Design of a fast neutron coincidence counter

Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to simulate the response of a boron-loaded plastic scintillator array. These detectors offer potential advantages compared to moderated ³He systems because of their fast response and high efficiency. Tallies were made of neutron capture probability as a function of time and the results were coupled to assay variance estimates to evaluate detector performance. Orders-of-magnitude reductions in count time relative to a 50% efficient thermal counter are possible, in principle, for high (α,n) samples.     

Bilateral complete discoid medial meniscus combined with posterior cyst formation

Bilateral discoid medial menisci is an extremely rare condition of the knee and it can be associated to other pathological findings, including anterior portion cyst formation. We report on the clinical features, radiographic findings, treatment and results of one patient who presented a bilateral medial discoid meniscus combined with posterior portion cyst of the left knee. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first case of bilateral medial discoid meniscus associated with posterior portion cyst formation.     

Randomised prospective study on renal effects of two different contrast media in humans: protective role of a calcium channel blocker

Contrast media affect renal hemodynamics. Hyperosmolality is regarded as the major factor responsible for renal hemodynamic changes. In this study, the role of osmolality was evaluated in 30 hospitalized patients without risk factors during intravenous pyelography. Contrast media with low and high osmolality were used. In addition, nifedipine was administered before infusion of high-osmolality contrast to evaluate the role of calcium ions in radiocontrast-induced changes of renal hemodynamics. Hyperosmolar contrast reduced renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate. Calcium channel blocker prevented changes of renal hemodynamics. Hyperosmolality appears the most likely factor affecting renal hemodynamics during hyperosmolar radiocontrast infusion. Calcium channel blocker may prevent renal changes due to hyperosmolar medium.     

Blue Hue in the Dermoscopy Setting: Homogeneous Blue Pigmentation, Gray-Blue Area, and/or Whitish Blue Veil?

In dermoscopy, the correct recognition of the single parameters is fundamental to achieve great diagnostic accuracy, but the scarce morphologic expression of a parameter may lead to diagnostic errors. We report the case of a 27-year-old white man presenting a pigmented lesion of the back, which was present since puberty. Clinical examination revealed on the back the presence of a flat, gray-blue lesion and at the periphery a small dark-brown papule. An assessment of the lesion by means of dermoscopy was performed. The purpose of this report was to analyze the Blue Hue in dermoscopy with its histopathologic correlates, starting with the discussion of a clinical case.     

The psychiatric services in cremona: A case study of the Italian reform law

Italy's mental health law of 1978 provided for the gradual phasing out of psychiatric hospitals (PH) and the creation of comprehensive community-based systems. However, these changes have taken place at different times and in different forms. There are now three different organizational and care models operating in Italy: in the first, common in Southern Italy, the former PH and the new general hospital general wards (GHPW) coexist; in the second, outpatient departments complement the above facilities, but the hospital activity remains central; in the third model, a community model has been given priority-the so-called community priority. While many reports have been published describing the activity of some of the services adhering to the third model, no report has been published specifically describing the activity of services which work according to the second model, such as Cremona. In this paper, the activity of the Cremona psychiatric services is described, and the consequences of the reform law and the problems related to an hospital-based activity are emphasized.     

Memory performances after anterior communicating artery aneurysm surgery

10 patients operated on for anterior communicating artery aneurysm (ACoA) underwent to neuropsychological examination one year after surgery, in order to detect eventual behavioural and/or amnestic disorders, already described by others in a wide percentage of such patients. Even if after accurate neurological examination the therapeutic results were defined as "good", 60% circa of our patients present amnestic and/or behavioural disturbances. Possible correlations between neuropsychological tests finding and intraoperative occurrences (early aneurysm rupture, gyrectomy etc.) are considered and discussed.     

Polypeptide composition of normal and neoplastic human breast tissues and cells analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis

Summary The protein populations of epithelial cells cultured from two neoplastic and five non-neoplastic human breast tissues were resolved and displayed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and silverstaining. With a computer-based image analysis system, we identified eight polypeptides which are present in both of the neoplastic cell lines, but absent from all five of the cultures of non-neoplastic breast cells. The eight polypeptides are not unique to cells cultured from neoplastic breast, because they are also found in cells cultured from non-breast tissues, both neoplastic and non-neoplastic. Two of the eight polypeptides ( M_r 25,000/pI 4.4 and M_r 31,000/pI 5.5) are present in the patterns of whole tissue samples from infiltrating ductal carcinomas and absent in most normal breast tissue.     

Tumor-induced tolerance and immune suppression by myeloid derived suppressor cells

Summary: Emerging evidence indicates that the Achilles' heel of cancer immunotherapies is often the complex interplay of tumor-derived factors and deviant host properties, which involve a wide range of immune elements in the lymphoid and myeloid compartments. Regulatory lymphocytes, tumor-conditioned myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumor-associated macrophages, and dysfunctional and immature dendritic cells take part in a complex immunoregulatory network. Despite the fact that some mechanisms governing tumor-induced immune tolerance and suppression are starting to be better understood and their complexity dissected, little is known about the diachronic picture of immune tolerance. Based on observations of MDSCs, we present a time-structured and topologically consistent idea of tumor-dependent tolerance progression in tumor-bearing hosts.     

The role of nitrinergic connections in central cardiovascular responses mediated by physostigmine infused into posterior hypothalamus

In the last few decades, cholinergic connections located into posterior hypothalamus (PH) have been implicated in the central regulation of blood pressure (BP). Here we investigated the role of nitric oxide (NO) in the blood pressure response elicited by infusion of physostigmine into PH of normotensive rats. In freely moving rats, physostigmine (60-200 nM) produced a dose- and time-dependent elevation of BP which was antagonized by the antimuscarinic drug scopolamine (60 nM) and by L-NAME (100 microM), an inhibitor of NO synthase, both infused into the same site. In contrast, L-arginine (L-Arg; 100 microM), the precursor of NO, and glyceryltrinitrate (GTN; 140 nM), an NO donor, infused into the PH did not affect physostigmine-related pressor response. In rats pre-treated with Escherichia coli lipopolisaccharide (LPS; 0.5 microg i.p. 24h beforehand), however, scopolamine, L-Arg and GTN produced a decrease of BP, an effect antagonized by L-NAME. This suggests that NO only slightly modulates physostigmine-related pressor response elicited into PH of LPS-untreated rats. In contrast, the release of large amounts of NO generated by pre-treating rats with LPS, down-regulates cholinergic connections located at the PH, thus contributing in the central dysregulation of BP which can be found when high circulating endotoxin levels may occur.