the development and severity of sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: At present, the hydrogen vehicles technology appears to have future prospective for reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, the development of such a technology requires appropriate infrastructures for production, storage and refuelling stages in a refuelling station. This one presents safety challenges due to the hydrogen chemicophysical characteristics. So, to avoid hazards, it is necessary to implement safety practices that, if early adopted in the development of a fuelling station project, can allow very low impact, safety being incorporated in the project itself. However, a drawback is the not sufficient experience and the scarcity of the relevant data collection. To deepen studies about the risk in the above mentioned field, in this paper, for the moment, safety analyses of a high-pressure storage equipment in hydrogen gas refuelling station have been carried out by the integrated use of FMEA, HAZOP and FTA techniques. The work is intended to assess if the refuelling station design taken into consideration is safe enough, at least from the occurrence frequency point of view, as well to constitute a basis for further more refined studies which also consider the consequences aspects, allowing the plant risk assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Burns are associated with immune suppression and subsequent development of sepsis. Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that serve as a critical link between the innate and acquired immune systems, and are essential in coordinating the host response to pathogens. Using multicolour flow cytometry, the percentages of LIN− DR+ CD11c+ myeloid (mDC) and LIN− DR+ CD123+ plasmacytoid (pDC) subsets were determined in peripheral blood from 32 people (15 septic and 5 non-septic burn victims and 12 age- and gender-matched healthy controls, up to 20 days from injury). Analysis revealed significant reductions in circulating mDCs and pDCs in survivor as well as non-survivor septic cases compared with non-septic cases and controls (p <0.001). These findings suggest that deficiencies in mDCs and pDC subsets are related to sepsis following severe burn, and may contribute to immunosuppression among burn victims. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We evaluated the incidence of and predisposing factors for an incisional hernia after kidney transplantation. Numerous techniques have been used to repair postoperative fascial dehiscences or simple incisional hernias, but no clear treatment exists for giant hernias. Our aim was to obtain (1) a safe procedure to repair a large abdominal defect and reinforce the surrounding, fragile zones and (2) a simple, rapid technique to reduce the operative time. Herein we have described the surgical repair of a giant incisional hernia using intraperitoneal Gore ePTFE dual-mesh plus (Gore-Tex; W. L. Gore, Flagstaff, Ariz, USA) in a 55-year-old man status-post renal transplantation. Total necrosis of distal graft ureter had caused a giant urinoma. The patient was reexplored on day 2 posttransplantation with a primary fascial approximation. Thirty days after transplantation we discovered a large incisional hernia and performed a repair. No drain was used. The patient continued immunosuppressive therapy (cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, prednisolone) and was discharged on postoperative day 4 with no complications. An ultrasonographic follow-up at 1 year revealed the prosthesis to be correctely positioned. Incisional hernia is not rare after renal transplantation but the real incidence is unknown. Immunosuppressive therapy, prolonged pretransplantation dialysis, obesity, and diabetes are probably the major causes of incisional hernias in these patients. Surgical complications of renal transplantation surgery, such as wound hematoma, urinoma, and lymphocele, are the most important predisposing factors for an incisional hernia. The use of intraperitoneal ePTFE dual-mesh is feasible, safe, and easy to repair a large incisional hernia in a kidney transplant patient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are a family of inhibitory and activatory receptors that are expressed by most natural killer (NK) cells. The KIR gene family is polymorphic: genomic diversity is achieved through differences in gene content and allelic polymorphism. The number of KIR loci has been reported to vary among individuals, resulting in different KIR haplotypes. In this study we report the genotypic structure of KIRs in 217 unrelated healthy Italian individuals from 22 immunogenetics laboratories, located in the northern, central and southern regions of Italy. Methods: Two hundred and seventeen DNA samples were studied by a low resolution PCR-SSP kit designed to identify all KIR genes. Results: All 17 KIR genes were observed in the population with different frequencies than other Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations; framework genes KIR3DL3, KIR3DP1, KIR2DL4 and KIR3DL2 were present in all individuals. Sixtyfive different profiles were found in this Italian population study. Haplotype A remains the most prevalent and genotype 1, with a frequency of 28.5%, is the most commonly observed in the Italian population. Conclusion: The Italian Caucasian population shows polymorphism of the KIR gene family like other Caucasian and non-Caucasian populations. Although 64 genotypes have been observed, genotype 1 remains the most frequent as already observed in other populations. Such knowledge of the KIR gene distribution in populations is very useful in the study of associations with diseases and in selection of donors for haploidentical bone marrow transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Background: b The modified Blumgart pancreatojejunostomy (mB-PJ) reduces the incidence of pancreatic fistula (POPF) in open pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), but no information is available for robotic PD. We present a propensity score-matched analysis of mB-PJ vs Cattell-Warren pancreatojejunostomy (CW-PJ) in robotic PD. CR-POPF occurred in no patient after mB-PJ and in 15 patients after CW-P (23.8%) (p=0.10, OR 0.12). [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Hot surfaces rewetting interests several technological fields. A very important application is in nuclear reactors technology, where it governs the cooling of overheated fuel elements during hypothesized loss of coolant accidents (LOCAs). This phenomenon is also important in many normal processes and accidental situations taking place in conventional processes. For example when the integrity of metallic containers, filled by toxic or dangerous substances, is endangered by a hypothetical fire. The rewetting consists in the re-establishment of coolant in contact with metallic surfaces become dried due to high temperature. To this end cold liquid is injected on these surfaces via sprays or other means. The knowledge of the heat transfer phenomenology between the metallic wall and cooling fluid is very important for safe accident management and containment. Recently, about this topic, at the Institute of Energetic Thermal-Fluid Dynamics of ENEA (the Italian National research body for Energy and Ambient, at Casaccia), experimental tests on the cooling of a hot vertical surface have been carried out, by using spraying devices of various configuration, to supply subcooled water at the top. The reference situation was a tank surface subjected to a fire. In the framework of a research collaboration between the Department of Nuclear Engineering (DIN) of the University of Palermo and the above mentioned Institute, a model set up at DIN has been tested as regards its capability to describe the ENEA experimental data. The results of this activity seem quite satisfactory, as we’ll show in the present paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The SDQ is a brief self-report insomnia questionnaire, which permits the rapid evaluation of insomnia based on the DSM-IV and ICSD-R criteria. The SDQ was developed to provide a fast and valid instrument both for the pre-screening of subjects who complain of insomnia and for epidemiological studies based on standardized definitions of this sleep disorder. Two studies were carried out in order to assess the validity of the SDQ as a self-report measure of insomnia. In the first study the convergent validity of the SDQ was assessed with respect to the global score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in a sample of general practitioners’ patients. The second study assessed the sensitivity and the specificity of the SDQ in discriminating between insomniacs or normal sleepers in a sample of college students who were given an extensive sleep evaluation within an insomnia counseling program. The SDQ classifications have a good convergent validity with the global sleep quality scores of the PSQI and its classifications of students who complain of or who do not complain of problems of insomnia have a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 87%. Results indicate that the SDQ is a valid paper and pencil instrument to screen insomnia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many efforts have been made to prevent nickel allergy, the most frequent contact allergy in industrialized countries, by identifying acceptable limits of exposure. Even though coins are not covered by the EU Nickel Directive, some authors suggest that nickel release from coins during handling may elicit contact dermatitis in nickel-allergic people. To evaluate sensitivity to nickel released from coins in nickel-allergic patients and to verify whether nickel release from the new Euro coins may elicit stronger cutaneous reactivity than from old Italian lire coins. Twenty-five nickel-allergic patients were patch tested with 1- and 2-Euro coins, 1-, 2- and 50-Euro cent coins, and 100 and 500 Italian lire coins. Ten healthy nonnickel-allergic control individuals were also tested. Nineteen patients had positive patch tests to 1- and 2-Euro coins. One was also positive to 1- and 2-Euro cent coins, four to 50-Euro cent coins, and 13 to the 500-lire coin. None had a positive patch test to the 100-lire coin. The number and degree of positive patch tests to coins were related to nickel content. Euro coins may be potentially more dangerous than old Italian coins. Coins containing little or no nickel should be chosen for coinage to prevent sensitization and to avoid exacerbation of contact dermatitis in nickel-allergic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Background: b The modified Blumgart pancreatojejunostomy (mB-PJ) reduces the incidence of pancreatic fistula (POPF) in open pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), but no information is available for robotic PD. We present a propensity score-matched analysis of mB-PJ vs Cattell-Warren pancreatojejunostomy (CW-PJ) in robotic PD. CR-POPF occurred in no patient after mB-PJ and in 15 patients after CW-P (23.8%) (p=0.10, OR 0.12). [Extracted from the article]

