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Currently, detection of Apple stem pitting virus (ASPV; genus Foveavirus) in apple trees for certification purposes occurs by woody indexing. This method requires a minimum of 12 to 24 weeks in greenhouse testing to up to 2 years in field testing. In this paper, the development of a single tube AmpliDet RNA system for the rapid gel-free detection of ASPV in apple tree tissues is described. The system relies on the specific amplification of the viral RNA by nucleic acid sequence-based amplification and the simultaneous fluorescent detection of the amplification product through molecular beacons. A sensitivity of a minimum of 100 molecules of transcript RNA was obtained by the ASPV-specific AmpliDet RNA. All biologically characterized ASPV isolates from a field trial and 12 of 14 isolates from a plant virus collection were readily detected with this AmpliDet RNA system. In addition, the efficiency of this method for detecting ASPV in ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Gravenstein’ apple trees was compared throughout the year with mechanical inoculation onto Nicotiana occidentalis 37B, a candidate indicator for ASPV. This revealed that only AmpliDet RNA consistently detected the virus in bark tissue, irrespective of the season. Season-specific tissues such as buds, petals, and fruits, but not leaves, also were reliable sources for detection of ASPV by the AmpliDet RNA system.

We investigated the superficial microtopography of the normal skin of 11 volunteers (not exposed to sunlight during the last 4 months), before and after sun exposure for 5 days at high altitudes of 2900-4559 m. The experiments were carried out on Mount Rosa in Italy, and cutaneous replicas using silicone resin were taken every day after 7 h of sun exposure. Casts were taken from the forehead, glabella, dorsum nasi, radial side (protected with a cream SPF 9.72) and ulnar side of the back of the hands, the only areas not protected. A total of 422 replicas were metallized with gold-palladium and observed under Zeiss 940A scanning electron microscope. The images were elaborated and analysed on computer with appropriate software supplying geometrical features of cutaneous surface using parameters proposed by Takahashi (1994). A Student's test for paired series was used to analyse the differences before and after 1-5 days of exposure giving uniform and significant data compared with controls. Using cutaneous replicas we demonstrated that repeated exposure of skin to sunlight in a short time elicits temporary defence mechanisms with increased obstruction of cutaneous pores, deepening of primary cutaneous furrows and shallowing of part of the secondary furrows; the two latter alterations are the consequence of reactive oedema.

observed (Fig. 3). The presented case shows theimportance of team work and selection of the optimalirradiation technique in determining diagnosis, tumorstaging, and treatment of the patient. After histologi-cal classification, high-grade primary breast lympho-mas should be treated with combinationchemotherapy with or without radiation similar tosystemic lymphomas of a similar histological type.Reports on breast lymphoma treatment include fewor no details about the target volume and applied irra-diation technique and usually mention only the totalradiation dose. The delivery of radiotherapy was a sig-nificant predictor of improved overall survival in ourcase.

Acute effects of aflatoxins (AF), and in particular hormonal actions, have not been examined as much as chronic toxicity. Thus, we studied the effects of specific AF on prolactin (PRL) secretion by rat pituitary cells in culture. AFB1 and AFQ1 (1 x 10(-4) M) reduced the stimulating effect of dimethyl sulfoxide on PRL secretion by cultured rat pituitary cells. The mechanism responsible for this action is still unknown, but it did not seem to be a non specific toxic effect, because AFB1, at the same concentration, did not significantly alter cell viability, as indicated by the Trypan blue dye-exclusion test.

Trattasi di osservazioni critiche e riepilogative concernenti il Piano di azione per la semplificazione e la qualità della regolazione normativa predisposto dal Governo italiano nel 2006-2007.

Strawberry mottle virus was transmitted from Fragaria vesca to Chenopodium quinoa and Nicotiana occidentalis 37B. In all plants, SMoV infection-associated dsRNA was detected but dsRNA patterns showed some differences between the herbaceous hosts. The differences were more evident when the dsRNA preparations were electrophoresed employing a SDS-PAGE method followed by silver staining of polyacrylamide gels than when employing traditional agarose gel electrophoresis and EtBr staining. Double-stranded RNA, purified from N. occidentalis 37B, was used to synthesize cDNA and for the development a cDNA library in Escherichia coli. Recombinant plasmids were analyzed by restriction enzyme digestion, and specific cDNA clones were selected by means of a 32P-labelled probe prepared from SMoV dsRNA. After a miniprep step, the plasmids were digested and the length of the inserts was determined to be between 200 and 2000 bp. The largest inserts were selected and used for further research. Hybridization experiments confirmed the specificity of the cloned material for SMoV dsRNA.

