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Toxoplasma gondii is a cosmopolitan zoonotic protozoan parasite, and the consumption of raw or undercooked pig meat is one of the most important sources of T. gondii infection. Three predominant lineages, types I, II, and III, are widespread in Europe. Although still poorly understood, a relationship between each type and the severity of illness represents a public health issue. To gain further knowledge of the genotypes in circulation and of the potential risk for consumers, one heart sample and one diaphragm sample (206 total) were taken from each of 103 pig carcasses at an abattoir in Italy. Then, we used 529-bp repetitive element PCR and a B1 real-time PCR high-resolution melting assay coupled with sequencing to detect and genotype T. gondii isolates. T. gondii DNA was detected in 14 pigs (13.6%, 95% confidence interval = 7 to 20.2%), and types I (3.9%), II (5.8%), and III (3.9%) were identified. We found that heart tissue had a significantly higher PCR positivity rate for T. gondii than did diaphragm tissue. This is Europe's largest study on genotyping of T. gondii from pigs, and it demonstrates that all three main lineages are present in carcasses of industrially reared pigs in Italy. There is a potential risk to consumers of infection with any or all of the three lineages, and the related clinical consequences should be taken into account. This study suggests that monitoring of T. gondii types in meat is essential, especially in meat that is traditionally eaten raw or that is minimally processed.

Ethnopharmacological relevance An investigation of topical anti-inflammatory activity was undertaken on plants used in Central America traditional medicine. Aim of study Four herbal drugs used in the folk medicine of Central America to treat inflammatory skin affections (Acacia cornigera bark, Byrsonima crassifolia bark, Sphagneticola trilobata leaves and Sweetia panamensis bark) were evaluated for their topical anti-inflammatory activity. Materials and methods Petroleum ether, chloroform and methanol extracts were obtained for herbal medicines and then extracts were tested on Croton oil-induced ear dermatitis model in mice. Results Almost all the extracts reduced the Croton oil-induced ear dermatitis in mice and the chloroform ones showed the highest activity, with ID50 (dose giving 50% oedema inhibition) values ranging from 112 μg/cm2 (Byrsonima crassifolia) to 183 μg/cm2 (Sphagneticola trilobata). As reference, ID50 of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin was 93 μg/cm2. Conclusions Lipophilic extracts from these species can be regarded as potential sources of anti-inflammatory principles.

This paper presents an application of the entropy generation minimization method to the pseudo-optimization of the configuration of the heat exchange surfaces in a Solar Rooftile. An initial “standard” commercial configuration is gradually improved by introducing design changes aimed at the reduction of the thermodynamic losses due to heat transfer and fluid friction. Different geometries (pins, fins and others) are analysed with a commercial CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) code that also computes the local entropy generation rate. The design improvement process is carried out on the basis of a careful analysis of the local entropy generation maps and the rationale behind each step of the process is discussed in this perspective. The results are compared with other entropy generation minimization techniques available in the recent technical literature. It is found that the geometry with pin-fins has the best performance among the tested ones, and that the optimal pin array shape parameters (pitch and span) can be determined by a critical analysis of the integrated and local entropy maps and of the temperature contours.

