Once daily nebulized beclomethasone is effective in maintaining pulmonary function and improving symptoms in asthmatic children

Background and Aim. Compliance with long-term inhaled therapy in asthma is often poor, but it is likely to be improved with a simplified administration, once daily.The present study was designed to assess whether, in childhood asthma, a single dose of nebulized beclomethasone dipropionate once daily was as effective and safe as the same total daily dose administered twice daily. Methods. Asthmatic children, not treated with inhaled steroids for at least a month preceding the study and using short-acting bronchodilators more than once a week were enrolled in a double-blind, double dummy, randomised, multicentric study. After a two week run-in period on nebulised twice daily 400 mcg beclomethasone dipropionate, patients were randomly assigned to twelve weeks of treatment with 800 mcg nebulised beclomethasone dipropionate daily, either in single dose (o.d. group) or divided into two 400 mcg doses (b.i.d. group). Results. 65 children (mean age 8.6 years, mean FEV1 81% of predicted), were valuable for intention to treat. During the run-in period, a significant improvement in FEV1, FVC, morning and evening PEF values and clinical scores was observed. Children then entered the randomised trial: 32 were included in the o.d. group and 33 in the b.i.d. group. During the twelve week treatment period, the observed improvement in pulmonary function parameters was maintained in both treatment groups. Morning and evening PEF showed a progressive slight increase as well as PEF diurnal variability showed a progressive reduction in the two treatment groups during the whole study period without reaching statistical significance. Moreover, in both treatment groups a similar progressive increase in symptom free nights and days and in the percentage of children achieving total asthma symptoms control was detected. Finally, no significant changes in urinary cortisol/creatinine ratio were observed throughout the study period and between groups. Conclusions. A daily dose of 800 mcg of beclomethasone, administered for twelve weeks with a nebuliser either once or twice daily provide similar efficacy in maintaining pulmonary function and symptoms of asthmatic children, with a good tolerability profile

Studies on combined momentum and betatron cleaning in the LHC

Collimation and halo cleaning for the LHC beams are performed separately for betatron and momentum losses, requiring two dedicated insertions for collimation. Betatron cleaning is performed in IR7 while momentum cleaning is performed in IR3. A study has been performed to evaluate the performance reach for a combined betatron and momentum cleaning system in IR3. The results are presented

Reproductive aspects of the velvet belly lantern shark Etmopterus spinax (Condrichthyes: Etmopteridae), from the central western Mediterranean sea. Notes on gametogenesis and oviducal gland microstructure.

In this paper, the reproductive biology of the velvet belly lanternshark Etmopterus spinax was analyzed in Sardinian waters (central western Mediterranean). This species was sexually dimorphic with females growing to a larger size than males. Marked sexual dimorphism in size was also observed along the vertical gradient. Histological analysis of gonads was very useful in assigning macroscopical maturity stages. The investigation on the microstructure of oviducal gland (OG) highlighted four morphofunctional zones with mucous and/or proteic secretions according to the zone and to their specific functions and development. Sperm in the OG was found for the first time in E. spinax. The localization of sperm storage tubules deeper in OG suggested long-term sperm storage, which is in agreement with the long reproductive cycle described. This species matured late, specifically at 80.7% and 79% at the maximum observed size for females and males respectively. Mature specimens were found throughout the year with pregnant females observed in winter and autumn. A low fecundity was observed with a mean ovarian fecundity of 16.5 mature follicles

Measurements of heavy ion beam losses from collimation

The collimation efficiency for Pb ion beams in the LHC is predicted to be lower than requirements. Nuclear fragmentation and electromagnetic dissociation in the primary collimators create fragments with a wide range of Z/A ratios, which are not intercepted by the secondary collimators but lost where the dispersion has grown sufficiently large. In this article we present measurements and simulations of loss patterns generated by a prototype LHC collimator in the CERN SPS. Measurements were performed at two different energies and angles of the collimator. We also compare with proton loss maps and find a qualitative difference between Pb ions and protons, with the maximum loss rate observed at different places in the ring. This behavior was predicted by simulations and provides a valuable benchmark of our understanding of ion beam losses caused by collimation.Comment: 12 pages, 20 figure

New insights on the systematics of echinoids belonging to the family Spatangidae Gray, 1825 using a combined approach based on morphology, morphometry, and genetics

Spatangoids are probably the least resolved group within echinoids, with known topological incongruencies between phylogenies derived from molecular (very scarce) and morphological data. The present work, based on the analysis of 270 specimens of Spatangidae (Echinoidea, Spatangoida) trawled in the Sardinian seas (Western Mediterranean), allowed us to verify the constancy of some characters that we consider to be diagnostic at the genus level —such as the path of the subanal fasciole and the relationship between labrum and adjacent ambulacral plates —and to distinguish two distinct forms within the studied material. Based on morphological characters, morphometrics, and molecular analyses (sequencing of two mitochondrial markers: cytochrome c oxidase subunit1 (COI) and 16S), most of the individuals were classified as morphotype A and attributed to the species Spatangus purpureus, the most common spatangoid in the Mediterranean Sea, while a few corresponded to a different morphotype (B), genetically close to the species Spatangus raschi. Preliminary morphological analyses seemed to indicate that morphotype B specimens from Sardinia are slightly different from S. raschi and from Spatangus subinermis individuals, the second species of the family known to occur in the Mediterranean Sea. On the basis of morpho-structural observations and molecular analyses, comparing Mediterranean living forms with species from other areas (Central Eastern Atlantic, North Sea and neighboring basins, South African Sea, Philippines and Indonesian Archipelago, New Zealand, and Hawaiian Islands), the clear distinction of S. purpureus from several other species classified as Spatangus was confirmed. Based on the morphological and genetic differences, we propose to maintain the genus Spatangus including in it only the type species S. purpureus among the living species and to establish the new genus Propespatagus nov. gen. to include several other species previously classified as Spatangus. The clear distinction among different genera was also detected in fossil forms of Spatangus, Propespatagus nov. gen., and Sardospatangus (†) from the European Oligo-Miocene sedimentary rocks of Germany; the Miocene of Ukraine, Italy, and North Africa; the Plio-Pleistocene of Italy; and the Mio-Pliocene of Florida (USA). The new data can help in addressing taxonomic ambiguities within echinoids, as well as in improving species identification, and hence biodiversity assessments in the Mediterranean region