This study investigated the acute effect of a low-volume static and dynamic stretching on maximal isometric peak force (MIPF), time to maximal isometric force (TMIF), rate of force production (RFP) and average amplitude of the surface EMG (AvgEMG) of the main agonist muscles acting on the bench press maximum isometric force exercise. Thirty subjects were randomly divided into three groups: static stretch (SG: 22.8 ± 5.6 years, 176.6 ± 3.5 cm, 74.4 ± 5.9 kg), dynamic stretch (DG: 21.4 ± 3.9 years, 178.4 ± 7.2 cm, 71.7 ± 8.2 kg) and control group (CG: 20.4 ± 3.6 years, 179.8 ± 5.8 cm, 74.4 ± 9.8 kg). SG performed two 30-s repetitions and DG performed 10 repetitions of each of the two different exercises for the pectoralis major and triceps brachii. The MIPF, TMIF, RFP and AvgEMG of the pectoralis major (sternocostal part) and triceps brachii (long and lateral head) were measured before and immediately after the stretching protocols. A significant decrease in the MIPF from pre- to post-stretching was observed in both SG (p

Background:To compare different ultrasound-based international ovarian tumour analysis (IOTA) strategies and risk of malignancy index (RMI) for ovarian cancer diagnosis using a meta-analysis approach of centre-specific data from IOTA3.Methods:This prospective multicentre diagnostic accuracy study included 2403 patients with 1423 benign and 980 malignant adnexal masses from 2009 until 2012. All patients underwent standardised transvaginal ultrasonography. Test performance of RMI, subjective assessment (SA) of ultrasound findings, two IOTA risk models (LR1 and LR2), and strategies involving combinations of IOTA simple rules (SRs), simple descriptors (SDs) and LR2 with and without SA was estimated using a meta-analysis approach. Reference standard was histology after surgery.Results:The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves of LR1, LR2, SA and RMI were 0.930 (0.917-0.942), 0.918 (0.905-0.930), 0.914 (0.886-0.936) and 0.875 (0.853-0.894). Diagnostic one-step and two-step strategies using LR1, LR2, SR and SD achieved summary estimates for sensitivity 90-96%, specificity 74-79% and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) 32.8-50.5. Adding SA when IOTA methods yielded equivocal results improved performance (DOR 57.6-75.7). Risk of Malignancy Index had sensitivity 67%, specificity 91% and DOR 17.5.Conclusions:This study shows all IOTA strategies had excellent diagnostic performance in comparison with RMI. The IOTA strategy chosen may be determined by clinical preference.British Journal of Cancer advance online publication 17 June 2014; doi:10.1038/bjc.2014.333 www.bjcancer.com.

Copyright (c) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. As part of the environmental recovery plan for the Mar Piccolo (Ionian Sea), a basin suffering especially from urban pollution, a study was planned on the modifications induced by the human activities to distinguish them from those due to the alternation of the seasons and the exchanges with the neighbouring basin of Mar Grande. The present paper deals with the chemical-physical characteristics of sea water and its particulate matter content is investigated as a part of this study. The physical, chemical and biological variables (stochastic variables for the model) are: chlorophyll a, proteins, carbohydrates, organic matter, dry weight, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, ultraviolet absorbance, phosphate, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, silicate, photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) and energy. These variables have been sampled at 15 different stations during one year of monthly sampling. A preliminary analysis was carried out on the variables for detecting possible interactions among all the investigated parameters. To this purpose, and for all the variables, an original computer program for non-parametric statistical-evaluation and data-correlation was used to find correlation-guided hierarchy of variables. The relations among: Prot and Chl-a, Carb and Chl-a and OM and DW have been studied. The slopes of linear regression of (Prot, Chl-a) and (Carb, Chl-a) allowed us to detect different relations at different space-time areas. A nonlinear relation between OM and DW has been found as well. This treatment is a first approach to the construction of a mathematical model of the basin. Different areas, for sea water characteristics, were observed to occur in the basin, despite its small extension. This may be due to the reduced water exchanges and the different residential development along the coast. Innermost areas, less involved in the water mass circulation, were more affected by eutrophication. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