Purpose: Supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors (S-PNET) are rare and have a grim prognosis, frequently taking an aggressive course with local relapse and metastatic spread. We report the results of a mono-institutional therapeutic trial. Methods and Materials: We enrolled 15 consecutive patients to preradiation chemotherapy (CT) consisting of high-dose methotrexate, high-dose etoposide, high-dose cyclophosphamide, and high-dose carboplatin, craniospinal irradiation (CSI) with hyperfractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HART) plus focal boost, maintenance with vincristine/lomustine or consolidation with high-dose thiotepa followed by autologous stem-cell rescue. Results: Median age was 9 years; 7 were male, 8 female. Site of disease was pineal in 3, elsewhere in 12. Six patients were had no evidence of disease after surgery (NED). Of those with evidence of disease after surgery (ED), 2 had central nervous system spread. Of the 9 ED patients, 2 had complete response (CR) and 2 partial response (PR) after CT, 4 stable disease, and 1 progressive disease. Of the 7 ED patients before radiotherapy, 1 had CR, 4 PR, and 2 minor response, thus obtaining a 44% CR + PR after CT and 71% after HART. Because of rapid progression in 2 of the first 5 patients, high-dose thiotepa was systematically adopted after HART in the subsequent 10 patients. Six of 15 patients relapsed (4 locally, 1 locally with dissemination, 1 with dissemination) a mean of 6 months after starting CT, 2 developed second tumors; 5 of 6 relapsers died at a median of 13 months. Three-year progression-free survival, event-free survival, and overall survival were 54%, 34%, and 61%, respectively. Conclusion: Hyperfractionated accelerated RT was the main tool in obtaining responses in S-PNET; introducing the myeloablative phase improved the prognosis (3/10 vs. 3/5 relapses), though the outcome remained unsatisfactory despite the adoption of this intensive treatment.

Purpose A postsurgical "stage-based" protocol for ependymoma was designed. Methods and materials Children were given: ( 1 ) focal hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) if with no evidence of disease (NED), or ( 2 ) 4 courses with VEC followed by HFRT for residual disease (ED). HFRT dose was 70.4 Gy (1.1 Gy/fraction b.i.d.); VEC consisted of VCR 1.5 mg/m 2 1/w, VP16 100 mg/m 2 /day × 3, CTX 3 g/m 2 d 1. When feasible, second-look surgery was recommended. Results Sixty-three consecutive children were enrolled: 46 NED, 17 ED; the tumor was infratentorial in 47 and supratentorial in 16, with spinal metastasis in 1. Of NED patients, 35 of 46 have been treated with HFRT; 8 received conventionally fractionated radiotherapy, and 3 received no treatment. Of the 17 ED patients, 9 received VEC + HFRT; violations due to postsurgical morbidity were as follows: HFRT only (2), conventionally fractionated radiotherapy (3) + VEC (2), and no therapy (1). Objective responses to VEC were seen in 54%; objective responses to RT were seen in 75%. Overall survival and progression-free survival at 5 years for all 63 children were 75% and 56%, respectively; for the NED subgroup, 82% and 65%; and for the ED subgroup, 61% and 35%, respectively. All histologies were centrally reviewed. At multivariate analysis, grading, age, and site proved significant for prognosis. Conclusions HFRT, despite the high total dose adopted, did not change the prognosis of childhood ependymoma as compared to historical series: New radiotherapeutic approaches are needed to improve local control. Future ependymoma strategies should consider grading when stratifying treatment indications.

Background : In chronic hepatitis C the schedule of interferon (IFN), 3 MU thrice weekly (tiw) plus ribavirin (1000–1200 mg/daily) needs further evaluation, as IFN dosages >3 MU achieve better responses. Aims : To compare the efficacy of 5 MU tiw of IFN with (96 patients) or without ribavirin (96 patients) for 12 months in naive patients, to evaluate the effect of baseline features on the response to therapy, and to determine a reliable point in time during treatment to predict non-response. Results : Sustained virologic response was 20.8% (95% CI 13–29) with IFN monotherapy and 54.2% (95% CI 44–64) with combination ( P =0.0001), the relapse rate 39.4% (95% CI 23–56) and 9% (95% CI 1-16) ( P =0.0007), and the combined rate of sustained biochemical and virologic response 22.7% (95% CI 14–31) and 60.5% (95% CI 50–71) ( P =0.0001), respectively. Patients given combination therapy were more likely to respond regardless of baseline features. Apart from genotype non-1, predictive factors for IFN monotherapy were ineffective in predicting response to combination therapy. Using logistic regression analysis, IFN-ribavirin was the strongest predictor of response ( χ 2 =21.3; P =0.0001). Viral persistence at month 3 of therapy was a more accurate predictor than aminotransferase values for non-response to IFN monotherapy but not to combination therapy (positive predictive values of 98 and 82%, respectively). Conclusion : In this study, 5 MU of IFN combined with a standard dose of ribavirin has yielded the highest rate of sustained response reported to date. Further dose finding studies are warranted.

