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Plasma cell leukemia is an uncommon, aggressive variant of leukemia that may occur de novo or in association with multiple myeloma. Leukemia cutis is the cutaneous manifestation of leukemia, and indicates an infiltration of the skin by malignant leukocytes or their precursors. Plasma cell leukemia cutis is a rare clinical presentation of leukemia. We present a man who developed plasma cell leukemia cutis in association with multiple myeloma. Cutaneous nodules developed on his arms and legs 50 days following an autologous stem cell transplant. Histopathologic examination showed CD138-positive nodular aggregates of atypical plasma cells with kappa light chain restriction, similar to the phenotype of his myeloma. In spite of systemic treatment of his underlying disease, he died 25 days after the presentation of leukemia cutis. Pub-Med was searched for the following terms: cutaneous plasmacytomas, leukemia cutis, plasma cell leukemia nodules, plasma cell leukemia cutis, and secondary cutaneous plasmacytoma. Papers were reviewed and appropriate references evaluated. Leukemia cutis in plasma cell leukemia patients is an infrequent occurrence. New skin lesions in patients with plasma cell leukemia should be biopsied for pathology and for tissue cultures to evaluate for cancer or infection, respectively. The diagnosis plasma cell leukemia cutis is associated with a very poor prognosis.

Subungual melanoma with pigmentation beneath the nail that extends to involve the proximal nail fold is referred to as Hutchinson’s sign. Black or brown subungual discoloration involving the proximal nail fold secondary to other etiologies has been referred to as pseudo-Hutchinson’s sign. Three patients with nail discoloration and concurrent dyschromia of the proximal nail fold are described: a female with a chronic subungual hematoma and pseudo-Hutchinson’s sign, a male with culture-confirmed Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) of the nail with green discoloration involving the proximal nail fold, and a male with an acute subungual hematoma with red-purple subungual discoloration affecting the proximal nail fold. PubMed was searched for the following: black, brown, chloronychia, discoloration, dyschromia, green, hematoma, Hutchinson’s sign, nail, nail fold, proximal, pseudo-Hutchinson’s sign, red, subungual melanoma, syndrome. The papers were reviewed and appropriate references evaluated. In conclusion, melanoma-associated black proximal nail fold pigmentation is referred to as Hutchinson’s sign, and non-melanoma-associated black pigmentation has been designated as pseudo-Hutchinson’s sign. Subungual nail plate discoloration extending to involve the proximal nail fold may be black, green, or red-purple in patients with melanocytic and non-melanocytic lesions, bacterial infection (Pseudomonas), and acute subungual hematoma, respectively. Instead of creating a new terminology, we suggest that non-black subungual discoloration (green or red-purple) extending to involve the proximal nail fold be referred to as pseudo pseudo-Hutchinson’s sign.

FELs based on SASE are believed to be powerful tools to explore the frontiers of basic sciences, from physics to chemistry to biology. Intense R&D programs have started in the USA and Europe in order to understand the SASE physics and to prove the feasibility of these sources. The allocation of considerable resources in the Italian National Research Plan (PNR) brought about the formation of a CNR–ENEA–INFN–University of Roma “Tor Vergata” study group. A conceptual design study has been developed and possible schemes for linac sources have been investigated, leading to the SPARX proposal. We report in this paper the results of a preliminary start to end simulation concerning one option we are considering based on an S-band normal conducting linac with high-brightness photoinjector integrated in an RF compressor.

The PLasma Acceleration and MONochromatic X-ray generation (PLASMONX) project foresees the installation at LNF of a 0.3 PW (6 J, 20 fs pulse) Ti:Sa laser system, named Frascati Laser for Acceleration and Multidisciplinary Experiments (FLAME), to operate in close connection with the existent SPARC electron photo-injector, allowing for advanced laser/e-beam interaction experiments. Among the foreseen scientific activities, a Thomson scattering experiment between the SPARC electron bunch and the high power laser will be performed. At the present time the linac has been tested and the electron beam characterized up to the maximum operating energy (150 MeV). The beam lines transporting the beam to the interaction chamber with the laser have been designed. The electron final focusing system, featuring a quadrupole triplet and large radius solenoid magnet (ensuring an e-beam waist of 5-10 mu m) as well as the whole interaction chamber layout has been defined. The optical transfer line issues: transport up to the interaction; tight focusing; diagnostics and fine positioning; have been solved within the final design. The construction of the building hosting the laser has been completed: delivering and installation of the laser, as much of the beam lines elements will take place in the next months. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

X-ray analysis has defined the molecular structure of (-)-phaseollin C 20 H 18 O 4 a pterocarpan with lipophilic antifungal activity, isolated from Phaseolus vulgaris L. The orthohombic crystals belong to the space group P2 1 2 1 2 1 with a =6.540(3), b = 12.975(6), c = 19.388(4) A and Z =4. The structure was solved by direct methods from diffractometer data measured with CuKα radiation, and refined to a final R index of 0.083 for the 992 observed terms. The molecular skeleton(I) has a cis B/C ring junction. Viewed down C(6B)-C(7) the conformation is staggered; ring C is envelope whereas ring B is skewed with C(6B) and C(7) lying respectively above and below the plane of the other ring atoms.

(+)-Pisatin, C17H14O6, a lipophilic substance with antifungal activity, has been isolated fromPisum sativum L. following fungal inoculation. Orthorhombic crystals of the monohydrate belong to the space groupP212121 witha = 6.910(3),b = 9.006(2),c = 24.253(4) A, andZ = 4. The structure was solved by direct methods from diffractometer data measured with CuKα radiation. Refinement with anisotropic temperature factors given to the non-hydrogen atoms converged atR = 0.058 for the 1255 observed terms. The molecular conformation is similar to the conformation recently reported for phaseollin, a related phytoalexin. Hydrogen bonds involving the water and pisatin molecules link the latter into infinite spirals extending alongb.

The Project SPARC (Sorgente Pulsata e Amplificata di Radiazione Coerente), proposed by a collaboration among ENEA-INFN-CNR-Universitadi Roma Tor Vergata- INFM-ST, was recently funded by the Italian Government. The aim of the project is to promote an R&D activity oriented to the development of a coherent ultra-brilliant X-ray source in Italy (SPARX proposal (1)). The SPARC collaboration identified a program based on two main issues: the generation of ultra-high peak brightness electron beams and experimental study of SASE-FEL process with generation of resonant higher harmonics. The SPARC project is being designed in order to encompass the construction of an advanced photo- injector producing a 150-200 MeV beam to drive a SASE-FEL in the optical range. The machine will be built at LNF, inside an underground bunker: it is comprised of an rf gun driven by a Ti:Sa laser, injecting into three SLAC accelerating sections. We foresee conducting investigations on the emittance correction(2) and on the rf compression techniques(3), which are expected to increase the peak current achievable at the injector exit up to kA level, with proper preservation of the transverse emittance. Although the system is expected to drive a FEL experiment, it can be used also to investigate beam physics issues like surface-roughness-induced wake fields, bunch-length measurements in the sub-ps range, emittance degradation in magnetic compressors due to CSR, and Compton backscattering production of sub-ps X-ray pulses.