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Chyloperitoneum is not rare and is often associated with other chylous disorders particularly in more complex clinical conditions. An accurate diagnostic study is indispensable to plan the correct therapeutic approach, and we examined the long-term outcomes of our experience in the management of primary and secondary chyloperitoneum in fifty-eight patients (50 adults and 8 children; 34 primary and 24 secondary forms). Diagnostic assessment consisted of aracentesis, whole body lymphoscintigraphy, lymphangio-MR, and lymphangio-CT (LAG-CT). The management of chyloperitoneum consisted initially of non-operative procedures (MCT diet, TPN, octreotide). Surgical treatment was performed in patients not responsive to conservative methods and involved different options using surgical and microsurgical approaches. Microsurgical techniques included chylousvenous shunts connecting chyliferous vessels and mesenteric veins. Fibrin glue or platelet gel injection at the site of the chylous leakage was also used to treat one case of refractory secondary chyloperitoneum. Patients were followed clinically and instrumentally (echography and labs tests) for 6 months to over 5 years. We found that LAG-CT was the primary diagnostic modality to provide precise topographic information concerning the site, cause, and extension of chylous pathology, all of which allowed proper planning of therapeutic procedures. Thirty-four patients did not have a relapse of the chyloperitoneum and 22 patients had a persistence of a small quanitity of ascites with no protein imbalance. We observed early relapse of chylous ascites in 2 cases that required a peritoneal-jugular shunt leading to good outcomes. An accurate diagnostic study (above all LAG-CT) and a microsurgical approach proved to represent an effective management of chyloperitoneum refractory to non-operative treatment.

Este trabalho tem como objetivo verificar a cinética de cura de um pré-impregnado ("prepreg") de resina epoxídica/fibra de carbono, utilizando a técnica de calorimetria diferencial de varredura (DSC) pelo método isoconversional. O método isoconversional analisa a cinética de cura por meio da dependência da energia de ativação durante a conversão (análise isotérmica) ou temperatura (análise não-isotérmica) e utiliza esta dependência para calcular os parâmetros cinéticos. A avaliação da cinética da reação por DSC baseia-se na quantidade de calor gerado durante as reações exotérmicas. A hipótese de que o calor gerado pela reação química é proporcional à extensão da cura permite obter os parâmetros cinéticos no DSC por meio das análises pelos métodos isotérmicos e não-isotérmicos. Para o método isoconversional isotérmico, a energia de ativação média apresentou valores entre 103 e 72 kJ/mol, e, para o método isoconversional não-isotérmico um valor médio de 80,5 kJ/mol. Estes resultados foram comparados com os obtidos para os métodos ASTM E 2070 e ASTM E 698, cujos valores foram 89±5 kJ/mol e 77,5±2,5 kJ/mol, respectivamente, comprovando a eficiência do método isoconversional. This paper aims to determine the kinetics of a pre-impregnated ("prepreg") epoxy resin/carbon fiber using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with the isoconversional method. The latter method analyzes the cure kinetics through the dependence of activation energy during conversion (isothermal analysis) or temperature (non- isothermal analysis) and uses this dependence to calculate the kinetic parameters. The evaluation of reaction kinetics by DSC is based on the heat generating rate during an exothermic reaction. The hypothesis that a heat generated by a chemical reaction is proportional to the extension of cure allows one to obtain the kinetic parameters from the DSC curves obtained with the isothermal and nonisothermal modes. For the isoconversional isothermal method, the average activation energy ranged between 72 and 103 kJ/mol while in the non-isothermal method an average value of 80.5 kJ/mol was obtained. These results were compared with those obtained for ASTM E 2070 and ASTM E 698 methods, whose values were 89±5 kJ/mol and 77.5±2.5 kJ/mol, respectively, proving the efficiency of the method.

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) was given to 23 patients with steroid-refractory acute GVHD (aGVHD, grade II (n=10), III (n=7) or IV (n=6)). The median duration of ECP was 7 months (1-33) and the median number of ECP cycles in each patient was 10. Twelve patients (52%) had complete responses. Eleven patients (48%) survived and 12 died, 10 of GVHD with or without infections and two of leukaemia relapse. The average grade of GVHD was reduced from 2.8 (on the first day of ECP) to 1.4 (on day +90 from ECP) (P=0.08), and the average dose of i.v. methylprednisolone from 2.17 to 0.2 mg/kg/d (P=0.004). Complete responses were obtained in 70, 42 and 0% of patients, respectively, with grades II, III and IV aGVHD; complete responses in the skin, liver and gut were 66, 27 and 40%. Patients treated within 35 days from onset of aGVHD had higher responses (83 vs 47%; P=0.1). A trend for improved survival was seen in grade III-IV aGVHD treated with ECP as compared to matched controls (38 vs 16%; P 0.08). ECP is a treatment option for patients with steroid refractory aGVHD and should be considered early in the course of the disease.

