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The HEC-HMS model has been widely applied for estimating hydrological variables at event scale. The choice of the most suitable infiltration method simplifies model's applicability under different environmental conditions. A proper case study for evaluating the runoff prediction capability of HEC-HMS by the available infiltration methods are the semi-arid torrents typical of Southern Italy as they are small and intermittent water courses, often subject to high-magnitude flash floods and erosive events. HEC-HMS performance of the "SCS-CN", "Green-Ampt" and "Initial and Constant" infiltration methods in predicting runoff volume and peak flow was evaluated at the outlet of the Mesima torrent, Calabria, Southern Italy. Fourteen rainfall-runoff events were simulated by HEC-HMS and compared with the corresponding observations by a quantitative approach. A good accuracy in predicting runoff volume was achieved using the "SCS-CN" method after calibration of the initial CNs. Peak flow was better estimated using the "Initial and Constant" method, also thanks to calibration of the "Constant Rate" parameter. The calibrated hydrographs were very similar to the observations for both "SCS-CN" and "Initial and Constant" methods. Adopting the “Green-Ampt” equations, however, showed low reliability. The evaluation of the time to flood peak was in some cases inadequate. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

We propose to use bisimulation to quantify dissimilarity between processes: in this case we speak of k-bisimulation. Two processes p and q, whose semantics is given through transition systems, are k-bisimilar if they differ from at most k moves, where k is a natural number. Roughly speaking, the k-bisimulation captures the extension of the dissimilarity between p and q when they are neither strong nor weak equivalent. The importance of the formal concept of k-bisimulation can be seen in several application fields, such as clone detection, process mining, business-IT alignment. We propose several heuristics in order to efficiently check such a bisimulation. The approach can be applied to different specification languages CCS, LOTOS, CSP provided that the language semantics is based on the notion of transition system. We have implemented a prototype tool and we have conducted experiments on well-known systems for a proof of concept of our methodology.

In den Unternehmen hat das Thema »Mobile Unternehmensplattform« aktuell hohe Prioritat. Wollen Unternehmen erfolgreich Mobile Computing einfuhren und umsetzen, dann ist eine eigene mobile Strategie unerlasslich. Wenn eine mobile Strategie erarbeitet ist, sind Themen wie Prozesse, Sicherheit und Mehrwert klar sichtbar und konnen mithilfe einer Unternehmensplattform umgesetzt werden. Eine der marktfuhrenden Plattformen ist die Sybase Unwired Platform (SUP), die bereits heute diese Anforderungen erfullt. An vier aktuellen Fallbeispielen wird die praktische Umsetzbarkeit von Mobile Computing durch eine mobile Plattform belegt.

Endorectal ultrasound was compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the preoperative staging for patients with Rectal Cancer. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed with regards to the factors that might influence the risk of local relapse such as T, N and CRM (circumferential resection margin).From January 2006 to April 2010, 64 patients with rectal cancer were studied preoperatively either by means of MRI scan of the pelvis or endorectal ultrasound scan in order to assess the intramural extension. For 30 out of 64 patients both methods were used (comparing instrumental with histopathological data) while for 34 patients over 64 only ultrasound scan was used.Endorectal ultrasound resulted to be more reliable in defining the T (parietal infiltration of the tumor) whereas MRI better defined CRM.Both methods are reliable and complementary enabling an accurate staging of patients with rectal cancer.

The aim of this paper is to enlight the role of endorectal ultrasonography in the preoperative staging of rectal cancer.83 patients having rectal cancer and candidates to surgery were studied with endorectal ultrasonography with a probe at a frequency up to 7.5 MHz probe. Eighteen patients were diagnosed with a cancer at A stage, 38 with a neoplasia at B stage and 37 at C stage.In all patients the examination revealed an involvement of the rectal muscular tunica. Sixtyseven patients presented mesorectal invasion, 17 patients showed the involvement of adjoining structures, and 27 patients presented pathological lymph nodes.Endorectal ultrasonography allows to distinguish patients having rectal cancer limited to the mucosa or invading sub-mucosa regions from those having a more indepth invasion. Apart from this, endorectal ultrasonography is not able of discriminate reactive lymph nodes from metastatic ones.

Background : Epidemiologic data on melanoma reveal a considerable increase in incidence, especially of the early forms (melanoma in situ and early invasive melanoma), but the mortality rates are relatively stable. These data suggest the hypothesis of the existence of a melanoma with less aggressive biological behaviour. This hypothesis is, however, hard to be proven if the assumption is true that more and less aggressive melanomas very often exhibit overlapping clinical and histopathologic features. Digital dermoscopic imaging techniques permit today a detailed documentation of lesions over time and, therefore, represent an optimal tool to disclose the natural evolution of a given lesion. We present five case of slow-growing melanomas observed during a long-term period of follow-up. Main observation : Five pigmented skin lesions from five patients with multiple atypical melanocytic nevi were examined at the baseline consultation and digital pictures were taken for monitoring purposes. The lesions have been followed-up for a long time because of the absence of significant changes over time. After a variable period of follow-up (1 to 10 years) all lesions were finally removed and subsequent histopathologic examination revealed early stage melanoma in all cases. Conclusion : Dermoscopy and digital follow up might be the key factors to improve the knowledge about the natural evolution of nevi and melanoma and the spectrum of undefined melanocytic proliferations.

In adulthood, choledochal cysts are often surprisingly discovered during cholecystectomy. We report here on a case of an unsuspected congenital type-IA biliary cyst, according to Todani's classification encountered during laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a 30-year-old woman complaining of acute abdominal pain with an unremarkable preoperative workup. The well-known risk of developing cystic cancer, mainly in the adult, means that an excisional operation is indicated to prevent such complications. Cyst excision and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy is the definitive treatment of choice, performed at a later stage after radiological and endoscopic confirmation, and after obtaining the patient's consent. Cholangio-MR, and ERCP have proved to be extremely useful for adequate identification of this kind of lesion.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known to play a key role in tumour angiogenesis. Our preliminary published data suggest that plasma-activated platelets rich (P-APR) rather than other plasma compartments (i.e. plasma, plasma-platelets poor) or serum is the more suitable blood fraction for measuring VEGF in a miscellaneous series of gastrointestinal cancer patients. The aim of this confirmatory study was to assess VEGF in P-APR blood compartments of 30 healthy control subjects (HCS) and a homogeneous series of 62 colorectal cancer patients (CRCP), prospectively collected, to evaluate its possible clinical-biological significance. Samples of plasma (P) in both sodium citrate (SC) and sodium citrate-theophylline-adenosine-dipyridamole (CTAD) were collected from venous blood. After the centrifugation and separation methods VEGF levels were detected by ELISA in P-APR. The best differentiation between HCS and CRCP in VEGF level was seen for P-APRCTAD (median value: 255 pg/ml versus 142 pg/ml; p=0.000 by Mann-Whitney U test). No significant correlation among the P-APR VEGF concentrations and the main clinical pathological features was found. We suggest that P-APRCTAD fraction, obtained according to well standardised conditions, could represent the suitable blood compartment for the assessment of VEGF as marker of malignant intestinal transformation.