A seroepidemiologic survey was conducted in all provinces of the Syrian Arab Republic to determine prevalence of antibodies against Border Disease (BD) virus in Awassi sheep flocks. About 45% of the animals were positive (IIF method). Northwest provinces showed highest percentage of seropositive animals (up to 94%), while BD was almost absent in the southern provinces. Distribution of anti-BD antibodies appeared to be related to two aspects of flock management, distance of transhumance and the use and quality of pens. The higher prevalence in long distance transhumant flocks is possibly related to the higher risk of contacts with persistently infected and virus excreting animals. Similarly, stress due to sheltering in poorly ventilated and humid folds may facilitate occurrence of the infection. Sheep from the wettest regions, with more than 600 mm of rainfall per year (IA zone), showed a higher prevalence to BD, when compared to those from dry areas. This may be related to the rapid inactivation of the virus by desiccation. Occurrence of BD infection was related to a mortality rate up to 20% of lambs.

Since 1924, when ependymomas were first classified as a distinctive glial neoplasm by Bailey, much has been published concerning these tumors, but there are important points of interest that are still not clear. In order to study more fully the clinical and pathologic characteristics of the ependymoma, we identified 62 patients with histologically proven neoplasms. Twenty-two were supratentorial, 21 were infratentorial, and 19 were intramedullary spinal cord tumors. These groups had mean ages of 17, 7, and 41 years, respectively, at the time of first symptoms. The presenting and accompanying symptoms were related to location and included headaches, nausea, visual changes, hemiparesis, and neck, back, and radicular pain. Neurological signs included papilledema, nystagmus, gait disturbance, cranial nerve palsies, altered mental status, paraparesis, and sensory dysfunction. Radiologic modalities of particular importance included computed tomography and myelography. Surgery and radiation therapy were the primary treatment modalities with median survival times from first symptoms being 92, 36, and 117 months for the above groups, respectively. Based on computer-generated survival curves, several characteristics significantly affected survival. These included tumor site, age, and neuraxis metastases. In patients with supratentorial tumors, cranial nerve palsies, microcystic changes, and mitotic figures were important, while in patients with infratentorial tumors, widened sutures, increased head circumference, age, epithelial features, and subependymal features significantly affected survival. Patients who had complete gross resection of a spinal cord tumor had no recurrences or mortality.

Central neurocytomas (CNs) are rare intraventricular tumors that are well demarcated and display neuronal differentiation. This tumor type is most frequently diagnosed in young adults and is typically located at the septum pellucidum and fornix, and presents with intracranial hypertension due to obstructive hydrocephalus. Extraventricular neurocytomas (EVNs) are rare neuronal tumors with biological and histopathological characteristics similar to CNs, but which arise from the extraventricular parenchymal tissue (Giangaspero et al., 1997) Giangaspero et al. (1997) [4] . Extraventricular neurocytomas are included in the definition of neoplasms in the 2007 World Health Organization classification of tumors of the central nervous system [6]. These atypical locations are mostly in the cerebral hemispheres that are commonly identified in the frontal and parietal lobes. However, there have been some reports of EVNs located in the thalamus, cerebellum, pineal region, and even in the spinal cord (McCutchen et al., 1999; Stephan et al., 1999; Tortori-Donati et al. 1999) McCutchen et al. (1999), Stephan et al. (1999), Tortori-Donati et al. (1999) [7] , [13] , [14] . In this manuscript, we report an extremely rare case of an EVN arising from the splenium of the corpus callosum, and review the relevant literature and management of such lesions.