Dry deposition process is one of the important pathways for the removal of particles from atmosphere. It is the result of a combination of different environmental and physical factors as atmospheric conditions, particle properties, characteristics of the canopy. For this latter factor, urban canopy represents unevenly combinations of different types of surface elements that increases the complexity of deposition process phenomena. Therefore, particle dry deposition on urban surfaces is not easy to configure and, although empirical or semi-empirical models in literature have been developed to address this aspect, there is not standardized and commonly accepted criteria, especially for submicron particles. In this paper, comparisons of different dry deposition models and measurement data by experimental campaigns, covering for different surface roughness conditions, i.e. from four Italian cities and urban environments of other countries, are performed. Giardina et al. (2017b) model, by using a Brownian diffusion resistance as proposed in this paper, seems to capture the main dry deposition processes for the examined contexts. • A pathway to remove pollutants in atmosphere is the dry deposition process. • Modelling of dry deposition phenomena over urban canopies is performed. • Comparisons were performed between deposition velocity models and experiments covering for different surface roughness conditions. • The proposed Brownian diffusion resistance captures the main dry deposition processes for the examined urban canopies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that cutaneous adverse reactions during antiepileptic therapy are rather frequent. The most involved drugs are aromatic anticonvulsant such as carbamazepine, primidone, phenytoin and phenobarbital. These drugs are often responsible for adverse reactions which are grouped in the anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome, which usually develops 2-8 weeks after the beginning of therapy. This syndrome is characterized by rash, fever, lymphoadenopathy and rarely eosinophilia, elevation of liver enzymes and involvement of other organs.

Reports two cases of chronic urticaria, which dramatically improved following the avoidance of latex-crossreacting foods. Investigation to find out a correlation between chronic urticaria of unknown origin and latex allergy; Allergological evaluation.

Reports the case of a 66-year-old man suffering from fluorescein allergy who underwent desensitization successfully. Cause of generation of most adverse reactions to fluorescein angiography; Tests performed on the patient; Evidence provided by the study.