UHECR narrow clustering correlating IceCube through-going muons

The recent UHECR events by AUGER and the Telescope Array (TA) suggested that wide clusterings as the North and South, named Hot Spot, are related to near AGNs such as the one in M82 and Cen A. In the same frame since 2008 we assumed that the UHECR are made by light and lightest nuclei to explain the otherwise embarrassing absence of the huge nearby Virgo cluster, absence due to the fragility and the opacity of lightest nuclei by photo-dissociation from Virgo distances. Moreover UHECR map exhibits a few narrow clustering, some near the galactic plane, as toward SS 433 and on the opposite side of the plane at celestial horizons: we tagged them in 2014 suggesting possible near source active also as a UHE neutrino. Indeed since last year, 2015, highest IceCube trough-going muons, UHE up-going neutrino events at hundreds TeV energy, did show (by two cases over three tagged in North sky) the expected overlapping of UHE neutrinos signals with narrow crowding UHECR. New data with higher energy threshold somehow re-confirmed our preliminary proposal; new possible sources appear by a additional correlated UHE-neutrino versus UHE-neutrino and-or with narrow UHECR clustering events. A possible role of relic neutrino mass scattering by ZeV neutrino arised.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) uniformly defined as primary by a diagnostic work-up

Primary autoimmune hemolytic anemia (P-AIHA) is a relatively uncommon and hetereogeneous disease characterized by the destruction of red blood cells due to anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies (AeAbs) in the absence of an associated disease [1–3]. Secondary AHIA is frequently associated with lymphoproliferative diseases (LD) in particular, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, aggressive or indolent lymphomas, autoimmune disorders, malignancies other than lymphoid, and infections [1,2,4]. On the hypothetical assumption that in a significant proportion of cases defined as P-AIHA the clinical heterogeneity could be due to an ignored associated disease, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical characteristics and outcome of patients with a diagnosis of P-AIHA based on a diagnostic work-up aimed at excluding or identifying an associated disease. ..

Posaconazole and midostaurin in patients with FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia: Pharmacokinetic interactions and clinical facts in a real life study

: Midostaurin is used in combination with chemotherapy to treat patients with newly diagnosed FLT3-mutated acute myeloid leukemia. Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia exposes these patients to a significant risk of invasive fungal infections (IFIs). International guidelines recommend primary antifungal prophylaxis with posaconazole (PCZ) but nested analysis of a phase III trial showed that strong PCZ inhibition of CYP3A4 diminished midostaurin metabolism and increased midostaurin plasma levels; however, midostaurin-related adverse events (AEs) were only moderately exacerbated. We conducted a prospective multicenter real-life study to evaluate (i) how often concerns around PCZ-midostaurin interactions made the hematologist prescribe antifungals other than PCZ, (ii) how remarkably PCZ increased midostaurin plasma levels, and (iii) how significantly PCZ-midostaurin interactions influenced hematologic and safety outcomes of induction therapy. Although the hematologists were blinded to pharmacokinetic findings, as many as 16 of 35 evaluable patients were prescribed antifungal prophylaxis with micafungin, weak CYP3A4 inhibitor, in place of PCZ (p < 0.001 for deviation from guidelines). In the 19 patients managed as per guidelines, PCZ-midostaurin interactions were more remarkable than previously characterized, such that at the end of induction therapy midostaurin minimum plasma concentration (Cmin ) was greater than three times higher than reported; moreover, midostaurin Cmin , maximum plasma concentration, and area under the curve were more than or equal to four times higher with PCZ than micafungin. Hematologic outcomes (complete remission and duration of severe neutropenia) and safety outcomes (midostaurin-related any grade or grade ≥3 AEs) were nonetheless similar for patients exposed to PCZ or micafungin, as was the number of breakthrough IFIs. In waiting for randomized phase III trials of new prophylaxis regimens, these findings show that PCZ should remain the antifungal of choice for the midostaurin-treated patient

Clinical characteristics and risk factors associated with COVID-19 severity in patients with haematological malignancies in Italy: a retrospective, multicentre, cohort study

Several small studies on patients with COVID-19 and haematological malignancies are available showing a high mortality in this population. The Italian Hematology Alliance on COVID-19 aimed to collect data from adult patients with haematological malignancies who required hospitalisation for COVID-19

Platinum and heavy metals concentration levels in urban soils of Naples (Italy)

Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn and Pt concentrations were determined in soil samples collected in the urban area of Naples (Italy). Particular attention has been posed on Pb and Pt content, due to their presence in vehicle emissions. The results evidence that Pb (mean 71, range 19 - 318 mg/kg) and Pt (mean 8.5, range <1-13.8 ng/g) concentrations are comparable with those found in other Italian urban soils. The concentrations of Zn, Cu , Cd and Hg are generally close to those of unpolluted soils. Higher heavy metal concentrations have been found in top soils and, in particular, the relatively high concentration levels of Pb suggest that the main pollution source could be related to vehicular emission. Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Hg are enriched in finer soil fraction, while Pt content does not show any relation with soil particle size. Data concerning Pt represent the first attempt to measure this element in urban soils of Naples and can be used as a reference level to evaluate a possible long-term accumulation trend following the introduction of the automobile catalytic converters.Published1-56A. Geochimica per l'ambienteJCR Journa

REDUCTION OF INTRAMEDULLARY APOPTOSIS AFTER STEM CELL TRANSPLANTATION IN BLACK AFRICAN VARIANT OF PEDIATRIC SICKLE CELL ANEMIA.

Background and Purpose: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative treatment for sickle cell anemia (SCA). We report our experience with transplantation in children with the Black African variant of SCA and the effects of transplant on erythroid compartment in bone marrow (BM).  Patients and Methods: Twenty-seven consecutive patients who underwent BM transplantation from HLA-identical donors following a myeloablative conditioning regimen were included. Using both CD71 and FSC parameters, we obtained three erythroid populations: EryA–C. Ery A (CD71high FSChigh) are basophilic; Ery B (CD71high FSClow) are late basophilic and polychromatic; and Ery C (CD71low FSClow) are orthochromatic erythroblasts and reticulocytes. To analyze the effect of transplantation on intramedullary apoptosis, we studied Fas (CD95+) and caspase-3 expression in erythroblast subpopulations. Results: All patients experienced sustained engraftment, and all surviving patients remained free of SCA-related events after transplantation. The erythroid population showed expansion in the BM at baseline. After transplant, levels decreased, especially of Ery C, in parallel to reduced Fas expression and an initial caspase 3 increase in erythroid population, similar to reported later steps of “normal” erythroid maturation. Conclusions: The results suggest a good chance of cure for children with SCA, with an excellent survival rate. We also observed “normalization” of erythroid populations in parallel with a decreased intramedullary apoptosis rate, suggesting normal erythroid maturation in ex-SCA patients after HSCT

Atypical presentation of anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma mimicking an articular relapse of rheumatoid arthritis in a patient treated with etanercept. A case report and literature review

[No abstract available