Palivizumab (Synagis, Abbott) is a humanized monoclonal antibody of IgG class currently used for prophylaxis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. It neutralises the protein F of RSV, which allows the virus to penetrate inside the host cell and subsequently to form syncytia, causing clinical manifestations. Based on that, our aim was to assess if an early administration of palivizumab during RSV infection could positively modify the infection course, hence providing a therapeutic effect.The study included eight infants hospitalized with a case history suggestive of severe RSV which made the use of oxygen therapy and, in five cases, mechanical ventilation necessary. The diagnosis was confirmed by the isolation of the virus in the nasopharyngeal aspirate; for all of them informed consent was obtained by the parents. All infants were treated with palivizumab (15 mg/kg i.m. in a single dose).All infants showed a significant clinical improvement and a fast recovery, with a consequent precocious dismissal. After 7 days, 6 infants had a negative nasopharyngeal aspirate. Palivizumab administration at the onset of RSV infection seems to work as a therapy.The limited number of the patients does not allow to formulate definitive conclusions but the present study suggests the usefulness of verifying these positive results through randomised controlled studies.

The phosphorylated form of thiamine (Vitamin B1), thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) is essential for the metabolism of amino acids and carbohydrates in all organisms. Plants and microorganisms, such as yeast, synthesize thiamine de novo whereas animals do not. The thiamine signal transduction (THI) pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is well characterized. The ~10 genes required for thiamine biosynthesis and uptake are transcriptionally upregulated during thiamine starvation by THI2, THI3, and PDC2. Candida glabrata, a human commensal and opportunistic pathogen, is closely related to S. cerevisiae but is missing half of the biosynthetic pathway, which limits its ability to make thiamine. We investigated the changes to the THI pathway in C. glabrata, confirming orthologous functions. We found that C. glabrata is unable to synthesize the pyrimidine subunit of thiamine as well as the thiamine precursor vitamin B6. In addition, THI2 (the gene encoding a transcription factor) is not present in C. glabrata, indicating a difference in the transcriptional regulation of the pathway. Although the pathway is upregulated by thiamine starvation in both species, C. glabrata appears to upregulate genes involved in thiamine uptake to a greater extent than S. cerevisiae. However, the altered regulation of the THI pathway does not alter the concentration of thiamine and its vitamers in the two species as measured by HPLC. Finally, we demonstrate potential consequences to having a partial decay of the THI biosynthetic and regulatory pathway. When the two species are co-cultured, the presence of thiamine allows C. glabrata to rapidly outcompete S. cerevisiae, while absence of thiamine allows S. cerevisiae to outcompete C. glabrata. This simplification of the THI pathway in C. glabrata suggests its environment provides thiamine and/or its precursors to cells, whereas S. cerevisiae is not as reliant on environmental sources of thiamine.

Until now, literature data support the fact that the CHOP regimen represents the standard first line treatment for patients with advanced intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Recently, idarubicin has been introduced in clinical trials because of its favourable preclinical profile: it is more active than daunorubicin and doxorubicin against a number of experimental tumour systems and is significantly less cardiotoxic in animal models. From March 1991 to June 1993, 115 previously untreated patients with stage II to IV intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, according to the Kiel classification, were enrolled in a phase III comparative trial. The objectives of the study were to compare the efficacy and safety of using idarubicin instead of doxorubicin in the polychemotherapeutic regimen CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and dexamethasone). Of the 115 patients registered for the trial, 103 were evaluable: 52 received CH (doxorubicin)OP and 51 received CI(Idarubicin)OP. Known prognostic factors were equally distributed among the two groups. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in the rates of partial and complete response. The overall response rate was 87%, with complete response in 62%: 63% in the CHOP group, and 59% in the CIOP group. At 30 months (median 20 months), 86% of all CR patients were alive without disease in the CHOP group and 85% in the CIOP group. Patients treated with CHOP experienced severe alopecia more frequently (P = .004). Only three patients in the CIOP group showed cardiac adverse events (1 moderate and 2 mild), while in the CHOP group 4 mild, 2 moderate and 1 severe were recorded. LVEF monitoring was carried out in 31 patients of the CHOP group and in 27 of the CIOP group. A median drop of 8.3% of the LVEF was observed in patients treated with CHOP regimen as compared to 4.8% in patients with CIOP regimen (P = .0001). In this trial, the "idarubicin arm" (CIOP regimen) was found to have an equivalent therapeutic efficacy and, slightly, reduced clinical toxicity in comparison to the standard doxorubicin-containing CHOP regimen in patients with intermediate-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

