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Detailed rock magnetic, facies and textural analyses were carried out across the San Bartolo lava flow (Stromboli) to understand the flow dynamics of lava channel-fed 'a'a entering the water. Having been emplaced 3 ka, San Bartolo is the most recent lava flow field to have been emplaced beyond the Sciara del Fuoco, and underlies the inhabited area on the north-eastern side of the island. One of the remarkable features of the San Bartolo lava flow is the formation of several lobes due to the interaction with seawater. Field analysis shows three facies: 1. Stalling of flow fronts at the coastal interaction to form a littoral barrier to further flow, 2. Ramping of subsequently emplaced units behind this barrier, and creation of a degassed ponded volume, 3. Creation of tubes through the barrier to feed a seaward bench of pahoehoe. Around 12 lobes were identified. All the lobes show similar facies, but each lobe provides a case-type example of the emplacement history and the associated structures. For example, lobe 1 exhibits tube formation associated through the flow front barrier; while lobe 12 shows the formation of inflated pahoehoe lava. Preliminary AMS results show well-confined flow fabrics with a one-to-one relationship to field structures. The samples collected from ramped flow have vertical flow fabrics, while those from tube structures and inflated pahoehoe have horizontal fabrics. Preliminary palaeomagnetic data have characteristic remanent magnetisation (ChRM) directions for all the sampled lobes, with their a95 overlapping, suggesting rapid emplacement. In addition, the average ChRM direction falls in the geocentric axial dipole (GAD) field for Stromboli.

Purpose: To estimate the contribution of cryopreservation to the cumulative live birth rate (CLBR) after law modification in Italy in the era of vitrification and freeze-all. Methods: The Italian National Registry performed a cycle-based data collection. Nine Italian IVF clinics were involved incorporating a total of 10,260 fresh cycles performed between January 2015 and April 2016 resulting in 9273 oocyte retrievals and 3266 subsequent warming cycles from the same oocyte retrievals performed up to December 2016. Mean female age was 37 ± 4.3 years. Primary outcome measure was CLBR per oocyte retrieval. Confounding factors were tested in multivariate regression analysis, and the relative impact of cryopreservation to the CLBR in different patient categories was calculated. Results: CLBR per oocyte retrieval was 32.6%, 26.5%, 18.7%, 13.0%, and 5.5% for women younger than 36, aged 36–39, 40–41, and older than 41 years, respectively. The total relative contribution of oocyte/embryo cryopreservation was 40.6% (95% CI 38.41–42.75). An association between maternal age, number of oocytes retrieved, fertilization rate, cryopreservation, and cumulative live birth was shown. When adjusted for confounders, a 2.3-fold increase was observed in the chance of live birth when cryopreservation was performed (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.99–2.56). In high responder patients (> 15 oocytes retrieved) where freeze-all was applied in 67.6% of cycles to avoid the risk of hyper stimulation syndrome, the relative contribution of vitrification to the CLBR was 80.6%. Conclusions: Cryopreservation is essential in IVF and should always be available to patients to optimize success rates. Multicentric, cycle-based data analyses are crucial to provide infertile couples, clinicians, and regulatory bodies with accurate information on IVF effectiveness including fresh and cryopreserved cycles.

The aim of this study is to evaluate accuracy of transvaginal sonographic examination of the lower uterine segment in pregnant women with previous cesarean section.Sixty-one pregnant women between 37 and 40 weeks of gestation, with previous cesarean section underwent transvaginal ultrasonography. Wall thickness of the lower uterine segment, the length of cervix, dilation of the isthmus uteri were measured. On the basis of the surgical findings (in 53 patients) and outcome of the trial of labor (in 8 patients) a Score was assigned to the pregnant women: Score 1 to the women who had good healing or a trial of labor without complications; Score 2 to the women with a thin or discontinued scar and in case of threatened rupture of the uterus in the trial of labor.The mean thickness of the lower uterine segment is 3.82 mm +/- 0.99 mm. The Score 1 group shows a mean thickness of 4.2 mm +/- 2.5 mm, and the Score 2 group a mean thickness of 2.8 mm +/- 1.06 mm. The transvaginal sonographic examination provides a sensitivity and a specificity respectively of 100 and 75%, for a thickness cut-off of 3.5 mm, and a positive and negative predictive values of 60.7% and 100% respectively.The transvaginal sonographic evaluation of the lower uterine segment improves therefore the obstetrical decision-making regarding the trial of labor in women with previous cesarean section.

The plasma levels and urinary excretions of (+/-) alpha-(benzoylamino)-4-[2-(diethylamino)ethoxy]-N, N-dipropyl-benzenepropanamide (tiropramide) and of some of its metabolites were studied in healthy volunteers after the following single-dose administrations of tiropramide hydrochloride: a) i.v. 50 mg, oral 100 mg or rectal 200 mg; b) i.v. 50 mg or i.m. 50 mg; c) oral 100, 200 or 400 mg. After i.v. bolus the plasma levels of tiropramide are consistent with a three-compartment open pharmacokinetic model. The steady-state volume of distribution is 221 l. The terminal elimination constant is 0.279 h-1 (t1/2 = 2.5 h). After i.m. injection the plasma levels increase rapidly (invasion t1/2 = 2 min) and then are similar to those found after i.v. bolus. After oral administration appreciable plasma levels are found after lag times of 18-27 min. They increase with an invasion t1/2 of 14-22 min. The peak is reached 1-1.7 h after administration and the elimination occurs with a constant of 0.20-0.23 h-1. After rectal administration appreciable plasma levels are found after a lag time of 11 min and increase with an invasion t1/2 of 6 min. The peak is reached at 2.2 h. The elimination constant is 0.21 h-1. Tiropramide and some of its metabolites can be determined in the urine by gas-liquid chromatography. The following percentages of the administered dose of tiropramide and tiropramide-related substances can be found in the 24-h urines. After i.v. bolus: 16.2; after i.m. injection: 17.0; after oral administration: 19.6; after rectal administration 13.1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)