A taxonomic survey of female oviducal glands in chondrichthyes: A comparative overview of microanatomy in the two reproductive modes

Oviducal glands (OGs) are distinct expanded regions of the anterior portion of the oviduct, commonly found in chondrichthyans, which play a key role in the production of the egg in-vestments and in the female sperm storage (FSS). The FSS phenomenon has implications for understanding the reproductive ecology and management of exploited populations, but little information is available on its taxonomic extent. For the first time, mature OGs from three lecithotrophic oviparous and four yolk-sac viviparous species, all considered at risk from the fishing impacts in the central western Mediterranean Sea, were examined using light microscopy. The OG microanatomy, whose morphology is generally conserved in all species, shows differences within the two reproductive modalities. Oviparous species show a more developed baffle zone in respect to viviparous ones because of the production of different egg envelopes produced. Among oviparous species, Raja polystigma and Chimaera monstrosa show presence of sperm, but not sperm storage as observed, instead, in Galeus melastomus and in all the viviparous sharks, which preserve sperm inside of specialized structures in the terminal zone

Linac4, a New Injector for the CERN PS Booster

The first bottle-neck towards higher beam brightness in the LHC injector chain is due to space charge induced tune spread at injection into the CERN PS Booster (PSB). A new injector called Linac4 is proposed to remove this limitation. Using RF cavities at 352 and 704 MHz, it will replace the present 50 MeV proton Linac2, and deliver a 160 MeV, 40 mA H- beam. The higher injection energy will reduce space charge effects by a factor of 2, and charge exchange will drastically reduce the beam losses at injection. Operation will be simplified and the beam brightness required for the LHC ultimate luminosity should be obtained at PS ejection. Moreover, for the needs of non-LHC physics experiments like ISOLDE, the number of protons per pulse from the PSB will increase by a significant factor. This new linac constitutes an essential component of any of the envisaged LHC upgrade scenarios. It is also designed to become the low energy part of a future 3.5 GeV, multi-megawatt superconducting linac (SPL). The present design has benefited from the support of the French CEA and IN2P3, of the European Union and of the ISTC (Moscow). The proposed machine and its layout on the CERN site are described

Cancer: repositioned to kill stem cells

Chemotherapy-resistant cancer stem cells make it hard to cure many forms of the disease. Repositioning an existing drug to tackle this problem could significantly improve treatment for one form of leukaemia

Assessing thornback ray growth pattern in different areas of Western-Central Mediterranean Sea through a Multi-Model Inference analysis

The lack of information on age validation often affects ageing studies in cartilaginous fish, even in the most common species. Recently, the annual growth band deposition pattern has been directly validated for thornback ray in the Mediterranean Basin, thus providing a highly reliable protocol for age reading. In this regard, taking advantage of this new information, the present study aims to investigate this species growth for the first time over a wide area of the Western and Central Mediterranean Sea, involving four different FAO geographic sub-areas. In order to provide an accurate description of the species growth, different models were fitted to the age-length data obtained from the observation of vertebral centra thin sections. A total of 720 specimens were analysed (358 females and 362 males) with total length ranging between 11.5 and 86.4 cm. The corrected Akaike's Information criterion (AICc) indicated, among the tested models, the three-parameter von Bertalanffy function as the most robust in describing the species growth. Growth modelling outcomes revealed the thornback rays as capable of growing relatively fast during the first years; the growth rate gradually slows down allowing maximum sizes of about 90–100 cm in total length to be reached. Significant discrepancies in the growth pattern were found between sexes in all investigated areas with the only exception being in the Northern Tyrrhenian Sea. Differences in growth patterns were observed between areas, specifically in the estimated growth rate of the species for each sub-region. The present study, confirmed the importance of the availability of a validated ageing protocol and testing multiple growth models. Moreover, our results highlighted the urgent need to investigate a species growth in a wide geographic area, searching also for possible differences at sub-region level. Providing this information could indeed allow eventual management plans to be adapted to the exact growth pattern that the species exhibit in the region, in this way increasing their effectiveness

Ion and proton loss paterns at the SPS and LHC

The collimation system of the LHC, primarily designed for proton operation, must function safely also with 208Pb82+ions. However, the particle-matter interaction in a collimator is different for heavy ions and protons. Heavy ions are subject to nuclear fragmentation, which creates a spectrum of secondary particles exiting the collimators with a Z/A ratio different from the nominal beam. These particles could be lost in a superconducting magnet and the induced heating might cause a quench. The program ICOSIM has previously been used to simulate these losses in the LHC. In this article, we present a benchmark of ICOSIM, using measured proton and ion loss maps in the SPS, and find a good qualitative agreement. We also make a quantitative comparison where the showers of the lost particles are simulated with the FLUKA code in the full magnet geometry. Here a discrepancy of a factor 3.8 is found. Estimation of expected uncertainties continues