—Data were collected during three orbital flights aboard the Russian MIR space station from eight cosmonauts tested on a bilateral symmetry detection task. It is known that on earth subjects' performance is significantly superior for a vertical or horizontal than for an obliquely oriented axis of symmetry, giving a so-called oblique effect. The present results show that this oblique effect did not disappear in microgravity. They confirm that the detection of visual symmetry is not tied to a gravitational reference frame. An unexpected result of the experiments was that practice reduced the reaction time for detection of asymmetrical patterns below that for symmetrical patterns. This result suggests the presence of two separate detection processes. The detection of symmetry, being useful for the efficient encoding of visual information, is well developed in naive subjects. Extensive practice on a symmetry-detection task, however, increases the efficacy of the asymmetry-detection process.

— Between November ‘90 and August ‘94, 55 patients underwent modified Indiana Pouch. Our modifications include the isolation of 20 cm of right colon, the creation of a 15 cm long ileal patch, taeniotomies of partial detubularized cecum, Le Duc ureterocolic anastomosis and umbilical stomal positioning. An orthotopic reservoir was constructed in 2 young exstrophic patients. The ileal limb was anastomosed to the introitus vaginalis in a female and by an original, staged operation to the epispadic urethral plate in a male. The continence rate was 91%. The mean pouch capacity was 500 ± 40 cc, the filling pressure was 10 ± 2 cm H2O and the ileocecal valve resistance was 85 ± 6 cm H2O. 12 late complications were reported (4 stomal stenoses, 3 parastomal hernias, 1 severe ureteral stenosis, 2 high pressure pouches, 2 decompensated reservoirs). No ureteral reflux renal function decrease, metabolic acidosis or vitamin B12 reduction was observed. We conclude that modified Indiana Pouch is a reliable, reproducible, easy-to-perform technique with an acceptable complication rate. On the other hand it has to be reserved for compliant patients.

Intact rhabdovirus particles of strawberry crinkle virus (SCV) mechanically transmitted from Fragaria vesca UC-S to Physalis pubescens plants were purified. When these particles were used as an immunogen, it was not possible to obtain either a virus-specific polyclonal antiserum after rabbit immunization or monoclonal antibodies. Each of the major nucleocapsid proteins (N, Ns and M) were therefore purified by means of preparative electrophoresis and injected into mice. The polyclonal mouse antisera raised showed a specific reaction with SCV-infected P. pubescens sag. Work is in progress to obtain specific monoclonal antibodies. It is also possible to isolate one ssRNA of about 13 kb from purified particles of SCV. Relatively abundant dsRNA could be extracted from Nicotiana occidentalis 37B plants infected with strawberry mottle virus (SMoV). This dsRNA was composed of two bands of about 7.8 and 6.3 kbp which were DNase resistant. They became RNAse resistant in the presence of NaCI above 0.5 M. Work is in progress to make a cDNA library from purified dsRNA of SMoV. The need of replacing the leaf-graft indexing of strawberry for the major aphid-borne viruses in relation to the potential offered by the current knowledge on these viruses is discussed.

A not yet identified virus (SMoV) associated with the strawberry mottle syndrome was mechanically transmitted from infected Fragaria vesca UC-5 to Chenopodium quinoa and from C. quinoa to Nicotiana benthamiana, N. occidentalis 37B and N. hesperis 67A. C. quinoa, N. benthamiana, and N. occidentalis 37B developed systemic mosaic symptoms, whereas N. hesperis 67A produced local lesions. In crude extracts of these plants, isometric particles 28 nm in diameter were observed, sometimes in arrays within tubules. However, the presence of these particles was always erratic. Purification of the intact isometric virus particles from C. quinoa or N. occidentalis 37B when leaves were maximally symptomatic was unsuccessful. The infectious agent appeared to be unstable in vitro, could not be separated from the plant material and inconsistent results were obtained no matter the purification strategy followed. N. hesperis 67A has been used as a locallesion host to evaluate the increase of infectivity in N. occidentalis 37B. Maximal infectivity was reached a few days after the onset of the systemic symptoms. Purifications from this plant material gave inconsistent results also. While virus particles in these crude extracts were seldom present, dsRNA-like material was readily revealed by agarose-gel electrophoresis. Infectivity associated with extracts of SMoV-infected leaves of C. quinoa and N. occidentalis 37B was susceptible to low concentrations of RNase. Phenol extracts of infected leaves yielded greater infectivity than buffer extracts of comparable tissue. Infectivity seemed to be associated whith ssRNA.