A mobile fluorosensor laboratory, including as main constituent a lidar fluorosensor apparatus for remote measurements at water surface and ancillary instruments dedicated to local analyses, was developed for extensive biooptical monitoring of the sea waters. Continuous remote and local measurements of Chl-a (Chlorophyll a) and CDOM (Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter) were performed during the XIII (1997/1998) and XV (1999/2000) marine campaigns in the South-western Ross Sea and along the Southern Ocean transects to New Zealand as part of the Italian Research Programme for Antarctica. Chla and CDOM fluorescence maps of the investigated areas revealed the bio-optical peculiarity of coastal zones and seasonal changes encountered.

A thorough sensitivity analysis of the 'Transmittance-Reflectance' (T-R) method for measuring in vivo light absorption by aquatic particles retained on glass-fiber filters has been carried out. Particular attention has been devoted to the error contribution by the variability of the optical properties of the GF/F filters used. The overall error of the measurement of the filter-retained particle optical density, OD s , has been evaluated as ∼0.002 (1σr), with 0.0015 error contribution by the filter variability. The corresponding error of the optical density of the particle suspension, OD sus , has been obtained by differentiation of the equation expressing the experimental correlation (OD sus versus ODD; the error increases with the optical density value, from σ = 0.0015 for OD sus = 0.05) to σ = 0.027 at the upper limit of the optical density range tested (OD sus = 0.59). The validity range of the experimental (OD sus versus OD s ) correlation has been shown to extend to OD s = 0. 75. The importance of the accurate correction for light backscattering performed by the T-R method has been investigated by comparison with results given by the standard 'Transmittance' (T) method; it has been shown that the coarse correction for light scattering included in the T method may cause serious errors in the measured optical density spectra of mineral detritus. This evidence confirms the need to resort to the T-R method for the measurement of particle samples of detritus-rich coastal waters. The paper summarizes the latest developments of the T-R method and includes an Appendix with a synopsis of the routine now used by the authors.

The yellow substance absorption in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Naples was measured by a method combining beam transmission and induced fluorescence measurements. A water optical model specific to that test area, derived from experimentation carried out in situ has been used to evaluate the impact of the measured yellow substance absorption on the remote sensing of water quality parameters, such as chlorophyll-like pigment and total suspended sediment concentrations.

A 41-year-old healthy Caucasian male showed an unidentifiable direct AB0 group and a B group by an indirect method revealing the presence of natural antibodies anti-A1 and anti-A2. Mixed fields with anti-B and anti-A+B antisera led to the conclusion that blood group B and 0 cell populations were present in a 1:1 ratio. A negative anamnesis for both transplantation and transfusion suggested a chimerism. DNA analysis of tissues revealed a tetragametic chimerism due to an apparent double parental contribution of nuclei in a phenotypically normal man.

Self-shading error of in-water optical measurements has been experimentally estimated for upwelling radiance and irradiance measurements taken just below the water surface. Radiance and irradiance data have been collected with fiber optics that terminated with 1°, 18°, and 2π optics housed in the center of a disk that simulated the size of the instrument. Analysis of measurements taken at 500, 600, and 640 nm in lake waters have shown errors ranging from a few percent up to several tens of percent as a function of the size of the radiometer, the absorption coefficient of the medium, the Sun zenith, and the atmospheric turbidity. Comparisons between experimental and theoretical errors, the latter computed according to a scheme suggested by other authors, have shown absolute differences generally lower than 5% for radiances and lower than 3% for irradiances. Analysis of radiance measurements taken with 1° and 18° fields of view have not shown appreciable differences in the self-shading error. This finding suggests that correction schemes for self-shading error developed for narrow-field-of-view radiance measurements could also be applied to measurements taken with relatively larger fields of view.