An algorithm for the determination of the radiation pattern of a radiating source from phaseless measurements over two planes is developed in detail. A rather extensive assessment of its performances with respect to positioning errors and noise uncertainties is included. Moreover, comparisons with experimental data for a low sidelobe antenna demonstrate the wide applicability of the proposed technique, which is now mature for use both at frequencies where phase information cannot be reliably detected and at lower frequencies. The full exploitation of this new concept in near field techniques will allow a drastic reduction of the cost of the whole facility, since many specification parameters can be relaxed without affecting the precision of the measurement set-up.

The aetiopathogenic mechanisms of vitiligo are still poorly understood, and this has held back progress in diagnosis and treatment. Up until now, treatment guidelines have existed at national levels, but no common European viewpoint has emerged. This guideline for the treatment of segmental and nonsegmental vitiligo has been developed by the members of the Vitiligo European Task Force and other colleagues. It summarizes evidence-based and expert-based recommendations (S1 level).

Patients who relapse after an autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT) have a very poor prognosis. We have retrospectively analyzed diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients who underwent an allo-SCT after an auto-SCT relapse reported in the Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo (GITMO) database. From 1995 to 2008, 3449 autologous transplants were reported in the GITMO database. Eight hundred eighty-four patients relapsed or progressed after transplant; 165 patients, 19% of the relapsed patients, were treated with allo-transplant. The stem cell donor was related to the patient in 108 cases. A reduced intensity conditioning regimen was used in 116. After allo-SCT, 72 patients (43%) obtained a complete response and 9 obtained a partial response with an overall response rate of 49%; 84 patients (51%) experienced rapid progression of disease. Ninety-one patients died, 45 due to disease and 46 due to treatment-related mortality. Acute graft-versus-host disease was recorded in 57 patients and a chronic GvHD in 38 patients. With a median follow-up of 24 months (2-144) after allo, overall survival (OS) was 39%, and after a median of 21 months (2-138) after allo, progression-free survival (PFS) was 32%. Multivariate analysis indicated that the only factors affecting OS were status at allo-SCT, and those affecting PFS were status at allo-SCT and stem cell donor. This retrospective analysis shows that about one-fifth of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma who experience relapse after autologous transplantation may be treated with allogeneic transplantation. Moreover, the only parameter affecting either OS or PFS was the response status at the time of allo-SCT.

We deal with the validation of hypersonic flow simulation in the presence of strong shock-wave/ boundary-layer interaction phenomena. In particular, we have discussed the meaning of validation from a numerical and experimental point of view and have shown the consistency requirements that must always be satisfied when performing a numerical simulation. The equations solved are the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with an algebraic turbulence model. The method employs a Runge-Kutta finite-volume formulation with symmetric discretization of both inviscid and viscous fluxes. The technique has been applied to analyze shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions and their effects on heating rates, peak heating location, and separation extent

In this series of two papers, we consider in its maximum generality the problem of determining radiated electromagnetic fields starting from phaseless distributions on one or more surfaces surrounding the source. In this first part, theoretical aspects of the problem and the basic point of an appropriate formulation are examined. The problem is conveniently tackled as the inversion of the nonlinear, in particular 'quadratic', operator mapping the set of radiated fields into square amplitude distributions over prescribed surfaces. Next, the compactness property of the set of the unknown field is exploited, leading to an introduction of the finite dimensional representations for it and the concept of its "essential dimension". Furthermore, for the square amplitude data distributions finite dimensional representations are introduced and their "essential dimension" considered, also for more than one observation domain. Finally, due to the ill-posed nature of the problem, a generalized solution is defined as t...

In this series of two papers we consider in its maximum generality the problem of determining electromagnetic fields starting from phaseless distributions on one or more surfaces. In this second part, novel uniqueness conditions for the solution of the problem, requiring in principle a single scanning surface, are introduced. Then, all questions related to the attainment of the generalized solution are discussed. The geometrical properties of the functional set corresponding to the range of the quadratic operator relating the unknowns to the data are examined. It is shown how to avoid both contingent local minima problems and ill-conditioning questions. The crucial role of the dimension of the data representation space is emphasized. The main benefits of the proposed approach are in the numerical search for the solution, that is the exact, closed form line search step in the minimization procedure and the introduction of a proper metric change in the functional, are stressed. A critical review of the resu...

Severe dry skin is very often associated with chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis vulgaris and can be treated with emollients and moisturizers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of a new cream containing glycerol, vaseline, and liquid paraffin versus an ointment containing vaseline in patients with severe dry skin and undergoing narrow band UVB phototherapy for moderate psoriasis vulgaris.54 patients were included in this study (age range, 18-63 years): 26 were randomized to receive treatment with the skin protection cream twice a day; 28 received treatment with a vaseline ointment twice a day. Clinical parameters (erythema, desquamation, and lichenification) were assessed at 3 time points (baseline, after two weeks of treatment, and at the end of the four-week study period). Treatment efficacy and tolerability were assessed by comparing changes in skin hydration as measured by corneometry.At the final assessment, greater improvement in clinical parameters and self-reported questionnaire responses was observed in the cream-treated than in the vaseline-treated group. Improved skin hydration was noted in the cream-treated group already after one week into therapy and the product was well tolerated.The new formulation cream was found to be effective in reducing eythema, flaking and lichenification and to improve skin hydration in patients undergoing narrow band UVB phototherapy for psoriasis vulgaris.

This is an observational multicentre prospective study into the complications and effectiveness of TVT SECUR™. One hundred forty-seven patients with urodynamic or occult Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) were enrolled. Outcome measures at 6, 12 and 24 months were: objective cough test; subjective responses to PGI-S questionnaire and Visual Analogue Score. Statistical analysis: Wilcoxon Test; Monte Carlo Exact Test. Ninety-five urodynamic SUI and 41 occult SUI patients were treated using transobturator (H-position) or retropubic (U-position) approach (110 vs. 26 patients). Cure rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 87.5%, 88.6% and 89.5%. Failure rates at all follow-ups were similar for urodynamic and occult SUI. The U-position failure rate was comparable to H-position at short-term but significantly higher at mid-term. Familiarity with the technique brought significantly higher success rates. TVT SECUR™ is safe, effective and versatile, but has an appreciable learning curve.

Objectives To describe the clinical history and ultrasound findings in patients with ovarian dysgerminoma. Methods This was a retrospective study of patients with a histological diagnosis of ovarian dysgerminoma who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination. The patients were identified from the databases of 11 ultrasound centers. The tumors were described by the principal investigator at each contributing center on the basis of ultrasound images, ultrasound reports and research protocols (when applicable) using the terms and definitions of the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) group. In addition, three authors reviewed all available electronic ultrasound images (gray-scale images and color/power Doppler images were available for 18 patients and 14 patients, respectively) and described them using subjective evaluation of gray-scale and color Doppler ultrasound findings (here called pattern recognition). Results Twenty-one patients with ovarian dysgerminoma were identified (including one woman with bilateral masses). Twenty patients had a primary ovarian dysgerminoma (including the one with bilateral masses) and one patient had a recurrence of dysgerminoma in her retained ovary. One of the 21 patients was pregnant. All tumors except one were pure dysgerminomas, one being a mixed germinal cell tumor with 30% dysgerminoma component. Median age was 20 (range, 16-31) years. Information on clinical symptoms was available for 18 patients. In four patients, the tumor was detected incidentally, whereas 14 patients presented with one or more of the following symptoms: acute pain (n = 4), chronic pain (n = 8), bloating (n = 8), menstrual disorders (n = 5) and infertility problems (n = 1). One (5%) patient had ascites. Using the IOTA terms and definitions, all but one dysgerminoma were moderately (43%) or very well (50%) vascularized solid tumors. One tumor was multilocular-solid. According to pattern recognition, most dysgerminomas were highly vascularized, purely solid tumors with heterogeneous internal echogenicity divided into several lobules, had a smooth and sometimes lobulated contour and were well-defined relative to the surrounding organs. Conclusion The ultrasound finding of a highly vascularized, large, solid, lobulated adnexal mass with irregular internal echogenicity in a woman 20-30 years old should raise the suspicion of ovarian dysgerminoma. Copyright (C) 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Less)