An analysis of the spatial trend of concentrations and of the correlation between heavy metals and total suspended matter was performed in a multidisciplinary study of transport of pollutants in the marine coastal area involving in situ investigations, remote sensing techniques and modeling. This paper presents results concerning the chemical behavior of heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb) in the North Adriatic Sea and in particular in the marine deltaic area of the Po river. The samples were collected during the JRC Remote Sensing Campaigns ADRIA 84 and ADRIA 85, carried out in the entire North Adriatic Sea and in the selected area in front of the Po when passing from the fluvial to the marine environment. In the dissolved phase, Cu undergoes a dilution process consistent with the mixing theory, while there is a tenfold increase in Pb concentrations. A pronounced tendency to augment the level in the dissolved phase is observed for all three elements in the pelagic waters. In the particulate phase, Cd and Cu, after a diminution in the nearshore stations, their concentration increases as the pelagic area is approached. The total amount of heavy metals in solid phase of the water decreases according to the dispersion and the sedimentation processes of the fluvial load in the marine water. A satisfactory correlation was found between the Cu and Pb with the total suspended matter (TSS). An attempt was made to characterize sediments and suspended matter in order to assess the role of the organic and mineralogical components on heavy metal behavior.

High strength low alloy (HSLA) steels, both commercially available and experimentally prepared, were immersed at 45 and 90 m depths in the North Sea for periods ranging from 1·6 to 7·2 years. General corrosion, pitting corrosion, and crevice corrosion behaviour were evaluated after immersion. The influence of alloying elements, particularly of carbon (0·01 and 0·15%), aluminium and chromium (0 and 1·5%), and molybdenum (0, 0·5, and 1·5%), was investigated in the experimental series. It was concluded from the statistical analyses that general corrosion properties are influenced beneficially by aluminium and chromium additions and that pitting resistance is detrimentally influenced by aluminium and molybdenum. The general corrosion rates of the best alloys are afactor of 2–4 lower than those of an unalloyed reference steel similar to steel Fe52. It is also shown that this low general corrosion rate can be combined with a low tendency to pitting corrosion. Notwithstanding the lack of a sound statist...

Sixteen experimental high strength low alloy steels were exposed to natural flowing sea water in the laboratory and in the harbour of den Helder at a depth of 8 m for a period of 2 years. Differences in the corrosion rates of the various steels were less pronounced in the laboratory tests than in the harbour. The effects of the alloying elements aluminium, chromium: and molybdenum on general corrosion and pitting were found to be in general agreement with those obtained from earlier exposure tests at depths of 45 and 90 m in the North Sea. A fairly good correlation was found between the general corrosion rates measured from weight losses and the results obtained from electrochemical techniques based on determination of polarisation resistance.

If ABO antigens/antibodies play any role in the pathogenesis of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), one would expect the highest incidence of GVHD in recipients of minor ABO-mismatched grafts, followed by ABO-matched grafts, and the lowest incidence in major ABO-mismatched transplants. To test this hypothesis 174 patients receiving an HLA-identical allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) for aplastic anemia (n = 32) or leukemia (n = 142) were analyzed for factors associated with acute GVHD. Variables analyzed included diagnosis, sex, age, blood group of donor and recipient, ABO compatibility, Rhesus compatibility, sex compatibility, number of bone marrow cells given at BMT, year of transplant, day of engraftment, and GVHD prophylaxis. We first carried out an exploratory contingency table analysis: minor ABO incompatibility was associated with a significantly higher risk of severe acute GVHD when compared with ABO-matched and major-ABO mismatched pairs (P = 0.003): 14/9, 57/67, and 5/22 patients developed, respectively, 0-I/II-IV acute GVHD in ABO major-mismatched, matched, and minor-mismatched pairs. Donors of group 0, (P = 0.06), older recipient's age (P = 0.08), fast engraftment (P = 0.03), and older donor's age (0.08) were also associated with a higher risk of GVHD. Recipient's ABO group, diagnosis, year of transplant, Rhesus group of donor or recipient, Rhesus compatibility, sex of donor or recipient, sex compatibility, and type of GVHD prophylaxis were not predictive of GVHD. A Cox multifactorial proportional hazards analysis confirmed that ABO matching was the single most significant factor associated with GVHD (P = 0.006). The cumulative incidence of GVHD grade II+ was 39%, 54%, and 82% for ABO major-mismatched, matched, and minor-mismatched pairs (P = 0.01). This study suggests that ABO antigens may play a role in the development of acute GVHD.

After reviewing the advantages of self-transfusional techniques, experience with 136 patients undergoing elective surgery is reported. In all cases treated, transfusional support was completely autologous, with a readily understandable saving in bank blood. Cases examined also show that sel-transfusional techniques represent an effective precautionary measure against thromboembolic complications and blood-related pathologies.

In 227 healthy subjects, serum concentrations of acid-alpha-glicoprotein were measured by two different immunologic methods: electroimmunodiffusion by Laurell's technique and single radial immunodiffusion. The results obtained using the two methods were compared and the range of normal refeprence values was determined.