Objective Saline infusion sonohysterography has been reported to suppress the color signal within the endometrium at color or power Doppler evaluation. The aim of this study was to evaluate if gel-instillation sonography (GIS) affects the power Doppler signal in patients with endometrial polyps. Methods Ultrasound volumes of the uterus, obtained by three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of 25 women with histologically confirmed endometrial polyps, were assessed offline by six gynecologists with a special interest in gynecological ultrasound. Each woman contributed four volumes: one gray-scale volume and one power Doppler volume before GIS, and one gray-scale volume and one power Doppler volume at GIS. Power Doppler features before and after gel infusion were compared. Results At unenhanced ultrasound a pedicle artery was seen in 27-46% of cases, whereas, after gel infusion the examiners reported a pedicle artery in 30-46% of cases (Exact McNemar's test P-values ranged from 0.50 to 1.00). The level of agreement between unenhanced ultrasound and GIS ranged from 59 to 91% (Cohen's kappa values ranged from 0.17 to 0.79). There was no tendency for a pedicle artery to be identified less often at GIS than before gel instillation. Conclusion Gel infusion does not affect the power Doppler signal in patients with endometrial polyps. Copyright. (C) 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (Less)

Over the last few years, several new agents have been under evaluation in preclinical studies and clinical trials, showing promise in treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Among these agents, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) such as rituximab and alemtuzumab have changed the natural course of the disease. Nowadays there are several new promising monoclonal antibodies under investigation against the CD20, CD23, CD37 and CD40 molecules. Application of newer monoclonal antibodies represents an area of ongoing clinical research in CLL.

The effects of ozone on the susceptibility of leaves ofPhaseolus vulgaris toSclerotinia sclerotiorum andBotrytis cinerea have been investigated. Seedlings of one ozone-sensitive (‘Pros’) and five relatively ozone-insensitive cultivars (‘Gamin’, ‘Precores’, ‘Groffy’, ‘Narda’, ‘Berna’) were exposed to different ozone concentrations (0, 120, 180 and 270 μg m−3) for 8 h. One day after the exposures, primary leaves were detached and immediately inoculated with spores of either pathogen suspended in water or in a 62.5 mM KH2PO4 (Pi) solution. Visible ozone injury differed between the cultivars and increased with increasing ozone concentration. On the leaves of non-exposed plants, spores of the pathogens suspended in water caused very few lesions, whereas fungal pathogenicity was stimulated by addition of Pi to the inoculum. Ozone-injured leaves of all cultivars exhibited lesions after inoculation of the leaves with the pathogens suspended in water, and the number of lesions was positively correlated with the level of ozone injury for either pathogen and cultivar. The increase in susceptibility of bean leaves in response to increasing ozone concentrations was greater forB. cinerea than forS. sclerotiorum when spores were suspended in water, but was similar when the spores were suspended in Pi.

We have analyzed the results of a multicenter study on peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) performed on 55 patients suffering from various neoplastic diseases. After myeloablative therapy, they received a mediam of 6.8x108/kg MNC and 11.4x104/kg CFU-GM harvested by a median of 9 apheresis after mobilization with chemotherapy alone. As of date, 34 of the 55 patients are alive and 28 of them are in continuous complete remission after a follow-up of 30 months. The probability of survival was related to the disease status at transplant, CR/PR vs. PD (p= 0.0001) and the bone marrow involvement, BM-vs. BM+ (P=0.009). Furthermore, a comparative study on speed of engraftment and clinical management was conducted on the 55 PBSCT patients as well as on 41 autoBMT and 52 alloBMT patients. Days to reach WBC> 1.0x109/L, PMN> 0.5x109/L and PLT> 50x109/L was 12/14/33 for PBSCT, 17/20/23 for ABMT and 15/16.5/18 for BMT, respectively. Days with fever >38° C, systemic antibiotic therapy and length of hospitalization was 3/12/36 for PBSCT, 5/18.5/42 for ABMT and 9/25/46 for BMT respectively.

Benign peripheral nerve sheath tumours, including neurofibroma, may occasionally contain a heterologous mature fatty component. Additional lipoblast-like cells can be occasionally identified among mature adipocytes. We report the first case of a plexiform neurofibroma from a NF1 patient containing exclusively lipoblast-like cells exhibiting morphological and immunohistochemical features identical to univaculoted lipoblasts typically seen in myxoid liposarcoma. Awareness of the possibility that an otherwise typical neurofibroma may contain lipoblast-like cells is crucial for the pathologist to avoid a misdiagnosis of malignancy. Differential diagnostic problems and histogenetic considerations are provided.

We report a case of left sided supernumerary clavicle in a male child, 3 years old with impossibility to the flexion and extension of the neck and lateralization since birth, in the 3D CAT SCAN we could appreciate the presence of bone tissue with italic S shape that was articulated with the jaw and the left sternun clavicle region. Previous evaluation from the rehabilitation service the patient underwent the removal of the lesion. The pathology study confirmed that this piece was osseous tissue with distal joints surfaces and central bone marrow.

One of the main problems with the use of topical anti-acne agents during the summer season is the risk of inducing photosensitization and contact photoallergy. The aim of this study was to evaluate cutaneous tolerance to Kouriles Acne during sun exposure.The study population was 29 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne. The study product was applied to areas of the back which were then irradiated with a solar simulator.The solar simulator produces imitation sunlight with a continuous emission spectrum approximating fairly closely that of terrestrial sunlight.No changes in the study variables were observed in the skin areas treated with Kouriles Acne, demonstrating the complete absence of photosensitization reactions after use of the study product.

Palaeoclimatic reconstruction in N. Greece has been investigated in this study, using stable isotope analyses and U/Th dating of a speleothem (stalactite) from the cave of Agios Georgios (Kilkis). Sampling sequence was followed in detail in order to obtain high resolution analysis of the proxy. Speleothem δ18O entirely depends on two factors: changes in the δ18O of the percolation waters (a proxy for local rainfall δ18O) and the temperature of water-calcite fractionation inside the cave (a proxy for outside air temperatures). During periods of relatively stable temperatures, δ13C shifts are caused principally by variations in soil CO2 input and physico-chemical processes inside the cave. More important processes affect the δ13C signal of speleothem inside the cave are length of flow path and rates of CO2 degassing.The lower δ13C calcite values indicate greater respiratory activity of soils under wetter conditions. The stalagmite layers were dated through U/Th geochronological method, which places the carbonate precipitation in Middle Pleistocene (630-300ka BP). The isotopic composition of the layers was used in combination with the dating results to reconstruct the evolution of the area of Kilkis. Correlation with global climatic records shows that major climatic transitions that influenced northern hemisphere seem to have also affected the region of N. Greece.

Objective To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the 'ovarian crescent sign' (OCS) - a rim of normal ovarian tissue seen adjacent to an ipsilateral adnexal mass as a sonographic feature to discriminate between benign and malignant adnexal masses. Methods The patients included were a subgroup of patients participating in the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) Phase 2 study, which is an international multicenter study. The subgroup comprised 1938 patients, with an adnexal mass, recruited from 19 ultrasound centers in different countries. All patients were scanned using the same standardized ultrasound protocol. Information on more than 40 demographic and ultrasound variables were collected, but the evaluation of the OCS was optional. Only patients from centers that had evaluated the OCS in >= 90% of their cases were included. The gold standard was the histological diagnosis of the adnexal mass. The ability of the OCS to discriminate between borderline or invasively malignant vs. benign adnexal masses, as well as between invasively malignant vs. other (benign and borderline) tumors, was determined and compared with the performance of subjective evaluation of ultrasound findings by the ultrasound examiner. Results The OCS was evaluated in 1377 adnexal masses from 12 centers, 938 (68%) masses being benign, 86 (6%) borderline, 305 (22%) primary invasive and 48 (3%) metastases. The OCS was present in 398 (42%) of 938 benign masses, in 14 (16%) of 86 borderline tumors, in 18 (6%) of 305 primary invasive tumors (one malignant struma ovarii, one uterine clear cell adenocarcinoma and 16 epithelial carcinomas, i.e. four Stage I and 12 Stage II-IV) and in two (4%) of 48 ovarian metastases. Hence, the sensitivity and specificity for absent OCS to identify a malignancy was 92% and 42%, respectively, and the positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-, respectively) were 1.60 and 0.18. Subjective impression performed significantly better than the OCS. Sensitivity and specificity were 90% and 92%, respectively, LR+ was 11.0 and LR- was 0.10. For discrimination between invasive vs. benign or borderline tumors, the sensitivity for absent OCS was 94%, the specificity was 40%, the LR+ was 1.58 and the LR- was 0.14. Conclusion This study confirms previous reports that the presence of the OCS decreases the likelihood of invasive malignancy in adnexal masses. However it is a poor discriminator between benign and malignant adnexal masses. Copyright (C) 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

L'articolo segnala il ritrovamento di nuovi frammenti del II libro De natura di Epicuro.